Brian Harrap

Nay lad, contraire, tis anticipated that the EU, when its affairs are sorted, will make an application to become part of ZOBland itself, Brian.

Hello Howard, there's a 20ft drop in front of the shed and we wouldn't want poor Dobin or anyone else taking a purler would we, Brian.

Danged if I dain't fit Stable Doors to the small loco shed on QUAI:87 after all. If you're curious to know why why not pop along to the Farnham MRC show at Aldershot 8-9 Oct this year where QUAI:87 will be on display and all will become clear. Brian.

The new Model Rail Sentinel with its new P4 wheels looking rather unsure of itself (track gauge too narrow for the new P4 wheels) on test on the high level on QUAI:87 prior to delivery to the Cap'n.Brian

Someone was asking about motorizing crossing gates back along, I wonder if anyone suggested tortoises? Brian.

Here's what it looks like with wheels to P4, Doesn't look as though its on the track? Thats because its standing on P87. Crane going on later, Brian.

Oh bu''er, where did that little bit fly off to?

Just looking at the Cap'ns' Sentinel parked up in the ZOB workshops with a view to turning the wheels to P4. Will have to clear out the rabbit droppings and the like out of th'ole Unimat and upset a few spiders I expect but it looks like all will be OK. Pity I haven't got my new P4 layout far enough advanced to give it a run - might just try it @ P87 on the QUAI first. Brian. (wonder if he'd like a crane fitted to it whilst it's here)

In case anyone was wondering about the size of the roller bearings on the hoist here's the prototype, Brian.

In response to numerous requests here is a picture of the upper works of the wagon hoist on QUAI:87. Shown in its nude state as it were, much cosmetic work is in progress such as a winding/engine house and some other bits and pieces whose function is uncertain but will hopefully make the whole thing look quite business like. I did in fact install a sprocket for the (somewhat oversize I admit, but the smallest I could get) lifting chain to run over on the top cross member but contrarily enough the whole thing runs much smoother without it. It has to run smooth as John Farmer has insisted on 'no jiggling' in operation, hence also four 2mm roller bearings arranged cantilever fashion supporting the table (bed??). The slopingness of the affair is inspired, but not a model of, the well known one that used to be at Leytonstone. It has been the very devil to line up, both the upper and lower tracks having been installed before the hoist was built. Not the best way round to do it.

Yes Andy, the hoist lowers by its own weight. The canal bridges are of the swing type which are also returned independently by a weight(s)(a few nuts on a bent coathanger) but involve rather more cup hooks and screw eyes and a couple of bicycle spokes. Best left hidden under the layout, but it all works, Brian.

This is how the Winch looks installed under QUAI:87. The sewing thread actually does the pulling, the chain is for the cosmetic look of the thing above ground. The greeny patches are where I was testing canal base colour paint - not the canal leaking. The swing bridges are driven in a very similar way. Brian.

Control panel nonDCC QUAI:87. Yes really, Brian.

I was asked again the other day at Railex (no I wasn't there with QUAI:87) as to how the swing bridges over the canals were driven. Again I gave the truthful answer - Tortoise point motors - only to see the enquirers eyes glaze over, and the unspoken questioning look, how does a device that by its very nature only gives a 1/4 inch or so of throw move a bridge through 90deg. As the mechanism is impossible to see on the layout and as I was preparing yet another Tortoise, this time to drive the newly installed wagon hoist on the layout, I though I'd put up a pic to show how I convert a point machine into a winch. (Product guarantee out the window [there's a whole pile of them of one sort or another outside my window] but sometimes one has to live dangerously). The Tortoise taken apart all the gubbins that they don't want you to see is revealed, and the cam and blade moving bits and associated slider switches are discarded, leaving a rather nice winch type mechanism that can be used for all sorts of things. I drill a hole in the final output shaft (very undrillable plastic but keep at it) to attach a cord. The rather heavy string shown is not as usually used but is for illustration only as they say. I also invariably install a short length of knicker elastic (kindly supplied by Lady ZOB) in the final drive line to give a bit of play - I hadn't done this on the first test run and found, not to my surprise that the Tortoise is powerful enough in this unintended configuration to lift the whole wagon hoist out of the ground. They had bent coathanger wire on the swing bridges before the elastic was installed. Incidentally I power the bridges and now the hoist with a regular loco throttle as this means I can have a beautiful slow start up of the bridge and an even more prototypically 'slowly slowly' docking of the bridge in its final position. Hope this is of some interest, Brian.

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Hello Missy, nice to meet you at Railex. Just beem looking at you pics of Highclere - looks fine to me and aren't those sigmals and lamps something. Looking forward to seeing the ng. Best wishes, Brian.

You missed my favourite, Humbrol matt 66 Crud (for, well crud). best ,Brian.

'Taking a run at the wagon turntable' Well I remember the day when Farmer and Maddocks were left on their own for a while whilst I joined Ivan and the foreman in the alehouse for a wet. Yes they took a run at it but didn't heed the advice to apply the locking tab with predictable results. I think if you look very closely you can still make out the flange marks across the cobbles and maybe just a little ding in the corner of the building. Nice work Chris. Brian.

Nice one Chris, lots of cobbled trackwork I trust. Regards, Brian. Thats cobbled as in,...I mean not cobbled together....I'll stop digging my hole now shall I. B.

Can you/anyone please advise on the Southern Beyer Garratt? I met a chap a few years ago in Kirkwall who said he was building one, but all I can find on t'net under 'southern' is one that hails from South America. Thanks in anticipation, Brian.

Hello Jon. No the single cable doesn't have anything to do with the insulators, it just loops from pole to pole until the terminal pole were the steel carrier (integral in the cable) is striped out and literally wrapped around the pole. The conductors inside are then lead up to a rain proof junction box fitted to the pole, hopefully below the lower crossarm (if still there) so's it's easy to get at or right at the top of the pole so it's a sodde to work on.You choose. Brian.

Nice scenic work Jon and great weathering. Telephone wires. Considering the period you are modelling I expect you wouldn't want to overlook the fact that by this time nearly all the old open single wire installations have been replaced by multi-core aerial cable, one thickish wire and easier to put up in real life and to model. Leave the old ceramic insulators on the crossarms, we did. Regards Brian.