The Westwood & Loscoe Light Railway

[Narrow Minded]

Just to compliment the above photo's, here's the railbus back at Robin Square again, this time "in service" with the sunday evening return from Loscoe



So, that's another project finished! (No rest for the wicked though - just time to clear the bench before making a start on the next one )

[Sir haydn]

Brilliant. It just needs a big black cloud of diesel clag as it pulls away!

[Lner fan Sam]

Wonderful job you have done there Greg

[Big Al]

Exultant job on the railbus what's it run like ?

[Chris Cairns]

The Driver is obviously still getting used to his 'new' railcar as he forgot to change the destination board!

Chris Cairns.

[Narrow Minded]

Thanks very much chaps - I had to work today, so getting the railbus finished was a "consolation" for not getting to Butterley

Al, I have to admit that when I first test-ran the chassis with the new wheelsets I panicked! However, I just slipped the original traction tyres onto the drivers and it runs great! (To my great relief! )

Chris, that's the guard in the "trailing" seat as it arrived at Westwood
The destination blinds are actually set for the direction of travel (as seen in the photo on the "Projects" thread, about to depart Loscoe )

I'm actually a bit disappointed that I kept this project to a "quickie" ~ if I'd done a "full monty" on it, I would have fitted lights and I'd still be out running it! Great bit of fun!!

[METHSSNIFFER]

To finish you must add some lighting Greg by knocking out them bits of plastic and getting some lensed lamps. The destination board could be illuminated too as well as inside. Check out the always hobbies website for lamps and I think operating sliding doors with the use of a servo and remote would make it special

[Narrow Minded]

ALL PROJECTS CURRENTLY ON HOLD

Due to an outbreak of good weather!

[Sir haydn]

Cracking photo. Hard to tell its in your back garden and not the welsh valleys!

[Narrow Minded]

As the fine weather persists, a few photo's from t'other day;

[Narrow Minded]

The view from the garden seat - taken during Cadno's visit, but a cuppa here first thing in the morning sets me up for the day!

[Andrew]

Ah, there's something very special about looking out at the still and silent garden railway - all that potential, just like in this photo...

I actually enjoy washing up, because the window above the sink looks out over the back garden and I can just gaze out at the waiting rails and imagine...

Cheers,

Andrew.

[Narrow Minded]

The line is a test track today

Here's my Jamod "MARION" ready for her first trial run after a complete new "under carriage"
Janet frames and RWM coupling rods from Roy Wood Models with an original set of Janet wheels.



Took extreme care over the re-build with much filing and sanding to get absolute free running.

Fingers crossed

[Chris Cairns]

Those replacement steel wheels can be a real pain to get running properly - I can understand why PPS went back to using the original Mamod style push in bearings on their spoked steel wheels, as now sold by RWM.

What do you think of the Janet chassis frames? Are they noticeably much thicker and therefore less flexible than the Mamod/MSS ones?

Chris Cairns.

[Narrow Minded]

Noticeably thicker Chris and without the "cut away" along the top edge as per Mamod / MSS.
Also, the wheelsets fit like a glove with no fettling what-so-ever

The "filing & sanding" has been done elsewhere to accomodate the extra thickness of the frames - I've narrowed;
the gas burner mounting
rear drag beam (and opened out the frame locating "slots")
the reverser block
and the frame mountings on the smokebox / front drag beam

She's running a treat!

[dougrail]

Excellent news! Now if only the same could be said of my Industrial...

[Chris Cairns]

Thanks Greg I now understand the problems. Somewhat ironic but those smaller Dream Steam 45mm wheel spacers may have worked better with these thicker frames.

I'm suitably pleased with fixing my axle bearings into the chassis frames with Araldite Rapid Steel on my MSS kit built loco - it runs very smoothly even at high speed without the characteristic 'Mamod' wobble

Chris Cairns.

[Narrow Minded]

Thanks Greg I now understand the problems. Somewhat ironic but those smaller Dream Steam 45mm wheel spacers may have worked better with these thicker frames.

Hmm, there's no doubt there'd be slightly less slop, but I doubt it would have reduced it enough.
Academic now, Dream Steam have refused to answer any Emails so as far as I'm concerned "stuff 'em"

Just tackling a "blow-by" from the steam input to the reverser. I only spotted it with my little mirror on a stick, but it's enough to drop the pressure so needs sorting.
There appears to be a problem with the O rings not seating properly, so partial strip down in progress

[Narrow Minded]

Blimey, I had to scroll down the topic list a fair old way to find my thread - that's hat happens when you don't post for a while!

Anyhow, apologies for my absence (domestic prob's ) but just to prove that the W&L is still around, here's a recent photo of a slightly re-modelled Loscoe station;

[hussra]

Oooh, I like the bridge - is that new? (Tuxcraft?)