Aston On Clun. A forgotten Great Western outpost.

[MrWolf]

2 hours ago, Barclay said:

This one? Full of good stuff, it was a real inspiration to me back in the day! (And why it won't let me put it in up the right way is a mystery).

 

 

 

 

I'm pretty certain that's it! No idea what happened to it, probably still amongst the stuff my mother occasionally asks me to collect, thirty years after I left home!

[57xx]

On 28/09/2023 at 09:04, Barclay said:

This one? Full of good stuff, it was a real inspiration to me back in the day! (And why it won't let me put it in up the right way is a mystery).

 

 

 

 

Bloody hell, I remember that book! Not sure if I still have mine or it went in a clear out. I'm now going to have to go into David Belamy mode in the spare room to find out.

[MAP66]

I am also guilty of owning a copy of said book, I think a few of us will be thumbing through the pages again in a trip down memory lane. 

Which makes me think, this is not just Model Railways, this is 'Marks & Sparks' Model Railways 😄 tasty stuff. 

[NHY 581]

Me too. 

 

Rob

[MrWolf]

I had no time to do any modelling yesterday evening, or hunt down any old books. 

When I changed the brake components on the Memsahibmobile, I noticed that the rubber mounts on the shock absorbers were on the way out and the shockers looked pretty grotty, so I decided to change them.

Just as well when I took them off to see if they still worked.

 

 

The top one is original Triumph Herald, the bottom one is heaven knows. It's a longer stroke and different rating, the bright area is where it has bent and the shroud is hitting the cylinder. It's probably why the rubbers have collapsed too.

I've seen odd shock absorbers before where some tightwad has put costs before not crashing so there's a shiny new one opposite an oil caked ruin, but this is a proper bodge.

[chuffinghell]

Rimmer Brothers do new shocks and springs for most Triumph inc the Herald 

 

https://rimmerbros.com/Item--i-GRID005375

 

 

Edited September 30, 2023 by chuffinghell

[MrWolf]

Thanks for the link Chris, I do tend to buy my spares from several different sources and fortunately had shock absorbers on the shelf.

Luckily the Herald is very well catered for spare parts wise, thanks to it sharing a lot of components with Triumph's sports cars and other makers offerings, such as the Ford Capri even, you could almost build a new one.

 

 

 

 

Edited October 27, 2023 by MrWolf

[chuffinghell]

40 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

Thanks for the link Chris, I do tend to buy my spares from several different sources and fortunately had shock absorbers on the shelf.

Luckily the Herald is very well catered for spare parts wise, thanks to it sharing a lot of companies with sports cars and other makers offerings, such as the Ford Capri even, you could almost build a new one.

 

 

I assumed you’d go for the uprated adjustable coil overs so your Memsahib could go rallying at the weekends 😉

[MrWolf]

On 30/09/2023 at 20:13, chuffinghell said:

I assumed you’d go for the uprated adjustable coil overs so your Memsahib could go rallying at the weekends 😉

 

Don't give her ideas.... She's actually quite a sensible driver and gives the old jalopy a bit of respect for it's age.

Other than the factory option disc brakes up front, the Herald is bog standard. I think that a lot of classic car and bike magazines have convinced readers that you need this upgrade and that improvement to be able to drive your old car

In truth, as you've alluded to, unless you're going in for competition all you really need is for what you have to be in good condition in order to stay safe and reliable.

 

 

 

Edited October 26, 2023 by MrWolf

[MrWolf]

Tonight I've managed to get some gloss varnish on the T3 wagons in preparation for the transfers and some paint on the rail built fence posts.

 

 

[Annie]

11 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

I think that a lot of classic car and bike magazines have convinced readers that you need this upgrade and that improvement to be able to drive your old car......

 

I rebuilt my 1954 Series II Morris Minor up from a bare bodyshell and the only mods it had over standard was 8 inch front brakes.  Maeve was my daily driver for ten years until I had to give up driving due to ill health (sniff), - but I made sure she went to a good home.  Loved that car, - she was the last one of a series of 1950s cars that I owned and driving her was an absolute pleasure.

[MrWolf]

1 hour ago, Annie said:

 

I rebuilt my 1954 Series II Morris Minor up from a bare bodyshell and the only mods it had over standard was 8 inch front brakes.  Maeve was my daily driver for ten years until I had to give up driving due to ill health (sniff), - but I made sure she went to a good home.  Loved that car, - she was the last one of a series of 1950s cars that I owned and driving her was an absolute pleasure.

 

I know that others will disagree, but I find that if you're not flying up and down the motorways all the time, you don't actually need the type of car we've been sold the last four decades. You get a lot of positive comments and the only negativity you encounter are the same d!ck heads you'd get whatever you're driving.

[Annie]

34 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

You get a lot of positive comments and the only negativity you encounter are the same d!ck heads you'd get whatever you're driving.

If I had a dollar for every person who came up to me with a big grin on their face and told me, 'My Mum used to have one of these', I'd be a wealthy woman.  Whenever I had to drive any distance I'd pull over from time to time to let the modern tintops go by snapping and snarling up each other's exhaust pipes and then I'd have the road largely to myself until the next lot came along.  Completely stress free unhurried driving, - I loved it. 

I found that if I stayed off the motorways and went by the ordinary backroads that went to the same destination the roads would be largely deserted.

[MrWolf]

37 minutes ago, Annie said:

If I had a dollar for every person who came up to me with a big grin on their face and told me, 'My Mum used to have one of these', I'd be a wealthy woman.  Whenever I had to drive any distance I'd pull over from time to time to let the modern tintops go by snapping and snarling up each other's exhaust pipes and then I'd have the road largely to myself until the next lot came along.  Completely stress free unhurried driving, - I loved it. 

I found that if I stayed off the motorways and went by the ordinary backroads that went to the same destination the roads would be largely deserted.

 

That has also been my experience and it's amazing the cross section of society who are just taken aback and say that new cars have no style.

It's the same with the old bikes which are really at home on the back roads, I can get along roads which a lot of my friends who have modern bikes can't because they're too powerful and designed for fast roads with smooth tarmac.

 

 

Edited October 1, 2023 by MrWolf
Unreliable internet rage

[MrWolf]

It's been almost a month since I last did anything at the layout, or anything else connected with it.

Not due to a lack of interest, but due to an annoying health issue. I'd been having pain in both arms and both elbows for some time and I initially put it down to the type of work I do and just shrugged it off as you do.

When it got to the point where I was getting sharp pains in the elbows just lifting a mug of coffee of an evening and occasionally waking me up, I was persuaded (Told!) to go and see the vet.

Two weeks later I got an appointment and found that I have developed both tennis elbow and golfers elbow in both arms.

Which is odd because I can't remember the last time I attempted to play either game.

Fortunately there's no sign of arthritis and it's not linked to the old injuries to my right side.

So, if I behave myself and do the exercises recommended by the physio at the hospital, I'll be back to my old self by Christmas. 

I've also been told (!!!) by Miss R that we're not struggling financially and I am to quit throwing engines about et cetera for the next six weeks as I have no excuses around taking it easy for a while. I've been finally getting around to selling off the stash of spare parts and other antique odds and ends that I've been meaning to move on for the last year or so.

Given the discussion over on @Graham T's thread, I have decided that some of the taking it easy will be getting on with building Aston, it's come too far now and I know that if I am stuck here while the memsahib is at work, the temptation to go down to The Profanium will be great because I can't sit still for long.

 

I've dug out the rest of the ancient Ratio fencing, tried and failed to attach the hugely overscale nylon "wire" supplied with the majority, obtained some 3.4lb fishing line from a friend of mine who restores antique fishing gear and have begun stringing up 200mm sections ready for a swear-a-thon installing it to the far side of the tracks first.

 

The layout has been carefully hoovered and a note made of a few little things to sort out.

 

Further reports to follow I hope!

[lezz01]

I too have done nothing for months. I suffer from what Winston called the black dog although mine is a more extreme version and when it bites it bites hard and I've been bitten quite hard this time and I've been more than a little despondent for a while now. I think that I'm starting to come out of it now so I'll see if I can get a bit more done to the 3F conversion. I've been having trouble making wheel balance weights, I just can't get them either correct or consistent and it's driving me nuts. I might just give up trying and buy some etches from Markits. It's one of the problems with scale wheels and locos just don't look right without them. Never mind I'll get it sorted.

Regards Lez.  

[Limpley Stoker]

I have suffered from a torn knee ligament for two years - GP fobbed me off with a telephone appointment with a physio  who in my opinion misdiagnosed it (I’m a retired medic) -just sent me at link to exercise videos on you tube.That was pandemic medicine for you.

After some research on Google Scholar I have tried using a near- infra -red light torch - about £40 on Amazon - which reduced the fluid in the joints and the pain.to tolerable levels. I’ll DM youink if you are interested. We have e got to get you modelling again!!!

[St Enodoc]

4 hours ago, MrWolf said:

both elbows

One elbow I could understand, but both?????

[Gopher]

9 hours ago, MrWolf said:

golfers elbow

I've suffered from this.  Took a while to settle, but the exercises suggested by the Physio and Dr Google definitely help recovery,.   Hope it gets better soon Rob, unusual to have it in both arms.  At the moment I've screwed up my left shoulder,  looks like I have strained something (probably in the gym or gardening).  Frustrating.  it seems as I get older I have to listen more to my body which tells me I'm not in my 20s or 30s any more.   My head tells me I'm still a teenager🙄      

[chuffinghell]

Sorry to hear this Rob

 

I developed tennis elbow doing archery

 

Once I reluctantly stopped going (advice from my GP) the pain went away after a few weeks

 

Hope you're better very soon

[Captain Kernow]

I've had tennis elbow in the past, in both elbows, although not at the same time. Eventually it went of it's own accord, in line with the GP's predictions...

 

I had a friend who had quite bad tennis elbow many years ago and he eventually went to see an acupuncturist and subsequently said that the treatment worked well and sorted him out properly.

 

[NHY 581]

Morning Rob. 

 

I too have suffered from tennis elbow. Not good. I wish you a speedy recovery from what is a real annoyance. 

 

But.........

 

On the basis that every cloud has a silver lining, Aston will benefit. 

 

Rob. 

[petrox]

9 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

One elbow I could understand, but both?????

Playing golf with 2 clubs at the same time?

I play golf twice a week - I don't have golfers elbow, but golfers hip does not help my swing action (such as it is).

[Bluemonkey presents....]

Hope you get better soon Rob. Agreed Aston will benefit from your problems. I used a Tens machine when I had elbow problems (pain and unable to lift anything) it worked a treat but not for everyone but if you can get access to one, worth a blast if nothing more than for the 'buzz'. 

On modelling note I have taken your advice from page 212 or somewhere like that and going to try out the axle drill.

[Darwinian]

13 hours ago, lezz01 said:

I too have done nothing for months. I suffer from what Winston called the black dog although mine is a more extreme version and when it bites it bites hard and I've been bitten quite hard this time and I've been more than a little despondent for a while now. I think that I'm starting to come out of it now so I'll see if I can get a bit more done to the 3F conversion. I've been having trouble making wheel balance weights, I just can't get them either correct or consistent and it's driving me nuts. I might just give up trying and buy some etches from Markits. It's one of the problems with scale wheels and locos just don't look right without them. Never mind I'll get it sorted.

Regards Lez.  

 

You've probably tried this but it might help with the balance weights. When I have to make some I use 20thou black plasticard. My measuring And cutting weapon is simply a pair of dividers.

Use the dividers to measure the radius needed on the actual wheel used. Determine the radius of the inner curve from a suitable drawing.

Mark centre points for the two radii along a line on the plasticard. By repeatedly scribing the inner and outer arcs you can make a groove about 1/3 to 1/2 way through.

Cut in a series of straight lines (knife needed for this) a 4mm or so outside the curves of the balance weight and then cut radially away from to the scribed line to form a number of short segments. These can then be snapped out and the edges of the balance weight tidied up with files.