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About this blog

A 'gritty reboot' of the Rev. Awdry's universe, modelling Sudrian Railways from 1905-1970. Including The North Western Railway/The Tidmouth, Knapford & Ffarquhar Railway/The Skarloey Railway

Entries in this blog

NWR No.308 'William Montagu' - Info Sheet

FACT SHEET   NWR No. 308   NWR Name: William Montagu   Wheel Arrangement 0-6-0PT   Builder Great Western Railway (North British Loco Co.)   Class 5700   Purchased by NWR 1937 (on hire from 1931)   'Prototype' Info   The legendary GWR 5700 class needs no introduction, but how one of these useful locomotives ended up in the North West requires explanation. In 1929, the GWR was building hundreds of pannier
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Sudrian Language

It was once said of Tolkein that he ended up writing the Lord of the Rings as a by-product of creating the Elvish language. Whilst not quite as expansive as Middle-Earth (or even Westeros), I think Wilbert and George Awdry had a lot of fun creating the world of Sodor. The elusive book 'THE ISLAND OF SODOR; Its people, history and railways' is all about building the world that the stories inhabit, with its own colourful history. My modelling is my own take on this world, I've changed some details
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Timetables and Traffic Requirements

A large theme of this alternate fictional universe is to give things reasons to exist. I've changed a lot from the Reverend's version, as I wanted to backdate the opening of the main Sudrian railways and give the island a chance to industrialise rapidly at the beginning of the 20th Century.   A big part of any railway is the traffic demands, these will guide what kind and amount of stock the line should have on its books.   For 'fun', I've begun to devise timetables for the NWR main line and
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The Flying Kipper

All kinds of ships use the harbour at the big station by the sea. There are passenger ships, cargo ships and fishing boats also come here. They unload their fish on the quay. Some of it goes to shops in the town, and the rest in a special train to other places far away. This is the train the railwaymen called 'The Flying Kipper'.     Yes yes, I know that this story is before Henry I gets replaced with Henry II, just a bit of fun now I have weathered my insulfish wagon. I took this in the mo
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Steam, Snow and Sound FX on the NWR

Tidmouth Yards, Winter 1960. An intrepid enthusiast has braved the cold weather to capture some rare colour footage of NWR and SCC locos at work. The tight confines of the yard here make for some interesting shunting manoeuvres.   This is something I've been working on for a while, I hope you enjoy it! I wanted to give the impression of a small story unfolding, but with no voiceover or titles, just the engines going about their business as if someone was really filming them. This vide
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Sudrian Story Scenes - 1

I've been mucking about practicing focus stacking in photoshop and using the DSLR. What better excuse to channel my inner child and make little homages to scenes from The Railway Series?   "I see Daisy's left the milk again..."   "I'll have to make a special journey with it I suppose. Anyone would think I've nothing to do."   "It was raining hard. Water swirled under my boiler. I couldn't see where I was going, but I struggled on." "Oh, Percy, you are brave.
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Maps!

This is something of a work in progress, but since it's likely to be a work in progress for a long time, I'm going to post about it now and update later.   I've long wanted to map out 'my' NWR, and various places along the route, to work out what kind of traffic sources and destinations I have, and plan my timetables and traffic requirements appropriately.   Which leads me to this - a map of 'my' Tidmouth. If it looks familiar, that's because the basis for it is an old map of
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NWR No.901 'Revenge' - Info Sheet

FACT SHEET NWR No. 901 NWR Name: Revenge Wheel Arrangement 2-8-0+0-8-2 Builder Beyer Peacock, Gorton Works, Manchester, 1924 Class Beyer-Garratt History Since Cronk and Maron are much higher than Suddery Junction near Wellsworth, the four miles at a ruling gradient of 1 in 45 have through the years been a testing ground for NWR locomotives. Bankers are stationed at Wellsworth specifically for this section. In 1924 the NWR ordered an articulated 2
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Sudrian Life

Colour Film of Tidmouth Docks c.1962

FROM THE ARCHIVES Colour footage of various locos engaged in shunting at Tidmouth Docks in the early 1960s. Visible on the quayside are USATC S100 'Marcus', Bagnalls 'Liberty' and 'Atlantic' of the Tidmouth Docks Authority. North Western Railway 'Perseus' also makes an appearance, handling a private owner wagon rather roughly. In reality this is a bit of shunting filmed on Bob Edwardes' marvellous M Shed (Bristol) diorama at the Thornbury Model Railway Show last weekend. The locos were being run
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Bagnall 0-4-0ST 'Bill' - Spotlight

The first Spotlight video - an up close and personal look at Sodor China Clay Co. No.1 'Bill', a radio controlled 'bash' using an ERTL diecast loco.   Hope you enjoy!  
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Making Art Deco-Style Sudrian Posters

Hello, I have been entertaining myself with trying to make posters for the North Western Railway in a sort of Art Deco style to try and root my version of the NWR in the world and give it more than just some models. Here's how I did it!       If you are interested in buying one, my shop is here:   https://www.railwaymania.net/shop
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NWR No.301 'Thomas Allen' - Full Story

Here's the full story of the making of NWR No. 301, hero of the Railway Series books and the subsequent TV series. I've combined all the previous blog posts into one. FACT SHEET   NWR No. 301   NWR Name: Thomas Allen (Thomas Allen was a real life Manx author, my rationale is that the newly formed NWR wanted to draw on local heroes for names for its locomotives)   Wheel Arrangement 0-6-0T   Builder London, Brighton and South Coast Railw
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Sudrian Spotlight - NWR Alumina Hoppers

This spotlight focuses on the Alumina wagons for the Tidmouth-Peel Godred traffic, heavily inspired by the NE ones used on the Burntisland (which I fumble the pronunciation of) to Fort William route.          
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(Shake, Rattle and) Roaring 20s

An action-packed photo here from the 1920s showing ex-TK&F No.6 leading a string of lead hoppers into the yard whilst two goods trains pass on the main line above. China clay and empty alumina trucks in transit to Tidmouth, milk and fish heading east. Just visible behind No.301 is the tender of one of the ex-ROD locos lending banking assistance out of the steeply graded docks branch.   The mighty air-braked hopper wagon is also visible. This was designed to be attached to passenger
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Nil Unquam Simile

With the Nailsea Show fast approaching, the first public outing of the NWR looms, so I've been giving a lot of thought to the display. I've long wanted to make my own version of the NWR logo as described by Awdry, here's my current attempt.   "Per saltire azure and vert, Two gloves argent saltirewise  in fess a rose of Lancaster proper 1st Azure a wheel or winged of same dexter vert a fleece argent, sinister vert a mattock argent hafted or  base azure herrings naiant argent
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NWR Locos

Sudrian Spotlight - NWR ex-ROD 2-8-0s Nos.700-703

NWR No. 700-703   NWR Name: Erin, Triumph, Vanguard, Powerful   Wheel Arrangement 2-8-0/2-8-4T   Builder Various   Class ROD 2-8-0 (GCR 8K)   History   The first locos of this class were among those drafted in by the ROD to operate the newly-formed NWR during WW1. Upon cessation of hostilities, masses of these heavy goods locos were surplus to requirements and put up for sale. The embryonic company, faced with the withdra
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An introduction

I've finally embarked on a project to model the fictitious NWR as featured in The Railway Series by the Awdry family. I'll be putting my own spin on this, giving my version of how things could have looked. After all, a lot of technical details by the rev. Awdry were often 'retcons' to explain away the choices the artist had made (famously disagreeing with C. Reginald Dalby over unrealistic locomotives). Inspired by Gavin aka Knuckles' own uncompromising replicas of the locos as featured in the b
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NWR No.403 'Thorkell' - Info Sheet

FACT SHEET NWR No. 403 NWR Name Thorkell Wheel Arrangement 2-6-0 Builder Royal Arsenal, Woolwich/NWR Crovan’s Gate Works   Class Maunsell SECR N Class Mogul (NWR Rebuild) History The N Class of mixed traffic 2-6-0 locomotives was designed in 1914 by Richard Maunsell. Production of the first batch was delayed by the outbreak of the First World War. Assembly began towards the end of the war and the first locomotive, No. 810, emerged from Ashford Works fo
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NWR No.704 'Duke of Gordon' - Full Story

Here's the combined build story for the flagship express locomotive of the North Western Railway, No.704 'Duke of Gordon' (or Gordon for short)     FACT SHEET   NWR No. 704   NWR Name: Duke of Gordon   Wheel Arrangement 4-6-2   Builder North Eastern Railway   Class A0   Purchased by NWR 1923   FULL BUILD THREAD BELOW   So, firstly, the numbering scheme... I always thought it a bit o
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