CF MRC

Thanks for that David. They probably would have remained in GNR condition as the gantry was taken out of service in 1932 with the KX re-signalling. There is another signal in the vicinity which is rather fun. The image also shows step pegs on the nearer dolls and only partial railing on the gantry at high level. The more you look the more you see… Tim

Now the fun and games can start. This is the beginning of the four doll gantry at the north end of Gasworks Tunnel on the down lines. There aren’t any decent close up photos of it, but these are the arms that will be modelled. At least two of them should probably work sometime, as they signal a conflicting route, but we’ll see. Maybe we should just put a steam generator in the tunnels, so they’re hidden, a bit… Tim

In fact, the loco is currently being charged-up to see how it performs (I will probably be in touch with Giles Favell to compare notes on ‘tuning’.) It really is a pretty engine and deserves to get the Joy valve gear made and finished: trouble is there is a 2mm loco also in the works at the moment… On the layout front, I am about to acquire four superb baseboards made by the late Mike Randall for an erstwhile 2mm scale layout. These will fit Lynton perfectly, but the 2mm stuff on top will need removing and then tidying up the box beam frames. The new layout will be a fitting tribute to Mike, who was responsible for the CF structural build. The plan is well sorted and the turnouts were made by Keith Armes (one of his last projects). I have just ordered a stock of sleepers from Marcway for the remaining plain track (i.e. most of it). One of the biggest psychological stumbling blocks was the station and goods shed tiled rooves. I am using the Outback Models kits as a basis, and the printed tiles just don’t work - I can get a good stone effect, but the tiles need more work. I think I now have a solution from Scale Model Scenery. It’s good to have lots of projects… Tim

‘Perchance it “is not dead but sleepeth”.’ Tim

The ECMs, I recall, had three settings of feedback on them. Even so, they weren’t very kind to Graham Farish motors (which were in the majority of mechanisms in the early days). The mechanisms were slowly replaced and all our locos now have coreless motors. The ECMs were replaced by Pentrollers in the early ‘90s which Stewart Hine developed for Pendon. These also had three feedback settings depending on the motors in use: we always used the coreless settings. These have been replaced on the mainlines by PICtrollers in the last ten years, which automatically sense the motor type and adjust feedback accordingly. Tim

These were originally controlled with ECMs running on a low feedback setting (not ideal for any N gauge motors) then with Pentrollers, when they became available, and more recently PICtrollers. For testing locos I use a straight DC controller. Tim

I’m looking forward to the N gauge Buckjumper…! I have been using coreless motors for 45years, with very, very few failures in heavy use. They easily outperform cored equivalents. Tim

That is a very pretty little engine! Tim

“Perhaps we can pool them together and run the 'Ashburton Grove Pullman' on Copenhagen Fields...” We used to run one when the layout ran BR period stuff in the early days. Tim

Nope, they’re at 64 Wimpole St. Tim

Mike Randall, a major contributor to the construction of Luton Hoo and Copenhagen Fields, has died from complications arising from his cancer treatment. Mike was well known in 2mm scale modelling circles and was responsible for all the plywood engineering that makes up Copenhagen Fields, with perhaps the most impressive feature being the 22’ span proscenium arch that takes the layout lighting and frames the scene. Mike was a major contributor to numerous MRC projects and pursued multiple interests outside of railway modelling with never diminishing vigour. He will be greatly missed by us all in the Model Railway Club, having given a great deal over the last 40+ years, based of his encyclopaedic knowledge and skills in timber and building construction. Tim Watson

I couldn’t really resist continuing with the Westinghouse pump, so it now has the compressed air pipe fitted and the basic fittings for the steam feed and exhaust. The feed pipe fitting was made from some 0.5mm OD brass pipe, soldered into the groove cut in to the back of the steam cylinder. This did not have a large enough bore and so it was reamed out using an 06 endodontic file. These are the smallest used in root canal treatments and are made from nickel titanium alloy. The size represents 0.06mm diameter measured 1mm from the tip. The video clip shows it in action. The regulator on the LHS is next to be added and the pipe work can be seen here as a piece of 33swg phosphor bronze wire. Having this running plate unit as a separate sub-assembly has made it much easier to work on. Apologies if this post relives dental memories for some! Tim

After a few hours of fiddling, the basics of the Westinghouse pump on 2400 are now complete. The steam supply & exhaust plumbing will probably be made later, the air delivery pipe rather sooner. A 2.3mm diameter blank for the cylinders was turned and centre drilled 0.4mm over 5mm depth. Drilling such a deep hole is taken very carefully, with many clearance removals, aided by RTD cutting fluid, and sharp TC drills. The blank was then finish turned with a graver, giving the raised ends to the cylinders. A piercing saw was used to separate the two cylinders, also making the stuffing box at each end. A conventional 0.4mm diameter steel drill shank was used to align the cylinders and a U shaped piece of brass (box section 1.6mm square with a side removed) inserted between the two cylinders - this represents the casting that holds them together on the real thing. The assembly was anointed with silver solder paste and pinned into a stable relationship with old drill shanks thrust into the charcoal block. The whole assembly was gently brought up to red heat for the solder to flash. On a very fine and small component such as this I turn off the workbench lighting so that I can gauge the temperature more easily. After pickling in citric acid, a few holes were drilled in the cylinders for the shuttle valve and oiler on the top, compressed air outlet pipe and a slot cut on the back for the steam inlet and exhaust pipes. The drill shank is a very useful handle to hold this rather titchy component. The mounting bracket on the running plate had been fitted previously (with two holes drilled in it) and this was augmented by a couple of pieces of brass wire which were threaded as one U shaped staple from behind and soldered in place. The excess wire was cut off and dressed in front and behind to neaten them up. These two pegs represent some substantial brass bolts in this area and made it easy to locate the pump for soldering to the bracket: the drill shank had previously been sliced off with a diamond disc. Having the main pump silver soldered ensured that it didn’t fall apart when attaching it to the locomotive. (photo courtesy Owen Chapman) The final result needs to fit very close to the boiler as the hand rail takes a detour round the top of it! The extra bits for the pump will be made when the associated plumbing is fitted. The piston is scarcely visible - like the real thing - but at least I know it’s there. The Association makes a 3DP version of this which is very fine, but I prefer turned metal in this situation. The 3D metal print looks a bit ‘hairy’. Quite crazy really, as the whole thing is only 6mm tall. Tim

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Some more progress on the Skittle Alley today. The representation of the prototype frames between the splashers have now been fitted. These were made by soldering a strip along the back of the splashers and then cutting out the unwanted bits with a piercing saw; finally tidying up with a bur, so saving fiddling with small pieces. The next item was the bracket for the Westinghouse pump. This was a very substantial casting in real life. The next photo is of a prototype made with a (too) small brass T section. The end piece is folded over and the junction with the upright pillar flooded with silver solder paste and gently heated to flash into the crack, so making a strong assembly. The definitive bracket was made from 3mm brass T section, filed down to size (approx. 2mm wide) with the foot silver soldered in place. A long handle was retained for holding during construction and positioning the bracket on the running plate whilst soldering: I use this technique a great deal for stabilising small pieces during assembly. The top had been partially cut through so that it simply needed twisting to remove the handle. I have a cunning plan for making the pump… Tim