aplinewalker Posted August 26, 2014 Share Posted August 26, 2014 Hello Everyone,,, My nick name is aplinewalker call me A.P. or Alan. Originally from Yorkshire grew up in Wakefield, but now living in Peterborough. Been interested in steam and railways ever since my Dad took us train spotting late fifties early sixties, always enjoyed building mechanical stuff, loved my Meccano as a lad. Dad built a huge layout in the loft but sadly it was a bit complicated for a youngster with all sorts of sections that you had to isolate and half the time I could never get it to work,,, properly. After steam died out, Dad took us around all the colliery winding engines , water pumping, mill engines, etc, and he found stationary steam engines all over the country, by which time I was at an age that I could appreciate them. and I always fancied trying my hand at model engineering and trying to build a live steam stationary engine but my pockets were never deep enough to afford all the equipment, But undaunted I built a working Beam Engine with a 15 inch flywheel ,,, without using a lathe, and run it off the exhaust from a vacuum. But with it been a bit cold in the shed over winter last year I started to build a N Gauge layout, But been drastically short of room I am trying to make it a folding layout,,, Its 13 foot long by 30 inches wide and 10 inch deep when unfolded. I am trying to model a real section of the old L.M.S. Ambergate to Buxton line. I think it was one of Dad's favourite spotting locations because from Rowsley it was about a fifteen mile incline up to Peak Forest, and most trains were either double headed or had a banker,,,,,, or very often both. So the stretch I am trying to model is the section from Haddon Tunnel to just the other side of Bakewell. (including quite nostalgically the field near Coombs Road viaduct which was one of our main picnic & spotting points) even though its only a couple of miles I soon found out that trying to get a representation even that in N gauge was impossible and have had to use drastic artistic licence to even get near the real location. Hopefully Bakewell will ring a bell with many of you, because its here on RMweb that I came across a Gentleman by the name of Alastair Green ,,, who is modelling Bakewell Station,,, Knowing the location so well and having walked the old line many times (Hence the name --linewalker) and having many old photos, when I saw Alastair's photos of his layout they were instantly recognisable,,, and as time went on and he started modelling the interior of the buildings etc I was amazed at what he was achieving,,, He was kind enough to pass on copies of maps and photos and I had one or two that he didn't have and so we have followed each others progress,,, I was congratulating him on some of his additions all scratch built and he said thank but honestly you should look at some of the other chaps on RMweb they put me to shame (it very remiss of me I should have the names he mentioned to hand sorry ) But I was in awe of what Alastair was doing if these others put him in the shade so to speak then I had to have a look,,,, (Even though I feel like giving up after looking at his stuff). I tried to look but never got very far presumably you need to register etc, So Here I am another Newbie,,, trying to find his way around (a pretty big leaning curve for the likes of me) So perhaps I may be able to contribute a little bit of something with my Folding layout, It obviously presents many problems, many of which I don't know if I will overcome at this stage,,, with everything I do I am always trying to incorporate flexibility, so plaster cloth I have deemed as a none starter and its expanding foam and a filler over it of decorators caulk and sawdust to try and build the landscape, in the hope it dose not look like a massive earth quake Within a dozen times of it been moved. I will attempt to attach some photos although there is not much to see as yet,,, and I look forward to making your acquaintance Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohmisterporter Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 Welcome to the forum Alan, you will find plenty of advice and inspiration on here. You have made a good start, keep it going and let us see the results in due course. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcm@gwr Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 Hello Alan, Welcome to the forum. Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
aplinewalker Posted August 30, 2014 Author Share Posted August 30, 2014 Welcome to the forum Alan, you will find plenty of advice and inspiration on here. You have made a good start, keep it going and let us see the results in due course. Many thanks Jeff still trying to find my way around,,,,, like how do I look at any of your photos ,,,, we will have to investigate Cheers Alan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted August 30, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 30, 2014 Welcome on board Alan! Its an area I know well having fished the Derbyshire Wye for several years - shame about the railway, looking forwards to seeing reincarnation on this thread. Kind regards Phil Bullock Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
aplinewalker Posted August 31, 2014 Author Share Posted August 31, 2014 Welcome on board Alan! Its an area I know well having fished the Derbyshire Wye for several years - shame about the railway, looking forwards to seeing reincarnation on this thread. Kind regards Phil Bullock Thanks very much Phil, im not sure about a reincarnation, having seen just a few layouts on here, im thinking I have already got the fuel for this years bonfire. You will have no doubt parked just north of Haddon Hall on the right hand side of the A6 where the small access road comes down the hill from the estate farm,,,, I don't know if you know but if you walk up that road 6 or 7 hundred yards you have the north portal of Haddon tunnel, and thats where my attempt to model the section of line begins. But its nice to know there will be at least one interested on looker. Although at this stage im not sure I should continue the documentation of the build on this thread as its an introduction,,,, I think I am supposed to do it in a blog ,,,, now let me see if I can have a look at Abbotswood, best regards Alan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Londontram Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 Hello Alan welcome to the forum. I like the work you've done on that layout and look forward to more updates as you progress. If you have any I would love to see some pictures of the beam engine as I too always loved the look of a stationary engine in motion, I'm afraid the best I could do in my younger days was add some detail to an old Wilesco traction engine ie. a new tender, a moving but non functioning governor and a more realistically placed regulator all attempts to make it less toy like. Anyway look forwards to more posts. Regards Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium DLT Posted September 2, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 2, 2014 Hi Alan, and welcome to the forum. RMweb is big and it can take quite a while to find your way round it. Also there are several potential places to put your layout thread. I would not suggest leaving it in the New Members section, but start a thread in the Layout Topics section of the forum here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/forum/87-layout-topics/ You will get plenty of interest/feedback/suggestions on RMweb, and I look forward to seeing the layout's progress. All the best, Dave.T Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
aplinewalker Posted September 2, 2014 Author Share Posted September 2, 2014 Hello Alan welcome to the forum. I like the work you've done on that layout and look forward to more updates as you progress. If you have any I would love to see some pictures of the beam engine as I too always loved the look of a stationary engine in motion, I'm afraid the best I could do in my younger days was add some detail to an old Wilesco traction engine ie. a new tender, a moving but non functioning governor and a more realistically placed regulator all attempts to make it less toy like. Anyway look forwards to more posts. Regards Steve Hi There Steve ,, Thanks for the welcome and the message. I know the feeling with my Mamod steam engine,,, but I bet you were as proud as punch with your governor. A man after my own heart who likes beam/stationary engines (I thought they might be a dirty word on here) I would put a photo up but I cant see how you do that on this reply page but if your really interested then a link to my YouTube videos would be better than any photo http://youtu.be/zDqPiPZTdIw?list=UUXPM0Q6pmk0C-wd-4L3OJHQ or if you just goggle "shed engineering" you should get on the first results page 4 or 5 down an obvious model beam engine. Remember its work in progress and only built from basically scrap bits and pieces,,, for instance the cylinder is 4 inch plastic soil pipe you have to try and imagine what she could look like with mahogany clad cylinder with brass banding and the columns decorated, with flag stone floor and handrails round etc. (Ya she's a big girl 4 inch cylinder 6 inch stroke) and obviously I didnt have a lathe, When I went on the engineering forums i came in for quite some sarcastic comments when I proposed building such a lager model, and said I was hoping to get a more realistic speed, most live steam models are recreated and scaled down beautifully but they fly round the speed is very really scaled down and I was hoping to get her running at 15 to 18 rpm ,,or less ,,, etc etc,,,, well as innocent as my suggestions were ,,, it obviously upset virtually every one one the forum,,,and I got stuff like Re your suggestion building a beam engine and especially the parallel motion to keep the piston perfectly vertical through a 6 inch stroke will require a lot of procission and I don't see how your going to achieve that without a lathe. (and) You will soon learn that you can sale down size but you can not scale down the laws of motion and Kinetic energy, and to get a model to run at 15 rpm or less is some what ambitious to say the least, and you will need a flywheel made of something more substantial than your novel M.D.F. idea. I have been modelling over 35 years and never yet got a model to run that slow,,, well of course not until I read that last comment did I realize these chaps had spent years and years on a model scaling every detail down but never getting close to recreating a realistic speed... and It was them comments and many more in a simlar vain that stated the Beam engine videos,,, I got 3 Private messages of congratulations when I posted the beam engine running ,,,, and claimed her running at 9 rpm. (such comments made me think twice before joining RMweb with my folding layout) Also on there you will find my N Gauge folding model railway (im still working out where best to start a thread or blog and document its progress on here) You can also be the first to comment on my U.R.V.T.S if you look for the last video posted, its just a sneak preview,, proof of concept more than anything, but to get a N gauge tractor to do a two point turn must be breaking new ground (But then I have only seen a quarter of one % of whats on here)But my under road vehicle transit system should be ok for N or double O ,,, im hoping to have a lorry drive down the hill into the station yard park under a coal conveyor get loaded and drive out again, I can have the tractor shunting the wagons,,, that should be something a bit new others might find interesting, I just need to get the coal from the wagon to the conveyor to complete the depiction or portrayal of the transition of coal from rail to road,,,, Anyway I hope we can share many more ideas,,,, in the future ,,,, Thanks again for the welcome ,,,, keep in touch ,,, Cheers Alan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
aplinewalker Posted September 2, 2014 Author Share Posted September 2, 2014 Hi Alan, and welcome to the forum. RMweb is big and it can take quite a while to find your way round it. Also there are several potential places to put your layout thread. I would not suggest leaving it in the New Members section, but start a thread in the Layout Topics section of the forum here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/forum/87-layout-topics/ You will get plenty of interest/feedback/suggestions on RMweb, and I look forward to seeing the layout's progress. All the best, Dave.T Hi there Dave ,,, Thanks for the welcome and advice ,,,, that's brilliant. I tried to read through the help topics but there is so much to try and take in,, and as you say this is a big forum,,, So that's why I just put a few photos into my introduction until I find my way around. right let me check out that link,,, and I will try and drop in to see what your up to in your loft spare room or shed,,, (Some of the stuff on here is mind blowing I looked at Phil Bullocks and thought it was real ,,, i could have been at the side of the line with my flask and sandwiches,,,, I said to him i think I have already got the fuel for this years bonfire) many thanks Dave (someone else bless them told me this is pleased) and I am... Alan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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