Harbledown Railroad Heritage Line (Wisconsin Central)

[F-UnitMad]

21 hours ago, Chris116 said:

I am pleased to note that the Model Power D&RG Plymouth Industrial Diesel has Kadee-like couplings at both ends. Why didn't they do that for the steamer as well?

To be honest Model Power in general, and these locos in particular, are/were aimed more at the train set end of the hobby. Going around in a circle was as much as most of them would ever do.

[Chris116]

2 hours ago, F-UnitMad said:

To be honest Model Power in general, and these locos in particular, are/were aimed more at the train set end of the hobby. Going around in a circle was as much as most of them would ever do.

I suspected as much. I bought both of them because they were cheap. I would like a better steam loco but I will not be looking for one until middle of next year. 

[DanielB]

If you don't want to break the bank, Anoraks Anonymous on Facebook are great for reasonably priced steam locomotives.

[Chris116]

18 minutes ago, DanielB said:

If you don't want to break the bank, Anoraks Anonymous on Facebook are great for reasonably priced steam locomotives.

sadly I was banned from Facebook three years ago for reporting a porno message because I forwarded it to Facebook with my report I was judged to be sending them a porno message! I told them exactly what I thought of their stupidity and I think that means they will never allow me back.

[skipepsi]

1 hour ago, Chris116 said:

sadly I was banned from Facebook three years ago for reporting a porno message because I forwarded it to Facebook with my report I was judged to be sending them a porno message! I told them exactly what I thought of their stupidity and I think that means they will never allow me back.

Just google Anoraks Anonymous they have a shop in Doncaster landline number and mobile very reasonable prices and a good price for my stock I was selling. Usual disclaimer.

[z4driver]

10 hours ago, Chris116 said:

sadly I was banned from Facebook three years ago for reporting a porno message because I forwarded it to Facebook with my report I was judged to be sending them a porno message! I told them exactly what I thought of their stupidity and I think that means they will never allow me back.

You can just create a new account using a different email address

[Keith Addenbrooke]

14 hours ago, Chris116 said:

sadly I was banned from Facebook three years ago for reporting a porno message because I forwarded it to Facebook with my report I was judged to be sending them a porno message! I told them exactly what I thought of their stupidity and I think that means they will never allow me back.

 

Sorry to hear this.  Based on my experience with another social media platform (and thankfully on a different issue), I strongly suspected that a restriction placed on some content I posted as part of my job was the result of an algorithm performing the analysis - not a human.  I used the appeal process to query the decision and ask for an explanation, and at the second time of asking the restriction was lifted: my guess is that it was only this further appeal that ever reached a person.

[Chris116]

Good news today with the 5 yards of Peco Code 83 arriving together with the Kadee couplings, height gauge and manual uncoupling stick. 

 

First job was to change the couplings on the SOO Line EMD GP7 #378. A quick removal of the screw that held the old coupling in place and the job was done very quickly and easily. Then to the second coupling which took longer due to brain fade by me! I didn't look carefully and managed to completely remove the coupling I had just installed! Put that back turned the loco around and did the correct coupling. During the next few days I will do the same job on the freight cars that need the couplings changed. Final job on the coupling job will be installing one on the front of the 0-4-0T steam loco after a sharp craft knife has been used to remove the blob of plastic that Model Power think is suitable. 

 

The Silverado Station Kit also arrived (late yesterday) so that needs to be built. Once the station and platform have been sorted I will start laying the track. I have to make sure that both the British and American platforms can have the track in the same place as the buildings will need changing on a regular basis. 

[Chris116]

A decision has been taken to sell the three Rivarossi made Illinios Central coaches I have as the are too long for the layout and also will be pigs to change the couplings on. As I am not a gold member here I will have to use ebay I fear. It will be the first time as a seller.

[Chris116]

I have two coaches which like the long Illinois Central set that I intend to sell are Rivarossi made and as you can see do not have Kadee couplings. Can any of the experts on here tell me if there are any easy to fit Kadee designed for such coaches? Many thanks in advance for your help. 

[long island jack]

try here  https://www.kadee.com/documents/holist.pdf

[Chris116]

39 minutes ago, long island jack said:

try here  https://www.kadee.com/documents/holist.pdf

Looks like #508 will do the job so I have ordered two pairs which will arrive early in the New Year. Thanks for your help.

[Chris116]

Two new box cars join the stock list and the new coaches now have Kadees on the outer ends. For now I have left the Rivarossi couplings to join the two coaches but have the Kadees ready if I change my mind. The coaches will also have the signs above the windows changed from "Atchison & Santa Fe"to "Harbledown Railroad". A new 0-6-0T is also on its way to help the current 0-4-0T on the steam roster. 

 

I really must build the Silverado Station so I can fix the platform width for both US & UK stations which will then mean track laying can start. 

[Chris116]

I have spent most of the evening building the Model Power Silverado Station. It is taking a lot longer than I expected as all the buildings I have made in the last 20 years have been either Metcalfe or Superquick with the odd Bilteezi and going back to plastic kits is a real change in methods but I have to say that the instructions are very good which I am finding a relief. In spite of the time taken I don't have much to show but I think if I can spend the same amount of time tomorrow I will suddenly find that I am nearing the end of the build.

 

Once finished I will fit it into a low level US style platform that will be built so the building can be removed to enable a UK style platform to be placed over the low level US platform for when I am running a UK operation with the two J70's I have. The layout is now called Harbledown which in US form is Harbledown Railroad and in UK form is Harbledown Railway Preservation Society.

[Chris116]

A second evening of putting the Silverado Station together. At least I now have the basic building looking like a building rather than lots of bit with windows and doors in that last night took a lot of time and left me with not much to show for the effort. 

 

As well as getting on with the station building I have also put the lettering on the two Santa Fe cars for the Harbledown Railroad which means all four old time cars are now set up for the steam heritage . 

 

The first photo shows the progress on the station with the passenger cars in front. The second photo shows the two cars and the 0-4-0T steam loco. The third photo is a close up of one of the passenger cars. 

[Chris116]

Another day and more progress with the station building. It is now nearly complete, just needs the downpipes from the guttering, some suitable posters and a passenger or two. 

[Chris116]

Just added a couple of packing cases, a wheelbarrow and grain sacks plus down pipes for the gutters and some improved ridge tiles. 

[Chris116]

The gaps in the station building have been hidden by barrels and boxes and the 0-6-0T loco has arrived. 

[Chris116]

The new 0-6-0T loco means I have a little bit of work as it has the wrong couplings but they should be fairly easy to change. Which reminds me I still have the problem of removing the plastic blob from the front of the 0-4-0T and then fit a Kadee at the right height. I have the Kadee coupling gauge so getting it right should not be a problem unless I cut too much plastic away when removing the blob. 

[Chris116]

Well the coupling saga is not going as well as I had hoped.

 

The #5 Kadees I have are a bit longer than they should be for the rear coupling on the Bachmann 0-6-0T so I will have to look through the Kadee lists to find something that is a better fit.

 

On the Model Power 0-4-0T the rear coupling has the same problem while the front coupling that will replace the now removed blob is even more of a problem as the Draft Gear Box can only be fitted at a height that leaves the coupling lower than it should be. I think Kadee do some couplings that solve that problem by having a shaft with an upward bend but again it means I have some research to do before I will be happy with the results.

 

It has been a slightly frustrating evening but I think I know where to look and then be able to solve the problems. If I am honest the Rivarossi Old Time coaches could do with the #5's being replaced with a shorter shaft so I will get more than I need for the locos and do all the jobs at once.

[Chris116]

Couplings now ordered. One pack of #24 which are short underset shank which will hopefully solve the problem with the front coupling on the 0-4-0T. Four packs of #23 which are the short shank version of the #5 that they will replace on the 0-6-0T and the two Rivarossi Old Time coaches. In both cases I will have some left over for any future requirements. 

[skipepsi]

Where have you ordered them from please?

[Chris116]

13 minutes ago, skipepsi said:

Where have you ordered them from please?

I ordered them from Gaugemaster. Although the #23 are out of stock at present they took the order. 

[F-UnitMad]

14 hours ago, Chris116 said:

I think Kadee do some couplings that solve that problem by having a shaft with an upward bend but again it means I have some research to do before I will be happy with the results.

Looks like you did your research

Long, medium and short shanks, overset, underset, centerset... welcome to the Kadee vocabulary!!
I don't think any Kadee has a 'bent' shank - you've discovered the way they overcome variations in height and length.

[Chris116]

1 hour ago, F-UnitMad said:

Looks like you did your research

Long, medium and short shanks, overset, underset, centerset... welcome to the Kadee vocabulary!!
I don't think any Kadee has a 'bent' shank - you've discovered the way they overcome variations in height and length.

I had misunderstood how the overset and underset achieved the change in height.

 

Just as UK railway and US railroad terms are very different so to are those used in modelling. I am learning a lot watching the VRF Railcams and reading the chat but still have a long way to go before I have learnt to speak American Railroad!