The B.E.R - The Rebuild Begins!

A place for the discussion of garden railways and any garden style/scale portable and/or indoor layouts
User avatar
tom_tom_go
Driver
Driver
Posts: 4824
Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2011 3:08 am
Location: Kent, UK
Contact:

Re: The B.E.R - Construction begins

Post by tom_tom_go » Tue Nov 14, 2017 6:15 pm

This could be the smallest outdoor dual gauge railway we have on here?

Maybe we need to create a digital plaque for you.

Big Jim
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 2694
Joined: Sat Jul 06, 2013 5:28 pm
Location: Near Llanelli

Re: The B.E.R - Construction begins

Post by Big Jim » Tue Nov 14, 2017 6:25 pm

That is certainly a good use of a limited space.
If at first you don't succeed, use a bigger hammer!

User avatar
LNR
Driver
Driver
Posts: 1533
Joined: Sat Feb 27, 2016 5:26 am
Location: Australia

Re: The B.E.R - Construction begins

Post by LNR » Wed Nov 15, 2017 12:15 am

This is all looking good. Trains before Christmas!!!
Grant.

angr607
Fireman
Fireman
Posts: 280
Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2012 12:05 am
Location: West Sussex

Re: The B.E.R - Construction begins

Post by angr607 » Sun Feb 18, 2018 10:07 pm

Thanks for all the comments guys!
LNR wrote: ↑Wed Nov 15, 2017 12:15 am This is all looking good. Trains before Christmas!!!
Grant.
Wasn't quite before Christmas. More like yesterday! I was waiting for the weather to be warm enough/sunny enough to take the hacksaw into the garden to cut the remaining track joints which I did. After about an hour of swearing and remembering why I need to buy a Dremel (or similar), the final rail joints were cut and the first proper test running has taken place. Aptly, the trains were 4 of my FR coaches and my new RC Accucraft Lawley. I've always wanted a Lawley or a similar 0-6-0 and now I've got one!

Image
Lawley Steaming Up

Image
First some trains smokebox first

Image
Then it was the turn of some bunker first running making use of the passing loop. Abet as a shunt release because the train was too long.

Image
Sat in the station ready to depart.

Surprisingly the line rises through the station and out the other end which wasn't planned. The gradient is something like 1 in 20 which is well within the limits of the current motive power although train lengths are unlikely to exceed 4 coaches (they weigh 2kg each so is not light). That said, in time, If something really powerful arrives It's not like I don't have the stock to really test it out!

Future plans are fairly simple. More rolling stock as the business grows and the RC fitting Superior and Excelsior. The Lawley came with it as standard and I can see the attraction to it especially on a line like mine (out and back).

Jon
Bowaters Models:- http://www.bowatersmodels.co.uk

Current Projects:-
Rebuilding the Railway!
Turning a Second hand 'Superior' into Bowaters 'Superior'

User avatar
Soar Valley Light
Driver
Driver
Posts: 1451
Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2013 5:18 pm
Location: North West Leicestershire

Re: The B.E.R - Construction begins

Post by Soar Valley Light » Mon Feb 19, 2018 7:37 pm

Very nice Jon,

Lovely to see some trains running.

I love Lawley's - proper engines! That livery is very attractive, far more so than I imagined light blue would be!

Andrew
"Smith! Why do you only come to work four days a week?
"'cause I can't manage on three gaffer!"

jim@NAL
Driver
Driver
Posts: 1115
Joined: Sun Sep 23, 2012 11:01 am
Location: haverhill suffok

Re: The B.E.R - Construction begins

Post by jim@NAL » Tue Feb 20, 2018 10:20 pm

great looking line

angr607
Fireman
Fireman
Posts: 280
Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2012 12:05 am
Location: West Sussex

Re: The B.E.R - Construction begins

Post by angr607 » Sun May 06, 2018 6:54 pm

After some running through the snow with mostly long trains of Ffestiniog Railway Coaches, nothing has really run on the line. After some minor repairs (Hedgehogs are destructive to railways I've found), time to run some trains in the sun. Both the Lawley and my Leader ran with the new Sandy River set. The set ran very well and I'm happy with its performance. The Lawley ran ok but now needs a new safety valve as the front one has failed in service (blowing from 1 PSI upwards) which meant it was down on power. Still managed some good performances. But nothing compared to Leader. I haven't run this loco since the days of the old railway before Excelsior arrived so I had forgotten how powerful it is. A tiny amount of regulator and it romped away with the train with ease. I know what's going to get RC fitted when the current pair return. Speaking of which, Excelsior and Superior are with Barley Pit Works for RC fitting and fitting of Chopper Couplings. Superior is also getting repainted at the same time.

Image
Lawley Raising Steam

Image
Lawley with Train. Note the recurring theme of all the pictures!

Image
Leader being readied to run

Image
Leader in the station. And yes, it did stop there itself. Joys of a climb though the station!

Jon
Bowaters Models:- http://www.bowatersmodels.co.uk

Current Projects:-
Rebuilding the Railway!
Turning a Second hand 'Superior' into Bowaters 'Superior'

User avatar
FWLR
Driver
Driver
Posts: 4262
Joined: Sat Aug 05, 2017 9:45 am
Location: Preston, Lancashire, UK

Re: The B.E.R - Construction begins

Post by FWLR » Mon May 07, 2018 7:09 am

Very nice Locos Jon. Love the Blue livery. :thumbleft: :thumbleft:

bazzer42
Driver
Driver
Posts: 1215
Joined: Sun Nov 25, 2012 1:37 pm
Location: Forest of Dean

Re: The B.E.R - Construction begins

Post by bazzer42 » Mon May 07, 2018 9:29 am

Great weather for rekindling the garden railway fire. Love the shape of Leader presses the buttons for me.

Lucky to get hedgehogs, not seen one here for a while although the westie terrier did leave us a large, dead Siberian hamster yesterday.

User avatar
FWLR
Driver
Driver
Posts: 4262
Joined: Sat Aug 05, 2017 9:45 am
Location: Preston, Lancashire, UK

Re: The B.E.R - Construction begins

Post by FWLR » Mon May 07, 2018 9:46 am

Oh no Derek…..

angr607
Fireman
Fireman
Posts: 280
Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2012 12:05 am
Location: West Sussex

Re: The B.E.R - Construction begins

Post by angr607 » Wed Jun 13, 2018 2:01 pm

Some more images of the now semi-regular running on the line. Also some images from my visit to that lovely Matt Towell who has fitted Radio Control to my Superior and Excelsior. He's got my Leader for fitting right now. He also repainted and renamed Superior into its proper name. It looks absolutely stunning and I couldn't be happier.

Image
The 3 Bowaters Railway Engines running together on Matt's line

Image
The 3 Bowaters Railway Engines running together on Matt's line

Image
Superior and my Welshpool set. First run together in a long time.

Image
Excelsior on test passing a cooling down Superior

Image
'The Tank' with my pair of Chattenden Coaches. Hopefully, I'll have the full set of 4 by the end of the year.

Image
The Bowaters Set in Operation. First time in about 2 years they've run as a unit.

Image
After running round, heading back down the other way down the garden

Image
Superior sat in the station ready for departure

Image
A typical SKLR passenger train abet with an engine that sadly hasn't been home since the 1960s.

Image
Passenger train pausing in the station before continuing uphill

Image
After running round, passenger train sits ready to return downhill.

All the captions have been written as if the full line exists. I'm planning to buy the required track for the final extension soon, however, this is on hold until the parents decide what they want to do regarding the garden shed.

Might get the rest of the line in over the summer then it's complete! Just need two shunt releases plus required track work down the garden.

Jon
Bowaters Models:- http://www.bowatersmodels.co.uk

Current Projects:-
Rebuilding the Railway!
Turning a Second hand 'Superior' into Bowaters 'Superior'

User avatar
FWLR
Driver
Driver
Posts: 4262
Joined: Sat Aug 05, 2017 9:45 am
Location: Preston, Lancashire, UK

Re: The B.E.R - Construction begins

Post by FWLR » Thu Jun 14, 2018 6:28 am

Some very nice engines and rolling stock there Jon. Love your story on the running of them, hopefully you can have the extension to the line done before to long. :thumbright:

angr607
Fireman
Fireman
Posts: 280
Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2012 12:05 am
Location: West Sussex

Re: The B.E.R - Construction begins

Post by angr607 » Wed Jun 27, 2018 2:11 pm

Stage 1 of the rest of the railway has happened! A small shunt release at the northern end by the household bins.

Image
Shunt release in place. Maximum train length to make use of it and the runround loop down the garden is set at 2 WHR coaches. Makes a nice sized train when going up and down.

Image
The full length of the running line between the shunt release and the run round loop. Not a bad little run now.

Image
Leader in operation with the Chattenden Set. Hopefully that will grow to 4 coaches long by the end of the year which is conveniently the right length for the loops!

Image
After running round, Leader heading back down the garden to run round again before the next uphill run.

Currently waiting on a RC set for one of my BEVs which shouldn't be too far away then I can do a proper shunt release using two engines!

Jon
Bowaters Models:- http://www.bowatersmodels.co.uk

Current Projects:-
Rebuilding the Railway!
Turning a Second hand 'Superior' into Bowaters 'Superior'

User avatar
tom_tom_go
Driver
Driver
Posts: 4824
Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2011 3:08 am
Location: Kent, UK
Contact:

Re: The B.E.R - Construction begins

Post by tom_tom_go » Wed Jun 27, 2018 3:30 pm

I would be interested to see how you run a session using this setup, video available?

User avatar
Andrew
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 3247
Joined: Tue Jul 03, 2012 1:33 pm
Location: Bristol, UK
Contact:

Re: The B.E.R - Construction begins

Post by Andrew » Wed Jun 27, 2018 9:01 pm

tom_tom_go wrote: ↑Wed Jun 27, 2018 3:30 pm I would be interested to see how you run a session using this setup, video available?
It might also be interesting to see a juggling performance involving two loco transmitters and a video camera!

My end-to-end line used shunt release at the lower terminus for a while, although I decided to add a full run round loop fairly quickly. Sometimes even running round' seems bit of a faff so I reverse the whole train back down the line and start all over again. Shhh, don't tell anyone!

Looking forward to seeing how your vintage FfR carriages come out Jon - the Lineside Hut ones just don't look quite right to me... I really like vans 4 and 5, I might have a go at one of those myself soonish...

Anyway, good to see your line developing...

Cheers,

Andrew.

User avatar
FWLR
Driver
Driver
Posts: 4262
Joined: Sat Aug 05, 2017 9:45 am
Location: Preston, Lancashire, UK

Re: The B.E.R - Construction begins

Post by FWLR » Fri Jul 06, 2018 7:37 am

That is some run…have you a video yet… :thumbright:

angr607
Fireman
Fireman
Posts: 280
Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2012 12:05 am
Location: West Sussex

Re: The B.E.R - Construction begins

Post by angr607 » Sun Oct 28, 2018 5:48 pm

Sadly I bring bad news to the forum. The southern end of the line is due to be lifted soon due to work going on in the garden. This sadly means I can only run on the short section beside the patio. Not a major issue as it can go back in time once the work is done and be extended but all that hard work is about to be undone. Fortunately, It'll be back hopefully April next year!

Jon
Bowaters Models:- http://www.bowatersmodels.co.uk

Current Projects:-
Rebuilding the Railway!
Turning a Second hand 'Superior' into Bowaters 'Superior'

User avatar
IanC
Trainee Driver
Trainee Driver
Posts: 798
Joined: Mon Feb 15, 2016 9:15 am
Location: Nr. Warrington, Cheshire

Re: The B.E.R - Construction begins

Post by IanC » Sun Oct 28, 2018 8:48 pm

It's always sad to be taking a backward step. Hopefully it will all be back soon and better than before.
Ian

User avatar
FWLR
Driver
Driver
Posts: 4262
Joined: Sat Aug 05, 2017 9:45 am
Location: Preston, Lancashire, UK

Re: The B.E.R - Construction begins

Post by FWLR » Mon Oct 29, 2018 8:01 am

At least you haven’t had to take it all up Jon. You will still be able to run and enjoy your locos and it will be spring soon before you know it……Hopefully :roll: :roll: :roll:

angr607
Fireman
Fireman
Posts: 280
Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2012 12:05 am
Location: West Sussex

Re: The B.E.R - Construction begins

Post by angr607 » Fri Nov 30, 2018 2:00 pm

While work in the Garden continues (the major work should be done by January after which its reinstatement of the railway and extension down the garden), I did find something of interest while sorting out my room. This is a job that hasn't been done for literal years and now means I can find things again! Including this set I thought I lost a long time ago! Excuse the mess, the image was taken mid sort out.

Image

My Welshpool and Llanfair Coach set. All regauged a while ago to 32mm using Accucraft wheelsets along with plasticard inserts in the axle boxes to stop them coming out, I'm pleased to have found them again. There's 5 in total with the lead coach having an Accucraft Chopper Coupling fitted to allow them to run with my stock. I've serviced all 5 and hopefully will get them into the garden at some point for a run probably with Excelsior. The current line might be shorter but I can still run on it (I hope!).

Jon
Bowaters Models:- http://www.bowatersmodels.co.uk

Current Projects:-
Rebuilding the Railway!
Turning a Second hand 'Superior' into Bowaters 'Superior'

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests