P.C.M Posted August 28, 2021 Share Posted August 28, 2021 Hi John, you are making some good progress. I had never heard of a Barry slip but think I saw one in Woking yard back in the day. It took me a while to work it out. I found this the other day. Yours if you want them. Cheers Peter. 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium St Enodoc Posted August 28, 2021 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted August 28, 2021 1 minute ago, P.C.M said: Hi John, you are making some good progress. I had never heard of a Barry slip but think I saw one in Woking yard back in the day. It took me a while to work it out. I found this the other day. Yours if you want them. Cheers Peter. Thanks Peter, I think I'll pass on that though. If I did one I'd have to do them all! 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.C.M Posted August 28, 2021 Share Posted August 28, 2021 1 minute ago, St Enodoc said: Thanks Peter, I think I'll pass on that though. If I did one I'd have to do them all! Ha ha fair enough. It's not like your running out of things to do. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted August 28, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 28, 2021 (edited) 11 hours ago, St Enodoc said: Here's a thought on the brake van: Fitted = bauxite. Piped = grey. Yes/no/maybe? I agree - definitely a case of yes/no/maybe for piped vans although officially they should have been bauxite if the standard colour scheme was correctly applied. The fitted vans should definitely have been bauxite in BR days. Don't forget of course that the colour of the standpipres was changed in April 1952 and then implemented as vehices passed through shops. The same colour codes also applied to Westinghouse brake pipes and would appear to have been an RCH standard until the Railway Executive decided to change it. I wonder how long the changeover took in view of what it involved? Pre 1952 change - braked vehicle - black standpipe; piped vehicle - red standpipe Post 1952 change - braked vehicle - red standpipe'. piped vehicle - white standpipe Edited August 28, 2021 by The Stationmaster 1 7 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold ian Posted August 28, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 28, 2021 21 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said: Pre 1952 change - braked vehicle - black standpipe; piped vehicle - red standpipe Post 1952 change - braked vehicle - red standpipe'. piped vehicle - white standpipe Bureaucracy at its best. 1 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Northroader Posted August 28, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 28, 2021 Trouble was the pipes didn’t stay clean, and the white particularly would get covered with reddish brown dust in traffic, giving out the wrong message. One instance the poor old guard coupled up a set of bogie perway flats thinking he’d got brakes on every wagon, and he hadn’t.... 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Popular Post St Enodoc Posted August 29, 2021 Author RMweb Premium Popular Post Share Posted August 29, 2021 (edited) I got fairly well on with Polperran 707 and 708 points, and 7 and 8 roads, today although they're not quite complete as I ran out of time before I'd finished all the wiring. In summary, I've: - laid the points and track; - fitted the two point motors, connected them to the accessory bus and programmed them; - connected all the droppers to the rails; and - connected about half the feeders to the droppers. I've still to: - connect the remaining feeders; - connect the frog wires to the point motor; and - label all the wires. Then do it all again for 709 points, which I hope to build this week, 9 road and the headshunt. Here's the current state of play. You can see that, as usual, I've added short dummy spurs to the stub ends of the points, pending laying more track. As I haven't got enough timber and plywood to finish the other end of Polperran (1 to 5 roads) yet, I might wire the EB1, LED indicator and switch permanently to the Polperran accessory bus spur, then make a start on the point control panel with its Mini-Panel. In amongst all that, I'll probably start working my way through the sequence again. Never a dull moment in Mid-Cornwall. Edited June 29, 2022 by St Enodoc images restored 29 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 5BarVT Posted August 29, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 29, 2021 Looking better by the day. Is that the permanent resting place for 5 HD buffer stops? Paul. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium St Enodoc Posted August 29, 2021 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted August 29, 2021 Just now, 5BarVT said: Looking better by the day. Is that the permanent resting place for 5 HD buffer stops? Paul. Thanks Paul. Yes, each of the roads at Polperran will have an HD buffer stop at the end. That's a total of ten, plus the two Chapel Sidings at Porthmellyn Road and the Tregissey Siding at Paddington. The ones on the scenic parts of the layout will be replaced by a mixture of Mainly Trains and Lanarkshire Models kits. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Keith Addenbrooke Posted August 29, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 29, 2021 On 25/08/2021 at 01:15, St Enodoc said: I finished the Barry slip last night. Not too many challenges here apart from the usual ones with slips of finding places to gauge the different rails from. I extended the tiebars so that the point motors will be well clear of the secondary joist at the back of Polperran. Once I've cleaned it up, it will be ready to lay at the weekend. Just one more A5 LH to build and I'll have enough points for the whole right-hand (Porthmellyn Road) end of Polperran. I think there’s kudos to be recognised in hand-laying bespoke trackwork like this when it’s for use in a fiddle yard (instead of just buying a double slip to be done with it). Well done. Many years ago now, when I was working for a precision engineering company, we worked out just how much was being spent on tools and jigs that were being made to the same standards as the high-tech products they supported - it was just assumed that everything would be done to the same level of quality, Keith. 5 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium St Enodoc Posted August 29, 2021 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted August 29, 2021 7 minutes ago, Keith Addenbrooke said: I think there’s kudos to be recognised in hand-laying bespoke trackwork like this when it’s for use in a fiddle yard (instead of just buying a double slip to be done with it). Well done. Many years ago now, when I was working for a precision engineering company, we worked out just how much was being spent on tools and jigs that were being made to the same standards as the high-tech products they supported - it was just assumed that everything would be done to the same level of quality, Keith. Thanks Keith. The trouble with buying a double slip, let's say Peco Electrofrog for the sake of argument, is that the actual radius through the slip roads is only about 24" which is far tighter than my minimum of 30". Add to that the price (about GBP 50 plus postage) and you can start to see why I haven't bought a ready-made point for well over 40 years, since my good friends at Leeds MRS taught me (an impoverished student) how to make them. 11 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted August 29, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 29, 2021 18 hours ago, ian said: Bureaucracy at its best. Or logic at its worst? Apparently, according to the letter issued on the WR, the decision was made 'because of the comparatively small number of passenger stock vehicles fitted only with through pipes'. Quite how that justified such a change I am at a loss to understand because if nothing else it meant repainting the standpipes on all passenger stock let alone the freight vehicles. No wonder the Railway Executive was sometimes regarded as being a long way detached from the real management and everyday running of the railway. 5 2 7 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium St Enodoc Posted August 30, 2021 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted August 30, 2021 (edited) On 29/08/2021 at 02:23, The Stationmaster said: I agree - definitely a case of yes/no/maybe for piped vans although officially they should have been bauxite if the standard colour scheme was correctly applied. The fitted vans should definitely have been bauxite in BR days. Don't forget of course that the colour of the standpipres was changed in April 1952 and then implemented as vehices passed through shops. The same colour codes also applied to Westinghouse brake pipes and would appear to have been an RCH standard until the Railway Executive decided to change it. I wonder how long the changeover took in view of what it involved? Pre 1952 change - braked vehicle - black standpipe; piped vehicle - red standpipe Post 1952 change - braked vehicle - red standpipe'. piped vehicle - white standpipe http://www.gwr.org.uk/nobrakes.html tells us that: "Some of the members of the following diagrams were fitted with through pipes (and thus becoming telegraphic code 'Toad A'): AA2, AA5, AA6, AA11, AA15, AA20. All of AA7, AA9 and AA10 were so fitted. These vehicles did not have a vacuum cylinder, although AA5s were fitted with a cylinder in the 1900s. AA21 was fitted with full vacuum brake gear, with a cylinder, and had screw couplings. A few of the AA23 vans became fully-fitted in BR days." B950609 was an AA23 so, based on the above, it was either unfitted or fitted but not piped. I think it's fair to conclude that in the former case it would have been grey and in the latter bauxite. As the model is grey, the pipes will therefore have to come off in due course. The perils of buying second-hand! Edited August 30, 2021 by St Enodoc 1 4 1 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium St Enodoc Posted August 30, 2021 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted August 30, 2021 Having made all the parts over a few evenings last week, I built 709 point tonight. This is the last one for the Porthmellyn Road end of Polperran. Before the mood deserts me, I'll try to build the last two for Polperran and the third one for Treloggan Junction so that they're ready to use when I need them. Those for Pentowan will wait until the baseboards are built and the track plan finalised. 15 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Chamby Posted August 30, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 30, 2021 (edited) For information and possible interest to mid-Cornwall readers... Modelmaster Jackson Evans have a 50% sale on this weekend. Ends tomorrow, Tuesday. Edited August 30, 2021 by Chamby 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Popular Post St Enodoc Posted September 3, 2021 Author RMweb Premium Popular Post Share Posted September 3, 2021 (edited) I laid 709 points, 9 road and the headshunt today. While the glue was setting, I finished off the wiring for 707 and 708 points and roads 7 and 8. I then fitted the point motor to 709 points, connected it to the accessory bus and programmed it. I also fitted the remaining droppers, so all I need to do for the right-hand Porthmellyn Road) end of Polperran to be operational is to connect the feeders to the droppers and to the point motor. Although it will be operational, it won't be complete until I install and program the Mini-Panel foe the route-setting. I don't need to do that until a) the left-hand (Pentowan) end is laid and wired; and b) I'm ready to run between Polperran and Pentowan, as the only trains that use the Treloggan Junction Loop, apart from locos turning, are the long china-clay trains. Here it all is, with the headshunt on the right. Edited June 29, 2022 by St Enodoc images restored 23 8 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Stubby47 Posted September 3, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 3, 2021 Can I ask why you don't make your own track for the off-scene sidings ? 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium St Enodoc Posted September 3, 2021 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted September 3, 2021 2 minutes ago, Stubby47 said: Can I ask why you don't make your own track for the off-scene sidings ? Very simple, Stu - time and effort. It's easier to use flexible track but, as you can see, once I'm clear of all the pointwork I use Peco which is cheaper than SMP. I did the same at Paddington and Penzance too. 7 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Tim Dubya Posted September 3, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 3, 2021 1 hour ago, St Enodoc said: ... I use Peco which is cheaper than SMP. I did the same at Paddington and Penzance too. Do you know if the rail head is finer on the SMP compared to Peco etc? I got a bargain box and a half of OO SMP from eBay years ago and had heard the profile is thinner than other code 75. I'm toying with the idea of using the Peco bullhead medium radius points when they arrive (as a back up in case I completely loose my {dodgy} point building abilities and give up again) and thinking about compatibility of the rail.... or I just get me files out Cheers 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium St Enodoc Posted September 3, 2021 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted September 3, 2021 32 minutes ago, Tim Dubya said: Do you know if the rail head is finer on the SMP compared to Peco etc? I got a bargain box and a half of OO SMP from eBay years ago and had heard the profile is thinner than other code 75. I'm toying with the idea of using the Peco bullhead medium radius points when they arrive (as a back up in case I completely loose my {dodgy} point building abilities and give up again) and thinking about compatibility of the rail.... or I just get me files out Cheers Tim, my Peco is flat bottom, not bullhead. The rails join to SMP with Peco fishplates. What you have to watch is the overall height. The Peco is about 1mm taller than SMP, so I lay the SMP on 3mm cork and the Peco on 2mm cork. 8 1 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Tim Dubya Posted September 3, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 3, 2021 Cheers, I like a bit of meddling 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin S-C Posted September 3, 2021 Share Posted September 3, 2021 On 25/08/2021 at 13:15, The Stationmaster said: However you will be required to ballast ... the scenically visible parts of the layout leading to it. So... everything then. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
aardvark Posted September 4, 2021 Share Posted September 4, 2021 14 hours ago, St Enodoc said: I laid 709 points I knew your layout was big, but I didn't know it was that big. 2 3 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Popular Post St Enodoc Posted September 4, 2021 Author RMweb Premium Popular Post Share Posted September 4, 2021 (edited) At last the right-hand end of Polperran is fully operational. After I'd tested all the routes and tidied up a bit I decided to start working through the sequence again. Train 7 is the first long china-clay train of the day, so I ran that through non-stop from Tregissey to St Dennis Junction. At what I estimated to be a scale speed of about 20-25 mph, it took just over three real minutes to complete the trip. Once it had arrived I crane shunted the loco and brake van so that it is ready to form train 14, the 0545 St Dennis Junction - Tregissey, next time. All very satisfying. In other news, a parcel from Kernow arrived yesterday with one of the new Dapol Foster Yeoman O&K hoppers in it. This is another addition to my "heritage" fleet, which represents a selection of trains that I've had something to do with during my working life. The Foster Yeoman connection dates back to the late 1990s, when the company I worked for was engaged to audit the maintenance of the two O&K fleets (which were operated and maintained, but not owned, by Foster Yeoman). Every three months I would drive from home in East Sussex to Merehead, staying overnight at the George in Nunney, right opposite the castle (another of the ruins that Cromwell knocked about a bit and which, like so many, is named after a GWR locomotive). Nice work if you can get it, as Ira Gershwin wrote. Edited June 29, 2022 by St Enodoc images restored 28 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium TrevorP1 Posted September 4, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 4, 2021 49 minutes ago, St Enodoc said: In other news, a parcel from Kernow arrived yesterday with one of the new Dapol Foster Yeoman O&K hoppers in it. This is another addition to my "heritage" fleet, which represents a selection of trains that I've had something to do with during my working life. The Foster Yeoman connection dates back to the late 1990s, when the company I worked for was engaged to audit the maintenance of the two O&K fleets (which were operated and maintained, but not owned, by Foster Yeoman). Every three months I would drive from home in East Sussex to Merehead, staying overnight at the George in Nunney, right opposite the castle (another of the ruins that Cromwell knocked about a bit and which, like so many, is named after a GWR locomotive). Nice work if you can get it, as Ira Gershwin wrote. I often saw the Foster Yeoman trains near my old home in Hampshire. The 1990s seem like yesterday but so long ago at the same time... 1 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now