salmonpastures

For anybody that may be interested can I suggest you go to: https://salmonpastures.blogspot.com/ Where you will find an MP4 video of the working overheads on todays post. Perhaps now I can get back to being a railway modeller,,,, but the overheads have been a thoroughly enjoyable excercise. SAD

Touche Richard,,, Thanks for your reply,,, I actually found it about 8 weeks after you posted it. The Beast is taking a bit of a back seat at the minute,,, I have the basic body on a working chassis but have been concentrating on getting the overheads working for the tram,,, which I have completed today. We have been invited to the Aylsham show in October this year and the Immingham show in May next year,,, so after an enforced lay off from the layout I am trying to get it improved and back up to Show Standard. I suppose I am very lucky in that I can self isolate to the garage every day now I am retired,,, fingers crossed,,, Keep Calm and Solder on. Good luck and happy modelling. SAD

Still a long way to go Alan but I have to say most enjoyable. As it is all "new ground" it makes it even more interesting. The turn round triange is meaning I have to dust of some rarely used expletives,, but more on that elsewhere. I just hope all this effort isn't rewarded with cancelled shows!! Hopefully not and at least it has got me to pull my finger out. For the first time today I spent over an hour in the garage and didn't have the heater on. Balmy,, or should that be Barmy!!! SAD

Now temperatures are getting back to bearable I have been able to get more done to the tram/railway The overheads now run down the complete length of the engine shed,, round the recently improved "suicide corner" and up the hill. What an interesting little project sticking the overheads in has been,,, I have never done it before and it's a bit like 3 dimensional chess,, what you think won't work surprisingly does,,, and vice versa. I know the purists expect the overhead to work on straight lines as per prototype,,, mmm,,, I did try but have resorted to putting a few curved overheads in as well especially on "suicide corner." Whatever,,,It works and for me that is the most important thing. I quickly discovered the shortest route between 2 points is a straight line,,, seems obvious I know but overheads present some interesting angles for a trolley pole pulley that is less than 2mm in diameter. A couple of pictures of the work so far around suicide corner and the final shot of the turnaround arrangement at the cinema end of the line. I had a flash of inspiration with the turnaround and decided to build it on a test board first before putting on the layout,,,,, right move,,, as trying to get it all to gel together whilst working between the roof sections of the cottages would have been a nightmare,,,, progress so far is I can get it to go 1 way and am sure I have the solution for why it will not go the other way. Watch this space,,, but I have to say I have thoroughly enjoyed doing it,,, fiddly in the extreme,,, and have also spent hours just watching the trolley pole gently following the tram,,,, I remember watching the real ones as a kid and that wonderful "Swish" noise that came from the trolley running along the lines. Unfortunately I have "reluctantly" self isolated to the garage [and am quite enjoying myself at the moment,,, please don't tell Helen!!!]. Thanks for watching all you followers and please "take care". Oh HAPPY DAYS. SAD

Just a quick update,,,, am pleased to advise we have now been invited to the Aylsham Show on 3rd October this year. If you have never been to Aylsham it is well worth a visit,,, the superb Bure Valley Railway and an excellent model shop on the station. The L1 build will continue,,, but as we now have another show in 8 months time I had better start making sure everything works on the layout first!!!! sad

Thanks for that Mark, It will have to be brushed as I don't fancy masking all the windows out for a rattle can!!! The trolley pole has arrived,,,mmm,,, I'm glad I did not go for the kit!!!! As mentioned before all the other bits have arrived and are sitting there waiting to go!!! Am off to Stevenage show tomorrow and will get some more bits,, solder paint,, new Antex tip etc from Eileen's and intend to crack on with the overheads next week,,,, keep yourself free for a couple of hours most evenings!!!! Happy New Year,,, SAD

Hi Mark, I have to ask what paint are you using for the Sheffield Corporation Transport Cream??? Am now in receipt of all the bits for my overheads and the tram is long overdue a re-paint. SAD

After a couple more productive sessions in the garage I now have tanks fitted to the left and right side of the L1. It is starting to come together now and taking on that much sought after "ugliness". Next job is for extensive running on the layout to ensure we haven't built in some hidden gremlins/shorts. Then a serious clean up and I can start the very time consuming detailing. SAD

With the festivities out of the way I have managed to get some more done to the L1. Splashers on both sides and I have started cleaning some of the excess solder away. Not my favourite job making splashers but on this one at least there are only 2,,, the massive tanks hide the rest. Getting close to fitting the tanks and then it should really start to come together. Have fitted to the body and there were no shorts but some of the internal splashers were very close so I gave myself a bit more free space. Life is so easy with a minidrill and a couple of dental burr's.

A bit more progress on the L1,, more than I was expecting,,, there is obviously more to Xmas shopping than I thought. First point,, don't attempt to take photo's and drink tea at the same time,,, if you do this is what happens,,, just my luck because it is actually quite a decent shot. The boiler now has a smokebox and a firebox which in turn is fitted to the spectacle plate. I spent time ensuring everything was square and parallel to the track,,, but you never know until you bolt it all together,, getting the boiler height correct was a phaff At each stage of adding to the footplate I dry run to see if the chassis still turns and was doing quite well until the smokebox wrapper was fitted,,, this fouled the driving wheels nicely so I have had to strip it all back for clearances. Next will be the mainframes and front end,, leading into the tanks,,, then it really should start to look the part. SAD

Jamie, I am delighted I've found your thread. The standard of your work for someone still at school is a joy to behold. If you look at your early posts and then your later ones the improvements are already very obvious,,,, so just keep modelling. Good luck with the impending exams but please don't make the same mistake I made,,, I thought modelling was more important!!! WRONG SAD

The real reason I feel guilty is I don't drink coffee!!! But they are SO useful,,, and taste quite nice as well!! SAD

Am pleased to announce we are raising steam as I type!!! Not attached, not inline and not completed BUT we can go into the festivities with the most difficult bits of tin bashing over. Classic BluTak shot complete with sturdy timber supports to give it some sort of industrial substance. [pinched from that big jar on the counter at the local coffee shop!!!,,, naughty naughty,,, but they are so useful,,, paint stirrers, flux appliers, toothpicks, the list is endless] Thanks to all the followers,,, have a good Xmas and to be honest it is unlikely I will get a lot done over the next week or so!!! but you never know. Merry Xmas to all and productive and satisfying modelling in the New Year. SAD

Another good session on the L1 saw a firebox fabricated,,, and blue tacked onto the cab spectacle plate for photo's And as we were having such a good time I sweated an end plate onto the boiler and will be jousting with the alignment of that tomorrow. After fiddling with the BluTac I am relatively confident we will have enough "wiggle room" to get everything lined up OK. It is coming together now and starting to take on the "monster" look. SAD

Richard, Frap Jnct, Did the Dean Sidings body come with chimney & dome attached??? I am building an L1 in brass at the moment and will need to source the boiler fittings before too long. They were a real "bruiser" of a loco,,, lovely and just my sort of thing,,,, it's hard to believe Mr Robinson could design the A5 and this beast,,,, I know about the LDEC lineage but for me this one really wins the purposeful/ugly prize hands down. Forward SAD

A bit more progress on the L1 Zeppelin. Cab floor internal steps and handrails fitted and cab/bunker is not attached to the footplate. Firebox and boiler next and a lot of cleaning up. SAD

Wonderfully festive!!! Can't wait for part 2 just, what I need to counteract the Xmas grumps. On a slightly more serious note I have found you have to be careful with the RCTS as well. Railways Crime Terror Squad. I was questioned at an exhibition as to why my J72 was running with a number which was actually allocated to a different type of engine. My response was that I occasionally put the wrong numbers on engines just to see if people are paying attention. He seemed bemused by my response and wandered off writing in a little notebook. [True Story] Where will it all end???? It won't be long before Random Flocking is a criminal offence. SAD

Window frames all in and nearly cleaned up so today I tack soldered the cab and bunker pieces together,,, more progress. When everything is squared up and cab steps and floor plate has been added we should be able to mount it to the main footplate. Much more fun than watching repeats on Dave!!! SAD

Never say Never Jamie,,, We can confirm that we will be strutting our stuff on the exhibition circuit again,,, and you only have to wait till 2021!!! By then the tram should have a realistic set of overheads,,, the L1Zeppelin should be able to put on a performance in it's old stomping grounds and we should all have finished our physical training regime to enable us to enjoy humping the fiddle yard about again!!! Can you guess where we are going???

Managed to get a bit more done to the L1 before cold garage stopped play. Have been putting in the window frames,,, one of the side panels is nearly finished. Still have some more cleaning up to do but nearly finished. When they are all done I should be able to start fixing the cab plates to the footplate. SAD

And there is nothing wrong with that!!!! SAD

Alan, I wouldn't be too concerned about the return of your colour perception,,,, I'm afraid Apple Green will always outsmart the Brunswick variety no matter what state the optical sensors are in. Glad to hear yesterday's trip out had some positive return for you as well. SAD

A very good question Mr King,,, and one which the "exhibition focus group" discussed and acted upon only this Tuesday: After a 3 year break from the circuit (and a holiday in Croydon) the layout has returned to its ancestral home and as part of the process of returning home to North Norfolk has over the last 4 weeks been dusted, cleaned and even "de-snailed" and therefore we can confirm it is definitely lighter. The operating team,,, all of whom are now septuagenarians,, are about to undertake another crash course in sprightly-ness at a local hostelry in an effort to get us all back to our previous levels of show fitness,,, in fact only yesterday Alan "the westerner" had his eyesight realigned from 7mm viewing back to 4mm such was his enthusiasm at the possibility of doing more exhibitions. Rest assured we are all raring to go. SAD & the SalPast team!!!

Was expecting the central heating to be serviced today so didn't want to get too involved with brass bashing on the Zeppelin so decided to do a simpler task and set about the traction poles for the tram. A job I have been putting off for far too long but once I got started I really enjoyed myself. A couple of pics of the first 6 out of a total of around 30 that will be required. Having the overheads installed should make a significant difference to the tram system. Apologies for the crude infrastructure showing in these shots,,, but this is what we have to look at all day at exhibitions,,, the public only see the "show side". Much nicer,,, dirty but nicer. SAD

A little bit more progress on the Zeppelin over the last couple of days,,, only bluetacked together at the moment but it is starting to take shape. What monsters they were. SAD