Mid-Cornwall Lines - 1950s Western Region in 00

[St Enodoc]

35 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

If you can magic a 'King' into Cornwall I can see nowt wrong with doing the same for 18100 with an axle load (if evenly distributed) of just over 21t 11cwt so almost 19cwt less than the maximum axleload of a 'King' (but 1t 11cwt more than the heaviest axle loadings of a D6XX)

Mike, see my post on the Rails 18000 thread regarding 18100's axle load:

 

 

[Barry O]

Yes..including a Deltic with cast lead ends and two Sagami motored bogies with flywheels fitted which could hit buffer stops very hard...

 

Mike could always get his bogies yorun very well

 Mine run like a bag of rusty nails.

 

Of course one GT can be modified with a pantograph....

 

Baz

[St Enodoc]

1 minute ago, Barry O said:

Of course one GT can be modified with a pantograph....

 

At one time I thought about doing that for Hartford Junction...

[The Stationmaster]

16 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

Mike, see my post on the Rails 18000 thread regarding 18100's axle load:

 

 

Have done thanks John.  And that puts the axle load almost in 'King' territory - only 10cwt short.

[TrevorP1]

1 hour ago, Oldddudders said:

Sundown & Sprawling?

 

There's a name from my boyhood! Never saw the layout but vaguely remember a magazine article... MRC? I remember being impressed they were running one of the prototype diesels, Lion? I must have been all of 10 or 11.

[Nick Gough]

1 hour ago, St Enodoc said:

Thanks Nick. No, they're the brick parts from two Ratio GWR signal box kits. The plan (which is working so far) is to use two Ratio 552 kits, plus a few other odds and ends like the mall Ratio 139 windows, to make something that is similar to Par signal box without being an exact replica. I particularly wanted to use the small window openings with the arched tops and sloping sills, which are on the long wall with the door to the locking room. The other long wall will be concealed up to window height by the platform, so the rather ropy cutting and shutting doesn't matter! The floor, which holds the whole lot together, is also made from the two Ratio floors.

I should have remembered that, from your previous posts on the signal box!

[Clive Mortimore]

1 hour ago, Oldddudders said:

Sundown & Sprawling?

Mike's scratchbuilt diesels inspired me to build my own. His models were locos I could relate to as they were the types I was trainspotting in the days when railway modellers were only building steam locos.

 

Sadly I only saw Sundown and Sprawling in magazines.

 

Today the models Mike made (and the ones I bodged) are available RTR so where is the incentive to make your own?

[lofty.ian]

I will have to stop reading this thread, it is making me feel too old.  It was fun running

Sundown and Sprawling when it was in the garden.  The heavy trains appeared into the garage housing the terminii and you had to make sure you braked in time.  I saw it in its straight version at an earlier exhibition in the Corn Exchange but didn't operate it - I must have been involved somewhere else.  It had that feeling of operating with a purpose from A to B.  Your railway empire has that feeling too. Keep at it.

Lofty

 

[Andy Ross]

Lofty it’s making me feel old too.
 

When I was still at school I used to go round to Mikes and did moulding for him for his kits. I only did the bogie parts. 

 

Whilst waiting for the resin to go off I used to run trains around the Garden. That must of been about 44 years ago. 

[St Enodoc]

10 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

Have done thanks John.  And that puts the axle load almost in 'King' territory - only 10cwt short.

But no reciprocating masses.

Edited October 2, 2021 by St Enodoc

[St Enodoc]

I spent an hour or so tidying up the railway room this afternoon, getting as much stuff as possible under the baseboards and placing a double row of magazine shelves where Pentowan will go. It was worth doing as there's a lot more space to walk around and the whole effect is less cluttered.

 

After tea I ran a few trains, just because I could. Mostly they behaved well but 7905 derailed unexpectedly and wouldn't go again. Inspection revealed that teh leading drivers are pointing in different directions and the whole chassis has locked up. I think this will be the classic Bachmann split-frame split muff problem (the loco is an ancient Replica model with a Bachmann chassis). When I've a spare half-hour I'll take it apart and see whether one of my spare muffs will fix it. If not, it will have to be replaced by a new Bachmann model when it's available.

[St Enodoc]

On 03/10/2021 at 08:25, Trams and Locos said:

Lofty it’s making me feel old too.
 

When I was still at school I used to go round to Mikes and did moulding for him for his kits. I only did the bogie parts. 

 

Whilst waiting for the resin to go off I used to run trains around the Garden. That must of been about 44 years ago. 

Do these look like yours?

 

As I said, the loco isn't up to modern standards and a replacement is definitely on the cards.

Edited June 29, 2022 by St Enodoc
images restored

[acg5324]

I had the Q kits Falcon, this was powered by an Airfix class 31 motor bogie and matching unpowered bogie. Loads of lead weight inside would pull anything.

[St Enodoc]

I was right about the split muff:

 

However, this one has split right through on both sides. When I took it off the stub axles it fell into two separate parts. I've bound it up with tape in my usual way but I don't think it will have enough strength left to function properly, so I replaced it by another reconditioned one that had only split on one side. That was my last spare so I'd better order some more from Peter's Spares.

Edited June 29, 2022 by St Enodoc
images restored

[Oldddudders]

Title for a book "An Engineer goes muff-diving"!

[Andrew P]

33 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

Title for a book "An Engineer goes muff-diving"!

[Andy Ross]

2 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Do these look like yours?

 

As I said, the loco isn't up to modern standards and a replacement is definitely on the cards.

They could be. I did several different types. I remember doing a lot ok Peak frames for certain.  

Edited October 3, 2021 by Trams and Locos

[St Enodoc]

1 hour ago, Oldddudders said:

Title for a book "An Engineer goes muff-diving"!

You might think that. I couldn't possibly comment.

[Martin S-C]

What's that? John's got a split muff? Sounds like an appointment to the doctor is needed.

[Oldddudders]

12 minutes ago, Martin S-C said:

What's that? John's got a split muff? Sounds like an appointment to the doctor is needed.

Nah - Clive can put in a couple of stitches.

[St Enodoc]

8 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

Nah - Clive can put in a couple of stitches.

As long as he doesn't use his big 'ammer.

[Michael Edge]

9 hours ago, acg5324 said:

I had the Q kits Falcon, this was powered by an Airfix class 31 motor bogie and matching unpowered bogie. Loads of lead weight inside would pull anything.

This is my Falcon with one Mike Cole built power bogie.

Still a superb runner but it doesn't get used much these days. I think this was the best of Mike's resin bodies.

[Sandhole]

1 hour ago, Michael Edge said:

This is my Falcon with one Mike Cole built power bogie.

Still a superb runner but it doesn't get used much these days. I think this was the best of Mike's resin bodies.

That ran on Cwnafon, didn't it Mike?
My Q Falcon has two old Triang Brush Type 2 motor bogies. She's retired now, but she gave great service for many years and I'd never get rid of her.
That reminds me, I have a Q Kits 'Super Deltic' body somewhere. Perhaps I should do something with it.
Chris.

[Clive Mortimore]

I never made one of Mike's locos, but he did inspire me, big time, to have a bash at making my own. Unlike Mike who scratchbuilt his out of brass mine are bodged from plastic card.  Here is my Falcon (Tri-ang bogies)  and a pair of BTHs, I hope those who opened their Heljan boxes had as much fun as I did bashing these together. The coaches being dragged around by the Type 1s are from a pile of bits Sainty sent me (cheers mate).

 

[Andrew P]

1 hour ago, Clive Mortimore said:

I never made one of Mike's locos, but he did inspire me, big time, to have a bash at making my own. Unlike Mike who scratchbuilt his out of brass mine are bodged from plastic card.  Here is my Falcon (Tri-ang bogies)  and a pair of BTHs, I hope those who opened their Heljan boxes had as much fun as I did bashing these together. The coaches being dragged around by the Type 1s are from a pile of bits Sainty sent me (cheers mate).

 

Nice mate, I am surprised you haven't re hung that door to open outwards yet though.