Andy's Modelmaking Misadventures

[classic33]

1:55 scale Narrow Gauge. In this scale 16.5mm represents, metre gauge; roughly... If you squint.

The Siku rep. managed to get me a list of the rail scales their vehicles were closest to. Should anyone be after something different.

 

[Andy in Germany]

I've been building a prototype swap body, which has answered a few questions about the sizes and general dimensions, but opens a couple more such as “What will it carry?” and “Why on earth didn’t I just make something simple like a parcel container?”

I’m leaving the second question as it is impossible to answer, but the container will be a rather nondescript carrier of “diesel fuel” operated by a company contracted by the Körschtalbahn. Like a lot of German railways, the KÖB will have a small maintenance and fuel facility at the distant end of the line, rather than at the connection with the national network as was more common in the UK. This is because a lot of these lines are paid for by the local authorities which generally prefer to bring as much maintenance in house as possible, on the basis it brings employment and keeps money in circulation.

This means that this container will make occasional appearances when the shed needs a delivery, and will probably find itself probably tacked onto a regular freight or passenger train as required. Other than that it will be kept well hidden so as not to disturb the public…

 

[Reynard]

That looks really good

Did you manage to solve the saggy chassis issue?

 

[Andy in Germany]

This is the awkward stage, when the basic colour is there but the shading and weathering isn’t. Instead of the model taking in the form of “reality in miniature” it looks like a badly painted concoction of bits of pipe and wire.

Still adding setails will help. To this end I’ve spent a couple of evenings finding out more than a same person would want to know about tanker chemical codes and hazard warning symbols.

Also, notice the thrilling debut of a colour other than green.

That looks really good

Did you manage to solve the saggy chassis issue?

Thanks @Reynard: The saggy wagons are gone, and will be replaced by version 2.0 which I hope will manage to stay straight.

 

[Andy in Germany]

The new low loader wagons take shape, heavier and longer than the previous versions.

Observant readers will have noticed that there are three instead of the two I was building earlier. I think the railway would be into containers in a big way so an extra wagon won’t hurt. And if the first one doesn’t work very well I can always call it a “prototype” and build the other two differently.

To build the side pieces I used a jig few bits of card to hold the plastic bits in place while I glued them together. The result isn’t that pretty, as the two bits on the bottom of the picture show. Unfortunately it was also not entirely accurate, but I laminated them onto other bits of plastic (middle) on either side to add strength and hide the worst of the gaps. Now I’ll add bits on the top and bottom to make them into rather substantial I-beam girders. Then we hope they don't try and copy the first versions...

 

[classic33]

In anticipation of actually having a layout soon, I finally bought something shiny:

View attachment 584508

By curious coincidence, the German toy manufacturer Siku makes diecasts almost exactly the right scale for the model I'm building.

This will now be weathered to within an inch of its life and possible even repainted.

German equivalent of £7.00?

 

[Andy in Germany]

Tatty container is completed:

It isn’t looking too bad considering it’s essentially a drainpipe wrapped in paper. The paper came close to causing a lot of trouble this time; glue only takes so long to dry after all, and it managed to dry quicker than I could pull all the awkward bits through the various gaps in the frame. As usual I’m relying on everyone to be too unobservant or polite to comment on the way the writing and hazard symbols are at slightly different heights on each side. I’m also not even going to show you the underside of the tank.

 

[Andy in Germany]

After the success of the paper wrap on the tanker, I'm trying to step things up by printing carriage sides:

Any thoughts welcome. It's based on the German "Silberlinge" carriages designed and built by German railways from 1958. With upwards of 5000 examples built they’ve been the main carriage for local and many suburban services in West Germany from that time. They were built until 1980, because in Germany “standardised” means what is says.

There are some “Silberlinge” in regular service today; yes you read that correctly: German still uses a design of carriage over 6 decades old on the main rail network, although thankfully they are now painted various colours and it has to be said that the surviving examples are refurbished and pretty comfortable on the inside.

The Körschtalbahn would have needed new carriages at about the same time as the rest of the rail network, so it would have been a logical solution to order some “mini-Silberlinge” to carry passengers. As they were originally built from stainless steel, they’d last forever, so they’d still be in use today. I’ll try a couple more designs, not least for a push-pull trailer, preferably with the usual trappings of a modern railway such as disabled access and bicycle storage.

If you’re wondering about the name, it refers to the original stainless steel construction which gave a silvery finish when new and probably for about ten minutes afterwards., hence the nickname of “Silver pieces”, a reference to the new Testament, specifically Matthew 26,14 where Judas Receives “30 silver pieces” for betraying Jesus to the authorities.

Apparently German trainspotters receive a very classical education.

 

[classic33]

After the success of the paper wrap on the tanker, I'm trying to step things up by printing carriage sides:

View attachment 599143

Any thoughts welcome. It's based on the German "Silberlinge" carriages designed and built by German railways from 1958. With upwards of 5000 examples built they’ve been the main carriage for local and many suburban services in West Germany from that time. They were built until 1980, because in Germany “standardised” means what is says.

There are some “Silberlinge” in regular service today; yes you read that correctly: German still uses a design of carriage over 6 decades old on the main rail network, although thankfully they are now painted various colours and it has to be said that the surviving examples are refurbished and pretty comfortable on the inside.

The Körschtalbahn would have needed new carriages at about the same time as the rest of the rail network, so it would have been a logical solution to order some “mini-Silberlinge” to carry passengers. As they were originally built from stainless steel, they’d last forever, so they’d still be in use today. I’ll try a couple more designs, not least for a push-pull trailer, preferably with the usual trappings of a modern railway such as disabled access and bicycle storage.

If you’re wondering about the name, it refers to the original stainless steel construction which gave a silvery finish when new and probably for about ten minutes afterwards., hence the nickname of “Silver pieces”, a reference to the new Testament, specifically Matthew 26,14 where Judas Receives “30 silver pieces” for betraying Jesus to the authorities.

Apparently German trainspotters receive a very classical education.

We've not long got rid of the Pacer's. First run round these parts in 1982.

If you're printing on your own printer, what's the output like on long prints. Can it handle the specialist paper/film required.

 

[Andy in Germany]

We've not long got rid of the Pacer's. First run round these parts in 1982.

If you're printing on your own printer, what's the output like on long prints. Can it handle the specialist paper/film required.

I always rather liked pacers, especially the class 142's. That said I didn't have to ride on them much.

Fortunately in 1:55 scale I can make this carriage 280mm long, and a sheet of DIN A4 is about 295mm, so I just print it on normal copier paper.

 

[Cycleops]

As far as I can see you haven’t added any couplings yet. What type are you going to adopt and can you see any difficulties with getting them all mounted at the correct height?
I don’t know how it might work with your models but Kadee are reliable and there is a great range to suit just about any mounting situation plus you can have hands free coupling and shunting.

 

[Andy in Germany]

As far as I can see you haven’t added any couplings yet. What type are you going to adopt and can you see any difficulties with getting them all mounted at the correct height?
I don’t know how it might work with your models but Kadee are reliable and there is a great range to suit just about any mounting situation plus you can have hands free coupling and shunting.

Kadees are a bit out of my price range, and don't really look right on a central European NG line. I had planned to use DG couplings, based in Hull (I think) and have already bought several etches, but I'm not sure how easy they will be to get now, I may have to change to some more locally available type or make my own.

 

[classic33]

Kadees are a bit out of my price range, and don't really look right on a central European NG line. I had planned to use DG couplings, based in Hull (I think) and have already bought several etches, but I'm not sure how easy they will be to get now, I may have to change to some more locally available type or make my own.

These?

What size, part number if you have one?

 

[Andy in Germany]

These?
View attachment 599245
What size, part number if you have one?

Aye, those are they, I use the "7mm" etches. At the moment I've got several spare etches. I'm not building that quickly at the moment and my stockpile should hold out for a while.

 

[Andy in Germany]

More ideas:

In recent years, local trains have started appearing in an interpretation of the yellow and black of the Baden Württemberg flag, the lions from the coat of arms. the "bwegt" logo is a play on the initials of the state and the verb "Bewegen" to move.

Unfortunately they only seem to allow more modern trains to be painted in the fill colour scheme, so I think the Körschtalbahn's elderly carriages will have to remain in their normal colours with just the logo added.

A couple of possibilities, firstly one that came about by accident while I was changing the colours in the Gimp:

Perhaps a bit more modern than the original single colour.

Also a different style loosely based on German railways long distance trains:

I'm sure I'll come up with some more ideas before I finally make my mind up and actually get some model making done...