Fal Vale – 00 Southern Railway in the Antipodes

[KymN]

18 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

Yes it is. Woodcock29 is of course your esteemed Area Rep.

 

Thank you.  I saw the superb teak stock just two weeks away and was blown away.  Time to move on I think.  I have found myself in the midst of some real talent, and it means a lot.

[KymN]

Things are moving slowly at the moment.  But they are moving, even if my aging back isn't.  Working under the layout is proving difficult.  I only seem to complete a few connections each day.

 

But I have dealt with the damage I did in converting the turnouts to be DCC-friendly, so the Buggleskelly loop line trackwork is complete (again), as is much of the wiring.  Buggleskelly station is a future project.  I will use Peco code 75 for that, but the local shops still lack supplies.

 

I have not acquired much in the way of rollingstock lately, although I am interested in the 4-wheel and 6-wheel 'generic' coaches that Hatton and Hornby are producing - they will suit the Buggleskerry branch despite their lack of prototype.  My 'protolance' ideas can accommodate this.  While not a Great Western man, I do think that the Manor might have a place.. Unfortunately the poor performance of the Dapol mogul that has similar engineering has put me off their version.

[St Enodoc]

1 hour ago, KymN said:

Things are moving slowly at the moment.  But they are moving, even if my aging back isn't.  Working under the layout is proving difficult.  I only seem to complete a few connections each day.

 

But I have dealt with the damage I did in converting the turnouts to be DCC-friendly, so the Buggleskelly loop line trackwork is complete (again), as is much of the wiring.  Buggleskelly station is a future project.  I will use Peco code 75 for that, but the local shops still lack supplies.

 

I have not acquired much in the way of rollingstock lately, although I am interested in the 4-wheel and 6-wheel 'generic' coaches that Hatton and Hornby are producing - they will suit the Buggleskerry branch despite their lack of prototype.  My 'protolance' ideas can accommodate this.  While not a Great Western man, I do think that the Manor might have a place.. Unfortunately the poor performance of the Dapol mogul that has similar engineering has put me off their version.

According to a recent announcement by Dapol, the Manor will have some improvements as a result of feedback on the Moguls and the next batch of Moguls will too. Where that leaves us poor s0ds who rushed in to get Moguls I know not.

 

 

Edited February 9, 2021 by St Enodoc
link added

[KymN]

On 09/02/2021 at 20:33, St Enodoc said:

According to a recent announcement by Dapol, the Manor will have some improvements as a result of feedback on the Moguls and the next batch of Moguls will too.

 

That's good but they have some solid competition now.  The Dapol Mogul that I watched at BRMA meeting would simply stop (outright) on a slight grade if it had more than a certain load.  We lost it in a tunnel!! 

[KymN]

Not much news at the moment.  After completing the below benchwork wiring for the Buggleskelly Loop Line I have started on the control panel.  This will allow the loop line to be operated with DCC or analogue, selected by a DPDT switch. The analogue feed has been plundered from the controls for the Brighton Cross yard, which has now been reduced to point control only.

 

In the meantime some new stock has appeared.  This is a trio of Hornby's new 4-wheel coaches in GNR Teak livery.  Yes , the GNR was a long way from Cornwall, but I like the teak.  By a strange coincidence (?) of marketing, two manufacturers (Hornby and Hattons) have released similar new ranges of 4 and 6 wheeled coaches, typical of the Victorian and Edwardian periods. They are both tooled to be representative - not based on specific prototypes - and painted for various railways. Hornby calls theirs 'Generic', Hattons' label is 'Genesis'.  The Hattons examples appear from photographs to be superior to the Hornby ones, but release has been delayed.

 

Here are my samples hauled by 'Toby'. Same location as all the other pictures.  I tried the Fleischmann close-couplers to reduce the gap between the coaches, but without a suitable mechanism on the coaches they won't go around curves.  The rake now has one each of the Hornby and Roco close-couplers to at least reduce the gap.

 

[DLT]

Just come across this project, very nice indeed!

Cheers, Dave.

[KymN]

Fal Vale continues to accumulate stock that is totally irrelevant, ordered ages ago and is the result of a rush of blood to the head.  In this case it is KR Models GT3.  Why an experimental gas turbine express passenger locomotive would find its way to Cornwall remains a mystery.  As I expect you know, the GT3 was proposed by the English Electric Company, and a prototype was built at its Vulcan Foundry plant. It was run, but never in revenue service.   This is the first model of GT3 by KR models, a new company that specialises in odd trains.  It is top quality in terms of design, build and finish. I have yet to run it! 

 

The prototype was technically successful, but costly to run - and rather impractical. It was configured like a steam locomotive, with a coupled set of driving wheels. This was because it simplified the transmission of power from the turbines to the wheels, and someone had figured that the buyers would accept something that looked like what they knew. The tender held kerosene, not coal and water, and the cab was carpeted. In fact the steam shape limited sighting from the cab, so needed a two person crew for that reason alone. 

 

 

 

 

In the meantime I have progressed my Buggleskelly Loop control panel.  It is nearly ready to be fired up.  Unfortunately several leads gave way in the installation process and my bad back is slowing things down.  But we will get there soon.  . 

 

 

 

[KymN]

Then again, if I bought the Brown-Boveri 'Kerosene Castle' - which did run in the West Country - I could stage a comparison of the two to justify the GT3 out west.  All I need is a time machine.

[SRman]

6 hours ago, KymN said:

Then again, if I bought the Brown-Boveri 'Kerosene Castle' - which did run in the West Country - I could stage a comparison of the two to justify the GT3 out west.  All I need is a time machine.

 

There is no cure, you know, Kym! I have all sorts of oddballs and things that don't belong, but are simply there because I like them. It's a lo-o-ong slippery slope! 

p.s. I also bought two 4-coach rakes of the Hornby 4-wheelers, one for LBSC, and the other for LSWR, but am really holding out for the Hatton's versions to get some more. With theirs, I want to supplement the Hornby ones to make 7, 8 or 9 car rakes, plus I want to get some SECR ones too, including a few 6-wheelers. As you say, they are generic, but they fill a gap that can only otherwise be filled with kit or scratch building, and the subsequent home painting and lining jobs.

 

 

Edited March 31, 2021 by SRman
Fixing typos.

[St Enodoc]

5 hours ago, KymN said:

Then again, if I bought the Brown-Boveri 'Kerosene Castle' - which did run in the West Country - I could stage a comparison of the two to justify the GT3 out west.  All I need is a time machine.

It shouldn't be long until "Kerosene Castle" runs in Mid-Cornwall!

[DLT]

11 hours ago, KymN said:

Why an experimental gas turbine express passenger locomotive would find its way to Cornwall remains a mystery.

 

"Rule 1" applies!

[KymN]

On 31/03/2021 at 21:43, DLT said:

 

"Rule 1" applies!

 

Of course it does - more and more.

[KymN]

 The control panel for the Loop Line is is now in the early stages of functionality.  I have successfully run a few trains on the antique analogue circuit - the controller is an ancient 'eda' unit powered by the 15VAC from an even more ancient Tri-ang power controller.  I can cut in the Relco (the red switch) but am not sure that it still works!  The DCC plug is to the right, along with the bank of DCC Concepts Cobalt-S switches. 

 

I need to complete the wiring of the switches (the most complex ever) because one of the turnouts is set to the wrong direction and to change it I need to find its leads under the baseboard and I cannot run a full loop as a result.  The Loop Line has three turnouts - one to connect with Fal Vale, one to connect with Buggleskelly station and a third that services a narrow gauge siding.  The other three switches are for Buggleskelly yard, which is essentially two crossovers and another turnout leading to a siding.  Unfortunately the picture shows up the bad paint job on the panel.

 

 

Among the trains that I ran was my new GT3, as yet unchipped.  I tried it light engine and with a rake of Maunsell coaches.  It ran beautifully - performance is as good as the appearance. However the coaches (with Fleischmann close couplers) are prone to buffer lock when pushed through the curves.  That is not really an issue on a line primarily intended for running-in and small local trains.  The main line through Fal Vale has much wider curves.

 

Perhaps more importantly I had the first COVID shot today - Astra Zeneca.  It didn't hurt a bit. .

 

 

 

 

[St Enodoc]

1 minute ago, KymN said:

Unfortunately the picture shows up the bad paint job on the panel.

There's your problem. You should have French-polished it...

[5BarVT]

5 hours ago, KymN said:

Perhaps more importantly I had the first COVID shot today - Astra Zeneca.  It didn't hurt a bit. 

Speaking from experience, wait til tomorrow!

Hopefully, still mild symptoms.

Paul.

[KymN]

Progress!  I now have a working Bugglekelly loop line that offers both DC and DCC functionality.   The DC circuit includes the Relco ioniser unit that I now know works, and can be used (and has been) to start a stalled train!  There is still work on the control panel to do though.  At present only one turnout is remote controlled.  That was chosen because it was set to the wrong road to complete the loop, so it was a case of necessity.  Latching switches can't be operated by hand as you can a solenoid.  I want to do some tidying up of both the wiring and placement of the panel.  It doesn't have the finesse of many that I have seen on these pages.

 

I filmed some trains running on the Loop with sound.  I cannot see how to post videos on RMWeb, so you will need to take my word for it, although one is now on fakebook.  One movie shows a WW1 train hauled by ROD locomotives with tank cars and flats/warwells.  A couple of the loads are WW11 but that is OK.  The other shows a Pennsy GG1, because it is the loudest sound-fitted loco I have!

 

Next I shall ballast the track and perhaps start the land form.  I have bought some artists' aluminium mesh and Modroc for that purpose.  Electrickery is a bit stressful but I will get back to it.  And I want to finish the benchwork in the hilly section with the tunnels and bridges.

 

Stay safe. 

Kym.

[KymN]

I have been off the air recently.  Once I got the track down on the Buggleskelly loop line I had to pay attention to more work on my patio/BBQ and to redecoration of my ‘Media Room’ or ‘Snug’ – a small space for my TV, HiFi gear and one armchair.  This now restores access to my other British obsession – English Folk Rock music.  English Electric Folk emerged up in the late 60s and by the mid-80s it had become a cult thing.  If I am being too obscure, think Fairport Convention, The Albion Band, Richard Thompson, Fotheringay and the superb, if flawed, Sandy Denny. 

 

 

 

It has taken quiet an effort to get my audio-visual gear back in order.  My gear is of varying age.  I bought the speakers and turntable not long after I left school (my first major purchase), and not too long later the reel-to-reel tape recorder from the US Armed Forces PX in Vung Tau.  Various items (cassette player, DVD) were acquired as the technology emerged. I bought a couple of tapes recorded by a bloke in a street, and I taped some Armed Forces Radio sessions ('Good Afternoon Vietnam!!).  The TV is probably 30 years old (an early plasma job). The most recent is the Blu-Ray player, to replace a dead Samsung.  In the end I adopted the ‘press each button and see what happens’ technique.

 

 

 

The bookshelf contains the copies of Railway Modeller that Sue had bound because they were 'untidy'.  The other book is Richard Thompson's new autobiography that I bought on the day that it was released in the UK a few weeks back.  More recent music is getting worse, and this can be shown scientifically to be true (see Why is Modern Music so Awful? - YouTube). 

 

 

The lawyers' bookcase is to be used for a display shelves or micro-layouts.

 

 

Having got seriously off the track with this missive, I have not abandoned model railways.  I have the Friday operating/ reconstruction sessions with the two (non-British) groups I am now with, and BRMA layout visits every few weeks while COVID is sort of under control.  We have the annual Adelaide Exhibition coming up in a few weeks, with all the required social distancing arrangements. 

 

 

I have volunteered to take a few shifts over two days operating Gavin Thrum’s latest masterpiece ‘Spirsby’ with Andrew Emmett's stock.  Spirsby is an accurate to-scale version (i.e. not size adjusted in plan) of the former Spilsby station in the UK.  Here are a few pictures by Caleb Jenkins and John Kalaitzis (They're better than mine!).  Gavin will have a second, South Australian, layout next to it. 

 

 

 

 

 

The next step, after all the rush, is to get on to ballasting the Loop Line.

 

 

Edited May 30, 2021 by KymN
Format and credits

[St Enodoc]

Good stuff, Kym. I'll add Spirogyra, Stealer's Wheel and Steeleye Span to your list and possibly Lindisfarne although that might be too long a bow to draw.

 

Spirsby looks nice (of course!). I'm looking forward to seeing it at the Convention- and possibly Fal Vale too?????

[Oldddudders]

Late first wife Deb would have nodded to all Kym's music faves, and certainly Steeleye Span, who she would see every January at Tunbridge Wells. The Fairport weekend at Cropredy she only missed once in 30+ years - when she was in hospital. After she died, there were an awful lot of CDs to be disposed of, and new wife Sherry was marvellous at getting crates of these off to charity shops in the UK. 

[KymN]

Steeleye was one of my favourites very early in the piece, but I have tended towards Fairport, Albion and of course Richard Thompson.  I have managed to see Richard Thompson (with Danny T) and Fairport a few times.  We saw Fairport at The Basement in Sydney on their 35th Anniversary tour, when Sandy Denny and Trevor Lucas's Daughter Georgia was in the audience.  I have only recently just realised that Trevor Lucas played a major role in Australian music production and film scores before he passed away too young.  He lived just down the road from me in Epping.  'I was Only 19' was his work (and  more) for Redgum, and Paul Kelly, The Bushwackers and many more.  I guess that I've missed Cropredy.   

[Oldddudders]

Cropredy is remarkable. We first went in 1979, I think, and as we drove in we had earnest young women whispering that the drugs squad were present. Not an issue for us, but Deb said over the years they stopped bothering - the audience really wasn't in that league. Professional festival-goers probably peaked in the early 80s, but then dropped away as the music wasn't wild enough for them. And the audience, Deb made it plain, was getting older and older, like some of the artistes!

 

The villagers were not universally pleased in the early years, but the promoters worked with them to minimise trespass and vandalism. As a result, the leisure facilities now at Cropredy far exceed those typical of a small-ish place, with bricks-and-mortar structures and loos etc, all paid for by the concerts. As I see there is a 2021 Festival, this seems to have been a sound set of investments. 

[KymN]

3 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

- and possibly Fal Vale too?????

 

Fal Vale would show as a premature birth at this stage.  However a bit of new focus would help muchly. Whatever, the convention is an opportunity...

[KymN]

Some progress has been made.  The 'exposed' parts of the Loop line (all but the tunnelled section and the Watery Bottom* viaduct) are now ballasted.  However they need some tidying up, particularly in containing the cess.  It has been a while since I have done some ballasting, and it very quickly became evident that the skill had departed over time.  However it could be worse, and I feel more confident for trying.  Here are a few pics:

 

 

 

 

This is the section between the viaduct and the junction that leads back to Fal Vale, with a few ready to plonk buildings and vehicles duly plonked to make it look interesting. There is one strange wagon at the rear of the train - just an ordinary open, but lettered for The Southern Railway of Northern Ireland (SRNI), in which was set Oh Mr Porter!  How certain buildings from North Yorkshire got there is down to aliens. The large green blob in the first pic is the polyfoam that will support the fiddle yard junction that will extend over the loop.   

 

** Watery Bottom viaduct does exist, just south of Bath on the S&D.  There is also a Scratchy Bottom in Dorset.

[KymN]

Just to share that Fal Vale is still happening. I have made some progress on raising the old viaduct/tunnel board.  This suffered the most in the interstate move as I had to demolish the tunnel and other scenery above the base level.  Unlike the other boards, I am raising the superstructure rather than legs to give me the extra height.  This way I use the height to give me a more dramatic topography.  By the way I plan on calling the gorge so created 'Watery Bottom', which I had planned on using for the creek near Buggleskelly.

 

 

The result thus far resembles Harry Potter's Quidditch arena.  Unlike most of my construction (that is built to resemble a brick sh*thouse), it is quite light.  It has taken me a while to work out how to make this work, and in particular to sort the dimensions so the the bits hang together, both vertically and horizontally. 

 

In the meantime I have a new loco, in this case  the Locomotion SECR 'D' Class.  It had a cameo role in the movie Chariots of Fire!  Despite the bad press that the Rails of Sheffield version and Dapol are getting in  other parts of RMWeb, mine arrived with all the bits attached and the finish in good order.  It is a lovely model that runs superbly, and even has sound now that I worked out that I needed to press F1 to get it. 

 

 

I also had one of my rushes of blood to the head and bought a locomotive kit.  This is the Hardy's Hobby 3d printed body of the Fry's Chocolates factory Sentinel (AKA the 'Flying Teapot') now restored.  It is now in the 'round toit' tray.

 

[KymN]

A little more progress to report.

 

This was the last of the old baseboards.  The superstructure has now been raised to the level of the other boards.  The top aligns with Fal Vale yard and a new level has been added 56mm below .  The lower level is the same elevation the Wharf Yard.  To do this I have extended each of the risers in the original  L-Girder structure by about 400mm.  The extensions are of 18X18mm timber, which looks a bit spindly, but it is quite solid.  This gives me the semicircle connection, mostly in tunnel, from the Wharf to the Loop line, leaving a metre or so to add.  The first pictures show the result without the upper level, front and rear. The foam offcuts visible low down were to be the base of a waterfall in the early layout.

 

 

 

The next photos have the upper level sitting in place, but not attached.  This was the original track board from which the scenery was removed, so is a bit beaten up.  It was, however, well supported, so hasn't warped.  There are a few supports to be added.  The space extending down to the old waterfall will be used for its original purpose with a (steel) viaduct across the now much deeper gorge.  Ok so Cornwall does not have a particularly rugged landscape, but I have decided that it will have a gorge.  If Cheddar can have one, so can Central Cornwall. Rule #1 applies to gorges too.