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Mid-Cornwall Lines - 1950s Western Region in 00


St Enodoc
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9 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

I was actually going to buy a couple of wood chisels but they were about four times the price of the cold chisel! The right tool for the job is of course the hammer to bash the end of the chisel with (see this topic passim).

Ouch!

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5 minutes ago, simontaylor484 said:

And if at first you dont succeed find a bigger hammer 

 

(One of my Grandads sayings he was an engineer and iron founder)

Its not a hammer..its a suitably sized adjusting/tapping mallet. I have a a2mm one, a 4mm one and a 7mm one...Baz

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On 30/06/2020 at 13:13, St Enodoc said:

I was actually going to buy a couple of wood chisels but they were about four times the price of the cold chisel! The right tool for the job is of course the hammer to bash the end of the chisel with (see this topic passim).

Call your self an engineer, one does not use a 'ammer to bash the end of a chisel. :nono:

 

Clout

Wallop

Hit

Smash

Strike

Bang

Thump

 

But not Bash. Anyhow when swinging a hammer as I have repeatedly reminded people it is not how hard, what speed or what size 'ammer that is the most important part of the action but shouting the correct profanity as one makes contact with the chisel that shifts the item one is destroying.

 

"Bash" I ask you, must have a degree in engineering and sits behind a desk pontificating how it should be done, no having to clean the oil and dirt from under his bruised nails where "Oh F*** that hurt" has happened.

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30 minutes ago, simontaylor484 said:

You could always call said hammer a Manchester screwdriver

I thought it was a Brummagem screwdriver.

Interestingly, a former colleague in the West of Scotland used to refer to ‘screw nails’!

Paul.

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1 hour ago, 5BarVT said:

Interestingly, a former colleague in the West of Scotland used to refer to ‘screw nails’!

 

That reminds me of the tale of the builkding site gaffer watching a chippy hammering in some screws.

"Oi, what are you doing?"

"Hammering these screws in."

"What do you think the slot on the head is for?"

"In case you need to take them out again."

Edited by ian
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True story involving coachbuilder applying the veneer inside compartments at Swindon shops, turning to apprentice, “now, son, to get a good finish we need to have the screw slots all in at the same angle, so, we put em in the holes like so, all lined up, then..” picking up hammer- Bam! Bam! Bam!

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9 hours ago, Clive Mortimore said:

Call your self an engineer, one does not use a 'ammer to bash the end of a chisel. :nono:

 

Clout

Wallop

Hit

Smash

Strike

Bang

Thump

 

But not Bash. Anyhow when swinging a hammer as I have repeatedly reminded people it is not how hard, what speed or what size 'ammer that is the most important part of the action but shouting the correct profanity as one makes contact with the chisel that shifts the item one is destroying.

 

"Bash" I ask you, must have a degree in engineering and sits behind a desk pontificating how it should be done, no having to clean the oil and dirt from under his bruised nails where "Oh F*** that hurt" has happened.

I'm a Railway Engineer not a Rough Engineer so bashing chisels with hammers is in my DNA.

 

And yes, I sit behind a desk, mostly, getting paid for telling other people not so much how it should be done but how it shouldn't be done because we did it that way before and it all went t!ts up (technical term).

 

It's a good life.

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26 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

 

a vigorous to-and-fro with my right hand moving the tool back and forth (quiet please at the back).

I have always assumed that a qualified engineer knows what he is doing with his tool.

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3 hours ago, Oldddudders said:

I have always assumed that a qualified engineer knows what he is doing with his tool.

Years of practice, old boy, years of practice.

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A brisk walk round Middle Head and Chowder Bay this morning cleared the cobwebs nicely so after lunch I sprayed the E147 crimson again. I'll leave it to harden off now before brush-painting the roof (here we go again...) and ends.

 

On the layout I tidied up the lengths of the six-foot that I attacked yesterday. Not perfect, but much better and good enough I think. No photos today as I ran out of time. Next is to fill in the six-foot between the two Spurs and between the Up and Down Mains through the station. I'll also fill in the gap between the Branch platform and the loop and the flat areas at each end of the island platform area.

 

Ever onward...

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Nothing to do with the Mid-Cornwall Lines really but this little lot made me drool with nostalgia:

 

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/OO-Gauge-Job-Lot-Very-Large-Amount-Of-Loco-Kits-Wheels-Motors-Kits-Accesories/153991679101?hash=item23da9e8c7d:g:nfcAAOSwBOxe~e4l

 

The same seller has 25 yards of GEM 00 track in new condition...

 

Those were the days!

 

Usual disclaimer.

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That's a museum in a box!

 

I have a couple of those earlier style of Roxey kits, but fear they'll just melt away if I get anywhere near them with a paintbrush loaded with solvent.

 

:)

Edited by Tim Dubya
translation to English
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Should have mentioned that yesterday's post brought three second-hand Bachmann Colletts, which will be Cometed in due course.

 

In other, related, news I learned earlier this week that Paul and Michelle Bambrick, who now own CPL Products https://www.cplproducts.net/ (usual disclaimer), will be producing some of their etchings in 4mm scale as well as 7mm - including (G)WR coach droplights. Yippee!

Edited by St Enodoc
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On ‎04‎/‎07‎/‎2020 at 09:14, St Enodoc said:

Right, so where were we?

 

Ah yes, chisels. While we were shopping this morning I popped into the dollar shop and as I hoped found a nice set of four El Cheapo wood chisels for less than I paid for one cold chisel in the week. I wouldn't give them house room as wood chisels but for removing ballast they turned out to be just the thing.

 

1979994045_20200704002viaductexcessballastremoved.JPG.35c1cb99f4df113293ca03d0a5075e55.JPG

I soaked the ballast between the Up and Down main lines over the viaduct and lifting flap with water, then, when the ballast had softened, chiselled the excess away with the two smallest chisels from the set. This got rid of the unsightly ridge between the tracks. When it's all dry, possibly tomorrow, I'll go back with some of the fine ballast to restore the appearance.

 

Clive and others will be relieved to know that no hammers were used and no chisels were harmed during this operation. No bashing (other synonyms are available) was necessary, just a vigorous to-and-fro with my right hand moving the tool back and forth (quiet please at the back).

 

657821488_20200704001PMUpapproachballasted.JPG.a52e2fbd501da78d60cc8f77c72cdf46.JPG

After I'd done all that I went back to the "head of rocks" approaching Porthmellyn Road from the Up end and completed the Up and Down Mains as far as the points (13B and 19B) that were already ballasted. Again, once it's dry I'll fill in the small gaps where the foam infill didn't quite meet. I'm much happier with this than I was with the viaduct and lifting flap first time round.

Like your "Back to the Future(?)"bus in the scene in the background!

Is the plastic case to keep the germs out like the screens that are all the rage in UK (and I guess OZ?) shops etc. at the moment?

 

Talking of plastic reminds me that Anthony at AGM told me during my first post lockdown visit to the shop today that Peco cannot get enough plastic for the sleepers on their track because of the amount being used to make the above mentioned screens!

 

Its a funny old world, but keep at it everyone (modeling that is!) and please don't let the bu****s get you down!!

 

Paul

 

 

 

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18 hours ago, Tallpaul69 said:

Like your "Back to the Future(?)"bus in the scene in the background!

Yes, it dates from after the Mid-Cornwall Lines but before I went to Singapore, so I'm really not sure what it's doing there at all.

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Back to ballasting today.

 

First, I made the infills for the Porthmellyn Road Spurs and the Up and Down Mains through the platforms.

 

20200710001PMNo1andNo2Spurssix-footinfill.JPG.dfe9e8a891af84accc14a6285169998b.JPG

I trimmed back the chamfer on the foam underlay to make a square(ish) edge, then cut some strips of 3mm cork to fill the gap. It doesn't matter if they're not a perfect fit, as the PVA will fill quite big gaps when you come to lay the ballast.

 

20200710002PMNo1andNo2Spursballastingunderway.JPG.cac3aeddc94e074730581b1a0c37c27f.JPG

I finished No 1 Spur and about half of No 2 Spur. I'll fill the gaps between the tracks with sand or ash - or possibly a mixture.

 

Also today, my late birthday present to myself arrived from Kernow - the new Hornby Big Prairie and ex-LSWR brake van. I'll get the loco out after dinner and try it out on the rolling road under DC. Tomorrow I'll see if my local model shop has a decoder in stock.

 

The parcel took just three weeks door-to-door, which isn't bad at all in the present circumstances.

Edited by St Enodoc
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I sent two parcels for a friend of ours in Murray Bridge on the same day. One took a week the other has turned up two weeks later - aren't postal service of every kind perplexing?

 

Get cracking and get the ballasting done...

 

Baz

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49 minutes ago, Barry O said:

Get cracking and get the ballasting done...

Yes sir. Very good sir. Three bags full sir...

 

Of course I want to get it done, so I can start on signals!

Edited by St Enodoc
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I tried out the Prairie and ran it in while the rugby was on.

 

Everything is present and correct, fortunately, as there have been reports elsewhere of damage/distortion/missing bits. The centre drivers have a back-to-back of over 14.6mm so I'll try to squeeze them in a bit. All the other wheels are OK. As others have said, there is very little vertical movement on the two pony trucks. It should be OK on the flat but I'll have to see in due course how it goes on a convex vertical curve. The loco weighs in at a fraction over 8 ounces so with an adhesive weight on the prototype of 52.65 tons that is a ratio of 6.6 tons/ounce - rather higher than my 3 t/oz to 5 t/oz target range although not as bad as some others. I'll probably need to add some weight before it goes into service on the Pentowan branch passenger trains.

 

It runs quietly and controllably over the full speed range but there is a distinct side-to-side wobble at the front end when running forwards. I'll take the lid off tomorrow and see if there's any obvious misalignment anywhere, but that's a bit disappointing at the moment. If I can't fix it then I think the loco might have to go back.

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I bought a TCS DP2X-UK decoder for the Prairie this morning. The shop had also just had a delivery from Matt's Ballast so I bought another bag of that too. While I was browsing, I found something very interesting on the shelves - a brand new set of Slaters 1.5mm letters and numbers. These have been out of production for about 10 years to my knowledge, so it is conceivable that this was the last set available in a shop anywhere in the world (prove me wrong folks!). I pointed this out to Mark, the owner, and his amazement was capped only by his amazement that they showed up on his computer stock list.

 

More ballasting after lunch (and lots more still to come...).

 

First I finished No 2 Spur. Next, I cut some cork to form the infills between the Up Main and Branch (platforms 2 and 3) at each end of the station.  I then ballasted as far as the end of the Up end infill.

 

20200711003alltracksballastedtoUpendofPMplatforms.JPG.b2d4575ef2ed0042db59a6fc53da7532.JPG

This shows the full sweep of the approach to Porthmellyn Road after ballasting.

 

20200711002alltracksballastedtoUpendofPMplatforms.JPG.2e50615e52eb998b4df619a9e80ffee7.JPG

Here is the Up end of the platforms. The final position of the island platform end might end up a few millimetres to one side or the other. That doesn't matter, as it's easy to cut the infill away or add a bit more. You can also see the uncoupler magnet markers quite clearly here.

 

Tonight I'll have a look at the Prairie and see whether there is anything obvious causing the wobble.

Edited by St Enodoc
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