Captain Nick

Hi Simon. Thanks for your kind words. The track is not my work. Having it made was a retirement present to myself to get started. Ten years on, I'm still beavering away at it but I'm rather slow at getting things done.. Regards Nick

I have been upgrading my fixed rakes of coaches with Hunt's couplings and Kadees at each end. I have also modified some of my locos with both Kadees as well as to accept Spratt and Winkles as all my wagons are S&P fitted. I'm quite pleased with the result. I'm also, frustratingly, still sorting out some track running problems. This afternoon , I've started having ago at making some ratio signals which I will try to make operational using servo motors and a suitable control board. I did have some signals made a few months ago but I'm not too happy with them. Onward and upwards as they say!

I've got a new phone with a better camera for taking these type of shots!

I forgot to put any narrative with the photo I've just posted. I can see that I haven't posted anything for a year but wow, that's flown by! I have been working on the station booking office which is now complete. I still have some detaining to do though. I have also discovered online auctions and have now become the proud owner of about nine more locos. Amazingly, one or two are over twenty years old but appear not to have been out of the box since the day they were put in in China. Even the newer ones are in the same mint condition. I've just got to get them sound chipped now so I'd better start saving my pennies! I will post more photos soon but by phone camera wont save the pics for some reason. Cheers Nick

Take a bottle of quality sparkling wine, uncork and drink contents, preferably with a special partner. Having set aside the cork, take an egg cup or similar vessel from a cupboard wherein these things are stored and proceed with cork and egg cup or similar vessel to railway room. Taking down your bottle of IPA from it's storage shelf, pour some into the egg cup. Dip cork (either end) into the liquid and then rub on the rails with a moderate to light pressure. When cork becomes dirty, open another bottle of sparkling wine and repeat process. This method not only leads to cleaner rails but improves domestic harmony!

Excellent work you have done there Jonathan. It has made me very nostalgic for my youth. I note that you haven't put the wind break in but then that would spoil the marvelous view up the platform. Spot on! Best regards Nick

One more I missed

Hi Everybody. I have been busy with building the actual station of Wormdale, a station with five platforms all connected by a foot bridge. The whole thing is based on the now demolished Chinley Station. Since my last post I have commenced building the west side of platforms 3 and 4. The east side will have the two storey booking hall, reminiscent of Chinley but with a few slight modifications to the internal layout. I have also built myself a loco driven track cleaner made out of an old Lima GUV and it has proved surprisingly effective. This in turn has given me pleasure in actually running trains again. With over 110 metres of track to keep clean, I needed it. I hope you like the photos but I apologise for their quality.

More from Wormdale. I have been working on Platform 1 and 2 since my last post together their buildings, canopy, stairs and footbridge glazing. I made a rod for my back (oh my poor back!) as these platforms, already in place, are at the back of the layout so access and sighting was difficult. I have noticed quite a few mistakes because of this which I have not been able to rectify so my satisfaction level is only about 60%. It should be easier when I come to do Platforms 3 and 4 as these will be more of a show piece towards the front of the layout. I least I have learned the hard way. Anyhow, 1 and 2 are almost complete apart from filling in some holes, weathering and detailing.

I may well have a few photos in the various books that I have on Buxton's railways. Regards Nick

Thanks Al. Very slowly I'm afraid. I was just thinking that it's taken me eleven years to get this far and another 45% or so of the layout still to complete. However I think I may get the station done by next Easter with any luck. I'm just about to order the next lot of components from York Models (usual disclaimer). This will be the valence (5 metres of) and the staircase railings and banisters together with items with which to make the skylights or lanterns as they are called on the drawings..

Having now built these, I'm detailing the inside as I won't be able to access the insides easily once the canopy beams are added.

I have now built the 3 platform buildings that will be on platform 1 and 2. This has been done with the help of a template of the actual platform on the layout so as to be able to have a constant check on the measurements and layout.

After much dithering, I got in touch with York Models (usual disclaimer and other providers are available) to make up the component that I would need to start the platform buildings. I sent them some homemade plans with as accurate dimensions as possible. They came back with the final drawings for the components which were spot on and away we went! No 1 16mm scale Waiting Room Panel Elevation Drawing.doc