Garden Railway Forum

Peter Butler wrote: ↑Tue Jan 01, 2019 3:36 pm

ge_rik wrote: ↑Tue Jan 01, 2019 10:25 am Nice looking wagons, Peter. You have a knack of always choosing the right colour schemes for your builds.

Rik

Artist..... not engineer!

You can be an Artist on mine then Peter.

Since my last post I have been busy fitting brake gear to all of the four wheel wagons, all done now. Having done that another missing item stands out, and that is vacuum hose connection. Some of my stock has them fitted when I was fortunate enough to pick them up used or as a job-lot. (they aren't cheap and I need lots of them!). I have also made some in the past and am pleased with their appearance.... it's all about distance.
The way I made them is by using brazing rod, carefully bent to shape then made up with heat-shrink and plastic tube....... After fitting the plastic tube the brazing rod can be bent at right angles to be fitted either through, or under, the wagon ends.... The separate pieces are bonded together with super glue before painting.
This is my output for this afternoon..... Painting tomorrow and fitting as soon as they dry.

Nice work Peter!

That design is a much cheaper way of fitting out stock with vacuum hoses than buying white metal offerings...

Great solution. I like the inspirational use of the brazing rod.

I'm currently reading my way through my Christmas present book - Peter Paye's latest about the Southwold Railway. Despite several rulings from the BOT, the Southwold doggedly never installed continuous braking on any of their stock. Neither did they have any brake vans and so always ran mixed trains with no brake van attached, despite at least one run away after a coupling failure .

At present, the PLR is similarly resisting installing continuous braking, but I might eventually have to succumb to BOT pressure.

Rik

Impressive Peter. I like the way you have thought out and used the materials and like Tom says, it must be a lot cheaper to make your own and may I add, better looking........

First few fitted today and I'm pleased with them..... lots more to follow.....

They look good, Peter.

Until the late 1980s the status of the vacuum brake on the Isle of Man Railway was 'fitted but not used.' This occurred because the Isle of Man is not part of the UK, and had only incorporated the pre-1873 legislation into the domestic regulations concerning rail transport. The Vacuum brake was fitted in the late-1920s after a fatal accident when a train left Union Mills without the guard and brakes man due to a shunting mix up, and ran into the buffers at Douglas. The IMR was found behind the times in several respects, one of which was the lack of any sort of telephone in Douglas signal box, which meant messages had to be relayed through the stationmaster's office, which did not work on this occasion. Official concern was also expressed about the lack of continuous automatic brake, so the railway volunteered to fit it. However, the ejectors were supplied with the wrong cones, used too much steam, and no-one on the railway had enough experience with suck brakes to work out what was wrong - or perhaps they did, but couldn't be arsed to follow up. The traffic department could not accept any further limits on loading, so the vax fell into disuse. The penalty for having function vacuum brakes is one carriage. The previous load limit of seven bogies (roughly 100 tons loaded) was dropped to six (85 tons) once the vacuum brakes were brought back into use.

They did, however, install phones in the 'Box.

Cheers,
Peter in Va

Very nice! Chunkier than mine, which I like. Looks like they'll be well able to withstand the odd knock too...

Cheers,

Andrew.

Brilliant solution. I fit vacuum pipes to all my locomotives and passenger stock. Until the 1970s even British Rail ran unfitted wagons. They only had a hand brake. A small point for anyone making them, the hoses should be fastened to the stand when not connected up. If they aren't then no vacuum can be created and the brakes would be "on".

Peter Butler wrote: ↑Sun Jan 13, 2019 8:43 pm I am pleased with their appearance.... it's all about distance.

IanC wrote: ↑Tue Jan 15, 2019 9:49 am Brilliant solution. I fit vacuum pipes to all my locomotives and passenger stock....... A small point for anyone making them, the hoses should be fastened to the stand when not connected up. If they aren't then no vacuum can be created and the brakes would be "on".

Hi Ian, I'm pleased you approve in general even though you have pointed out where I have gone wrong! As you can see from my opening paragraph, I think that including them, even if they are imperfect, is better than not having them at all, as they will not be seen close-up.
In all of my models I aim for an overall impression rather than perfect scale. Most other stock I have seen have fewer details included, either from manufacture or additions, but as long as they satisfy their owners that's fine.

Peter Butler wrote: ↑Tue Jan 15, 2019 6:43 pm

Peter Butler wrote: ↑Sun Jan 13, 2019 8:43 pm I am pleased with their appearance.... it's all about distance.

IanC wrote: ↑Tue Jan 15, 2019 9:49 am Brilliant solution. I fit vacuum pipes to all my locomotives and passenger stock....... A small point for anyone making them, the hoses should be fastened to the stand when not connected up. If they aren't then no vacuum can be created and the brakes would be "on".

Hi Ian, I'm pleased you approve in general even though you have pointed out where I have gone wrong! As you can see from my opening paragraph, I think that including them, even if they are imperfect, is better than not having them at all, as they will not be seen close-up.
In all of my models I aim for an overall impression rather than perfect scale. Most other stock I have seen have fewer details included, either from manufacture or additions, but as long as they satisfy their owners that's fine.

I very much approve of them Peter, and it's a minor point really. I approve of them so much, I intend to copy them, if that's ok?

Has I said Peter, they are brilliant, who cares if they are not 110% correct....If you look at photos of coaches and wagons that the manufacturers make, they got are pretty much the same....To many people like the smaller gauge brigade who always knock something done because it's not the way to be...

Keep on giving us, especially me lots of ideas that can be put into use...Like you say Peter, unless someone is going to get down on their hands and knees............

Well, today marks a milestone (or Millstone?) in passing the quarter of a million views on my 'Time to build a railway' thread.
I think this is an amazing figure to have achieved but shows the interest in our hobby by members and visitors alike, and encouraging others to contribute their own brilliant ideas to support us all.
Since beginning my story in December 2012 I have learned so much from members, past and present, and couldn't have had any idea on how, or what targets to aim for and achieve without your input.
So a big 'thank you' to all who have contributed to my thread and a special thanks to Tom for keeping the Forum a successful and friendly place to visit, and waving his magic wand to make the system operate on our behalf.
Peter.
(Exit stage right clutching imaginary Oscar!)

Wow Peter, well done...A quarter of a Million... Hope you get to the magic One Million soon.

You do deserve an Oscar for all the time and effort you put into your modelling and sharing so much information to us all. We have learnt a lot, at least I have, from you.

And has for Tom, there are no words to say about what is just a brilliant forum. It's number ONE for me on the internet.

Congratulations!
Just shows how interesting your thread and your modelling are.
Keep it up, I need a few more ideas to 'borrow'

Rik

Building more stock means there is a need for more stock boxes. All of my stock items, locos and wagons, are in purpose built plywood boxes which are felt lined to protect their paintwork and stop dust settling in those impossible to reach places. If there is a danger of them rattling around I use foam sheet and, so far, haven't experienced any problems with it bonding to bodywork, which has raised comment elsewhere. It might be down to the use of acrylic paint, not oil based?
Currently I have three boxes in progress, cut from 4mm plywood, mitred corners stuck with Evo-stik PVA and taped together whilst drying. Sanded, painted with black emulsion and sprayed with matt lacquer they are now ready to be lined.....

They are really good Peter. You have given me an idea now to use the full sheets of ply I used to line the shed at my old address. I must have at least 3 full sheets and and loads of half sheets also.

Haven't got your carpenter skills though Peter, mine my be a bit all over the place....

The latest boxes are now completed with small brass hinges, catches, black felt lining and foam padding to prevent movement in transit. I now have so many boxes which all look the same I have to stick labels on them to identify the contents.....

FWLR wrote: ↑Wed Jan 16, 2019 7:24 am Has I said Peter, they are brilliant, who cares if they are not 110% correct....If you look at photos of coaches and wagons that the manufacturers make, they got are pretty much the same....To many people like the smaller gauge brigade who always knock something done because it's not the way to be...

Keep on giving us, especially me lots of ideas that can be put into use...Like you say Peter, unless someone is going to get down on their hands and knees............

We can always appeal to the Six Foot Rule against rivet counters. Besides that, garden railways are an inexact science were we have to make compromises between accuracy (if we are so inclined) and 'doability' because of the environment in which we run trains. Certainly, most of us are inclined to catch the feel of a real railway rather than be slavishly accurate because of the nature of the environment we work in.

Cheers,
Peter in Va