Wantage Tramway No.5

Ian Matthews

Ian Matthews

Member
spikey faz said:
Hi Ian

I think I found one of two of the pictures you took while doing a Google search for info on No.5. This is however the first I've seen them with the others and also the video. Fantastic! Really inspirational for me. I've got to see this project through to the end.

I've got a few bottles of wine to experiment on with lead foil. :)

I'm still not sure about colour, but erring towards green at the moment. I'm only building the loco, not the Wantage Tramway. No.5 has simply been sold to the Findon Limeworks and I guess they fancied a change of colour.

Mike
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Hi Mike,

I think I’m right in saying that the last time N0.5 ‘Jane’ was in steam was at Shildon for Rail 150 in 1975. Here are a couple of YouTube links with Jane in steam. The first video is at about 5 minutes, the second about 2:40. Enjoy!


 
oldravendale

oldravendale

Western Thunderer
I remember it really well - I woz there. A superbly enjoyable day and the first time I'd seen quite a few of the locos. I particularly remember "Morayshire" as I'd been bought the Trix Twin D49 (laughably called) model as a child but never seen one in life. It wasn't until years later I realised how expensive that loco was and what a lucky little chap I was to own one at the time.

Happily all my Trix Twin stuff went to a collector so remains in good hands.

Brian
 
Ian Matthews

Ian Matthews

Member
oldravendale said:
I remember it really well - I woz there. A superbly enjoyable day and the first time I'd seen quite a few of the locos. I particularly remember "Morayshire" as I'd been bought the Trix Twin D49 (laughably called) model as a child but never seen one in life. It wasn't until years later I realised how expensive that loco was and what a lucky little chap I was to own one at the time.

Happily all my Trix Twin stuff went to a collector so remains in good hands.

Brian
Click to expand...

I was at RAF Cosford in training having joined the RAF a couple months before. I come only a few miles from Shildon, and had an invite to attend the weekend... unfortunately, Pink Floyd at Knebworth won the tussle for my (very) limited funds....
 
oldravendale

oldravendale

Western Thunderer
Hi Ian.

That would have been an enormous mental tussle for me as well! However, a bit later daughter and I went to see PF at Earls Court for the Division Bell Tour when Pulse was recorded. I remember that the scaffolding stands had fallen down a day or two before - I was in the USA and flew home for the concert. We thought it wouldn't go ahead, but it did.

Great memories.

Sorry for the thread diversion yet again. I'll give myself a good talking to.......

Brian
 
spikey faz

spikey faz

Western Thunderer
Ian Matthews said:
Hi Mike,

You’re very welcome to the images and a PDF celebrating ‘Jane’s’ 125th birthday. Rather than clog up Western Thunder with image files etc., do you want to contact me outside of the group? imatts047@googlemail.com I’ll make the images available either by email or Cloud access.

Here in NZ the Covid-19 outbreak is all but over. We have just gone to Level 2, which means back to the office for me on Monday. The good news is shops and restaurants are open, and I can get a half-decent haircut! :rolleyes: We’re looking on at the UK from NZ and wondering what on earth is going on? It looks like the UK is going to be stuck with severe restrictions on movement for a while yet.

Ian
Click to expand...

Hi Ian

I've just sent you an email.

Cheers
Mike
 
spikey faz

spikey faz

Western Thunderer
Operating gear for the steam-cocks starting to take shape. I recently acquired some 145° solder which has made the soldering of some these little parts just that bit easier.

The handrail is hollow like the prototype to allow the operating rod to pass through it. For about one nanosecond I considered making this operational...
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Mike
 
spikey faz

spikey faz

Western Thunderer
I've (hopefully) finished off the operating linkages on the front of the cylinders. Have now been trial-fitting the brakes and operating gear. Very much a work in progress as I'm checking clearances from the wheels. 14ba nuts and bolts are temporarily holding the brake hangers in place,but these may end up as a permanent solution as I want to be able to adjust the brakes and be able to remove the push rods to aid wheel access/removal. Anyway, here's a few more pictures.

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Mike
 
spikey faz

spikey faz

Western Thunderer
By the way, I know the slidebars look a bit wayward in the above photos but I've just checked/measured and they seem ok. Maybe my wonky camera? Good excuse Mike!! :p

Have a good evening

Mike
 
Ian Matthews

Ian Matthews

Member
Hi Mike, I think I see what you mean by the angle of the slide bars; the seem to be heading down hill toward the cylinder... camera angle optical illusion perhaps?
 
spikey faz

spikey faz

Western Thunderer
I think the ride height needs a slight tweak. I've also noticed the footplate is not sitting tight on the chassis. I'm hoping this accounts for the sidebars looking slightly out. Until the loco body is secured to the footplate I'm not going to start any adjustments. It does however seem to run smoothly, so that's a bonus! :)

Mike
 
spikey faz

spikey faz

Western Thunderer
While I wait for some 16ba nuts and bolts to arrive (going to hopefully use the on the brake gear) I thought I'd do a bit of the cab controls. I must admit that my enthusiasm for this project is flagging a bit. I look at what I've achieved and not all of it is that good. I think the whole lockdown/Coronavirus situation is getting to me. I might break out my G-scale locos and have a play! :)
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20200522_163553.jpg
Mike
 
spikey faz

spikey faz

Western Thunderer
oldravendale said:
Tell you what, Mike. I wish I could do that! It's a lovely thing and you need to know how much this stuff is appreciated.

Personally I hope you'll keep going with this project. You're so near completion that I hope we'll all see the final result.

Keep safe.

Brian
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Hi Brian
I really appreciate your kind words. :) I think I sometimes need to take a step back from my projects and chill out a bit. I will get it finished, but progress may be a bit erratic at times. One of my previous loco builds was a Scale7 Doxford crane loco which I started about 15 years ago but only completed this year! :eek: Don't worry, No.5 will be finished this year.
Take care
Mike
 
adrian

adrian

Flying Squad
spikey faz said:
I must admit that my enthusiasm for this project is flagging a bit. I look at what I've achieved and not all of it is that good. I think the whole lockdown/Coronavirus situation is getting to me. I might break out my G-scale locos and have a play!
Click to expand...
As they say sometimes a change is as good as a rest and we all need to have a bit of fun. However the cleanliness, pipework and detailing on that back-head is superb - very impressive so it would be good to see it finished, but yes you do need to be in the right frame of mind to continue at that standard.
 
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