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

[MrWolf]

1 hour 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!

 

 

 

 

When we consider the incremental advances in technology of locomotives and rolling stock over the last 50 years, it isn't bad going when you consider that the trains are still doing the same thing that they did 150 years ago. Outright speed isn't the main priority.

By contrast, the Isle of Man TT lap record broke 100 mph at the 50th year of the event in 1957, using technology that in the main dated back to the 1920s.

Since 2018 the record has stood at 135 mph, which seems like a fair increase, until we consider the massive leaps in technology that have been applied since the 1970s to achieve that 34mph increase. The limitations of the track, as with the railways, make the likelihood of any great increase in speed very slim.

[Neal Ball]

Today has been productive on a number of fronts.

 

All the glazing bars have been painted, ready to be cut and put onto the platform canopy. Whilst out with the paint brush, I realised that I had done the end panel wrong, so painted out the dark stone, replacing it with Light stone and painting some architrave into Dark stone.

 

I then had some running repairs on one of my Castles - No 4082 Windsor Castle.

 

When I put the coal load in a while ago, the superglue left a white residue, which normally wipes off - but not on this loco. I have therefore painted the coal space around the coal today.

 

I also took the opportunity to oil the loco up and give it a run as it had previously been playing up. It turned out the decoder was shorting as I hadn't insulated it - not to be recommended.

 

It is seen here on a shelf drying; together with the 45xx which had some varnish put over the GWR shirt button transfer. Usually when I have paint drying on locos, I put everything under a Garden Cloche, which I had removed for the photo.

 

The mechanism is seen in the background:

 

 

The track the loco is on divides in two and goes through the back scene and under Mill Lane bridge becoming the Up and Down lines. In the background are the two tracks that go right round the outside of the layout.

[Neal Ball]

For quite a while I have been meaning to start a set of record cards for all my locos. Although DCC Concepts sell some record cards, I decided to make my own.

 

When I bought my first Dapol railcar, I changed a CV value to keep the lights on. (The Dapol railcars use F2 for interior lights, but this is a latching function (does not stay on), so needs changing.) 

 

I now have 3 Dapol railcars (2 x Passenger & 1 x Parcels) and wanted to change the lights in the new ones as well.

 

This is another benefit of using a record card per loco. Recording details of any changed CV values.

 

 

Plus it has become apparent lately that I have not been using the sound capabilities to the full - the instructions are never to hand - now they are all on the record card - which will always be to hand!

 

Thankfully I also found an email from Gaugemaster about the F2 issue and I have now changed all 3 of my Dapol railcars: CV36 needed to be changed to a value of 2 (It had a value of 8).

[Neal Ball]

Clearly the railcar needs weathering and those large windows are crying out for a complement of Passengers. I will also back-date it and change the logo for the GWR shirt button.

 

The railcar No8 is seen arriving at Henley on Thames.

 

 

I can feel a Railcar session coming on:

• Paint the seats.
• Fit new passengers & crew
• Change logo
• apply weathering.

I need to find the photos I took a while back at Swindon for the interior of No4 and No22 at Didcot. Failing that I might have to "borrow" some ideas from Little Muddle where Kevin,   @KNP has done a great job on his No8

[St Enodoc]

5 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

Usually when I have paint drying on locos, I put everything under a Garden Cloche, which I had removed for the photo.

I use a small seed propagator. The stuff that's been painted sits in the tray with the lid over the top so I can move the whole lot out of the way easily.

[St Enodoc]

5 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

Recording details of any changed CV values.

I do all my programming on the test track using a SPROG and Decoder Pro. All the CV settings are saved on my computer.

[Neal Ball]

6 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

I do all my programming on the test track using a SPROG and Decoder Pro. All the CV settings are saved on my computer.

Sadly my Prodigy isn’t connected to the laptop, otherwise that sounds like a great idea.

 

Thanks.

[St Enodoc]

29 minutes ago, Neal Ball said:

Sadly my Prodigy isn’t connected to the laptop, otherwise that sounds like a great idea.

 

Thanks.

Neal, nor is my NCE system. I connect the SPROG (see https://www.sprog-dcc.co.uk/) to the PC in my study room and to a yard length of track (stuck to a piece of wood) that sits on the desk.

[Neal Ball]

2 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Neal, nor is my NCE system. I connect the SPROG (see https://www.sprog-dcc.co.uk/) to the PC in my study room and to a yard length of track (stuck to a piece of wood) that sits on the desk.

Thanks for that. 
 

I was interested in getting the prodigy decoder tester, but it looks as if Sprog 2 will do more.

 

I like the idea of testing a decoder and changing speed curves from the Sprog. My 47xx has a very erratic speed curve, that so far I have been unable to resolve.

 

It will be quite easy to rig up a different programming track and possibly quite effective as well.

 

Other than the software and drivers, is there anything else I need to get Sprog II going? (Plus the power supply). 
 

All sounds very interesting, thanks for the recommendation.

[St Enodoc]

4 minutes ago, Neal Ball said:

Thanks for that. 
 

I was interested in getting the prodigy decoder tester, but it looks as if Sprog 2 will do more.

 

I like the idea of testing a decoder and changing speed curves from the Sprog. My 47xx has a very erratic speed curve, that so far I have been unable to resolve.

 

It will be quite easy to rig up a different programming track and possibly quite effective as well.

 

Other than the software and drivers, is there anything else I need to get Sprog II going? (Plus the power supply). 
 

All sounds very interesting, thanks for the recommendation.

You need a length of track, your computer, the SPROG, a power supply, the SPROG drivers, and Decoder Pro which is part of the JMRI free download. That's it! Usual disclaimer.

[Neal Ball]

36 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

You need a length of track, your computer, the SPROG, a power supply, the SPROG drivers, and Decoder Pro which is part of the JMRI free download. That's it! Usual disclaimer.

Thanks. I’ve read the blurb / manual so you are fine!

 

Thanks again.

[Neal Ball]

Work has continued on the platform canopy - its a bit like watching paint dry - nothing to see here; move along now!

 

I'm doing the glazing bars and when I left the railway yesterday, I only had one more section to do. 

 

Today the electric company are doing some changes to the electric., meaning we have no power from 10am to 12 mid-day. So it's going to be a day on the terrace.

 

I have finished off the 4575 Prairie tank and am very pleased with it. So far it has new etched numbers; new GWR shirt button roundel and some light weathering.

 

 

I need to do a bit more to the wheels and add a lamp. It would be nice (although fiddly) to use a DCC concepts LED lamp on the top bracket, but I don't know how easy it will be to get the cable run inside the smokebox.... Assuming it's going to have only passenger turns - I need to decide!

 

 

It does show off the fact the Colletts still need attention.

 

I am also having an issue with the leading Brake 3rd - it derails from time to time. I have checked the back to backs and they are fine. If I run it the other way round, it has a wobble, but stays on the track! I think its just one of those annoying things!

Edited June 12, 2020 by Neal Ball

[St Enodoc]

10 minutes ago, Neal Ball said:

I am also having an issue with the leading Brake 3rd - it derails from time to time. I have checked the back to backs and they are fine. If I run it the other way round, it has a wobble, but stays on the track! I think its just one of those annoying things!

I assume it has the cam-operated close coupling mechanism, the same as the corridor coaches, in which case check that everything is free-moving. I had a Hawksworth where the "bulge" behind the headstock was catching slightly, stopping the bogie from centring. A bit of fine emery paper and some graphite afterwards fixed that.

[TrevorP1]

1 hour ago, St Enodoc said:

I assume it has the cam-operated close coupling mechanism, the same as the corridor coaches, in which case check that everything is free-moving. I had a Hawksworth where the "bulge" behind the headstock was catching slightly, stopping the bogie from centring. A bit of fine emery paper and some graphite afterwards fixed that.

 

Yes, I've had this exact problem with several of my Hawksworths, weirdly (or not?) they were all crimson and cream.

[Neal Ball]

Thanks very much @St Enodoc, I will give that a go.

 

Good luck @TrevorP1

[Neal Ball]

Morning all, trust you are all keeping safe.

 

Work on the1904 platform canopy has been continuing recently, although it’s getting harder to be working on the railway when it’s such a lovely sunny day outside!

 

 

The canopy is still standing on its temporary pillars, I’m still not convinced about  how it’s going to fix onto the supports.

 

I think I will try and fix a couple of the supports to the platform and see where we go from there.... ideally I want to keep the canopy removable to aid track cleaning etc. Aka in such a way I don’t damage the supports, when I am being ham fisted!

 

I also need to do some platform work in this area and also fix some lights under the canopy.

[Neal Ball]

On 12/06/2020 at 12:09, Neal Ball said:

Thanks very much @St Enodoc, I will give that a go.

 

Good luck @TrevorP1

The offending carriage has been fixed....  it looked as if the spigot tgat engages behind the coupling wasn’t quite right to swing properly.

 

Having taken the carriage apart, it’s going to be easy to add passengers and lights..... oh blimey! I can’t keep adding to the “to do” list :-)

 

I still haven’t started the weathering..... I can see that’s a nice afternoon in the garden with all the carriages laid out on the table. I need to find a carriage to practice on first as I would like to use the spray gun....

 

To be continued!

[Jules]

The station is looking really good Neal.

[Neal Ball]

9 minutes ago, Jules said:

The station is looking really good Neal.

Thanks Jules. 
 

I really has come on during the lockdown, but there is still loads more to do!

[Siberian Snooper]

3 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

Morning all, trust you are all keeping safe.

 

Work on the1904 platform canopy has been continuing recently, although it’s getting harder to be working on the railway when it’s such a lovely sunny day outside!

 

 

The canopy is still standing on its temporary pillars, I’m still not convinced about  how it’s going to fix onto the supports.

 

I think I will try and fix a couple of the supports to the platform and see where we go from there.... ideally I want to keep the canopy removable to aid track cleaning etc. Aka in such a way I don’t damage the supports, when I am being ham fisted!

 

I also need to do some platform work in this area and also fix some lights under the canopy.

 

Neal,

 

If the canopy supports have a spigot on the bottom, fit tube with the same i/d as the diameter in the platform, this should make fitting and removal easy. If you're worried about damage to the canopy when removed, a length of timber drilled to the same diameter as the spigots.

 

 

[Neal Ball]

15 hours ago, Siberian Snooper said:

 

Neal,

 

If the canopy supports have a spigot on the bottom, fit tube with the same i/d as the diameter in the platform, this should make fitting and removal easy. If you're worried about damage to the canopy when removed, a length of timber drilled to the same diameter as the spigots.

 

 

Thanks for this.

 

In making the supports, I made them the exact height! I am now thinking of a length of steel rod going into the platform and extending above the bracket. 
 

I only have very thin rod, thicker would be better as it could be made to look like guttering downpipes.

 

This was the scene last night as the first two supports are being fixed.

 

 

[Neal Ball]

The platform canopy this afternoon. 

 

At the moment its been placed on two supports, there are another four to go in.

 

 

And now with a couple of trains in he station.:

 

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

Magnets?

 

Mike.

[Neal Ball]

1 hour ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Magnets?

 

Mike.

Great idea thank you

[Neal Ball]

Greetings from a very sunny and warm Costa Blanca.

 

Its been a busy day here at Henley on Thames - I’ve had the airbrush out!

 

To start with 6 Bachmann vans had a bit of work..... followed by 15 carriages. Nothing too drastic and we will see how they have turned out before posting photos..

 

That was then followed by some scenic work - I realise I have broken my logical rule.... working from the signal box anti clockwise......

 

This afternoon saw me working on the corner closest to Mill Lane. This area houses the Pendon pub which will be renamed from the Wharncliffe Arms (old layout name); probably to the Mill.... or maybe the Vidler Arms... (owner of the Mill). I have set out how I want it to look and have started applying the static grass.

 

Although looking at Stoke Courtney, I think I need to add a horse trough as well. I am setting it out as a rural idyll, so a water trough would not be out of place. Where can I get one? Any suggestion welcomed. I have asked @checkrail as he has one outside his Pendon pub. I also fancy adding a footpath and style, so will need a country style footpath sign > Twyford.

 

Photos to follow....