On Narrow Gauge lines

Most of my model railway work up to recently has been based on BR western Region steam around the time I was knee high to a grass hopper, (some say I'm as old as a conker tree but they are wrong, I planted it!)

Anyway I digress....

I've always had a soft spot for narrow gauge steam ever since my first trip on the Festiniog Railway many years ago!

I also fancied having a go at something a little bigger than my 4mm scale stuff so I have had a play about building some 7mm scale NG stock running on HO gauge track equating to a gauge of 2ft 3ins.

To save time and effort I decided to use some proprietary RTR 00 gauge stock as the basis for conversion, and my first bash was at a Bachmann 0-4-0 "Gregg" locomotive.

    Here it is with the original cab removed, the footplate slightly widened, Buffer beams (?) added, chimney & dome fitted and smokebox door dart added.

The Vacuum  ejector pipe runs along the tank side from cab to smoke box.

As this is just a "dabble" in 0-16.5 I have not chosen to model a real prototype but, i think it must have a little Hunslett in it somewhere in the breed!

Again because it's just a dabble I'm using Bachmann 00gauge tension lock couplings.
I have plenty left over after converting all my 00 gauge stuff to 3 links!

Inside the cab,the firebox and back head have been fitted.
The regulator  handle, water gauge glasses, and injector pipes have been fabricated from brass bits and glued in to position.
The original loco was DCC fitted and the chip filled the cab. This has been removed and the loco converted to normal DC running.

Working in 7mm scale allows much more detail to be fitted than possible in 4mm scale.

Here I have scratch built some odds and ends,
There is the reversing lever, brake standard and pressure/vacuum gauges ready to fit it the cab.

Jumping forward a bit.

Here's the loco almost finished and painted.
just needing name and makers plates and some real coal in the side bunker behind the coal rails.

Behind the loco you can also see a planked open wagon also scratch built but running on an old Dapol 00 gauge 10ft WB chassis.






So there it is my first attempt at narrow gauge modelling, I don't know if I will ever get around to building a layout to run them on, probably not! but it was a good way of extending my hobby in another direction.

Cheers for now
Frank