Diesel tram

Good ventilation is essential when working with galvanised sheet, but at soldering temperatures it's quite safe.

I purchased the 4x8ft sheet of galvanised steel sheet I use for models from a small sheet metal manufacturing business. It had been dropped on one corner so it didn't fit their production machinery anymore which meant that I got it pretty cheap.

What causes the horrible stuff...is it the zinc in galvanising?....

It could be an issue to be aware of if perhaps silver soldering or brazing with a torch is involved.

I think I'll try a small piece though and see how it soft solders to ordinary zinc.

Annie, do you have any more pics of other models and construction?

Over the years I built such things from galvanised steel such as tipper wagons, a 10mm scale 'Sir Haydan', a 10mm scale Irish tank engine, a 16mm scale Barclay saddle tank as well as making the odd part to repair tinplate locos. Unfortunately due to a difficult time financially these have all been sold off and I don't think I have photos of them anymore.

This GWR loco (also sold) is one I built from a mix of tinplate and galvanised steel sheet. I've had a good hunt around for photos and this is the only one I could find.


For a long time I didn't own a decent camera and on top of that I always seemed to forget to take pictures of anything I made. As an example I made all manner of late 19th Century finescale railway models in P4 when I was a young woman, including completely scratchbuilt locos in brass and I don't have a single photograph of any of them.

I like working in galv steel actually, - it cuts easily with a piercing saw for the fiddly bits and a good sharp pair of Gilbows takes care of the rest. Because steel doesn't conduct heat in the same way that brass does it's a lot easier to solder together complex assemblies and add to earlier work without the whole lot collapsing in a molten lump. I'm planning on building a 16mm Baguley IC loco soon and that bodyshell will certainly be constructed from galv steel. This time I will remember to take pictures.

I think I can put the tools away on this now. It is just about complete as I want it with lamps and handrails. The lamps are made from 12mm plumbing pipe end caps with a white led inside, the cathode lead soldered to the body so only a single wire required and using the body as a negative.

It was an interesting exercise in zinc and I shall now start the body for the Brissoneau 030 box cab.
But I still haven't found a decent way to make louvres easily in metal. If anyone has any new ideas I shall be grateful.





It need to build a new exhaust pipe though for the diesel, although I'm moving away from creating an efficient silencer (not that I was too bothered anyway...) At Railexpo the more noise the better!

Nearly every loco I've ever built has been a steam outline model so I'm afraid I don't really have much of an idea as to the best way to make louvers. I have heard of people making a shaped punch that fits into a die to press out rows of louvers, only shaping both parts accurately enough to cleanly shape the louver without bucking or bending the bodyside wouldn't exactly be easy.

Edit: Oops, I forgot to say what a fine model your tram loco is.

Clockwork Annie wrote:

I have heard of people making a shaped punch that fits into a die to press out rows of louvers, only shaping both parts accurately enough to cleanly shape the louver without bucking or bending the bodyside wouldn't exactly be easy.

Edit: Oops, I forgot to say what a fine model your tram loco is.

Thanks!

The die and punch method seems the best and favoured but the guys (and girls....) who have done that are often skilled modellers who have mill machined these items. My milling ability combined with deteriorating eyesight and patience means another way really, although I had some minor success with a hand cut hardwood die and an old chisel.