Looking at the above photos reminds of a little story. Living in Bromley south London the local club was making a model of HAwkhurst which has an under bridge. To gather details I made several trips to the site of Brastead (Westerham Branch line)station which has an under bridge, as and when required. a 10 minute journey. Making another trip for detail info I turned a corner and every thing was flattened under the foundations of the M25. The appearance of such a vast open space was disturbing rather like being tranported to another planet.
Blacker Lane Disposal Point NCBOE (4mm/OO)
- Thread starter Dave
- Start date
Dave
Western Thunderer
I've done a slow running test with mine. I was going to see how long it would take to run 1ft. but after one minute on notch one of 28 (its DCC) it ran so slowly that it only travelled 27mm and I stopped the test. I don't think that I have any other locos that can go so slow. Some don't even begin to move until notch 4, so this is very good. The flat out top speed seems quite realistic but I haven't attempted to actually measure it.
Dave
Western Thunderer
Progress with the barge.
As can be seen from the photo above, the chute on the front of the tipper house had to be removed to be relocated to a higher position as I had placed it before having a barge. I tried to remove the front of the building to alter just the front but it wouldn't come away in once piece and so the entire building had to be removed to fix it.
It was then that I decided to go back to the original staithe. As I will no longer be using loose coal loads the working tipper house had become a hindrance in removing the loads by THOG, so going back to the staithe makes sense. The staithe is also more in keeping with British Oak as it is based on the 1969 Qualter Hall-built staithe that was put in in order to allow the use of 21-ton hoppers. I will keep the RCH minerals but these will be used to run to an off-scene Landsales yard or in other words the Fiddle Yard.
It will need a substantial buffer stop to prevent operator error causing a train to take a dive off the end.
As can be seen from the photo above, the chute on the front of the tipper house had to be removed to be relocated to a higher position as I had placed it before having a barge. I tried to remove the front of the building to alter just the front but it wouldn't come away in once piece and so the entire building had to be removed to fix it.
It was then that I decided to go back to the original staithe. As I will no longer be using loose coal loads the working tipper house had become a hindrance in removing the loads by THOG, so going back to the staithe makes sense. The staithe is also more in keeping with British Oak as it is based on the 1969 Qualter Hall-built staithe that was put in in order to allow the use of 21-ton hoppers. I will keep the RCH minerals but these will be used to run to an off-scene Landsales yard or in other words the Fiddle Yard.
It will need a substantial buffer stop to prevent operator error causing a train to take a dive off the end.
Dave
Western Thunderer
The hopper/chute was made from Plastikard and was a more complex shape than I first thought. The railings around the edge are brass wire with stanchions made from brass sheet.
The hand winch that controlled the angle of the chute needs to be made and fitted, as does the one for the hopper door. There is also a tin shelter to be added and apart from that it needs only to be weathered before I can install it properly and reinstate the surface of the canal side.
The hand winch that controlled the angle of the chute needs to be made and fitted, as does the one for the hopper door. There is also a tin shelter to be added and apart from that it needs only to be weathered before I can install it properly and reinstate the surface of the canal side.
Dave
Western Thunderer
It's mostly done now. It needs properly bedding in, with the gaps filled in around it, and part of the sleeper retaining wall needs to be replaced.
No progress on the barge though.
I have, or had, some NCB transfers that would have completed the 21-ton hopper but they've gone AWOL. I've searched the shed for them but can't find them. Sod's law says that as soon as I order replacements they'll turn up! I will need 3 more hoppers to make up a train for the staithe run.
No progress on the barge though.
I have, or had, some NCB transfers that would have completed the 21-ton hopper but they've gone AWOL. I've searched the shed for them but can't find them. Sod's law says that as soon as I order replacements they'll turn up! I will need 3 more hoppers to make up a train for the staithe run.
Dave
Western Thunderer
What is it that you hate about working on 350s, Matt?
Matt.S.
Western Thunderer
Everything had been well and truly bodged by the time I took a spanner to the pair we had at Bristol. Electrically and mechanically there were a lot of surprises lurking.
I'm also not sure that they ever had a good clean behind the usual handbash on the bodywork so most of the underframe was black sludge so any task became a messy one.
Tyre turning was time consuming task too. Rods off, motors demeshed then find something to take it to the lathe followed by jacking axles to get the wheelsets realigned accurately enough to get the rods back on...
The less said about brake blocking the better. The ideal candidate needs someone they trust not to drop the block and break their fingers.
You should be pleased. Looks great.
Dave
Western Thunderer
Teddy Bears picnic.
D9513 and D9531 worked at British Oak for a few years in the early 1970s before moving to Ashington, where I understand they spent the rest of their working lives until both were preserved. I really can't stand the things but I had to have them. I still don't understand why they're known as Class 14 when they were all sold or scrapped before BR started to use TOPS numbering.
D9513 and D9531 worked at British Oak for a few years in the early 1970s before moving to Ashington, where I understand they spent the rest of their working lives until both were preserved. I really can't stand the things but I had to have them. I still don't understand why they're known as Class 14 when they were all sold or scrapped before BR started to use TOPS numbering.
Because the TOPS system and class designations date from sometime at the end of the 1960s but locomotives were not renumbered in accordance with that system until several years later.
daifly
Western Thunderer
Same with the North British Type 2s which were never, ever referred to as Class 21, 22 or 29 except by people who 'weren't there'!
Dave
Dan Randall
Western Thunderer
Heather Kay
Western Thunderer
Whatever they’re called, isn't there some Western Thunder rule about posting images of the real thing and pretending they’re of models? 
Seriously, the locos under the bridge took me a second to spot it wasn’t twelve inches to the foot scale. Wow!
Seriously, the locos under the bridge took me a second to spot it wasn’t twelve inches to the foot scale. Wow!
cmax
Western Thunderer
This is a great photograph of the real thing.......I passed the very same spot on Friday Afternoon obviously minus track and loco's, but you have captured the spot excellently, great modelling.
Gary