Photo Gallery

PHOTO GALLERY

Sheffield & District Society of Model and Experimental Engineers in pictures.

This a "Stuart No. 4" engine supplied as castings with drawings. Height: 10 Inches. Flywheel Diameter: 5 Inches. Cylinder Bore: 1½ Inches. Cylinder Stroke: 1¼ Inches. A member is currently building one of these engines and from time to time progress will be featured here in the gallery.

First stage - the set up on the Myford Super 7 lathe for drilling and reaming the crankshaft bearings for a Stuart No. 4 vertical steam engine. After packing the base casting to correct height and setting the horizontal centre with the cross slide (which is then locked in place) a centre or Slocombe drill begins the process of drilling through the bearings.

Second stage - drilling through the crankshaft bearings for the Stuart No. 4 vertical steam engine.

Third stage - drilling through the crankshaft bearings for a Stuart No. 4 vertical steam engine. The drill is 1/64" smaller in diameter than the finished bore to allow for reaming.

Fourth stage - reaming the crankshaft bearings 7/16" diameter. Reaming is more accurate than drilling.

CAD drawing of the centre support for the new raised track station canopy. The three supports will be mostly recycled from the old station, with just new legs and baseplates.

Drilling holes in the new raised track platform for stainless steel anchor rods which will support the new canopy. Dust is being blown away as the holes must be scrupulously clean before anchor resin is applied.

Inserting anchor resin into the holes with a special applicator after the holes have been cleaned of any dust. The threaded anchor rods will be secured by the resin. The steel base plates will temporarily sit on the black spacers to hold the rods in place until the resin sets.

The rods are held at the correct height by the baseplate sitting on spacers, When the resin is set the baseplates will be taken off and welded to the canopy roof support legs.

The resin has set and the three baseplates have been taken away to be welded to the canopy legs.

Recent fund raising at the railway by locally based national charity SupportDogs.

Abbeydale's CENTURION (in green) made its annual visit to the Beer Heights Light Railway in Devon for their 'Loco Week' in August. All four locos are variants on the Thomas 2 design. The others are (L to R) RAMSEY, MALANDRA and CALLUM.

Abbeydale Miniature Railway's CENTURION on the turntable at the Beer Heights Light Railway in Devon. Lyme Bay in the background.

Abbeydale Miniature Railway's powerful RAKAIA at the Beer Heights Light Railway in Devon.

THOMAS 2 type locos at Much Natter station on the Beer Heights Light Railway in Devon in August.

'Pendle Witch' was built in 1975 by Milner Engineering. The loco's owner visited us at Abbeydale recently and the loco ran beautifully.

'Pendle Witch' from the driver's viewpoint.

A visiting loco from Lancashire takes St Luke's Hospice volunteers for a spin around the track during our Open Weekend.

Before the advent of the internal combustion engine lorries were powered by steam engines. This model has won many awards.

The controls of the steam lorry. Note the extension from the steering wheel so it can be operated by the full size driver from behind!

A train passes our memorial to passed members. The 'diesel' locomotive is actually battery powered.

2-4-2 saddle tank + tender 7¼" gauge 'Centurion' is based on the well known 'Thomas 2' design. It was finished in 2019.

Abbeydale's 'EDWARD' is a hard working petrol-hydraulic 0-6-0 freelance diesel outline locomotive. As well as passenger hauling, it does all the maintenance work on the railway. It was 36 years old when this photo was taken.

'CENTURION' has a full train of happy visitors as it passes Abbeydale South Junction signal box. The diamond crossing immediately in front of the locomotive was designed by our Track Superintendent on a computer using CAD programme and laser cut.