Phil Bullock

And the longer time passed by the more changed so worse for those modelling in Post TOPs periods …. Ought to be easy for us pre TOPs boys but it isn’t….

Certainly does Mike …. Individual locos seem to be a front end lottery and then there’s another mine field …. Body side access hatches and steps. All on pre TOPs locos of course….

Many thanks! It’s the one rake we are missing…

Can we hope the CBAs are as firmly embedded in plans too? 😉

Just going to run the Accurascale deltic over it a few times that will flatten it!!

The upper lamp irons …. Cow horns … were fitted to all centre box EE3s when delivered and were there to take WR pattern lamps which mount on an iron sideways on … unlike lamps from all other regions which mount rear on . Don’t recall seeing a photo of a loco with a lamp on the WR irons though….

Here’s some rather nice video of the layout taken at Winchcombe by Trainline5000 Trainline5000’s video of Abbotswood and Norton Junction at Winchcombe Hope you enjoy….

Cheers Mr SM got there at last…

A very special visitor! Nice photos

Had the layout up for the first time since D9010 arrived. Here’s a brief bit of footage , you will have to wait for it…. 64 and D9010 on Abbotswood and Norton Junction

It is! Many thanks now corrected. Worcester never had many trip freight workings as unlike neighbouring Gloucestershire there were few branch lines. Traffic was largely as follows: Agricultural to Evesham and Moreton in Marsh and intermediate stations …. Fertiliser in , produce out. Coal to Underwood’s at Droitwich and Henwick power station. Other than that there would have been local freights with traffic for stations on the routes to Kidderminster Bromsgrove Moreton traffic n Marsh Gloucester and Hereford. I only caught the tail end of Kidderminster traffic which by the late 60s was a job for the Kidderminster pilot including shunting RAF Hartlebury . This loco left the train in the up goods loop at Droitwich presumably for collection by a Worcester loco although I never saw that. There was an incident at Hartlebury yard in 1967 which gives some insight… Train crash Hartlebury Coal for Stourport PS came from the Birmingham direction and usually ran round at Hartlebury although I do remember the occasional run round in Worcester yard. The Bromsgrove tripper was truncated to Droitwich by this time with Underwood’s coal in 21 ton hoppers and was a Hymek turn … the last Worcester based local freight service IIRC And there was of course more traffic within the city on the vinegar and coal yard branches but perhaps they were really just short distance shunts…

There’s pictures of a Toad on the truncated daily goods here Toad at Knightwick and here Toad at Suckley My Toad knowledge isn’t good enough to say it’s the same one…

Evening folks! @Tim Dubya @Hal Nail @The Johnster @The Stationmaster Rapido Worcester - Leominster branded Toad residing here needless to say… And route was via Bromyard … leaves the Worcester - Hereford line at Bransford Junction on the western side of Worcester then proceeds up the Teme Catchment via Suckley and Knightwick to Bromyard. West of Bromyard through the now preserved Rowden Mill and Fencote stations to Leominster. If you drive along the lovely straight Leominster by-pass you are on the track bed. The line west of Bromyard closed as early as 1952 although there was a special the length of the line in 1958… the section from Bromyard back to Worcester survived until 1964 with the last train a special to Blackpool double headed by two Collett Goods as far as Worcester. And that was it…. But no doubt the RU branded Toad covered other workings once the line closed….😉

A fuller report …. First some general photos from Digby to give an idea of the scope and scale .. views from both ends of the fiddle yards and scenic areas As you can see the scenic area is essentially still a blank tapestry although a few buildings did land in their correct locations at Norton. Set up and break down were quicker than the old layout which was less than half the size… a testament to the superb boards from @Tim Horn and the thought that went in to the process. Transport with a man and a van with two young strappers worked brilliantly too and was cost effective. Hadn’t finished the routes on ECoS so that absorbed a fair amount of time as did adjustment of track joints. Have moved away from magnetic couplings except on the freightliners as they are just too rigid … gone back to tension locks, much shortened on the bolster Es … will have to look and see if that will work on the Mk1 coaches too. No major layout issues , just a couple of minor clearance matters to resolve. We managed to run on all lines which was great. Nonenif this would have been possible without the superb crew thanks again to James, @Pierre Le Brun, @Downendian Digby Wall, Brian Thomas and Mike King . Also to Rmwebbers who called by … @Gilbert and especially @RBAGE who managed to completely rearrange domestics of a trip to visit. Plenty of other visitors too have ncluding folks who stopped for a chat … thanks all! So first trip out voted a success, now where’s that snagging list? Oh, it’s back to the Pirton layout today with its September deadline…

Finally got my rake running properly. Hated the original coupling length so have settled on cut down Bachmann short straight tension locks glued in to shortened NEM pockets . They ran superbly on the layout at GWSR diesel gala .,. Here they are heading south with 4” bar loads … Dapol bolster Es southbound through Abbotswood

@DownendianWas great to have you along Neil. Your clay liner train was certainly one of the weekend highlights for me. The bolster Es and Accurascale deltic as in the video above were up there too. Nice photos too thanks for sharing. T’other NBL type 2 is D6336 …. Another late loco conversion, and Peak is D63 in economy green SYP. D25 was also lurking in economy green FYE that’s a rocking horse manure livery. The layout is safely back home. 1.30 to set up and 1.45 to break down including stock removal. I’m happy with that.

A fuller report on the weekend will follow …. But here’s a video taster! Abbotswood and Norton at GWSR You just know what’s approaching on the up line before she bursts under the bridge…😉 Please note signalling is all over the place …

Didn’t have chance to get any photos yesterday… will try again today and I know Neil has some videos too. By yesterday afternoon we had 4 trains running pretty reliably and with others in the goods loops and on the spur between the two junctions things looked pretty good … the reactions of our visitors said it all I feel! The railway staff and volunteers have also made us feel very welcome… a huge vote of thanks to them but also to our team of James Peter Digby and Neil Aided and abetted by heckling from the Worcester Loco Society crew. One funny moment came up when the owner of 20228 came to say hello to show me the wonderful photo of his loco taken in December 1976 At Abbotswood with Western Lady … you know the one. He was telling me the photographer was Neil Dimmer… I was able to correct him and pointed out that the shadows at the bottom of the photo were me and Mike King … who I introduced to him as he was there on the Worcester Loco Society stand! Happy days… Derailments At Winchcombe we’re of course prototypical too … just think 1976!!!

Very nice too! The owner did appear briefly …

Go careful Mike! Hope it all works Layout was up in an hour and a half yesterday with just the two of us. Well pleased with that. The accommodation in the Tim Mitchell building is excellent too. We will have the doors on to the platform open today so folks can visit and we can watch passing trains. Running was a bit erratic … there are a lot of track joints across baseboard joins … and excess ballast needs removing. Signals all survived intact although a couple are not functional… need to look at that But all in all pretty pleased with how it’s gone so far.

All signals are in including some more gravity defying ones for Mike @Enterprisingwestern The weekend starts here… Dan the man with the van helped transport the layout to Winchcombe station today. It’s having a peaceful night in the Tim Mitchell building before the chaos of set up tomorrow with me and Jim. @Pierre Le Brun joins us for operations on Friday along with reinforcements in the form of @Downendian and Digby Wall for Saturday and Sunday along with the criminals from the Worcester Locomotive Society Brian Thomas and Mike King. Teri is baking millionaire shortbread but suspect it won’t last that long with that crew….

Yes agreed that is OTT price wise! Would also like to see Michigan and Chaseside loaders as I got to drive them Both in my (very early!) youth…

That would be great Chris! But please introduce yourself as I am utterly useless with faces!!!

These seem to have gone down well. Any news on CBA variant please gentlemen?

Why would I buy one? It fits in to my modelling era…. 1971/72 …. Oh yes it does! 7808 was at Ashchurch and used to head out on the main line to open days…. Often with an LMS liveried Stove R in tow containing coal and other requisites. Was a bit of a mongrel livery though before she got to Didcot… BR late crest on the tender, no front number plate and number on buffer beam GWR style …. And lined out! I think Didcot may have swapped the tender when she moved there in 74 but will got with the Accurascale as preserved at Didcot version in GW Shirtbutton. I’m a shareholder in the Erlestoke Manor fund … They are ideal locos for a preserved line running 6 - 8 coach trains. The model looks superb…, And one day we will build a Cambrian layout … that will need a few BR ones . Llandre perhaps. Cant see us sticking at one … wish we had one to take to run at GWSR diesel gala next weekend on the new layout…. 😉