The Development of the WLR

Chris Cairns · Post by **Chris Cairns** » Thu Aug 08, 2013 6:48 pm

Jim, 'Welcome Back'.

Look forward to seeing your fine collection of locomotives in action soon.

Chris Cairns.

steamyjim · Post by **steamyjim** » Fri Aug 09, 2013 3:37 pm

Chris Cairns:86691 wrote:Jim, 'Welcome Back'.

Look forward to seeing your fine collection of locomotives in action soon.

Chris Cairns.

Hello Chris,

I look forward to it too! Unfortunately, my 45mm Iver will be unable to run on this line.

Chris Cairns · Post by **Chris Cairns** » Fri Aug 09, 2013 7:26 pm

steamyjim wrote:Unfortunately, my 45mm Iver will be unable to run on this line

That's a shame Jim. Out of Loading Gauge problem?

Chris Cairns.

steamyjim · Post by **steamyjim** » Fri Aug 09, 2013 9:19 pm

Chris Cairns:86733 wrote:
steamyjim wrote:Unfortunately, my 45mm Iver will be unable to run on this line
That's a shame Jim. Out of Loading Gauge problem?

Chris Cairns.

Nope, I have gone over to 32mm for the line. Iver will be kept as my visiting loco. May look out for a 32mm Iver though...

steamyjim · Post by **steamyjim** » Thu Aug 15, 2013 7:17 pm

After fiddling about with various ideas for the layout, track has finally started being laid!

Only 3 sections at the moment as I ran out of time this afternoon, but it's a start!

Pictures tomorrow!

steamyjim · Post by **steamyjim** » Sat Aug 17, 2013 7:44 pm

Ran the first train on the line today - a service train moving the screws for fixing the track down to where they were needed...that was my excuse anyway! Am around 2/3 the way around the shed with track at the moment. Note the authentic weathered finish of MDF dust!

tom_tom_go · Post by **tom_tom_go** » Sat Aug 17, 2013 8:06 pm

Glad I am not the only one who runs unfinished rolling stock

Great progress! You should never need an excuse to run a train...

steamyjim · Post by **steamyjim** » Sat Aug 17, 2013 8:13 pm

tom_tom_go:87064 wrote:Glad I am not the only one who runs unfinished rolling stock

Great progress! You should never need an excuse to run a train...

Unfinished rolling stock on an unfinished railway!

I was waiting till I had painted the baseboards but the urge to run a train won in the end!

steamyjim · Post by **steamyjim** » Fri Aug 23, 2013 10:57 am

Filled the gap today between the door. This section needed to be removable so a basic bridge was built. It still needs reinforcing and a bridge structure to be built around it - I fancy something Brunelian, not very narrow gauge I know but I like Brunel's work!

jay1976 · Post by **jay1976** » Fri Aug 23, 2013 2:30 pm

I think a lot of people run a train when its being built 1 bonus its easier then to make adjustments to the track..
I did that on my 009 layout

steamyjim · Post by **steamyjim** » Fri Aug 23, 2013 4:49 pm

jay1976:87251 wrote:I think a lot of people run a train when its being built 1 bonus its easier then to make adjustments to the track..
I did that on my 009 layout

Indeed! On running the Merlin the other day I found a dodgy section of track where I joined two lengths on a curve and didn't quite get a smooth join, simple job to fix but simpler when there is no ballast!

steamyjim · Post by **steamyjim** » Tue Sep 10, 2013 6:15 pm

Finally - a run all the way around! Further progress was made on the line today - the bridge was completed to a degree where the track could be laid and a light train run. I would like to fix a leg underneath the bridge just to support it in the middle as it is not as sturdy as I would like.

The bridge was re-enforced with strips of wood which kerfed to allow them to bend around the edge of the baseboard already cut. A strip was fitted each side of the board and these were then crossed braced with further strips across the board. The track was then fitted down and I decided to fire up a loco! Unfortunately - I blew the gauge glass after a cab fire so will need to buy some more of those!

Chris Cairns · Post by **Chris Cairns** » Tue Sep 10, 2013 7:49 pm

Another plastic sight glass succumbs to a meths induced cab fire!

Jim, PM me your address and I'll send you a loco sight glass plastic & thicker 'O' ring if you like.

Chris Cairns.

steamyjim · Post by **steamyjim** » Tue Sep 10, 2013 8:32 pm

Chris Cairns:88300 wrote:Another plastic sight glass succumbs to a meths induced cab fire!

Jim, PM me your address and I'll send you a loco sight glass plastic & thicker 'O' ring if you like.

Chris Cairns.

So far I have been lucky - I think this is my first to go! That's a very kind offer Chris - I'll drop you a PM! What is the benefit of the thicker 'O' ring?

The loco in the film is an unfinished project - it will eventually have a tender with feed pump and gas tank. The manifold in the cab has the regulator, a pressure gauge and a whistle valve...yet to get around to making a whistle for it though!

Chris Cairns · Post by **Chris Cairns** » Tue Sep 10, 2013 9:12 pm

steamyjim wrote:What is the benefit of the thicker 'O' ring?

The replacement 'O' rings sold by MSS or their traders are not thick enough and several of us have had problems getting the sight glass plastic to seal. Somewhere along the way the original specification for this seal was changed (during one of the changes in the original Mamod ownership). Whilst others have suggested other solutions the one that works for me is a thicker 'O' ring (of which I still have a few) or the Mamod SP oval seal (of which I have none spare at present).

Chris Cairns.

steamyjim · Post by **steamyjim** » Wed Sep 11, 2013 10:10 pm

Chris Cairns:88310 wrote:
steamyjim wrote:What is the benefit of the thicker 'O' ring?
The replacement 'O' rings sold by MSS or their traders are not thick enough and several of us have had problems getting the sight glass plastic to seal. Somewhere along the way the original specification for this seal was changed (during one of the changes in the original Mamod ownership). Whilst others have suggested other solutions the one that works for me is a thicker 'O' ring (of which I still have a few) or the Mamod SP oval seal (of which I have none spare at present).

Chris Cairns.

I see - I presume the change was made by the O ring producers rather than Mamod and from then on problems have arisen with the design.

Chris Cairns · Post by **Chris Cairns** » Wed Sep 11, 2013 10:55 pm

No, from experience with my early Mamod SL locomotives it was not originally an 'O' ring that was used, but an oval seal. So one of the Mamod owners changed it from an oval seal to an 'O' ring and certainly my unused SL1K kit has this 'O' ring. It appears that MSS are punching out the boiler sight glass recess to a deeper depth which makes the sealing problem even worse!

Chris Cairns.

steamyjim · Post by **steamyjim** » Tue Sep 17, 2013 5:22 pm

Started working through my 45mm stock to convert it to 32mm...got a bit bored so tried them with my Mamod William. I find my William to be a very good loco - lots of power and a long run time once the condensate is cleared from the cylinders. Only had one classic Mamod runaway when the coupling chain fell off...

<object width="420" height="315"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/v/mJPxwJy8gW0?hl=en_US& ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="//www.youtube.com/v/mJPxwJy8gW0?hl=en_US&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>

steamyjim · Post by **steamyjim** » Fri Sep 20, 2013 12:59 pm

I've been converting all of my 45mm LGB and Bachmann stock over to 32mm - an easy but mind numbing task! Anyway, the Merlin loco was out of action (repaired now) so decided to try again with the Mamod William to try out it's pulling power...

<object width="420" height="315"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/v/ukQFRy0kBA0?version=3 ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="//www.youtube.com/v/ukQFRy0kBA0?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>

Quite impressive really considering the bad press these locomotives have, she ran like this for about 20 minutes.

Chris Cairns · Post by **Chris Cairns** » Fri Sep 20, 2013 10:24 pm

It is indeed a good performer Jim. As I recall was this not Mamod's demonstrator which you acquired from Forest Classics?

I would change the nylon gas pipe for a copper one. I've had a few scary blow-backs from these Mamod burners (the jet holder is a loose fit into the burner, and the jet is just screwed into the holder with no sealant or PTFE tape) and I've got rid of most of my nylon gas pipe's. Just need some more copper tubing to complete the task.

Chris Cairns.

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