Cowley 47521

That’s a real old meets (not so) new photo there. Excellent. 👍

Well we have achieved a sale (for an undisclosed amount that hopefully we’re all happy with) to a group from Okehampton called the Exeter Junction model railway club: Exeter junction model railway club 07703 310436 A couple of the guys came out last week and are really looking forward to taking it on. I’m obviously really pleased as they’re local to me and they’re planning on taking it out on the circuit at some point which was exactly what I was hoping to achieve. It also means that I can still see it now and again hopefully so it’s all worked out really well. I made a little video earlier explaining things:

Morning everyone. I’ve made what might be a final little video here:

Well folks. I have fired the starting gun this week and I’ve tentatively put Lapford on the market (the layout that is, not the actual village). We need the spare room emptying and finally the large shed in the garden that I had built about eight years ago is about to become available. Being 6 foot wide though means that there’s no way I could get the layout in there and still be able to walk down both sides which I’d need to be able to do. In actual fact, I’ve been wanting to start a couple of new railway projects for a while though now so I’m more than happy to see this go to a good home and me make a fresh start (I will obviously be keeping all of my rolling stock, vehicles etc). Hopefully I’ll be getting together with the lads on Monday for an operating session so I’ll post some photos. We’ve had to cancel me going to the Exeter show in June though unfortunately as we’ve made the mother of all cock-ups and ended up double booking myself to go to Ireland that weekend. Most embarrassing! Nick

God, trees. I think I made about 250 of them for my railway and also my friends. I’m nearly over it now though… Looking very good Chris.

was that Kate’s second attempt at using Photoshop..?

Certainly adds something to the running options on my layout Rich. 😉

Good stuff. 👍 I did wonder if it might have been 37175 as it was sent up the line one summer Saturday to rescue a failed 31/4 on a Barnstaple - Exeter run when my stepbrother and I were camped out at St David’s one day in 1987. Please excuse the poor quality photos but this is them arriving back at St David’s.

It is a 37. I’d love to know which one and what the year was though? They were fairly frequent visitors in the early 1990s but not so much in the Skipper era. I must admit that it’s quite unusual to find photos of two trains at Lapford at the same time in that era. I’m not sure if I’ve seen any actually.

My stepbrother and I were hanging out at New Street one summer Saturday around then on our way to Nottingham, 45104 rolled in looking exactly like the photo above but we turned down catching it to Derby as we wanted to stay a bit longer where we were. We ended up getting 45145 a couple of hours later so that was good for us. Tinsley went all in with livening their various fleets up in that era. I think all of the Peaks left at the end had unofficial painted on names? What made 45104 different of course was that they used its original name and they actually made some replica(ish) nameplates for it (out of wood I assume?).

Well I went 10 years earlier than it actually was so you got me Keefer. Excellent photo and exactly the sort of thing that makes this thread interesting!

I did actually wire up quite a few of my telegraph poles, but mainly ones that were next to the roads. It was fiddly but I like the results. You can see some here (and a few of the fence posts too).

You’re very patient doing that with your fencing. I must admit that I just put posts in and let my imagination do the rest!

Yes I see what you mean and reading it again that could well be what happened. I wonder what sort of speed the loco took the curve before Leekbrook Junction? I can imagine that part of the train picking up a hell of a speed running away down that bank even with some of the brakes partially working!

The caption to this makes for interesting reading: I was trying to picture the course of events and I couldn’t work out how the train separated and two parts ran away including (by my reading of it) one part derailing but the other part including the loco not coming into conflict with it. Could anyone shed any light on this possibly?

At least they’ve weathered the one in the foreground though. Nice photo Iskra.

Mine does that too! I also left the train room door open the other day and not for the first time one of the cats completely ignored the “Keep Out!” sign on the old baling machine…

Fascinating project. I’ll be following your progress.

Yes I think I prefer the wire as well.

Very little trace of that scene now, but if you’re passing and you know where to look you can just about work out where things used to be.

Is that panel in the little cabin at Britannia Crossing? I seem to remember reading that the whole line was operated from there? Regarding the line itself though. Yes it’s a bit soulless in some ways, it’s definitely not preserved in the sense that it retains semaphores and pretty stations (although Kingswear is pretty special in its own way). However, to me it’s always made up for some of this purely due to the job it does in bringing train loads of tourists into Dartmouth who might otherwise try and drive into the town. It’s also, in my humble opinion, the most perfect stretch of steam railway mile for mile in the country. Within seven miles (which some would say is the perfect length for one of these lines) it has sandy beaches, viaducts, a decent length tunnel, waterside estuary running, an interesting terminus, proper climbs that make the locos work hard and beautiful views of the Devon countryside. When you’re behind the loco looking at the views on the climb up to Churston it takes some beating.

Lucky it didn’t end up in Neath. 😉

(I apologise in advance for these) I don't know if any of you have seen the article, but the guy who invented 'predictive text' sadly passed away yesterday. The funfair is planned for next week… Also though, I’ve been thinking about a change of career recently. I saw a job advertised, hanging mirrors. It’s definitely something I could see myself doing…