Ralf

There's tomorrow afternoon gone for a Burton then... Really love this layout, trying to keep myself from building a facsimile of it for myself but struggling! Ralf

Thanks, looks like I'd best find copies of the Severn & Wye books and dust off my collection of Railway Bylines... Tempted with a Canal Basin loading drop I must admit... Advantage: It could be quite a distance from the vastness of the colliery... Disadvantage (should that say opportunity?): Wagons would need to be discharged somehow... Sounds like never ending fascination and years of fun BUT it wouldn't get any modelling done! Thanks all Ralf

Hi all, struggling to commit and decide on anything modelling-wise at the moment it’s a been a year plus since I thought I was close but some many potential problems / issues put me off and leave procrastination as the easy option. So in an effort to put this off and choose between an Inglenook, SMS Box thing or a 6x2ft Tim Horn photo box.... Well what we do know is it’s going to be industrial, probably NCB and likely central works / wagon repair depots - but... Where would I go to for NCB trackplans? Ideally annotated / labelled, I know there’s well illustrated loco shed or colliery books but they’re not historical books including track plans, whereas historical detailed work is mostly words and facts not track plans and inspiration. So if you were an industrial NCB track plan, particularly for a larger site, (of which I’d model a corner) where would you hide?? Hoping the answer isn’t - countless vintage online map searches! Many thanks for any thoughts on either decision making / commitment or possible track plans, currently everything I consider is quickly discounted for one reason or another and I’m very tired with myself for that. Cheers Ralf

Yep, thumbs-up for Bure Valley in my limited experience, although ironically the bargain I bought I put unopened on eBay this afternoon as I need space & cash and that huge pile of models for "if" and "one day maybe" aren't good for either... A bargain is only a bargain if you need it - apparently lol! Ralf

Me too, as I see totally unable to come up with anything myself but admire work of others! Ralf

I like the idea of the "other stuff" sidings because you can! It's the kinda scheme I'd talk myself out of for no good reason at all. Probably why you're further than me and I've been meaning to make a start for ages! Do you intent on having a sequence / shunting games / rules? Or just play / shunt as you fancy? I seem compelled by the idea of having a plan and a inglenook style forced shunting to do but why I don't know! Good luck with the project... Ralf

AFRPS at Scunthorpe? I know it's the wrong industry but it'd be a mighty fine setting... Ralf

Could you expand on this? I struggle to invisage such puzzles but genuinely would like to understand... Inglenooks and shunting yes, but struggle to see much interest in a tuning fork - BUT have never tried to build one myself... Thanks Ralf

Thanks Neil, that makes sense - there was a bulb I threw it in the bin! Ta Ralf

Hi all, To cut a long story short I needed to file, sand and grind quite a lot of metal off this Bachmann N Gauge Plymouth Chasis before it'd fit into it's 009 body - probably went too far but snapped the cab roof off it's 6 supports the first time.... ANWAY the chassis ended up covered in a lot of ground up metal and I decided to strip it down sooner rather than later, clean it and re-lubricate but it's not something I've done so before I get out the fairy liquid has anyone got any handy hints for cleaning and then re-lubrication. Have seen this thread (below) and am tempted by some Labelle products... Secondly what on earth is this second and smaller piece of insulating plastic for? Many thanks Ralf

Tim, You're about to have a PM.... Cheers Ralf

Very impressive stuff, wish I could bring myself to be even vaguely that practical. Have you got any plans for a back scene? Keep it up Ralf

My desk has such a drawer too... Now I wonder if SWMBO would notice... Good luck and do keep us posted! Ralf

Progress hampered by the fact I need to re-assemble my Vee with the Wing Rails however my 0.4mm Copper Clad PCB from a popular internet auction site is actually 1.5mm so procrastinating over that currently, if to go ahead and try and cut strips of that, or wait until the postman brings me the correct stuff. Hmmmm Ralf

So where has the time gone? Anyway, work bench expanded greatly and lots of Hobbyzone storage constricted and I've been shopping with the Scale Four Soc and ModelU... So work has recommenced making amends this time and including having a set in the curved stock rail which I think I've got shaped pretty accurately - much easier on a duplicate template without the timbering sat on it! So straight stock-rail in place, next it's the crossing vee and the curved stock rail. Thanks Ralf

It strikes me that actually I could remove the BR line and 'simply' have the line to the exchange sidings without the LH rear exit which would save a fiddle yard / stick, brake van issues and those cumbersome BR locos... Then move the engine shed to the back left corner and provide two roads of accommodation, which means it's further justification to have locos sitting around to admire! Regarding shunting through the washery I plan to shove them through by hand or possibly hidden locomotive - either way it'll be an attempt at modelling gravity / rope / capston movement. Somehow my imagination doesn't allow gravity to be used through the washery, how were wagons stopped reasonably precisely - although I suppose you're only moving a wagon length at a time... I shall try playing around with bits of card as Gordon suggests and see how I get on. I don't think I do, was firmly planning on mixed Steam & Diesel NCB - BUT I'm open to being tempted if you've any stunningly suitable prototypes please do share them here or by PM... OR I could create something suitable for pre-grouping prototypical operation and then I can always run NCB era stock - after all Rule 1* will apply... (* it's my train set etc etc) Many thanks for all the input folks... Ralf

Ok, thanks for all the responses folks, so I've misplaced my memory stick to transfer files from my windows laptop (Templot only) to my Mac, never mind I've bodged the plan around badly in a word processor to try and modify things more in line with the suggestions / comments above. I've taken the idea Ruston proposed about this being the end of the BR line and the associated exchange sidings, the loco shed has swapped sides and will be squashed in with the pit prop yard, the washery enlarged to use 4 roads. As I know see things it seems to work and wagons can be weighed using a single weigh bridge on arrival into the washery yard and again on their return to the BR exchange sidings. How's it looking? I know there's a strange kink on the arrival to the BR Sidings that's just poor editing, the next proper Templot version will not have that 'feature'. Many thanks Ralf

You can't have too many Industrial locos - can you? I'd go for two... Ralf

Thanks all, some early responses and an upgraded plan below to try and clarify things... Yes I think so, not massively familiar with the prototype but think I agree he says reaching for "Modelling aspects of the coal industry Vol 1& 2"... Ah, no that's a very good point (parking loads and empties), loads would be simply infront of the washery as shown on the plan. Empties vanish off scene down the headhunt to re-appear as loaded wagons through the washery. Apologies it wasn't obvious (except to me) the washery IS run through with wagons appearing from the RH side as presented - see much improved / clarified plan below. Ah, now there's a challenge or a reason to attempt something else for my first serious venture into actually modelling! Many thanks Ralf

Hi all, Have been thinking and sketching and sketching and thinking for a while now about colliery layouts and never really being happy with anything I've either found prototypically or dreamt up / tweaked or fiddled with then I was re-reading Ian Rice's errrr Book (I forget which one) whose style I do find very appealing and there was his take on a small Colliery layout... I've broadly re-created it in Templot using for OO-SF with 1:6 GWR old-type 9ft heel switches and it fits broadly into a space of 2 ½ x 6ft, planned train lengths are loco + 10 x 16 ton Minerals and a Brake Van (to be left in exchange siding. Has anyone got any wise words they'd like to share with me regarding the plan below, any glaring prototypical problems - I know Rice warns of modelling the model (so doubt he has) but you never know... Seems that in a larger space than I'd planned I can have lots and lots of operating potential and somewhere to play with my ever growing fleet of industrials. Planning on modelling it in South Wales around 1980... A recent trip to big pit (during which I was astonished by it's smallness) will certainly be a contributing factor to the yet unexplored NG elements. Thanks Ralf

Crickey that's some 'mock up' of the Youth Hostel! My mock ups tend me be far far far more basic! Good luck with those figures! Ralf

Fab many thanks, I seem to have a bag full on their way! Out of curiosity I had a look at how much the scale difference would make as I had no idea but suspected it'd be imperceptible... The results 6ft person in 1:76 = 24.1mm tall, same person in 1:75 would be 24.4mm so the ones I've bought will be strictly speaking taller than they should be but not by any appreciable margin! Thanks for the tip-off! Ralf

Fantastic work, I'm impressed! Where did you source your figures from? - Don't say China! Have looked at a certain internet auction site without finding anything as cheap nor all standing up... Look really good painted I'm very impressed. Thanks Ralf

Like the look of this and tempted with something similar myself, are you 'knocking through' between the two box files or having a scenic break? Also what about the front of the boxes? Think the earth / ash base would be more suited to your time frame. Keep it up Ralf

My fault I think guys… SO what I was trying to say is this: On the diverging road the roller gauge and with a little persuasion a 1mm plasticard shim runs through - NO PROBLEM. On the straight road the roller gauge sticks as shown below - the 'flange' being c0.88mm on the gauge, whereas my 1mm shim of plasticard sticks much much earlier… Sadly they're not taking orders or reading e-mails from 3rd June - 15th July - anywhere else stock them? Have tried the re-opened EMGS Store but no luck there. Think I'd best go and buy some more chairs and soon try again using the knowledge gained here to my second one which will include making my own crossing and wing rails then I can only blame myself for the shortcomings! Many thanks Ralf