G3 Clubroom

The Forum for Gauge 3 Model Trains

Hello all.

I do agree this forum does seem massively under utilised unfortunately but I think that is perhaps, in the kindest possible way, due to lack of tech use amongst many of the members, even by many peoples own admission at the AGM. In fact the comments above are the most action I have seen on here in several months and like John says, new posts/ announcements are often met with tumble weed, or so it seems.

It might be necesseray to migrate the information to a different platform at a much later date but I feel for now, this platform works well. I do not feel RMWeb should be utilised as it is unreliable and I myself lost many photos and kit building review threads when it had great issues 3 or 4 years ago. Western Thunder is a much better forum than RMweb (to me).

In terms of making files available for others on a strictly personal use basis, as it is now, for Johns files I dont have a problem with. At the end of the day, anyone that is willing to print the bits off themselves will never buy a kit but they shouldn't be stopped from accessing the files. We are afterall part of the same society/ group and in it to help each other and enjoy the hobby.

That said, I would prefer not to make projects freely available where I have huge amounts of personal investment in them i.e. the BR vans and other upcoming things as they have cost well over a thousand pounds to develop in terms of moulds and castings etc which will take selling quiet a few kits just to recover costs. That said, I am happy to sell "bits" used in these kits i.e. the lost wax brass instanter links, white metal buffer castings when they arrive for the other prototypes (the BR van ones are supplied by Mike Willians), laser cut bits etc I just haven't had time to list it all on the website yet.


I have plans to offer kits in other scales once more of the gauge 3 kits are sorted and "out there" but it will be selective as there is a lot more choice in the smaller scales and I see no point duplicating what is already available.

To give you an idea, I am looking into presflos and prestwin wagons at the moment but the 20 odd drawings I have found to date so far and the book have cost the best part of £250, so that is already effectively 2 or 3 kits that would have to be sold just to recover that bit of the costs.

So sure, printing is relatively cost effective but the research, obtaining drawings and mould making etc certainly is not but you can already benefit from my contributions such as transfers as I commission transfers from Endon Valley and pay the design cost for my needs but they are then able to be ordered direct from them but if I didn't commission them and add the costs to the kits, no one would buy a kit would they? 😅

I am ok with that though, some people want to buy a kit, some want a rtr model built and painted for them, some people just want the files to do it themselves and thats ok.

Thank you all for your messages in support of the forum and the 3D Print 4 Yourself project.
It is encouraging to know that there has been more use made of the available files than I had thought to be the case.
The forum content is safe for the present but I am approaching 78 and (when the time comes) I am not expecting my Executors to continue to run the websites and meet the related expenses. 
Anthony is on vacation at present but will, I am sure, add his views when he has a connection.

John.

An interesting proposal.  Transfer to RM web might open up the 3D files to modellers in other scales who could resize them in their printer software. I suspect, without having tried it, that John's files reduced to Gauge 1 or even 0 gauge would work better than when I've tried expanding freely available files to Gauge 3.   

Thank you John,

There has been a growing change in the use of forums ever since social media has taken over, hence the lower use of this forum. Sadly the lack of use by the committee members with group announcements going out via MMS saw a massive reduction in forum participation. And, with the last threat of closure, new articles simply vanished.

Fortunately, I have your LNER Gresley Buffet Car to print and build and very much look forward to doing so. The LT Dreadnoughts caught my attention, but having had poor results with outsourced LNWR Signal Box parts, I am loath to pursue another expensive and exclusive project outlay due to irreversibly poor quality printing.

Should the forums closure be the order of the day. In order to collate the information contained within, perhaps one idea is for you to contact Warners and get the forum 'scraped' and the data transferred onto RMWeb servers for future posterity?  It would release you from the burden of operating and financing the forum. And also produce a diametrically different number of participants than the current membership list. Maybe expressions of interest in the 3D prints would rise with the increased membership numbers of RMWeb?

Good luck with your discussions
Robert

I was at the Agm in 2025 and spoke with you John  about 3d printing and decided to have a go and was pleased that I have so far I produced
the 2 different LNWR brake vans, GWR monster, 2 NE fish vans, 3 50' arc roof carriages in LMS livery

The monster, fish vans and brake vans all were dragged around Cliffs track by a class 25 at this years AGM for nearly 2 hours, this train was basically all 3d printed.

I have also printed 2 GWR 08 milk vans, 07 milk van, 013 GWR brake van,  NE bogie fish van, 2 57'LMS carriages
all in various state of being assembled. I do all my printing and building in an attic room that is to hot to work in during the summer so I am back in the workshop continuing my Coal fired Black 5. it will be late autumn when I am back on the rolling stock. and printing.

John I think its like that old saying all calm on the water but the duck legs going 10 to the dozen .
You also gave me inspiration that I could also have rolling stock at a very reasonable costings
NE fish vans cost wheels and couplings and paint £30 each
57' LMS carries were wheels and couplings bit costlier at £75 each
GWR monster was the most expensive because of the buffers all in price of £100
plus the time of building.

the effort you have done to promote a differing approach to building rolling stock is second to none.
I plan to spend more time making higher detail stock with the prints you have made available.
best regards
  Dave

As a relative newcomer to Gauge 3 I've found the forum a useful source of informataion but wonder whether the advent of MMS has reduced participation in many areas? 

It's also clear that for the society to edit the forum into an archive of useful guidance would itself be a major undertaking but the loss of the information might make it even more difficult to encourage new entrants to the scale.

One theme which has occurred across the forum, seemingly over many years, is the difficulty of attracting new entrants in part due to the limited supply of ready to run or easy and cheap to build kits.  The advent of home 3D printing does, however, represent an opportunity to produce Gauge 3 models at costs similar to those seen in the smaller scales provided one doesn't get too carried away with adding bespoke etched or cast detailing items.  In reality many such beautiful details will go unnoticed when viewing the models in use in a typical garden but will add significantly to kit or completed model costs.

John encouraged some of us to try 3D printing by his presence at the 2025 AGM and I am personally very grateful to him for that and for his LNER coach files from which I've now produced 4 coaches.  Maybe if those of us who've used the files or constructed Anthony Terranova's kits were to submit articles to the Society Magazine that would help stimulate interest.

I also supsect there may be quite separate customers in that those wishing to run models in a garden probably have different requirements to those wanting finely detailed shelf or display case models.

Robert,

I haven't reached a decision on the future uploads, the main reasons being:

1) Lack of time to prepare the ZIP bundles and explanatory notes.
2) Not sure (in view of very little interest/few enquiries to date) whether it is worth the effort.
3) Not encouraged by any expressions of interest via this forum (indeed, I do wonder whether it is worth continuing to maintain the forum in view of lack of participation).
4) Need to discuss with Anthony Terranova how he feels about this : I do retain ownership of the files/intellectual property but he has an exclusive licence to use the files to produce kits.

Regards,
John. 

Quote from: AshleyW on Jun 03 2026 21:42looks like a mike danby loco

Well, when looked at closely, it certainly looks "rough and ready" ....... not my interpretation of the "competent standard" mentioned in the description.

looks like a mike danby loco