D-A-T

A question? Is the layout going to be a permanent home fixture or might we have the pleasure of seeing it at an exhibition in the (medium) future?

Slight thread drift but have you seen Barry Luck’s series of videos on YouTube about Block Instruments etc. It is exactly what I aspire to in my modelling. https://youtu.be/ZhQtg3LH8oQ

And I am most thankful for TMC for announcing the model a few years back as it allowed me to acquire a LRM Kit at a most advantageous price off the EMGS/S4 (can’t remember which) trade stand pre-pandemic.

With your nom-de-plume surely you would find a gaslight more conducive….

It is photos like this that remind you just how labour intensive the trades and professions were only a 100 or so years ago. The 20th century has been a century of massive change and I, like many, am guilty of viewing it through heavily rose tinted glasses as being a “better” time, forgetting the long, often arduous, hours many people had to work to survive.

The only locos I made a significant profit on were the KMRC IOW 02s. Bought new for a projected layout that never happened. They sold for between £180 and £230 on eBay over the past year. All my other sales, I considered myself fortunate if I recouped my money or thereabouts. It’s noticeable that BR Blue locos seemed most in demand. Class 37s and 47s with factory weathering seemed most popular. Regarding steam locos, my sales showed Pre-Grouping as the most popular by far followed by British Railways. Grouping, in my case the LNER, being the worst sales at well below what I paid.

I used this jig with great success before changing gauge and hand building my track. http://www.phd-design-etchings.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=130 I really believe that increased sleeper spacing vastly improves the look of the track. Then follow AY of this Parish advice in weathering and ballasting etc.

Craftsman Kit LSWR/SR/BR T1 Class 0-4-4 Tank Would prefer an unstated kit. Kit number is CRLT 08 Sensible to serious money paid !

Only one up for sale on eBay at the moment. Model Rail/Dapol MR-004 OO Gauge Sentinel 4wVBT Loco No 57 BR Black DCC Fitted £120

I can’t hear of Romney Marsh and especially Dymchurch without Dr Syn springing to mind. An evocative place.

Having taken an interest in kit built locos on eBay over the past 6 months or so a few observations if I may. Most seem to be priced into the £250 to £400 bracket. Most, and I mean the majority, seem to NOT sell and the same locos appear repeatedly without any reduction in price. If there is a RTR equivalent then the price needs to be below that of RTR equivalent unless exceptionally well built or a rare variation or livery. Rare or pre-grouping locos fetch the most with a significant number of bids. However what is of interest is the figures made by pristine loco kits. They are commanding significant sums with lots of interest. Some recent examples include: DJH MODELS GCR/LNER 4-4-0 POLLITT LOCO KIT made £185.00 McGOWAN MODELS GCR ATLANTIC 4-4-2 LOCO KIT made £140.88 REDCRAFT BRASS LOCO KIT FOR A RHYMNEY RAILWAY/GWR CLASS J 0-6-0 OSF SADDLE TANK made £244.00 Alan Gibson 4mm Scale Brass GWR 4-4-2T No 4600 Loco Boxed Locomotive Kit made £175.00 However some, as stated with RTR equivalent made low figures in my opinion. For example a Blacksmith Models G.E.R./L.N.E.R./B.R. 4.4.0 D16 1/2/3 Claud Hamilton OO Gauge 4mm scale made £73.79 with motor and wheels. A bargain to my eyes. So if you want your beneficiaries to make the most from model railways as your hobby just buy “rare” kits and don’t build them!

Very interested in the turntable build if you get chance to do lots of photos. And/or pass an opinion on the “skill” level required. I’ve got a 50ft LRM turntable to build but could be tempted by this. Thank you.

Apologies in advance if I’m repeating a previous entry having not had the chance to read all the entries. But YouTube only needs one video to be priceless. In my case it has just been released as part of a Society Virtual Show. The video? Templot for the Totally Confused. It’s not perfect but it just made everything click and now I’m away! I can use it. I would have paid good money for the video and that’s a Yorkshireman saying that! And if a proportion of my EMGS subscription paid for any part of it then bravo. I had intended to sit with demonstrator at either the EM or S4 show last year to get to grips with it but they were obviously cancelled.

Never in the field of layout building, Has so much been written, by so many, about so little a layout. With apologies to WSC.

You’ve heard of Airbnb? This is Railbnb!

Waste not, want not!

Typically I’m now not sure if Ashdon & Midport is the layout I was thinking of. It’s a bit too rural whereas the one I remember was more urban in nature. But my mind could be playing games with me. But it is all grist to the mill of my proposed new layout. South for Moonshine, Ashdon & Midport and Metropolitan Junction will all be in the mix! Thank you all once again gentleman.

To me that is one of the iconic photos of Buckingham that sums it up. A station approach with complicated, but not too complicated, track work which flows. Add in the signal box and signals and it just works! I could waffle on about evolution, the fact it is a refinement of several previous versions and just not luck but that would be pretentious. After all it is only a model railway! (Ducks for cover ). As has been said, it is the top of the list. It is THE model railway. And I’m still jealous of Tony!

What an excellent resource RMWeb is! And yep 10 years out!!!! I think the layout I was thinking of was Ashdon and Midport and it was in the December 1982 issue of RM. I did have a vague feeling it was named after its builder and so it was.

Hi It was similar to Crewisle and Metropolitan Junction (EM). A very compact layout with structures and scenery pretty much limited to the railway itself. It had through and terminating platforms. Probably published in the 80s or 90s and I think it was the Mk III version so had history/previous articles? LNER possibly but I could be wrong. I don’t think it employed a backscene. Central operating space I think. Thank you for helping.

Does anyone know if there is an online listing/database of RM Railways of the Month? I can semi-visualise the layout in my mind but it’s name has escaped me. Any help or guidance gratefully received! Thank you.

If anyone is interested there is an unmade GP Models J63 kit for sale on eBay at the moment. Starting bid £200 but no takers so far.

Despite a fatalistic attitude, ie if it’s meant to be it will be, I feel the “old ways” have gone forever now. Unfortunately. That and people insisting on “their rights” but ignoring “their responsibilities” to others. The only way forward in my opinion to anything approaching former normality is a Covid/Vaccine Passport with the prebooking and payment of tickets so the Passport can be checked. A faff and a hassle and it will no doubt affect attendance. And no doubt it will discriminate as it will be more cost effective and viable for a large show as opposed to a small one. Also it will in effect become enthusiasts only as the casual attendance by a family will largely cease to be. As to the shows themselves, pre pandemic I had started to limit the number I attended because, as previously noted, it was a largely a case of same layouts, different venue. The Specialist Society Shows were a must attend as were normally Wakefield and York (I’m in Doncaster). But attending other shows depended on if there was a particular layout I wanted to see. The upshot of all this however was I now found I was prepared to travel longer distances than before. There does seem to be two different “circuits”. The Southern and the Northern and never the twain shall cross. Costs I guess. But if the exhibition scene wants to revive itself then a few “expensive guest” layouts from the other “circuit” maybe a possible way forward. Whether the layout owners/operating team would want to make the trek is another matter entirely.

Are there many roses in this part of London....