Peterborough North

[Barry O]

When using floor mounted KDs I now have a little height guage (design borrowed from Mike Edge who uses it on the stock on Carlisle) as Bachmann coach ride height is so variable. Gresley and BR Commonwealth bogies are the worst for this.

 

I thought that setting the coupling height this way would help. It does (a lot) as does making sure that the knuckle pivot is in front of the buffer faces.

 

Baz

[great northern]

17 hours ago, LNER4479 said:

Afternoon Gilbert,

 

You haven't got any of those 'step down' tension locks in the mix have you by any chance? Reason I ask is that I've recently put into service about a dozen or more Bachmann MkIs on Shap, kindly placed on loan by Iain Henderson ('92220' of this parish). I initially had coupling problems with them, only to discover what they were fitted with a surprising variety of actual couplings (to be fair to Iain, he'd bought many of them second hand and hadn't had the opportunity to do anything with them).

 

There appear to be three types: 'straight on', 'slight step down' and 'marked step down'. They can also be of different lengths - I think the shorter ones are meant for wagons.

 

If you have the odd vehicle with different types, then that won't be helping the coupling issues. 

 

Apologies if this has already been mentioned and discounted but I couldn't find reference to it above. 

That is one I am checking Graham. There is definitely a problem if I put a straight Hornby coupling on to a Bachmann carriage.

[great northern]

2 hours ago, Barry O said:

When using floor mounted KDs I now have a little height guage (design borrowed from Mike Edge who uses it on the stock on Carlisle) as Bachmann coach ride height is so variable. Gresley and BR Commonwealth bogies are the worst for this.

 

I thought that setting the coupling height this way would help. It does (a lot) as does making sure that the knuckle pivot is in front of the buffer faces.

 

Baz

I have a home made height gauge which I use whenever KDs are to be put on a new loco or indeed any vehicle. Perhaps I should check all KD fitted stock against it again?  The main problem seems to be with tension locks though.

[great northern]

Back up on to Spital Bridge now to follow the progress of 60114.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[CUTLER2579]

Of course KD do a coupler height gauge that allows you to adjust the height prior to fitting the coupler and by turning through 180 degrees check the coupling once fitted. About £12 for "O" gauge. Available from Gaugemaster & DC kits amongst others.

I find it great and tempting fate have no trouble with "O" gauge stock with the coupler fitted to the bogies on coaches or the Chassis on Loco's.

Edited January 11, 2020 by CUTLER2579
Typo error.

[great northern]

First train of the day was formed as follows:-

 

Five heavy kit built  Gresleys

One very light Hornby Gresley conversion

Four standard Hornby Gresleys

One heavy kit built  Thompson.

 

Other than the KD between loco and first carriage, all couplings are tension locks. The train ran FY1 to Up main and back, thus traversing the two inner curves, and exactly the same route as the train which misbehaved when Andy and Tony visited. There were no derailments, and no parting of stock. Very smooth indeed. I'd have thought that with the weight differences in this train there would be more scope for things getting dragged off, but not so. Does that mean I should be looking more carefully at the individual cars that came off the other day? Having said that, Tony already has.

[Denbridge]

14 hours ago, FoxUnpopuli said:

Has anyone used these Brassmasters 'couplers'? 

 

 

 

http://www.brassmasters.co.uk/coach_couplings.htm

 

I considered these, I then saw the price. For between coach coupling, I'll stick with the TW method, which incidentally I first came across many moons ago at Pendon. So it must be good, right?

[great northern]

Next relevant train to run had 11 cars again, and a mixture of stock mainly RTR this time. Up main again, and this time one problem on the way back into the fiddle yard, when two Bachmann MK1s derailed. On inspection, one had acquired a non Bachmann coupling at one end. Replaced that, and no more trouble. I did find some rather dirty wheels though, so there is another job to be done.

[Barry O]

4 hours ago, CUTLER2579 said:

Of course KD do a coupler height gauge that allows you to adjust the height prior to fitting the coupler and by turning through 180 degrees check the coupling once fitted. About £12 for "O" gauge. Available from Gaugemaster & DC kits amongst others.

I find it great and tempting fate have no trouble with "O" gauge stock with the coupler fitted to the bogies on coaches or the Chassis on Loco's.

These set the height to American HO or O gauge. This can lead, in 4mm OO at least,  to stockbeing "pulled" over.

 

I would suggest that every vehicle which comes off is checked. Mike cole used to put a self adhesive coloured dot on which end fell off and also on the track where it fell off. If the couplings/bogies/wheels were ok the track would be checked. The dots were removed when the "fault" was no longer happening.

 

Baz

[jazzer]

22 hours ago, great northern said:

Just the pictures tonight, I'll do other replies tomorrow, as I am rather tired.  The 1020 Down Leeds, with one of the most common A1s of all, at least down our way- 60114 W P Allen.  I suppose that up North it was regarded as we did Holyrood or Bonnie Dundee. Mythical.

 

 

I used the thingy for reflecting light onto shadows on the next one. Didn't work very well.

 

 

 

Your comment about W P Allen being one of Of the most common A1’s at the Southern end of the ECML is interesting. There was a rumour floating around for years that said this loco was not allowed North of Newcastle. I don’t know whether that is true or whether it is just a bit of an urban myth. The story goes that twice the name plates were stolen when the loco went to Scotland.

 

One can only speculate that Bill Allen was seen as a bit of a turncoat in some quarters. He started his Railway career as a cleaner on the GNR, went on to become a driver and eventually president of ASLEF and after nationalisation took a post on the Railway Executive. Perhaps it was in keeping with the ethos of the new Labour Government that a mere engine driver and trade union official as well as Railway directors should have a locomotive named after him. One can see, though why some should see him as a turncoat for going to the “other side” and removed the name plates if the story is true.

 

However , be that as it may, W P Allen remains , I think, the only driver to have a steam locomotive named after him, although a class 86 was named after driver John Axon, GC,who died heroically in the Chapel - en - le Frith crash in 1957.

[Adam88]

28 minutes ago, jazzer said:

 

Your comment about W P Allen being one of Of the most common A1’s at the Southern end of the ECML is interesting. There was a rumour floating around for years that said this loco was not allowed North of Newcastle. I don’t know whether that is true or whether it is just a bit of an urban myth. The story goes that twice the name plates were stolen when the loco went to Scotland.

 

One can only speculate that Bill Allen was seen as a bit of a turncoat in some quarters. He started his Railway career as a cleaner on the GNR, went on to become a driver and eventually president of ASLEF and after nationalisation took a post on the Railway Executive. Perhaps it was in keeping with the ethos of the new Labour Government that a mere engine driver and trade union official as well as Railway directors should have a locomotive named after him. One can see, though why some should see him as a turncoat for going to the “other side” and removed the name plates if the story is true.

 

However , be that as it may, W P Allen remains , I think, the only driver to have a steam locomotive named after him, although a class 86 was named after driver John Axon, GC,who died heroically in the Chapel - en - le Frith crash in 1957.

 

Private W. Wood V.C. came to mind

[thegreenhowards]

11 hours ago, great northern said:

First train of the day was formed as follows:-

 

Five heavy kit built  Gresleys

One very light Hornby Gresley conversion

Four standard Hornby Gresleys

One heavy kit built  Thompson.

 

Other than the KD between loco and first carriage, all couplings are tension locks. The train ran FY1 to Up main and back, thus traversing the two inner curves, and exactly the same route as the train which misbehaved when Andy and Tony visited. There were no derailments, and no parting of stock. Very smooth indeed. I'd have thought that with the weight differences in this train there would be more scope for things getting dragged off, but not so. Does that mean I should be looking more carefully at the individual cars that came off the other day? Having said that, Tony already has.

You know stock only details when you have visitors!

[great northern]

54 minutes ago, jazzer said:

 

Your comment about W P Allen being one of Of the most common A1’s at the Southern end of the ECML is interesting. There was a rumour floating around for years that said this loco was not allowed North of Newcastle. I don’t know whether that is true or whether it is just a bit of an urban myth. The story goes that twice the name plates were stolen when the loco went to Scotland.

 

One can only speculate that Bill Allen was seen as a bit of a turncoat in some quarters. He started his Railway career as a cleaner on the GNR, went on to become a driver and eventually president of ASLEF and after nationalisation took a post on the Railway Executive. Perhaps it was in keeping with the ethos of the new Labour Government that a mere engine driver and trade union official as well as Railway directors should have a locomotive named after him. One can see, though why some should see him as a turncoat for going to the “other side” and removed the name plates if the story is true.

 

However , be that as it may, W P Allen remains , I think, the only driver to have a steam locomotive named after him, although a class 86 was named after driver John Axon, GC,who died heroically in the Chapel - en - le Frith crash in 1957.

If 114 ever went to Scotland, it must have been very early in its life, as it was never shedded North of Doncaster, except for a period at Copley Hill, and it wouldn't have got to Scotland from there.

[great northern]

7 minutes ago, thegreenhowards said:

You know stock only details when you have visitors!

I wish I could claim that Andy, but it isn't so. I did a fair bit this afternoon, and found several Bachmann MK1s with non standard couplings. I think that happened when you couldn't get any replacement ones for ages, so I used those I had. I do now have more correct ones, so I've put that right. I also discovered that one bogie on an offending car had restricted movement. A slight easing of the fixing screw cured that, and it now gives no trouble......so far.

[great northern]

Here comes 60523, running down to wait for the arrival of the Up Sunderland.

 

 

It was followed fairly quickly by the 9.18 West Riding relief, with another very nicely turned out loco.

 

 

[thegreenhowards]

2 minutes ago, great northern said:

I wish I could claim that Andy, but it isn't so. I did a fair bit this afternoon, and found several Bachmann MK1s with non standard couplings. I think that happened when you couldn't get any replacement ones for ages, so I used those I had. I do now have more correct ones, so I've put that right. I also discovered that one bogie on an offending car had restricted movement. A slight easing of the fixing screw cured that, and it now gives no trouble......so far.

Someone said this earlier, but particular care is needed with NEM pockets which are not at the right height and which therefore need one of the cranked Bachmann couplings. If a normal coupling is used this causes uncoupling and derailments.

[great northern]

The West Riding relief rolls on through.

 

 

 

and is followed by our daily Heaton visitor with the Sunderland.

 

 

[CUTLER2579]

Gilbert, I just love the photograph of 60523 Sun castle,but you never mentioned that Gavin Morrison had visited. Sneaky.

[jazzer]

12 hours ago, great northern said:

If 114 ever went to Scotland, it must have been very early in its life, as it was never shedded North of Doncaster, except for a period at Copley Hill, and it wouldn't have got to Scotland from there.

 

Yes, I can’t find any record of it ever going North of Newcastle, although interestingly it has been recorded taking the Down flying Scotsman into Newcastle as late as Feb 1964, deputising fo a failed diesel, so quite likely it is One of this  myths that grow up people linking unrelated facts.  

[Bloodnok]

16 hours ago, thegreenhowards said:

Someone said this earlier, but particular care is needed with NEM pockets which are not at the right height and which therefore need one of the cranked Bachmann couplings. If a normal coupling is used this causes uncoupling and derailments.

Yes -- and be particularly suspicious of any model bought second-hand. People who use alternative couplings may not notice that the tension locks they put back in aren't of the right height or length.

[cctransuk]

47 minutes ago, Bloodnok said:

 People who use alternative couplings may not notice that the tension locks they put back in aren't of the right height or length.

 

More likely, they don't care !

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

[Timara]

On 10/01/2020 at 14:30, 5 C said:

 

Looking forward to it Tim. See you tomorrow.

 

On 10/01/2020 at 17:37, thegreenhowards said:

I’ll be there on Sunday and will come and say hello.

 

 

Lovely to see you both!

 

I'll be honest, this weekend was probably one of the most rewarding demos I've done in ages, more so than last year.  Let's just say, the tender of one of the current fleet of pacifics got sorted out nicely.  Several of the PN fleet starred in the slideshow on the tablet, all basking in natural light.  I'll put up a couple of pics of said locos (as requested a few pages ago) later on...

 

Cheers,

Tim

[great northern]

Today more dodgy couplings were found and replaced, until I ran out. Some more wheels were cleaned, and another 12 car train ran round the inner circuit without once falling off or parting.

 

As an extra, here is a dodgy image. It has been savagely cropped to remove all the stuff I left lying about on Station Road, which can be seen from this elevation.

 

 

[great northern]

Photos of today's running session now. First we see that very neglected Gateshead A3 backing down the engine road before crossing to number 4 bay.

 

 

Very bright and sudden sunlight as I took this, so some details have been completely blasted away.

 

Then we had another Leicester local, and one of our rare looks at a tank engine, apart from the pilots, of course.

 

 

[great northern]

The Stanier tank now goes on its way, while the A3 waits.

 

 

 

Lord Faringdon then appears with the 1000 Up Leeds, which will not stop here.