Where were we? Ah yes, waiting for the timber delivery...

The track panels havn't made their appearance yet (but neither has the timber!) - the thought of hand rivetting about 1000 sleepers made me wonder what happened to the rivet-closing tool I'd bought many years ago at an 'ExpoEM'. Still cannot find it! However a really useful list on 'GWR.org.uk' in the links section has provided the e-mail of the person that used to make them. I'm hoping he still does!

So I had to find another way of keeping myself amused (apart from going back to work for the first time in five weeks...) I mentioned in the previous entry that I'd been following a blog about 'upgrading' a GWR 'Toad' - the Bachmann model. I wanted to do the same myself, but initially decided (because there was another entry) against 'blogging' it. However, removal of the handrails is a major part of the 'mod' and I hit on a way of doing it (probably nothing new, but here goes).

Having given the problem some thought I came up with this:

It's simply a short length of 'Junior' hacksaw blade ground down to a blade witdth of about 1mm. I used a 'Dremel' with a slitting disc - doing it in short burst so the blade didn't overheat. The 'chisel' is then held in an 'Exacto' blade holder for comfort. The sequence is:-

drill the stanchion positions. Doing this first ensures they will be in the right place on re-fit.

Nick the rails with a new blade (nothing new in that trick)

Use the tool to gently shave off a sliver at a time until

the job's complete.

All I have to do now is make the stanchions (not handrail knobs!) from 5 thou brass strip & bend up the new rails. These will be bent up in 0.6mm steel wire using a small jig. More later!

The other job - hinted-at in the previous post was to replace the crossing timber at the heel of the switch-blade. The afore-said problem of rivet closing appears to leave some poorly closed & liable to 'pop out' of the timber. not toooo much of a problem on plain track (unless they all do it!) but a definite problem when it's the only rivet holding the rail in place!

My solution was to add a washer to the underside of the timber. These were created by drilling holes in 10 thou brass strip

tin them, part them off then lay them over an inverted sleeper with the rivet poking through

lightly close the rivet then add a little solder.

A test revealed that as the blade was operated the washer did rotate slightly. The washer is slightly proud of the sleeper-base so this will be compensated by relieving the underlay at that point. At least the strain of rotating the rivet purely in the wooden sleeper has been relieved.

The only other 'progress' has been in a 're-org' of the railway room as yet more of the household items that 'graced' it have been removed! Doubltless a lot of them will make their way back over the coming months - a planning application has been granted which is going to result in about 6 months upheaval - although I'm hoping that the railway room (one of only two rooms in the house unaffected) will remain a haven of insanity!

Regs

Ian