Milton Quay

[lash]

Inciteful and wise advise as ever Adrian  . 

 

Progress on mini  switch panel so far .

 

[lash]

Layout on its side and clamped to avoid toppling damage and associated dreadful language.

 

Didn't stop the platform canopy falling  off though, count to 10 and no great damage done.

 

[lash]

Work in progress.

[lash]

All done tested and tidied.

 

Essentially I have added on/off switches to the four feeds on the layout to create four sections that can be isolated . That means I can have more than one locomotive or dmu on the layout at once. It goes against the keep the electrics simple idea that was a key element of the layout when I started building it , but after some testing and playing it became clear it would add hugely to the operational and visual potential of this very small set up . So definitely worth it .  

 

I keep reminding myself Milton Quay is a learning layout for me and so alterations ,additions and applying lessons learnt along the way are all to the good . 

 

I’m not sure I’d use foam-board baseboards on a larger layout but it is brilliant how I can literally chop and change with little mess of disruption. Here I just needed to cut a rectangular hole in the baseboard side with a craft knife and steel rule and stick on a short length of thick balsa strip to attach an extra electric choc block to deal with the extra wiring . All very easy and no mess . So great for the hesitant beginner developing ideas but with few woodwork skills and nowhere comfortable to create sawdust . 

 

[Roland Rat]

3 hours ago, westerhamstation said:

 just don't forget which is the hot end,

Amateur radio guys say that if it smells like chicken you're holding it wrong!

 

Great layout, very inspirational, thanks for sharing it!

 

Fionnbarra (EI8KT)

[lash]

Thanks Roland , no unintended finger BBQ this evening I’m pleased to report . I bought a soldering iron stand a while ago and thoroughly recommend its use to all cack handed modellers.

 

Very nice comment and pleased you like MQ .

[lash]

Back modelling this evening after a bit of a tidy up.

 

Concentrating  on bits and bobs and fiddly bits like painting a distant signal arm aaaaaargh . Good for the soul though. Looks good at a distance but as ever photos are cruel .

 

 

 

 

[lash]

Another signal pic showing work in progress before the masking tape came off . I used the v in the distant arm as a template to cut the masking tape . Result was ok but needed a little fettling .

 

 

[lash]

Worked on the home and distant signal this evening then track cleaning and playing trains.

 

It’s October 1965 , and a busy late afternoon at Milton Quay.

 

 

[lash]

The idea is to complete a few jobs on MQ and then take it to our house in the Isle of Wight to thoroughly test ( ok play with ) with a variety of stock from the mid 50s to early 70s over Christmas and the New Year.

 

So Jobs to do.

 

Final fix for the canopy .

Starter and distant signal.

Paint touch up .

Second cassette.

Signal box interior , may end up a Christmas project though.

Platform furniture and manholes.

Foliage here and there.

Odds sods and detritus around the dock.

 

Once out of the railway room there will be room for my planned revamp of Portsea Town ....

 

[KeithMacdonald]

On 24/09/2019 at 23:15, lash said:

50 years ago an early evening in September 1969 Chief Petty Officer Pertwee of HMS Troutbridge waits to catch the branch passenger service to the town station next up the line . Troutbridge is on a courtesy visit to Milton and Pertwee is taking the opportunity to negotiate the sale of some “surplus” navel stores to one of his local business contacts .

 

 

Hello Stores? Can you let CPO Pertwee know we've got an extra-large shipment of Mk1 Floggle-Toggles coming in. Does he want them delivered to the usual place?  We might have to organise a special train for them ... can you get Able Seaman Johnson to move them along the platform?

[lash]

Keith glad you enjoyed the reference and love your embellishments.

 

I think I could get into a few cameos with the characters from 60s and 70s radio comedy on the layout )  Maybe Binky Beaumont and Dame Celia Molestrangler and their take on Brief Encounter ( no refreshment room at MQ but maybe a stolen pot of tea and a rock cake at the local Black Cat Cafe   ) or Jules and Sandy escaping the drudgery of the Balls Pond Road for a bona day out at the seaside.

 

If there are any young people out there who don’t understand a word of this ......welcome to my world!!

[sb67]

I like the cameo ideas, How about a 60's blood donor poster with a homberg hat wearing Hancock? 

Steve.

[lash]

58 minutes ago, sb67 said:

I like the cameo ideas, How about a 60's blood donor poster with a homberg hat wearing Hancock? 

Steve.

 

Nice one yes

 

 

A pint ! Why ,that’s very nearly an armful . 

[KeithMacdonald]

17 minutes ago, lash said:

Keith glad you enjoyed the reference and love your embellishments.

...

If there are any young people out there who don’t understand a word of this ......welcome to my world!!

 

More! More!

 

Is there space for a pier with a concert hall alongside the quay? Then you could have Rambling Syd Rumpo getting off the train on his Summer Tour of gently fading south coast holiday entertainment destinations. He's excited to see an eager crowd of fans on the station. Little did he realise they were expecting Cliff Richard. But sadly there was a mix-up at the bookings agency.

 

Meanwhile, you might need to reinforce the quay wall PDQ - Mr Philips has just been sent for navigation tuition.

 

Ev'rybody down!

 

 

[lash]

Oh clang.

[rilksy]

"This be the evil smelling focsle, and these are some of the evil smelling folks'l be your shipmates"

 

Great comedy!

 

The modern stuff is just shouty, too PC and very NOT funny any more.

 

Rilksy.

[KeithMacdonald]

On 13/09/2018 at 20:41, lash said:

Worked on the canopy and few odds and ends and put together another mock up . Need to work out how to fit it all together.

 

 

Hello Lash,

Can I ask how you made the canopy and valances?

Thanks

Keith

[lash]

23 hours ago, KeithMacdonald said:

 

Hello Lash,

Can I ask how you made the canopy and valances?

Thanks

Keith

No prob.

 

It’s a standard Wills kit (based on a LSWR canopy I believe ) using single columns and the station building for support and sorting that and not being too wonky is the trickiest bit . I’ve added some standard SR style electric lights from a Ratio SR concrete lamp kit , they come double sided but MQ only uses one side of the  lamps on the platform so I had the necessary spares . I’m sure Westerham Adrian would have made the lamps out of Christmas chocolate wrappers ,tailor’s pins and the blunt end of a coffee stirrer ..... but I lack his genius and am an inveterate kit basher .

 

Happy new year all from the foggy IOW .

[lash]

I have managed a bit of modelling over Christmas .

 

I've liked the idea of a small permanent way train for a while and have acquired a few suitable Cambrian kits including a  Dogfish hopper . It’s been fun to build so far . Fettling the hooper body to the chassis is quite tricky so I wouldn’t recommend this as a first time kit but I’d encourage anyone to have a go at a simpler van or open wagon as a first step in building your own stock ,don’t forget to buy  wheels and bearings .

 

The second kit is a Wills 1950/60s tea kiosk . not for MQ this one but it will appear on the revamped Portsea Town/ Vernon Square where I’m planning a bit more scenic modelling and cameos . Love the kit and evocation of the smell of stewed tea and cheap instant coffee powder and the sight of a gently curling ham sandwich and a roll with cheese sweating as the day goes on waiting for an unsuspecting customer . 

 

 

 

 

[KeithMacdonald]

Looks good - does Joe's Tea Kiosk have a menu yet?

 

[lash]

2 hours ago, KeithMacdonald said:

Looks good - does Joe's Tea Kiosk have a menu yet?

 

Well, there's egg and bacon
Egg sausage and bacon
Egg and spam
Egg, bacon and spam
Egg, bacon, sausage and spam
Spam, bacon, sausage and spam
Spam, egg, spam, spam, bacon and spam
Spam, sausage, spam, spam, spam, bacon, spam tomato and spam
Spam, spam, spam, egg and spam
Spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, baked beans, spam, spam, spam and spam

 

Or Lobster Thermidor aux crevettes with a Mornay sauce
Served in a Provençale manner with shallots and aubergines
Garnished with truffle pâté, brandy and a fried egg on top and Spam

[KeithMacdonald]

An excellent menu.

 

But aubergines? Not sure about that funny foreign stuff.

Can I have chips instead?

As for cheeses:  Gruyère, Emmental, Norwegian Jarlsberg, Liptauer, Brie, Roquefort, Pont l'Evêque, Port Salut, Savoyard, Saint-Paulin, Carré de l'Est, Boursin, Bresse-Bleu, Perle de Champagne, etc.

I'm afraid we don't get much call for it around these parts. You could try Mr. Wensleydale's Cheese Emporium, round the corner...

 

Not invented yet (or unknown in 1960):

• Brown bread
• Baguettes
• Curries
• Pitta bread
• Mocha or Skinny latte
• Organic food
• Vegans

[lash]

1 hour ago, KeithMacdonald said:

An excellent menu.

 

But aubergines? Not sure about that funny foreign stuff.

Can I have chips instead?

As for cheeses:  Gruyère, Emmental, Norwegian Jarlsberg, Liptauer, Brie, Roquefort, Pont l'Evêque, Port Salut, Savoyard, Saint-Paulin, Carré de l'Est, Boursin, Bresse-Bleu, Perle de Champagne, etc.

I'm afraid we don't get much call for it around these parts. You could try Mr. Wensleydale's Cheese Emporium, round the corner...

 

Not invented yet (or unknown in 1960):

• Brown bread
• Baguettes
• Curries
• Pitta bread
• Mocha or Skinny latte
• Organic food
• Vegans

The Lash household was a little unusual in our  1950s diet ,dad was in the navy and had spent time in the Far East and Hong Kong and mum bought up around the Mediterranean . I was fed curry  and other delights from whenever I can remember . We were however regarded as a bit strange .

 

I do recall spotting a brownish loaf  in Campions as a boy but that was too outlandish even for us .

 

I’m pretty certain the bread in Joe,s would be white pale and devoid of any nutritional benefit with no stage between textureless and unpleasantly moist and curly edged cardboard stiff . Happy days and bring on the rockcakes , iced buns and very dodgy sausage rolls .

[lash]

Had a bit of time this evening after first day back at work so worked on Joe’s. Nearly done and Joe himself is installed spreading worldly wisdom , doubtful refreshment and mild salmonella .

 

a bit of tidying to do ,wheels and urn to be attached and some weathering to achieve a suitably gritty look.