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Annie's Virtual Pre-Grouping, Grouping and BR Layouts & Workbench


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 Very nice! Glad I installed trainz as it now permits me access to a lot of pre-grouping content, something which is very sorely lacking in TS, though a lot of very nice Caley content is coming out of late (123 back in the Winter, the 812 imminent and an 0-4-4T to follow) and we have the LSWR 415, a 1920's Lyme Regis and matching stock all coming out before too long.

 

That said, some fairly nice pre-grouping scenes can be created on the Great Western routes, and the BR(NE) route once you've put NER Split-Post signals in. There are a couple of nice packs of GWR Toplights available, the 4300 (Albeit with incorrect Outside steam pipes), an LSWR Road Van, various bits of S&DJR stock and a GWR Railmotor all available. Actually, let's do a list!

 

Freeware - Pre Grouping steam locos

GNR Class N2 0-6-2T*

GNR Class A1 4-6-2*

GCR Class D11 4-4-0*

GCR Class 8K 2-8-0*

MR Class 4F 0-6-0*

GWR Class 4500 2-6-2T*

CR Class 80 4-4-0 

CR Dunalastair Class 4-4-0

LBSCR Class A1 0-6-0T

LBSCR Class G 2-2-2

MR Johnson 4-2-2

MR Johnson 4-4-0

S&DJR Johnson 4-4-0

 

Payware - Pre Grouping steam locos

LSWR Class 415 4-4-2T

CR Class 812 0-6-0**

CR No. 123 4-2-2

GNR Class N2 0-6-2T

GWR Class 3700 4-4-0

GWR Class 4200 2-8-0T

GWR Class 4300 2-6-0

GWR Class 4500 2-6-2T

GWR 'Saint' Class 4-6-0

GWR 'Star' Class 4-6-0

GWR Steam Railmotor

MR Class 1000 4-4-0*

MR Class 3F 0-6-0*

MR Class 4F 0-6-0

GER Class S69* & **

GER Class Y14 0-6-0

LSWR Class M7 0-4-4T

LSWR Class T9 4-4-0***

LBSCR Class A1 0-6-0T

LBSCR Class E2 0-6-0T

NER Raven Class T2 0-8-0

S&DJR Class 7F 2-8-0

 

*In post grouping condition only.

** Forthcoming Release

*** In Urie Rebuilt condition only.

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Oooooo nice.  That's an older type M0 set too.  I like those.

 

 

I finally got the MS&LR 4-4-0 finished.  Might be some bit's I'll mess around with later, but it's done and dusted for the moment.  Getting the colours right between the engine and the tender was a bit tricky as even with using exactly the same colours on both sets of textures the colours on the engine and the tender displayed slightly differently in the simulator.

 

ucmK266.jpg

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Yes I'm reasonably pleased with how the MS&LR loco turned out even though it's a complete fudge from one end to the other.  I'm working on reskinning a MR 4 wheel coach into a MS&LR coach as a bit of a test piece.  This one isn't a litho it's a full reskin on a coach with a modelled interior so it might take me a while to do.  Progress is slow, but so far it's looking good.

 

3NaHjUg.jpg

Edited by Annie
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Oooooo nice.  That's an older type M0 set too.  I like those.

 

 

I finally got the MS&LR 4-4-0 finished.  Might be some bit's I'll mess around with later, but it's done and dusted for the moment.  Getting the colours right between the engine and the tender was a bit tricky as even with using exactly the same colours on both sets of textures the colours on the engine and the tender displayed slightly differently in the simulator.

 

ucmK266.jpg

 

Now there's a beauty! 

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Thanks. G1dDhSj.png  The nice thing is that the original creators of the base loco and tender I used have seen it over on the Auran Trainz forum and approve of what I've done.  They even gave me some advice on how to improve the colour matching between the loco and the tender.

 

I'm still working on the Valleyfields layout and one of the things it was lacking was a proper MPD.  There was a small engine shed at one of the stations, but it couldn't really be called a MPD and wasn't anywhere near suitable for servicing the perhaps dozen or so locomotives that are going to find homes on this layout.  It's still a bit WIP at the moment while I'm sorting everything out, but here's three of the GER locomotives on shed at the end of play yesterday.

 

XH858Ob.jpg

Edited by Annie
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Thanks. G1dDhSj.png  The nice thing is that the original creators of the base loco and tender I used have seen it over on the Auran Trainz forum and approve of what I've done.  They even gave me some advice on how to improve the colour matching between the loco and the tender.

 

I'm still working on the Valleyfields layout and one of the things it was lacking was a proper MPD.  There was a small engine shed at one of the stations, but it couldn't really be called a MPD and wasn't anywhere near suitable for servicing the perhaps dozen or so locomotives that are going to find homes on this layout.  It's still a bit WIP at the moment while I'm sorting everything out, but here's three of the GER locomotives on shed at the end of play yesterday.

 

XH858Ob.jpg

 

Yay, Go Great Eastern!

 

After he gave me a "J70" to inspect (they are wondrous heavy wee beasties), I did take the opportunity to lay it on (very) thick to the nice Rapido Man at York that I was determined to hold out until Model Rail does the decent thing and produces the thing in ultramarine and coach brown.

 

It must be nice not to have to wait!

 

Looks in order, even down to the blue buffer beam.

 

And you know I want one of the blue passenger fitted Y14s for CA?

 

Lovely group.

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The GER C53 tram engine came from Darlington Works James https://darlington-works.weebly.com/ger-wisbech-stock.html

 

It was part of a pack also containing J70's in LNER livery as well as BR liveries, and also the GER luggage van as well as 4 wheel tramway coaches in GER lake and LNER mock teak.  Unfortunately there was just the one GER C53 in the pack along with multiple versions of the others.  I may have do a little texture editing in order to make another one as I have plans for a wharf and a certain amount of roadside running through a town on Valleyfields.

 

The GER Y14 had only just been done by someone on the Auran Trainz forum as a reskin on a LNER version so it was very timely.  There's also some very nice GER teak 4 and 6 wheelers been done recently as well.  Not strictly correct as they are texture reskins of MR coaches, but they look magnificent.  Some clerestory GER teak coaches are presently being worked on by the same chap who made the 4 and 6 wheelers after I suggested the possibility of doing the same thing with some MR bogie coach digital models that were available for Trainz.

 

I have a 'Claud'  4-4-0 in GER blue as well, but it was out on the layout with a train when I took the engine shed screen shot.

 

I've tracked down an older digital model of a 'Crystal Palace'  2-4-2.  It may be available in GER blue and I'm still thinking about it as it is an older model with some faults and it might not have been especially likely for one to be found out in the rural countryside..

 

It's definitely a good time to be modelling the GER though as more models are becoming available along with suitable pre-group goods wagons.

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Weren’t they dual braked?

 

5 of the first 10 fitted with Westinghouse gear for mixed traffic work were also vacuum fitted.

 

I don't know why it had not struck me before, but one of these dual fitted locos would be incredibly useful for CA, given that the WNR is a vacuum brake line.

 

EDIT: The subsequent 3 batches were all dual-braked, but these are out of period for me.  Given that this had proved so successful, it makes me wonder whether they went back and dual-fitted the 5 air-braked examples later? 

Edited by Edwardian
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Only just fits on the turntable!  Still some final texture colour adjustments to do.  I'm thinking of doing a second one lettered for the GC&EJt.  Same basic lined green, but with different lettering on the tender and the coat of arms on the front splasher changed.

 

NYfjytH.jpg

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Picnic Saloons are fun and are a very good way to add colour to any pre-group passenger train.  They sometimes tended to go outside their owning company's area of operations and sometimes a long way from home where you wouldn't expect to see a coach from that particular company.  I've got a GWR 6 wheel Family Saloon and a LNWR 6 wheel Picnic Saloon which I'll be adding into passenger trains on Valleyfields from time to time.

 

This is the LNWR Picnic Saloon.

 

FUXXJij.jpg

 

And this is the GWR Family Saloon.

 

1lHpVaH.jpg

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When I'm having a not so good day with not being well I seem to spend my time making coaches.  This one is based off a scan of about a third of a faded Leeds Model Co coach litho that had a bit of damage to boot.  It's something I've been meaning to do for a while just to see if I could restore the litho and after quite a bit of exercising both my brain and Paint.NET I achieved what I think is a reasonable result.

 

w7xd6ld.jpg

 

jtKjzTq.jpg

 

I have no idea if the NER actually had a 50ft low arc roof lav composite like this one, but since the remains of the old litho was for the North Eastern Railway I decided to go ahead and complete it as a NER coach.  Now it's all tidy and restored I could just as easily letter another version for the GER since it does look something like their coaches that were finished in the later Lake livery.  Anyway I'm reasonably happy with it and it can joint the ranks of my other litho based coaches that are so very useful for strengthening passenger trains.  The most important thing with running litho type coaches like these is not to couple them up right next to highly detailed stock with proper windows and modelled interiors otherwise they start looking like poor relations.

 

I have a train of GCR clerestory coaches made for TS2004 (not by me) and these are litho type coaches as well.  They could really do with their sides being properly overhauled and detailed in the way that I do with my own litho coaches so that's going to become an ongoing project for me in between building GC&EJt.coaches using Linny's coach side artwork.

 

I went and purchased 6 Worsdell NER clerestory coaches from Paulz Trainz since I want to work on the much neglected NER section of the HUGE UK layout so it actually has a presence on the layout; - which was difficult since I didn't have any NER coaches and I wanted to retire the Gresley stock.  I have plans to purchase some NER 4-4-0's from Paul in about three different varieties as when my pocket money fund allows me to do so.  Goods engines I already have due to my imaginary GNJt.R being mainly about hauling long trains of coal across the landscape; - it was the passenger service side that was lacking.

The coach types are: -  Lav 1st, Compo (D47), Compo (D88), Compo (D93), Van 1st, Van Compo, Lugg Compo.  Apparently these 45ft bogies were meant for the lines around Whitby, particularly between Malton and Whitby via Pickering.  BUT of course I won't be taking much notice of that as the HUGE UK layout's location has never been stated and I'm not likely to either (because I haven't a clue).

 

6RjVQCu.jpg

 

I did go and buy a GER 'Crystal Palance' tank engine, - well actually three of them, - since it was cheaper to buy three instead of one.  This means that I will own exactly one quarter of the whole class.  Such things might make a purist sweat as they try to justify them, but not me  G1dDhSj.png

From the pictures on Paul's website the models seem to use a one colour texture piece that includes the cab roof so any GER version will end up with a blue cab roof.  So while I have asked for GER engines I will be changing the colour to wartime grey which should take care of the problem.

 

Anyway that's enough rambling on from me.

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Y65 Crystal Place tank engines have arrived.

 

tOiOhBS.jpg

 

GER ones aren't done anymore, so I had to take black and modern image LNER instead.  Not a problem though as me and Mr Paint.NET should be able to fix that.  I am thinking that since the Crystal Palace tank engines weren't a great success........... in my imaginary little world they might have got palmed off on the GC&EJt.  I'll try one like that and see wot I think.

 

The NER coaches have just arrived too.  I like pocket money day  G1dDhSj.png

Edited by Annie
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That is one very nice model locomotive; - and 'S' Scale too.  Over 20 years ago now I used to work in 'S' Scale and I thought it was the ideal scale for finescale work.  I tried P4 and that way madness beckons..........ueOQWcg.gif

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After a bit of fluffing around I discovered that the Y65 'Crystal Place' tank engines have been made to be black engines only with the way the textures have been arranged.  Not terribly keen on digital locos that use blanket textures as you end up being stuck with a loco that can only be one colour scheme - usually black, - and they can't be lined out.  BUT in this case they are going to be fine as GC&EJt. locomotives and will get used for passenger workings of the semi-brisk variety from the GCR and into GER territory.

 

88PW9GM.jpg

 

N755fki.jpg

 

My lettering is much nicer then Paul's with 3 layers of colour and no nasty shine either.  The Y65's look reasonably smart with the way I've done them even if I do say so myself.  I used the loco's GER numbers just because, - and it also saved me from attempting to make up number schemes. The other two locos will be Nos. 192 and 193.

 

I was a bit intrigued by the safety valve casing which looks like a square section brass biscuit tin, but apparently they really were like that.

Edited by Annie
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With their 7ft driving wheels GER 'Clauds' are just soooooooo much fun to drive.

 

WPF7g58.jpg

 

hMcSbKS.jpg

 

And on a more mundane level here's a GCR 9F (N5) 0-6-2 tank engine on a semi-fitted goods train.

 

7PsKsiF.jpg

 

VXHaUyN.jpg

 

The GCR 9F tank engines were complete all rounders that could cope with shunting, trip freight working and working passenger trains as well.  They were really useful engines.  I think my one should be in lined bronze green, but I don't feel brave enough to try modding its textures yet.  A lovely flexible digital model to drive with nicely done physics and engine spec.  More then likely the GCR section on the Valleyfields layout is going to be largely worked by GCR 9F tank engines simply because they are so versatile.

 

E098vtO.jpg

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