Fallowfield Road 2019

[Chris Vernell]

Having assembled a batch of goods wagons with hook-and-link couplings, I reckoned I'd better get something to pull them, ...


... so I cut some styrene bits to fill the hole on the underside of the Playmobil shunter's loop couplings ...


... drilled holes, bent up hooks and glued them in ...


... checked them out with Brandbright chain and a Swift Sixteen hopper ...


... took the little train outdoors (here in its "quarry siding" home base) ...


... and ran it around for a while through the awakening landscape. Lotta weeding to do ...

... so now I have a loco that can haul wagons with hook-and-loop LGB style couplings and the new wagons with three-link couplings.

 

[playmofire]

A neat idea.

 

[Xav204]

Playmobil material still in the running ...

 

[Chris Vernell]

First day of the May long weekend. Having an hour free, I ran a slightly longer train -- two wagons this time .



Entering the north end of the quarry siding over LGB R3 points. Happily, no problems .



And rumbling through the station. I tested the running through the loop and sidings as well: the wagons had no trouble on the curved leg of the R1 point in the yard, though the loco with its longer wheelbase was less happy.
The sky had turned overcast after a sunny morning -- this is actually better for my basic camera, which has trouble in bright light .

 

[voodoopenguin]

First day of the May long weekend. Having an hour free, I ran a slightly longer train -- two wagons this time .

View attachment 252339

Entering the north end of the quarry siding over LGB R3 points. Happily, no problems .

View attachment 252341

And rumbling through the station. I tested the running through the loop and sidings as well: the wagons had no trouble on the curved leg of the R1 point in the yard, though the loco with its longer wheelbase was less happy.
The sky had turned overcast after a sunny morning -- this is actually better for my basic camera, which has trouble in bright light .

Looks like you remembered to put the battery cover back unlike I did earlier today when I took my video.

Paul

 

[trammayo]

First day of the May long weekend. Having an hour free, I ran a slightly longer train -- two wagons this time .

View attachment 252339

Entering the north end of the quarry siding over LGB R3 points. Happily, no problems .

View attachment 252341

And rumbling through the station. I tested the running through the loop and sidings as well: the wagons had no trouble on the curved leg of the R1 point in the yard, though the loco with its longer wheelbase was less happy.
The sky had turned overcast after a sunny morning -- this is actually better for my basic camera, which has trouble in bright light .

How well does the loco perform on your R1 curves? My experience is that it slows down negotiating them on my trailer layout.

 

[dunnyrail]

First day of the May long weekend. Having an hour free, I ran a slightly longer train -- two wagons this time .

View attachment 252339

Entering the north end of the quarry siding over LGB R3 points. Happily, no problems .

View attachment 252341

And rumbling through the station. I tested the running through the loop and sidings as well: the wagons had no trouble on the curved leg of the R1 point in the yard, though the loco with its longer wheelbase was less happy.
The sky had turned overcast after a sunny morning -- this is actually better for my basic camera, which has trouble in bright light .

My PM Shunter noticeably slows down too even on Larger Curves and in Gradients. This is where one needs to get ones Driving Skills in place to add more power for those humps and curves, reducing again when on the straight and level. If ever you needed an excuse for more running.............

 

[Chris Vernell]

How well does the loco perform on your R1 curves? My experience is that it slows down negotiating them on my trailer layout.

I haven't run it much (if at all) on R1. The backyard layout only has the one R1 curve, the points in the yard (because it was the only way I could make the sidings fit the way I wanted). It does hesitate a tad on the inner leg (3') of the Piko curved points. Everything else is either R3 (the quarry siding crossovers) or Aristo x-wide (nominal 5' radius), and I have noticed no slowing on either.

 

[Chris Vernell]

"Four shalt thou not count, neither count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out."

May 22 being a lovely, warm day (mid-20s C on our backyard thermometer), I grabbed an hour or so and ran another G-rail (get it? nudge nudge wink wink) train. Fourth train of 2019, four wagons (plus one loco, which makes five -- I hope that is not too naughty in the sight of Him whose train filled the temple ).
This time it was the turn of the modified HLW wagons: two bolsters carrying logs, and two flats acting as runners.


Running around the rockery curve (Aristo "5-foot" radius, actually 1500 mm), and testing the only R1 curve, in the yard -- no problem.


Entering the south end of the station loop, 3' radius on the inner leg of the Piko curved points, and heading south through the station. In the background is the honeysuckle that provided the lumber load; I had to do some fairly sharp pruning to get rid of low-hanging limbs.


Kit-bashing. The flat wagons have HLW's standard wheelbase; I cut a section out of the middle of the solebar on the bolster wagons to make a shorter w/b -- not my idea, but I forget from whom I pinched it years back (OTOH, the flat has been modified according to the precepts of GE-rik).


And proof that I did count to three on an earlier outing .

 

[PhilP]

Got any pictures of 'blue' engines?
Eh? Eh? Say no more!

 

[Chris Vernell]

Got any pictures of 'blue' engines?
Eh? Eh? Say no more!

Good enough for you?

 

[PhilP]

 

[Chris Vernell]

Sunny Sunday, and the Missus decided to go out with D2.
So, after potting up a plant or two ...



Fifth run, five wagons: one IP open, two Swift Sixteens and two AnDels.

Oh dear, the Swifties derail on the inner leg of the Piko curved points, but only in the facing direction. I suspect the diverging-route blade is not closing tightly against the stock rail; must re-install the motors that I removed for the winter. No trouble at other points.

 

[Fred Mills]

nice stuff, Chris...

 

[Chris Vernell]

Finally got the windows and trim in/on the Swift Sixteen brake van, and took it out for a brief proving run.



It made it around the mainline without fuss. I think I shall leave the roof loose so I can install batteries for tail lights, some day.

 

[Chris Vernell]

Before the sun got too high and hot, and after some attention from Messrs Dremel and Split-Jaw, the main line is restored .



The Playmobil shunter tested the new section without problems.



Mix of LGB R3 points, Aristo-craft 10' dia. curves and USA Trains straight.

 

[Chris Vernell]

The temp still being bearable , I got on with cutting and fitting the goods loop.



Once again, the PM shunter had little trouble with the track: I did have to adjust one Split-Jaw clamp



On the very last rail cut, the Dremel battery expired just before it finished the job , so I resorted to the Exacto saw.
At that point, the temp was getting uncomfortable , so it's time to pack up and retreat to the a/c.



Just for reference, here is the old quarry loop: the track arrangement is basically the same, but now there's room between the tracks for buildings, etc.

 

[Chris Vernell]

This morning, along with mowing the jungle (or part thereof, until the mower battery fainted) , I dug out the holz modell bau Kieswerk kit I bought years ago from the secondhand table at Ottawa Railfair of blessed memory


Now this is a wood kit, with many ply pieces, thus not really suitable for outdoors, but it cost me $10, so if it lasts for more than a summer I'll have my money's worth. Yes, I will paint it


The main structure will fit between the tracks ...


... and along the straight of the siding ...


... and then I ran a train until the loco batteries also faded. I do like a little wiggle in the track (and wo ... oops, family forum ).

And so back to the a/c. I don't tolerate heat as much as I could when I were a young sprout

 

[Chris Vernell]

Nearing the end of July, I finally got around to reconnecting the track power (Revolution) on the main line.

)

Aristo-Craft Lil' Critter tows the track cleaner around the main. Had to do several circuits on high throttle to get the loco to wake from its long hibernation. There were a couple of spots that required vigorous application of the Scotch-Brite pad to the rails -- notably the straight in the shade behind the train, and the LGB R3 points -- but things settled down and I was able to achieve fairly slow running.
Shush, Fred, I've heard all the battery sermons already.



The locos pick up speed on the bends. Oddly enough, the curves rarely or never need cleaning -- perhaps because the wheel flanges grind away the dirt?



High and dry in the shed, the Revolution receiver (the one on the right) sends power to the track through 12-gauge low-voltage lighting wire in conduit. The second receiver is destined for a battery-power wagon when I get around to that.

 

[JimmyB]

The second receiver is destined for a battery-power wagon when I get around to that.

Chris confused, T E and battery power.