SNOWDON COLLIERY KENT
(LAST REMAINS OF THE KENT COAL FIELD )
This is a long overdue update; I had reached an impasse with track laying while awaiting Easitrac points mechanisms. Enthusiasm hit a all time low with a threat of redundancy, still unresolved. Gradually I attempted to concentrate on what could be done, although it became apparent that wire in tube via lever frame points operation was a no no given the layouts modular construction. Research indicated that servo points operations looked promising although that required joining MERG a cost at that time and that late in its year I was unwilling to consider. This left the buildings I had decided that card and brick paper would be the method as although I prefer plastic card construction painting was a problem. The buildings are best guesses based on existing Kent colliery building as none I am modelling survives. The first a winding house took six attempts to get right which included one with the roof line 5mm out ! The second a copy of the first was easier but very time consuming. It was at this time I bodge learnt CAD and produced some of the Etched windows via iron on film and some luck.
After several months under a black cloud which nothing would disperse my Wife who "crafts" as a hobby expressed a desire to purchase a craft robo printer which she confessed to have saved the majority of the purchase price for. Now this was an interesting toy which enabled a further three building to be produced over a weekend. It became apparent that living live in limbo was futile so I joined MERG and ordered a servo kit which after a false start i.e. I was sent the wrong kit arrived and I managed to build and better still it works, cheap micro servos from Hong Kong been the traction. Easitrac points mechanism arrived which I figured out eventually with assistance from the VAG to work, although typically having stalled at this stage rejected and adopted a bodged [ shape soldered to each blade joined under the baseboard by PCB strip. The single board worked a treat with the Austerity running up and down through the point in all directions after some fiddling and much rail cleaning. As it stand the main board is been a bit of a pig so I will return to that tomorrow.
This is a long overdue update; I had reached an impasse with track laying while awaiting Easitrac points mechanisms. Enthusiasm hit a all time low with a threat of redundancy, still unresolved. Gradually I attempted to concentrate on what could be done, although it became apparent that wire in tube via lever frame points operation was a no no given the layouts modular construction. Research indicated that servo points operations looked promising although that required joining MERG a cost at that time and that late in its year I was unwilling to consider. This left the buildings I had decided that card and brick paper would be the method as although I prefer plastic card construction painting was a problem. The buildings are best guesses based on existing Kent colliery building as none I am modelling survives. The first a winding house took six attempts to get right which included one with the roof line 5mm out ! The second a copy of the first was easier but very time consuming. It was at this time I bodge learnt CAD and produced some of the Etched windows via iron on film and some luck.
After several months under a black cloud which nothing would disperse my Wife who "crafts" as a hobby expressed a desire to purchase a craft robo printer which she confessed to have saved the majority of the purchase price for. Now this was an interesting toy which enabled a further three building to be produced over a weekend. It became apparent that living live in limbo was futile so I joined MERG and ordered a servo kit which after a false start i.e. I was sent the wrong kit arrived and I managed to build and better still it works, cheap micro servos from Hong Kong been the traction. Easitrac points mechanism arrived which I figured out eventually with assistance from the VAG to work, although typically having stalled at this stage rejected and adopted a bodged [ shape soldered to each blade joined under the baseboard by PCB strip. The single board worked a treat with the Austerity running up and down through the point in all directions after some fiddling and much rail cleaning. As it stand the main board is been a bit of a pig so I will return to that tomorrow.
The photos are the result of a trip to gain as much info as possible of the typical Kent Colliery buildings
So where am I well still worried although there is nothing I can do about that, what I can do is press ahead at a pace and tempo to suit myself as if I can I will be there in 2010.
So where am I well still worried although there is nothing I can do about that, what I can do is press ahead at a pace and tempo to suit myself as if I can I will be there in 2010.
1 comments:
Hi
As an ex Kent NCB employee I'd recomend the book The Industrial Eden by Richard Tilden Smith it includes some photos that might be useful. Also when we closed the Laboratory at Tilmanstone a large number of glass negatives were donated to the Dover Museum some of which could be of use.
Andy Peirce
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