Railway Ferry

[Andy FParticipant @andyf73386]

So a while ago I had this daft idea of building a train ferry. Logical because I like trains and I like boats….

My original idea was something like this:

and this is what I have several months down the line.

It's purely freelance and I've no idea if it's even viable as a boat but I've enjoyed building it so far.

 

BTW. It's just under a metre in length and it's 1/87 scale(ish) so that I could take full advantage of HO scale model railway accessories – cheap off Ebay. It seems no-one in UK is really interested in HO.

Edited By Andrew Fallows on 04/11/2019 22:44:21

[Andy FParticipant @andyf73386]

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Like that Andrew. Is it actually Paddle powered? AND have you had it on the pond yet!

for added oomph you could even have the trains moving on their own!

Oddly enough I have been adding to my O Guate train collection lately and was wondering about putting a bit of track and a couple of locos On a landing craft, but the various lengths don’t work out. Looking at yours however might tempt me to knock something up….

Ashley

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Nice one, Andrew…….I like it too

Very nicely made

I also like Paddle boats and Loco's

Bob

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Andrew,

Yes as Bob Says great looking ferry boat 😀 HO has always been the European scale for 16.5 mmm track gauge I remember Playcraft being popular in the 60's just that bit smaller than Hornby OO at 4mm to the foot. Who will be first with a ferry for N gauge stock ? Always fancied a cross channel British Railways ferry complete with Golden Arrow 😃

Regards Ray (Dreaming again)

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

I'm pretty sure that one of the Wicksteed Park MBC members built a WW1 rail ferry not that many years ago. It may have been Nick Brown's Dad. It could be worth a look at Mayhem if rails float your boats…

Dave M (Apologies for any failing memory!)

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

There are two WW1 military rail ferries around. One was indeed built by Nick Brown's Dad and I saw it at Wicksteed and Warwick. The other, Admiralty Train Ferry No. 3, appeared on the Portsmouth Model Boat Display Team stand at the Midhurst Modelling show and is pictured below.

Colin

[Andy FParticipant @andyf73386]

Posted by Ray Wood 2 on 05/11/2019 15:14:10:

…Who will be first with a ferry for N gauge stock ?

Truth be told, N gauge was my first choice as it is my preference with railways and I have lots of N gauge stock to mess about with but I went with HO because I figured N would either be too small to be taken seriously or too big and I would be tempet to make it overcomplicated. Also, for some inexplicable reason N scale bits and pieces are ridiculously expensive.

Example: The four carriages on board cost me £20 off Ebay. The equivalent in N would probably have cost in the region of £100.Figures:A decent set of 4 or 5 painted figures ranges between a fiver and £20 depending on 'quality' or subject matter.

It seems to be a sellers market for such things.

That said, I may do an N gauge one next. I was looking for a new project anyway. Good call.

[Tim CooperParticipant @timcooper90034]

Andrew

I notice that your model uses the Airfix / Dapol range of 1/72 figures. I remember painting a lot of them when I had a railway in the loft.

I know when I sold most of the railway stuff off a few years ago the painted figures and buildings were very easy to sell on line.

Tim

[Andy FParticipant @andyf73386]

So HMS Block of Flats is now officially on a back burner. I have a more exciting project to work on.

Someone mentioned a N gauge railway ferry? Well here it is (so far)

Closely based on this:

This is what I have so far:

It's been fun designing all the various parts, cutting them from 20 thou styrene then assembling them. This is about a weeks work using nothing more than a few photos and this plan.

When finished, the boat will be loaded with 6 DB/CIWL carriages depicting the fictitious vessel Fehmarn operating the Germany-Denmark crossing out of Travemunde on the Baltic coast.

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Andrew. That’s impressive work, especially at that size!

All this railway talk is making me add a train ferry to the list. Would go for 0 gauge as it more seeable on the water and I have loads of it (but not much ho/o).

Ashley

[Andy FParticipant @andyf73386]

0 gauge would make this model 7'6" long. That's a bit too big.

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

…if I was building a strict scale vessel!

But….for effect, something smaller could be built.

Ashley

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Thomas the Tank Engine?

Colin

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Er……

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi All,

The Rev Wilbert Awdry and his son to a degree ensured the future of model railways when he created Thomas, I probably learned to read from those small landscape books from the library in the late 50's/early 60's age of innocence? I hav'nt learn that much since, I still love railways (and boats/planes)

Regards Ray

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

But just think Ashley, you would have the option to include the Troublesome Trucks…

Colin

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Colin. To be honest…I wouldn’t Pooh Pooh that suggestion (Arrrh!)

it is a different world at the park, where the general public come to see the boats (and there are a lot who come along Sunday morning just to see them) as they view the boats for what they are and not how many rivets are involved! And usually with children…reminder…the future of modelling boating.

it would be easy to make a basic ro/or sort of ferry and if built to no discernible scale could accommodate any number of railway systems, and yes, I have three boxes of different Thomas systems in storage in the shed.

Scale would be given by the track system and accessories appertaining to it, perhaps with some small swapping of choice components, say, bridge structures with different sized windows, and flags.

it would be a sure fire winner with the public and our boating crew alike.

Ashley

[Andy FParticipant @andyf73386]

So after a month of apparent inaction, a progress report.

A slight miscalculation on my part regarding the dimensions of the motor/gearbox assembly has meant that I've had to increase the draught of the ship, resulting in it looking a bit 'fat' under the waterline.

Oh well. It can't be helped and it's too late to do anything about it now and anyway, as I said, it's below the waterline so I can't see it.

The steering assembly's been a bit of a mare too. For simplicity and convenience I've decided to operate both rudders from one servo. This means that I have to cross the cables or rods(haven't decided which yet) in order for the rudders to operate in synch. To top it all, I have less than 10mm of space to play with due to the positioning of the rudders and the train deck (where the pegs are).

BUT…..

It's getting there. Slowly.

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Great work Andrew. Would not worry about fatness under water (all those Christmas feasts) as this will give you more leeway with the ballasting and in addition make the boat a bit heavier which always gives a better on-the-water look.

Ashley

[Andy FParticipant @andyf73386]

I've finally got the hull more or less finished, even built myself a little stand to but the boat on.

I need a slight re-think on the gearbox though. I think I overdid it a bit with the fibreglass resin I used to seal the inside and it doesn't sit right any more.

Problems problems

Lots more to do on it but it's still getting there… slowly.

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