Is there a better way.......to spend a late summer evening?

[Narrow Minded]

Can there possibly be a better way to pass a balmy September evening than this?
Arrive at Butterley early and grab a siding. Unpack the loco and lube round then place it on the track and prep it.
Light up and unpack the rolling stock while she comes to the boil, check the turnout settings and have a look round the track while the pressure rises,
then enjoy two or three hours running with friends

Sir Haydn was there first in a Ffesty mood


though he'd also brought along Russel. Ex works for collection


I'd taken Blodwen with the newly completed Westwood & Loscoe stock - there goes the last of my current batch of butane


Sir Haydn Senior arrived and though he'd also brought along his Tom Rolt (That's His Tom Rolt, not a Roundhouse!), he chose to leave that in the car and run the gorgeous GVT train


MDLR ran services with Agnes & Perdita


and his Mamod


Could it have possibly been any better? - Well, yes actually. I could have remembered to put my memory card in my camera!
I'm sure there's some more photo's to come from the rest of the gang

[Dr. Bond of the DVLR]

Excellent. I do like your new livery of carriages, more pics please!

[LMS-Jools]

Yup I enjoyed a pleasant if solitary evening of Trains here on the LMSR in the northwest last night. Lovely conditions just edging on chilly plenty of steam effect and low sunlight on parts of the line.
Most Excellent.
Fingers crossed for many more evenings like this through September.

[Sir haydn]

It was a lovely evening! just warm enough to be comfortable but cool enough for some steam effects!

Shame about that first photo Greg, that weird bloke watching that linda looks rather dodgy

[Narrow Minded]

that weird bloke watching that linda looks rather dodgy

Thing is, his doppleganger has started turning up on my line!

[Pendo Pilot]

"Is there a better way to spend a late summer evening......"

Hmmm a rest day off, Kylie Minogue knocking on the door & a crate of tooheys out back...


But that aside I know exactly what you mean. As LMS Jools points out, the colder air with the steam effects from that is wonderful. Just a shame it's getting darker earlier & earlier now.

Lovely pics from what looks like a fun steamup. The GVT set looks superb as does your new rake.

[taliesin001]

The russell looks stunning, although it could do with the cut outs for the pony trucks to be filled.

[Sir haydn]

It had them filled, but with them in it will bearly traverse a 5ft radius curve.

[spooner]

My RUSSELL has the cutouts covered over and it goes round 4ft radius curve.

[MuzTrem]

My RUSSELL has the cutouts covered over and it goes round 4ft radius curve.

Ah, but on 32 or 45?

On my (45mm) line I have to leave the cutouts in place for my Russell to get round LGB 1st radius curves (one lesson the MVR has taught me is never to use 1st radius curves on any future line!). It must be admitted, though, that the pony trucks can be a real nuisance, and I have toyed with the idea of removing them and blanking off the cutouts...

[Sir haydn]

Have you modded the pony trucks? As without altering them the wheels scrape on the cutout blanks on just under 5ft radius curves. that is on 32mm. a photo of this loco is on the lightline website, it has the cutout blanks fitted on that.

[Pendo Pilot]

Kylie's knocking on a bit now ain't she  :lol:  

She's still the perfect 'older' woman for my dreams though!! Plus less hassle with the passports.

[TommyDodd]

Have you modded the pony trucks?

The cleverest solution I've ever seen to the problem of getting a scale "Russell" round an underscale curve was the late Alf Bennett's idea. His scratchbuilt machine had dead-scale frames but would go round 3' radius curves without difficulty and had ponytrucks. The trick was, instead of axles with wheels the ponytrucks cradled flangeless solid brass rollers, slightly wider than gauge so they'd never drop between the rails. They obviously didn't help with cornering, but did take some of the weight and looked fine from the outside, even if the loco was technically a 1-6-1T.