How To Make O Gauge Diaphrams?

I used to make them using black cartridge paper. (the lightest you can get) Three methods:

- Cut a full height strip. fold into an end and a series of "WWW" for each side, to half the width of the diaphram and then and end at each end of the strip. Glue the two strip ends together. Trim the top shape as required.

The problem with that method is that for a longer disphram there's no means of keeping the diaphram sides parallel. Full width card pieces can be glued inside to fix that.

The second method also starts with a cartridge paper strip, but each fold is full width and each "panel" is cut half way up or down so that the pieces are interlocked "XXX" fashion. This gives a better performing diaphram but every vertical panel has to be cut precisely on the center line or the diaphram ends up badly aligned.

The third method needs a strip with of height-width-height. Folds for the bellows are made right across, with the folds made in both directions. When the sides are folded down from the top on both sides, the top section folds need to be 'popped' in the reverse direction to the side folds. This method gives the best effect but only works for rectangular bellows.

Making your own is cheap (in dollar outlay terms) but quite time consuming and usually results (for me) in a rubbish bin full of rejects for a trains worth of usable diaphrams.

Regards, Greg.P.

GP: I have an old Model Craftsman that describes this method but with no gluing of tops and sides. They simply folded a long strip into the WW shape, then bent the strip into an inverted U, then inverted the folds at the top of the U, and worked the corners with a needle into neat interlocking creases "like the bellows of an old folding Kodak [camera]", as the magazine put it. I have tried this, and it works. End plates were made from cardstock, glued on.

Cordially yours: Gerard P. President, a box of track and some plans

All those years of reading Railroad Modeller when I should have been reading Model Craftsman!!!

RM was the only US mag readily available for many years here.

Regards, Greg.P. NZ

In message , snipped-for-privacy@wi.rr.com writes

There is a UK firm that offers them. The construction notes may help :