The Potters Orchid Railway

[philipy]

I will put some pics up again but Flickr have made it harder.[/color][/b]

Dazza,
Just in case you missed the announcement, a little while ago we were able to increase the picture file limit up to 6 per post, if that makes things any easier for you?

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

I will put some pics up again but Flickr have made it harder.[/color][/b]

Dazza,
Just in case you missed the announcement, a little while ago we were able to increase the picture file limit up to 6 per post, if that makes things any easier for you?

No problem there, it is the transfer of the pics from my Flickr site to appear on the forum that is the problem. Flickr have recently changed things to make it harder to do this. There is a way but I have lost it.

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

Dazza got a birthday present. He also has a Slomo mech to go into a wagon to couple up to it. Must have Slomo goodness in his life.

IMG_6145 by Darrell McCulloch, on Flickr

MAM built a guards van, her first ever kit. Gave it some weathering.

IMG_5243 by Darrell McCulloch, on Flickr

IMG_5464 by Darrell McCulloch, on Flickr

IMG_5473 by Darrell McCulloch, on Flickr

IMG_5735 by Darrell McCulloch, on Flickr[/img]

Double headed with all we had available to hang on the hook

IMG_5728 by Darrell McCulloch, on Flickr

It will be 2022 or maybe 2023 before Potters Junction is scenic ed, meanwhile it has weed mate and 20mm Sunset stone. One day...

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

IMG_5874 by Darrell McCulloch, on Flickr

[FWLR]

Wow Dazza, what a birthday present you got.

I love MAM's guard van. She has done a really fantastic job on the weathering. I especially like the lamp. Now that is one heck of a brilliant job.

[Peter Butler]

Lucky man Dazza, and a belated Happy Birthday! What a gorgeous locomotive and a most impressive guard's van. It looks as though it has worked hard all of its life.
Your celebratory meal looks inviting too..... just the correct ratio of wine to food for two.

[ge_rik]

Many happy returns.
Are the plates some of MAMs pottery?

Rik

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

Many happy returns.
Are the plates some of MAMs pottery?

Rik

Yes, all those plates and serving platter are from "Potters Junction"

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

Lucky man Dazza, and a belated Happy Birthday! What a gorgeous locomotive and a most impressive guard's van. It looks as though it has worked hard all of its life.
Your celebratory meal looks inviting too..... just the correct ratio of wine to food for two.

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

Wow Dazza, what a birthday present you got.

I love MAM's guard van. She has done a really fantastic job on the weathering. I especially like the lamp. Now that is one heck of a brilliant job.

I will pass that on, she will blush

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

Saturday arvo, wine, snacks and a few regulars and a new visitor
IMG_6337 by Darrell McCulloch, on Flickr

Then it is was a roast dinner and yarns with a decent dose of merriment

IMG_6341 by Darrell McCulloch, on Flickr

Then signals, loco and guard's van lamps are lit and the evening run was under way. A triple header was set up and run.

IMG_6352 by Darrell McCulloch, on Flickr

IMG_6356 by Darrell McCulloch, on Flickr

Finished up around midnight and then we crawled into our fart sacks

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

Sunday morning there was a Cooked Breakfast for the ones who stayed at the Potters Orchid Railway's B&B above the railway's Red Room Locomotive works shop. A plan was hatched Sunday after the breakfast feast.

Four Roundhouse Locos lined up, three with Slomo mechs, what is about to happen ?

IMG_6366 by Darrell McCulloch, on Flickr

The Hands of God shunt every thing on wheels into one string.

IMG_6367 by Darrell McCulloch, on Flickr

Drivers fussing over their Locos

IMG_6368 by Darrell McCulloch, on Flickr

Start the indoctrination of Live and Real Steam early.

IMG_6370 by Darrell McCulloch, on Flickr

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

Whistle out of the shed road and out to Potters Junction loop and then back onto the waiting string in the platform road.

IMG_6371 by Darrell McCulloch, on Flickr

IMG_6373 by Darrell McCulloch, on Flickr[/img]

The lead loco has the staff, the guard gives right of way, whistle pops (two locos have whistles) and all four drivers ease open their regulators and the train walks smoothly out of Potters Junction into the section to Orchid House Loop.
How long do you think this string is ? For the answer read on.

IMG_6376 by Darrell McCulloch, on Flickr

IMG_6377 by Darrell McCulloch, on Flickr

IMG_6378 by Darrell McCulloch, on Flickr

Arriving at Orchid House Loop. There were doubters who expressed their fears that the guards van will be chopped off by the locos, but Captain Plod was cool.

IMG_6379 by Darrell McCulloch, on Flickr


Captain Plod's confidence was confirmed.

IMG_6380 by Darrell McCulloch, on Flickr

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

Slomo joy, realistic speed, all with the regulators just cracked open and the locos walked its way around the railway, a few adjustments to the regulators to catch some slips. The rails were also well oiled as usual to reduce wheel set drag on the curves. Do not debate this with Captain Plod, it truly works well and has been well testet.

IMG_6382 by Darrell McCulloch, on Flickr

IMG_6381 by Darrell McCulloch, on Flickr

IMG_6384 by Darrell McCulloch, on Flickr[/img]

IMG_6386 by Darrell McCulloch, on Flickr

IMG_6387 by Darrell McCulloch, on Flickr

IMG_6389 by Darrell McCulloch, on Flickr

IMG_6393 by Darrell McCulloch, on Flickr

[philipy]

Just brilliant Dazza, well done all.

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

Taliesin emerges into the sunlight heading to the platform at Potters Junction (one has to imagine the platform till Captain Plod gets to make the platform and station building ) while the tail of the sting is still well in sight as it still trundling down the loop road.

IMG_6394 by Darrell McCulloch, on Flickr

IMG_6395 by Darrell McCulloch, on Flickr

IMG_6396 by Darrell McCulloch, on Flickr

IMG_6398 by Darrell McCulloch, on Flickr

IMG_6400 by Darrell McCulloch, on Flickr

IMG_6401 by Darrell McCulloch, on Flickr

The length from buffer to buffer was 5.40 m , 17 feet and 9 inches. We have room to add 40cm more rolling stock but there was no more to be had.

[Peter Butler]

Great pictures Dazza and shows how the railway has matured. It looks lovely in the sunshine and the contrast between the soft planting and the angular rocks is just stunning.

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

Great pictures Dazza and shows how the railway has matured. It looks lovely in the sunshine and the contrast between the soft planting and the angular rocks is just stunning.

Thankyou Peter. Some of the plants are due for pruning, soon the annuals will be planted. MAM takes care of this. It is all a long way from being finished, slate walls to be made, buildings , platforms, signals and the interlocked 24 lever frame to be made for Potters Junction. All of that is on hold while I put my energies into the loco build in the Red Room. I have a Slomo luggage van to build to fit behind Taliesin and also 4 Brandbright carriages, the foot paths and then the track extension and a few more garden beds, all of this in-between my shifts driving at the Mary Valley Rattler. I think at the current rate, 3-5 years.

[Michael Schulz]

Hi there,
I envy you for your great system
Michael from Berlin

[FWLR]

You certainly know how to hold a steam up Dazza. You and MAM should be really proud for giving such hospitality. A two day overnight steam up would be dream to have. The young lads looked really wide eyed with wonder at those locos too.

Have you thought about having a young peoples day, with perhaps a short course on building a kit or two. I have found that my own grandkids ask if they can build a kit when they visit sometimes. (I don't always have those ready to build kits now, mainly because I scratch build mainly now.) They then get to run them behind their own little battery powered locos. They really do enjoy their time with our railway line.