Mid-Cornwall Lines - 1950s Western Region in 00

[St Enodoc]

Are you using the operating wire supplied with the Tortoise motor? In my opinion it's far too thin, most of the facing points on Carlisle have had the wires replaced with .8mm piano wire - more important here because the power is not left on.

Yes I am Mike. According to the destructions it's 0.025" diameter which I make 0.635 mm, rather less than the 0.8 mm or 1/32" wire I use with SEEPS and H&Ms. I'll give that a try. I'm not sure what size the wire that comes with the Cobalts is - I haven't measured it. I'll report back.

[St Enodoc]

Yes I am Mike. According to the destructions it's 0.025" diameter which I make 0.635 mm, rather less than the 0.8 mm or 1/32" wire I use with SEEPS and H&Ms. I'll give that a try. I'm not sure what size the wire that comes with the Cobalts is - I haven't measured it. I'll report back.

Mike, the Cobalts come with 0.8 mm wire supplied. I changed the wire on the Tortoise for 0.8 mm and it holds the blades more firmly when the power is on but still allows them to ease back slightly when the power is removed. I can only put this down to the different gearing - whereas you can move the throw arm on the Tortoise by hand, on the Cobalt you cannot. This is in fact a potential disadvantage of the Cobalt, as if you need to centre it for some reason after the initial installation you can only do this by applying short blips of power.

[St Enodoc]

Back in the point-building routine. I built Porthmellyn Road 13B points today. As seen in yesterday's post, this is an ordinary B8 right-hand curved point but with a subtle change of radius along its length, as it is located on the transition between the curve off the lifting flap and the straight track through the platforms. For the first time I used a wooden tiebar and Norman Solomon pins on a normal point. The flexible switch blades are about 65 mm long and the movement is much less stiff than with soldered tiebars.

 

I also timbered up the adjoining single slip, 19B and 13A points, ready to start building next weekend.

[St Enodoc]

So, once again there are three NZ teams and none from Australia in the Super Rugby semi-finals.

 

Honest John's top tip: Lions to beat the Crusaders in the final.

[St Enodoc]

The Dapol GRCW railcar arrived in Sydney today. Unfortunately, I am in Melbourne until Friday so I'll have to wait until then to open the box. I hope that it doesn't have the problems that some others have found - see some of the recent posts on http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/65775-Dapol-class-121-and-122-in-oo-gauge/.

 

I'll try to resist the temptation to play with it at the expense of point building, although running-in on the rolling road is a possibility.

 

Still trying to work out what number to give it...

[St Enodoc]

The GRCW railcar looks good and at first sight I haven't got any of the problems mentioned on the other thread. Granted, the two large battery boxes were loose in the box but I soon pressed these back into their locating holes. I won't have time to try it out tonight but tomorrow I'll take it into the railway room and compare the colour, which has been the subject of some debate, with my Heljan railbus. Tomorrow evening I might run it in on the rolling road during the first Super Rugby semi-final.

[St Enodoc]

On 28/07/2017 at 20:17, St Enodoc said:

The GRCW railcar looks good and at first sight I haven't got any of the problems mentioned on the other thread. Granted, the two large battery boxes were loose in the box but I soon pressed these back into their locating holes. I won't have time to try it out tonight but tomorrow I'll take it into the railway room and compare the colour, which has been the subject of some debate, with my Heljan railbus. Tomorrow evening I might run it in on the rolling road during the first Super Rugby semi-final.

Here they are side by side (as in "I got married on Friday..." - Barry O will remember that one).

 

Under the daylight fluorescent tubes in the railway room, the railbus looks to me to have a slightly blue hue and the railcar a slightly yellow hue. I haven't really got a problem with either though. Certainly they are both paler in shade than the later standard DMU green. The numbers will definitely have to be changed but I will leave the slightly oversized roundel, at least for the time being.

 

While it was out of its box, I tested the railcar on a yard length of track with DC power. No problems there either, so I've brought it back indoors ready to run in properly later.

 

Finally, it weighed in at 375 g or just over 13 oz, giving a ratio of 1.4 prototype adhesive tons (18 t 6 cwt) per model ounce - which is far better than my target 3 - 5 t/oz but totally irrelevant as it will only ever run as a single car.

 

Overall verdict - so far, so good.

Edited July 20, 2023 by St Enodoc
images restored

[Andrew P]

They look very nice, I tried to order another Green / Wiskers 122 for the Shop I help in on Tuesday, and Dapol had Sold Out, with NO MORE scheduled for some time.

[St Enodoc]

They look very nice, I tried to order another Green / Wiskers 122 for the Shop I help in on Tuesday, and Dapol had Sold Out, with NO MORE scheduled for some time.

It seems that these models have been very popular, although at one stage (when Bachmann announced their own 121) I began to wonder if they would ever appear. Still, having waited four years, four months and 21 days from ordering to receipt I guess that patience is a virtue. All I need now is the Kernow/DJM Warship (which has been on order a lot longer than that!).

[St Enodoc]

I had a very intensive session at the workbench today, building the single slip for Porthmellyn Road 13A/19B points. This is a standard 1 in 6 but as with 13B points it is on a very slight curve, so I couldn't use my vee alignment jig or straight edges for most of the build. Consequently, it took quite some time to build as I was checking and rechecking at every stage. However, the time passed quite quickly with Faure's Requiem (good job Veronica was out so I could join in), Mahler's 3rd and Mozart's Requiem on the radio.

 

I think it looks a lot neater than the prototype double slip and although I haven't yet tried it with track extensions on each of the roads, my test wagons ran through all right after a bit of tweaking.

 

It is supposed to be fine and mild tomorrow so if that turns out to be the case I will gap and paint the single slip and also 13B points that I built last week.

 

Later on I did indeed run in the railcar during the Super Rugby semi-final. A good game from Christchurch in proper rugby weather - cold and damp. The better side deserved to win on the day.

 

Oh. and after twenty minutes in each direction at half and full speed the railcar seems fine. There is a bit of gear noise at full speed but at normal layout speeds I don't think that will be a problem. The running is as steady as a rock with no wobble whatsoever and the unit is as cool as a cucumber.

Edited July 20, 2023 by St Enodoc
images restored

[St Enodoc]

The second semi-final, from what I still think of as Ellis Park in Jo'burg, was also a cracker of quite a different kind. Definitely a game of two halves.

 

That's it for tonight as we have a busy day ahead, mostly on non-railway stuff, so it's goodnight from me and it's goodnight from him.

 

Goodnight.

[St Enodoc]

We managed to finish all the non-railway jobs by early afternoon and the weather gods had kept their word for once with sunshine, a light breeze and a temperature of 24 deg (yes, we still have another month of winter to come - no doubt I will be reminded of that when I get to Melbourne tomorrow night).

 

Anyway, after some high-speed push tests across the single slip all was well so out came the spray can and the two points are now a nice shade of matt brown.

 

I still had an hour or so to spare, so I removed all the signals from St Enodoc and dismantled the old layout. Having been started in 2006, and having stood in the middle of the new railway room for nearly three years, it has served its purpose well. I have some tentative ideas for the six boards that won't form part of the new St Enodoc station but those are for another day.

[kandc_au]

We managed to finish all the non-railway jobs by early afternoon and the weather gods had kept their word for once with sunshine, a light breeze and a temperature of 24 deg (yes, we still have another month of winter to come - no doubt I will be reminded of that when I get to Melbourne tomorrow night).

 

Hey, hey, hey,

Been a beautiful day down here!

Heaven on earth! :laugh: :laugh:

 

Khris

 

Khris

[Barry O]

It's 19 and damp here.....and it's Summer!

 

Pah!

 

Roll on January.

 

Baz

[Andy R]

The second semi-final, from what I still think of as Ellis Park in Jo'burg, was also a cracker of quite a different kind. Definitely a game of two halves.

 

That's it for tonight as we have a busy day ahead, mostly on non-railway stuff, so it's goodnight from me and it's goodnight from him.

 

Goodnight.

 

St Enodoc;

The whole competition seems to have been a weird journey with the conference system and the Lions not even playing outside SA until the semi- how does that work? Anyway, the cream always rises to the top and the two teams with most points play final. While wanting NZ crusaders to win (of course) my moneys on the Lions this time.

AB-Aussie test coming up soon- lets see how aussie side is now- they usually rise to the AB test occasion

 

regards Andy R

[Barry O]

Very noticeable that the referees interpret some of the laws differently depending on if they are from the Northern or Southern hemispheres. A common concern is the lack of understanding of how a front row works....

 

Baz

[St Enodoc]

St Enodoc;

The whole competition seems to have been a weird journey with the conference system and the Lions not even playing outside SA until the semi- how does that work? Anyway, the cream always rises to the top and the two teams with most points play final. While wanting NZ crusaders to win (of course) my moneys on the Lions this time.

AB-Aussie test coming up soon- lets see how aussie side is now- they usually rise to the AB test occasion

 

regards Andy R

Andy, I think you are right to back the Lions (see post 980). The way the 'Canes fell away in the second half was almost certainly due to altitude (and the crowd, notwithstanding that Ellis Park was only half full). I fear that the Crusaders will go the same way, particularly after the long journey.

 

Overall there are too many teams in Super Rugby at the moment, hence the current angst here regarding chopping either the Force or the Rebels. The current conference system is a con and is unsustainable. More local/traditional fixtures are needed to reignite supporter enthusiasm.

 

As for the Bledisloe, I can't see the Wobblies doing very well at all I'm afraid.

[St Enodoc]

Very noticeable that the referees interpret some of the laws differently depending on if they are from the Northern or Southern hemispheres. A common concern is the lack of understanding of how a front row works....

 

Baz

There are differences in interpretation but there are also differences in competency even within the same hemisphere. Compare the recent performances in Australia of Jerome Garces and Roman Poite, for example.

 

I can't understand why SANZAAR doesn't appoint neutral referees for the finals series either.

 

Finally, having played in every position on the field and refereed for 20 years, I don't think anyone understands front row play - least of all front row players...

Edited July 31, 2017 by St Enodoc

[Barry O]

here, us prop forwards know exactly what is going on and its all about what the opposition are trying to do...  even if we are doing it to them....

 

 

 

Back to model railways... the GRCW railcar looks good ..if a tad clean.

 

Baz

[The Stationmaster]

 

Back to model railways... the GRCW railcar looks good ..if a tad clean.

 

Baz

 

They were clean when they were new - but it didn't last long below solebar level.  The one thing which jars for me is those pale green covered rocker covers on the engines - they were unpainted aluminium on the on the 150hp AEC engines so a need to re-colour before the muck goes on and of course the paint on the exhaust pipes had gone/been mucked over within a weeks.  But overall it looks pretty good.

[St Enodoc]

There are differences in interpretation but there are also differences in competency even within the same hemisphere. Compare the recent performances in Australia of Jerome Garces and Roman Poite, for example.

 

I can't understand why SANZAAR doesn't appoint neutral referees for the finals series either.

 

Finally, having played in every position on the field and refereed for 20 years, I don't think anyone understands front row play - least of all front row players...

And now SANZAAR has appointed Jaco Peyper to the final on the basis that appointments are merit based and he is the best. Hmm...

[Barry O]

They should have asked Nigel Owens...probably the best referee at the meeting moment.

 

Baz

[St Enodoc]

This week's hotel thinking time has been quite productive.

 

First, I think I have worked out a way to use the LED indicators, that show whether the Up Main entering Paddington and the Down Main entering Penzance are clear or blocked, in conjunction with the respective Porthmellyn Road main line section signals. What I want to happen is that when the section signal lever is reversed, AND the LED indicator switch is at Line Clear, the signal arm will come off AND the indicator will show green. In all other combinations the signal arm will stay On and the indicator will show red. I will try to work out a suitably simple circuit for this (the Down Main Advanced Starting signal won't actually exist as it is off-stage, which might make it easier than for the real signal on the Up Main).

 

Secondly, I have been mulling over reversing the configuration of Pentowan station to correspond more closely to the prototype. The current plan has the platforms at the back and the carriage sidings at the front. Reversing it should result in a more attractive arrangement but will bring the approach track about 200 mm nearer the front of the board, in turn pushing Treloggan Junction the same distance closer to St Enodoc. To accommodate this, I should be able to move St Enodoc closer to Porthmellyn Road without losing too much space for the St Enodoc and Porthmellyn Road signalmen to sit back to back. I also need to check that the sidings at Polperran will still be long enough - this might be a reason to use the first-built double slip here. I will have to work this all through to scale on the layout plan.

[Mallard60022]

Charles has finished the video and if I have followed correctly bgman's instructions from about three pages ago here it is:

 

 

A huge thank you to Charles not only for taking the video in the first place but also editing it so expertly.

Also excellent but I can't understand the language...................................      

Phil

[St Enodoc]

Also excellent but I can't understand the language...................................      

Phil

How odd...

 

What's the equivalent of Specsavers for the ears? One of the voices belongs to a genuine Cornishman, four of the others are also Poms or ex-Poms and only two are ridgy-didge native-born Strine speakers.

 

Congratulations and thanks to you and all the other kind contributors to this topic for getting us to 1000 posts.