West Kirby Town: narrow gauge is coming to town.

[Dmudriver]

The parcels traffic build up had started!  2x 12T vans have made their appearance, having come in as tail loads on DMUs.  Here they are in no.1 siding:

 

 

and here, being collected by the 08, prior to being taken to the Down Siding to collect the GUV which has come in attached to the 128/116 set:

 

 

 

Finally, the 3 vehicles are propelled into No.1 Siding to await collection and then delivery to Moreton:

 

 

I got them from Tower Models shop today (it's only about 20 minutes away).  I'm really pleased with them:  everything is attached as it should be - no loose parts in the packaging - and they are so free-running.  I didn't realise I had a slight gradient in the headshunt until I put these 2 on it!!  They just need some weathering but I'll run them anyway.

 

You'll notice the 08 is back on shunting duties: that's because the 03 is on the naughty step again!!  I was using it yesterday and it started stuttering again, then stopped.  I took the body off and found the wire I'd soldered back had come off again (not very impressed with myself!!): soldered it back on, checked the other wiring, all looks ok, pickups OK, so put it back on the track - still dead!  A thorough strip down and checkup is called for, I think.  Another job on the list!!

 

More soon.

 

 

Rod

 

 

[BMS]

Ah for the good old days of rail mail system....

Locally in West Kirby the Royal Mail has been struggling; A first class letter from Arrowe Hosp took up to 18 Jan to arrive - posted 5/1/22. (While critical I had been contacted by phone thankfully on 5/1.)

[Hal Nail]

10 hours ago, Dmudriver said:

and they are so free-running.

Given their age now, the old Freightman or Slater kits stand up incredibly well in terms of finesse in the planking and details but even though I picked up a couple fitted with home made rocker units, they still aren't close to those Dapol/Lionheart chassis designs. That is where r-t-r really scores.

[Dmudriver]

 2 days later and I've got the 03 going again.  I took it to pieces and even got the driver back in his seat!!  Here he is:

 

 

The 03 is now running again, although not perfectly: the stay-alive seems to be taking its time to charge up.  So, if I set the loco off almost straight after switching on the sound, it stalls on the first frog - doesn't even trip the frog juicer.  After a few runs, however, it's then fine, nice and smooth.

 

Does anyone know how these things do charge up?  When I tried the loco on my DC controller, I'd only run it for a short time but it kept going after I took power off the wheels for about 30 seconds!  It seemed to me that a straight 7 or 8 volts DC charged it up almost immediately whereas on DCC it takes much longer.  Why?

 

Here is the loco shunting the vans that the 08 was playing with yesterday:

 

 

More soon.

 

 

Rod

[Simond]

I’m not sure I can offer much insight, but the DCC can surely provide more juice than the analog DC, particularly at 7 or 8V.

 

decoders have resistors on the charging leg - this is done to prevent the inrush current tripping the booster - how many locos / dmus do you have on the layout?  Imagine, as you turn the layout on, all of them start charging their KA caps simultaneously, if the resistors were not there, it could easily draw more than the booster can provide.  These resistors limit the charging current, thus increase the time taken to fully charge the capacitor.  There’s a diode to allow discharge through the motor without the limiting effect of the resistor.

 

I only have one particular loco, a Minerva Peckett, which just doesn’t seem to charge well.  It works, but nowhere like as well as my other Zimo/KA equipped locos.  I suspect it’s a pick-up issue, but I still haven’t stripped it down to sort it out.  I guess there could be an electronic issue with my Peckett and your 03, but I don’t know what.

 

do shout up if you find out the problem!

[Dmudriver]

I think - and hope!! - that I've solved the problem with the 03.  Due to 1)  impatience and 2)  dirty pickups.

 

I put it on the track and fired everything up but ran a couple of other things before the 03.  By that time the stayalive seemed to have charged up fully and it ran perfectly for a few shunting moves (the impatience was me, wanting to get it going too soon), then started stuttering again!  It would move if I jiggled it about on the track, so I reasoned dirty wheels: however, they were ok so I thought it must be the pickups.  Unfortunately, they are under the low footplate and bear down onto the wheel treads: consequently difficult to get at.  So I squirted liberal amounts of contact cleaner onto the treads (and surrounding areas!!) : it then ran so much better and I couldn't get it to start playing up again.

 

Fingers crossed it now behaves itself all the time. 

 

More soon.

 

 

Rod

[Regularity]

17 hours ago, Dmudriver said:

So I squirted liberal amounts of contact cleaner onto the treads (and surrounding areas!!) : it then ran so much better and I couldn't get it to start playing up again.

One note of caution, if the wheels have plastic centres, please ensure that the contact cleaner is compatible with it. Don’t ask me how I know this.

[Dmudriver]

Slightly related to West Kirby Town - just slightly! - but has anyone local to the area watched the final episode of "Responder"?  An absolutely fabulous programme I thought: there again, being a Scouser, I could understand what Chris was saying - unlike Lord Sugar!!

 

Without spoiling anything (I hope) I'm pretty sure there's scenes in Ashton Park in West Kirby.  And also along the seafront at, I think, Meols: I seem to recognise the sea wall but can't find it on Google Earth.  There's also an old public convenience block featured and I'm sure I've seen that before (tho' many years ago!) and I can't find it on Google Earth, either.

 

 

Can anyone local, or relatively local, help satisfy my curiosity - without giving any spoilers to anyone who may not have binge watched it yet.

 

 

Rod

[Hroth]

I watched the first episode and wasn't quite sure if I wanted to watch the rest! Of course, seafronts and public conveniences in Liverpool are indelibly connected with Otterspool Prom...

 

Now I'll have to watch them all!

[Simond]

I suspect Madame will want to watch it, and I’ll have to translate…

[Regularity]

I’m not a scouser, but I understood it.

(But we did have subtitles on, for my Scottish partner - oh, the irony: I don’t get subtitles when meeting her Dundonian family!)

[Dmudriver]

50 minutes ago, Simond said:

I suspect Madame will want to watch it, and I’ll have to translate…

Or use subtitles!!

[Dmudriver]

1 hour ago, Hroth said:

connected with Otterspool Prom...

Ah, but you could see clean sand in the background!!

 

Not something I remember from Otterspool!

Edited January 30, 2022 by Dmudriver

[Hroth]

Nowadays at WK, you're more likely to see meadows of encroaching spartina.  Its been decided that WK has to look like Parkgate.....

 

I've just had a look at the final episode, the pond in the park is rather larger than that in Ashton Park and the environs didn't look familiar. I must admit I didn't see a seafront sequence, I'll look again tomorrow.

[billy_anorak59]

Didn't watch it, but according to the Liverpool Echo : "The crew were also spotted shooting in Meols in May 2021"

 

[pwr]

Started to watch but got fed uop with the constant use of the F Word - its not necessary in good drama.

 

Paul R

[Regularity]

It’s written by an ex-cop from the area. The language (correctly) reflects the everyday usage.

Presumably, you would also preferred it if they spoke with RP accents and said, “Gosh” rather than be accurate?

[Simond]

4 hours ago, pwr said:

Started to watch but got fed uop with the constant use of the F Word - its not necessary in good drama.

 

Paul R

 

14 hours ago, Simond said:

I suspect Madame will want to watch it, and I’ll have to translate…

 

oh dear...

[Hroth]

6 hours ago, pwr said:

Started to watch but got fed uop with the constant use of the F Word - its not necessary in good drama.

 

Paul R

 

It wasn't like Brian Blessed and Judi Dench

but that was then and this is now.

 

Walk through Liverpool City Centre and you'd hear far worse, and not from the character types in The Responder either!

 

[Regularity]

4 hours ago, Simond said:

 

 

oh dear...

Does she not know that word?

[MarshLane]

Morning Rod (et all..)

 

On 31/01/2022 at 08:19, pwr said:

Started to watch but got fed uop with the constant use of the F Word - its not necessary in good drama.

I really do not know what it is about modern day life that people think its a) acceptable and b) needed to swear and use the F word in the majority of sentences?  Its the same as modern day comics, its not needed - Morecambe & Wise could make anyone laugh and there wasn't a swear word in it.  I do not say I get offended by it, but it just dont think its needed, the English language has evolved enough that it simply doesn't need it, even to express severe disgust at something - or am I just getting older? I was out walking the other day and a group of four school lads passed me talking between themselves and the language was awful - Its only 25 odd years since I was that age but I would never have dreamed of speaking like that, even among friends.  Anyway, sorry for the deviation, just a comment to say @pwr, I totally agree with you.

 

On 28/01/2022 at 21:19, Dmudriver said:

I think - and hope!! - that I've solved the problem with the 03.  Due to 1)  impatience and 2)  dirty pickups.

Rod

 

Glad to hear you've solved the 03 problem. I do love to see an '08' pottering about in the station, but there is something about the '03' and its track circuit detection wagon that fits the scene well.  Also love the busy scene behind.  I know you love your DMUs, one hopes the loco-hauled service won't disappear entirely ... your not under new management who are thinking more about pennies than passengers are you Bring back Regional Railways 31s  

 

Loving the thread as ever mate, keep going!

 

Rich

[Barnaby]

Some of the "Responder" scenes were shot in Lark lane which was one of my old late 60's stomping grounds I use to live near by in Aigburth or in Scouse said Eggbuth.

[Regularity]

8 hours ago, MarshLane said:

I was out walking the other day and a group of four school lads passed me talking between themselves and the language was awful - Its only 25 odd years since I was that age

That makes you about half the age of my old man, but you sound like him…

[Dmudriver]

On 31/01/2022 at 08:19, pwr said:

Started to watch but got fed uop with the constant use of the F Word - its not necessary in good drama.

 

Paul R

 

When I worked in Industrial Tribunals it was described as "robust industrial language" - presumably in other legal settings too.  However, having spent my whole working life in industrial settings, I am used to it and just accept it - used it myself a lot, but depending who I was  talking to.  I do, though, understand and respect the views of people who don't like to hear it.

 

On 31/01/2022 at 00:00, Hroth said:

I've just had a look at the final episode, the pond in the park is rather larger than that in Ashton Park and the environs didn't look familiar.

 

I thought I recognised Ashton Park but it's a long time ago, so I accept I am very likely wrong!

 

Back to railways in the next post!!

 

 

Rod

[Dmudriver]

The revised parcels traffic working arrangements are now in force and here is a nice clean van that has arrived attached to a DMU ex Manchester:

 

 

The 03 has been started up but the driver is a bit tardy - he should have been out on the Up Main, in rear of signal 34, ready to drop onto the back of the train.  Fortunately, the following service - a 2-car, also with a van, which is due into the same platform, behind the 3-car - is running late so he's got away with it this time.  He's claiming he's not used to the new operation yet but's it's been on the notice board for a couple of weeks!!

 

Anyway, here he is, coupled up to the van and drawing it out of the platform:

 

 

He will now wait behind signal 34 for the 2-car, plus van, to arrive and will then take that van away to the sidings to await onward movement.  He's biting his nails a bit as the 115 is due out soon and standing at signal 34, he's blocking the route.  He might end up getting moved to no.2 siding - the bobby's getting a bit fraught, too!!

 

More soon.

 

 

Rod