4mm OLD MILLS is up in the air!

[RonnieS]

After Rob and I had agreed on the purchase of Old Mills. I tried to hire a van. At over 70 not easy! I found someone eventually and collected it. 185 mile trip (and the same back) It had been some years since I had driven a "Transit" and after a few miles was puzzled by the 6 flashing on the dashboard? Duh! sixth gear! Quickly solved and an uneventful trip. Never used sixth on the way back and 6 never flashed fully laden!

So this was the first train round "Shooting Star" (wearing the lamps and head code for the Cardiff-Portsmouth Harbour on 40 coal trucks!

 

[RonnieS]

A Tony Wright Photo. He also painted the backscene.

 

[RonnieS]

And another from Mr Peabody

 

[RonnieS]

The fiddle yard in operation at a show. Each road is divided. Road 1 into 3 trains and 2 to 11 inclusive, into 2. So as each train moves out another shuffles up to take its place. This allows for 23 trains. There are also 4 railcar (or auto train) spurs. I run a class 121, a AEC "Flying Banana"and a 14xx in these. In my sequence these 3 each run twice. Making 29 moves in the Timetable.

 

[RonnieS]

This is it just after I first got it set it up

 

[RonnieS]

An overall shot from the same time. It's changed a bit now!!!!!!!

 

[RonnieS]

The mods (done during the lockdown) included Making road 12 into a test loop. Previously, in Wolverhampton days, it was only accessible from under the bridge next to the loco shed. This route connects with the scenic break, shown above, 360 degrees and 50 feet later. There are 3 (previously 2) kickback sidings on this route representing Old Mills and Springfield collierys.The new connection between roads 11 and 12 shortened both roads 11 and 10 but...........................By eliminating point 34 and fitting point 34A, road 11 is the same length as before and road 10 now holds 2 trains each 2 wagons longer.

 

[RonnieS]

Behind the scenic break (Bristol end) as mentioned above

and behind the other end. The line on the extreme right emerges back into the sunlight under the bridge next to the locoshed.

 

[RonnieS]

The scenic break 'tother (Bristol) end.

 

[RonnieS]

A diverted Castle hauled Milk train (the work of my good buddy Rob Kinsey) rushes through. Why haven't I changed the loco to tender coupling?
You may have noticed the train held in the loop? Enparts wagons. The load in the EnWheels wagon is only temporary.

 

[RonnieS]

Aeroplane view of overall.
Evening Star on running in turn of 40+ wagons. Th headshunt seems short but it's prototypical!

 

[RonnieS]

The fiddle yard again.
I have to resize photographs to be able to post on here. Some seem better and some seem worse than the originals?

 

[RonnieS]

Up on the embankment

 

[Osgood]

Will you (eventually) be able to get a good view of Old Mills Colliery from up on the embankment?

 

[RichardG]

I have to resize photographs to be able to post on here. Some seem better and some seem worse than the originals?

Try taking your camera outdoors and photographing something in the distance. If the picture is sharp, this suggests the camera focus is stuck on infinity in your photos today. Possibly, you have accidentally switched off the autofocus? Worth looking at the focus auto/manual switch if there is one.

 

[RonnieS]

Will you (eventually) be able to get a good view of Old Mills Colliery from up on the embankment?

If you mean do I intend to model the colliery? Then no. As it stands the colliery is in the fiddle yard and out of sight to a viewer on the scenic side. This equates to a trainspotter standing behind the railway boundary far side of the line from loco shed area.

Rob and the Wolverhampton guys operated it with 3 people at exhibitions. One on front main line dutes, one on "shuffle" and fiddle yard and one shunting and colliery work. However I have zero interest in shunting so the sidings are a static exhibit. I just do the mainline running as I can operate the fiddle yard and front at once. Any visitors can do either as they so wish.

 

[Osgood]

Oh well, I had to try given my interest in all things industrial.
Managed to pick up a copy of RM 101 Nov 2015 yesterday - well worth having the whole article

 

[RonnieS]

Cheers Tony
I could shunt if I wanted as a lot of my older wagons are fitted Spratt & Winkle like this 1 door ex GWR 21 tonner
But now I just use a hook and bar made from 0.5mm wire like this one
I have no excuse for this. It is just a memory from my Wolverhampton area childhood.

Although I already had far more wagons than I can display I built another 50 during the lockdown.
including 4 more minerals! I still have a dozen unbuilt kits awaiting the next lockdown!

 

[RonnieS]

Talking of more wagons than I can run. One train is 18 fish vans but I recently put 3 on a local as a "tail end Charlie"Parkside, Ratio and Cambrian. The middle one is from a photo in a David Larkin book and didn't exist officially!
However it did in reality so? It's a Ratio banana van and really should have a 10' 6" wheelbase but nobody has spotted it.

 

[RonnieS]

Try taking your camera outdoors and photographing something in the distance. If the picture is sharp, this suggests the camera focus is stuck on infinity in your photos today. Possibly, you have accidentally switched off the autofocus? Worth looking at the focus auto/manual switch if there is one.

Ah, Thanks for this I think it reset after a battery change. I must read the instructions!