A Light Railway for the Western Dales

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ge_rik
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Re: A Light Railway for the Western Dales

Post by ge_rik » Wed Aug 02, 2017 7:06 am

I took quick whizz through the photos and (apart from being in awe of your workmanship) thought the weather you were having in your part of the world is being very unseasonable until I read that the construction took place last summer...... Mind you, the weather is pretty awful for August!

Rik
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Re: A Light Railway for the Western Dales

Post by TonyW » Wed Aug 02, 2017 9:32 am

A bridge across a water feature always looks good, precluded for me by a sloping site and the presence of impenetrable Mother Wales only a few inches below the surface!

A word of warning though: A friend of mine used to keep Koi Carp. He decided that running his garden railway across the Carp's pond would be a good thing, so he built a bridge similar to yours. After running trains a couple of times all of his Carp died. The reason for this was oil floating on the surface of the water that had been dripped there by a steam loco. One oil drop is enough to cover many square yards of water surface. The oil acts as a barrier to oxygen and stops it being absorbed in to the water, resulting in suffocation of the fish. So, if you are planning on having anything living (fish, plants, frogs, etc.) in your pond then my friend's advice would be to install some kind of drip tray on your bridge to keep oil and water apart.
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Re: A Light Railway for the Western Dales

Post by Lonsdaler » Wed Aug 02, 2017 9:53 am

ge_rik wrote: Tue Aug 01, 2017 7:07 pm Just wondered how the four legged audience reacts when the trains are running.

Rik
It really depends on the herd (which is different each year - these bullocks come for fattening before hitting the markets!) Some years they show no interest at all, but most do. The coo's are remarkably like hoomans - curious :D
It tends to start with one or two showing an interest
Coo_view1.jpg
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Before you know it, you've got a crowd
Coo_view2.jpg
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I've even had interest when the PWay gang are at work, although one is clearly more interested in beer than work :lol:
Ballasting-Help.jpg
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This year, they are different again - not only licking and sniffing, but they actually started biting the embankment :shock: As a result, I have had to resort to an electric fence for the first time. They'll be here for about another month, and then sheep will take their place until next spring - they show no interest at all :roll:
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Re: A Light Railway for the Western Dales

Post by Lonsdaler » Wed Aug 02, 2017 9:56 am

IrishPeter wrote: Wed Aug 02, 2017 1:12 am
ge_rik wrote: Tue Aug 01, 2017 7:07 pm Just wondered how the four legged audience reacts when the trains are running.

Rik
They are probably unmooved.

I'll get me hat...

Peter in VA
:lol: I refer the 'onourable gentleman to the post above. And I'll fetch yer coat :lol:
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Re: A Light Railway for the Western Dales

Post by Lonsdaler » Wed Aug 02, 2017 9:58 am

philipy wrote: Tue Aug 01, 2017 8:21 pm
Lonsdaler wrote: Tue Aug 01, 2017 12:22 pm I got some model boat stanchions from Cornwall Model Boats http://www.cornwallmodelboats.co.uk/.
Thanks for the reminder of that s!ite. I have looked at them before but never used them for anything. However, I've just flicked through the fittings stuff again and come across something I've looked for many times without success. Readers of my 3D Printing thread will have seen the gutters and fittings, well the plain gutter itself is now redundant because Cornwal Model Boats sell 1/2 round styrene extrusions in a variety of sizes and 330 and 1000mm lengths, for a very reasonable price.

http://www.cornwallmodelboats.co.uk/aca ... e1000.html
Good spot Philip, I'd not noticed that. I too shall be placing an order... :thumbright:
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Re: A Light Railway for the Western Dales

Post by Lonsdaler » Wed Aug 02, 2017 10:18 am

TonyW wrote: Wed Aug 02, 2017 9:32 am A bridge across a water feature always looks good, precluded for me by a sloping site and the presence of impenetrable Mother Wales only a few inches below the surface!

A word of warning though: A friend of mine used to keep Koi Carp. He decided that running his garden railway across the Carp's pond would be a good thing, so he built a bridge similar to yours. After running trains a couple of times all of his Carp died. The reason for this was oil floating on the surface of the water that had been dripped there by a steam loco. One oil drop is enough to cover many square yards of water surface. The oil acts as a barrier to oxygen and stops it being absorbed in to the water, resulting in suffocation of the fish. So, if you are planning on having anything living (fish, plants, frogs, etc.) in your pond then my friend's advice would be to install some kind of drip tray on your bridge to keep oil and water apart.
Thanks Tony, Already an issue I've encountered! Fortunately, the pump and waterfall I've installed seems to break up the oil sufficiently to enable oxygen transfer to continue. No fatalities as yet! :thumbright:
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Re: A Light Railway for the Western Dales

Post by Lonsdaler » Thu Aug 03, 2017 10:06 am

With the Lune Crossing complete, serious work could continue with the lines extension to join the Housedown Pottery Loop (geographically, I have created a mobius strip, or Escher illusion - the line crosses a major river to get to the east bank, and then rejoins itself to the west of the 'river' :scratch:). The Controller accompanied our chief Engineer Trevor on an inspection of the work in progress on the 'triangle' junction,
Triangle1.JPG
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which will allow for greater flexibility in running locos and trains round - meaning a train can reverse and return without much shunting.
The Controller engaged the PWay staff in polite conversation, in the interests of promoting working harmony
Triangle2.JPG
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and getting some good publicity shots for the local rags photographer
Triangle3.JPG
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and then the same evening the photographer hitched a lift in Mr Bigearls' bi plane to view the completed engineering for the triangle
Triangle4.JPG
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and also the new embankment that runs down to the triangle from the river crossing.
Embankment.jpg
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Re: A Light Railway for the Western Dales

Post by philipy » Thu Aug 03, 2017 12:12 pm

I love the view of this last shot. It will look fabulous once the planting matures.
Philip

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Re: A Light Railway for the Western Dales

Post by tom_tom_go » Thu Aug 03, 2017 12:51 pm

Yep, I agree about the last shot - brilliant.

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Re: A Light Railway for the Western Dales

Post by markoteal » Thu Aug 03, 2017 4:11 pm

Yes - there is something about sweeping curves!
Where did I put that uncoupler?

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Re: A Light Railway for the Western Dales

Post by bazzer42 » Thu Aug 03, 2017 8:22 pm

Love that triangular junction and the cow shots!

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Re: A Light Railway for the Western Dales

Post by Lonsdaler » Fri Aug 04, 2017 10:15 am

Thank you to all for your kind comments. :D Philip, the advantage of playing 'catch up' is that the line has had 12 months to mature, and I am really pleased with this stretch of embanked track. Much of the planting isn't 'to scale', but that was part of the accommodation I reached with the planning authority (aka 'SWMBO', 'Beloved' or 'Scumbagpelicanrabbit', dependent upon circumstances :lol:) but the Heucheras (sp?) and other plants help to mask that section from the rest of what is otherwise a fairly open layout to our garden.
Going slightly out of timeline sequence, but these are recent pictures of the embankment taken from the triangle at Housedown pottery, with the remains of the building and kiln to the right
Housedown-Triangle.jpg
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And from the Lune Crossing end.
West-embankment.jpg
West-embankment.jpg (384.95 KiB) Viewed 7388 times

The biggest issue has been birds (and possibly hedgehogs) who go grubbing under the Berberis, and keep pulling down the scale fencing I erected alongside the track. It needs to be much more securely affixed! You can just see it leaning precariously near the plate layers hut.
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Re: A Light Railway for the Western Dales

Post by Lonsdaler » Fri Aug 04, 2017 10:39 am

The first train to run the entire length of the GWLR metals was Dorothy, in late August 2016; taking the engineers inspection train carrying out ride comfort and track quality inspections.
2016-08-09-16.07.47_sm.jpg
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Waiting for the off from the site of the future Dublo Station (for Hornby and district)

2016-08-09-16.04.27_sm.jpg
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First train over the newly raised and strengthened Bogg Causeway

2016-08-09-16.03.22_sm.jpg
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Passing Housedown Pottery ruins


In September, the first paying services ran, in the form of freight, hauled by the newly acquired Decauville 0-4-0 locomotive, Eric Arthur. The event was recorded for the GWLR Archive by local rail enthusiast and photographer, Earl Lychgate (he's not an Earl - that's his name, Earl :king: )
First-freight2.jpg
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Over the river crossing

First-freight1.jpg
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And over Bogg Causeway.


Passenger services were needed to ensure the success of the line, but for that, passenger stock was needed!
Phil

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Re: A Light Railway for the Western Dales

Post by ge_rik » Fri Aug 04, 2017 8:21 pm

Love those pictures of the cows. You have a really lovely setting for your railway which looks like it's coming along nicely. Love to see some video when it's fully up and running.

Rik
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Re: A Light Railway for the Western Dales

Post by FWLR » Mon Aug 14, 2017 5:29 am

Just been reading your thread and wow, what a brilliant layout. I know Morecambe and surrounding area’s fairly well, Nether Kellett and all, and the landscape is truly breathtaking, i particularly love the winter months around there and just a stones throw from the Lakes has well, you really do have it all. Oh to have a garden like yours, but i live in hope.

The bridge is an inspired piece of work has other members have said, it is true about “ Might come in handy one day”, it is just what garages are for aren’t they. The Filcris is something i am toying with to start my layout, but i am just not sure about the radius for mine, i have about 4’ to 5’ width at both ends of the garden by permission of the CEO, and i don’t know what radius or deg of curve i would be able to use. But i will take inspiration from you and if it doesn’t look right, move it.

Happy Modelling :thumbright:

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Re: A Light Railway for the Western Dales

Post by Lonsdaler » Mon May 10, 2021 11:09 pm

I can't believe it's been 4 years since I contributed to this thread about my line, but I'm going to try to make amends, and by necessity that means much of this is catch up. The initial spur for the railway was the alleged Housedown Pottery, outside Black Burton. Keen enthusiasts set to building a railway to serve the Western Dales initially utilising much of the engineering done for the light railway that served the pottery.
Of course, for the story to hold up, I needed the remains of a pottery. As the photo in the first post in this thread shows, that initially consisted of a basic 'shell', half collapsed/demolished, constructed from 5mm foamboard scored and cut to resemble the remains of a pottery building, with small vestiges of the roof and supporting timbers remaining.
However a pottery requires a kiln, so I decided to attempt a bottle kiln. The ideal former for such a kiln would of course be a large bottle - say, a champagne Jeroboam? :scratch: Unfortunately I didn't have one, and couldn't find anyone who did :lol: so I opted instead for a standard sparkling wine bottle. I cut many blocks from 5mm foamboard, and used superglue to adhere them to the outside of the bottle
Image
This gave me the basic shape. The corners were sanded off the 'blocks' and then the whole was covered in exterior grout to fill the gaps and tie the blocks together, and a chimney was formed at the top, completely enclosing the bottle.
Image
As the pottery was now derelict, a rough redbrick wall was constructed to block the kiln firing entrance, and a suitable sign was handpainted to deter adventurous souls form risking life and limb. The finished result was quite effective, and so took its place on the railway, adjacent to the derelict pottery building.
Image
Since that time (2014) both the building and kiln have been permanent fixtures on the railway (see photo below) - the kiln is now starting to show signs of deterioration which will require cosmetic work if it is to survive much longer.
Image
Indeed so great is the concern regarding the state of the building and kiln, that we were graced with a visit by archaeologists from the well known TV programme, Time Team, who have expressed an interest in many features in the vicinity of the railway. Who knows, maybe one day Housedown Pottery will be on TV :dontknow: .
Image
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Re: A Light Railway for the Western Dales

Post by philipy » Tue May 11, 2021 6:23 am

Brilliant Phil!

Presumably Messrs Harding, Robinson and Aston are modelled in Das or similar? That is some amazing scuplting technique.
Philip

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Re: A Light Railway for the Western Dales

Post by FWLR » Tue May 11, 2021 8:11 am

I really do need to come and see plus run something on your line Phil. I love :love10: the kiln.
You do have a brilliant imagination and brilliantly built and painted also.

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Re: A Light Railway for the Western Dales

Post by DonW » Tue May 11, 2021 8:33 am

Brilliant. That is a delightful scenic feature.

Don

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Re: A Light Railway for the Western Dales

Post by Lonsdaler » Tue May 11, 2021 9:10 am

philipy wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 6:23 am Brilliant Phil!

Presumably Messrs Harding, Robinson and Aston are modelled in Das or similar? That is some amazing scuplting technique.
Philip,
I can claim no credit for the moulding of the figures, they are from Pendle Valley, who I believe have taken over Rob Bennett's moulds. I did however, paint them. Raksha is there as well, as usual on her knees in a small trench!
Phil

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