Winter Work Schedule

IrishPeter · Post by **IrishPeter** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 4:21 pm

The summer season is over. Our 15mm scale visitors have retreated back to wherever they came from, as winter in the bleak and beautiful glens around Skebawn is something strictly for the locals! Now it is time to consider what needs doing this winter.

1. The directors have made Finbar the Spanner's week, month, year, and possibly decade by ordering another locomotive as he has been keeping No.1 and No.2 "The Jaloppy" going on bailing wire and prayer all summer. Finbar being Finbar he is attributing to the intercession of St Jude - his favourite saint! This takes the pressure off him to get No.2 fixed as No.3 should here in time to help with the Christmas extras. However, No.2 - an early Accucraft Ruby - will have to be fixed as the line will need a spare engine for next summer. I need to sort out the leading axle - wheels not pushed far enough on - and the sort out motion.

2. I really need to get some of the standard 30' bogie coaches I designed built. They are based on the original Ballycastle six-wheelers but without the toplights. With 15 windows a side they seem to keep being put aside in favour of projects that will not enlarge the callouses on my right index and middle fingers. It will probaby take me all winter - off and on - to build two. The three existing carriages are enough for the winter traffic. Indeed No.1 was seen sneeking into Skebawn with just No.7 the saloon composite and a few wagons yesterday afternoon. However, the way things are going the new standard design may well be a Schull and Skibbereenish four wheeler. I am on my second of those, and I like them.

3. Continue the wagon building project. I need to construct a representative sample of stock, which I reckon is a little over a third of what I envisioned the S&CLR owning in real life. I reckon 6 opens, 2 ballast, 6 covered, and 4 cattle wagons should be enough as well as being about all I have room for in the shed. I don't like building cattle wagons, so the design may end up being closer to a covered with a few boards knocked out than a true, built for the job cattle wagon!.

4. Complete the trackwork in a southerly direction at least as far as Aussolas, and ideally through to Castleknox. In my mind's eye the design for Aussolas station has never changed - it is a loop with 1 or 2 south-facing sidings located just beyond the present end of rail, so from that point of view it should be easy to build. The station will have to be built partly on a curve which will make things interesting. Castleknox looks a lot like Tynan on the GNRI/Clogher Valley - also in my mind's eye - with a curved NG platform and small exchange yard beyond it.

5. Buildings - I need some.

6. The two Ruby class locomotives that I own need tram loco bodies added - something Kitson or Beyer Peacock-ish, with skirts cut away to make maintenance easier, as happened toi the Castlederg and Blessington box locos.

That little lot should keep me going until next Easter!

How's other folk's winter project lists looking?

Peter in AZ

Sir Clothem Cap · Post by **Sir Clothem Cap** » Sun Oct 30, 2011 10:21 am

Winter work schedule,

1 Build rear bunker on EVA

2 make longer platform at Stoe

3 Make the ip railbus work

4 Maintain and photograph all rolling stock for website

5 Train rabbits not to stray on track

Random other stuff as the need arises

7 Try out snowplough!! "WSPR apologises for the delay due to wrong sort of snow"

Thats enough to see me through

hussra · Post by **hussra** » Sun Oct 30, 2011 7:59 pm

One important project here is to lift, split and replant (clear of the trackbed) the rhubarb which currently blocks the eastward extension of my line.

Dr. Bond of the DVLR · Post by **Dr. Bond of the DVLR** » Sun Oct 30, 2011 8:27 pm

Get the rest of the track laid all the way through Aldeburgh to Snape

Film DVLR Chronicles series 2!

Actually finish rolling stock kits so I can run them
(I have about 7 carriages which just need little painting jobs and buffers fitting to be runnable)

Steam up as much as possible, I don't seem to be using this railway as much as the last but with RD now R/C things should pick up a bit.

Sir Clothem Cap · Post by **Sir Clothem Cap** » Sun Oct 30, 2011 8:31 pm

Mr. Bond of the DVLR:60568 wrote:
Film DVLR Chronicles series 2!

That is a priority you have a lot of fans to please

laalratty · Post by **laalratty** » Sun Oct 30, 2011 8:37 pm

Well my uni work has meant the ANLR has hit hard times, just keeping the thing maintained will be my main target. If I do get some spare time, then it is about time Taliesin got lined, but I said that last winter

Palmerston · Post by **Palmerston** » Mon Oct 31, 2011 5:07 am

Its getting to cold to spraypaint outdoors and also in shed producing parts, So how am i going to build rolling stock?

IrishPeter · Post by **IrishPeter** » Mon Oct 31, 2011 6:03 am

My wife is relieved that it is getting too cold to spraypaint. I got the fence several times in the last few weeks and was in big trouble with Herself! I have a four-wheel carriage almost ready for painting so I am hoping for a couple of warm days. However, I need to find a large cardboard box first!

Peter in AZ

MuzTrem · Post by **MuzTrem** » Mon Oct 31, 2011 9:32 am

Ideally I'd like to make a start on repainting my LGB stock, if the weather co-operates. However, the plan is to have a gala over the holidays where they will make one final appearance in their original colours. I also need to source some balsa wood so that I can finish the roof of coach B2, and re-roof brakevan K2. I'd also like to add some weight to the latter. However, I also have a dissertation to research over the holidays so that will have to take priority...

DolwyddelanLightRail · Post by **DolwyddelanLightRail** » Mon Oct 31, 2011 11:09 am

Well for me, its whatever i can do when i find time! It probably doesnt help that 95% of all my railway bits are still the opposite side to the country to me! So not much is going to be done on my part

Narrow Minded · Post by **Narrow Minded** » Mon Oct 31, 2011 11:21 am

P.Way & Infrastructure: I have to repair the fence and associated fire-damage after the "Fircombe Inferno", install some form of road crossing at Loscoe (hopefully a bridge) and plans are afoot to re-model the Westwood Station area

I also intend trying out some of the projects gleaned from Peter & Kes's excellent "Buildings For Garden Railways" book that the weather will allow.

If the beardy bloke in the red suite is good for his word, there'll also be changes at Brinsley Lodge loco depot

Traction: Hopefully get "Ogwen" running sweetly and a chuff pipe fitted to "The Earl" in the Steam Shed, while over in the Diesel Department there's plenty of work with the batteryfication of the Baguley.

Carriage & Wagon: Implement the (long intended) numbering of all the rolling stock, finish the ex NWNGR "Gladstone" (and possibly start the "Corridor") coach. Fit lighting to the 3 Pickerettes and possibly do something with the IP observation coach shell that's sitting on blocks at the back of Pentrich Sidings.

Personel: I've been working on a "leaning" guard (classic end balcony pose that none of the suppliers seems to have produced) that needs finishing and I need to recruit a couple more diesel drivers from the bits box.

As might be deduced from the above, austerity measures are being implemented here on the W&LLR

Keith S · Post by **Keith S** » Mon Oct 31, 2011 7:12 pm

IrishPeter:60586 wrote:My wife is relieved that it is getting too cold to spraypaint. I got the fence several times in the last few weeks and was in big trouble with Herself! I have a four-wheel carriage almost ready for painting so I am hoping for a couple of warm days. However, I need to find a large cardboard box first!

Peter in AZ

It gets cold in Arizona?

dougrail · Post by **dougrail** » Mon Oct 31, 2011 7:32 pm

The DougStar Works is needing to hire more urpneys this frosty fall...

Carriage Dept: finish the reglaze and rebuild [and refurb!] of the 'Tramcar Set' of 5 coaches. Once these have been approved and tested, they may be up for sale.

Loco Dept.: Much work here. It has emerged through the kind words of Dave Mees that I may need to strip down Swordbreaker and restart the repaint. I intend to do a trial run with the Halfords carpaint stock and see how it fares now that we have a new stock of BioStrip. Then I will need to acquire a decent dustmask and the 2-pack paint and lacquer best for live steam. New deadline: 2nd July 2012. It can happen.

Deep Thought will likely need the same treatment. I'm pondering maroon or Corris red for that one.

anythingsdr · Post by **anythingsdr** » Mon Oct 31, 2011 7:38 pm

Dangerous to put a list of things to do over the winter! But;

1) Finish building the Line
2) Change loading guage to corrrect guage
3) Put track Circuit Bonding & Insulators in
4) Build some signals
5) Build Control Panel
6) Install Signalling.

Not much to do!

IrishPeter · Post by **IrishPeter** » Mon Oct 31, 2011 7:40 pm

Arizona has two distinct climates one associated with the Sonoran Desert which is hot and dry and covers the southern 49% of the State. The other 51% of the State is 'high desert' with considerable areas of forest where the Flatlanders haven't burnt it down. In Prescott our summer highs are in the 90sF, and our winter highs typically in the high-40s; low-50s. Summer overnight lows are about 60, and in winter anything between 5F and 25F. When Bishop Lamy celebrated the first RC Mass here on Christmas Day 1863 the wine in the chalice froze!

The Santa Fe mainline across northern AZ is still snow plough territory as there are significant accumulations of snow in the Wiliams/Flagstaff areas 2/3 times every winter. Prescott, where I live, gets 6 to 10 inches a couple of times every winter, and about every 25 years we get several feet of snow, which refuses to clear for weeks.

So yes, it does get cold in Arizona!

Peter in AZ

P.S. Just to prove the point it snowed on Friday night and again last (Sunday) night. When the snow has finished dropping off the trees I'll have a look what sort of damage it has done to my newly relaid track.

Steven.T · Post by **Steven.T** » Mon Oct 31, 2011 8:30 pm

Hopefully I might end up with a Steam loco come Christmas...

laalratty · Post by **laalratty** » Mon Oct 31, 2011 8:33 pm

MuzTrem:60591 wrote: I also need to source some balsa wood so that I can finish the roof of coach B2, and re-roof brakevan K2.

Murray, I advise trying to find a source of thin (1mm or less) plywood rather then balsa for roofs. It is much stronger and easier to bend actually (if you know a few tricks like steaming and pre-bending, and using the IP engineering roof jig)

90733 · Post by **90733** » Mon Oct 31, 2011 8:37 pm

For me it is to finish at leasty one of about 12 its I've started

williamfj · Post by **williamfj** » Mon Oct 31, 2011 9:03 pm

Convert the croc god to R/C
That's more or less it so far, no doubt more jobs will emerge during the bonfire night steam up on Saturday!
I'm thinking of buying another Rapier, that'll lengthen the list considerably!

MuzTrem · Post by **MuzTrem** » Tue Nov 01, 2011 7:52 pm

laalratty:60619 wrote:Murray, I advise trying to find a source of thin (1mm or less) plywood rather then balsa for roofs. It is much stronger and easier to bend actually (if you know a few tricks like steaming and pre-bending, and using the IP engineering roof jig)

Thanks for the advice

I thought plywood might be better but when I asked GRS if they had any thin plywood the reply was "sorry, we don't stock balsa..." They really are useless!

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