Coles Crane with Clam shell Bucket

Been busy with a Langley small clam shell bucket making a mechanism for lifting..using off cuts in my brass box...What do you think?

Hornby Dublo Breakdown Crane circa 1961

At the last Doncaster Toy and Train Fair I picked up a Hornby Dublo Breakdown Crane circa 1961 for £15 with a view to giving it a remake more like a model than a toy.

I decided to dismantle the crane an bath in caustic soda to take it down to base metal, got rid of the winders and filed away the holders for the jacks, after which I gave it a coat of red oxide then black. then replaced all the wheel with bachmann pin point and put brass bearings into the chassis.


Next stage making the hoisting gear...The wheels are actually tiny bearings with a grove from ebay (they seem to do the job)

Rigging in place and test....

Another view just to see how it looks...

Using the original springs it holds the winder in place...

Watch This Space...

Scatch build Sand House...Part 2

A few days have past and I managed to get a few hours to myself in 'The Man Cave' and it seems to be getting there...There is not that many photo's of sand house's, but what I found gave ideas for a model..

 I am quite pleased how my louveres turned out...

You can see the odd join in the roof as it was made up of eight pieces from my box of bit's...That's Yorkshire  Waste not, want not...

Scatch build Sand House...Part 2

A few days have past and I managed to get a few hours to myself in 'The Man Cave' and it seems to be getting there...There is not that many photo's of sand house's, but what I found gave ideas for a model..

Scatch build Sand House...

I Started with the chimney, Then after looking at available photo's made a start.

Tomorrow I will be tiying up..

Getting there...

MPD No.2

After 9 years plus service the peco points and motors have been giving me proplems on and off for the last 2 years...So I decided it was time for a change, hence MPD No.2  I made Two base boards 4' x 2' made of 9mm ply.

I will have to clear all the tools and stuff pretty soon as I will have to turn the board to do some wiring. The track is SMP SCALEWAY glued down with pva and held in place with heavy weights until dry.

I am making my own pointwork and here is my first Right handed 3 way tested with various loco's ranging from a 0-4-0 Sentinel to the big boys and all went well.

This is a 36" radius point but I have extended by 3" to make it appear not too sharp.

Running out of space

Well this idea came into my head about building a four gated level crossing and now I need somewhere to put it, Then another idea came into my head 'build a layout for it' Mmmmmm '?' I am running out of space...

To the left is going to be another 4'x 13" base board...

The hole to the right is where the Level crossing fits...

This is no way to treat a layout..."hey there crane driver come and move this giant magnifier glass off the road"

I made this to test my point work and tweak as nessesary....