Churminster & Stowe Magna, Southern Railway

[Tony Teague]

On 16/03/2021 at 19:04, Mick Bonwick said:

 

I'm impressed with the lack of 'dumped stuff.' Was it all stacked behind you when you pressed the shutter?

 

 

No! 

 

I really did clear up - well except for that area down the centre that isn't scenic'd yet, and except for my workbench - both of which I will illustrate in due course.....

Edited March 17, 2021 by Tony Teague

[Tony Teague]

Moving on from yesterday's post I'll look first at an area that really has moved on - and then at one that is a current problem.....

 

So it is probably the are around Churminster (that is to the left of the main picture above) where most has been achieved; just 5 years ago it looked like this:

 

Geoff Taylors' beautiful station building had just gone in and Mike Gascoigne's back scene had started, but there wasn't much around it, excepting on the 'top shelf' where I had been working on card kit buildings.

 

5 years on the area looks like this, left to right:

 

 

Wadley's brewery (also by Geoff Taylor) and the industrial area, plus the Goods Shed (by me!)....

 

 

The station now properly embedded, plus the loco shed:

 

 

(also by me), with above the shed, the residential area of Churminster, complete with backscene. Oh, and 5 years ago not one loco had been weathered!!

 

Whilst it will always be possible to 'titivate' things further, I regard this area as essentially complete excepting for the semaphore signals, which Steve Hewitt has constructed and I hope will be installed before too long.

 

Then of course there is the control pane - 9 years ago

 

 

and now:

 

 

Turning to problems - they mainly revolve around my trying to do too many things at once, and finishing none!

 

The first is that I started to install the 3rd rail across the 'bay bridge', causing a complete blockade of the main running lines:

 

 

Whilst there was some initial progress, it has looked like that for at leats 4 weeks and no trains can move as a result!

 

The second problem is that work bench is completely covered to the extent that it is unusable:

 

 

And both of these are AFTER I had cleared everything else up!

 

So, I have resolved that I MUST clear the running lines, so as to allow trains to run, AND I must clear the bench by finishing one or two smaller projects and if necessary, putting more difficult things away until time permits.

 

Just how long I will maintain my resolve remains to be seen, but today I have laid some 3rd rail and applied transfers to some of the wagons on the workbench!
 

Well its a start....

 

Tony

Edited November 23, 2022 by Tony Teague

[Tony Teague]

Another area where there has been progress is around the town of Stowe Magna:

 

 

St Giles' church was rebuilt - well replaced actually - last year, at the start of a re-work of this side of the layout which had previously been more or less completed around 10 years earlier:

 

 

The aim of the re-work being to bring this side of the layout up to the standard of the Churminster side; unfortunately this work has also stalled so that in between the two views above it is clear that a lot remains to be done:

 

 

The buildings along the back need some TLC, whilst the station itself had never been finished - especially the canopies. Further along sits Stowe Magna loco shed which suffered 'bum damage' some years ago, and again, work to replace the roof has started but is incomplete and currently blocks the Up & Down cross-London lines:

 

 

That EMU has been stuck there for at least 2 months!

 

So it seems that the second set of priorities, after the 3rd rail is finished on the Main Lines and my workbench is cleared of junk, would be to attend to the shed roof and perhaps make progress with the re-build of the station and its environs.

 

I think what is important is that things get finished!

 

Tony

Edited November 23, 2022 by Tony Teague

[Mick Bonwick]

53 minutes ago, Tony Teague said:

 

I think what is important is that things get finished!

 

 

 

I need to remember that!

 

As you say, it is by comparing old and new photographs that you appreciate what has been achieved, as well as what has not. Positivity!

[Jules]

I think the before and after shots show a good amount of progress, given the size of your layout etc.

I wish I had that amount of space to use, although I think my progress would be even slower!

[Tony Teague]

Brief update today:

The main line blockade has been lifted following progress with the 3rd rail installation.

6 of 8 rail lengths are fully installed and the other two (plus a couple of very short bits) have been prepared with insulator pots, however, the location for these last lengths is above the stairwell with about a 12' drop to the floor below and requires a ladder placed on the stairs, so I will not be fitting these until my good friend Martin is available to cushion my fall hold the safety net (&/or the ladder)!

A further wagon lettered, so only one left to complete of the five built back in February - then all 5 will go for a coat of Testor's Dullcote.

Feel's better already and some trains may run tomorow!

Tony

[Tony Teague]

Have today completed & lettered the last of those 5 vans; the underframes of a couple of these have yet to be painted black, but all have now been treated with Testor's Dullcote and so they are off the workbench and into the weathering queue - which is of course getting rather extended once again:

 

 

In terms of weathering, this is really just the tip of the iceberg, as there are also many non-weathered vehicles sitting in trains within the fiddle yards - but their day will come!

 

Also on the good news front, some trains did actually run yesterday:

 

 

First out was this old Bachmann Lord Nelson on the Ocean Liner Express - carriages in the distance look a bit wonky but they don't in real life - must be my focus-stacking software!

 

Before I show the 2nd train that ran yesterday I'll just say that there is some remaining bad news; I have discovered that in clearing the work bench there were no less that 13 locos waiting for attention on it and surrounding shelves! Whilst I did manage to fix one today, I can't actually remember what is wrong with the other 12 so fixing them could take some time!

 

Next train out was a Hornby King Arthur on the Sunny South Express:

 

 

Rather clean for my liking!

 

Tony

 

Edited November 23, 2022 by Tony Teague

[Mick Bonwick]

1 hour ago, Tony Teague said:

Rather clean for my liking!

 

 

And mine!

[Tony Teague]

1 hour ago, Mick Bonwick said:

 

And mine!

 

Hmmm, no surprise there!

I think airbrush will need to be started up sometime soon.....

[St Enodoc]

6 hours ago, Tony Teague said:

I can't actually remember what is wrong with the other 12 so fixing them could take some time!

Try running them. They could well have fixed themselves in the meantime.

[Tony Teague]

8 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Try running them. They could well have fixed themselves in the meantime.

 

That's certainly possible!

[Jack P]

On 17/03/2021 at 06:24, Tony Teague said:

it is at least three weeks since I last posted an update, and I'm afraid that it is again down to that unreliable mojo, which continues to go AWOL whenever it feels like it; I do, of course, also have other calls on my time!

 

The loss of mojo is the bane of my modelling existence. I surely can't be the only one who wants to do something, but just sits at the workbench umm-ing and ahh-ing, and then becoming frustrated by the wastage of time, only to find myself going in circles. 

 

You did the (extremely successful) A-Z of southern locos, Perhaps it's time to do the A-Z of rolling stock?  

 

All jokes aside, I would love to see further photos of your NPC stock, or even maybe video of trains running?

[thegreenhowards]

39 minutes ago, Jack P said:

 

The loss of mojo is the bane of my modelling existence. I surely can't be the only one who wants to do something, but just sits at the workbench umm-ing and ahh-ing, and then becoming frustrated by the wastage of time, only to find myself going in circles. 

 

You did the (extremely successful) A-Z of southern locos, Perhaps it's time to do the A-Z of rolling stock?  

 

All jokes aside, I would love to see further photos of your NPC stock, or even maybe video of trains running?

I agree with that as an idea. On Gresley Jn I’ve found running the sequence through and filming every movement to put on RMWeb helps give me a purpose. I wouldn’t run the trains otherwise and it keeps highlighting things I need to do.

[Tony Teague]

11 hours ago, Jack P said:

 

The loss of mojo is the bane of my modelling existence. I surely can't be the only one who wants to do something, but just sits at the workbench umm-ing and ahh-ing, and then becoming frustrated by the wastage of time, only to find myself going in circles. 

 

You did the (extremely successful) A-Z of southern locos, Perhaps it's time to do the A-Z of rolling stock?  

 

All jokes aside, I would love to see further photos of your NPC stock, or even maybe video of trains running?

 

In the UK we are currently preoccupied with a different A-Z  (a vaccine) but i'll see what I can do Jack.

I think we share that mojo problem - perhaps we only have one between us! In any event I know from others that we are not alone.

What I have found during our 3rd lockdown is that it has been tougher than the others and that the desire to do the things that you are not permitted to do is sometimes strong enough to stop you doing what you are allowed to do - if that makes sense!

Obviously for some people the desire has been too strong to resist - like the guy who drove from England to Wales to get a haircut (at 120mph and under the influence of drugs); nevertheless, the end appears to be in sight.

Tony

[Tony Teague]

11 hours ago, thegreenhowards said:

I agree with that as an idea. On Gresley Jn I’ve found running the sequence through and filming every movement to put on RMWeb helps give me a purpose. I wouldn’t run the trains otherwise and it keeps highlighting things I need to do.

 

Andy

Again, your suggestion is a good one although I am reluctant to keep bringing out a succession of unweathered trains!

I am full of admiration for what you do - day after day a new train appears - it is certainly compelling.

Tony

[thegreenhowards]

23 minutes ago, Tony Teague said:

 

Andy

Again, your suggestion is a good one although I am reluctant to keep bringing out a succession of unweathered trains!

I am full of admiration for what you do - day after day a new train appears - it is certainly compelling.

Tony

Thanks Tony,

 

There are times when I think ‘do I really have to go up to the loft and run a train today’. Occasionally I let lethargy take over and have a days break, but I do find it a good discipline. I wouldn’t use the layout without it except when people like you come to visit.

 

I find most people are appreciative of what I put up, warts and all. I do often resort to the ‘it’s in the weathering queue’ excuse without mentioning how long the queue is! 

 

Andy

[Tony Teague]

A slightly different update for today - Steve Hewitt has advised that he is about to start building my 2nd batch of semaphore signals, these being for that part of the northern end of Stowe Magna that is not colour-light signalled.

I am posting two of his schematic drawings below, in case anyone with better knowledge than I wants to point out errors in my specification before it is too late for Steve to put them right!

The first is the down (southbound) approach signal to the north end of SM station where the main, left hand doll covers the main running line through platform 5, the centre doll covers the terminating bay platform 7, whilst the third left hand doll covers entry into the goods yard and locoshed area.

 

The second signal is the up (northbound) starter from platform 6 which also has a shunt ahead arm to allow changing of locos here, and light engine movements forward so that they can then reverse into the locoshed / goods yard headshunt; their subsequent reversal will be covered by a related ground signal.

 

Because the layout does not follow a prototype it is certainly possible that I may not have aligned my specification with best practice, although all of the available references have been consulted, and so any feedback is welcome - but only if it is soon!

 

Tony

Edited November 23, 2022 by Tony Teague

[Tony Teague]

4 minutes ago, thegreenhowards said:

I find most people are appreciative of what I put up, warts and all. I do often resort to the ‘it’s in the weathering queue’ excuse without mentioning how long the queue is! 

 

 

You have my sympathy!

[Arun Sharma]

This must be where the light at the end of the tunnel come from - or is the one used to search for waylaid mojos?

 

[Tony Teague]

3 hours ago, Arun Sharma said:

This must be where the light at the end of the tunnel come from - or is the one used to search for waylaid mojos?

 

 

That could be where they are hiding! - The most inaccessible place on the layout....

[Tony Teague]

A week or so ago I started to show some 'then and now' images which in some way were helping me to see that I had actually achieved quite a lot over recent years, and that whilst there remains plenty to be done, nevertheless there has been significant progress.

 

I didn't quite finish that virtual 'tour' and so here are a few more 'then and now' comparisons which I hope might be of interest:

 

 

This is from 15 years ago and shows the viaduct at the far end of the room even before track had been laid - the location doesn't yet have a name! - it is made up from Hornby resin cast components. Here it is in 2017 with backscene by Mike Gascoigne:

 

 

and as of today:

 

 

It is not quite finished, but it has certainly come a long way!

 

One thing that the top picture shows is the two main line tracks that run along and into the main fiddle yard; these are now behind the backscene and potentially, this is actually the most inaccessible location on the layout.

 

Just to make matters worse, after the top picture was taken I inserted a third track between the two shown; it is a terminating turn back siding and is used by EMU's and pull - push trains and is matched by an equal and opposite terminating turn-back siding, pointing in the other direction, in the centre of the main fiddle yard.

 

Whilst on the subject of fiddle yards.....

 

 

This was the first attempt at the main fidddle yard in 2005; it fairly quickly got re-laid, and then re-laid again, after I worked out - having visited Tony Wright's 'Little Bytham' - that I really didn't need so much space between storage roads (2nd attempt) and that complex cross-overs at the entry to the yard were a BAD THING (3rd attempt):

 

 

Here it is now, with the upper fiddle yard above it, and all roads fitted with irdot detectors to show status on the panel, and in longer roads holding more than one train, to allow trains to move up automatically:

 

 

In both the viaduct and fiddle yard areas there is very little remaining to be done, and so I regard the efforts of the last few years in these areas as pretty positive.

 

Tony

 

Edited November 23, 2022 by Tony Teague

[Sandhole]

2 hours ago, Tony Teague said:

A week or so ago I started to show some 'then and now' images which in some way were helping me to see that I had actually achieved quite a lot over recent years, and that whilst there remains plenty to be done, nevertheless there has been significant progress.

 

I didn't quite finish that virtual 'tour' and so here are a few more 'then and now' comparisons which I hope might be of interest:

 

 

This is from 15 years ago and shows the viaduct at the far end of the room even before track had been laid - the location doesn't yet have a name! - it is made up from Hornby resin cast components. Here it is in 2017 with backscene by Mike Gascoigne:

 

 

and as of today:

 

 

It is not quite finished, but it has certainly come a long way!

 

One thing that the top picture shows is the two main line tracks that run along and into the main fiddle yard; these are now behind the backscene and potentially, this is actually the most inaccessible location on the layout.

 

Just to make matters worse, after the top picture was taken I inserted a third track between the two shown; it is a terminating turn back siding and is used by EMU's and pull - push trains and is matched by an equal and opposite terminating turn-back siding, pointing in the other direction, in the centre of the main fiddle yard.

 

Whilst on the subject of fiddle yards.....

 

 

This was the first attempt at the main fidddle yard in 2005; it fairly quickly got re-laid, and then re-laid again, after I worked out - having visited Tony Wright's 'Little Bytham' - that I really didn't need so much space between storage roads (2nd attempt) and that complex cross-overs at the entry to the yard were a BAD THING (3rd attempt):

 

 

Here it is now, with the upper fiddle yard above it, and all roads fitted with irdot detectors to show status on the panel, and in longer roads holding more than one train, to allow trains to move up automatically:

 

 

In both the viaduct and fiddle yard areas there is very little remaining to be done, and so I regard the efforts of the last few years in these areas as pretty positive.

 

Tony

 

 

To  praphraise The Mask........"That's a SPICEY Fiddleyard!"

[Tony Teague]

23 minutes ago, Sandhole said:

To  praphraise The Mask........"That's a SPICEY Fiddleyard!"

 

I'll take that as a compliment!

Along with one another yard, not shown here, it is what allows me to store a significant number of trains (what I call "several" ) - which was a key design consideration.

Tony

[Sandhole]

12 minutes ago, Tony Teague said:

 

I'll take that as a compliment!

Along with one another yard, not shown here, it is what allows me to store a significant number of trains (what I call "several" ) - which was a key design consideration.

Tony

It is a complement.
Speaking as one who has, what I thought was a big fiddle yard and isn't.
I stand in awe of your superb edifice.
Regards,
Chris.

[Sandhole]

I meant to ask, you have got models of the co-co electric locos.
Are you going to run a 4COR at all?