The Great Bear

I'm not sure about that. New bridges are designed to 5.3m min headroom to allow for future resurfacing. The minimum maintained headroom is 5.03m, which matches what below has to be signed as a height restriction. Because of past resurfacing many trunk road bridges will be somewhere between these two values. Some but not all new bridges are designed like sign gantries to 5.7m headroom so as to avoid having to design for collision loads on the superstructure. Only on designated high load routes is more provided, I think 6.5m and far from all trunk roads fall into that category. The A14 for instance I don't think is a high load route or not throughout.

That's worked a treat - runs so much better, thank you, John Jon

So, after several abortive attempts I got this running. I ended up making a new chassis, 3d printed as I can't drill holes accurately, new motor from High Level, RoadRunner gearbox, Scalelink wheels and Markits axles and cranks. Zimo decoder in the tender with a supercap stay alive to compensate for my dodgy pickup fitting. It isn't a silky smooth runner by any means, but it runs so after several false starts I'll settle for this. The body has taken a few knocks over the years, so the model isn't as good as the one i bought. The tender I got with a Bachmann Collett Goods. So close to this project finally being finished, but there's one (hopefully final) hiccup: the pony truck derails on a couple of points. My track laying is by no means perfect but other locos go through ok. I've checked the back to backs of the wheels (Gibson). Perhaps adding some lead might help?

That's interesting to hear. My Hornby Prairie's never run well, poor pick up and jerky running if track not spotless. I've just fitted Zimo tanatlum stay alive (1400uF) onto the MX600R decoder and I can't say it's made any improvement so I'm rather disappointed. (Compounded by knocking off and losing one of the sandboxes in taking it apart) If I regain my composure I may try another decoder and stay alive just in case I've messed up with the Zimo one. But the Dapol loco is looking tempting... Wishing you all the best for the new year Jon

Well done: you've had a very productive year, Rich.

Not particularly well done, the first bit of modelling I did I think. I'm sure you could do much better. And on layout here... Never got around to sorting the chimneys out!

I covered my 70s vintage one with Scalesenes brick paper and roof tiles. Not a great improvement, but it then matched other buildings I made using their kits.

Hello I have a WD Austerity 2-8-0 that I want to model running in 1947 on GWR metals. I have seen photo of one, shedded at Banbury, that suits my layout. The particular loco looks like it has the westinghouse pump removed but the mounting frame for it still in place. I have found better online photo of loco with the same mount here What I haven't found yet is photo of a similar mount from another angle, to see the sides of the mount - are there supports/stays at the bottom of the mount back to the boiler, do the sides of the mount curve to match boiler or does the mount just hang there? If anyone can point me in the direction of a such a photo or drawing then I can see if I can knock up something close enough for my model. Thanks in advance for any information Jon

3 (A7) or 5 (A26) for me please.

1,3,9,10 & 11 for me

dBPowerAmp has options for dealing with damaged CDs, checking if it has been ripped correctly eg checking against online database or ripping it several time and options for getting the metadata and artwork if I remember correctly

Does this help, Rich? Does this help, Rich? https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/147726-bodging-a-bulldog/&do=findComment&comment=3684531

I wonder, will they remember to fit outside steam pipes (as advertised for some models) this time ?

A brilliant string of photos, great modelling well captured.

Thanks, both. Yes, from what is described yes BOCARS. Photo of one at Leamington on right of this picture. Now, will have to give thought as to how I could model these... 3d printer may be resurrected.

Thank you. In the time period I'm modelling, the road bridge should be the more modern single span concrete one as I think is still there, but I found the original one more interesting to model. Plus, one day I might run trains in an earlier period too.

Another train before attending to the pway works mentioned above...

Thanks, that's interesting. That the Gosford Green train would have been normal wagons and vans reduces the amount of scratchbuilding required for the more specialised stock; I have got some ideas for that from other topics on here, adaption of kits for Pythons for instance.

Reviving an old topic... My layout is set at Kidlington, north of Oxford in the late 1940s. The 1948 service timetable shows two class E freights in the morning from Bordesley and Gosford Green to Morris Cowley and return workings to the same in the evening. Would these be associated with the Morris works or general freight? If car traffic, what would be used in this period, MOGO vans? Thanks in advance for any information Jon

Some photos of a down goods hauled by a 63xx... Yes, some editing of photo to remove the shelves and put sky behind the factory. I like the mogul, it runs ok albeit the tender not completely freely. When I pre-ordered it, I was expecting one with outside steam pipes. One of the other little jobs done in recent weeks was the platelayers hut and loading gauge. Running this train has shown some running problems, derailments coming out of the staging tracks and onto the lifting flap. Partially that I think is down to the gap between rails being bigger due to temperature? Also the entry/exit from the staging tracks have crossovers which I don't think I need (especially at my rate of one train every 6 months - hopefully that will improve mind you). So I think I'm going to remove those points and replace with plain track. Bit of a logistical problem in doing that, it's behind the loudspeaker which is holding up the shelves with all my stock on.

Thank you. As the factory, when opened, was owned by a co-operative of Oxfordshire Farmers (later it was taken over by Harris), the animal carcusses I suspect came from mainly the local area so whether this would still be rail or a mix with road? So perhaps more rail outgoing traffic than incoming?

Hello, it's been a while. The last big outstanding item for Langford Lane was finishing the goods yard and adding the Bacon factory that was present next to my prototype inspiration station, Kidlington. For years I couldn't find a decent picture of this building, it being seen in the distance of a few photos, a photo of part of it during its demolition and the overall shape from OS maps. In later summer last year I managed to find a 1960s vintage aerial photo of decent resolution on the Oxfordshire County Council picture library. This allowed me to more or less piece the jigsaw together and work out what the building looked like, a rather distinctive building. Also it was very large, too large. So I scaled it down by about 30% to get something that would fit on the layout. The bacon factory sits beyond the goods yard, served by a private siding that ran across the station approach. To get it to fit, the distance to the factory I reduced and omitting a gaggle of outbuildings (many added during World War 2 I think). The buidling was made in card, like the other ones on the layout, having drawn it up in CAD. The cylindrical and louvred foor vents I 3d printed. Finishing the goods yard in the autum was frustrating, it taking absolute ages for the DAS clay I was using for the ground surface to dry. Finally, here it is: The factory sits on the lifting flap for access into my railway kingdom. As best I can guess from the limited photos the building didn't have many windows. I have no idea about the traffic to/from the factory. Kidlington was only served by one down Oxford-Banbury goods a day mid morning, plus possibly with also by an up Banbury-Oxford goods mid afternoon. (I I remember correctly, the first one the service timetable indicates the yard is worked, the second one it doesn't but the train waits at Kidlington for a good while.) I don't know what type of wagons would be used in association with factory, I think I read that animals weren't slaughtered here, but can't recall where. As may be seen in the first photo, I did manage to run a train (a very rare event) a few more photos to follow later. All the best Jon

I prefer the original, each to their own! The loco, the subject, is at the intersection of thirds so where your eye is naturally drawn to. The area in bottom right is quite dark and no distracting mess. (Cropping out so the fascia lights aren't in would improve it a tad.)

I've said it before I'm sure, but nothing looks "bodged" about them. Fantastic. I wish I could finish the coaches I dabbled with half as well (or indeed a quarter) as you manage.

The design is a copy of the Scalescenes good shed design, which has been around for 10 years or so. I was advised by John from Scalescenes that that is not based on a partiuclar single prototype, it takes elements from a variety of sources.