westerner Posted January 11, 2021 Author Share Posted January 11, 2021 I have done it that way John, but I was interested to find out how the Sling Branch was worked, Primarily as it was on a steep grade. It was basically run as a 1200yd siding with a loop at the end so that when working down the brake van would be behind the loco, Although when wagons were dropped or picked up at the last industry nearest the junction there was a certain amount of gravity movement. I find the way I've operated in the above photos slightly easier but still interesting. I'm afraid rule 1 comes in and it was a prototypical way of working on at least one part of the Forest lines. 3 1 1 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 1 hour ago, westerner said: I was interested to find out how the Sling Branch was worked The Sling branch is an especially interesting part of the old F-o-D network, not least because it started out as a tramway, so was never fenced in,unlike most of Britain's railway routes. 1 1 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
westerner Posted January 25, 2021 Author Share Posted January 25, 2021 Not posted for a couple of weeks as Nothing was happening to the railway, however having received a Slaters ex-LNER/BR brake van I am in the middle of putting it together. Not a kit I would recommend for a total beginner. there appears to be no instructions or diagrams as to how the brake gear actually goes together , luckily it wont be seen very clearly behind the footboards and I don't run my stock upside down. I've had to look at other kit instructions as to how the wheels and W irons go to together. I'll show photos of progress later. 3 1 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pwr Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 I built one of these Alan and as you say its a bit tricky but you get there in the end! Paul R 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
westerner Posted January 26, 2021 Author Share Posted January 26, 2021 Progress has been made on the Brake van. I can't say I was impressed with the lack of guidance on the brake gear supplied by Slaters. Although I made some effort at putting it on after looking at loads of photos on Paul Bartlett site and not really seeing any thing under the chassis from side views. I decided to leave what I had done alone. As I said in my last post it is a layout wagon, not a showcase one (I don't think I could ever do that), and I don't run my wagons upside down. Rather like my art teacher said. Paint or draw (or in this case model) what you can see, not what you know is there. The chassis The body bits The body roughly placed on the chassis Still much to do, footboard brackets and footboards, hand rails. painting and weathering. I'm taking it slowly to make the build last. 17 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium St Enodoc Posted January 27, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 27, 2021 6 hours ago, westerner said: Paint or draw (or in this case model) what you can see, not what you know is there. ...or what you think is there, or what you think should be there! 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post westerner Posted January 29, 2021 Author Popular Post Share Posted January 29, 2021 More work done on the brake van. Steps added and chassis painted, Body is still not stuck together or stuck to chassis but handrails have been added. Apologises for the photos. I couldn't be a***d to get the tripod out. But the do show, hopefully, what it will look like when finished, when I will take some better snaps. 20 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Hal Nail Posted January 29, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 29, 2021 Just out of interest, do you get a choice of axle boxes? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
westerner Posted January 29, 2021 Author Share Posted January 29, 2021 10 hours ago, Hal Nail said: Just out of interest, do you get a choice of axle boxes? No but there are two types of axle box covers, both LNER, there are no Roller bearing boxes for the later1/507 variant 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post westerner Posted February 1, 2021 Author Popular Post Share Posted February 1, 2021 Work on the brake van has continued body now stuck to the chassis handrails have been added on the ballast blocks at either end, roof still needs to be fixed, guard to be added, transfers (hopefully arriving tomorrow) need to be put on, and then the fun of weathering it. Not sure why that one is a bit fussy, the next two are better. 25 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post westerner Posted February 3, 2021 Author Popular Post Share Posted February 3, 2021 Transfers did arrive yesterday so they were applied and 6 hrs later I went for the weathering. Looking at the photos the roof edges might need a little work. The guard (Modelu) was put in this morning and roof glued on. On the whole I'm reasonably pleased with it. 25 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NHY 581 Posted February 3, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 3, 2021 Nice job, Alan. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted February 3, 2021 Share Posted February 3, 2021 I'll second that. I really like the weathering on the boarding and duckets, it's a case of less is more and took me back to being about 12 and climbing all over the rows of brake vans dumped on storage sidings in Leicester. I see a lot of things that are so heavily weathered, they look more like the wreck of the Mary Rose. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted February 3, 2021 Share Posted February 3, 2021 Top notch Alan. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baggies1961 Posted February 3, 2021 Share Posted February 3, 2021 Excellent weathering Alan I love the figure too posing for the photo! Regards Julian. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sb67 Posted February 4, 2021 Share Posted February 4, 2021 Nice work Alan, the weathering looks just right. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
westerner Posted February 4, 2021 Author Share Posted February 4, 2021 A subtle alteration. It was pointed out to me that the ballast weights on the fore and aft decks were unpainted concrete. So I repainted and re weathered them. 18 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
westerner Posted February 8, 2021 Author Share Posted February 8, 2021 Must admit I've never been over happy with the name of the layout as the Blakeney never had a passenger station, indeed it was one siding with a goods shed. And as the scenery developed and I was using bits from all over the Forest of Dean it became more of a problem for me. So after much thought over many weeks I decided to change the name to BLACKNEY, why Blackney, well the stream that ran alongside part of the line was known as Blackpool Brook, so combining that with Blakeney gave me the new name. 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoffrey Posted February 8, 2021 Share Posted February 8, 2021 Names can be a problem. An old Forest of Dean Layout of mine was called Wyebeach . A mixture of Howbeach ,where the Blakeney branch ended, and the river Wye. 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
westerner Posted February 8, 2021 Author Share Posted February 8, 2021 A couple of photos including the new running in board. As you can see it was very easy to alter take off the K and the E substitute a C for the K and move the K to where the E was. All told a couple of minutes work, and we have BLACKNEY. 18 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted February 8, 2021 Share Posted February 8, 2021 I thought Blakeney was just fine, a nice 'might have been' alternative reality. But each to their own; I know I've spent ages sometimes racking my brain cell to come up with a name for a layout that I'll be happy with. Other people always seem to have better ideas!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
westerner Posted February 21, 2021 Author Share Posted February 21, 2021 One of he problems I faced operating Blackney was the 3 link couplings, whilst occasionally I could couple or uncouple in a matter of seconds with a an un-coupler made of bent wire, sometimes it could take several minutes (or that's what it felt like) and it rather took the fun out of playing oops operating the layout. Then on another forum I saw a post by Capt. K. about how he made a magnetic un-coupler with one of those tiny strong magnets. It was like the curtain had lifted. The only problem was that nearly all my stock has/had brass (ie non magnetic) 3links. I decide to make some as I had some 1mm iron wire. First make a jig using on of the Parkside links Basiclly 2 small panel pins in a piece of wood, one with the head cut off to be able to get the link off. The wire was then bent round the first nail using fingers and pliers. Then further wrapping with fingers but mainly pliers. until a loop had been formed. Then slip off the jig and cut through the overlap leaving a single link. Amazingly within a tad they are the same size as the Parkside ones. Now to order the magnets and some brass tubing. I'll let you know how I get on. 10 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piemanlarger Posted February 21, 2021 Share Posted February 21, 2021 Shall watch this with interest as I've got to learn to uncople quickly also. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post westerner Posted February 27, 2021 Author Popular Post Share Posted February 27, 2021 As promised an update on the magnetic coupler/un-coupler for 3 link couplings. Firstly I must thank Tim (Captain Kernow) for the idea. The magnets, actually that is a bit of 1mm iron I had already made the couplers but that is the length of 4 yes FOUR magnets, 2 were the broken off and super glued into a 1mm internal diameter piece of brass tube, flush with the end. The other end of of the tube had a length of 1mm brass wire super glued into it. Finally the wire was attached to the pen torch. As I had three I made two magnetic couplers (gold) and one wire one (silver) for use with the coach. And finally in action. It works a treat. 12 1 3 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pwr Posted March 1, 2021 Share Posted March 1, 2021 I've seen these magnets in use on US diesel models to connect the air hoses and wondered if you could do the same to connect vac hoses on UK models. You would need a flexible hose such as that produced by Slaters but see no reason why it couldn't be done. I am going to use some small magnets under my Freightliner flats and fix some steel washers under the container (there is room) and hopefully this will keep them in place. Paul r 8 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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