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Worsley Dale Garden Railway


mick
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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Although I've been unable to have trains running today I can at least make out that there's been some action on Worsley Dale by including the following posed photos featuring the aluminium ingots.

It was a similar photo to the one below that gave me the idea of adding the aluminium ingot loads to the BBA wagons. On this occasion 37114 departs Shieling Bridge and heads across Low Shott viaduct.

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37114 and 37012 make light work of the heavy load as they approach Shieling Bridge.

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As I've previously said, the aluminium loads may not stand up to close scrutiny but at normal viewing distances they look convincing enough and it's a bit more variety added to the freight traffic.

 

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Hi Mick, I am not one to judge modern loads. However to me they look find and as you said give your goods traffic a variety  Tried laying track today but gave up as the rain appeared so went back to soldering. Still not very good at it. The flux paste seams to help.

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4 hours ago, kenbrunt said:

...I am not one to judge modern loads. However to me they look find and as you said give your goods traffic a variety...

They'll have to do Ken. With most of the outdoor stock I'm modelling something I've never seen other than in photographs so it's really just my take on it anyway. It's also made slightly more difficult due to the fact that railway photographers tend to focus on the locomotive at the front rather than any of the stock to the rear.

4 hours ago, kenbrunt said:

...Tried laying track today but gave up as the rain appeared so went back to soldering. Still not very good at it. The flux paste seams to help.

Yes there's a knack to good soldering and I'm still trying to crack it myself though I do manage to somehow get by. Keeping the tip of the iron clean is essential in my view along with plenty of heat so that you're just in and out again without hanging around too long and melting sleepers.

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At the end of the day Mick if they look good to you that's all that matter and as I have learnt with a garden railway, it's not there for close scrutiny, you tend to watch from a distance to see the whole train going theough the scenery.

I've just started putting loaded rolls on my steel wagons, using the plastic ones that come with them, don't look great up close, clealy platsic but they are good enough for me!

Now, where did I put that scrap MDF...........

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  • 1 month later...

It's 10 years to the day since I began construction of Worsley Dale and I was hoping to have something in the way of a celebratory video to mark the occasion but while I did actually start out doing some filming a few days ago the heatwave soon put a stop to that. I'm unable to do anything about it at the moment due to other commitments but hopefully in a day or so I'll be able to remedy it. Lots going on at the moment.

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  • 2 weeks later...

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...

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...while 37415 was on Cargowaggon vans.

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Video below....

 

Edited by mick
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Another lovely day but I wasn't able to get out into the garden until mid-afternoon and so I decided to take a few static photos rather than running anything around the entire layout. However, before doing anything I glued a few tail lamps to some of the freight wagons as it's something that's been bugging me for a while now.

It's strange how you can spend an hour or so taking photos only to discover, when you get the images onto your computer, that there's something displaced on one of the loco's or wagons that you hadn't noticed when it was directly in front of you! Such is the case with 37411 in the first 2 images below but never mind, I'll try to put it right for next time.

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And while the EWS loco's are running towards Shieling Bridge the large logo BR Blue's are heading the other way....

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...complete with tail lamp!

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7 hours ago, mick said:

It's strange how you can spend an hour or so taking photos only to discover, when you get the images onto your computer, that there's something displaced on one of the loco's or wagons that you hadn't noticed when it was directly in front of you!

Every time Mick. Every sodding time.

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15 hours ago, chris said:

Every time Mick. Every sodding time.

24 hours later and I've already forgotten about it and spent a day filming the same loco with the same displaced pipework!! Maybe I can sort it tomorrow?

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37025 appears to have a dislodged container immediately behind the loco too! Bloody hell!!

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I daren't look too closely at this one of 37026 for fear of finding something else.

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Anyway, I've had an enjoyable running session this afternoon despite the dislodged bits and bobs. I've finally got all the garden railway models together, separated from the attic stock, so I know exactly what's what. I don't have room to put too many models out at any one time but it's now a little easier to swap things over and ring the changes now and again. I've probably got too many coaches for the space available within the shed but I'm reluctant to dispose of any at this time because I don't want to restrict myself to any specific period or livery. It's nice to be able to change them round.

I've put some clips together and uploaded another video with some of the action and photos from today.

 

 

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I had another session on the layout yesterday (Sunday), after I'd firstly spent some time tidying up the shed and giving it a good 'hoovering' out. I even went over all the track inside the shed and gave it a thorough cleaning as it only gets done very occasionally.

The running session was restricted to just the Black 5 No.45010 and the 6 coach rake of excursion stock in West Highland green & cream livery and I recorded video clips to show the journey from the larger Stack Gill viaduct through to crossing Low Shott viaduct and into the shed entrance.

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[above] Mid-way through its journey 45010 approaches Watch House tunnel.

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[above] The end of the line as 45010 coasts across Low Shott viaduct into Shieling Bridge station.

Uploading a video of the journey I was a bit surprised that the sound from 45010 should receive a couple of negative comments. Sure it's not brilliant by any means but it's technology that's now more than 10 years old and I ask you, has the quality of RTR factory fitted sound improved that much over that time? - I would argue not. What I can say in defence of 45010 is that it sounds much better running round the garden where it creates an ambience that can never be captured on a video. It's an element of a garden railway and it certainly adds much better atmosphere than a non-sound fitted loco ever could. Video is of secondary importance to me as it's simply a record to look back on in later years.

There was a suggestion that adding synchronised sound from actual recordings to your video was a way to go and I must admit that some of those I've seen sound pretty good but then it's no longer an actual video of my garden railway. Anyway, I wouldn't have the patience to do it.

 

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Please don't be disheartened by the negative comment. It seems as though some people derive some perverse satisfaction in belittling other peoples efforts. I think it is more important to keep a record of your garden railway than trying to create an illusion of the real thing by adding sound from a separate recording.

I do think that RTR factory fitted sound has definitely improved over recent years.. I have a Bachmann Deltic (D9007 Pinza) and the latest Accurascale version (D9020 Nimbus) and the improvement since 2009 is fairly dramatic.

Watching your latest video of the Black 5, the only missing element for me is steam. A conventional Seuthe steam unit would do nothing but the water based TRS system would add to the sound and complete the effect. All extra expense and effort though.

Please keep making your videos.

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On 09/08/2022 at 22:56, Riddles said:

Please don't be disheartened by the negative comment....

It's not a problem at all Dave, in fact I welcome any comments whatever the viewers opinion and everyone is entitled to their own.  I only add videos to show progress on the layout and to share them with members of the forum - it's certainly not the end of the world (or indeed Worsley Dale) if someone has something that might be considered negative to say.

On 09/08/2022 at 22:56, Riddles said:

...I do think that RTR factory fitted sound has definitely improved over recent years..

Probably in some cases though I'm not so sure in all although to be fair I don't really purchase factory-fitted sound anymore so I may be doing it an injustice. I still think that the work of Paul Chetter is as good as anything released by anyone else but it's not just his soundfiles but also the way the sound system is installed in the locos. The Sutton Loco Works class 24s and the Rail Exclusive class 47s that I own are top notch and clearly a lot of thought went into those installations.

On 09/08/2022 at 22:56, Riddles said:

....Watching your latest video of the Black 5, the only missing element for me is steam. A conventional Seuthe steam unit would do nothing but the water based TRS system would add to the sound and complete the effect...

The TRS system looks amazing and it's about as realistic as you're going to get. 

Talking of high quality sound and realistic smoke my thoughts just turned to the Dapol 'Black Label' range of A4 loco's! Disappointing to say the least which is why my pair are rarely seen in action.

On 09/08/2022 at 22:56, Riddles said:

....Please keep making your videos.

There'll be plenty more to come. If the sounds awful then the volume can be turned down and if they're not what anyone wants to see then they don't have to watch them!

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On 09/08/2022 at 10:54, Clay Mills Junction said:

I don't know, if it isn't snowploughs when they aren't supposed to be there it's something. You seem to attract criticism on YT, perhaps it is jealousy.

Maybe once you get to a certain level of exposure you have to expect it.

Putting yourself out there in any way you have to expect criticism though some of the comments I've received are actually helpful. I do actually prefer to see loco's with snowploughs for instance but if they never did have them fitted then I feel obliged not to put them on or to remove them if I'd already done so.

23 hours ago, Clay Mills Junction said:

I just went back to the video to balance up the comments. Reading the video description again, I think the negative comments were agreeing with what you put in there. Although the sandpaper comment was still a bit harsh.

Yes I'm aware that when it's heard on video the sound doesn't come across all that well. You're only seeing a short clip where the sound doesn't change and clip after clip it can become a bit annoying after a while. This particular soundfile doesn't have a great deal of drivability though maybe I could play around with CVs to improve it and allow it to 'coast' a bit.

It's a different story out on the layout because the steam sound actually sounds quite nice running round the garden. We each have our own perception of what sounds pleasing to us and even if I went out and invested in the very best sound equipment and reproduction techniques there would still be an element of viewers that were displeased. But hey...it's rare that any of my videos generate such responses so perhaps I should get those 'Black Label' locos out there too!

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Everything about this garden railway hobby is personal to the builder. I for one as you know marvel at all your time, effort you put into Worsley Dale. Also look forward to your update videos.

Just a question on some products you are using after the loon viaduct. What is it. It looks like blue insulation. It would be useful on the sides of my boards where the line is close to the edge.

Please keep up your wonderful work.

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13 hours ago, kenbrunt said:

....Just a question on some products you are using after the loon viaduct. What is it. It looks like blue insulation. It would be useful on the sides of my boards where the line is close to the edge....

It's a type of plastic lawn edging Ken. Lots of different sorts and designs and useful to prevent stock going over the edge.

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It's probably 3 years or so since I purchased those 4 lengths of lawn edging to add an element of safety to the elevated curved section. Obtained them from my local garden centre and it was probably the last time I was in there so I haven't a clue if it's still available.

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