West Kirby Town: narrow gauge is coming to town.

[Dmudriver]

36 minutes ago, pwr said:

Rod

 

Looks a well finished model.

 

I don't  want to put you off but that front does not look right and the roof looks too tall.  Depends on the price of course but it would be interesting to see a photo of your 131 and 122 side by side.

 

Paul R

 

 

 

Thanks, Paul. I'll put them side by side - and front by front - just to check: you may well have a point  It does look like it's got a clerestory roof but that's just the way the light's shining on it!   I've checked that already!  

 

Pics to follow soon. 

 

 

Rod

[Dmudriver]

Referring back to my last post and to use politician-speak, I misspoke!!  Or rather I wrote what I heard but I think I heard what I wanted to hear!!  In other words, the 122 is not an Easybuild kit, but a Westdale!!  My apologies!!

 

However, taking up Paul's point, I've photographed the 122 with the 131 and my 2-car 108 - which is also a Westdale kit - in order to compare them.  Here are the head-on pics - first from fairly close: this does give the impression that the middle one (the 122) is narrower than the others so, thinking it might be the camera, I tried one from further away (no Father Ted comments, please!!  )

 

 

 

And then from the other end.

 

They still look the same!  Unfortunately, I've no accurate measuring tool but a ruler measuring in mm shows no appreciable difference.  The differences become a bit more apparent in the sideways-on shots - front and rear of all 3:

 

 

 

Whilst the roof heights are virtually the same, the Westdale ones have a distinct straight slope back from the top of the cab, whereas the Easybuild is much more rounded - which could possibly explain why the Westdale roof looks higher.  What is not so obvious from the pics, although it can just be made out in the first one, is that the edges of the cabs are more rounded in the Easybuild than the Westdale.

 

The proof of the pudding, though, is what it looks like on the layout: running with the 101 as an RR set, it looks OK to me:

 

 

 

I'll try it with the 131 some time and see how that looks but with the different liveries making comparison difficult I doubt there'll be anything too obvious.   An interesting exercise, though!!

 

More soon.

 

 

Rod

 

Edited December 15, 2021 by Dmudriver

[pwr]

10 hours ago, Dmudriver said:

Referring back to my last post and to use politician-speak, I misspoke!!  Or rather I wrote what I heard but I think I heard what I wanted to hear!!  In other words, the 122 is not an Easybuild kit, but a Westdale!!  My apologies!!

 

However, taking up Paul's point, I've photographed the 122 with the 131 and my 2-car 108 - which is also a Westdale kit - in order to compare them.  Here are the head-on pics - first from fairly close: this does give the impression that the middle one (the 122) is narrower than the others so, thinking it might be the camera, I tried one from further away (no Father Ted comments, please!!  )

 

 

 

And then from the other end.

 

They still look the same!  Unfortunately, I've no accurate measuring tool but a ruler measuring in mm shows no appreciable difference.  The differences become a bit more apparent in the sideways-on shots - front and rear of all 3:

 

 

 

Whilst the roof heights are virtually the same, the Westdale ones have a distinct straight slope back from the top of the cab, whereas the Easybuild is much more rounded - which could possibly explain why the Westdale roof looks higher.  What is not so obvious from the pics, although it can just be made out in the first one, is that the edges of the cabs are more rounded in the Easybuild than the Westdale.

 

The proof of the pudding, though, is what it looks like on the layout: running with the 101 as an RR set, it looks OK to me:

 

 

 

I'll try it with the 131 some time and see how that looks but with the different liveries making comparison difficult I doubt there'll be anything too obvious.   An interesting exercise, though!!

 

More soon.

 

 

Rod

 

 

Hi Rod

 

Thats a very useful comparison and I think the visual effect is an illusion caused by the shape of the roof coupled with the black window surrounds. When you see them in close up side on you can see that they are virtually identical.

 

I've also got a part built 122 - I got it for £20 some yeas ago without bogies. I have been slowly trying to finish it but ther are no underframe castings so these will have to be scratchbuilt - perhaps apart from battery boxes. The Dapol versions I have will provide a guide and some measurements. I know you shouldn't model a model but given where I am starting its going to be a darn sight more accurate! My recent experience on the BG given me a lot of confidence on how to finish it.

 

I think it will fit in well on your layout. What sort of motor does it have?

 

Paul R

[47606odin]

Is it the yellow not going round the cab front not quite far enough?

 

 

Also the roof dome looks a bit to angular where it levels out on the roof

[Dmudriver]

10 hours ago, 47606odin said:

Is it the yellow not going round the cab front not quite far enough?

I think that's a fair point, 47606odin.  Anyway, I've had it running on the layout today: there was actually a window of reasonable weather around lunchtime, so I had a play - full length of the layout and covers off.

 

The 122 does run rather nicely.  I reset a couple of CVs so that it matches the running of the other ESU-chipped units.  I ran it on it's own and in multiple with the 2-car 108.   I am well pleased with it!!  Here's a couple of pics of it posed with the 131.  As I thought, the different liveries do draw the eye away from a direct comparison, although the close up of the 2 head to head doesn't seem wrong to me.

 

 

 

11 hours ago, pwr said:

What sort of motor does it have?

 

Good question, Paul! And the answer is ..... I don't know.  I've not taken the bogie off and it's hard to see from underneath.  Here's a pic of the motor bogie, anyway.  I suspect the motor is probably a Mashima and the 1833 variety at that.

 

The bogie in the 108 is pictured below and that certainly has a Mashima in it - I've had it off today (see the next post).  The bogie above is more recent than the 108's - notice the straight cut "plastic" main gear wheel in the older one as opposed to the cross cut metal one in the upper picture.

 

 

The 108s has obviously seen a lot more use than the 122s!!!  As a matter of interest the trailing bogie in the 122 is an all brass affair - see pic below - whereas the 108's is a standard Westdale bogie.

 

 

 

HTH.

 

 

Rod

 

[Dmudriver]

As I mentioned above, I've been running the 2-car 108 with the 122 today.  But not without a problem - or two!! (in the 108)

 

When I started running it after I got it back, it was stopping on two of the frogs in the stabling point - but only when running in one direction and only when one side was running over the frogs.  It wasn't even changing the frog juicer when it needed to.  I couldn't figure it out and assumed it was "just one of those things" - probably to do with my not being used to frog juicers - until it happened on a frog in the fiddle yard.  That made me determined to sort the problem!

 

So, one direction only (trailing bogie leading), and always a frog on the right hand side pointed to a faulty pickup on that bogie.  Sure enough, that's what it was: the bogies are wired together to improve pickup and the wires from the trailing bogie are plugged into a little socket near the motor bogie.  The plug had come out of the socket.

 

Unfortunately, to fasten it meant taking off the bogie which then started a train of other events - loose bogie retaining screw, a couple of wires hanging on by a thread (literally!!).  So I spent a very pleasant - if frustrating at times - few hours sorting it all out.  It now (5 hours later) works perfectly.

 

Added to which, one wheelset of the motor bogie was derailing on one blade of the new crossover.  It's the only one that does it so that pointed to an out of gauge wheelset.  While I had the bogie off I managed to tighten it up a little which helped but didn't completely sort the problem.   I found, and removed, a piece of ballast that was stopping the point blade moving completely and then a few swipes with a file along the corner of the switch blade sorted the problem.

 

All in all a pleasant way to spend an afternoon and my 2-car 108 runs really nicely now.

 

More soon.

 

 

Rod

[Regularity]

2 hours ago, Dmudriver said:

I've had it off today

Don’t brag!

[Dmudriver]

1 hour ago, Regularity said:

Don’t brag!

 

I did wonder when I wrote that if there'd be any comments!!     It wasn't deliberate!!  

[Hal Nail]

8 hours ago, Dmudriver said:

It wasn't deliberate!!  

Not sure that defence will cut much slack!

[Jon Fitness]

Question is, have you got that signal back in place yet?!

Cheers

JF

[Dmudriver]

1 hour ago, Jon Fitness said:

Question is, have you got that signal back in place yet?!

Cheers

JF

 

It's on the list for the Christmas period, Jon.

 

 

Rod

[Hroth]

2 hours ago, Dmudriver said:

 

It's on the list for the Christmas period, Jon.

 

 

Rod

 The traditional time for Engineering possession!

 

[Dmudriver]

A Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone who follows my thread, and to those who just drop in on occasions.

 

I enjoy sharing my experiences - and also your comments.  I hope that there are some learning points from the things I do (and don't do!!) right.

 

Hopefully we can all have a less restricted 2022 and I wish you all happy modelling over the holiday period and next year, too.

 

 

Rod

[Barnaby]

A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you too Rod.

I look forward to the continuing journey of WKT and the new adventure ahead through 2022. 

Oh and may your football team Everton succeed but finish below my team LIV-ER-POOL. 

 

Best

[Dmudriver]

1 hour ago, Barnaby said:

A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you too Rod.

I look forward to the continuing journey of WKT and the new adventure ahead through 2022. 

Oh and may your football team Everton succeed but finish below my team LIV-ER-POOL. 

 

Best

 

I can't really use the "Like" button to your comment, Barnaby - but only because of the last sentence - however likely it is to happen!!!  I don't think we'll go down (fingers crossed!!) but dreams of finishing above Liverpool this season have been well and truly shattered lately!!  Nevertheless, as my son and I tell his kids "Through thick and thin"!!  Once a Blue (or red, or whatever!!) always a Blue (etc).   

 

All the best.

 

 

Rod

[Dmudriver]

Hi all, and a Happy New Year to you.

 

I've done some more work in the shed the last few days- the fence posts are all in now, so just the fencing to glue to them.  As the fencing is nearly finished and the signal will be going back in soon, I thought I'd better make a video of operations using the Stop Board.  I started, using the camera on my phone, but not without incident: with the result that I binned a fair bit of what I'd done.  I'll have another go soon, but I did get a couple which are now on YouTube, links below.

 

The first one was of the Thumper leaving the stabling point and proceeding to the Up Main.  Unfortunately, it picked up a clip I use for holding the fencing to the posts and ended up derailing on the new crossover!!  These are a pair of the clips:

 

 

The clip ended up with a wheel in the gap between the prongs, looking very like a wheel skate (though upside down!)

 

So I made the video of it coming back into the stabling point instead!  Here is the link:  

 

 

I then made one of the 25 stopping at the Stop Board, followed by a couple showing it arriving in platform 1 and the 08 taking the coaches away.  Unfortunately, with the latter two I managed to get a rather large piece of the stand the phone was on showing in the corner which rather spoiled the whole thing.  Those got binned!!  Here's the link to the one I did get right:  

 

 

 

I'm reasonably happy with those: the depth of field could be better, but it was made on a dark night under artificial light - maybe daylight will improve things.  Nevertheless, it's a start!!

 

More soon.  Comments welcome, by the way!!

 

 

Rod.

[Hroth]

Aren't those the ally clips that used to be provided in perm kits for the ladies???

 

Suits you Sir!!! 

 

BTW Like the videos.  You shouldn't ditch the "failures", keep them and make the best into a "blooper" video for next Christmas!

 

 

[PjKing1]

Great videos Rod 

[Barnaby]

Great videos Rod looking forward to some more operational sequence ones too.

 

 

Best

[Dmudriver]

4 hours ago, Barnaby said:

looking forward to some more operational sequence ones too.

 

That's the plan, Barnaby.

 

 

Rod

[Dmudriver]

On 04/01/2022 at 21:30, Hroth said:

Aren't those the ally clips that used to be provided in perm kits for the ladies???

 

Suits you Sir!!! 

 

 

 

Being somewhat follicaly challenged the primary purpose of those clips is a bit useless to me!!   They are very useful in fence building, though - and soldering - to name but 2 uses!!

 

I don't know how long I've had them or even where they came from!!  It's fun to try and think where/who they might have come from, though!!  However, I won't go into that here!  

 

 

Rod

[Dmudriver]

More progress made today - the fence is finished.  Here's a general view:

 

 

I did take a couple of close ups, looking right along the fence line, but one or two are leaning a bit so I scrapped those pics!!  The leaning posts are not obvious from the front of the layout - the normal operating position.

 

The white along the bottom of the fence is the edge of the foam board that that end of the layout is built on.  Needs some brown paint, then I'll make a cess and add some grass.   The paper underneath is greaseproof, designed to stop the PVA sticking the bottom of the posts to the base board!!  (I used the PVA to fix the posts into the foamboard).  The fencing is glued to the posts with superglue.

 

Where the foam board starts there's a change in the levels, so I've put one longer post in.  Whether that's prototypical or not, I don't know but it looks OK to me:  I'll add a bit of greenery to it to disguise it, too (and fill up the rather large rabbit hole!!)  Here's a pic:

 

 

I've also had some ideas for moves I've not tried before so they will be included in the next video.

 

More soon.

 

 

Rod

 

 

[Simond]

On 04/01/2022 at 21:30, Hroth said:

Aren't those the ally clips that used to be provided in perm kits for the ladies???

 

Suits you Sir!!! 

 

BTW Like the videos.  You shouldn't ditch the "failures", keep them and make the best into a "blooper" video for next Christmas!

 

 

 

very useful clips - you can bend them to fit all sorts of holding jobs. And at around 12p each, you can throw them away if the break after a few bending sessions.

 

https://www.salon-services.com/hair/hairdressing-essentials-and-accessories/hair-styling-accessories/hair-clips/salon-services-curl-clips-pack-of-72/085300.html?cgid=hair-hairdressing-essentials-accessories-hair-styling-accessories-hair-clips#start=1

 

usual disclaimers of course

 

 

[Dmudriver]

A bit more work done today: after a quick trip to the local B&Q for a tester pot of dark brown paint I painted the edges of the foam board and the greaseproof paper that was visible.  Looks a lot better now =- well, at least the eye isn't drawn away by the contrasting white!!  Also took up the Stop Board and phone.  Unfortunately it looks like I've superglued the latter into the plastic base, so I'll have to make another!!

 

 

Now going to watch Everton play Hull City in the FA Cup on tv.   Wish us luck and hope we don't do a Newcastle!!

 

More soon.

 

 

Rod

[Dmudriver]

Well, Everton won - but we had to work hard for it!!  It's never easy watching my team!!

 

Back to model railway matters!  Yesterday I set to to set the repaired signals up again.  I enlarged the hole in the baseboard somewhat to make the whole lot fit more easily, plugged the wires into the servo control board and tested everything and ........... the signals didn't work!!  The lights and theatre indicator were fine, but the pegs wouldn't move.   I gave up some time after 10 pm and today contacted Jon Fitness to check if the servos were the same as before (they are!) and Geoff Peters of GF Controls whose servo control boards I use.  After a fair bit of discussion and getting the instruction sheet from Geoff (I've lost my original copy!!), I think the answer - basically - is to wipe the control board clean and set the signals up again from scratch.

 

So that will be tomorrow afternoon's job.  Hopefully I'll have better news tomorrow or in the next couple of days.

 

Thanks to Jon and Geoff for your help so far.

 

More soon.

 

 

Rod