Mynydd y Ddraig - a first foray into 009

[cloggydog]

Some fettling ahead of Saturday's outing to the MMDMRC's small summer show in Knowl Hill...

The 2nd loco (8 Llewellyn) has always been a bit tempramental compared to 7.

8 has a 3D-printed bodyshell on a Minitrix Ivatt 2MT 2-6-0 chassis. This has traction tyres on the lead drivers and, despite being stuffed with as much weight as I can cram in the shell, stuttered over dirt, crossing vees and was generally a poor runner.

7 has a Chivers whitemetal body on the chassis from a Minitrix Ivatt 2MT 2-6-2T chassis, which does not have the traction tyres. Smooth* as anything, runs anywhere on the layout without hesitation.
*well... as smooth an anything Minitrix can be...

My ops plan needs 2 locos, so I needed to bring 8 up to scratch. With limited time available, finding a new, better chassis wasn't an option, so I thought I'd try swapping the bodies over. Heavy whitemetal body on the poorer chassis and the 3D-printed body on the good chassis. Happily, it seems to have worked pretty well. 8 now rarely stutters while 7 is still a good runner, if now a little prone to wheelslip.



Next job is to touch in the paint on the coaching stock in a couple of places and recheck all the coupling heights. I did swap out all the brass wire coupling loops for soft iron ones a week or so back to allow the use of a magnetic wand for easier uncoupling.

 

[David Waite]

What type of couplings are you using?
David.

 

[LarryG]

I dislike BR Corporate blue on the V o R. However, 'likes' were clicked because I like every thing else on this thread.

 

[adrian]

What type of couplings are you using?
David.

They look like DG couplings to me

D.G. Couplings – Wizard Models Limited

 

[cloggydog]

What type of couplings are you using?
David.

They look like DG couplings to me

D.G. Couplings – Wizard Models Limited

Yes, they are DGs, albeit simplified with the delay latch omitted and a soft-iron loop at one end of each loco/stock only. Seems to work well for my simple needs. A magnetic 'wand' from above lifts the loop to allow uncoupling wherever required. Wand is just a length of plastic tube, a small nail inserted in one end and a 2mm diameter magnet attracted to the nail, all superglued in place.

 

[westernfan]

Rwy'n hoffi eich rheilffordd fodel . Translated I like your model railway.

I haven't seen the Vale of Rheidol Railway modelled in BR blue livery before . I do remember seeing the arrows of indecision on the side tanks in the early 70's I am glad British railways refused to let the scrappers rip it up . looking at your open sided coaches reminds me of my trip on one back in 2019 . There wasn't a nurse at devils bridge to remove the smuts . I built an oo9 layout 25 years ago and used donor Minitrix chassis for various loco projects . They were good at the time . How things have moved on .

 

[cloggydog]

Mynydd y Ddraig is out this coming Sunday (3rd Nov) to the Bracknell Railway Society's show at the Pinewood Centre, Bracknell, RG40 3AQ: Exhibitions - Bracknell Railway Society

(It's a busy weekend, I'm also out with my Scottish H0 layout Dounreay on Saturday to Newbury exhibition!)

I've made some progress with #9 Prince of Wales, using the bargain Chivers kit body picked up at the Oxfordshire group's do in Steventon earlier in the summer, this one uses the mech from a BachFarish 08 with RTModels frames, valve-gear, etc. Unlikely to be finished by Sunday, but may, just may be in a running state.

Had an idea for some fun VoR 'what-if-ery' with a caricature NG Class 24 and a 2-car DMU, the latter based on a Third+Brake Third combo with the windowed ends and the last set of doors to make a drivers cab in each coach, one powered by a Farish(?) 158 chassis (another Steventon bargain) which gives near spot-on bogie centre spacing. The DMU will likely be finished in the white/blue refurb scheme of the 1970s...

The diary for MyD is filling nicely for next year, with outings planned for Maidenhead in January, Calne in May, Exeter in June and Shenfield in September.