Office of Steam Forum for Model & Toy Steam Gas & Hot Air Engines
Builds, Repairs, Show Your Machines! => Live Steam Locomotives => Topic started by: Tony Bird on June 25, 2023, 02:11:57 am
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Hi Daniel,
I think you are correct in the origins of the box, certainly an instrument of some sort was housed in it.
A dumpy level was used to originally survey the site but it was found quicker and accurate enough as all the tracks made are level to use a long bubble level for the track work, as we are doing now.
I do/did own a dumpy level which I gave our son when he was working on a house he bought in the Cotswolds, nearly ten years on he is still working on it!
Take care Tony.
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What an incredible backstory, and even though a bit sad in the long ago, and also even though I was wrong with my wager (though possibly correct in the long ago), I'm certainly glad that I asked to bring forth such an interesting aside.
So, with that question answered in the negative, let me ask what do you folks typically use for leveling over the long distances involved around your layout? I suppose a good long bubble level is all that you would really need, doing individual sections at a time, but it would seem a perfect opportunity for some form of old-style optical surveying instrument, or perhaps you just use one of those newish laser levels?!?!
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Hi Daniel,
What's in the nice old oak box in the first image? Some sort of older levelling scope I'd wager!?!?
I don't know for sure, but I think you are correct. I inherited what is now used as a tool box from a great friend who passed away 20 years ago.
[attachimg=1]
Before he retired Felix was the Chief Engineer and General Manager of Cardiff's transport system. He was an excellent modeller, of mostly 1" scale electric trams, his collection is now on display in the National Tramway Museum at Crich. I along with another I helped him create what was called the 'Highfield Electric Tramway', which had about 300 yards of track for which we built three trams. Our son Dan grew up with the building of these trams which I am sure steered him towards studying Electric & Mechanical engineering at university.
Back to the box.
[attachimg=2]
In use with its owner, and the newly made bogies of tram No.3 . The box was used then, as it is now, just to carry a few tools to the job in hand. The box always had a hammer in it's lid, when asked by a less knowledgeable member of the society why a hammer was always carried? Felix replied; that if he couldn't fix it with a hammer, it was an electrical problem!
The origins of the box is lost in time, but it has had a very useful life.
Take care Tony.
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Looks like a nice day to get something accomplished.
What's in the nice old oak box in the first image?
Some sort of older leveling scope I'd wager!?!?
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Hi,
Yesterday, two of us did a bit more work on the new garden railway which is replacing one destroyed by a tree fall.
https://youtu.be/SMW4Vc6S4yA
Today the Society is open to the public which will require a little less effort.
Take care Tony.