Christmas Day Milk Train 2017

[dunnyrail]

Since my line has been up and running I have run an annual Xmas Day Milk Train for the neighbours. It started here as everyone in the Street was interested in all the Building Materials arriving and wondered what was going on. So I started in 2013 when I had a Circuit to use and have continued each year since. I also do some Gluewine for after to warm the guests which always goes down well. I started with the Jamie Oliver recipe but this has now beeen adopted to my own, different every year!

The pics above show the set up and getting Stock ready. Roundhouse Stanley officiated this year, for some reason Jack would not fire up. But I always Steam up or attempt to steam up 2 Locomotives just in case!

Pics below show the gang in the Garden. Never managet to count the number but I reckon we get 30-40 in.


Needless to say Barney gets into the act with next doors granddaughter. He does enjoy all the fuss and new friends that he makes.

Thanks to Lily and Colin for some of the pics, always a bit tricky for me whilst driving the Train. Merry Christmas all.

 

[Henri]

Nice!!!

 

[pugwash]

Good to see several junior possible enthusiasts there, maybe some of the kiddies too

 

[mike]

That's a fantastic idea and a great way to get folks intrested

 

[stevedenver]

looks like a fun day. quite a garden indeed.

Jon, i noticed in another thread that you have the Pola g turntable on your layout.

Is it weather worthy? Always thought micro crud would foul it .
Ive always thought mine fiddly, and subject to lost bits, ball bearings, track contacts, fussy electronics motors gears etc etc so never put it out.

 

[Zerogee]

Looks like you had a great day, JonD!

Jon.

 

[dunnyrail]

Jon, i noticed in another thread that you have the Pola g turntable on your layout.

Is it weather worthy? Always thought micro crud would foul it .
Ive always thought mine fiddly, and subject to lost bits, ball bearings, track contacts, fussy electronics motors gears etc etc so never put it out.

Not on my layout was on the Ruschgahn though the space where it was is now on my current line but with plain track. To be honest it was not really suitable for outside us for the folowing reasons:-

- Where the table ballanced there were Ball Bearings with spacers. Crud continually got in here causing the Table to jam up.

- Through sheer luck we only lost a couple of Ball Bearings but luckily had a few spares.

- Some of the spacers got broken and this was a real problem, I bodged them back together with a soldering iron and wire but they were never the same.

- Rail to Rail Contacts/Wipers these were constantly getting bent out of shape and had to be replaced or bent back in shape. Again we did have a few spares.

- Motor and Turning Mechanism. The gears on this were quite small and not really up to the task together with crud getting in they only lasted barely 3 or 5 running sessions with around 6 or 8 uses each session.

So you see for outside use I could not recommend it, but will probably be fine if you can find an indoor location. Where it might work is if you can fit it at the end of a Station for a run round with some tracks going off at 90 degrees. This is how we used it on the Ruschbahn.

 

[dunnyrail]

Looks like you had a great day, JonD!

Jon.

Yes always a fun hour or so but very busy doing it on your own! I checked my CCTV on Boxing Day and 51 people came through into the Garden. I had though it to be 35-40 and maybee not quite so many as before. Never been able to count before as the CCTV only apeared early this year.

 

[Paul M]

Looks like a great way to start the day and meet the neighbours.

 

[stevedenver]

Thanks jon. Exactly the things i thought about.

 

[playmofire]

That's a great Christmas Day tradition you've started; long may it continue!