BritishGypsum4

Thank you Tony for such a lovely day. I had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed being able to operate Little Bytham. So I'll start with the little purple machine. I appreciate that the colour won't be to everyone's taste. However I wanted something I could test out this particular colour and so sitting in the bottom of a box was my target, a Springside Wren kit based on the locomotive that worked at Horwich works and now preserved and on display at the NRM in York. It sits on an Ibretren Cuckoo chassis that I had to butcher to get it to fit right. That was my fault for building a kit long before I had the chassis! We live and learn I suppose. The kit was purchased off ebay and didn't have any instructions. The locomotive runs on 009 track but is to the scale of 7mm. The two blue vans some might recognise. These are from the Peco range. They are 7mm scale running on 16.5mm track. I do have soft spot for the Talyllyn Railway and so I wanted to fit them with buffers (which come with the kit), as well as 4mm scale screw couplings. In my little world they are luggage vans hence the vacuum pipes on them. The M S is for Mid Sodor Railway. Like @Tom F, I grew up reading the stories that the Reverand Awdry wrote. I built these kits at the start of lockdown and I find them nice and easy to build, they don't break the bank and they gave me a chance to try some painting techniques that I had learnt from several Youtubers during lockdown. The grey open is also from the Peco range. I have three of these. One is still to be finished, one is in a clean condition and this one is my favourite. I wanted it to be grubby given that goods stock never seem to be given any attention unless they break. The dark brown open wagon is a lovely Port Wynnstay kit. I wanted to give the impression that this was made of more substantial wood, hence the colour choices. Again, heavily weathered with washes and then powder to represent a well used coal wagon. Paints were a mixture, some Humbrol, many were Vallejo and Army Painter and used dark washes from the Citadel range. Transfers from Fox and the couplings were all Smiths. Now to get on with a locomotive to pull the stock.... Big thank you to Tony once again for taking these pictures and for being a great host.

"Ding ding!" Ah alas he was never based at Cros-ny-Cuirn as there are no mines there, slate or other type. Cas-ny-Hawin was where he ended up but wasn't slate. I see why you might also think of the year 1938 but I know that Tom has broadened the timeline for Ballamoddey over quite a number of years given him so much scope with regards locomotives and rolling stock to use. Stanley would have been used a good few years by 1938 as the steam supply for the pumping engine at the mine. I think it was a slip of the pen by Rev. Awdry when he describes him as a pumping engine behind the shed! More likely used to supply steam to operate the various machines inside the workshop.

The book is wrong. The artist might have been asked to add it or might have even used their initiative to include it but it is wrong. Totally wrong. Loving the splash of colour on the bufferbeam matey! Can't wait to see it in the flesh on Sunday.

I've just looked Stanley up in the IOS and there is no date given for when he arrived to the line nor is there a date for when they decided to turn him into a pumping engine.

The dent wasn't to position the chimney was it? Is that the fuel filler cap just in front of the windscreen? Just trying to think of a logical reason for it to be there. Otherwise I'd leave it if it was me. But if you don't think it looks right to your eye then it can always be filled.

Don't think this will go down well........

Well I'd only have myself to blame if it ran out of steam then!

Lovely work Tom. It is going to be interesting to see how it develops and looks when finished. Do I spy a model of I? Hands in my Pockets, Not a care in world. Trucks rattling and loco steaming, And I don't seem to give a hoot! Right that's the end of the (poor) poetry from me!

Could be distracted by worse things!! Lovely shot across the field to the railway line. Loving the progress and the updates. Always nice to see what others do in 7mm narrow gauge.

I think it is the Standard Four tank 97 and the following week I am out on 2890. Really looking forward to it as it has been a while.

It’ll be a cracking day for you. I am looking forward to my diner turn next weekend. Nothing better than finishing work and knowing that you have a turn. Lovely photo of Wells mate

To be far Corbs that’s roughly how I did part of it myself. Once I had worked out where train A would be it was a case of when and where train B would start and cross it with roughly a minute or two for station stops.

To be honest I can see how that could (would) be a lot easier but I went with the spreadsheet first as I was constantly altering a few of the timings. I did well to only clash a couple of times. It was trying to make it as plausible as possible too which I enjoyed too.

I've found it is still a work in progress! I'll let you into a little secret about my methods but it is a bit boring. Firstly I looked at a few timetables that I have copies for, for a variety of branch lines. I needed to know the mileages too. The best one was the Bala branch. Secondly I then used the map along with Rev Awdry's descriptions in IOS. If he mentioned any mileages these were then compared to the 1992 map that I was using. (I prefer this map over any others) Now whatever the error was that was used to calculate the ratio of the error and also I used that to work out the rest of the branch line in its total length. Once happy then it was back to the timetables and looking at speeds etc of the various trains. By now I had told Tom that I had started to do the timetable and this led to further discussion with regarding the variety of trains and of course this then meant we started to look at the Railway Series books. We know that Thomas runs into Tidmouth on at least one train (Special Coach) and therefore it was decided that he'd return to Tidmouth later on to return said coach as well. Tom then liked the idea of one of the goods trains that is hauled by someone else (Duck, Diesel, James etc) and so I looked over the timetable once more and then adjusted so that gave me two copies. But no matter whatever looks right in an Excel spreadsheet table there is no substitute for actually drawing out a train graph. I then realised that two trains clashed so had to adjust it to suit! Now Diesel the 08 did cause a few niggles. His speed was too low to fit in to where I had this goods train in the normal timetable. This was moved to later on where there was a slot for this to run. (Timetable 3!) What I also had to take into consideration was also which stations had loops and which didn't. So that also was restricting in some ways. All in all it proved to rather entertaining and not just one night's work. I did find it surprisingly enjoyable but I wouldn't rush to try and do one for the main line at any time..... Apologises that I am not sharing it though. I did it as a bit of fun for Tom but with the discussions that we have gone into there has been a fair amount of work gone into it to get it to something that works. Plus it is a bit of horse trading too with Tom, for which I am eternally grateful. I am also looking at doing Ffarquhar myself in the garage in 7mm however I fear that it will end up being more like Rev's MKII layout than the illustrations from the book. Not that there is anything wrong with that as I do think that it was a good layout for the space he had to use. Failing that I will look at doing Elsbridge and Dryaw, one on either side of the garage.

Truly stunning matey!! Easily the "pride of the line!" Lovely large BR emblem on the tank and lined out, NWR 1 is going to look amazing.

Some nice models there but I'd argue that the tractor in the book Tramway is not a Ferguson for a start. Whoever writes on the wiki page needs to do more research as to tractors in general. Never seen one with hub caps before... Tractor in the books looks like a David Brown 880 or 990 with the front end. Reason I'd argue against it being the Ford 5000 is that they never started to produce a proper cab for them until 1971. Not sure how likely it would have been for any artist to have seen or known about the cab design. Still it does have a Ford look to it though. The AEC Majestic is another lovely model but with many of the newer AEC Matadors and designs coming out of the company the Majestic would more likely to be a private owner wagon. Not to say it couldn't be branded BRS but good chance it would have been replaced by the end of 1959. Lovely seeing the progress on this layout. Feel honoured to have been able to help with regards a timetable and signal diagram too. The modelling is a joy to view and inspiring as well.

Doohickies? Is that the technical term for them? I was under the impression they are breather pipes allowing air in when the injectors are on thus allowing them to work. Also helps when filling the tank and for air to escape as the tank on the opposite side starts to rise

So the lining would make it obvious that black paint has been used to cover up the numbers. Though even without the lining the fresh black paint would stand out like a sore thumb

Unless the guards were lax on the operating rules I'd agree that it is a van move given there isn't a lamp on the side of the van as required with a semi or unfitted freight. What a lovely shot of the train although it does seem somewhat more bleak and cold looking than the first one at Blaenau Ffestiniog Central!

The Rev. Awdry stated that there was two goods sheds at Ffarquhar. Where the red and blue lines are was one such shed, illustrated in Stepney the Bluebell Engine and badly illustrated by Spong in another publication. Completely pointless trackplan indeed.

No offence but I'm not going to do that considering it was a commission. I was asked to do it so I said yes. As my friend wanted it to be as realistic as possible that was also why I did Working Timetable and also a Method of Ops. This will give any operator an idea of what is going to happen by displaying movements on cards. Anyhow some of the signalling diagram wouldn't be totally right for the trackplan that GWRSwindon is using. To suit space constraints and also to make the trackplan a little more realistic certain things were altered and hence my comment on getting a good book on signalling

I have done a full signalling diagram for a friend of mine for Ffarquhar including a working timetable. It is fully signalled with the exception of a few of the lines which, going off real life examples and volunteering experience, wouldn't need to signalled. As the quarry is no where near the station area as it is in the hills and the line (as stated in IOS) is about 5 miles away by rail as it climbs and turns on itself 180 degrees to the left then right into the quarry. For that trackplan above you would only need a signal for the tramway. I wouldn't go off Awdry's layout photos for the above trackplan as they are not the same. As for using the Isle of Man as a basis forget it! Awdry never used any incidents off the Isle of Man whatsoever. Rev. Awdry used real life incidents to create his wonderful stories and so my advice would be to really look up prototypes and try and get a good book that explains signalling and how it works. The illustrations I would also give a miss with regards signalling. The position of them just looks wrong. Take the one above that shows Thomas, Daisy, Toby and Percy. That ground signal is just wrong. It shouldn't be there and is badly positioned. That trackplan is workable but depends on how much of it you want to model (if not all of it).

Tempting as it is I don't think I will for now. I was a member many moons ago and as much as I had an interest in narrow gauge (I still do but I am one of those that like my kits complete and plenty of them), I haven't a massive all round interest and so I honestly don't think it would benefit me, at least not at this time. To be fair I might even have to take a back seat to modelling as things are. I have a much bigger project that is going to take a substantial amount of time and storage space. I think, for now, I will complete my Peco/Branchlines kit of Talyllyn and my Branchlines kit of a little narrow gauge railbus and the bits and pieces that I just need the final touches adding to it and then call it a day.

So is there a Dolgoch including a chassis available? Or a Midlander as delivered to the TR or even a model of Tom Rolt? Also, I know there are some parts for the carriages but we are not all fantastic modellers who can scratch build or even have an interest in scratch building parts for kits or the whole thing so are there any kits available for the Brown Marshalls? Not that I am too bothered as I managed to get Coach 1 and 2 but a 3 would be good and a kit of the Lancaster coach. I am trying to find time to learn a CAD program so that I can do my own eventually but would happily settle for any kits now. Wagons are fine as I know where I can get them

Stunning work Tom. It is a joy to watch the progress happen. Now if only the TR fleet were available in 7mm....