The (Windmill Hill) Welsh Highland Railway

[DonW]

Good photos. All looking very good. I take your point about the IOW steam railway one of my favourites. Proper coaches.

Don

[FWLR]

Sorry for the late reply Andrew. They are brilliant photos, just looks like a line in beautiful British countryside.

[Andrew]

Thanks Rod!

I haven't been out in the garden much lately but hope to raise steam this weekend if the weather obliges...

Glad to have you back on the Forum,

Andrew.

[Andrew]

Good evening!

As I've mentioned before, passenger services on the (WH)WHR don't generally run during the winter. It feels like an occasion that should be marked, so this afternoon I headed out into the garden with two aims in mind - to operate the last passenger train of the year, and to run my newly-extended Welsh Highland goods train for the first time. The trains looked good lined up at Trefechan, but things didn't go entirely to plan...

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Attempt 1.

The real WHR's WD Baldwin was rough riding and temperamental, so kept to goods work whenever possible. As such, my Accucraft version of the loco seemed the perfect choice for my own WHR goods, so I took it down from its shelf for the first time in months. I think it's fairly likely that the receiver batteries were flat, but I didn't get as far as finding out because the (ludicrously over-complicated) transmitter is shared between the Baldwin and my (more recently used) BH Bertie, and I couldn't remember how to switch between them! It's happened before, and I've resolved it by looking up the instructions online, but with the light fading I decided to go to Plan B...

Attempt 2.

My RH Russell would also look the part on the goods, and go well with the NWNGR 4 wheelers in the passenger rake too, so that came down from the shelf next. I raised steam without too much difficulty and Russell headed down the line to pick up the train. The trip back up to Clarach was fairly uneventful, and the train certainly looked very nice, but trouble lay ahead - I couldn't get the bloomin' loco into reverse! Not sure what the problem is there, but I couldn't resolve it on the spot, and so - with my end-to-end line - the train was stuck at the terminus...

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Attempt 3.

Determined to finish the job I returned once more to the loco shelf and retrieved my trusty RH "Little John" - only to find that I'd left it switched on, and so it was without juice...

Attempt 4.

If all else fails, I reach for "Daisy", my Regner Konrad. All wasn't entirely well with her, her pressure gauge seems to have stuck, but - as ever - she got the job done, rescuing the passenger train and trundling the good up and down the line. Phew!

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We've made it to the end of the season, just, but there's clearly work to be done before next year's passenger services commence!

Cheers all,

Andrew.

[LNR]

Andrew,
I can so relate to your problems, I run quite a few radio controlled boats and it wouldn't be the first time I have arrived at the lake to realise I have packed the wrong transmitter or wrong battery pack.
Those rather large Regner pressure gauges do seem to have sticking problems if not regularly used, and my Lumberjack has suffered the same problem. A very gentle tap with something metal generally does the trick in my case. Upon opening mine up, I see that the gauge has a plastic quadrant and gear with terribly fine teeth in it and think this maybe the cause.
The goods train certainly looks the business, and I do like the weathering on the WD, D class bogie open. I remember when you first posted the pics. of the two of them, I had to put them on file for future reference.
Grant.

[ge_rik]

Good to see you eventually got the train there and back. Reminds me, I really must have a run soon.

Rik

[FWLR]

Glad you eventually got a train running along your brilliant line Andrew. Those transmitters can be a pain can't they.. I have a similar problem with my Deltang Tx, when we run Anne's Tram and the other two battery locos. I solved that little problem with putting those little stickers you can get from most post offices and putting Tr, Pu (PickUp) and Di (Diesel).

Has for the batteries, I am always forgetting to turn them off or even better, removing the little fellows....

[Andrew]

Andrew,
I can so relate to your problems, I run quite a few radio controlled boats and it wouldn't be the first time I have arrived at the lake to realise I have packed the wrong transmitter or wrong battery pack.
Those rather large Regner pressure gauges do seem to have sticking problems if not regularly used, and my Lumberjack has suffered the same problem. A very gentle tap with something metal generally does the trick in my case. Upon opening mine up, I see that the gauge has a plastic quadrant and gear with terribly fine teeth in it and think this maybe the cause.
The goods train certainly looks the business, and I do like the weathering on the WD, D class bogie open. I remember when you first posted the pics. of the two of them, I had to put them on file for future reference.
Grant.

Thanks Grant, I'm glad it's not just me, although my troubles are fairly symptomatic of the rather chaotic way I run my railway... Next year I WILL be better, and in the meantime I'll keep my expectations very low! Luckily, I was in the right mood for such a flawed operating session and took it as an opportunity to overcome obstacles and identify areas for improvement. On another day I'd have taken it as a sign that I should have packed it all in and taken up stamp collecting!

I'll give the pressure gauge a tap to see if it helps. It strikes me that it might have become seized with rust, because the gauge does have a tendency to fill with steam, which then condensates... It may be time to replace it with a smaller one, although they're rather expensive..

Glad you like the D Class wagon. It's funny you should mention it, because once I'd put it on the track I actually took it off again and turned it round so that its "best side" was visible. Those wagons represent my first attempt at adding rust with iron filings and vinegar, and it's a bit of an orange sludgy mess on the other side! I'm pleased with how the "replacement plank" effect turned out on this one, inspired by a (1930s?) photo taken at Dinas featuring a goods train where many of the wagons feature unpainted planks.

I solved that little problem with putting those little stickers you can get from most post offices and putting Tr, Pu (PickUp) and Di (Diesel)

I think you'll take your advice Rod, and stick on some instructions on which buttons to press to change loco. Both engines only have RC on the regulator, so the Futaba kit, intended for flying helicopters etc, is really over-the-top for my needs - at some point I'd like to replace it with a cheaper, simpler system on both engines...

Cheers,

Andrew.

[LNR]

the gauge does have a tendency to fill with steam,

Andrew, if that is happening, it's more than likely that the bourdon tube is split. Although I have soldered one successfully it probably indicates a replacement is required.
Grant.

[Andrew]

the gauge does have a tendency to fill with steam,

Andrew, if that is happening, it's more than likely that the bourdon tube is split. Although I have soldered one successfully it probably indicates a replacement is required.
Grant.

Thanks Grant - I had to Google it, but apart from anything else I've learned what a bourdon tube is!

I've always fancied replacing the huge pressure gauge anyway. I think I'll wait until I've ensured that the line's other engine's are working well then withdraw Daisy for a little TLC. I really must repaint that strange two-tone cab (I'm thinking quite a bright blue, edged in black and lined in white...), and I've got a tender for her half-finished too. Not sure about that, she might look even more daft on slate and skip trains then. I guess I don't always have to use it...

Cheers,

Andrew.

[Andrew]

Hello all,

As I've mentioned before, in addition to my garden railway interest, I'm also an "armchair volunteer" for my local preserved line, the Avon Valley Railway - I'm involved in writing grant bids and organising funding campaigns.

I'm not going to do any kind of hard sell, but just in case anyone's interested in industrial steam engines, or Staffordshire industrial history, or is just looking for an opportunity to support a good railway-related cause, I thought you might be interested to learn about our current Big Give campaign. Thanks to the support of AVR patrons and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, from now until 10th December all donations to the railway's "Littleton No. 5" restoration appeal will be doubled.

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"Littleton No. 5" is a rugged but fascinating loco, the most powerful built by Manning Wardle of Leeds, and the only survivor of its type. It spent its whole working life Staffordshire's Cannock Chase coal field, slogging up the steeply-grade 4 mile branch from Littleton Colliery to Penkridge exchange sidings - it outlived steam on BR for a couple of years too.

Although it has worked on the AVR, it last steamed over 20 years ago. We're currently looking to raise enough to send the loco away for stripping down and detailed assessment, which will help plan and cost full restoration and so inform a major funding bid next year.

If you fancy making a contribution, then the link's here: https://donate.thebiggive.org.uk/campai ... 01QZv61AAD - please do forward it to anyone else who might be interested! Because donations are doubled until we reach our £10k total and we can claim Gift Aid where appropriate, every little really does count!

Cheers all,

Andrew.

[Andrew]

Hello!

The garden's hardly looking its best, but I do like to try and run a train early in the New Year - start as you mean to go on and all that...

Today's was a simple operation - just twice up and down with the Regner and the five wagons that happened to be in the cupboard. The track hasn't been used for a while, so there was the odd derailment, but all in all it went pretty well...

Cheers,

Andrew.

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[LNR]

The Regner geared locos are great for taking pics. on the move with there nice steady pace. Good to see your railway in operation again.
Grant.

[philipy]

Nice pictures Andrew.
BTW if your train crews have eyesight so poor that they need trackside notices that big, you really should send them to the opticians!

[FWLR]

Brilliant photos Andrew. Looks like you have been busy clearing the line.

[DonW]

Nice pictures. Winter running often produces the best steam effects.

Don

[Andrew]

Evening all...

With the (WH)WHR's only battery loco temporarily out of use awaiting a new battery pack I took the only sensible course of action - I contacted my local Roundhouse dealer and ordered a new engine.

OK, so it wasn't quite like that, this is a purchase planned for a while, but the timing's good. The new loco's the RH Hercules that will eventually power a 4-wheeled version of the Welsh Highland's Kerr Stuart diesel. Until I get round to building that, I'm just going to enjoy it, starting with a trundle across the kitchen floor because it's far cold, dark and wet outside:

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It's nice, isn't it? I'm very pleased with my new toy...

Because it's only a temporary addition to the railway in its current form I won't name it - the loco's been allocated to the line's alter ego, the West Kent Light Railway, and given the number six. And, as fans of cult 60s TV series The Prisoner will appreciate, it's quite appropriate that Number Six shouldn't have a name...

Outdoor pictures soon, but probably not until next weekend.

Cheers,

Andrew.

[DonW]

Looks very nice is it a good hauler?

Don

[FWLR]

Very nice Andrew. Hope to see some outdoor views of her soon...When all this rubbish weather has gone.....

[Andrew]

Looks very nice is it a good hauler?

Don

Thanks Don! I don't know about haulage capability yet because it's still only run on the kitchen floor with those four lightweight wagons, but I'm expecting it to be pretty similar to my RH Little John. I'm sure it can manage a lot more on the level, but heading up hill on my steeply graded line with 3'6" curves it will manage about half a dozen larger wagons quite comfortably, or two heavy wooden-bodied bogie carriages - three feels like too much to ask. I've never put it to the test properly, but I get the impression that my RH Russell would manage double that.

Cheers,

Andrew.