Deliberately Old-Fashioned 0 Scale - Chapter 1

[Northroader]

Looking at your point picture, and chewing over your last statement, then, the third rail is live up to the crossing, and then the continuation past the crossing, plus little section of switch rail intervening between the third rail, is switched on when the point is set for that route? I suppose it’s got to be done that way if the rails are all level. I reckon a continuous skate rather than two spoons would be a better bet, as it wouldn’t drop down the hole?

Edit, or is the little section of switch rail left dead? If it was bonded to the relevant bit of third rail, like Don has suggested, Robert could be your fathers brother?

Edited October 11, 2018 by Northroader

[St Enodoc]

The obvious answer is to nick the mechanism from that.

 

Three photos below display the issue of ‘gapping’: standard spoon span is 4”/100mm; this loco has c55mm, which gaps definitively; yesterday I jury-rigged 80mm, using bits of shim soldered to the spoons at about the maximum that can be achieved, still nursery, with stops at low speed, so clearly tapping slightly.

 

Set of standard spoons and the ones from this loco.

 

Photo of the underside, which shows how long spoons can easily contact the worm at one end and the pony-truck at the other.

 

I think I am going to make a set up at c85mm, which is pushing it, but ideas from the collective would be welcomed.

Kevin, I know little about 0 gauge and even less about three-rail but how about two sets of short spoons, one mounted on the loco in the usual way and the other mounted on the bogie, and connected in parallel?

[Nearholmer]

Now that might just work!

 

The pony-truck is very light, but could probably be ballasted a bit without harm, then add a single spoon, positioned so that its contact point is directly below the pony axle.

 

I will investermigate further tomorrow.

 

Thank you!

[Northroader]

[ian]

Save enough (about 40,000) and you could build this:

 

[uax6]

Could you cut the bottom of the worm off? It looks to be far to long anyway. Another way would be to drill the spoon to clear it, or as Annie suggested, make up some sort of skeleton of rods to extend the spoon beyond the worm.

 

I would also suggest rigging a spoon on the pony somehow too.

 

Andy G

[Mark Carne]

Here's my Highfield chopper tank, and some hopefully useful views of the underside, showing the pickup unit.

 

Cheers, Mark.

[Nearholmer]

Many thanks Mark.

 

Inspired by that, and a consultation with Met H and one of his engines this morning, the plan is:

 

1) get a set of spoons from Paul, fit them with a slight adjustment; and,

 

2) if that doesn’t give the desired smoothness, fit a new ETS mech.

[Annie]

My own little 0-4-2 tank engine built from scrap Hornby parts and fitted with spoon pickups of my own devising took a bit of fettling and adjustment too before it would run properly, but I was using tinplate 'universal' type points so possibly it was a bit easier to get it working properly.

[Nearholmer]

The subject of operation has come-up in a couple of other threads, so I thought i’d run through some of what is meant to happen on my layout, not that it always does!

 

Naturally, a fair bit of imagination is involved, but here goes.

 

First, imagine it’s about 3:00am, so dark. At Paltry Circus the first Down train of the day is about to leave. Main purpose is to carry newspapers, being one of the last ‘paper trains to leave London. Route is via Redhill, where it lingers a bit to take-on post bags, then Three Bridges, East Grinstead, and all stations to Birlstone.

 

Notice that as well as an old milk van, it is made up of two ‘big van’ brake thirds, giving lots of room for papers in the front brake and mail bags in the rear.

[Nearholmer]

After much lingering along the way, it arrives at Birlstone at 5:54am.

 

There are two rakes stabled in the station: old six-wheelers for the stopping train in the loop; and, bogie coaches for the semi-fast in the bay.

Edited October 15, 2018 by Nearholmer

[Nearholmer]

Unloading takes about half an hour, and has to be done swiftly.

 

While this is going on, a loco comes off shed and shunts the stock of the local onto the rear of the paper train.

 

Once loading is finished, the who cavalcade is shunted to the loop, causing wheelslip of the loco on greasy rails, and the engine from London is released to be turned and watered.

[Nearholmer]

Now, the paper van is put out of the way in the ‘dock’, the coaches left in the loop, and the first Up stopped, the 6:43am, is ready to leave.

 

Quite a busy period!

[Northroader]

Highly convincing movements, and when you’ve got such nice trains to run, really great!!

[Metropolitan H]

Have you got round to sorting out the signalling diagrams for Birlstone and Paltry. Then we can think about the frame requirements and the rodding and wires to make it work properly!

 

I know you are much further forward than I am, but we need to show all these modern (Finescale??) types what the steam age railway was really like and how it worked without mobile phone and slow motor driven turnouts?

 

While I am still a RS Engineer at heart, I do recognise how important the "Bobby" is to the smooth and safe working of the real railway.

 

Rant over.

 

Regards

Chris H

[Nearholmer]

We’ll come back to that topic later.

 

For now, the timetable continues its inexorable march.

 

The London engine is to take out the 8:02am semi-fast, which is a stockbrokers’ train, but first more shunting. The stock for the train is moved to the main platform, so as to put first-class right by the station entrance, and the twin-set is moved from the loop to the bay. All at double-time, so that the loco can get on the front a good half-hour before departure to warm the coaches.

 

Departure on the dot!

[Nearholmer]

Second loco of the day off-shed at Birlstone and onto the twin-set. This will shuttle back and forth to Oxted all day, the big vans being useful for parcels, bicycles and perambulators. Really, it goes to the fiddle-yard!

 

At Paltry Circus the stopper has arrived and is being run-round and shunted to the bay, in time for the semi-fast, which has almost caught it up, to arrive. Everyone can be at their desks by ten o’clock.

Edited October 15, 2018 by Nearholmer

[Nearholmer]

I think I’ve got out of synch here, but in London the stopper is departing south, while in the country the shuttle has arrived with the grammar school pupils and is running round.

 

And, the stock of the semi has been put in the bay at PC until the 5:20pm Down, the loco going off to the shed (which happens to be the same shed as Birlstone, ‘cos I’ve only got one, and that hasn’t actually got a shed yet!).

[Nearholmer]

Finally for today, you’ll be delighted to hear, some pictured of the Norwood Yard to Birlstone goods. This arrives at a quiet time in the middle of the day and proceeds to obstruct the place with shunting. The yard is very awkwardly arranged, with sidings on both sides of the station throat, so this all takes an age (it really does!).

 

Inward traffic today is two loaded coal wagons, and outward one empty coal wagon, one empty bitumen tanker, and one van filled with cases of ‘Hughtight - The World’s Stickiest Glue’, which is made locally. The other wagons in the train are to or from other yards en-route.

 

The Oxted shuttle and a Down stopper have to be threaded through, and usually the goods engine has to be turned, although today that wasn’t necessary.

[Edwardian]

Inward traffic today is two loaded coal wagons, and outward one empty coal wagon, one empty bitumen tanker, and one van filled with cases of ‘Hughtight - The World’s Stickiest Glue’, which is made locally. The

 

Excellent and informative set of pictures.  Please reassure us that the horse boxes are not inbound to the glue factory! 

 

A great name for glue, though is it not Hugtight?

 

This, I think, is Hughtight ... 

[Nearholmer]

The Hugtight brand name and slogan were shamelessly stolen from The Twits, by Roald Dahl. I hope he wouldn't mind. I do share his birthday, which might help, but I'm not sure how.

 

I've often wondered about the ingredients, but never discussed the subject with my children, for fear of causing nightmares. You never see old and tired racehorses about anywhere, do you?

Edited October 16, 2018 by Nearholmer

[mervyn]

Just to allay your children fears Kevin ,my daughter once owned a retired race horse "Lady Doon" so some do escape ! I will leave out the part when the horse stood on my foot and broke my toes....Plenty of modelling time when I was healing tho, every cloud as they say ..now back on topic.....

[roughshunt]

Wonderful stuff!Real model railroading.

[Simond]

Matheran, Maharashtra, Western India. 

 

The town has a population of two internal-combustion-engined vehicles, a road roller and an ambulance.  There are many many rickshaws, and a rather splendid 2' gauge "toy train" (their words, not mine).  I mention this because, apart from Shanks' pony, the main form of transport is retired Marathi race horses, some gelded, some entire.  The latter are hired to those of us who can ride sufficiently well to cope with their foibles. The majority of the horses are kept for transport for the less experienced rider, on a lead rein, but as the family were well able to cope, we had a wonderful time with some great horses.  Happy days...

 

Simon

[Northroader]

Each year I try to get in a trip out to a preserved line, this year it was the Spa Valley, just west from Tunbridge Wells. Looking at your trains coming and going, and carrying an image of that lines setting and scenery, your layout really came to life, and seeing all the trains in blocks of Southern green added more, as I didn’t see very much of the Southern when younger. Really enjoyed the sequence of operations pictures, thank you.