Mike Posted November 16, 2013 Author Share Posted November 16, 2013 (edited) Just about ready for Warley, everything works as it should. Edited November 16, 2013 by Mike 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted November 17, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 17, 2013 I love the way it all folds away so neatly. I will try to look in at Warley but I have limited time. It is finding the ones you want that takes the time. Don Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted November 20, 2013 Author Share Posted November 20, 2013 Today should have been the last shakedown for Reely Grate, however a senior moment meant I'd left the toolbox in the workshop. Good job I still have Thursday spare. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
81A Oldoak Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 It was reely grate to meet Mike Bragg at Warley yesterday. His 0-4-0s ran faultlessly on this charming little railway. Unfortunately, he was next to the very noisy Rhydwyn Fawr steel works layout. The constant sound of sirens was like the worst nights of The Blitz. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
puddlejumper Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 Yes a truly inspirational bit of micro-modelling in the "senior scale" I was fortunate to have a 15 minute chat Mike late on Saturday afternoon and we swapped tales about noisy layouts..............fun for the paying public but can get on your t##s if you are exhibiting next to it for a full weekend!! Have to say how sublime the layout is in the flesh, even better than the thread. Both this layout and Dock Green were stunning and stood out against some other truly exceptional modelling at the show, well done Mike and thank you Doug 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon A Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 Hi Mike, I enjoyed chatting with you on Saturday. I have attached a couple of photographs of the Bag O Nails pub in Bristol, which were taken this morning. Gordon A Bristol 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted November 24, 2013 Author Share Posted November 24, 2013 Well what can I say but thank you, what truly nice comments from fellow modellers I am humbled. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted November 25, 2013 Author Share Posted November 25, 2013 OK, it's post-mortem time after Warley. Plus points, overall the layout ran extremely well with little or no problems. However the biggest down side was the under-baseboard uncoupling magnets which were far too powerful and at times made uncoupling nearly impossible, so they will be replaced asap. The other bug bear was the sector plate which suffered from the variable temperature and humidity in the hall. This too will be replaced. The really big plus was the Ixion Fowler which was an absolute joy and attracted a great deal of interest. Mike knackered but smiling 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted November 26, 2013 Author Share Posted November 26, 2013 There's a hole in my bucket dear reader,there's a hole in my bucket dear reader a hole. OK, the hole's not in my bucket but in the layout where once the traverser resided. I'm now in the process of a total rebuild of the traverser so that I don't experience any problems such as those experienced over the weekend. I have also replaced the magnets and now all is well with the world. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted November 30, 2013 Author Share Posted November 30, 2013 Just my bit of Warley:) 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenglade Posted November 30, 2013 Share Posted November 30, 2013 lovely looking layout Mike...it just goes to show what one can achieve in a small area... your modelling quality helps makes it shine too.. very nice... Regards Pete Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted December 1, 2013 Author Share Posted December 1, 2013 Ok, next phase has started. Left hand point built and other track work started. Wood in hand to build baseboard of the mirror image which will become ......? The new layout/ addition will have a representation of Cobbs Engine hose and will incorporate the canal. This layout will be stand alone as well as being an add on to the existing Reely Grate. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatB Posted December 2, 2013 Share Posted December 2, 2013 Hi Mike, I enjoyed chatting with you on Saturday. I have attached a couple of photographs of the Bag O Nails pub in Bristol, which were taken this morning. BON1.jpg BON2 Acopy.jpg Gordon A Bristol Well, well . I don't remember the pub but I used to be (c1989-90) a regular in the chip shop which, I think, was where the cafe seems to be now. IIRC they did kebabs too . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted December 8, 2013 Author Share Posted December 8, 2013 The new layout/extension is now Primrose Hill which despite its twee name was an industrial area of Windmill End. However.....you know when you are having a pants of a day when you realise that you have put the plain end of a building on the WRONG ****dy end. So you carefully separate the parts, clean them and reassemble them and yes you have guessed it, put it back in the WRONG ****dy place. OK, so it's start again time reading the notations that you have put on the parts, Oh the joys of scratch building. Talk about senior moments, no lets not. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted August 2, 2014 Author Share Posted August 2, 2014 Well what a great way to start the weekend. Postie has just delivered the Gauge 0 Guild Gazette and Reely Grate gets a 4 page spread, although I wrote the article I quite enjoyed reading it. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter220950 Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 Me too, it looks good in print, - an inspiration to us all. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
puddlejumper Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 Yep, enjoyed the article, in fact it was Reely Grate Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barnaby Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 Me too quality stuff. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
railwayrod Posted August 4, 2014 Share Posted August 4, 2014 Hi I really enjoyed the article in the current Gazette. What an inspiration to all of us modellers. It is nice to see one's layout in print as I found out last issue of the Gazette. During the last few years 0 gauge has come on in leaps and bounds from a scenery point of view and it does not seem so long ago that 7mm modelling was all about stock building or layouts that featured a lot of track and little else. Times have changed! Keep up the good work. Railwayrod 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted August 26, 2014 Author Share Posted August 26, 2014 I thought it was about time to blow the cob webs off Reely and get it ready for RMweb live, A quick wipe over the rails with isopropyl alcohol and rub over with a 4b graphite pencil and it was all systems go, every thing worked as it says on the tin. The whole process took less the 5 minutes so all is well with the world and I'm a happy bunny. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barnaby Posted August 26, 2014 Share Posted August 26, 2014 Good work Mike, I've not heard of the graphite pencil use before, I'm assuming it just improves the electrical contact. No chance that it allows dust and other particles to stick better to the graphite trace and as such requires more regular cleaning. On mine I use my Peco cleaning block which seems to keep the track clean for quite some time afterwards. Regards Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jim Read Posted August 26, 2014 Share Posted August 26, 2014 Hello Barnaby, I use an artists graphite stick and at first I thought locos would slip, so tried a small section of track with the loco you see in my AV one wagon and a large battery operated screwdriver resting on the wagon, it didn't slip, I was astonished! I always clean my track on a new layout with a Garriflex abrasive block go over it with the graphite stick and thats that leave it. If a loco stalls put some more graphite on. Cheers - Jim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
railwayrod Posted August 26, 2014 Share Posted August 26, 2014 There is a problem when using any sort of abrasive block in that it can and does scratch the rail surface leaving it open to poor electrical contact due to dirt getting trapped in the tiny scratches. I too used to use a PECO track rubber but have now totally abandoned this in favour of a substance called CoolKleen which I obtained from Squires. This seems to work a treat and does not scratch the rail surface at all. Prior to this I used Wal clipper oil which again does not scratch the rail surface and seems to float off dirt. Just a couple of suggestions! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jim Read Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 Hello Rod and Hello all, Once again the myth of the 'smooth' rail surface, surfaces again. I used to work in engineering and in Birmingham the home of Birmingham Silver aka Nickel Silver. I also was involved in manufacturing that called for extrusion dies from time to time. I used a company called Die Spark owned by Mr Don McPhee when I first went in to see him wanting some extrusion dies made I asked what was the best way to make them; Spark Erosion or Wire Erosion. Don said what do you want a ploughed field or a harrowed one, I said I thought spark erosion was the bees knees. He laughed and showed me some samples magnified on a shadowgraph, I could then see the 'field' surfaces. There wasn't that much difference, Don went on to exlain that four factors were responsible; the eletric motors, the lead screws, the spark dies and the wire drums. I expect that the people who extrude rail for model railways would use the cheaper Spark Erosion though even that will cost upward of £80 per hour and if you have say 6 die orifices in one plate at 2 hours per hole your looking at a lot of dough. Multiply that by the different rail codes and your going to make your dies last as long as possible and that of course means an even more and deeper ploughed field. The best description in model railway terms is the pulse controller shaking the motors followed by the lead screws not running smoothly and the dies being made on machines with the same problems. No can make a frictionless bearing and the more components in the drive chain the more the errors get compounded. The reason for cleaning nickel silver with a fine abrasive is to actually make the minute grooves already in it bigger. The graphite from the artists stick or pencil fills the grooves making a better electrical contact. Once done there is no need to clean the track again. I will be at the Selby show on Saturday so if anyone would like to come along see my rather dull looking track and have a go they would be more than welcome. Cheers - Jim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted August 28, 2014 Author Share Posted August 28, 2014 Well put Jim, I too started in the metal industry albeit in metal finishing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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