Denbridge Posted December 29, 2019 Share Posted December 29, 2019 27 minutes ago, Tony Wright said: It was David Jenkinson, John, He once said to me that if the only way you can see the detail on a carriage underframe is if that carriage has derailed, tumbled down an embankment and landed upside down in a cess, then don't build a layout where this happens! Another of his wise sayings was (on building a model) 'Get as many pictures of the prototype as you can showing it from 'normal' viewing angles - ends, sides, three quarter, that sort of thing, as if one were an observer - and anything you can see clearly in the pictures, put on to the model. Anything you can't see, even though you might know it's there, don't bother modelling'. There was no greater coach-builder. Regards, Tony. David also ommited interior detail from his exquisite carriages. He once wrote that no one ever noticed. The interior was simply basic partitions painted black. 2 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwealleans Posted December 30, 2019 Share Posted December 30, 2019 We all must be thinking along similar lines this festive season.... Not so much fiddly detail here. This won't be ready for Southampton, but I expect it'll come along for some test running. 13 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post LNER4479 Posted January 3, 2020 Author Popular Post Share Posted January 3, 2020 (edited) More work done on the Quint brakes under-gubbins. With the turnbuckle trussing all in place, time to move on to the braking equipment. These are the etches for the V hangers, together some rather fiddly fold ups for the levers. With the addition of some 0.7mm brass rod, these are now made up as assembled units, but with the levers loose on the rods for now. Now with the brake cylinders, which are mounted on their own hangers. With the addition of the push rod, the longer brake levers are connected and soldered in final position. All done! All the rigging runs are on there as per the instructions; however, I simplified it in several areas; life for me was just a BIT too short to bother with all the individual shackles and knuckles provided - I generally just bent loops at the end of the nickel silver rods to achieve the various connections required. Gas tanks also added to complete the visible underfloor equipment. A quick trip to the paint shop and should all be assembled for running at Southampton. The other three vehicles in the set will have to wait their turn! Edited January 3, 2020 by LNER4479 21 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post LNER4479 Posted January 9, 2020 Author Popular Post Share Posted January 9, 2020 (edited) Meanwhile, on the layout itself... Now you see it ... ... now you don't! What's going on, I hear you ask (do I?) Well, for anyone attending Spalding show, although things generally ran OK round the front, we had a bit of a mare in the fiddle yard as a mystery fault kept appearing ... and then disappearing throughout the weekend. It is in fact quite difficult to fault find in the middle of an exhibition with all lines full of stock! So, although not all of this is strictly necessary, it's caused a little bit of reflection on the current state of the fiddle yard, what works well, what doesn't, etc and I've decided (with full blessing of Team Grantham) that it should 'take the cure' - principally the turntable in the middle of the fiddle yard is never used (apart from gathering brake vans together in one place). It's removal simplifies the pointwork, eliminates tortuous routes in and out and allows for longer roads. What's not to like? Here, the new, simplified alignment is being laid out. Amongst things removed are BOTH three-way points. And here we are, the new, svelte central section. The North fiddle roads are now grouped into two, roads 1 to 3 and roads 4 to 7. Road 8 is a dead end (nothing ever runs through that one and 9 and 10 were only ever link lines, used for storing odd vehicles that get added and moved from formations. Hopefully, all this should result in easier working and reduced risk of perplexing, intermittent faults. And is if that wasn't enough, we now have the last two mainline signals working. Hurrah! First up, is the fifth and final arm of the big bracket signal at South Box, the one that signals trains off the down main into the up and down goods line. SIgnal can now have its ladders added plus final blinging to complete. As has become customary, the wiring / electronics courtesy of Andrew and here is the man himself, looking a little smug - or is that relieved - at having got the last of them all working. Looking a little closer, it's this one - the up main distant which works in conjunction with the up main home arm at South Box. Bizarrely, this signal was the first of all of them that I made (in - good grief - 2009) but the distant is the last arm to get working. Just the way it crumbles, I guess. See it working at Southampton (bring your own binoculars) Edited January 9, 2020 by LNER4479 38 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gr.king Posted January 10, 2020 Share Posted January 10, 2020 And there's still a bit of space on the boards in North Fiddle Yard for a selection of spare or rarely used items of rolling stock when all of the tracks and the loco-crescent are full! Neatly done. Heck of a catch point to protect South 5 from wrong-way traffic by the look of it...... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMS29 Posted January 10, 2020 Share Posted January 10, 2020 Looking forward to seeing the signal in operation when operating the south box at Southampton. Tom 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post LNER4479 Posted January 18, 2020 Author Popular Post Share Posted January 18, 2020 (edited) Further to last week's post... It's finished! Well, but for a lick of black paint that is. With all the mechanisms installed and linked up, last job was to fit the ladders. Quite a lot of them for this signal, the main one up to the landing then three further spindly ones up to the top of each doll. A head for heights required for them lamp man back in the day. An opportunity to have a go at replicating a south end picture with a K3 turning off the mainline with a long rake of cattle wagons. Only one of those to hand this evening but you get the idea. Meanwhile, wot's going 'ere then? If you will indulge me for a moment, then those who watched us in GMRC with remember this: Well, above is all that is left of it! (although Tom has kept the horse and rider for old time's sake) Ta daa! It's now a Foden steam lorry for Grantham's road system, transporting a load of ... er ... AAA batteries. A bit of tarpaulin required, methinks. Goes like stink! All for your delectation if you're planning to come and have a look at us at Southampton next weekend. Edited January 18, 2020 by LNER4479 24 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Matters Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 Regarding your new signal, on the real thing did someone have to climb it every day to change the lamps? If so, wow! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium uax6 Posted January 19, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 19, 2020 Railway signal lamps were 7 day burners, so it was a once a week job..... Andy G 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNER4479 Posted January 19, 2020 Author Share Posted January 19, 2020 Did they actually replace the lamps or merely top up the oil? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwealleans Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 I thought - perhaps wrongly - that they prepared replacement lamps (oil and wicks) on the ground and just went up the ladders to swap them over. 1 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNER4479 Posted January 19, 2020 Author Share Posted January 19, 2020 An old thread here on the subject, featuring some forin railway or other. Looks like it might be the case that lamps were replaced although for a signal like the one depicted at Grantham South that's an awful lot of walking up and down ladders whilst carrying a not inconsiderable weight in one hand? Meanwhile, came across this rather interesting news feature from some years ago. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1382095/Welcome-to-Britains-21st-century-railway-where-the-signals-are-still-lit-by-hand.html Within the text this refers to topping up the oil whilst standing on the ladder? Could it be therefore that there were regional variations? Or, if the lamp was otherwise deemed to be in good condition and working OK then the oil was simply topped up? More likely that the news hack got the story round 'is neck! Mike's erudite explanation in the highlighted thread probably explains the good and logical reasons why exchanging for a properly filled and adjusted lamp was the right thing to do. No doubt another example of one of those situations where there were rules ... and then there was what actually happened in practice (human factors and all that). Meanwhile, as a result of two hours carpentry in the chapel, said signal now has its own cossetted carrying box. I'm too good to them, I really am... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gr.king Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 Very good to see an item from the Great Humiliation Challenge turned into a decent working model steam wagon. As well as adding the tarpaulin, might it be worth undertaking the onerous task of painting the top of the bright metal "way feeler" grey? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
drmditch Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 If replacing and/or filling the lamps on that gantry seems to have been hazardous, what about the one on Durham Viaduct? 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FoxUnpopuli Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 Cor, you had to have a head for heights for that duty! Is that the Coronation Train, possibly with the observation car on the tail? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNER4479 Posted January 19, 2020 Author Share Posted January 19, 2020 6 minutes ago, FoxUnpopuli said: Is that the Coronation Train, possibly with the observation car on the tail? Serpently is! Highly likely that the photographer took up position there especially to capture the train. By the time it was up that neck of the woods it would be 'after work' time, half seven in the evening so would need to be a nice evening with good light, Judging by the length of the nameplate, it doesn't look like one of the five 'empire' A4s that were intended for use on the service. Here is the train on Grantham (Beaver Tail out of sight) with some not-quite-so-vertigo-inducing signals for the local lampman to attend to. This was the occasion when Tom Rance brought along his Coronation set for photography on the layout, photo courtesy of Tony Wright. Talking of lamps, we've got better at lamping up the trains since this photo (2016). 10 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamieR4489 Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 12 minutes ago, LNER4479 said: Talking of lamps, we've got better at lamping up the trains since this photo (2016). I assume you've also made sure every engine has a place to attach the lamps! Interestingly, Peregrine was the only A4 never to work one of the Streamliners. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Wright Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 7 hours ago, jwealleans said: I thought - perhaps wrongly - that they prepared replacement lamps (oil and wicks) on the ground and just went up the ladders to swap them over. That's what the signal lamp man did at Westerfield Junction nearly 40 years ago, Jonathan. I was taking pictures there when he arrived (by van), opened the lamp room and then answered my questions. Apparently, the lamps have enough fuel to burn for nine days (a bit more), and they were changed once a week on the same day. He was pleased because the very tall Down home had been recently removed (elf 'n' safely!), with just the lower arm remaining (it was co-acting). Regards, Tony. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Wright Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, LNER4479 said: Serpently is! Highly likely that the photographer took up position there especially to capture the train. By the time it was up that neck of the woods it would be 'after work' time, half seven in the evening so would need to be a nice evening with good light, Judging by the length of the nameplate, it doesn't look like one of the five 'empire' A4s that were intended for use on the service. Here is the train on Grantham (Beaver Tail out of sight) with some not-quite-so-vertigo-inducing signals for the local lampman to attend to. This was the occasion when Tom Rance brought along his Coronation set for photography on the layout, photo courtesy of Tony Wright. Talking of lamps, we've got better at lamping up the trains since this photo (2016). Is it my picture, or have the farther springs on the first articulated bogie collapsed!? Regards, Tony. Edited January 19, 2020 by Tony Wright typo error Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNER4479 Posted January 19, 2020 Author Share Posted January 19, 2020 1 hour ago, Tony Wright said: Is it my picture, or have the farther springs on the first articulated bogie collapsed!? It's obviously the way you take your pictures, Tony To be fair to Tom (Rance), the set was fresh out of shops and some tweaks were still required. My, doesn't the yard look a little bare, prior to the ministrations of the ballastmeister? Do you remember this photo from the same 'shoot'? (Nottingham show) 13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clearwater Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 5 hours ago, drmditch said: If replacing and/or filling the lamps on that gantry seems to have been hazardous, what about the one on Durham Viaduct? WOuldnt that viaduct and the attendant backscene view make one fantastic model railway??? I guess given north of York, it’d have fewer of the named expresses and streamliners to watch though! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNER4479 Posted January 19, 2020 Author Share Posted January 19, 2020 Oh, I dunno. You'd still have two out of the three streamliners plus the 'Flying Scotsman'. Add to that the Leeds-Glasgow services (full of interest) and then there was a bewildering array of local routes branching off to the south at Relly Mill junctions. Not to mention all the colliery traffic. I'd build in a heartbeat! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
drmditch Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 North of York one could also include the various through services from other railways. Really Mill bewildering? Surely not! There would also be bankers (for Southbound services.) Somehow I've got to obtain/make an NER Atlantic. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gr.king Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 10 hours ago, LNER4479 said: Complete with LBT Thomas! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
drmditch Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 14 hours ago, LNER4479 said: Oh, I dunno. You'd still have two out of the three streamliners plus the 'Flying Scotsman'. Add to that the Leeds-Glasgow services (full of interest) and then there was a bewildering array of local routes branching off to the south at Relly Mill junctions. Not to mention all the colliery traffic. I'd build in a heartbeat! You see what attractions you are missing on the other side of the high hills? Hope everything goes well at Southampton. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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