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Raised Riding Truck
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Anyone who has been
trawling through our products or prices pages may have
noticed the "under redevelopment" on the raised
riding truck items. Usually when I have been invited to
run at a clubs I am with my family so given the choice we
opt for ground level running so we can run with the boys. This year I have had the raised riding truck at
three different clubs and to be frank, fitting the
running boards is a bit fiddlely.
We also planned to build and photograph
the ground level body, but everytime I found the time to
produce one, I seemed to get a sale and off it went.
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So coming soon -
- New style lift on/off side skirts
- no bolts (unless you want to)
- New style lift on/off running
boards for ground level running
- New ground level riding body
(currently 3 under construction)
Braked Bogie
Coming soon - new rigid frame
braked bogies. Designed around 4" wheels and using brake
shoes, I am hoping the new design will be a success. So confident
that the new design will work I have ordered 3 pairs for testing.
Having talked to several people about design solutions, we have
come up with a cable operated system. This gives flexibilty in
lever position or even the potential for air or vacuum brakes.
Out and About
| Having decided that model
engineering shows are not necessarily our target market
we still enjoy taking out our portable track to a few
local exhibitions. This year the
Ilford and West Essex Model Railway Club's exhibition had
help in promoting the show from "Jack the Cat".
With some of the advertising aimed at
school children and the offer of free rides attendance
seemed to be well up from last year.
It was also the first time we used our
new coaches and we managed to take £133 over the two
days. Up from just over £50 last year.
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Once again Chelmsford show
really popular. It seemed that the railway was running
nearly none stop. For a change we swapped the Hercules
over half way though the day and gave the Hunslet a good
run. For those who read comments
on my Youtube videos, there isn't a steam noise unit in
there, it was just the bad meshing of the gears. These
have been sorted and she runs like a sewing machine - OK
a sewing machine that can pull 10 people.
The new coaches were an amazing success
and we raised over £233 in the day (£100 more than last
year). Big thanks to James for helping out with the
driving.
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| At the
exhibition I was fortunate to bump in to Mark Found of
The Railway Channel. Mark is currently trying to set up a
weekly internet show called "Railway World".
Any one who has documentries on their Sky box will surely
recognise him from "Trainspotting" (the series
on trains not the drug film) or his much talked about
garden railway show. The filming at Chelmsford features
on No.6 which can be found on the website "The Railway Channel". |
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| I have to add that I
thought the episode after Chelmsford was not up to the
standard set up to this point and sent an email
expressing that thought in a less than subtle way. Don't
think Mark will ever talk to me again but to me, episode
8 was much better. Anyway go check it out. It is an
interesting venture which if they can get the viewing
figures up to 5000 a week may be the start of something
big. Use it or lose it - as thay say. 
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Party Time
| For anyone who has been
following the site from early days, may have picked up on
odd snippets on my family. Well just to make us all feel
old Clark started school this year and had a joint party
with Jasper (3yrs) to celebrate his 5th birthday. Unseasonal warm weather meant it was trains all
afternoon.
Given the success of our public running
coaches, we added full length cushions and end handles to
our two open coaches. This meant we could squash a few
more on.
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Right -
Clark 5 years ago.
Andrena has just gone on
Maternity leave as we are expecting a little girl
mid/late December.
Can't think of any names
yet but I have been informed there will be no railway or
Christmas connections.
One big bonus is the tax
people have sent the company her wages through to April.
Fantastic, now all I need to do is work out how to do
payroll , paint coaches, collect materials etc.
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Bespoke Work
| Having been asked to
produce ends for a Wisbech coach last year, I had a spare
pair cut in case there were any problems. Rather than
canilbalise a panel coach for the body, I drew up and had
a body cut more in keeping with the original. As a change I also spray painted the body before
highlighting the panelling with brown stain using a
sponge.
Other work -
Not so exciting, I have been cutting
and bending up literally hundreds of aluminium brackets
for the window fitters who are in the unit opposite ours.
The workshop has been very multi cultural as the boss is
Polish and his labourer is from Slovakia.
Still working with interesting
materials - some of which may appear on our products in
the not to distant future.
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Winter Work
Ever since we took on the workshop
lease we have had the worry that in winter the work may slow down
and how will we make ends meet.
Well once I have finished -
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3 open coaches
2 public running coaches
Hercules to Spain
1 bogie chassis
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Captain Howey
Braked bogies
3.5" gauge points
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Quarry Hunslet
Working Semaphores
Possibly 6 Indian Coaches (braked)
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I might find time to worry about it. All I have
to say is THANKS.
Barking Park Light
Railway
Now coming back as a 7.25"
gauge railway (was 9.5"), mainly through the efforts of one
man, the Barking Park Railway is up and running again. Ray
Armsted (who used to own a Hercules and Trojan), is working with
the local council and has so far crossed numerous hurdles and
actually got 350 yards of track down. There are even plans to
extend in the future.
If the website looks familar in
style, no prizes for guessing who put it together. Rather than
just wish him luck, do one better. Go and pay him a visit.
Official opening is Easter 2009.
www.bplr.co.uk
That's all for now.
Paul
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