Change of scale

[Stuart Birks]

I have always modelled in 4mm scale but recently I have been finding that it is a bit of a strain so I fancied something a bit bigger. I dont have the space to do justice to a full O gauge layout so thought I would have a try with O-16.5 narrow gauge. I hunted around on the internet and took a fancy to the Kerr Stewart Wren kit from Locos n Stuff. I have virtually no experience of loco building, normally just making kit wagons and coaches and scratch building buildings still it cant be that hard.
The kit is lovely but the loco is really tiny, much smaller than a 4mm Pannier tank and it was really at the limit of what I could do but in the end it has come out well and I am happy with the result.










I have no layout planned at the moment but since the loco is a success I will start thinking about something.
Stuart

 

[Giles]

You made a good job of that. The motion is NOT easy or straightforward if I recall, as the etched hole sizes were somewhat delinquent.

 

[Jordan]

I haven't changed scale - still in 1:48 American O Scale - but recently I got bitten by a particularly infectious bug of some sort. It seems to be highly contagious and has caused serious itching.

No, it's not one of "those" diseases

It's one of these....

A sudden & acute case of On30-critter-itus.

I thought my shortened Atlas/Roco 0-4-0 switcher was small....
A Bachmann Spectrum 'Davenport' switcher & caboose. I won't be adding a narrow gauge line to my layout, but do have some plans.


I shouldn't be surprised really, but the On30 caboose is just about as big as the standard gauge 4-wheel Bobber. The NG one is on trucks.

 

[Stuart Birks]

Having experimented with a loco and a bit of rolling stock its time to have a go at a building. In 4mm scale my buildings ar usually made out of Wills sheets or flat sheet with stone detail scribed into it. I have never fancied scribing brickwork as it is just too small. I recently bought a laser cutter for the primary reason of making brick walls so it is time to see what I can do in 7mm scale. I found a good diagram of Waunfawr station on the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway website so I have had a go at copying it.



The walls are fully laser cut with the stonework using two passes of the laser to engrave to different depths and then carved a bit with a rotary cutter. The windows and doors are built up from three layers to create the depth.



The roof is laser cut from thick paper in strips and just overlapped.



It is not built to my usual standard as there is no detail on the ridge tiles and the window sills should be sticking out but overall it has proved the laser cutting technique.
I wanted some seats for the platform and had a look at what was available but saw nothing I liked. I did see some laser cut ones whick I was not impressed with so I had a go at laser cutting my own. I just laser cut the frames and then glued on some evergreen strip. Quite effective for a quick job.



The time has come to decide if I am going to build a layout in this scale. If I do then it means scrapping my existing layout and I dont know what to do with everything I have made for it.
Stuart