[Ozzie21]

I have told by my local hobby shop that they expect the the Bachmann 9F to land in Oz on the 19th of june and to be in shop by the end of the month. He told me that Evening Star and one black 9F were coming and that the third black 9F should follow late July early August. So I'd better get the finger out and finish paying for them.

Ozzie21

 

[Ozzie21]

QUOTE (neil_s_wood @ 15 Jun 2006, 13:03) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Never thought I'd see the day someone complained about detail improvement.

It's strange that some modellers do complain about the detail some manufacturers are putting on their models. I still think that some models produced by Bachmann and Hornby could be better than they are now in the detail department. Hornby's Duchess could be a lot better if they got away from the toy train mentality and produced a model that better replicated the real thing. Tenders that couple closer, finer flanges on wheels, front and rear trucks that don't have acres of daylight showing through are some that I can think of. Look at what the yanks are making and people are paying for that exta detail. Perhaps Hornby and Bachmann could produce a " Premier" line of models with higher than average detail. Of course the price would reflect that extra detail but I wouldn't mind paying for it.

Ozzie21

 

[Ozzie21]

QUOTE (Doug @ 16 Jun 2006, 23:57) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I think its meant to be like that. It was nicknamed the 'Spaceship' due to the big gap between the boiler and footplate had the effect of making the boiler look like one of the booster stages, used in the 60's NASA space project, on its side.

Yes it not sdo with the 9F as they were designed that way but there are many other locos in Hornby's and Bachmann's range that have an inordinate amout of daylight around the leading and trailing trucks. Just one of my many little pet hates

Ozzie21

 

[Ozzie21]

QUOTE (Dennis David @ 17 Jun 2006, 12:00) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I don't wish to open a can of worms but I often wonder how different things would be if you all had gone for HO scale rather than OO. You might already have that premier line courtesy of Marklin, Trix et al.

Well I've been in HO scale for some 30yrs and while I have changed my main stream modelling tastes I still have some HO scale mainly C&O Alleghenies, mikes, Kanawahs, Texas, Hudsons and pacifics in brass. Perhaps it would have been better for Hornby to have gone to HO scale so that that the locos would be correct for the track guage. Now that is a can of worms.

Ozzie21

 

[Ozzie21]

QUOTE (Dennis David @ 23 Jun 2006, 12:20) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Yes that's true, is there a problem with RP25 wheels and Code 100?

Well not really. RP25 and Code 100 are an NMRA standard. Code 83 rail came about as a finescale alternative to Code 100 which in HO is about 138lbs per yard and code 83 about 98lbs per yard which is pretty close to most of the jointed rail used in the US up till the late sixties when many roads started using 120lbs per yard rail. For many modellers its the tracklaying that lets them down as they are trying to run models on track that isn't laid the best or is using setrack curves. If you lay your track well then RP25 or code 88 wheels aren't a problem. I found this out the hard way when I started with brass steam. My RTR diesels would navigate the track okay but my first brass loco, a Berkshire, would fall off the rails every time the wheels went round. That was twenty years ago and now I lay my track and build my base boards to a "set standard" I have adopted within a group of us. There's always a rogue in a any group who does things his way and he has more derailments in one session than the rest of us have in year.

Ozzie21

 

[Ozzie21]

I used to do the same thing "L Girder" construction using Linn Westcott's methods. But I have since moved away as the quality of lumber has changed with the use of plantation pine. I now use manufactured "L Girders" using 1/2inch and 3/4inch plywood and use the same material for the rest of the baseboard construction. You still have to use a bit of timber for gussets, legs and things but I think I get a much more stable construction that is less prone to warping due to temperature and the use of airconditioning in the train shed. I have also used a masonite lath for the subroad bed which is also very strong and stable but is limiting in the size of curves you can bend it to. This is topped off with concrete expansion jointing and the track is glued to that.

Ozzie21

QUOTE (Makemineadouble @ 23 Jun 2006, 17:38) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I'd be intrested to know what you standards are for base boards. My normal method of construction has always been L girder. This has proved to very stable, and in the past when I've rebuilt a layout much of the construction timers have been reused with little modification. Thats not possible with my current project as the timber was left in South Africa, there are regulations relating to the import and export of untreated timber, the same as in Australia. So for the first time in many years I'm starting from scratch.

 

[Ozzie21]

I got it down to about 34inches using 5 laps of 1/8" masonite 3/4" wide cut from 8'x4' sheets. You could probably get it smaller but thats about as small a radius as I needed at the time. it's time consuming and messy as you use lots of PVA glue, drywall screws and clamps. Once it's dry though it's a very stable and strong roadbed. Check out Joe Fugates Siskuo Line which you can find on the US NRMA pages as for the life me I can't find the web address.

Ozzie21

QUOTE (Makemineadouble @ 24 Jun 2006, 16:50) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Intresting, what is the minum rad you can get with the spline road bed ? assuming your modelling HO/OO.

 

[Ozzie21]

Ahh!

thats how you spell it. I found the correct spelling when I was looking at an Espee DVD after I sent the post. I would have liked to try out his mushroom design but I need a bit more width to really make it work. Might have to knock the shed down and build another

Wouldn't I be popular then

Ozzie21

QUOTE (Dennis David @ 25 Jun 2006, 00:20) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>http://siskiyou-railfan.net/e107_plugins/c....php?content.26

I heard the videos are very good.