Chuffnell Regis

[john dew]

7 hours ago, BWsTrains said:

 

 

There's a citation over on @john dew's Granby (somewhere) that's there was no such thing as a standard height for GWR signal posts, that visibility was the main criterion. I can vouch for that having looked at a lot of GWR signal photos while planning for Upper Hembury.

 

AFAIR the info cited came from @Stationmaster.

 

 

Hi Graham

 

Both my original post and Mike's @The Stationmaster correction are on this page -In summary I originally wanted to use a bracket for the branch starters but it proved too restrictive so I fitted Dapol single poles instead.

 

I originally thought that the GWR had standard heights for specific signals 24' for home but 16' for a starter. This assumption was based on page 82 part one of Stephen Williams trilogy  where there is a lovely illustration of all the various GWR signals all mounted on poles of differing heights. Mike, who knows what he is talking about,  pointed out that there were not standard heights for specific signal types - pole height was determined primarily by line of sight criteria.

 

Here is link to the posts Colin referred to:

 

I have been admiring your work with CR for some time - just been a bit slow in commenting

 

Best wishes

 

Edited September 2, 2022 by john dew

[MrWolf]

Thanks for clarifying matters @john dew, it answers a question that I will need to ask about my own layout.

My signals are currently part built, but I was holding off due to numerous questions and the fact that I decided to leave them until I have a few other jobs done as I don't have a great track record with vulnerable items like that!

 

 

Edited September 2, 2022 by MrWolf

[NHY 581]

19 hours ago, BroadLeaves said:

 

It's not the web site that's down. The whole mbrmodel.eu domain is gone. There's no DNS servers for it.

https://whois.eurid.eu/en/search/?domain=mbrmodel.eu is showing a status that implies the domain has been unregistered or the registration has lapsed.

Hope they haven't stopped trading. They made some lovely trees. https://www.modellnatur.com/ are a reseller and while I haven't checked every one, for all the ones I've looked at, the MBR products are all "temporarily out of stock". Hmm....

 

18 hours ago, Graham T said:

Similarly, I hope they haven't gone under.  They make (made?) some very good stuff.

 

18 hours ago, Nick C said:

Indeed. There's an email address and phone number on the last invoice I had from them, when we're recovered from Covid I'll ask Mrs C to email them in Polish and ask if they're still trading. 

 

16 hours ago, gwrrob said:

 

Indeed and they want 20 sheets for postage for what they do have in stock.

 

 

Mmmmm. Emailed yesterday evening. Always had a quick reply but this us what I received by return......

 

 

 

I shall update if I receive anything else. 

 

Rob. 

 

 

 

[NHY 581]

Just checked. MBR website is back up. 

 

R

[BroadLeaves]

The registration site that was showing a problem ( https://whois.eurid.eu/en/search/?domain=mbrmodel.eu ) is now back to showing "Registered", so it looks like they just forgot to renew the domain when it expired.

I really hope they're all back to normal. If not, then for me it'll be time to break out the florist's wire, latex and books by Gordon Gravett, and the results won't be anywhere near as good!

[Graham T]

3 hours ago, john dew said:

 

Hi Graham

 

Both my original post and Mike's @The Stationmaster correction are on this page -In summary I originally wanted to use a bracket for the branch starters but it proved too restrictive so I fitted Dapol single poles instead.

 

I originally thought that the GWR had standard heights for specific signals 24' for home but 16' for a starter. This assumption was based on page 82 part one of Stephen Williams trilogy  where there is a lovely illustration of all the various GWR signals all mounted on poles of differing heights. Mike, who knows what he is talking about,  pointed out that there were not standard heights for specific signal types - pole height was determined primarily by line of sight criteria.

 

Here is link to the posts Colin referred to:

 

I have been admiring your work with CR for some time - just been a bit slow in commenting

 

Best wishes

 

 

Thanks very much for that John.  I've also been following Granby with interest (and admiration), and had actually seen the post you mentioned - pun not intended - but forgotten about it.  RWweb is a great resource for info, amongst other things, but sometimes I find there can actually be too much, and keeping track of where you read useful stuff can get tricky.  I know I should use bookmarks...

 

Anyway, I also have Stephen Williams' book, so will refer to that as well, but my gut feeling is to go for a bracket mounted towards the end of the platform, on a 16 foot post.

 

I noticed your signals have numbers on them - could you expand on that please?

 

PS  Edited to add that I don't think sighting will be an issue at Chuffnell R.

 

Edited September 2, 2022 by Graham T

[Graham T]

The coal store got mildly weathered last night, and there has been a little more TPF here and there today - tinkering, pottering, and firtling.  Pics of the latter to follow a bit later, depending on the results!

 

[BroadLeaves]

An interesting (to me anyway) question: There's two coal bunkers in that photo. One domestic and one commercial.

Why is the one attached to the house fully contained with a roof whereas the one next to the track just three open brick walls and no protection from the elements? I've tried lighting fires with wet coal and it's not that easy. So why not cover up the one by the signal box?

I'm not saying it's wrong - they both, to my untutored eye, look correct for their respective locations, but the difference has got me wondering.

[Graham T]

That's an exceptionally good point BL, and now has me wondering as well.  Loco coal was left uncovered too (or it is at Chuffnell Regis anyway), so maybe railwaymen were just wizards at getting fires started?

[MrWolf]

5 hours ago, BroadLeaves said:

The registration site that was showing a problem ( https://whois.eurid.eu/en/search/?domain=mbrmodel.eu ) is now back to showing "Registered", so it looks like they just forgot to renew the domain when it expired.

I really hope they're all back to normal. If not, then for me it'll be time to break out the florist's wire, latex and books by Gordon Gravett, and the results won't be anywhere near as good!

 

I'll be having a go at that anyway!

[Graham T]

1 hour ago, MrWolf said:

 

I'll be having a go at that anyway!

 

I'm going to stick with MBR, thanks.  Tried making a couple of trees using seafoam and it drove me batty (battier).

[Graham T]

Results of some earlier TPF...

 

The lawn is now finished, I think.

 

 

Picket fence and enamel signs weathered.  I suspect I've overdone the weathering on the signs.  I did think about removing some of them, but I would probably wreck the fence in the process.  So they might just end up getting camouflaged with milk churns, trolleys, flower beds and so on.  Not sure yet.

 

 

And the signal has had a cable pulley wheel and some more chinchilla dust added to bed it in.  Still needs a splash more paint on the ground surface, and a touch of greenery added back around the outer faces of the retaining wall.  There should probably be pulley wheels and/or cranks or something like that at the bottom of the signal post as well, I suppose?

 

[Neal Ball]

1 hour ago, Graham T said:

That's an exceptionally good point BL, and now has me wondering as well.  Loco coal was left uncovered too (or it is at Chuffnell Regis anyway), so maybe railwaymen were just wizards at getting fires started?

Maybe something as simple as the grade of coal and perhaps the fact that Mrs Smith at home won’t have that oily rag to get the fire going. Whereas obviously the loco shed would have quite a good fire before coal gets applied.

 

Incidentally, I remember years ago as a kid trying to light the fire for my grandparents with wood / newspaper and then a page of paper across the opening to get it to draw. It was never easy! 
 

Different times 

[Andy Keane]

1 hour ago, Graham T said:

That's an exceptionally good point BL, and now has me wondering as well.  Loco coal was left uncovered too (or it is at Chuffnell Regis anyway), so maybe railwaymen were just wizards at getting fires started?

The original loco coal store by the engine shed at Helston had a roof but sometime in the late 1920s or 1930s it was removed and the coal left open to the elements. No idea why unless maybe the original roof, which would by then have been over 50 years old, simply fell down?

[Andy Keane]

18 minutes ago, Graham T said:

Results of some earlier TPF...

 

The lawn is now finished, I think.

 

 

Picket fence and enamel signs weathered.  I suspect I've overdone the weathering on the signs.  I did think about removing some of them, but I would probably wreck the fence in the process.  So they might just end up getting camouflaged with milk churns, trolleys, flower beds and so on.  Not sure yet.

 

 

And the signal has had a cable pulley wheel and some more chinchilla dust added to bed it in.  Still needs a splash more paint on the ground surface, and a touch of greenery added back around the outer faces of the retaining wall.  There should probably be pulley wheels and/or cranks or something like that at the bottom of the signal post as well, I suppose?

 

I guess the wires have to turn up the post in some way or other

[john dew]

9 hours ago, Graham T said:

 

 

 

 

 

I noticed your signals have numbers on them - could you expand on that please?

 

 

 

 

The signals are operated automatically by DCC and thence RR&Co

 

The number (1-100) came with the decoder instructions from Train Tech, described as "Location Board Labels". I had seen them on some protype photographs so I stuck them on albeit,for convenience, on the wrong side. Of course, I can no longer find said photographs - they are not in Stephen Williams book. They do, however, serve a useful practical purpose for me as they represent the DCC number for the signal, which I can punch into the DCC throttle when operating manually.

 

I would not consider them to be obligatory!

 

[Graham T]

That's interesting, thanks John.  I use DCC but don't think I will use it for my signals.

 

Well, I haven't wired them up yet, in any case!

[Gedward]

4 hours ago, Graham T said:

Results of some earlier TPF...

 

The lawn is now finished, I think.

 

 

Picket fence and enamel signs weathered.  I suspect I've overdone the weathering on the signs.  I did think about removing some of them, but I would probably wreck the fence in the process.  So they might just end up getting camouflaged with milk churns, trolleys, flower beds and so on.  Not sure yet.

 

 

And the signal has had a cable pulley wheel and some more chinchilla dust added to bed it in.  Still needs a splash more paint on the ground surface, and a touch of greenery added back around the outer faces of the retaining wall.  There should probably be pulley wheels and/or cranks or something like that at the bottom of the signal post as well, I suppose?

 

I think the signs are bedding much more than before. 👍🏼

[John Besley]

4 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

Incidentally, I remember years ago as a kid trying to light the fire for my grandparents with wood / newspaper and then a page of paper across the opening to get it to draw. It was never easy! 

 

Different times 

 

I remember doing that and watching the paper slowly turn first light brown then orange, next second with a woosh it shot up the chimney as a sheet of flame before setting fire to a birds nest in there... Rushed outside and saw flames and sticks tumbling out of the chimney with the half burnt nest landing with a clatter on the fireplace filling the sitting room with smoke before going out ... Someone chucked a bucket of water on it and peace returned

...

 

As you said different times

[Graham T]

6 minutes ago, Gedward said:

I think the signs are bedding much more than before. 👍🏼

 

They're certainly not quite so LOUD now 🙂

[Graham T]

7 minutes ago, John Besley said:

 

I remember doing that and watching the paper slowly turn first light brown then orange, next second with a woosh it shot up the chimney as a sheet of flame before setting fire to a birds nest in there... Rushed outside and saw flames and sticks tumbling out of the chimney with the half burnt nest landing with a clatter on the fireplace filling the sitting room with smoke before going out ... Someone chucked a bucket of water on it and peace returned

...

 

As you said different times

 

The joys of a real fire!  That being said, rather lovely to sit in front of one after coming inside from a bitterly cold day.

[Graham T]

A few little bits and bobs progressed after work this evening, but nothing very photo-worthy yet.  Painted a heap of fire irons (exciting stuff, eh), started painting some figures, finished off planting the bracket signal, and built another wriggly tin hut (just threw together one of the Wills articles).  Because, as any fool know, you can never have too many wriggly tin huts.

 

So, as there are no pictures to show you, here's a train instead.  3205 has had a rare promotion to passenger duties.  I hope Lord C isn't watching (actually don't worry about that, I know he isn't, because at this very moment he's reposing on the workbench, whilst the paint dries on his rather natty grey flannels).

 

[MrWolf]

Looking very good Graham, it also shows that I need to get some more dirt on 2291 once the transfers are fitted

The scene is really looking complete now, everything just flows together.

[Graham T]

Of course I'm only showing you the "finished" bits 🥸

[MrWolf]

I think that we all do that, if only to encourage ourselves!