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Stoke Courtenay


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That's useful.  Thanks Rich.  Funnily enough, while driving home from Staples the other day with my roll of black paper I was musing about possible materials for the covers, and black bin liners came to mind.  Seems someone had been there before me!

 

(And a quick calculation suggest that one bin bag might make 2 or 3000 gangways!)

 

John C.

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I've probably said this before but the neatness of the track and ballasting and cess I'm in awe of - last picture in post 136 showing this to great effect - particulary like the different textures. The Stoke Courtenay PW gang are doing a good job of keeping it nice and tidy.

 

Look forward to seeing more "tarted up" trains...

 

All the best

 

Jon

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I assume the hook-and-loop couplings rely on the buffers if propelling the rake?

 

Not quite.  I don't normally need to propel a whole rake on my roundy-roundy, but I've just backed a 6 coach train out of the fiddle yard onto the main line over the inside track of Peco curved points.  On straight track the gangways seem to reach maximum compression just before the buffers touch, after which the propelling is done by the gangways.  On the sharpest curves the inner buffers are indeed touching - but one would expect them to, otherwise I'd have been able to get away with coupling the vehicles that little bit closer!

 

John C.

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I'm just starting in 00-SF and this is one of the finest examples I've seen. I know you mentioned the track and ballast painting /weathering , but could you go over the colours and sequence used. Thank you for pictures of a fantastic layout

 

 

 

Dave

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I know you mentioned the track and ballast painting /weathering , but could you go over the colours and sequence used. 

Dave

 

Hi Dave

 

Glad you like it.  Basic colouring is Halford's grey primer, with various tones of brown lightly sprayed, washed or dry-brushed over, rail sides painted with Lifecolor 'sleeper grime'. .  See post 105 on this thread for further details. (Other details re track, inc. 00-SF aspects, in posts 68, 74, 90, 93 and 95.)

 

John.

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Passing trains.  While I've got the camera out, and before I get back to work, here are pics of a couple more 'tarted-up trains'.

 

First up represents a 5 coach Castle-hauled up express, roof boards reading 'Paddington, Exeter and Plymouth'.  On occasion in my alternative 1930s world this picks up the returning Earlsbridge through coach at Stoke Courtenay, making it 6 coaches. 

 

No 70 footers I'm afraid, but there are lots of pics in the pre-war albums of short expresses like this, with a ragbag of coaches inc. clerestories (though I'll admit that roofboards on the latter were rare by this date). Often I guess they might be relief trains or extras. As usual I'm aiming for atmosphere and impression using what the trade provides. 

 

post-15399-0-86772000-1479917304_thumb.jpg

post-15399-0-70920700-1479917316_thumb.jpg

post-15399-0-35242100-1479917335_thumb.jpg

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post-15399-0-40604100-1479917380_thumb.jpg

 

This train gave me a bit of trouble in that the trailing bogie of one Hornby Collett kept leaping off the track at the same point.  I checked back to backs; I checked track and check rail gauge; I checked that the gangways weren't throwing it off (I temporarily removed them); I swapped the Alan Gibson wheels in case they were loose or wobbly on their axles: I checked that the dummy vac and steam hoses weren't interfering with the coupling; I checked that they weren't too closely coupled (unlikely, as they sailed through the inside track of Peco curved points without problem.)  A big SNAFU. Those of an engineering bent would have got to the bottom of it, but in the end I just swapped the whole bogie for one on a similar coach in a different train. Since then neither has given any trouble at all.  Weird.

 

John C.

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The local train proceeds towards Plymouth.  The loco will eventually become 'Broome Hall' (I have the plates ready) which I've seen pictured running in this area (Laira loco I think) in the 1930s with a 3,500 gallon tender.  It's a Bachmann model of preserved 4965 'Rood Ashton Hall' made for the Shakespeare Express train pack.  I bought the set and sold the other vehicles on.

 

attachicon.gifPT11-min.JPG

attachicon.gifPT12-min.JPG

 

Finally, a couple of shots of the Castle (soon to be 5000, 'Launceston Castle') heading off towards the tunnel with the up express.

 

attachicon.gifPT13-min.JPG

attachicon.gifPT14-min.JPG

 

John C.

Fabulous again!

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Regarding the coach gangways here is a link I've found on that well known website https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/122128749191

Hope it's of some use :)

There are two suppliers of laser cut corridors on eBay at the moment, and another with a slightly higher price for half the amount. has anyone used either? The only problem I see with them seems to be the bespoke nature to the specific RTR coach on each (and how well they will match up when using a prototypical mixed GW rake.) Makes a hell of a difference getting rid of the gap between coaches...

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There are two suppliers of laser cut corridors on eBay at the moment, and another with a slightly higher price for half the amount. has anyone used either? The only problem I see with them seems to be the bespoke nature to the specific RTR coach on each (and how well they will match up when using a prototypical mixed GW rake.) Makes a hell of a difference getting rid of the gap between coaches...

I agree it does make a difference "filling the gap" and I've tended to make my own using black cartridge paper with one end glued to a balsa wood former and pushed into the corridor ends. Relatively easy to produce. The other connections are those produced by Mallard / Blacksmith ( don't think they are available now ) which, although slightly fiddly to make do look better.

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Passing trains.  While I've got the camera out, and before I get back to work, here are pics of a couple more 'tarted-up trains'.

 

First up represents a 5 coach Castle-hauled up express, roof boards reading 'Paddington, Exeter and Plymouth'.  On occasion in my alternative 1930s world this picks up the returning Earlsbridge through coach at Stoke Courtenay, making it 6 coaches. 

 

No 70 footers I'm afraid, but there are lots of pics in the pre-war albums of short expresses like this, with a ragbag of coaches inc. clerestories (though I'll admit that roofboards on the latter were rare by this date). Often I guess they might be relief trains or extras. As usual I'm aiming for atmosphere and impression using what the trade provides. 

 

attachicon.gifPT1-min.JPG

attachicon.gifPT2-min.JPG

attachicon.gifPT3-min.JPG

attachicon.gifPT4-min.JPG

attachicon.gifPT5-min.JPG

attachicon.gifPT6-min.JPG

 

This train gave me a bit of trouble in that the trailing bogie of one Hornby Collett kept leaping off the track at the same point.  I checked back to backs; I checked track and check rail gauge; I checked that the gangways weren't throwing it off (I temporarily removed them); I swapped the Alan Gibson wheels in case they were loose or wobbly on their axles: I checked that the dummy vac and steam hoses weren't interfering with the coupling; I checked that they weren't too closely coupled (unlikely, as they sailed through the inside track of Peco curved points without problem.)  A big SNAFU. Those of an engineering bent would have got to the bottom of it, but in the end I just swapped the whole bogie for one on a similar coach in a different train. Since then neither has given any trouble at all.  Weird.

 

John C.

John, when that sort of thing happens my first step is to turn the vehicle concerned end for end.

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John, when that sort of thing happens my first step is to turn the vehicle concerned end for end.

 

Yeah, but you're not as lazy as me and you probably would have re-painted the droplights, applied the roofboard printing and seat number boards, and weathered the underframes, on the other side of the coach!   Ssshh! - don't tell anyone.

 

John C.

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Yeah, but you're not as lazy as me and you probably would have re-painted the droplights, applied the roofboard printing and seat number boards, and weathered the underframes, on the other side of the coach!   Ssshh! - don't tell anyone.

 

John C.

Good way of doubling up the number of workings in your fiddleyard, having different services on each side.....

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Good way of doubling up the number of workings in your fiddleyard, having different services on each side.....

On a previous layout some locos had different numbers and some coaches were painted different colours on each side, so when they went round the reverse loop they looked as though they were a different train altogether.

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Yeah, but you're not as lazy as me and you probably would have re-painted the droplights, applied the roofboard printing and seat number boards, and weathered the underframes, on the other side of the coach!   Ssshh! - don't tell anyone.

 

John C.

 

On a more practical note, I couldn't do this in this instance, as the passenger stock is 'handed' - hook at the down end, loop at the up end .......

 

Good way of doubling up the number of workings in your fiddleyard, having different services on each side.....

 

..... but I suppose I could turn whole trains round.  So I'll mull over this good suggestion.

 

John C.

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I like the photo's John absolutely stunning mate !!!.

 

Your derailing issue there is one quick check you can make ensure both axles are inline with one another not all RTR bogies are well made I've replace some dicky Bachmann one's off of a second coach,

 check for wobble as well nothing worse than a piece of rolling stock bouncing along.

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.... but I suppose I could turn whole trains round. So I'll mull over this good suggestion.

 

John C.

My logic is that in a particular running session I won't change them, but the next time I assemble the fiddle yard all will be swapped round.

 

All part of the long term ambition to model a full day's operation, this doubles up the use of each coach...

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