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Showing content with the highest reputation since 03/29/2023 in all areas

  1. It's that time of the year again (or thereabouts) where I finally get round to reporting on how the railway has fared over the winter months and come up with plans for the coming year that I'll doubtless not adhere to. At first glance there doesn't appear to be any major damage or deterioration to the track but I'll know more once I get the chance to power up and run something round. There's the usual overgrown vegetation to cut back around the circuit, such as here on Stack Gill viaduct where this Peony has sprung into life. However, as in previous years it's not the plants that are giving me problems but the bloody pigeons who have again chosen to nest in the tall shrub at the bottom of the garden, accessing it by leaping up from the top of Stack Gill viaduct. In the process they have dislodged a fair section of parapet wall that I only repaired last year after they had done exactly the same. I couldn't say for certain how many different adhesives I have used on the parapet walls over the years but even though most of them set rock hard initially, it isn't long before the adhesive becomes pliable and the structure weakens until it's eventually dislodged. As soon as I can get round to it I'll be using the same sand and cement mixture I resorted to last year to replace all the parapet wall that is still held in place by adhesive. Plans for the coming year? Well I don't really have anything in mind other than the aforementioned repairs to the viaduct. I'd like to get certain areas ballasted, especially the ones where I tend to take most of my photos but that's something that may or may not happen this year, we'll just have to see.
    4 points
  2. In the limited time I've had over the passed few months, I've been working on my new station canopies. These are some shots of the work in progress.
    3 points
  3. So, the last gap of the old main line closed. If the bridge from Italy would come now, I could finish the track construction outdoor. If.... Replaced one of the three box bridges in a row with a concrete bridge open on top. Reason: much better accessibility for cleaning the rails.
    3 points
  4. I didn't expect the viaduct to cross an actual water feature.
    2 points
  5. Hi Guys. Its not been the best outdoor railway weather these past weeks. Have been pottering inside shed for weeks and today was the first chance to get a little run time in. Trust your are all keeping fit and well
    2 points
  6. So, have finally solved the problem that the trees constantly throwing around leaves, flowers and seeds.
    2 points
  7. DDC Concept's track products have a higher amount of nickel content, so less cleaning is required. In the view below, the track was layed in August 2022 and left out all winter, this photo was taken in April 23. The track has never be cleaned but the rail sides still look untarnished .
    2 points
  8. I've still not had a running session this year and nor have I made a start on repairing the damage to the viaduct parapet walls caused by the pigeons. In fact the viaduct walls have sustained further damage since my last post and it's even affected the sections I had cemented in place which makes me think that there's something else causing the damage too - cats perhaps? Yesterday I removed a large 'miniature' conifer from the edge of the track that I had allowed to get out of hand until it was just too large and overhanging the track itself. It also blocked part of the layout from view so in a way it was another reason to remove it. I can now see a good portion of the curve towards the tunnel. I need to plant something else here now behind the stonework that I can keep trimmed and in check and that doesn't entirely block the view as it could be a good spot for video and photographs if I ever get it up and running again!
    2 points
  9. Last week we decided at short notice to book a few days away in Gargrave so we could revisit our walks along the Leeds & Liverpool canal. Fortunately we picked a decent week weatherwise and had an enjoyable time, though there was no sign of the Barn Owls we discovered last year. I think vacation-wise that will be it for a while now as I really want to get some things done at home. Next month will be George's first birthday and I've not really mentioned him that much recently so I'll include a recent photo taken a couple of days ago while we were out on a walk along the river Dearne. The river bank was covered in Dandelions so I just waited for him to settle among them.
    2 points
  10. So that the catenary can withstand the cats.... Part 2.
    2 points
  11. The first set of blocks are laid so I stuck some track on top and sent a train down as a test. The roofing felt isn't glued, the track isn't glued or pinned yet and I had to use a temporary board to run off. It was really just to get something working - anything. By the time I did that, it had gone dark. So all I've got to prove it is a grainy video. I'll stick it up anyway and try to get some better footage in the light.
    1 point
  12. Levelling Up I was recently assessing what needs to be done on the garden railway site to reinstate the front part of the circuit and refurbish the rear part where the timber base has deteriorated after eleven years service. One of the key issues is to keep the whole thing as level as possible and avoid any gradients, to ensure best running. Although I possess a small laser level, it's not particularly useful in this context as the small size reduces its precision and in daylight you can't see the laser marker light across any significant distance. Then I went shopping in Lidl and found this: Costing all of £5.99, it seems like an excellent solution to my problem. Probably easier than trying to use the garden hose (which my friend Philip had found helpful when building his garden railway).
    1 point
  13. I hope everyone has a great Christmas and a merry New Year. Let's hope 2024 brings weather more conducive to running trains outdoors.
    1 point
  14. So I've bought a pair of the new release TRSB coaches for the APT set. As put in the GlenDollar thread, my intention was to sell one on and make a 2-PC-5 rake. With the opportunity to take some photos of it while I have the set, it would be rude not to. I was tempted not to try to sell it having looked at it on the window sill, but looking at the photo I took in the garden in the summer, it'll be too long. My intention was that everything I run will fit through the inner line of the loop with the exception of the HST set, that means the APT can be max 8 cars total. APTs generally ran as two sets together, a full set would be 7 cars: Driving Trailer Standard - Trailer Standard - Trailer restaurant standard buffet - Trailer unclassified - Trailer First - Trailer Buffet(?) First - Non driving Motor. A 14-car train would therefore be two sets with the NDMs connected. It seems, from research, that the number of times 2 full sets ran together was actually pretty limited. The reality was that, in service, mostly they ran as one full set and a short set. The short set would be minimum DTS-TBF-NDM but could have a TRSB. Making them 10 or 11-car trains. I can't see may times they ran without the second NDM except in testing. A model railway is only ever a representation of a real train, we try to get as close as we can but there will always be compromises. So with that in mind, here are some photos of different configurations with what I have. Symmetrical 4-PC-4 3-PC-5 As I'll run it 2-PC-5
    1 point
  15. Always nice to see full-length trains being run. From the photos I can't quite see if the HST set fits into the loop, but here's hoping.
    1 point
  16. UK FREMO weekend Yesterday I was delighted to be able to help out as a volunteer driver at the regular gathering of the UK FREMO gang with their impressive and extensive collection of German outline modules all hooked together in a school hall. The aim is to run trains to a prearranged timetable, complete with pausing at passing stations and dropping off or collecting the odd goods wagon to add complication. Nowadays, thanks to a certain political event which-cannot-be-named, the UK FREMO lads are prevented from taking their modules to events on the Continent by new customs complications, so they make the most of these weekend gatherings on British (and in this case, Sussex) soil. Very grateful to them for inviting me along as a non-module contributor!
    1 point
  17. Scenery work coming towards completion on the turntable section 😊
    1 point
  18. More catenary poles, fake stones and fake grass.
    1 point
  19. Looks fantastic - especially the flowing stream
    1 point
  20. I'm on your side in that case... 🐦 -->🪦
    1 point
  21. I think Mick, being a bit of an ornithology fan probably wouldn't want to hurt a pigeon, even though they are classed as pests. I, on the other hand, wouldn't have any compunction about creating pigeon booby traps.
    1 point
  22. I can not believe my luck other than the main power from controller to track had to be re soldered with new wire everything ran even without a track clean. I will doo a track clean and start to get shed end scenic. weather resistant. Do any of you experience guys know of a fairly easy weather resistant mix that can be used to mould scenic banks etc?
    1 point
  23. Hi John It's good to hear from you again though it sounds like you've been on quite some journey since your initial post. I'm sorry to hear that things haven't worked out as you had intended but I certainly admire you and your wife for attempting to start a new life, especially in another country. I'm sure that at a certain point in our lives we all entertain similar ideas though perhaps only a very few are brave enough to take the plunge. My particular interest would have been to have a narrowboat and just cruise the rivers and canals but after watching YouTube videos of those who have already done so I'm not so sure anymore! I think it's far better to have the security of your own home with all its conveniences and just go walking along the towpaths. Anyway, I hope your circumstances improve quickly and you are able to find a home that's suitable for you both. Looking forward to hearing that the railway is a goer!
    1 point
  24. Hi John, Sorry to hear you and your wife have had a tough few years and I hope your building of a new life goes better and you find somewhere that suits your needs with space for a garden railway. I suppose the only thing I can advise, I guess if you were willing to up-sticks to Greece that you aren't tied to a particular area of the UK, that there are areas of the UK you can get a lot more for your money than other areas. Best wishes, Barry.
    1 point
  25. Oh yes. Ive loads of OO and am still buying odd wagons here and there. One of the problems i do have, is that im running out of storage space for all of it
    1 point
  26. The garden side tunnel portals of the passage into the house are finally finished. Only the catenary poles are still missing.
    1 point
  27. Closing the gap on the old main line
    1 point
  28. I've been trying to make the most of the glorious weather but at times it's been unbearably hot. I really wanted a BR Blue day today so got out a mixed lot of MK1 coaches along with a selection of Mk2's. In the morning I had 26024 hauling a rake of 6 Mk2's, capturing a few clips on video but forgetting to take any photos so I had to return to that later in the afternoon. Here (below) 26024 has just exited the shed onto Low Shott viaduct. (below) I've been trying for some different angles for photos and this next one is a bit awkward to access but seems to work well, though I maybe should have moved the bird bath and stand in the background. Later I had large logo BR Blue 37401 'Mary Queen of Scots' hauling a mixed rake of 9 BR Mk1 coaches in BR Blue/Grey livery. (below) A rare shot from inside the shed as 37401 departs Shieling Bridge. 37403 'Isle of Mull' is a ViTrains model and although it looks the part it's not a very good runner, in fact it takes ages to move off from a standing start. The MK1's are in need of some weathering although I had actually thought of selling them in order to thin my collection down a bit. There's no rush to do anything just yet. It did take me some time to get the MK1's running reliably. I fitted them with Hornby R8220 bar couplings and had to do a fair bit of swapping coaches round before I was able to keep them all coupled together.
    1 point
  29. A bit later than I intended but I've now managed to get enough footage to put a short video together to mark 10 years since I began constructing Worsley Dale. It's nothing special and I don't think there's anything in there that hasn't been seen before but I was just delighted that George allowed me sufficient time to complete it! The Ingot train seen in the video with double headed 37s was filmed on 16 July but today I've been running 37427 'Highland Enterprise' on pasenger stock... ...while 37415 was on Cargowaggon vans. Video below....
    1 point
  30. 1 point
  31. A few more photos from the weekend works. I started with my core cutter. I did the first one without hammer action and it took a while. Tried the second hole at the other end with hammer and the join next to it immediately gave way, I guess from the vibrations. So having cut the other four holes I re-glued the join. Once that had a few hours to set I started on the final hole. As I cut through, the join gave up again although with the hole done that isn't an issue now, I'll just settle them in separately. So on with sawing the arches. My brother-in-law decided that it now needed a flying blue Ford Anglia. I told him he'd have to make do with a blue Triumph 2000 from a distance. 😂
    1 point
  32. I've made a representation of some aluminium ingot loads to add to 3 of my BBA wagons. Now I know they are far from perfect, probably totally incorrect, and on the wrong wagons with securing straps that appear to have nowhere to fasten to but I think they are an improvement on the empty wagons and I'm happy to accept all the errors. I began by making a batch of ingot shaped loads from some left over pieces of MDF but having completed the 12 I required I decided that they just didn't look right. Compared to some photos I've seen they were too thin and too wide so I decided to add another thinner piece of MDF and cut them down slightly so they were narrower and chunkier. After several coats of MDF sealant I gave them a quick spray with some aluminium coloured paint. I should probably have sanded them further to disguise the join between the two MDF sections and remove some of the paint accumulation along the edges but it's only a representation and not an actual replica load. I placed the ingots on lengths of timber as in the photos I was referring to even though the wagons are not the same types. Short lengths of electrical tape were used to make securing straps though whether this type of wagon had provision for that I really don't know but I wanted to mimic the layout on the photos as much as possible. My main reference photo shows 2 wagons with the rear most wagon having an additional ingot and so I have attempted to replicate that too. One particular detail I tried to include was the dimple on each end of the ingots which you may be able to make out on the one below. From a distance I think they look okay but obviously they wouldn't stand up to close scrutiny. I'll see if I can get a photo of them behind a loco or two shortly.
    1 point
  33. Hello together! I wanted to give you a sign of life from me again. At the moment I'm finishing the wiring of the layout with the 10 boosters. I've also reached the last level indoors. With kind regards Thomas
    1 point
  34. It's something I've been meaning to do for quite some time and I've finally made a start but I'm beginning to wish I hadn't. I've always liked the idea of having a bit of water beneath the girder bridges, nothing too grand and certainly not a small pond of any kind, just some standing water. The trouble is my creative flair diminished a long time ago and I'm having difficulty working out what to do with it now. I daren't start chopping away at the central support footings to open it all out so it will just have to be very shallow directly beneath the bridges. I thought about using the angle grinder to cut a channel either side but then decided against so it will have to stay like that. I've got some rubber pond liner that came from a pond we made some years ago which was later filled in so I'll be using that in an attempt to contain some water to the rear of the bridges and to a lesser extent in front once I work ouut how to do it so that it looks okay. I've spent most of the time pondering the situation (procrastinating I think is how Chris refers to it) while doing nothing so don't expect this to be completed anytime soon. I'll add this photo of 26024 with a few oil tanks crossing Low Shott viaduct because it's one I haven't yet added.
    1 point
  35. I've had a break from running trains today as I've been doing a bit of renovation to some areas at the side of the track. The photo below shows one such area just beyond the spring points closest to the shed. The log roll that was previously butted up to the track base had rotted away and so I removed it and replaced it with some pallet timer, coated in preservative and set into a bed of mortar. I've installed it slightly further from the track and infilled with stone chippings. I've also done a further section of parapet walling on Stack Gill viaduct using the same mortar mix as before. I am quite pleased with how the first section turned out and it feels nice and solid so hopefully it will stand up to the attention it receives from the pigeons. Moving on to this evening and I've been up in the attic with the airbrush finishing off the batch of locos I started weathering the other day as well as some coaches. First of all is 37026 LOCH AWE in BR Blue followed by 37415 in Inter-City livery 37427 HIGHLAND ENTERPRISE in Regional Railways SCOTRAIL livery and the superb sounding 37248 LOCH ARKAIG in West Coast Railways livery I've also done the 6 coach West Highland Railways rake, a BR Parcels van and ETHEL 2 seen below behind 37026.
    1 point
  36. One of the things I noticed when I brought stock back out onto Worsley Dale was that some of the Kadee couplings I had fitted myself were slightly too high, especially the ones on some HEA hopper wagons where I had fitted an NEM mounting block beneath the chassis floor. I decided to remedy that today and took them all up into the attic so I could work on them. It involved removing the mounting blocks and gluing some packing in place before replacing the mounts. It was one of those jobs that I could have left for a number of months before doing anything about it but something told me today was the day! With them all at more or less the same height it makes marshalling trains much easier. I can't say they are all absolutely spot on even now but they are close enough to make them reliable. While I was in the shed I also noticed my rake of Heljan IWB Cargowaggons sitting on the shelf, sparkling in their pristine livery. They've been like that ever since I got them, waiting for the time to come when I eventually get round to putting some dirt on them. At the moment they are far too clean to be seen running on the layout. I decided to take them, along with the 2 RevolutioN IZA's that are also sparkling clean, up into the attic with me and make a start on them once I had sorted the Kadee couplings. This is one of the IZA sFins2 Holdall wagons from RevolutioN trains that I received along with my IWA log carriers a few months back. And this is how I've started dirtying them up by applying a diluted enamel wash that perhaps looks a bit too brown in the photo but is actually darker than that. I just paint it on with a large brush and then dab it back off again with some paper kitchen towel. The photo below shows how it looks with the paint applied to the left side of the wagon and how it looks after 'dabbing' off on the right side. And this is the wagon after that initial treatment, just lightly weathered. I'll need to get the airbrush out to finish them off but I like to do the initial weathering so that it isn't just a flat sprayed finish. I managed to do the whole batch of 5 Heljan and 2 RevolutioN so sometime soon they should be making an appearance on the layout.
    1 point
  37. It was suggested by a viewer on YouTube that 2 class 24's would look good working freight so I thought it would be a good idea to have a go, not realising at the time just what a challenge it would turn out to be. I have two SLW BR Blue class 24 loco's which, despite them being from the same stable, do not run perfectly well together. So using the Z21 program I added traction details for my 2 blue class 24's, timing them running over a measured length of trackwork at various speed settings. There was quite a difference in timings, as I expected. Once my timings were complete and the details entered into Z21 I consisted the locos together hoping they would fare much better but the improvement was only slight. Turning one loco round did improve things and I decided it was enough for me to work with as I didn't wish to spend all day at it. I spent some time capturing a number of video clips, which I have yet to view so I don't know how they will turn out, but for now I'll add the following four photos which I took in-between filming. Taken with the DSLR, 24081 and 24009 doublehead the loaded OTA log wagons, passing through Watch House tunnel. And taken using my phone camera, the same loco's emerging from Watch House tunnel with the log train. Earlier in the day 24081 and 24009 were captured passing over Stack Gill viaduct with a mixed freight. And for a bit of variety there was an additional trip with a short coal train. I'm not sure that all these wagons would have been seen behind BR Blue class 24's but it's all about enjoyment and having fun out there.
    1 point
  38. I've gradually been getting some more stock out onto the layout though it's all ones that have been seen previously. I don't expect there being anything new anytime soon although I do have two RevolutioN Cargowaggons that haven't yet been seen either on Skew Bridge or Worsley Dale. They arrived along with my IWA log wagons a few weeks/months ago now so I might give them a run in the coming days and see if they perform any better in the garden than the log carriers did. I attempted to do a bit of filming today but I find it gets in the way of actually enjoying running trains. I'm not sure it's worth it to be honest as you can't sit back and relax when you've got a controller in one hand, gopro camera in another and nowhere left to hold your phone. I never was any good at juggling. 24009 was never intended to be a 'Scottish' loco for Worsley Dale. It was one of many impulse purchases I made and I only recently discovered that it actually spent time in Scotland between 1971-75 so that's good enough for me to add it to the roster. Being a Sutton Loco Works model fitted with sound and stay-alive it performs brilliantly and sounds as good as any loco I've heard. Saying that...I'd had it running for probably 30-60 minutes before I just happened to notice something by the side of the track near Low Shott viaduct and it turned out to be a sandbox & pipe. I hadn't had any mishaps so it had obviously just fallen off. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have seen it. 37401 'Mary Queen of Scots' is one of my 'go to' loco's along with 37025. I tend to grab the weathered ones before the pristine ones although I haven't yet dared tackle the SLW 24's. 37401 is seen here at one of my favourite locations for photographs as it exits Stack Gill viaduct and runs along Stackgarth Gill. Another of my favourite photograph spots is by the side of Low Shott viaduct and 37401 is seen crossing the viaduct immediately before entering the shed and Shieling Bridge station hauling one of my favourite wagon rakes - the OTA log wagons. And although the weather today has been extremely pleasant, during the early part of the day it was almost impossible to get photos or videos that were not affected by sun shining directly in the camera lens or that didn't have the shadow of the camera itself (or worse..me) in the foreground. 45010 had direct sunlight to contend with as it hauls the West Highland excursion rake across Stack Gill viaduct.
    1 point
  39. 1 point
  40. The last of the bridges over this gorge is completed.
    1 point
  41. I can run a train AND work on the layout at the same time, I'm really happy about that.
    1 point
  42. More bridges built, but engraving the stones is a painstaking job.
    1 point
  43. Hallo Tony! The Rhine has a lot of flooding, but there is no danger. The continuous rain also stopped so that I could continue building. Regards Thomas
    1 point
  44. Hi tony! The white stuff is simply smoothing filler. Otherwise the bridge consists of Styrodur and weatherproof MDF. Regards Thomas
    1 point
  45. Great Western delight What a pleasure to have the first visiting locos of the year, especially Julian's finely wrought models. And some visiting lower quadrant signals too. King William IV enjoying the sunshine: Earl of Mount Edgcumbe pauses near a shunting signal: Details of the Earl's cab and tender: A small Prairie drifts down Bamboo Curtain Straight: and Resolven Grange heads home with a coal train with a glimpse of the driver, eager for supper: The end:
    1 point
  46. Just a few pics from today's 1950s running session Nothing too unusual in the locomotive department: this Black 5 on Foxdale Bank and here on Bamboo Curtain Straight And a couple of shots of the 9F on a coal train at Throstlebeck I've just noticed one of those junction signals is facing the wrong way. Wonder how that happened!
    1 point
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