Garden Railway Forum

It was PTLRSam's big 50 surprise birthday bash on the PTLR this afternoon. Some pics from me. Note the length of the open wagon train....50 long plus brake!!! I'll let others such as Laalratty give more details.








There were one or two mishaps!

Who and how did that signalbox get broken?

Paul,
You've got the Quarrymen's coach at the wrong end of the train in that photo on the viaduct.

Wrong end? They were dangling from the viaduct 2 minutes later, thats when the box got demolished!!

SillyBilly wrote:Who and how did that signalbox get broken?

Paul,
You've got the Quarrymen's coach at the wrong end of the train in that photo on the viaduct.

reverse formation?

Nice pics, what a hell of a surprise that is!

SLRmidge wrote:Wrong end? They were dangling from the viaduct 2 minutes later, thats when the box got demolished!!

LMAO, I was going to put 'How did Paul deolish the Signal Box?' origonally, how right I was.
Nice to know Paul & Chris have both learnt valuable lessons thanks to that viaduct.

I assume this is why Paul was trying to phone me, I was a tad busy stacking sleepers, more on this later.

Well I'm busy getting my pics transfered, but I think the tale of Paul's incident with the viaduct deserves to be told now
To set the scene....
Following on from the 50 wagon train everyone dived for the track as it was approaching 3.00 and nobody had steamed an engine yet. Despite waiting things were still busy when Paul put Linda out. For some reason, things kept on meeting each other on the CGRL (something that has mostly been avoided at previous PTLR/PTLR north steamups.
So one of the "meets" had happened involving Pauls Linda. He backed up but alas just as he reached the top of the CGRL the rear van derailed and sure enough went over the edge. This started the horrendous chain reaction I'd seen with Taliesin, and indeed Linda very nearly followed the train down, luckily Paul just and so managed to grab onto Linda. The signal box (newly placed at Coppermill Junction) went down during the incident, probably knocked by the train. The carriages were however almost totally unscathed
To be honest, it was one of those Afternoons where things kept on going wrong for no aparant reason! But it was all good fun

Right my pics are sorted, here they are

The 50 wagon train was certainly an impressine sight, as were its locos, King Arthur and Black Smoke. Here they are waiting to take a test run

And here they are on the test run, which proved that a 50 wagon train won't derail

Storming up the CGRL after the suprise (which didn't go entirely to plan) )

Just and so getting all 50 wagons in

"Ooooohhhh very pretty"
Guillimot of the SLR north passes Coppermill Junction

Cumberland makes a good steam plume on the CGRL

A modded Cheddar Hercules takes a train away from Sleighton Heathers. This loco has actually visited the ANLR but the owner didn't want it publicised at the time (just shows that not everything from NWAG steamups gets put on here)

Hercules heads out towards the viaduct (btw it was hauling about 40 wagons as well as those Isle of Man coaches! )

Urien had the rest of the wagons

Yet another situation caused by Darth Midge of the SLR

I took this just before the second Jubilee bridge tragedy, little did I know that within the space of the steamup it become a dated photo! Urien waits at the signalbox at Coppermill Junction

Hercules at Sleighton Heathers

Linda at Coppermill following the incident

It was a proud day for LMSjools and his Edrig Lady Adele. For it sucessfully started and kept going a 44 wagon (88 axel) train, and 2 of us got it on video too.

Finally, the strange sight of a Wrightscale Wren pulling PTLRcecil's rake of Accucraft Isle of Man coaches

Hahaha fantastic, that little Wren looks fantastically silly hauling the IoMs!

Looks like a great time was had by all, shame about the signal box and Linda and her train looks great

You bunch of loons... Still, plenty of material for Ratty's "When things go wrong at steamups"...

Awesome! - I don't think I dare watch the videos if they get posted!!

Have fun repairing the signalbox, just think of it as a 3D jigsaw (Try using the clear plastic from cd cases cut to make a strengthening inner "glazed" box and build round that - it worked for me though admittedly, mine wasn't in as many pieces )

Looks like bloody good fun but I still don't know how any one can do so much damage in one go to a signal box!

I've started a PTLR Signal Box Disaster Appeal, so if any one would like to give aid please feel free......

I've started a PTLR Signal Box Disaster Appeal, so if any one would like to give aid please feel free......

It looks like it's had enough of a disaster on it's own without anyone helping!!

I think I should donate quite a lot to that fund!

I must apolagize again to PTLR cecil for the accident.

It *should* all be rebuildable apart from the roof, which there are some peices missing.

I would like to point out that there is very little damage to my bug boxes and Linda. thankfully i caught her before she fell off but did burn myself slightly in the process.

what actually happened was I ran over some points that were set against me without realising they were set against. as my coach wasnt that heavy it derailed instead of changing the points. I was too busy seeing if it was clear for me to pull onto the main line from the branch line.

Ah, driver error then! [/i]

nice FfR train and like the length of that train of wagons!

The PTLR Signal Box Disaster Appeal Box being checked to see if the slot is wide enough to take large denominations.........

Some more pics.......

'Green' Steam......


I'm sure there's something missing?


Don't forget the token!


The cake.....

Endless, Nameless wrote:You bunch of loons... Still, plenty of material for Ratty's "When things go wrong at steamups"...

Yes I did get quite a bit of material, although not the signalbox disaster, I did a beautiful example of how the best laid plans of many months can end up completely cocked up