Author Topic: Small Locomotive Efficiency competition held at South Cheshire MES  (Read 2697 times)

Offline sbwhart

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Hi Chaps

I thought you would like to see this video we took at the 2016 Little Locomotive Efficiency Competition (Little LEC) that was held at my Club the South Cheshire Model Engineering Society last month.

Enjoy

Stew

  <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJUTFAWQR0w" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJUTFAWQR0w</a>



« Last Edit: August 14, 2016, 09:16:18 AM by sbwhart »
A little bit of clearance never got in the way

Offline Jo

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Re: Small Locomotive Efficiency competition held at South Cheshire MES
« Reply #1 on: August 14, 2016, 08:48:04 AM »
Thanks Stew  :),

That must have been one of the last times Peter Langrish (who was the founder of Little LEC) was out steaming before his accident :'(

The latest news on Peter is that he is still recovering and has been moved to the community hospital in Woking but the injury has left him confused, hopefully in time he will get better.

Jo
Enjoyment is more important than achievement.

Offline Steamer5

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Re: Small Locomotive Efficiency competition held at South Cheshire MES
« Reply #2 on: August 14, 2016, 09:12:57 AM »
Hi Stew,
 Looks like the boys had a fun day! Sun shining, steam coal & oil, lots of coffee what more could you wish for!

Cheers Kerrin
Get excited and make something!

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Small Locomotive Efficiency competition held at South Cheshire MES
« Reply #3 on: August 14, 2016, 02:46:38 PM »
Thanks for posting this Stew. What a great day and a beautiful venue. It's just amazing what these little engines can do!

Bill

Online gbritnell

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Re: Small Locomotive Efficiency competition held at South Cheshire MES
« Reply #4 on: August 14, 2016, 04:35:26 PM »
Hi Stew,
Thanks so much for posting. It looks like everyone had a great day.
gbritnell
Talent unshared is talent wasted.

Offline sbwhart

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Re: Small Locomotive Efficiency competition held at South Cheshire MES
« Reply #5 on: August 15, 2016, 04:47:23 PM »
Thanks for your interest gentlemen it was a real fun day and we got to meet some real nice people.

Thanks for posting this Stew. What a great day and a beautiful venue. It's just amazing what these little engines can do!

Bill

Bill

We've been on the site for just over 20 years when we took the lease on no body wanted the land has it had been used to tip builders rubble so we raised funds from members and the community had it levelled and bought a load of top soil then we had the local agricultural college students plant the trees, shrubs and wild flowers and time and nature did the rest.

Cheers
Stew
A little bit of clearance never got in the way

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Small Locomotive Efficiency competition held at South Cheshire MES
« Reply #6 on: August 16, 2016, 12:44:11 AM »
Stew, there is obviously a LOT of work that has been done on the trackwork as well, the concrete pillars and track. Did the members do all that over the years or was there help from the students as well. How many feet/meters of track are there in total?

Bill

Offline sbwhart

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Re: Small Locomotive Efficiency competition held at South Cheshire MES
« Reply #7 on: August 16, 2016, 07:21:53 AM »
Hi Bill

Her's some stats taken from our WEB site http://www.southcheshiremes.com/index.html

There are 3 rails for the whole length of track, totalling 3/4 mile of steel. There are over 200 fish plates, 2100 tie bars and 4200 spacer tubes. There are 500 holding down bolts into 500 support pillars made from 24 1/2 tons of concrete. There are over 10,000 nuts and bolts in 11,600 holes (or about 250 feet of hole drilled).

The fish plates, tie bars, spacer tubes, bolts etc were made and donated by a local engineering firm.

We have two tracks the shorter is 1/10 of a mile and is for 2 1/2", 3 1/2" and 5", the longer track is 1/4" of a mile and is for 3 1/2" and 5" the gradients of the track are about 1:200.

The support pillars were cast by one of our members Denis Mountford who sadly passed away last year, he ran a small building business and he cast a few pillars when ever he had time or surplus concrete available the hole through their center is so that you can insert a bar and move them around, also with a couple of car jacks on the bar you can adjust the height to level the track if they settle into the ground as happens if we get a wet winter.

Most of the work is done by the members though we do have the students over to cut the hedges or to practice there tree surgery skill out from time to time.

Cheers
Stew
« Last Edit: August 16, 2016, 07:25:45 AM by sbwhart »
A little bit of clearance never got in the way

 

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