RMweb Gold TheSignalEngineer Posted April 1, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 1, 2018 Yikes! In all seriousness haha, it likely has too many or too few. While I visited the box often when on holiday in Oldham-de-la-Immigrasionano, and even signed Rule 55 on one occasion, I just never got around to counting levers. I don't think we even researched this when writing the Delph book. I just had a look at the SRS site and the highest number was 60, so quite large but not too hard to work if there was a lot of straight up and down traffic. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted April 1, 2018 Author Share Posted April 1, 2018 (edited) A few more shots before the building takes its place on the layout.As with the 7mm building, paintwork, windows and down spouts are as they were in BR steam days.... Chimney pots for the 4mm building are on order and will closely resemble the ones on the larger scale structure... Edited April 1, 2018 by coachmann 14 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danemouth Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 Larry, If only I had one tenth of your skill set ..... Brilliant modelling, Happy Easter, Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post coachmann Posted April 1, 2018 Author Popular Post Share Posted April 1, 2018 (edited) From now on I'm going to build buildings seeing as making a replacement scale model of the station house has made all the difference. Everything else still knit's together despite the platform being one coach short of a full pound. All that is needed now is some warm weather.... One of my birthday presents.......... The latest Hornby 'Grange' resembles a 'Manor' with it's small Tender. And the green is somewhat darker too. I have removed the Tenders innards beneath the coal to make room for a sound decoder....... Edited April 1, 2018 by coachmann 26 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted April 5, 2018 Author Share Posted April 5, 2018 This is my personal opinion of course, but Peco had the opportunity to adopt the American Code 83 geometry, which incidentally still has space-saving turnouts in its range for the space starved. Hailing bullhead chaired turnouts as being more realistic is fine and I will be using the new points in a few weeks time, albeit slightly bent to transfer some of the sharp radius to the straight section. But continuing to churn out single and double slips to utterly toytown 2ft radius makes a mockery of any claim for more realistic looking bullhead turnouts. Meanwhile, the old goods yard has been cleared for new development.... .....and the Down waiting shelter has received a new canopy.... 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post coachmann Posted April 6, 2018 Author Popular Post Share Posted April 6, 2018 (edited) 4mm scale chimney arrived today from S&D Models, Burnham-on-Sea, and very neat they are too.... The place is in the middle of an upheaval so the building was plonked onto the platform just for the photos... Edited April 6, 2018 by coachmann 32 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Grafarman Posted April 7, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 7, 2018 I was in Llangollen yesterday looking forward to a leisurely ride up the line to see Carrog and the developments at Corwen but the Thomas brigade had taken over and the platforms (and surrounding carparks) were awash with visiting families. I fully support using these events for creating interest for future generations, but found it a bit annoying when our lifetime membership passes didn't allow us access to the station without paying for event tickets! Next weekend is the steam gala so I'll pop back then... Your model of the station (in both scales) is truly amazing and demonstrates well-honed skills far beyond my fumblings. I very much look forward to the new iteration taking shape... David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Focalplane Posted April 7, 2018 Share Posted April 7, 2018 I was in Llangollen yesterday looking forward to a leisurely ride up the line to see Carrog and the developments at Corwen but the Thomas brigade had taken over and the platforms (and surrounding carparks) were awash with visiting families. I fully support using these events for creating interest for future generations, but found it a bit annoying when our lifetime membership passes didn't allow us access to the station without paying for event tickets! Next weekend is the steam gala so I'll pop back then... Your model of the station (in both scales) is truly amazing and demonstrates well-honed skills far beyond my fumblings. I very much look forward to the new iteration taking shape... David The GWSR does the same with their event weekends, I could not even access a second hand stall at Toddington. There were many disappointed visitors that day. The moral is to check on-line first, I suppose. Paul Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gismorail Posted April 7, 2018 Share Posted April 7, 2018 I was in Llangollen yesterday looking forward to a leisurely ride up the line to see Carrog and the developments at Corwen but the Thomas brigade had taken over and the platforms (and surrounding carparks) were awash with visiting families. I fully support using these events for creating interest for future generations, but found it a bit annoying when our lifetime membership passes didn't allow us access to the station without paying for event tickets! Next weekend is the steam gala so I'll pop back then... Your model of the station (in both scales) is truly amazing and demonstrates well-honed skills far beyond my fumblings. I very much look forward to the new iteration taking shape... David I think you will find that you will require an event ticket for the Gala too ..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Grafarman Posted April 7, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 7, 2018 I think you will find that you will require an event ticket for the Gala too ..... Yes good point - I'll check online first this time! Mind you, it'll be worth an extra few quid as they always put on a great show... David 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted April 7, 2018 Author Share Posted April 7, 2018 (edited) Just come back from walking off last nights Chinese. My mind went back to a typical wet Saturday morning in Oldham and queuing up at the Gasworks for coke. Dickensian doesn't begin to descibe it, but I wasn't alone in the early 1950's. The sound of shunting over the wall whet my appetite for later in the morning, wet through or not. Edited April 7, 2018 by coachmann 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrkirtley800 Posted April 8, 2018 Share Posted April 8, 2018 Blimey Larry, you have stirred up the memory banks. I used to go with my mother and queue with dozens of other people. We used to borrow an old pushchair to transport the sacks of coke. I think we were limited to two sacks. What a job. On one occasion we loaded up the pushchairand my mother asked for the piece of rope the tie the sacked in place. I had not moved it and it was at the bottom under the sacks. We had one hell of a job getting it home. Derek 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Rowsley17D Posted April 8, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 8, 2018 Arr, the good old days, eh? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold TheSignalEngineer Posted April 8, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 8, 2018 We moved to a new estate on the east side of Birmingham in January 1951. My Dad used to cycle to his job and passed Saltley Gasworks coming off shift in the morning. He would join the queue and push his bike four miles home with a bag of coke across the handlebars. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Focalplane Posted April 8, 2018 Share Posted April 8, 2018 We had a coal bin out back behind the above ground air raid shelter and I used to be sent out there on dark rainy nights to fill up the scuttle. It was so dark I dreamed up all sorts of ghoulish creatures that were going to steal me away. The other chore was being sent down to the village shop to fill the gallon container with paraffin. Again no street lights and on the way back the can was a bit heavy for a 7 year old. Do young kids these days even know what we are writing about? Paul 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrkirtley800 Posted April 8, 2018 Share Posted April 8, 2018 (edited) Yes, the folks born after the 50s will not have a clue of what we are talking about. But then, just after WW2, everyone was in the same boat and doing what we were doing, so collecting your own household fuel and queueing for it was just normal. Derek Edited April 8, 2018 by Mrkirtley800 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Focalplane Posted April 8, 2018 Share Posted April 8, 2018 It looks like we are taking two of the grandchildren to the Black Country Living Museum tomorrow. So Pops and Nan may have some reminiscing to do there! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruffnut Thorston Posted April 8, 2018 Share Posted April 8, 2018 (edited) Some of us born after 1960 do have a very good idea of what things were like in the 40s and 50s....for some of us this went on into the 1970s! My mother never quite got used to the fact that we had to buy coal.... After all, she came from a mining family! (And some relations worked on the railway as well! ) I still remember the unique smell from the Gasworks.....all gone after Noth Sea Gas. How long before the UK will need to re-build the coal mines and gas works???? Edited April 8, 2018 by Sarahagain 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brassey Posted April 8, 2018 Share Posted April 8, 2018 Some of us born after 1960 do have a very good idea of what things were like in the 40s and 50s....for some of us this went on into the 1970s! My mother never quite got used to the fact that we had to buy coal.... After all, she came from a mining family! (And some relations worked on the railway as well! ) I still remember the unique smell from the Gasworks.....all gone after Noth Sea Gas. How long before the UK will need to re-build the coal mines and gas works???? We moved into a brand new council property in the late 60's that was still coal heated. The central heating ran off the one fire place in the building. They even provided a coal cupboard at ground level though the clean air act put paid to the coal man coming round as you couldn't burn coal only coke. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted April 8, 2018 Author Share Posted April 8, 2018 (edited) I found time to do a spot of pottering in the trainshed this afternoon. The sound in a GWR 38XX was transferred to one of the latest Grange class locos, both with small Churchward Tenders. The Tenders were simply swapped over and after testing, I re-sprayed the weathered 38XX Tender chassis plain black and the plain black one to weathered condition then swapped bodies. Seemples. The sound never seemed right in the 2-8-0 despite being marketted for the 28XX, but it definitely suits the larger wheeled 4-6-0. Then I got around to looking at the revised track plan. In a decade or more of track laying, without doubt the track I found the 'best' for connecting, laying and providing the smoothest passage for trains was Peco Code 100 followed closely by the '75. The flat-bottom rail is rigid enough line up rail-end to rail-end without reliance on insulating rail joiners. Code 83 also has a lot going for it because the geometry of the #8 large radius point makes the flow of locos passing over it a delight. In contrast, the far flimsier bullhead rail can be a nuisance for lots of reasons, but then it has to be balanced again appearance ~ especially in photographs. Appearance counts for everything on RMweb, it seems. At the end of the day, I ordered some more Peco bullhead points. I am making a rod for my own back as usual! The garden sections are to be relaid in Code 100. It was used two years ago and its rigidity was invaluable on top of roofing felt. Code 75 laid last year has not really been a success because it is too 'soft' on top of felt that buckles a bit according to cold and heat. Edited April 8, 2018 by coachmann 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyram Posted April 8, 2018 Share Posted April 8, 2018 (edited) Looking forward to seeing more progress. Edited April 8, 2018 by andyram Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWsTrains Posted April 9, 2018 Share Posted April 9, 2018 (edited) We moved to a new estate on the east side of Birmingham in January 1951. My Dad used to cycle to his job and passed Saltley Gasworks coming off shift in the morning. He would join the queue and push his bike four miles home with a bag of coke across the handlebars. What this? "Coke! New estate on the east side of Birmingham?" - luxury. We used t'live in hole in road. (MP really got that experienced deprivation theme spot on I'd say from reading recent posts here) Edited April 9, 2018 by BWsTrains Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruffnut Thorston Posted April 9, 2018 Share Posted April 9, 2018 Interesting that, as I am planning to get one or two Oxford Toads.....probably one 6-wheel, and 1 4-wheel, to go with the two "new" Hornby Toads.... Fitting Kadees to the Hornby Toads, I found the NEM socket mounting a bit floppy. I inserted a Tri-ang Hornby Cylinder Block fixing washer under the screw head, and tightened the screw up a bit. I found that the Kadee NEM coupling head movement was sufficient, with the screw tightened so that the NEM socket didn't move, to run across a Set track Radius 2 reverse curve (This is my standard test, two 2nd Radius curves joined together!) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Alder Posted April 9, 2018 Share Posted April 9, 2018 Did you cut through some of the sleeper webs? I did this on one as a trial although I ended up using another as it came, but it seemed as if it would hold its shape with a light encouragement when this was done. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted April 10, 2018 Share Posted April 10, 2018 Yes, a millimeter section was removed from the webs in the usual manner. The rail is not held very firmly in these turnouts, but I have other doubts as well. I tried that with Bull Head, the Local Tip was the beneficiary. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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