Stockrington - Mojo ignited. Thanks, Heljan!

[jukebox]

You just want to see my wagons' Jacques Cousteau impression, don't you? 

 

It's heading for bedtime here, Andy - but will see what I can do about getting Kestrel to have one more lap next weekend - just for you.

 

Cheers

 

Scott

[Jaz]

I do hope that knowing you have problems there....you have nicked all the cushions off the couch and set them on the floor where the locos / trains are likely to fall.

 

edit=although with all the problems your having maybe a spare mattress??

Edited September 15, 2013 by Jaz

[jukebox]

Nah,  it's nowhere near as bad as that, Jaz

 

I probably am guilty of not putting enough positive spin on the Stockrington story sometimes - but for me, far too many build stories get whitewashed; I'd rather describe if I have an issue, and how I am managing it, than tell you I ran a train for 30 minutes without incident. I hope that people can take away the concept that it's okay not to get it right first time, and that iterative improvement is a good thing.

 

I've got a lot of stock from across two decades, so there's a bit of variance of wheel standards to account for as I go, and once I am sure the track is behaving, I plan to fit the equivalent of Armco fencing to the far sides of the chute and ramp, "Justin".

 

That spill on the weekend was the first time I've had any stock take a dive - I actually deliberately sent a PO wagon "runaway" down the chute to see how my track-laying had gone - it rolled down, stayed on the entry fan, ran the length of the room, and went around 75cm up the "up" ramp. I'd never video that sort of silliness, of course!

 

Cheers

 

Scott

[David Todd]

 I hope that people can take away the concept that it's okay not to get it right first time, 

These are my principles also.........." it's okay not to get it right first time"................but, can increase,............to double figures..................

[Jaz]

Well we all know the saying if at first you don't succeed, try, try, again....made for this hobby.

[jukebox]

Just did a short 15 minutes upstairs after putting the youngest rugrat to bed...  unscrewed the fastenings on the tracks I glued over the weekend - so now only the start of the chute is "free" track. 

 

Of course the rail head had a sheen of dilute PVA, so there was only one thing to do - break out the CMX in anger!  My solvent of choice ( ) is Lacquer Thinners*, and so after a careful decanting into the CMX with the syringe and hose provided, and with the control knobs set to 11... er, 6 drips per minute, Falcon strode away with the one car train.  Plenty of hesitation in the glued areas on the first pass (I was hauling, not propelling) but once I'd been around once, it was all tickety boo; smooth sailing and shiny railhead.

 

I know they are not cheap, but gosh, if you have a large layout, or hidden/hard to reach track, I can't recommend this highly enough as The Way to clean your track. Life is too short to be using meths soaked singlets and track rubbers!

 

Cheers

 

Scott

 

*Rather noxious, and should be treated with respect, but is also the fluid CMX themselves nominate as "best in show". See here: http://www.tonystrains.com/technews/cmx_chemist_review.htm

Edited September 18, 2013 by jukebox

[David Todd]

Well we all know the saying if at first you don't succeed, try, try, again....made for this hobby.

 

You mean.........like this.................  .or, like this..........  ..........lastly......if  you acheive this status...........      go......lie down...........

[Jaz]

Just did a short 15 minutes upstairs after putting the youngest rugrat to bed...  unscrewed the fastenings on the tracks I glued over the weekend - so now only the start of the chute is "free" track. 

 

Of course the rail head had a sheen of dilute PVA, so there was only one thing to do - break out the CMX in anger!  My solvent of choice ( ) is Lacquer Thinners*, and so after a careful decanting into the CMX with the syringe and hose provided, and with the control knobs set to 11... er, 6 drips per minute, Falcon strode away with the one car train.  Plenty of hesitation in the glued areas on the first pass (I was hauling, not propelling) but once I'd been around once, it was all tickety boo; smooth sailing and shiny railhead.

 

I know they are not cheap, but gosh, if you have a large layout, or hidden/hard to reach track, I can't recommend this highly enough as The Way to clean your track. Life is too short to be using meths soaked singlets and track rubbers!

 

Cheers

 

Scott

 

*Rather noxious, and should be treated with respect, but is also the fluid CMX themselves nominate as "best in show".

I wonder if Kal knows you can add fluid? I often paint the tops driving him wild, this might be a eureka moment and reduce the JAZ moments......

[silky_jack]

Ahhh.the CMX....what would we do without it.  

[jukebox]

Play time at Stockrington!

 

By request, Falcon tackled 50 plus a brake van earlier today, and didn't bat an eyelid:

 

http://youtu.be/ebVLu-3Qaw0

(apologies for the shakiness of the heli-cam shots; I brought the loco up to track speed, and set the throttle on the benchwork, putting faith in my trackwork, as I chased the train around the room - but tried to keep an eye on it at all times, "just in case", so things got a bit rushed at times...)

 

This sort of train is about twice the maximum length I'd want to see running on the layout once it's built - but I was pleased to see so many out of the box and gauge-unchecked wagons behaving over all the different pointwork... though I think if you look closely you might see one jump off, cross the bridge, then jump back on before it passes over the double slip!

 

Cheers

 

Scott

[jukebox]

Meanwhile, back to the serious tasks...

 

With the trackwork now looking reliable, and viable, it's also time to expand the storage yard to the full six tracks.

 

So today the Depron went down on the centre tracks:

 

 

 

As suggested before, I'll split these inner four roads with crossovers made from pairs of small radius Peco turnouts - that will allow two complete trains to be stored on each of these tracks.

 

Cheers

 

Scott

[Jaz]

there's going to be no excuse to avoid the green fluffy stuff soon ........

[jukebox]

Oh, goodness, no Jaz!   Ballast - some in six months maybe - but grass?  No chance.  I would expect to hook into the timberwork for the mainline fairly quickly - no reason why not, but even then, we're talking ~50m of trackbed and >120m of actual track to get down and wire up - that's easily 4-6 months work.  That is not taking the MPD into account....

 

So... grass?  Not in the next 12 months!  I'd even be bold enough to say not in the next 18 months!  

 

If you really want another Orac*-esque prediction... Stockrington mainline operational by August next year.  

 

There!  Not even sure why I'm nailing that flag to the wall, but I think it's achievable, and a sensible milestone to target, so there you go. 

 

Jaz=Troublemaker!.

 

Cheers

 

Scott

 

*Obscure enough for everyone?

[Jaz]

tut tut wheres the disagree button....searches.....then chickens out

 

Troublemaker ....Moi???? Je suis un(e) ange 

Edited September 24, 2013 by Jaz

[David Todd]

 

Jaz

 

Troublemaker ....???? 

 

[Andrew P]

Hi Scot, I love the Video, it looks like Jeff has beaten you to the grassing stage by a country mile, You have some lovely track work mate, well done. :locomotive:

 

Bodgit

[jukebox]

tut tut wheres the disagree button....searches.....then chickens out

 

Troublemaker ....Moi???? Je suis un(e) ange 

 

You may want to redo that rating d.t. .... if only cos "disagrees" come out as negatives in your tally - and Jaz always plays nice. Well, most of the time!

 

 

Hi Scot, I love the Video, it looks like Jeff has beaten you to the grassing stage by a country mile, You have some lovely track work mate, well done. :locomotive:

 

Bodgit

 

Thanks Andy - it's all your fault!  If I'd wasted less time digging out 65 wagons, I might have finished all the benchwork by now!  (of course post #313 lays that myth to rest)

 

No, a lot happier with the track - still have the loop to reset this weekend, but seeing as I have not had any more niggles, I'm getting myself into a mindset that I can builf over the top of Stage 1 and not have too much to fear.

 

Even lobbed Can-Pac up on eBay this week, ready to fund a Hornby P2 at year's end.  Now if only Bachmann would do a J27,  I could really do some credit card damage!

 

Cheers

 

Scott

[Physicsman]

Oh, goodness, no Jaz!   Ballast - some in six months maybe - but grass?  No chance.  I would expect to hook into the timberwork for the mainline fairly quickly - no reason why not, but even then, we're talking ~50m of trackbed and >120m of actual track to get down and wire up - that's easily 4-6 months work.  That is not taking the MPD into account....

 

So... grass?  Not in the next 12 months!  I'd even be bold enough to say not in the next 18 months!  

 

If you really want another Orac*-esque prediction... Stockrington mainline operational by August next year.  

 

There!  Not even sure why I'm nailing that flag to the wall, but I think it's achievable, and a sensible milestone to target, so there you go. 

 

Jaz=Troublemaker!.

 

Cheers

 

Scott

 

*Obscure enough for everyone?

 

It's nice to see that I'm not the only one that gets aggro for putting off the grasswork!

 

I think you'll have your work cut out filling all those wagons with loads. Wonder if Falcon will still manage 50 then?

 

Nice work, Scott.

 

Jeff

[jukebox]

Didn't you spot the token loaded wagon in the middle of the three behind the CMX, Jeff? 

 

Cheers

 

Scott

Edited September 24, 2013 by jukebox

[Physicsman]

Didn't you spot the token loaded wagon in the middle of the htree behind the CMX, Jeff? 

 

Cheers

 

Scott

 

No - and I still can't see it when I've looked for it!

 

Btw, was "Orac" meant as a challenge. Those of us old enough to have watched Blake's 7 when it was first broadcast certainly remember the computer on board the Liberator.

 

Wow - way back in 1977! 

 

Jeff

Edited September 25, 2013 by Physicsman

[Jaz]

Jukebox

I don't worry about the disagrees, I have used them in the past for funnies. Plus a disagree is only as good as the person. But your pm said you didn't like them hence the way I put my post up. It will make me consider another of joking with people tho.

Physicsman

You have to excuse Jukebox, dt and I... being old friends we press each others buttons. He knows I'm not giving him a hard time over the grass. He also knows I am a green fluffy person. I think making sure all your track works to your satisfaction before ballast and greenery is actually a good idea. I have driven my husband bonkers on occasion when his tracks start playing up

because I have weathered or ballasted before he has fully tested (not on purpose, misunderstanding or enthusiasm)

 

Loved Blake 7. Interesting how sci fi often brings around true invention.

[jukebox]

No - and I still can't see it when I've looked for it!

 

Btw, was "Orac" meant as a challenge. those of us old enough to have watched Blake's 7 when it was firt broadcast certainly remember the computer on board the Liberator.

 

Wow - way back in 1977! 

 

Jeff

 

Jeff - There's three PO's on their own, off tracks, to the right in the first photo of post #311... [just above the LT pannier.   The WHAT????????] The middle one of those is my only loaded one. 

 

Of course I will only load half of those wagons - empties one way, loaded's the other.  And there's a nice split between PO wagons and iron ore, so there's a handy division of work there, too.  I'm actually tempted by some Tyne Dock hoppers, and understand Alan Gibson is about to release a model of them - so we shall see how that development progresses.

 

I'd forgotten how popular B7 was in the UK - it did okay here, but was a lot more of a cult following, than mainstream. So yes, Orac was meant to be a [relatively] obscure reference!

 

Cheers

 

Scott

[David Todd]

Hello J/B,

 

Yes, really did like your video, thanks for taking the time to make it.

 

 You can rest assured,you will not be........head-hunted by the,

 

Dover Naff Video Company...... my friend.

 

So, Richard's new product works on the down gradient also...........................

 

Powerbase...new product.

 

I do like your honesty,you have not shewn, any mistakes,lately..............

Edited September 25, 2013 by David Todd

[45568]

 

 

Of course the rail head had a sheen of dilute PVA, so there was only one thing to do - break out the CMX in anger!  My solvent of choice ( ) is Lacquer Thinners*, and so after a

 

Cheers

 

Scott

 

*Rather noxious, and should be treated with respect, but is also the fluid CMX themselves nominate as "best in show". See here: http://www.tonystrains.com/technews/cmx_chemist_review.htm

Scott,

  Where do you buy your Lacquer thinners in WA?

Cheers,

Peter C.

Edited September 25, 2013 by 45568

[jukebox]

Hi Peter;

 

I get my from that most evil of hardware depositories, Bunnings Warehouse!  It's on the shelf in amongst the turps, meths, white spirit and other thinners.

 

They sell "Diggers" brand - here's the 4L tin for $40: I am not sure if that's the size I have - I keep my main container out in the garden shed, under the workbench on the cool concrete floor, to try and make it as safe as possible in our 45C summers (!). 

 

I decant 500ml into a small used Tamiya Thinners container for use inside the house - either at my work bench, or on the layout, or when I use the airbrush outside in the shed (it's also my thinner of choice for airbrushing enamels); it's quite yellow to the eye when you see it in a clear container, but does not seem to tint white paint.

 

I actually found L/T easier to get than Isopropyl Alcohol - which can be had, but not usually in a pure state.  I have some "Isochol" that I use to clean my hands, but that's only 64% IPA - JayCar have the 100% stuff, but it is quite exxy.

 

Cheers

 

Scott