Stockers' line: the Pell Wall Agricultural Tramway

[demaine22]

Great little loco Stockers!

Would be a nice little G9 project one day!

[Simon Andrews]

Chris wrote:

Simon Andrews wrote:
Nice setup Chris I am very envious

Simon.


Thanks Simon it's been a long time coming. As in I am able to do this because there is actually a bit left over after other stuff was taken care of from an endowment that has paid out after twenty five years.

I am even more envious now. I also just had an endowment pay out but had nothing left over

Simon.

[chris stockdale]

Phoenix Locos, who built my loco, have just upgraded their website with a whole page given over to the design brief, spec and some photos that show the underneath gubbins. For those that are interested pop on over here:

http://phoenixlocos.com/products/model- ... e-scooter/

cheers,

[Simon Andrews]

Thanks for the link Chris. I can feel a Gnine version coming on.

Simon.

[chris stockdale]

Hmm, last post in February - I see that I am rushing at my usual glacial speed

But fear not fellow minimal gaugers, I got a mate over the other day and by using three concrete blocks, some twigs, a spirit level and a slightly bent tape measure we did a level survey of my garden where the line might run and doodled a few ideas.

And here's the result:



Now, there is, I will admit, going to be another gap, time wise but I do feel just a little more confident that with a little help from my friends a railway really will appear next year.

bestest,

[RoGNer]

A cunning plan if ever I saw one. IKB would be proud.
Looks like a great way round..

As The Railway Travellers Handy Book of 1862 states -

"It has been said that with a shilling, a piece of string and a pocket knife a man is prepared for any emergency" Adding a "Slightly Bent Tape Measure" would, I am sure, fully equip any budding railway surveyor.

Cheerio
Roger

[chris stockdale]

A little play with satellite images (years out of date) and a rework of the layout (with the waggon turntable now off the 'mainline and a crossing in its place) into a diagrammatic form of my own yields these little dainties for your enjoyment - or whatever...





cheers,

[Voyager]

Looks like a practical plan. When's the working party to lay it???

[chris stockdale]

Looks like a practical plan. When's the working party to lay it???

Owing to other commitments probably not until April. But there will then be every opportunity to come and play the digger, dumper, shovel and ballast game.

So keep your diaries free folks.

Cheers,

[chris stockdale]

the digger, dumper, shovel and ballast game.

I should perhaps add that, to avoid the whole thing being like a bad comic opera, Colin Edmondson, the builder of 7 1/4" locos Don and Stumpy (see other Prototype Prattles entries) will be supervising/leading the fun. That way what results has a reasonable chance of actually looking like a railway.

cheers,

[chris stockdale]

In the top right hand corner of Shropshire, something stirred...

First a voice said, 'Let there be a design for a 7 1/4" version of an old fashioned, very manual, moveable tongue point.' And lo, it was so.



Next the voice (wot was that of the Stockers of course) said, 'Now, how about a cool conversion of that lazy susan bearing.'

And that was so too.



Bottom beds in the ballast, drain hole, shallow sides keep ballast out, rim has holes for attaching rails in 8 positions. Turntable ring sits on 8 ribs clear of the bottom, deck drops onto ring. Deck and ring lift out for cleaning. Locking bar locates table in 8 positions. All parts laser cut with tabs and slots for quick assembly. 4mm bottom, deck and ring, 10mm ribs and rails.

'And while you're at it, how about a portable 'lay on' style turntable for use where ever it shall be required.'

And the magic once again occurred.



Will suit all rail types, as the locating lugs fit inside the rails. Wheel stop is adjustable to suit different wheelbases and help you to balance the wagon more easily.

It spoke again. 'Put these items into an improved design for the Pell Wall Agricultural Tramway.'

And they went forth and did it.





--- all design work by Colin Edmondson ---


Lastly the voice said, 'I'm going to need help with making all this into reality in the last week in March 2014. Please...' And some came forward, but more would be nice.

Look out chaps, but I might be about to finally get somewhere.

If you fancy shovelling ballast (bring own shovel), you know when and where to be now, don't you?

cheers,

[Voyager]

That turntable concept has a fair bit in common with the portable turntable carried by several Marks of Wickham Trolley.

(BTW track laying dates noted!)

[chris stockdale]

Well, the metal elements for the points are not merely designed by have now been laser cut and welded.



And here is the original inspiration from Penrhyn Museum





cheers,

[chris stockdale]

And the lay on turntable has similarly been turned into a metal reality.

As Colin Edmondson wrote in my Minimal Gauge Railways group on FB:

As there wasn't a length of track to pose the lift off turntable on, so I have used my loco trolley. The ramps drop onto the rails under their own weight, located by lugs inside the rail head. Push wagon on until it balances and ramps lift clear, then adjust stop to suit.





Rotate on the three roller bearings until the ramps are lined up with your temporary track, and roll the wagon off. Seemples! I can lift the whole assembly with one hand easily.




Photos courtesy of Colin Edmondson.

cheers,

[chris stockdale]

Well, it's been an interesting year (and a bit).

At a rapidly increasing pace from March last year I had to put aside pretty much everything to sort out a whole range of family affairs. That is all now drawing to a satisfactory close, thank goodness.

Some Gnatterboxers may also be aware that I have created and run a Facebook Group about what I term 'minimal' gauge railways. Here's a brief blurb to remind you:

'For most of us Sir Arthur Heywood's 15” 'minimum' gauge of 1874 onwards is a tad large for a back garden or similar. We have neither his space nor his funds. This group is for sub 15" gauge railways that are nevertheless genuine 12” to the foot narrow gauge (as opposed to a miniature of something else, or something that is 'miniature' in style). Our ideal is a tiny railway that does a real job of work, however modest, in or around your garden, workshop, allotment or the like. Most such railways are running on 7 1/4" (and its American equivalent, 7 1/2"), with a few using 10 1/4" or 12 1/4". In other words, pretty much anything which is under 15" gauge but 12" to the foot.

Some years ago I dubbed this concept 'minimal' in an effort to show it was similar but smaller still than Heywood's 'minimum'. The description stuck with the handful of us who first began sharing our activities about these railways.'

You can find the group here if you want to know more:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/MinimalGaugeRailways/

You don't need to join the group to see what has been written but you do have to join FB itself (it only requires a name, email address and password, so you're hardly giving away the crown jewels) to get to look around.

Now, I realise not everyone likes Facebook - I know I didn't until I discovered their Groups functionality - I thought it was full of folk putting in such inane comments as 'I'm with Fred and I'm eating a Mars bar'. I suspect there's a fair bit of that going on but the Groups do tend to remain pretty much on topic.

But enough of FB. I still tend to think of the Gnatterbox as my railway spiritual home, so here's a few photos of the progress made last year before it all ground to a halt. And yes, I am putting these up in case bods not too far from Market Drayton are just crazy enough to bring a shovel over in the coming weeks once I have about ten tons of ballast on hand. We can play trains on the track that has already been laid and hopefully have you lend a paw with pushing the rail head westward!

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Cheers,

[Jon Randall]

Looking very smart Chris.
What size sleepers and rail are you using?

[chris stockdale]

'You've got to use good sized rail/ steel rail… etc. etc.' they said.

Well, as I already had a load of the cheapest 16mm aluminium rail hanging around from my aborted 5" gauge project I sat and thunk a bit.

Two main thoughts:

1. PNP (whose clip fit track of any gauge I recommend to newcomers as it's so easy even I can do it) do a 7 1/4" gauge version using 16mm rail

2. 16mm rail is used a lot for 5" gauge garden railways, including that at Paul Middleton's (he owns and runs Ride on Railways)

Now, since I don't plan to carry passengers - this being an agricultural line - the heaviest thing will be me at 13st. If, I reckoned, that's fine on 5" why would it not be on 7 1/4"? My engineering friend and mentor Colin Edmondson agreed, so cheap and cheerful it is. So far there has been no sign of bother.

Again, having a bunch of clip fit chairs left over from the 5" I bought a bunch of PNP plastic sleepers. These are not yet used, but I plan to give them ago when I get out into the paddock.

The wooden sleepers are 13" wide and cut from pressure treated tanalised fence rail, stuff such as:

http://www.minton-fencing.co.uk/rectang ... x-30m.html

I used the 38 x 88mm section as that's what some second hand track I got hold of already had. Again it has the Colin seal of approval. Sitting as it does on a couple of inches of washed 20mm granite chippings, which in turn is on weed-proof membrane the sleepers should last a good long time. All that sits on our local sandy/stony free draining soil. If it was a 'serious' passenger carrying line then several inches of hard core should go below the ballast. They are spaced with a gap of around 8 or 9 inches. Wideish, but with light use and light loads this shouldn't be an issue.

Rail is fixed to sleepers with four of self tapping screws per sleeper. Something like these:

http://www.pnp-railways.co.uk/products/ ... ck-of-100/

Which are driven home by:

http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk ... ver-172467

or the like. It makes it effortless.

So, there we are. Are you thinking of going shopping to create your own 12" to the foot line?

cheers,

[chris stockdale]

Life has intervened a bit with progress on the line but some friends came over a few weeks back and between us we shifted about five tons of ballast, thus getting some coverage all the way round the 100 yards or so of current track bed, all within the garden.

In the intervening months Colin has designed and built a tiny petrol electric loco. Called 'Scamp' he has already sold quite a few as kits and some RTR too. Yours truly has one and Colin brought his over to play the other day. Here it is going round a 5' radius curve with no hesitation.

[chris stockdale]

Scamp dimensions:

[chris stockdale]

Two Scamps playing together. Mine is the Lister styled jobbie in front (it's powered by a brand new 97cc Loncin engine) whilst the other machine has, we think, something of an O&K feel to it.

[Jon Randall]

Thanks for the detailed reply Chris. The Scamps are lovely little things, I may have to get one myself just to model it

[Voyager]

Your railway is looking super Chris.

SCAMP #9 slowly taking shape in my garage here, with the third of the body style options.

Perhaps a trio photo in due course?

All the best,

Mark

[chris stockdale]

Colin has sold eleven Scamps to date. Various sizes (as mine is about two inches shorter than the 'extended' version for those who wanted a smidge more elbow room) and some as kits, some RTR. And with several front end options it makes for plenty of permutations.

A trio is, surely, our minimum target for a gathering of like minded, like propelled, folk.

cheers,

[RoGNer]

A scampering of Scamps !

Wonderful

Cheers
Roger

[chris stockdale]

Glad you like it.

That is, however, what we've agreed a 'Gathering' of the beasties should be called. The jury is still out as to what the collective noun should be. Ideas range from a 'scutter' (familiar to Red Dwarf fans) to a 'mow' as the original is powered by a Suffolk Punch mower engine.

The debate will no doubt continue....

Cheers,