Atso's May/June 2018 Competition Entry

[Mountain]

Its hard to imagine what one of my 7mm narrow gauge locos would look with such attention to detail with the painting! Wow!

[TimberSurf]

Its hard to imagine what one of my 7mm narrow gauge locos would look with such attention to detail with the painting! Wow!

I would say 3.5 times better! lol

[PinkNosedPenguin]

So, you use rapido couplers? I used to fit Dapol 'easi-shunt' which not only looked far better, but also actually worked! By which I mean they actually coupled AND uncoupled when desired A bit expensive, but I found the rapido ones not fit for purpose . . .

[Atso]

Mind boggling skill at that scale!

Thank you TimberSurf.

So, you use rapido couplers? I used to fit Dapol 'easi-shunt' which not only looked far better, but also actually worked! By which I mean they actually coupled AND uncoupled when desired A bit expensive, but I found the rapido ones not fit for purpose . . .

At the moment yes, I'm using Rapido couplers. I have about 40 DG couplers to assemble at some point but, until the layout is built, it isn't that higher priority for me - besides I needed something to remind people this is an N gauge loco so that they would look more kindly on the wobbles in the build!

Also, I'm lucky in that there are a few layouts on the exhibition circuit who will kindly let me run my stuff if I bring it along. As most of these still use Rapidos, it is easier to stick with those for the moment.

[Atso]

There has been a bit of a delay since my last update but things have still been slowly happening.

The L1 has been test printed and some areas for improvement identified. Unfortunately, there has been little progress on the County (I'll try and rectify that over the next two days!).

I couldn't resist having a go at another piece of track though.



This is one of two such formations that are key for the fiddle yard of my Hadley Wood project. I've still got to work out exactly where I'm cutting through the rails for electrical isolation but both wagons and a locomotive chassis (minus motor) free roll through the formation without problems!

Finally, I couldn't resist posing the V1 on the track and taking another picture!

[TimberSurf]

See if I can scratch build some copper clad track as an experiment to ascertain if this would be viable in the fiddle yard of my Hadley Wood layout project.

I think you CAN!

That's a hell of a monstrosity of a point network for 3rd attempt! There is no arguing that you are game to try anything!
Looks a cracking job

[Atso]

Thanks Timbersurf! I try to take the view that if I don't attempt something, then I'll never know if I can do it or not- note the word 'try', I don't always manage it as there are plenty of things in life I won't try!

A quick snap of the L1 test print printed on my B9 Creator in three sections and then roughly joined together. Still plenty of things to address, both in the CAD and the printer setup but a physical model of this body now exists and it fits the intended donor chassis!

[PinkNosedPenguin]

Very fine work Atso - especially the scissors crossing - wow!
The only problem is, you have been so prolific in your output that we won't know what is part of the competition and what isn't

[Atso]

Thanks PNP. To be honest my competition entry is more of a get several stalled projects going again. The exception being the track which is something I've been thinking about for awhile now.

My D49, Yorkshire is now running acceptably well. In the end the problem turned out to be that the screw I'd used to secure the drawbar to the loco was slightly too short and was lifting the tender ever so slightly. As the loco only picks up power from one set f driving wheels, the other having traction tyres fitted, this resulted in four of the tender wheels failing to reliably pick up power. I fitted a slightly longer screw and replaced the original Dapol wires (as they kept breaking) with some thin phospher bronze wire. Sorry no pictures of this but Yorkshire can be found in my usual workbench thread.

This means that I can finally get on with finishing a second D49, 'The Middleton', which I am building for a friend.

[Atso]

Hi all,

My final post for this competition.

My aim for this competition was to finish a project or two and get other things moving again. To recap, my intentions for this competition were:

1.) Test build my V1 3D print.
2.) Get the L1 and County CADs finished and test printed/built.
3.) Resolve running/pickup issues on my D49 and use the remedy to start to finish a second D49 being built for a friend.
4.) To see if I can scratch build copper clad trackwork in N gauge.
5.) If all else is going well/completed; have a go at building the signal box for my Hadley Wood layout project.

All of the above goals are for N gauge models.

So what was achieved? Not as much as I set out to do but I did make progress on everything except the signal box (it was an optional extra!).

The V1 was completed:







The model was completely hand lined with the only transfers used being the lettering/numbering and boiler bands (which I managed to make myself!).

Having made some adjustments, I've reprinted the L1 body. This has been a bit of an experiment using my B9 Creator to see if I can slice the CAD into parts and rejoin them due to the limitations of my printer. Overall, I think this method has merit but I still need to get a slightly better fit of the parts.



The CAD for the County didn't progress much, partly due to a bout of depression and partly due to waiting for feedback from a couple of knowledgeable people.



Following the successfully resolution of my D49's running issues, I've printed a tender for the one I'm building for a friend.



Finally, I've proven to myself that I can scratch build track in N gauge!





A video of the prototype turnout in use.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EsfMqhFzZw

[Mountain]

I think your work is brilliant.

[TimberSurf]

Considering you took on so much, partial completion is expected, but the painted/lined engine and point work are fantastic!

[Mountain]

I'm really impressed with the trackwork.

[Atso]

Thanks guys!

I did take a lot on but that's only because I've got a lot of projects that needed to be kicked back into action!