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GRANBY JUNCTION - Shunting Siphons for the Up Parcels with a Manor!


john dew
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Thanks John

 

Capacitors removed.....always the first job before I chip

 

I added about 35 grams of lead ....so the all in weight is 270 grams........probably could and should have added more......nevertheless there was another incremental improvement.....this whole commissioning exercise seems to be a series of small steps.

 

Thinking about it there is a bit more weight to add....Crew and Lamps (Modek), Engraved plates and genuine BC Coal.....I guess only the latter will count!

 

I fitted the Zimo without any problems and it does makes a difference but it needed the Stay Alive to provide a sustained level of truly satisfactory performance

 

One thing I have noticed is a significant difference in the Max and Mid voltage I used. I dont really have space for locos to travel at more than a scale 40 mh. I have a pretty good handle on the settings to use.......but when I tried my default settings it shot off like a startled rabbit...scale 93 mph! I finished up with CV 5 at 90 to give me a scale 45 mph.

 

Wont budge at speed step 1 (of 28) but happily crawks away at 3 mph at step  2.....weird. Unusually for me I think I will tweak CV 2 before I attempt a video

 

More to come

 

Cheers

 

John

 

 

 

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I am afraid that I am a bit late with the promised video.....nevertheless better late than never.

I got diverted re wiring the point ladder which exits the down storage sidings..........the trials and tribulations of a mature (2008) layout! More on this in a separate post

Meantime, back to the Prairies:

 

803806069_2.5bunker.jpg.1fe50311d662463c87b8049667d32661.jpg


The plastic coal pops out quite easily, exposing a correctly shaped bunker which should look rather good when weathered with a smaller load of real coal

Getting the crew in will be a bit of a challenge, the cab doors are fixed. Some owners have cut an aperture into the body floor others have been able to remove the roof. I think I will settle for feet first, tweezers gripping the collar .......the air may well be blue.

Its hardly surprising that I have been looking forward to this release. In 1947 there were 10 of the class allocated to Birkenhead.....numbered sequentially 4120-4129

 

923927847_EtchedPlate.jpg.7a43ba60e92830b5c678e55ba3f66d58.jpg


Engraved plates do make a difference.

Still have to change the buffer beam numbers......in an ideal world Fox's transfers will match Hornby's?

Cant wait to start weathering all the bunker detail.

Finally here is the short video of 4124 crawling back and forth over a not very well laid insulfrog double slip. Stay Alives certainly make a difference.

 

For those of a sensitive disposistion:  While no prairies were damaged in the making of this movie I did manage to derailed an Esso tanker.
 


If you are still awake......

 

Regards from an autumnal Vancouver

 

John
 

Edited by john dew
24/8/22 Photos
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Yeah, now that’s all very nice, but it ain’t no pannier...

 

Seriously though John, I’ve a lot to learn from your slow speed tuning.  I also need to find out more about tantalums one of these days.

 

Keep up the good work and long live Granby!

 

Cheers

Tony

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11 hours ago, Mikkel said:

"Paint drying in reverse"  - very good :lol:

 

Nice music, it helped give a distinct slow motion experience. 

Chillin' with my Prairies.

 

Thanks Mikkel

 

Chillin' with my Prairies..........great title....wish I had thought of it!

 

Fortunately Apple have just upgraded the Imovie app and included a load of new soundtracks. My normal happy clappy supermarket track wouldnt have worked too well.

 

Cheers

 

John

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5 hours ago, trw1089 said:

Yeah, now that’s all very nice, but it ain’t no pannier...

 

Seriously though John, I’ve a lot to learn from your slow speed tuning.  I also need to find out more about tantalums one of these days.

 

Keep up the good work and long live Granby!

 

Cheers

Tony

 

Hi Tony

 

Good to hear from you.

 

Sorry about omitting a Pannier from the background......I will try and include a couple next time. If you are suffering withdrawal symptoms  there is a super set of photos on ANTB featuring a pannier parade........including a rather nice black one.

 

My slow moving performance took a quantum leap when I started fitting Zimo (Economy) with a Youchoos Lifelinked and Stay Alive (Supercap where space permits if not an array of  3 or 4 Tantulums)

 

I have always been very happy with Lenz but Zimo provide an even smoother performance particularly in the lower ranges. Its difficult to define but I can definitely sense it.

 

Previously, I didnt get that many stall. I have a fairly stringent regime of wheel cleaning and frequent operation keeps the track clean. However even a momentary hesitation could affect the RR&Co time and distance calculation and screw up an uncoupling routine. With stay alives there is now a tremendous sense of confidence and security. I am genuinely quite surprised and upset when something doesnt happen as planned.

 

I know stay alives are not for everyone......particularly those with perfectly laid track (I wish).......but it might be worth a try

 

Cheers

 

John

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Despite my electrical issue I managed to make some progress with getting the prairies ready for service.

The front NEM coupler pocket is the correct height but set well back, fortunately a Kadee #20 is just long enough. The rear pocket is too low, Hornby provide an offset tension lock, so to use a Kadee at the right height I had to butcher the tension lock and use that as a support for a Kadee #17 mounted on top of that and the housing. The housing itself was loose in the pocket and kept falling out so it had to secured with a dab of superglue.....grr!

Having added the etched plates the next job was to renumber the buffer beams

 

 

6_Pair.jpg.c854d9c281ea820e461ecf0ec39ffc78.jpg



Sadly Fox's number transfers are larger and brighter than Hornby so I had to replace both sets of numbers. They look almost too bright but weathering will tone them down. I managed to run out of numeral one........fortunately I found the remnants of an old Modelmaster card. They are actually fractionally smaller and a tad more subdued than Fox but it is barely noticeable. Fox have changed the composition of their transfers and applying them was much easier than with Modelmaster. Less soaking time, slid smoothly from the backing and easy to adjust.........happy camper!

Despite the little niggles I think the close up shows why I am so impressed with the fine detailing on the prairies

Finishing on a high note I managed to resolve the short circuits that had closed down the storage yards.......which makes me a much more relaxed modeller......I will post about it towards the end of the week

Regards from a hot and smoky Vancouver..........there are a number of forest fires in Washington State and the smoke is drifting North......not very pleasant.  

 

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5 hours ago, john dew said:

Fox have changed the composition of their transfers and applying them was much easier than with Modelmaster.

I really don't get on with Modelmaster. Despite following all the instructions I still have huge difficulty getting them to stick properly and stopping the carrier film showing. Only with vast amounts of Micro Set and Micro Sol can I get anywhere near and even then they don't look as good as other brands. Oh, and don't get me started on using a piece of masking tape to lift the carrier film...

 

Methfix if available, Pressfix if not, then the rest I'm afraid.

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On 23/08/2020 at 02:34, john dew said:

 

 

Capacitors removed.....always the first job before I chip .......

 

 

 

 

Afternoon John. I have never done this.... should I start?

 

I am almost at the point of filming the Prairies again - other than one refuses to accept its screw back into the body... there is a lot of kit inside my loco now!

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4 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

 

Afternoon John. I have never done this.... should I start?

 

I am almost at the point of filming the Prairies again - other than one refuses to accept its screw back into the body... there is a lot of kit inside my loco now!

 

I always do.....It is recommended for DCC. There is only one  by the way.

 

I had similar issues replacing the body.  The interior is quite spacious but very narrow at the sides and front particularly

 

Good luck

 

John 

 

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Two weeks without posting...... largely because I have been pottering with assorted not very photogenic projects.

Rather than finish any of them I decided to spend some time tinkering with the Branch automated pick up goods routine which gave me an excuse to photograph (again) two iconic GWR locos.

First the Dean Goods ......having uncoupled the Brake Van, it reverses its train through the goods yard so the three rearmost wagons are just inside the goods shed.

1865892038_2Dean1.jpg.4639546136de53aa1b6bc544cc5749e5.jpg

 

 

2_02.IMGP3932.jpg.aec8cfdfb7da9ceff046ec34edc308a6.jpg


This is a classic "prodigal" loco.......slated with a degree of justifcation by the experts it also turned out to be very very poor performer. Now with a Zimo decoder + SA and a substantial quantity of lead it runs like a dream. One of my favourite locos
 

2.2.IMGP3932.jpg.0406e96daa34c40ef572104db6416afe.jpg

 


As the Dean uncouples its delivery in the yard, a through train for the ICI works at Runcorn crawls over the Branch junction

4.IMGP3933.jpg.23f4fdb06de7ba4b26d9301134b39680.jpg

 

1740099579_6BWIMGP3934.jpg.4ad3908176f7e2b8fd43b293a992f5ec.jpg


Collett Goods.......designed to replace the ageing Dean........an interesting contrast  in style: 

 

1492879242_7Collett.jpg.b9c532d51a011fc621ac80ab0a83efd1.jpg


This also now has a Zimo + SA, tender pick ups added plus a much needed load of lead.

Up an incline, on a curve and badly laid track with 18 up........childs play in real life but previously too much of a struggle for this loco


1407711702_7.1Uncropped.jpg.dd31887507474c3143fa5e6d58a8c684.jpg

As the Collett rolls by, the Dean continues shunting. It has to go to the Pick up siding and collect 3 wagons for Mold... top left above. Once completed it has to reverse back to the Cattle siding to pick up the parked Brake Van...by the Dairy

Sorry about the uncropped industrial look but the branch is so narrow it was the only way I could capture most of the scene.

1372741866_8coal.jpg.769568f645933207280e4b65d391935a.jpg

Meantime the coal train passes through the station clearing the line for Branch B Set 's eventual departure to Granby:
 

2010452097_10BSetIMGP3939.jpg.c1062ab6fbef14b7e7b5629a68cc21a1.jpg


The pick up goods notionally runs every week daily at mid afternoon. The wagons left in the shed will be "unloaded/loaded" . (In theory I can do this in RR&Co thus changing the weight of the train)
Tomorrow morning, after the rush hour, when the branch BSet arrives the loco (14xx), instead of just running around will park the carriages in the bay. The light engine then goes to the yard and moves the wagons from the shed to the pick up siding.......ready for the cycle to start again

On the should do list .....change the head code on the coal train and develop a routine to change the empties in the coal yard........but long before that I have to move up to the main line.....weather the prairies and have them running regularly

Best wishes from Vancouver

 

Edited by john dew
24/8/2022 Photos
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Excellent narrative @john dew thank you.

 

Lovely to see the Collet and Dean Goods running. I need to spend time fixing both of mine - they are a bit erratic to say the least.

 

I also love seeing your very tidy work bench - I won’t show mine!

 

Have a good evening, where in fact I see it’s Morning in Vancouver.
Regards, Neal.

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On 28/09/2020 at 10:54, Neal Ball said:

Excellent narrative @john dew thank you.

 

Lovely to see the Collet and Dean Goods running. I need to spend time fixing both of mine - they are a bit erratic to say the least.

 

I also love seeing your very tidy work bench - I won’t show mine!

 

Have a good evening, where in fact I see it’s Morning in Vancouver.
Regards, Neal.

 

Hi Neal

 

My apologies,my reply must languished in never never land.

 

The Collets (ROD version) and Dean both need a lot of lead before they will pull anything. Tender pick ups and Stay Alive make a big difference.

 

You are very kind about my work bench. I cannot tell a lie.......any perception of tidiness owes everything to the Affinity cropping tool!

 

Best wishes

 

John

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Finally started to weather the two prairies.

It took a few years for me to summon enough courage to start washing dirt over a brand new locomotive. Eventually I recognised that it was somewhat unrealistic to have an industrial layout like Granby populated with pristine locomotives.

The methods and materials I use have developed over time. The end result is rarely if ever perfect, and certainly hasnt enhanced the re-sale value, but to my mind passes the three foot rule and complements the overall look and feel of Granby.

In an attempt to avoid a "sprayed on" appearance I apply a series of different layers over a number of days

First job a few coats of matt black paint over black plastic surfaces......Bunker interior, Tank tops and Cab roof:

1413076659_1Top.jpg.35e5c7392997c5ead4bba8baaf96d513.jpg

I add steel to the black (50:50) and paint the smoke box and cylinders to replicate the sheed created by intense heat

1269097284_2Frontside.jpg.14eb62ff599f447f91004afcabdc5570.jpg

Top and sides receive multiple washes of diluted black and brown. I use cotton buds to wipe up any excess and to push it into the cracks and crevices where dirt and ash would naturally accumulate.


1279363977_3Wash.jpg.86a9bf5f85af3b29378822f9d55d78dc.jpg 
I try and relate the degree of weathering to the age and type of loco. These locos were ten years old in 1948. I am guessing they had their last repaint along with GWR livery in 1944/45. Even with the constraints of the immediate post war world I believe passenger locos were generally kept cleaner than freight locos. These locos were used for intensive suburban passenger service..........so cleaner than a Dean Goods but dirtier than a Castle!

Mixed washes of Mud and Rust on the chassis and brake gear

1972128216_4.0MudRust.jpg.e3501ef4125e36b6f84bc6f5eab6ddb9.jpg

Normally I have to spend a lot of time painting greasy steel on to the connecting rods etc ......but Hornby have already done that for me

With the exception of the bunker I have applied very little rust  to the upper body......just a suggestion to the smokebox door, a few areas of very high usage such as steps and lamp irons and undercoat on the buffers.

The bunker however had to withstand a daily battering from hard welsh coal.

193966715_5Bunker.jpg.d05d14adb6b6e3039964ca4b5ee3b97c.jpg


258791804_6closeup.jpg.c1e3fa114c78408cee0dcc6b9fc1a86a.jpg
 

 

 

6325218_7grilles.jpg.b5227c9d34c6aad354526c3d6f007d30.jpg


Not great close ups I am afraid but hopefully you get the idea. Ignore the air gun slugs which add a little more weight.....to be painted black and covered with real coal

A couple of questions for the experts

(1) In the three shots of the bunker you can see a pipe on the right hand side. It starts at the bottom, rises vertically  and then turns 90o to run horizontally near the top of the bunker and turns thru 90o again and rises vertically to terminate in a loop on the edge of the right hand grille.

Not seen this detail before and have no idea of its function......any suggestions?

(2) Can I assume that Fire Irons and Spare Lamps were stored inside the cab?
There are no retaining devices for fire irons and no side lamp irons. I dont recall seeing any on photos although perhaps I should do a more detailed search. Any help will be much appreciated

Hopefully I can finish both prairies this week......the main job is a very light dusting of grey/black weathering powder plus some mud powder to finish the underside. Then coal, lamps and crew.....the , I fear, will be an interesting challenge

 

Regards from Vancouver where we are enjoying the last day of sunshine before the monsoon season

 

John

 

Edited by john dew
20/8/2022 Photos
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  • john dew changed the title to GRANBY JUNCTION: Weathering the Large Prairies
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14 minutes ago, gwrrob said:

How are you planning to add a crew please John ?

Hi Robin

 

Hoping might be better description! I have done some experiments with the crew being gripped by the neck with tweezers and inserted feet first........the worry is securing them without daubing superglue over the sides.

 

Fingers crossed I will let you know how I get on!

 

Cheers

 

John

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2 hours ago, john dew said:

Hi Robin

 

Hoping might be better description! I have done some experiments with the crew being gripped by the neck with tweezers and inserted feet first........the worry is securing them without daubing superglue over the sides.

 

Fingers crossed I will let you know how I get on!

 

Cheers

 

John


Good luck John..... mine are still without crew - they won’t be easy to add.

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3 hours ago, john dew said:

Hi Robin

 

Hoping might be better description! I have done some experiments with the crew being gripped by the neck with tweezers and inserted feet first........the worry is securing them without daubing superglue over the sides.

 

Fingers crossed I will let you know how I get on!

 

Cheers

 

John

I'm thinking of using Black Tack, if I can actually get them through the hole in the first place.

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7 hours ago, john dew said:

(1) In the three shots of the bunker you can see a pipe on the right hand side. It starts at the bottom, rises vertically  and then turns 90o to run horizontally near the top of the bunker and turns thru 90o again and rises vertically to terminate in a loop on the edge of the right hand grille.

Not seen this detail before and have no idea of its function......any suggestions?

 

A siphon for something high up in the cab perhaps, when level of which gets too high it runs to waste?

 

BTW see my PM re your latest photo format,

 

Colin

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4 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

I'm thinking of using Black Tack, if I can actually get them through the hole in the first place.


I had some success this evening......I used blu-tac , cant find black tac here, and was able to fit one of Modelu’s more obese drivers.....feet first through the the drivers side doorway.....the cab roof hatch is to small 

 

Photos to follow

 

John

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Finally the prairies are both weathered.

They are by no means perfect. Some of the close ups expose the imperfections rather cruelly.

However, once the 3' rule is invoked I think they will pass as reasonable facsimiles of hard working locomotives in1947

 

3 Side.jpg

 


 

690063123_1.1side.jpg.e3a68d481787481731c5491900f5e379.jpg


Modelu lamps are great......with the slot already in the base, fitting them to the lamp irons is a breeze.
 

1.2.jpg.6dc2ae399d2edbbd2bef0288b60278c5.jpg
 

 

1327532286_1_3Cab.jpg.500e6ec44a412aaf37dbeb97e0c34833.jpg

The crew are now in place.....not without incident......as the the bent reversing screw handle demonstrates.

The camera is very useful in highlighting other previously undetected errors........like the sand pipe for example (since corrected and now pointing the correct way!)

The pipes are quite delicate....two snapped off and had to be replace with brass wire bent to shape.

1830279864_2.1roof.jpg.456999a86c356cfbe4cd56cfa27bc395.jpg


2.2.jpg.ef44bc30052244ae83ab02c2641afeac.jpg


The usual dilemma with head lamps..... front and back on at the same time! These locos will be running an intensive commutor service with rapid turnarounds. On balance, I prefer to always run with the correct head code and blame the fireman for not removing the one at the rear. 

 

508765590_4rearroof.jpg.32481b968d26232eb91b6cef997d20de.jpg

 

5 bunker.jpg



Time for them to start earning some revenue:

Here we see 4124 and a 4 car D Set with a suburban passenger service from Birkenhead Woodside

554387935_4keeoer.jpg.725f6baf0db08d470d1b64de6eb0e4f2.jpg

4121 is already simmering in the relief road in readiness for the return to Birkenhead.

I must confess this is a a somewhat posed shot.....Locos normally enter Granby chimney leading.....its a decade old convention....but I wanted a front and back shot.

Routines like this, involving a loco exchange at both ends, need 3 locos. Right now I am using a 56xx 0-6-2T to make up the numbers............hopefully the Dapol Mogul, due next month, will give some indication of what we can expect from their Prairie.......but how long do I wait?

Here is a black and white shot to finish which I think captures, quite nicely, the look I was aiming for.


341172678_3BWCloseup.jpg.4adf8bd889f39abbccf5ce4b751d778b.jpg


Best Wishes from Vancouver

John

 

 

Edited by john dew
20/8/22 Photos
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