All change with the trackplan

After some thinking and after looking at what was left of the old station area after the recent rain we've had, I've changed the trackplan for the line to give a firmer base to run trains on while still retaining the option to run up the garden at a later date. The line now takes a L shape from a small pair of sidings curving around past a short siding onto the old mainline down the side of the house.

Since the photographs were taken, tracklaying was completed this evening and should be ready for a big steam up tomorrow featuring Leader and Premier on more test runs.

UPDATE:-

Just a quick shot of the new sidings which were installed late last year. Hopefully the current layout should be able to keep going for some time to come.

Cheers,

Jon

Premier arrives!

After returning from a running day as part of the local 16mm Association group, I was pleased to see that No.2 Premier had arrived while I was out. After some basic work, the engine is now ready for service such as regauging, fitting the dumb buffers I use and the addition of Vacumn Pipes. The only remaining thing on my todo list is to remove the preivous owner's lettering on the saddle tank after which new nameplates which are on order from Narrow Planet will be fitted when they arrive with me.

'Premier' before the fitting of Vacumn Pipes

The two sisters 'Premier' and 'Leader' now side by side for the first time

Until next time when hopefully Premier will have seen some use either on my line or at another 16mm association open day.

Cheers,

Jon

Leader has a sister!

After some major saving and finding another suitable engine, I'm pleased to reveal what will be Steam Engine No.2.

Photo from the SKLR website

No.2 is a second Accucraft Leader which will become 'Premier'. In real life, Premier and Leader are both sister engines of the Brazil class ordered as in 1905 for the Sittingbourne Paper Mills. Ironically, In real life the numbers were the other way round with 'Premier' being No.1 and 'Leader' being No.2. My 'Premier' has been sourced from a online forum and is arriving in Apple Green carrying the last owner's railway Livery which will be removed and repainted into a basic form of the Sittingbourne livery which the prototype engine carried before dismantling for its current overhaul began. Nameplates are now on order for both engines from Narrow Planet (who come highly recommended from myself but then I'm biased (I work for them from time to time)).

As such, the numbers for the rest of the fleet have all moved up one place to fit Premier into the sequence but I'm sure it will all be worth it in the end.

Until next time,

Jon

Running at Parbrook

After the disaster of Jessie derailing last time at Parbrook, I decided to take Leader along this time to run with the full Welshpool and Llanfair Railway Set. Its safe to say it went down very well with lots of comments on the set as a whole along with the power of Leader working the train. At one point, another of the gents that turned up was going to run his Arkangel T&D with the wagons but it didn't have the power to do it despite being a much bigger engine! Although the fact that the engine in turn was about 4-5 times older than Leader might have had something to do with it.

Cheers,

Jon

Engines Come, Engines go

After some thought, I've put Loco No.3 the MSS tender engine for sale on Ebay. I've just grown fed up of it and along with the fact it hasn't run since Late May and has never met expectations since it was brought. However, with the pending departure of No.3, there is a new engine now on order to replace it.

Now on order from the same supplier of 'Leader', is a new Accucraft Ragleth in Green. It should go well with Leader and with the Accucraft stock that I prefer to use. Also its reputed to have plenty of power which is great for the longer trains that I tend to run at steam ups with the local 16mm association area group. It is intended that the new engine will become the new No.2 on arrival with Jessie taking No.3 .

It should be a great little engine when it arrives later this year or early next year.

Cheers,

Jon

Diesels on Parade

After a relatively successful visit to a local 16mm Area group steam up, both my IPE battery electrics were running with the shortened Passenger set for test running at home/with the Battery electrics. Both engines were running well with both engines managing the full length set. However, the day didn't pass without incident. During a gust of wind, small twigs were blown onto the track and before the line could be cleared/train stopped, Jessie hit one of them derailing and pulling the whole train off the track and onto the concrete below. The passenger stock was relatively undamaged but Jessie, now with a new working gearbox, was another matter. On contact with the ground, the battery pack was sent flying out from under the bonnet along with detailing falling off and the coupling pins/chains being sent flying in all directions. On the upside, the gearbox survived as did the rest of the engine. The damaged internal electrics have been fixed with the detailing being glued back into place so the engine should be back in traffic shortly with some minor cosmetic work being required before a full return into service.

Cheers,

Jon

Time for a update - No.4 has arrived

Afternoon all,

After some recent saving up, I've been able to buy a new engine from Anything Narrow Gauge. Admitically, based on its close relative, I would have normally avoided this type of engine but after seeing the seller and knowing it was a good runner, I decided to just go for it.

No 4, is a IP Engineering Jessica.

Jessica is a 0-6-0 and was the largest out of the 3 IPE J class Battery Electrics. The other two designs were Jessie (Our No.2) and Jack (another 0-6-0). Like Jessie, Jessica uses 6 AA batteries and manual controls to set speed and direction. Jessica's relative success in operation unlike Jessie is in part down to its whitemetal gearbox. Jessie had one of them when brought originally but shortly after arrival, the gearbox split and had to be replaced with a plastic replacement. The only planned modification I have for Jessica is the fitting of identical vacumn pipes to Jessie then it will be ready for entry into full service. 

Already, Jessica is showing its higher power output than Jessie on testing being able to manage the full 3 coach IoM passenger set unlike the single coach Jessie can manage. However, due to the changed arrangement at the ends of the line, trains won't exceed 2 coaches and a van which is safety within the capilbilities of Jessica and potenially Jessie now its fitted with its new gearbox. With the success of Jessica, I'm now on the look out for its sister design 'Jack' which is also a IP Engineering 0-6-0. However, Jack along with Jessica don't appear very often second hand so it may be a case of being lucky.

Until next time,

Jon

Time for a update - Track Layout

Its been a while but I've finally got round to starting to complete the rest of the line. To date, I've finished the runround loop/steaming bay at the Broadstone end of the line and have started the final section of single track towards the 'End O Line'. To complete the sheds, I need an additional right hand point before completion can follow.

Basic testing has begun with Leader and a new arrival so I'm happy with the current results. Since all that the line will be used for will be test running along with the occasional steamup when I'm bored.

The revised Station layout before the missing section of SM32 was added. The G45 on the right is to give me somewhere to run my LGB when the mood takes me that direction.

The Station in raining mode with the new steamup bay clearly showable between the bins and the fence

 

The Single running line between Broadstone and the outer station limits of 'End O Line'.

Hopefully I'm going to be able to purchase the rest of the wood for the remaining track bed plus the extra point for the sheds then the railway should be complete in this form.

Cheers,

Jon

Steam in the Garden

With the running line now complete and after enjoying one or two days of good weather, it only felt right to run some trains!

Both Steam engines saw use with varying degrees of success. No.1 as normal performed perfectly although for some reason the coaches she was pulling kept derailing after being propelled along the line. No.3 however was a completely different matter. Although fine and continuing to improve with more running in, on her first trip over the points she came off the line quite spectacually ending up going nose first off the board holding the railway. Its safe to say that some investigations were needed hence why No.1 was in use with a fair bit of stock to check the clearences. With no problems found, the finger of blame was pointed at No.3. After examination of the wheelsets, frames and cylinders, it came to light that the wheelsets have manufacturing defects in them which means they don't run parallel and the tires on the wheels are completely different thicknesses which might be why its derailing in the pointwork. Replacement wheels are now on the way so a repair can be carried out at the first available oppertunity.

The completed line with No.3 on the mainline

No.3 before it did a nosedive

No.1 and No.3 together in the station

No.1 with the passenger set in the main Platform

It's safe to say I'm enjoying having a longer run than 4 yards and hopefully will continue to do so for a long time to come.

The line is complete

After the completion of construction yesterday, I finally was able to assemble the completed railway this afternoon for the first time. Bar the Engine shed, platform extension, groundframe, signals etc, the line is now complete and ready for trains. The first train would have been today but the weather hampered that so hopefully tomorrow will see the first trains behind either No.1 or possibly No.3 on more trials.

BER visits the NLR

Today, the main passenger set along with all 4 covered vans visited the Newlands Light Railway in Hassocks. Its a lovely line to run on although the wind made it a bit differcult to run on with fires being blown out continuously and stock being blown off the track a far bit.

Still I saw a number of engines I've been wanting to see run for some time from the Roundhouse Little John and Millie to the IPE Jack (a bigger version of the Jessie I already own). However there is one engine that I saw that has simply made me want one simply by looking at it run. A Roundhouse Talisein. Absolutely beautiful to look at and a very smooth runner as well. Shame they're out of production really.....

The Station is completed

Today after buying more wood, I've managed to complete the station area on the line. This was the final section still needing work before trains could run. The remaining jobs include construction of a small engine shed and the laying of the relavent track work however this isn't a piority. Hopefully the first trains will be able to run over the completed line when the weather improves i.e. not raining.

The completed station:- The left hand platform will be for passenger coaches, Right hand for wagons and the small L shaped piece of wood will be where the engine shed will go eventually.

No. 3 enters the garden

Yesterday, I got round to running the new engine on the line outside. Trying at first with the Solid fuel burner then the meths burner, the engine is getting better with every run. Even after the 7-8 runs the engine has now run, I still have concerns about aspects of its performance. Running at pressure leaves it completely uncontrolable, its steaming is variable from Poor to Astmatic and its lack of a lubricator worry me greatly. However, for the price paid, its a great little engine.

Modifications are on the todo list for the engine. The first ones will be a Regulator and Lubricator to sort out two of the 3 main issues I now have with the engine. I suspect that leaving the engine to build up pressure before running especially with a load should solve the steaming problems. Alternatively, the fitting of a Gas burner should do the trick but I'd rather keep it as a Meths engine for now.

Track Laying Progresses

After the arrival of the track needed today, tracklaying has progressed at a fairly large rate of knots. With the exception of the final lengths of track into the platform/Engine sheds, all the main running line is now laid including the pointwork leading into the sheds. Hopefully tomorrow will see the remaining track laid including the installation of the platform/Sheds.

To celibrate the first signs of a life long dream coming to life (a premanent outdoor railway), I decided to celibrate by buying a new steam engine. Naturely being skint after a car MoT, it couldn't cost much. So I went for a rehashed Mamod SL1 now produced by MSS.

After doing some research into these engines, some alarming facts started to come out (such as poor steaming with the solid fuel burner and being slightly uncontrollable) but with those facts/research, came a lot of solutions. From a meths burner (which I brought with the engine) to improve the steaming dramatically to uprated safety valves and cylinders.

For my engine, I want to keep it as standard as possible (mainly to keep the whistle!) but I do plan a few practical changes such as a Regulator, displacement lubricator, uprated safety valve and a Meths burner along with a couple of cosmetic changes like a Tender, tank caps and a brass chimney cap. So far pushing the engine up and down a length of track hasn't shown any issues with the cylinders and wheels which this class of engine is known to have but I'll have to see how it performs when I test run the engine hopefully tomorrow.

Cheers,

Jon