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


Neal Ball
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Sunday 3rd Dec - another afternoon getting acquitted with the floor and under board area!

 

Looks nice from here! 

 

This is the engine release at Henley on Thames. In setting up all the point motors, it seemed that I didn't all any holes for the point motors, so I had to get a reamer out and cut very carefully under the track in order to get the space for the Seep motors.

 

All the motors in now fitted into position (bar one).

 

These last few just need wiring up and testing. All the wiring goes back to the Gaugemaster point controller, which is a breeze to operate. I am now thinking about getting the add-on unit to power the fiddle yard points.

 

The current ones will be finished next weekend.

 

Sun3-12-17.jpg.53333a9e3ad55de370e8904dcfaf6de2.jpg

Edited by Neal Ball
2023: missing photos added
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Christmas at Henley. There was always a tree on the concourse, it’s not made it there this year!

 

Was this something every terminus had on the GWR?

 

Hopefully by next Christmas the station building would have progressed to such a stage that the tree can go onto the concourse.

 

I have also added two illuminated buffer stops at the terminus stops.

 

Today has also been taken up with more soldering and my new Dapol Western. Sound fitted with a Youchoose decoder.

Edited by Neal Ball
Missing image removed
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Today: Sunday, soldering iron in hand all day, has seen all the points wired up to the point controller.

 

One crossover, doesn’t cross! As in one point opens when the other closes, so I need to reverse the settings. Not sure if I can just change the wiring, or I need to re-site the point motor.

 

Everything works fine on circuit 1 & 2, but circuit 3 goes a bit mad! Almost as if there is a wiring fault. So that needs further investigation.

 

Plus today, I replaced the point coming down the incline into the lower area. It’s been playing up for a while, so today was cut out.

 

That’s it! Another busy weekend.

 

Until next time, Neal.

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In an effort to get all the electrics done, having hung about for a while, I have joined MERG.

 

I need their turntable control kit, now that the points are working towards it, I need to use it / finish it off.

 

It’s out of stock!

 

Never mind, maybe I will do some gardening! The allotments next to the track need attention, so perhaps that will be my Sunday afternoon project.

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Never mind, maybe I will do some gardening! The allotments next to the track need attention, so perhaps that will be my Sunday afternoon project.

Needless to say, the bits for the new allotments are still next to the tracks. That’s now a Christmas project.

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Well done. Such a great society. Very helpful,as well as good kits.

 

 

I'm confused!

 

Having seen the post for a clock to make - or at least the PCB for it - I cant see either the kit or the details of the components.

 

The website is rubbish - very hard to navigate, it takes me an age to work out how to log-on!

 

To be honest, I'm not impressed so far - hopefully when the turntable kits appear tight might change!

 

Happy Christmas Richard.

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I'm confused!

 

Having seen the post for a clock to make - or at least the PCB for it - I cant see either the kit or the details of the components.

 

The website is rubbish - very hard to navigate, it takes me an age to work out how to log-on!

 

To be honest, I'm not impressed so far - hopefully when the turntable kits appear tight might change!

 

Happy Christmas Richard.

Oh dear. What’s this clock post?

 

The website is better than it was, but it doesn’t have an easy log in. Go to Members Pages or Members Forums and then you have to log in.

 

There are lots of things made by the group that are not in kits. Its primarily a group of enthusiasts but the most popular things are produced in kits. Its not a commercial entity.

 

Try looking up what you want in the technical bulletins. The forums are good too. Searchable.

 

I have a friend who has made a turntable with a stepper motor and bits from Merg. I think you have to buy the bits separately following the article, unless it is being made into a kit. I’m not aware. The tirntable works a treat though.

 

All my electronics for the servos are from Merg and the members were very helpful when I initially had issues.

 

Merry Christmas

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I’ve had a look at that thread. This is certainly a project someone is doing/done. Its not a kit. They have collected bits from all manner of sources. There is mention of a TB which is a Technical Bulletin. It would be a good idea to look that up. It might explain much more. Otherwise get in touch with the authors. People tend to be vety helpful if you plead complete ignorance which I personally find easy.

 

I fancy the idea of a fast clock with multiple repeater displays on each panel. I’ve not found one, so if you are successful please let me know.

 

At present I run a single fast clock display on an otherwise redundant Kindle Fire tablet. I run it on software. See my entry #276 on page 12 of my thread. It’s worked very well so far, but one operator has to keep turning round to see it.

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Afternoon all - sunny greetings... from Felpham!

 

Yesterday we had snow, a couple of inches deep, which had cleared by 10am. This morning, thick frost and a short run before working from home.

 

It's baking here in the Conservatory, but an afternoon in the Railway room is calling.

 

Christmas pressie - new Dapol GWR Railcar, which needs its DCC decoder installing and them programming - photos to follow.

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Thank you!

 

Since starting this thread in December 2014, Henley has received 26147 views. A jump of just under 9,000 since last December.

 

Thank you, trust you have found something of interest.

 

Neal.

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The four railcars together; 

 

No 22 (Lima)* No 11 & No 8 both from Dapol; with the Parcels railcar No 34 in the background.

 

 

 

Having run them all up to the platforms, i ended up having a track-cleaning session and running the Dapol track cleaning van around with the Heljan Hymek. Its the first time the lower level has been used for a while. Cant get diverted though, there are still loads of jobs to do!

 

*Since gone of course - No 22 is now a new one from Heljan. (2023 note)

 

RailcarsbR.jpg.93bd9983191dfe01fea98998498b75f2.jpg

Edited by Neal Ball
2023: missing photos added
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The Dapol and Hornby models make a nice comparison. 

 

 

I wonder if we will get any more R-T-R railcars? Maybe a replacement for the later Hornby varieties.

 

I have always fancied having No 36 and 37 and seem to recall that Chris Leigh made them out of two Lima units, with a Hornby carriage in the middle. Rule 1 would apply as they are a bit too late for my period.

 

2023 note: It would still be nice to see No 36 & 37 made... maybe a RTR bash or a Worsley Works model??

 

Railcarsc.jpg.13fc9f8df2d7b7c3af1f11cf2ceed807.jpg

Edited by Neal Ball
2023: missing photos added
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Its always good to get diverted!

 

Looking good Neal!

 

Happy New Year

 

Rich

 

 

Indeed - when don't we get diverted eh.

 

Yesterday was good as it meant cleaning all the track on the lower level and combined with all the work I have done on the points around the station, the layout was working a treat.

 

Happy New Year to you as well Rich.

 

Neal.

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Yesterday was spent boarding the loft in the garage, which has already made a big difference to the storage space. 

 

Thankfully i still had a few hours left to spend on Henley:

 

GWR 4-6-0 Windsor Castle seen after it's crew applied (P & D Marsh), both a white metal and have been glued in with some super glue.

 

4082WindsorCastler.jpg.868a177f6ec4f4ab6ef09ddb381ad771.jpg

 

Seen in the Peco loco cradle, on the site of where the allotments will be built. The Greenhouse is the Wills kit; the allotment kit has been bought from Busch - both from Gaugemaster at Ford. Beer at the ready on the bech below the layout, you can just see the lower circuit in the shot.

 

2023 note: Exact photo not found

Edited by Neal Ball
2023: missing photos added
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A short running session ensued with two of my GWR Castle class 4-6-0 locos Caerphilly and Dryslwyn Castles seen here at Henley on Thames.

 

 

CaerphillyDryslwynCastle.jpg.6a1089bfcfae91588ddc221780418dde.jpg

 

It looks as if one of my platform lamps is not working, I couldn't see an issue with the wires, maybe the lamp has blown. If thats the case, it's likely all the lamps on that platform will be replaced. Whilst I like the modern Swan neck lamps, they are not prototypical for Henley. 

Edited by Neal Ball
2023: missing photos added
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An impromptu video of Castle class 4-6-0 No 4073 Caerphily Castle departing and later arriving at Henley on Thames.

 

Also includes behind the scenes, as the loco is filmed going down and later up the incline to the station area.

 

Filmed on my iPhone, apologies for the jerky action.

 

 

It also shows how much work there is to do around the layout.

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Sunday 31st Dec 2017 - had a very productive day in the Railway room and tackled an area that has been in need of work for ages - namely straight in front of Mill Road bridge, which provides the scenic break.

 

My initial idea was that this was going to be the allotments area, which it was in real life. This has been scaled back - allotments are fiddly things!

 

It is now a mix of allotments and grazing for sheep or horses tbc.

 

It certainly tidies things up and makes a big difference to the area. As is the norm, there is Polystyrene under to make up the height, covered in a grass mat from gaugemaster and then flock added on, manually over the joins, then covered over with the static grassmaster.

 

31stDec2017.jpg.4ea88bc2649c15832398ef2b3c741915.jpg

 

Looking towards Twyford the area on the right is now a lot tidier than it was. The cork tile, will be for the allotments.

 

Incidentally the Bracket signal on the down road, needs to be a three arm, central post and two brackets. In real life it was mounted on the opposite side of the tracks, next to the Up line. 

 

Looking back towards Mill Lane Bridge, Windsor Castle shews that she used to be Tintagel Castle and still needs a new buffer beam number! - But hey - she has a crew now.... lamps are still missing :-)

 

31stDec2017B.jpg.3d08454e42483a5e761c36f5fe193e30.jpg

 

The colour is slightly different in the next shot as I have adjusted in photoshop for the fluorescent lamps.

 

31stDec2017C.jpg.6d66ddf2c799b6ade78795801778a35f.jpg

 

This shows a more formal garden as part of the allotments, just an excuse really to add a greenhouse and plants etc. The Greenhouse is going to sit in the formal garden, the rest of the area will be earth, filled with veg etc.

Edited by Neal Ball
2023: missing photos added
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To say the veg is fiddly, would be an understatement!

 

When it is done though, I hope the effect will be worth it.

 

I am using this Busch kit, Bauerngarten which means Cottage Garden in English.

 

Allotmentspack.jpg.093a725019215cb06c82d37939748f74.jpg

 

I have done 7 plants so far and at least three of them have ended up on the floor!

 

Sunflowers.jpg.a1e6cc72aa2861f535a8ca7cf4a1c032.jpg

 

Lovely Sunflowers in front of the greenhouse. In total there are 6 plants, all you need to do is paint the seat heads brown and add the yellow petals - easy enough eh!  So far 2 have ended up on the floor! They will be fixed in place facing South when everything is finished. I have divided the base plate and will have some sunflowers in the allotment section.

 

I then tried a Poppy! That also ended up on the floor. This cruel enlargement shows one set of petals in place and the other kind of hanging on! The plant stems are no bigger than your thumb nail, so I don't think you will see this again! As per the sunflower, there is limited painting to do, maybe one part of the whole plant, everything else being self coloured plastic. I thought it might be a bit too glossy, but so far its been ok.

 

Poppy.jpg.c30503fce5a0c2bb8aba6510ca62089a.jpg

 

This shot of the Poppy shews the flowers still on their sprue.

 

 

 

Well thats it for 2017. Time for a refill of my Beer and for me to thank you all for following the trials and tribulations of Henley on Thames - GWR in the 1930's.

 

Have a great NYE and see you in 2018.

 

Happy New Year. Neal.

 

Edited by Neal Ball
2023: missing photos added
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