Baldwin "Lyn" new build.

Isn't that down to the oil that locos drip onto the track there during the station stop?

 

From the Gallery pages of the 762 Club website:

Casting Wheels - ready for machining
"These wheels were ordered to test the patterns. The remainder will be ordered shortly, and will include machining.

It will be noticed that the tyre is part of the casting and the wheel profile will be machined straight onto the casting.

In due course after wear and re-profiling, it is intended that steel tyres can be fitted for further service. This is in line with modern day methods, but a novelty in the world of steam preservation."

 

There is a brief explanation of the problem with LYNs wheels on the 762Club website: http://www.762club.com/762home.php

 

Thanks for the heads-up, Martyn. Much appreciated.

 

In Wales!

 

I know for certain there were 14 consecutive sunny days in the beautiful Land of the Gog during August 1972 .... and another 3 at the same time a year later

 

Where is the Ffesterbahn ?

The longest wet days record is Scottish.

 

I worked for a few years on the trowel in Wales in the early 2000's. Because you can't lay bricks when they are wet, we dubbed one year "The year of the bricklayer" because it never rained and we made good money!

 

To get back to the club 792 announcement, one cannot help thinking that there is something amiss also with points/turnouts to cause a mark to be made by LYN's wheels on same.

I personally cannot see how a narrow gauge wheel profile, even if with the 'Porta' alterations should cause any problems unless there is something wrong with the new points/turnouts.

Cheers,

Julian

 

If I'm reading the 762 club release correctly, it sounds as though it's talking about the pointwork in service at KL since reopening. If so, is the offending set one of those inherited from the old 'Lynbarn Railway', which I thought were slated for complete replacement in any event?

Could one of our number 'in the know' please clarify, as reprofiling wheels designed for a long tug up 1:50 seems to me an awful lot of trouble to go to over a set of temporary points?

 

The 762 Club update refers to the recently-installed points at Killington Lane, which were manufactured to replace those originally installed at KL, which had been modified by the L&B from (I think) ex-MoD 2'6" gauge panels.

 

I read it differently.

Notice the timeline of events in the statement.

Keith

 

Is the issue the new points or the wheels themselves?

 

You try starting an 11 coach train strung over reverses curves, on a 1 in 100 gradient without slipping. Throw in coal dust, water and oil all over the track and it is inevitable there will be some loss of traction.

But that is just one location where the odds are stacked against you. On a dry day it is rare for even Linda and Blanche to slip when on the run, unless you are heavy handed. The worst times are typically leaf fall season or if it drizzles after a dry spell. Then you get lots of sap and whatnot washing off the trees, but not enough rain to wash it away.

Tim

 

True enough Tim .... and btw, I randomly picked T-y-B out just because it's a widely known 'repeat offender' with a lot of on-line video coverage. As the BBC might say, "other locations, every bit as photogenic and just as notorious for slipping, are available" (though on a few occasions, I witnessed both the 'ladies' slip on different heavy trains at Minffordd when the FR's PW wasn't as manicured as today and the 'double-headed' rail was still in situ, back in the early 1970's), but I'd point out that however unique a location's particular set of conditions, a serious slip can have consequences just as dire there as anywhere else....

... and maybe, given your observation, it's just as well T-y-B doesn't habitually suffer from an unduly excessive number of dry days.

 

I notice that Lyn is to be in service at the forthcoming Gala, but there is no definitive statement anywhere about what has been decided to remedy the problem with the Porta wheel profile and the "marking" of the point noses.
Some posts suggest that this isn't just confined to the new points at Killington Lane, but the existing points at Woody Bay as well?
If this is the case then it would seem to me that the wheel profile needs altering rather than the points, particularly as the conventional profiles of the other locos (and presumably Lyd when it visited) don't seem to be a problem. It certainly raises a question about whether Lyn will be able to run on the WHR's points.

I do wonder just how useful the Porta profile is. There have been many locos re-tyred in recent years and none have had this profile AFAIK (either narrow or standard gauge).
If it was really worthwhile I would have thought the FR would be using it?

 

It depends how much you want your crossing noses mangled, I suppose!

I'm not a mechanical engineer, but it would seem intuitively obvious that if you put a sharp step into the middle of the tread it is liable to risk damaging the track in areas such as crossings where the wheel is not fully supported by the rail.

 

Post on the NGRM-online forum states Keefs will be turning Lyn's wheels in situ at Woody Bay in June.

Meanwhile I have separately been told she will be going to the FR for Keefs to turn the wheels in situ there.

Not sure which is correct so passing both on for discussion (perhaps they are both being considered as options). However, whatever happens it looks like the Porta profile is going!

 

LYN is in action all this week at least - despite the reported issues, looks and sounds to be running pretty well at the gala last weekend!

Some Youtube snippets:

 

Hmm. Reprofiling the wheels "in situ" is an interesting concept. I remember reading about a US railroad that used to replace the brake blocks with a suitably shaped cutting tool and drag locos along the depot roads with the brakes on -swarf spiralling out at the sides. I'm not advocating that the L & B do it that way!