railwayman198
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Just a couple of pics of my pair of Alcos in the spring sunshine. Mainly posting to check that my images are now visible after the technical problem the other day.
Through the bluebells - picture test
- Thread starter railwayman198
- Start date
railwayman198
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Ok, that seemed to work, so here's a couple more showing fairly new additions. A Pola goods shed, an Accucraft Lawley and a Schug Decauville. Both of these are manual locos. My line has some gradients but neither of these locos run away too badly downhill.
railwayman198
Registered
And finally, a couple of shots of some re-ballasting, using 1-3mm 'sterling silver' granite aggregate. I hadn't finished brushing it in properly in the first image.
duncan1_9_8_4
Garden Railway Operator/Real Life Signalman
Brilliant pictures!
Do you glue the ballast in place? If not do not be surprised if it thins out in places, Pigeons love that nice small stuff.
railwayman198
Registered
I normally do, but I haven't got around to doing this lot yet. Another job to add to the list.
Ah good show, possibly a bit on the cold side some days for PVA outside, I have a fair bit of ballasting to do after renovations last year where I ran out of warm days for glue.
viaEstrecha
Spanish metre gauge in G scale (on the cheap)
Love that ballast. Sadly I never found a convenient supplier of very fine stuff like that, in my neck of the woods, so I had to go for coarser stuff, which is normally used under artificial grass.
Have you tried bashing the coarse stuff with a hammer to make it finer?
viaEstrecha
Spanish metre gauge in G scale (on the cheap)
I think that would finish me off! Over time, as it settles and is annually topped up or is lifted and cleaned, I've tried to keep the coarser stuff out on plain line and utilise the smaller grit in the more scenic areas, where it is also given some PVA.
Flying15
Registered
That Lawley is rather special, Just wondered how does it get on with radius 3 curves?
railwayman198
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I think Accucraft state minimum radius 4'6", but it is fine on my R3's. I took a chance on it because it has always been one of my favourite prototypes. Fortunately the gamble paid off. It was a risky purchase because not all manual locos like my gradients and the minimum radius concern. It spent it's first year looking pretty in a display case. I need not have worried, because when I eventually gave it a trial it ran well. The only issue I had was one I had not anticipated; the tight clearance of the cowcatcher is unforgiving of any dodgy track. A couple of bits of ballast packing and all was well.
railwayman198
Registered
I bought it from a business seller on ebay. It arrived by regular courier. Poor guy staggering up to my doorstep with two 25kg bags in an inadequate cardboard box. They don't seem to be selling via ebay now.
Most annoying! My Accucraft Lynn is devoid of cowcatchers at present due to dodgy track. Why the manufacturers insist on making them so low is beyond me, everyone complains about them!
maxi-model
UK/US/ROW steam narrow gauge railways 1:1
Ballast - always an issue, depends on what your suppliers quarry is doing. I have found garden centre "potting grit" to be a consistent and usable product for this purpose. I have an Accucraft NG/G16 (not boasting, honest) that can handle 2'6" radius. The previous owner had machined "blind" centre drivers to each engine but you need a 6 coupled + to pull that trick. Don't talk to me about Accucraft's prototypicaly (?) low cow catchers, my Lew can only run backwards reliably, 18 year old Lyn is ok. Must get round to tweaking it. Max