CRAG Meeting 7 Aug 2018
Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2018 11:42 am
Our August meeting had to be delayed by 48 hours due to our host, Stephen Paulin, having to attend an urgent eye appointment in Liverpool. This resulted in a number of regular attendees being unable to make it due to prior commitments.
The venue was the former Midland Railway station masters house at Kirkby Stephen. I arrived just after 12.30 and after a quick 'catch-up' we adjourned to the station itself, well it was 50 years since the end of steam and guess what? Steam was back on the Settle and Carlisle Railway. First up was Leander heading north. Due to the fact that the 'powers to be' are unable to take 'risks' and make sensible decisions it was being pushed by a diesel. There had been considerable rain during the preceding week and they could not decide if they should lift the restrictions imposed during one of the hottest summers known.
Time for lunch so three of us, Cherry came along, adjourned to the Pennine Hotel on main street. Unfortunately the service and menu choice were not as good as on our previous visit. Having said that the beer was spot on. Drinks ordered Ron and Patsy arrived. They had gone to Garsdale to watch Leander as it headed further north. Lunch over it was back up the hill for a short discussion before it was time to walk back up to the station to see the first of THREE southbound steam hauled trains in one day!
Back again to the house and this time a look at Killicrankie. Stephen is providing a home for it and has started various jobs. I foolishly volunteered to build a control panel for it! Work is almost complete but more will be revealed in a new thread to be started in layouts, when I get time. Several boards are up in the garage and a train can be run across three of them by the judicious use of crocodile clips. The multiple pin plug to join two of the boards together did not actually reach. Confirmation, I believe, that the layout had never actually all been put up and operated! Time for tea. Then out with the soldering iron. One set of wires were disconnected and then the plug between two boards fitted. I'll solder them back in place when the board is taken down as doing it upside down is not an option for me nowadays!
Back up the station steps for another train.
Back down the steps and time to tackle a dead short between two boards when the plugs are put in. Thought I'd solved it but it caused a loss of power two boards away!!!! Bother. Put everything back as it was until I can get my head round how that one happened. Again the boards will need to be taken doen to try and see what is wrong with the wiring. Everything checked and packed away before going up the station steps for the last time at 17.50 to see the final steam train of the day.
We did get lots of exercise and not all lifting pints of real ale! Goodbyes and then off home. The control panel and board it connects too is still in the boot of my car a week later but at least my railway room has had the vacumn put over the floor before I start again with wiring and fitting of new tortoise point motors. A story for the new site.
Our meeting next month will take us to the very north of the county and the home of Bob Hetherington where we hope to run his layout, Garrigill. Scrathbuilt Stockton and Darlington stock. A joy to behold.
Philip
The venue was the former Midland Railway station masters house at Kirkby Stephen. I arrived just after 12.30 and after a quick 'catch-up' we adjourned to the station itself, well it was 50 years since the end of steam and guess what? Steam was back on the Settle and Carlisle Railway. First up was Leander heading north. Due to the fact that the 'powers to be' are unable to take 'risks' and make sensible decisions it was being pushed by a diesel. There had been considerable rain during the preceding week and they could not decide if they should lift the restrictions imposed during one of the hottest summers known.
Time for lunch so three of us, Cherry came along, adjourned to the Pennine Hotel on main street. Unfortunately the service and menu choice were not as good as on our previous visit. Having said that the beer was spot on. Drinks ordered Ron and Patsy arrived. They had gone to Garsdale to watch Leander as it headed further north. Lunch over it was back up the hill for a short discussion before it was time to walk back up to the station to see the first of THREE southbound steam hauled trains in one day!
Back again to the house and this time a look at Killicrankie. Stephen is providing a home for it and has started various jobs. I foolishly volunteered to build a control panel for it! Work is almost complete but more will be revealed in a new thread to be started in layouts, when I get time. Several boards are up in the garage and a train can be run across three of them by the judicious use of crocodile clips. The multiple pin plug to join two of the boards together did not actually reach. Confirmation, I believe, that the layout had never actually all been put up and operated! Time for tea. Then out with the soldering iron. One set of wires were disconnected and then the plug between two boards fitted. I'll solder them back in place when the board is taken down as doing it upside down is not an option for me nowadays!
Back up the station steps for another train.
Back down the steps and time to tackle a dead short between two boards when the plugs are put in. Thought I'd solved it but it caused a loss of power two boards away!!!! Bother. Put everything back as it was until I can get my head round how that one happened. Again the boards will need to be taken doen to try and see what is wrong with the wiring. Everything checked and packed away before going up the station steps for the last time at 17.50 to see the final steam train of the day.
We did get lots of exercise and not all lifting pints of real ale! Goodbyes and then off home. The control panel and board it connects too is still in the boot of my car a week later but at least my railway room has had the vacumn put over the floor before I start again with wiring and fitting of new tortoise point motors. A story for the new site.
Our meeting next month will take us to the very north of the county and the home of Bob Hetherington where we hope to run his layout, Garrigill. Scrathbuilt Stockton and Darlington stock. A joy to behold.
Philip