Serious Cheddar!

C

Chris Bird

Steam,gardening, photography
Hi folks
The Cheddar Samson is one serious loco in terms of engineering and power, and it is even based on a real loco, but I confess that this one's soft springs give it something of a comic waddle.
It was on the Bring & Buy at the Exeter Garden Railway Show last month and since then it has gained 2.4ghz, painted boiler bands and a you-know-what.

Here is a little video of it running at Roy Wood's railway beneath a row of stately ash trees......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6auF71nPk90

And here is a photo with Hercules. The nameplates are from John Lythgoe and are just large enough to cover the epoxie mess left from various previous names. Needless to say ththese are on with silicone!!

Cheers
Chris
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Lovely vid Chris. Although I am US electric, I just love watching great little live steam locos and long rakes going through the countryside. Roy Woods layout is superb for steamers. She certainly can pull! One reason for me not even thinking about having live steam is the steep gradients on my line but I wouldn't wonder that she could overcome them!!
:bigsmile::bigsmile:
 
:bigsmile::thumbup:
 
I like your distressed skip wagons!

It is a petty that Cheddar are gone and that Stuart have not yet produced the fixed cylnders locos.
 
beavercreek said:
Lovely vid Chris. Although I am US electric, I just love watching great little live steam locos and long rakes going through the countryside. Roy Woods layout is superb for steamers. She certainly can pull! One reason for me not even thinking about having live steam is the steep gradients on my line but I wouldn't wonder that she could overcome them!!
:bigsmile::bigsmile:
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Thanks - glad you enjoyed it! Most of the popular live steam locos will cope with serious gradients, though radio control is essential. The Accucraft 2 cyl shay has pulled me on a huge brake van up a 1% grade, so it would cope with most things - its US outline too.....;)
Cheers
Chris
 
funandtrains said:
I like your distressed skip wagons!

It is a petty that Cheddar are gone and that Stuart have not yet produced the fixed cylnders locos.
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Richard Seager of R S Steam Services did the skips for me - he often has some on Ebay
I understand the Stuart business has been sold to the guys at the Bridport Foundry - though I doubt they would re-launch any of the locos.
Cheers
Chris
 
It occurred to me that if Cheddar had made Samson a prettier loco with a little more character and detail it could have been the next Lady Anne! The engineering was/is superb, it just lacks something..
 
Samson is a bit squat looking and perhaps an aquired taste, the 0-6-0 Goliath was a very pretty model and in my opinion much more attractive than Lady Anne. I think the real issue if I remember correctly was than they were quite a bit more expensive than the Roundhouse products at the time.

Some locos look better in some colours than others and I don't think green is the best fit for Samson although that is what most were sold with. I have what I think may be the only blue one produced and it looks much prettier in that colour.
 
funandtrains said:
Samson is a bit squat looking and perhaps an aquired taste, the 0-6-0 Goliath was a very pretty model and in my opinion much more attractive than Lady Anne. I think the real issue if I remember correctly was than they were quite a bit more expensive than the Roundhouse products at the time.

Some locos look better in some colours than others and I don't think green is the best fit for Samson although that is what most were sold with. I have what I think may be the only blue one produced and it looks much prettier in that colour.
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Can we see a photo of yours Steve? I agree, it is not the prettiest loco, especially if you put it alongside something like the Mayflower. It is interesting, though, that it is much the same size.
Cheers
Chris
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Another super film Chris, that whistle is the best I've heard in our scale, it sounds so realistic :thumbup::thumbup:
 
Chris Bird said:
funandtrains said:
Samson is a bit squat looking and perhaps an aquired taste, the 0-6-0 Goliath was a very pretty model and in my opinion much more attractive than Lady Anne. I think the real issue if I remember correctly was than they were quite a bit more expensive than the Roundhouse products at the time.

Some locos look better in some colours than others and I don't think green is the best fit for Samson although that is what most were sold with. I have what I think may be the only blue one produced and it looks much prettier in that colour.
Click to expand...
Can we see a photo of yours Steve? I agree, it is not the prettiest loco, especially if you put it alongside something like the Mayflower. It is interesting, though, that it is much the same size.
Cheers
Chris
images
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Mine is packed away at the moment but I may be able to fish it out to take a photos although they won't have a pretty background like yours. I will have to talk to the bank next year and is if I can afford a house with a decent garden to run trains around again.
 
Another nice vid, Chris. The Cheddar sure has good pulling power, although it sometimes does appear to be a bit of a 'drunken sailor'.
 
garrymartin said:
Another super film Chris, that whistle is the best I've heard in our scale, it sounds so realistic :thumbup::thumbup:
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Thanks Garry - though the whistle you hear is all down to the boiler pressure and operator. Up to about 25psi, one can give it full stick and get that sound. Above that, it increasingly overblows to a screech so operation has to be micron accurate on the stick. Roy got the hang of it very quickly thank goodness. I have another film to edit where the whisling from Samson and Hercules was not so good - though it does feature some nice double heading.
Cheers
Chris
 
[/quote]
"Mine is packed away at the moment but I may be able to fish it out to take a photos although they won't have a pretty background like yours. I will have to talk to the bank next year and is if I can afford a house with a decent garden to run trains around again."
[/quote]

Hey Steve - a couple of pieces of card from a carton and a cloudy day gives a fine backdrop and lighting - I use them all the time. Good luck with the Bank Manager though!
Cheers
Chris
 
Railfan said:
Another nice vid, Chris. The Cheddar sure has good pulling power, although it sometimes does appear to be a bit of a 'drunken sailor'.
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Now that would have made a great signature tune George - "What shall we do...........:D
Seriously though, lots of folk have told me that industrial 0-4-0 tanks really did sway like that!
Cheers
Chris
 
Chris Bird said:
Railfan said:
Another nice vid, Chris. The Cheddar sure has good pulling power, although it sometimes does appear to be a bit of a 'drunken sailor'.
Click to expand...
Now that would have made a great signature tune George - "What shall we do...........:D
Seriously though, lots of folk have told me that industrial 0-4-0 tanks really did sway like that!
Cheers
Chris
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If this was a sparkie instead of live steam, you could program the sound chip to sing away! :)
 
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