SWING-ing in Bognor

No, I've not been out on the town ... but I did get a last minute oppotunity to go to the St Wilfreds Industrial and Narrow Gauge (SWING according to the organisers!) show in Bognor today, albeit with 2-year-old in tow so I didn't get decent pictures of every layout, but I published the better ones here:

http://campbell-modelrailway.fotopic.net/c1687758.html

I think this is a new show, and it could be said that the hall was a little crowded, it was a bit tricky to move around the layouts, and there wasn't much trade support. However there was a great selection of layouts - 12 in total, focusing on narrow gauge and industrial railways in a good range of scales - not a dud one amongst them. Most are rarely seen locally too, though 2 were from my local 009 group and I had seen 3 or 4 elsewhere, 2 of then at EXPO-NG which I think is a testament to the general qality of layouts. Well worth the trip!

Another new arrival!

OK, so it isn't anywhere as significant as the last post, but a small parcel arrived in the post today (along with various parcels of little pink dresses etc.) containing the Paul Windle Hunslet loco I ordered at EXPONG back in October (actually it arrived earlier than expected, Paul had suggested May). And what a super little loco it is, with a rather elegant outline. Here's a photo of it pulling it's first passenger train out of Awngate. 

Paul suggests that some ballast would improve running, so I shall have to fit some lead, but it does seem to run smoothly. Also, like several of my loco's, a crew wouldn't go amis! However Paul has even fitted the microtrains couplers already, so it is literally "ready-to-run", just as well given my available modelling time at the moment!

A New Arrival!

Lucy Ann

19th April 2009

Weight 10lb and 15oz - that's almost 5kg!

Mother and Baby doing fine. Dad is well chuffed!

 

Increasing My Magnetism

At the Haywards Heath show I picked up some magnets sold for uncoupling Greenwich couplers. These are of the "rare-earth" (neodymium-iron-boron, I believe) super-strong magnets, similar to those I bought a few months ago but bigger, this time about 5mm diameter by 2.5mm. The idea was to improve the uncoupling magnets on Awngate. As the Microtrains couplings need a magnetic field accross the track it was clear that the magnets would need to be used in pairs, so I set up a piece of track on the workbench and armed with lots of blue-tack and a couple of wagons, started experimenting with them in different positions.

Now these are STRONG magnets, if placed just under the track the wagons shot toward the magnets and up-ended on to their couplers, which stuck to the magnets! Yet spaced apart and well under the track they didn't seem strong enough, what is probably needed is a block of steel between a pair of magnets. Then I thought, well rather that replace the magnets I had already placed under the tracks, why not just increase their magnetism? So I put a pair of the new magnets onto each pair of cupboard-catch magnets, as shown in the photo below. Well, actually I only had enough to do 5 of the 8 magnets, but some worked OK anyway.

The result is surprisingly effective, the magnets are certaily strong enough now - even through the ballast, but not so strong to up-end the wagons! (they can roll toward a magnet if left very close). I wouldn't say all uncoupling problems have been solved - I still need to check all couplings are mounted correctly and well lubricated with graphite - but if things don't uncouple, it's not the fault of the magnets.

(Note: the three magnets to the right have the additional Greenwich magnets added to them, seen as small silver discs)

More Photo's from the Exhibition

Mick Thornton, 009 Society and general narrow-gauge model railway roving reporter, has published some excellent pictures from the Sussex Downs Members' Day show last Saturday:
http://mickthornton.fotopic.net/c1665982_1.html

They include some very flattering photo's of Awngate, better than many of my efforts!
http://mickthornton.fotopic.net/p56862524.html

Haywards Heath Show!

Well I got there in the end! After a few frantic days and a couple of late evenings getting everything ready, the layout up to a reasonable standard, the stock in good shape with the right couplings fitted, and the loco's serviced and tested, the day finally arived for Awngate's first public appearance!

The trestles worked well, and were tidied up with a drape as you can see below. The trains performed well, but the uncoupling was a bit hit-and-miss. I got some more magnets to try. Other than that the only problem was a point failure - the blade came loose, but I managed to get it back in place and super-glue it. Lots of people made nice comments, and there was a lot of interest in the fiddle yard! My friend Steve helped out with the operating, getting very engrossed in the shunting (see second picture) - thanks Steve.

The rest of the show was enjoyable too, you can see more photo's here:

http://campbell-modelrailway.fotopic.net/c1663884.html

Scenic details

Just a quick update to show the progress over the last couple of days. The greenery has sprouted, with more ground cover and bushes, and I've added some fences - could do with more though. The people and details I've been painting have been finished and added. The wagons in the yard are those I have been working on too - just could do with some lead weight. Finally, the workbench is still busy - I've got some more wagons and coaches out of storage, for paint touch-ups and new couplings, so have been very busy. Just two evenings to go before the show, and I've not actually test-run anything yet! (well, not for a while!)