81A Oldoak Posted November 20, 2015 Author Share Posted November 20, 2015 Project Privy is completed and providing welcome relief for the signalmen of Cwm Bach signal box and the loco crews at Cwm Bach Colliery Motive Power Depot. The photos show both privies standing loosely on Cwm Bach station and in their final positions. The green privy was first "painted" with a dirty grey wash to represent weathered, unpainted timber. When dry, I rubbed down the panels with a very fine "wet & dry" to smooth down the burrs that emerge when the first coat of dries. I did the same after the first coat of cream on the BR privy. I applied liquid rubber masking compound to the green privy and when it was set overpainted it with green When the paint was dry I used a very sharp point to pick away the masking compound to leave a rather pleasing effect of peeling paint. The photo of some decrepit outbuildings in Burley in the New Forest provided the inspiration. The photo was taken in 2004. It is still there and clearly suffers from some sort of allergy to fresh paint. This is typical of the sort of photos I like to take for future reference. They are, however, a constant embarrassment to the memsahib and offspring as they look at the open-mouthed stares of other bystanders who are trying to detect the cause of my enthusiastic exclamations. This has been an enjoyable and amusing project. The total cost of materials used is well under 10 pence. The next task is to erect a retaining wall along the colliery branch where it runs behind the signal box. Stay tuned. Chris 13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CME and Bottlewasher Posted November 20, 2015 Share Posted November 20, 2015 (edited) Lovely work Chris, Like you I take photos of decrepit buildings, at every opportunity (with permission where required), I found a small group very similar to those above, in the Cotswold's, yet didnt have a camera - a good excuse to go back to the lovely local cafe and take some photos though! Kindest regards, CME Edited November 20, 2015 by CME and Bottlewasher Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 Chris, The bogs are brilliant. I particularly like the green one. Most convincing. Best Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osgood Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 Agree with Simond - my only reservation being that the hole in the door of the white unit seems to be a bit on the high side…... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
3 link Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 (edited) Agree with Simond - my only reservation being that the hole in the door of the white unit seems to be a bit on the high side…... Why? I thought it was to let the smell out.... : ) Edited November 21, 2015 by 3 link Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 Good question. Is the hole A) to allow the occupant to see out when enthroned B) to allow others to verify if someone is in residence (assuming the earlier-discussed noises are not apparent) C) to allow the occupant sufficient light to read the paper D) other? © reminds me of an article on the BBC news website this morning, decrying the parlous state of a police cell toilet, and bemoaning the lack of toilet paper, however, on a positive note, the force was commended for "a generous supply of reading material". Best Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 I do wish the damn i-editor didn't auto-correct my typing Mutter, grumble, complain.... (Took three attempts to prevent the automatic capitalisation of the ironic " i " above, grrrr) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
81A Oldoak Posted November 21, 2015 Author Share Posted November 21, 2015 Good question. Is the hole A) to allow the occupant to see out when enthroned B) to allow others to verify if someone is in residence (assuming the earlier-discussed noises are not apparent) C) to allow the occupant sufficient light to read the paper D) other? © reminds me of an article on the BBC news website this morning, decrying the parlous state of a police cell toilet, and bemoaning the lack of toilet paper, however, on a positive note, the force was commended for "a generous supply of reading material". Best Simon Apparently, there is no established standard for the door design of external privies. The well-known crescent moon on American outhouses was popularised by cartoonists and had a questionable basis in fact. Some claim the practice began during the colonial period as an early "mens"/"ladies" designation for an illiterate populace, the sun and moon being popular symbols for the sexes during those times. What appears certain is that the purpose of the hole is for venting and light and there were a wide variety of shapes and placements employed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CME and Bottlewasher Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 Why? I thought it was to let the smell out.... : ) Or the flies in! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
81A Oldoak Posted November 21, 2015 Author Share Posted November 21, 2015 I visited the South Hants MRC annoual show in Portsmouth this morning. All of the layouts were of good quality being mostly EM, P4 and 2mm FS. 7mm scale was represented by John Shaw's 0 gauge GWR Winterley Wharf layout, which packs a lot into 11' x 2''2". It was also nice to see Jerry Clifford on the 2mm FS stand. He achieves miracles in the tiny scale, but I can't ever see myself tempted down that route. This afternoon I have been working on the last section of retaining wall that runs along the back of Cwm Bach. I have also made a start on trialling Lincs auto-couplings. first impressions are promising. They are simple to make, operate efficiently, allow the 3-link and screw couplers to remain in situ and function. The vehicles can be used either way round and the appearance is quite discreet. They are also robust and don't need constant adjustment. Delayed uncoupling is not possible, but that bothers me little. I'll take some photos in due course and also try to shoot some video of them in action. CK 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
railwayrod Posted November 26, 2015 Share Posted November 26, 2015 Yes please to photos Chris. I would like to know how Lincs fit onto locos and wonder if soldering is essential. Rod Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alant Posted November 26, 2015 Share Posted November 26, 2015 Yes please to photos Chris. I would like to know how Lincs fit onto locos and wonder if soldering is essential. Rod Hi Rod, I use Lincs on my layout (see link below) and have done for some years now. You will need to solder the actual hook to the pivot tube but it is not necessary to solder to fit to a loco or wagon etc. The one issue you may find with some locos is lack of space to fit the coupling. It is possible to fit a fixed, non pivot, hook in these circumstances. As long as one of the items of stock has a pivoted hook the couplings should work OK. Alan. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
81A Oldoak Posted November 27, 2015 Author Share Posted November 27, 2015 Lincs auto-coupler sitrep. The couplings are easy to assemble using the small assembly jig. I have managed to solder the steel wire hook to the brass tube using Carr's Green Label flux. However, the Lincs instructions recommend Carr's Brown Label so I shall be on the hunt for some at Reading next week. Fitting the ensemble to the underside of the wagons is not difficult, though the cast underframe on a Lionheart 16T mineral wagon required some butchery with a Dremel. The wagons couple and uncouple satisfactorily on a length of test track. Locomotives are proving to be problematic. It do not think that I will be able to fit anything other than a fixed hook to almost all of my locomotives. The instructions suggest that a fixed hook will work satisfactorily so I have fitted brass hooks fore and aft to an Ixion Hudswell Clarke. I have observed that the loco and wagon will only couple up when the wagon's coupling is depressed over a magnet, in contrast to the wagons that will couple anywhere. I have also found that loco and wagon uncouple when being pulled over a magnet because the hook is a little too short on the loco. However, if I have the loco's hook at the recommended length it won't uncouple when pushed over the magnet. So applying my trusted maxim, "If at first you don't succeed, give up" I have stopped work pro tem to do some scenic work on Cwm Bach. I will return to the Lincs couplings in a few days, but if progress is unsatisfactory I will start to investigate another solution that allows me to retain the original 3-link or screw couplings. I have ruled out Alex Jacksons because only three people in the whole world can actually make them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
81A Oldoak Posted November 27, 2015 Author Share Posted November 27, 2015 I noticed that I have not taken a photo of Cwm Bach station on the completed platform. I must bed it in and sort out the backscene. 19 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Wright Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 I noticed that I have not taken a photo of Cwm Bach station on the completed platform. I must bed it in and sort out the backscene. Looks fantastic Chris, you make scratch building worth the pain! Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Father Dougal Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 Another really nice station. Are any little people going to populate it? D. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alant Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 Lincs auto-coupler sitrep. The couplings are easy to assemble using the small assembly jig. I have managed to solder the steel wire hook to the brass tube using Carr's Green Label flux. However, the Lincs instructions recommend Carr's Brown Label so I shall be on the hunt for some at Reading next week. Fitting the ensemble to the underside of the wagons is not difficult, though the cast underframe on a Lionheart 16T mineral wagon required some butchery with a Dremel. The wagons couple and uncouple satisfactorily on a length of test track. Locomotives are proving to be problematic. It do not think that I will be able to fit anything other than a fixed hook to almost all of my locomotives. The instructions suggest that a fixed hook will work satisfactorily so I have fitted brass hooks fore and aft to an Ixion Hudswell Clarke. I have observed that the loco and wagon will only couple up when the wagon's coupling is depressed over a magnet, in contrast to the wagons that will couple anywhere. I have also found that loco and wagon uncouple when being pulled over a magnet because the hook is a little too short on the loco. However, if I have the loco's hook at the recommended length it won't uncouple when pushed over the magnet. So applying my trusted maxim, "If at first you don't succeed, give up" I have stopped work pro tem to do some scenic work on Cwm Bach. I will return to the Lincs couplings in a few days, but if progress is unsatisfactory I will start to investigate another solution that allows me to retain the original 3-link or screw couplings. I have ruled out Alex Jacksons because only three people in the whole world can actually make them. Hi Chris, If you do persevere with them I agree you should use the correct flux. When I first started using them I only had green label flux and found a few hooks became unattached from the pivot after a period of use. Alan. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
81A Oldoak Posted November 27, 2015 Author Share Posted November 27, 2015 Another really nice station. Are any little people going to populate it? D. In due course Dougal. Not too many though, maybe two or three passengers and one member of staff on the platform and a couple of locomen lurking around the shed. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev_Lewis Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 Are any little people going to populate it? Will they be little or just really far away? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted November 27, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 27, 2015 One of the people who managed to make AJ work was Martin Brent. I have a jig he made which helps to make the hooks. There was a good article by him on the AJs in the Gazette. We did get some flack from the Manchester boys as Martin had made some variations from their standard. Don Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Boucher Posted November 28, 2015 Share Posted November 28, 2015 Or the flies in! The privies I'm familiar with in the states usually have some screening nailed in from the inside to prevent this Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Father Dougal Posted November 28, 2015 Share Posted November 28, 2015 Do you know Preiser do a figure sat on the loo. You have two empty privies...... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
81A Oldoak Posted November 28, 2015 Author Share Posted November 28, 2015 One of the people who managed to make AJ work was Martin Brent. I have a jig he made which helps to make the hooks. There was a good article by him on the AJs in the Gazette. We did get some flack from the Manchester boys as Martin had made some variations from their standard. Don Don, How does your jig work? As for the boys at Manchester MRS, if true they should not be so propriertorial about improvements to the AJ. I reminded of a comment attributed to Sir Christopher Meyer, former UK ambassador to the USA: "Those who mind don't matter. Those who matter don't mind." Chris 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted November 28, 2015 Share Posted November 28, 2015 I have rather mixed views of "harpoons". When they work, they are effective and as near invisible as you can get. You can also leave the 3-links on the vehicle, thus visiting stock can also be accommodated. They are a little limited as too long/heavy a train may cause distortion. When they don't work, they are an unmitigated PITA. The spear gets displaced and doesn't couple, or manages to impale the 3-link on the other vehicle, or worse, the 3-links on the same vehicle. Naturally, this happens only on the back siding, where coupling the 3-links is challenging. Of course, this is all opinion, so doesn't matter, and I don't mind Best Simon 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BG John Posted November 28, 2015 Share Posted November 28, 2015 This is Martin Brent's 4mm AJ Jig. Probably the first time it's been out of the packet since I bought it! I can scan the instructions if you like. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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