The Calder Vale Mineral Railway

[Ruston]

Another play with the railway, today, with a visiting Kerr Stuart Victory.

 

 

And some of the home team.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 29, 2022 by Ruston

[Ruston]

A few more.

 

The breakdown wagon was called into action after a few chaldrons came off the road near the pipe works. Several of the works staff came over to the railings to offer "advice".

 

 

[Ruston]

The CVMR's own Kerr, Stuart Victory is ready for service. Having been bought from a Government service auction after the war, it was despatched to the Hunslet Engine Company for overhaul and a repaint. The nameplates had previously carried by a 'Terrier' that was sold for scrap just before the war.

 

[Sandhole]

6 minutes ago, Ruston said:

The CVMR's own Kerr, Stuart Victory is ready for service. Having been bought from a Government service auction after the war, it was despatched to the Hunslet Engine Company for overhaul and a repaint. The nameplates had previously carried by a 'Terrier' that was sold for scrap just before the war.

 

Superb job as always, Dave.
Love the Chaldron waggon dumb buffers. Class.
Regards,
Chris.

[DLT]

I love this layout.

[DLT]

On 29/11/2022 at 18:10, DLT said:

I love this layout.

One mark of quality is that when I look the photos, I can't tell what scale it is; I can't see any giveaways.

[Andrew Young]

On 19/11/2022 at 18:40, Ruston said:

 

 

This is just stunning. As DLT says, without knowing, it’s difficult to tell from the modelling what scale this is and could easily be forgiven for O gauge. Cracking stuff. 

[Ruston]

Daphne and friend were supposed to be ready for tomorrow's operating session, but a lack of funds means that neither have decoders and so will be mere spectators.

 

Daphne's friend isn't mine, but has been in works for the same haircut as Daphne and is due to depart, tomorrow.

 

 

[Ruston]

Another good session of tea-drinking, putting the world to rights and playing with the trainset, with Scott and his visiting red Barclay.

 

The first passenger working of the day in the charge of Peckett C Class Nephthys.

 

14-inch Barclay Wizard with a train of chaldrons. The visiting Barclay heading light engine toward Elland to pick up a goods train.

 

Manning Wardle Horus, shunting its train of tar tanks from the local gas works. The L&Y 'tin tab' brake van will be attached to the rear.

 

Trains to and from the quarries.

 

The quarrymen's train, made up of ancient second hand coaches.

 

Another goods train.

 

 

 

Edited February 5, 2023 by Ruston

[Ruston]

A new engine for the Calder Vale Mineral Railway - Hornby's Tiger 0-4-2.

 

The L&MR's Tiger would never have looked like this at all, but there is a possibility that Lion could have appeared something like this at a late stage in its career, before it became a pumping engine. The firebox on the 1865 boiler that is under the silly copper cover on Lion is how Hornby have modelled this one, so in my alternative reality there's always the possibility that Tiger, or another 0-4-2 of similar design, could have been the first locomotive to run on the CVMR after being purchased second hand from a main line railway.It could then have received a replacement boiler to this same design.

A weatherboard, a repaint and even Boultoneseque rebuild into a saddle tank could be on the cards for Tiger.

 

I have just realised that this the the first and so far only OO locomotive that I have ever owned that has a tender!

Edited February 28, 2023 by Ruston
To add useless comment about tenders.

[Schooner]

Watching this one with particular interest. How do you find Tiger's performance?

[Barclay]

Looks like a prime candidate for an Isaac Watt Boulton style conversion !

[Ruston]

18 hours ago, Schooner said:

Watching this one with particular interest. How do you find Tiger's performance?

Rubbish. It's noisy and won't start smoothly at all. The motor can be heard whining and then when it gets enough volts to start moving it takes off rather quickly. I don't know if they're all like this, or if mine is a wrong 'un, but I'm hoping that some running in, and fitting DCC, will improve it.

[NHY 581]

They're not the best......perhaps Hornby were banking on people not actually using them. The majority will be "invested" in....some added to various display cases and a relatively small percentage being run and an even smaller percentage expected to run "prototypically". 

 

Rob

[Ruston]

17 hours ago, NHY 581 said:

They're not the best......perhaps Hornby were banking on people not actually using them. The majority will be "invested" in....some added to various display cases and a relatively small percentage being run and an even smaller percentage expected to run "prototypically". 

 

Rob

Have you got one, Rob? If they are all like that then there's no point in returning it.

 

 

[NHY 581]

15 minutes ago, Ruston said:

Have you got one, Rob? If they are all like that then there's no point in returning it.

 

 

 

 

Hi Dave. 

 

No, it's not really something I'd go for. We had one running at Lord and Butler when they arrived. From your description, I think the one I saw ran marginally better but not in a way that I would accept. Certainly not as well as a good example of their Pecketts. 

 

Not sure if that helps you. 

 

Rob

 

 

[SirBud]

Hi Dave,

On the back of the above comments I have just tried out my Tiger that arrived a few days ago.  It ran beautifully straight out of the box.  Quiet motor and drive, and smooth low speed operation in both directions.  Very pleased with it.  

Then I gave it a session on a couple of tortuous test tracks with 10" and 8" radii that i use to test On30 and GN15 short wheelbase models.  The loco and tender handled 10" radius without any issues both forward and reverse.  8" was a bit too tight and the loco derailed.

Same results with the supplied wagons hooked onto the back of the tender. 

The "chains" supplied are fiddly to install, and the only way I could attach them was with tweezers and the help of a magnifier.  The wagons look at bit odd though without any dumb buffers, and the "chains" hold them a long way apart.

Regards,

Trevor

[Ruston]

5 hours ago, SirBud said:

Hi Dave,

On the back of the above comments I have just tried out my Tiger that arrived a few days ago.  It ran beautifully straight out of the box.  Quiet motor and drive, and smooth low speed operation in both directions.  Very pleased with it.  

Then I gave it a session on a couple of tortuous test tracks with 10" and 8" radii that i use to test On30 and GN15 short wheelbase models.  The loco and tender handled 10" radius without any issues both forward and reverse.  8" was a bit too tight and the loco derailed.

Same results with the supplied wagons hooked onto the back of the tender. 

The "chains" supplied are fiddly to install, and the only way I could attach them was with tweezers and the help of a magnifier.  The wagons look at bit odd though without any dumb buffers, and the "chains" hold them a long way apart.

Regards,

Trevor

Thanks, Trevor. I will see about returning it for a replacement or refund. I knew it was a bad idea getting a RTR loco online. I usually buy from my local shop, where I can examine and test run them.