A bit of signage ...

 Having had new fences and gates done recently - thought I would add to the garden railway theme with some suitable signage for the gates...

Locoworks - Roof for the 'Speeder'

The little 'speeder' I bought for one of my 'winter' projects has had a back and roof frame added; today I made the roof. I used cardboard of various thicknesses, a flat base with some roof supports

the final roof surface of some carefully bent thin card board added - now looking more like a Wickham trolley

and it will eventually look similar to this ... 

but with back canvas rolled down, the front one up and a driver with passenger at the front (well thats the plan  😀....)

Locoworks - Bagnall 2-8-2 (wip part 6) - stopping Tender wobble ....

The running tests showed up a serious case of 'tender wobble', it rocked from side to side as it ran (especially after going round bends).

Inspection showed the mounts for the bogey wheel sets were on a smallish pivot; the bogey's being metal tended to rock as they hadn't sufficient surface to rotate on.

I managed to find some pieces of suitable plastic to make good wide pivot for the underside and levelled up the top of the bogeys.

 bogey's re-attached....

A quick run test on the garage layout - no wobble - another thing off the snag list.

Locoworks - Bagnall 2-8-2 (wip part 5) - Loco<->Tender coupling run test ....

 After a lot of looking at I came up with a scheme for the loco<->tender coupling.

I've used a couple of modified LGB couplings.. 

A quick test in the garage required a couple of tweaks; but OK round the radius 1 curves on the layout.

The loco waiting the go for its run test...

The run test...on Youtube : 

Locoworks - Bagnall 2-8-2 (wip part 4) - all wheels in place ....

The front and rear bogeys modified and replaced, along with some improvements and fill-ins to the under frame using some cardboard (which will be primed with PVA and painted eventually).

Finally 'the beast' runs round the tight curves on my layout. Back to sorting out the tender coupling ....

Locoworks - Bagnall 2-8-2 (wip part 3) - Centring up....

The first attempt at a tender coupling...

was not a success;  the main problem is the way the back of the loco swings out round a curve  - too much for any simple coupling to cope with.

Looking at the real loco this model is based on shows the main drive wheels are more in the centre  the original builder had them too near the front.  Changing it would reduce the cab overhang as it rounds a curve and the 'travel' required for the tender coupling.

Oh well here goes (fingys crossed)... working out the new position.....

Improvised cradle to work on the loco body. More of the under frame had to be removed...

added some chassis positioning and under frame re-inforcing pieces

The chassis re-fitted, now sitting nicely in the middle...

A lot of work, but it looks better and more balanced. A unexpected side effect was to level up the footplate (one more thing off my snag sheet 😀 ).  So now I'll have to redo the the connectors for the front and rear bogies (sigh 😢 ), before I can go back to the loco-tender coupling conundrum.

This loco is definitely a challenge, I like tricky problems ... plenty of tinkering and fettling left to do ...😎

Locoworks - Bagnall 2-8-2 (wip part 2) - Rear Bogey ...

 Decided to have a fiddle with the rear bogey to see if I could fix the last of the clearance problems for tight curves.

cut back the side frame for a bigger slot (easy when the material is plasticard)

then cut a somewhat uneven bit out to allow for better play, to stop it getting stuck as it swings ...

lengthened the connecting bar by 2.5mm so that bogey wheels are centred in the swing gap

Corrections were basically a success, tests on the garage layout gave me mostly free running, a problem with it catching in a couple of other places at extreme edge of the swing as it cornered was easily fixed with a few snips out of the plasticard underframe.

Next job is the tender coupling .....

Locoworks - Bagnall 2-8-2 (wip)

 A first visit to the workshop for the 'big loco'..

The loco which I bought is actually based on a real loco - a Bagnall 2-8-2 similar to this one

(India Railways - Mysore Iron & Steel Company, Bhadravati -2-8-2 steam locomotive Nr. 12 [Bagnall Locomotive Works E2903]).

Taken apart and checking how things fit round tight curves...

front wheel catches and jams a bit.... otherwise looking good

a couple of twisted wires (from an old on/off switch), need sorting out.

The frame, you can see the wear where the wheels rub as they go round. The frame restricts movement so it doesn't go round tight curves....

Part of the plasticard frame marked up and scored ready for removal

all gone....

body refitted and plenty of room for the wheels to move from side to side....

The front wheel problem sorted and the wires soldered; out for trials on the garage layout ....

The loco goes round the tight curves, but the tender won't go with it - the coupling need re-working, also a few other little snags to fettle. Loco back on the shelf for a while - for a 'bit of looking at', while I decide best way to connect the tender.

Line side changes and bolster wagons...

 I felt the telegraph poles I added were a bit too busy, so I cut the top part off. It looks better, before and after pics below...

  

Water tower added to the main station....

Work done to make enough clearance in one corner for the new 'big loco'; walling removed...

marked out new position ...

walling replaced and checked the clearance - about 1cm, enough for the 'big loco' cab to swing out and not touch anything.

Two bolster wagons obtained (off Ebay); I've wanted some for some time but never got lucky and was always outbid. Finally my luck changed and picked these up for £40 each (the last pair I missed went for £75 each).

Its another wagon ....

 Another wagon picked up off Ebay, fitted with Accucraft couplings 😀

The last (?) purchase for this year. Have my 'winter' projects lined up; hopefully time for some running sessions in the garden in the next couple of months if the weather is suitable.

Locomotive Indulgence...

 Oooh shiny and nice;  the delights and tribulations of Ebay surfing. I took one look at this loco online and it fell into my shopping basket 😃 A 2-8-2 Bagnall scratch built from plasticard with some metal fittings (using an LGB 0-8-0 28001 chassis)

Slightly overlarge for my needs; perhaps some nice new carriages to go with ?  This loco needs a visit to the works for adjustments to improve operation around my Radius 1 curves - it should works but sticks - it needs some tweaks; also in need of some small repairs.

'Signals' Project...

 I've been buying up some suitable signals for the garage layout off Ebay; 3 obtained so far and one more auction result awaited.

The signals will need some TLC and stands; the bracket signal will be used for parts to make one or two single sempahore signals.  The plan is to have starter signals for each station; another 'winter' project. 

'Speeder' Project...

 Picked up an old MDA G scale Speeder, had to stick it together as the old plastic clips that held it together were getting a bit loose. Its had a quick test on the garage layout - works well.

It is going to be a 'winter' project, to build an upper part with seats - maybe something like a Wickham trolley.

Yet another new wagon ...

 A recent Ebay purchase,  nice kit-built wagon for a good price. I've fitted Accucraft chopper couplings.

Telegraph Poles(2) - Garage Layout

My empty war game table makes a suitable place to let the paint dry on the telegraph poles prepared for the garage layout....

Poles placed on the line-side of the garage layout, at about 2ft intervals (scale wise ideally should be ~2yds, but the curves are tight and I like it better with them close together :) ). With all in place, time for a train; picked the breakdown train for a run ....

Hmm next thing ? perhaps signals ...

Telegraph Poles(1) - Garden Layout

 Picked up a couple of Bachmann telegraph poles off Ebay; quite reasonable plastic mouldings. I painted three with the insulators and bases a light grey. These have been put out on the garden layout to bring a bit more visual realism to the station, signal box and halt. 

I'm not decided on whether to put telegraph poles line-side on the garden layout, I need a way of holding them in position in the ground.

However I will paint up sufficient to put onto the garage layout.

Faces On (2) .. The Steam Locos.

 Was stuck for a while on suitable 'face plates' to fit to the steam locos; to the rescue - plastic packaging in the form of the tray that had held some garlic dough balls (yummy !).  The depression to hold the dough ball was just the right diameter to fit over the loco smokebox door.

The steam engine line-up

plus the tram loco as well...

Had a running session on the garden layout.....

As it got too hot outside, headed into the garage for shade and to run a different train ....