RWLR - Robin Wood Light Railway

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tom_tom_go
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Re: RWLR - Robin Wood Light Railway

Post by tom_tom_go » Fri Aug 10, 2018 7:51 am

So it looks like this when I checked this morning:

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I have applied far too much SBR, agreed?

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Re: RWLR - Robin Wood Light Railway

Post by philipy » Fri Aug 10, 2018 8:31 am

tom_tom_go wrote: Fri Aug 10, 2018 7:51 am So it looks like this when I checked this morning:

I have applied far too much SBR, agreed?
I would say so, yes.
My headshunt looked similar to your pics at this time yesterday morning after getting accidentally sprayed, as I said. I've just taken this picture a few mins ago:
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Re: RWLR - Robin Wood Light Railway

Post by Lonsdaler » Fri Aug 10, 2018 9:53 am

The photo below is of a section of track where I have been carrying out refurbishing work. The ballast (granodust) and the cess (grit sand) were all laid and SBR'ed on Sunday 5th, and then covered over until yesterday afternoon (9th).
2018-08-10 09.30.41.jpeg
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Unfortunately, overnight we have had at least 2 heavy downpours, so I was fearing the worst this morning. However, as you can see, all is still in place, although discoloured (the track on the right retains its original ballast, laid 2 years ago - only the cess is new there). From experience it can take some weeks for that discolouration to stop.
So I would say that your ballast will be fine Tom.
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Re: RWLR - Robin Wood Light Railway

Post by Lonsdaler » Fri Aug 10, 2018 10:03 am

Peter Butler wrote: Thu Aug 09, 2018 8:03 pm
tom_tom_go wrote: Sun Aug 05, 2018 9:30 am Hi Peter,

I did read your advice before starting with SBR but as we are in high summer I did not bother covering it up.

?
:lol: :lol: :lol:
Oh to live in the South East...mmm - maybe not :lol:
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Re: RWLR - Robin Wood Light Railway

Post by tom_tom_go » Fri Aug 10, 2018 10:07 am

Thanks everyone.

I am done fussing over it now so will leave it for a couple of weeks (I am away on holiday anyway) and if it still looks crap by then I will remove it all and start again although I am wondering whether to just box in the track higher so the ballast can remain freely laid and it will not be kicked off by the cats onto the ground.

For people contemplating using SBR, I hope this has been a guide of how NOT to do it!

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Re: RWLR - Robin Wood Light Railway

Post by tom_tom_go » Fri Aug 10, 2018 10:08 am

I will add that despite not covering it up it did set hard within 24 hours due to the hot weather.

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Re: RWLR - Robin Wood Light Railway

Post by philipy » Fri Aug 10, 2018 10:38 am

tom_tom_go wrote: Fri Aug 10, 2018 10:07 am Thanks everyone.

I am done fussing over it now so will leave it for a couple of weeks (I am away on holiday anyway)
Have a good one then Tom and forget about SBR! Where are you going?
Philip

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Re: RWLR - Robin Wood Light Railway

Post by tom_tom_go » Fri Aug 10, 2018 11:08 am

Going to stay in Hampshire, woodland holiday (glamping I believe we call it now) :mrgreen:

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Re: RWLR - Robin Wood Light Railway

Post by Just Julie » Fri Aug 10, 2018 4:38 pm

Thanks for doing this thread Tom, I now know not to put on too much SBR and to cover it over securely. I haven't ballasted the outside track yet, but I am hoping to do so in the next few weeks. I have started to ballast inside the shed track using pva mixed with water and it turned out fine. :thumbright:

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Re: RWLR - Robin Wood Light Railway

Post by tom_tom_go » Fri Aug 10, 2018 4:39 pm

PVA is what I used indoors with OO scale but I wouldn't use it outside!

Glad you are learning from my mistakes.

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Re: RWLR - Robin Wood Light Railway

Post by ge_rik » Sat Aug 11, 2018 9:03 am

tom_tom_go wrote: Fri Aug 10, 2018 4:39 pm PVA is what I used indoors with OO scale but I wouldn't use it outside!
Glad you are learning from my mistakes.
I tried external PVA in my early experiments with ballast - it lasted about two years. So far, SBR seems to be holding out far better.

All thanks to Peter B for alerting us all to this marvellous stuff.

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Re:

Post by philipy » Sun Aug 12, 2018 4:16 pm

Tom,
Sorry for raising the dead, but back in 2016 you inserted this little throw away line in one of your magnetic un-coupling posts:
tom_tom_go wrote: Mon May 30, 2016 5:18 pm With the addition of ball bearings attached to the modified choppers
Ummm... just how do you attach the ball bearing? In my experience they are just about un-drillable and I wouldn't have though glue would be enough to attach a ball to the end of a wire for more than a few seconds?
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Re: RWLR - Robin Wood Light Railway

Post by tom_tom_go » Sun Aug 12, 2018 6:04 pm

Hi Phil,

I don't use ball bearings anymore as I have found using metal wire or cut down paper clips is sufficient if using neodymium magnets attached to the track (use these if you are going to play about with this type of uncoupling, normal magnets are not strong enough). I now glue plastic beads to the ends of the wire to mimic a counter weight.

However, if you want to use bearings then clamp one in a vice and file one side so it creates a flat surface. Apply solder to the flat side of the bearing then solder your piece of wire to it.

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Re: RWLR - Robin Wood Light Railway

Post by philipy » Sun Aug 12, 2018 6:08 pm

Cheers Tom.
I notice that you use 75mm long magnets, do they really need to be that long, I'd have thought 50 or 60mm would be long enough?
Philip

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Re: RWLR - Robin Wood Light Railway

Post by tom_tom_go » Sun Aug 12, 2018 6:18 pm

The length of the magnet gives you some margin to stop the loco in the right spot. The first magnets I used were 25mm long and it was a right pain in the back end to uncouple successfully each time without going back and forth.

I guess if you are going to be using electric mice then you have the control so a shorter magnet may work but if using a live steamer (particularly one without an inertia device) then it will become frustrating.

What are your intentions?

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Re: RWLR - Robin Wood Light Railway

Post by philipy » Sun Aug 12, 2018 6:49 pm

Not really sure where I'm going to end up with this. I'm experimenting with a version of Rik's coupling and throwing around thoughts of adding your magnetics into the mix! If it looks promising I'll try putting loops on a loco and full hook and loop on the ends of a rake of coaches, and magnets on the platform road of Lower Bench, so that I can run round without a big hand from the sky. However it all depends on how reliable I can get it all, because if its not 100% there isn't much point in doing anything.
Philip

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Re: RWLR - Robin Wood Light Railway

Post by tom_tom_go » Sun Aug 12, 2018 6:57 pm

The modified choppers I use are 99.99% reliable :thumbup:

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Re: Re:

Post by GTB » Mon Aug 13, 2018 11:59 am

philipy wrote: Sun Aug 12, 2018 4:16 pm Ummm... just how do you attach the ball bearing? In my experience they are just about un-drillable and I wouldn't have though glue would be enough to attach a ball to the end of a wire for more than a few seconds?
Ball bearings can be annealed by heating them to red heat and cooling them slowly. They can then be drilled easily enough. Holding them for drilling then becomes the trick.........

For magnetically operating the type of coupler Rik has designed, it would be easier to make the hook out of piano wire and if you need more magnetic mass for it to operate reliably, solder a slice of steel nail to the hook. From memory this is much the same way that Alex Jackson couplings are made to operate magnetically in the smaller scales.

Regards,
Graeme

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Re: Re:

Post by philipy » Mon Aug 13, 2018 1:53 pm

GTB wrote: Mon Aug 13, 2018 11:59 am From memory this is much the same way that Alex Jackson couplings are made to operate magnetically in the smaller scales.
Thanks Graeme.
For Alex Jackson droppers in P4, I used to fold over the end of a piece of paperclip to make a small hook and then solder that to the 11thou guitar string hook. Worked perfectly. I'm hoping to do something similar with this, but using a couple of iron/steel chain links as droppers. A quick lash up seems to work but I'm waiting for the postman to deliver proper magnets and P/B wire so that I can set it up properly.
Philip

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Re: RWLR - Robin Wood Light Railway

Post by ge_rik » Mon Aug 13, 2018 6:51 pm

Be interested in any progress you make with magnetic uncoupling, Philip. I did consider it, but wanted some way of delaying the uncouple - achievable with AJs but can't figure a way of doing it with hook and loops.

Rik
PS Sorry to hijack your thread, Tom
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