Ashley Bridge

10 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

Sarthe currently has 38 people in hospital w Covid-19, down from 300-odd a couple of months ago. None are now in Intensive Care, down from 24 at the peak. 84 lives have been lost in hospital, maybe others in care homes. This against a population of more than 500k. Obviously we are all watching progress, but there is no sign yet of easing of strictures causing a second spike hereabouts. Our tickets for the 24 hrs are sitting here. A much longer night and cooler temperatures will make the race a bit different, and race-rusty drivers, cars and mechanics for the 62 entries might add some spice. I note it starts at 14.30 on the Saturday. 

 

As an olde ghytt - 71 - I have been a bit careful, meeting no-one but my (Scots) cleaner who drops in twice a week, and checkout ladies at the supermarché till. The worst part is not having seen Sherry since she went home to Torbay on Feb 9th. We hope she will return on July 15th. And we are booked back to the UK on 28th July. 

On 03/04/2020 at 10:15, St Enodoc said:

Rich, the stock is listed in order from the loco, so that should let us work out how it was shunted - let's have a go.

 

From the front:

 

Penzance - Truro 9 to 14

Truro - attach 8

Truro - Plymouth 8 to 14

Plymouth - attach 1

Plymouth - Taunton 1, 8 to 14

Taunton - detach 14, attach 2 to 7

Taunton - Reading 1 to 13

Reading - detach 1 and 2

Reading - Paddington 3 to 13

 

I think!

On 15/04/2020 at 04:12, St Enodoc said:

I haven't had time yet to put the final coat of varnish on the lever frame casing but I have printed permanent versions of the signage on self-adhesive labels, ready for when I do.

 

I also spent an enjoyable hour or so last night trawling through a couple of recent Steam World magazines that featured Cornwall. I now have details of about 100 more trains on specific dates with the actual loco that was pulling them. That will be very helpful for updating the loco workings when I expand the sequence to cover the whole layout.

 

Might mean I need some more locos...

Thank you Dudders, as you say, we all have to take care but the isolation is a necessary evil. We have tickets and ferries booked, but will decide later whether to chance it.

 Rich  

What’s the situation in your Department Dudders?  Do you think things will have stabilised enough to host several hundred thousand “Down Sarthe” in September?
Rich.

Glad you managed to get out a celebrate, congratulations to you both. 
We are still under fairly strict control, unless you want to go into our lovely city to demonstrate with your spray can, then it’s Rafferty’s rules.

Rich

A beautifully restored example, obviously someone’s pride and joy. I seem to remember the London ones, at least, had rubber front wings which would make the finish matt. Similar to the colour of the rear mudguards in this picture.

 Rich 

Weren’t they supposed to put it all back in after examining it?

18 hours ago, toboldlygo said:

 

Does it go together easily? Asking for a friend (see quote below)  

 

 

Yes and when it's extremely hot in the loft where my spray-booth is, I'm weathering your stock in very little clothing and sweating gallons - worse conditions than if I was detained by the MiM and placed in the Iron Bulleid 

It went together fairly easily, I had to straighten one of the sides in warm water. Used superglue on a fine stitck to join it .

Underframe is one piece but needed a lit of flash cleaning out. It sits straight and level and runs evenly. No problems.

 Rich 

25 minutes ago, gwrrob said:

 

http://smallbrookstudio.co.uk/kits-parts/4569521214/s.r.-(lswr)-10t-rebuilt-goods-brake-van-(road-van)./11319509

They’re the ones. A little more expensive than your average kit, but you get everything you need , wheels , couplings, wire for Hand rails etc. 
Usual disclaimer, just enjoyed making it.

 Rich 

On 09/06/2020 at 09:35, M.I.B said:

 

Someone was making a nice resin kit  (OO) of these "road vans" - not sure if they are still in production - I made one up - looks great and went together very easily.

 

They may have been advertised in the back of the Toddler..........

Smallbrook Studios do a nice resin one, made up really nicely but, as usual, I can’t get my pictures to load on here.

 Rich 

12 hours ago, brianusa said:

Through a lifetime of GW train sets, the Toad's veranda is always to the rear so subsequently we have all been seduced to think that is the correct way.  Is there a correct way?

      Brian.

I always understood there was a less draughty way round. They’ve only got a door at one end.

 Rich 

56 minutes ago, vaughan45 said:

 

Probably all the fault of the 'Roads' lobby - you go to a Bus Station to catch a bus, therefore you must go to a Train Station to catch a train

What is confusing is that half the clientele of a “petrol station” only go there to buy fags or milk.

B.A. Humbug

1 hour ago, St Enodoc said:

I didn't do much train stuff today, as my picture-hanging skills(?) were in demand. I did take the photos I promised yesterday though.

 

Here's the compartment end of the E147. The lamp bracket is just visible on the left, while the nearmost corner is the one that needed fixing back together. This side hasn't got any droplight frames as they were fixed to the glazing and couldn't be recovered...

 

...whereas on this side the droplight frames were (are) fixed to the bodyside so can be reused. I wonder why the original builder did that. From this side, too, you can see more clearly the ends of the brake cross-shafts and the transverse trussing. You can't see the backs of the battery boxes, which justifies my decision to leave them open.

 

In both shots you can see the roof strips, which are .040" x .010" Microstrip attached with MEK.

 

Here's the underframe, showing the bits I added. There are two running numbers pencilled underneath but it remains to be seen whether either or neither will be chosen. The irregular-shaped white bits on the bogie pivots are spacers to get the correct ride height. These were fitted by the original builder.

 

I pushed the coach around by hand for a bit and then coupled it to a loco. It ran successfully in both directions over minimum radius curves, crossovers and slips, so I'll continue work with confidence.

 

Now the viaduct guard rails. Here are two photos of the trial piece, with the wide and narrow gaps reversed.

 

in this one the wide gap is at the front and the angle makes it look reasonable.

 

In this one, however, the wide gap is at the back and looks far too wide. I'm glad I tried the narrow gap and that is definitely the one I shall use on the layout.

 

Here are the two little jigs - very simple to make and to use.

 

I might get the chance to do some work on the layout installation tomorrow. If so, there will be photos.

It’s amazing how much time and effort can be saved by making up a simple jig or gauge for any job. Even a spacer behind hand rails makes a neater finish , a bit like frenching all the screw heads on light switches or door hinges. Costs nothing, just looks right.

 Rich 

We’ve had mason bees for two months but our leaf cutters don’t start until mid June.

A. P. Ariste 

A pair of bogie smugglers eh?  Just when the weather has turned. Great job on the little Arthur though.

 Rich 

If it worked for Bugatti and Porsche , why not?

3 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

I decided to do the numbers tonight too, so that everything can harden off before tomorrow. W5771 (no suffix) at the left-hand end, as in 1953 according to Russell Appendix 1 figure 103. Why this specific coach? Well, the photo shows it with one (and one only) dark-coloured droplight frame. That's all the excuse I need for not repainting any of the 16 (plus two toilet window frames) on mine!

There’s no point getting old if you don’t get crafty! 
Bet you don’t get ferocious rivet counters round your way? Still, it’s like painting the inside of a signal box, you know it’s right even if no one else ever sees it.

 Rich 

I think, as a species, sharks have survived worst things than Covid19 . I wouldn’t worry about their health. 
Rich

11 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

I think red suited it.

I made up a Keyes kit in the Eighties, the linings nothing special, but I enjoyed myself.

Judging by the pictures of the average Naval planes, I wouldn’t think performance came into it! 
Great idea though.

My late father was at Mountbatten about 1940, got posted to Glasgow, but that’s another story.

Stay safe, Rich 

4 hours ago, snailpace said:

My plan for my Macaw (when I get a round tuit), is a couple of seaplane floats spare from an old aeroplane kit. On their way down to Mountbatten, they can also be weighted to help running.........

Surely, won’t the seaplane sink?

There’s probably a 3ft radius curve involved somewhere, it’s just something some of us have to live with. Great work resurrecting two old dogs, they’ll do fine.

 Rich 

If a dirty Mogul doesn’t do it, nothing will. 
Great to see it back Rob.

 Rich 

Compared to the chock-block ends of my wire-in-tube efforts sticking out of the fascia, that’s a bloody masterpiece!
 

Chapeau. 

Third from the left looks particularly chapeauliarly challenged. The rest look french t![$ 

Rich 

Yet another rabbit hole to disappear down, is there a corporate design for the wavy line dividing the brown/stone paint on the columns?
Rich

4 hours ago, Bogie said:

That's 25 pages ago!   I know of TV shows that have been cancelled for giving their fans less!

Play nicely, you two!   
 

Obviously he’s busy self-isolating, or maybe , like me, cannot get his mate to come round and sort out all the scary tekkie bits .

 Rich