Henley-on-Thames - GWR in the 1930's

[Neal Ball]

2 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Is that with the motor physically removed from the chassis Neal?

Yes, stripped out completely to get a better look at it.

[FoxUnpopuli]

A replacement motor is between £2 and £8 (Lendons have them at £2, no-one appears to have them in stock.)

 

X6442 is the part number you want in case you don't have the service sheet to hand.

 

Me personally, I'd try a bit of brutality with it.  It could have gotten a bit cruddy on the commutator inside.  As it's a can motor, you're never quite certain how well it's going to go back together if you try to pry it apart...  but you could try to flood it with some aerosol contact cleaner through a mounting hole first.  If the can isn't well ventilated, then clearing the carbon dust (and other debris) out might be tricky.  I used to run can motors underwater (with a little detergent) which would wash the carbon dust away, but you do need to dry them thoroughly and give them a little oil on the bushings after... so I won't recommend that.

 

Of course, if you buy a spare, you can always pop the current motor open and clean it with a little more finesse.

 

Nice layout, btw, well travelled and maturing well!  Your buildings remind me of where I'd got to before school, higher education and a career demoted my modelling.  It was fun to remember some of my buildings from their similarities to yours.

Edited June 5, 2020 by FoxUnpopuli

[Neal Ball]

Thanks very much @FoxUnpopuli I will try and take it apart.... on the basis, I have nothing to lose!

[MrWolf]

That's always been my philosophy and how I feel like I have learned much more than I did at university.

 

If it's scrap anyway, why feel any trepidation over pulling something apart? You will either fix this one or learn what to do with the next one.

[Neal Ball]

It's another day of playing around on the railway - certainly no modelling happened again today. 

 

The closest I managed was emptying the goods yard of all the kit built wagons, which have taken up 5 roads on the loco fiddle yard! I think I need a separate storage area for the goods stock. Perhaps even a set of cassettes that can be loaded onto the tracks when needed.

 

Today I have had the DSLR out on the railway and will be loading a few images over the course of the day.

 

The first loco to arrive in the station was GWR 4-6-0 No 4965 Rood Ashton Hall. It currently lives on the layout as it was split from a set when I bought it at Hattons. I have seen that TMC sell loco boxes, built around the Peco loco lift, its a bit pricey, but might be an option.

 

 

 

[Neal Ball]

Personally I don't think you can beat a Black and White Hall.......

 

I should add that both of today's locos have been fitted with Springside lamps - red as it wasn't until later in the 30's they started to appear in White. They are held in place with blu-tac.

 

It's given me the idea of fitting more of my locos with LED front lamps. I seem to remember when I fitted them onto the King, it was very fiddly!

 

This photo has been adjusted in Affinity to get the results shown here. It started as 11 separate photos. The DSLR was set onto a tripod, with the metering point changed for every photo. I then took the option "Focus merge". The dust / speckles were introduced as part of the "styles" - Gold art deco option.

 

 

 

[Neal Ball]

Both of these locos are sound fitted, sadly though the diesel railcar is not.

 

I say sadly, as I have also been filming bits of the railway and the section where the railcar arrived was very quiet. I'm thinking that I need some more sound decoders :-)

 

On this day in 1932, GWR Castle class loco no 5006 Tregenna Castle pulled the Cheltenham Flyer the 77 1/4 miles to Paddington at an average speed of 81.6mph. It was by chance I chose this loco this morning when I started filming. 

 

This image shows Rood Ashton Hall and the GWR/AEC railcar at the station as Tregenna Castle arrives.

 

 

I am not happy with the quality of the videos I have taken (I did 3 and they are quite dark). So will be trying again before I post.

 

I have solved the issue with the flicker with the LED lights, by setting the frame speed at 25fps on the DSLR. (Electroc is on a 50Hz cycle here in Spain, so by setting the cameras frames per second, you can avoid the flickering of the lights.

[Neal Ball]

This from the GWS page on Facebook:

On this day in history – 6 June 1932 was the day when No 5006 ‘Tregenna Castle’ did the 77¼ miles from Swindon to Paddington in the record time for a steam train of 56 minutes and 47 seconds. Old Oak Common Driver Ruddock and Fireman Thorp with Inspector Sheldon took the six-coach 195 ton Cheltenham Flyer at an average speed of 81.6mph. Speeds of 92 mph were recorded on the level at Goring and Tilehurst and speeds in excess of 80 mph were maintained for the 70 miles between Shrivenham and milepost 2 just outside Westbourne Park. The arrival at Paddington was 10 minutes 13 seconds early and the up Cornish Riviera had run seven minutes early to ensure a clear road. The Great Western Railway produced this colourful luggage label for passengers to boast they had been on the World’s Fastest Train.

 

[Neal Ball]

Tregenna Castle is seen arriving at Henley on Thames - its clearly a busy day at the railway with a PDN service due to depart from Platform 1 and a local service from Platform 3.

 

 

 

 

[john dew]

Thats a lovely shot Neal.......you must be rather pleased with it?

 

A Pre-war summers day in Berkshire....whats not to like!

 

Cheers

 

John

 

 

[Neal Ball]

3 hours ago, john dew said:

Thats a lovely shot Neal.......you must be rather pleased with it?

 

A Pre-war summers day in Berkshire....whats not to like!

 

Cheers

 

John

 

 

Thank you John @john dew,I’m very pleased with today’s shots.

 

Although I need to get back to some modelling next week!

 

Have a good weekend, Neal

[St Enodoc]

8 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

Tregenna Castle is seen arriving at Henley on Thames - its clearly a busy day at the railway with a PDN service due to depart from Platform 1 and a local service from Platform 3.

 

 

 

 

Mailcoach Toplight full brake Neal?

[Neal Ball]

1 hour ago, St Enodoc said:

Mailcoach Toplight full brake Neal?

Yes that’s right. It’s been on the layout all week...... 

 

Wish I had bought another one...... about 25 years ago!

[St Enodoc]

30 minutes ago, Neal Ball said:

Yes that’s right. It’s been on the layout all week...... 

 

Wish I had bought another one...... about 25 years ago!

I've got two, bought more than 25 years ago, but I haven't built either of them yet. I'm not looking forward to the painting.

[Neal Ball]

2 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

I've got two, bought more than 25 years ago, but I haven't built either of them yet. I'm not looking forward to the painting.

 

They are fine - from a distance!

 

But to be honest, to works really well as part of a set. But clearly they are not up to the standard of the current Hornby Collett stock.

[Neal Ball]

13 hours ago, john dew said:

Thats a lovely shot Neal.......you must be rather pleased with it?

 

A Pre-war summers day in Berkshire....whats not to like!

 

Cheers

 

John

 

 

 

Thanks John.

 

Yes of course a lovely summers day in the rural countryside.

 

As part of the video I was trying to film, I had Rood Ashton Hall parked in Platform 1 - as per the photos - It is fitted with a sound decoder from Olivias Trains. 

 

I struggle to get beyond F9 on my Prodigy controller, but find it easier on the iPhone app. I have found that F14 has a lovely country sound with birds tweeting away!

 

Maybe I need to get one of the Gaugemaster sound modules to install under the layout and have regular country sounds.

 

I don't fancy the Hornby TTS vent van. I don't want to lose the space on a siding.

[Siberian Snooper]

On the loco lamps subject,  they were not normally lit during the day unless there was poor visibility or falling snow. When lit oil lamps are not particularly bright and with a yellowish tinge, definitely not like the bright white of today's marker lights.

 

 

 

 

[Neal Ball]

1 hour ago, Siberian Snooper said:

On the loco lamps subject,  they were not normally lit during the day unless there was poor visibility or falling snow. When lit oil lamps are not particularly bright and with a yellowish tinge, definitely not like the bright white of today's marker lights.

 

 

 

 

 

Yes of course.

 

The jewels in the Springside lamps look very bright - almost like beacons shining the way!

[MrWolf]

7 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

 

Yes of course.

 

The jewels in the Springside lamps look very bright - almost like beacons shining the way!

 

They always remind me of the headlamps in 60s Dinky cars.

Nothing wrong with that!

[BWsTrains]

On 07/06/2020 at 01:16, Neal Ball said:

This from the GWS page on Facebook:

On this day in history – 6 June 1932 was the day when No 5006 ‘Tregenna Castle’ did the 77¼ miles from Swindon to Paddington in the record time for a steam train of 56 minutes and 47 seconds. Old Oak Common Driver Ruddock and Fireman Thorp with Inspector Sheldon took the six-coach 195 ton Cheltenham Flyer at an average speed of 81.6mph. Speeds of 92 mph were recorded on the level at Goring and Tilehurst and speeds in excess of 80 mph were maintained for the 70 miles between Shrivenham and milepost 2 just outside Westbourne Park. The arrival at Paddington was 10 minutes 13 seconds early and the up Cornish Riviera had run seven minutes early to ensure a clear road. The Great Western Railway produced this colourful luggage label for passengers to boast they had been on the World’s Fastest Train.

 

Precisely 88 years and 2 days later, the three early morning expresses for Monday 8 June are scheduled to complete the same leg in 58, 52 and 58 minutes. 

 

 

[Neal Ball]

3 hours ago, BWsTrains said:

Precisely 88 years and 2 days later, the three early morning expresses for Monday 8 June are scheduled to complete the same leg in 58, 52 and 58 minutes. 

 

 

I wonder if that’s a case of an over crowded railway, that an increase in timings simply can’t get the space.....

 

Possibly also shows the GWR to be ahead of the times(?)

[St Enodoc]

4 hours ago, BWsTrains said:

Precisely 88 years and 2 days later, the three early morning expresses for Monday 8 June are scheduled to complete the same leg in 58, 52 and 58 minutes. 

 

 

 

47 minutes ago, Neal Ball said:

I wonder if that’s a case of an over crowded railway, that an increase in timings simply can’t get the space.....

 

Possibly also shows the GWR to be ahead of the times(?)

We're not comparing apples with apples.

 

The special non-stop run of the Cheltenham Flyer was a one-off and had the road cleared specially for it.

 

As I post this, the next four trains from Swindon to Paddington depart at 0657 (62 minutes, 2 stops), 0710 (59 minutes, 2 stops), 0723 (53 minutes, 1 stop) and 0740 (51 minutes, non-stop). Four trains an hour day in, day out - with all the other traffic especially after Reading and Heathrow Junction as well. A normal part of life.

[BWsTrains]

1 hour ago, St Enodoc said:

 

We're not comparing apples with apples.

 

The special non-stop run of the Cheltenham Flyer was a one-off and had the road cleared specially for it.

 

 

Of course not, my tongue was firmly in cheek; the 1932 run was surely a bundle more fun and atmospheric!

 

Seriously though, I accept there are differences but even making allowance for the stop / traffic, the progress on the GWR mainline seems "modest" when considered over such a long time and the various investments which have been made.

 

For example last time (2012) I had to go down to W-s-M, the weekday travel time Paddington to Bristol TM on an IC125 was little changed from the late 60s standard Diesel loco service when I regularly traveled up and down to Uni. Back then I could often catch a straight thru train to home; in 2012 it was an icy change and wait at TM for a local "Diesel Bus" on tracks.

 

Ah! Memories!

 

 

 

Edited June 8, 2020 by BWsTrains
addition

[St Enodoc]

37 minutes ago, BWsTrains said:

 

Of course not, my tongue was firmly in cheek; the 1932 run was surely a bundle more fun and atmospheric!

 

Seriously though, I accept there are differences but even making allowance for the stop / traffic, the progress on the GWR mainline seems "modest" when considered over such a long time and the various investments which have been made.

 

For example last time (2012) I had to go down to W-s-M, the weekday travel time Paddington to Bristol TM on an IC125 was little changed from the late 60s standard Diesel loco service when I regularly traveled up and down to Uni. Back then I could often catch a straight thru train to home; in 2012 it was an icy change and wait at TM for a local "Diesel Bus" on tracks.

 

Ah! Memories!

 

 

 

Of course - but Neal's follow-up suggested that folk might start taking it more seriously so I thought I'd drop the pebble in the pond first.

 

The big changes on the modern railway are, I think, about capacity rather than just speed.

 

Now back to Henley...

[Neal Ball]

13 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

Of course - but Neal's follow-up suggested that folk might start taking it more seriously so I thought I'd drop the pebble in the pond first.

 

The big changes on the modern railway are, I think, about capacity rather than just speed.

 

Now back to Henley...

Just before a return to Henley.

 

Interesting to see the details about speed and timings on the GWR main line. Just shows that Brunel built the railway to last....... I wonder how much faster the trains would be if they were still Broad Gauge.....

 

Today on the work bench. I am going back to the Platform canopy and make a start on the glazing areas.

 

To be continued.