A diary of Tramway Demiel

Automotrice looking great, Mikey! - in Vienne, a stream near us disapeared completely; our pond was the lowest it has ever been and yes the farmers were still shooting water at their maize. An eco group emerged who went round at night turning off the irrigation machinery and leaving polite notes saying that they really didn't want to be thanked for saving the farmers thei water bills...

mikeyh wrote:

First run of the Automotrice;



Then the heavens opened for the first time in weeks!!

mikey

Great isn't it, the Automotrice and the rain

Nice looking bus there Mikey. How did you do the power unit in the end, or is that still a work-in-progress? Congratulations on the success of your Rain Dance!

Clive you always manage to ask the pertinent questions. The picture of the automotrice is peculiar because it doesnt show the stripped down playmobil chassis that is pushing it round the track! I was going to take a whole series of pics including the chassis just to show that the idea works. After the first pic we had a cloudburst which carried on for the next ten hours! Fantastic!.

Mikey

Made a decision today to only use live steam when the weather is cooler. Reason?; You fire it up carefully, making sure the oil is ok, the gas ok and the water ok; You light up and wait for it to build up pressure. when pressure is reached you open the regulator and away she goes. Only thing is theres not a trace of steam, smoke or whatever coming out of the chimney!. Pictures look like they are completely posed. With the battery and track powered I put them on the track, switch on and away we go. So today we ran the normal passenger train (still great to do though!)



Roll on October/november et al

Mikey

A new Halt was opened today for the workers at the papermill;





These unattended halts varied in design between networks. Some had an office and a waiting room with doors. Others were just two large doorless rooms to shelter in. This one was made from a cutdown speaker cabinet with the usual rubber tiles for the roof.

Mike

Another cracking little building there Mikey In the background (left side) of the first of these latest pics, the tiles appear to be different colour to this new building, even though I think it's the same material. Has the weather had a part to play in that, or did you get your paints out?!

The original rubber yacht decking is grey which i paint with an exterior latex paint 'Terra cotta'. While the paint is wet I weather the tiles with black and green. the halt has just started to be weathered.

Mike

Been having a problem with derailments lately. LGB stuff is OK but its always the live steam on the bends (at whatever speed it is going). The track has always listed slightly, especially to the outside of bends. I realised that the LGB stuff, having the motor low down ,have a centre of gravity that will counter the slope of the track. The tram, especially with a full boiler, has a higher centre of gravity and is basically top-heavy. So we've stripped the trackbed back and laid 5cm thick beams along the front straight and ballasted up the bends at either end. Hopefully this will cure the problem?





Mikey

Further to above, this has had the added bonus of giving me a firm base for the turntable which will connect to the live steaming bay. Of course all the bare wood will be 'landscaped; to hide it.

Mikey

mikeyh wrote:

Been having a problem with derailments lately. LGB stuff is OK but its always the live steam on the bends (at whatever speed it is going).

Mikey, have you checked the wheel-gauge hasn't reduced? If the wheels on your live-steamer are adjustable gauge, maybe they have drifted inwards a bit?

Wheel gauge was the first thing i checked Clive.All OK there. You were the first person to notice the list (in one of the picture comments). I thought i could live with it but it was just being lazy. the weird thing is that when the tram has been running a while its OK. I put this down to the full boiler and gas tank which must raise the centre of grav sufficiently to tip it on the bends (which leant outwards anyway!) Gonna do some testing tomorrow

Mikey

A great stretch of straight trackwork Mikey. It looks like it's on a gradient?

I've just started to dismantle part of mine....

Now that all the wooden buildings have been brought in for Winter (still 12 concrete ones left out) I've strated re-painting and detailing some of them. First off is the 'Hotel de la Gare' which has had a more french looking roof added to it and some ivy.



mikey

After checking the romany camp the Gendarme is being distracted by the girl while the illegals hide in the vans (nothing changes does it?)
Another fine figure from Clive finds its way to Demiel!



mikey

Nice pic Mikey, thanks for sharing! I am always relieved to learn of their safe arrival.

Forgive me Mikey, but that diorama appears to be indoors!

On a cracking day like this? Going soft in your old age I fear

Seriously though, another brilliant job by Clive. Have the caravans grown in number? I love the one on the left!

GWhizz wrote:

Forgive me Mikey, but that diorama appears to be indoors!

On a cracking day like this? Going soft in your old age I fear

Don't know why, but I am sensing irony here!

I take it, Brian, your rainwater collection pond is now back to 'sensible' levels?

Strangely not on this rare occasion Clive, this morning has been mild and sunny with a nice breeze blowing up from the Med and Pyrennes.

BUT Monsieur Meteo says it's going to rain this afternoon and even as I write clouds are gathering.

And yes the water supply (it's actually an underground tank) is already full thanks to last week's weather!

I think that's one of your finest figures Clive, not least for the different detail parts to make the ensemble plus too the history and research involved.

Terrible weather here in 'packing box land' and the garden looks like the Somme in 1917.

Those caravans are lovely Mike. We are going to buy one - a 'Roulotte', a real one next year. My wife doesn't know it yet though.

You can buy them as a kit.
Here's one place, roulotte-en-kit.com

Now we know where we are going to sleep next year, for the open day

Carl Hibbs wrote:

Those caravans are lovely Mike. We are going to buy one - a 'Roulotte', a real one next year. My wife doesn't know it yet though.

Here's one place, roulotte-en-kit.com

That's one hell of a shopping list Carl! - Horse, Donkeys, Ride on Mower, Land Rover. Romany Caravan!

Don't forget to leave some cash for a garden railway!

Fine figures and diorama Mikey.
Excellent work Mr T

well don't expect it stay at one caravan...........................

Monseur le Gendarme looks outstanding as does mademoiselle . Great diorama.

Kudos to Clive and Mikey.

mikeyh wrote:

After checking the romany camp the Gendarme is being distracted by the girl while the illegals hide in the vans (nothing changes does it?)

mikey

Mikey, am I ok to use this pic on my Who's Who page, please? Usual photo credits given etc honest!