Ranelagh Bridge West London stabling Point

[steve fay]

Yes il keep buying Heljan as well as JLTRT the upcoming class 22 form JLTRT & warship form Heljan are both Musts for RB,

I'm Just glad that after a lot of badgering and recommending they do this for a long time, they have now seen the light.

I won't say its down to me but I've well publicised what I'm doing ( with there approval) and it does seem they've had a fair few enquiries for there castings since.

[ianwales]

Hi

 

Sorry to go off topic, but, since I am not on Facebook can I just ask do JLTRT still intend doing the class 22?

 

Ian

[two tone green]

It makes a lot of sense what they are doing and I will be after some of the parts to detail my Heljan locos and replace some of the bits that have fallen off my JLTRT locos .

 

Put in a good word for a MK1 sleeper will you next time you are up north.

[steve fay]

Ian they should have a pre pro for Kettering, there in the final stages of completion.

Andy il pass on the info. Are you at Bristol ?

[two tone green]

Yes, will be at Bristol on Sunday. If I am not out and about looking around I will be on the SWD stand.

[steve fay]

Great stuff mate see you there

[two tone green]

Looking forward to having a natter with you.

[two tone green]

Hi Steve.

 

Apologies of not finding time to chat even though you stopped by where I was. I did not stop from the moment the doors opened to ten to four when I managed to escape to go to the loo.

 

Even some friends from work who stopped by got only a few seconds to say hello. Luckily he did come back with a cup of tea for me which was very welcome.

 

We must arrange a get together soon. I will be over your way Wednesday evening but going to see layout. Seems its quite impressive.

 

Sorry again.

[steve fay]

That's OK mate you seemed busy every time I passed, have you taken delivery of your Brit yet?

Whilst at the show I picked up some wire to add the pipe runs on the bogie sides, they were moulded on originally, there's a few more to add but these will have to wait until the sand pipes have been added.

Edited January 26, 2014 by steve fay

[two tone green]

Hi Steve,

 

Yes it was very busy with lots of people impressed with the sound installs and sound projects.

 

No Brit yet. Its apparently in quality for inspection.

[ozzyo]

Hi Steve,

No Brit yet. Its apparently in quality for inspection.

 

Hello TTG,

 

if it's from D.J.H. check the shape of the deflectors, as the curve is not always a curve!

 

OzzyO.

[two tone green]

Thanks OzzyO.

 

Steve has pointed that out to me already as he has a DJH Brit as well.

[steve fay]

Andy

Forgot to say westdale do mk1 sleepers I seen them

On there stand yesterday

[steve fay]

I've added the pipes today using some heat shrink tube, I've popped the Heljan buffers back in just to see how it all looks,

The mis match in red on the buffer will not matter once it's been weathered

[The Stationmaster]

Steve it looks to me to have gained some air pipes and lost the m.u. jumper cable.  As far as I can remember - and photos seem to agree (but many are unclear) it should have reading from left to right as it is viewed -

buffer. m.u. female connect (orange), control air pipe (white handle and end), vacuum pipe (red end), coupling, steam pipe (aluminium painted handle but colour varied), control air pipe (white handle and end), male outlet point for the m.u. connection (range), buffer, mu. cable dummy receptacle (orange, beneath and behind buffer but slightly offset, and quite a long looped m.u. cable between the male outlet and the dummy receptacle.

 

I certainly don't remember them with air pipes painted as reservoir pipes (yellow) as they were never fitted with train air brakes.

 

I am going as much on memory as anything else so I might not be spot on but it certainly doesn't look quite right to me in terms of teh number of pipes and connectors.  Incidentally on teh originals the lifeguards were fairly prominent as well of course.

[two tone green]

Hi Steve,

 

Yes, saw the Westdale version at Reading but some how not right for me. I prefer the JLTRT (almost) approach of a complete kit in a box.

 

Its not mega urgent as such, more  a nice to have so can wait. Lots of other things to go at on my never ending list of things to do.

[brian daniels]

There are main res pipes on a Hymek. Don't forget Mike that main res pipes are supplied to locos for MU operation as well, not just for air braking. It also helps when you are dragging a dead loco to put up the res pipes to get main air into the dead one so you can get the brakes off. Don't forget as well that vac braked Westerns had main res pipes.

[steve fay]

I used this picture for reference,

And this one.

I haven't added the MU cable yet until I've finished with the buffer beam

Please though if there's anything else let me know all the info I can get the better

Thanks mike & Brian

The western will be a lot easier though,

Edited January 27, 2014 by steve fay

[steve fay]

Hymek replacement bogie steps and timkin covers,

And once built,

A big improvement over the originals, Thanks to OzzyO for building these for me and you can see how they came together on his build thread in kit building and scratch building.m

[steve fay]

Slight change on the hymek front, I'm going to leave off the ploughs and do her as D7022 one of the first to be allocated to canton in 1962, il use the ploughs on something else in the future.

I've removed the head board clips on the front ends.

Edited January 31, 2014 by steve fay

[steve fay]

Ian they should have a pre pro for Kettering, there in the final stages of completion.

Andy il pass on the info. Are you at Bristol ?

Right if I didn't explain this correctly enough, Ian asked if JLTRT were still doing a 22, so just to confirm, JLTRT should have a pre production sample of there class 22 kit on display at Kettering as they were recently finishing off all the castings for it,

The rest was a message for Andy TTG.

Edited January 31, 2014 by steve fay

[steve fay]

Whilst trawling the web for any pictures of RB I came across this little story,

 

STRAIGHT BACK

Ranelagh Bridge is a small railway complex, consisting of a turntable and several stalls, with some pits. It is about one mile from Paddington Station. It's use is for Engines to turn, ready for their return trip. It also provides somewhere to locate the Engine's with time to spare, before their return Train time. On arrival at Ranelagh Bridge the Crew turn their Engine around, top up the water in the Tender and then place the Engine over a Pit to enable the Driver to oil underneath and the Fireman to bring his coal forward on the Tender. There is an Engineman's Rest Room, with facilities to cook and to make tea.

Old Oak Locomotive Depot supply a Tender Locomotive 24 hours a day and a Crew on 8 hour shifts to man the Engine, this is to cover any Engine or Crew who may be in trouble.

The day I am now referring to, was when we booked on duty for an 8 hour shift at Ranelagh Bridge. We booked on at 4.00 p.m. at Old Oak Depot and made our way to Ranelagh Bridge, where we arrived at 5.00 p.m. and relieved the Crew.

At 5.50 p.m. we received a call from our Locomotive Foreman at Old Oak Common, he explained that the Engine on the 6.10 p.m. Wolverhampton Express had failed at the last minute, so consequently we would have to work the Train. We prepared our Star Class 4.6.0 Locomotive and left Ranelagh Bridge to back on to our Train.

We pulled out of Paddington on time, conveying 11 coaches and had a trouble tree trip, arriving at Wolverhampton Station on time where a set of men were waiting to relieve us.

Our Relief Driver said, "How is she?" (Referring to the Engine's performance)

"No problems" replied my Driver "She's a good 'un"

The Relief Driver then said "Control wants you to contact them immediately, right away"

My Driver said to me "You go and make a can of tea in the Up Line Porter's Room and I will contact Control. See you there."

As I walked along the UP Main Line Platform, an Express Parcel Train pulled in.

I went into the Porter's Room and made a can of tea. I was just about to pour a cup out, when my Driver arrived. He said "Don't pour it out yet, we have got to work a Train straight back. The Train that's waiting for us on the UP Platform."

He said "Control apologised for us not having time for our food, but they had no choice, as usual".

On relieving the Crew, My Driver asked the other Driver, "How is she?" (she being a 4.6.0 Loco. Hall Class).

"No trouble", replied the Driver.

As he left the footplate the Fireman said to me, "The only snag is, it is not Welsh coal, this stuff burns as fast as you can shovel it. It is hard work."

A few minutes later we were on our way, Paddington first stop. At least, that is what it should have been.

We were well on our way and were approaching Haddenham, up gradient towards Princes Risborough. Half way up the gradient, as I bent forward to put some coal in the Firebox, I developed a terrible pain in my lower back. There was no way I could straighten up.

"What's up Mate?" said the Driver

"Sorry," I replied "I can't stand upright, my back's gone." The Driver put his hand round my waist and took me to his seat on the Driver's side, saying "You keep a lookout and I will do the Firing."​By this time we were nearing Princes Risborough Station which was on a right hand bend.

Suddenly. I saw the three Red Lights of a Guards Van in front of us. This indicated that it was on the Main Line in front of us although all our Signals were Green.

"STOP DRIVER, STOP!", I shouted

He raced over to his own side. I moved, still bent up, out of his way. He braked hard. It was pitch dark, all we could see was these three Red Lights coming closer and closer. We were both expecting a collision. Still braking hard, we stopped with a jolt. We both drew a breath of relief when at last we saw it was on the lines next to us. At least, if the Train had been on our Line, thanks to the Driver, we would have stopped in time with a few metres to spare.

The Train we were working consisted of 9 Vacuum Vans and 27 non vacuum stock. When we braked, the nine Vacuum Van's brakes, automatically went on with the Engine's brakes, helping us to stop in time. However, when working this sort of mixed Train, you never brake as we had to unless it is an emergency, because the last 27 non-vacuum Vans, having no brakes, concertina violently, throwing the Guard around the Guards Van.

The Driver said "My God, what about our Guard?. I am going back to see how he is."

The Guard was in a bad way, head bleeding, broken leg and bruises all over. The Driver and Station Hand managed to carry him to the Station Rest Room and called for an ambulance.

My Driver phoned Control to tell them the predicament we were in. No guard and Fireman in pain. The Controller said to the Driver

"Can you manage to get to Paddington as I have no one to relieve your Fireman anywhere around?"

"Yes" replied to Driver "But you had better have an ambulance, at Paddington to take my Fireman to hospital."

The Driver fired the Engine, whilst I kept watch. I was still in bad pain and could not straighten my back. When at last we pulled into Paddington Parcel Platform 9, the ambulance was waiting to take me to St. Mary's Hospital, where I was put in traction for two weeks and then sent home to rest. I was off from work for five weeks altogether.

The Guard, who had forgotten to remove the Red Shade from his right-hand rear light, to indicate his Train was no longer on the Main Line, was demoted as punishment.

[steve fay]

Little up date in the western, I had to try and match up my skirts so after two failed attempts at halfords Fred suggested I mix some enamels and this was as close as I could get,

I think mine is a bit closer than heljans desert sand!!

Any way what to do? So out with the weathering powders,

This is only temporary as I would like to shuttle D1000 back and forth on canton at the Newport o gauge show.

The loco will go to Fred for a weathering after the show in April, like this

Other side,

With a bit of patchy ness like this,

Over on the Heljan western thread some one has moved the head code box up by 1mm and it makes a difference so I've had the file and scalpel out and now I have to fill the gap with some plasticard.

That's a job for tomorrow.

I need to get some testors dull coat to fix the powders in place as I've rubbed half of them off already!!

[steve fay]

Sand pipes on the western,

I've also moved the head code box up by 1.5mm and filled the underside with plasticard, still needs a bit of filling and making good before it has the half yellow end added. I think it makes a big visual difference

[Solderpete]

Steve,

 

You're right just moving the head-code panel up slightly does improve the front. 

 

You might be interested to know that in the steam days there was a particular women living in the flats who took great exception to locos blowing off at RB. She used to throw empty milk bottles on to the offending loco.  Made the crews quite careful to avoid her wrath by taking great care that their loco didn't reach the blow-off pressure, however accidents happened!

 

When I worked there in the 1970's we would be preparing the diesels to work trains which would include testing the steam heating boilers. The Spanner type would blow off with quite a force but fortunately the flying milk bottles seemed to have stopped by then!

 

Looking forward to seeing RB at some future shows.

 

Peter