Possible Foray Into Live Steam

dunnyrail said:
Thus far we appear to have been concentrating on the down sides or recommending our personal choices. What must be said is how enjoyable it is to own and run live steam. The preparation, anticipation of a full head of steam followed by a perfect well controlled run with a lengthy train behind cannot be equaled.
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As I said, the biggest problem is that it's addictive. Getting you loco to run well at the right speed is so satisfying. Every time you fire one up will be different too, so you need to be on your toes. Definitely worth it though!
 
dunnyrail said:
Thus far we appear to have been concentrating on the down sides or recommending our personal choices. What must be said is how enjoyable it is to own and run live steam. The preparation, anticipation of a full head of steam followed by a perfect well controlled run with a lengthy train behind cannot be equaled.
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It is fun, and time literally flys when running a steamer, on Sunday I had my Fowler out and a Stainz, but it can take so much concentration to run the steamer, you have to ignore (at your peril) your other trains running.
 
playmofire said:
Mamod apparently packing up and have a sale on this month - Mamod to close

Apologies if someone has picked up on this already.
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That is very sad and a very current scenario, a small Estate corner shop near me closing due to 110% rent increase by the shop owner, the local District Council!
 
Paul M said:
Makes you wonder. The landlord has now lost a good tenant and income, if the premises is in that bad a state, who will want to take over the lease?
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Indeed so, a strange way to run a business. We also have 2 former Restraunts by our Cinema both closed some years back around Flu time. Both looking very unattractive after a few years lack of care and attention whilst still looking for new tenants. 2 more properties owned by the District Council!
 
dunnyrail said:
Indeed so, a strange way to run a business. We also have 2 former Restraunts by our Cinema both closed some years back around Flu time. Both looking very unattractive after a few years lack of care and attention whilst still looking for new tenants. 2 more properties owned by the District Council!
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I have some sympathy with local councils in these cases as they can't win - well, not easily - if they spend money on the upkeep of the empty properties, people may say they are wasting money as they'll never get it back, and if they don't they are still open to criticism for not doing so.
 
playmofire said:
I have some sympathy with local councils in these cases as they can't win - well, not easily - if they spend money on the upkeep of the empty properties, people may say they are wasting money as they'll never get it back, and if they don't they are still open to criticism for not doing so.
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Good points.
 
dunnyrail said:
It is a sad fact that many live steam drivers tend to drive too fast, a cursory look at live steam running on You Tube Vids will show this to be generally so. I have also been guilty of this in the past but slow running as a bit of a gained skill with time and to be honest reflects the real thing. My chose Harz Selktalbahn has or had a 20kph max speed limit some years back and that is not much faster than a pushbike can go unless an olympian is riding it. My own 3 Roundhouse locomotives are fitted with SSP SloMo devices which considerably tame their tendency to want to run away. Keeping the pressure down to under blow off of 40psi helps as well. Just look at any of the Narrow Gauge prototype lines in UK and the speed is quite slow, replicating that on our lines can give greater satisfaction plus less likelihood of derailments to expensive precious live steam dragons.
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Plus it enables you to observe the wiggly bits more closely, instead of watching a blur. I paid a LOT of money for models with valve gear - I need to see evidence that my dosh was well-spent.
 
dunnyrail said:
That is very sad and a very current scenario, a small Estate corner shop near me closing due to 110% rent increase by the shop owner, the local District Council!
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And THEN they have to gall to wonder why there is an increasing number of empty premises. Going back a few years, we had a lovely little mother and son model railway store in our local town. They sold a wide range of the usual stuff in 00, n and 009 as well as useful sundries like Plastruct/Evergreen styrene raw materials. Lots of PECO track, and with RAF Wyton and St Neots both having thriving MRCs, a guaranteed audience of happy customators.

I called in one day to get some styrene sections only to find them packing everything away in large boxes, ready for the impending closure. Again, it was a greedy local council and their money-grabbing attitude to small traders.

We now have to drive to Ely - 30 miles each way - to get stuff that was a 15-minute drive away.
 
This thread is really giving me an appetite for live steam.

Also Jon I agree slow going generally looks better. More realistic.
 
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Jasper said:
This thread is really giving me an appetite for live steam.

Also Jon I agree slow going generally looks better. More realistic.
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Although seeing a live steam O Gauge, and above, Express giving it's all is sight to behold
 
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