Garden Railway Forum

A photo posted by Jake (Tropic Blunder) has caused me to let the cat out of the bag. The lumberjack driver has been in the boss's ear for some time, that loads and grades are getting too much for the engine. The engine has done many miles and breakdowns happen more often. He's concerned he may end u...

Really looking forward to this years GSSU, so shall see you there. Would love to see the shay in the flesh, but realize and understand if that is too difficult.
Grant.

Some body is keen, I like the masking on the wheels. At first I thought it had white rims!
Grant.

Extremely jealous of your second last shot,I admire the mechanicals of the Aster shay very much. I do hope the blowthrough is the cylinders and not the valve faces. Integral valve chest and cylinder castings make that a rather larger job to fix.
Grant.

Hope that finally solved the Dylan urge!!!
Grant.
PS you know my philosophy, paint it then run it round the yard to dry it in the sun

Your night shots look good, if La Nina doesn't rear it's head too much this summer hope you are able to do more of it. I'm certainly hoping to be able to put the sawmill out this summer.
Grant.

I did the same for the sawmill boiler, lateral thinking! Grant.

I agree, superb paint job and a beautiful livery.
Grant.

I notice there is a Phillips head screw in the middle of the flywheel on either side of the engine/cylinder arrangement. I presume this is what locks the flywheel to the crankshaft. Could yours be missing or perhaps what ever method positions it correctly (a square shaft or a flat!) has been sheared...

I've pushed some of the elements of Philip's second shot, for clarity. No offence Philip. Grant.

What's the phrase, "slowly slowly, catchee monkey" glad to see you are making progress slowly.
Grant.

Thanks Andrew, though I think he's ahead of his time fashion wise. With that shine on his pants I assume they're leather
Grant.
PS he's normally reading a newspaper!

I am in an area which is sitting on pure sand I too am on pure sand and agree with your comments re drainage and ease of forming. I find the ants love the hole provided in the sleepers and the hollow underneath and although they only remove the sand one grain at a time, I just wish they would put i...

ge_rik wrote: ↑Tue Aug 16, 2022 9:08 am And the next time I'm criticised for coupling up stock a bit too vigorously

Yes I noticed that too Rik. Like the way the crew member pushed the grate pricker back up on top of the boiler, so guessing it wasn't the first rough shunt of the day!!!
Grant.

Thanks Peter, haven't come across that one before.
Grant.

Thank you Philip, actually having trouble with my old camera. Still taking pictures, but having trouble downloading them to the computer. Seems you have to hold your mouth the right way or something!
Grant.

Yes Peter,
I was nearly going to put a talk bubble on the two guys at the back,"do you think they're going to do any work or just talk about it.
Grant.

Thanks Rik,
No the track is code 250 AMS track with very poor UV plastic. Much deterioration under Australian UV conditions, that's why there is shade cloth over Leawarra and things look a bit mottled!
Grant.

There has been a scheduled shut down at Leawarra requiring full occupation of the yard, in order to carry out a redesigning of track and platform requirements. The Civil Engineers have designed and built a new footbridge to allow for the track amendments. Track crews have removed track from the sout...

she works nicely on air and on blocks I might be completely off target here, but as you have mentioned that it runs OK on blocks( presuming wheels hanging free) it couldn't be that with weight on the wheels, bearing condition or loco attitude on the rails, is not causing a drag or bind somewhere? J...