Port Shaughty (Pronounced Shorty)

[kevsmiththai]

As some of you will recall I started an ill-fated new layout a while back called Arkaengel. This was going to be a Russian Naval base railway in Z with a large Russian destroyer and submarine sat in the dock, Anyway, the invasion of Ukraine soon put a stop to that as neither the Exhibition organisers or the model rail magazines were comfortable with it.

 

So it was abandoned and put in the loft and I carried on completing the rear area of Hakuho (Soon to feature in Continental modeller again)

 

A couple of show organiser asked me "What have got new for this autumns show?"

 

Now Tapton Junction, my new,mega British Z gauge layout is a long way off so I had a rethink about the pariah in the loft.

 

We started to see what would get round the tight curve onto the lift bridge and soon realised that anything sat on a standard Rokuhan Shorty chassis or a modified one went around without any problem

 

 

One of the streetcars and the Ford boxcab shunter under test. Both sat on unmodified Rokuhan short chassis

 

The other decision I made was that the layout would not be tied to any specific location or Era, Basically we would run anything we liked, when we liked, so long as it goes round without derailing

 

 

sat in the home office with lots of Z under test

 

lots more soon

 

Kev

[brill27mcb]

Tell us more about the tram, please...

 

Rich K.

[kevsmiththai]

Hi Rich

 

The Streetcars/trams/interurbans are 3D printed on Shapeways by Stonysmith. they were designed to drop straight onto the Rokuhan Shorty chassis

 

https://www.shapeways.com/product/HG6M5TVYY/streetcar-ii-zscale?optionId=299275959&li=shops

 

 

Seen above after going through the Ultrasonic cleaning bath

 

Below.. First one in Hycote plastic primer

 

 

The windows are solid and are picked out with a very fine tip permanent marker. This is an old shot taken on Hakuho before the town was swept away to make the SL Railroad park

 

Pantographs came off a spare Plus Z 485 Emu

 

As supplied they are quite light but there is a load of room in each cab. I glued some lead weights in each and and filled the voids left with powdered Tungsten and drizzled some ACC superglue in

 

The slow running has been vastly improved

 

 

I've added an additional loop just to run the streetcars on. This is not connected to the main track and can just run all the time if neccesary. 

 

More soon

 

Kev

[beakaboy]

3 hours ago, kevsmiththai said:

Hi Rich

 

The Streetcars/trams/interurbans are 3D printed on Shapeways by Stonysmith. they were designed to drop straight onto the Rokuhan Shorty chassis

 

https://www.shapeways.com/product/HG6M5TVYY/streetcar-ii-zscale?optionId=299275959&li=shops

 

 

Seen above after going through the Ultrasonic cleaning bath

 

Below.. First one in Hycote plastic primer

 

 

 

The windows are solid and are picked out with a very fine tip permanent marker. This is an old shot taken on Hakuho before the town was swept away to make the SL Railroad park

 

 

Pantographs came off a spare Plus Z 485 Emu

 

As supplied they are quite light but there is a load of room in each cab. I glued some lead weights in each and and filled the voids left with powdered Tungsten and drizzled some ACC superglue in

 

The slow running has been vastly improved

 

 

 

I've added an additional loop just to run the streetcars on. This is not connected to the main track and can just run all the time if neccesary. 

 

More soon

 

Kev

Hi Kev, can you tell me what you use in your ultrasonic bath and how long you clean items for? I have several 3D printed items in N scale and TT. I Usually use white spirits in a container and soak for 4-6hrs

[kevsmiththai]

The technique I've used for the last few years is relatively simple

 

Warm water with detergent for at least 20 minutes, stirring it in the ultrasonic regularly

 

allow to dry

 

A quick rinse in Toluene (Lighter Fluid) and allow to dry

 

i then run my finger over everywhere I can get to just to check there is no residual stickyness. If there is I repeat the whole process but try and get into any nooks or crannies with a cotton bud

 

The print will go slightly white. As I said previously I used Hycote Acrylic plastic primer but due to supply issues had to use Halfords instead recently and it was pretty much the same

 

The first coat of primer is the reveal coat. this will highlight any layer lines that will need sanding out. Once the surface is cleaned up satisfactory the second primer coat should leave it ready for the colour coats.

 

note. I have complained to Shapeways about excessive rasterisation lines before. Usually when one side of the model is fine and the other side is almost unusable. Their service has always been impeccable. A replacement re-print sent within days with the issues resolved

 

Sadly since Brexit I am ordering a lot less from Shapeways. Now we are not part of the EU anything that comes from the Shapeways plant in Eindhoven in Holland attracts Import duty and VAT bumping the price up a lot.

 

Spent this afternoon and early evening installing the dock lights. These are tall twin LED lamp post I picked up ages ago in a sale. I suspect they are N scale but looking at the real ones in Barrow docks the real ones are really high. The glossy water surface reflects them really well

 

Still on the subject of Shorty powered and 3D printing...Fairbanks Morse H10-44 switcher, 3D printed brass chassis that takes the components of the Rokuhan chassis. 3D printed FUD bodyshell. Finished as a Nickel Plate Road example and, yes, It does go around the tight bend!

 

]

 

 

The Nickel Plate bay window caboose is also a 3D print

 

More soon

 

Kev

[Cat]

Coming along nicely!
 
Around here, it would be spelled Shorty, but pronounced Shaughty.
:3

[kevsmiththai]

I've added the yard lights and powered them up. They refelct well off the water. I'm fitting LEDs in the bridge of the harbour tug.

 

 

It will show up better when the workshop lights are turned down

 

 

more soon

[brill27mcb]

On 7/19/2023 at 12:38 AM, Cat said:

Coming along nicely!
 
Around here, it would be spelled Shorty, but pronounced Shaughty.
:3

 

Wicked funny!

 

Rich K. (from the "Fluffya" area...)

[kevsmiththai]

it looks as if we will run it mainly as a late 1970s early 80's Western region setting at Leyland. The diesel hydraulic Warship and Hymek Bo-Bos run perfectly all the way round as do the Type 2 Class 24 and 25s. The long wheelbase 4 wheelers seem happy and, of course, any loco with a Shorty underneath ( like the yellow G.E 70 tonner in the picture)has no problems

 

 

most of these locos are 3D printed and running on Marklin chassis

 

In the foreground is a clas 24 with one of the Dock owned 70 Tonners, On the other side of the dock a Class 73 Electro diesel (diesel powered 600 HP  but also third rail 750V DC)

 

 

Made the flight case for the layout today to protect it in transit

 

More soon

 

Kev