Garden Railway Forum

You're lucky to find supplies of good Welsh steam coal ...
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-61059737

Rik

ge_rik wrote: ↑Mon Apr 25, 2022 8:10 am You're lucky to find supplies of good Welsh steam coal ...
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-61059737

Rik

I obtained 3kg from a source in Australia for my own selfish use. ( I can also get some Blair Athol which I am told is good for garden steamers)
I am well aware of the silliness of using a greater amount of fossil fuels to import fossil fuels from an overseas source.
When one considers Australia exports 219 million tons of coal each year, whiskey Tango Foxtrot would closing one puny coal mine in Wales achieve ?
We have many massive coal trains going daily to the ports each with 8,500 tons of fossilised sunlight.
Mainstream coal needs to end but it will not and that means this rock we sit on is never going back to what it was. Too many humans upon this rock.
As a consumer of products I am complicit in this mess.
Nothing will change till the pain of not changing is recognised as being greater than the pain of change. Then it will be too late, and the argument can be made now that it is already too late to turn it all around, it is just too inconvenient for us all at this time.
The UK could get very good steaming coal from Australia if they got over the "Colonials" thought pattern and the flogging of the recent Ashes.

Well put.

I honestly don't think that the amount of fossil fuels you are likely to burn in your marvellous new creation is going to contribute an enormous amount to CO2 emissions.

Besides, a 10 minute cycle ride will more than offset its carbon footprint

Rik

Mr Spectre is reporting on materials for Taliesin's Slomo wagon.
'Do these fools know Whiskey tango foxtrot they are doing ?

'back of wheel blanks have been machined, errr, seems satisfactory'

Mr Spectre inspects the completed Slomo Wagon wheels.
'Machined wheels meet all tolerances. Workmanship satisfactory'
He is pleasantly surprised by this outcome.

Very tidy.

Progress in the Red Room
This weekend if the big wet stays away there will be test steaming of the Coalie and progress on the POR extension.

"These Numpties have fitted the sprocket incorrectly on one axle"

Loving the colour scheme Dazza.

Looks like Slomo Wagon has plenty of inbuilt weight. Should work a treat. Can't wait for a test run video....

Rik

ge_rik wrote: ↑Fri May 20, 2022 7:25 am Looks like Slomo Wagon has plenty of inbuilt weight. Should work a treat. Can't wait for a test run video....

Rik

After some very detailed scientific tests run, using the hand of God along a piece Peco SM32 on the bench, 450 grams of ballast was added to give a total weight of 2kg. It is too wet here to test the Slomo wagon behind Taliesin, too wet to test the coal fired loco build, too wet to concrete the wall posts in for the POR extension, might have to look at the carriage kits today. The ballast is piece of a full size loco's axle box (#802) that was scrapped. The cast box had broken and the bronze is full of crazed cracking which led to this problem.

FWLR wrote: ↑Thu May 19, 2022 7:27 am Loving the colour scheme Dazza.

Taliesin's paint is Matt Acton's workmanship .
When I get to the coal fired build I will have a go at all the painting.

No more testing of the coalie has occurred, long outstanding aspect of this project
Working on the Potters Orchid Railway Extension because it is a winter time sport here. Knock this over for the festive seasons invite running days.
Rain about, waiting for a clear weekend, sun and no Rattler shifts, so the evenings are in the Red Room (Headquarters of the Llewellyn Locomotive Works) fitting a whistle to Taliesin. Took some thinking to squeeze it in. I reckon every Roundhouse Classic Loco should come with a whistle supplied. A loco without a whistle is slumming it ATMCO (according to my current opinion) . So the Regner valve is bracketed and plumbed in. Next is the Servo mount. Note the brass screw in the main mount will be swapped out for a longer hex one.

'A loco without a whistle is a hoax' moans Captain Plod, so he has given his RH Taliesin a working whistle. (he also added 800 grams of ballast in the tanks for better adhesion & a Slowmo wagon coupled with a zero back lash coupling) To finish the project he worked long into the evening hours of last night to finish with the tricky pipe path from the valve to the whistle. A quick steam test at 10.00 pm in the Red Room and it works a treat. This whistle makes a good note at 25 psi which is just the trick for long runs. His marvelous idea of the servo winding the fishing trace wire works a treat. For Plod it was a late night to be turning the lights off at 11.00pm ! He might be a bit cranky this morning as there are low moans emitting, 'More tea, more tea required....'

Brilliant

Hydrostatic Dazza wrote: ↑Thu Sep 01, 2022 9:23 pmI reckon every Roundhouse Classic Loco should come with a whistle supplied.

They did, on one, the Vale of Rheidol 2-6-2T, and they provided instructions on how to maintain it. It appears that few owners read those instructions and VoR whistles continue to be a problem as the control valve can seize up. I don't know about (or speak for) Roundhouse, but I've fixed several of them. Why add another thing that goes wrong?

Hydrostatic Dazza wrote: ↑Thu Sep 01, 2022 9:23 pmA loco without a whistle is slumming it ATMCO (according to my current opinion)

Slumming it here then. 15 locos in my collection, with not a single whistle amongst them.

TonyW wrote: ↑Wed Sep 07, 2022 10:38 am

Hydrostatic Dazza wrote: ↑Thu Sep 01, 2022 9:23 pmI reckon every Roundhouse Classic Loco should come with a whistle supplied.

They did, on one, the Vale of Rheidol 2-6-2T, and they provided instructions on how to maintain it. It appears that few owners read those instructions and VoR whistles continue to be a problem as the control valve can seize up. I don't know about (or speak for) Roundhouse, but I've fixed several of them. Why add another thing that goes wrong?

Hydrostatic Dazza wrote: ↑Thu Sep 01, 2022 9:23 pmA loco without a whistle is slumming it ATMCO (according to my current opinion)

Slumming it here then. 15 locos in my collection, with not a single whistle amongst them.

According to my current opinion, a working steam locomotive with out a whistle is some what lacking. I appreciate the history. Perhaps then as an option. I am self employed for many decades with a two year queue of orders so complications are not desired and as you say, Roundhouse have their rational as you do. We have Regner valves for some years and they are have been trouble free as had our other acquaintances. Perhaps the valve design is the question? As for maintenance, reap what is sown. Just as every one rags on our concrete track bed, but not a problem for 5 years now and smooth running and no weeds. Perhaps due to my involvement with full size driving I am influenced with whistles.
The delight from all ages at visitor days when the locos steam past with the whistle is a motivating reward. Also it is nice to do realistic shunts (Slomo) and use the whistle as appropriate for movements.
Have fun with your loco collection. Your choices and enjoy.

Two sides of the same coin.

A whistle is needed to warn people walkin in front of a (in my case 5" gauge) train, to communicate with other drivers (banking loco), warn others when entering a junction (W sign near the track), starting off or other things. Without the whistle, something is missing. All my 5" steamers and 0-gauge steamers have a whistle. Exceptions are a 3.5" Railnhill and a gauge 1 Pacific. The reason is that they are historic models. The Rainhill was mentioned in Model Engineer and commented on by LBSC himself.

BUT

Sometimes you see drivers (5" down to O gauge) using more steam for the whistle than for the cylinders. This is just silly running the loco and whistling all the time for no reason.

So I would not condemn locos without whistles as "lacking" as some are just too small to add a suitable whistle or have other reasons. I would rarther have no whistle on a large goods loco than one that resembles the sound of a dog whistle. BEtter none than a completely wrong sound.

Mmmm, I am not to bothered whether a loco as a whistle or not. They do sound good on a lot of locos and the more responsible driver will only need to use it when needed, like Dazza and others members on our site, notably ge_rik, who for anyone who has watched his videos can confirm.

So carry on with all those who want to use whistles and keep in mind others,

the number 1 rule is

It's my line and I will use and do what I feel is right.