RMweb Gold Tony Teague Posted December 24, 2019 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted December 24, 2019 Many thanks. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KNP Posted December 24, 2019 Share Posted December 24, 2019 My thoughts and condolences to you at this time. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony Teague Posted December 24, 2019 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted December 24, 2019 Thanks Kevin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Popular Post Tony Teague Posted December 24, 2019 Author RMweb Gold Popular Post Share Posted December 24, 2019 (edited) Review of 2019 - 3. Wagons To complete the Rolling Stock review for 2019, this post covers wagons, and perhaps surprisingly, quite a lot has happened; this may be because I find building wagon kits quite therapeutic, and certainly my latest batch have been helping with the recovery of my 'modelling mojo'. In all, I seem to have managed to build about 18 wagon kits in the period, although two are not quite finished and operational, whilst the latest batch of 4 are unpainted at this moment (see further up this page); additional there have been just 2 RTR acquisitions (very modest) - the two ex-SECR / Rails of Sheffield 3D printed vans - or 3 if one includes as a 'wagon' the very recent Bachmann SR / Ransome & Rapier 45T breakdown crane. The main batch appeared back in June, and all bar two of these are finished and in the operational fleet: I regret that there has been very little progress with weathering the wagon fleet, which is, as we say: In fact almost the only wagon train that is completely weathered is the Kent coalfields train which I did almost two years ago: Dealing with this must be a target for next year, but in the meantime, a Happy Christmas to all followers of this thread! After Christmas I will conclude the review of 2019 by covering the scenery, buildings and infrastructure topics, before trying to consider where the priorities for 2020 should lie. Tony Edited December 26, 2019 by Tony Teague 19 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony Teague Posted December 26, 2019 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted December 26, 2019 (edited) Review of 2019: 4. Infrastructure In terms of infrastructure, one might imagine that this had been finished some time ago, however, significant progress has been made in this area in 2019. Trackwork has been stable for some time, but just prior to commissioning the new Control Panel, I decided that we simply must have more storage! - one can never have too many storage sidings! Since all usable space was, well, used, I decided to implement a cassette system and so appropriate connections were made and five cassettes produced. At present these have yet to be filled but I am envisaging using them to house less used trains that will only one once every few sequences, such as a breakdown train (thus the new Bachmann crane), the Royal Train, the Bulleid cinema coach and generator van, and so on; all of these trains require work to complete them. The second infrastructure area to have been worked on in 2019 was that of interlocking; that is to say the electronic interlocking of signals to points / routes and the Control Panel. Again, it was important that this was planned before the replacement Control Panel was commissioned, and so far, 3 of the 5 signalling areas has been completed; unfortunately it is the two most complex areas that remain to be done! The two areas concerned will have semaphore signals which have yet to be installed but it is likely and feasible for the interlocking to be implemented prior to the signals (of which more later) being installed. To conclude the infrastucture work for 2019, the new Control Panel was commissioned, the plans having reached version 26 and seemingly therefore fairly stable! - but only time will tell. As followers of this thread will know, the new Panel is installed, and whilst the switchgear is all working, the indicator lights remain "work in progress" but will hopefully be completed very soon! In the final post of this review of 2019 progress I will cover scenery and buildings. Tony Edited December 26, 2019 by Tony Teague 13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Mick Bonwick Posted December 26, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 26, 2019 1 hour ago, Tony Teague said: I will cover scenery and buildings. With what, I wonder. The few words used to describe progress does not reflect the amount of time and effort needed to achieve it, that I know. Tremendous results, Tony, and an inspiration to all of us lesser mortals modellers. 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony Teague Posted December 26, 2019 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted December 26, 2019 6 minutes ago, Mick Bonwick said: With what, I wonder. The few words used to describe progress does not reflect the amount of time and effort needed to achieve it, that I know. Tremendous results, Tony, and an inspiration to all of us lesser mortals modellers. Well thank you Mick, although I hardly feel you are a 'lesser modeller'! (More ) Good news is that I now have a proper coffee maker here, ready for your next visit - so no further need to suffer that yuckie instant stuff 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony Teague Posted December 27, 2019 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted December 27, 2019 10 hours ago, Tony Teague said: Good news is that I now have a proper coffee maker here I should have pointed out that I have yet to go on my "Barista Pro" course and so things may not be completely up to scratch - for example I can't yet make those nice patterns on top of a latte or cappuccino, which may cause disappointment. I am looking for suitable courses - so far the one that has caught my eye is "Grind Like A Pro" at Missenden, but I suspect it will already be fully booked. 2 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Mick Bonwick Posted December 27, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 27, 2019 A nice cup of coffee will never cause disappointment, decorated or not. I think you may have misread the course description for the Missenden event. The mention of grinding doesn't actually refer to coffee beans as mentioned in the previous sentence. It refers to the choice of methods used for removing excess solder in the following paragraph. Bad grammar, like the misuse of apostrophe's, can cause all sorts of confusion. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony Teague Posted December 27, 2019 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted December 27, 2019 15 minutes ago, Mick Bonwick said: A nice cup of coffee will never cause disappointment, decorated or not. I think you may have misread the course description for the Missenden event. The mention of grinding doesn't actually refer to coffee beans as mentioned in the previous sentence. It refers to the choice of methods used for removing excess solder in the following paragraph. Bad grammar, like the misuse of apostrophe's, can cause all sorts of confusion. Drat! I'll have to resort to Hobby Holidays' "Putting A Frothy Head on it" session! 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Steve Hewitt Posted December 29, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 29, 2019 On 26/12/2019 at 19:15, Tony Teague said: Review of 2019: 4. Infrastructure - - - - The two areas concerned will have semaphore signals which have yet to be installed but it is likely and feasible for the interlocking to be implemented prior to the signals (of which more later) being installed. - - - In the final post of this review of 2019 progress I will cover scenery and buildings. Tony Hi Tony, Here's a little taster of what's to come in 2020......... This is the Platform 3 Up Starter. Its a tall ex-LSWR lattice post with co-acting arms, necessary because of sighting over the footbridge. These work-in-progress shots were taken a while ago now, so I'll show some later shots when I can. They will probably be on my "Semaphore Signals" topic elsewhere on RMweb. Best wishes for 2020. Steve. 10 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony Teague Posted December 29, 2019 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted December 29, 2019 Excellent work Steve, this looks the 'dogs'! I am very much looking forward to getting Churminster signalled during 2020! For anyone who doesn't already follow Steve's thread, it is highly recommended: Tony 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Popular Post Tony Teague Posted December 31, 2019 Author RMweb Gold Popular Post Share Posted December 31, 2019 Review of 2019: 5. Scenery & Buildings Time to conclude the review of 2019, it being the last day of the year, and the first achievement really was to conclude the scenic development of the Churminster area in time for pictures of the area to be taken by Hornby Magazine; although Trevor Jones took his pictures back in February, they were only published this month! (but these are my pictures - you need to buy the magazine to see his!): The main effort was to add a bit more greenery to the grassy knoll opposite the brewery, plus a bit more detailing in the goods yard: Once this area was complete, the plan was to switch to the Stowe Magna area which had not had much attention for about 10 years, but as it turned out the 'refurbishment' effort did not commence until around September. In between times I was diverted, as is so often the case, this time to the RAF airfield just south of Churminster where new security fencing was required (Mick please note, Land Rover since disposed of!): A viaduct stands adjacent to the airfield, and this and the valley beneath it also received some attention but both remain 'work in progress' - they are not even on the 202 priority list!: Finally, in late September, work started on the Stowe Magna refurbishment where I have identified at least four main buildings that require either replacement or a significant upgrade, and St Giles Church was first on the list, the original just being too small for its position in what is a large market town: I am pleased to report that at the year end, its far grander replacement is all but complete, just requiring a bit more weathering before it can be located into a suitably expanded churchyard: All in all, it seems that I have made more progress in 2019 than I had imagined, and so I look forward to 2020 during which there remains an awful lot to accomplish! Happy New Year to all who follow this thread! Tony 15 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Mick Bonwick Posted December 31, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 31, 2019 St. Giles' really does look good, so well done! Nice to not see that Land Rover. Anticipating 2020s review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony Teague Posted January 1, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 1, 2020 Plan of Attack for 2020! Happy new Year! Having run through what was achieved in 2019, it seemed like a good time to consider what the priorities might be for the coming year. There are some obvious things, like continuing to reduce the 'missing locos' list but my feeling is that will happen at its own pace, so that it can't be seen as a priority 'goal'. So this is the current thinking: Make significant in-roads into weathering stock: 20% of the loco fleet is completed and this is enough to completely stock both sheds and make them look pretty reasonable, however, the vast majority of the stock that is sitting in the Fiddle Yards is not weathered and so things start to look less good the minute trains start to run. So I plan to go for a complete train at a time to make a real impact on this aspect. Progress the Stowe Magna re-furbishment: St Giles' church is all but completed and must be installed before other main buildings are delat with; in particular, the station, loc-shed and gas works. Lesser buildings need titivating, and the new backscenesm which are about 50% complete, need to be finished. Install semaphore signalling in the Churminster area, and complete the electronic interlocking of the two remaining zones. Steve Hewitt is building the semaphore signals, so this will occur at whatever pace matches delivery from him, but the intention is to complete the interlocking ahead of signal delivery and installation. Beyond that there is masses left to do, and even after the Stowe Magna re-furb is complete there will still be around 50% of the layout that is scenically incomplete - 30% is almost un-started! Oh, and the Control Panel needs finishing rather urgently! Could be an exciting year. Tony 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KNP Posted January 1, 2020 Share Posted January 1, 2020 (edited) Good idea to have a plan, though I find you rarely stick to them as other unexpected things come along!!! Like my front doorbell ringing and a friendly chap standing there delivering a Hall class loco that wasn't in my original plans for 2019...…..but in the end what an enjoyable task that turned out to be! Weathering would be my number one priority as that stands out the most. Edited January 1, 2020 by KNP 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Mick Bonwick Posted January 1, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 1, 2020 I just love all this dirty talk! A train at a time? Good plan. Happy New Year, young man. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony Teague Posted January 1, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 1, 2020 7 hours ago, KNP said: Good idea to have a plan, though I find you rarely stick to them as other unexpected things come along!!! ... Weathering would be my number one priority as that stands out the most. Thanks Kevin Couldn't agree more - on both counts! Happy New Year Tony Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony Teague Posted January 1, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 1, 2020 7 hours ago, Mick Bonwick said: Happy New Year, young man. "Young Man" my ar$e! You must be delusional! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Mick Bonwick Posted January 1, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 1, 2020 19 minutes ago, Tony Teague said: You must be delusional! Not really, just comparing. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony Teague Posted January 1, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 1, 2020 Us grumpy old gits must stick together! 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KNP Posted January 1, 2020 Share Posted January 1, 2020 4 hours ago, Tony Teague said: Us grumpy old gits must stick together! That’s what happens when you shake hands with someone after using super glue......! 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony Teague Posted January 6, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 6, 2020 A very short update to say that Steve Hewitt has now posted some initial images on his thread as he starts to build the semaphore signals for Churminster; these can be seen at: Secondly - and just as an observation, I think this is the first year for quite a number, when I will not be placing any orders for new Hornby stock! There seems to be very little of SR interest (for my era), and I am already well stocked with the items that are re-issues with changed running numbers, such as the H class or Lord Nelson - so thats save a few quid! Tony 2 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Popular Post Tony Teague Posted February 6, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Popular Post Share Posted February 6, 2020 (edited) Another long gap between posts! I'm afraid that the joy of twin probate applications has been taking its toll on modelling time, but they have to be done. Meanwhile, Steve Hewitt has been making good progress with the signals for Churminster Tiny ground signals and exquisite semaphores: The latter have a couple of minor tweaks to be made, due to errors in my specificaton! Sorry Steve! I'm looking forward to getting these installed in due course, but you can see more of this on Steve's thread as above. Tony Edited November 19, 2022 by Tony Teague 20 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Steve Hewitt Posted February 7, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 7, 2020 Thanks Tony. I'm afraid those cruel close-ups don't do any favours for my painting. Steve. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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