A Garden Railway Pipedream: the odyssey continues

isambardme

Western Thunderer
T'was a brilliant day, something for everyone. We even had two locos running separately on the same track at one time, all under Spoerer/Fosworks remote control. Living dangerously! Perhaps one day double heading might be trialled...

Allan's new Accucraft Adams Radial, seen in the photo, performed well on it's first run at this line. I gather that a rake of matching salmon pink & brown coaches have now been ordered to complement the loco. Excellent.

Later in the day I ran my regauged 16mm Russell with a mixed FR rake in various liveries. One of the I.P.coaches was a little wider than the others and came within a few mm of the sidewalls of the new 'Devil's Gulch' rock(ery) feature. Woe betide any passengers so foolish as to put their heads out of the windows!

Note to driver - remember 16mm speed restriction in that area!

Cheers,

Steve
 
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Dikitriki

Flying Squad
Hi,

I have been sent a short video of the Radial tank running. Allan will acquire 3 x salmon pink and chocolate coaches when they are made available, and it will look a fine sight. In truth, Allan did very well keeping the radial going on what was his and its first track run ever!


I have also been sent a futher picture of the Bulleid

Bulleid run.jpg

Richard
 

isambardme

Western Thunderer
It couldn't have been a better day yesterday. The sun shone on a very attractive garden which just happened to have a railway winding through it. Great conversation was had with old friends under the shade of a kindly overhanging tree.

It was mainly a day for excellent tank engine runs. As Richard has noted, they just need gas (usually), oil & water & they go. Simples! Sit, watch & they run...No messing with chasing around,repeatedly checking boiler water levels, adjusting how much water is being pumped into the boiler & how much water is by passed back to the tender, not to mention the fine art of wick adjustment for meths powered locos.

Anyway, my Accucraft Prairie glided smoothly round hauling four BR mk 1's. These coaches were then hooked up to test out Richard's new Bowande M7.
The M7 had three runs, the best being it's final run where it seemed as if the driver was determined to break Mallard's speed record and bring it to the Southern! I must say that my heart was in my mouth, fearing for the safely of my mk 1's, but I am pleased to say the track work was well up to coping with such high speeds! Seriously,Richard can be well pleased with the performance of that M7, very smooth & powerful, it looks great too. (Who said just like the real thing?)
Our visitor Richard had brought his German coaches, which had just been fitted with roller bearings to improve the running of the somewhat weighty all metal rake. The German Aster Pacific tasked with pulling the train has been factory fitted with an unusual ceramic wick system. This system may need further adjustment / modification so that a longer run can be achieved in future. My G1MCo Brit also only achieved a short run. I have been adjusting it's wicks on my rolling road to give a 40 minute run, but in real load running conditions I think I will have to adjust the wicks to give a hotter fire and a better performance hauling a reasonable load.
Having successfully clearance tested my L & B bogie coaches through Richard's 'Rockies' (phew!), the afternoon finished with us all pleasantly chatting, while my 16mm L & B Lew ran competently round, hauling L & B bogie coaches & an L & B van. Roger did say there was something rather special about 16mm, like that Southern train, in a garden setting. I quite agree!
A brilliant time was had by all.

Cheers,

Steve
 
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Dikitriki

Flying Squad
Hi,

A brief video of yesterday's running.


This was the M7's first run, so I just let it run, It was 'singing' a bit, but by the third run, I'd worked out the gas supply a bit better and it was pretty quiet. I shall try to see some slower running next time now I am more familiar with it's characteristics.

Richard
 

isambardme

Western Thunderer
The M7 looks great to me - it's the L&B at those speeds that would have me concerned! :eek:

Hi, I think this video shows the M7 on it's second run. I believe the M7's speed record third run was sadly not captured on video for posterity. ( Any rumours that Richard wants to repaint his M7 in Garter Blue with go faster stripes are I understand without foundation! )
Steve
 

isambardme

Western Thunderer
There's no video.
It didn't happen:p

Hmmm... I can just see the headline in the railway modelling press- 'M7 BEATS MALLARD'S SPEED RECORD IN GAUGE 1 TRIALS'. Renowned and respected railway modeller Richard apparently ran his new M7 at very high speeds at a private meet on his garden line.

The trouble is no video survives and the only three witnesses have been bribed to keep quiet with promises of copious amounts of cake!
Are readers to believe he would do such a thing, or is this all a ridiculous fabrication of lies? Will this all become a legend, which folks will talk about in hushed voices for years to come...?

Only you can decide, but if , one day, you are approached by someone with a conspiratorial gleam in his eyes asking to borrow your coaches for a little run, beware!
Don't say I didn't warn you as a repeat fast test run could just happen! Watch this space...:)

Steve
 
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Dikitriki

Flying Squad
Hi,

Another hot running day yesterday. There was a distinctly southern feel in places.

Here's a video of the live steam - M7 and Adams' Radial. I managed to get a 19 1/2 minute run from the M7 which I was very pleased with. It did get faster as time went on, but I hope to fit radio control to the regulator this week which should make it easier to, well, regulate.


Richard
 

isambardme

Western Thunderer
Hi,

Another hot running day yesterday. There was a distinctly southern feel in places.

Here's a video of the live steam - M7 and Adams' Radial. I managed to get a 19 1/2 minute run from the M7 which I was very pleased with. It did get faster as time went on, but I hope to fit radio control to the regulator this week which should make it easier to, well, regulate.


Richard

A great running day was had with good mates. Lots of German dcc, radio control battery powered British stock including a Merchant Navy and tank engine live steam as in Richard's video. Later, my Prairie managed to pull 9 coaches well, although running time was of course less than usual. A brilliant time was had by all, we had to move at times out of the hot sun !
We made the most of the day, being aware that autumn is not so far away, not to mention the risk of possible lockdown again at some time in the future. We certainly live in interesting times!
Steve
 

isambardme

Western Thunderer
Looks great, wish I could have been there. (Had arranged to see son in Wells.) Very pleased to see Richard S's Aster performing so well with those heavy german coaches. A really sunny day too. Are we getting an Indian summer?
Steve
 

Dikitriki

Flying Squad
Hi,

Steve and I had an ad hoc afternoon steam up on Wednesday.

I had R/C fitted the M7 - I could only get the servo in the loco, the rest of the gubbins went in the support coach. I also ran the wiring loom through to the front of the loco as well so I could run it either way round. I found that I didn't have to adjust the regulator too often, but I was able to stop the loco running away with itself. It also meant that it should self-start....and it did. I was very pleased with the result - great fun and good steam effects!


Steve had brought his Southern Q along to test, and that went well too.


Richard
 

isambardme

Western Thunderer
Richard and I had a great afternoon running session, just what I needed, live steam trains running in the rare autumn sun! As Linda noticed, seeing my pre loved Tom Barratt Q class steaming well on it's first proper track run brought a big smile to my face!
It seems to me that simple meths fired running, without the business of having to adjust and re- adjust a by pass valve has a certain basic simplicity and reliability that appeals!
Richard's M7 is performing well and looks good too, we both feel some running in has further improved her performance.
The colder weather certainly produces some good steam effects!
A shame it got dark so early, I guess winter is only round the corner. But here's to some winter running if possible - even better steam effects!

Steve
 
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isambardme

Western Thunderer
Richard and I had a great afternoon running session, just what I needed, live steam trains running in the rare autumn sun! As Linda noticed, seeing my pre loved Tom Barratt Q class steaming well on it's first proper track run brought a big smile to my face!
It seems to me that simple meths fired running, without the business of having to adjust and re- adjust a by pass valve has a certain basic simplicity and reliability that appeals!
Richard's M7 is performing well and looks good too, we both feel some running in has further improved her performance.
The colder weather certainly produces some good steam effects!
A shame it got dark so early, I guess winter is only round the corner. But here's to some winter running if possible - even better steam effects!

Steve


More time has passed, Richard, Allan & I managed to also get a last live steam running session in the day before Lockdown 2 . Richard's M7 got in some very good runs, the Adams Radial looked good in the sunshine we were occasionally blessed with. My SR Q class had another run on a freight train, as did the GWR Prairie, while my Midland Compound built from a Barrett Engineering kit had, as Richard said, the best run he has seen. I have fitted it with a Fosworks r/c set up operating the regulator by servo. It certainly cuts down the amount of rushing round adjusting the loco! As my mate Dave Hawker in Coventry says, r/c is the future, certainly for many meths powered locos .

We shall see whether Lockdown 2 is indeed lifted on 2nd Dec and whether the restrictions afterwards and the weather allow another run before Christmas. I live in hope!

Steve
 
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