James Spooner
Western Thunderer
Many thanks for your kind remarks David and I will certainly look into adding some curtains.
Nigel
Elmham Market in EM
- Thread starter James Spooner
- Start date
Nigel
James Spooner
Western Thunderer
Not much modelling done over the last few days mostly because Mrs B and I visited Norwich at the weekend for my grandson’s second birthday.
The other reason was I have a couple of operating sessions lined up this week so more maintenance was being carried out to avoid too much embarrassment during the sessions. Some Ffestiniog and GERS friends turned up today and put Elmham Market through its paces. One or two glitches (and, inevitably, some things I thought I had fixed decided differently!) but overall not too bad.
John Shawe brought along a rather lovely etched brass J24 he had made and then fitted with a 6v Portescap and radio controlled. It performed immaculately and was attached to a passenger train that happened to be sitting conveniently and strolled away with it. I took a video of it running light engine and attach it as a bit of light relief from council house construction.
Nigel
The other reason was I have a couple of operating sessions lined up this week so more maintenance was being carried out to avoid too much embarrassment during the sessions. Some Ffestiniog and GERS friends turned up today and put Elmham Market through its paces. One or two glitches (and, inevitably, some things I thought I had fixed decided differently!) but overall not too bad.
John Shawe brought along a rather lovely etched brass J24 he had made and then fitted with a 6v Portescap and radio controlled. It performed immaculately and was attached to a passenger train that happened to be sitting conveniently and strolled away with it. I took a video of it running light engine and attach it as a bit of light relief from council house construction.
Nigel
James Spooner
Western Thunderer
After suffering a dose of Covid following on from our visit to Norwich I have started a bit of gentle modelling again. I ordered a three pack of the new Accurascale banana vans when they were announced as well as a syphon G (I do have a photo of a B17 hauling a syphon near Cambridge on a stopping train so one of those could have beens). They have been sitting in their boxes unopened until I decided to take them out and see if I could easily convert them to EM.
Banana vans first. These are truly exquisite models with lots of separately applied items (even the door handles) and the underframe detail far surpasses the details I have been putting on my kit built wagons (shame on me!). Conversion to EM was remarkably simple. The brake rods that sit between the axles and freedom are made of quite flexible plastic and unclip at one end. It’s then a very simple job to pop out the axles. Whilst the flanges aren’t quite to EM standards I thought I would try pushing the wheels out and, if that didn’t work, replace with Gibsons. They pushed out OK and only a bit of scraping on the brake blocks was needed to get the wheels free running again. Clip the brake rods back and it’s an EM runner. I also added the steam heat pipes provided and removed the NEM couplers. Accurascale provides screw couplings as a replacement but they are made of very springy plastic. When I tried using them to couple they kept disassembling so I dug out a pack of Smiths screw couplings and used them instead. I now have three rather lovely banana vans.
The Syphon G was rather different. It is also beautifully moulded and detailed and also had a clip in system for the brake rods, which was all fine. The wheels just wouldn’t budge on their axles though so were replaced by Gibsons. Quite a chunk was taken out of the brake blocks to get free running but I tell myself they don’t really notice…
I really must get around to planting the council houses…
Nigel
Banana vans first. These are truly exquisite models with lots of separately applied items (even the door handles) and the underframe detail far surpasses the details I have been putting on my kit built wagons (shame on me!). Conversion to EM was remarkably simple. The brake rods that sit between the axles and freedom are made of quite flexible plastic and unclip at one end. It’s then a very simple job to pop out the axles. Whilst the flanges aren’t quite to EM standards I thought I would try pushing the wheels out and, if that didn’t work, replace with Gibsons. They pushed out OK and only a bit of scraping on the brake blocks was needed to get the wheels free running again. Clip the brake rods back and it’s an EM runner. I also added the steam heat pipes provided and removed the NEM couplers. Accurascale provides screw couplings as a replacement but they are made of very springy plastic. When I tried using them to couple they kept disassembling so I dug out a pack of Smiths screw couplings and used them instead. I now have three rather lovely banana vans.
The Syphon G was rather different. It is also beautifully moulded and detailed and also had a clip in system for the brake rods, which was all fine. The wheels just wouldn’t budge on their axles though so were replaced by Gibsons. Quite a chunk was taken out of the brake blocks to get free running but I tell myself they don’t really notice…
I really must get around to planting the council houses…
Nigel
James Spooner
Western Thunderer
No modelling recently (or for the forthcoming week either) as I have been indulging in my other passion - the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways. Friday was a jolly with a couple of rather lovely Decauville locos visiting from the Richmond Light Railway, Saturday was the Snowdonian (an amazing eighty mile return trip on the two foot gauge) and then back to driving today and until Thursday afternoon. A few photos of Friday’s, Saturday’s and today’s fun attached.
Nigel
Nigel
adrian
Flying Squad
That looks stunning - beautiful line.
James Spooner
Western Thunderer
Adrian,
It is indeed and even more so on beautiful sunny days such as we had on Friday and Saturday.
Nigel
Chris Veitch
Western Thunderer
Mol seems to be very much enjoying his tiny loco!
James Spooner
Western Thunderer
I think Lyd double headed the northbound service train and hopped off one train and onto the Snowdonian.
James Spooner
Western Thunderer
He did indeed! Actually it was a great day out and a superb precursor to the Snowdonian.
James Spooner
Western Thunderer
I didn’t as I was riding the Snowdonian. Blanche Sunday and James Spooner today…
Dave Holt
Western Thunderer
Yes, an excellent trip, indeed. It might be that Lilla couldn't cope with the speed of Linda and Blanche, but Lyd would have no trouble keeping up with the Fairlies due to here larger driving wheels. Thoroughly enjoyed the guided tour round Boston Lodge on Sunday morning, too. Only blip in the weekend was being refused service in Spooners at 4.15 on Friday afternoon because of a later private party.
Dave.
Dave.
James Spooner
Western Thunderer
Hi Dave,
I think I must have been your driver on Sunday…. Actually we had to take Lilla off because of the dry weather conditions combined with the fact she isn’t fitted with a master mechanics spark arrestor (unlike the main fleet engines). Sorry you weren’t able to eat in Spooners on Friday; as you can imagine, an event such as that stretches the available resources quite considerably.
Nigel
Scale7JB
Western Thunderer
Dave Holt
Western Thunderer
Nigel.
Pity we didn't know how to recognise each other as it would have been nice to say hello. I even watched you couple on at Harbour.
Regarding the Friday Spooners issue. I knew it was closed for the afternoon BL tour members after 5 o'clock, but we only wanted a drink. There were quite a few people inside with drinks so were somewhat taken aback to be refused a drink, even to take outside.
Dave.
Pity we didn't know how to recognise each other as it would have been nice to say hello. I even watched you couple on at Harbour.
Regarding the Friday Spooners issue. I knew it was closed for the afternoon BL tour members after 5 o'clock, but we only wanted a drink. There were quite a few people inside with drinks so were somewhat taken aback to be refused a drink, even to take outside.
Dave.
James Spooner
Western Thunderer
More driving over the last couple of days, this time on James Spooner, which is a sublime engine! A couple of photos attached.
Nigel
Nigel
simond
Western Thunderer
this photo brings back happy memories of firing Linda and Blanche about 50 summers ago, mostly for Warren Shepherd.
James Spooner
Western Thunderer
We must have been volunteering there at about the same time. I still occasionally see Warren in Spooners. I must admit to preferring coal over oil…