tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27186342731334900952024-02-19T18:31:43.943-08:00Fungus in Model-LandScribblings from the pen of a wanderer in the world of model-making.Fungus McBoglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193290244424336549noreply@blogger.comBlogger75125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718634273133490095.post-13927614003303901122014-11-18T18:47:00.002-08:002014-11-18T18:47:31.130-08:00Investigating the Quarry1st October 2014<br />
<br />
Today I had enough of the track modules for the quarry sidings complete and
ready for a live operational test. There are two removable modules; the "black
plank" and the "quarry turnouts". The "black plank" is effectively a bridge
allowing space below it for the tree roots to grow. It contains the main line,
single track at this point, the shunter refuge siding, and a turnout switchable
between the main line and the quarry sidings. The "quarry turnouts" module
contains two turnouts toe-to-toe, fed from the quarry turnout on the "black
plank", and feeding back to the refuge siding and forward to the exchange siding
or the quarry floor.<br /><br />The turnouts are switched using Peco point motors,
which are hidden under appropriate-looking building. The building on the "black
plank" is a ground-frame cabin, based broadly on the one at Midford North
sidings near Bath. It was purpose-built from "plasticard". The other building
covers two motors, and I found something suitable in Hornby's range, a
weighbridge office I think it was described as. I decided that in real life,
these turnouts would have been operated by the train crew using a special token
to unlock the ground frame. In model form, therefore, I use the same principle;
I have a ground frame in a box, which is plugged in to the track modules via a
length of cable, and used to operate the points. (If you are an expert in these
matters on real railways, please let me know whether the terminology in my
description is correct.)<br /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQcIRtlLBWaVjs9nWa6eIQ3ewvmd4aIDJhWOJUy4p8Ga-WAvIc4k1GamykVI5h8i4yN_9S0RQ6fwTlz5CO64iSaYOyw_n9_YvLsQcqdTpDmt45Qvm_lav8JgIEC6k348mnNGS5W_EA_xg/s1600/141001-2007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQcIRtlLBWaVjs9nWa6eIQ3ewvmd4aIDJhWOJUy4p8Ga-WAvIc4k1GamykVI5h8i4yN_9S0RQ6fwTlz5CO64iSaYOyw_n9_YvLsQcqdTpDmt45Qvm_lav8JgIEC6k348mnNGS5W_EA_xg/s1600/141001-2007.JPG" height="227" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The shunter has brought two loaded wagons from the quarry floor. It will now
propel them to join others in the exchange siding. The refuge siding allows a
complete train of loaded wagons to be assembled, while keeping the main line
free for other trains</em> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAyVrTHcMmLwnD919ylapvQ59N3BGCpT8POk9GcxgyVXkuOn4l6vGlZfPFI6leg3iApifCFtg7KUAumC2tHqeVwjyNpGYdn4PYdpxEYjZJL2NqmUJ2iFnxAY1bUWhYOwY9zU1g77tmBzI/s1600/141001-2014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAyVrTHcMmLwnD919ylapvQ59N3BGCpT8POk9GcxgyVXkuOn4l6vGlZfPFI6leg3iApifCFtg7KUAumC2tHqeVwjyNpGYdn4PYdpxEYjZJL2NqmUJ2iFnxAY1bUWhYOwY9zU1g77tmBzI/s1600/141001-2014.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The quarry has been disused for some time. Nature is taking over again.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH4d_XxmefnNCJ50Lnkdml0-wramB4E-vvxFE8Uhn1NfcYwkEXmguzrzaBCAtyCOgc1Ig-pFiChHvApLm2T1Z80Hwss-LoEbmbznLF8uJy0K4URrvmwDIdHFyjIgFkA5RUYHf2U1cxO2I/s1600/141001-2017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH4d_XxmefnNCJ50Lnkdml0-wramB4E-vvxFE8Uhn1NfcYwkEXmguzrzaBCAtyCOgc1Ig-pFiChHvApLm2T1Z80Hwss-LoEbmbznLF8uJy0K4URrvmwDIdHFyjIgFkA5RUYHf2U1cxO2I/s1600/141001-2017.JPG" height="236" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The shunter descends the final short 1 n 5 gradient to the quarry
floor.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH5cBr_TpcUGDvoQ-iSY-s50qDgznVGd5ltUBpjM0MNzS3bP2E1KtUteGH8USAoLyn9oIIFB1-X88nQXuzABMOh3sCiSe1N6Fnax75J7Q41uWSqSHIgvKEPuC1fGd98OcmM9IfO6bK9Jg/s1600/111007-2009_quarry-floor%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH5cBr_TpcUGDvoQ-iSY-s50qDgznVGd5ltUBpjM0MNzS3bP2E1KtUteGH8USAoLyn9oIIFB1-X88nQXuzABMOh3sCiSe1N6Fnax75J7Q41uWSqSHIgvKEPuC1fGd98OcmM9IfO6bK9Jg/s1600/111007-2009_quarry-floor%5B1%5D.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The way it was; the quarry in October 2011, with very little greenery. A
shunter nears the top of the 1 in 5 gradient from the quarry floor.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
Fungus McBoglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193290244424336549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718634273133490095.post-16106301537713976872014-11-18T18:34:00.001-08:002014-11-18T18:34:20.870-08:00Loco Testing5th September 2014<br />
<br />
Anyone running a 00 garden railway in Britain will very soon discover that
keeping it clean can take up a lot of time. And it's not like cleaning the car,
or the house, which can always be put off until tomorrow. If your rails ain't
clean, the trains won't run.<br /><br />Something our railway owner might also
discover is that running trains regularly helps keep the track clean, especially
if assisted by an occasional run with a railhead polishing and vacuum cleaning
train. If done once every few days, this seems to be adequate; if left for a
week, a manual clean with a track-cleaning rubber will be necessary.
<br /><br />It's not just the rails that need cleaning. The tunnel attracts a wide
variety of wildlife, from insects, woodlice, spiders that build webs across the
tunnel bore, slugs and snails that derail your train, to mice that eat nuts and
acorns and leave the shells on the track. I've even found a large frog jammed in
the tunnel.<br /><br />Today's short running session doubled as a running test of
two locos recently acquired second-hand, and needing quite a bit of attention to
minor but annoying faults. The first was a Bachmann "Hall", originally supplied
with DCC decoder fitted. In its first outdoor trial, it had suddenly lost the
changes I had made to CVs (mainly just changing the address away from 3) and
reverted to the default (address 3). So I changed its address in the handset,
and continued the trial. For its next trick, it waited until I was bringing it
to a stop, and when the selected speed was down to 1 or 2, it suddenly shot
forward for about a second at high speed. Not good! I opened it up, and the only
thing I could see that might have caused this sort of problem was the two
capacitors and inductors fitted in the feed to the motor. I thought I'd start
with the capacitors as they are easy to snip off, which I did. Today's trial was
to see if the symptoms had gone away. I did several runs at different speeds up
the 1 in 50 with 6 coaches (all it can manage), and it ran sweetly. It will take
a few more hours of trouble-free running before I am confident the fault is
fixed, but it looks promising.<br /><br />The other loco was a Bachmann BR standard
4MT 4-6-0, to which I had fitted a decoder. It ran up and down the 1 in 50 with
trains of between 7 and 11 coaches, double heading with a class 4 2-6-0. The
only observation was that the tender seemed to be dragging on one side, and at
intervals would emit a creaking, groaning noise. On later examination, the cause
of this proved to be a large dob of carpet fluff and hair wrapped tightly around
one of the tender axles. When I had first received the model, the loco's axles
had been similarly encumbered to the extent that it would barely move at all,
and I had spent a couple of hours with a pair of tweezers removing it. But I had
missed one of the tender axles, an omission I have now rectified, and I hope
that there will be no groaning at the next running session.<br /><br />Attached are
a couple of pictures of the double-headed train. If you are a regular follower
of these reports, you might notice that I have put the GWR Centenary coaches
away in their box, and found a rake in the BR maroon that is more appropriate to
most of my locos.<br />
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Fungus McBoglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193290244424336549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718634273133490095.post-89570607680208555672014-11-18T18:22:00.001-08:002014-11-18T18:22:45.944-08:00Engineering the Diversion2nd September 2014<br />
<br />
The first train ran through the diversion more than a week ago. Since then my
railway time has been spent wiring, ballasting, weatherproofing, operator
interface, and all the other jobs that go with a significant change to the
system. This evening I put the diversion back into place for a few record
photos.<br /><br />The first picture shows the train entering the diversion through
a short reverse curve including a left-hand turnout. The other arm of the
turnout goes into the quarry. The ground-frame hut was purpose built to disguise
and protect a Peco turnout motor and frog switch. The original main line is in
the left foreground.<br />
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<br />
The second photo shows more of the diversion. The Oak tree that caused the
problem is on the left. The main line runs out of the bottom right corner of the
picture, and onto the Gate Viaduct.<br />
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The track had to be moved at the entry point of the viaduct. In the final photo,
the ballast line of the old route can be seen curving off to the left of the new route. The viaduct
is standing on a table well away from its normal position, to make ballasting
easier.<br />
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Still to be completed is the pointwork to the quarry, the point motors and the buildings to hide them in, and general landscaping and detailing.<br />
Fungus McBoglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193290244424336549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718634273133490095.post-82557494473027370702014-11-18T17:12:00.000-08:002014-11-18T18:48:39.342-08:00Normal Service at Danes Wood25th July 2014.<br />
<br />
Services are running normally on the Danes Wood railway, apart from speed
restriction past the oak tree. The first three pictures show the progress of a
freight train of 36 loaded wagons, a GUV, and a brake van. It had set off from
The Barn headed by a Stanier 8F, which failed before the whole train had left
the yard. A West Country class pacific, normally a passenger train engine with a
reputation for wheel-slip on gradient, was the only loco available to deputise
for the failed 8F. A Jinty was standing by to assist as a banker if needed
(which it was).<br />
<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP9rzCJhtHNlT-x1d28eYLkcz1FlfFyplIkDtevwazav9nB8CCQKfZ17rLMI0st0hutJzvdyKWdn_x0_rOWUYUgRd356gM9qBxRZLpbqunQJAgC-NwTMhEBdHFgfYI_cCojzJWhmoCixc/s1600/140724-1021-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP9rzCJhtHNlT-x1d28eYLkcz1FlfFyplIkDtevwazav9nB8CCQKfZ17rLMI0st0hutJzvdyKWdn_x0_rOWUYUgRd356gM9qBxRZLpbqunQJAgC-NwTMhEBdHFgfYI_cCojzJWhmoCixc/s1600/140724-1021-4.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>34041 "Wilton" deputising on a heavy mixed freight, crosses the Lawn viaduct below the 1 in 50 bank from The Barn.</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcYdRFjEUcb6-30fESztFCsduBHfgjc14gAjk6KhVqs4YppW145oEeETBGAuIYi7aaGtscSGku4G7XBORIYh1d7RQkv4NCcXX6c17lVJpYN9cK2W0s53FN-6ZIwgAiQut-Bb8QFO13Dkk/s1600/140724-1046-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcYdRFjEUcb6-30fESztFCsduBHfgjc14gAjk6KhVqs4YppW145oEeETBGAuIYi7aaGtscSGku4G7XBORIYh1d7RQkv4NCcXX6c17lVJpYN9cK2W0s53FN-6ZIwgAiQut-Bb8QFO13Dkk/s1600/140724-1046-8.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The train pounds up the 1 in 50 reverse curves towards the Gate viaduct and
the Oak Tree, assisted at the rear by an unidentified "Jinty" in ex-works
condition.</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmBjnWkAg45upAfdLuKEK2ytRZb3k06WDAyq9xc5ae295fkO4xf0d7px6eBGE6IlkE2d2O1MLnlcq6nUq64s0DoCkrQBR5dPwCTIY0YogQCNMnIUqNLfKBX6bI0UxBSFG8ilcZWQ_ytJY/s1600/140724-1052-54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmBjnWkAg45upAfdLuKEK2ytRZb3k06WDAyq9xc5ae295fkO4xf0d7px6eBGE6IlkE2d2O1MLnlcq6nUq64s0DoCkrQBR5dPwCTIY0YogQCNMnIUqNLfKBX6bI0UxBSFG8ilcZWQ_ytJY/s1600/140724-1052-54.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The short level stretch above the Gate viaduct offers little respite as the
train must be slowed to 5mph past the Oak Tree before the final 1 in 50 climb to
the summit tunnel.</em></td></tr>
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<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiopvARz1Gr_jDH8-heivEBMnmN0fdEXA8szElC2tqag_IMrr8CoGHY391oXnjw4EFVgodefIGBaCsE4DzksD4i3UtKeBjWfaiY6xYBDqPLNQ-ZuDz-Sqf-2wGjAcHS9YgueEgjFSsYCP0/s1600/140724-1029-30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiopvARz1Gr_jDH8-heivEBMnmN0fdEXA8szElC2tqag_IMrr8CoGHY391oXnjw4EFVgodefIGBaCsE4DzksD4i3UtKeBjWfaiY6xYBDqPLNQ-ZuDz-Sqf-2wGjAcHS9YgueEgjFSsYCP0/s1600/140724-1029-30.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Shortly after Wilton has passed, the celebrity new-build A1 pacific "Tornado" clatters down the gradient from the summit with an evening luxury dining train.</em></td></tr>
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<br />
30th July 2014<br />
<br />
A couple more shots from yesterday to show that trains are still running despite
the major construction work at Quarry Junction. The main reason I want to keep
the circuit complete as long as possible is that most visitors (friends,
relatives, neighbours) ask to see it running, whether or not they are normally
interested in model railways, and we usually have a fair number of visitors at
this time of year!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYnt32hLtCrPrGHGdBpBKOybtOtHL3b1DUD02LWrYvHFPda8lWebheDIPOA2O6RVRVxUOqdOt8HfmCBHtGXdqxZtBVaKf0LisYpbKXVOUj1N1y0GB8-8UWy9rsAQpA5YAYKSh5dKanI7E/s1600/140729-2007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYnt32hLtCrPrGHGdBpBKOybtOtHL3b1DUD02LWrYvHFPda8lWebheDIPOA2O6RVRVxUOqdOt8HfmCBHtGXdqxZtBVaKf0LisYpbKXVOUj1N1y0GB8-8UWy9rsAQpA5YAYKSh5dKanI7E/s1600/140729-2007.JPG" height="273" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>A short fitted freight train crawls tentatively through the diversion
construction site.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg-itC3HC9mOShkLietPZ6jqoxXbebJ4Ylw6rdmy2InBgMDIYL5MYdbcmt0U6741kEtsEd3viGtlIgvN0Ad0pIZjOloPlspOawWumRZmm01gRrKBVE8EQRITNatke-4LcKCavYDdT3xbI/s1600/140729-2010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg-itC3HC9mOShkLietPZ6jqoxXbebJ4Ylw6rdmy2InBgMDIYL5MYdbcmt0U6741kEtsEd3viGtlIgvN0Ad0pIZjOloPlspOawWumRZmm01gRrKBVE8EQRITNatke-4LcKCavYDdT3xbI/s1600/140729-2010.JPG" height="285" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Standard class 4 2-6-0 76011 rattles into a curve with a short fitted
freight, as the last light of the sun is fading. The photographer has used
several high-powered flash guns to make this picture, with the permission of the
railway company and the full knowledge and agreement of the loco crew.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Fungus McBoglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193290244424336549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718634273133490095.post-73368003365349190202014-09-05T20:42:00.004-07:002014-11-18T18:50:23.981-08:00Subsidence?21st July 2014<br />
<br />
All is not well at Quarry sidings. The junction is close to the Oak tree, and it
was always recognised that the tree's roots might one day cause problems. Over
the past two years, the ground has lifted slightly, and one of the rail joints
opened up by about 2mm. However, the situation is now changing rapidly. In the
past month, the rail gap has opened up to 8mm, and there is a pronounced "hump"
in the track. I suppose it's the opposite of subsidence. Whatever it's called,
some speedy action is required.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeoefFFpBb4Aw_8AcXhpVbyyoCOqdhgPBtK3Mw_CzWWXRDGF3bzh-cAHxhkpUlo0lxM6GpOMU05wPaq_UihSMYjJFWakmJT_izyaW4wqPns7CwYdcGJG-LTH4K_jAd9SrPOMcxoFhg3yg/s1600/140720-1112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeoefFFpBb4Aw_8AcXhpVbyyoCOqdhgPBtK3Mw_CzWWXRDGF3bzh-cAHxhkpUlo0lxM6GpOMU05wPaq_UihSMYjJFWakmJT_izyaW4wqPns7CwYdcGJG-LTH4K_jAd9SrPOMcxoFhg3yg/s1600/140720-1112.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>A gap of 8mm where two sections of rail join.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCbZIMOQFoud5Yhnsp-17an5HCeYgC8cDcZIIxwdVAYqPTbI1plERPUkmML5KUIfcRQA-SJBtZc4YK2qp42yn17GPi3Xq0dDuvHkq8Fne2eOrl1lmztTtvUKCNxDCw4A0c8vp3UjQZqek/s1600/140720-1116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCbZIMOQFoud5Yhnsp-17an5HCeYgC8cDcZIIxwdVAYqPTbI1plERPUkmML5KUIfcRQA-SJBtZc4YK2qp42yn17GPi3Xq0dDuvHkq8Fne2eOrl1lmztTtvUKCNxDCw4A0c8vp3UjQZqek/s1600/140720-1116.JPG" height="256" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>There is a pronounced hump in the track.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
24th July 2014<br />
<br />
I now have a plan of action aimed at resolving the problem of track distortion
due to tree root growth.<br />
<br />
1. Move downhill end of rockery back by about 6" (further if practical).<br />
2.
Build a simple, "bridge" over the tree roots, along new route of
main line (see below).<br />
3. Re-arrange the three sets of points at Quarry
junction, as shown in the first picture below.<br />
4. Lay new main line to Gate
viaduct.<br />
5. Re-align track on quarry end of viaduct <br />
6. Run test trains.
If ok, open champagne. If not, go back to 1.<br />
7. In 2019, run test trains
again. If still ok, open another bottle. If not find another hobby.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUdypMUHBRUIS65FG7s_fmpsfKecxDCtarW1733Rj6S06NpzwdujIU8RX9K_20eRnuH07dxmtN1r_6ZEEvDVlEG9a503EGAgAdUfLnb1O0AE8hDuDwVcMBkkNjGEjx970t-ZYcXhsdJWQ/s1600/140726-0009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUdypMUHBRUIS65FG7s_fmpsfKecxDCtarW1733Rj6S06NpzwdujIU8RX9K_20eRnuH07dxmtN1r_6ZEEvDVlEG9a503EGAgAdUfLnb1O0AE8hDuDwVcMBkkNjGEjx970t-ZYcXhsdJWQ/s1600/140726-0009.JPG" height="168" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Proposed new arrangement of points at Quarry junction.</em> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
The
first picture is a view looking down on the three sets of points at Quarry
junction. Overlaid are three similar sets of points arranged differently so that
they slew the main line onto a route further away from the tree. This scheme has
the attraction that it doesn't require the purchase of new points; it uses the
existing ones. The middle set is turned though 180 degrees, and the other two
are swapped over.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7yUGokvvRUyAGusjC4CZKU7hKIZHH6ma9bp2GiHUpo1DO3TdIEBYf8LnDCclIhRQtPHoyFKrINewgAH2Q-dqMaxj92wzCQ2KDCRqzocQ_syNpzc-jl6J6JxwPbtS-2_nVieoSSzYgfYg/s1600/140726-0012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7yUGokvvRUyAGusjC4CZKU7hKIZHH6ma9bp2GiHUpo1DO3TdIEBYf8LnDCclIhRQtPHoyFKrINewgAH2Q-dqMaxj92wzCQ2KDCRqzocQ_syNpzc-jl6J6JxwPbtS-2_nVieoSSzYgfYg/s1600/140726-0012.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Rockery re-aligned.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The second picture shows the site after the section of
rockery opposite the tree has been moved back by about 6". It also shows where
the earth has been dug out under the concrete trackbed to check the clearance
between the tree roots and the track.<br />
Fungus McBoglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193290244424336549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718634273133490095.post-73571955740772942542014-09-05T20:29:00.001-07:002014-09-05T20:29:11.193-07:00Double Heading14th July 2014<br />
<br />
Here are some of the results from my latest operating and photography session.
The operating side was interesting, as I was controlling the two locos
independently from separate throttles on the same handset, and balancing their
individual throttle settings by watching the tension in the coupling between
them. The technique seems to work well. Since my normal loco policy is to have a
cosmetic hook & screw coupling on the front of the loco, I keep a few 3-lonk
chains to couple to the locos in the event of double-heading, banking, or
hauling wagons only fitted with hook-&-chain couplings.<br /><br />And now for
the photos. They are aimed at finding some new viewpoints on the railway, using
an 11-coach train headed by Hornby Bulleid pacific 34067 "Tangmere", and piloted
by Midland 3F 0-6-0 43218. This is a combination that could have happened in
real life in the 1950s or early 1960s on the Somerset and Dorset line between
Bath and Bournemouth, where freight engines were regularly used to assist the
pacifics over the 1 in 50 gradients of the Mendip hills. A train of 11 coaches
would certainly have required assistance, and the same is true on the 1 in 50
gradients of my railway, where Tangmere would not have been able to move 11
coaches without the pilot engine.<br />
<br />
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Fungus McBoglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193290244424336549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718634273133490095.post-75227132167639711352014-08-03T13:31:00.000-07:002014-09-05T20:09:39.223-07:00Ready for the Masses.23rd June 2014<br />
<br />
<div>
In a week's time, our garden will be open to fifty or more friends and
neighbours for our annual garden party. There has been a concerted effort over the past months to complete all of the track-laying, and that has been achieved. </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Last year, the railway provided a bit of
an attraction in the sidelines, but now there is a viaduct right across the
middle of the lawn, on the route from the house to the bar! I have done
a few things to avoid the need for stepping over the viaduct:</div>
<div>
</div>
<ul>
<li>The removable section will only be fitted at quiet times and for a demonstration run including two trains crossing on the viaduct.</li>
<li>At the end of the viaduct, where the ground rises, I have raised it a little further to provide a "step-over" crossing.</li>
<li>A couple of well-placed signs will send people in the
right direction.</li>
</ul>
<div>
</div>
<div>
The first picture shows a train with its rear three
coaches on the crossing. The grass on either side is new turf laid on top of a
pile of soil from elsewhere in the garden. The brown pole above the engine is
support for one end of a handrail. The 00 scale fencing is intended to
discourage stepping on the rails!</div>
<div>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0GFHxioAEXP70SmDy-WnOiSgeURuVsDnyqucupRGEuhOsoM9NxWAh1ciAZ-jAT7gCs5kHeDcNivn5sn_FQthT93sa61PxVTT2r2BQuiGPSOOZZXfiTt4UBuAAGLimHch_HOjEsogrotA/s1600/140622-2001_GWR-Centenary.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0GFHxioAEXP70SmDy-WnOiSgeURuVsDnyqucupRGEuhOsoM9NxWAh1ciAZ-jAT7gCs5kHeDcNivn5sn_FQthT93sa61PxVTT2r2BQuiGPSOOZZXfiTt4UBuAAGLimHch_HOjEsogrotA/s1600/140622-2001_GWR-Centenary.JPG" height="490" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A train at the "step-over" crossing.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Since all track has now been laid, I have been running various types of train
and loco to find and eliminate any problem, and provide a reliable railway. The
next pictures show two of the first complete circuits of a loose-coupled (hook
and chain) freight train.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA4oGdU2ifn3l71a2UFIu-h0Z-ht7faRPA1h2SJGUEmwCAjxF-AH_j8SZ79W6VSPUn2mK3H5m07wntmFgL9zqSZpu4_eDm1a3GndfC6P5OhjDLsJfuiLDescl44NWAfZHcjZItPIT_kXE/s1600/140622-2007_5MT-&-freight.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA4oGdU2ifn3l71a2UFIu-h0Z-ht7faRPA1h2SJGUEmwCAjxF-AH_j8SZ79W6VSPUn2mK3H5m07wntmFgL9zqSZpu4_eDm1a3GndfC6P5OhjDLsJfuiLDescl44NWAfZHcjZItPIT_kXE/s1600/140622-2007_5MT-&-freight.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We do freight, too.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-tnMK0vZuB1SX2JsTJfTazpgg_RlUboJMyehy-1GKVA3Ez96d0X1__jctaykzzbRZiKBzxqvD5zjNs_8CtmzQaqTY9eEi5fBOH_v7674XOAIhSDEEB3KchyQ5VmGkXtzAnQ6DkQpq1r0/s1600/140622-2011_7F-&-freight.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-tnMK0vZuB1SX2JsTJfTazpgg_RlUboJMyehy-1GKVA3Ez96d0X1__jctaykzzbRZiKBzxqvD5zjNs_8CtmzQaqTY9eEi5fBOH_v7674XOAIhSDEEB3KchyQ5VmGkXtzAnQ6DkQpq1r0/s1600/140622-2011_7F-&-freight.JPG" height="470" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A freight train hauled by an S&D 2-8-0</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Incidentally, you may wonder why I have paired a set of GWR Centenary coaches
with a BR standard 4-6-0 in the first picture. Well, the coaches belonged to my
father, and I wanted to give them a run. However, I have no GWR express
passenger loco capable of running on the garden railway, so I chose one with at
least a semblance of a GWR livery.<br />
<br />
The garden party went very well, we had about 70 people there, and there was a
continuous demand for "driving experience", especially among the ladies (of all
ages from 4 to 88). We had trains going in opposite direction around the
circuit, each with its own driver, and passing at speed. Any conflict for
occupation of the single-track section were resolved amicably without any input
from me. And the locos, stock and control equipment all operated reliably
throughout the afternoon.<br />
<br />
When most people had left, the "lads" took
over, and their driving was gradually turning into a speed trial. I was just
considering whether to leave them to it or be a spoil-sport when one of the
trains left the track at quarry junction. It may have been the uneven track at
this point due to the oak tree, or it may have been one of the many large
wood-ants found there, but Pacific loco 34041 Wilton" and 4 of its 7 coaches
ended up on their sides in the bottom of the quarry.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpjbyiyePf8SKBh7kK03D1uVVGVh4MJb7bSjroTzvupkTKFsYDDxxlmiqJ84TuebqKzkB1ksHfD3tm2o8__ShxqBPn8ik9MiTOayCa_-fXRJ9X6eDK3H704wgrl5ocJAc0lh9dmL8s7Ko/s1600/140629-AMMM_serious+derailment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpjbyiyePf8SKBh7kK03D1uVVGVh4MJb7bSjroTzvupkTKFsYDDxxlmiqJ84TuebqKzkB1ksHfD3tm2o8__ShxqBPn8ik9MiTOayCa_-fXRJ9X6eDK3H704wgrl5ocJAc0lh9dmL8s7Ko/s1600/140629-AMMM_serious+derailment.jpg" height="602" width="640" /></a></div>
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Later analysis of the lap times indicated that the train had been averaging
between 90 and 100 scale MPH, though I am assured it was going much more slowly at the time odf the derailment. Surprisingly, I could find no sign of damage to
the loco or coaches. The cut weed trimmings I had forgotten to remove from the
quarry may have helped. The train was soon back on the track, but now running at
a lower speed. <br />
<br />
To avoid any future risks to my Bulleid pacific, into
which I had just installed YouChoos sound, I dug James's old Lima IC125 out of
the loft and fitted a decoder so that it could run in the garden. Its running is
a bit rough but it's improving.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLuqst8MEOKOtI2rWSIo3fwEXpLhteR6tkbogxFzALLxDJVRfUhUAO3dPdIPOEfYnDeg51WiNrcccUQ0rSiV8UOSK3YubjUm7EVShQtX5RrgMIxNe-7d1QGh71MDxMdWpwuURV5_tph30/s1600/140703-2004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLuqst8MEOKOtI2rWSIo3fwEXpLhteR6tkbogxFzALLxDJVRfUhUAO3dPdIPOEfYnDeg51WiNrcccUQ0rSiV8UOSK3YubjUm7EVShQtX5RrgMIxNe-7d1QGh71MDxMdWpwuURV5_tph30/s1600/140703-2004.JPG" height="474" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
And finally, another freight train, this one hauled by a rather mucky Stanier
8F.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgay_NPsW6lzRzDcmtHUpH9tBoahVWbD68rzT1o4Gik67aDmm9VznBMw3He_kX2PwwVBixIdbU2k9u3hba1XM4Pnckw-RBTr-GVqAi7yMi53y1J8BsaQvnj3bF8JryFIyxfNnukdzlpTGM/s1600/140703-2009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgay_NPsW6lzRzDcmtHUpH9tBoahVWbD68rzT1o4Gik67aDmm9VznBMw3He_kX2PwwVBixIdbU2k9u3hba1XM4Pnckw-RBTr-GVqAi7yMi53y1J8BsaQvnj3bF8JryFIyxfNnukdzlpTGM/s1600/140703-2009.JPG" height="478" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLuqst8MEOKOtI2rWSIo3fwEXpLhteR6tkbogxFzALLxDJVRfUhUAO3dPdIPOEfYnDeg51WiNrcccUQ0rSiV8UOSK3YubjUm7EVShQtX5RrgMIxNe-7d1QGh71MDxMdWpwuURV5_tph30/s1600/140703-2004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />Fungus McBoglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193290244424336549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718634273133490095.post-53136329557533763682014-08-01T19:50:00.000-07:002014-08-01T19:50:03.097-07:00Progress on the Circuit4th May 2014.<br />
<br />
I laid the second track on a 4m section of viaduct today, as well as various
other jobs. Finished the day with the camera wagon. The results can be seen at <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF4UvEPBMWA&feature=youtube_gdata">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF4UvEPBMWA&feature=youtube_gdata</a>Fungus McBoglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193290244424336549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718634273133490095.post-74008778360236932492014-08-01T19:37:00.004-07:002014-08-01T19:37:40.112-07:00First through the Barn29th April 2014.<br />
<br />
Today I had enough movable track cassettes to run a train in one side of the
Barn and out of the other side. First, a goods train was marshalled on the lawn
viaduct - the lowest point of the railway.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrgxfxvFIU9B0mWAv2BvE0w_aHbkCCtdYE05lfUU_38HKqxa6CEdol3ccm6jdXyNUx75sYKnUTGUJYt52UImmSUX-nmabN37h1zlC3FbCu68BgHps-XgXQL3tjaOkBuLTbC12mETZK3Pw/s1600/140429-2007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrgxfxvFIU9B0mWAv2BvE0w_aHbkCCtdYE05lfUU_38HKqxa6CEdol3ccm6jdXyNUx75sYKnUTGUJYt52UImmSUX-nmabN37h1zlC3FbCu68BgHps-XgXQL3tjaOkBuLTbC12mETZK3Pw/s1600/140429-2007.JPG" height="394" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
The train then climbed the 1 in 50 through the rose bed, into the north side of
the Barn, and across the marshalling table. The track included a cassette made
from a length of MDF with two pieces of aluminium L angle 16.5mm apart. The
other cassettes were Peco flexitrack mounted on thinner MDF to achieve the same
railhead height.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKLA20KB7E5JVSGZc-OFo1U6VOGLPwckpUrtgp0YmyndI-CogVHse5TDRGyBbwWqZMpNSG8Fi6o9g2PXJlCW2CDCnlHRcrO5ei4jKNaCLy9ZNFolBmIGZ_rkTU9vN-uhmDZs4eMNJ18GA/s1600/140429-2006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpSNOCk6-1TsL_2sjxJFJtgSDPHy_LnivtRMe3HdHr32bm_Z8hckrF4B-gvvBdboYVIX-v4bERZpsiAkfH6TN_K1Kryx5imwG-3jryBpoi_Q1w5S1prTCahfKjPL3Oub5w6_1mLO36PfI/s1600/140429-2009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpSNOCk6-1TsL_2sjxJFJtgSDPHy_LnivtRMe3HdHr32bm_Z8hckrF4B-gvvBdboYVIX-v4bERZpsiAkfH6TN_K1Kryx5imwG-3jryBpoi_Q1w5S1prTCahfKjPL3Oub5w6_1mLO36PfI/s1600/140429-2009.JPG" height="322" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
The train finally emerged from the south side of the Barn, and climbed the
remainder of the 1 I 50 bank to the summit.<br />
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<br />
The final picture shows the south portal of the Barn in context with the
greenhouse and water butt.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsQQ69sKnX5RYjEm6uSmKXI_gPEMyA25jHZy_9MdWiI8XlWt0WCPDVYNTjLq03UKlER4Ocw-MQ1biIc2DSEKkKo0ljIHMhhEQfVJsr2f6I8YFZg-wwHiqdQQk-180P6TaABPYpQJbNmt8/s1600/140429-2004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsQQ69sKnX5RYjEm6uSmKXI_gPEMyA25jHZy_9MdWiI8XlWt0WCPDVYNTjLq03UKlER4Ocw-MQ1biIc2DSEKkKo0ljIHMhhEQfVJsr2f6I8YFZg-wwHiqdQQk-180P6TaABPYpQJbNmt8/s1600/140429-2004.JPG" height="474" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Fungus McBoglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193290244424336549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718634273133490095.post-59858930014295833552014-07-16T15:41:00.003-07:002014-08-01T19:20:51.416-07:00Winter Work.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoervUE2zlm_EX127ngZwyjkd0Mm7AdY0Uc_oA0I5YIMZNhxMd3TB24tnuG56qJaEaPYcE032BroLk5_Hdvh_o6OS6CT3PlAzv9CWyrGCA1Rlav0e3ONh5ANKwTYzXDkRvOiUAQighwFs/s1600/140424-1006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
<br />
29th April 2014.<br />
<br />
Most of the work during the winter and spring has concentrated on the raised
section through the rose bed and into the Barn. The Barn is our name for the
shed on the left of the picture, with a double-pitched roof like a dutch barn.
The gap in the viaduct houses a light-weight removable section of viaduct on
running days. To the left of it in the picture, the line rises at 1 in 50 from
the removable viaduct, while curving first to the left through 45 degrees, then
right through 135 degrees through a watertight hatch into the Barn. The sharpest
curve is 5ft radius.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTv4f_p3z0kvHsaA3PlTN7ERxkzZCYbR17k4vGSLEVk52m4Py6EbbeDDaFbGXIF7jfmTRtGJZ0MjdAJwEo_TDh2ypZCuIspUHFIc6CYYem5Lre1RJc0CZao4PivpQdhYhCM8IDORV2SUM/s1600/140420-1002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTv4f_p3z0kvHsaA3PlTN7ERxkzZCYbR17k4vGSLEVk52m4Py6EbbeDDaFbGXIF7jfmTRtGJZ0MjdAJwEo_TDh2ypZCuIspUHFIc6CYYem5Lre1RJc0CZao4PivpQdhYhCM8IDORV2SUM/s1600/140420-1002.JPG" height="244" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>A panoramic view of the north viaduct and the elevated section through the
rose bed.</em><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>A Dänenholzbahn 2-10-2T descends from the Harz mountains, past the lake and
approaching the viaduct.</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbnYYRfbG84KELDDqBdlHZr-TzV17WhNCCuWPlxOuzSDTTcKk97aWwAw2sJ1f-0lNSQz3ThKGEGjmCu5MjcF2KcfY0H5TY7yqU4kOmRrBoyWAlmIm1Hq6T7ndyVB0Tlwkca69QCgFX-EA/s1600/140424-1015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbnYYRfbG84KELDDqBdlHZr-TzV17WhNCCuWPlxOuzSDTTcKk97aWwAw2sJ1f-0lNSQz3ThKGEGjmCu5MjcF2KcfY0H5TY7yqU4kOmRrBoyWAlmIm1Hq6T7ndyVB0Tlwkca69QCgFX-EA/s1600/140424-1015.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Dänenholzbahn train approaches the north entrance to the Barn.</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1lOqaCTWeuyLjCXjo_HDL0sgxCbF4lnZh7xlIdOBnZwh-6HAte4OdFXw1Q0lRlGLyOCDjAwLyVxiY8n5VUhofZ4ryWLIcrao-XR0ktwcU8IfuSFy_eMCKbf-Q0RFVl6xD0XUmE6NrJfs/s1600/140401-1010.JPG" height="424" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The transition from Peco to C&L Finescale flexi-track. The difference is remarkable!</em> </td></tr>
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The uphill track (the only one laid at present) from the removable section to
the Barn, has been experimentally fitted with DCC Concepts Powerbase steel
plates. To maximise their effect, C&L Finescale flexi-track has been used
for this section, as its height from sleeper base to rail head is 1.5mm less
than Peco. This might not sound much, but can make a significant difference to
magnetic attraction, which falls off very rapidly with distance. </div>
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The only test of Powerbase so far was to fit a single magnet on a Bachmann
S&D 2-8-0. Before, it could not manage more than six 150g coaches on 1 in
50. With Powerbase it pulled the equivalent of 9 or 10. It was a very rough test
though, more controlled tests will come!<br /><br />I don't normally go for
"foreign", but last year visited the wonderful Harz metre-gauge railways in
north Germany, and travelled in 4-wheeled end-balcony coaches behind massive
2-10-2T locos. These H0 standard-gauge coaches and loco look remarkably similar,
and I couldn't resist them!<br /><br />The Barn has a 2' wide shelf across the back
across which runs the railway on movable sections if track. This allows locos or
trains to be marshalled, changed or turned by sliding the track modules around
on the shelf. There is another entrance/exit the other side of the Barn. The
scheme is as yet untried in regular service, and it remains to be seen how well it works in practice, though I have done experimental
trails and the principle seems to work. Under the shelf is storage space for the
two removable viaducts and tunnel liner. The rest of the space is storage
shelves, DCC electronics, and a chair!<br /><br />The first three viaduct arches are
cut out. It's a very messy and time-consuming job, so as the remainder will be
largely obscured by flowers and shrubs, the painted arches seemed a good
compromise, and are likely to be stronger too. You will have noted that the
vertical and horizontal blocks are identical, each being half a lightweight
building block. This minimised the amount of cutting and carving
required!<br /><br />I am now within days of achieving the milestone of running a
train round a complete circuit, Barn to Barn, albeit with some single-track
sections still to be doubled. They must be fine days though, so it might be a
week or two.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6H-gRaTvAFIpLUJ280nXt2EqYAL0fppObINc7lyDPnmQ16WaCfD4CCCdVjl4wzhvnArmP4PFkJqRRJetSdSwTpgciP3kL3V_gsAH6F19hpH50ej_9ApIYBJtKyxullJXr3cFtxAVX9Zk/s1600/140416-1001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6H-gRaTvAFIpLUJ280nXt2EqYAL0fppObINc7lyDPnmQ16WaCfD4CCCdVjl4wzhvnArmP4PFkJqRRJetSdSwTpgciP3kL3V_gsAH6F19hpH50ej_9ApIYBJtKyxullJXr3cFtxAVX9Zk/s1600/140416-1001.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>An engineers' inspection train awaits clearance to exit the Barn through the
north entrance.</em></td></tr>
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<br />Fungus McBoglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193290244424336549noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718634273133490095.post-39050371839477959252014-07-16T15:15:00.002-07:002014-07-16T15:15:40.950-07:00Live 00 Scale Vegetation18th January 2014.<br />
<br />
Did some leaf clearing today, and ran a loco over most of the track. There is
quite a bit of vegetation growing in the quarry now. It's a pity te moss growing here can't be trained to grow where it's wanted, and it would be as useful as "static grass".<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-LCzK2Q6fAtYP34E-q98OWosuZK3A1mCPORvFirql3Y54NfnTUHUw6TC5SYiZzaLveC-idEILXdsq9bQJi-tf_zooPTXGAhpxz6lSC_P4vcICltkepww6uVWYwIvE8Z7iIhFChNWoJkM/s1600/140118-2004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-LCzK2Q6fAtYP34E-q98OWosuZK3A1mCPORvFirql3Y54NfnTUHUw6TC5SYiZzaLveC-idEILXdsq9bQJi-tf_zooPTXGAhpxz6lSC_P4vcICltkepww6uVWYwIvE8Z7iIhFChNWoJkM/s1600/140118-2004.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The test loco runs down the 1 in 14 in the quarry. Normally, only small
shunting locos are permitted here.</em></td></tr>
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Fungus McBoglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193290244424336549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718634273133490095.post-49405981234830827482013-11-01T14:02:00.000-07:002013-11-01T14:02:57.416-07:00A Tree on the TrackOn Monday 28th November 2013, we woke up to find a slight setback in the garden railway development. A large pine
tree has shed its upper half onto our 200 year old wall and part of the garden.
An apple tree had disappeared completely, but we hoped that the railway might just have been
protected by the wall.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmejJFWvFnyc_Ot8rHliz8y9LpvGrnPmZ74V6pruh2_r2t3-RFO2TGTcH47OSJ1cdZiQJ7-orPSTDR5WSzKG1u5CQ2WJ5w28L7TnHktLg7_4lN3AbOAQx9u1S5CmSXTsWYVqyJQ6UNftA/s1600/131028-2011_fallen-tree.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmejJFWvFnyc_Ot8rHliz8y9LpvGrnPmZ74V6pruh2_r2t3-RFO2TGTcH47OSJ1cdZiQJ7-orPSTDR5WSzKG1u5CQ2WJ5w28L7TnHktLg7_4lN3AbOAQx9u1S5CmSXTsWYVqyJQ6UNftA/s400/131028-2011_fallen-tree.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down the bank towards the fallen tree.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpfujm82R79S5nXdP5FOjl3n4wPDZFbJ8fEUHhNb9guYKANcKMqzvzaWwtd53wEBUparYQOnUnXAZuU05a6cRKRo2m_vSTgBO-5aIhJe2Pn2XXQf2ng-uH3UEw1jwOPvoM-QcmEWhV43g/s1600/131028-2013_fallen-tree.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpfujm82R79S5nXdP5FOjl3n4wPDZFbJ8fEUHhNb9guYKANcKMqzvzaWwtd53wEBUparYQOnUnXAZuU05a6cRKRo2m_vSTgBO-5aIhJe2Pn2XXQf2ng-uH3UEw1jwOPvoM-QcmEWhV43g/s400/131028-2013_fallen-tree.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking up the bank towards the fallen tree.</td></tr>
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The fallen tree was removed on the following Friday morning. I have to say that the team from
Elmbridge council did a splendid job, and were careful to avoid any further
damage to the wall or the railway.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPiUH7tXhMe9KaUyFVCU7FE4DaLAVolu8pSnmZK4tt8pKUvPxb3wtG2jfL30bB9QX15qUv4zGb1YGAQdZcUc6pVZ9-swuULY2e_wKOHVJyzweVhSEBwQOQd6TjKmiWQx6lGDJ_nMNRJ0I/s1600/131101-2003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPiUH7tXhMe9KaUyFVCU7FE4DaLAVolu8pSnmZK4tt8pKUvPxb3wtG2jfL30bB9QX15qUv4zGb1YGAQdZcUc6pVZ9-swuULY2e_wKOHVJyzweVhSEBwQOQd6TjKmiWQx6lGDJ_nMNRJ0I/s400/131101-2003.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tree being cut up and removed</td></tr>
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Within an hour of the team arriving to cut up and remove the tree, I had the
first train running. The kink in the foreground of the picture was the only
obvious damage to the railway. The wall wasn't so lucky.....<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQhDvOD3tgxjDK4rd75ek9dKUPobNWuevJLYVMC1Q5nTvlOUo0QE455jpxaZcEFGNahcuY23x-ddxEbPX0iDtIw2T61a1usY7U_-q3-sA2jXfFgiXRybNz6WPJzP0cXjoJi2ZyzLj0uU/s1600/131101-2006_track-clearing.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQhDvOD3tgxjDK4rd75ek9dKUPobNWuevJLYVMC1Q5nTvlOUo0QE455jpxaZcEFGNahcuY23x-ddxEbPX0iDtIw2T61a1usY7U_-q3-sA2jXfFgiXRybNz6WPJzP0cXjoJi2ZyzLj0uU/s400/131101-2006_track-clearing.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first train after removal of the tree.</td></tr>
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Fungus McBoglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193290244424336549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718634273133490095.post-9610950708541820192013-10-18T13:22:00.001-07:002013-10-21T07:08:59.122-07:00Fitting DCC Decoder to a Bachmann Collett 0-6-0 with Cast Metal TenderGoing through my Dad's old model railway bits, I found a K's white-metal kit for a Dean Goods 0-6-0. The loco was incomplete, but one of the Collett 0-6-0's on our local branch line in the 1960s was fitted with the tender from a Dean Goods, and I had a spare Bachmann Collett 0-6-0. This model's destiny suddenly changed to one with a future as 2218.<br />
<br />
This particular Bachmann loco was unusually a very poor runner, moving fitfully and stalling frequently. Adjusting the pick-up contacts had not resulted in any improvement, so I experimentally (ie as an unmaintainable lash-up) fitted pick-ups in the tender and two sprung electrical contacts between the tender and loco. But it was cumbersome and difficult to wire, and didn't make it run any better, so it was removed. And it has sat in a box for a couple of years waiting for another idea.<br />
<br />
Now that the garden railway uses digital control (DCC), I have been gradually fitting the appropriate locos with decoders. The older Bachmann Colletts have no space for a decoder in the loco without cutting metal, but it was clear that the floorless white-metal tender could easily be made to house a decoder with four linking wires to the loco. To alleviate the inconvenience of having them permanently coupled, I would use a connector. I produced a design and proceeded with an experimental assembly. Wiring was again extremely difficult, and the force required to separate the connector was impossible to apply where it was needed. So back to the drawing board again.<br />
<br />
It then struck me that if the decoder was fitted to the loco with wires of the right length and slid into the tender during coupling, the difficulties would all be resolved. Wiring would be more straightforward (there would be none permanently in the tender), the loco and tender would be easily separable, and no connector would be needed.<br />
<br />
First I made an insulated box to take the decoder. I used 30 thou plastikard. It must be wide and high enough to easily fit the decoder, and reasonably long. About twice the length of the decoder (if possible) seems about right. The bar across the bottom end (end A in the first photo) is to stop the decoder falling all the way through while still allowing air flow, and the packing under the entry end (end B) is as thick as is necessary to get the entry angle correct. To clear the wheels, the overall width should not be more than about 12mm for 00, which restricts the choice of decoders. I used a TCS M1, which comes fitted with a protective insulating sleeve. If you use an unsleeved decoder, you should fit a sleeve for protection.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGtCd1YhonucgIEgVeSsCQ1ToadLjnOGmqOveMwNWPSQkWCn7IFUvz_w-mSRHjD8bY16_Th0334yXilMxK-PpFYQwxtMjHWpOen7Oyi6s8C6XAWHNRXIlQeRgvUs80-YNAxI2KmLSE3QQ/s1600/131018-1002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGtCd1YhonucgIEgVeSsCQ1ToadLjnOGmqOveMwNWPSQkWCn7IFUvz_w-mSRHjD8bY16_Th0334yXilMxK-PpFYQwxtMjHWpOen7Oyi6s8C6XAWHNRXIlQeRgvUs80-YNAxI2KmLSE3QQ/s400/131018-1002.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The decoder box before installation in the tender.</td></tr>
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The box was then fitted in the tender and held in place with a suitable adhesive. Check that the sleeved decoder and cables slide in easily, and the wheels turn freely.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx3eLG4cDkVllgLsvy0qUqh1IeEy3av_jxqE8SishHekzgJPxOV-CAQtlzS1P1aakgXHWyVbZcAauiOkim0uHlMU_sCTNO3jvwgvpHAPQzgoliUwnHe8NT6x2KazOGic4uYJC0fYnU_7U/s1600/131018-1006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx3eLG4cDkVllgLsvy0qUqh1IeEy3av_jxqE8SishHekzgJPxOV-CAQtlzS1P1aakgXHWyVbZcAauiOkim0uHlMU_sCTNO3jvwgvpHAPQzgoliUwnHe8NT6x2KazOGic4uYJC0fYnU_7U/s400/131018-1006.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The decoder box in place under the tender.</td></tr>
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Now remove the loco body by undoing the two screws at front and rear of the chassis. Then loosen the central chassis screw, and carefully remove the keeper plate and wheelset from the main chassis block. To fully separate them, you need to cut the red and black wires leading to the motor. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The three main chassis sub-assemblies.</td></tr>
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Quickly and carefully (to avoid melting plastic), unsolder the red and black wires both at the motor and at the metal contact strip attached inside the keeper plate at C in the picture below. Drill two tiny holes each side of the tender hook, each just big enough to take one decoder wire. Cut short and sleeve the unused decoder wires (blue, yellow, white). Fit any protective sleeving you think necessary to protect the wires from chafing. Feed the decoder wires through the holes, with red and black closest to the metal contact strips inside, to which they will be soldered, and red on the right from behind when the wheels are down. Allow them to slide in and out while trying the position of the decoder until it is about half-way down its box with he tender coupled. When you are happy that it is just right, unthread the orange and grey wires to avoid damage, then trim the red and black wires to length and solder carefully to the contact bars.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of the keeper plate showing solder terminals C and tender hook. </td></tr>
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Re-thread the orange and grey wires into the keeper plate, then thread them through the square hole in the main chassis block, carefully re-fit the wheels and keeper plate ensuring the six contacts are correctly located behind the wheel rims, and tighten the middle screw. Run the orange and grey wires up to the motor terminals using the same route as the old red and black wires, trim and solder in place. Note that space is very tight, so correct routing of the wires is critical to avoid damage.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished "decoder tail".</td></tr>
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You can now check there are no short circuits, especially from red to black or orange to grey. If ok, test on the track, and if still ok, refit the body and tighten the front and rear screws.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loco and tender coupled together. The wires will be painted black.</td></tr>
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A similar principle could be applied to other locos with limited space for a decoder, providing (a) it has a tender and (b) the tender has a suitably located space for a decoder box. Unfortunately, this rules out the majority of limited-space locos, which are tank engines.</div>
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The following day, the engine was given a test run in the garden. The heavy rain showers meant that the trackbeds were saturated, but she still managed 8 coaches up the 1 in 50, with only occasional short bouts of slipping. The actual total weight of the coaches used was 1020g, which on a 1 in 50 gradient requires, ignoring friction losses, a pulling force (or tractive effort) of 20g. Scaled up 76 times to full size (i.e. multiplied by 76 cubed because weight or force is proportional to volume) gives a figure of about 20,000lb. For comparison, the quoted theoretical tractive effort for a real engine of this class is 20,155lb - a pretty good correlation!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2218 under main line test. She still needs some painting, detailing and renumbering.</td></tr>
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A bonus result of this task was that when I removed the keeper plate, I found that the gears, axles, and sprung centre wheelset bearing were all packed with a thick grease, most of which had hardened to the consistency of candle-wax. It's not surprising it was a poor runner! As much as possible of the grease was scraped out, a little light oil applied, and it is now one of the sweetest of runners.</div>
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Fungus McBoglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193290244424336549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718634273133490095.post-85906176065400338802013-09-14T20:15:00.001-07:002013-09-14T20:51:08.951-07:00Planting for a 00 Garden Railway.My garden railway has been built based on the principle that it will blend in with the garden, and the trains running on it will "look right". It would be impractical to add 00 scale scenery as I would with an indoor layout, so it is important to choose the right vegetation around the railway.<br />
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The first place I looked was in the "Alpines" section of the garden centre. The plants in this section are generally small and slow-growing, so they shouldn't dwarf the trains, and shouldn't require too much maintenance. One of the early finds is described below.<br />
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Arenaria balearica is a low, spreading plant with tiny leaves. It flowers on short stems in early summer, and retains its leaves all year. It likes well-drained soil, sun or part shade, and is drought-resistant. It is ideal for providing ground cover close to ground-level trackwork, reducing the chance of earth splashing over the rails when it rains.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoQGFiBTrwyNlLpcgBsxG1wLml9YY8YSokzMupf1EriDlKPjpryM6Dz6V8LjEji5sC8A0xgMzsCajLE29_o0Q10NcXyCdnq-18xCJ_QbyIWrcRbGHS_zfHlsOx5YK43EeodOh_J_iKyiI/s1600/120717-1026-vegetation1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoQGFiBTrwyNlLpcgBsxG1wLml9YY8YSokzMupf1EriDlKPjpryM6Dz6V8LjEji5sC8A0xgMzsCajLE29_o0Q10NcXyCdnq-18xCJ_QbyIWrcRbGHS_zfHlsOx5YK43EeodOh_J_iKyiI/s400/120717-1026-vegetation1.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arenaria balearica</td></tr>
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I have just found this post sitting waiting patiently as a "draft post". Although it is a bit shorter than originally intended, it might be useful to someone, so her it is! Perhaps I will continue the topic in a later post.</div>
Fungus McBoglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193290244424336549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718634273133490095.post-24895885085279312232013-09-09T06:07:00.000-07:002013-09-09T06:44:50.600-07:00Scenery!One of this summer's activities has been to add a bit of scenic interest to the sections of railway not integrated with the real garden. This means, principally, adding fencing, telegraph poles and other items on the raised sections along the railway fence and the neighbours' fence. Having just completed a post on the recent viaduct construction work, I realised I had nowhere mentioned this scenic work done at the opposite end of the railway. So here are a few pictures.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ck-Tx_qV2UTKQgH6yElu3I5Jm8rXYDj9fiXzKdTUkXX_m0BbRkGYz_YugBvEn9gcqlbjkdCqx03Do293oSnkqdl6_SNF-FIj_gn5ph5s8ENpqQxuTtobHVl9vcXNN7a1l-kOofinZtw/s1600/130704-2007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ck-Tx_qV2UTKQgH6yElu3I5Jm8rXYDj9fiXzKdTUkXX_m0BbRkGYz_YugBvEn9gcqlbjkdCqx03Do293oSnkqdl6_SNF-FIj_gn5ph5s8ENpqQxuTtobHVl9vcXNN7a1l-kOofinZtw/s320/130704-2007.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A 4MT 2-6-0 approaches the tunnel around a banked curve.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1JjS9krJz7E4uDbyA1W49ZzvNL8yLUYpFoPfzl2WriAtGj0ySJoXmJ9m5-PgSwT4LX49SDlVsrKTdH8xi1yQLy3xvzGM6hHIzA9Yfll-Lv1syJjd4DKN3Cg5jSw5mT97_NilWKmyUjbY/s1600/130705-2009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1JjS9krJz7E4uDbyA1W49ZzvNL8yLUYpFoPfzl2WriAtGj0ySJoXmJ9m5-PgSwT4LX49SDlVsrKTdH8xi1yQLy3xvzGM6hHIzA9Yfll-Lv1syJjd4DKN3Cg5jSw5mT97_NilWKmyUjbY/s320/130705-2009.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New fencing is visible to the right of the picture.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaaA5EU2sv4g1PHL6EqoPemk8VRSODBhYclJ7Zbbjr17KvyyAuTbwqpQfyk4mmLlxfNJxUI_PE5-kchYD9O9JxObrAOdiSfF3UF8-GckR1NRkTRquSXAs_d6mT95jlT5zwVeLPui_5_qI/s1600/130722-2003_farm-crossing.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaaA5EU2sv4g1PHL6EqoPemk8VRSODBhYclJ7Zbbjr17KvyyAuTbwqpQfyk4mmLlxfNJxUI_PE5-kchYD9O9JxObrAOdiSfF3UF8-GckR1NRkTRquSXAs_d6mT95jlT5zwVeLPui_5_qI/s320/130722-2003_farm-crossing.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approaching a farm occupation crossing.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj49_4rP8SeMLTghZ5Im_K3zbZhRkvZqHAC_36cp-4bJbj9CabNzasFfIhnjCifURgFIu9RAvZQR39xNe5ottS7IwV9RpPCN-CgPIBWmccObxWFUU8-BiXVUhBErpV_rNIiNn5a5Q3KF4M/s1600/130723-2002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj49_4rP8SeMLTghZ5Im_K3zbZhRkvZqHAC_36cp-4bJbj9CabNzasFfIhnjCifURgFIu9RAvZQR39xNe5ottS7IwV9RpPCN-CgPIBWmccObxWFUU8-BiXVUhBErpV_rNIiNn5a5Q3KF4M/s320/130723-2002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A vertical pole shows that the curves really are banked.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bridge over a (to date) imaginary river</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">73001 runs light past one of the "new" telegraph poles.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tomatoes are doing well!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGeso8LAnS1uRuvXY9QtV2Fhu5rwgrnY-Zk3I6oYxxT6OU6Cek1u6DHF3YYlwhlmXmP0-BDxgPTpcYGlW7P9iDaZru4MGb6UhiveUpB1TdyWk6cMST0oHrLKWkvTcF4BpiY_lqkihR9sk/s1600/130721-1002_Tornado.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGeso8LAnS1uRuvXY9QtV2Fhu5rwgrnY-Zk3I6oYxxT6OU6Cek1u6DHF3YYlwhlmXmP0-BDxgPTpcYGlW7P9iDaZru4MGb6UhiveUpB1TdyWk6cMST0oHrLKWkvTcF4BpiY_lqkihR9sk/s320/130721-1002_Tornado.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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"Tornado" races along a newly-fenced section of track.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the curve from the tunnel to the railway straight.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPkaRlJZNCiNbq6dn570ffGEPh1fcoSoj6qTlG5wMiekFebRhx7_vkXPI6GtZbVbYWiYnfq1JdXBNyu6JzZ_ybYWiVrHZ_DSVj2LWI7j4Hpl7Qm0R8qlGBQ-rC-IG-W5tPg2JVl5pM_DU/s1600/130727-2002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPkaRlJZNCiNbq6dn570ffGEPh1fcoSoj6qTlG5wMiekFebRhx7_vkXPI6GtZbVbYWiYnfq1JdXBNyu6JzZ_ybYWiVrHZ_DSVj2LWI7j4Hpl7Qm0R8qlGBQ-rC-IG-W5tPg2JVl5pM_DU/s320/130727-2002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An evening auto-train stops at the halt.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6mfZ4t7n_7yS8NMe6VgkD7W_Mj53rQz8efabGS-AlLmfCzTg3GPYhhFyyrlbOZN7zECEMgofpJknT1G9ZOTIB3LpX2ZIFS2QpMc1hi4mWx3E2VL-SkQWJIQjpg4-lm6nujE9v3Ya7pOQ/s1600/130728-2002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6mfZ4t7n_7yS8NMe6VgkD7W_Mj53rQz8efabGS-AlLmfCzTg3GPYhhFyyrlbOZN7zECEMgofpJknT1G9ZOTIB3LpX2ZIFS2QpMc1hi4mWx3E2VL-SkQWJIQjpg4-lm6nujE9v3Ya7pOQ/s320/130728-2002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More fences and poles.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlSrY5K5GqBahkeDYQE2A516SBpACPSMtcw7ZpQKrgSR4HVc1pyLiPQuemxGxRLltTTyUslLT71HveBWW0hhc-7j6F11gJtycVSe3TqhRf1imvYzTm0wQDXLE98bHJfb2pz0LCsFcw0lA/s1600/130728-2116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlSrY5K5GqBahkeDYQE2A516SBpACPSMtcw7ZpQKrgSR4HVc1pyLiPQuemxGxRLltTTyUslLT71HveBWW0hhc-7j6F11gJtycVSe3TqhRf1imvYzTm0wQDXLE98bHJfb2pz0LCsFcw0lA/s320/130728-2116.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who left that gate open?!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6-rulcGhBKPkLmB_hsQRIKYZDZ6yV4BOBKP32fBbq6R7TI4KB6RjizX8mXC5vp3_Ws1jv42TLBChdNHug6waaFd4cjeJMEH7sehu4dbclPqbf6X7fs5CRX37DfwUePglSI1cQ1VqPe8c/s1600/130801-2004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6-rulcGhBKPkLmB_hsQRIKYZDZ6yV4BOBKP32fBbq6R7TI4KB6RjizX8mXC5vp3_Ws1jv42TLBChdNHug6waaFd4cjeJMEH7sehu4dbclPqbf6X7fs5CRX37DfwUePglSI1cQ1VqPe8c/s320/130801-2004.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 7.10pm Bath - Templecombe on 5th March 1966?</td></tr>
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Fungus McBoglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193290244424336549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718634273133490095.post-39009646759570452013-09-09T03:34:00.002-07:002013-09-14T20:07:54.559-07:00Completing the CircuitIt has always been part of the long-term plan to provide a complete circuit by extending the track across the lawn, through the rose bed, and through a shed behind the clothes-drying area and greenhouse to meet the existing track by the neighbours' fence. This was agreed in principle by the Garden Planning Authority (GPA)*, subject to a number of conditions:<br />
<ul>
<li>The lawn crossing must not impede mowing, other forms of gardening, garden parties, access to outbuildings (sheds), or any other current garden activity.</li>
<li>The route through the rose bed must be sympathetic with the cosmetic and artistic needs of the garden, and must not impede planting and maintenance activities.</li>
<li>It must be possible still to use the clothes-drying area for its intended purpose.</li>
<li>Any broken or unsightly fence panels exposed by ground clearance must be rectified. </li>
<li>Detailed designs must be discussed and agreed with the GPA prior to implementation. Aspects to be considered will include appearance, practicality, maintenance requirements, and effect on other garden users. </li>
</ul>
The design complies with these requirements by means of the following features:<br />
<ul>
<li>The lawn is crossed by a multi-arch viaduct (loosely based on Glenfinnon, Shepton Mallett and similar). This includes a 6-foot long section which is easily removable. The viaduct traces a graceful curve in sympathy with the garden.</li>
<li>The route through the rose bed has been agreed. Several roses have been transplanted to a better locations, and "sacrosanct" plants identified.</li>
<li>The clothes dryer has been moved forward to make room for a 6' deep shed while remaining screened from the house by the trellis.</li>
<li>Three panels and one post of the neighbour's fence have been replaced, and the remainder painted.</li>
</ul>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNXgWmlfAiFpEzCC7nlpUQyifHUG2DNudWWptNYpITrrpWWZWj-uJu11pv7FdktZYRIEUEBolftucPvvvzG4iWHxI0Rz8UJXUhk2QLkfGL2vkA8sTgxq-luloYySjo7YWXSZp5QXDBo94/s1600/130806-1001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNXgWmlfAiFpEzCC7nlpUQyifHUG2DNudWWptNYpITrrpWWZWj-uJu11pv7FdktZYRIEUEBolftucPvvvzG4iWHxI0Rz8UJXUhk2QLkfGL2vkA8sTgxq-luloYySjo7YWXSZp5QXDBo94/s400/130806-1001.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A first trial assembly of viaduct components.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB5IyDwNxhbWmabtj_qcHWZiRwXj-TOgU0clTMsViV-juQDVHMCj2LZ-y4WBeRPUzNrsDCyN1Jf7jFVmY0LgxMI-frGI6PNpt5btPkY8iLwK4cMo32Wnwof0Zpp-O4c3lvJMeXu4WfWH8/s1600/130806-1002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB5IyDwNxhbWmabtj_qcHWZiRwXj-TOgU0clTMsViV-juQDVHMCj2LZ-y4WBeRPUzNrsDCyN1Jf7jFVmY0LgxMI-frGI6PNpt5btPkY8iLwK4cMo32Wnwof0Zpp-O4c3lvJMeXu4WfWH8/s400/130806-1002.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First tentative steps onto the lawn.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg__rGybd4nsBxi9ujUBIxp8Yu8ReAKNpHcBQ62U0NSBVnt92Wr_R6UxTRzwdGwzjxjsfBwJuCzvCwa6GVtNFyebbfm9V5ND1Ezs6LTNvTyrEmoqbhyp6dmqRbZkKyQkL2s6WCJk5qLAHw/s1600/130810-1007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg__rGybd4nsBxi9ujUBIxp8Yu8ReAKNpHcBQ62U0NSBVnt92Wr_R6UxTRzwdGwzjxjsfBwJuCzvCwa6GVtNFyebbfm9V5ND1Ezs6LTNvTyrEmoqbhyp6dmqRbZkKyQkL2s6WCJk5qLAHw/s400/130810-1007.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New fence panels behind the site of the still-to-be-built shed.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUifHl14oW-SOw8xsmFb42Omf7DXjhdHihIuN5uTQ5hViGDBy92hCrZSDdkVABfJIcKjAKgBag3GhyphenhyphenAhyphenhyphen3Buhh9Xg1buQyAJecQfCsqEA3Up1XoRbv9CSYn7oK3R8UkreAvat9FCKgxT8/s1600/130811-1002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUifHl14oW-SOw8xsmFb42Omf7DXjhdHihIuN5uTQ5hViGDBy92hCrZSDdkVABfJIcKjAKgBag3GhyphenhyphenAhyphenhyphen3Buhh9Xg1buQyAJecQfCsqEA3Up1XoRbv9CSYn7oK3R8UkreAvat9FCKgxT8/s400/130811-1002.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Optimising the route.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglQltDkioIfKL-yNCbzqM5hwiYRwbm1znIZlit3GmxZhffqis_iuUp2YCW69g9McSHxQaYUNjxuhwsb5VC3EMJyM6uUW0y3yCh4VFz-3sZndmPlV_r_2V_YTVY4iwzoT8M57S7MwN8fqw/s1600/130825-1012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglQltDkioIfKL-yNCbzqM5hwiYRwbm1znIZlit3GmxZhffqis_iuUp2YCW69g9McSHxQaYUNjxuhwsb5VC3EMJyM6uUW0y3yCh4VFz-3sZndmPlV_r_2V_YTVY4iwzoT8M57S7MwN8fqw/s400/130825-1012.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lawn is crossed!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdcEXXtOPxo42DMdN1G6NAumRhyphenhyphen9IzF5DziAHI37DhVa-wtfkOgQv4XWdmTcOOfO5JxrgJsJdA79QwG403Pbh5L5PnG9pe5t_bZjQXExQYpZfr-P42CSHIduMTyGeBxD4JLlH5_h-KfE/s1600/130825-1013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdcEXXtOPxo42DMdN1G6NAumRhyphenhyphen9IzF5DziAHI37DhVa-wtfkOgQv4XWdmTcOOfO5JxrgJsJdA79QwG403Pbh5L5PnG9pe5t_bZjQXExQYpZfr-P42CSHIduMTyGeBxD4JLlH5_h-KfE/s400/130825-1013.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marking the route through the rose bed.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg1Hmfi5ptiBwG2k6m8llKJXSQfnmy_HyRR2AjGxbjtPsAubaiZ5qLWNJHVRbdiyGumrgwmOzPfggb3bDYhnTNtkL5ncMBYuixvhIpPYSz00DDExLQf5BxHnAfOSFlvDeH0127hC_IS58/s1600/130829-1004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg1Hmfi5ptiBwG2k6m8llKJXSQfnmy_HyRR2AjGxbjtPsAubaiZ5qLWNJHVRbdiyGumrgwmOzPfggb3bDYhnTNtkL5ncMBYuixvhIpPYSz00DDExLQf5BxHnAfOSFlvDeH0127hC_IS58/s400/130829-1004.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First passenger train (on temporary rails).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_emL34-vwGlvlKa32IVcGT2RnO_eyiplpAJLwJ_CONyZcR5NBON1mo9UpzI-gU7gi7NRyR8_ej2vJBWvPYeiVzb3Mp2Rv4eW0EBP7H5eYq9-YJ_mlsLk73VHdmcdvPZ54eUcTY5HWJ84/s1600/130831-1005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_emL34-vwGlvlKa32IVcGT2RnO_eyiplpAJLwJ_CONyZcR5NBON1mo9UpzI-gU7gi7NRyR8_ej2vJBWvPYeiVzb3Mp2Rv4eW0EBP7H5eYq9-YJ_mlsLk73VHdmcdvPZ54eUcTY5HWJ84/s400/130831-1005.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another trial train.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyZTYMljUNQ-T1itS7xz93Z3NAAY6IENKTu3PkOhX1Irw1WNALOrsD4R1lAM30l5v5YbQVuWFMkitZviF5trTBPNBL3VcdvbBpbxhwqpY0GENMmn9dnDv6eJTHfSzbiwbWKqVG5FEOnUw/s1600/130830-1009_Dragonfly.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyZTYMljUNQ-T1itS7xz93Z3NAAY6IENKTu3PkOhX1Irw1WNALOrsD4R1lAM30l5v5YbQVuWFMkitZviF5trTBPNBL3VcdvbBpbxhwqpY0GENMmn9dnDv6eJTHfSzbiwbWKqVG5FEOnUw/s400/130830-1009_Dragonfly.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Dragonfly checks out the new additions.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij0ksWuQnZHqIzwi36NONBrwtRcjtXpdNwz9vV7F8Pi91BENfaDXuPFH_V1Tbw78EnnYUGUaCFlmmcXM4qQFB0NRoW2XgiRVPrvEcOabe7hDjz3z-dUHTWtJXekCNyoyPRUTU1CGoaS5g/s1600/130911-1004_viaduct.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij0ksWuQnZHqIzwi36NONBrwtRcjtXpdNwz9vV7F8Pi91BENfaDXuPFH_V1Tbw78EnnYUGUaCFlmmcXM4qQFB0NRoW2XgiRVPrvEcOabe7hDjz3z-dUHTWtJXekCNyoyPRUTU1CGoaS5g/s400/130911-1004_viaduct.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The viaducts with painting under way.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaB1_qHzsin3MbDMM0-pbATfPYuhoCUeaT40fSppCs_22i9FDJ4F7Ay_lpIqbIIWLq21uAnvr87nTFlP2BoHnHH-b4CwFzAD-De29BVnRnOxbt5HKw1eXEmRfHvGLLp0HxDoxeruGpcsg/s1600/130911-1009_viaduct.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaB1_qHzsin3MbDMM0-pbATfPYuhoCUeaT40fSppCs_22i9FDJ4F7Ay_lpIqbIIWLq21uAnvr87nTFlP2BoHnHH-b4CwFzAD-De29BVnRnOxbt5HKw1eXEmRfHvGLLp0HxDoxeruGpcsg/s640/130911-1009_viaduct.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A panoramic view. The removable section is still in white primer.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
Notes.<br />
* The current composition of the Garden Planning Authority (GPA) is as follows: Chairman; co-opted as required. Display and horticultural authority; Penny. Technical authority (non-horticultural); me. Consultants; Jan and Gerald.Fungus McBoglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193290244424336549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718634273133490095.post-75665838374991380952013-07-07T19:37:00.000-07:002013-07-07T19:41:17.437-07:00Playing to an audience (again)Following the success of the garden open day in June, the garden railway was looking forward to Sunday's garden party. All went well for most of the day, with somewhere between 20 and 30 of our guests opting to take a turn at driving a train. Thomas (now fitted with a Bachmann Jinty chassis) ran reliably from end to end with a train of three coaches. The only warning of problems to come was an occasional unreliability of the points on the removable panel above the tunnel.<br />
<br />
When most of the guests had gone, James and the formula 1 team stayed to continue the railway running session, and it wasn't long before there was a request for the two sound-equipped locos, one steam and one diesel. These were duly provided, and that's when things started to go badly wrong. First, the "Briannia" ran away, refusing to respond to any commands to stop. Then a spate of spurious derailments started. The track was examined for debris, and the computer was reset, to no avail. The investigation will continue tomorrow, but it's worth noting a few observations.<br />
<ul>
<li>Three locos were running simultaneously; Thomas, and sound equipped 37 and Britannia.</li>
<li>Two controllers were in use, my iphone for Thomas and the Brit, and my ipad for the 37.</li>
<li>A number of wood ants were run over by trains</li>
<li>The rail gap between the quarry points and the viaduct straight had increased to about 2mm. </li>
<li>The rails were noticeably dirty</li>
<li>The removable crossover had been in place for over a month, and signs of unreliability had started a few days ago.</li>
</ul>
Fungus McBoglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193290244424336549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718634273133490095.post-42583797787402184512013-06-18T15:23:00.001-07:002013-06-18T15:23:10.840-07:00Reopening the QuarryThe quarry sidings, which have been derelict for almost a year now, have been brought back into use. This has involved removing all of the loose rocks, earth-slips, and fallen twigs and leaves, and stabilising the gaps between the rocks to reduce the risk of further earth slips. The smaller loose rocks will then be cemented in place to allow future leaf removal to be mechanised. The three live-frog turnouts giving access to the quarry from the main line have been replaced with dead-frog, which I have wired so that they do not require electrical switching when the route is changed. This will reduce the need for delicate cleaning before each operating session. The disadvantage, of course, is that short-wheelbase locos are now more likely to stall on the point frog. There is also a risk that some tweaking of frogs may be required to avoid momentary short-circuits as a loco crosses the frog.<br />
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The picture shows a Pannier tank loco testing the track at the lowest point in the quarry. It looks as if the track in front of the loco has been damaged by a rock-fall!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGaUBc98-UaZ-qOTxNrEM4-3tEwivuv4-Axl_2hg4LHKc9kgn07-0KiLonf2rY64K_-kH31zf37dHoOZAsuBnsI9WRQeFMNGJ2nvyJj0h5N4puyUqeT-FayebuY9e8wN-2Oclla58oKRs/s1600/130618-2004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGaUBc98-UaZ-qOTxNrEM4-3tEwivuv4-Axl_2hg4LHKc9kgn07-0KiLonf2rY64K_-kH31zf37dHoOZAsuBnsI9WRQeFMNGJ2nvyJj0h5N4puyUqeT-FayebuY9e8wN-2Oclla58oKRs/s400/130618-2004.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lowest point of the quarry.</td></tr>
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The second picture shows the loco testing the quarry siding climbing back up the 1 in 25 gradient out of the quarry. The sparse vegetation visible in both pictures is growing naturally, one of the benefits of a garden railway.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitxD4rmWVpc2nefUOniBVQwU41VqP9NvROekY-gFvu7DByCa1JWpxoL_f5kZDenIk2kP_tZ9vb-wVSFpV9wlB9hh8UQcWI-raHtzyRGF-QEwgBTWr1WtaMJ0aorA116wcHNcKbd5B-3Tk/s1600/130618-2003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitxD4rmWVpc2nefUOniBVQwU41VqP9NvROekY-gFvu7DByCa1JWpxoL_f5kZDenIk2kP_tZ9vb-wVSFpV9wlB9hh8UQcWI-raHtzyRGF-QEwgBTWr1WtaMJ0aorA116wcHNcKbd5B-3Tk/s400/130618-2003.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing the 1 in 25 gradient out of the quarry.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Fungus McBoglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193290244424336549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718634273133490095.post-12159913221860140962013-06-03T17:19:00.000-07:002013-06-20T20:06:39.415-07:00The Earth MovedSomething funny happened over the winter to a length of my track. The sharp (actually, it's 5' radius) curve about to be traversed by the cat in the picture, got longer!<br />
<br />
I first noticed that the two rail joints on the curve were getting wider. For a while, it was still passable to trains. But by the time I did something about it, the gap was almost the length of a fishplate.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVu7dwNzWPTzP7Hk4MSFSei_-qTyfwLn6UOiv6sBuxKn3yT6MMZB7TmANamkebU7iRVMwYlWrv32KHpcznzPYQ9VIzVgCoGHM7jtZxEG1o0qrc0ru6i_9PcHDKx4SDh1Cugm_sMqp482I/s1600/130407-1015_Mac-on-rails.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVu7dwNzWPTzP7Hk4MSFSei_-qTyfwLn6UOiv6sBuxKn3yT6MMZB7TmANamkebU7iRVMwYlWrv32KHpcznzPYQ9VIzVgCoGHM7jtZxEG1o0qrc0ru6i_9PcHDKx4SDh1Cugm_sMqp482I/s400/130407-1015_Mac-on-rails.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mac heads for the affected curve.</td></tr>
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What I found on investigation was that the rubbercrete capping had separated from the brick base in this area. Why it had stretched I don't know, but no longer bonded to the bricks there was no stopping it!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifEv2WriIYmAqBoUrykbJxYGzjYYTwaV-QEpKjA4hqtFRbutOReWQWnu5iZJchToaRgnU-SONG-YIq00W8XcXDhe2aQMJM0TuYTUnxCX_8OW5qbsuIHom2ISHfUsFr4mUZQOfQuX9LE3k/s1600/130531-2009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifEv2WriIYmAqBoUrykbJxYGzjYYTwaV-QEpKjA4hqtFRbutOReWQWnu5iZJchToaRgnU-SONG-YIq00W8XcXDhe2aQMJM0TuYTUnxCX_8OW5qbsuIHom2ISHfUsFr4mUZQOfQuX9LE3k/s400/130531-2009.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "slipped" curve after corrective work to the trackbed, and before the track was relaid.</td></tr>
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On Monday, the track was relaid on the down main line, and trains were running again, single-line, with a 20mph speed limit until the ballasting was complete.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtwc1ou2cxyYuOuo7IB_loyuXo3ktqWy_7i9LVOmDtTdQgjASmQzR5U5Fi0zjjpI8b9I05tVdqcmz5-C_YPrW1P7D99yJ1f-lqdAqtF0o6scJCffIN_8PvaSqHV8qEYO7PVYGUibDai88/s1600/130604-1005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtwc1ou2cxyYuOuo7IB_loyuXo3ktqWy_7i9LVOmDtTdQgjASmQzR5U5Fi0zjjpI8b9I05tVdqcmz5-C_YPrW1P7D99yJ1f-lqdAqtF0o6scJCffIN_8PvaSqHV8qEYO7PVYGUibDai88/s400/130604-1005.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A ballast train approaches the new section of track.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFqrgWviC2b4y6Sahxd7XLKDSDeRZsaMWJy08Uj0-Gjfz7TC0UZ2jp2bNKf4ygrTQOVooO-vWZaAFG9QuMQIqMrYyvTNsHDm26zOsOxvwVBLHwUNeWHykX6dB3SImjZK6wZhyT_-IXUU/s1600/130604-1007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFqrgWviC2b4y6Sahxd7XLKDSDeRZsaMWJy08Uj0-Gjfz7TC0UZ2jp2bNKf4ygrTQOVooO-vWZaAFG9QuMQIqMrYyvTNsHDm26zOsOxvwVBLHwUNeWHykX6dB3SImjZK6wZhyT_-IXUU/s400/130604-1007.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An overhead view of the site.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjINIR2oS0L-4jiVIM394jZMP80qPv9WVk7CinUfiQxHCCxv0sPJ5gAAYoXi69Jrb1M7SOgEIZryDwDRFyjHjXkghfwIWAB6kRIWEsceRDohbgh_vRn5Q52A_kcADT8g6EU5pFdm-ONjs4/s1600/130610-1017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjINIR2oS0L-4jiVIM394jZMP80qPv9WVk7CinUfiQxHCCxv0sPJ5gAAYoXi69Jrb1M7SOgEIZryDwDRFyjHjXkghfwIWAB6kRIWEsceRDohbgh_vRn5Q52A_kcADT8g6EU5pFdm-ONjs4/s400/130610-1017.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ballasting in progress.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxO8SN1-WXvosHWahIZci0y_Ci-LifKYPBOGcXM3ST2SvQLdzQUSiN_-JuILdQQf4F9sQ3Cmt1DdlERuPUtnpy55h7oH0YN3bvJE_qQk5cvzl6Or3ep_vxiFj8mfTVp72kuxN9UbmsNz8/s1600/130610-1019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxO8SN1-WXvosHWahIZci0y_Ci-LifKYPBOGcXM3ST2SvQLdzQUSiN_-JuILdQQf4F9sQ3Cmt1DdlERuPUtnpy55h7oH0YN3bvJE_qQk5cvzl6Or3ep_vxiFj8mfTVp72kuxN9UbmsNz8/s400/130610-1019.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The team</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
You may have noticed that the new track is being laid with some precision on a narrow strip of rubberised cork, whereas the old track was on a wide strip of closed-cell foam. I don't pretend that this is a new method of track construction, but it is new to this railway, and aims at eliminating some of the disadvantages of the old method. Whether it brings with it any new problems, remains to be seen.<br />
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Advantages of new method:<br />
<ul>
<li>Curves are made with a series of 100mm straight lengths end to end, allowing curves and transitions to be laid out and adjusted accurately before track is laid.</li>
<li>Banking on curves can be set up and measured accurately before track is laid.</li>
<li>More rigid than foam, so track pins do not cause sleepers to bend in the middle,</li>
<li>Accurate width facilitates a neater ballasting job.</li>
</ul>
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Fungus McBoglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193290244424336549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718634273133490095.post-56225547734700631972013-06-02T16:00:00.003-07:002013-06-20T20:16:12.767-07:00Preparing for the Open DayOpen day? Whoever heard of an open day for a model railway? Well, it looks as if we are having one next Saturday.<br />
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Every year, an "Open Garden weekend" is organised to raise money for our local hospice. A minimum of six gardens are open each day, and programmes are available at the reception desk, giving directions and a map for each garden. This year it includes our garden, railway and all!<br />
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And what am I doing in preparation? Principally, running trains and operating points and signal, to identify any areas of unreliability, then (if practical) fixing them. And while I'm running these trains, I might as well photograph them.<br />
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First we have a pannier tank with a single coach. It must be empty stock, or a special working, as the coach has no guard's compartment.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmJkGFIHeQ-CEsnec3b8H7li5CEpLeNEMdFcG322bJClfktzqkK_t_SqAjLi2vFeV9JOtIQdg_rtCO5ULHM8OTcIWO-dB0LXxgQiR_HHF_T8ad35YueA8fe_Tsh2IvEnWB9r_BiqFLaAk/s1600/130531-2003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmJkGFIHeQ-CEsnec3b8H7li5CEpLeNEMdFcG322bJClfktzqkK_t_SqAjLi2vFeV9JOtIQdg_rtCO5ULHM8OTcIWO-dB0LXxgQiR_HHF_T8ad35YueA8fe_Tsh2IvEnWB9r_BiqFLaAk/s400/130531-2003.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pannier tank on the Railway straight.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Next we have several shots of Evening Star hauling 10 coaches. It just managed up 1 in 50 on straight track, but stalled on the long curve. And on a couple of occasions, the force exerted by the engine to pull the heavy train up the gradient on a curve was too much for the front coaches, and the lateral force pulled it off the rails.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRDq3SCvGasuWVtY7pz3aQ82fZOhfXBNuilWGVes3KLv6crg9lqgOePrE7OQxqc3mwkPfXsyUSLIRmJsTOjy3XSdkq7TQ2EMAcoLQgnpDa2NBPCxO3ZD5vCBGgntrOkEhAe7sTnW9BBdc/s1600/130601-2005_Evening-Star.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRDq3SCvGasuWVtY7pz3aQ82fZOhfXBNuilWGVes3KLv6crg9lqgOePrE7OQxqc3mwkPfXsyUSLIRmJsTOjy3XSdkq7TQ2EMAcoLQgnpDa2NBPCxO3ZD5vCBGgntrOkEhAe7sTnW9BBdc/s400/130601-2005_Evening-Star.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Evening Star" bursts out of the tunnel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
One of the benefits of photographing the models is that errors and omissions are suddenly glaringly obvious. For example, where I this engine's vacuum brake pipe?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM0S6Uoghm-_u2UWooRXdmKFR8TIr4Ee53ufhXf_GO40zcV9KEvMyJfjfoNhRXKoOH2iQa2HsxBlUFp12CxbujotORlIL4y6GN_m1Re7tC_mxMfCmmrBPQnjIbUkpY5Mz1Y_z2FYI_lAw/s1600/130601-2006_Evening-Star.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM0S6Uoghm-_u2UWooRXdmKFR8TIr4Ee53ufhXf_GO40zcV9KEvMyJfjfoNhRXKoOH2iQa2HsxBlUFp12CxbujotORlIL4y6GN_m1Re7tC_mxMfCmmrBPQnjIbUkpY5Mz1Y_z2FYI_lAw/s400/130601-2006_Evening-Star.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Evening Star" leaves the cutting above the quarry.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The other thing that's glaringly obvious in the pictures is the red bus-wire following the track. I've now been around with the brown camouflage paint!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvtW7grMDDhAvujuf2_M_oacPsb4PXLcy3K6iNzXty-egbUDt4NEqkPP8OtL2vqsFdav6rdKulqpahj-Q1UPCZN6AonzFMZQ_XhybJolgMMoMBQWWxgqwxTzyahLQWCxVscW1dIe-Ilk4/s1600/130601-2014_Evening-Star.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvtW7grMDDhAvujuf2_M_oacPsb4PXLcy3K6iNzXty-egbUDt4NEqkPP8OtL2vqsFdav6rdKulqpahj-Q1UPCZN6AonzFMZQ_XhybJolgMMoMBQWWxgqwxTzyahLQWCxVscW1dIe-Ilk4/s400/130601-2014_Evening-Star.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Evening Star" rushes past the quarry.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The railway currently has one operating signal, sited on he viaduct and indicating that the route is correctly set for "clockwise" trains. There is wiring at the other end of the viaduct for an equivalent signal for anticlockwise trains.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1SAL-j-hQNWCF25jTFAbQBW6WMddlQipuA03y2U6RjGaTZg2XE8oG1_YLAKBKTyc_uTboMuooTKEmZkwAaSXu7oen5ezZC18gmsSPzXhtxQfS_I0zkxxPPxQZBKW5WsHJ_m7h7oXSwKI/s1600/130601-2015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1SAL-j-hQNWCF25jTFAbQBW6WMddlQipuA03y2U6RjGaTZg2XE8oG1_YLAKBKTyc_uTboMuooTKEmZkwAaSXu7oen5ezZC18gmsSPzXhtxQfS_I0zkxxPPxQZBKW5WsHJ_m7h7oXSwKI/s400/130601-2015.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Evening Star" approaching the viaduct.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
"Evening Star arrived on our railway hauling an enthusiasts' special. The return train was worked by a pair of Scottish 37s, which are seen waiting to couple onto the train.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVRA-uBsfthyphenhyphenglJXDkqFKQDckQewybqQu3xY33YFs8iAY79G1UjXLuGFlYA-F5CwtkZkxWq4dJFONPvklbXoACSMFNBRAn1E31jKu3qBNPdEhm_c6cg0xCMb2nOSKdMgBLGwG66la71cc/s1600/130601-2017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVRA-uBsfthyphenhyphenglJXDkqFKQDckQewybqQu3xY33YFs8iAY79G1UjXLuGFlYA-F5CwtkZkxWq4dJFONPvklbXoACSMFNBRAn1E31jKu3qBNPdEhm_c6cg0xCMb2nOSKdMgBLGwG66la71cc/s400/130601-2017.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">37406 "The Saltire Society" and 37417 "Highland Region".</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT-K6rYlYtFAghn_s-JesWBPA_OE0EsnmEozxaPXfGUA_6vZHxGB7aMeTP25qSSSj79_SipNA6B36peo96I3lVMCbm4vFAFOzs1ha7U1QXbNS52jL7_6s3yU1NrHQBD7swL-eJS8UR9Hg/s1600/130601-2019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT-K6rYlYtFAghn_s-JesWBPA_OE0EsnmEozxaPXfGUA_6vZHxGB7aMeTP25qSSSj79_SipNA6B36peo96I3lVMCbm4vFAFOzs1ha7U1QXbNS52jL7_6s3yU1NrHQBD7swL-eJS8UR9Hg/s400/130601-2019.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">37406 is the train engine....</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Q8dvnm3dBGl8MuqDxpQsQgUf7w9rXDNmAmomfzO6wQ69MZq8xAzeq8RRww7lrUsEX-zKFvFEKqY1d6dzwY9WSc66-8rmnEZhc7_tMA1Ih_7GL3ela1P2-UaAcsHp-HbNGPwBRbM-uxE/s1600/130601-2023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Q8dvnm3dBGl8MuqDxpQsQgUf7w9rXDNmAmomfzO6wQ69MZq8xAzeq8RRww7lrUsEX-zKFvFEKqY1d6dzwY9WSc66-8rmnEZhc7_tMA1Ih_7GL3ela1P2-UaAcsHp-HbNGPwBRbM-uxE/s400/130601-2023.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">....with 37417 piloting,</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Meanwhile, life in the village continues as normal, with the pub landlady carrying a plate of food out for "old George", as the post van arrives with the afternoon delivery.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidChQkUEY8PtbyeKj8GwFFeEPTxBdJVq_-MNaetrWHnw8uUAZ2zKGPyXZ05uCWFy0TSLZzwxN67q5mxArWF_QHqkaIFpD7GpRiUnwzZuvquTGxPLpNN_N0b_sY-rjJiOv7vyPFq66yTAg/s1600/130526-2001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidChQkUEY8PtbyeKj8GwFFeEPTxBdJVq_-MNaetrWHnw8uUAZ2zKGPyXZ05uCWFy0TSLZzwxN67q5mxArWF_QHqkaIFpD7GpRiUnwzZuvquTGxPLpNN_N0b_sY-rjJiOv7vyPFq66yTAg/s400/130526-2001.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pub below the viaduct.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A special guest for the village fair on 9th June waits in the escape siding next to the quarry. The railway's financial controller has jokingly suggested offering this loco for sale on ebay as "DCC ready". Well, it's a static model, so it is fitted with all the decoders needed to fulfil this function - i.e. none.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtyShk6kdBWt4yxTmK1CJqLqO09dcnuAZ_1xCaZdLf3vaiftRUQGH03B3ymZkZLR-4DAvW2mn_PAP4u_dHhyphenhyphenrPVtRK1-KoywiNBy7r8IU3gFgflrfX7QR6VMsFfPwyNJrlOrQOp0FufjQ/s1600/130526-2005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtyShk6kdBWt4yxTmK1CJqLqO09dcnuAZ_1xCaZdLf3vaiftRUQGH03B3ymZkZLR-4DAvW2mn_PAP4u_dHhyphenhyphenrPVtRK1-KoywiNBy7r8IU3gFgflrfX7QR6VMsFfPwyNJrlOrQOp0FufjQ/s400/130526-2005.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A visitor from another age.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpROeJFEAFMTIRokCxn9PFa-zLChhaUSpdos0SGvJ2UbRIhUjLdaDT4p6lPohp1O2VPwJgologwnHFPkYcPBDMvZl-6QC6HlEpZ4rHboDnFYwvE62TqGDNzBZ9RsmbW_go6LqmDr7MKwQ/s1600/130526-2008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpROeJFEAFMTIRokCxn9PFa-zLChhaUSpdos0SGvJ2UbRIhUjLdaDT4p6lPohp1O2VPwJgologwnHFPkYcPBDMvZl-6QC6HlEpZ4rHboDnFYwvE62TqGDNzBZ9RsmbW_go6LqmDr7MKwQ/s400/130526-2008.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">70040 "Clive of India" thunders up the 1 in 50 past waiting 4F 44560.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And finally, the bit you all really want to see, if the trains didn't keep getting in the way. Flowers!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPlCslz107QSak1cuj83R9BYaLj3KGnuFtO0GYWfued04ioHrZ6xsv9rW4Egq0FZSskVZLZl0ao1vzS1MFSLRpxc0akl92kQsLAAS2B9Lhir8VAQfJACmweKSxCrh92zPdMMt95_78Xyo/s1600/130605-1011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPlCslz107QSak1cuj83R9BYaLj3KGnuFtO0GYWfued04ioHrZ6xsv9rW4Egq0FZSskVZLZl0ao1vzS1MFSLRpxc0akl92kQsLAAS2B9Lhir8VAQfJACmweKSxCrh92zPdMMt95_78Xyo/s400/130605-1011.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Working on the "garden" bit of the garden railway.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Note: The circular flat area between the flower trough and the viaduct was purpose-built three years ago for the hexagonal gazebo used for the bar at the annual garden party. The entrance is via the grass slope in the foreground, with the trough moved elsewhere of course. The size and shape of the gazebo dictated the route the railway took in this area, and the need for the viaduct to be curved.<br />
<br />
And finally.... At the start of an operating session, the track cleaning train disappeared into the tunnel and didn't emerge at the other end. Another engine was sent in to push, without success. So the tunnel slabs and liner were removed, and the cause of the problem immediately became clear!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaTVEcrCRxQpgIRbyi2-94HSVvfr-W-B27Pk8yES58WleTRcxECsJD4Y8TYVb8vOTbOf2tt-tUgGQXD7EWAjM4a1RZrBpgs0tS4IN5tEdyMRewsWSCvQGEvyxKnMTfYZZK8ksWRoVrojs/s1600/130614-2001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaTVEcrCRxQpgIRbyi2-94HSVvfr-W-B27Pk8yES58WleTRcxECsJD4Y8TYVb8vOTbOf2tt-tUgGQXD7EWAjM4a1RZrBpgs0tS4IN5tEdyMRewsWSCvQGEvyxKnMTfYZZK8ksWRoVrojs/s400/130614-2001.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's not room for both of us in this tunnel!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Fungus McBoglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193290244424336549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718634273133490095.post-70307472327013195422013-05-22T14:39:00.003-07:002013-05-24T02:03:33.838-07:00Along the Neighbours' Fence<h3 style="text-align: center;">
...or "Some Recent Activity on the Garden Railway".</h3>
<br />
The previous post showed a train taking its first tentative steps on the new section of trackbed. This section has the boundary fence on one side, and the raspberry beds, then the greenhouse, then the drying green on the other. It also finds itself, due to the lie of the land, about 2ft above the ground. All of this conspires to make this section unsuitable for full integration with the garden as has been done elsewere, and the plan is to build it like a traditional model railway on a baseboard, with rudimentary scenery, and (if practical) limited weather protection.<br />
<br />
The temporary track has now been extended along the full length of the new section, almost to the greenhouse. The next stage of the plan is real track, some scenery, and the weather protection!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg22gOrnZgf1t8dmQVpdrXYlCJp2ZT69sfDsz-6Q6gKUwGEpm41V0cVRWanyxqbpHmx4z44rHpNH4swfLBzNweVSiv8F5WrXL8FBE-y3uLFFFcb-noQRLKHxhjC5cnQL74yeE6rJ0upBiI/s1600/130521-2004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg22gOrnZgf1t8dmQVpdrXYlCJp2ZT69sfDsz-6Q6gKUwGEpm41V0cVRWanyxqbpHmx4z44rHpNH4swfLBzNweVSiv8F5WrXL8FBE-y3uLFFFcb-noQRLKHxhjC5cnQL74yeE6rJ0upBiI/s400/130521-2004.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first train to reach the greenhouse.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Dapol track cleaner should be a real time-saver for a garden railway, providing a built-in vacuum cleaner, railhead cleaning fluid applicator, railhead scrubber and railhead polisher. It sounds like a dream come true, but I haven't yet for various reasons managed to get the best out of it. It is however useful for clearing the cobwebs from the tunnel at the start of an operating session!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCyTBk2QdLezfOFJTV9EKF8BZDmNFrSSAkY38AqXZm_mnawS4hlZS4H8GMj-2WGQWRY3jgcYha1_qb2ufUkR0JPmsJMI4PU4DM7u1LBxXRHkkelSsZb4HCNARBH5IWrc821WbrPt0_s0k/s1600/130521-2011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCyTBk2QdLezfOFJTV9EKF8BZDmNFrSSAkY38AqXZm_mnawS4hlZS4H8GMj-2WGQWRY3jgcYha1_qb2ufUkR0JPmsJMI4PU4DM7u1LBxXRHkkelSsZb4HCNARBH5IWrc821WbrPt0_s0k/s400/130521-2011.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cobweb-removing train emerges from the tunnel with a fine catch of webs.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As I have mentioned before, the crossover from single track back to double beyond the tunnel is laid on a thin base and can be removed as a complete module. This allows the turnouts, point motors, electronics and wiring to be taken indoors when not in use, for protection from the weather. Installation or removal only takes a few minutes, with eight rail joiners to be slid using fine-nosed pliers, and two electrical connectors to be mated or undone. The wiring is largely out of sight from the normal viewing direction, but stepping over into the narrow gap by the fence, it becomes clear that the railway company's electrical contractors, K.Watt & sons, of Voltstone, Ampshire are not very good at producing tidy wiring! A bit of lacing cord and some camoflage paint should improve things, however.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcm_uLKy4BtAfLZjbWbOAlvhDN5FcVZFlIpbriMK7LAgV1Izfy6HMi4fPNW8ShEWCJ1_7Uaqrhml6TS6CvjvsXtYboB99-sXxTm1iGIhE4puN3p8moBnbV4SF-SjQTDffh-AzunJXCV0U/s1600/130521-2016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcm_uLKy4BtAfLZjbWbOAlvhDN5FcVZFlIpbriMK7LAgV1Izfy6HMi4fPNW8ShEWCJ1_7Uaqrhml6TS6CvjvsXtYboB99-sXxTm1iGIhE4puN3p8moBnbV4SF-SjQTDffh-AzunJXCV0U/s400/130521-2016.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the removable crossover module. From this side the wiring is unobtrusive...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLm8ak_pDy7hjAKA1xdBJ2c-GgRfouIFXn7j4QDeQxue5ImIGfumHopT8VgG_5B9_Ee3WdmXmw39aPB544a6hKHPB5cpONS-nMSU5AAsbs5e80MmgnfOpBJgwWSE_votuF9V3adYlJT1o/s1600/130521-2019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLm8ak_pDy7hjAKA1xdBJ2c-GgRfouIFXn7j4QDeQxue5ImIGfumHopT8VgG_5B9_Ee3WdmXmw39aPB544a6hKHPB5cpONS-nMSU5AAsbs5e80MmgnfOpBJgwWSE_votuF9V3adYlJT1o/s400/130521-2019.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">... but from the fence, it looks a mess!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Right from the start of the railway project, there has been a strip of level concrete above the viaduct for a station platform. About a year ago, a platform was built, with embosssed plasticard facings and an infill of concrete-based floor screeding. It seemed a good idea at the time, but unfortunately the screeding did not stand up to the weather, and soon looked a mess. So it was removed, and since then there has been no platform. The new one uses the original facings, but has a new plastic top. Now it just needs station buildings and a signal box!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Mkrs27UaeU4MtO-kFwB5uHckucudbkQ3BrYoAG4joufcV0knzSMfBddpZynZbTM-deT58mR8d8CjwMdmeWGmN-Tyo9tS4SUoIYHRRk8QfIoLMxVAZRvw0BKl4TkPnhFKog05ZFrfyoE/s1600/130521-2013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Mkrs27UaeU4MtO-kFwB5uHckucudbkQ3BrYoAG4joufcV0knzSMfBddpZynZbTM-deT58mR8d8CjwMdmeWGmN-Tyo9tS4SUoIYHRRk8QfIoLMxVAZRvw0BKl4TkPnhFKog05ZFrfyoE/s400/130521-2013.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A ballast train passes the new station platform. The shelter is borrowed.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The final picture provides a privileged view of the control room. On the left of the shelf is the NCE equipment, (a 5A power supply / control module, an overload trip, and a USB interface). Connected to this via the USB interface is an old netbook computer, scrapped because its display stopped working, and an old 15" display from one of our early home computers. Running on the netbook is a free programme called JMRI. Hidden behind the netbook is a wi-fi access point / router made redundant by BT when they upgraded this area's brooadband to use fibre-optics, and the box high on the wall is a controller build by my father about 50 years ago, with all electronics removed except the transformer, thereby providing a 16V AC supply for accessories that need it. I hate throwing things away if they can be re-used!<br />
<br />
Not shown in the picture is the actual control panels used by the engine drivers or signalman. These can be any Apple iphone, ipad, or ipod touch or any Android* smartphone, running either the free or the under-£10 version of applications called WiThrottle or Engine Driver*, and communicating with the netbook through a wi-fi local network. This means that operators can wander wirelessly anywhere in the area of the railway.<br />
<br />
*note: I haven't yet tried it with "Engine Driver" and an Andoid device.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SoUO6cc8AdM9MLmkLvofWhwg1SDGLtak1Q5pvASInTKkm6CCk7uYtfIpVJRTAwjPc02El1qeelA7b809q-w1PNbfM3NYNMqz36ynVz0aIcmRagPomFX59I4lOLShH0HRiT3WFMMoq3w/s1600/130521-2025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SoUO6cc8AdM9MLmkLvofWhwg1SDGLtak1Q5pvASInTKkm6CCk7uYtfIpVJRTAwjPc02El1qeelA7b809q-w1PNbfM3NYNMqz36ynVz0aIcmRagPomFX59I4lOLShH0HRiT3WFMMoq3w/s400/130521-2025.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Control Centre.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Fungus McBoglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193290244424336549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718634273133490095.post-47615405142004179752013-05-05T13:31:00.003-07:002013-05-05T14:45:16.037-07:00Is it May Already?I have just logged on and was horrified to find that my last post was a Christmas greeting! What has happened to the first four months of the year? Well, I suppose the three-week holiday and several long weekends away haven't helped. Then there's the training for last week's run (raised £2k for Parkinson's UK). Lots of gardening (we're opening to the public on 8th June under the local hospice's open garden scheme). Pretty poor excuses really. Oh - and I've been working on the garden railway!<br />
<br />
Jobs done or in progress this year are:<br />
<ul>
<li>Routine maintenance</li>
<li>Extension round the corner from the railway boundary to the neighbour's boundary</li>
<li>Complete automation of removable crossover module</li>
<li>Re-ballast, wire, signal and automate the viaduct</li>
<li>Get the railway wi-fi control network working reliably</li>
<li>Install a power bus and connect to track at reasonable intervals.</li>
</ul>
Maintenance. The worst things the winter has done other than the obvious dirt and corrosion are to remove some of my earlier experiments in ballasting, and to significantly widen the gap at some of the rail joints. This gap-widening is rather strange, and mainly occurs near the apex of some of the sweeping curves in the picture below. I can only assume that the trackbed is"stretching". It doesn't yet cause derailments, so I haven't done anythng about it, but will soon need to as the gaps are still increasing (so it's not thermal contraction of the rail).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTpRyapTw68gihJZYYSiL4BwA-0kRRx6UIle8biVZtqhlV3P1yDIsi7UJay5okQbFqNmxkcN4PbbzuRcq7h5L9mrcINMGTEGre5lNO7Slw1Mp38RvIFhu49oWGyAXBurDFBv4m2fnW-AI/s1600/130501-2007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTpRyapTw68gihJZYYSiL4BwA-0kRRx6UIle8biVZtqhlV3P1yDIsi7UJay5okQbFqNmxkcN4PbbzuRcq7h5L9mrcINMGTEGre5lNO7Slw1Mp38RvIFhu49oWGyAXBurDFBv4m2fnW-AI/s400/130501-2007.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Spring test-train sweeps around the reverse curves.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The railway track-bed has now reached a point where although descending at 1 in 50, the ground is descending faster and the track is about 2 feet off the ground. This, the need for a bend, and the fact that too much straight concrete viaduct gets boring, led to the decision that the next section of trackbed would be timber. This also gives some potential for tradional layout scenery, though weather proofing or protection could be interesting. The picture below shows the general construction of the first 12 feet of new trackbase, and the transition from concrete. Since the picture, a further 12 feet have been added.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4pggZDK4t4cMfJF-y4LcpGmH5Rv72nTGLAySqAVnSXCIjoAljzV_IWsA6hPpQJTeku0vGrtLWg_btNGnGhGV9AvDzVPWbiIJqgv55Zcn10zoXlN5mk5LIdlbuLqn1VdJSE0fjyCBezgY/s1600/130418-1001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4pggZDK4t4cMfJF-y4LcpGmH5Rv72nTGLAySqAVnSXCIjoAljzV_IWsA6hPpQJTeku0vGrtLWg_btNGnGhGV9AvDzVPWbiIJqgv55Zcn10zoXlN5mk5LIdlbuLqn1VdJSE0fjyCBezgY/s400/130418-1001.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A new section of wooden baseboard (paint still wet), and the transition from concrete.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When I'm working in the garden, I am often visited by Mac the Cat, who likes company. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJk7Cw0iDNFjAe37htQdOyKcDxUYFscsg4JD0SRS0t2m_sHqF5t5cBWKdR9jdTHqFDH35T2DiOQY8uuczNsW_78H-XvqTvQkuSq-aJpt6xkuoUDPhA2rA9JwBvleAvic1a1plDWH7-BHA/s1600/130407-1004_Mac.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJk7Cw0iDNFjAe37htQdOyKcDxUYFscsg4JD0SRS0t2m_sHqF5t5cBWKdR9jdTHqFDH35T2DiOQY8uuczNsW_78H-XvqTvQkuSq-aJpt6xkuoUDPhA2rA9JwBvleAvic1a1plDWH7-BHA/s400/130407-1004_Mac.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hello. Need any help?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0kLUIIyLh7NiPuJJIL54AD5yoy76zQ1DCJVVcZ5IFGEy6jqLKH0F39zcJmGPDaGGv97pZH81zInUVLv9p-DwzTpS3xxJcPXshgOxHALteBA2l1AZ7e5bWFxe_TsQGF39Ywdj4yMO7sw/s1600/130407-1012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0kLUIIyLh7NiPuJJIL54AD5yoy76zQ1DCJVVcZ5IFGEy6jqLKH0F39zcJmGPDaGGv97pZH81zInUVLv9p-DwzTpS3xxJcPXshgOxHALteBA2l1AZ7e5bWFxe_TsQGF39Ywdj4yMO7sw/s400/130407-1012.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This ballast needs a good scratch.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2WzGSw_D-inkV4qACG6_okYlfo9W3fG-_z0u-ISakYupl5JvgQczpAI_gxlp_8LQ3mRpvVdhfEUhJrc_6eC3ldoqNIn0AbnlvKHZNlOHSlTKHXP3HKCo0Q9ZyjkuYayfrLLVTUeQwQrk/s1600/130407-1015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2WzGSw_D-inkV4qACG6_okYlfo9W3fG-_z0u-ISakYupl5JvgQczpAI_gxlp_8LQ3mRpvVdhfEUhJrc_6eC3ldoqNIn0AbnlvKHZNlOHSlTKHXP3HKCo0Q9ZyjkuYayfrLLVTUeQwQrk/s400/130407-1015.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mmm, I like this nice smooth cat-path.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In the foreground of the ballast-scratching picture can be seen the viaduct, complete with its new ballast job, and with the points automated and a signal fitted. I haven't yet got round to proper painting and weathering.<br />
<br />
While we were in the garden over Easter, I noticed some unusual motive power for the Waterloo - South Western main line. This was a result of the closure of Reading for major rework.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9wYHmFKNRtfBmGsFJ6QfsoSX617Iu0YZzLIC_3dpD3GIDQIQL5xkUH9R7DDosrK5STeDHdymPg6TrWr-rabU7o3oWKcpIcoYRku77TXYk37x-jGCONncIw8WtoAX8BVLlBrblmGTXmHI/s1600/130407-1049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9wYHmFKNRtfBmGsFJ6QfsoSX617Iu0YZzLIC_3dpD3GIDQIQL5xkUH9R7DDosrK5STeDHdymPg6TrWr-rabU7o3oWKcpIcoYRku77TXYk37x-jGCONncIw8WtoAX8BVLlBrblmGTXmHI/s400/130407-1049.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A diverted First Great Western HST heads for London Waterloo.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Given the opportunity to play with a brand new sound-fitted Britannia, what could I do but accept? The sound is fairly realistic, but has a few flaws and is not as good in my ears as the Bachmann class 37.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEx5abchoR6ix2-qSvL3T5fNIKQQwrN88h8pVwI8cSt2RsBlc2Hf0lPK7RUwg1N7rU-ugsoHCrPIzatkXW2GWj_kmF0id8m81Fn4cvzWmUJtXfJ6ZZLCCONb7ea40s-HlKQPBRSO38S5U/s1600/130314-1006_70040-Clive-of-India.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEx5abchoR6ix2-qSvL3T5fNIKQQwrN88h8pVwI8cSt2RsBlc2Hf0lPK7RUwg1N7rU-ugsoHCrPIzatkXW2GWj_kmF0id8m81Fn4cvzWmUJtXfJ6ZZLCCONb7ea40s-HlKQPBRSO38S5U/s400/130314-1006_70040-Clive-of-India.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hornby Britannia 70040 "Clive of India", fresh out of the box.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And finally.... I laid some temporary track on the new section of baseboard "round the corner". And who was first along it, propelling the rail-head treatment vehicle? Why, it was Thomas of course!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtfeBOf1joNDHStWZzCOza9-DghDqD8ciLQSwrv5CgU6f3bcBlovM2NT00XvkjfQPV9Q_LCDQ2bjZgB6644kRUm8fWnPUv8bb66NW4uQH9iZELjMWKfXgneG-i17WbUMktvryrnxbFRHw/s1600/130504-2002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtfeBOf1joNDHStWZzCOza9-DghDqD8ciLQSwrv5CgU6f3bcBlovM2NT00XvkjfQPV9Q_LCDQ2bjZgB6644kRUm8fWnPUv8bb66NW4uQH9iZELjMWKfXgneG-i17WbUMktvryrnxbFRHw/s400/130504-2002.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thomas covers new ground with the track-cleaner.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Fungus McBoglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193290244424336549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718634273133490095.post-84334062182232917502012-12-11T08:51:00.001-08:002012-12-11T08:52:59.902-08:00Christmas Greetings<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidKfQ4LpmgM9k77Hgf6TlOfuj4R-YcxRLspmIcNDjWe3EyjP14-b_8efmKJCz4QpU_9eI2XxIo7KH-PG2gRmIsxeX5pgESHRN4AvNSFU1m7Ux9Io7JnFICORuXvDhddcP6QkPOC8vOWlg/s1600/120210-2009_snowplough.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidKfQ4LpmgM9k77Hgf6TlOfuj4R-YcxRLspmIcNDjWe3EyjP14-b_8efmKJCz4QpU_9eI2XxIo7KH-PG2gRmIsxeX5pgESHRN4AvNSFU1m7Ux9Io7JnFICORuXvDhddcP6QkPOC8vOWlg/s400/120210-2009_snowplough.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"... and a Happy New Year to you all!"</td></tr>
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<br />Fungus McBoglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193290244424336549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718634273133490095.post-89132136552737019132012-12-02T01:28:00.000-08:002012-12-02T01:53:28.040-08:00Magnetic Couplings - Important InformationIMPORTANT INFORMATION <br />
<br />
One of the best ways to kill a good idea is to not
define standards early on, so that everyone does it slightly differently, and no
two systems can work together. Examples include VHS & Betamax, mobile phone
chargers, and many more. There is one critical parameter of the McBogle (also known as DOGRF) Mk.2
coupling that I haven't yet defined and will now attempt to do so. For two
couplings to mate correctly, they must both have their N and S poles in the same
orientation, so that on mating, N attracts S and S attracts N. Having made about
a dozen of these couplings now to an arbitrary standard, I have measured which
are the N and S poles and will define this as the McBogle Mk.2 magnetic coupling
standard. In that way, any couplings you make should work with anyone else's, and
vice versa.<br />
<br />
The tools you need are an ordinary magnetic compass (and no,
a GPS receiver won't work unless it includes a magnetic compass), and a bar
magnet (one of the magnets you are using for the coupling will do). Glue your
magnet to the end of a non-magnetic stick with the line between N and S in line
with the stick. (If you are using the same magnets I did, then one of the two
flat faces is glued to the end of the stick.)<br />
<br />
Point the magnet end of the stick at
the compass, and move it all the way round the compass. If the red (N) end of
the compass needle points to your stick, then we will say that your stick ends
in a N pole. (I'm not sure whether this is the normal convention, but that doesn't matter provided that everybody follows the method exactly as I have described it.) If the red (N) end of the compass needle points away from your
stick, then your stick ends in a S pole. Mark your stick with either S or N at
the magnet end, and the opposite at the other end. You can now use the magnet
end of your stick to check the polarity of any coupling or magnet, bearing in
mind that N and S are attracted, and N and N or S and S are repelled. Couplings
can also be checked by ensuring they mate correctly with a known good one. A
known good one can also be used to hold a new pair of magnets in position while
they are glued to their "pipes". I will try to add some photos to make this
clearer.<br />
<br />
And which way round should the coupling magnets be? When looking
at the end of a vehicle on the rails with a coupling fitted, the mating face of
the right-hand coupling magnet should have its N pole toward
you.<br />
<br />
Finally, a VERY IMPORTANT SAFETY WARNING. If you bought your magnets
from a reputable dealer, you will have been given some dire warnings. It is
worth reiterating that these tiny magnets can cause life-threatening injuries if
accidentally swallowed. So keep them in their original packaging until
assembled, and don't leave them laying on the work bench. And don't fit them to
anything that could be used by children. If you pass them to anyone else, also
pass on the warnings too. It's all common sense really, but so easy to forget or ignore,
with potentially serious consequences.Fungus McBoglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193290244424336549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718634273133490095.post-65921117256209793442012-11-30T14:21:00.001-08:002012-12-02T01:49:21.358-08:00Magnetic Coupling TrialsI spent a couple of hours today, despite the freezing weather, preparing a
length of garden track and running a 12-coach test train round the reverse
curves on a 1 in 50 gradient. This was the first fully "live" trial of the
"McBogle (or DOGRF) Magnetic Coupling" (see previous post). The couplings between coaches 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 were to the
Mk.1 design using a single 3mm x 2mm magnet on each coupling. The couplings
between the loco and the first coach, which were taking the greatest load, were
Mk.2, with an opposite-polarity pair of 2mm x 2mm magnets. None of the couplings
failed during the trials, which comprised several low-speed runs up and down the
test track. (Higher speeds were not possible this time because of undiagnosed limitations in
the control or power distribution equipment, i.e. it couldn't supply enough current for a Hornby class
50 pulling 12 coaches up 1 in 50 at more than a scale 20mph.)<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhozURjPq2AZWSzxJZPO51BP-T2-WZ_94YlGFEdf5MvQCgDXmoeCg_Li24ukpRu7uvAszgQ9RcUVqRkmMSjw0bp7wg4hRaaQ7SzIJQmm2jYsTSxyEP_n2Ez9DIGoWZppryEr52yAJ_8o-0/s1600/121130-2004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhozURjPq2AZWSzxJZPO51BP-T2-WZ_94YlGFEdf5MvQCgDXmoeCg_Li24ukpRu7uvAszgQ9RcUVqRkmMSjw0bp7wg4hRaaQ7SzIJQmm2jYsTSxyEP_n2Ez9DIGoWZppryEr52yAJ_8o-0/s400/121130-2004.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibhlM60fk9bJX5cT0pl18TPdBoZwdq-HhTpQpLr__pp3PWK1pKixKYQcAI7dMOHxKgNkjNn1ekzqR9C7Kp9VkbSblQN6wEjuvVTqGFRn-l2HNScpdMvaeEpASdYJGkHjl1vFowaRDZ36o/s1600/121130-2008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibhlM60fk9bJX5cT0pl18TPdBoZwdq-HhTpQpLr__pp3PWK1pKixKYQcAI7dMOHxKgNkjNn1ekzqR9C7Kp9VkbSblQN6wEjuvVTqGFRn-l2HNScpdMvaeEpASdYJGkHjl1vFowaRDZ36o/s400/121130-2008.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdsf76bud-VjVvo7Ju9JR2kyJrrAIPNN3RzMV5yGJK7jPQbBThmlDE8GetuwgG0TwNdixGenRmaEKP6ovOEveHPRYR9v9cXDSHEWtpDqPacvPapcv5tuS7vlvAXhUvnZKt8eCu2pmueQ/s1600/121130-2007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdsf76bud-VjVvo7Ju9JR2kyJrrAIPNN3RzMV5yGJK7jPQbBThmlDE8GetuwgG0TwNdixGenRmaEKP6ovOEveHPRYR9v9cXDSHEWtpDqPacvPapcv5tuS7vlvAXhUvnZKt8eCu2pmueQ/s400/121130-2007.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
<strong>Conclusions</strong><br />
<ol>
<li>Both the Mk.1 and the Mk.2 magnetic couplings have a more than adequate holding force for a 12-coach train of 160g coaches on a 1 in 50 gradient with reverse curves of radius 4ft and greater. Tests were carried out at scale speeds of 20mph and lower.</li>
<li>The Mk.2 is easier to use, as identical couplings wll mate with each other. Before the start of the trial it was necessary to change the Mk.1 couplings between the loco and first coach for Mk.2 because one of the Mk.1s was the wrong polarity.</li>
<li>Further tests are needed to assess the long-term reliability of the adhesive joint holding the magnet to the "pipe", with the stress of regular coupling and uncoupling.</li>
<li>(Not related to couplings.) An unexplained gap between two lengths of track on a reverse curve has now grown to about 5mm (it was about 3mm in the summer). It is now causing regular derailment and needs investigating.</li>
<li>(Not related to couplings.) A rail joiner near the top of Quarry Bank has no wire jumper and is not making good contact.</li>
</ol>
Fungus McBoglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193290244424336549noreply@blogger.com0