Lancaster Green Ayre - The Barn Owls have returned.

[Little John]

@Erichill16 I also met John through the 009 society . I remember Barry Haigh , and I still see a lot of Neil Singleton . Was there an Alan Dunderdale ?

[Erichill16]

7 hours ago, Little John said:

@Erichill16 I also met John through the 009 society . I remember Barry Haigh , and I still see a lot of Neil Singleton . Was there an Alan Dunderdale ?

Im still in contact with Barrie,and up until covid was a regular at the MRC. I remember  Neil (ex man of the cloth?)and Alan. I also remember David Jayne, John Andrews and Adrian Foster. 
Robert

[jamie92208]

Whilst we have been away I've been a busy boy in the shed.  Most of the rewiring for the coal yard has been done. I've even got the new control panel partially working.  Hopefully  more in due course.

 

Jamie

[jamie92208]

A little bit of work has been done. One of the small items that I brought back from the UK was some screwfix brackets.   This morning I fixed them to the small panel.   First job was to make a drilling jig as there are 4 sets needed.

Brackets were then fitted to both sides of the control panel.  Remembering to get them the right way round.

Then to the outside of the layout.

And finally the panel was hung on the outside.  I did check before drilling that the flying lead would reach.

Now I can install the electronics inside the panel.  The extension to the right is because I underestimated the amount of space needed, particularly for the wiring.

 

Jamie

 

[jamie92208]

Not much has been done over the last few weeks as we have been a bit busy with a trip to the UK plus a visit from our granddaughter and her mums.

 

However one important milestone was achieved.  Emily Lancaster (3 yrs and 2 months) drove her first train on Lancaster Green Ayre.

I had done a test run the evening before and 996 had disgraced itself by breaking a crankpin.  I had however managed to find a spare crank pin set and the right Allen key and repaired it.  996 can be seen just to the right of the brewery store slowing down to enter the station on a light engine movement.   A real milestone.  On her previous visit she was a babe in arms with me trying desperately to be a grumpy grandpa.

 

Jamie

[jamie92208]

Now that the very important visit has taken place and my list of preparatory jobs for the visit has been completed I may possibly be able to do some work on the layout. This afternoon a friend came up and after a cold beer he helped me to remove the station board. I can now , hopefully,  get the canopies properly  secured and vertical. A little bit of progress.

 

Jamie

Edited July 11, 2022 by jamie92208

[jamie92208]

Good afternoon from a muggy and warm Charente.  Much thought has been had re how to strengthen the canopy support.   At the moment the board is on it's side clamped to a couple of workmates.

The problem set is the 6 canopy bays from the east end of the up platform.   These have been removed for inspection.

When the canopies were made a length of M2 threaded rod was cast in the centre of the resin columns.  There was a 2" tail on each that went through the platform then the baseboard with a washer and nut underneath.  Over the years some of the tails broke off in transit or when being handled.  There are now only 3 tails on the 7 supports for this section.  The broken ones have one or two threads showing from the base of the pillars like this.

The law of sod means that of the three intact tails,, one  is above a cross strut and doesn't go right through so can't be bolted. That means that there are only two nuts holding the whole section of awnings.  

 

After much thought my plan is as follows.

 

1.  Centre drill five lengths of M6 threaded rod on the lathe with an M2 tapping drill, 1.6mm. I am not a confident lathe operator and this task fills me with dread.

 

2 drill out the holes on the appropriate columns to 6mm. 

 

3. Clean off the broken lengths on the column bases to try and expose another bit of thread.

 

4.  Then tap the holes in the M6 rod to M2

 

5.  Thread the M6 rods onto the M2 stubs and allow araldite to set.

 

Then refit the awning very carefully and tighten wing nuts and bolts gently.

 

After that I will need to refit the cross girders that support the Overhead and tie the two big sections together. Not forgetting to align them so that the columns look vertical.

 

RS have delivered  a couple of M2 tapps today and I even found a bag of M2 nuts.

 

Jamie

[jamie92208]

Good evening from the Charente.  I've had a successful hour in the shed.   I managed to find all the bits and pieces that I needed, including the check for the Unimat to hold the 1.6mm tapping drill.  Some baited breath and a holed was successfully drilled in the centre of a piece of M6 studding.  Then with trepidation I used the tap, but couldn't find my small tap wrench.  I ended up putting the tapp in a minivice and rotating the studding by hand.  IIt worked and I didn't break the tapp.  This was the result.

1 down just 4 more to go.  That it hanging on by one thread.   Araldite will help to secure it.   Time for some Scottish Medicine from the Glen of the Livet to calm my shredded nerves.

 

Jamie

[Dave Hunt]

Glad to see you didn't screw up Jamie.

 

Ah, but you did didn't you?

 

Nice job.

 

Dave

[jamie92208]

Just to let people know.  I've started reloading the missing photos from pre June 2021.  I've started with the earliest and will gradually work my way through over the coming weeks.  I'm on page 2 from 2010 at the moment.

 

Jamie

[bbishop]

The rate of reloading will be inversely proportional to the rate of medicinal input.

[jamie92208]

Well the reloading is ongoing.  I'm now up to 2013 and page 15.   I also managed some time in the shed this afternoon.   I drilled the three remaining lengths of threaded rod.  These were then tapped M2 and screwed on to the tails on the columns.

Whilst checking the station board I noticed the bench and it'sprovenance.

Then after a couple of false starts I got the canopies fitted.   Even with only two nuts secured it's a lot less wobbly.

 

A good couple of hours work and no tapps broken.  just 2 1.6 mm drills blunted.

 

Jamie

[jamie92208]

A tiny bit more progress tonight despite the heat, 38 degrees.  The last nut that I need to put on is an M2 one and the law of sod places it in a very awkward place.  It's right behind the wooden strengthening girder that I fitted a few months ago.

The 5mm of threaded rod is about 8mm from the end plat on the right and under the centre of the wooden girder.   I had a flash of inspiration and glued a nut to a small offcut of flexible plastic.

I managed to get it on the end of the rod but it wouldn't stay on when I took the plastic off.   Next plan B which entailed me dipping my finger end into thixofix, then putting the nut on my finger.  After a bit of fiddling about this is progress so far.

Hopefully I may well be able to run it up the exposed thread tomorrow.

 

The picture uploading has progressed and I'm now onto page 36 and February 2016.

 

[jamie92208]

Gash post caused by fat finger syndrome whilst uploading missing photos on page 41.

 

Jamie

Edited July 25, 2022 by jamie92208

[Dave Hunt]

???

 

Dave

[jamie92208]

5 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

???

 

Dave

All is now explained above. I wouldn't want to cause you undue stress  Dave you might need a lie down in a dark room after some Welsh or Scottish medicine.

 

Jamie

[jamie92208]

Good evening rom a cooling but still warm Charente.  I've had two sessions in the shed today.   This afternoon I managed to get the recalcitrant M2 nut seated using pliers and fingers.  Then I looked at the down platform and found that that had 4 tails and only two nuts.   I was able to get a piece of M6 studding onto two other columns and so it was back to the Unimat and drill and tapp another length.  I had a spare from the up platform. Within half an hour 6 columns were properly secured.  This evening I went back and got the board upright.  This was the view from the west end .

And from above.

I had taken the footbridge out as some of the pillars seem to have distorted, possibly by the heat.   Does anyone know how to straighten resin castings.

I wanted to strengthen the supports between the canopy runs to stop them wobbling.   Several ideas ran through what serves for a brain these days and I finally thought.  Who is going to see a dark painted girder in the middle of the canopies.  I went in search of something suitable and came back with a piece of rail and some 5mm square brass bar.   The brass bar looked a bit oversize so I tried the rail and it seemed to do the job.

  A bit of quick work with a file to put some recesses in the gutters and this was the result.

I'm happy with the result and will progress it this week then fasten the OHLE supports after giving them a bit of   t l c.

 

Picture uploading going well, I'm up to 2017 and page 47 so far.   About 20 more pages to go.

 

Jamie

 

[lezz01]

Have you tried heating the footbridge pillars with a hot air gun or hair dryer Jamie?

It might work although personally I would have made them from hardwood strip from the off. That's just because I like using wood though.

Regards Lez.

[jamie92208]

7 hours ago, lezz01 said:

Have you tried heating the footbridge pillars with a hot air gun or hair dryer Jamie?

It might work although personally I would have made them from hardwood strip from the off. That's just because I like using wood though.

Regards Lez.

Someone else made them for me and they've got M2 rod moulded through them.  I wondered if dipping in boiling water might be enough.  Once the buildings arecon they are almost invisible so I might leave them be.

 

Jamie

[jamie92208]

A major milestone has been passed/ I've now reloaded all my photos to this thread.   There are obviously still missing ones that were put up by other people.  

 

I has been a very interesting and at times thought provoking and somewhat poignant.   I despaired at my disordered photos from the early years and spent much time searching for some of them.  A few have been lost.

 

Then I kept seeing names of people who helped build the layout and realised how many are no longer with us.  Two core members of the tea were John Patrick and Tony Bond.  Both made immense contributions to the project and when i see the station buildings and the lovely Midland locos I remember them.   Keith Smith made a big contribution to the electrics and helped bring order to my relays.   Mel Burris who made the footbridge near Ladies walk along with a loco and two coaches is sadly not around though he did see the layout in France. Bernard Shaw made the lovely coaling stage.   

 

Fortunately many other team members are still with us such as Ray Clasper, Paul Brearley, Charlotte Robinson,  Dave Tanner, Chris Stevens, Mark Sheridan, Bill Bishop and many others have contributed.   I am a very lucky guy to have had such a talented and enthusiastic set of co conspirators over the years.   I am sure that there should be other names in the roll of honour but my forgettery is active.

 

Anyway, onwards and upwards.   More work to do.

 

Jamie

 

 

[sir douglas]

i would re upload all of mine but i dont know if ive still got all of them, theyve likely been re named since or i cant remember which photo goes in which post

[jamie92208]

6 minutes ago, sir douglas said:

i would re upload all of mine but i dont know if ive still got all of them, theyve likely been re named since or i cant remember which photo goes in which post

No sweat Sam.  Any that you can do would be much appreciated.   Also apologies for missing you out in the roll of honour.

 

Jamie

[MrWolf]

5 hours ago, sir douglas said:

i would re upload all of mine but i dont know if ive still got all of them, theyve likely been re named since or i cant remember which photo goes in which post

 

I have a similar problem. A lot of my photos had been stored, unknown to me on the internal storage of my old phone, rather than the SIM card, so when it lost a fight between gravity and a prewar BSA gearbox, a lot of the pictures I took early on of layout construction were lost, despite electronic assurances that they had been "saved to cloud" .

Long story short, you have my sympathies.

[jamie92208]

Good afternoon, just from the Charente where it's a tad warm.   I have not been completely idle during the heatwave, we're on our third official one.   I have made some progress with the platform awnings. I've got all the support columns secured and am now starting to refix the cross girders that support the OHLE.  These have not travelled well and need some tlc. This one is missing one insulator pot and the other is badly twisted.

I did a search in the scrap bin and actually managed to find an etch with a few of the support brackets on it.

the six that I have found should do me.

I managed to solder the easternmost gantry at the end where it had come loose.  This together with the piece of rail that is now glued in place makes things look a lot better.

The whole structure is now a lot more sturdy.  However I still have three more gantries to fix.  This one which also terminates one of the wire runs is just slotted in place but not secured.

Hopefully I will be able to tidy it up before I fix it.

 

Jamie

 

[jamie92208]

Despite the heat, 38 degrees yesterday, I have managed to make some progress.  Work in the mornings and evenings whenever possible.  I did have to abandon one session in the afternoon when I started dripping over the layout.  I hope that that's not TMI.

 

Anyway this is being driven by the fact that a so called friend has invited himself over with some of his other friends to see the layout.  I though that I better at least have some trains running.  Anyway I set to work to solder the catenary supports between the awnings.   This meant quite a bit of cleaning of paintwork and getting the girders back to brass.   I had originally used araldite as I was in a hurry to get the layout ready for a show.  This had not stood the test of time and being bounced about in the back of a lorry etc.  Anyway with the awnings better secured I cleaned the ends of the catenary girders. then had to clean the relevant places on the awning girders that they attach to.  Here access was tricky but I realised that I could put the board on it's side to do one side of the awnings then turn it over to do the other side.  For once a plan worked.  Here is the board on it's side clamped to the two workmates.

By this time the up platform ends of the OHL girders have been soldered. A friend helped me invert the board last night before partaking of some nice whisky.   This morning I got the down platform side soldered up.  Yesterday I had discovered that the smaller section of awnings was quite wobbly so had had to fire up the Unimat again and make another M6 to M2 converter.  This worked well.  The remaining OHLE bits were soldered up.  Then the leg was refitted to the board.

I couldn't resist a photo along the length of the platforms.  A Graphics program has rotated it so that you don't need to crick your necks looking at it.

And this is the gaping gap in the main line circuit that needs filling.  Hopefully someone is coming this afternoon to help me put the board back in.

 

Jamie