The Westwood & Loscoe Light Railway

[Narrow Minded]

I hope everyone has had a "Happy Easter"

 

 

 

[Owd Bob]

Lovely NM! are you doing a bit of track maintenance?  

[Narrow Minded]

Cheers O.B.

Getting a bit of all sorts done today - track maintenance, pruning, rock moving, paint spraying, and a steam test

[Narrow Minded]

The LGB coach bits have had their first trip to the paint shop ....... they're all etch primed and waiting for me to get to Halfords for a top coat

 

 

I also had a successful steam test with the Caradoc.......... water, oil and gas all filled, and the burner lit

 

 

Water on the boil and the drain ready for closing

 

 

Watching the pressure gauge rise, with no steam leaks anywhere

 

 

and the safety valve lifts OK

 

 

after that, she puts in a faultless test run

 

 

With that out of the way, I can add her to the roster and order the stuff I need to get her suitably "blinged"

[Owd Bob]

Lovely stuff NM! You have certainly made me think again in my choice of at least one of the loco's i'd eventually like to have.

[Narrow Minded]

A bit more activity down at Pentrich Sidings, the LGB coach seats have had a bit of a make-over (well, a "paint-over" )

 

 

and the roof has had lamp tops fitted in place of the clerestory, before having a fresh coat of paint.

 

 

Meanwhile, the coach body has had its floor painted a woody brown and I quite liked the look of Halfords "Rover Russet Brown" when I paid 'em a visit

 

 

The Caradoc has also had its steam dome painted, but it's still drying and I daren't look yet (it's not been the best of days for spraying out in the shed)

[artfull dodger]

That looks nice!   Can't wait to see it all back together!     Mike

[Narrow Minded]

Thanks Mike

Not far off finishing now, I masked the windows and gave the rest of the glazing a waft of cream to try and hide the "chunky" construction. It looks a bit stark in the photo, but more than acceptable once the roof's on

 

[Owd Bob]

Nice work NM are you putting lights in it? What colours are used on the seat benches to create that wood effect?

Edited April 20, 2017 by Owd Bob

[Narrow Minded]

Thanks OB, I shan't be bothering with lights during this session - I might fit some later though since it'll see most use with the "short Pickerings" and they've got em

The paint on the benches is acrylic from a firm called Coat d'arms and is their 524 Tan Earth. I applied it as a wash over a grey primer to get the suggestion of grain.

[Narrow Minded]

Made a start on the planned mods for the Caradoc - steam dome painted and safety valve bonnet fitted

 

[Narrow Minded]

Just in time for the "weekend traffic", the coach conversion is out-shopped

 

[Narrow Minded]

Just spent the morning re-ballasting the line at Robin Square, under the watchful eye of one of the residents

 

 

Last year I'd experimented with SBR to fix the ballast after hearing good things about it. Unfortunately, it hasn't lasted at all, and the the ballast has become completely loose

On the bright side, it made it a doddle to remove and recycle

 

 

Still plenty of patching up to do around the rest of the line, but it'll be more of a "cosmetic" job than anything else, just enough to keep things running through the first part of the summer, before it all gets ripped up and elevated.

I'm getting too old for a ground level line!

[artfull dodger]

I know the feeling of getting to old for ground level operation!  Even at 44, I feel it in my ankles, knees and lower back if I spend to much time squatting down on my old railway.   Hopefully later this summer or next year we will start on the fence mounted W&L based line.  Then the little deck railway will be the domain of my Sammie and Bertie only.  That coach turned out nice!  Reminds me of the ex Zillertalbahn coaches being done up in brown.  Just packed up my Countess and Pickering coaches for the steam up tomorrow at local train museum.  Looks like we may be set up indoors in the baggage room due to weather.  But will have to wait till we get there to find out.  I am ok steaming up outdoors in the cool weather and rain threat since we have canopies and the cool temps will enhance steam plumes!     Mike

[Narrow Minded]

Thanks Mike Glad you spotted the nod towards the Zillertalbahn stock during early preservation - it means I wasn't too far off target since the railway is freelance, but follows the prototype (Protolance??)  

Hope you have a great steam up today!

[Narrow Minded]

Now the coach has passed muster concerning how it "looks", I wanted to check if it would function according to plan.

I made the roof easily removeable by cutting away the clips that hold it firm - it fits snugly enough without 'em thanks to the German engineering, so I've got easy access to the interior.

I'd guestimated the size of the coach in comparison to my compact camera, and hoped this would work...........

........ views from the "camera coach"

 

straight through the window,

 

 

leaning out of the drop light

 

 

and looking over the balcony

 

 

Looking forward to the video testing

[Edwardian]

Another brilliant garden railway - what a treat!

[Narrow Minded]

Another brilliant garden railway - what a treat!

Thank you sir (a fellow wargamer?)

I've just visited Castle Aching (lots to catch up on!) and see you're currently constructing said castle - be aware that they all have their resident ghosts, as seen here gazing out from the arch of our own "Codnor Castle" ruins

 

[Edwardian]

Brilliant photograph.

 

I have very much enjoyed catching up with this marvellous garden railway.  The very clever still photograph effects and the wonderful sepia film enhance the illusion that this is a 12 inch to 1 foot scale NG railway.  Subtlety and realism in a garden railway is not something I had really thought about, but the Westwood & Loscoe and the McMullen Coal Company have recently caused the scales to fall from my eyes.  

 

Great modelling and I love the way Nature has done weathering and fine scenic work for you!  The blend between the artificial and natural is extremely effective here.

 

It is a good job that I cannot afford the distraction of a garden project!

 

As for figure painting, I may be a fellow wargames figure painter, on and off, but I have never yet played a wargame!  Railway modelling can be successfully pursued solo.  Wargaming not so much!

 

Keep up the great work and the great pictures.

[77philg]

Just spent the morning re-ballasting the line at Robin Square, under the watchful eye of one of the residents

 

Robin.JPG

 

Last year I'd experimented with SBR to fix the ballast after hearing good things about it. Unfortunately, it hasn't lasted at all, and the the ballast has become completely loose

On the bright side, it made it a doddle to remove and recycle

 

Re-ballasting.JPG

 

Still plenty of patching up to do around the rest of the line, but it'll be more of a "cosmetic" job than anything else, just enough to keep things running through the first part of the summer, before it all gets ripped up and elevated.

I'm getting too old for a ground level line!

    Ive patched up with builders PVA glue mixed with the ballast  on the old layout. But the moss seemed to thrive on that ,think this time might just leave it loose. Definitely raise the line if you can it gets harder to bend as the years go by PHIL

[vjoneslong]

Wonderful stuff NM. I love what you have done with the LGB carriage. Very effective.

 

Interesting stuff about the SBR. I've noticed a few people waxing lyrical about it, but I guess its not perfect. My own ballast seems to have stuck for the most part, so I will carry on with the Rowlands mix for the moment.

[Narrow Minded]

Thanks again Edwardian. My own inspiration came originally from the late great Peter Jones and his "Compton Down Railway". I'd heartily recommend having a look at some of his work.

I was a retired (rehabilitated??) wargamer of many years, but I got back into it to help a friend wean his son away from the playstation / xbox, and into something more constructive and sociable

 

You've definitely got it right Phil, I'm into my 60's now so tying my shoe laces will be a problem soon, let alone managing a ground level line

 

Thanks Idris, funny how the memory plays tricks - I was sure the "camera coach" idea would work without having to do anything to the interior A waft of paint seems to have done the trick though.

Rowlands Mix is a good old tried-and-tested method of ballasting, but from personal experience, the addition of compost to encourage moss growth is a bit of a time bomb. Eventually it created enough of a water trap to cause problems with frost in the winter

I don't think the "perfect" ballast solution has been found yet.

 

Not much to report from this weekend since we were quite busy, but the regulator handles have arrived from Acme Model Engineering to replace the 'orrible plastic knobs on the Caradoc

 

 

and "Ogwen" put in some mileage while the pruning and general tidy up continued yesterday afternoon. I raised the terrace row behind the station at Westwood slightly to see if they improved the appearance - the jury is still out as to whether it's worked

 

[Owd Bob]

Everything looks really fine to me NM, the handles are great and will make nice realistic additions, thanks for showing them as it's really handy to know what make/model they are for and where these sorts of things are available from.    I'm thinking of getting some new Docs' but do they do 'em with velcro straps? 

Edited April 24, 2017 by Owd Bob

[vjoneslong]

Love the photograph NM. I'm looking forward to putting Chattenden on P-way duties while I potter about the garden.

 

So how did you end up with another Caradoc? 

[Narrow Minded]

Always missed my old one, and this one turned up at the right time at the right price