We publish a quarterly newsletter for the group that details modelling interests of our members and forthcoming events in our area as well as reports from recent events in our locality.
Here are a few articles from recent newsletters.
Editorial - Robert A.
One of the more interesting aspects of my recent visits to our indoor track has been the number of newly built locomotives that have been appearing. Photos of several of these are included here. A successful first run of a new loco is always nice to see.
My own efforts to learn how best to run my new Adams radial tank engine have reached a successful stage insofar as I can achieve regular runs of 15 to 20 minutes on one fill of gas, but I still think that I am not managing to completely fill the tank. I have also now had experience of the effects of colder weather on butane. So there is still more to learn. I attended the December second Wednesday run and greatly enjoyed the company and the mince pies. I didn’t bring a locomotive to run on this occasion so took the opportunity to give the Group Jinty a charge after which
it ran steadily on the electric loop for 30 minutes pulling Alan B’s very nice LMS carriage set. Battery packs do seem to retain a useable amount of capacity even when they aren’t used very often.
 |
Bill A’s Project - not allowed North of Crewe!
Ted C’s Great Western Lady ....
.... now a “Lady of Quality” with a GWR Coach by Tim P.
David B’s Somerset and Dorset P2
Ron F’s Director finally achieves a good head of steam and a good run after an extended development phase....
Ian B’s Britannia blowing off as it waits for the express to pass. Also now steaming well after a change to a smaller gas jet.
A Day Out in Suffolk by Nick B.
“The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by an endless series of hobgoblins, most of them imaginary.” So said H. L. Mencken, writer, wit and journalist for the Baltimore Sun during the first half of the twentieth century. Whether one thinks the Coronavirus an existential threat or just another little irritation on the road to paradise, it’s encouraging to see the madness of the last fifteen months coming (hopefully) to an end. So when Keith P’s email arrived reminding me that Peter C would be holding 4 days of “rule of six” garden railway running days I called Peter immediately to book my place.
Peter was working on a grand plan to make best use of the running slots available. As I was flexible on dates Peter called me back when he had figured out the running order and offered me Thursday 29th April. As you may have noticed April has been a month of sunshine but cold north and east winds, hard frosts and even a bit of snow. Thursday 29th arrived but the sun had departed leaving behind the cold north wind. It hailed as I drove the short distance up the A14 to Peter's. I arrived first to find Peter setting out the station buildings and cleaning the pigeon poop off the track. The only other runner was to be Robert A, although Peter had invited some PROBUS friends who were coming later to find out what all the gauge 1 fuss is about. Robert soon arrived and we set about getting running under way. Peter offered us an extra woolly jumper or two to combat the cold as part of the warm welcome.
GWR 2-8-0 2804 rolls happily along the inner track at the top of Peter C’s garden.
I had bought three locomotives but decided to start by running the battery electric GWR 28xx that I acquired from the estate of the late Ron P. This is an interesting model. The wheels are cast iron, the frames and running gear steel whilst the body of engine and tender is made from wood and card, originally (I believe) by Arthur Ambrose. It did not work out of the box when I acquired it and having little experience with battery electric it took me some time to get it to go. Eventually some new batteries did the trick once I figured out how to use the radio control (where would we be without Google). This model still has its three rail stud contract skate clipped up out of the way beneath the tender and a switch to choose between stud contact and battery electric hidden away under the batteries. Does anyone still run third rail stud contact? I also ran my Derby Lightweight singles coupled together. Only one unit is powered so my second single is only used as a trailer. The powered unit had been repaired since its last outing as bits had fallen off the driving bogie when it last ran at Peter's.
Robert A then ran his Ian N built LMS Crab. This is a fine model and I managed to get some reasonable photographs of it making its way around Peter’s track. Robert also gave his recently acquired Accucraft LSWR Adams Radial a run. Apparently Robert has two chimneys for this model, a normal one (presumably) and a stove pipe chimney, although I have no idea which one it was wearing on 29th April (it was the stovepipe - ed).
Robert A’s Adams Radial crosses the viaduct with a coal train.
It was a quiet day with plenty of relaxed running time. Alas the weather made it a bit of a challenge. Peter’s visitors popped round in the afternoon and took great interest in our activities although I don’t think any of them were bitten by the gauge 1 bug. Peter’s wife Sarah kept us well supplied with coffee, tea, cake and hot dogs which helped to keep at bay the worst of the weather. Thanks once again to Sarah and Peter for being such amiable and welcoming hosts.
Twenty first century interchange locomotive trials with representatives from the Southern, London North Eastern, Great Western and British Railways watched over by Peter C.
Dave B’s Hall on mixed freight passing Alan B’s LMS (675) on Passenger stock.
Keith P’s Barnum coach set he built from Ken West kits.
Keith P’s Metro Vickers style 4 Wheel Coaches - built for all the regional railways.
PRINCESS ROYAL by Howard H.
Some you may have seen my model of Princess Royal running at Stonham so I thought it would be of interest to know the story that inspired the project. I have also added some of the technical details of the design and the challenges they presented.
My father grew up in Wembley North West London, only a few steps away from the West Coast Main Line. He spent much of his youth train spotting, which gave raise to his lifelong passion for LMS locomotives of the 1930’s. In 1933 the LMS were constructing their Princess Class and the first two prototypes 6200 and 6201 were put into service. One Saturday his father, my Grandfather, woke him early and told him they were going on a trip into London. It turned out they were heading for Euston station. While standing on the platform a passenger express from Scotland steams in pulled by the Princess Royal locomotive 6200. This was its first full working journey. My father remembers the sight, the locomotive was immaculate and I guess for its time it was like a Concorde moment.
This was not the end of the story. His father, my Grandfather, got chatting to the driver and before they knew it they were on the footplate admiring the gleaming pipe work and glowing fire. The driver had a sprig of heather stuck in his hat he had brought down from Scotland for good luck which he promptly gave to my grandmother. The driver asked my father where he lived, Wembley he replied, well, said the driver I will be driving back to Scotland in the morning so look out for me. Of course that was an opportunity not to be missed and that’s exactly what happened.
Little doubt the impression this would have made on a young lad, and explain his passion for reproducing those moments in models through his adult life. Born in 1926 I think he was about 7/8 years old. He subsequently went on to build models of Royal Scott and a Duchess but not a Princess, perhaps the gap in the collection should be filled?
Designing the Princess
Studying the design there are always decisions to be made on how closely to follow the prototype design, and indeed which version to follow. There is little doubt the Princess Class locomotives were monsters in their time. The original form had four cylinders with four sets of valve gear, Stanier unlike the GWR didn’t believe in driving two cylinders from one set of valve gear. The loco has a very long wheel base, chassis and boiler. I decided the chassis challenge was very interesting, could I reproduce a four cylinder engine with four sets of Walschaerts valve gear? The full size locomotives were eventually converted to outside valve gear with rockers through the frames working the inside cylinders. I decided for now I would follow the original design with separate valve gear for each cylinder.
I decided I would reuse my established ‘C’ type boiler design. This would be the longest barrel I had ever done and would it steam well? I was also concerned about the long wheel base as this would be a potential problem on the relatively tight curves on model tracks. The rear wheel on the front bogie aligns with the outside cylinder so would this bogie have enough free movement?
One of the great benefits of 3D design tools is many of these challenges can be exercised in the computer before committing to cutting metal. I was able to reproduce the valve gear although to fit it all in is very tight. The inside cylinders drive the front axle and for this reason are located well forward. This therefore positions the motion under the smoke box. As a result any servicing would require a boiler and smokebox removal. The outside cylinders would be relatively straight forward but would require substantial cutting away to allow the bogie sideways clearance.
The above are two diagrams taken from the design tool. The first shows the inside cylinders valve gear design. Note the position of this near the front of the engine and under the smokebox when the model is completed. The second diagram is of the outside cylinders. On this diagram note the relative position of the bogie wheel and the cylinder. Of course there is always the option to raise the height of the cylinders to aid clearances but this can only go so far before it makes the model look wrong.
The End Result
There is a lot more I could add to this article and maybe that is something I will do at some stage. I am pleased to say the challenges detailed above were overcome and the model completed and proven to be an excellent performer. The boiler steams very well allying my original fears of the very long barrel. Following the initial running I did choose to convert the inside cylinders valve gear to slip eccentric. I did this as I could see the maintenance of the hidden, finally detailed Walschaerts motion, would be a potential liability. Interesting to note converting the prototypes valve gear was probably done for the same reason. All that remains is to paint the model: something for another winter.
Breakdown Crane Operations – Nick B.
On 13th July (second Wednesday run) Ken K, the ‘Steven Spielberg’ of the East Anglian gauge 1 scene, set out to stage and video the task of re-railing a tank locomotive and brake van using his Rapier breakdown Crane.
The lift of the locomotive gets underway as Dave B’s GWR 45xx tank engine ‘steams’ by with a mixed freight.
As luck would have it all this action was going on adjacent to the loco shed whilst various trains were running by on the mainline. I had my camera with me so I was able to capture some of the action as operations progressed to a happy conclusion with the brake van and locomotive replaced on the track. I later learned from Ken that he had some issues with his camera so the video has not appeared yet, but we might hope for a restaging of this monumental production.
Scale Speeds at our club track – Chris T.
Nick and I were stood watching my Aster Big Boy circumnavigate our new indoor track at Anglia HQ. “It’s going rather fast.” he said, “It must be doing eighty miles an hour.” “Rubbish,” I replied in my usual tactful manner, “it can’t be more than fifty.”
Speed, of course, is subjective as Nick and I had just proved. So how fast was I going? Being a bit slow on the uptake I did not time a circuit so I don’t really know but it dawned on me some time later that a ready-reckoner would be a good idea pinned to the notice board in the track hall (as I said I’m slow on the uptake).
Firing up an Excel spreadsheet I set to work. Thinking that I might save myself a bit of work I checked the internet where I came across a website that gave a list of yards per second travelled for a range of speeds in one thirty-second scale. It did not take me long to put together a spreadsheet giving the time in seconds for a circuit of our track for a range of speeds. What could possibly be wrong?
I thought I had done quite a good job but as you should never check your own work I sent it to Tony H and Steve S for them to cast their eyes over. Straightaway Tony came back saying he could not follow my workings and provided his own. Surely not, I thought, I cannot believe that. However, it did not take me long to realise that he was quite right. I recast my figures and received Tony’s agreement to what I had done.
So what was wrong originally? It is the usual story; I had used figures from the internet prepared by someone else and assumed they were correct. Well, they were in way but they were inches per sec not yards per second as was stated. Which just goes to show that you should never assume anything as it makes an ass out of you and me.
Class 40 by Ken K.
The following pictures are of my newly completed class 40 loco.
The chassis plate is 6mm steel which gives it weight for traction, the excellent body parts were produced be Kevin N by 3d printing, glued together and painted.
The bogies are all brass construction and powered by 6 Minebea square 12/24volt ten pole motors which use 5.5 to 1 reduction, which cost all of £3 each, and delrin gears.
This picture shows the parts to build one side of one bogie.
Dcc radio control and sound is by Steve Foster, and a smoke unit is also fitted. This project was started during first lockdown and has now had several runs .
The Last Word – Editor.
More work has been underway on the scenery at the top end of the layout. Thanks to the modelling skills of John J and his assistants the whole aspect of that end of the layout is much improved. There is still work to do finishing the work off and redeveloping the diesel depot but I am sure it will be worth the wait.
The new Aqueduct (it’s not a Viaduct) at the top end the layout shortly after completion following relaying of the outer curve to create a little extra space.
John J adds another tree as part of the greening of the scene and to assist in offsetting our CO2 emissions.
There is still a spot of detailing and painting to finish but I think you will agree the scene is much improved.