Brettell Road - Shuffling and testing

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jim s-w
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Re: Brettell Road

Postby jim s-w » Mon Sep 22, 2014 6:59 pm

Hi all

A few questions, probably obvious to many but something that's never crossed my radar before

1. I assume point levers were different designs for different regions/companies. Who makes the best midlands ones?

2. At night did brake vans run with internal lights on?

Cheers

Jim
Jim Smith-Wright

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Over thinking often leads to under doing!

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grovenor-2685
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Re: Brettell Road

Postby grovenor-2685 » Mon Sep 22, 2014 7:21 pm

1. Better ask the magicspanner, he has just done a very nice one on Thorburn http://www.scalefour.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=3848&p=33699#p33691
The Williams lever that he has used has been pretty universal for a long time, you really need to go back pre-war to worry about company designs.
2. Very few had any lights to speak of. Oil lamp or the guard's torch so even if on it would be the faintest glimmer, the glow from the stove was probably brighter.
Keith
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Keith
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themagicspanner
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Re: Brettell Road

Postby themagicspanner » Mon Sep 22, 2014 7:52 pm

Jim,

I'm using the very nice etchings from Shire Scenes which are available through the Dart Castings website.

Mike

DougN
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Re: Brettell Road

Postby DougN » Mon Sep 22, 2014 7:53 pm

One of the things that I was interested in purchasing was the Gordon Gravetts set of books on trees and green stuff. They are extremely expensive in Australia and the mail is getting pricy... Have to watch the excess baggage!
Doug
Still not doing enough modelling

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jim s-w
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Re: Brettell Road

Postby jim s-w » Mon Sep 22, 2014 8:25 pm

Thanks guys

Is there some sort of event soon where I can buy these I wonder? ;)

Jim
Jim Smith-Wright

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Over thinking often leads to under doing!

Chris Mitton
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Re: Brettell Road

Postby Chris Mitton » Mon Sep 22, 2014 8:34 pm

jim s-w wrote:Apparently the largest possible raindrop size is 5mm (there are websites about this sort of stuff) which scales out at 0.065mm in 4mm but that's for a torrential thunderstorm. A moderate rain drop is half that size (0.033mm). Is that even visible? I have an idea of showing that rain is falling mind you

Hi Jim

Try making it visible on the backscene - as the Irish say, "if you can see the moubtains clearly it's going to rain, if you can't - it is raining" ;)

Regards
Chris

martinm

Re: Brettell Road

Postby martinm » Mon Sep 22, 2014 9:48 pm

jim s-w wrote:Thanks guys

Is there some sort of event soon where I can buy these I wonder? ;)

Jim


I think there is an exhibition this weekend, where Dart are exhibiting. It's quite a way away, if you were just going for these levers. ;)

Here's a bit of a picture to show one in use a little while ago.

regards,

martin
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themagicspanner
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Re: Brettell Road

Postby themagicspanner » Mon Sep 22, 2014 9:53 pm

Does anyone know how much throw the levers have? I'd like to model one at either end of the throw on my current project.

Mike

Terry Bendall
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Re: Brettell Road

Postby Terry Bendall » Tue Sep 23, 2014 7:18 am

themagicspanner wrote:Does anyone know how much throw the levers have? I'd like to model one at either end of the throw on my current project.


In the limited experinece that I have had of working such levers on the Leighton Buzzard Narrow Gauge Railway the lever returns to the same end after throwing the blades. May be different elsewhere of course.

Terry Bendall

themagicspanner
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Re: Brettell Road

Postby themagicspanner » Tue Sep 23, 2014 9:36 am

Thanks Terry.

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Noel
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Re: Brettell Road

Postby Noel » Tue Sep 23, 2014 10:35 am

I used to see such levers in use from time to time when trainspotting in the 1960s on the WR and from memory Terry is correct. The lever was pulled towards the pivot to change the points and was then returned to the rest position [commonly by letting it fall back!], so that the same action was used each time. However, the photos I have suggest that the lever leaned away from the point crossing, i.e. it was mounted the other way round to themagicspanner's, and was usually more upright [the bend did not rest on the floor].

I think, but am not sure, that weighted levers did change their rest position when thrown, but do not know about the straight levers which continued in use in some places well into BR days.

The picture posted by MartinM is a bit of a red herring, since after the grouping, if not long before, all levers, whatever the design, operated parallel to the track, for safety reasons, even on non-BR lines. I would suspect that the orientation and single direction of pull of the lever I referred to above is also for safety reasons - so that the operator was facing the direction the vehicles were coming from, rather than having his back to it. If there was inadequate clearance, then the lever would be in the usual position relative to the point blades it operated, but placed on the other side of an intervening line.

Noel
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Noel

themagicspanner
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Re: Brettell Road

Postby themagicspanner » Tue Sep 23, 2014 3:51 pm

That's great information Noel,

I must admit to assuming that all of these levers were either thrown one way or the other. It never occurred to me that there would be a single action to throw the blades.

Noel wrote:However, the photos I have suggest that the lever leaned away from the point crossing, i.e. it was mounted the other way round to themagicspanner's, and was usually more upright [the bend did not rest on the floor].


I'll be out with the scalpel blade at the next opportunity and get it turned the right way round.


Mike

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Noel
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Re: Brettell Road

Postby Noel » Wed Sep 24, 2014 9:58 am

Memory is a very fallible thing, especially 50 years later - as always the best answer is to consult photographs if possible. It can be surprising how wrong what you think you remember can be sometimes.

Noel
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Noel

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grovenor-2685
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Re: Brettell Road

Postby grovenor-2685 » Wed Sep 24, 2014 11:21 am

Perhaps this will help, there are/were a lot of minor variations, especially in the lever shape, but the principle is common.
http://www.valleysignals.org.nz/track/springpoints.html
Also http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/45842-how-does-a-hand-operated-point-lever-work/
Keith
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Keith
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grovenor-2685
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Re: Brettell Road

Postby grovenor-2685 » Wed Sep 24, 2014 11:34 am

I'll be out with the scalpel blade at the next opportunity and get it turned the right way round.

Actually the way you have it now is probably the more usual, the other way is sometimes seen though. See the Stationmasters comments in the RMweb link above.
Keith
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Keith
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Noel
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Re: Brettell Road

Postby Noel » Wed Sep 24, 2014 2:16 pm

My period of interest is circa 1960, and having checked photographs again I would maintain my original comment that on the WR the levers were normally the other way round to themagicspanner's at that time (I did find one possible exception). I should have been clearer about the period and region I was referring to. What was true then for the WR may not have been so later or in other locations.

Noel
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Noel

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Tim V
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Re: Brettell Road

Postby Tim V » Fri Sep 26, 2014 6:08 pm

Picture here of WR levers.
Radstock 67-4 July 1976.jpg
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Tim V
(Not all railways in Somerset went to Dorset)

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jim s-w
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Re: Brettell Road

Postby jim s-w » Mon Sep 29, 2014 7:45 pm

Good stuff Gents

Although the real Brettell lane was WR, the model Brettell Road is midland region. Been looking at pics and cant tell yet.

Jim
Jim Smith-Wright

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Over thinking often leads to under doing!

themagicspanner
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Re: Brettell Road

Postby themagicspanner » Mon Sep 29, 2014 8:28 pm

I took the above advice and turned my lever and made a little bit more upright. I think it looks the part now.

Image


Mike

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jim s-w
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Re: Brettell Road

Postby jim s-w » Fri Oct 10, 2014 11:45 am

HI All

Made a start on laser cut walls for the layout

Image

For more and a few thoughts on the subject see

http://www.p4newstreet.com/newish-techn ... craft.html

Cheers

Jim
Jim Smith-Wright

http://www.p4newstreet.com

Over thinking often leads to under doing!

Terry Bendall
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Re: Brettell Road

Postby Terry Bendall » Sat Oct 11, 2014 7:35 am

Very nick Jim, and I have put my thoughts on your site.

Terry Bendall

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jim s-w
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Re: Brettell Road

Postby jim s-w » Wed Oct 15, 2014 5:46 pm

Hi All

Image

The image above shows progress on the embankment section.  I can't claim any expertise in modelling nature as it's not something I've come across much before however a while spent looking at local plant life for the "what" and Gordon Gravetts book on the subject for the "how" has produced something I'm quite happy with although I am undecided if the nettles are a bit bright. I drew a quick fence made from sleepers and Tim kindly laser cut it for me for the top of the bank. I guess it does mean that Brettell road will be set in early October mind you.  

Image

I've made a start on some wagons. From the left are a Cambrian 5 plank open for which I found you need to remove a bit of material from the base of the w-irons for P4 wheels. Then there's a Ratio Van and open (I've never built Ratio kits before) The open is really too old but I have a plan for an off scene steelworks (sort of Round Oaks ish ) so I will use this as an internal user. Followed next is a Parkside 7 plank open, simplicity itself and a Bachmann RTR van- this was supposed to be a quick win picked up from the bargain bin at Modellers Mecca but conversion to p4 was a bit more than just sticking wheels in with material needing to be removed and new brakes added from MJT. Right at the end is a Peco wonderful wagon tank. Quite advanced for their time with working buffers and springing. In reality the springing is a bit too hard to be of any real effect so I will fit some Bill Bedford sprung W-irons.

Image

Finally back to where it all started , the GBL Jinty. The body gas been detailed with bits from the Brassmasters kit, some parts from Markits (and London Road Models as well as some home  parts sch as lamp irons from brass strip. I haven done any work under the footplate yet as I need to look at the High Level chassis next.

Cheers

Jim
Jim Smith-Wright

http://www.p4newstreet.com

Over thinking often leads to under doing!

Simon Glidewell

Re: Brettell Road

Postby Simon Glidewell » Wed Oct 15, 2014 5:59 pm

Nice work on the embankment Jim; the vegetation is looking very good. One possible suggestion for aging the track a bit more (if that's what you want), is to sprinkle some very finely sieved soil, from the area you are modelling (not far from you of course) over the rails; sleepers and ballast, and brush it in well. It tones down matt paint brilliantly and gives a nice out of use look that paint alone can't reproduce. Vacuum off the excess. I bet you enjoyed doing that vegetation?!

Best wishes
Simon

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Noel
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Re: Brettell Road

Postby Noel » Thu Oct 16, 2014 9:26 am

Jim, Masokits do a sprung subframe and detailing kit for the Peco tank wagon. However, mine got diverted to other purposes because a long look at the Peco tank kit convinced me that the chassis does not look much like a real one, and cannot easily be improved because of the design of the kit. The barrel also does not look right to me. I'm currently looking at the possibility of combining a Bachmann barrel with the Cambrian open frame chassis, which I think should produce a better result.

Noel
Regards
Noel

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Julian Roberts
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Re: Brettell Road

Postby Julian Roberts » Thu Oct 16, 2014 9:49 am

Jim - do those safety valves come from Markits? If so, were they a recent purchase?
Julian


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