Lydham Heath

[whart57]

Regarding the photo showing clean track in sidings, I'd be wary of that conclusion. Top surfaces show up lighter in photographs, especially black and white photographs. This topic usually arises when debating how white carriage roofs were in pre-Group times, but rarely reaches a conclusion

[Regularity]

3 hours ago, whart57 said:

Regarding the photo showing clean track in sidings, I'd be wary of that conclusion. Top surfaces show up lighter in photographs, especially black and white photographs. This topic usually arises when debating how white carriage roofs were in pre-Group times, but rarely reaches a conclusion

But I said "reasonably polished", not shiny, and in your earlier post you said I could give the sidings "good rust colouring which I presume they had". 

They may not be shiny, but they certainly aren't rusty. I have considered at times the idea of staining the rail with gun blue, but other things have a higher priority in my life, and once applied it will be a to remove if it doesn't look good. Perhaps you could provide an example from your own work?

 

If, with your obvious expertise in the matter of BPRC, you could perhaps share with us the solution to the problem I mentioned about fitting aerials into metal bodied locos, I would be very appreciative of it.

[steve howe]

I was so pleased to see that this iconic layout has been saved and in good hands. 

 

Now, does anyone know what happened to 'Petherick'?

 

Steve

[Regularity]

On 17/02/2020 at 12:05, wenlock said:

 

I'm only exasperated by the fact that your bringing the layout to Cardiff on the one year that I wont be attending the show!  I'm exhibiting Sherton Abbas the same weekend in Uckfield!

 

Looking forward to seeing the layout in the "flesh" at some point!

Hi Dave,

 

You won’t be missing it in Cardiff this year, as have had to cancel: I shall be in Toronto that weekend.

Hopefully it will be rescheduled, but at the moment the only show I have booked in is Bishop’s Castle on March 21st this year.

[wenlock]

11 hours ago, Regularity said:

Hi Dave,

 

You won’t be missing it in Cardiff this year, as have had to cancel: I shall be in Toronto that weekend.

Hopefully it will be rescheduled, but at the moment the only show I have booked in is Bishop’s Castle on March 21st this year.

Hi Simon, that's a shame you've had to cancel, but Toronto sounds fun!  Hopefully you can reschedule for the show in 2021

[Regularity]

1 minute ago, wenlock said:

Hi Simon, that's a shame you've had to cancel, but Toronto sounds fun!

Yes and no - the latter for that reason!

(Lots of Canadian Model Railways are involved!)

[Penlan]

On 17/02/2020 at 12:05, wenlock said:

...... Perhaps a solitary horse watching the proceedings from the field at the front of the layout would make a nice addition..

Brings back a memory, back in the early 60's, when I was a junior surveyor, we were out in the back lanes of Shropshire, looking for a farm.  Coming up to a 'T' junction, do we turn L or R, in front of us looking over the fence was a horse, the senior surveyor leaned out the the window a called to the horse "which way to Bowen's Farm?"
The horse looked at us, then, sedately, looked to his left and nodded gently, we went that way and a mile down the road, Bowen's Farm.... The tale of the office for weeks. Happy memories.
 

[Penlan]

On 17/02/2020 at 11:22, Regularity said:

Also, some very nice comments here about the isolated, rural atmosphere. "Plus there isn’t one figure on the whole layout! Yet this works. It really does look like a neglected rural railway where nothing much happens and very few people travel."

Lydham was hardly a hamlet at the time the BCR ran, it was basically a reversing point in the journey from Bishops Castle to Craven Arms.   I doubt the two or three families near-by traveled that often.
There's not much in the area now, though most of what there is, is 'modern'.

[mervyn]

I remember seeing this layout in London a while ago and it was then stated that the railway was run to the BCR time table so there was only one or two movements during the whole time it was exhibited must say it was just as enjoyable looking at it without stock as the standard of modelling was and is superb! Thanks for reviving this classic layout looking forward to seeing it again !....

[whart57]

On 19/02/2020 at 12:41, Regularity said:

If, with your obvious expertise in the matter of BPRC, you could perhaps share with us the solution to the problem I mentioned about fitting aerials into metal bodied locos, I would be very appreciative of it.

 

Not so much expertise as still experimenting. My loco is a narrow gauge jobbie and my plan is to replace the safety valve pipe with plastic one and have the aerial go up the inside. I'm also trying radio control inside a 4mm scale bus. That is stuck on sorting out the steering at the moment - Faller spares are no good because they are too narrow and the wheels are too small. It has been suggested to me that the fact a bus is mostly window above the waist line means the aerial should work if placed in that space. When I get to the stage of fitting the body that will no doubt be tested. Neither solution is suitable for the sort of locos you have though.

[Regularity]

Ah. Just musing.

Had these ideas 10 years ago.

[whart57]

The difference between now and ten years ago though is that we have LiPo batteries and kit from the likes of Deltang. Makes it a practical proposition. Unfortunately you still need to build the physical loco to put it in.

[Regularity]

Actually, the idea was first put to me circa 2006, by a Gauge 1 live steam modeller, who pointed out that although things were a bit bulky at the time, miniaturisation and mass production would bring this within most people's reach.

What we have now, is greater accessibility to things.

Anyway, I put the question on the RC thread, where there are experienced practitioners and with 2.5GHz systems there appears to be no problem at all.

That probably rules out using the DRS from TV, as that uses lower frequencies where there would be a problem.

[Regularity]

Back to the actual thread, rather than theoretical diversions...

 

Portsmouth, November 2021 (!) added.

[DLT]

Great to see Lydham Heath resurrected and out and about again.  Looks like its lasted very well.

Cheers, Dave.

[Regularity]

On 21/02/2020 at 16:04, DLT said:

Great to see Lydham Heath resurrected and out and about again.  Looks like its lasted very well.

Cheers, Dave.

Thanks, Dave.

 

It's not doing at all badly for a secondhand layout with the interesting bit of track missing, even if it is operated by three elderly middle-aged men with serious expressions!

(Although why anyone who felt that way would knowingly pay to see it is beyond me!)

[Regularity]

Just a reminder, for those who don't mind seeing a secondhand layout, and understand that actually only the least interesting bit of track is missing*, that Lydham Heath is scheduled to appear at Bishop's Castle in 11 days (pointless panicking over covid-19 permitting, of course).

 

* Here is Barry's original sketch to explain his thinking behind the layout design. 

Edited March 10, 2020 by Regularity
Explanation of the layout design, as some people just don't get it...

[Regularity]

Quote

 

Bishop's Castle Model Railway Exhibition March 21st 

I have decided that, because of the on-going Coronavirus pandemic, the model railway exhibition planned for next Saturday, 21st, will be postponed. It was not easy to make this decision; an awful lot of work has gone into organising the event and I know that many people will be disappointed.
Although government guidelines, at present, allow us to continue I believe that it is not desirable to do so with an event that would bring in to the district two or three hundred people when unnecessary travelling should be discouraged. We, as a local organisation, would wish to do what we can to protect the town.
It is our firm intention to hold this event when the situation has improved.
John Rimmer
Chairman, Bishop's Castle Railway Society

 

 

Edited April 4, 2020 by Regularity

[mullie]

Finally had a chance to have a proper look through this thread, what a superb layout. Like many on here I love the sense of space.

 

Martyn

[steve howe]

I've always had a passion for rural railways, especially those clinging by a thread. Weedy track, the dusty drowsy smell of tar and honeysuckle; bee-loud, lark-laden summer afternoons.....as Talking Heads put it:

 

"Heaven is a place

Where nothing

Nothing ever happens."

 

Sadly no more.

 

Steve

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/95206-lower-rose-goods/

Edited June 30, 2021 by steve howe

[Regularity]

For anyone interested in how this minimalist approach to a layout relates to reality:

 

 

 

Images used with the originator’s permission.

[john new]

On 19/02/2020 at 12:41, Regularity said:

But I said "reasonably polished", not shiny, and in your earlier post you said I could give the sidings "good rust colouring which I presume they had". 

They may not be shiny, but they certainly aren't rusty. I have considered at times the idea of staining the rail with gun blue, but other things have a higher priority in my life, and once applied it will be a to remove if it doesn't look good. Perhaps you could provide an example from your own work?

 

If, with your obvious expertise in the matter of BPRC, you could perhaps share with us the solution to the problem I mentioned about fitting aerials into metal bodied locos, I would be very appreciative of it.

Re your note above. Has anyone a link for a gun stain (gun blue?) that works by application cold.  I bought some from our local gunsmith a few months ago but it only works if applied to very hot metal.

[teaky]

Not a link but I have some Nickerson Professional Cold Blue which I have successfully used on steel chain and brass details.  I bought this from a gun shop a number of years ago.  I don't remember the price but I don't think it was expensive.

 

I cannot vouch for its effectiveness when painted on but it works perfectly on small parts if they are left to soak then rinsed with water.

 

[Lacathedrale]

Admiring this effort from one of the Wild Swan layout books, I'm pleased to see it here too. I'd not realised it was one of those semi-mythical 'kickback branch off a branch'-type prototypes which seem to pop up a fair bit in the layout plans we see.

 

Might I ask if there is an operating plan or method? The unorthodox (from the typical) track plan and presumably the operating pattern are very curious to me!

[Regularity]

5 hours ago, Lacathedrale said:

Might I ask if there is an operating plan or method? The unorthodox (from the typical) track plan and presumably the operating pattern are very curious to me!

Um. A train arrives from Bishop’s Castle. The loco runs round. There wouldn’t be use made of the railway to transport goods the short distance from BC to Lydham Heath, so there won’t be wagons to drop off but one might be picked up and added to the train. The train departs for Craven Arms.

A bit later on, the train returns from Craven arms. If there are any wagons for Lydham Heath, they will be detached here as part of running round, then the train will depart to Bishop’s Castle.

 

It should have been the case that a train arrived with the coach at the front, then wagons, then the brake van. And it should have departed with the vehicles in the same order but travelling in the opposite direction. So it should be that the brake van was removed and put into the loco release, followed by the goods wagons, and the train recombined. That’s what should have happened. In practice, the GWR and LNWR/LMS would expect to see the coach at the front and brake van at the rear, so the train left BC in reverse order to save shunting when running round, and similarly arrived from Craven Arms correctly formed, but went back down the branch in backwards order.
 

As with most things, the BCR only believed in following regulations if they would be found out for not following them...

 

When operating, we can pretend that officialdom is visiting and do things by the book, or just do as we please: photographic evidence suggests this to be entirely appropriate and completely prototypical.