Yr Hen Felin & Yr Orsaf Newydd

[gilfachphil]

I can now put a reasonable length W&LLR freight train together:-

IMG_5513.jpeg (1.94 MiB) Viewed 17726 times

Three Accucraft vehicles and two Woodleigh kit built ones that are the replacement Joe sent me for the first two damaged by too much sunshine.

Phil

[FWLR]

Those Austin’s are nice indeed. You’re getting a good collection of rolling stock now Phil. They are all wonderful models that deserve to run on your line.

[SimonWood]

I can now put a reasonable length W&LLR freight train together:-

An excellent looking train!

[gilfachphil]

A couple of days after the impromptu steam up I had another two visitors to see the railway. All went well until there was an unexpected performance of the Dear Bella Variations (with apologies to Beethoven for the terrible pun).

My young female cat, Bella, who has featured in these reports before, and who has always gotten out of the way when a train has approached her; leapt from the ground up to the main table of the layout where Skylark and a train of three small coaches was parked, grabbing onto the train before descending to the ground again in an ungraceful fashion.

Variation 1: Skylark fell, embedding her chimney in the grass. Chimney snapped off and a chip was taken from the bottom flare. A buffer beam was displaced but only by rotation and could be put back to normal easily. The chimney was glued together and then back into place. It will take a very close inspection to see the fracture. Phew.

Variation 2: The green and cream IP coach lost a pair of axle boxes and wheels, easily glued back into place, and some paint scrapes to its buffers.

Variation 3: The Jerry Irwin victorian brake coach had minor paint damage at one end.

Variation 4: The similar saloon coach had both buffer beams damaged in the centre where the buffers are attached and a ding to one end of a foot board. The former was the most complex to repair. The buffer beam there is a single layer of 2mm MDF so not surprising landing on the buffer broke it. I made a double layer of 3mm ply and glued firmly in place. The footboard was glued to an offcut of thin ply. Both of these can be seen in the photo. They have since had a coat of black paint.

IMG_5524.jpeg (2.85 MiB) Viewed 17662 times

Variation 5: New fences!

IMG_5519.jpeg (3.36 MiB) Viewed 17662 times

IMG_5520.jpeg (3.01 MiB) Viewed 17662 times

I had a few posts left from doing the end curves ages ago and made some more. I have used fishing line as suggested recently to Trevor in 'The Railway in the Valley of the Mill' by philipy. The fishing line is one continuous piece for the two lengths of fence. continued in next post

[gilfachphil]

Between the two fence sections the line is taken though staples in the edge of the board. There is also a staple at each end to turn the line back round for the next level.

IMG_5521.jpeg (2.78 MiB) Viewed 17657 times

Getting the line through the holes could be difficult, it's very soft and floppy, so I made a needle threader from some thin piano wire:-

IMG_5515.jpeg (2.74 MiB) Viewed 17657 times

For the first couple of posts I poked the folded end through the hole and passed the line through, then I realised that I could just feed the sharp end though taking the line with it.

IMG_5516.jpeg (4.13 MiB) Viewed 17657 times

From the reel sitting on a long screw it was possible to pull the line through the whole length (7m or so and 26 posts) and back about half way. This is a much easier way to make a wire fence than what I did before for the ends.

Phil

[philipy]

Nicely done Phil. Looks good and should do the biz.
Glad there wasn't too much damage to the stock

[gilfachphil]

Thanks Philip,

your tip to Trevor was very useful. Some of the galvanised wire I used in my first fences was of low quality and is now very rusty so may get replaced with fishing line before too long,

Phil

[Old Man Aaron]

Bloody tidy work.

[gilfachphil]

Late yesterday afternoon, as the temperature was falling and the air was very still, The Earl was on freight duty:-



Phil

[LNR]

That's one thing I envy about you guy's and your colder climate, plenty of visible steam. Great pics.
Grant.

[gilfachphil]

More on Cliff Barker points.

The two I had either end of the main platform, where I had used a point lever as the original springing did not seem to hold the switch blade firmly enough against the running rail, were the easiest place to cause a derailment when trailing movements against the correct direction occurred. A change to magnetic springing seemed a good idea since it was working well in my previous conversions and would allow wrong direction trailing moves.

It is easy with these points to move the position of rails through the chairs and degrade the performance. I have also found that the tie-bar tends to go out of square to the rail. As an individual plastic rail joiner at the hinge section of a point has failed I have replaced it with a Peco one in the main, I realise it would be better to replace both at the same time for balance.

lessons learnt and actions taken:-

IMG_5536.jpeg (2.24 MiB) Viewed 17120 times

replacing both switch rail hinges at the same time. Remove both by undoing the tiny screw holding them to the tie bar, push a Peco rail joiner onto each by about 2/3 and glue in place with superglue. Then push a spare piece of rail into the open end and waggle a bit to loosen the fit.

At this stage drill the tie bar end hole to 3mm, slide back into the point and add an M3 roundhead machine screw with washer each side of the tie bar and fix with a nylock nut. Don't over tighten, you can snap the tie bar, I did on one, refixed the end with plenty of superglue and am hoping it lasts.

I glued a piece of brass channel to the sleeper next to the tie bar to prevent it from going out of square.

I later realised that gluing the running rails, and check rail hinged to the switch rail, to their chairs in the correct position would keep the point geometry fixed.

5mm cubed magnets were glued (superglue first then epoxy) under pieces of 1.5mm plasticard, fixed to the sleepers with solvent weld cement.

I checked underneath that all sleeper units were glued together, the end ones at least come loose.

IMG_5538.jpeg (3.24 MiB) Viewed 17120 times

I'm hoping that by doing all this on the workbench where I could get it adjusted properly and fixed together should give me more consistent good running.

Phil

[Old Man Aaron]

Intent on buying a pile of these, so this is very helpful.

Sorry you've had to do so!

[gilfachphil]

Developments with Yr Orsaf Newydd, it’s getting a new name:-

IMG_5689.jpeg (1.11 MiB) Viewed 13071 times

I was given an old Coopercraft kit to make this when Martyn Cook of Old Barn Hobbies in Aberaeron finally retired recently. I have, of course, not followed the instructions closely and only just squeezed enough framing to go all round the board with a little bodging and some Perfect Plastic Putty. I will give it some coats of matt varnish which should disguise the glue lines on the very shiny black plastic board.


There are also some slate fencing panels being added to the platform and Trevor very kindly gave me some of his splendid enamel advertising signs which will decorate the station. Photos will follow once I have finished the modifications I am making to it in the workshop and weather allows an outdoor photography session.

Happy New Year to all,

Phil

[gilfachphil]

No trains here today:-

IMG_5701.jpeg (5.69 MiB) Viewed 12842 times

I know this is less impressive than snow pictures some others have posted recently but since I live within half a mile from the sea and at low altitude it's very unusual to see here. It's definitely a day not to venture off in the car, two miles inland it will be much thicker. I expect Chris at the PMR might need snow shoes to get out of his front door.

IMG_5696.jpeg (2.32 MiB) Viewed 12842 times

Thanks to the cold and wet of the last few days I've taken to spending short periods in my slightly warmer workshop adding to Tan Yr Onnen station. Trevor very kindly gave me some of his 3D printed enamel signs and some Tallylyn style fencing. Outdoor photos will come later in the year!

Phil

[gilfachphil]

Dry and bright for a day or two so here are some pictures of Tan yr Onnen on the layout:-

IMG_5749.jpeg (3.4 MiB) Viewed 12029 times

IMG_5748.jpeg (4.25 MiB) Viewed 12029 times

IMG_5747.jpeg (4.63 MiB) Viewed 12029 times

Slate fencing a la Talyllyn kindly given to me by Trevor as are the brilliant enamel signs,

Phil

[gilfachphil]

More thanks to friends:-

Simon of this parish for kindly printing the occupants of this van for me and Paul of the local general model railway club I belong to for painting said occupants:-

IMG_5745.jpeg (3.01 MiB) Viewed 12026 times

IMG_5746.jpeg (2.42 MiB) Viewed 12026 times

Phil

[ge_rik]

Excellent detail.

Rik

[SimonWood]

Simon of this parish for kindly printing the occupants of this van for me and Paul of the local general model railway club I belong to for painting said occupants:-

Those look like happy cows. Glad to see them settling into their new home so contentedly, and in such a fine livery.

[gilfachphil]

First steaming of the year this afternoon:-



I was pleased that I got the loco steaming well, it was a bit cold for using butane really.

The consist is Accucraft flat, Woodleigh open, Plateway Models butter van, Jerry Irwin cattle wagon with cows by Simon, Accucraft cattle wagon, Accucraft box van, Woodleigh box van, Accucraft brake van,

Phil

[Preseli Chris]

That's a nice rake of wagons Phil, and the cats seem to be having fun as well

Chris