[SkyFire]

That be good then. Yah.

[berth44]

Progress is slow but not stopped! I had a '3 day' week end,so you'd think I'd be about finished....."Aye right!!"
I waisted about a day working on a 'brand new' Hornby 08 shunter,it wasn't bought yesterday,but never really had a work out,anyhoo,to cut a very long story really short,this one I couldn't fix, it squeals something awful,stripped it down,(as far as I could,it's semi sealed,can't get to the commutator) but the motor works fine..off the chassis, but the minute it's back on....squealllllllllllllllll!!!..I packed it up in disgust,If I got it yesterday,I would have sent it straight back!!!
Right, I have not received my 'bridge parts' nor my turntable,and most importantly,I have 3 packets of fishplates ordered with the 'TT'..(from Rails)so getting tore into 'track laying' was out of the question,but I did manage to get more underlay down and the 'up and down' stopping lines' laid for my station..(I wish I had my camera!!)
I also started on my 'platform',this is a 'central' one as I have mentioned,but I'm toying with an idea to have another,like I said,this is being figured out as I progress,anyhoo,I'm presently cutting out platform sections from left over 'board',this will eventually be 'paved' using either 'paper' or the plastic variety,and there again....maybe I'll use card??,it's all available out there in 'Railway World',I'll be 'on line' today looking for 'stuff' that'll do the job......Dave

[berth44]

I looked at the 'Metcalff' range and decided to place an order for the following, 1 x platform kit,this will be the 'other' platform that I mentioned above.
To bring my 'home made' wooden platform into line with this 'Metcaff' one, I ordered the following, one pack of 'tarmacadam' sheet as the surface cover, a 'red brick' sheet to form the 'wall' and lastly for the platform edging I thought the 'paving' sheet would be ideal for this by simply cutting it into single lengths.
I'm hoping I've got the match right, if so, it should be a good basis for more 'Metcaff' station buildings to follow on later,and I should have (hopefully) sheets left over for other projects....Dave

[SkyFire]

Sounds like the problem with the loco is in the gearing somewhere and there is no way to get into the gearbox

Station and platforms sound good, I've looked at Metcalfe a few times and wondered about things for my own layout.

[bluedot0]

Sounds more like bearings, it's a common problem in a lot of locos, quite bad with Bachmann locos.......

Have a look 'ere Davey, this is good stuff......Phil

Gray Cut Stone Paper 4 Sheets HO Scale

[berth44]

Thanks Phil,how easy it to order and is postage reasonable for 'smallish' items??.........Dave

[bluedot0]

All is very easy with these guys, dealt with them a lot and never had any problems.......Phil

[berth44]

Thankoo Pheel,I might just order a wee something!
Talking of orders,I've got nothing from anybody,Rails I presume dear Watson are putting all my eggs in the one basket,so the railjoiners that I'm waiting on could be weeks away....yet!!
OK,I can surely nip over to Fyshwick and get a packet of 24 for 7 bucks, but my friends, from Rails I'm getting twice as many for 1/2 the price..so it's the principal here that matters to me.....the saving of the buckerooo...oooooooo............
The 'local' order (Branchline Hobbies Melbourne)have had a computer glitch and my order for the 'other set' of girders was not picked up until Saturday. The owner of the shop personally called me 'onnaphone',told me of their problems,said his 'sorry Dave' so,as compensation he has reduced the price and seen to the posting himself,hopefully that'll come today and I can then do some 'figuring out' (similar to thinking)re me 'Clyde Bridge'..............
Lastly,I'm thinking that I may have made me platform a bit narrow for a main 'Island' platform,so what I might do is split in two the wood sections that I have done already,just need to pull up the nails and move the track a wee bit,but before I do, I might I'll try and source the "Dapol' platform canopies as I'm thinking on placing them 'side by side',but they are quite expensive and I'd need at the least 12 kits....ouch!!.....Dave

[SkyFire]

Nice to get some decent service from a local hobby shop for once, think I might start looking into what they have as well, with that sort of service. I'm also waiting on some pre orders from Rails, with no idea when they will come.

Wider platforms are good for mainline ones, specially at peak time, though you can still get pushed, (or fall) off them though.

I'm hoping this is where you meant Dave.
www.branchline.com.au/

[berth44]

Yip,thar tha ones Anthony.."harr" I think you'll be fine dealing with them, the fellow who spoke with me was very helpful as I said,I was very impressed.
I'm not sure of his pricing though, I don't think he'll be able to compete with overseas,but to have a shop that 'cares',understands and carries some stock, that's a good thing..............yes???
Dave

[SkyFire]

Yes - Always a good thing.

[berth44]

I've been 'on line' looking around at 'Canopies',the price for the Dapol is in the region of 30 dollars plus,that's delivered,so individually,round the 20 odd mark...
Rails have them for 7.45 BR pounds,(I think),but they need to be placed on order before I order,if you know what I meanz.....
I reckon 10 kits would probably do, they seem to be OK for my needs,but it's a lot of money..the alternative is to 'scratch build' from card/plasticard,or whatever, but to build something this big with trusses and all associated canopy details,it would take me a long time to build and work out more expensive probably,I think modifying the Metcaff kits might be an easier solution, I've got heaps of thinking to do..... me thinks....for sure!,meantime I'll just finish off cutting the rest of the platform and then await my goods from Rails.....Dave

[berth44]

I did not get my order from Melbourne,the 'girders' and they were posted Saturday?
Anyhoo,' low and behold!',I got the 3 sets that I ordered from Rails......'After' my turntable and rail joiners...Hmmmm??
Right,first up, into the garage with one of the girder sides to check on my bridge height,not quite right,but I had half expected that! I waited till after dinner before I got into it,but after a couple of minutes in the garage, "not doing anything in here,too bloody cold mate",back into the house I went!
On opening a single packet there are 8 sprues with 4 'plates' on each.Each one is 22mm long,and 24mm in height, plus there is also 2 'stiffening plates', these are of different lengths and are used to strengthen the girder top and bottom of each completed side ( I'll probably fit all of these to the bottom of each girder as that'll conform to my 'plan') I cut all these parts off the sprues and 'cleaned' them up one by one,that took for ages as there is a lot of them!!
OK, on with the job, I had planned the length of my bridge 'before' I got the actual thing by utilizing 'on line' measurements that were supplied by...'a company'..
It states that one kit can be used to make 'normal' double sided bridge with a length of 352 mm, or stick the two singles together to form one side spanning 700mm, therefor,as I have 3 kits,that makes my bridge over 3 feet in length,but some 'twat' forgot his bridge has 2 sides,so I'd need another 3 kits, or I simply reduce the length of it.........right??....."Hm mm???" read on!
There is a 'plan' on the inside of the packet packet, (yes!, of sorts?, how hard can it be to build this!!) there is also an 'illustration' on the front of it showing a completed bridge. It's easy to see and count the individual plates that form a side, there are 7 of them,so these 7 plates joined together measure 154 mm (6.1/4inches)per side..I have 3, so the 'three times table' says that's 462mm (18.3/4 inch),and Dave's bridge is 2 times that..."Ugh!!??"(who's a clever boy then???, not I!!)
Back to the parts then, and I'm confused further (sigh) the mathematics say 8 x 4 'plates' per kit=32,now here's wot don't add up (to me),on the plan,the plates are joined together back to back to form one single girder side, ( Hmm,now I see how I 'boobed') 'doubling up means rivet detail is on both sides,for obvious reasons!
Right, on the packet the illustration shows quite clearly there are 7 plates making up a side (as I've said),but if you build it as per the parts in the kit,you gets 8 plates per side (8x4=32 divided by 4=8,so why show 7??, now we're looking at a single girder side of 176 mm (7inches), it matters not as I've still got my sums wrong!!!!
Anyhoo, before rabbiting on any more my solution is easy, I wont be joining each plate together,'back to back', I really don't need to as my bridge has the girder 'underslunged',(I really don't expect it to be noticed,unless you are a fish of course and can talk!!)
Each plate therefor will be an 'individual' (as per the Borg)and can now be joined together to form a 'collective' (a Borgyborg)this will now give me the 'full span' of my river and it's banks (oh goody goody),so in conclusion, no shortening or further purchases will be required.
Getting near the end,,,ever so briefly out to the garage I did go,separated the rails from the bridge and I brought (the bridge) into the 'warmth' of my living room!
I screwed off the ends ('abutments?)so that it's 'flat', I then laid the thing on the coffee table, proceeded to lay the plates end to end for it's length on both sides. I've made a start of gluing them all together,a wee tack oh shooper and then a grand dollop of 'normal' plastic glue,very time consuming and not as easy as it sounds.....
Lastly and because it's as long as it is, the thing would fall apart if lifted,and it has to be at this time before it's permanently affixed to the underside,so today after work (hopefully) I'm off to Bunnings to grab a couple of lengths of the same 'square' sections that I purchased last week.(for the bridge) I'll cut and glue 'bridge length' strips covering all the 'plate's' top and bottom, this'll give it the strength required to be lifted 'as one' unit,(hopefully) it will also be a permanent fixture in my bridge construction making it a pretty strong unit in the end..........Dave

[SkyFire]

Sound slike the bridge is going well, you will have to have an official opening of the bridge once the layout is ready.

[berth44]

Dropping a line to the Queen as a fatter of mact Anthony,for this auspicious occasion.... it deserves nothing less!.................Dave