Search found 1372 matches

by IrishPeter
Thu Sep 26, 2019 5:23 am
Forum: Railways & Layouts
Topic: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!
Replies: 39
Views: 20174

Re: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!

I am still waiting to get back to the railway. It is getting frustrating. I think I may have to just go and do something out of sheer cussedness just to get the ball rolling again! Work and life in general keep interfering!

Peter in VA
by IrishPeter
Sat Aug 31, 2019 12:58 pm
Forum: Locomotives - Electric
Topic: TVT - Modernised Passenger Services
Replies: 16
Views: 9835

Re: TVT - Modernised Passenger Services

My recollection of riding in the CDRJC railcars on the IMR when I was a kid is that they were lively runners even running as a back-to-back pair. The state of the track on the IMR in the late 1970s was such that you did not push it, but they could do 30mph on the level with some still in reserve. Ac...
by IrishPeter
Sat Aug 31, 2019 12:23 pm
Forum: Railways & Layouts
Topic: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!
Replies: 39
Views: 20174

Re: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!

I am hoping to get back to working on the railway in a week or so. This summer has been absolutely crazy with moving into the church, teaching, dealing with miscellaneous problems related to the property purchase, not to mention various family/health distractions. The station area, as completed at t...
by IrishPeter
Wed May 15, 2019 3:42 pm
Forum: Railways & Layouts
Topic: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!
Replies: 39
Views: 20174

Re: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!

Yes, it was nice to have something pottering about out there, but the satisfaction was slightly dented by the fact the last two weeks have been absolutely bananas with no chance of getting anything done. I haven't even been on here since the 27th! More soon, I hope!

Cheers,
Peter in VA
by IrishPeter
Sat Apr 27, 2019 4:00 am
Forum: Railways & Layouts
Topic: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!
Replies: 39
Views: 20174

Re: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!

I finally got the terminus of the Far End Tramway put together on Wednesday. I had a little potter about with the little black diesel, a wagon, and a coach, and took a few photographs. April train1.JPG April train4.JPG April train6.JPG April train7.JPG There is going to be a certain amount of trimmi...
by IrishPeter
Thu Apr 18, 2019 3:56 pm
Forum: Railways & Layouts
Topic: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!
Replies: 39
Views: 20174

Re: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!

And of course, I have a clear day and it is raining... not forecasted, naturally.

Peter in Va
by IrishPeter
Wed Apr 17, 2019 4:34 am
Forum: Railways & Layouts
Topic: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!
Replies: 39
Views: 20174

Re: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!

So much for my hopes of a quiet week, as we have had a major visit from the 'foul-up fairy' at work. The district is purchasing some property, which is under contract, and the present owners decided to pick this week to tell the trustees they would not be vacating the premises on time. So having lis...
by IrishPeter
Fri Apr 12, 2019 12:49 pm
Forum: Garden Railway Technical Help & Advice
Topic: Merlin Loco Works
Replies: 7
Views: 5412

Re: Merlin Loco Works

It might be worth taking the approach that was used in the distant days when I was an archaeologist. When confronted with a building with a date carved in stone above the door. The only assumption you can make is that some one, at some point carved 4 random numbers on a piece of stone and stuck it ...
by IrishPeter
Fri Apr 12, 2019 4:07 am
Forum: Railways & Layouts
Topic: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!
Replies: 39
Views: 20174

Re: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!

I was on another spurt of construction today, feeling it was about time to wrap up the woodworking side of the project. The last section of raised bench work was framed and about half the boards put on. Before I put the rest into position, I need to let the concrete cure for about 48 hours before re...
by IrishPeter
Thu Apr 11, 2019 3:40 pm
Forum: Railways & Layouts
Topic: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!
Replies: 39
Views: 20174

Re: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!

My builds for my 45mm line so far have used either Accucraft Choppers, or Binney's Caernarfon couplers which have a nice wide head on them. Both of these seem to prevent them doing the buffer interlock tango.

Cheers,
Peter in Va
by IrishPeter
Thu Apr 11, 2019 1:47 pm
Forum: Railways & Layouts
Topic: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!
Replies: 39
Views: 20174

Re: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!

The penny dropped when I realised that there were no reverse curves involved in the track layout, at which point I felt I could use small radius points with impunity. A scale 'sixty-foot-and-a-bit' radius is not too much of a problem as the DHR mainline originally went down to 59' radius, and even t...
by IrishPeter
Wed Apr 10, 2019 6:09 pm
Forum: Railways & Layouts
Topic: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!
Replies: 39
Views: 20174

Re: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!

Good thought that, Rik, especially as the difficult is with what is effectively the engine release. However, I think - as in, 'I am 99% certain' - that 20" on one end, plus small radius points and a wee bit of compromise will solve the problem. The mediums can then be used further up the line w...
by IrishPeter
Wed Apr 10, 2019 4:47 am
Forum: Mamods & MSS
Topic: Mamod Stirling
Replies: 29
Views: 27534

Re: Mamod Stirling

The question for me is always - 'Can it climb hills?' I seem to be congenitally incapable of building a railway without 1 in 30 gradients, so I never look at Mamods usually but it seems that technologically they may have come of age.

Cheers,
Peter in Va
by IrishPeter
Tue Apr 09, 2019 11:48 pm
Forum: Railways & Layouts
Topic: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!
Replies: 39
Views: 20174

Re: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!

Dear Rik, It is satisfying and slightly worrying at this stage. I seem to suffer rather badly from revisions in the early stages of a project, and it has to be said that this one is no exception. It is the main station that is proving to be the bother - getting up the hill is going to be less stress...
by IrishPeter
Tue Apr 09, 2019 3:34 am
Forum: Rolling Stock
Topic: Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway
Replies: 106
Views: 49102

Re: Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

The weather required a break from outdoor hobby activities after work today, so I did a little more to the three compartment third I was working on a couple of weeks ago. The ends were laminated up, the underframe made, and the first coat of cream paint applied. W-irons, wheels, and couplings were l...
by IrishPeter
Mon Apr 08, 2019 2:50 am
Forum: Locomotives - Electric
Topic: Rail Car for Dirranbandi and Toowoomba Light Railway
Replies: 10
Views: 7246

Re: Rail Car for Dirranbandi and Toowoomba Light Railway

That looks just the ticket, Ian! I an see something of the old KSR 'buses in it. Lovely!

Cheers,
Peter in Va
by IrishPeter
Sat Apr 06, 2019 10:10 pm
Forum: Railways & Layouts
Topic: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!
Replies: 39
Views: 20174

Re: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!

The odd thing is that I think I may be back to the drawing board. Somethings work on paper that do not work out of doors. The main thing I need to do now is get the benchwork completed so I can work out how that station throat is going to work. I cannot seem to get it put together in my head. I find...
by IrishPeter
Sat Apr 06, 2019 2:18 pm
Forum: Garden Railway Technical Help & Advice
Topic: Working with Concrete Block
Replies: 20
Views: 10193

Re: Working with Concrete Block

Rod, I discovered that we go to clay about a foot below the surface so I could have driven longer piles/post down into the clay, and not have concreted for five of the eight legs that hold up the decking. The other three would have had to be concreted thanks to their location being in the roots of a...
by IrishPeter
Fri Apr 05, 2019 10:37 pm
Forum: Off-Topic
Topic: Post Length
Replies: 6
Views: 3573

Re: Post Length

Wood will always rot betwixt wind and water (or ground level) eventually. Generally speaking where houses are built of wood, the usual custom is to raise the wooden structure a little above ground level, and then make sure the siding goes down to a little below the sill rail of the building so every...
by IrishPeter
Fri Apr 05, 2019 2:06 pm
Forum: Railways & Layouts
Topic: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!
Replies: 39
Views: 20174

Re: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!

It's great to see some track going down - and doesn't your new stock look fantastic in the sunshine?! The "I only do this to enjoy it" rule is a good one - and one I often only remember after I've tied myself up in knots over some obscure and irrelevant detail or other! Cheers, Andrew. Be...