Caradon Branch (2)

[Alec K]

Getting there, very gradually....

I decided to award myself a birthday treat and took advantage of a rain-free hour to assemble a 'local' train. It's the first time that the scratchbuilt Redlake Tramway coach and Lee Moor Tramway water tanker have run together and I think they look 'about right'. Given that the former prototype ran on 3' gauge and the latter on 4'6" gauge, that's quite surprising, but at least they both have a mineral line heritage.

I cured a long-term fault with their motive power last night: Lady Pamela, the 'OTTO' loco at head of the train, has not run smoothly from new, having suffered from a slight but marked lurch on every full wheel rotation. I used the LGB workshop diagrams to disassemble the loco, removed the motor cover and found that the worm gears were lifting slightly out of mesh with a change of direction. The inbuilt clamping supplied by the motor cover was not firm enough. I cut a piece of firm foam packing to fit immediately above the motor in the appropriate recess, then refixed the cover. Problem solved - I now have a smooth running and powerful little engine.

I also noted that the workshop diagrams show the dome/safety valve assembly and the sandbox assembly in the opposite positions on the boiler to that in which they were supplied from new. In fact, every OTTO picture I checked showed that the factory fixed them in the opposite order to that shown in the workshop manual. So my loco is now correct per the manual - and probably prototypically wrong! Unless, of course, someone on GSC knows better....

Best wishes,

Alec K

 

[C&S]

Interesting rolling stock prototypes; you're really putting together a good collection of lesser known British light railway stock, and even the Otto cihmes in surprisingly well.

I saw a close up picture of the Redlake coach many years ago but did not know anything much about the line. Presumably someone has now done the research and the details have been published.

 

[Alec K]

Many thanks, Giles!

We'll keep adding to the collection, steadily, as drawings or photos become available. The source I used for the Redlake Tramway coach was:

Wade, E A : The Redlake Tramway and China Clay Works, 1982, Truro, Twelveheads Press, ISBN 0 906294 09 6
Twelveheads have issued a second edition of this book with additional photographs, including some, I understand, of the elusive coach. There's reason to believe that the coach(-es) were constructed for the line, along with the motive power and goods wagons, by Kerr, Stuart.

The photographic source for the LMT water tanker was:

Taylor, R E: The Lee Moor Tramway, 1999, Truro, Twelveheads Press.
The tanker is a bit of a cheat, really, as it, and its partners, were actually only used as counterbalances on the Cann Incline.

All the best

Alec K

 

[Alec K]

We are well and truly autumn-bound now, and so I'm trying to record a number of small scenes on the line before the quality of the light fades. Two Pola figures by the crossing have given me particular encouragement to start the ballasting. The trackwork looks awful as it is. Note to self: check previous advice on GSC before purchase but don't delay....

Alec K

 

[Alec K]

Too much flash powder used by the official photographer, I'm afraid, but work continues late into the evening on the platform at 'Sandplace' to prepare it for tomorrow's Official Opening by the wife of the line's Principal Shareholder.

Best wishes,

Alec K

 

[Alec K]

Official Opening....

The Locomotive Superintendant of the Caradon Branch is pleased to report that at 6.00 pm this evening, the railway was formally opened in the presence of family and friends by the wife of the Principal Shareholder. The official 'first train' is seen here, hauled by Lady Pamela, breaking the banner at the 'Moorswater' level crossing, en route to 'Sandplace'.

Suitable refreshments were provided at the Company's expense.

Good night, all.

Alec k

 

[Alec K]

The central section of the Caradon Branch, well beyond my efforts to create a themed appearance, broke into the 21st century yesterday with the installation of automatic colour-light signalling. Two two-aspect signals are triggered by LGB 17100 track contacts, which drive a LGB 57500 relay/timer: the whole arrangement is connected by yards of wiring, which, after testing, I have been tying into a loom and clipping to the trackbed.

Testing with an unattached Massoth magnet triggered the signals perfectly. Tomorrow-Monday- is the trial run with the magnets attached to their respective locomotives. Wish me luck.

All the best

Alec K

 

[Steve]

Nice Pics , look forward to more

 

[yb281]

Lovely little railway.

 

[New Haven Neil]

Atmospheric shots as usual - keep 'em coming!

 

[Alec K]

Firstly, and most importantly, many thanks to Steve, Mel and Neil for their kind comments and encouragement. It's really good to receive feedback and helps the whole enterprise forward.

The Massoth magnets were attached to two locos last night, and by lunchtime today I had finally completed tidying the wiring loom and clipping it back into the switch building (aka The C and W Works). Having had ample time to evaluate this task whist sitting on a damp lawn tying the loom of wires together with multiple knots, I am now able to see the advantages of DCC.

I am pleased to report that the two locos do indeed trigger the automatic CLS exactly as LGB intended. The picture below was taken an hour ago of the Henschel diesel leaving the return loop and awaiting the 'green'. In fact, it had already received the 'green' which then timed out and reverted to red because I couldn't sprint across the lawn quickly enough after resetting the points and controller!

Lady Pamela is the other magnet-fitted loco and is approaching the junction at 'Sandplace' from 'Moorswater' with the 'up' singal seen earlier showing the correct aspect.

Lady Pamela is about to go beneath the Wheal Edith mine launder. This isn't a good picture because it's incredibly difficult to hold a steady shot crouched beneath the maple tree here, and so I will try another version with my own camera on a tripod here.

The Caradon Branch retains its semaphore signalling in the developing historical areas and the Henschel with a one-coach train is awaiting the clearing of the 'Moorswater' home signal. In the left mid-distance you can see the solar powered down distant, and beyond that the down CLS.

Next piece of work, while the weather holds, is the installation of a lineside diesel two-tone horn, which is hidden inside a small brick building, and triggered by a reed switch. And, yes, indeed I am thinking how I can prevent Lady Pamela masquerading as a diesel!

All the very best,

Alec K

 

[Gizzy]

Nice to see some working signalling on a railway Alex.

Look forward to seeing how your railway developes....

 

[CoggesRailway]

cracking job well done Alec....

 

[owlpool]

looking great
anticipating more

 

[Alec K]

Good evening, all - and may I begin by thanking everyone for their generous comments following my most recent post. I am drawing great inspiration from the technical 'how-to' threads (Mel's submission on battery control has really given me something to consider over the coming winter), the development threads on other people's railways, and those often inspirational pictures that have somehow captured a reality. Thank you, one and all.

I'm not adding to this thread for a little while now, in order to push forward with essential tidying of wiring, the laying of ballast, and more work on the two small historical cores so that I can create a bit of magic of my own. Quite how I capture the atmosphere of a decaying Cornish metal mining district in a small garden in the Midlands is a matter for conjecture!

A report-back I should make is that I did install the trackside diesel horn sound unit this afternoon. The housing is another module that I completed a year ago and it has awaited a firm location outside. I have also addressed the issue of Lady Pamela, a steam outline loco, triggering a sound intended really only for the Henschel diesel.

The housing for the sound unit is a scratchbuilt trackside relay room, whose design is copied from a photo of a prototype in current use. The loudspeaker is mounted vertically inside in a purposemade foamboard frame, and the 3 X 1.5v AAA batteries and circuit board are similarly fixed to the base, which is screwed to the trackbed. The building shell is a push fit onto the base, and is lifted clear for wiring and battery renewal; the shell is clad with Jackson's Miniatures brick sheet and has plastic card detailing. As I operate the Caradon Branch on a 'one-engine-in-steam' basis, just like the prototype, I simply switch off the sound unit when Lady Pamela is deployed! The old Hornby on-off lever switch visible beside the relay room has this function, and because it reminded me of an external lever frame, that is how it has been used. It has been weatherproofed as far as possible with WD40, graphite grease and anti-corrosion gel, so we will see how it fares.

Repainting, tidying the wiring (yawn...) and weathering of this whole scene are priorities.

This view from just below the nearby CLS shows the MUTR reed switch for the sound unit encased in the innards of a biro component and 'bluetacked' to a sleeper. It has passed the spare magnet test and triggers the sound.

Lots to do, then, so I'd better get on with it! I'm still thinning out the LGB rolling stock here so that I can fund a further move in the direction of the prototype, but there will always be room for vehicles that are just fun to run.

Good night!

Alec K

 

[Alec K]

Just catching up with 'life on the Caradon branch' now I'm much more mobile! I did promise to post pictures of the restoration work on the LGB Post Van and the 2-axle passenger car that I had purchased s/h some time ago. The pictures aren't wonderful, and were taken with my daughter's camera and not my own vintage 35mm Nikon, but I hope they show what I've managed to achieve. There's a clear debt owed to Transatlantic GSC members, as I hope they recognise. The interior of the Post Van was restored to near original condition, with new bulbs etc, and the set of brushes has been renewed. On an electrical bench test, the lighting in both the 'restored' vehicles functioned well.

Many thanks to Gizzy for his help in providing a couple of balcony gates for the coach!

Forgive the crude frost protection in the picture of 'Moorswater' above, but it has proved essential. This was the result of freezing fog a few days ago here in the Kingdom of the Mercians, with a layer of rime deposited on everything. I see we are due for another spell very shortly....

All the best

Alec K

 

[Gizzy]

Good to see that you are up and about again Alec....

 

[nicebutdim]

Very nice layout! With regards to the sound triggering from the diesel only, why not place the trigger to one side of the track and then place a magnet on either side of the loco (like behind the steps under the cab), then only the diesel will trip it?

 

[Alec K]

Many thanks for the good wishes, Gizzy. It's good to be able to do more and more each day, and of course, to plan more work on 'the line'. In that connection, thank you for the suggestion, Tim, re the sound trigger. We'll see what havoc the rest of the winter plays on it, and if necessary, I'll relocate it as you suggest with a bit more protection.

Kind regards

Alec

 

[LTfan]

Brilliant pics.

There's an extra little bit of GWR flavour about the colour light signal - having its head beside the post rather than on top of it.
Nice touch.

David