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16 mil efforts in the USA


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Since my earliest days putting a LGB style garden railway in the garden of the neighbor lady that I mowed her yard(mother would not let me near her garden), I always envied the steam powered UK style garden railways.  Moss covered tracks, many having the run down, overgrow look that I so wanted to achieve.  That was back in my late teens, now I am 44 and have my own place and thankfully a very understanding wife, well understanding after being instructed to be that way by my therapist but more on that later.   I am a big fan of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and have set my light railway in The Shire.  Built to haul peat from the Rushock bog back to Hobbiton to supply the farming and gardening activites of the viliage Hobbits.  A brewery and a small coal mine is also served and any other traffic the Hobbits need hauled.  Trains are run as needed and many times if your looking for train and crew, check the local pub as many times they tie the train down behind the pub to go drink a pint when its really hot outside.  The railway owns 4 engines right now.  The lines primary engine is a venerable Merlin Major called Hendey.  Purchased thru Anything Narrow Gauge and fully gone thru by Mr Whenmouth she sports many upgrades and details added by the previous owner.  

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For days when steam doesn't run, the lines Baguley Drewery diesel from Accucraft handles the duties, fitted with onboard battery power with on/off toggle switch, a battery powered LED strobe light on the roof and named "Lady of Oxford".  

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I tend to flip/flop prototypes and do some USA modeling as well and have 2 live steamers to support this mode of operation.  These are a Accucraft Ruby #5 that is custom decaled to pull my Autism Express passenger train, and i just picked up a Roundhouse Sammie in pieces that I will do some modifications as I put him back together, including fitting Roundhouse Walschearts valve gear to replace the slip eccentric.  Both of these engines are manual control for now.

Only have a pic of the Ruby as the Sammie won't arrive till tomorrows post.    

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Right now my railway has more of a European look to the buildings, but that will change over the coarse of this year and next.  A rebuilt to a completely raised line may happen this year as our new Beagle puppy will not keep using my layout details as chew toys. These pictures are from last summers operation, prior to the arrival of my Merlin steamer.  He replaced the lines LGB/Aster Frank S that didn't like steaming in the colder weather and was sold to finance the Merlin engine.  The track is 45mm gauge LGB and has served me well for 15 years outdoors.  Sourcing SM32 track from Peco is difficult and expensive in the USA.  I have a local source for good second hand LGB 45mm track at a much cheaper cost.  So I go with 16mm modeling on 45mm track.  I have just gotten my friend bitten by the 16mm bug and he has gotten himself a Merlin Mayflower and a Pearse Countess.  I hope to be able to afford a second hand Lady Anne in red in the near future.  

 

My LGB 2073D w/onboard battery power that pulls my Austrian passenger cars(all for sale right now) in the twilight late last summer

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My custom Autism passenger coach(and yes I am a former G scale Madder!)

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Hobbiton Station. 

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The Brewery

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I like those shots!  I need to stop by the local toy store(they specialize in action figures) and get some proper figures.  The Merlin engine is being sent down the road as an engine and 2 coaches from a recently deceased modeler came available.  Same engine as in your pics(Pearse Countess).  And the W&L is closer to 45mm gauge track wise. In time the ground level line will be reworked to USA style logging, and a new raised 16mm (on 45mm track) will be built along two sides of my wood fence.  Single track with return loops at each end so I can run roundy round or I can operate point to point just like the real W&L does.   My friend just bought a black Pearse Countess which will get name plate change to "The Earl" and my Countess is green.  Next up is to get some of the W&L rolling stock from Accucraft.   Gonna merge the W&L into the land of The Shire.  Mike

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Time for updates.  The diesel has been sent packing, only fire breathing dragons allowed on my railway.  So the stable is now as follows, Merlin Major "Hendey", Roundhouse Sammie with full walschaerts valve motion, Accucraft Ruby#5(Christmas gift from my wife), and the soon to arrive Pearse Countess.   The Sammie and the Ruby are kind of the odd balls being non UK style.  But they run well and one was a gift so they get a pass to stick around.  Since the W&L have engines from all over, I can rationalize keeping Hendey as he is very tollerant of uneven and dodgy track.  Something my friends Pearse "The Earl" is not!   Been trying to fine tune The Earl, valve timing is spot on as Simon over at Anything Narrow Gauge retimed him.  But he is weak at self starting, even in a LGB R2 curve.  Might have to go thru the cylinders.  I did go and replace several parts in the side rods that were badly worn with spares that Simon included.  I will compare him with Countess when she arrives later this week.  Then decide if I need to tear down the cylinders or seek professional help.  Mike

   

Here is a fresh pic of Hendey, hope to get some shots on the garden railway later today if the rain holds off!

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Here is Super Sammie with his new valve motion, waiting on a second pair of "penguin" brackets from Roundhouse so I can mount the lift link rockshaft, then I can put  the gear in reverse.  Runs excellent and looks spot on!   

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Hendey is a beaut Mike, my vote goes for keeping the loco on the roster - especially since it's such a good workhorse and as you say. it was built in Welshpool. (I was lucky enough to pick up some of the old "Welshpool Pottery" buildings and have them on the railway for exactly the same reason) :good:

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Now I am jellious.  I have always like those Welshpool Pottery buildings, but back when they were being made, the cost plus shipping those heavy things to the USA make it a non starter.  Still fighting with my friends Earl.  Refuses to run well I can get a few feet with no power.  I am going to pull the valve chests as soon as he cools back down.  He is acting like my first Merlin, a Mayflower, that had O rings that had swelled up from age and blocked off the steam passages between the valve chests as the cylinders.  Once I fixed that, he took off and ran excellent.  Also have several steam leaks around all the banjo fittings on whistle/throttle block which is nicely buried behind body work.  Time for a tear down!    Other than really needing new side rods(front crank pin holes very worn), Hendey runs excellent.  Mike

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To say that I am less than pleased with the condition of the model as received is an understatement.  But, I have gotten all the steam leaks fixed other than between the valve chest and the cylinder block.  I took 1 O-ring from each so I could fix the steam valve in the cab that was spitting and spraying oily steam all over the whole lower cab and footplate. Being this engine cost my friend way more than Hendey cost me, I hoped for a model in better condition(both from same dealer).  I have yet to find a source for these micro O rings localy, so I have a request into the dealer for a few as I used all my spares for my Merlin to sort out my friends engine and still need 2 more O rings to finish the job.   As soon as he cools back down, I can reinstall the body work.  Runs better when an engine has no steam leaks everywhere.  There are O rings on both steam lines to the cylinders under the smoke box, 2 rings between the valve chests and the piston bock and 2 more on the shaft for the selector lever for the steam valve that chooses the whistle or to the cylinders.  And every one of those was brittle, flattened out and leaking steam.  Works number is 108, so an early one and probably have never been changed.  Hopefully the next run in the garden will be better.  Mike

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Lovely engines there AD. I know alot of people trade engines after a while, but I'm more of a hoader, so will encourage you to keep Hendey. To be honest I'm not much of a Merlin fan  :tomato:, don't seem right to my eyes. But having said that I think Hendey looks far more balanced than any other Merlin I have seen.I think a definite keeper.

 

Sorry to hear of your troubles with the Pearse Countess. I think sometimes engines just behave like that. I spend the winter overhauling my Accucraft Countess as years of abuse had meant that the whistle leaked, the gauge glass had blocked, and the o-rings in the cylinders were blowing by. I had a devil of a time putting it all back together, including breaking about brand new gauge glasses as I tightened the nuts up.

 

Chin up! If I can overcome then so can you, and Earl will soon be flying round. Any chance of some pictures of the workings of the Earl? I've never really seen one close up and my curiosity is piqued!

Edited by vjoneslong
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Next time I have his Earl apart, I will try to take some pics, best I could do now is with the roof open as he is all back together other than the cylinder covers.  The Mayflower and Merlin are probably the best balanced 16mm engines out there IMHO. Yes some of the early models were a tad ugly.  I think the Hendey is better balanced than the Lady Anne(which is a beautiful engine in its own right!). Same with the Mayflower(0-4-0 version of the Hendey).  He is staying, if any go on the for sale block, it will be the Sammie once I finish the valve gear install.  Obviously the one I got as a gift is decorated to pull my special Autism Express train, so she is going nowhere.    Cheers    Mike

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Not only were merlins made in Welshpool, but that very building is now owned by the Welshpool & Llanfair railway, yes merlin did make 'ugly' locos (the beck and its derivatives) but were they not designed by another firm? Really I think it was the inside framed ones (midas etc) that werent quite as nice as the little wonder, mayflower, major etc

Edited by Killian keane
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The Chassis and boiler were by Beck, Merlin started to do thier own bodies to make them more UK looking fairly early on from what I have read.  I like the looks of the Major(Hendey) over the Lady Anne.  The LA looks to large for its wheel base.  To much overhang, espically out the back.  The Mayflower and Major just like "right", more balanced.  If only the consistant quality had been there.  But then looking at my friends Pearse Earl, you can see the same basic design as in my late model Merlin.  But then Ian Pearse was involved with many of Merlins better models.  The valve motion and cylinder/valve block design is very similar, as is the whistle/throttle valve.  Now we see that same design influence in the Accucraft UK products.  One reason the Edrig was so much better as a beginner engine over the first Ruby's we had in the states with the smaller cylinders(later versions like my Ruby#5 have larger bore cylinders).  One must remember the selection of small scale live steam was very limited back then, you had Archangel and Merlin as the main producers.  Smaller private individuals were probably making bespoke models I am sure of.  Aster was gauge 1, so not in the narrow gauge picture till the Frank S for LGB and it was gauge 45 only.  I do need to source someone to make new side rods, as mine are quite worn, mosty in the front crank journel.  Need to see what it takes to put bushes in the rods to see if I can do this at home myself like Tag Gorton did on his models.  I have a worn set from a Pearse engine to try for my Countess, which shipped out to me today.    Mike

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Stuart Browne must be getting up there in his years as well!  I have seen you can get a brand new Archangel and they are not cheap.  Wouldn't mind either of those models myself.  But I think an Accucraft Joan would be my next steamer to keep with the W&L influence.  Another W&L steamer would get me to trade off the Merlin, probably the only way I would let him go right now.  Espicaly my own Pearse Earl to go with the Countess.  Or I might let it go to get funds to get 3 of the Pickering coaches that are coming soon.  Need to see how much 3 of them will cost. My friend owes the balance due on his Mayflower that he purchased from me.  Those funds might get the coaches.     Mike

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Just messaged Simon @ Anything Narrow Gauge for a quote on 3 of the Pickering coaches (saloon coach and both brake composites) along with brake van #1.   Thinking wiser to get some proper rolling stock than any more steamers right now.(was considering a RH Bertie that might be up for sale locally).  I would consider trading the Merlin or Sammine for an Accucraft Joan in maroon color to better fit in with the W&L theme of the railway  And how in the heck do I change my avatar?  I changed the profile pic, but that must be different from the avatar.       Mike

Edited by artfull dodger
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Is the old Merlin factory also the empty yarn making company building that the W&L just bought recently?   It would be neat if they paid some homage to the old Merlin Locomotive Works when they redo the building for thier use, maybe a image of one of the Merlin builders plates on a wall as a big mural ect.    Mike

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I agree with you AD on the Lady Anne, the other hang is rather annoying. I have to admit I think they are much improved with the removal of the rear bunker and flat cab back.

 

John Sutton's Books and Models has a secondhand Pearse Joan for sale. You have been warned!

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The lady anne would do better as a 0-6-2t I think, or as you say remove the rear overhang

Agreed, or a 2-6-2. Anything Narrow Gauge did have something which looked like a Lady Anne (to some degree) but was a 0-4-2, and that looked rather good as well.

 

I found it! Here it is: 

 

http://sidestreet.info/Gallery/Gallery30/Ga30.html

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My friend and I went to the local shop that deals in large scale trains, I picked up a second hand brown Zillertal coach(my second one) and he got one of the green 3062 bogie coaches(looks very similar to the pair from Hungry that W&L has).  He put a second 3062 in layaway till next month.  I also ordered some spoked metal wheel sets for my 2 axle wagons and coaches I have already.  We went out to a nice lunch before heading home.  Enjoyable day, despite the blustery winds and winter like temps.   Mike

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