Ranelagh Bridge 1959 / 1964

My mates from Bristol came over last Wednesday and we made some more progress on the double slip, This is the last piece of track to be finalised.

 

Busy day on shed

 

Mocking up the bridge supports this evening

 

Hopefully as long as pictures are taken from this angle the illusion is complete

 

I’ve had another crack at the bridge mock up! Using photos to try and gauge the size and the signal gantry has been very helpful. All this information plus a paper version will be sent of to Canada to the designer whom I’m also meeting at Telford.
This should be a part kit covering the basic structure and part scratch build covering the details.

 

• Heljan’s large Prairie!

Now having a good look over the model up close it’s a lot better than the EP samples on the Heljan stands at shows.
The moulded number plates pop off quite easy with a sharp Stanley knife for replacement by some nice etch plates. Severn mill ones here just blue tacked in place.
So any modifications? Yes the tank lifting brackets are on the anemic side so some warren shepherd ones will remedy that, the seam is noticeable on the safety valve bonnet but that’s an easy fix. Radley models do a trip cock casting for the 61 so one of them is a must as well.
A good coating of dirt and away we go.
Testing on standard DC was fine with the Loco running smoothly, I don’t have the room to see what it’s haulage capacity is like but being a Heljan Model it should move a good load.

 

A Regal visitor on shed today,
A friends Blue King 6025

 

I’ve come to the hard decision to halt all work on this project, Ive been thinking it over for a few months now, trying to think of ways to keep going but unfortunately I can’t.
Some of you will know about my back issues and unfortunately things are not getting any better if anything they’ve taken a turn for the worse with not a lot of chance of them improving.
My comfortable working area is 2’ deep any more and it’s putting to much strain on me and the prospect of working under the layout for wiring adding point motors Etc is not one I relish.
I’m unhappy with my base boards, it seems the very top layer of the ply is delaminating in places and the track looks a bit rough in places yet on the under side it’s dead level, I had to screw some additional braces in recently to stop locos from derailing at two points. I don’t want to continue ( if I could ) and it doesn’t run properly,
My Wife’s job is looking increasingly like she’s going to be transferred to the other side of Cardiff so a possible house move is on the card and there no way the layout could be moved with out wrecking it.
I will continue modelling but it has to be in a more manageable size & portable, I hope to utilise some of the signalling and buildings in a new engine shed project but I will put the turn table up for sale. The point work Made by a friend that has never been stuck down can also be reused.
I’d like to say a big thanks to Rob Haskins as without his input this project would never have gotten this far, it is very disappointing and I’ve tried to think of any and all ways to continue but I’m afraid physically I’m just not able to.

 

Thanks for you kind words, I will of course carry on but it has to be on a layout I can comfortably work on,
Once I’ve recovered all I can I will start a new project something along the lines of Ranelagh Bridge meets Cardiff Canton.
The Riviera Line project will also continue