Buckingham West

[t-b-g]

My pleasure Rich and very happy to contribute to you project in a small way.

 

Cheers,

 

Tony.

[Richard Mawer]

My pleasure Rich and very happy to contribute to you project in a small way.

 

Cheers,

 

Tony.

A bit more than a small way! Now I have my full stud. The Loco yard isn't quite large enough!

 

Rich

[Richard Mawer]

Had an operating session tonight.

 

The Bulldog was put through her paces in context and worked very well. She needed a little lead in the cab area just to even up the weight a little more so she coped with my Peco 100 points, but after that she didn't put a wheel wrong. And being so heavy she didn't even notice the incline. I am very pleased.

[Richard Mawer]

The loco stud at Buckingham West is:-

 

• 48xx
• 64xx
• 2750
• 57xx
• 8750
• 45xx
• 4575
• 51xx
• 2 x Dean Goods
• Collett Goods
• LNER J11
• 2 x 43xx's
• County
• Bulldog
• Dukedog
• City
• LNER Director
• Hall
• Star
• Castle
• ROD
• 2 x 28xx's

[s182ggu]

 

The loco stud at Buckingham West is:-

 

• 48xx
• 64xx
• 2750
• 57xx
• 8750
• 45xx
• 4575
• 51xx
• 2 x Dean Goods
• Collett Goods
• LNER J11
• 2 x 43xx's
• County
• Bulldog
• Dukedog
• City
• LNER Director
• Hall
• Star
• Castle
• ROD
• 2 x 28xx's

 

Awww.....Rich!! You could at least have uploaded pictures of them all!!

[Richard Mawer]

Some of them need new numbers, names and decals. So that is going to have to wait.

[Richard Mawer]

Over the last couple of weeks I have not had too much railway time. I've been tied up with village stuff. But I ran the Bulldog everywhere on the layout to check her out. She ran well. Thanks Tony. However she kept derailing leaving Evenley on the Up line. Nothing else did but on closer inspection the gauge was wide on one point. This station is the only bit from MK1 and came over with the removal guys. Either I fitted a dodgy point or it took a bash in the van and I never realised. Either way, it had to go. A new electro frog went it, was wired, then I messed up the servo tie-bar wire! I would have refit the servo.

 

Golden rule: don't do railway stuff when tired! I pulled the wrong servo off underneath!!!! To make matters worse it was 1 of 2 servos on a slip and was wired via a Y splitter cable off one port on the MERG board. So both servos have to move exactly the same amount - no individual adjustment. So I had to replace it in exactly the right position. Shall we just say, it took more than one go, and move on!!!

 

At least the replacement point works well!

 

I have also had to adjust the positions of some other servos. Not sure why, but they stopped moving right over. They didn't need much, but without it, some trucks started to derail. Odd. Anyone else had such issues?

 

I have also continued to change wagon wheels, set the back to backs, change couplings and add weight.

 

I am coming to the end of Friday on the timetable. Some more operating sessions are coming up though.

 

 

20.45 coal empties, Buckingham to Severn Tunnel Junction, having called at Evenley to pick up empties from there and Brackley Road.

 

 

21.00 Leamington goods which actually terminates at Evenley as one of those weird old fashioned quirks. Any wagons on that train bound for Buckingham have to wait for the following day. They can go via Brackley Road on the morning's 'Fly' (pick up goods) or wait for the afternoon's 'Fly' or late afternoon trip freight.

Edited March 8, 2017 by Richard Mawer

[t-b-g]

I am very glad to hear that the Bulldog is doing what we hoped. I think the there may be a bit of room in the firebox for some more lead if needed. The two screws front and back of the frames will release the body but take care not to lose the brass tube sleeve that the bogie pivot runs on (I can't remember if i soldered it on!).

 

I look forward to seeing here lettered and plated some time.

 

Cheers,

 

Tony

[Richard Mawer]

I am very glad to hear that the Bulldog is doing what we hoped. I think the there may be a bit of room in the firebox for some more lead if needed. The two screws front and back of the frames will release the body but take care not to lose the brass tube sleeve that the bogie pivot runs on (I can't remember if i soldered it on!).

 

I look forward to seeing here lettered and plated some time.

 

Cheers,

 

Tony

Thanks Tony. Yes she needed a bit of lead towards the rear. Some is blutac'd in the cab at present. I'll get it in the firebox when I letter, plate, lamp, coal and crew. I have a few more that need similar treatment and they all need lamps and crews.

 

Cheers,

 

Rich

[Richard Mawer]

43 FINALLY BECOMES 72

 

 

The latest operating session showed up 4 problems:-

- cattle wagons not staying coupled

- ironstone wagons derailing

- a controller's brakes failling

- the 43xx's running ok at passenger speeds but not good at slow or for shunting.

 

 

The cattle wagons have not really been used before. It turns out some of the replaced coupling hooks were stiff and other couplings were too high. The former have now been freed up and the latter issue solved by changing the couplings back to the originals. They are Bachmann and the couplings are cranked/stepped down. I hadn't realised, but the NEM sockets are too high. Why did they do that? Why use something supposedly standard and allowing for interchange and then set it at a none standard height? Anyway they are now all sorted but the Bachmanns have narrow couplings. We'll see how they shunt and if they lock up.

 

 

The ironstone wagons need some more TLC with back to backs and weight, but I think the main issue was the speed they were being pulled by the 43xx.

 

 

The controller has been sent back to Gaugemaster for a lifetime guarantee repair. The brakes would not go fully on. So trains would creep! This is the first fault out of the 7 controllers. I do like the simulators and these controllers make all the locos behave well and at slow speeds. Surely the best analogue controllers out there. Who needs DCC for inertia and control at slow speeds???

 

 

The 43xx's with Hornby tender drives are so much better, but not good at slow goods speeds compared with modern locos such as the 28xx's, ROD or J11. It might have something to do with the width of the tyres or the depth of the flanges. The powered tender wheels are a bit like steam rollers. also the inserts I added to prevent the excessive play in the driving wheels from throwing the pony truck also ad some resistance. As a 43xx is nearly always rostered to the ironstone and shunting is needed at Evenley, it has become a bore. I am sure the necessary speed needed to keep the 43 from stopping on corners also contributed to the ironstone wagons desire to leave the tracks at times. I have therefore retired one of the 43's. The other is fine for passenger trains. Instead I have relented and bought one of the gorgeous 72xx beasts. Hopefully I will now have slower ironstone trains with fewer mishaps and better shunting. 

 

 

 

 

They are lovely models and are impressive at slow speeds. 

 

I'm off to make more signals and Merg Servo 4s now.

 

 

[Silver Sidelines]

Hi Rich, the Mainline 43xx must be nearly 30 years old and the Hornby tender drives only a bit younger.  Old technology?  I did have an early Hornby 28xx which came with a 3 pole motor which I swapped for the newer 5 pole variety, much smoother and more controllable.  Recently I have been 'playing' with a Mainline Dean Goods.  Its tender drive is Airfix based and might offer more control.

 

Regards

 

Ray

[Richard Mawer]

WOW!

 

I am very impressed with Gaugemaster.

 

Firstly their no quibble lifetime guarantee is almost unheard of in this day and age. What other product can you send back for repair with no proof of purchase and no time restriction? Just send it back with a note saying what is wrong and they will sort it out for free.

 

Not only that, but I posted the controller off last Friday about lunchtime. It would not have reached the factory until Saturday at the earliest. I doubt anyone was working in repairs over the weekend, so they will have got it into the right dept by Monday at the earliest. And today (Friday) it arrived back on my desk first post. It must have been sent off Thursday at the latest. I find that pretty impressive.

 

So thank you Gaugemaster. Buckingham West will be running again soon.

[Richard Mawer]

SERVO 1

 

MERG produce a kit in their Pocket Money Project range called EZ-Points. Its really a Servo 1. It controls 1 servo and uses the trim pots to set the two end positions of the servo travel, and the speed. Like the Servo4, it is triggered by an on/off switch and has a 9 to 12v dc input voltage.

 

The difference is that it is set on a small piece of stripboard instead of a bespoke circuit board. You have to make the breaks in the copper strip in the right places before you begin. So its a bit more like electronics were at school all those years ago.

 

 

I have made up 4 so far. They are going to be used for signals which are somewhat on their own and where there are no other items that justifiy using a Servo4 or where the servo wire run would be too long. The wires become aerials and the servos act strangely if the wires are too long.

[Richard Mawer]

SERVOS TO SIGNALS

 

As well as the Servo1s, I have made 4 more MERG Servo4s. In terms of controls thats it apart from 1 interesting extra that a friend is working on. That will have an entry on its own later.

 

I now need to extend the power feeds to the new boards, fit them and wire up from the switches.

 

I also need to make all the signals.

 

Here's one I made earlier! As the saying goes. It will be Evenley's down home. Its connected to a Servo1 and has had the trimmer pots adjusted. Ready to put on the layout.

 

[Richard Mawer]

CARRYING COALS TO BUCKINGHAM

 

This is one of the evocative titles from Peter Denny. It was an article in Railway Modeller explaining how he had two bodies for each coal wagon: identical in every way except one was loaded and one empty. Articles such as this shaped my passion for the hobby.

 

Tonight I was meant to be making signal kits, but I can't find the track pins I use as spindles. I did, however find my bag of ironstone chippings. So plan B became wagon load building. Firstly the ironstone and then more coal (hence the title). Most of my coal loads are lightweight Parkside Dundas plastic mouldings, but some wagons are different sizes and I can't find any to fit. I don't want heavy coal loads because the wagons are hauled up the incline loaded. Its a 23 wagon train.

 

Unlike Peter Denny, I have gone for the more traditional approach of removeable loads instead of interchangeable bodies.

 

My coal loads have small ferous self adhesive weights stuck to the undersides. I can then lift the loads out with a magnet.

 

I have made the loads for the odd sized coal wagons and the ironstone wagons the same way.

 

Firstly I put a piece of cling film in each wagon so it hung well over the sides. This is to prevent the load getting glued in the truck. Then I cut a piece of polystyrene sheet to very easily fit each wagon. Perhaps a 2mm or even 3mm gap around each one when dropped in. Next I cut a better fitting (but still not tight) piece of thick card and pva'd the two together. I stuck one of the ferous weights onto the centre of each card and then painted the card. Burnt umber for the ironstone and back for coal. Finally I tipped a small amount of each filling into the trucks: just enough to cover the card and the weight.

 

 

 

 

When happy with the way they looked I mixed up some pva and water. About 50/50. Maybe a bit stronger glue-wise. One drop of washing up liquid added in the time honoured tradition to break up the surface tension and then dribbled it over the loads to saturate them.

 

 

 

I am now just waiting for them to go off over the next 24/36 hours or so. The glue will dry clear. I can then lift them out with the cling film, remove it, or if stuck, trim it back, and then mark the base with the name of the respective wagons they fit. Hopefully in use I will be able to remove them using the magnet without damaging the loads.

[Richard Mawer]

LOADS UPDATE

 

After 24 hours the loads themselves were dry and hard. But below that there was a lot of wet glue. The cling film was preventing it drying. The trick is clearly to peel the cling film off at the 24 hour stage and turn the loads over. After a couple of hours the soggy bottoms had all dried off.

 

All I have done tonight is paint the insides of the wagons black for when they are empty. I got quite a few more to do as I have just over 60 coal wagons.

 

The ironstone looks good. Thank goodness they are hauled loaded down the incline!!

[RJS1977]

I believe Peter Denny's trick with regards to wagon loads was to make the underlying spacer (i.e. the polystyrene in this case) very much shorter than the wagon, so he could press down on one end of the load to tip it up for easy removal.

[Richard Mawer]

The loaded ironstone wagons waiting in the quarry line.

 

 

This quarry siding will be behind a removeable section of backscene, accessed by a bridge at the the far end. Next to it are the lines between Evenley and Buckingham West. On the lower level is the dumbbell line out of the Banbury storage loops.

[Richard Mawer]

I believe Peter Denny's trick with regards to wagon loads was to make the underlying spacer (i.e. the polystyrene in this case) very much shorter than the wagon, so he could press down on one end of the load to tip it up for easy removal.

I have used pieces of ferous metal in the loads (and stuck under the plastic ones) and hand held magnets. If I keep hold of the wagon, the magnet will pull the load out.

[Richard Mawer]

CORDON

 

A few years ago I bought two Cordon Gas Wagons from a website called i-materialise. They are 3D printed. I have posted about them previously.

 

Cordons were used to hold gas for gas lamps and coach lamps at stations without a mains (local coal gas) supply. They were kept in bay platforms etc. and then taken to a major station for recharging.

 

I have finally got round to finishing one of them. They have NEM pockets so the couplings were easy. Brass top hat bearings were sunk into the axle boxes with a soldering iron. 14mm wheels were added.

 

 

 

Due to the plastic moulding the wagon was very light. The tanks were hollow so I filled the lower 5 with Liquid Gravity. It's very fine shot. I suspect there are other brands available as they say. I have read that PVA and lead react and expand. So I squirted copious amounts of Evostick in each tank to seal it.

 

 

 

Here it is stuck together. I need to touch up the paint and add transfers. That'll be another couple of years then!

 

 

I now have the second one to do.

 

 

I also endd up changing loads more couplings. How many more wagons need attention?

 

And to think I went into the railway room to wire up the new Servo boards!!!

[t-b-g]

I believe Peter Denny's trick with regards to wagon loads was to make the underlying spacer (i.e. the polystyrene in this case) very much shorter than the wagon, so he could press down on one end of the load to tip it up for easy removal.

 

The Denny method was to have the whole body as a lift off, so each wagon has two bodies, one full and one empty. It also allows different liveries to be applied to the fulls and empties so although there are only 12 wagons in the usual coal train (plus a couple of others that work in the pick up goods) there is an appearance of there being more.

 

I don't know where you got that information from and I am sure I have seen it somewhere but it is not how the Buckingham (GC) coal train is emptied now.

[Richard Mawer]

NEXT BATCH

 

I found time today toake some more signals. I use the excellent Ratio Quick Assembly kits. They are made to operated by cord with a lever supplied in the kit. The signal is meant to have a tubular base that goes through a half inch hole in the baseboard. I have found many parts to be too fragile and fiddly for my liking and I want them servo operated. So I miss out most of the parts, using just the post, ladder etc. I slice the mouldings off the base and superglue that to a piece of plasticard with a servo fixed below. The operating wire goes straight through the base to the servo horn/bracket. These sit over a 40mm hole for the servo.

 

The signal arm and axle is one of the weakest parts of the kit and certainly not up to the workout a servo can give it. They tend to break. The design also has a lot of leverage, meaning not much movement of the wire makes a large movement of the arm. My solution is to slice off the plastic spindle and use an old (very old!) Hornby (I'm talking about Super 4 days!) track pin. By comparison to todays track pins these are more like nails, but they fit through the Ratio hole perfectly. I Evostick the arm to the head. On the rear I use another piece from the kit, cut down in size, drill a small hole though it and push fit it over the point of the pin. The operating wire, bent 90 degrees, hooks though the larger hole. This stops the arm and spindle from coming out and gives a longer crank for the operating wire, lowering the leverage ratio. Once set at the right at the right angle, a drop of superglue on the pin secures the plastic back piece.

 

You can see the original piece from the kit (not sure what is really meant for) on the left and the cut down version on the right.

 

 

Once built, these are quite resilient. Ok, the back looks a bit clunky and the wire goes straight into the ground, so its no masterpiece, but they work and can signal trains.

 

The twin arm signal was a pig. I have made brackets before, but not one of these. The bracket was a doddle by comparison. On these there is next to no room to make sure the upper wire misses the lower crank. I have only one more to make!

 

[danstercivicman]

I like the wagon loads, very clever!

[MarshLane]

Hi Richard,

Just checking in for a catch up on things! Your making nice progress and the latest batch of signals look good - that 7200 is superb too! Always did like the big GWR tanks, bit of a soft spot for 4277!

 

Nice to see that things are progressing however, and the trick with the loads, pva glue and cling film is one that is well worth me remembering!

 

Rich

[Richard Mawer]

Hi Richard,

Just checking in for a catch up on things! Your making nice progress and the latest batch of signals look good - that 7200 is superb too! Always did like the big GWR tanks, bit of a soft spot for 4277!

Nice to see that things are progressing however, and the trick with the loads, pva glue and cling film is one that is well worth me remembering!

Rich

Good to hear from you Rich.

 

I can't claim originality for the cling film thing. I tead it somewhere ages ago. Can't remember when/where.

 

The signals look ok at a distance (no pun intended), but they work well which is the i portant bit on this layout.