Test running the steam locos

 

 

Did all the servicing make a difference? There was only one way to find out. A dryish Thursday evening saw me at the L&WMRS outdoor track with a box full of gas and water. 

First out, the Lady Anne. She fired straight up, was soon in steam, and ran very nicely for a few circuits. No worries there, and the batteries didn't fall out of the cab roof. 

Next, the Merlin. I lit it up with a bit of fuss, and the model was struggling to raise steam. I could hear the burner, but it was very quiet. 

After 10 minutes, I decided all really wasn't well, and wondered if the gas jet was partially blocked. As it happens, access to this is pretty easy. The unit pokes through a hole in the back of the cab, and, with a single banjo bolt undone, lifts the pipe off the unit. This them pulls out, and the jet can be unscrewed from a brass block. 

After squirting some WD-40 through the jet, all seemed to be OK, so I reassembled it, and this time the loco lit straight up, with a good, loud burner.  

After that, the loco ran perfectly. Plenty of steam, and a nice exhaust. 

Finally, Ragleth. 

I hadn't spotted that the loco was set to 32mm gauge, but that was quickly changed. Then I lit it up, and a few minutes later, the servos stopped working. Yes, like an idiot, I'd not charged the receiver batteries!

I packed everything up, and then took Ragleth into the railway club, putting it on charge in the workshop. An hour later, suitably refreshed with some tea, custard creams and plenty of chat, I took advantage of the light evening for another go. 

This time we lit up, the servos operated, and off the loco went. Sadly, the regulator servo stopped working again, but it turns out, you can drive on the reverser alone.  Which is what I did for a few minutes, and the model seemed quite happy. This isn't so odd, the Merlin works the same way. 

So, more work to do with Ragleth, but it's usable for now. The others are spot on. Until something else happens, I'm sure... 

Loco servicing

With a bit of public operation in the offing, it was time to catch up on some loco maintenance with the live steam fleet. 

First, replace the battery box in the cab roof of the Lady Anne. The original had distorted over time, and would drop the batteries out, not ideal in the middle of a run!

I've had a replacement box for nearly a year. The old one is bolted into the roof, using holes in the plastic that are also in the new box. I thought this would be a doddle, but it's a fiddly job since the bolts are only just long enough.You can't get at the screw head on one either as it's under the non-sliding cab shutter. Pushing the nut very hard onto it allowed me to just catch the thread. Bolting a flat box under a curved roof isn't ideal, and so replacing this with a battery pack in a side tank, something I have seen done, appeals. 

Next, I planned to swap out the regulator servo in Ragleth. 

 

I'm a dab hand at removing the body, it's only six bolts after all, and could soon see the recalcitrant item. I had another servo, a posh one with metal gears, but when I plugged this into the receiver, it wouldn't turn. Hmmm. So, the old servo, which works, went back in. I think the problem is that it's being affected by the heat, but we'll have another test. 

Finally, the Merlin Mayflower.  

All I needed to do here was regauge the model. Simple job, slacked off the screws, shove the wheels out, and do them up again. There are even dimples in the axles, I didn't expect those, to set the gauge. 

Next stop, the club track.  

Open day haul

 

You won't be surprised that I managed to swap a fiver on the Bring'n'Buy stall for some stuff I probably don't need, although this time I managed to find items that might just be useful. 

Vinyl letters are always useful. They are now in the drawer with transfers. These are larger than anything I own, I think, so a quid well spent. Possibly less useful is a roll of blue and white check vinyl, but if I did another RC car, I could use that on the wings. 

Obviously, I don't need another model boat kit, but a Police launch for a couple of quid? 

What appealed most is the length of the model - 410mm. Ideal for a "Thursday boat", the sort that I can pick up at a moment's notice, and head off to the lake with. 

Slotting the main hull parts together suggests that the build shouldn't be too hard, although the proof will be in the eating!As a hard chine hull, there is wood to be bent around the edges, and a nose to be carved from solid, but none of that should be too difficult. There's space inside for all the gubbins, probably a brushless motor and battery pack. 

Having found it online, this is a nice-looking freelance model too. More about sailing than looks, although, I think it will look nice on the water. One day...
 

KMBC Open Day 2026

Time for a break from all things toy trains, with a day spent lakeside, enjoying the Knightcote Model Boat Club open day. 

The weather was kind, and we saw more visitors than normal. From opening time to 3:30, there was always something on the water, with a wide variety of vessels to be enjoyed. 

For an open day, I like to make a bit of effort, and so had brought pride of the fleet "Pigeon Pie" out of storage for what appears to be its annual sail. 

Despite lack of use, the Pie didn't let me down, processing around the lake perfectly, and looking great. In fact, all my boats, MisCheif and the tiny tugboat, worked perfectly. This made for a very pleasant day. 

Was there cake? 

Of course. And sausage in a bun too. But mostly, there was chat, and boats sailing, which is what it's all about. 

More photos from the event over on Flickr. 

Saturday Film Club: Merry Hill Monorail remembered

Another excellent video from Transport Matters - and another monorail I missed out on riding.