Salfords Light Railway

The Salfords Light Railway diary

September 2002

I have been "fiddling" with the turntable, necessary because I didn't take enough care when laying the slabs. This was because I didn't think about it at the time, rather than just being sloppy.

I have been pondering where to put my loco shed, and although it was not my first choice, next to the turntable seems logical. Rolling stock is a different matter, but the loco shed can go at 90 degrees to the station where it will be out of the way, but practical. I still have to agree this with "she who shall be obeyed", but it won't be too big, so shouldn't be a problem. The possible location is shown in pink is this plan, along with a possible steaming-bay:

I've been Emailing Paul at Ride on Railways with my thoughts & ideas on the narrow-gauge version of Trojan. We're going to sit down at his open day on 22nd Sept. to discuss the details, but it sounds as if I may have a kit of parts by the end of October or early November. Perhaps I will have something running for Christmas! Paul has also reworked the external cranks on Trojan so they now have balance-weights. I was going to go for "no rods", but the balance-weights look good, so perhaps I'll go for rods after all.

I've arranged to pick up some more goodies when I go to Paul's open day, namely a sprung 4-wheel chassis (this'll be my "riding carriage" and will be built up to resemble an outside-braced box van) and a "Beware of the trains" sign.

I went to the Surrey Society of Model Engineers public open day at Leatherhead on 15th and saw something rather inspiring. Someone had taken a Stuart Models launch engine and a vertical boiler, and bolted them on an 0-4-0 chassis to produce a "De Winton" locomotive. If you hear a funny noise, it is the gears in my head going round. Talking of gears, that'd be the only real stumbling-block. Hey, I probably won't take this anywhere, but no harm in thinking it through.

Just got back from Paul Middleton's open day in Romford. This is me driving Simon Pavitt's Metropolitan Railway Bo-Bo "Growler". Boy-oh-boy that sweater makes me look fat! We discussed my loco and I have decided to go with a "standard" length Trojan chassis, modified with the large link-n-pin coupler castings I got from Maxitrak. He's still working on the details for the industrial-outline body, but by using a standard chassis (I originally asked for one slightly longer), I can get my chassis kit in about 2-3 weeks. I also picked up my sprung 4-wheel chassis (after taking it for a test-drive), a buffer stop and a BEWARE OF THE TRAINS sign. I also got an Email from Jeff Price that my track should be available in a week or two. I'm getting there - slowly, but I am getting there. Paul will be passing my home at the weekend and will drop off the chassis and parts for me, so I have a pretty good idea what I'll be up to this weekend! While I was at it, I have ordered a bogie chassis. Only thing is I have not decided what to build on it yet, though it will probably be a Talyllyn or Ffestiniog bogie coach of some sort. I saw an advert in Engineering in Miniature for a 5" gauge Edward Thomas a guy was selling. Unfortunately I missed out. Well, it was in Derby, that'd be a 3½ hour trip each way to go see it with no guarantee it would've suited me. Well, that is what I am telling myself. It was only £700 too, what a shame. First the Hunslet I missed, then no track for ages, now the Edward Thomas, surely it is about time I got lucky somewhere! I wonder if I'll find that ideal steam loco at the Midlands Model Engineering exhibition next month? Which also happens to be in Derby. "Hunslet, Hunslet, Hunslet." Perhaps if I say it enough times...?

Busy and expensive weekend: I now have a Ride on Railways Trojan and bogie chassis (Paul came round this morning and dropped them off as he was in the neighbourhood) and I treated myself to a new 4mega-pixel digital camera to better document how I am getting on. Here's the loco, the bogie coach chassis and the 4-wheel chassis (which I got last weekend at Paul's open day) "parked" near the bird-bath. Can't do much else without track! I am definitely going to have to do something about a shed for the stock soon. I moved the 3 new chassis in to the shed - I mean railway workshop, and the bogie chassis is bloomin' heavy. The less I have to lug this around the better, and I haven't even built the body yet! I've got several ideas on where to put a rolling-stock shed (shown in pink in this image along with roughly where the track would run to get to each of them):

1. Put a low shed between my shed and the fence just for coaches
2. Put a track in under the workbench in the shed
3. In the "L" between the kitchen and living-room windows

Each of these has its own challenges:

1. Makes access difficult as there will be no space to walk alongside the shed. This might mean having something like a hinged roof to the shed so I can walk inside it - not ideal.
2. I will need to make some kind of removable track section to bridge in to the shed, and I will also loose the space under the bench for storing spare timber etc.
3. This is a space originally going to be used for a bicycle store under a lean-to roof. This is the most interesting from the railway's point-of-view as this would give me an excuse for the "in the back of my mind" plan to run a single line out to the front of the house.

This is going to become an issue sooner than I thought.

I saw a note on Chris Heapy's web-site from a guy selling a model of the Talyllyn loco "Sir Haydn". Unfortunately, so far I have not heard back from him. He's in Wales, but the description tends to suggest it'd be worth the trip.

FOR SALE: 5-inch gauge Talyllyn railway No. 3 "Sir Haydn". This is a very rare loco and is a work of art. This is a large locomotive in 5-inch gauge, and it really is a conversation piece, it's wonderfully engineered throughout and works like a treat. Has a current boiler certificate that expires in August 2004. Comes with slate wagon come driving trolley. Bargain at the price, £1750 ovno, sale due to new larger project being undertaken (need space!!) Please email for further information

Strange how 2 Talyllyn locos come up in a matter of only 1 week.

[ author: - last updated 29th Sept 2002 ] [ HOME ]