Crawley Model Engineers

	September 2010 Newsletter During last Sunday's running it was found that the water flow from the standpipes was insufficient for normal operation and water buckets were in use. The following Wednesday saw several of the seven members present disconnecting pipes and taps, the object being to push mains pressure water through the system. The water level in the tank was also adjusted. The work must have succeeded as the intrepid workers then set about levelling the traverser, thereby eliminating the bumps and clatter as locos crossed it. The end sleepers were removed and replaced with better ones and some packing added. A test with a loaded trolley (Mike) proved that the joints were now more level than before. Following a further round of tea, we packed up and left. The number of members attending the Passenger Running Days is astounding! Gone are the days when we used to scratch around to find a crew, Roger often used to run the whole show single-handed, selling the tickets and driving the train, usually Simplicity. Thirteen members and friends were there on Sunday 8th August and although it seemed quiet at first, the numbers of passengers waiting soon built up. Stephen was Duty Supervisor and he organised things quite well. The station was ready to go by 1:30 and as Turbomotive was connected up, it took the first train. John, who had a new car, had not worked out how to fit a loco in it yet so was without one, but Ray arrived with the trusty 'Speedy'. Bob was co-opted as Duty Driver and steamed up Club BR Simplex and was the second engine on the track, soon to be joined by 'Speedy' These three kept the queue to an acceptable level with one or two dead spells. The Simplex got a bit tired and was replaced by the 'Warship' so that the 'fitters' could drop the fire and renew it. When returning it ran light engine, carrying the odd passenger now and then. Drivers were changed at regular intervals, giving most a chance to drive steam and electric. Some of our 'electric only' drivers got a chance to drive the steamers during the quiet spells. With the ticket sales standing at 477 at about 4:30, we were looking for passengers to make the magic 500. At 498 two were persuaded to take another ride to make the number, shortly after this the last minute rush of outgoing children brought the number up to 511, surely a record for several years. Despite the activity, tea, bread pudding and biscuits were still served at the usual times and clearing up was completed by 5:40. Sometimes a Wednesday morning is too nice to work, so the five of us just sat around with mugs of tea, chatting and generally putting the world to rights, with occasional throwing the ball for the Dog. On the 15th of the month, we had a private party booking from 1 till 2 o'clock and we were all ready and running by that time. The twice postponed party started a bit late, with not as many as expected so we altered it to a full afternoon's free rides for them as they were all wearing identifying stickers, both adults and children. This was agreed by the Duty Supervisor, Mark 1 and the Committee members present as we had received a cheque for £25 before the start. Warship was first on with Tom driving and the Black 5 (5241) following shortly. John had brought the Large Mallett Compound after its session the day before at the Frimley track, “just to clean it” he said. But he could not resist running it and made up the third train for a while. Business was steady, with bursts of passengers, family groups mostly, with one requesting 11 tickets. Mark had his calculator ready for just this situation so was not caught out! Ray's 'Lion' was soon in steam and took over from John and later we had two Black 5's running as Mike had the 5127 out for a rare steaming. Unfortunately the lack of exercise for this loco, due to house moving, meant that it was not at its best and was having problems with the injectors and the lubricator. Mike ran a number of laps before giving up, but it was nice to see two Black 5's out on a Sunday, the first time this has occurred. I made nine cups of tea about 2 o'clock and took over the driving of 5421 from Stephen at half past as I was Duty Driver! Various other drivers were seen on the other locos, driver sharing being the 'norm' these days. The 'Lion' was suffering from blocked tubes in the smoke-box and was taken off. Just prior to this I was sitting behind Ray's train in the station and he was loading up and I could see that two rather large young mums were heading our way. I thought this is going to be a heavy train, but to my surprise, Mark put them onto the 'Lion' train together with a man and his son. It must have been a load of about 60 stones and Ray just about managed to get round! Bob steamed up the Club BR Simplex and took over from Ray and about 4:30 Tom reported that the Warship was running out of 'juice' so we continued running with just the two black locomotives. We put up the closed sign at 5 o'clock, although there was some confusion about the time as the station clock had stopped! At 5 past, a chubby mum and two small children came running up for a ride, and as they had run right across the Park we took them in and with two other late-comers they joined the Black 5 train being driven by Stephen again, who was waiting for the traverser. He did one more lap and them we really did close. Tea had been made by Noel at 3:30 and Mark made a much appreciated one at 4:15, at which time I swapped places to Stephen as I needed a visit to the blue bucket room! The Dog had injured a paw some time in the afternoon and was looking for sympathy by walking on three legs. An examination found nothing obvious so we concluded that she had trod on a thorn. A couple of biscuits and a cuddle soon had her happy again. As me and the Dog were on holiday the following Wednesday, this report by Bob. Mike had done some remedial work on the Black 5 (5127) and brought it down for some testing. After a number of laps, Mike was satisfied that the cleaning of the clacks and injectors had cured the problem of last Sunday. Meanwhile the rest of the members present did nothing except drink tea and eat biscuits! On Sunday 21st the country was experiencing heavy rain and floods. In the Southeast it did not reach us in such severity and then not until about 1 o'clock. The heavy rain deterred us from setting up the station and as there were no steam locos evident, the 'Warship' was trundled out “just in case”. Around 2 o'clock the rain stopped for a few minutes and a chap and two children asked if the railway was running. We rushed about, getting two trolleys and the loco onto the track, a quick run round empty found the track satisfactory so the passengers were sold tickets and carried. I then made the tea for the nine persons present. Several other families and some teenagers had rides and by 3 o'clock Ray (Duty Supervisor) said we had sold 50 tickets and if we carried on at the same rate we could expect about 120 sold by 5 o'clock. It rained on and off, mostly 'on' but there were always a few bedraggled people in the Park, so we kept the one train ready at all times, suitably covered from the rain. Stephen had by this time got wet and a change of drivers to Dave meant that the 'wet' was shared around as Tom also had a few laps towards the end. After the usual last minute rush of a granny and two children, we pulled the plug and cleared up. Ray did the subtraction of the ticket numbers and as he predicted it came to 120. A good number considering the wet weather. Bank Holiday weekend is usually quite busy as the children will soon be going back to school. We had the station set up by about 1:15 and the first passengers were carried soon after behind the Turbomotive, driven by replacement Duty Driver Stephen. The Sturrock 400T joined shortly after, John wisely using the non-powered tender this time. Ray arrived with the trusty 'Speedy' to make up the now necessary third train as the passengers were coming thick and fast. Mainly due to a couple of parties, complete with gazeboes between us and the children's play park. One lady asked for 19 tickets, which set my brain a problem as it has never worked any higher than 8 before! I asked the lady what the party was for and she pointed to her three years old son and said it was his birthday. There were about 50 people at this party so he was very popular! They all came back for more rides but at 3:45 and the tickets sold at 285 the rain came, a heavy shower which lasted just long enough to clear the park. Dave and Jean had brought their 'Little Genie' down for a test run following some work on it by Jan and after running light engine for a few laps, took over the Sturrock train. This involved some nifty work by the station crew, shuffling carriages about without delaying the passengers much. The electric loco was taken off when the rain started, but the two steamers now being driven by Bob (Speedy) and Stephen (Little Genie) continued through the rain which stopped at 4:25. A few more passengers who had been sheltering in their cars came and asked for rides, so we continued, at the same time clearing up some of the station equipment, finally leaving at 5:20 after selling 311 tickets. We would have made over 400 if it had not rained! Summer came back for a day on the Bank Holiday Monday and me and the Dog were elsewhere, spending money! Mike reported that his Black 5 pulled some passengers, but he was still having trouble with the lubricators. Ray ran the 'Lion' this time and probably pulled the 'Lion's' share of the passengers, whilst the 'Sturrock' ran a second time this weekend. Simon made a rare visit with the extended Simplex, but was unable to run as he was unaware that the boiler certificate had expired. A shortage of tea-makers meant that it was not very forthcoming, only twice in the afternoon, but they did carry 341 passengers, so were fairly busy. Portable track operation. On the 20th the portable group had a booking for the Maidenbower Festival. It was raining most of the time, so activity was low. They carried about 56 passengers in the three hours they were running and the profits were shared between the organisers and the CME. Their next and probably last booking is at Martells in East Grinstead, where they put the track together and run in the arcade between the shops. The Committee would like to thank Mark, Stephen and Mr. and Mrs. Buckman for their work during this summer. New Club Locomotive. Some time ago it was decided by the Committee that we should invest in another locomotive for use in Goffs Park and the Portable events. Of necessity it had to be an electric one and after much discussion a Class 20 diesel-electric, known as a 'Chopper' by the line-side spotters. A suitable basic kit was purchased, with a discount and Mike starting with the assembly of the bogies. It was then passed to me for the body-work and possibly painting. A decision has yet to be made regarding the colour scheme; the original versions were delivered in green and later repainted in BR blue with yellow ends. Several are still running on the mainline and preservation groups in various colours. Battery Shock. For a couple of years we have been buying sealed lead acid batteries from the 'scrappy' at Roffey. These have been at 50p for the 7ah and £1 for the 38ah versions as used in Turbomotive. I called in the yard recently to try and buy some smaller 33ah units for the Class 20 which is too narrow for the larger batteries. They are not used in the equipment from which the 're-cycled' ones come from. (Emergency lighting and fire/smoke alarm systems.) As I was there I decided to buy a couple of batteries for the Turbomotive for use as spares. Imagine my surprise when the £5 note was offered to be told that it would not buy one! The batteries are now weighed and sold at the price for scrap lead. The two came to £10.18 but the chap settled for a tenner as I had no more cash! Workshop Sale. Chalky White (Alan) is selling up his workshop due the failing health problems. A list has been put up in the hut, which includes the following items;- Boxford Model H lathe with loads of accessories. A Warco ZX15 milling machine, again with many accessories. A 4 ½ inch Universal Bandsaw, and a Clarkson Cutter/Grinder. There are also many hand tools and a compressor. If you are interested in seeing any of these tools, give Chalky a ring. His number is available from Jack on 01293 528612. FREE GRATIS & for nothing. Due to lack of garage space, I need to dispose of an Air Compressor, it's a DeVilbiss Aerograph, complete with 250V a.c. motor, and a small air tank. In working order but I have no information on pressure or volume of air produced. It was more than enough to air-test my Sweet Pea chassis. For more details phone Dave on 01403 255712.
Page last updated September 2010 Copyright © 2006-2010, CME

September 2010 Newsletter

During last Sunday's running it was found that the water flow from the standpipes was insufficient for normal operation and water buckets were in use. The following Wednesday saw several of the seven members present disconnecting pipes and taps, the object being to push mains pressure water through the system. The water level in the tank was also adjusted. The work must have succeeded as the intrepid workers then set about levelling the traverser, thereby eliminating the bumps and clatter as locos crossed it. The end sleepers were removed and replaced with better ones and some packing added. A test with a loaded trolley (Mike) proved that the joints were now more level than before. Following a further round of tea, we packed up and left.

The number of members attending the Passenger Running Days is astounding! Gone are the days when we used to scratch around to find a crew, Roger often used to run the whole show single-handed, selling the tickets and driving the train, usually Simplicity. Thirteen members and friends were there on Sunday 8th August and although it seemed quiet at first, the numbers of passengers waiting soon built up. Stephen was Duty Supervisor and he organised things quite well. The station was ready to go by 1:30 and as Turbomotive was connected up, it took the first train. John, who had a new car, had not worked out how to fit a loco in it yet so was without one, but Ray arrived with the trusty 'Speedy'. Bob was co-opted as Duty Driver and steamed up Club BR Simplex and was the second engine on the track, soon to be joined by 'Speedy'

These three kept the queue to an acceptable level with one or two dead spells. The Simplex got a bit tired and was replaced by the 'Warship' so that the 'fitters' could drop the fire and renew it. When returning it ran light engine, carrying the odd passenger now and then. Drivers were changed at regular intervals, giving most a chance to drive steam and electric. Some of our 'electric only' drivers got a chance to drive the steamers during the quiet spells. With the ticket sales standing at 477 at about 4:30, we were looking for passengers to make the magic 500. At 498 two were persuaded to take another ride to make the number, shortly after this the last minute rush of outgoing children brought the number up to 511, surely a record for several years. Despite the activity, tea, bread pudding and biscuits were still served at the usual times and clearing up was completed by 5:40.

Sometimes a Wednesday morning is too nice to work, so the five of us just sat around with mugs of tea, chatting and generally putting the world to rights, with occasional throwing the ball for the Dog.

On the 15th of the month, we had a private party booking from 1 till 2 o'clock and we were all ready and running by that time. The twice postponed party started a bit late, with not as many as expected so we altered it to a full afternoon's free rides for them as they were all wearing identifying stickers, both adults and children. This was agreed by the Duty Supervisor, Mark 1 and the Committee members present as we had received a cheque for £25 before the start. Warship was first on with Tom driving and the Black 5 (5241) following shortly. John had brought the Large Mallett Compound after its session the day before at the Frimley track, “just to clean it” he said. But he could not resist running it and made up the third train for a while.

Business was steady, with bursts of passengers, family groups mostly, with one requesting 11 tickets. Mark had his calculator ready for just this situation so was not caught out! Ray's 'Lion' was soon in steam and took over from John and later we had two Black 5's running as Mike had the 5127 out for a rare steaming. Unfortunately the lack of exercise for this loco, due to house moving, meant that it was not at its best and was having problems with the injectors and the lubricator. Mike ran a number of laps before giving up, but it was nice to see two Black 5's out on a Sunday, the first time this has occurred. I made nine cups of tea about 2 o'clock and took over the driving of 5421 from Stephen at half past as I was Duty Driver! Various other drivers were seen on the other locos, driver sharing being the 'norm' these days.

The 'Lion' was suffering from blocked tubes in the smoke-box and was taken off. Just prior to this I was sitting behind Ray's train in the station and he was loading up and I could see that two rather large young mums were heading our way. I thought this is going to be a heavy train, but to my surprise, Mark put them onto the 'Lion' train together with a man and his son. It must have been a load of about 60 stones and Ray just about managed to get round! Bob steamed up the Club BR Simplex and took over from Ray and about 4:30 Tom reported that the Warship was running out of 'juice' so we continued running with just the two black locomotives. We put up the closed sign at 5 o'clock, although there was some confusion about the time as the station clock had stopped! At 5 past, a chubby mum and two small children came running up for a ride, and as they had run right across the Park we took them in and with two other late-comers they joined the Black 5 train being driven by Stephen again, who was waiting for the traverser. He did one more lap and them we really did close. Tea had been made by Noel at 3:30 and Mark made a much appreciated one at 4:15, at which time I swapped places to Stephen as I needed a visit to the blue bucket room!

The Dog had injured a paw some time in the afternoon and was looking for sympathy by walking on three legs. An examination found nothing obvious so we concluded that she had trod on a thorn. A couple of biscuits and a cuddle soon had her happy again.

As me and the Dog were on holiday the following Wednesday, this report by Bob. Mike had done some remedial work on the Black 5 (5127) and brought it down for some testing. After a number of laps, Mike was satisfied that the cleaning of the clacks and injectors had cured the problem of last Sunday. Meanwhile the rest of the members present did nothing except drink tea and eat biscuits!

On Sunday 21st the country was experiencing heavy rain and floods. In the Southeast it did not reach us in such severity and then not until about 1 o'clock. The heavy rain deterred us from setting up the station and as there were no steam locos evident, the 'Warship' was trundled out “just in case”. Around 2 o'clock the rain stopped for a few minutes and a chap and two children asked if the railway was running. We rushed about, getting two trolleys and the loco onto the track, a quick run round empty found the track satisfactory so the passengers were sold tickets and carried. I then made the tea for the nine persons present. Several other families and some teenagers had rides and by 3 o'clock Ray (Duty Supervisor) said we had sold 50 tickets and if we carried on at the same rate we could expect about 120 sold by 5 o'clock. It rained on and off, mostly 'on' but there were always a few bedraggled people in the Park, so we kept the one train ready at all times, suitably covered from the rain. Stephen had by this time got wet and a change of drivers to Dave meant that the 'wet' was shared around as Tom also had a few laps towards the end. After the usual last minute rush of a granny and two children, we pulled the plug and cleared up. Ray did the subtraction of the ticket numbers and as he predicted it came to 120. A good number considering the wet weather.

Bank Holiday weekend is usually quite busy as the children will soon be going back to school. We had the station set up by about 1:15 and the first passengers were carried soon after behind the Turbomotive, driven by replacement Duty Driver Stephen. The Sturrock 400T joined shortly after, John wisely using the non-powered tender this time. Ray arrived with the trusty 'Speedy' to make up the now necessary third train as the passengers were coming thick and fast. Mainly due to a couple of parties, complete with gazeboes between us and the children's play park. One lady asked for 19 tickets, which set my brain a problem as it has never worked any higher than 8 before! I asked the lady what the party was for and she pointed to her three years old son and said it was his birthday. There were about 50 people at this party so he was very popular! They all came back for more rides but at 3:45 and the tickets sold at 285 the rain came, a heavy shower which lasted just long enough to clear the park. Dave and Jean had brought their 'Little Genie' down for a test run following some work on it by Jan and after running light engine for a few laps, took over the Sturrock train. This involved some nifty work by the station crew, shuffling carriages about without delaying the passengers much. The electric loco was taken off when the rain started, but the two steamers now being driven by Bob (Speedy) and Stephen (Little Genie) continued through the rain which stopped at 4:25. A few more passengers who had been sheltering in their cars came and asked for rides, so we continued, at the same time clearing up some of the station equipment, finally leaving at 5:20 after selling 311 tickets. We would have made over 400 if it had not rained!

Summer came back for a day on the Bank Holiday Monday and me and the Dog were elsewhere, spending money! Mike reported that his Black 5 pulled some passengers, but he was still having trouble with the lubricators. Ray ran the 'Lion' this time and probably pulled the 'Lion's' share of the passengers, whilst the 'Sturrock' ran a second time this weekend. Simon made a rare visit with the extended Simplex, but was unable to run as he was unaware that the boiler certificate had expired. A shortage of tea-makers meant that it was not very forthcoming, only twice in the afternoon, but they did carry 341 passengers, so were fairly busy.

Portable track operation.

On the 20th the portable group had a booking for the Maidenbower Festival. It was raining most of the time, so activity was low. They carried about 56 passengers in the three hours they were running and the profits were shared between the organisers and the CME. Their next and probably last booking is at Martells in East Grinstead, where they put the track together and run in the arcade between the shops. The Committee would like to thank Mark, Stephen and Mr. and Mrs. Buckman for their work during this summer.

New Club Locomotive.

Some time ago it was decided by the Committee that we should invest in another locomotive for use in Goffs Park and the Portable events. Of necessity it had to be an electric one and after much discussion a Class 20 diesel-electric, known as a 'Chopper' by the line-side spotters. A suitable basic kit was purchased, with a discount and Mike starting with the assembly of the bogies. It was then passed to me for the body-work and possibly painting. A decision has yet to be made regarding the colour scheme; the original versions were delivered in green and later repainted in BR blue with yellow ends. Several are still running on the mainline and preservation groups in various colours.

Battery Shock.

For a couple of years we have been buying sealed lead acid batteries from the 'scrappy' at Roffey. These have been at 50p for the 7ah and £1 for the 38ah versions as used in Turbomotive. I called in the yard recently to try and buy some smaller 33ah units for the Class 20 which is too narrow for the larger batteries. They are not used in the equipment from which the 're-cycled' ones come from. (Emergency lighting and fire/smoke alarm systems.) As I was there I decided to buy a couple of batteries for the Turbomotive for use as spares. Imagine my surprise when the £5 note was offered to be told that it would not buy one! The batteries are now weighed and sold at the price for scrap lead. The two came to £10.18 but the chap settled for a tenner as I had no more cash!

Workshop Sale.

Chalky White (Alan) is selling up his workshop due the failing health problems. A list has been put up in the hut, which includes the following items;- Boxford Model H lathe with loads of accessories. A Warco ZX15 milling machine, again with many accessories. A 4 ½ inch Universal Bandsaw, and a Clarkson Cutter/Grinder. There are also many hand tools and a compressor. If you are interested in seeing any of these tools, give Chalky a ring. His number is available from Jack on 01293 528612.

FREE GRATIS & for nothing.

Due to lack of garage space, I need to dispose of an Air Compressor, it's a DeVilbiss Aerograph, complete with 250V a.c. motor, and a small air tank. In working order but I have no information on pressure or volume of air produced. It was more than enough to air-test my Sweet Pea chassis. For more details phone Dave on 01403 255712.