Fryers Lane - Speedlink in the '80s (P4)

[2ManySpams]

Bit like the rail network last night then.

[Mark Forrest]

Bit like the rail network last night then.

Yes, had an interesting journey from Welwyn Garden City to Rugeley Town yesterday. Fair play to LM for at least trying to keep some trains moving while VT seemed to have just given up all hope of anything going any where.

[2ManySpams]

Mark, saw this and thought of you...

 

[Worsdell forever]

Mark, saw this and thought of you...

 

tmp_24540-rps20170225_134457-1882636827.jpg

Naughty.

[Mark Forrest]

Mark, saw this and thought of you...

 

tmp_24540-rps20170225_134457-1882636827.jpg

Lucky I don't like 31s or I might have been tempted...

 

Although the fact that you appear to not have to ballast the track does appeal.

[Mark Forrest]

As noted elsewhere, this little relaying job is taking far too long. I'd better make a start sticking this lot down.

 

[2ManySpams]

When are you adding the 3rd rail to run emus?

[Worsdell forever]

When are you adding the 3rd rail to run emus?

 

Emu's don't need rails.

 

[wagonbasher]

Emu's don't need rails.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIBH5UhDS0I

I've watched the video and can't argued against Paul's observation.

 

Andy

[Mark Forrest]

When are you adding the 3rd rail to run emus?

Proper ones though, not that daft southern nonsense:

https://flic.kr/p/qP8gG1

[Mark Forrest]

Over a month since my last update and very little progress to report. However, freshly inspired after a weekend at Trainwest with BCB, I've finally got around to adding the last section of rail to that tandem turnout.

 

 

 

There are a few detail bits to add, then I can get the paint out.

[Stubby47]

Or, you could not paint it and leave so it looks like what it is - a refurbished section of track.

[Mark Forrest]

Or, you could not paint it and leave so it looks like what it is - a refurbished section of track.

I'm all for taking the odd shortcut, but without paint the light brown chairs and shiny steel rail don't look much like real track. I wasn't going to worry too much about the ballast colour though, seems reasonably common to have several different ballast colours on the prototype where there has been some relaying.

[Mark Forrest]

Less than two months before the layout is due to appear at our show in Gnosall, Staffs. I've turned my attention to adding a few scenic details to the layout.

This chap and his dog need gluing in place, along with the oil drums.

On the buildings along the backscene I've been adding some pipework. There is still some painting and weathering to be done though.

 

Finally, the corrugated iron fence has turned rusty.

[Mark Forrest]

Passengers on the line through Fryers Lane no longer have to put up with a rattling old 101, shiny new passenger stock has arrived (or it will have once I get some axles to convert the other half of this 155).

 

[Mark Forrest]

Quick project for this evening. Pick up upgrade for my ViTrains 37.

 

As supplied it had a steel wire that picked up from the leading and trailing wheels of each bogie. This worked OK, but had a tendency to come unclipped from the bogie, reshaping the wire to reach the P4 wheels probably didn't help.

 

The upgraded versions are shown below. Phosphor bronze strip for the leading and trailing wheels and a short length of phosphor bronze wire for the middle wheels.

The steel wire they replace is also in the photo. Final shaping of the pick ups will take place after the glued joint to the bogie has set.

[2ManySpams]

Looks like you've bitten the bullet on the pickups, should be worthwhile investing the time and effort.

[Mark Forrest]

Looks like you've bitten the bullet on the pickups, should be worthwhile investing the time and effort.

Yes, it's one of those jobs I'd been meaning to do for a while. If it's a success the 47 (also a ViTrains) will get the same treatment. Even with this additional task, they are still really easy to convert to P4; the Bachmann versions of the same require a bit more work to get them running successfully.

[wagonbasher]

Yes, it's one of those jobs I'd been meaning to do for a while. If it's a success the 47 (also a ViTrains) will get the same treatment. Even with this additional task, they are still really easy to convert to P4; the Bachmann versions of the same require a bit more work to get them running successfully.

 

Are they just glued to the bogie?

 

Andy

[Enterprisingwestern]

Have you tried this Mark?;

 

http://www.hobbyholidays.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=BECOPPER

 

A lot more adaptable than strip.

 

Mike.

[Mark Forrest]

Are they just glued to the bogie?

 

Andy

That was the plan, soldered to an offcut of copperclad then glued. However looking at them this morning the Alardite I used seems to have failed to make a successful bond with the plastic of the inner bogie frame. I'll probably drill through and pop a screw through instead.

[Mark Forrest]

Have you tried this Mark?;

 

http://www.hobbyholidays.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=BECOPPER

 

A lot more adaptable than strip.

 

Mike.

Yes, have some of that, used it on my High Level powered LMS van. Used the strip here because I thought it would give a larger area in contact with the back of the wheel.

[Enterprisingwestern]

 Used the strip here because I thought it would give a larger area in contact with the back of the wheel.

 

Also more resistance!!!

 

Mike.

[Mark Forrest]

Also more resistance!!!

 

Mike.

Fair point, but I don't think the mechanism in these will find a bit of extra resistance too taxing.

 

And besides, my coil of the beryllium copper wire wasn't where it was supposed to be when I went looking for pickup materials last night. I've found it since though.

[Mark Forrest]

While we're on the subject, I recall reading somewhere that it is a good idea to add a "pad" of brass to the end of phosphor bronze strip pickups. Anybody have any views on what the benefits of doing this are and whether this is worthwhile?