Jump to content
 
  • entries
    400
  • comments
    930
  • views
    288,040

Stour Valley in P4, first track laid and a few holiday pictures


Fen End Pit

811 views

Back from an unnaturally dry week in North Wales and I was able to start laying some track. I had salvaged as much as I could from the previous layout (with the price of components following the practices of all the prototype railway company and retrieving components from closed lines makes good financial sense!). This did mean that I already had assembled switch blades and rail with chairs fitted that I could reuse. I printed the Templot template for the B6 point which is in the yard and stuck it down onto a separate piece of MDF for the assembly. Once completed I eased the point off the board and then stuck down on the cork of the baseboard.

 

blogentry-7212-0-33323600-1473024769_thumb.jpg

 

Given that all the components have been reused I don't think the result looks too bad when you look close up. Once painted and ballasted I don't think you will be able to tell that the components weren't new.

 

blogentry-7212-0-91036300-1473024896_thumb.jpg

 

Now a couple of pictures from the Cambrian Railway society at Oswestry. They currently have about 1 mile of track running from the station down past the back of various shops! Just next the the end of the platform is this partial double-slip. I took some pictures as I have one to build in the yard. I was particularly interested in the wear on the check railway on the far common crossing, what would have caused this or was it deliberate grinding to make some clearance?

 

blogentry-7212-0-14783500-1473025245_thumb.jpg

 

A Barclay 0-4-0 was hauling a ballast wagon and brakevan up and down with passenger numbers totaling 5 on my trip.

 

blogentry-7212-0-79404000-1473025481_thumb.jpg

 

One item of stock that I don't intend to scratch build (I leave it for the next RMWeb 'wish list') was this rather interesting 'device'.

 

blogentry-7212-0-01291000-1473025503_thumb.jpg

 

Also from this summer's holidays I should put in a good word for The Locoshed in Manchester. I'd headed to the building site which is central Manchester to take my Son to Comicon (What is Northern Rail's policy on large rubber weapons?) and then went and played on the East Lancs. This meant a tram ride out to Bury and searching on Google brought up a reference to this model shop. Stopping at Besses o'th'barn tram stop and crossing the M60 (on a bridge I hasten to add) I walked up Bury Old Road.

 

What a welcome, 'Hello lads, what kind of modelling do you do? would you like a cup of tea, let me introduce the team'. It was lovely to find a welcoming model shop, Any model shop is good in this day and age but some do just seem to want to be an active part of the hobby.

 

I'll go back there...

 

My eldest Son was particularly amused by picking up a copy of BRM on the 2nd hand pile at Bury Bolton Road for 25p. It was the issue which had my article on Fen End Pit. This particular copy had been quite extensively annotated by the previous owner, correcting some of my drivel and high-lighting a couple of comments I'd made.

 


David

  • Like 5

3 Comments


Recommended Comments

I'm pretty certain I still have a copy of that issue. I bought it because I had seen the layout on here and wanted to add it to my reference list of good layouts :D. Was /Is a good read.

Link to comment

Please publish an article on stour valley when you finish it... cause its going to be a damn good looking layout if fen end pit is anything to go by.

Link to comment
  • RMweb Gold

 

 

I was particularly interested in the wear on the check railway on the far common crossing, what would have caused this or was it deliberate grinding to make some clearance?

 

Hi David,

 

That's intentional machining on the top of the check rail, to ensure that as the running rail wears, the wheels do not contact the check rail. 1/4" is taken off the top for 6" from the adjacent running rail gauge-face on the GWR drawings. Check rails are not designed to take any top load or be hit on the end by approaching wheels, which could knock them out of position -- they are critical components to safe running.

 

regards,

 

Martin.

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...