In Praise of 'N' gauge !

Andy R. A. · 29 Aug 2019

Cowley said:
That’s amazing Andy. Has it featured in any magazines?
How on earth did you wire the catenary up?

It has featured in Model Rail back in October 2017, N Gauge Journal 2017, Hornby magazine in November 2018, and is currently doing a two-parter in the modelling section of Traction magazine, first part out now. (September/October 2019).
The catenary is not wired. There has always been a debate in N gauge circles as to 'wire' or 'not wire' OHLE. I have done both now. On a previous Exhibition layout I had used brass wire Sommerfeldt types. To try and hide the thickness it was painted matt black which helped hide it a bit. The opposite view was that OHLE wiring in N could be left out, as from normal viewing distances it would be practically invisible anyway. So with the current layout the wires were not included, just the structures in place, and the Loco pantographs set at a standard height when raised. It does make day to day maintenance and track cleaning more easy.

Andy.

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Cowley · 29 Aug 2019

Andy R. A. said:
It has featured in Model Rail back in October 2017, N Gauge Journal 2017, Hornby magazine in November 2018, and is currently doing a two-parter in the modelling section of Traction magazine, first part out now. (September/October 2019).
The catenary is not wired. There has always been a debate in N gauge circles as to 'wire' or 'not wire' OHLE. I have done both now. On a previous Exhibition layout I had used brass wire Sommerfeldt types. To try and hide the thickness it was painted matt black which helped hide it a bit. The opposite view was that OHLE wiring in N could be left out, as from normal viewing distances it would be practically invisible anyway. So with the current layout the wires were not included, just the structures in place, and the Loco pantographs set at a standard height when raised. It does make day to day maintenance and track cleaning more easy.

Andy.

Oops. I was looking at it on my phone screen and thought they were there. :lol:

I’m working opposite WH Smith’s today so I’ll pop in and buy a copy of Traction and have a look.

Cowley · 31 Aug 2019

Andy R. A. said:
It has featured in Model Rail back in October 2017, N Gauge Journal 2017, Hornby magazine in November 2018, and is currently doing a two-parter in the modelling section of Traction magazine, first part out now. (September/October 2019).
The catenary is not wired. There has always been a debate in N gauge circles as to 'wire' or 'not wire' OHLE. I have done both now. On a previous Exhibition layout I had used brass wire Sommerfeldt types. To try and hide the thickness it was painted matt black which helped hide it a bit. The opposite view was that OHLE wiring in N could be left out, as from normal viewing distances it would be practically invisible anyway. So with the current layout the wires were not included, just the structures in place, and the Loco pantographs set at a standard height when raised. It does make day to day maintenance and track cleaning more easy.

Andy.

That’s a great feature in Traction Andy, I was wondering how you’d put together some of the EMUs like the 310s etc, and also the underground stock?

This is the other N gauge project that I’m involved with at the moment, it’s another snow scene set on a fictitious station on the Okehampton to Tavistock line had it stayed open.

It’s a very simple layout, no points at the front, but a decent fiddle yard at the back.
It’s basically going to be something for us to all run decent length trains on, and we’ll be taking it to three or four shows a year.

Working N gauge semaphores.

Peter C · 31 Aug 2019

Cowley said:
That’s a great feature in Traction Andy, I was wondering how you’d put together some of the EMUs like the 310s etc, and also the underground stock?

This is the other N gauge project that I’m involved with at the moment, it’s another snow scene set on a fictitious station on the Okehampton to Tavistock line had it stayed open.
View attachment 68022
It’s a very simple layout, no points at the front, but a decent fiddle yard at the back.
It’s basically going to be something for us to all run decent length trains on, and we’ll be taking it to three or four shows a year.
View attachment 68021

Working N gauge semaphores.
View attachment 68023

That looks to be a very good layout! Well done!

N Gauge working semaphore signals? Woah! I can't do that - and I use 00!
I like the idea of having a snow scene. I would do it with my layout, but I like being able to show what a railway looks like through most of the year. Interesting, seeing as winter is my favourite season....

-Peter

Andy R. A. · 31 Aug 2019

Cowley said:
That’s a great feature in Traction Andy, I was wondering how you’d put together some of the EMUs like the 310s etc, and also the underground stock?

The magazine article was okay, my only criticism would be that the photos were a little dark, the ones on my own page are better to view.

The 304s were made using some of the left over brass sides from the 501s. The sides were overlaid on old Farish Coaches, with gaps left at the toilets, brake compartment, and cabs. A quantity of filler was used to smooth the sides off, and new windows drilled and filed afterwards. The cab ends were made from thick plasticard stuck to the ends, and then lightly sanded/filed into shape, with the windows drilled out and filed afterwards. A later version on the 304 with the larger windows was made using some brass sides from a 116/7 kit in the same manner.
The 310s were made using old Farish Coaches, which had the removeable window strips. These were replaced with solid platicard, and new windows drilled and filed out. The cab ends were made the same as with the 304s. Took ages to paint round all the window frames !
The Tube stock was made from a plain resin moulded roof, with plasticard for the sides and ends. The doorways were cut out with a slitting disc, and the doors were inset into the body afterwards. I used some cut down Lima Bogies for the non motorised bodies, and Tomytec chassis to power the set, the motor coach being the middle coach of the seven coach sets.

There are about 2,000 odd photos on the Layout's own page, containing a lot of the construction, and how the Locos and stock were built. Link to one picture is https://www.facebook.com/WestCoastS...2604599711392/142606969711155/?type=3&theater

Andy.

Cowley · 31 Aug 2019

Peter C said:
That looks to be a very good layout! Well done!
N Gauge working semaphore signals? Woah! I can't do that - and I use 00!
I like the idea of having a snow scene. I would do it with my layout, but I like being able to show what a railway looks like through most of the year. Interesting, seeing as winter is my favourite season....

-Peter

The signals are from Dapol and come fully wired up ready to plug in, so nice and easy to do.

Re the snow - My friend Paul (who’s railway it is) is absolutely obsessed with the white stuff.
The nice thing about it is that it seriously cuts down on the amount of scenic detail that you have to do...
We did have an issue with some of the snow turning yellow on the last layout (and we all know what they say about that

).
The previous one is hopefully being featured in the Railway Modeller at Christmas.
They used it as the Peco Christmas card last year.

Cowley · 31 Aug 2019

Andy R. A. said:
The magazine article was okay, my only criticism would be that the photos were a little dark, the ones on my own page are better to view.

The 304s were made using some of the left over brass sides from the 501s. The sides were overlaid on old Farish Coaches, with gaps left at the toilets, brake compartment, and cabs. A quantity of filler was used to smooth the sides off, and new windows drilled and filed afterwards. The cab ends were made from thick plasticard stuck to the ends, and then lightly sanded/filed into shape, with the windows drilled out and filed afterwards. A later version on the 304 with the larger windows was made using some brass sides from a 116/7 kit in the same manner.
The 310s were made using old Farish Coaches, which had the removeable window strips. These were replaced with solid platicard, and new windows drilled and filed out. The cab ends were made the same as with the 304s. Took ages to paint round all the window frames !
The Tube stock was made from a plain resin moulded roof, with plasticard for the sides and ends. The doorways were cut out with a slitting disc, and the doors were inset into the body afterwards. I used some cut down Lima Bogies for the non motorised bodies, and Tomytec chassis to power the set, the motor coach being the middle coach of the seven coach sets.

There are about 2,000 odd photos on the Layout's own page, containing a lot of the construction, and how the Locos and stock were built. Link to one picture is https://www.facebook.com/WestCoastS...2604599711392/142606969711155/?type=3&theater

Andy.

Excellent. I’ll have a good look at that this evening.
You explained in the article a similar method to above for making the mk2 Pullmans, I thought they looked brilliant.
What you’ve created over the years is very inspiring.

Peter C · 31 Aug 2019

Cowley said:
The signals are from Dapol and come fully wired up ready to plug in, so nice and easy to do.

Re the snow - My friend Paul (who’s railway it is) is absolutely obsessed with the white stuff.
The nice thing about it is that it seriously cuts down on the amount of scenic detail that you have to do...
We did have an issue with some of the snow turning yellow on the last layout (and we all know what they say about that ).
The previous one is hopefully being featured in the Railway Modeller at Christmas.
They used it as the Peco Christmas card last year.
View attachment 68026

Very interesting - thanks for the extra info.
Let's hope this "white stuff" doesn't go yellow again - and make sure you don't eat it!

-Peter

PeterY · 1 Sep 2019

I've just moved into a small flat and at the moment thinking about building a small N guage layout. No room for 00 and i've loads of analogue engines in 00.
I need to spend some time mulling it over.

rogerfarnworth · 1 Sep 2019

I have a number of older OO locos on static display in one room in the house. A few bits and pieces of O Gauge in another room. My modelling is in N Gauge in the loft.

Cowley · 1 Sep 2019

rogerfarnworth said:
I have a number of older OO locos on static display in one room in the house. A few bits and pieces of O Gauge in another room. My modelling is in N Gauge in the loft.

I’ve kept one 00 gauge loco (class 40 - D200), and one coach that I’ve got a little display plinth for...

In Praise of 'N' gauge !

Andy R. A.

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Cowley

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Cowley

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Peter C

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Andy R. A.

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Cowley

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Cowley

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Peter C

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PeterY

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rogerfarnworth

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Cowley

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