Life in a Northern Town

[Neil]

11 hours ago, Re6/6 said:

Neil, you're as good as CK when it comes to 'history'! 

 

Thank you John, I find it helps to concoct small stories as they give a glimpse into the life I imagine for a scene.

 

I'm pleased to say that the wandering caravan has obviously made it safely across the North Sea as it appears on Wallbridge's forecourt at the very beginning of this early amateur footage from Ooop north.

 

 

[Neil]

11 minutes ago, Ramblin Rich said:

I would say Neil is creative with a subversive satirical streak; whereas CK is rather more far fetched, verging on incomprehensible.... 

 

Curses; I have been rumbled.

[Stubby47]

I do like a good caravan.

[Captain Kernow]

20 hours ago, Ramblin Rich said:

whereas CK is rather more far fetched, verging on incomprehensible

Birmingham.

 

[ian]

1 hour ago, Captain Kernow said:

Birmingham.

 

That's easy for you to say.

[Neil]

Of late all my model making efforts have been directed at structures to fill out the area where the hidden sidings stop and the scenery starts. The idea is that the building themselves will screen the big hole in the sky.

 

 

I also need them to blend in a believable way with the buildings already in their allocated spaces.

 

 

There is an angle that only the camera can see where the hole is apparent ......

 

 

.... however I have plans for this.

[Neil]

Cripes, what's going on here then? York has got a distinctly continental look all of a sudden. Some time ago it was thought that the region might benefit from better trading links with the rest of Europe and an organisation to pursue these aims set up. International Freight For Yorkshire was the result, a quango of grandiose ambition with a matching budget. Those in the know commented that it was a shame that experience and acumen weren't similarly plentiful. It's all a bit immaterial for the enthusiast as rail ferry services have been instituted from the port of Hull to Ostend but unlike those to Harwich, Belgian motive power and crews work through to York, allowing a glimpse of all sorts of exotica.

 

Ready for the return trip to Flanders an SNCB type 81 waits the road out of Bishophill Yard. A bit like a Q6 but with all the innards on the outside is the view of the local spotters.

 

 

The 81 has been waiting for an incoming train which most unusually has a class 29 electric in the consist. It's rumoured that this will be dragged from York to Sheffield as IFFY has an eye on expansion to the other sides of the Pennines;

 

 

Meanwhile in a 'coals to Newcastle' moment a rake of refrigerated vans head off the light railway connection to Terry's loaded with chocolates for Belgium. Now if we could only get them interested in those other northern Saturday night staples of beer and chips.

 

 

All this foreign stuff has really taken hold, even the directors of Yorkshire Chemical Fertilisers "more potent than manure" have got in on the act. Their Ruston has been sidelined in favour of a German built Henschel.

 

 

All these overseas trains, a portent of things to come? Foreign trains on British metals, I can't see that happening. Remember the Midland and the Great Northern both tried American engines and we know what happened to them.

[Ramblin Rich]

Ah, if only....

Getting nostalgic about being connected to Europe. We realised today that offspring v2.0 needs his passport renewed, so it will be one of those dark blue/black jobs without the 'European Union' wording....

[Neil]

The first of my view block range of buildings has made it through the paint shop and had it's windows fitted. Here it is on the workbench.

 

 

 

There's still a bit of faffing to do, the roof needs weathering and the window displays sorting but I'm happy it's getting there.

 

 

[Neil]

I've been playing around with videos some more, this time shunting the exchange sidings.

 

 

[Re6/6]

Lovely bit of film there Neil!

 

Didn't know that you were an Oasis fan!

[Neil]

14 hours ago, Re6/6 said:

Lovely bit of film there Neil!

 

Didn't know that you were an Oasis fan!

 

Thanks John, I've pretty wide ranging tastes in music but I've always liked this Oasis number and I thought it sort of fitted the video. Certainly a lot better than the dehumidifier clattering away in the background and me clomping about.

[Neil]

Though the recent set of buildings were constructed to hide the hole that marks the transition from fiddle yard to scenic section I was aware that it was still just visible from some angles and particularly in photos. I've spent the last week or so modifying a pair of Triang Hornby bridges to plug the gap.  To further camouflage the join I've scratchbuilt the rear side of a poster hoarding to sit on top. The weeds growing between the parapet and hoarding are the first bits of greenery on the layout.

 

 

 

I've also been playing about with the positioning of some of the structures. Yesterday I moved the flat roofed office from the goods yard at the far end of the layout to the exchange sidings. I'm not sure if it will stay here but leaving it in place for a couple of weeks will give me time to work out if it's right for the spot.

 

 

Finally you'll have noticed the 9F placed on the layout for some railway interest. The other reason for its appearance is that it's the first of my locos to be crewed. Though I've painted over a dozen railwaymen fitting them into locos has been a slow process; I really must pull my finger out.

 

[Jon Gwinnett]

So much character as ever, and I can imagine hear the track in the yard creaking and groaning under the weight of the spaceship...

[Neil]

Thanks Jon, since the photos were taken I've done a bit of sign writing and toned down the roof of the long block of buildings on the right hand side.

 

 

 

[Neil]

Here's a rather lovely slice of inspiration found on youtube, enjoy.

 

 

[Neil]

I've not been idle these past few weeks but I've not been particularly busy either. What I have done is to make a tentative start into my stash of rolling stock kits put by when the opportunity presented itself or the price was right. First finished is this ex GWR beetle from the Parkside kit. The only variation I made was to use Parkside's aftermarket coupling mounting blocks for small Bachmann tension locks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 6, 2022 by Neil

[Neil]

Today I've had a spot of constructive destruction. Remember where the light railway engine shed was in the mocked up form of the layout, well it's not going to be there. I finally worked out what I didn't like about that bit of the layout and it's that both rear (main line) and front (light railway) tracks were at the same level. So the engine shed will be relocated and the slope down to the lower level will start where I've trimmed back the trackbed to. Also I like stretches of plain track and this will give another visually satisfying bit and it should help space out the light railway controls from those of the main line and yard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 6, 2022 by Neil

[Neil]

I'm afraid that there's little to show at the moment as most of my efforts are being spent rebuilding our shower along with a spot of domestic wiring adjustments. By way of recompense I've dug up this rather splendid old film of freight handling in Sheffield. While Sheffield isn't York the atmosphere takes me straight back to my childhood. It does make me feel old that what was then cutting edge is now long obsolete.

 

 

[Re6/6]

Love the wagon hoist bit. Now there's something to model!

 

Makes me feel old too Neil....well I am really!

 

Edited August 31, 2021 by Re6/6

[Neil]

Last week I spent some time playing trains under the guise of testing reliability modifications completed earlier. By and large successful as issues were narrowed down to the adjustment of a couple of microswitches. While I played, sorry, tested, I took a few photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 6, 2022 by Neil

[Neil]

A bad back has reduced me to tottering about with the odd tourettes like outburst when a move sets off a spasm. Progress on the layout has been almost non existent however I have found some grainy but wonderfully atmospheric footage of York steam in the sixties. It's funny but I often find the poor quality stuff far more evocative than the pin sharp, perfectly lit, footage.

 

 

Edited October 1, 2021 by Neil

[Oldddudders]

3 minutes ago, Neil said:

A bad back has reduced me to tottering about with the odd tourettes like outburst when a move sets off a spasm.

Ditto over the last couple of months, lots of shouting, though much better now. But a visit to A&E resulted in scans and x-rays that revealed osteoporosis, which may now be treated. I hope your spasms reduce and there is no underlying skeletal problem. 

[Neil]

Thank you Ian, it's a recurring issue (muscular) but the swearing has lessened so I guess I'm well on the mend.

[Captain Kernow]

I also suffer from a muscle-related lower back problem, Neil, so you have my sympathies.

 

I don't always know when I've done the damage and a couple of the worst instances have happened in my sleep(!), but my gut reaction is to have a hot bath, yet I am told that if the muscle is spasming, then it may well need a cold pack, not warmth!

 

All very confusing, I must try to remember to do the exercises that our brilliant local local osteopath gives me, which mostly seem to involve lying on my back on the floor and waving my legs in the air.