SebBarrow

Apologies if this has been answered elsewhere already. In the late 50s / early 60s the Waverley had a summer-Saturday relief working between Edinburgh and Leeds or Sheffield (depending on the year), departing Edinburgh about 15 minutes ahead of the main train. It was important enough to advertise in the public timetable. In the various years I have checked (1955, 1961, 1962, 1963) there does not appear to be a corresponding northbound relief train. Is it known if this was in fact the case (i.e. an unbalanced working) or was the northbound train simply unadvertised, or something else that I’ve missed? It seems a bit odd that the Waverley would require relief in one direction only. (I do notice in 1962 the northbound sleeper has a booked relief train, was this perhaps it?)

Ray Lovely to chat with you at Ilfracombe today (Easter 2024), your memories of BR(S) steam operations are fascinating - need to write a memoir! ‘Hounslow Sidings’ the standout model / piece of artwork at the show imo. Hopefully run into you again some time. All the best from the Western side Seb

Presumably six wheeled vehicles were easier to certify for express passenger speeds.

Thanks folks, I will look at the Chivers product. I assumed all fish fans were insulated! The overnight Edinburgh-St Pancras sleeper conveyed a 6-wheeled van of fish as far as Nottingham, having originated at Aberdeen. Is this likely to have been a different vehicle?

4mm modelling isn’t my regular scale, so apologies if this is a silly question. Can anyone advise me whether there is a kit available in 4mm scale for the LMS 6-wheel insulated ‘XFISH’ Van? Etched brass would be preferred but plastic or even RTR would be okay. Alternatively if anyone can direct me to a straightforward conversion kit of something similar... Many thanks, asking for a friend. Best regards

Thanks David, I will post any progress as/when(/if!) it occurs. Appreciate the advice, I’ll look see what’s available on eBay. I saw the Swift Sixteen product but it’s too pricey for my budget.

Hello I'm quite new to the scratch building scene which has so far consisted of a handful of wood and plasticard wagons and a WIP shunter body on a proprietary chassis kit. However I've got a strong desire to scratchbuild a railbus of some kind, initial sketch idea consisting of a cross between a GWR railcar / Parry people mover. I'm thinking of a modellers plywood floor for rigidity with a plasticard body built up on top. Would anyone be able to recommend a good motor bogie for such a project? It will be battery powered with switches. If I can find something durable for around £50 that would be ideal. Edit - forgot to say, my scale is 16mm on 32mm gauge track. Thanks in advance

Temporarily secured in place. The evening mixed train for Newtown prepares to depart as a company diesel loco rests on the adjacent platform.

Meanwhile the NBLR Signalling Dept has just informed HQ of an interesting development.

After an exceptionally long break since posting, the current ‘predicament’ has encouraged me to resume railway construction on an almost daily basis. On this table, the main station on the railway is finally starting to emerge. I’m laying (homemade) track into a bed of 5mm limestone ballast. The points are courtesy of ‘Coronach’. The line beside the fence falls at a 1:60 gradient and will curve around behind the camera onto the second table where a harbour terminus station will be constructed. Meanwhile in the distance, the railway disappears off down the garden...

An east-facing model would have quite the backscene!

That's a fascinating find - clearly illustrates the second (now removed) railway bridge at Blackfriars. Good to see I'm not the only one to find this area interesting. If someone was to approach this from the perspective of building an exhibition layout of manageable size, how could it potentially be done? And what would be the limits of such a model. Personally I'd be inclined to recreate the section between Holborn Viaduct (road) and the bridge adjacent to Ludgate Circus, perhaps reducing the number of terminal platforms at Viaduct terminus to 4 to limit the depth of the scene.

This is an idea I had, about a station that has been closed for more than 25 years on a section of railway in Central London that no longer exists. In the same way that railway modellers seem to have been long fascinated by the 'London Minories' concept of an extension of the Widened Lines from Moorgate to a fictional city terminus between Liverpool Street and Tower Hill, Holborn Viaduct was a very similar station that existed in the real world. I am not in the position to be able to realise this concept, and neither do I have the (extensive) modelling skills that would be required. However if this inspires someone, then my work here is done! Holborn Viaduct was opened in 1874, nominally by the Holborn Viaduct Railway Company but financed by a very varied consortium of railway companies who wanted to profit from a new London terminus with links to the Channel ports, the West London Line (via Wandsworth) and the northern main lines (via Farringdon). It was located on a 292yd spur off the Snow Hill Lines, a tightly curved and steeply graded incline link from the LC&DR station at Ludgate Hill (barely a train length north of Blackfriars) to the Metropolitan Line at Farringdon. There was also a curve avoiding Farringdon that went to Aldersgate (Barbican) and thence to Moorgate. A multitude of companies ran freight and passenger trains through Snow Hill Tunnel (and Snow Hill station - effectively Holborn Viaduct Low Level) but the development of the Tube killed the market and Snow Hill became a freight only line from 1916. Holborn Viaduct terminus itself was a different matter. Whilst Ludgate Hill saw regular and fast trains across south London, the terminus saw heavy Continental traffic, boat trains, parcels and luggage trains, as well as commuter flows. The station had a large hotel above it and fronted onto Holborn Viaduct thoroughfare, a major new road through the capital linking the City with the West End. In the early days trains from Dover to Victoria would convey a 'city' portion that was detached at Herne Hill and worked via Elephant & Castle to terminate at Holborn Viaduct. After WW1 the terminus became more commuter and parcels oriented, and Ludgate Hill closed, being a stone's throw from both Blackfriars and Holborn Viaduct. However transfer freights through the Snow Hill tunnel were very heavy and the link did not close until 1971. Holborn Viaduct itself lasted as a peak hour terminus until January 1990, over a year AFTER the Thameslink line reopened Snow Hill tunnel but before the line was rerouted through the new City Thameslink complex, which lies beneath the site of Viaduct terminus. I attach three photos of this location, all taken from the Disused Stations website, which is worth a look. The reason for posting this? I think Holborn Viaduct, with its few, canopied platforms and the Snow Hill lines would be a fascinating modelling study in a cramped, busy city terminal station, and would combine traditional arrival / departure / shunting operations on the higher level with continual passing goods trains on the lower freight lines in the foreground, using a wide variety of locos of different companies and rolling stock. Smithfield Market goods station was also located on the Snow Hill line and was a major terminal for produce and livestock for the London markets, with inbound traffic coming from all directions. There was no shed at Viaduct so all coaches and parcels vans had to be worked in/out empty in addition to the timetabled service. Train engines would work in and out from servicing locations some miles away. To me, there is no more interesting location. I would choose to set a model in the 1950s period, when some commuter trains were electric but most traffic remained steam hauled. Of great interest would be the wide variety of parcels trains serving Viaduct as this station was a key node in the small consignments network, particularly between the commuter peaks when the traffic flows changed greatly. The wide variety of locos would embrace all of the big four companies, with Southern (all domestic traffic), LNER (from Kings Cross), LMS (from Kentish Town) and GWR (from Paddington Bishops Road) locos appearing, particularly tank engines. The scenery would be a challenge suited to those who build grimy, atmospheric urban environments. It's worth noting that the area around Holborn Viaduct was one of the last WW2 bomb sites to be redeveloped (in the 80s-90s leading to the closure of Viaduct terminus.) Let me know what you think. If I had infinite money, space and skills, this would be high up my to-do list.

I haven't posted for a while but progress on rolling stock and outdoors gradually continues. Today's effort; the beginnings of a well-wagon for the N&BLR fleet. Every railway should have at least one, ready for that day someone turns up with a power station generator or small lighthouse that requires moving by rail.

Thanks for the advice!

Dear RMWebbers, hope you're all having a very merry Christmas and a good 2016 to come. The NB&LR directors are considering ordering a diesel railcar from Swift Sixteen and they are wondering if any other railways have experience with this class of traction? Looking at the website, it appears the kit is highly rated and is available for £395 (£405 if the 25:1 gear ratio is selected.). Another £53 acquires the specialised battery set to go under the floor. http://www.swiftsixteen.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=274 I think I'm correct that the model is designed to be radio controlled. I wonder if anyone has done a manual-conversion? Would it be as simple as wiring in on/off and directional switches and mounting them somewhere on the model? I haven't done any loco-conversion work yet, although I've got a plastic track-powered diesel loco to convert to manual operation as a first attempt at some point. Any assistance much appreciated :-)

I've not posted anything for a while; life has been busy with non-railway commitments recently and bad weather has hampered any outdoor progress. However I've continued learning the art of scratch building. The open wagon I'd previously posted now has rivet-head detail (using cut-down lacing pins) and buffer couplings and is now ready for painting. The box wagon is a work in progress.

Yesterday's effort, which is 80% complete. Rail is brass, Code 200 bullhead, seated in white metal chairs sourced from Cliff Barker. Sleepers are cut from lengths of B&Q stripwood, which have been pickled in a jar of Creocote. To avoid drilling large holes through the sleepers, my preference is to cut the securing casting off the underside of each chair and file the bases flush, drill them out using a very small finger drill then secure in place on the sleepers using brass track pins. This has the added benefit of allowing minor adjustment to the position of the chairs in order to establish the profile of the rails, without wasting sleepers.

My latest scratch building effort is this open wagon which I have constructed in about 4hrs, minus buffer couplings which are yet to be attached. It might seem a simple model to most people on here, but I'm very pleased with this latest vehicle, given I'm still very new to the scratch building game. Various modellers ply and dowel grades are from the Swindon Model Centre whose prices are more than reasonable, approximately half that offered elsewhere. This will be the first in the 'common user' fleet for the N&BLR, construction of which continues outside between rain showers (although still no track laid!)

A couple of photos showing (very gradual) progress to-date on N&BLR no.101, under construction in Fort Andrew works. I am mid-way through painting the interiors and the compartment side-panels have just been fixed in place. Tonight I've spent an hour constructing the first First Class seat sub-assembly and painted crimson, before fixing in place. (The second class benches will be dark green.) I'm rather pleased with the look, goes nicely with the white interior panelling and wooden door/window frames. Edit: Just to add, it's a great shame that Brandbright have closed down and are not selling the patterns for these kits on to another company. This coach has been a joy to construct and looks fantastic IMO, despite only being half-finished!

That's a quirky model! I must say I like the look of the Swift Sixteen railcar, if money was no object the N&BLR would be building one already. Unfortunately the shareholders would never approve such an idea lol

Something approaching an actual train. One of the N&BLR Ruston shunters poses with two recently built open wagons on the works 'demonstration line'. The left hand vehicle is in works primer, whereas the right hand wagon is in a temporary advertising livery! One vehicle can be comfortably completed in a day, and the intention is to have a couple of rakes of 4-5 wagons each, which will form the mainstay of the initial fleet of aggregate movers. Incidentally, N&BLR goods vehicles are numbered from 1 onwards, based on the order of construction. Passenger and parcels vehicles will begin at 101 and work upwards. Locomotives will be named only.

An early pic of the Brandbright coach I'm in the middle of building. This will become N&BLR no. 101.

Just thought I'd share a tip for anyone having trouble with cats digging up earthworks or newly planted flower beds. Packets of disposable plastic forks are approximately 50p for two dozen forks, stick enough in the ground and hey presto, the offending cat will only return once (and go away feeling tender!) For those concerned about the appearance, see-through forks are also available. Incidentally the photo shows one of raised flower beds I'm building, just after planting. The trough for the railway is clearly visible, with the end-on connection to the table (at Fort Andrew) beyond.

Thanks, I'm going to check out my options this week / weekend. Another package from Cliff Barker has arrived today with various components for points, chairs, pins etc, so hopefully the first sets of points for Fort Andrew can be constructed in the next few weeks. For anyone interested, construction has been mainly limited to civil engineering projects such as building raised rockery walls and planting, although I'm nearly at the exciting stage of cutting a hole in the front of my 'railway' shed, which will initially contain Fort Andrew motive power shed and associated sidings, connected by a removable curve to the main 'table' section which stands completed outside, via the aforementioned hole. The hole will be secured I think by a guillotine arrangement via the inside of the shed roof, with a wooden sheet descending to cover it on the inside.