brianusa

Umberleigh? Near Roborough? Never heard of it! Bickleigh perhaps or is there a connection I don't see; a bit early for me! Yelverton had a visit by the Cornwall Railway Society a year or so ago and it looks like a jungle, a bit like Miss Havisham's garden! Harrowbeer was my learning patch just like Mrs Stationmaster along with many others. During the war, we used to sit on a high bank near the road up from the station which was at the end of the runway. Planes used to land right over ones head. Brian.

When I was very young(!)for some reason Granges were one class I really liked. Don't know why; maybe the name, there were a lot of them in the West Country at the time and now I look forward to the new build, Betton Grange. Brian.

The Australian TV show :" A Place to call Home" has just ended here and it featured quite a few of interesting fifties cars. One of them was 49/50 Buick Roadmaster convertible with RHD. It looked factory so was this perhaps Holden's doing, exported from Canada or what? Brian.

Can't resist prolonging this Pop column as my Dad in 1949 owned the posher Anglia. Waited two years for it in those days. I was in my seventeenth year and just passed the test so me an a couple of mates decided to borrow the car for a ride. Now my father was a bit of a stickler for looking after his car and if I put the petrol in, he took care of the rest, oil, water, etc. So we headed for the Moors and just outside Roborough, the car died! No oil! Luckily there was a Power petrol station there and had to fill the sump all the way so it must have run dry! To my amazement and good fortune, it started right away and never seemed to suffer any ill effects for the rest of its life and was sold on. Of course, I never told my Dad! Brian.

With all due respect, the back scene should be attended to pretty quick before too much develops on the baseboards. Perhaps the change will do you good! Brian.

Good to see the FofD featured once more. Brian.

After seeing all these carriages, I have to compliment you guys on your handiwork. My sole skills were opening the box! Brian.

A bit more of the layout than we are usually shown. Wonder what the rest is like? Brian.

Couldn't have picked a better site than Shaugh Bridge platform! Saw a Castle there once in the late forties, no doubt on one of the many cheap excursions to the Moors. I often wonder why the viaduct was destroyed only to build another. The original fitted in so much better than the later concrete monstrosity/ Brian.

Funny how such a simple sign is so effective without the techy examples of today. I used to love those old gas lamps with the dangling chains. Brian.

Is that -7 which is not warm anywhere or +7 which it is here, just down the road and across the border. Brian.

Haven't been in a gym since I left school! Didn't like it then either! Brian.

If only my layout looked that good underneath! Brian.

In my trainspotting days it was the "Saltash Flyer". usually a four car 'sandwich'. Always remember as when something was signalled and it turned out to be the SF, a mighty groan would go up from those in 'the lane'! Brian.

The joys of modelling. If it hasn't been done - do it and be damned. We all have out favourite era, maybe eras so if we're not too fussy, we run them all together..

What a nice interesting picture. Typical S & D double headed train passing over a bridge(?) with the signal in the distance still off. Double main with a trailing point from loop or siding and some kind of PS hut. Surely not a ground frame! Is that a facing point the other side of the signal? All this in glorious Somerset(?) in high summer. The country lane makes a fine viewpoint! I shall run the Pines Express today!! Brian.

Very nice but is has LNER on it! Brian.

Is that Exeter on your backscene? Looks a bit like I remember! Brian

That kit makes an excellent B & B. All it needs is a couple of signs outside. Brian.

Thanks for the info. As you can see, being far from the action, I am an 'armchair' branch line fan, reliving my former life in the area and only see it now and again.

Remains of west country branches are dear to my heart from the small PVR to the more ambitious B & W and SDR. There are not a lot left that are still in NRs jurisdiction, Cattewater and this one; all the rest are taken. There are the builders; Helston, PVR and those direct from the railway; SDR, B & W and the Torbay line. A lot would have to be done with the Heathfield line in clean up particularly around Heathfield station which would need some rehab should it become the terminus. Unlike the others, its not a really scenic line which is almost mandatory. Don't \know what the track is like but it did have an HST visit recently. Whether NR would like the use of the branch platform at Newton is an unknown but at least there's a main line connection still. It would be nice to see this one go somewhere so hopefully the aforementioned enthusiastic councillor has connections.! Brian.

Missed the 'Bay. Hope to see it up and running soon. Brian.

Before the Up siding was looped, it was very long; I suppose the idea was that a whole (goods)train could be backed in out of the way of a faster follower. So was the other point eventually added to facilitate this manoeuvre? Or is that all wrong? I'm not up on the finer points of railway workings! Brian.

Its a pity that the points are never clear as to what goes where. An educated guess usually suffices but you never can be too sure sometimes. Brian.

Nice job, I'm rather fond of extinct GW locos. Brian