What About The Bee

I opened the forum. I noticed it looked a bit different. Normal occurrence these days. And then, it hit me: no badges are displayed. Is this just me or have others noticed this too? Bee

I agree @Rallymatt I would be interested in TT120, but there are no LMR models in TT120. Because, clearly, the OO LMR models simply are not tiny enough. Therefore, I have unchecked the TT120 forum. I go look there from time to time, but in general, leave you lads to your fun. I rarely see any TT120 as a result. @YelrowHi! 👋. Near the top of the forum, there is a line that says "Showing topics from [some number] forums". That is a drop down menu. Click on it. UNCHECK TT120 and you too, sir, will rarely, if ever, see TT120 again. Bee

Thanks @Going Sparefor letting me know.

Hornby Signal Box https://youtu.be/XOUHsUnH0LE?si=fMnC6XJG_XrGf2J Skip to 10:34, where in Sam, the Hornby designer, shows off running samples. Coupling is demonstrated, and in particular, going through an S curve. Worth looking at Bee

Hi 81F Adding that blue sub-frame over the pony truck is what I had in mind. Lots of stiffness added to the front buffer beam, even without filling in the gap between them. You wrote: I would reduce the cut-outs radius, sit the edge much closer to wheel flanges. The ones on the B12 feel around 2mm above the flanges of the wheels so I think I'll try reducing this to around 1mm. This may be more troublesome than at first glance. Consider the case of entry to diverting route on a point. The front pony truck bouncing through the rails and frog, as the locomotive trundles on. The pony truck pushed to one side. That extra 1 mm of clearance might be needed. I'd like to think that the engineers at Triang knew their stuff. They had the gap set for reliable running, maybe not so concerned about appearance. Yet you have a drafting tool they could only dream of. Set the articulation of the truck for the tightest turn in the model and check those clearances! As to the coupling being raised, you have far more experience and knowledge than I do on this matter. I will defer to the expertise of others, instead of a glorious demonstration of my naivete. Bee

Hi @ModelerXYZ I thought, at first, that they would necessarily be decoupled for loading and uploading. Autotrain pictures show automobiles entering and exiting from the ends of the autotrain car, not the sides. Meaning that each autotrain car was decoupled and loaded individually. But then I considered that the automobiles could (possibly) drive across from one autotrain car to the next, meaning that the autotrain cars would not need to be decoupled from each other. This would require ramps from one autotrain car to the next. And then I wondered if automobiles would drive off the autotrain car in forward drive, not reverse, meaning that the locomotive, at a minimum, would be decoupled to permit this unload. From a logistics standpoint, I just do not the word "permanent" can be applied in a strict sense. Even if is only to drive on to the consist, traveling from autotrain car to autotrain car; they cannot reverse off of the autotrain that way. They must get off the distal end from where they got on. [Preparing myself to be firmly corrected for idle speculation 🙂] Bee

I have reached the finish line with the Livestock Waggons. Yes, period articles do have two g's in waggons, although it does look odd today. First, the close up of the waggon The bolt heads touched in with the glass head pin, looking very crisp. Next, a set of three livestock waggons. Sometimes, they were loaded with cattle, other times pig. And finally compared to the Ackermann consist Quite pleased, although I may need another set of sheep waggons to complete this depiction. One more sheep waggon, one less primary livestock waggon. That fourth waggon between the sheep waggons is the alternate livestock waggon. Recently explored in a different thread. Bee

Hello @81F Sublime! In observing photographs of the real thing, the space above that front pony truck does need your attention. You asked "on the chassis body or the extension?" I would suggest a combination. The front buffer beam in fine detail plastic will be incredibly fragile. It needs a bit of support. May as well make that support into some of the body exposed to view. Yet the real article likely never went around curves we have. Some of the real components obviously moved with the truck, not the body. Putting modeled components on the pony truck needs accommodation of our curves. While adding to the complexity, the result will be fantastic. If you do not have the front pony truck and the attaching bar in your model yet, it may be time to do so, so as to permit proper engineering of the motion / articulation. The current state of the model has high fidelity with the prototype. Well done 81F! The model is an excellent match to the photographs. Keep going!! Bee

Hi Joe I've been back and forth, exploring the entirety of Burnside Station via the Ordnance Survey Maps. At the western end of the platform is a footbridge, its map reference is NS6160SE. This image may show the 1960 footbridge or its replacement https://glasgowtransport.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Burnside-Train-Stationn.jpg There is the station building mid platform. You have mentioned that you have an end elevation of that building. Being a fairly small rectangular building, you could reconstruct the other faces by inference. Towards the east end of the platform, there are the stairs that come up from the entrance in my earlier post. If your image is the 1961 image on Wikipedia https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/db/Burnside_railway_station_1950651_7413f165.jpg/550px-Burnside_railway_station_1950651_7413f165.jpg , than you can just see the stairs on the extreme right. You will find the Signal Box on the earlier linked map. You can then pick out the exact location the photograph was taken from, and in which direction. Finally, at the extreme eastern end, are some small boxes, just behind the photographer Joe, there is nothing else on that platform that was noticed by the surveyors. Bee

The Passenger Entry to the Burnside Platform may be found on Google maps, street view. Clearly by its architecture, this predates 1960s and as it is there now, was there in the 1960s. Other views of the twin bridges as they cross the A749 may be obtained there. Further, we have the track plan and station arrangements in Ordnance Survey maps. To start you off, here is the 1955 survey, show both the Passenger and Goods stations https://maps.nls.uk/view/130374856 Bee

In the immortal words of Norma Desmond, "Mr. DeMille, I am ready for my closeup". I tried LT&SR_NSE's suggestion to paint with a pin. I used one of my glass head pins, 1⅜" long × ~¹/₆₄" barrel diameter. The point is obviously much finer than the barrel of the pin, what I actually painted with. This should be referenced to the model bolt head of ¹/₃₂" or 0.8mm. I used black acryllic paint. Not only did the black paint provide better coverage than permanent marker, the glass head pin, with its spherical head, afforded precise control. Zoom the image to inspect individual bolts. In my view, this is a vast improvement. An unquestionably superior result was obtained using this method. Thanks again LT&SR_NSE, the suggestion was stellar. Touching in fine details with a pin works a treat! Bee

The valve gear on that model in the video was quite fetching. To perhaps prompt a correspondent who can identify the second car in consist. https://www.kernowmodelrailcentre.com/GWR_Railmotor/P4199349.JPG Or just contact Glynn Valley and ask them directly which carriage is in consist? thenewglynvalleytramway@gmail.com Bee

Thanks @Rana Temporia for the suggestion. At 0.8 mm in diameter (¹/₃₂"), I can see them, but controlling the tip is difficult. More resolution would be helpful Bee

Hi @LTSR_NSE Thank you for the compliment. I am working very hard to get all of these right. I'm using a black permanent marker. Extra fine point. The problem is getting the marker to flow whilst controlling the tip of the marker. I will give your ideas a try. The pin with the tiniest drop of black paint may work. And a giant magnifier! Bee

I've painted and assembled the alternate livestock waggon. This was shown hauling pigs. The alternate livestock waggon has corner bolsters, with the posts on the outside of the rails. I do think the bolt heads are sturdier than previous attempts, none were missing upon delivery. I'm still having a bit of issue coloring them black, they are terribly tiny. The high magnification of still images shows every detail. We can compare this wagon to the prototype. The standard livestock waggon on the left, in-floor bolsters without corner posts. The alternate livestock wagon on the right, with corner posts. The Ackermann aquatint illustration has these livestock waggons in the same positions, for your reference. The subtle difference between these two types provides visual interest and supports the experimental nature of early railway waggons. Not everything was decided or standard. Overall, I'm fairly happy with this result. Bee

My Shapeways shipment has arrived! A bunch of Liverpool and Manchester Railway rolling stock is now on the workbench. Some passenger, some freight. I'm excited! Bee

Did you catch the disclaimer at the end of the video? Bee