peach james

I bought a GP9 for flinging infront of my track cleaning cars . I have a 50 and a 66 that also see use for similar, and I have been known to add the cleaner behind the pair of 28's. James

Funny, AndyID, mine is "hard to get one started outside right now- with or without accelerant" Although we have "only" had 1/2" of rain today... (well, the meter says 11.83mm for Sooke) I was up here: on Friday, This is close to home (but a few years ago- mum, sister and now 10 year old...) James

Jock, my big lad around here told me the same thing . (10 years old, and fairly clever) Other shocking incidents- 40 Ton/Hr submersible pumps (about 25 hp, as they are ~25A/440V) 1. On ship. The pump weighs 82 lb, and has a rope and a power cord. (and a 2 1/2"/64mm hose). To lower it down, one uses the ROPE to lower or raise the pump. The 'leccy cord is secured in such a way that it is supposed to be able to hold 2x the pump weight. Supposed... When you see the sparks leaving the pump because one of your mates has the pump by the cord and are dragging it running back up the ladder. At least we were NOT in seawater, as it was only an exercise. 2. At the school. The pump's on/off switch comes in at least 2 versions- waterproof and water resistant. Fortunately, the school has a very good GFIC (RCD) on the 440V power supply. I think I got about 5 ma across me. My boss still told me to go see the doc's, because you cannot see internal burns. James

OK, so I didn't need Ronald Dahl's Skyhook to cure the problems- (there are more uploads there- I will post them over in Tony W.'s thread, as they belong to "first attempts" -the Sentinel has a homebuilt chassis milled out on a 12x60 horizontal mill, and the DJH kit was built when I was ~17. I have the other beginner kit as well, it suffers from having run many miles, and the whitemetal bearing on one side needed replacing with a brass one. (which I did). That one dates to when I was ~14, and is glued not soldered) James

As Jeff posted in the KL thread, his dad is several hundred feet ASL, so is fine from most flooding. I am quite sure that what was Granddad's store in Cockermouth is flooded again. Good news- no family connection since 1978. (& its no longer a chemists either...) Next on my list- Electrical mayhem... 1. I was 2 when I decided to see what happens when you stick a screwdriver into a sewing machine motor. Apparently, the jolt to a 2 year old is a bit impressive. 2. Not having learned enough from #1, I decided to make the light on the freezer go on and off. And on and off. And....well, eventually, the smoke came out of the freezer. (it was turning it on and off flash freeze mode). 3. Having moved to Canada, and survived shorting out the odd bit of 12 vdc model railway, I moved up to working on house wiring mostly on 120 vac. Working on one pump (a 240v job), I was sure I had the power isolated, as I had turned it off on the panel. Well, it turns out that it was fed from 2 seperate meter base's... only half the zap of the UK though, but twice the new underwear ! 4. Getting bigger in the world, we come to 440V on ship. First spectacular one is on a Bay class minesweeper, built in ~1956 or so. As the Jr engineer in the Genny room, I go to shut down the 2nd generator at sea. We've just left esquimalt, and the important thing to realize is that to get into the generator room you face aft, and then you turn forward, then you face aft in the space....yep, I turned off the wrong generator under load....brown to black the ship. (not really that spectacular, but still...) 5. YAG 314- we come alongside our home jetty in Esquimalt, and I go to turn on the fire pump for some reason. We're on shore power- so what happens? The pump turns backwards...which is easy to fix, as a StokET, I just need to turn off the power and reverse any 2 leads. Done. Now, flash generator- and the pump turns backwards? Back we go to the way it was- it turns out the jetty was wired backwards, not the ship. (just one box was wired backwards, and we normally ran up the generator to do much electrical on the boats, so it had never been noticed) 6. This one is a bit spectacular- I'm sitting in the control shop on PRO, as we are coming alongside Pearl Harbour, Hawaii. They pipe out specials, and all of a sudden, the ship goes black. Then, about 15 seconds later (about the start time for the Diesel Generator...), I hear an allmighty BANG !. Cue about 10 seconds later- by this point, I'm already moving to the MCR- BANG, and blue flash, and grab a CO2, because my way forward is now past where the blue flash was...and they try again... after the 3rd time, someone else checked to make sure the Turbo-Alternators were actually off the bus. The poor Diesel had been trying to motor up the one TA- the diesel is 1/2 the size, and trying to motor from 0-9556 rpm on the turbine instantly is quite the load. The diesel breaker had been going on its 3 second rating of ~4800 amps @ 440 v (about 2800 hp), from a 1200 hp diesel. -result was > needing a new camshaft & valvegear on 3/12 cylinders. The engine struggled on for about 1 hour after too...even though it was down to 9 cylinders firing. We started the day with 2 TA's, 1 DG and the GT, and finished with the GT only. (Port TA had broken an exciter bolt, and died electrically- starboard TA was motored and shifted the turbine against the labrinth seal, destroying the seal, and the stbd DG is photo'd above) There are a couple of others- I'll post them later if I get the chance. James

grrr.... So, I fixed the one hump in the down. Then I went to try and run through with the same train as before (the 21:30 sleeper, in case anyone cares- behind a pair of 5's, 8 coaches/3 vans). And the same BG keeps coming off the track at the same point, after I relayed it. Now, I haven't checked cross level there, that's about all that can be left. I packed and jacked about 120 thou though, so the baseboard which is 8mm ply over a 33" span at that point is NOT strong enough,and has no way of being stronger. (it's the bit that crosses through the middle of the Lego- the only way to make it any stronger would be to skyhook the centre down. (oooh....that might just be possible too...)) Anyway, it has been a rather long day of modeling, interspaced with taking the now 10 year old lad swimming at the local pool. There are ~70 photos on the digital camera- a bunch taken at 4 FPS to try and find where the wheel is lifting over the track. There are a few of the Lego spiral taken to its major chunks too- it is currently out of position so I can get in and work on this bit of track. Perhaps tomorrow for photos going up. James

Not specifically, for before. I will take a video of it after, because that is a fair good way to see what happens to the trains. (and easy enough to do now). The video at the start of this page (7) shows the other side. I had relayed a bunch with shims under the track to reduce the uncoupling that was happening with the Kadee couplers. James

So I lifted about 2 1/2' of track between Bridge 254 and the station, to relay it hopefully without the hump. I may try relaying the other side as well (I'm currently relaying the down, the up would be the other one to be done). I'm not sure if I will use sand as a replacement for ballast, as I can see just how much ballast I need to bring the track back to hopefully flat(er). I sanded down the cork, and glued the track on the station side down last night. I doubt anything else will happen to the track tonight, as it is fire practice and I have to collect the lads at 5. (so only 1 1/2 hrs at home between, 2 hrs of fire practice, then over to next door to see me mate for coffee- but I can't cross his lot right now, as he had a bunch of trees felled) James

Well, the current train is a pair of 5's (one black, one MT), with 11 on. The trains are set to a maximum speed of ~70 mph, so just a little above the line speed. The other train that has been running is the VIA LRC with 5 coaches- completely wrong, but a fun train, and very much a memory for me. If I was going to model Canadian, it would be Algoma Central in N gauge, it has an equally improbiblity in either scenario. (mind, so will the Pendo that I have on order...) I do have 2 A4's, but they are set to the same sort of speeds as everything else- even at the scale 70, they are impressive pounding through Long Marton. (I should take a video, except the plan is to relay some track today, when I get home in about an hour) If I was going to do Ribblehead, I would build it with an outdoor loop connected off the end. (giving a "long" and a "short" option, I suppose). It's all about time though, as I want to make some progress on some of the problems I know of on Long Marton, and I have other things around the house which demand fixing. (new front steps for one...and my mate next door needs a bunch of wood trimming up). Now, if I played the lotto and won the $50 million, I'd have some platelayers working for me toot sweet... James

There is a video or DVD (or both) of them using steam rollers (a pair...cabled together) to roll some of the roads (Hardknott Pass?) in the fells. Suffice to say, at 1:3, they needed to be winched, as I wouldn't want to try driving a roller up that. (or down it either...) as if you caught a pebble the wrong way, you'd only stop at the bottom. The fell is impressive. My landscraping is all much lower than that- even ] only has about 14" of elevation change from Trout Beck to rail level. Long Marton is basically a plateau above Trout Beck, with the rail line near the top of it all. (the land does climb "north" of Long Marton on the railway, but not to the same extent). I don't see the reason for imbedding the storage yard in a mountain, as there is the stairwell behind that, and my wife's storage area, which is fairly sacrosant for access...I don't think I could pry it out of her possession, although it does contain one of the two wye's. James

So, we had Daniel's 10th birthday party yesterday (Sunday) here, and one of the children who was here for the party got to see what Long Marton looks like, at least in the Down direction. I then cleaned track tonight, and moved 73062 on the sleeper- it made about 5 laps, each time something else went wrong. Not a big shock- I haven't had a Up train running since May or so... Ah well, time flies when you are having fun... James

I'd agree with quite a bit of what has been posted- 1. If you can, "roll" the fell over the top, so that if some tall so and so comes in, their eyes fool them into thinking it rolls back down more than it does 2. Reducing the amount of insulation board used is a good thing 3. Remember that most insulation burns, so coating it in plaster is a good thing... (I need to finish this on the viaduct for Long Marton, since it is directly opposite the wood stove firedoor) 4. Reducing the volume can be good, but consider how much it costs in time vs how much in materials. There is a trade off somewhere. 1/4" beadboard is too weak for an exibition layout...I know...). Long Marton has some very sizeable chunks of foam (styrospan SM, if you are wondering), up to 14" thick by 3' wide decreasing to 6" at the top or so. (angle of repose, just like full sized) Again, it's your railway, so just use the good ideas you like James

Give Micheal Edge a email, I have 2 sets of kits for them (they are chassis only kits, not complete, but a "aid to scratchbuilding" for sure...). They are on my list for next year...after I retire. James Powell

Jeff, we might be a little pushy around here at times, but remember, your dad is a finite resource, and when he's gone, that's it. So, if it pleases you more to be there with him than here with us, do it, don't worry about Kirkby Luneside, we can always go read Tony W. or someone else's thread. "I wanted to spend less time with dad" said very few people once dad dies... It kind of does put it all into prospective as to what is important in life. I know my spring plan is to go help dad move in with his ladyfriend, which should be a good 4+ week adventure. (also, if any of you are planning on attending, going to Great British Train Show, with a layout...). It's not about how much work we get done, but about a bit of time together. It's not like I can nip over for a visit- it's 5 hours flying time from here to there (and more normally, 12+ hrs travel time). It's even worse to go see my mum- who is more like 16 hrs travel from here. (although geographically about 700 km closer). So, take advantage of what you have got, it's a benefit. Anyway, while we would love to see progress, don't put off spending time with your dad & brother on our behalf, James

Ian, welcome to our friendly section of RMWeb, where things tend to be very centrist ! (ha, I had to put it that way). You will note the presence of Jeff's 2 "fun" forums here, in the shape of The Asylum and the Lounge. Then we have the threads- mine, unfortunately, isn't here ! (but I do have a S&C station, in the form of Long Marton in OO). The more facts there are put up, the easier it is for all of us to get it right, which is eventually, the goal. (well, having fun is the ultimate goal, but getting it right means more chance of having fun !) James

Mark, we had 75mm of rain here last night, with winds of 30+ kts. (yes, 3" of rain...that's what you get when you live in a rain forest) Jeff- on a bit more serious of a note, the colour changing LED lights (RGB) might be able to be used to give a very moody lighting. There are a couple of blue hue's which I think would work really well, as well as greens for when you don't want it to feel like rain. James

I realize I am firmly in the missing group (those 20-50 or so) on here. But, technology is meant in a hobby context, to reduce the stress not add to it. If you (looking at Tony W here...) think that DCC is something you don't want on your layout, then by all means, use DC instead. If you (Larry) think that building coaches is a lot more fun than waiting for RapBachHornPool to make the sleeper from the 21:30 on 34th of Notober, 1954, by all means make one. To me, the ability to criticise should be very much limited to areas where you are willing to stick your own head & work up for the same sort of critique. Here, Tony W. has more than put his money where his mouth is- the work you produce is of first class, and apparently (from ~6000 km away) you are willing to help anyone willing to listen as well. That's where the answers lie, to me as a hobby...if you are an armchair expert, I don't have a lot of use for you. Dad and I are a bit famous for being abrupt with some of the instant experts- the simple answer is "show me yours", and if they say, come over, I live at 28 anystreet, then you are likely in for a treat, and if they backpedal faster than Lance Armstrong...well, you can guess how much they actually have done. The exact areas which an individual is interested in, to me, doesn't really matter. I suspect that Larry's interest is far more in accurate coaches in comparison to mine, and Tony wants a scenic model of LB and scratchbuilt locos. My interest with Long Marton has been to produce a signaling simulator with live trains, and the best way I could see from 15 years ago was with computers providing the logic. (rather than a room full of relays). The scenery is of some concern to me, and the trains themselves, RTR is fine for what I want them to be. I have kits for some of the iconic stock (Anhydrite wagons and Conflat P's), and have, I think the skills to build them. My personal interests do not lie in making OO scale kits of locos which are available RTR. If nothing was available, for example for Britannia's RTR, then I would go down the kit road. I just do not think of kit loco building as being my hobby. (and quite similarly, in larger sizes, where I much rather run someone else's built live steam engine than build my own- I have one I built, and have the ideas, but would rather pay someone else for their hobby time and expense than build from a kit of castings). Again, to me, if someone has something to show for their hobby, and is not a blowhard, then the wider hobby should be greeting with open hands. If not a and b, then to me, they go into the generally ignored file. James Powell

Jeff, The platforms at Long Marton were only about enough for 5 coaches- I'm not sure that any except Appleby were long enough for the expresses on the S&C. So, running through a longer train will still look fine. (up to 12 coaches on some, I have a list if you want it?) I'm still unsure how some parts of Long Marton will be done, and I have been working on it for 12 years !. (well, more like, it has existed for 12 years...) It always comes down to time balance for me as well. Which hobby gets my time at any point...depends on what my interests are right now. Long Marton has sat for basically a year since I did any real work on it. I've done lots of modeling in there, just none that involved LM. Which is fine, because it is not hurting anything by being where it is, and I enjoy it when I get around to working on it. James

The ultimate in double ended yards has to be Blea Moor, and Long Marton- where any train can leave in either direction. It just cost a bit of trackwork in Long Marton, the railway is shaped like a 8, with the staging (not really fiddle yard) on top, the fiddle yard in the middle, and Long Marton on the bottom. Blea Moor did it with grades around the fiddle yard, to achieve a similar effect. Now, if only I would run trains more often... James

There's a joke over here, which is totally inappropriate, so I won't repeat it here, that goes about like that Andy ! I did about 3 years of cubs, didn't continue in Scouts. It all depends on the leaders- the same as any youth organization. It looks like I will be grafted in as a parent volunteer. I have no idea why they'd want me... (medical first responder, small craft sailing, canoeing (& canoe tripping), kayaking, used to teach climbing, spent a bit of time camping (some of it with a gun, but not much...that's the joke about the army recruiters). James (oops, signed 2x !)

bloomin' heck - 97 MILES commute? I thought mine was bad at 53 km...(been down to 45 for the last 4 years, as I work on this side of the harbour not the other...). And yes, children are tiring. I'm busy like a one armed paperhanger with my pair- we're down to Mon/Wed/Friday nights being "free", and about 1/2 of weekends. They are now both in Scouts- Daniel (the older) as a cub, and Allen as a beaver. I just today found my neckchief clasp from when I was in cubs- I know I have the books somewhere too, and my shirt. James

The tables which have the fiddle yard for Long Marton contain most of the screws used, but I probably have less than 1000 in total in LM. The Lego has way more, because each table uses something like 50 screws, and there are a fair # of tables. Nothing like the # of drywall screws I used in building the room though, 48 per sheet, 50 sheets of drywall in the addition to the house. Good news: you can buy drywall screws in cases of 5000. (anyone need about a thousand?)

Mucking around with trains (I was going to spend the evening with the big lad playing trains, but instead, we spent it looking for the box of scouting stuff...which we still didn't find !)

Glad to hear your plan will run up to substantial heights above the datum. . I think KL2 will be a very substantial layout for scenic design in the UK. James

As one of the last who can claim _working_ steam experience, the answer is it depends on what manpower there is available. We last painted out the engine room and boiler room in 2008, when we had latex paint to put on the lagging. It had gotten progressively dirtier over the following 3 years, until we were looking for paint to do it again in 2011 before the refit. I don't believe it ever got painted out again, and clean depended on people willing to take care of where they worked. I had my areas reasonably clean, but why clean if you can sleep instead, and why paint if you had _actual_ work to get done, like drilling out broken studs, or fixing leaking pipes. (or looking for R134A leaks, which I spent an inordinate amount of time looking for...) So, clean depends on having cleaners to do the work. There are valid reasons to clean steam engines, for me I find it a good way to check the state of the engine, and make sure that all the bits are where they are supposed to be. (amazingly, they don't always stay put !). Little Johnny (my 4" Fowler model) has a loose bolt on the valve chest cover, which I found on Sunday afternoon. Smokeboxs can be hard to keep paint on. Even now, it can be hard to keep paint on, and it definitely will be a different colour than the rest of the boiler if it is painted in the same paint. It's hard to keep paint on at 800+F James