Whats New

I have packed away the Burton Phoenix layout so I can continue working on the scenery for the N Gauge ‘Stowey Green’ Layout.

This has given me the opportunity to do a few test runs of the3D Printed Narrow Gauge (OO9) ‘Emma’ Locomotive and stock on the ‘open’ sections of the N Gauge track.

Note… I still have not sorted out a coupling system for the rolling stock. My current thinking is to use ‘chain links’ to simulate 3 link couplings.

Here is a video showing my current ‘complete’ slate train.

The final (dodgy) paint job for the narrow gauge rolling stock is to finish up ‘Emma’, The little quarry pannier tank engine to pull the slate wagons.

Or even the occasional passenger work.

It is not perfect – but will do the job until I get my Cad skills ‘upgraded’ so I can work on a De Winton locomotive.
.. As Detailed HERE

Even though I may not have been spending too much time on the layout the past couple of months I have been keeping the 3D Printer busy turning out more OO9 Slate wagons with slate loads. Here is my current stock all 3d printed.

In fact my current problem is a shortage of wheels for the wagons…

Here is a closer look at the wagons with their loads of cut slate:

Currently the locomotive is a Hunslet Quarry Pannier Tank engine using a little Kato 4 wheel N Gauge chassis.

The dream is to have a DeWinton vertical boiler locomotive, which was commonly used in the North Wales slate quarries.
It is rather a quaint looking locomotive, which because of the vertical boiler were often nicknamed ‘coffee pot’s’..

It seems that I will have to get properly up to speed on 3D design as it looks like no current ready to run or 3D models exist..
I do have a technical drawing for a larger scale model to use.. but first I need to get way better in 3D Design – probably using Fusion360…

Whilst enjoying a very long overdue and hugely enjoyable visit to my family in Northampton I was able to visit my childhood model shop which I am pleased to see is still very much thriving. ( https://themodelshop-northampton.co.uk )

In my youth it was usually a weekly trek for Model aeroplane kits and balsa wood..
… Now I am able to enjoy it for Model Railways.
Amongst other bits and pieces such as OO9 points and track I left with these rather colourful Hornby ‘Yellow Submarine’ and ‘Sgt Pepper’ Beatles wagons.

I am planning to resume work on the N Gauge ‘Stowey Green’ layout in a few weeks, so, in the meantime I thought I had better ‘Finish Off’ my pending ‘OO’ tasks.

One of these was getting out our Hornby Peckett which was bought as a birthday present all the way back in January…
.. The Loco really is a beauty..

With a LOT of details especially in the cab.

The HST is probably my favourite ‘Modern’ locomotive, both as a modeller and as a traveller.
After over a year of searching I have finally have an HST with the running numbers to match my Mk3 Coaches (43002 & 43003). Although I have travelled on HST’s all across the country, I have a particular affection from travelling on them between London and Weston-Super-Mare soon after they were introduced.

.. I missed out on the amazing Super Detailed Limited Edition ’40th Anniversary’ version from a few years back. So I had hoped to get the updated, good value and well reviewed ‘Railroad’ version from a year or so ago. This has also been hard to find at a sensible price – until this weekend where typically I ended up with a choice of ‘As New’ models. One was in a collectables shop and another on EBay.
I went for the one in the shop as it was the same price – and I could give it a proper look over first.

It looks Great and runs well – SO much better than the older ‘Pancake’ motor versions.

It is unlikely to see much action on Burton Phoenix – for even in a fairly ‘Minimum’ configuration – 1st class, 2nd Class and Buffet .. the train is almost twice the length of the station..

.. It will be a while before I can run a train with my current rake of 7 Coaches…

Most of the famous ‘Little Trains of North Wales’ were built for quarry work – particularly slate.
So, as a resident of North Wales I have become quite interested in them and have a preference for 3D printing this kind of rolling stock. I have finally got round to finishing and painting them – it’s has been a long time since I did any kind if model painting, Airfix as a teenager, so I have a lot to learn/relearn. Most of the items are in ‘OO9’ scale – which is effectively OO scale on 9mm track. But I have also printed and decorated a few items on O16 which is ‘O’ scale (7mm/ft) using OO/HO track.

A rake of OO9 slate wagons with simulated loads.

And are some accompanying passenger coaches. Not bad for a first attempt – need to do a better job of fitting the roofs in future.

And here are the few O16 wagons I have made. One of the joys of 3D printing is that you and up and downsize models.. Hence the resemblance to the OO9 ones:

The 3D printer had finally been earning it’s keep and has been printing boats and other scenic items for Burton Phoenix.
….Then I just had to learn to paint them…

Full details can be found in ‘Work In Progress’ HERE

The geeky side of 3D Printing has been continuing for ‘N’ gauge. This is my first hand ‘crafted’ item from CAD to item.
… New ‘BackToBack’ gauges for ‘N’.

A good friend of mine has also moved up to North Wales, and their house sits on the path of an old Quarry mining railway.

So for a bit of fun I have been experimenting with printing 3D models Narrow Gauge rolling stock.

From the amazing resource ‘ThingIverse.com’ I have downloaded and printed wagon designs from a similar Quarry railway at Dinorwig, just down the road in Snowdonia. The smaller models (centre and top left) are in OO9 – ‘OO’ narrow gauge on 9mm track. The larger models are O-16.5 – ‘O’ narrow gauge on HO/OO track.

All this has been a lot of fun and has helped me get to grips with 3D printing and to learn how to get the best out it.
.. However it has been a distraction to the work on the Burton Crumpnold layouts, so expect ‘normality’ to reappear in future updates.

.. The first of these tasks is to get my painting skills up to speed and paint the boats I have already 3D printed – plus a few more so I can complete the ‘river’ scenery on Burton Phoenix.

The reason for the lack of updates for the last couple of months is that I have been learning the joys of 3D Printing.
I reasoned that a lot of the ‘scenic’ things I like to add to a layout I could make myself..
.. I went for the Ender3 V2 which only cost £230 ($310) with 2kg of plastic filament..
As is usual with 3D Printers the first prints were to help prove everything was set up OK, plus a few addon’s for the printer to help it run better.

So far I have been limiting myself to ‘OO’ gauge..
… Here are some of the first ‘Useful’ items I have made so far.

.. As yet unpainted – I have been looking for some boats to add to Burton Phoenix’s scenic corner for ages to it was great to start here.. One thing about 3D printing – it’s not fast – the canal boat tool over 4 hours to print. I have still some way to go to be confident about the print quality.. So it may be a while before I’m properly happy with the results.

I have also been able to ‘print’ an ‘OO’ gauge Ballast spreader, a couple of Back to Back gauges, and some ‘TrackSetta’ style Curve Templates – most of which were on the ‘shopping list’. These ‘simple’ and quite large prints have ‘fairly’ easy to do.
….So I am already starting to get a return on the 3D Printer.

And just because I could …. Some door plaques for me and the misses

Next thing is to relearn the art of painting….