Test Run……

On Saturday 21 December Paul’s 0-4-0 Diesel Shunter outline, battery electric, became the first train round the newly completed Newliston circuit .  Paul gave the the honour (risk??) of the first driver to Dave S. who reported that ‘all went smoothly and the run round the track was very enjoyable‘.

Paul then spent some hours running around the Newliston circuit marking various areas of track where it was requiring extra ballast to give a more stable ride.  Apart from a bit of wheel slip near the Pumpherston / Dunnet Junction loop (possibly due to lack of weight of loco) whilst on a crawling lap, Paul marked where the locomotive had trouble.  This was an advantage of using a very lightweight loco.  The track probably needs some levelling to ease these extremes into a more continuous and even climb.

Last word to Paul: ‘Otherwise the Newliston circuit was trouble free so at least it’ll start off reasonably during the hammering it’ll take next Saturday when members can compete for the coveted first Steam Loco round the completed circuit’.

To finish off Paul submitted some photographs of our ‘Roving Reporter’ sitting behind a locomotive rather than a camera lens for a change whilst running round the circuit.