Great Chesterford Junction Part Two

Thanks Chris.....
Gormo

 

G`day Folks,
Submitted below is my last update video for 2022 and as Christmas is nearly upon us, I doubt whether I will get much more done this week apart from running some trains.
Thanks to all who read and participate in this thread and I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
The video is a long one so you make need to stock up on crisps and beer or your favorite tipple.


Gormo

 

G`day Folks,
Unfortunately my presence and input into some family matters was required over the last month and a half, so GCJ has taken a back seat for quite some time.
There was a short interlude where we had our little Grandsons for a couple of days, and a good amount of those two days was spent running trains and shunting and generally having fun out in the shed.
The boys were keen to place some figures on the railway, so I let them have their heads and gently guided them through the process.
Pics below
We started with some railway staff......this little bloke is up to something at GCJ Box.




And a couple on the platform





Then they found some RAF personnel and placed them in the airfield.





I need some paving in front of the huts





And some station staff at Little Bardfield




So folks , that is the sum total of work done on GCJ since before Christmas.......but progress is progress.....

Gormo

 

Thanks Andy,
Yes the boys have done well.......and the car is a Morgan....similar to old MG`s but hand made and expensive.
Gormo

 

G`day Folks,
I have been mucking about with couplings again and have found something that is ticking all the boxes for me this time.
You`re probably sick of hearing about my coupling adventures, but rest assured this is the end of it.
Magnetic Coupling on a Budget
Anyhow I converted my Lima Prairie over to the system and it was working fine but the loco eventually just stopped dead.
I took it apart and stripped down the motor, gears etc.....got everything nice and clean and thoroughly checked and still had a problem.
It would move freely in reverse but there was considerable resistance in forward. The wheels and connecting rods all move freely with motor detached. The gears mesh and spin freely.
The motor however, moves freely in one direction but there is strong stepping in the other.......this does not make sense.....I tried taking the magnet out and reversing it with no change.
This was becoming a real pain in the place where the sun don`t shine........so I searched through my store of replacement CD motors and fitted one in. I have a supply of 8 tooth pinions as well because I prepared for this sort of thing a few years back.
It was actually surprisingly easy to do and now she runs quiet and free. I do need to look at the pick ups though and work out a better arrangement for them as they are worn and will not last to the end of the race.
So another drama put to bed.
Gormo

 

G`day Andy,
Yes it does have a bearing, two in fact, one each side of the pancake motor.
Both bearings seem to be fine and I am at a loss to understand why it was only misbehaving in one direction.
Anyhow it has been replaced with the CD motor now, which is a far better option anyway. Everything is running very freely now to the point ,where it can crawl at very slow walking pace.
The old motor was not capable of that. It would just spring to life at 10 mph, which was interesting for shunting.
So the old motor`s demons will remain a mystery, which some day may make some sense.
Gormo

 

Here`s a video showing the Prairie running with it`s new motor.
I hope to improve on the running by adding Phosphor Bronze wire pick ups.
I`m off to Casula Hobbies to get some soon.



Gormo

 

G`day Folks,
Well I have added Phosphor Bronze wire pick ups to my Lima Prairie and all was working according to my Multi-meter. I even added an extra set to the center wheels.
However the loco was still stalling on some point frogs at very low speed.
Considering the loco was picking up current from 6 wheels, there had to be some other reason for the loco stalling at very low speed.
With body removed the chassis and wheels and pickups were closely examined.
The answer appeared to be that the loco would slightly drop the leading wheel into the gap between the rails at the frog, and because there is no suspension / compensation in the loco, the loco balances on it`s two diagonally opposed front and rear wheels and rocks slightly and fails to make proper contact with the track.
The middle axle does not have enough weight applied to it to make effective contact either. Maybe this axle needs a spring to apply down force..?
Also my track is not perfectly flat, so this was going to be an ongoing problem
The reason this happens is because the axle bearings in the chassis on the front and the rear wheels are an exceptionally good fit with very little play, or literally just enough to allow the axles to turn freely. The middle axle on the other hand has oval shaped bearings, which allow the middle axle a good degree of vertical movement.
I decided the solution was to also convert the front bearings to the oval shape by using a round file and only filing the bottom of the the bearing. When the weight of the loco presses down on the axle via the bearing, there should be no change to how the loco drives ,but on uneven track, the front wheels can move enough up or down to stay in contact with the rails whilst the rear wheels are also firmly planted on the track.
Fortunately reshaping the bearing was the end solution and now the loco is not stalling on any points
Gormo

 

It`s in the blood this railway thing and it all comes from my Mother`s side of the family.
My Grandfather worked on NSW railways most of his life and also my Great Grandfather worked on NSW railways for most of his life.
Below is a pic of my Great Grandfather at Illabo station......I would assume somewhere between 1900 and 1915 ?
Illabo is between Cootamundra and Junee in NSW.
He was foreman of the permanent way gang....he is the one with the shovel and arrow pointing towards him.
The photo has had a hard life, but you can see the old fellow.
The station now has been replaced by grain silos.
My family from that period lived in Cootamundra and nearly all of them worked for the railways.




My Great Grandfather, Dudley, pictured above, moved to Australia from Great Chesterford ,Essex, UK in the 1800`s with his brother William.
They left behind my Great Great Grandfather and Great Great Grandmother to see out their days in Great Chesterford. My Great Great Grandfather, George, also worked for the railways in Essex.
My Grandfather, John , was fortunate in a way that he worked for NSW railways , in that, during the Depression of the 1930`s he was one of the lucky ones who had a job to go to.
He worked on a railway gang,( just like his Father ) often going away to country areas for extended periods and sleeping under canvas. He would send his pay back home to Sydney for my Grandmother to keep things going at that time.....a very difficult time.
So folks......I think I`m stuck with it in my DNA or something.
Gormo

 

G`day Echidna,
Thank you for the very informative insight into the running of VR over the years.
My past involvement with trade unions came back to mind after reading about railway staff leave entitlements , or lack of.
A most unfair and unsatisfactory situation for those blokes.
Gormo

 

Gormo

 

G`day Folks,
Something a little different turned up in the post today......
Gary has had his layout logo printed onto various media and has kindly sent me a sticker for my railway room.
So it has been placed up on the wall with some of my other memorabilia .




A closer look.





Thank you very much Gary...
Gormo