Rhubarb Loop

On 04/01/2024 at 23:31, queensquare said:

Larkrail is booked for Saturday 13 July by which time it will have stopped raining and the sun will be out!

Thanks, Jerry.

I'm looking forward to it... and the sunshine! 

Alex

On 06/07/2023 at 15:51, Not Jeremy said:

Back to Steve, he is therefore the first booking for the 2024 show with his James Hilton inspired micro layout "Larkhill Crossing", which will be finished by then.

 

How's about that for forward planning!!

 

Simon

Simon,

Has the date of this year's extravaganza been revealed yet? 😇 

I work 1 in 3 weekends, so I might need to start arranging a swap sooner rather than later. 

Alex 

On 03/03/2023 at 13:12, adrianmc said:

The Exhibition hopes to feature at least five 4mm/ft finescale layouts which were constructed by him or in which he was a major contributor. Those provisionally booked to attend include Butley Mills, Cades Green, Hepton Wharf, Trerice and Longwood Edge. It is also hoped that there will be on display a selection of Iain's North Cornwall stock, built for his layout Tregarrick.

Butley Mills! This sounds too good to miss.
 

It’s good to hear that Hepton Wharf and Longeood Edge has a safe future.
 

Are the whereabouts or demise of Roque Bluffs (P87) and Woolverstone (P4) known?

Alex

It was featured in Your Model Railway magazine, March 1986.

Hi Mark,

Thank you so much for the update. It's always a pain when real life gets in the way of far more important activities like model railways! 

On 14/08/2017 at 21:59, pelhama said:

The three CANACC8s convert CBUS data into 'discretes' to trigger the SERVO4s and Relay boards, which in turn drive the turnout/signal servos and magnets respectively.

One thing I forgot to ask... I stumbled across your layout while I researched CBUS for my next project. I'm gradually getting my head around it all. Presumably the "relay boards" for the electro magnets are just the MERG "U-RLY Universal Relay Mounting PCB" (Kit 921) kits or similar? 

Cheers,

Alex

Can we have another update please Mark? I need to see some more neat wiring photographs to feed my addiction! 

Cheers,

Alex

What a beauty Nigel!

It would be fascinating to see an original print of this picture because it is possible that No 3 was at this time fitted with one of the original E R & F Turner boilers, which had been relegated to "spare" status since about 1920, but at least one of which was still extant in the 1960s making its last appearance in No 3 at about this time. Unfortunately the reproduction of the photo lacks sufficient clarity to tell.

By complete coincidence, today I've discovered a number of Peter Gray's photographs available to buy online.

http://www.transporttreasury.com/p1033857966/ea968c9b3

Maybe a large scale print and a magnifying glass would reveal the detail you're after?

Cheers,

Alex

In "Railway Scenes From The Past: 19 - Railways In And Around Newton Abbot And Torbay" by C. R. Potts there is a marvellous photograph captioned:

 

Aller Junction. 15th October 1960.
Probably destined for an engineering operation somewhere, this unusual consignment of two breakdown cranes has just left Aller on the down line, hauled by 'Hall' class 4-6-0 No. 4934 Hindlip Hall and banked by '5101' class 2-6-2T No. 5183. Peter W. Gray

Assuming everyone's understanding of the allocations are correct, the train is formed thus:

• Hall Class 4-6-0 No. 4934 Hindlip Hall
• DW3 Bogie Match Truck
• Crane No. 3 Ransomes & Rapier 36-Ton 
• DW3A Match Truck / Crane Tender / Weight Tender (sheeted)
• DW8 Match Truck
• Crane No. 8 Cowans Sheldon Standard 15-Ton –Mk2 Swan-necked Jib
• Four Wheel Riding Van
• BR Standard Brake Van
• 5101 Class 2-6-2T No. 5183

It's a superb photograph and well worth tracking down if you haven't already seen it. 

I was wondering, does anyone have any details about the little 2 axle mess coach? Presumably it was part of Newton Abbot's Breakdown Train. It's quite a clear photograph so assuming there were no early shenanigans and it's an ex GWR passenger vehicle I should be able to work out which diagram of carriage it was in its earlier life. If it did end up at Didcot, is it this one perhaps?

http://www.cs.vintagecarriagestrust.org/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=64

Cheers,

Alex 

Hi James,

Except perhaps some old siding it would all be flat bottom.

Maybe I missed it but what was your objection to using PECO? I’d have thought their Code 55 concrete plain track ( https://www.peco-uk.com/product.asp?strParents=3309,3310&CAT_ID=3315&P_ID=17117 ) and Code 55 turnouts ( e.g. https://www.peco-uk.com/product.asp?strParents=3309,3310&CAT_ID=3315&P_ID=17103 ) would suit your needs admirably.

If prototype fidelity is essential then FiNetrax is probably the way to go. But with those curves and ambitious staging yard I’d certainly rule out 2mm Finescale.

Alex

I wasn't born until 1983 so I'll admit my knowledge of the 1980's Thames Valley scene is limited. I've tried looking for photographs online, but I'm currently limited by work internett access (can't get Flickr etc.), however my gut feeling was that concrete bearer turnouts would have been incredibly rare in 1989. All the junctions on the Thames Valley would have been re-modelled in the 1960's when the panel box schemes (Slough 1963, Reading 1965 and Old Oak 1967) were done. Concrete bearers for turnouts, as far as I'm aware, didn't become prevalent until the 1990's so probably featured in the Slough IECC resignalling and closure of Old Oak Panel in the mid 1990's at the earliest.

Based on what I've read about your project so far. If I were you I'd go for PECO timber points and concrete plain track and stick to N gauge. As others have said it would be an ambitious project in 2mm Finescale and I think if PECO track is well laid, painted and the layout presented at a suitable height you'll find it suitable for the intense operation recreation of a Western mainline you desire.

Cheers,

Alex

I would use 13mm drivers in 2mm and quietly ignore the small (in 2mm terms) difference in size.

It seems Nigel is already ahead of you Jerry. Not sure how this quote will appear but I found Nigel's initial post lurking in the "What's on your 2mm Work bench" thread...

Here are a couple of pics of a MR 2P 483 class loco and Johnson 3,250 gal tender. These are from the first test etch, and the loco etch in particular needs a lot of amendments, so this one will end up as scrap. 

 

 MR 483 2P (7).JPG

 

 MR 483 2P (5).JPG

 

There were a number of clearance issues on the loco, and I've had to use 13mm drivers instead of the original plan to use 14mm ones. The front of the chassis has also been angled in to give more play to the front bogie wheels. The intention to use either a 21:1 or 30:1 worm set has been abandoned in favour of a 30:1 arrangement only. I'm using one of the Chinese  7mm diameter motoors in the tender, though the design will cater for 8mm or 10mm too. Its hard to judge the performance of the motor accurately as I've still to add crankpins and rods to the drivers, plus some weight over them, and as a result the driven axle just slips on the track when power is applied to the motor.

 

The Fowler 2P comment was more tongue and cheek because to my Western eyes I can never tell the two apart. Though, if the reverser is the only obvious difference in our scale  (presumably aside from dome and chimney) my eyes aren't as bad as I first thought... 

Alex

Yes, I'm slowly working on the 2P at the moment, sorting out what I hope are final tweaks before the production version is prepared.

My knowledge of all things Midland, and especially the relationship between the MR Johnson '483' Class and LMS Fowler 2Ps is always a bit sketchy. 40505 and 40509 would haven been 483's would they not? Presumably a Fowler 2P kit will be following after you've done all this hard work?  

Alex

Nigel,

Very interested indeed! I'm a bit late to the party on this one, are you test building a future kit?

Cheers,

Alex

Well,

The linked article suggests:

VR1 - 10K

TR1 - Any small signal or general purpose NPN such as 2N2222A, BC107, BC109

TR2 - NPN power transistor capable of handling at least 3A and 20V such as TIP31A, TIP31C, TIP41A or 2N3055

F1 -  one amp fuse as some basic overload protection

I've tried looking on the Maplin and RS Components for a 10KΩ potentiometer and matching knob, not as easy as I thought. I'm sure we used to use ones like these https://www.maplin.co.uk/p/10k-andohm-miniature-log-single-gang-potentiometer-jm77j all the time when I was at school and there were matching knobs to go with it. I'm looking for something more visually appealing than a bare wire and crocodile clip really, appearance is just as important as function. Ideally a panel mounted knob and direction switch with electrical gubbins hidden out of sight.

If the circuit above will actually vary the current (which would hide faults) would I be better old fashioned rheostat controller, perhaps the Hammant and Morgan Minipack?!

Cheers,

Alex

Ah, thanks guys! Armed with a couple of searchable terms I came across this basic controller design...

From this article -> http://www.instructables.com/id/Simple-controllers-for-DC-motors-inc-PWM-inertia/

I'm guessing that should do the trick nicely?

Presumably an analogue ammeter would be useful. Would one such as this http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/analogue-panel-ammeters/0244834/ do the trick if inserted prior to the direction reversing switch?

Thanks for you help so far!

Alex

Hi guys,

I'm looking for a basic controller with no fancy feedback or the similar to build into a fixed locomotive testing rig / rolling road etc. I'm lead to believe that with no feedback it won't hide any tight spots. Any suggestions, perhaps something from a start set that can be picked up cheaply on eBay?

Cheers,

Alex

Hopefully it's just a temporary glitch but I keep getting "The webpage cannot be found" when trying to visit their website http://www.highlevelkits.co.uk/ ?

The Hymek, which the observant amongst you will notice dosen't quite fit my c.1920's period , is the very nice Dapol model. The wheels have been turned down to finescale standards, the body lowered, the ends detailed then the whole lot weathered. The loco runs beautifully although the slop in the bogies is a bit annoying as they set off momentarily before the body although I am hoping that a bit of judicious packing will cure this.

Jerry,

Did you ever solve the problem of the Hymek bogies and body being on a different agenda?

Alex

I'd also be interested I reading more about this layout. Surely it was in the Railway Modeller at some point?

Alex

Problem I have is that the NSLR aquiring a passenger service is such a new idea that I'm having trouble deciding on a livery - any suggestions?

My understanding was that North Somerset Light Railway adopted an interesting blue/grey with salmon detailing. The carriage you have modelled was still wearing this colour scheme when British Railways closed the line and the tramway coach was relocated to the neighbouring Titfield & Mallingford Railway branch. Interestingly when the now famous private company bought the railway and rolling stock from British Railways they sympathetically restored the carriage but with maroon detailing, sadly the reason for this wasn't recorded but it could have been based on information (maybe paint flakes?) available at the time.

Thankfully some early colour photographs have survived and they can be seen here:

http://www.alextrack.co.uk/movies/the_titfield_thunderbolt/rolling_stock_wisbech_upwell_coach.html

Cheers,

Alex

I took out the circuit board on top of the block (I'm not interested in the lights) and scraped some plastic away inside the roof to allow the body to sit lower over the motor. I also very carefully paired some plastic away on the bottom of the nose where it sits on the bufferbeam. Overall I managed to get it down by about .75mm - not much but I think it improves the look above the bogies.

Jerry,

Wow, the Hymek looks fantastic! Did you do anything else? On mine the axles seem ridiculously sloppy between the bogie sideframes, did you limit the sideplay?

Cheers,

Alex

I'm really looking forward to seeing this layout at Warley!

Alex

Thanks for the info. I was hoping that light signals might be a useful alternative for N gauge. Semaphores tend to be either static (and often chunky looking when modelled) or fragile if working.

I've been considering how to model these for some time and I'd like to make them working in 2mm Scale. However, some single post signals had up to 8 different lamps to illuminate. For example there was a backing signal (red/green) with 6 options in the stencil indicator. With a 1mm diameter post I don't think it can be done!

Alex

With regards to Bristol Temple Meads and The General Railway Signal Company installation...

High Speed Passenger Running Line signals are the type SA searchlight, giving red and green aspects for the Stop signals and yellow and green aspects for the distant signals.

 

The Platform Homes and Starters are 2-aspect type MV signals fitted with 8 3/8 in. diameter doublet "hotstrip" lenses with SL.17 12 volt double filament rebased lamps. The "hotstrip" is provided to give a "close-up" indication.

 

Backing, Loop and Dwarf signals are the ME multiple aspect type equipped with 110 volt 25 watt rebased lamps and having 5 1/2 in. inner doublet coloured lens with 6 3/8 in. outer clear spreadlite lenses, green at top, red at bottom.

 

In the case of double dwarf signals, 3-aspect type ME signals are used having top and bottom lenses green, and the centre a permanently energised red, the indications being either green over red, or red over green depending on which route is selected.

 

For Dwarf signals reading over more than two routes a special type of combined dwarf signal and route indicator is used having the ME signal type of lens for the signal indication and Box type route indicators consisting of an inner glass having a black background with clear lettering and an outer stippled yellow cover glass, each indication being illuminated with four 110 volt 60 watt lamps.

 

Call On or Warning signals are 2-aspect ME type having a top 6 3/8 in. doublet green lens illuminated with a 110 volt 25 watt rebased lamp and in the bottom indication a stenciled letter "C" or "W" illuminated with 110 volt 60 watt lamps. These signals are fixed beneath, in the case of pole mounted signals, or at the side of, in the case of gantry signals, their respective Main Line Running Signals.

 

All Passenger Running Line route indicators are the Box type having clear cut stenciled letters on a black background and an outer stippled yellow cover glass. Each indication is illuminated with four 110 volt 60 watt lamps.

 

All signal poles are 5 1/2 in. O.D. tubular steel 1/4 in. thick treated with preservative compound inside and supported in cast iron bases fixed to concrete foundations with four I in. x 18 in. foundation bolts. Ladders and guard rings are provided in every case.

That's taken from a publication "Power Signalling At Bristol which is reproduced here:

Power Signalling At Bristol

You might also find this section interesting (though it's a bit of a mess)...

Bristol East Signal Box

Good luck!

Alex