New Signal Box

 For all my many followers my apologies for the lack of posts this year but other things have been going on.

I have refurbished two of my line side buildings and most importantly 'The Golden Rivet Inn' was one of them, closely followed by 'Stevies' snack bar, complete with 'Barnecutts' cornish pasties on sale!

Recently it was decided to have a 'shuffle' around the layout (shuffle the buildings - not shuffle as in shuffle!!) and three new properties have been purchased and the first of them has now been completed.

Sheepham Signal Box has now been put in position at the top of Sheepham Slope, building construction took place over a couple of weeks and hopefully it has been suitably weather protected for the winter ahead.

First stages of building

Second phase complete

Completion and signalman installed!

In a suitable location!

On to the next project...

First project of 2023

A belated Happy New Year to all you enthusiasts out there.

Some slight delay, but a new project is underway.

Purchased in November last year from North Pilton Works I have three Industrial Tipper Wagon's that I have now commenced, but in slow time due to various reasons.

Lets hope its not too long before they are actually complete and available for running!

Knee pauses play

 Well a lot has been going on over the past two weeks - but nothing directly garden railway related.

A planned knee operation meant we had to cancel our previous commitment to assisting at the Exeter Garden Railway Show, but I’m sure our absence wasn’t that notable.

The operation went ahead and I am now in recovery mode which does restrict me somewhat due to a ‘poorly leg’ and crutches, but hopefully I have prepared accordingly.

Before going off to hospital I reviewed my Planned Maintenance spreadsheet (well, there has to be a spreadsheet) and removed some lineside equipment to the workshop where hopefully I can do some ‘make and mending’ and restore the former glory, without ruining the weathering.

I have also ordered some ‘Binnie’ truck kits. This will give me yet more ‘occupational therapy’ and extend my fleet of quarry trucks.

So, keep doing the physio and hopefully things will greatly improve over the next few weeks.

“R&R” ….!!!!!!

God Bless the Queen - and Thank You Ma'am

 

Little & large...

 Well with all this hot weather it has been time to hide in the 'workshop' where it is slightly cooler and add another 'memory piece' to the line in the form of a flagpole in miniature (to go with the full size one in the garden) and a couple of figures to watch over it..... no resemblance to present encumbants at all!!

Little ....

AND....

Large ... !!!

...ah well, back to the drawing board

Giving it 'the brush off'!!

Well the weather has changed and I am slightly indisposed at present suffering with a bad back after a recent trip up on to Dartmoor.  Thank fully it seems to be improving, but an opportunity to 'create something'!

So into the 'workshop' and I decided to try and produce something - and ended up with this......

What is it ... no not the marker pen!

The answer lies here.....

Gave it a test run - and surprise it works - so the new removable 'debris clearing brush' has become part of the track maintenance kit! Perhaps I will seek  a Patent for it!!!

Next stage will be to produce a line cleaning tool that beats as it sweeps as it cleans (remember that?)!!!

😊 😊

'Lanterns' lit on the BLL!

Having tested my very limited skills during 'lockdown' on things electrical we thought it was about time we actually had an evening run to highlight (excuse the pun) those skills! So here are a couple of pictures taken from the other glorious summer evening's 'night time' run on the BLL.

(Pity my photographic skills are not as good!)

Or click HERE and view 'Night Running' clips to see some moving images!!!

The Jubilee Special

Well although the weather has not been kind to us I did manage to run 'Doris' as a Jubilee Special - over the new 'Jubilee Bridge' in the week leading up to the Jubilee weekend and associated festivities. (A flourish of Jubilee's!!!)

'Doris' passing over the new 'Jubilee Bridge'

Unfortunately for us down here in the South West the weather put a bit of a dampener on things yesterday (Saturday) but being British we soldiered on, so to speak and it did dry up in time for the gathering!

 

Our local Jubilee picnic

A Commonwealth salute

Congratulations your Majesty - and thank you.

A Bridge Too Far - Of course not.

Out with the old and in with new that is the philosophy on the BLL, well at least it is regarding bridges!

When I first set to building my line back in 2019 one of the things that was crucial to its success - and also ensuring we had a complete 'loop' was a bridge across the path. This was constructed with very little bridge building knowledge (...well none actually!) out of handy pieces of timber which meant it was quite heavy and I needed a removable one to maintain access. A lifting or swivel structure definitely was a bridge too far at the time!

Out with the old...!

The wooden structure actually carried out its role very well but after recently scanning through the 16mm mags. I opted for a replacement, lightweight bridge and eventually after many site meetings, lots of measuring, exchange of e mails I ordered my new bridge from MVL Bridges (many thanks Steve) and hurrah it arrived this week.

Sharp intake of breath at the first fitting, but all was well - all I had to do was add the rail and 'design' a suitable system that would ensure it stayed in the same place each time it was put in location. This was achieved by cutting back a couple of redundant sleepers and positioning them either side of the track 'frame' - seems OK. (see picture below)

Happily the job has been completed and the bridge has now been tested and officially opened by my MD!! (that is Money Director if you didn't know already!!!)

So here are few pictures of the new BLL 'PatioPortabridge'.... 

...in with the new!

The crowd are apprehensive as they wait for the official opening!

"Cut the tape! Cut the tape!!!"

Wot - no Champagne!!!

An Anniversary

The second Bank Holiday in May also coincided with the 150th Anniversary of the South Devon Railway (see more here) so we took a trio of trains over to Buckfastleigh to add our support to the festivities which were taking place on the 'big' line!

Sadly the weather was not too kind and only four other SDGRG members turned up - but that meant we could 'hog the lines'!

'Phyllis' flying the flag under a head of steam!

'Dennis' doing similar - battery powered!

Having spent a few hours we left about 1400 - just as the sun came out!!