Week end 5th & 6th April 2003
Saturday 5th
Our son was 18 on the 6th, so we had a family get together on the Saturday. A good excuse to get the train out!
Here is Ian before the guests arrive, driving No. 3 which is pushing Alice and the small driving truck.
As the guests arrived, they all wanted a ride, but after three or four trips round the garden, No. 3 (I really must find a name!) mysteriously started to derail on the curves. At first I thought that the track must have gone out of gauge, (I had made the curves to 5 & 1/8 inch gauge as they are so tight) but when I checked this, I found all were ok.
After much scratching of heads, I discovered that one of No. 3's front wheels had come loose on the axle and could now wobble so that on the curves the wheel leaned over and thereby reduced the back-to-back measurement, enabling the other wheel to drop in between the rails!
All was not lost, by running the train in the other direction, derailments were reduced almost to nil!
Every one had a good time, and at least one guest would have liked to have taken my 'train set' home with him!
My son Ian driving No. 3.
My son again, this time with Alice on the bridge. A favourite photo spot.
Ian and Alice 'in the woods'
Liz driving No.3 through 'The Cutting'
My neice Liz with my Mum as passenger. Ian follows driving Alice.
Liz and her Mum, Carol, in 'The Woods'
My brother David masters the controls of Alice.
Liz wanted to have a drive of Alice, but after driving No.3, Alice is a little uncontrollable and tends to 'run away'. This is why Liz has a rather worried look on her face!
My brother David and his wife Carol about to depart.
With one wheel still loose on the axle, No.3 had a remarkable loss of adhesion on the track! So the last picture shows David trying to will No.3 on by waving his hand!
