Traffic between Model Locations

[MikeOxon]

Following some recent posts in ChrisN's thread 'Traeth Mawr', about arranging travel between two model railway locations, I thought some readers might find it interesting/useful to look at some of members' modelled locations on the British railway map, in order to plan possible exchange 'traffic' - goods and/or passengers.

I can see there are several potential problems, since many models are separated not only by distance but also in time.  An early Victorian layout could hardly be expected to be in communication with a 1930's one, for example.  

Many readers will be familiar with 'Farthing' by Mikkel, which is located on the GWR line between Newbury and Westbury. This is (mostly) set in the Edwardian period.  Other railways set in a similar period include 'Traeth Mawr' (already mentioned), 'Oak Hill' (1905) in Kent, and my own 'North Leigh' (c.1890) in Oxfordshire.  EDIT - added 'Castle Aching' (Edwardian) in Norfolk.

These five can be placed on a c.1900 railway map as shown below:
 

Other readers might like to add their own locations to the map (extended Northwards into Scotland, as required) and, perhaps, develop similar maps for other time periods.  We could then consider what traffic might be expected to travel between these various locations.

 

 

Edited to correct Oak Hill location - see post #20 below

Edited to add Castle Aching location - see post #35 below

Edited November 16, 2017 by MikeOxon

[Compound2632]

I suppose having dispatched a loaded wagon on your layout, it could then be put in the post to the destination layout - this might just about give real-time operation! Demurrage charges would be a must if you want your wagon back again on a reasonable timescale. Then there's insurance of wagons as well as goods in transit. Somebody needs to build a working model of the RCH...

[danstercivicman]

It sounds like a good idea you could run seasonal traffic from different parts of the country as well

Although the coal flows would prob bankrupt the modellers due to postage costs sending 40/80 wagons to London several times a day!

[Liam]

Well my future exhibition layout will be set either in the late 60s/early 70s diesel era somewhere near Bristol or in the late 50s WR steam era in Shropshire.

 

I could send a Gresley BG down to North Leigh in the hope that an LNER loco might be able to come to retrieve it so it can head back to its home railway . . .

[geoff]

Well my future exhibition layout will be set either in the late 60s/early 70s diesel era somewhere near Bristol or in the late 50s WR steam era in Shropshire.

 

I could send a Gresley BG down to North Leigh in the hope that an LNER loco might be able to come to retrieve it so it can head back to its home railway . . .

 

Send it to Oxford and I will pick it up and take it across on the Varsity line to Cambridge or perhaps the GC at Claydon LNE Junction. It will slip back in time a few years to early 60s though.

Geoff

PS Will it need new wheel sets as I run EM gauge?

[Dave John]

Och, ye can send yer pre group EM stock up here, The Caley would haul it for a few bob. Ken if its OO nae matter, what the spanish can do with Talgos we can do wi' a big hammer...... 

 

There are some pics of the Caley D11A CCTs I am currently working in Camden yard , they could have got to london via , er , Farthing. Dual brake fitted way back. 

 

Really the oddest things turn up north of the Clyde.......... 

 

[Mikkel]

This is good fun. There's potential for some detailed timetable planning as Chris's thread has shown, but also for some tall tales. E.g. how did a GWR Loco Coal wagon end up in Scotland?

 

To save on the postage, two or more layouts could have a model of the same wagon. E.g. I see Dave has an MR 3-plank in that pic, I think I have an unbuilt one somewhere...

[BG John]

Where will transshipment between broad and "narrow" gauge take place?

[Liam]

Hmm, where to send some 16 tonners fresh with coal to?

[HillsideDepot]

Hmm, where to send some 16 tonners fresh with coal to?

 

Mortimore's customers are busy stocking up for the winter, the wagons shown here will soon be empty and more loaded ones needed to meet demand. That cold snap over the weekend has got customers ordering at a good rate.

 

[MikeOxon]

Mortimore's customers are busy stocking up for the winter, the wagons shown here will soon be empty and more loaded ones needed to meet demand. That cold snap over the weekend has got customers ordering at a good rate.

Speaking of Winter, North Leigh has plenty of traffic in Witney blankets, which are already known to travel to the military garrison at Farthing.  Cotswold stone is excellent for building fireplaces, too - I have one in my own house.

 

I'm not sure that a Dean 2-2-2 could make it through to the 1970's though

[Liam]

Mortimore's customers are busy stocking up for the winter, the wagons shown here will soon be empty and more loaded ones needed to meet demand. That cold snap over the weekend has got customers ordering at a good rate.

 

post-5204-0-41020600-1441446233.jpg

In that case, the next ones to be loaded at Kinlet this afternoon will be sent down your way. A Pannier will take them as far as Hartlebury, where they will be formed into a longer mixed goods to Worcester, and thence to Westonmouth.

 

But when you're finished with them, would you be so kind as to send my 16 tonners back up again? Just leave them in a goods yard in Bristol and hopefully they'll be returned to me.

[HillsideDepot]

In that case, the next ones to be loaded at Kinlet this afternoon will be sent down your way. A Pannier will take them as far as Hartlebury, where they will be formed into a longer mixed goods to Worcester, and thence to Westonmouth.

 

But when you're finished with them, would you be so kind as to send my 16 tonners back up again? Just leave them in a goods yard in Bristol and hopefully they'll be returned to me.

I've been over and spoken to the late turn Shunter, and he tells me that he puts the empties on the 1500 8B91 trip to Stoke Gifford Yard, but he doesn't know what happens after that. At this point the Chargeman spotted me, and came over. I think he was about to throw me out, but the Shunter said I was asking about wagons, so realising I wasn't there causing trouble the Chargeman let me stay while he answered my question. As far as he knows the wagons go back to either East Usk Yard (Newport) or Jersey Marine (near Swansea) and then head back to the pits from there. He's not convinced by this new fangled TOPS computer though and reckons if the wagons were put on a different train no one would ever know, not straight away.

 

So a mischievous thought occurred, could Phil Bullock have a word with the signal man at Abbotswood Junction to stop a southbound freight and ask the driver if he could find your wagons at Stoke Gifford and, without telling anyone, bring them back up for you? 

[5BarVT]

That's the opposite of early TOPS problems. Mis-allocate a loco and send it to Inverness by mistake (only on TOPS) so remedy it by sending it from Inverness to much closer to home. Problem solved . . . . except TOPS then requires it for maintenance as it has done c1200 miles in only a few minutes.

Paul.

P.S. Really enjoying this topic!

[Liam]

I've been over and spoken to the late turn Shunter, and he tells me that he puts the empties on the 1500 8B91 trip to Stoke Gifford Yard, but he doesn't know what happens after that. At this point the Chargeman spotted me, and came over. I think he was about to throw me out, but the Shunter said I was asking about wagons, so realising I wasn't there causing trouble the Chargeman let me stay while he answered my question. As far as he knows the wagons go back to either East Usk Yard (Newport) or Jersey Marine (near Swansea) and then head back to the pits from there. He's not convinced by this new fangled TOPS computer though and reckons if the wagons were put on a different train no one would ever know, not straight away.

 

So a mischievous thought occurred, could Phil Bullock have a word with the signal man at Abbotswood Junction to stop a southbound freight and ask the driver if he could find your wagons at Stoke Gifford and, without telling anyone, bring them back up for you?

 

Being a good friend of Mr Bullock I'll politely ask him to do just that, but the signalbox is located next to the northbound loop, so here's hoping that the signalman has a loud voice!

 

If on his way back up north the driver leaves my wagons in the small siding next to the 'box then I'll come and collect them later, also an opportunity to give the Toad a run out.

[Boco_D1]

I suppose having dispatched a loaded wagon on your layout, it could then be put in the post to the destination layout - this might just about give real-time operation! Demurrage charges would be a must if you want your wagon back again on a reasonable timescale. Then there's insurance of wagons as well as goods in transit. Somebody needs to build a working model of the RCH...

I've had a similar thought where several people film their layout with a cam truck and the footage is then edited together to give the impression of a longer journey. If edited correctly it could start in one region and work its way through to another.

[HillsideDepot]

That's the opposite of early TOPS problems. Mis-allocate a loco and send it to Inverness by mistake (only on TOPS) so remedy it by sending it from Inverness to much closer to home. Problem solved . . . . except TOPS then requires it for maintenance as it has done c1200 miles in only a few minutes.

Paul.

P.S. Really enjoying this topic!

I hope my "bit of fun" doesn't get quoted as fact at some time in the future!

 

I suspect if my [imaginary] Chargeman has a 'problem' with TOPS its most likely to be because he had found a way of working the old system to his advantage. Turning a blind-eye to the length of time Mortimore's take to unload their coal and the mysterious appearance of a sack of anthracite nuts at his home are surely unconnected...

[Dave John]

The actual exchange of wagon models might pose a problem. However the above posts have started me thinking, a photographic exchange of models would be easy. 

 

There are lots of pics of my wagons about on the net, I consider them all to be free in the public domain. So if anyone who is good with photoshop like software wanted to copy one and stitch it into a pic of their own layout I would be happy to see the results. 

 

 

I might even have a go myself ....... 

[Nearholmer]

About twenty years ago, I briefly hosted on my garden railway a 16mm/ft wagon that was doing a world tour. It originated in the US, and was posted and handed all round the globe, being signed by every railway it visited. It went to hundreds, if not thousands of lines.

[BlueLightning]

 'Oak Hill' (1905) in Kent

 

Mike,

 

It's a wonderful idea. The only issue, and it is a small one, is Oak Hill should be roughly where the "b" of "Tunbridge" replacing the real world "Penshurst".

 

Would love to get involved in more trans-layout services though, although unlikely for my rural branch line!

 

Gary

[Ian Smeeton]

A train starting from a Cake box in kings Cross (or the other way round) would take some time to traverse the various ECML layouts on here (Peterborough North, Little Bytham, Sandy etc with portions for Leeds City and others) finally crossing the (current) Waverley East & Riccarton Junction, before continuing through Waverley West  and other.....

 

Where will it all end?

 

Kyle in a boxfile?

 

Regards

 

Ian

[Londontram]

Well here's my contribution Kentra Bay on the west coast of Scotland though I cant see there being any scope for exchange traffic from anywhere else other than another Caledonian locations like Dave John's layout.

[Compound2632]

Well here's my contribution Kentra Bay on the west coast of Scotland though I cant see there being any scope for exchange traffic from anywhere else other than another Caledonian locations like Dave John's layout.

Scottish railway map.jpg

 

Not sure I can see much in the way of Caledonian locations on that map - must be a North British map!

[Londontram]

Yes it is, it was the best map I could find on the web at short notice. Kentra bay was a proposed but not built extension from Ballachulish on the Callander and Oban line. It was more to give a general idea of its location rather than anything else.

Edited November 15, 2017 by Londontram

[F-UnitMad]

So how am I supposed to exchange traffic with another layout, when my layout is not only O Scale, but also set in the USA whilst actually existing in the UK..??!!??

 

Clearly this idea hasn't been thought through enough.