Search found 1372 matches
- Fri Sep 02, 2011 8:55 pm
- Forum: Off-Topic
- Topic: Your favourite tipple
- Replies: 29
- Views: 10157
- 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...
- 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....
- 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...
- Tue Aug 30, 2011 7:19 pm
- Forum: Locomotives - Electric
- Topic: Andel Ffion - Finished
- Replies: 18
- Views: 10434
- Tue Aug 30, 2011 7:05 pm
- Forum: Projects
- Topic: Getting a train together, Diesel and Steam!
- Replies: 88
- Views: 59539
- Sat Aug 27, 2011 10:19 pm
- Forum: Locomotives - Live Steam
- Topic: Ruby Improvements/Tips
- Replies: 25
- Views: 16240
- Thu Aug 25, 2011 4:40 am
- Forum: Railways & Layouts
- Topic: The Skebawn and Castleknox Light Railway and Tramway
- Replies: 163
- Views: 79071
- Thu Aug 25, 2011 4:29 am
- Forum: Locomotives - Live Steam
- Topic: Ruby Improvements/Tips
- Replies: 25
- Views: 16240
- Fri Aug 19, 2011 7:06 am
- Forum: Locomotives - Live Steam
- Topic: Ruby Improvements/Tips
- Replies: 25
- Views: 16240
- 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 ...
- 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...
- 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...
- 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 ...
- 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...
- 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...
- 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...
- 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...
- 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...
- 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...