Search found 1372 matches

by IrishPeter
Fri Sep 02, 2011 8:55 pm
Forum: Off-Topic
Topic: Your favourite tipple
Replies: 29
Views: 10157

When I am back in the UK and north of the border I like a good pint of Heavy or Stout. South of the border I like the dark mild or Yorkshire Bitter. When I can get it Tetley's "Imperial" which is a bitter with Scottish Heavy tendancies is a favourite. When in the USA, I do the rounds on th...
by IrishPeter
Tue Aug 30, 2011 11:28 pm
Forum: Locomotives - Live Steam
Topic: Ruby Improvements/Tips
Replies: 25
Views: 16240

All right, here's another question. Any tips on how to get a good grip for adjusting the valves? I can unscrew the lock nut, no problem, but the pliers just can't get any purchase on the valves themselves. I usually find that a quick squirt of WD40 gets rid of the acumulated oil 'residue' on the va...
by IrishPeter
Tue Aug 30, 2011 10:52 pm
Forum: Projects
Topic: Getting a train together, Diesel and Steam!
Replies: 88
Views: 59539

I am not all that precise, but the rule of thumb on my line is that a steam locomotive has to be able to smoothly haul twice its own weight up a 1 in 30 gradient at something close to scale speed. If a locomotive does not meet these modest requirements then she gets tinkered with until she is right....
by IrishPeter
Tue Aug 30, 2011 7:54 pm
Forum: Projects
Topic: Getting a train together, Diesel and Steam!
Replies: 88
Views: 59539

I do not understand the 'boy racers.' I have gotten my large cylinder 'Ruby' to run down to scale 25 mph (roughly 1.5 feet/sec in 1:24 scale) which fits my style of operation.  All it takes is well adjusted valve gear, a light hand on the regulator and a well adjusted driver.  Of the three requireme...
by IrishPeter
Tue Aug 30, 2011 7:19 pm
Forum: Locomotives - Electric
Topic: Andel Ffion - Finished
Replies: 18
Views: 10434

Very nice! I bet you will want to build some battered and rusty Hudson skips (or slip derivitives) for it to haul now!

Peter in AZ
by IrishPeter
Tue Aug 30, 2011 7:05 pm
Forum: Projects
Topic: Getting a train together, Diesel and Steam!
Replies: 88
Views: 59539

Being slow is a virtue in the narrow gauge world. Most of the diesel/petrol wee beasties are 12 mph flat out with a following wind. That scales to about 17m/minute in 16 milli, or about 1 foot/sec in real measurements. I have a hell of a time getting steamers to run that slowly!

Peter in AZ
by IrishPeter
Sat Aug 27, 2011 10:19 pm
Forum: Locomotives - Live Steam
Topic: Ruby Improvements/Tips
Replies: 25
Views: 16240

I think they start out "real" then get translated into metric as there are some interesting things going on on their componant lists.  I like Accy locomotives as they are relatively simple and fit in with my "ploughed field maintenance facility" - basically a tool box and an old ...
by IrishPeter
Thu Aug 25, 2011 4:40 am
Forum: Railways & Layouts
Topic: The Skebawn and Castleknox Light Railway and Tramway
Replies: 163
Views: 79071

With the amount of sand I had to dig out of everything and the dyke building I am beginning to think I ought to be modelling the RTM - the old 3'6" gauge railway that served Zeeland and the southwest suburbs of Rotterdam - in 1/24th scale!. Anyway, we had another gully washer today and the floo...
by IrishPeter
Thu Aug 25, 2011 4:29 am
Forum: Locomotives - Live Steam
Topic: Ruby Improvements/Tips
Replies: 25
Views: 16240

The only snag I have hit with the cylinder transplant on the 'Ruby' is that I cannot find the right size Allen Key to detach the piston rods from the con rods.  1.5mm is way too big - that's the size needed for resetting the eccentrics - and .050" is slightly too big.  Those are the two smalles...
by IrishPeter
Fri Aug 19, 2011 7:06 am
Forum: Locomotives - Live Steam
Topic: Ruby Improvements/Tips
Replies: 25
Views: 16240

The bits arrived today for doing a cylinder transplant on "It" today. I will let you know how it goes.

Peter in AZ
by IrishPeter
Tue Aug 16, 2011 9:21 pm
Forum: Photographs
Topic: Steamy afternoon at Scorton Bank
Replies: 15
Views: 8962

Part of the reason trains are shorter than they used to be is that except for the Manx Grand Prix and the TT, the season is not as intensive as it used to be. It is also somewhat longer than it was as recently as the 1980s. Up to the 1970s the bulk of passenger landings at Douglas were concentrated ...
by IrishPeter
Tue Aug 16, 2011 12:53 am
Forum: Photographs
Topic: Steamy afternoon at Scorton Bank
Replies: 15
Views: 8962

The Isle of Man, the Wee Donegal, the Muskerry, and the Cork, Blackrock and Passage were all a bit unusual. The first and last were always predominantly passenger lines, and the Donegal had heavy excursion traffic from 'Derry/Strabane/Stranorlar to the Donegal coast. The Muskerry Tram had heavier th...
by IrishPeter
Mon Aug 15, 2011 2:21 am
Forum: Photographs
Topic: Steamy afternoon at Scorton Bank
Replies: 15
Views: 8962

The expert on big passenger trains on the narrow gauge used to be the Isle of Man. 30 years ago I saw Isle of Man No.11 Maitland being banked out of Douglas during TT week by No.13 with 14 bogies on the hook - probably 200-210 tons all up. I would guestimate the passenger load at between 500 and 600...
by IrishPeter
Sat Aug 13, 2011 5:27 am
Forum: Locomotives - Live Steam
Topic: Ruby Improvements/Tips
Replies: 25
Views: 16240

A couple more thoughts... I usually put in 85-90ml of water into the boiler, or, just occasionally fill it to the top and take out 30ml, using a syringe.  That leaves sufficient steam space at the top of the boiler so that she does not get too winded early on.  BTW, the only fault my large cylinder ...
by IrishPeter
Sat Aug 13, 2011 4:58 am
Forum: Railways & Layouts
Topic: The Skebawn and Castleknox Light Railway and Tramway
Replies: 163
Views: 79071

After getting flooded twice, the engineering team got out into the yard today and improved the station drainage. The first flood filled the station yard with sand (mixed blessing) resulting in a good deal of digging out of points, and track. I also had to reballast a 25 foot section of track where 1...
by IrishPeter
Sat Aug 13, 2011 4:32 am
Forum: Locomotives - Live Steam
Topic: Ruby Improvements/Tips
Replies: 25
Views: 16240

OK, is this a small cylinder Ruby or a large cylinder one?  The large cylinder version has square valve chests and a 'oil drum' cylinders and are the cylinder-valve assembly s painted black.  The older small cylinder variety has a more modern looking cylinder casting which is left unpainted in facto...
by IrishPeter
Thu Jul 21, 2011 4:54 am
Forum: General Garden Railways
Topic: To Weather Your Locomotive and Stock Or Not ?
Replies: 38
Views: 18218

I favour the old Isle of Man Railway philosophy - look after it, patch it up, keep it running, if you have time, clean it, and if you need a part and don't have it in stock rob it off an engine that is no longer working. Looking at pictures from the 1950s, the locos that worked big mileages were gru...
by IrishPeter
Mon Jul 18, 2011 7:37 am
Forum: Railways & Layouts
Topic: The Skebawn and Castleknox Light Railway and Tramway
Replies: 163
Views: 79071

Skebawn Station

The station at Skebawn has ended up as a cross between Ramsey (IOM) and Schull.  The passenger platform is against the fence with the carriage shed siding behind it as these are the least difficult features to manage.  The loco shed is served by a siding off the 'town' end of the loop, and the goods...
by IrishPeter
Wed Jul 13, 2011 6:43 am
Forum: General Garden Railways
Topic: To Weather Your Locomotive and Stock Or Not ?
Replies: 38
Views: 18218

I don't like thing overly clean. Even when the local staff were enthusiastic there was always a certain amount of dirty and decy to be seen, which is why preserved railways often look a bit too perfect to me. That said, the blokes had a bit of pride in the job, and things were kept up to a certain e...
by IrishPeter
Thu Jun 02, 2011 7:30 am
Forum: Projects
Topic: Anglicizing, or rather Hibernizing, Ruby - and cattle wagons
Replies: 7
Views: 5961

I forgot to say that the Postal Service eventually disgorged Ruby No.2 and she needed a bit of tweaking. Like all straight out of the box small cylinder 'Rubies' she likes to runaway, so she'll either get the exhaust regulator treatment, or R/C.. Paradoxically, the first cattle wagon has been enough...