D1056WesternSultan Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 (edited) Hi Nick, Great to see you at the Folkestone MRE on Saturday. Have had a chance to review your layout on here and I am most impressed. You have really captured the atmosphere of china clay Cornwall. Edited October 6, 2014 by D1056WesternSultan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stivesnick Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 Thanks Julian The layout is off to the Warrington Show in a few weeks time. One of many N gauge layouts, also Camel Quay for us Cornwall model types. Nick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stivesnick Posted October 20, 2014 Share Posted October 20, 2014 Following prototype practice? At the Warrington show this weekend (excellent show by the way) - there was a spate of multiple unit failures: Class 150 - never got going - looks like gear train problems Class 220 - coupler issues (guess who forgot to take along spare pack of couplers!) Class 153 - didn't want to go around any curves Class 156 (hired in from big brother railways) lasted only a few trips. This meant that passengers had to put up with a strange visitor - not sure how they managed to get the 3rd rail down... The main loco fleet was fine - any thoughts on why multiple units should suffer more or is it just me? More pictures to follow... Following prototype practice? At the Warrington show this weekend (excellent show by the way) - there was a spate of multiple unit failures: Class 150 - never got going - looks like gear train problems Class 220 - coupler issues (guess who forgot to take along spare pack of couplers!) Class 153 - didn't want to go around any curves Class 156 (hired in from big brother railways) lasted only a few trips. This meant that passengers had to put up with a strange visitor - not sure how they managed to get the 3rd rail down... The main loco fleet was fine - any thoughts on why multiple units should suffer more or is it just me? More pictures to follow... 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stivesnick Posted October 20, 2014 Share Posted October 20, 2014 More pictures from Warrington 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted October 20, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 20, 2014 I had the opposite problem as my 5BEL played up! It's OK now luckily Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Only-Me Posted October 20, 2014 Share Posted October 20, 2014 Its because the resident mechanic was busily destroying the club layout . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Only-Me Posted October 20, 2014 Share Posted October 20, 2014 I wonder of they are picking up loose ballast... I wonder of they are picking up loose ballast... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Steven B Posted October 21, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 21, 2014 Were the lights working on the DMUs? The springs that carry power from the bogies to the main chassis on Dapol's class 156 and 153's aren't the best invention and are responsible for most of my problems with those two classes. Pull the bogies off and stretch them a little. The biggest problem with the Farish DMUs (101, 108 and 150) are the sprung contacts from the PCB to the motor loosing contact with the motors connectors. Both problems could be caused by vibration whilst being transported to an exhibition. Happy modelling. Steven B. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stivesnick Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 Thanks Steven Will take a look at the units over the next few days Nick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D1056WesternSultan Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 Was it caused by the vibrations from the mating elephants? LOL. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stivesnick Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 Mating elephants !!!! No the elephants were upset, they had been invited to the BBQ but turned up at the wrong house! N Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stivesnick Posted December 21, 2014 Share Posted December 21, 2014 2 x new Farish polybulks have arrived. Excellent models, but at a price!!!. The unusual body shape and many separate hand wheels along each side no doubt contributing to the cost. To model the original Cornwall - Switzerland service with 22 wagons is around £900!!!!. You could buy several pendalinos for that. Will stick to wagonload traffic. Nick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Ben Posted December 21, 2014 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted December 21, 2014 Hi Nick, Could you even fit 22 wagons on Molinnis?? As you know, with Horseley Fields we tend to compress some of our trains a little (though we may not need to now we have our extension!) so you could perhaps "represent" the Switzerland train with, say, a "budget" 11 wagon train! cheers Ben A. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Only-Me Posted December 21, 2014 Share Posted December 21, 2014 Hattons selling them at £33.95. Did you pay full retail? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stivesnick Posted December 21, 2014 Share Posted December 21, 2014 Ben / Paul Although the Swiss traffic was the main use of the polybulk wagons for china clay, they were also used for various UK flows. John Vaughan's book An illustrated history of west country china clay trains shows 3-4 wagons being used as part of a wagonload service. They were also used in Cornwall for calcified seaweed ( picture of a single wagon in picture 215 of the book). As they are no longer in use at the time my layout is set, rule 1 applies, china clay or seaweed; I haven't decided yet. Regards Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Ben Posted December 21, 2014 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted December 21, 2014 Hi Nick, Yes, they can certainly be used in smaller numbers. I got the impression you had your heart set on a long train of them! Though if you shop around I reckon you could get that £900 nearer to £750....! Still enough for plenty of Pendolinos!! cheers Ben A. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott B Posted December 22, 2014 Share Posted December 22, 2014 Wouldn't have been load 22 on the Cornish side of the Devon banks. Two or even three trips would have been made from St Blazey to Exeter where the wagons would be combined for the trip to the continent. Scott Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridgiesimon Posted December 22, 2014 Share Posted December 22, 2014 They were kept as 2 rakes of 11 wagons through Britain, only put together as a full 22 wagon rake once across the sea on the continent, just had a look in my copy of 'An Illustrated History of West Country China Clay Trains' Best wishes Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Only-Me Posted December 22, 2014 Share Posted December 22, 2014 Thats only £450 you need then Nick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim H Posted December 22, 2014 Share Posted December 22, 2014 From my visits to Cornwall in the late 80s/early 90s. it was common to see two or three Polybulks in the afternoon Speedlink and associated trip workings to/from St Blazey, mixed up with Tiger 55s, PAAs and assorted vans and tanks. No need for a full block train of the things if you don't want to shell out £££s. They weren't just used for the block train to Switzerland; there was another smaller wagonload flow to Mossend in Scotland. In later years they also turned up on the Cliffe Vale flow mixed in with Tiger 55s until the newer Imeris hoppers replaced both types. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stivesnick Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 Thanks Simon One question that has bothered me about the pictures in John Vaughan's book is the picture of the train at Clapham junction. The train is on the down main line - but how did it get there? Having lived in that part of the world, there hasn't been a connection between the Victoria lines to the Waterloo lines for some time - or am I mistaken? Nick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridgiesimon Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 Clapham is way out of my area so cannot comment I am afraid, hopefully someone here should be able to answer that one for you. I totally agree with the comments thouhg, although detailed, these are VERY expensive models!! Best wishes and MERRY CHRISTMAS to you all!! Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Claude_Dreyfus Posted December 24, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 24, 2014 Thanks Simon One question that has bothered me about the pictures in John Vaughan's book is the picture of the train at Clapham junction. The train is on the down main line - but how did it get there? Having lived in that part of the world, there hasn't been a connection between the Victoria lines to the Waterloo lines for some time - or am I mistaken? Nick I don't know the picture in question, but I suspect it crossed over via a combination of Longhedge, Pouparts and Ludgate GW junctions (ducking under the main Waterloo lines near Latchmere Road, having traversed the South London Line (diverging at Factory Junction). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stivesnick Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 Thanks Claude Going back 40+ years to trainspotting days at Clapham Junction, freight trains were few and far between. Those I remember generally either ran via Ludgate Junction and the Windsor lines or via Pouparts Junc and the Victoria lines. I think that a connection at Pouparts Junc is the most likely answer. Regards Nick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maurits71 Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 Hi Nick Really enjoyed reading the topic from start till end. Some excellent skills you're showing and I really look forward to see it in real. see you tomorrow Maurits Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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