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Showing content with the highest reputation on 26/04/20 in all areas

  1. It didn't take too long to set up. You know, I can't even remember whether Keyhaven ever took a trip down the M5 to Taunton. The years become a blur. If I did, here's a reminder. If I didn't, here's something new. But old. And gone the way of all old layouts. Keyhaven was built as part of a six square foot challenge we held back in 2008 I think. A simple rectangle with enough square inches left to have a simple stick fiddle. Purporting to be a seemingly forgotten quay scene down in Hampshire which was the method by which the Southern and BR transferred stock over to the Isle of Wight. Add in a bit of engineering industry for the nearby boatyard, oil facility for the boats, a small fish dock and some anonymous buildings to the left which were part of the Solent Sea Salt Company and that's yer lot. The Peco Code 75 track was largely inset into a concrete surface, not real concrete you understand as I hate heavy boards but cork and fab foam infills. The ferry is an Artitec standard gauge ferry that I don't think is in there range any longer; I've still got that tucked away and some of the other bits including the linkspan gantry, loading crane and assorted loose bits. The water is a simple layering of PVA and gloss varnish over a mucky blue. The layout's backdrop is the Solent, just near Lymington but in the photos below replaced with images replicating where the layout purports to be. The engineering works uses interior scene photos to give the illusion of some depth inside it when viewed from low down. A Bachmann 04 Chassis and Silver Fox resin-bodied 07 shunts the ferry with a MARC Models ferry reach truck. The Blue Peter end of the boards had the structures and pipe bridge (with obligatory straws when you could still pinch plastic ones) shielded the three lines heading off-scene. Having had to dig a faulty point out at one stage the pointwork was left a little more open. Tube trains in Hampshire? Well they must have passed through somehow. Most figures at that time were Dart Castings, a couple of workmen loaf near the bows, or maybe it's the stern, of Solent Green. I don't see many fishing boats around the Solent but surely there's some fish in there? Drivers need to take it easy shunting the ferry or there's some explaining to do. Seemingly the sea salt from the pans on Keyhaven Marshes was highly sought after within the chemical industry but only yielded a wagon or two a week. As the layout often sat near the desk there was often a chance for a nighttime shot. I can't remember the make of the yard lamps but they plugged in and out of lovely embedded sockets.
    86 points
  2. This is Diddington. 4mm scale, OO gauge. The line depicts an East Anglian branch line terminus nearing the end of its days, with a tramway to the village of Upwell Drove.
    83 points
  3. Well the chickens have been sorted, me and Jazz have been social distancing and the campers have been fed so time to set up for the show. Over the years we've brought Highbury, Tucking Mill and William Smiths Wharf down, as well as demonstrating so this year, through the wonders of virtual multi-tasking, we can bring them all! HIGHBURY TM and the Wharf and finally, Foxcote at home Back for a demo later Jerry
    77 points
  4. Right, I've managed to dismantle the layout from Bedroom four, load it into the crate and get it delivered here. Roads quiet and not many people around to help me unload, apart from two very stern looking people in the car park. Bit of a delay in setting up as I trip over a cone left by the door!!!! Luckily I was able to find a space in the corner of the room that was the exact dimensions to the room it came out of so setting up was easy. On the way I asked a couple of locals for directions, to be honest they didn't really pay attention.... Anyway we got here, that's me and the layout safely here and car parked by the lorry that had arrived ahead of me Lorry backed up and huge discussions about how to 'safely' unload the layout Popped across the road and asked if these gents could help as they didn't seem to busy! Is that AY reading a paper? Once we had got the layout off the lorry and out of the crate needed to move, luckily found some trolleys so we could wheel it into the hall Now where to set up, had trouble finding someone to ask... then over in corner of the hall standing in the imitation potato field was the person charge Had to wait a minute as he seemed to be measuring out the positioning of some boards We are in and setting up...... See you later when we are ready. OK, who forgot the extension lead?
    71 points
  5. Let the show begin. Andrew Burnham has kindly agreed we can use these images of Gare de Brindille that were taken by Ian Manderson for Continental Modeller. They are way better than anything I can do!
    70 points
  6. Andy suggested I post some pictures of Little Bytham on here. Being a 'permanent' layout (built by a team of modellers) this is the only show it'll ever go to. It's built in OO, and represents this famous ECML location in the summer of 1958. It appears regularly on Wright Writes. I hope the show is a great success!
    67 points
  7. Kyle of Lochalsh - 2mm Finescale Originally built in Barcelona in a box file and transported to a small UK exhibition in hand luggage via a well known low cost carrier, the layout has since had two makeovers. The idea was to try and take the main ingredients of one half of the station and capture it as an extract. The scenic section of the layout is approximately 600mm x 105mm. Track is built using the (at the time) newly introduced 2mm Association easitrac with turnouts built in copper clad and code 40 rail. The era set is BR blue starting with class 24’s which gradually evolve into class 26’s and finally the large logo class 37/4’s. When conceived the layout was originally DC and has now been upgraded to DCC with locomotives gradually fitted with sound chips. Gotta love a grubby noisy tractor! Feel free to ask any questions and as I am on my own today I will be grateful if someone can take over the controls during the obligatory nips to the loo and then grab some pasties en route back
    65 points
  8. Whilst I'm looking for that extension lead. Here are a few stills that are some of my favourites
    64 points
  9. Hi all, Now that bloke wanting photos has gone and the stock is on I would like to introduce you all to........... Charwelton into the 80's The layout as we run it is a what if scenario if the Great Central Railway had stayed open instead of closing. The layout was original built by the Wolverhampton Model Railway Club and was run by them as 1950/1960s steam. the layout spent several years on the exhibition circuet before being sold on. After a chance checking of ebay one morning by one of the CBMDG group and a text message being sent round telling us what they had found and should we buy it, resulted in a van heading north to the end of the earth (past Newcastle) to collect the layout. Now as BR blue modellers (with one also modelling L&YR 1920s) we couldn’t keep the layout as 50s/60s so it was out with a master plan to convert the layout to DCC, run BR Blue locos and stock and refurb the scenery to bring it in to the 80s. Here is a taste of what it is like when we are exhibiting at a show, being 36 ish foot long it may have fitted in the hall at Staplegrove but nothing much else would. The layout has a presence on rmweb We also have the following social media presence Facebook instagram Twitter www.cbmdg.co.uk - still under construction Photos are used with kind permission of A York/BRM
    64 points
  10. A rave from the grave! We were at the very first gathering IIRC. It was our first public outing. Regrettably it is no more due to 'wood warp' but....all the essential bits do still exist......! All pictures courtesy of Mr Nevard and Model Rail Magazine. And finally, The Captain's lovely little 14xx on the 'Dawlish Donkey' of 1998.
    64 points
  11. Morning all. Sheep Dip is up and running. In terms of prototype location etc, I've not thought about that too much. It's just a product of my woolly brain. The above vidjoe explains a few aspects of the layout. I apologise for my delivery which is in the somewhat hushed tones of a Welsh David Attenborough watching a family of gorillas. It was recorded quite late with the family in bed.....not my usual noisy self. Anyhow. ...... Sheep Dip follows what is now an established process. The basis, as ever, is the larger of two tables supplied as a pack by IKEA. The size is 120cm x 40cm and 5cm deep. Light and square. This is then boxed in with 9mm MDF. Trackwork is PECO Code 75 streamline, all points being either LH or RH small radius. The points are worked by way of 'Pokey finger ' Go is provided by a Gaugemaster Combi. No isolating sections. Ground cover is DAS to raise the level up. Ballast is Woodland scenics, suitable concealed with a variety of static grass and fine flock. All stock is RTR and the buildings are all Bachmann RTP. Everything is weathered using mainly Humbrol weathering powders. Sheep Dip has taken roughly three months to get to this point. It's not finished with the main area of work required being around the engine shed which needs a floor and the buildings can then be bedded in. I do hope you enjoy your visit. Finally, I have a suitable layout to run a few Pecketts on...... I hope this demonstrates what can be acheived in a short period, using readily available materials to produce a small workable, fun layout. It can be used at home or taken out to exhibitions........or not. My thanks to Mr York for making the vidjoe possible and for the tinkly music. Without his input it would have been a far more tricky process.......( Probably impossible). Additional thanks go to my daughter for the loan of her skateboard. I hope you enjoy your visit. Rob.
    63 points
  12. Melbridge Dock Built by Phil and Brian Parker Gauge: OO Size: 9ft by 2ft (6ft scenic section) Era: Late 50s to mid 60s Melbridge Dock started life in the early 1990s as a follow-up to our first layout The Cawood Wistow & Selby Light Railway. We learned a lot with this early model, mainly to build something small enough to be erected at home. Unless you are a wow on the exhibition circuit, you'll not get to play trains if it won't. Nor will there be the chance to really test the layout to work out all the bugs. We also knew that the whole thing would have to fit in the back of a Mk1 Ford Fiesta. All this placed significant restrictions on the model, but as it turned out, they probably made it more successful. An early decision was that we wanted to do something industrial. At the time, shows were full of country branch lines and having just built one, we fancied something different. The plan is based on a GWR station found in a magazine, but re-worked to change all the proportions. You can see that the platforms should be where the quayside is for example, and we added an extra siding. Anyway, let me take you for a tour where I'll try to answer many of the questions we used to be asked at shows. All the buildings, with the exception of a Ratio hut, are scratchbuilt. We've used Daler board card covered with Slater's Plastikard. Our warehouses are imposing because that's what real ones tend to be. Modellers used to be very keen to build tiny warehouses, but there's no need to be scared of big buildings. Mock them up with cereal packet card and then live with them for a while to see if they look right. The stone warehouse is loosely based on one found in a book on the Kennet & Avon canal, and the brick one is Gloucester Docks. Melbridge Dock dates from an era when your choice of RTR wagons was very limited, and most of those needed extensive work to bring them up to scratch. Consequently, you'll see the products of Parkside everywhere. This wagon though is a Keyser plastic kit - and it's the very first wagon I ever built. Since I didn't know about metal wheels, and couldn't afford them even if I did, it ran hopelessly. Sawn in half and poking out through the doorway, it's perfect to hide the fact the building is less than 5cm deep. A little layout needs detail, but since the space to fill isn't huge, you can afford the time to add it. Detailing is my favourite part of modelling anyway, so I went to town. Here we have a scratchbuilt hut inspired by one I spotted on Henry Hollingsworth's amazing 16mm L&B layout. The man eating his lunch actually has 4mm scale sandwiches on the paper beside him and he's feeding ducks on the water below. The harbourmaster's office is based on Weymouth and came from a plan in an old model railway magazine. Because of this, many people recognise it and enjoy it all the more because of this. The camera is a little cruel, but on the layout you don't notice the less than perfect cutting. At least I don't notice and everyone else is too polite to say anything. We both love boats, especially working boats and Clyde Puffers are our favourites. Early on we decided a Puffer was essential, so my dad scratchbuilt this one from balsa and plywood. The name is classic Neil Munro and the model based on a boat we found on the Crinan Canal. That vessel was called Auld Rekie, but later became The Vital Spark for a BBC TV series. The Puffer is a bit fragile, so is attached just before the show opens. On board are the crew from the 1970s BBC TV series, videos of which we watched many times while building the model. A few years later, Easdal joined the fleet based on another Puffer my dad had taken a trip on while on holiday. They let him steer it in a straight line (the safest way) for a while, so we were always going to have a second boat. This one has a full hull which meant I had to make a hole in the water. Don't do it kids - waterline models are much easier to use. Incidentally, the water is plaster, painted with Humbrol enamels and then given 7-8 coats of Ronseal yacht varnish. We carry some spray polish and give it a shine every morning as during the day, little fingers creep on to see if it's really wet! I can't get interested in coaches - they all look the same to my eye. However, this set are based on the real train found on the Devonport Dockyard Railway. This site was so large that to stop workers hanging on to wagons, they built a set of coaches. This is actually the second rake, the first having outside strapping which I though looked a bit fiddly to scratchbuild, and anyway, would be out of period. All the models are made from from Plastikard with Kenline whitemetal fittings and run on Bachmann wheels. With 3-link couplings and no brakes, the real things must have been interesting travel in. A fun feature is that on the compartment coach, there was a plate beside each door listing the ranks permitted to use it. One enjoyed an electric light powered by a battery under the seat and padded seats. Needless to say, there was also a lock on the door to keep the riff-raff out. As well as the wagons, most of the locos are kitbuilt. You simply couldn't buy industrial prototypes at the time. The Y7 is a Steve Barnfield kit, built by the man himself after mine was stolen on the way back from a show along with the rest of my stockbox, toolbox and camera bag. Steve helped me with the costings for the insurance claim, so I commissioned him to build the replacement model. I asked for it unpainted as I don't like running locos I don't have a hand in. The claim later formed the subject of my first article for BRM in 1997 so, depending on how much you like my writing, something good came out of it. We have far too many locos for the layout, because I enjoy building kits, so a display case was added on top of the fiddle yard so people could have a proper look as well as extending the display by a few feet. You can see a full listing here. Sadly, this box made the display too large for the Fiesta so we started to hire a small van. This wasn't ideal as it made us a more expensive prospect for exhibition managers, but the car with its less than 957cc engine was getting a bit tired. Later on, the model fitted into a Ford Escort, VW Type 2 camper, Peugeot 306 and Berlingo perfectly. That's one benefit of small layouts, they are easier to move. We do have some RTR stock. This Mainline 03 diesel always runs the first train of the day. It's a tradition with no real reason other than superstition. All the track is built using Code 75 rail soldered to PCB sleepers - cheap and flexible. We needed tight points to fit everything on the baseboard. Cobbled track just has a checkrail added and then Plastikard infill. Wagons generally stay on even though I see @AY Mod managed to nudge them off for the photo. The wagon turntables don't work, they were enough of a pain to build as it was, and I can't think of a realistic way to pull a wagon in to the warehouse. Cable shunting is fiddly and involves too much "hand of god" and no-one makes a working horse. Even if I solved these problems, OO wagons don't move with the right amount of weight so I'd spend an age joining cables to locos only for the wagon to wobble off the turntable unrealistically. There's also the matter of where it would go, on this layout, straight into the back of the control panel. The moment I spotted this Wills Finecast crane tank, I snapped it up. The model is very tail-heavy and also highly geared. I've not built another loco that will wheelie! One of the joys of this model is that you get to consider a whole host of interesting prototypes, most of which still aren't available ready to run. I'm a bit of snob, once a model is available RTR, the kit is retired to the display case to avoid "It it Bachmann mister" questions. People have paid to see something different is my opinion so, odd-ball locos are the way to go. It's not just locos either - at Tring show, one of the first visitors spotted the Puffer and gleefully informed us that Langley made a kit. He then asked when we would replace our model with the kit and wasn't impressed when I told he we wouldn't. There is nothing wrong with the Langley model, I've built one and it's superb and well worth the price, but we were happy with our boat and see no reason to change it. The conversation moved on and it became painfully apparent that the gentleman concerned memorised the adverts in his latest model railway magazines every month and could tell you the price of everything, but probably didn't know one end of a screwdriver from another. I'm a model maker first and foremost and see RTR models as raw material. I once caused apoplexy with a visitor by sawing the coupling off a new Standard tank so I could test it on the model to see how well it would shunt. Not for the Dock you understand, but a future layout. I even offered him the unwanted coupling, but this didn't seem to calm him down... Couplings are Sprat & Winkle Mk1's operated by permanent magnets under the track. The steel chains are from the EM gauge society and a lot easier than making your own. I like the Mk1 as it's quite a discrete coupling, but reliable and robust enough not to need tweaking before the show starts. While the finescale boys are resetting their AJ's first thing in the morning, I've got a mug of tea and am heading to the second-hand stall. My scruffy open wagon is a deliberately battered Cooper Craft kit filled with interesting detail. It lives in the front siding and the challenge is to shunt that siding over the weekend without pushing the scratchbuilt trolley off the end. Magnet positions were set using wagons, but then I added a few longer wheelbase vehicles and this make operation a little more interesting. Of course, since we have to run this thing for two days, this is important. We don't bother with a timetable, just putting wagons from a randomly made up train in the correct siding. No-one really notices that there's nothing more to it than this, but we don't get bored if there is plenty of chat, and that's important. We've even invited really keen visitors around the back to have a go at quiet times during a show and they seem to enjoy it. Who needs a massive space to build a satisfying model railway? It's one of the reasons people enjoy looking at the layout. Finally, a quick look in the fiddle yard - I know you've been craning your neck over the top of the display box to have a peek. It's nothing more sophisticated than a 3-way point operated with a switch box. Originally, we used a Peco point, but the Romford wheels didn't like it very much, so courage was summoned up to build our own, and to date, it's been perfectly reliable. I hope you've enjoyed your tour of Melbridge Dock. Please feel free to ask questions. If I'm honest, it's the chatting that I enjoy more than the operating!
    56 points
  13. Hi all, Here is a selection of photos taken by AY for the current issue of BRM featuring my layout 'DENT STATION' these were not published but certainly deserve an outing.
    53 points
  14. Well we’ve set Black Country Blues up in record time - Andy York was on hand to capture the first workings, one of which would you believe, was from St Blazey... I saw some members wearing masks earlier - you’ll need them in a bit...
    53 points
  15. Ahoy-hoy and morning each... breakfast is terribly slow my establishment this morning, I am going to have to shout at myself to hurry up soon... Canute Road Quay made its first ever 'public' appearance at the 2017 event so I am very pleased to virtually return. My other layout Fisherton Sarum, see later in the thread, attended way back in 2010! Although I am an SW exile I am very proud to not to have missed a single Taunton 'Do' in some role or other... have you checked out the catering thread yet...go on you know you want to... Anywho back to Canute Road Quay... Canute Road Quay is a dock / quayside layout located somewhere around the Canute Road area within Southampton Docks operated primarily by the Southern Railway between 1946 to 1949. Occasionally it can be operated in different eras such as early or late British Railways periods. The trackplan is based on the ‘Timesaver’ shunting puzzle incorporating a short run around loop and kickback sidings. A small 1ft fiddle yard utilising short cassettes allows for an additional length of the main headshunt and a quick change of rolling stock. The other two shorter sidings / headshunts will be just about able to hold either 2 or 3 off box vans or an SR Bogie Van B and a small shunting loco such the USA Tank or Adams B4. The very front edge of the layout has been modelled as a dockside wall and the siding at the top right-hand corner includes a small loco shed albeit single road and in semi low relief, being a sub shed of, and a similar look to the one actually at Southampton Docks. For simplicity, the buildings are mixture of modified Ready-to-Plonk resin low relief type warehouses as the backdrop at the left hand rear, the two front buildings are LCut Creative laser cut acting as scenic breaks Trackwork is a mixture of open sleepered and inset track as seen around such docks / quays to give some variety to the surfaces. Further details can be found here or on my blog here https://grahammuz.com/category/canute-road-quay/ The pictures below are copyright and courtesy C Nevard and a couple more pictures copyright and courtesy M Wild (taken on a sunnier day...) The layout is DC so none of this DCC Jiggery Pokery so whilst I do not have sound fitted locos I commissioned the production of an 40 minute ambient sound file that plays on a loop via a speaker under the baseboard that includes over 30 sounds such as not only loco noises but that of actual shunting, buffering up, wheel squeal, boats, voices and of course seagulls. Some of these sounds can be heard on the video clips below Feel free to ask any questions.
    53 points
  16. Upbech St Mary is the first layout I have offered for exhibition so I do have virtual 'L' plates on! Upbech was built as a test plank in EM to see if I could successfully work in a finer gauge. It was started after my Pott Row layout in finescale 00 was dismantled after ten years. What I had built in the beginning did not match what I was building at the end and having the layout in a garage shared with the car had taken its toll. As I was starting to build loco chassis and etched wagons the move to a more correct gauge seemed worth trying and I have found it an enjoyable change though I felt P4 was beyond me. The layout is around five feet layout long with a scenic area of 32 inches. There is a small halt based on those between Melton Constable and Yarmouth Beach in Norfolk. An exchange siding for goods traffic including loaded and empty sugar beet wagons. Passenger trains are pulled by J70 trams. Goods trains are propelled and shunted by either Great Eastern or LNER locomotives in the style of the Snape branch in Suffolk. Couplings are Spratt and Winkle 3mm mark 1s modified for remote and delayed uncoupling. The fiddle yard uses short cassettes connected via SMP code 75 rail joiners. There is an additional cassette for shunting that has an S&W magnet at one end and a Kadee magnet at the other. The layout can be run in a 1960s period after East Anglia was dieselised. 1960s stock is fitted with Kadee couplings. Uncoupling magnets on the layout are Kadee undertrack magnets that are hinged to minimise accidental uncoupling, pulled into place with string (yes really!). The Kadee magnets work well with S&W couplings. Track work is soldered PCB powered by DCC. Points are manually operated using wire in tube attached to SDPT switches for polarity switching. Stock is a mixture of modified ready to run and kits. All stock is weathered using a mixture of artists acrylic paint, ink, ground chalks and charcoal. Locos on the layout were shedded or operational in the area between Kings Lynn and Great Yarmouth in the period 1948-52 on either Great Eastern and Midland and Great Northern lines with the exception of the J72. The two photos show all 32 X 12 inches of the scenic section. Small amount of rolling stock as follows: J15 65460 is a Hornby model modified with Gibson wheels, crew and tarpaulin rail. A Norwich loco seen at Well Next the Sea in a photograph but I didn’t have the heart to make it as filthy as it is in the photo. J39 64900 is a Bachmann model on a Comet chassis and Mainly Trains tender chassis with Mashima motor and Comet gearbox. Loco was at Norwich in 1951 and was seen on the M&GN in a Dr Allen photo album. There are two J70s on the layout, both are detailed Silver Fox kits running on Bullant bogies with the wheels simply pulled out on their axles. 68217 and 68222 were both shedded at King Lynn in 1948. 69013 is an anomaly on the layout as it is one of two J72s briefly shedded at Ipswich in 1950. It was built because the chassis was my first attempt at chassis construction using the Comet product. Originally built in 00 it was dismantled and rebuilt in EM. Runs with a Mashima motor and High Level gearbox. The only carriage on the layout is a severely bashed Ratio four wheeler. Using a drawing supplied by the Great Eastern Society it has been made to look vaguely like a carriage that ran on the Kelvedon and Tollesbury line. It has been lowered, steps added, new handrails fitted, altered rain strips, buffer beam raised, end doors for conductor working added. Because there is no run round two locos are involved in the shunting of passenger trains. The arriving train is released by the tram in the mpd that will then carry out any shunting and head the departing train. Shows the range of goods wagons on the layout either built from kits or modified rtr. Open wagons have removable loads so a full wagon will depart empty and vice versa. Typically a goods train will propel into the station area and be shunted as happened at Snape in Suffolk. At the moment the J72, in lieu of an industrial style loco will take wagons out to the fens and return with either empty or loaded wagons that are then collected by a subsequent train. The passenger train can also have a tail load but only one wagon is possible due to the length of the fiddle yard. Work on an extension to the layout has been started. As stated earlier the layout can be run in 1960s mode though there is still much to do on the stock. If there is interest I can post some 1960s photos later. Thanks for looking Martyn
    53 points
  17. Ladmalow Sidings. Here's a selection of black-and-white images from the layout: Al.
    51 points
  18. Getting towards the end of the day now but here are a few stills from Clinkerford.
    50 points
  19. Andy's been a bit swift getting his camera out to take a few snaps of the train set, so here's a few for you. Waiting in platform 2 for the road ahead is a pair of Class 20 locomotives, 8145 in green livery and D8077 in blue, destined for East London with a loaded coal train made up of 16 ton mineral wagons. Peak Class 46 number 153 passes through on the Down Fast with an express service to Newcastle, the rake consisting mainly of BR mk2a coaching stock. In the background a mixed freight takes the Up Slow through platform 1. Leaving the station area behind on our journey to the motive power depot at Hornsey Road, we catch a glimpse inside the garage where a team of fitters are busy working on various motor cars. Making their way back to the Midlands from East London with an unfitted rake of empty HOP21 wagons are BR Derby type 2 locos 7576 & 5189 awaiting a clear road. An unusual visitor to the area is this 6-car Swindon built Trans-Pennine DMU heading for Finsbury Park with the 1Z24 'Footex' special full of Hull City fans who will be watching their team play away at Highbury. Moments later, an Up Pullman service slows for a signal check on the last leg of its journey with Deltic 9009 Alycidon in charge. Meanwhile a LMR Division DC lines Class 501 glides past with a Broad Street to Hornsey Broadway terminating service. Nearing the depot we pass pockets of industry, including Fordhams milk distribution depot located on Hornsey New Road. Kaff's doing a roaring trade, as you would expect around lunchtime. We'll take a break now and have a snack before we get to the depot - I've heard Kaff's burgers are to die for!!
    49 points
  20. Looks like I've missed set up. Traffic problems on the way from the bedroom..... Here's my little contribution West End West End is the terminus of an imaginary branch line situated in the North West of England in the early to mid 1970s. It was built as an entry to the D&E Challenge competition organised by the Scalefour Society and Diesel and Electric Modellers United (DEMU). As such it is constructed to P4 standards, and is my first attempt at a complete layout, though I have had a couple of false starts. The chosen location harks back to my earliest memories of British Rail – summer Saturdays spent beside the line to Blackpool North, with a profusion of summer specials accelerating away from Poulton-le-Fylde. Unfortunately I have neither the time or space to re-create such scenes, so have had to resort to a fiction which at least allows me to “play” and run a few trains. In my fictional world, the line to West End survived the cuts of the 1960s owing to the presence of several freight customers, conveniently located off stage. The layout’s name is simply a reflection of a lack of imagination on my part when asked for a name by the competition organisers.
    48 points
  21. A few more photos of Sheep Dip and in particular our resident Peckett. This time, taking a leaf from Al's Ladmanlow, we go all a bit monochrome. Pretty much in the style of 'Visions of Steam ' by Cavalier and Silcock. Rob.
    47 points
  22. 46 points
  23. Following my initial post, here is a bit more about Wadleys Brewery, together with those of Andy York's pictures (excepting the first one) that were not used in the BRM article - with his permission of course: Along with some other industrail buildings, Wadleys occupies a corner of the layout neatly hiding one of those 90 degree curves that I was not keen to see. I took photographs of the old Ridley's brewery in Faversham, Kent and sent them to Geoff Taylor who modelled the buildings to fit the space available and although each building is a scale model, the brewery overall is a pastiche of the original; nevertheless anyone who knows Faversham will recognise the buildings. The model railway within which the brewery sits, Stowe Magna & Churminster, is set in the Southern Railway of 1938 - 1948 at an imaginary location in the south of England, which gives me some flexibility as to locomotives, stock and liveries: Geoff had previously modelled Churminster Station for me, which is a scale model of Honiton Station, and also I used the experience to try to learn from his approach and to acquire some skills in the scratch-building of acrchitectural models myself; I have since managed to produce 3 or 4 of the other main buildings required on the layout to a reasonable quailty. The railway interest within the brewery is limited to the single private siding which handles delivery of supplies, such as hops, barrells etc, and the collection of product for distribution; the layout is 4mm OO gauge and DC controlled. On leaving the brewery the private siding crosses an access road into Churminster Goods Yard where it runs along the back of the Goods Shed where it connects with other sidings. Having exhausted my supply of Andy's images I may return later with a few of my own. Tony
    46 points
  24. Not sure if I’m allowed here but this is my first time not not attending and with having to downsize from a Zafira to a Fiesta I could only not fit the removable section of Warren into to boot of the car The whole saga starts and continues here https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/135507-warren-branch/
    46 points
  25. I think it's safe to say that today has definitely been the best show we never went to and that's down to everyone who has taken part in the topics today and in the run up to the day. It's been very obvious that a lot of people have spent a lot of time reading these topics and participating. About this time of the day I get up on a chair and thank everyone involved. Particularly Stu for organising the layouts, Brinkly, Taz, Simon and John for setting up and everyone who's gone out of their way, at their own time and expense, to come along and make it one of the most enjoyable days in the modelling calendar. The catering team always does us proud and thank you for everyone for the cakes you brought along. Thanks for the bring and buy too (sadly we ran out of time to include that this year), the modular layout team and more besides. I look a bit daft standing on this chair today in the kitchen doing this but it's just as relevant. I thank each and every one of you for entering into the spirit of the occasion, it's been fun and a worthy replacement of an event we couldn't do. very worthy, in fact as your support for the whole event and its lead up has played a part in the fundraising. Readers have raised over £6,600 so far in the prize draw fundraiser and then there's the catering purchases to be totted up by Stu; your readerrs really do seem to love what's been done. We clap on a Thursday night but you all deserve a huge round of applause for what you've collectively achieved with a great event today and some fun in the run up to it all. Now it would time to pack up, head home and empty the hall by 5 and take the keys back. Thanks to the distorted reality of our virtual world everyone can stay as long as they're happy to. Thank you for not coming today, we hope to see you for real next year!
    45 points
  26. Sorry I’m late as I overslept, but as Camel Quay only takes 1 minute to download I’ll be ready for opening time.
    45 points
  27. Clinkerford is delighted to make an appearance at this year's exhibition. Thanks to Penrith Beacon for the video.
    44 points
  28. ALBION YARD With the layout it was always configured one way or another for photographic use. At shows people would stand in front and scratch their head as they 'sort of' recognised it. The WD shot going away is a typical example. I was one of those who used B&W images deliberately and early on, to capture as best 'atmosphere' it wasn't until 2011 that it really focussed on being Forest of Dean, prior to that it ranged from Scotland to USA and most other regions of the UK.
    43 points
  29. Excuse the very late entry... we've been avidly not setting up outside the exhibition hall, in the hope of being able to offer the exclusive first of a garden railway in action (not) live and (not) onsite. Now let's see if it stays working as the folks come in... Despite a 'hand of God' in the 1st few seconds, and some juddery running from kitbuilds, glad to report alot less derailments than usual... (tho saying that should a jinxed it). Open to requests for running sessions featuring other eras / rolling stock...! Tho gonna have a quick look around and leave you guys to play. No pileups, ok?
    41 points
  30. It appears we forgot to pack the extension lead...…. So you will have to make do with some stills of small Prairie 4550 arriving with the B set at Little Muddle station and then departing towards the main line. I would like to thank Little Muddle Photographers for these shots. Ken Dobetter was at the station Mary Mee in and around the yard and finally Peter Outt for the viaduct
    41 points
  31. Bethesda Sidings Sorry I'm a bit late to this today, I've been busy with trying to cram 50 pasties and a large piece of chicken & ham pie in the freezer various domestic duties. 'Bethesda Sidings' is my latest layout and the full story can be found here on my layout thread - It began as a project to encourage my re-emerging modelling mojo a few years ago and whilst it was entered in the Cameo Layout Competition, it was actually conceived just prior to that. So, where is 'Bethesda Sidings' meant to be? It's in Mid-Wales, in the former county of Radnorshire and close to the English border. It's a 'might have been', based on actual Victorian aspirations to extend the New Radnor branch towards the Welsh coast, one of the schemes running via Rhayader, which was a real station on the former Mid-Wales line: The terrain, through the upland area known as the Radnor Forest, is unforgiving and gradients would have been considerable. My supposition is that the line was built as far as Rhayader, but no further, with a link to the Central Wales line at Gunstone, just north of Llandrindod Wells. Capel Bethesda is the only place on the above map that doesn't exist (well, not in that location, anyway). It was also the junction for the outrageously improbably Vale of Radnor Light Railway, which ran up to Llanddewi, where a military stores depot was established in later years. Due to space considerations in the narrow valley, the goods yard for Capel Bethesda was built on land a few hundred yards away and accessed via a short branch: Simplified after withdrawal of passenger services in November 1962: Actual track plan of the layout itself: As such, the layout can be considered 'goods only'. Operations consist of local goods services working in from Leominster and Kington, with some exchange traffic with the light railway, which latterly was mostly military stores. Light railway locos were permitted, post-1962, to run directly to the goods yard, hence you'll see the VoRLR's ex-LNER J72 'Jennifer' in one of the sequences and the light railway's 'Planet' diesel in another. First, a typical BR goods working: This next sequence features more light railway interchange with BR and was filmed on my older camera. Andy Y kindly stitched the separate sequences together for me and added the music (thanks Andy!): Finally, a diesel sequence set in the mid-1960s:
    41 points
  32. Right, finally got the legs on the right way round... Here's an introduction to Ladmanlow Sidings: Now, just need to find a socket to plug the extension cable in... Al
    41 points
  33. Treneglos An exhibition layout built by Chris Tooth, Damian Ross and John Wardle. Almost 15 years from the start of the project, in 2018 we sold Treneglos to a new owner. This text is the full unabridged version prepared for the April 2018 BRM and serves to record how the layout came to be created, how it changed over time and our journey to deciding to sell the layout. Looking back to 2003 it’s hard to believe that three friends living in the Stafford area, and whose individual interests included the Somerset & Dorset, LNWR and big blue diesels, would end up building an exhibition layout based on a station on the North Cornwall Railway. It did happen though and we suspect that it was the result of three separate factors: The three of us being at a loose end at the Stafford exhibition in February 2003 and enjoying watching the trains go by on a layout called Cadiford Water. The introduction of new, higher standard 00 RTR stock including Bachmann’s N Class and Standard 4MT tank and Hornby’s Bulleid Light Pacific. John going to the pub one night and getting a ‘crazy idea’ that we should build a layout together. He put forward this idea, with a plan, in a letter to us and we both signed up. The rest is history. So less than a year later we were back at Stafford exhibition in February 2004, but this time as exhibitors with our Withered Arm Project layout. The ‘Withered Arm’ isn’t a medical condition but the not very complementary name given to the Southern’s lines west of Exeter which ran to the coastal termini at Plymouth, Bude, Illfracombe and Padstow. Of these routes the North Cornwall Railway (NCR), which ran from Halwill Junction through to Padstow, formed the inspiration for our model. The original idea was that we’d build a relatively compact rural through station on just three 1100mm x 370mm scenic boards with a 1100mm cassette fiddleyard at each end. Something manageable, something we could easily build in a year. Having agreed the concept, the plan was amended to increase the board width to 500mm (1’8”), to give a bit more room for the goods yard sidings, and the length to 1200mm (4’), to give a bit more room for a Bulleid and three coaches in the fiddleyard. Plan 1: the original 3-board scenic section Plan 1 shows the original 3-board plan. Trains entered the layout from the left-hand (Padstow) fiddleyard, travelled over a three-arch concrete viaduct, past the goods yard and into the station. The station used the typical NCR trackplan and buildings from intermediate stations such as Tresmere and Egloskerry which, with platforms scaling out at around a board length, suited our purposes very well. On this plan the two tracks that made up the loop both ran, under a bridge, into the right-hand (Okehampton) fiddleyard. Armed with John’s sketch, Damian set off and in no time at all delivered three baseboards for the scenic section to me. Plan 1 shows that Treneglos was very much not a ‘flat earth’ layout as the majority of the landforms were below the trackbed. To address this Damian cunningly built the boards almost step-like with the bases progressively rising from left to right (see Photo 1). Photo 1: Woodwork completed The next step was for Chris to add the basic landforms to the layout prior to laying the track and wiring up (see Photo 2). Photo 2: Landforms in place This fitted in better with the time we each had free but also meant that there was no risk of the trackwork getting damaged or receiving big dollops of plaster. It was around this stage that we became uncomfortable with the scenic exit at the Padstow end of the layout – coming straight off the viaduct gave little scope for hiding trains entering the fiddleyard. Our solution was to add a fourth board. Plan 2: the intermediate 4-board scenic section Plan 2 shows how this extra 1200mm long section enabled us to take the line off in a cutting and under a bridge. This bridge was based on the one carrying a lane to the real hamlet of Treneglos over the NCR. This extra board (see Photo 3) changed the whole look of the layout, created a great scenic break and the undulating scenery and rock race helped plant the layout firmly in North Cornwall. Photo 3: The first extension Photo 4: Track laying underway With the layout in its 4-board format we progressed the build with individual boards clocking up quite a few miles as they travelled between our houses. Boards built at Damian’s, to Chris’s for base scenics, to John’s for trackwork (C&L code 75, see Photo 4) and ballasting, to Damian’s for electrics and back to Chris’s for adding the green stuff. In the background we’d also each taken on the construction of various buildings and scenic items, the control panel, lighting rigs, displays and fiddleyard cassettes. So February 2004 duly arrived and the three of us turned up at the Stafford Showground with various bits of layout and stock in tow. It all went together with a few last-minute subtle adjustments and the trains ran. We were very happy! Thinking back to that first show though, there were a few things that operation over the two days highlighted: The stock was a bit of a mishmash, not all of it suitable for, or prototypical of, NCR trains but we ran what we were able to pull together on the day. The layout needed a backscene as the view got lost in whatever was behind us. The right hand fiddleyard was not easy to use as a result of two parallel tracks going off scene. The storage cassettes in the fiddleyard were too wide to fit side by side and therefore it unacceptably delayed the flow of trains entering / train leaving. Regarding stock, if we were starting out building the layout now in 2018 we’d have available just about every item of locomotive and rolling stock that ran on the NCR in the BR period. Back in 2004 though all we had were Bachmann’s Std 4 tank, N Class mogul and Hornby’s Spamcans. Coaching stock with restricted to some generic Southern coaches from Hornby (which looked a tiny bit like Maunsell coaches) and Bachmann’s Bulleids and MK1s. There was therefore a need to build some stock! Whilst happy to build plastic coach and wagon kits, we decided that we needed help with brass kits. Here we enlisted the skills of Geoff Cook, another member of the Stafford club and he built us a Finney Drummond T9, DJH BR Std 3 tank and a three coach rake of Bulleid / BRCW comet coaches. Hornby later came to our rescue on two key items of stock for a NCR based layout: a RTR T9 (2 cab and 2 tender variations) and Maunsell coaches (which formed the mainstay of local services). Since then, the picture for RTR stock improved every year, with the only omissions now being the Maunsell U and U1 2-6-0s that were occasional visitors. Plan 3: the final 5-board scenic section A plain white MDF backscene was added in time for our second show at Macclesfield in April 2004 (see Photo 5). Visually this was a big improvement and, along with the lighting pelmet, fiddleyard screens and information panels gave the professional presentation we wanted. All the artwork was produced by John, John’s brother was drafted in to weld up the steelwork that supported the pelmet and the rest of the woodwork was hewn by Damian. The Okehampton fiddleyard issue was more of a problem but we persisted using the layout in 4-board format for at least one more exhibition. Finally though we admitted defeat and decided that the best solution was to add a fifth scenic board at the Okehampton end of the layout to complete the station loop on-scene and take a single track into the fiddleyard (see Plan 3). This board (see Photo 6) completed the second half of the station road bridge, included a pair of LSWR workers cottages, a stream and a mill building (based on a prototype between Launceston and Egloskerry). Photo 5: A rare early photograph of Treneglos at our second show, Macclesfield April 2004 Photo 6: The second extension The second extension was more involved than the first as it required us to lengthen the backscene, lighting pelmet and the display boards. Operationally though it was a massive improvement, running was a lot more balanced between the two fiddleyards and using the Okehampton cassettes was easier. In a break between shows John took the plain white MDF backscene sheets away and hand painted a superb 7m (24’) long North Cornwall scene including distant moors and a sighting of the Atlantic coast near the viaduct. At this point we also had offers of help from other Stafford club members which we gratefully accepted. Fred Shilton offered to build us two outer home signals, the one at the Padstow end being an excellent double-acting tall lattice post example to give sighting over the bridge. Andy Banks made the mill building on the second extension which shielded the entry to the fiddleyard. Up to now, with all the turnouts being on one board, operation was mechanical and linked to a GEM lever frame. The fifth board made this difficult and so Damian installed Tortoise slow acting point motors instead. The Macclesfield show generated our one and only track failure, a point blade came loose from a tiebar. We never had other track issues and the electrics have always worked faultlessly – both testament to John and Damian’s work. After this we steadily added detail to the layout and more appropriate stock to the roster, with Chris getting carried away buying Bulleids, as we attended 4-6 shows a year. The only major change after this was to change from a cassette fiddleyard system to train turntables. We did this because: We wanted to run longer trains than the existing 1200mm fiddles would allow. Fuel, van and accommodation price increases meant exhibition organisers didn’t want to pay for 5 operators and two vehicles, so we needed fewer operators. Handling the cassettes over a long 2-3 day show was becoming quite tedious. The new 1800mm (6’) long train turntables enabled us to run five coach trains with ease and almost completely did way with stock handling. In combination to relocating the control panel to the Okehampton end, they meant we only needed three operators (two on, one off) all of whom fitted in the van. Costs and operator workload were reduced. It’s something in hindsight we should have done much sooner. Sadly though all good things come to an end. Exhibition invites dried up, we’d done just about all those we wanted to do, and some twice. Increasing work pressures made it difficult to commit to shows and booking Fridays off. We also started working on our own layout ideas: Diesels in the Duchy for Damian, a Wild West layout for John. We were also part of the team that built the Black Country Blues project layout in 2013 for BRM. Treneglos sat gathering dust in Chris’s attic and, whilst we didn’t want to scrap the layout, it was clear we’d all moved on. Salvation came from a reply to a post made on the RMweb Treneglos thread and in January 2018 the layout was sold and moved down to the South East with its new owner. We hope that the layout brings him as much joy and as many happy memories as it has given us. Finally, a big thank you to everyone that has contributed or helped operate the layout over the years and, of course, to our respected significant others for putting up with our little NCR obsession.
    40 points
  34. Treneglos Photos Part 3 All taken by Andy York The station buildings, substantially built from local stone, welcome the arrival of Drummond T9 30717. Whilst the basic design of the buildings was reasonably standard along the line, other than left or right handed layouts, the materials they were built from varied to what was available locally. A variety of stone or, where that was not available, brick. The LSWR benches and luggage trollies are from etched brass kits, made for us by Fred Shilton. Sheltered by the shadow of the bridge, ferns grow in the cess next to the trackbed. The year is 1961, the last for the T9s. Three more years would see the end of steam on the NCR and on 3 October 1966 the line between Halwill Junction and Wadebridge was closed. Drummond T9 30717 with Maunsell 2-set P 180 in tow makes a spirited departure from Treneglos partly obscuring the LSWR cottages. The heron next to the stream is completely unfazed though and probably has his eye on his next meal. The culvert was adapted by Chris from a Wills kit. All the other items of infrastructure in the photo were scratch-built. Sometime after 4pm Bulleid Light Pacific 34066 ‘Spitfire’ with carriages from the Atlantic Coast Express (ACE) approaches Treneglos. Another 50 minutes or so will see it arrive in Padstow. Bulleid Light Pacific 34066 ‘Spitfire’ is seen entering Treneglos proudly carrying the ‘Atlantic Coast Express’ headboard. The Bulleid coaches behind it would have left Waterloo behind a Merchant Navy some five hours earlier as part of a much longer train. Carriages would have been dropped off before Exeter for Exmouth and Sidmouth. Then, at Exeter, the 34066 would have taken over the train with further coaches being removed at Exeter (for Torrington and Illfracombe), Okehampton (for Plymouth) and Halwill (for Bude). The first 172 miles to Exeter would have been covered in just over three hours, with slightly longer being taken to cover the next 88 to Padstow! The freight from Launceston has been set back into the Up platform to allow 34066 with the Atlantic Coast Express to overtake it. Maunsell N Class 31409 has been run onto the yard entry as a safety precaution. This photograph highlights an error in that the station loop should not have trap points either end – this was something that only became apparent from research sometime after the layout was completed. Loco: renumbered Bachmann N Class modified to left-hand drive. Wagons: Bachmann. 232 Miles from Waterloo, with just a glimpse of the sea in the distant horizon. With the Atlantic Coast Express (known as the ACE to both railway staff and train-spotters alike!) now long out of section on its journey West, the daily ‘pick-up’ goods can carry on towards Wadebridge behind N Class 31409. With the Regulator just opened a little wider, N Class 31409 begins its climb towards Otterham summit (800ft above sea level) with the daily pick-up goods, bound for the busy yard and quays at Wadebridge. In the last days of steam on the North Cornwall section of the Southern's 'Withered Arm' system, shadows lengthen as the last Up train of the day to Exeter enters Treneglos at 6.30pm. As this was one of only two times during the day that trains crossed at Treneglos, BR Standard 4MT 80041 will have to wait until the last Down train of the day arrives, before continuing on its way into the evening sunshine and railway history. Loco: renumbered Bachmann. Coaches: renumbered Bachmann.
    39 points
  35. Treneglos Photos Part 1 All taken by Andy York Pulling away from Treneglos up the 1in73 gradient 34066 ‘Spitfire’, with carriages from the Atlantic Coast Express (ACE) in tow, passes over the viaduct and is due to arrive at Padstow a little after 5pm. Loco: renumbered Hornby. Coaches: Bachmann Bulleids fitted with flush glazing and roof-mounted destination boards. It must be 1964 as both types of BR Standard 4s (4-6-0 and 2-6-4T) have been rostered for duties on the NCR, in the platform 80041 waiting for 75027 to draw in. Only the ex-GWR, 1366 Class, 0-6-0PTs on the Wenford Branch held out for steam until 1965 against the onslaught of dieselisation. Locos: both renumbered Bachmann. Bulleid Light Pacific 34075 ‘264 Squadron’ with the 8.30am departure from Padstow leaves the cutting and passes the tall LSWR co-acting, lattice post signal protecting the entry to Treneglos. Loco: renumbered Hornby with replaced ashpan and rear bogie. Coaches: Hornby Maunsells renumbered as 3-set M 329 (Brake third, composite, brake third). Easing down the 1in 73 bank, Bulleid Light Pacific 34075 ‘264 Squadron’ passes over the viaduct and prepares to stop at Treneglos. The train will be lengthened by the addition of coaches at both Halwill and Okehampton, all eventually bound for London’s Waterloo. 34075 ‘264 Squadron’ passes the watchful eye of signalman Fred Francis, who should really be collecting the single line tablet for the Otterham to Treneglos section off the driver. Trains on the Southern Region carried circular white route indicator discs. The two discs on the smokebox at 3 and 9 o’clock signified trains between Padstow/Bude and Exeter. Slowing to stop at Treneglos, 34075 ‘264 Squadron’ was one of only a handful of Bulleid Light Pacifics to end its days running with a tender that retained its original airsmoothed side-sheets, or ‘raves’, rather than being ‘cut-down’ to improve access to the water filler. Drummond T9 30709 glides gracefully over a culverted stream on its final approach to Treneglos. The T9 class dated from 1899 were known by crews as ‘Greyhounds’ due to their spritely performance. 51 were built with narrow cabs, as 30709, and 15 with wide cabs. They generally ran on the NCR with eight-wheel, 4,000 gallon ‘watercart’ tenders but a handful had the shorter 3,500 gallon variety. Hornby have produced all these variants. Loco: A Martin Finney brass kit built and finished by Geoff Cook – our first T9. Coaches: Hornby Maunsells renumbered as 2-set P 25 (Brake third, brake composite). Long van: Parkside kit. On the Up (London bound) platform, the porter is engrossed in his newspaper as Drummond T9 30709 arrives with the late morning service from Exeter Central to Padstow. Drummond T9 30709 with a late morning service from Exeter to Padstow. Coaches would have been detached at Halwill for their onward journey to Bude. The combination of a T9 and Maunsell 2-set P coaches will forever be associated with the North Cornwall line.
    39 points
  36. With the exception of a few locomotives all the motive power reflected steam that was seen in the Forest of Dean from the 1950's through to close of play.
    39 points
  37. Well now that I have managed to sort out the catering manager at this end (I gave a myself a good talking to) and breakfast has now finally appeared, I thought I would post about my other layout Fisherton Sartum with a couple of pictures (copyright and courtesy C Nevard) and a video. I've never not taken two layouts to the same virtual show before... Fisherton Sarum is A Southern Railway MPD layout, using Salisbury (as it has a family connection) as the inspiration, and the basis for the structures on the layout. Set in the period 1946 to 1949. It enables the exhibiting of a large and varied range of Southern locomotives and rolling stock from the period. The name comes from the fact I wanted to retain the link to Salisbury without actually calling it Salisbury. The current station at Salisbury, to differentiate it from Salisbury Milford (later closed to passengers and kept solely for goods traffic) was originally called Salisbury Fisherton as it is located on Fisherton Street, with the original pre 1901 shed called Fisherton shed. Old Sarum, of course, is the famous hill fort and Roman centre forming part of the origin of Salisbury. The key elements taken from Salisbury were as follows: Coal Stage and ramp, Turntable positioning relative to coal stage and water tower, Substantial water tower building with stores and engineman dormitories below, LSWR design style of shed albeit reduced from ten roads to four, Slightly elevated running lines and siding at the rear of the scene. The shed itself reduced in size has been transposed to the east and is accessed by a kick back arrangement rather than a fan of sidings to balance the space utilised and enables baseboards of 3ft depth to be utilised. The up and down running lines at the rear of the layout allow main line trains to pass the shed in the background. Locomotives arrive and depart the shed either from or to take over trains on the main line. Also coal, ash and other shed supply wagons are shunted within the shed too.
    39 points
  38. Many thanks to Andy and the team for the opportunity to (not) bring Abbotswood along. In true Abbotswood style we are good to go just as the doors open! Please note that these videos are not monetarised so no adverts to endure. If you enjoy them please consider contributing to todays good cause. Will be adding more to this as the morning goes on but heres some videos for starters... The back story Timetabled running - early morning trains And the next part of the timetable One for the hydraulic fans - we love them! And a couple that are a bit of fun If you enjoy those theres plenty more on the Youtube channel. If you would like to comment or engage further please post in the layout thread on here - link in signature below. Please also see our content in the catering and demonstration threads Thanks for dropping in Phil and James Bullock and all the Abbotswood crew
    39 points
  39. I know its a bit early to tlk about alcoholic refreshment, but in the absence of other supplies I though I'd bring along Wadley's Churminster Brewery: The present owner, Sir William Wadley (Willy to his friends), has kindly agreed to supply virtually unlimited free glasses of Wadley's Churminster Ale to all attendees, and so I hope that you will return from time to time to wet your virtual whistles! Wadleys Brewery is featured in the current (May '20) edition of BRM. Tony
    38 points
  40. Treneglos Photos Part 4 All by Yorkie Pops A casual trainspotter or a dodgy post-war spiv, stands next to a LSWR swan neck lamp with barley twist stem. The corrugated hut houses spare lamps and paraffin. Signalman Fred Francis spends a quiet moment between trains leaning on the bannister of his LSWR Type 3 signal cabin. The corrugated provender store (Troods) was a late addition to Treneglos, replacing a coal yard once we noted NCR stations generally didn’t have that feature. Terrance, the local tramp, sits in the afternoon sun oblivious to the SR concrete provender behind him. Perhaps he’s dreaming of owning a recently repainted Ford Popular 103E? Devoid of driver or passengers, the AEC Regal Half-cab Southern National bus must have broken down on the station bridge. The overbridges on the layout are based on real structures near Treneglos which John measured up on one of our early fieldtrips. A pair of workers cottages were thoughtfully provided by the LSWR for local railwaymen at stations along the North Cornwall Railway. There’s not a lot of industry in North Cornwall but here we see the farmer’s mill at Treneglos. Standing in the reeds is a heron on the lookout for his next meal. The culvert carries the slow moving steam under the railway. Locals also report seeing a mermaid in this location - generally in the dark, on the long walk back from the pub in Splatt. Porter George Cosway sitting outside a typical North Cornwall station building eagerly(?) waiting to load cases on the next Okehampton bound train. A local farmer fords the stream passing under the three-arch viaduct constructed from concrete blocks and completed in 1892 (insert). On the real NCR, the embankment at Treneglos was originally planned to be a viaduct but this was prevented by unstable ground conditions. The LSWR used pre-cast concrete blocks to build Derriton Viaduct on the Bude Branch and this was used as the basis for our model, which was hand scribed from plain plastic sheet. Platelayer Bill Fleet stands outside his concrete hut, fabricated at Exmouth Junction works and delivered pre-made to this spot by train. The hut is the only kit built building on the layout. All the rest are scratch-built generally from plastic – the exception being the LSWR workers cottages made by John from card. Outside holiday periods, the mainly agricultural North Cornwall generated little passenger traffic for the railway. The close up shot gives a better view of the backscene painted by John, with colours muting into the background. A railwayman’s son sits on the fence outside the LSWR cottages and waves at passengers who started their journey in smoke choked London. The North Cornwall Railway snaked its way through the countryside on back to back curves largely in cutting or on embankments. The rock face was produced by using scrunched-up kitchen foil as a mould for plaster. Standing in the dock that adjoins the LSWR No.1 goods shed, the cows await probably their last journey to the abattoir at Halwill Junction. The cows have been painted to represent the breeds typically found in Cornwall in the 50s/60s, rather than the black and white Friesian so beloved by modellers. Porter George Cosway sitting outside a typical North Cornwall station building eagerly(?) waiting to load cases on the next Okehampton bound train. Further research, after the model was completed, identified that the cream doors to the General Waiting Room weren’t hinged but slid sideways. That's all folks...
    37 points
  41. An interview with Accurascale for this weekend's event. This fundraiser couldn't have happened without the wide support of the hobby's manufacturers and trade for which we're very much indebted. I caught up with Fran Burke of Accurascale to talk about the current situation. AY: Firstly, I want to thank you guys at Accurascale for the incredible support you have given to the fundraiser; it’s very warmly appreciated. How are you and the team all doing? FB: We are delighted to be involved and help where we can. This is a tough time for frontline workers and the NHS staff who are doing an amazing job caring for people in this exceedingly difficult situation. Having been in the care of the NHS myself at one time it is plain to see what an amazing service it is, one to be truly treasured. It’s fantastic to see such a great reaction from modellers and manufacturers in the hobby to your initiative and it’s important we all pull together and help those who need it. We’re all doing pretty good here at Accurascale. We have been on lockdown here in Ireland for a number of weeks now, and took the precautionary step to close our offices ahead of the official lockdown instructions from the Irish Government about 6 weeks ago as we could see where the situation was heading. Luckily, we can do 95% of our jobs remotely, so we have been able to keep busy and keep the show on the road. We also have plenty of projects on the go to keep us occupied! AY: We tend to only hear domestic news and major international headlines on the news but what are the impacts for you all over the Irish Sea? FB: Well, the pubs were closed by the government a couple of days before St. Patrick’s Day, so we knew then that this was serious! We’ve all been quite thirsty since then as you can imagine. The lockdown restrictions are broadly the same as the UK, we are not allowed to make any unnecessary journeys, we can exercise only within 2km of our homes, large gatherings and events cancelled, and all shops apart from essential services such as supermarkets, chemists, greengrocers etc are closed. The government reacted very quickly here to look after workers and businesses financially, and the public have really taken heed of social distancing and restrictions for the most part. Unfortunately, we have tragically lost people too, but it seems to have been less than predicted so far (touch wood!) We just hope that the curve is indeed flattening, but the outlook there seems to be cautiously optimistic overall. One hard thing is not being able to attend funerals, with the attendance being restricted to a maximum of 10 people. We lost a friend of the company, Anthony McDonald, to a short illness last week. Anthony provided us with invaluable research material for Irish projects, our A Class locomotive in particular, and were unable to pay our respects at his service. That’s been tough on everyone who has lost loved ones during this time, but we understand the necessity of why it must be this way and we will celebrate their lives when this awful virus no longer dominates our lives. We also have Gareth Bayer in Canada and another staff member in Moldova who are also isolating, keeping well and working hard designing new models during this challenging time. AY: Having had to chew fingernails about Brexit and what that meant for you as a business you get thrown a bigger bone to chew on with first of all the Chinese aspects which extended the New Year factor shutdowns; how has that affected things? FB: Yes, it has been an interesting couple of years to say the least! With Brexit we had some time to adapt after things became clearer following negotiations late in 2019 and we had been putting measures in place before that to aid operation, such as moving distribution to the UK and registering Accurascale as a British business, so we are in a good position now. COVID19 was of course much more of a surprise and it was hard to gauge what impact it was going to have. We are in constant contact with China, so we could see that there would be a big issue coming our way when Chinese New Year had begun. The extended closedown following Chinese New Year was for a number of weeks, but our factories are pretty much back up to speed at this stage now. Tooling and production has been delayed but the impact has thankfully been minimal on most projects. We emailed out an update in our newsletter on timelines a couple of weeks ago to update customers to where we’re at with outstanding projects. We are also extremely lucky that our distribution centre has remained open and was able to take all the precautionary steps required to work in safety, so we can get orders out to customers in a timely fashion to help them stave off the boredom. Our detail packs and buffer stops have been hugely popular in recent weeks, so it seems many of you are at the workbench to keep busy or working on the layout. This is certainly a perfect hobby to keep busy during these tough times! Indeed, sales wise April has been extremely good, so it looks like hoarding wagons is the new hoarding toilet roll! AY: I’ve just seen your Guinness keg wagons for Irish Railway Models, which are superb; you’ve got quite a few products to come based on the 42’ bogie chassis haven’t you? FB: Thanks! The great thing about CIE was that they built a number of wagon designs using common chassis which is something we can really take advantage of. The keg wagons are the third of five initial releases of the 42’ chassis we have done so far, after container flats and the fertiliser wagons. The first two sold out so fast that we didn’t even have enough to send to magazine for review! We have rectified this demand by increasing the production run for the Guinness keg wagons, and it is likely we will do re-runs of the container liners and fertiliser wagons in the future. Next after the keg wagons will be the modern spoil container train, and finally the weedspray train, which is iconic over here and has recently been retired. The keg wagons are due to leave China in a few weeks and are 60% sold already. We’re not sure if that’s down to the niceness of the model, or that we’re missing a pint in these challenging times! AY: Whilst we’re talking about the IRM products when are we likely to see that wonderful little beast of an A Class coming? FB: The A is progressing well, with decorated samples due at the end of May. We have the sound chip for the GM variant almost completed too. The Crossley has proven to be a challenge with the only surviving running locos with the Crossley engines based in Australia, and with lockdown and wildfires it has been a real tough time to get near it to record, but we will sort it at some stage! Once the decorated samples are to our liking, we can begin production and delivery is on course for September. AY: And what are we likely to see coming through for the UK market next? FB: In the next 4 weeks or so modellers will see decorated samples of the PTA and JSA wagons (we have seen photos, and they look very yummy indeed!) the KUA nuclear flask is now tooled and a sample is on its way to us for assessment, and the 92 is nearly there too tooling wise, which we are really excited about. The PTAs and JSAs are next on the shelves, and have sold strongly through pre-orders, so we expect them to be like the PFAs with some selling out very quickly indeed. The finished wagons will be with us in September, with both PTA and JSA arriving together. Then it will be the KUA, which is due in October once the sample is signed off. These have been massively popular, so much so that we have decided to increase the production run! AY: How’s the Deltic and 37 development coming along? FB: Both are making good progress now, which is great! We decided to make a number of changes to the Deltic. We were happy with the shape, but felt the cosmetic details needed a lot of work. When we went through it all and conveyed it back to the factory, they were a bit surprised as they are used to companies making minimal changes and signing off! These changes take time, as its redesign in CAD, tool and test, and expensive too. But we want to get it as good as we can, so we felt it was worth it, and that modellers would rather a great Deltic, though delayed, rather than an okay one earlier. It is also important to make sure it is robust with good QC built into the model from the outset. It has been a huge learning curve for us. We have taken on board a lot of learning that we will build into future projects, and the Deltic itself is real technical challenge for a first loco. ESU has really come through with the sound too and we hope to demonstrate it in a couple of weeks when lockdown is over! We are very excited about it! Decorated samples will be with us in the summer and delivery is November. The 37 has been another big test, but we have now entered tooling which is fantastic! We are looking at early 2021 delivery. They have been a massive success for us sales wise (as has the Deltic!) so the brave decision to take on English Electric’s finest seems to have been repaid by the faith of modellers, which we are eternally grateful for! AY: Any more surprises in store coming up for us (being nosey as usual)? FB: Oh yes indeed! As you may have noticed, we have been a bit more reserved when it comes to new announcements in the last few months, as we want to work away on new projects and announce them much later in development to diminish waiting times. It also gives us a chance to clear the decks with existing projects first. Again, a learning curve for a young company like us. We have some excellent projects under way in OO that will see announcement later this year, some of which will be a new departure for us and cause quite a stir in some cases! We are also back looking at O gauge and want to hear from O gauge modellers what they would like to see done by us in O, loco, wagon and coach wise. They can send their suggestions to ideas@accurascale.co.uk On top of that we are working on several commission projects with 3rd parties which will be announced in due course, so keep an eye out for those too! In these times of lockdown it pays to keep busy, and we have been doing just that, so exciting, brighter days for modellers and collectors are ahead!
    36 points
  42. I'll dip my layout in this thread with an exclusive video shot on mine for this event. Very apt as Kernow normally have their trade stand there.
    36 points
  43. Fear not. This train is rumoured to be carrying masks - so you’ll all be ok...
    35 points
  44. It was all going so well! A wiring fault in the fiddle yard???? Which idiot wired that up???? Oh it was me!!! No problem -at first glance it all looks on good order to me!!!
    35 points
  45. Off to the station to catch the train, large rucksack check, camera with tripod check, b.o. check should be a good day out. All the best Adrian.
    35 points
  46. Manifold Valley Minerals My new layout is (not) making its exhibition debut at this years members' day. The project represents some exchange sidings serving a quarry somewhere around the Staffordshire/Derbyshire border. It’s here as a work in progress rather than as a completed layout. In its current form, the layout is approximately 1.8m long and is (not) standing on some mini trestles on top of one of those folding leg exhibition tables. When operational, there will be a fiddle yard at the right hand end of the layout, this will be on two levels, the higher level for the mainline and the lower for the quarry branch. The mainline fiddle yard also serves as the other end of the run round loop for the sidings. It will pivot to provide access to hidden kickback sidings hidden along the rear of the layout (hence the large access holes in the back scene). The slides below give an overview of the story so far. I’ll be around throughout the day, drinking tea and possibly even doing a bit of work on the layout so feel free to ask any questions. Thanks for stopping by to have a look at Manifold Valley Minerals, I hope that you enjoy the rest of the member’s day exhibits; I’m off to have a wander around the rest of the show before the crowds arrive and to see if I can get a refill of my tea mug.
    35 points
  47. Well after having a look round the show, some great layouts on show and before we close and pack up. I thought I would post up a couple more photos that Mr York took but didn't use in the article in BRM. May 2019 issue if you want to have a read and watch some bumbling idiot being interviewed if you get a copy of the DVD And the final photo is one we have taken of the Southern portal of Catesby tunnel
    34 points
  48. Turns out there’s something for the “CHILDREN”...
    34 points
  49. Sorry I am late. It was getting a parking space for the 'orses.
    34 points
  50. T-CATS was inspired by the ECC Heavy Machinery stores at Drinnick, Nanpean, Cornwall. The layout depicts a fictitious small stores complex where items of plant are brought for refurbishment or disposal. New items are brought in by train and stored, before being moved out on site by road. The Stores are in the middle of a small village, so there is a library, a small but overelaborate hall and a few cottages and a shop. Just below the village is one of the clay-country feeder lines, running to either St Dennis Junction or Burngullow Junction - no one really knows where it goes to. The Layout I wanted a loop to run an endless circle of clay-hoods, but without needing to build a complete 4ft square baseboard. Having seen discussions elsewhere on the forum about building lifting flaps for use across doorways, it occurred to me I could use the same principle for a folding section of track. Initial use of gate hinges proved unreliable, so I replaced these with fire-door hinges which are much tighter and don't have any wobble-factor. The Circle can also be used for running in locos, or just for the occasional train. The Stores track plan is simple inglenook, with a slightly extended longer siding to allow a loco to lead in with some wagons, uncouple and then be isolated whilst the local shunter shuffles things about. The coupling method is my usual single Brian Kirby hooks, with Dingham electromagnet uncouplers.
    34 points
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