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THE RAMCHESTER CHRONICLES


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12 hours ago, Re6/6 said:

It was indeed a splendid show. We did it in style by travelling from Kingswear to Churston by the DSR. Probably not the quickest way as I only live just down the road!

 

 

Hi John. What a lovely way to travel to this show. Well worth the effort and supporting a steam railway to boot.

 

Howard and I really enjoyed the day with plenty to see and lots of interesting stalls to view. Will fix up another day for you to come round and have an operating day very soon.

 

Rod

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Google “stationary engine”, (as opposed to automotive, ie self-moving).  Images is good.  There are gazillions of them, most on wheels!

 

there’s even a magazine dedicated to them, although I could imagine it as the guest publication on HIGNFY.

 

as an aside, I said to the girl in WH Smith’s “do you keep stationery?”  She giggled and said “only for the first couple of minutes”

 

atb

Simon

 

 

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My understanding of the stationary engine on wheels is that it is essentially a stationary engine mounted on a "trailer" which would need some sort of power unit (i.e. a traction engine or steam roller) as opposed to being self moving. It was a large machine with a very tall chimney which presumably would have to be removed when it was being towed.

 

Rod

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17 hours ago, railwayrod said:

My understanding of the stationary engine on wheels is that it is essentially a stationary engine mounted on a "trailer" which would need some sort of power unit (i.e. a traction engine or steam roller) as opposed to being self moving. It was a large machine with a very tall chimney which presumably would have to be removed when it was being towed.

 

Rod

I think they're known as "portable" engines by the traction engine fraternity. Just as you described it anyway! :)

JF 

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Many, if not all traction engines and at least some steam lorries were capable of working as stationary engines, used to drive threshing machines, elevators, circular saws and all sorts of other machine tools that would, today, be electrically powered.

 

And modern tractors have power take off shafts at both ends in most cases, to operate all sorts of things like manure spreaders, seed drills, pumps etc. To work where electric supplies are difficult or uneconomic to

arrange

 

atb

simon

 

 

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Having diverted from Ramchester to the steam fair I thought it was time to show Howard's latest bit of work for the signal box. This is a resin casting which I think I purchased from Invertrain a while ago and now sporting a coat of paint with details picked out .

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These are cruel enlargements but once inside the signal box they will hardly be seen.

 

Rod

 

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I will start off this post with some good news (for me at least). The results of my recent biopsy show that my lymph system is clear so the cancer from my mole has not spread. I will be monitored for the next 5 years so I reckon that at the first sign of anything going wrong it will be dealt with pretty quickly. This has been a great relief to Maggie and I so hopefully we can get back to normal.

 

Now down to Ramchester matters. Howard has continued to work on the interior of my signal box and has painted the signalman's arm chair. Not that he will have time to sit down in it for long as traffic predictions for Ramchester is very high with lots of trains scheduled to arrive and depart. Attached is a photo of the chair which will be fitted inside in the near future.

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Next the instruments. When my friend Robert made them for me he assumed that it was for a through station and that 2 sets of equipment would therefore be required. He also mounted the track diagram the wrong way round. Howard has modified these and remounted the diagram the right way round for the signalman BUT I decided to keep the box as a two way one even though Ramchester is a terminus. It will not be too apparent inside the box and if I ever rebuild Ramchester into a through station (perhaps if I have to move to another house) it will then be correct. I hope the signal purists will accept my thinking on this but if not - it is my railway!!

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Well that's about it for this post but in the near future.......

 

Rod

 

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I'm glad Rod that your health has been given the "all clear" under observation that must be a relief for you and your family. 

 

Those internals for the Signal box are superb, I wish I had a chair as comfy as that one looks.

 

Keep on modelling.

 

Best

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Rod that's great news about your results .....I'm so pleased for you both ....I know what it's like awaiting test results ..life seems to stand still ....and as I keep saying 'Im tooooo busy to be ill I've a model railway to build and enjoy ....apart from a wonderful family . Great news so pleased :dance_mini:

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Work on the signal box continues and Howard has now fitted the instrument shelf into the box in its final position. Work is now progressing on the lever frame which we have extended a little from that supplied by Robert. More levers mean more painting so Howard will be busy for the next few sessions. I will post a picture of the instrument shelf on here next time.

 

Rod

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Well as promised here are some pictures of the inside of the signal box. Howard has mounted the instrument shelf in its final position and has managed to turn the stove round so that it faces in the correct direction.

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The stove chimney does more or less line up with the bit that is fitted to the top of the roof. It was made this way to facilitate the easy removal of the roof for access etc.

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 The instrument shelf in position.

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That is the progress thus far but next week more will follow.

 

Rod

 

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Had a further session this afternoon and Howard has been busy once again with the detailing of the inside of the signal box. He has painted the signalman's telephone and the chest and has touched up the desk where he had to carve a bit away to accommodate the phone. He has also started to paint a few extra signal levers in order to fill the frame (12 needed in all), a coal scuttle and other bits and pieces which will eventually help to fill the interior of the box. We are off to Guildex on Friday calling in at the Brecon Mountain Railway en route and after the show we plan to visit another heritage railway on the way home. I did not have time to take photos of Howards work today but will post some next time. 

 

Hope to see some of you at Telford over the weekend.

 

Rod

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Well another Telford has come and gone for another year! Howard, Tony and I drove up to the event and as Howard indicated above we made a bit of a detour on the way up in order to call at the Brecon Mountain Railway which none of us had visited before. I was surprised at the extent of the line and the "foreign" stock which was in operation on the day of our visit. After a welcome drink at the cafe we wandered around and entered the shed.

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There were a couple of chaps busy inside - I suppose someone has to work!

Then we heard the train approaching so we went out onto the platform in time to see No 1 arriving with its train.

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We boarded the train after watching the loco run round the coaches but then we were surprised that it did not return immediately to the front but ventured into the shed where it picked up a further coach. This was attached to the front of the consist and in a short while we set off for the other end of the line. Climbing steadily we reached the reservoir with some lovely views across the water.

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 At the top the loco ran round its train (see Howard's photo above) before we set off back down the line. I was lucky in that I managed to ride the rear coach's balcony which gave me some fine uninterrupted views as we proceeded back down hill. We stopped at the station adjacent to the reservoir where there is a small museum outside of which was thissad engine.. 

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 And inside... you will have to wait for my next post

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Rod

 

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Back to the Brecon Mountain Railway. Inside the museum was Sybil

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...and other items of interest.

I was lucky to have the rear balcony of the last coach for the next photo which hopefully will inspire somebody....

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... to do a bit of modelling!.

Eventually we arrived back at our starting point and visited the viewing and picnic area to watch the loco run round its train ready to depart on its next trip.

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We then set off for Telford and our hotel. More soon.

 

Rod

 

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Having spent all day Saturday and Sunday morning at Guildex we decided to visit the Telford Steam Railway and as Howard indicated above visitors to the railway with a Guildex ticket hot admission for half price - fantastic value indeed. The line is fairly short at the moment and is in the form of an inverted Y with a journey time of about 1 hour plus stop on the other arm of the why to allow passengers to visit the cafe and the large 00 gauge model railway. Having purchased our tickets we had a ride on the narrow gauge circle at the rear of the old loco shed.

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Having gone round 1½ times we entered the shed and saw...

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We then joined out train pushed by "Rocket". This is at one arm of the inverted Y.

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Before we settled down on the train we viewed the extensive 5" gauge system at the rear of the platform which had a variety of steam and diesel locos running on it.

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That is all for now as my 10mb has been used up.

 

Rod

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