The Bigbee Line

Paul Thanks for that. Never really looked at the Peco version. Just recently purchased a couple of the underframes and was impressed with the quality and the extra parts. Any idea what wagons had the more solid axle guards? Thanks again Ernie

I found that when pushing by hand there was binding. Looking underneath I could see that one axle moved to one side and rubbed the brake block. Hopefully in normal running it should be ok. When back home I will try and see where the slack is coming from.

Whilst doing some internet wagon spotting I found this picture: https://rcts.zenfolio.com/rolling-stock/br/hA88287D7#ha87eefa9 On the RCTS site B15621 at Watford Junction 03/11/65. Does any one do the door as a spare in 7mm?

I was wondering if Maunsell might have considered an E1R style conversion for a few Terriers for Hayling Island.... I got a bargain 'Brighton' and only really need one shunter for Lancing Carriage Works... It would have given a bit more bunker capacity, maybe......

Quite an interesting topic with, as usual, some differing points of view. I was talking to a work colleague, not a modeller, who started with the NCB working on maintaining machinery rather than pure mining itself. His view on connections was to avoid solder and use crimps every time. That is from baby ones as we would use up to 1000 volt cables where the crimping tool is hydraulic because of the pressure required. I had the misfortune to have an ETH cable pull out on a loco and had to fix a new crimp on the short end of the cable that disappeared into the nose end of the loco. B@stard job, plus the orange boxes you see are aluminium alloy and all the bolts shear off.......

Big thanks for posting. Thinking about the rodding for Hayling Island, looks like cosmetic rodding, cranks and stools above the board and more robust working rodding underneath to do the job..

Excellent picture, are there any other pages, or any LBSC material Thanks Ernie

What scale? I’m looking at 7mm rodding.

Years ago I removed the traction tyres from a Lima Class 73, the razor flanges gained even more height. I took a file to the lima wheels, finishing off with the wheels motoring and a light touch to finish. The trick was to file down to a fence of some kind, I just used a handy piece of steel strip. Complete crude butchery, but it worked. Take a file, and take a chance

A lot of small suppliers are one man bands. Normally working flat out. We are lucky that they persevere. Well done chaps.

Progress continues on the station throat. Another piece of scrap ply has been found to provide more sub roadbed. The track now runs all the way to the baseboard joint where the platform will start. I've managed to make the curve slightly too tight. No big problem, I just need to ease it of by about 3/4" as shown by the arrow in this picture... Here is one of my new Dapol brake vans. I do like the look. It needs some weathering Finally Dads Morris J van is in the yard. He widened the frame of the ladder rack to make full width loading platform, for furniture.firewood etc

John, I pushed it up and down the layout tonight. It was not as free running as I thought it would have been. The wheel sets have considerable end float, more than in the ex Lionheart Minerals. However it looks just like the real thing. I really like the safety rails that are dropped down. If you climbed into a brake and they were up you could easily hit yourself, usually just above the nose. Boy did that hurt, but you only did it once. I did a few miles between Willesden and Lydd CEGB on the flask trains.

A couple of grey versions arrived today. Generally very nice. I'm not a fan of the pin point axles as on these the wheelsets were ever so slightly flapping in the wind. I prefer the brass parallel ends myself. However nothing that a good fettle will not cure. Well done Mr Dapol.

Not much modelling time tonight, I got diverted explaining the principles of a static grass applicator to Linda, I'm sure her eyes glazed over at some point... Not sure what my late fathers car is doing here... I can remember it well, the smell of the leather seats when it had been standing in the sun and the whine from the 3 speed box..... Happy days... Enough of the nostalgia. The track is progressing towards the next baseboard joint. As mentioned before the sub-roadbed (a term picked up from modelling US style) is 10mm ply and in the section shown, it will form a means to secure the cosmetic curved baseboard extension. More of that later... Finally a look back toward Havant. I've got just over 7 feet to the window for a fiddle yard.. Forgot to mention I decided to use the Gaugemaster DCC80 switching units for the live frogs. I don't need to think so hard about the wiring 6855

Terry The action of this crimper squeezes the crimp evenly on all 4 sides, I was most impressed by the action.

Thanks for that. I think it looks 'more agressive' than it actually is, as the ferrule did not need an immense amount of squeezing. Proof of the pudding and all that...

Thanks, that was just using a ferrule to hand on a handy piece of wire. In this case I bent the wire over to double it. We'll see how they fare in operation.

I've been thinking about how to work the points for the last few weeks. Looking at lever frames etc. Tried laying out the overscale peco OO version. Then tonight when setting out the trap points from the goods yard, I though.... Let's try a piece of wire... In my tool box I have some locking wire used on full sized trains. I piece was bent and with the end smoothed off it was inserted into a tie bar. With no support it still operated,, So far so good. Then I looked round for a piece of scrap plastic sheet to rough out a crank. Nothing in sight, but I chanced on a piece of vero board, hmmmmmm. A 3 hole by 3 hole square might be a useful test piece. It was cut out and with a peco track pin as a pivot the action was fine. Here is the test section. Close up of the crank in both positions Another shot showing the un-supported length that worked quite well. I have an idea to use the vero board to make some representative stools. I'll try putting that into practice tomorrow. Need to look through the pictures to spot the rodding runs on the prototype. here is the trap point lined up...

Crimping tool came in the post today. Quite impressed with the effect..

Happy days Simon, In the ferry the 'tappers' always had an oil bucket and brush handy, never saw a dry coupling. When the tunnel came along, nobody wanted to know about all the useful work they did.........

Duncan, What is the saw, looks good. Thanks Ernie

Duncan I had not really noticed until now.... If I were going to change the angle, I would gently saw the rail with a razor saw before fitting, to cut almost through, very gently bend and the apply a little solder to hold. I might even have a go tonight..... Another job to do.............

Depends how good the driver was. The guard could indicate to signal boxes that the train was in distress. That’s if there was a box......

All the while you had flames you were ok. When it stopped burning you knew all the oil was gone. Years ago the C&W walked a 16t minfit to Swanley. When we arrived in the siding the box was almost transparent with the heat. The station supervisor came out “you can’t leave that there” (in the up siding). “F@@k off, it’s staying where it is.....”

Reversing the side lamps to show reds to the driver........