Ooh La La!!......sacre Bleu (actually It May End Up Green)

J

John D

Western Thunderer
In the never ending quest to have a go at anything it's a revelation to find out that O gauge 32mm track equates to within 1/2 inch of metre gauge in 1:32 scale. For a while now I've been collecting old French postcards from t'internet , NOT those French postcards :eek:, showing the various metre gauge trains in the early part of the 20th century......and there are some absolutely cracking inspirational shots e.g.
postcard.jpg

So armed with all this info. I'm in the process of scratch building this..............

tram.jpg

It will eventually fit onto a cut down chassis from my Ruston kit and fitted with a set of 'redundant' 7mm scale Stanier bogie wheels. Of course the Ruston is 4 coupled and the tram is 6 coupled .....but who can tell behind the sidesheets . .......more anon
 
Buckjumper

Buckjumper

Flying Squad
A French Toby et Henrietta avec style, n'est pas!

That's a fantastic postcard with masses of detail. How on earth did they manage to get that much foliage to stay upright as they loaded it on the low-sided wagon?

Nice roof brackets on the loco.
 
S

Simon Dunkley

Guest
Moi? Je préfère la voie de soixante - c'est comme cela que je l'aime.
Mais vraiment, tu est artisan extraordinaire, mon ami!

L'atelier "Old Originals": quelle finesse!



 
Steve Cook

Steve Cook

Flying Squad
I must have had a sheltered life, so looked up THOSE french postcards on tinterweb. Some rather talented individuals there, thank you for the enlightenment John :))

Lovely looking tram too :thumbs:

That is a great postcard though, the paintwork on the house in the background is brilliant!

What are you planning rolling stock wise?
 
Neil

Neil

Western Thunderer
Steve Cook said:
..... the paintwork on the house in the background is brilliant! ....
Click to expand...

I hadn't noticed that till you pointed it out Steve; I wonder if it's two different colours of brick rather than a snazzy paint job.

Edit: Just spent some time on Google streetview trying to find where the postcard photo was taken from. No luck but I have found this site about the Tramways de la Sarthe which might be of interest
 
J

John D

Western Thunderer
Je préfère la voie de soixante
Click to expand...

Here you go then.......60cm gauge......get cracking !!:) a On3 track gauge will be handy
137_arrivee_tramwayL.jpg

I just love how these lines appear and disappear from round corners, houses, cafes .........just the job for a 1:32 scale micro layout :thumbs:

What are you planning rolling stock wise?
Click to expand...

Steve....... I'll see how the tram ends up looking , I've still go to work out some sort of coupling as the prototype centre buffer with the shackle & hook below it looks a right b*****d to operate in model form, I've got copies some drawings for suitable carriages and wagons from books, mags and t'internet so something might be a future etching project..........now....back to ze postcards ;):cool:
 
adrian

adrian

Flying Squad
John D said:
I just love how these lines appear and disappear from round corners, houses, cafes .........just the job for a 1:32 scale micro layout :thumbs:
Click to expand...
Fascinating images there, I love the cant on that curve, wonder if there was a minimum speed for the curve!
 
Simon

Simon

Flying Squad
John D said:
Here you go then.......60cm gauge......get cracking !!:) a On3 track gauge will be handy
View attachment 7634

I just love how these lines appear and disappear from round corners, houses, cafes .........just the job for a 1:32 scale micro layout :thumbs:

Steve....... I'll see how the tram ends up looking , I've still go to work out some sort of coupling as the prototype centre buffer with the shackle & hook below it looks a right b*****d to operate in model form, I've got copies some drawings for suitable carriages and wagons from books, mags and t'internet so something might be a future etching project..........now....back to ze postcards ;):cool:
Click to expand...

Fabulous picture and a fabulous model John:thumbs:

I must admit I find the whole French thing quite diverting, mind you that last picture has certain Cumbrian paper mill aspects to it - Ruston, Simplex, Billard(oops)......

Gaston Simon
 
Ressaldar

Ressaldar

Western Thunderer
it's the two 'peep holes' in the armour plated windscreens that do it for me - obviously most French car drivers were taught the skills of driving in the streets of Paris from this cab.

cheers

Mike
 
J

John D

Western Thunderer
'Tis very nearly finished apart from the boiler back and the safety chains, not quite a model for the purist but I've had a bit of fun building it......
tram1.jpg

tram2.jpg

tram3.jpg

tram4.jpg


The great thing about this metre gauge malarky is that in 1:32 scale you can use O gauge track thus (if it gets built) a small micro layout doesn't 'fill up' with BIG trackwork and looks a little neater. Now something for it to pull methinks........

Merry Christmas folks and all the best for 2012 :)
 
J

John D

Western Thunderer
Don't know any French
Click to expand...
Don't worry about it Alan I'm not too hot on it either, should have paid more attention way back at school :( .Luckily there's a fair few photos on the web which helped with the model....a case of a photo being worth a thousand words.

something of the municipal bandstand about it
Click to expand...
That hadn't dawned Neil, but now you've mentioned it I can slightly see where you are coming from ;)
 
Eastsidepilot

Eastsidepilot

Western Thunderer
John D said:
'Tis very nearly finished apart from the boiler back and the safety chains, not quite a model for the purist but I've had a bit of fun building it......



The great thing about this metre gauge malarky is that in 1:32 scale you can use O gauge track thus (if it gets built) a small micro layout doesn't 'fill up' with BIG trackwork and looks a little neater. Now something for it to pull methinks........
Click to expand...

Superb John, nothing like a bit of sheet metalwork:thumbs:

ATB, Col
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
What's New?
Top