Garden Railway Forum

Big Jim wrote: ↑Fri Apr 05, 2019 8:28 am It has a certain charm about it.

I agree. Out of my price range, though. And not actually my first choice (even from the Mamod range) if I do manage to convince myself that that is the best use of several hundred pounds...

"Apparently"? Is that the sound of extreme good luck?

A brief but tantalising conversation about an extension over last weekend. Don't watch this space, though - it won't be quick to materialise!

Well, looks like it's on sale.
https://www.mamod.co.uk/shop-categories/mamod-stirling

Up against the new MSS short-tank loco - well, not really at more than double the price, but it has a vaguely similar look to it.

The weight distribution issue (i.e. too much weight on the rear axle) is why the DHR B class locos have their little saddle tanks - or to put it more poetically - "why the Dachshund has its rucksack!" Does that mean that the saddle tanks must always be full? To bring this diversion back o...

One thing I was not aware of until a discussion over on Facebook last year is that the Bertie has a high centre of gravity with more weight on the rear axle thus can be prone to centrifugal force rollovers on tight curves - mine has done it twice now. I've had a couple of derailments but thankfully...

The first track run of 2019 for the Bertie. New ghostly crew members fresh from the Midlands Garden Rail Show looking good in blur-o-vision!

I got 30 minutes or so from the Bertie on a light load this afternoon, which would seem to be all right. One thing though: it does seem to take at least ten minutes (of the run time, after pressure has built up) before it settles down to smooth and steady unattended running. Obviously part of that i...

Well, OK, actually a (Ma)modification of the standard loco, but apparently with a pressure gauge. Can't tell whether that's a functioning lubricator, and not sure how durable the paint on the boiler and cylinders might prove. https://www.dreamsteam.co.uk/mss-mamod-live-steam-garden-railway-locomotiv...

I'm in! PM just sent. Looking forward to contributing, whenever it happens.

Some nice shots of your line there, I like all the planting (something my railway lacks as it is raised). Thank you! Clearly the photographic trickery to disguise the state of the garden is working! Then again, as per my first post of this thread, I did set out to integrate railway and landscape - ...

And finally, a couple of images from the traincrew's team bonding and off-line training session a few weeks ago...

The moss is coming along... (Spot the Blu-Tak!)

You can resize the images on your phone if that is your 'camera': https://gardenrails.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=11543 Brilliant - thanks! Some pictures from yesterday - including the CVLR's novel method for ensuring tail lamps are provided... 20190224_134701-02.jpeg 20190224_134626-01.jpeg...

And 2019 operations on the CVLR have started! (Proper - steam-powered - ones, that is: there have been a few battery-powered ones.) A couple of sections of track needed strategically-placed ballasting attention to keep the track stable - setting sone of the trackwork in place (especially vertically*...

Upgrading Bertie with the options like a pressure gauge, water top up and sight glass really make a basic engine better than some of the older classic range models from Roundhouse that cannot have a sight glass by design at this time. I took a Sammie and changed the valve gear from slip eccentric t...

Interesting thought about the pop safety valve - I hadn't thought of that and it does rather appeal. On the other hand, with a ground-level/slightly raised railway and young children about, maybe not quite yet! My Bertie is basic spec - no pressure gauge, so a bit tricky to keep to a particular low ...

Also quoth Graeme: I time my testing from when I light the burner. Which might explain the 40-minute "run" times I've seen mentioned elsewhere! Many thanks for the latest contributions. I'm still getting the impression that my engine management isn't deficient, which is good! I may experim...

Thanks for the replies. Makes me feel better! Come to think of it I guess that the latent heat of vaporisation is probably more significant than start water temperature in the gas/water design calculation, so preheating the water may not be as risky as I thought (no water level sight glass on my Ber...

If you want to get the maximum amout of mikes from a fill, you can fill the boiler with pre-heated water, to reduce the time it takes to get up to working pressure. You can also wait till it's up to pressure, put out the fire, re-fill the gas tank and re-light it. Other than that though, I think 25...