Essential New Products?

[John Candy]

I need not draw your attention to the items which are not readily available in G3...if you are a committed G3 modeller you will be only too aware.

The Gauge 3 Society is currently investigating the possibility of introducing a few new items and in order to gauge interest I shall be introducing Polls over the next few weeks.

Meanwhile, it would be interesting to understand which items members feel are most urgently required to fill the gaps in the ranges of products currently available.

Incidentally, a Gauge 3 Scale ruler is at an advanced planning stage and will be produced in stainless steel with a provisional price in the region of 12 Pounds.
A POLL IS NOW IN OPEN FOR VOTING : SEE POLLS FOR NEW PRODUCTS BOARD TOPICS

[Traininvain]

In my view the society should undertake some research with a view to starting to produce some high quality patterns to provide investment castings of use in wagon and carriage construction. The patterns could be produced either by traditional means or via rapid prototyping, as is now being adopted by the 2.5inch Gauge Association for the Crab and Class 66.

We could also give some thought to producing some rolling stock kits to go with the Class 66 - e.g. a basic laser cut kit of parts which could be assembled into popular prototypes such as container flats etc.

[MikeWilliams]

Or some concrete sleepers, heavy flay-bottom rail and pandrol clips?  Would look nice, but would it sell in volume?

Mike

[Moonraker]

Having only just joined recently, I guess that I missed this poll.

My suggestion for an essential product is a generic kit of live steam parts. In other words, Cylinders, Walshearts gear, Internal Stephenson gear and a boiler with gas burner and accessories. That would allow people without machine tools and only a limited workshop to build live steam locos.

But may be such a thing exists already and I haven't found it yet.

Peter L

[cabbage]

Errrmmm...

This is actually under some (very slow) e-mail discussion... The model we have been looking at is the SECR "C" class. This is an 0-6-0 tender loco. The mechanics of it could be electric, (via powered tender for example), or live steam, (via a gas fired centre flue design). The design could be modded to produce anything from the raw parts. The purists will scream "Blue Murder" -but I have been feeding figures quietly into my design system.

It should thus be possible to produce a "steam module" that uses the Society supplied cylinders, a standard gas fired boiler of the Centre flue or Brotan Water tube type. This could then be used to as the basis to "graft" on other types from. There would have to be two basic modules. The one for internal cylinders Joys' valve gear or Greenlys' corrected valve gear rather than Stephenson -for simplicity(?) The one for external would be Walshearts' valve gear -or Hackworths' -again for simplicity. I have seen the Baker valve gear and I have tried on numerous occassions to work out an arrangement formula -however I am not "happy" with any of my results.

So -Yes. The committee is looking into a standard loco -in its normal left hand, inverted , and then shoved in sideways approach!!!

regards

ralph

[Ted Sadler]

I agree with what Mike Williams said elsewhere on the site: I don't think it's a good idea to compete with suppliers of 'mainstream' products like loco & rolling stock kits. Here are some alternative suggestions, in no particular order (or merit!):

Modular semaphore signal parts. e.g. a fixed base (ground) module that connects to a lever/wire or compressed air supply, and maybe a power feed for lamps. The signal upperworks could just be plugged in for instant operation, and removed just as quickly, either for security or when the live steamers are running (I have noticed that their owners have to move pretty quickly at times and probably don't want obstructions in the way). Items like this may also be of interest to 16mm and 2.5 inch gauge owners.

Modular colour light signal parts using the above system.

LED lighting kit for G3 coaches.

A 'video camera wagon' for getting the driver's or guard's view live on screen.

Oil and heat-resistant transfers for locomotives and rolling stock. G3 running and handling demands altogether more resistant materials than the smaller scales.

Pre-printed private owner or company wagon sides (above remarks about toughness/durability apply).

A Gauge 3 Society Get-Togethers tea urn - about 25 pints capacity would seem to be about right. Coal-fired? That's probably a step too far.....

Regards, Ted

[blagdon]

One very useful product would be a SR / GWR rail-built buffer stop. I have heard talk of using cast brass to over-come the rail bending difficulties.

[John Candy]

Regarding buffer stop blocks, the Committee is currently considering the options for at least one prototype stop block (see the 'Polls' section of this Forum).

The initial view of our expert on kit production (Mike Williams) was that brass castings of the size required for stop blocks would be extremely expensive.
Currently, alternative methods of fabrication are under consideration and a report is expected soon from the member who is responsible for production of the Society's track jigs and gauges.

In the course of the discussions under the Buffer Stop Poll topic, mention was made of a GWR stop being made by a member.

Regards,
John.

[MikeWilliams]

Wheel Form Tool.

Am I alone in wanting a wheel form tool?  In the smaller gauges I have occasionally turned my own wheels, and a form tool makes it much easier.  The length of cut probably means that you can't just wind the tool in and profile the wheel in one go, but it can be used as a template and to remove small amounts of metal.

Mike

[Gauge3er]

A wheel form tool would be great to have.  I friend of mine here in the Los Angeles area had a large batch of wheels made for him using this technique, but the lathe, he said, was huge.  I think you have a great idea for a method of creating the tool and would be quite interested to hear if it is viable.

Personally, I can't think of anything that I dislike more than turning wheels myself.  I recently built a caboose (brake van?), slicing the 8 disks from a cast iron bar and then turning them on my 8" lathe.  Not being an experienced professional, the job took a very long time and I found it very tedious to try to get the contours to match on all 8 wheels.  I have decided to have them outsourced on a CNC machine from now on.

[midnight miller]

Hello All

Yes a wheel form tool for me , I would like to do my own or at least be able to . Also a scale  working ? hand throw point lever ought to have a market

                                                          John . T

[Derek King]

Yes, I would also like a scale working hand-throw point lever. Either the short handle type with disc balance weight or the long handle type would do (or even both?).

Derek.

[midnight miller]

Hello All

Anybody out there got any prototype infrmation and I might just have a go at some pattern makeing


                                                  John . T

[John Candy]

I understand that GRS will soon be releasing a working brass point lever.

[MikeWilliams]

John,

I'm sure I can find a drawing of the LNWR standard type.  I have a lot of real relics, but unfortunately not one of those!  If you want to go ahead please drop me a line off-list.

Mike