Scalefour Forum

Bit of a concern. I have track made with steel rail - over 30 years old, abandoned in a garage - no rust.

Technique or storage?

2mm Association steel bullhead rail. Measured on a workshop grade mic.

height; 1.04mm

width: 0.545mm

I remember buying lengths of axle from Mike Sharman, it was beautiful stuff to turn. He said it had a high lead content.

The thing to note is that some axles sold by the trade are not 1/8" - 0.125".

Also not all supposed 1/8" reamers are actually 1/8".

Plus there is 1/8" clear.

I have a 1/8" taper and parallel (Dormer) reamer for bearings.

Verrrrry nice!

There is some information in that T W Ward book that was posted on here a few weeks back (page 18).

My Grant Lyon book just has a photo.

14 could be one of those signals normally left off, otherwise the signalman would forever be pulling it on and off for every move, they are though unusual. Hence I don't think it would have been there.

I think I would drop disc 14, no need for it. Ringed arm 4 should be a disc.

Agree on the numbering on the bracket. Presume 18 would be a 3' arm?

Here is an older style of digram.

Missed this post, sorry Tim. I think I have read somewhere of empty coal wagons being propelled down the coaling stage slope under gravity with pinned down brakes. Must see if I can find it again as I like your suggestion of the headshunt being on a slope. Me thinks this would make a nice project t...

That could be done by a few choice gradients, if the reception road (for example) was on a rising gradient, the wagons would just roll past the engine. By the way I'm not saying this is what would have been done. I've seen yards which were entirely worked by gravity, locos just delivered and collect...

The unusual bit is the double disc. Taking Melksham, 31 for 30 reads to down main or siding. Not a double disc. Limpley Stoke 23 reads to down goods running loop and down siding, again not a double disc. Remember, GWR practice would be for a white light instead of a red light in ground discs. This c...

Sorry, yes it does if you read it that way. It just isn't GWR practice!

I wouldn't expect a route the wrong direction on the Up main. Here is Melksham, sorry it's in B&W.

And here is Limpley Stoke.

I was at that meeting, I was in Nottingham for work and needed a break from the tedium! It was a good evening.

The Bristol group's 30th was last year - no curry for us

Standard GWR practice would see 15/20 as a crossover, with 20/24 as another crossover. But FPL 25? Not needed. And where are the two routes 13/14? I can only see one route there into the yard. If you were pulling 13 off to run along the up main, where is the next signal? Not sure about bracket 4/6, ...

Any good?

A known problem. You will never get reliable running with sloppy bushes(!).

Options:
1. Wrap PTFE tape around the pins.
2. Try another make of crankpins.
3. (my method, but I do have a lathe) make your own!

Broad gauge one at Didcot.

They actually aren't that tight, you need to be able to slide the pegs up and down. It's the flex in the upright pole that gives the friction. Give it a go - the materials are virtually free!

Problems with the bristol@scalefour.org email address have hopefully been sorted (thanks Martin for bringing this to our attention).

If you have sent an enquiry and not had a response, please try again.

Not coming through Martin, but I'll email you directly.

Have you looked in the Expo tools catalogue? https://www.expotools.com/

My side cutters came from Eileens, but are logoed Expo.

Here are some wagons (not 16T) awaiting repair at a wagon works.

Message sent back!

The picture in 'Swanage railway in colour' is a bit more straight on. The door is full height - which would imply it's not a toilet. I would expect to see the door have gaps top and bottom for ventilation!