Tony Teague

Whilst Steve has been grassing away to his heart's content, there has also been progress elsewhere. Sinkholes seem to be a current fad and as my layout is supposed to mimic reality, it came as no surprise that one had appeared under Stow Magna goods yard - well it could just be subsidence; you can see the result here: It is actually the result of a baseboard construction fault, in that the left hand board has a leg under it, whilst the right hand one was simply screwed to the left one and whatever was used has slipped over the 15+ years since they were made (not by me I hasten to add!). With Giles' help we put in an extra support, and with the careful use of an Irish screwdriver (hammer) we persuaded the right hand board upwards: Sadly, the cork underlay, ballast and the track itself did not appreciate this degree of adjustment and so I have since had to take more radical action, this time involving the use of a Dremel & cutting disc: On a brighter note, it appeared that only the front reception siding was seriously affected & requiring replacement: (Now looks bowed upwards but it isn't); fishplates soldered in place & electrical continuity tested Ballasted, only some serious weathering now needed before traffic can resume! Meanwhile, on the recent arrival of the excellent Accurascle banana vans I may have mentioned that in my drawer-full of unmade kits there were two Parkside GWR banans vans & so I prioritsed their building so as to give the train a bit more length: They will get some weathering with the rest of the train, which now at 16 vans has reached a reasonably acceptable length; I'll post another pic when these are back in the consist. Tony

Yes, in this case it crosses over two narrow gauge and the twin standard gauge tracks and would have been easier to construct as a fixed installation, however, the decider was that there is wiring underneath it that just might need to be accessed - so that determined that it must be removable.

A short update today to cover further scenic progress on the Churminster cutting. When last shown in early March it was simply looking a dirty brown colour, but since then it has had a couple of visits from my friend Steve Povey, the 'grassmeister'; after several layers involving many different lengths & shades of grass, this is where it has got to - looking south: At the far end / bottom of the incline, I am now committed to a re-build of the 'chalk' cutting face which I think will improve things and so this area has not been touched. There are some bigger, shrubby things still to be added but there is already a massive improvement; looking north: The bridge at the top of the incline did cause a couple of problems - in that, although it is removable, Steve managed to glue it in place................. After much cursing I managed to extract it unscathed 🤬 Meanwhile there has also been more progress on the semaphore signals..................... Tony

i suppose. I'm just not a fan of anything GWR!

If that is right it would be very odd, with Sir Archie out, the Atlantic expected and the Q on fast overhaul. I hope you are wrong! Tony

After a short pause, let's get another coaching stock set out of the way; this is anotherof the slightly longer sets, No.329, a Maunsell / SR High window set which is all Hornby RTR: (apologies for the blurred rear-end!). In it's basic form this is a 6 coach set but it runs with the addition of a Restaurant Car, whilst a Van C is attached to the rear The set is hauled here by Hornby Arthur No.736 'Excalibur', and led by brake 3rd no.3793: Corridor 3rd no.1227 follows: and then the additional Kitchen / Dining 1st - Restaurant Car, no.7869, serving full English breakfasts! Corridor 1st No.7230: Then two further corridor 3rds, Nos. 1225 and 1226: Before brake 3rd No.3792 brings up the rear: Finally, Van C No.721 tails along for the ride: Yes, they are all RTR but this set has to be an illustration of just how good this can now look! - depite the lack of weathering.......... Tony

Those trains look like they bought them from NSE ! I hope they have retention toilets..................😝 Tony

Having visited the layout in the past, I have to say that this is absoultely the best way to see it - without crowds and with the opportunity to talk with the modellers and operators. Whilst it moves most of the cost of a visit to the visitor, John and his team still have to put themselves out to host each visit and deal withour inane questions - for which we must all be hugely grateful. I for one will want to make a re-visit just as soon as the gates re-open! Tony

A former boss of mine, who had a sense of humour, had a timer that resembled a small model of a friesian cow; he would set it at say, 10 minutes, at which point it would "moo" so loudly that everyone forgot what they were saying or thinking, and meetings ended or were moved on as he determinded. Thoroughly recommended! Tony

Superb work Iain!

Dave I am of course delighted that construction of the C3 is underway - and I'd be equally happy if my thread were 'cluttered' with the sort of discussion you have requested; I'm unfortunately not able to answer your questions myself and so I am hopeful that others more knowledgaeble than I will have something to say! Thanks for what you are undertaking. Tony

I'm trying to maintain the pace so that I can finish off running through the coaching stock sets before we get to Xmas! This set is in plain, unlined olive livery and is a further Adrian Rowlands / Northstar production, Set No.410 It is hauled here by Bachmann ex-LBSCR E4 no.2497 The set is led by ex-LSWR left-handed 4 compartment brake 3rd no.3147 which is closely followed by 54' tri-composite no.5086 with right-handed 4-compartment brake no.3104 completing the set; I believe that Adrian Rowlands only made two rakes of this particular set (& I know who has the other!). Completing the train, and in matching livery is ex-LSWR 44' full brake no.227 - a Roxey kit constructed by Ian Willets and painted by Larry Goddard. One of my favourite looking trains, although it might be better complemented by an ex-LSWR loco! Tony

#Me too#

https://www.sankeyscenics.co.uk/o-7mm-modern

Andy Just worked through your thread and was especially impressed with the results of your "weedifying" of certain baseboards - they look most impressive. This is a major project which I shall follow with great interest. Tony

Yes, and always whilst a visitor is watching!

Andy Thanks A great pleasure to have you here and I'm only sorry that the train set did not behave at all times! - Sod's Law. The good thing is that as the more major works get ticked off, it will allow time for snagging faults and issues that have accumulated over the many years that the layout has been in build. Tony

Returning to the coaches...........Sets 965 & 973: An all Bulleid 59' stock (& all Hornby) train, hauled by No.21C158 'Sir Frederick Pile' - who, like Lord Dowding above, has suffered premature naming: Set 973 comprises corridor brake 3rd No.2862: corridor composite No. 5719: and matching brake 3rd No.2861: Whilst identical Setno.965, comprises brake 3rd No.2845: composite No.5711: with brake 3rd no.2846 bringing up the rear: These two sets make an interesting contrast with what should be an "identical" set 980 - made from Kirk kits - back towards the bottom of p.60! Tony

Before I feature the next train formation to be illustrated, I just want to mention that this week I collected a reasonably significant collection of O gauge BR(S) locomotives, carriages and EMU's from the home of a recently deceased modeller, which I will be helping to dispose of on behalf of his widow. I am currently cataloguing what is available - which is all in great condition - and so if anyone who follows this thread happens to be a post-nationalisation Southern O gauge modeller, or knows of others who might potentially be interested, then please send me a direct mail and I will provide a list of what is available - probably within the next week. Returning to my own train set, here as a slight change from carriages, is one of the two milk trains that run on Churminster & Stowe Magna - the other one being a very short, local milk pick-up - but this is the down milk emties train: Now, before anyone tells me that these are models of GWR milk tanks, let me say that I really liked this quite ancient Lima model and accumulated 'several' some time back, so I don't feel inclined to trade them in for something more Southern! Let's just assume that this down train of milk empties has been divertedfor today....... It is hauled by SR Bulleid light pacific no.21C152 'Lord Dowding' whose nameplate has been added a little prematurely, but looks right on the rake of 19 tanks + brake: What I really like about this train is the sound of just over 60 axles clattering along the line at speed! Whilst the majority of these are unweathered Lima models, the rake includes three Dapol tanks: Two of these are very badly factory weathered and when I finally get around to weathering the whole rake I shall have to start by removing this quite dreadful coating! Tony

Something slightly more exotic than a Hornby Maunsell set today, ex-LSWR 3-LAV Set No.158 is back to the Adrian Rowlands / Northstar stock: Although the coaching stock is unweathered, the loco hauling it, Schools No.906 'Sherborne' was weathered by me: Leading the set is 56' brake third No.3077: This is closely followed by 58' composite No.4696: Whilst matching 56' brake third No.3078 book-ends the set: Tacked on the back is Hornby Van C, No. 739: Tony

Graham Was much involved in modifying the vehicles running on your Faller Road system? I have installed the system on my train set but have only been able to source HO modern image vehicles, whilst the layout is UK (SR) 1938 - 48, and as a result the roads don't get run very often. My intention is to convert some vehicles of the correct era and outline but with plenty else to do, this is some way down my list of priorities, so any advice would be most welcome. Tony

Recent operating & sorting out sessions have enabled me to photograph a number of coaching stock sets that have not previously been illustrated here, and the next one is one of the longer ones on the layout at 10 carriages - in fact you can't see the loco on the front from here! This is Set No.469, which runs as the down Victoria - Worthing 'City Limited'; it is headed here by Hornby Schools class No.917 'Ardingly' : The whole train is made up of Hornby RTR, Maunsell low-window stock, excepting the 56' ex-LSWR passenger van / full brake which leads the formation and is another of those Adrian Rowlands (Northstar) creations: Following this is 6 compartment brake 3rd no.4049: Then comes 8 compartment corridor 3rd no.2349: ....and then two 7-compartment corridor 1sts, Nos. 7667 and 7665: The set is then augmented for this service with Pullman kitchen 1st "Medusa": ......and then yet another 7 compartment corridor 1st, No.7666: ......two further 8 compartment corridor 3rds, Nos.2350 & 2351: Finally bringing up the rear is 6 compartment brake 3rd no.4048 I really like the fully lined Maunsell dark olive livery of this set which was beautifully weathered for me by the late Mick Bonwick. Tony

During yesterday's runing session I also manage to extract a previously un-photographed coaching set from its hiding place: Set No.210 is made up of ex-LSWR 56' corridor stock; it should be a 5 coach set but it seems that one brake end has gone missing! The set is hauled here by bog-standard Hornby WC No.21C123 'Blackmore Vale' (excepting that like all of my RTR WC/BB locos it is stuffed full of lead!) The leading coach should be brake composite No.6537, but as this has gone AWOL, corridor 3rd to d.21 has moved up; what is odd is that I have an older picture of this set and even then it only has 4 cars despite the missing coach having been recorded by me as arriving here in 2013 and allocated to this set - perhaps it will show up one day! Another 3rd, No.680 follows Then comes panelled 1st No,7163 to d.475 Finally brake comp no.6525 brings up the rear. The whole set is from Adrian Rowlands (Northstar) and was painted by Larry Goddard. Tony

Almost two weeks back I said that I must run some trains, and so that is what I finally got around to today - and most enjoyable it was! I will admit that there was a further incentive in that I had always wanted to have a banana train, and yesterday the postie brought me some of the excellent new Accurascale banana vans.......... When these were announced a few months back I confess that I must have gone bananas, because I bought a whole bunch of them! They are hauled here by Bachmann N class no.1860 whilst the leading van is ABS kit-built van No.50641 - the only van in the train (aside from the brake) that has been weathered so far: Although I had managed to buy a second, already built, one of these on E-bay (which needs a complete re-paint & is not shown), it was the realisation that should these kits ever appear again it would not be soon, which persuaded me that buying the new RTR models was going to be the only way to achieve what I wanted. The vans come in packs of three, and I'm sure they will be reviewed elsewhere, but aside from having the best packaging that I have ever seen on a trio of vans, the models are very finely detailed and finished, whilst each one has some minor difference from the others. Two different diagrams are catered for, that on the right being d.1478 (as is the ABS van), whilst that on the left represents d.1479. Having placed my order, Rapido then announced a GWR banana van to d. Y4, and as I like a bit of variety.......... This also went well with a pair of Oxford Rail LNER, ex-GER vans that I had acquired a couple of years back after learning that the originals had been loaned to the Southern Railway to help them cope with their increased banana traffic between 1933 and 1937. My only dilemma now is whether the train is long enough............ I have a couple of unbuilt Peco Parkside kits in stock for the GWR Y4 van, plus the pre-built ABS one that needs re-working, but I'm wondering, can one ever have enough banana vans? Tony

Following a 2 day visit by my good friend Giles Walburn I am pleased to report that all of the remaining exquisite semaphore signals built fro me by Steve Hewitt more than 2 years ago, have finally been installed; it is an understatement to say that these really bring the layout to life. Down departures from Churminster were alreay dealt with through 3 bracket and one ground signal, but up arrivals are now covered by this 4-arm bracket signal (please excuse the junk beyond!). As the approach to this signal is substantially obscured by an over-bridge, it is precedded by a foxed distant: In the opposite, down direction trains enter the area controlled by the next box along the line and this is controlled by a further distant signal, sited just before the tunnel mouth. All three of those shown have been fully installed and the programme that runs them tested, however, the two distants have then been removed for safety, because there is a significant amount of scenic work to be done very close to them - and they are fragile! Up at Charmy Bottom, the twin starter signals have also been installed; the line in and out of this station is automatically controlled via a shuttle module which will also work the signals and I am waiting on a couple of electronic components that are needed to complete this work. On the Stowe Magna side of the layout, the two main lines are already colour-light signalled - this having been installed when the line was third-rail electrified in the arly 1930's, however, the up & down cross-London lines remain semaphore signalled (or until now, not signalled at all!). These lines will be controlled via 7 further semaphore arms and a single ground signal, all of which are now in place but so far non-operational; pictures at this stage may look a little strange since the signal arms may be pointing at rakish angles prior to their being connected to their respective servos and servo controllers. This is the down approach signal to Stowe Magna station with arms covering the main line through platform 5, the terminating bay platform no.7, and the yard; you may just be able to make out a ground shunt signal beyond and to the right. Three further sempahores cover the up departures from platform 6, the bay plaform 7 and the yard. As with Churminster, departure from the Stowe Magna area into that controlled by the next signal box is controlled by a distant signal beyond the loco yard. I will post further pictures as the installation and the scenery around it gets completed, hopefully including some video coverage. Tony