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About this blog

A twin-level B.R. (S.R.) B.R. blue shunting plank.

Entries in this blog

B.R. blue goods yard.

41. 'The difficult second wagon kit'; or, errors to avoid when building a 'OO' Peco 'Parkside' Ale Pallet wagon (ULV).

Both surprised and pleased with the results of my pretend-ODA first kit previously, I bought a Peco 'Parkside' PC60 BR Ale Pallet Wagon.  An excuse to run something more unusual in my Southern Region goods yard, using 'Rule 1' to extend their working life into the late-1970's wagon-load network for breweries nationwide.   Had I the time and talent, I would write a 'missing manual', but will just offer some tips I should have noted so others, if interested, do not make the same mistakes
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C126 in B.R. blue goods yard.

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B.R. blue goods yard.

32. 'Leave perfection to God and Iain Rice'; or, the futility of expecting flawless brick-work.

Real life having intervened six months ago, the model railway has been neglected.  Dissatisfied with the results of my changes to the Wills railway arches on the station viaduct, I wanted to practice scratch-building a small brick structure, and in a darker colour, to improve my corners and try and get better looking mortar.  This is the result.           (My dark jumper as background in the second plate is an attempt to get the camera not to over-expose.)
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C126 in B.R. blue goods yard.

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B.R. blue goods yard.

25. Terminus station loco-release loop design.

Rather a dry subject, but I hope it will caution others from making this mistake.  Before cutting a single piece of wood, having designed and refined my layout to 'perfection' over the years, the passenger station throat looked like this :   Perfect! I believed.  The junction was only 'two points long', so allowing the maximum length of train either side.  Trains could depart to the left, and be un-coupled by the 'Hand of God' un-seen behind a tall warehouse.   However,
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C126 in B.R. blue goods yard.

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B.R. blue goods yard.

42. A day out : D.E.M.U. Show-case 2022.

In an effort to escape the problems on my own layout (see future post), I sought solace last weekend at Sutton Coldfield.  Glad to see it is now rather easier to reach by public transport.  Realising quickly (a) how difficult it is to photograph a layout that captures its atmosphere accurately, and (b) it is impossible to photograph every one, I offer (sadly mediocre) photographs of three.   Being a declining wagon-load goods yard in B.R. Blue, it was inevitable 'Clackmannan Goods' was
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C126 in B.R. blue goods yard.

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B.R. blue goods yard.

39. Put that bricklayer's trowel down.

The third stage of this task has not been 'fun', I admit.  I will spare the details of what felt like 'one step forward, two back' - see the bodged height of the girder, for example - but I think the viaduct looks presentable now, and have learned much from its construction over too long a time.  Most importantly, paint everything at once, so one does not get variations in tones.         (Not a total success the final picture, but I like the perspective
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C126 in B.R. blue goods yard.

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B.R. blue goods yard.

26. 'Little Brown Jobs' ; or, homage to an inspiring photo with my new VVVs.

Taking time off from theoretical musings, I have reverted to the 'wagon-load' aesthetic in the general merchandise sidings, to try a homage to one of my favourite photographs around of goods yards, by Mr Kevin Lane :       [73 005, Guildford Yard, February 1980.]   I first came across it in Michael Hymans's 'Southern region through the 1970s year by year', Stroud : Amberley Publishing, 2018, and then discovered it on Flickr.  When I have time, I must browse th
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C126 in B.R. blue goods yard.

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B.R. blue goods yard.

18. The layout's rationale : or, Where, Why, and When.

Inspired by @Ray Von 's musings and the contributions re his blog - Third Rail N Gauge Shelf Terminus - while waiting for the weekend, my thoughts turned to Atherington's location, industries, and train services.  While not a simple re-naming of a real town, being an 'ex-Central Division child' I wanted somewhere on the Sussex Weald, inland to model imagined fish and milk trains, all in a 'declining 1970's aesthetic' with both electric and diesel services.  Inspired by memories of the East Grins
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C126 in B.R. blue goods yard.

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B.R. blue goods yard.

37. My first wagon kit.

Happening upon the ex-Pipe 'ODA' wagon in 'government stores' (military) trains, I like the idea of running one as a pleasing visual addition to rakes of 'Vanwides'.  So tempting fate to have a manufacturer bring one out R.T.R., I bought Peco's Parkside wagons PC43 4 mm. kit at Alexandra Palace in March, and have just finished it, thus:       Paints by Precision Paints, water-slide transfers by @railtec-models .   Unfortunately, I did not do my research first. 
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C126 in B.R. blue goods yard.

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B.R. blue goods yard.

47. Shildon's finest : the VGA Van.

I was to write about the Gaydon Great British Model Railway Show I attended yester-day, but forgot to take my camera - it was one of those mornings before departure - so instead will just post a photograph of the new Bachmann VGA (37-601C) I bought there instead from the Cheltenham Model Centre stall.     73 124 propels the first VGA to Atherington East Yard and an SPA of plate for one of the light engineering firms nearby.  Closely watched by the Yard Superintendent, the wea
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C126 in B.R. blue goods yard.

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B.R. blue goods yard.

31. "Care for a little trade, sir?"

As a relief from the brick-work, I have been churning out loads for wagons and lorries over the last week.  As a confirmed tea-drinker, I had to have pallets of tea-chests, inspired by @Mikkel 's (if nowhere near as good), so I sawed, trimmed, and edged in silver some wood strip.  A delivery awaits collection and complete unloading from the VBB:         A load of timber planking is put on a wagon for its customer from the lorry, with the unorthodox aid of the Freigh
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C126 in B.R. blue goods yard.

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B.R. blue goods yard.

30. A little more back-drop completed.

I will not pretend the making of the passenger viaduct sides is now fun.  Found a burst of enthusiasm this weekend to complete another stage of the arches, etc., including the more difficult 'stretching' of brick panels and cutting bespoke piers, buttresses, etc.       The arch section of the extreme left need not be finished with another buttress, as it is to be hid by the end of the warehouse (still substituted by cardboard boxes).   Sadly, I can not say I am
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C126 in B.R. blue goods yard.

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B.R. blue goods yard.

40. Tarmac, or water in flood?

No, it is not a Turner sea-scape, but my umpteenth attempt to get a simple, even coat of tarmac-grey on the loading area for my goods-yard.   I started with a darkened (water-based) Green Scene 'Light Tarmac' textured paint, and failed to apply it evenly.  Then I decided to cover this with a coat of sieved sand, glued down with P.V.A.  This did not adhere evenly either, not helped by my doing it in three areas (if immediately after each other on the same after-noon).  'Bother', I thoug
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C126 in B.R. blue goods yard.

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B.R. blue goods yard.

56. "Through to the Continent by British Rail."

Taking a week off work recently, I started 'the factory' as what I thought would be a quick, simple, discrete project.  This monolith hides the passenger station viaduct on the left of the layout, behind the minerals yard and arrival/departure sidings, currently substituted by cardboard boxes to give an idea of the 'massing'.   I can not say the modelling has been enjoyable, but have been able at last to stage a cameo dreamed of when first mooting the layout's track plan.  A VIX is shu
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C126 in B.R. blue goods yard.

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B.R. blue goods yard.

1. Introduction.

The model world is awash with 'shunting planks', I know, but I hope my design might be of interest to a few readers, and maintaining this diary might spur me to keep working on the layout.  The track plan (9'6" x 2'6") is thus:   [PICT2209 DESTROYED]   The red line denotes the boundary between the two levels.  Inspired by a diagram by Iain Rice, I can claim no credit for the ideas.  I am working on the lower layout at the moment:   [PICT2204 DESTROYED]    
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C126 in B.R. blue goods yard.

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B.R. blue goods yard.

23. Illustrated musings on 'realistic' goods yard operation.

Pottering at my layout recently, thoughts turned to seeing in model magazines sidings full of wagons in 'post-steam' goods yards.     Please ignore the detritus in the background of these pictures!   This made me wonder.  Did the goods train call only once a day?  Did the wagons change every day?  What shunting was needed within the yard after the train departed?  Most importantly, if a yard's arrival siding is no longer than each of its 'mileage' (wagon-load loadin
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C126 in B.R. blue goods yard.

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B.R. blue goods yard.

29. 'Sliding doors' ; or, putting a wagon under the knife.

Ignoring the urgent jobs that need doing on the layout - cleaning track, painting ballast, finishing brick-work, and painting the poor Yard Foreman! - on Wednesday I wondered how difficult it would be to cut open the doors on a Bachmann VBB van.  With only the Hornby VIX to pose as being loaded in East Yard, I wanted a change.  To my surprise, armed with a new blade in the Stanley knife and a metal edge, it was a doddle.  I spent this morning making some loads for the large pallets, and here is
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C126 in B.R. blue goods yard.

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B.R. blue goods yard.

27. "Brick keeps Britain beautiful."

I could put it off no longer, weary of plywood as a back-drop to my photographs of the general sidings, so have made an attempt at building the brick arches of the passenger station viaduct behind, plus scratch-building the girder bridge.   First the latter: the results of the piers look better when painted, but I am not endeared to working in plastic sheet (Wills, English bond, to match the arches), lacking the skill to butt the joints perfectly.  Thankfully, the errors look less obvi
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C126 in B.R. blue goods yard.

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B.R. blue goods yard.

34. Timber!

Passing Cooksbridge timber yard whenever we went up to Town by train is a vivid memory from childhood, and I am pleased to say it is still trading (if never rail-connected to my knowledge).  We even walked out there from Lewes one day in the 1970's when it caught fire.  My commuting providing free drinks-stirrers every day, I had to have some loads of timber for my Goods Yard.  As storm Eunice prevented me from going to work on Friday, I put the 'forced holiday' to good use by finishing my model
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C126 in B.R. blue goods yard.

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B.R. blue goods yard.

53. D.E.M.U. Show-case 2023.

Thought I would add my two-penn’orth of praise for D.E.M.U. Show-case 2023 with some photos of my favourite layout there, @sf315 ‘s ‘Hillport Goods’.  All the models were to an enviably high standard I thought, but this one beat the others by a whisker (and a few of my resulting pictures are presentable), having the liveries I like best and capturing an ‘atmosphere’ I find so evocative.  Thank you to the operators for letting me distract them with my photographing: I was trying to reproduce the
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C126 in B.R. blue goods yard.

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B.R. blue goods yard.

7. Ash ballast.

Spent Wednesday covering everything with what looked like Cornish china clay, but was far less romantic: Hobbycraft air-drying modelling clay.  It gets everywhere.  However, I filled the 'four foot' almost to my satisfaction, and must now pluck up courage to attempt not to glue up a point.  Thankfully, it takes about a fort-night to dry, and it is freezing cold and snowing outside, so a good reason to find something else to do, or at least start wondering whether the cracks will show under a cou
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C126 in B.R. blue goods yard.

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B.R. blue goods yard.

35. Storage solutions.

Weary of the clutter on my un-built viaduct passenger station behind the Goods Yard, I decided to do something about it.  From this:     ... to this :     Thanks to some box-files ...     ... with bodged dividers made from corrugated cardboard, some divisions lined with bubble-wrap:       Had I the talent, they would be bespoke boxes of wood with dove-tailed joints, etc.  But I do not, so this will have to
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C126 in B.R. blue goods yard.

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B.R. blue goods yard.

33. A 'military special', with brick-work.

As we appear now to be heading for a new Cold War, it might be appropriate to return to the 1970's and play 'soldiers' with a few resin and white-metal kits from S. & S. Models.   Using the excuse of a camp like Crowborough nearby on the High Weald, a 'military special' train collects a couple of C.V.R.(T) FV107 Scimitar Armoured Fighting Vehicles and a Casspir Personnel Carrier (the latter under 'Rule 1' because I wanted something more sinister-looking than anything the British Ar
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C126 in B.R. blue goods yard.

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B.R. blue goods yard.

44. Working Time Tables.

Inspired by @Ray Von 's queries more than a year ago, I have had the idea of a Working Time Table for my layout nagging me for just as long.  Composing a clock-face list of arrivals and departures for a week-day, at last I had chance to play on 'Word' at work one quiet Saturday and draft a sample page.   This meant I had to give thought to station names along the lines, route times, and what of 'reality' to leave and what to ignore or replace.  The following needs its names making fict
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C126 in B.R. blue goods yard.

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B.R. blue goods yard.

8. 'Do not try this at home'; or, the tedium of ballasting.

Having waited a week for the modelling clay to dry, on closer examination I see my method of squashing and scraping with my thumb a large lump of modelling clay across and into the track has caused the sleepers to move and distort:       My how I laughed!  Thankfully, this was done for only one-third of the layout.  For the right hand sidings (general merchandise) I will make little 'sausages' and cut them off to push down into the sleeper gaps.  For the passenger statio
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C126 in B.R. blue goods yard.

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B.R. blue goods yard.

46. Sorry for cluttering up the Blog lists.

Please accept my apologies for cluttering up the list of blogs.  Re-numbering my posts is an attempt to get them back in date-order, as 'editing' to restore the lost photographs then puts the post at the head of one's list, and so quite out of date sequence.   I am very sorry for the temporary dominance of the 'front list', and assure readers it is not a crude attempt to 'bump' interest.  I look forward to reading far more worthy entries from others as soon as possible.  Thank you for
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C126 in B.R. blue goods yard.

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