In previous years the local area group had a tradition of “The List”. This was solemnly passed around at the last steamup of the season, and all present would list just one of their many “Round Tuit” tasks awaiting completion, with the understanding that it would be done before the first steamup of the following season. It was just a bit of fun with no adverse consequences for failure (apart from a little gently mickey-taking) but sometimes provided the extra burst of energy needed to finish something off. With no club list in the offing this year, I thought I’d take time out to produce a list of my own, showing everything that needs to get done on the railway. No deadline, no “this one by spring”, no promises; just a warts-and-all glimpse behind the scenes of the average garden railway. Most of these are unfinished jobs, but some are unstarted-but-on-the-wannado-list.
MOTIVE POWER:
Steam (Nos 2 and 5 out of traffic, rest available)
Mamod No1: Idle for too many years. Complete overhaul and re-assemble.
Rheidol No2: Re-pack piston ring and gland
Pooter No3: New pressure gauge. Repaint in the next year or three, and possibly rename and number
Lady Anne No5: Complete overhaul (axles and bearings done, valve gear still to do)
Trisantonia : Re-mount rear coupling to ponytruck instead of bufferbeam, so she doesn’t pull the first wagon off on tight curves.
Tennyson : Change couplings to choppers. Name and number plates
Lyn : Repaint scorched smokebox. Adjust coupling height. Name and numberplates. Complete repaint?
Rotkopf : Descale boiler. Detail and spot repainting. R/C?
Battery
Salem : Find and fix electrical fault
Baguley : Name and number. Repaint?
Fowler : Repair drop damage and re-assemble
STOCK:
Passenger
4 ex Mid-Derbyshire coaches: Repaint all 4 into LR colours. Repair/replace broken bogies on 2. Replace battery box on 1. Replace missing/damaged running boards
6 Locomotion & 1 IP kits still to finish.
Goods
2 Brandbright 4w opens cosmetic repair, all 12 to repaint and number, ditto 6 bogie opens
1 Bbt van, 1 accucraft brake, 2 1 s/h wagon to repaint, number and change couplings.
Unfinished kits: 3x IP cattle vans. 3x Bbt 4w vans, 1 Andel C&M Brake, 8 Imp skips.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Track:
2 1 points in upper circuit with broken tiebar-blade joints to repair/replace.
Numerous other points missing check-rails, count up number required and order from PECO.
Some joints starting to look a bit 50p: Identify and relay on smooth alignment.
More experiments with decorative ballasting, once satisfied with alignment.
Civil Engineering:
Repair subsidence on lower level crossing.
Rebuild lift-out bridge with a bit more breathing-space.
Cut back cutting slopes to gentler, more natural angle and plant/seed.
Works
Station platforms at Thimbleby, Minting (Down), Hatton and Wragby (branch)
Any/all station and other buildings. Get jigstones production-line organised!
S&T
Complete signal kits on hand, ditto lever frames.
Connect points to levers.
Block instruments, bells and associated wiring.
ADMIN:
Historical “research”
Complete fictional history for website. Complete train-graph timetables and use to work out fictional fleet, then use this information to create plausible numbers for locos and stock.
Operations
From traingraph, create timetable for Horncastle branch for use on “Operating Days” and try it out (solo & with wifey assistance) to test feasibility.
Prepare car-cards and way-bills for proper wagonload freight ops for “Operating Days”, and road-test (note that this requires all wagons to be individually numbered, with the option of removable loads for opens too)
Draft simple 1-page rulebook and how-to guide for “Operating days”
Plan, advertise and actually HOLD an “Operating Day”
Enough there to keep me busy for a few years, if I retire tomorrow….. Would be nice to get some of them done though, particularly those relating to Operating Days, in which I plan to use the model to simulate a real narrow gauge branch rather than meander gently round in circles- fun though that is.
