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Cholsey & Moulsford (Change for Wallingford)


Nick Gough
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Meanwhile, at the other end of the station, I need a temporary placeholder for a pair of bullhead, medium radius points (yet to be released for sale) in the Down Relief line:

P1270564.JPG.34116750f67513e1637e955958ec7001.JPG

 

Eventually I will have a trailing crossover here to the Up Relief:P1270568.JPG.f8f21841e544b420cda01c695b14fee6.JPG

 

Of course, with tracklaying, I have several short pieces of track that have been left over during fitting. However, none were a close enough fit for the job. I was reluctant to cut any longer sections down since I would be bound to need that longer piece somewhere else later.

 

I did have one piece that was about 5mm short on one side and 18mm on the other, and some really short sections of rail, so I decided to use those.

The 18mm piece was easy, just use a FB rail joiner:P1270571.JPG.c308c2abaa6dc9cb8a8fbde6436bdbf5.JPG

 

But the other side was too short for this so I soldered it together:

P1270576.JPG.d6420e75fbcd54dac49fc77f1ae1db93.JPG

Not a perfect job, but I think it will do for now:P1270581.JPG.ae27e7b397d5770af3634cd3fadbff85.JPG

P1270570.JPG.7ad0a3139dcb61f77f23c842ab4c5a9e.JPG

Edited by Nick Gough
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Nick,

I am not sure how I missed following your thread.  I will have travelled over this part of the line and across the bridges without realising what I was crossing.  Also I have looked at the Chosely and Wallingford for days out but I would need to go on a day there is steam, as grandchildren have to be indoctrinated.  The main attraction would be the Cambrian coach that I think they have that is used as a tea bar, but I am not sure anyone else I take would be that interested.

 

Interesting subject.  Do you intend to run a reproduced timetable, or just a flavour of what would have run?

 

Amazing amount of space, really pleased that you have so much, and you appear to have made good use of it.

 

Well done so far, the bridge looks really good.  How are you fixing the track at the ends so that it is fixed and you get electrical contact?  I assume that as you are leaving a 'gap' for the crossing that you will not be fixing down the track in that area.

 

I look forward to updates.

Edited by ChrisN
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5 hours ago, ChrisN said:

Nick,

I am not sure how I missed following your thread.  I will have travelled over this part of the ine and across the bridges without realising what I was crossing.  Also I have looked at the Chosely and Wallingford for days out but I would need to go on a day there is steam, as grandchildren have to be indoctrinated.  The main attraction would be the Cambrian coach that I think they have that is used as a tea bar, but I am not sure anyone else I take would be that interested.

 

Interesting subject.  Do you intend to run a reproduced timetable, or just a flavour of what would have run?

 

Amazing amount of space, really pleased that you have so much, and you appear to have made good use of it.

 

Well done so far, the bridge looks really good.  How are you fixing the track at the ends so that it is fixed and you get electrical contact?  I assume that as you are leaving a 'gap' for the crossing that you will not be fixing down the track in that area.

 

I look forward to updates.

Hi Chris

 

Thanks for your comments and welcome aboard.

 

I would like to be able to run some timetable sequences and I have copies of the GWR 1932 public timetable and 1937 service timetable as a starting point. The biggest problem is that I will never be able to model more than a small proportion of the number of trains that would have run, daily, on the GWR's principal route.

 

You probably know that the GWR didn't normally have fixed train sets. In fact, if you look at their passenger marshalling books, it's probably fair to say, that no two express trains had the same make up of coaching stock. So I intend to make up a number of trains based on some of the real ones and take it from there.

 

I certainly don't want to limit myself to just timetable running though. Sometimes it's nice just to sit back and watch the trains go by. Of course, when my grandsons are here, it's a free for all anyway!

 

As for the bridges - the track is fixed down, as elsewhere, with Copydex. It is joined to the adjoining sections with the normal Peco Bullhead fishplates. I can slide these to one side when I need to remove the bridges for further work. To improve the electrical continuity I have soldered dropper wires to all pieces of plain track around the layout and I will connect these all up eventually.

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8 hours ago, ChrisN said:

 I assume that as you are leaving a 'gap' for the crossing that you will not be fixing down the track in that area.

Sorry Chris, I didn't answer this bit.

 

In all the places where I have 'temporarily' fitted plain track, and will replace these with points and crossings when available, it is not glued down but just loosely placed in position. Hopefully I have measured these out accurately!

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I'm still recovering, this morning, from an impromptu running session, yesterday, with my two grandsons (8 and 2 1/2).

 

After the initial squabbles, over who was going to drive the trains (and when), there was a hectic half hour of 100mph coal trains and a few derailments caused by sudden stops or changes of direction or trains running off the (current) ends of the relief line.

P1270592.JPG.e39b8816d43d9c5b77458213d35f57ea.JPG

Number 1 grandson understands how to use the controls properly now, however number 2 needs a little more practice, especially resisting the sudden urge to change the direction switches.

 

Fortunately my more delicate rolling stock is mostly still packed away at the moment.

 

They do seem to enjoy it though, which is a good sign for the future.

 

Edited by Nick Gough
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4 hours ago, Nick Gough said:

I'm still recovering, this morning, from an impromptu running session, yesterday, with my two grandsons (8 and 2 1/2).

 

After the initial squabbles, over who was going to drive the trains (and when), there was a hectic half hour of 100mph coal trains and a few derailments caused by sudden stops or changes of direction or trains running off the (current) ends of the relief line.

P1270592.JPG.0694c5616ed6cfd52401158cecaf472c.JPG

Number 1 grandson understands how to use the controls properly now, however number 2 needs a little more practice, especially resisting the sudden urge to change the direction switches.

 

Fortunately my more delicate rolling stock is mostly still packed away at the moment.

 

They do seem to enjoy it though, which is a good sign for the future.

 

Hi Nick,

Glad your grandsons are keen!

Fortunately, or not, depending on your point of view, of our three grandchildren, only the youngest (aged 5) currently likes trains. Partly I suspect this has rubbed off from our youngest son, her dad, whose interest as a child encouraged me to restart modelling.

The other two, aged 10 and 8, take after our eldest son, their father, from an early age a great Lego builder although he did have a Lego train. This was dug out and rebuilt a couple of years ago, and their enthusiasm was such that one Christmas present included a load of new track!  

Needless to say they are both great Lego builders and one defies the gender stereotyping.

 

Unfortunately, we can only Whatsapp the youngest son and his family as they live in Flintshire, and just as we started to plan how we might get together for Christmas, they went into a more serious lockdown.

 

Cheers for now,

Paul

 

Hope you manage to get the missing points etc. soon

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46 minutes ago, Tallpaul69 said:

Hi Nick,

Glad your grandsons are keen!

Fortunately, or not, depending on your point of view, of our three grandchildren, only the youngest (aged 5) currently likes trains. Partly I suspect this has rubbed off from our youngest son, her dad, whose interest as a child encouraged me to restart modelling.

The other two, aged 10 and 8, take after our eldest son, their father, from an early age a great Lego builder although he did have a Lego train. This was dug out and rebuilt a couple of years ago, and their enthusiasm was such that one Christmas present included a load of new track!  

Needless to say they are both great Lego builders and one defies the gender stereotyping.

 

Unfortunately, we can only Whatsapp the youngest son and his family as they live in Flintshire, and just as we started to plan how we might get together for Christmas, they went into a more serious lockdown.

 

Cheers for now,

Paul

 

Hope you manage to get the missing points etc. soon

Hopefully, once you are able to get trains running, that will stimulate a bit more interest in the younger generation, Paul.

It certainly works here. 

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With the sad news that Dorset Council started ripping up the Weymouth Quay Tramway this week:

I thought I'd get my 1366 pannier out for a couple of photos in homage to the line:

P1270631.JPG.9a278c18de897eda08f2506c5829f6b6.JPGP1270638.JPG.5fa3c47fed24e9ecee73d04f7a87fd8a.JPG

 

Unfortunately, I never got to Weymouth in steam days, but I did manage to see one of the, diesel hauled, boat trains in March 1980.

 

It was on my honeymoon and as I chased the train, through the streets, with my cine camera, in the rain, my wife probably started to realise what she was in for!

 

Of course the 1366 panniers weren't seen much at Cholsey, but I like them and, one day, I might do a mini-Weymouth layout.

Edited by Nick Gough
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Knowing that the writing was on the wall I visited the area on an evening in June 2018, when there happened to be a sea mist!

 

This was the ferry terminus:

P1150464.jpg.3c0300ffd0db10250f19ac24d628820b.jpg

 

Walking back towards the main line:

P1150465.jpg.cdf58245be072de8909ed88a42a12582.jpgP1150467.jpg.073e94ce49a8e71b7d5300cd995e4187.jpgP1150477.jpg.fba1e75afa617bcd3654d9893173c25f.jpg

P1150443.jpg.e26c11022baa6b886a16cd14bba2abf9.jpg

 

Town bridge:

P1150485.jpg.7ee6e99668bd26fc285dd22e4a17abc6.jpg

 

P1150500.jpg.3e919a7d885e05cfe35ef378c00acbf9.jpg

 

P1150521.jpg.33106af6f3d560a98aaf93ec3bd6004c.jpg

 

This is where the destruction has started, at the beginning of the roadside tramway, after a level crossing from the main line junction:P1150515.jpg.61d7a85478e6bdbb13966d09383425bc.jpg

Edited by Nick Gough
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Oh happy days in Weymouth! Don’t park in the way of the trains... or under Town Bridge during a spring tide. Any Jumping Jimmy fans out there?!  I’m optimistic there are, but it would be a bit off thread. 
 

Cheers, Mark

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8 hours ago, snailpace said:

Oh happy days in Weymouth! Don’t park in the way of the trains... or under Town Bridge during a spring tide. Any Jumping Jimmy fans out there?!  I’m optimistic there are, but it would be a bit off thread. 
 

Cheers, Mark

There must be quite a few cars that have had their shock absorbers 'tested' over the years.

 

I hadn't heard of Jumping Jimmy, but he seems to be a bit of a local celebrity.

Edited by Nick Gough
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14 hours ago, Nick Gough said:

There must be quite a few cars that have had their shock absorbers 'tested' over the years.

 

I hadn't heard of Jumping Jimmy, but he seems to be a bit of a local celebrity.

Celebrity? He was/is (still hopefully) the king of rock and roll. Once seen, never forgotten. YouTubes available, but they don’t really do him justice. You needed about 6 pints and preferably about 4 people in your group who hadn’t seen him before. The anticipation was the best bit. Bopshewop A bopshewop.  Really off thread now, sorry!

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On 10/10/2020 at 23:34, snailpace said:

Oh happy days in Weymouth! Don’t park in the way of the trains... or under Town Bridge during a spring tide. Any Jumping Jimmy fans out there?!  I’m optimistic there are, but it would be a bit off thread. 
 

Cheers, Mark

Agreed(with respect to Weymouth!)

We had a break there May last year, I must dig out my tramway photos but I think they are still om my camera, so will need to download them!

Like Nick, I had not heard of Jumping Jimmy!!

 

Take care all,

Cheers

Paul

 

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I only managed to lay two pieces of track last week, for the Up Relief line, with a gap between them:

P1270705.JPG.4fe959202e2169a50835d8795d682c60.JPG

 

The gap is where some more pointwork will eventually go:

P1270706.JPG.6dbc1ab6ad50108df17f4605f30695ff.JPG

 

The first, a fairly short piece, attached to the rest of the Up Relief, at the Didcot end of the station platform:P1270714.JPG.4df906bb33b8790e753cd14b4b39e4c1.JPG

You might notice the gap in the sleepers above the template. The last three sleepers are not glued down.

 

At the other end of the baseboard is a complete yard, but again with a gap, and about 7" worth of sleepers not glued down:

P1270710.JPG.895ca570e713b5ef6574dc5bf2187c12.JPG

 

These two track sections will eventually need to be shortened, for the pointwork, adjacent to the gap. However, for the time being, I want to leave them at their current lengths. Firstly to ensure that I cut them accurately, when I have the points to hand, but also to minimise the temporary length(s) of track to fill the gap.

 

I have these oddments to fulfil that purpose:

P1270716.JPG.3c8b9fede449a3e9f0063c1c433fe9bd.JPG

 

 

Edited by Nick Gough
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A quick explanation of the, eventual, pointwork in this area:

 

Firstly, a right hand point:

P1270707.JPG.79475e57e87e041472a4d66b994c7adc.JPGTo provide a trailing connection from the Up Relief to the branch line (the first part of which can just be seen intruding into the bottom of the photo.

 

Next the trailing crossover between the Up and Down Relief lines:P1270708.JPG.6ebc55fe89f8bfeb796f93848f14af5e.JPG

 

Finally, adjacent to the crossover, a right hand point providing trailing access from the Up Relief to the Refuge/branch exchange sidings:

P1270709.JPG.9d54c2b431cfeb50009d2f871a07ba0f.JPG

 

Edited by Nick Gough
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Last week we were out for an atmospheric and enjoyable afternoon tea:

P1270661.JPG.76f4f1a4e43c0506136e48cedf7094f2.JPG

 

At Carriages of Cambridge:

https://www.carriagesofcambridge.co.uk/

P1270647.JPG.8f68e9f524669050384ee7d11a4558fd.JPG

Where you can dine in one of three converted BR mark I coaches:

P1270687.JPG.cbd976f0eacb025159098db2f522abb3.JPG

 

A mock up station has been created at a non-railway site although there is one genuine railway building:

P1270684.JPG.44e3f680bbc22496742218941f4acc4a.JPGP1270678.JPG.e8dd3b1d389c6d7b70b4b38144577fed.JPG

An unusual colour scheme for a GWR type 27 signal box, somewhat redolent of the Yeovil - Weymouth line after BR transferred it to the Southern Region.

I enquired, and was told, it had come from Weston-Super-Mare, although the only similar box I can find in that area is Huish Crossing, although that has detail differences. The lever frame doesn't match either although it could have come from elsewhere or the levers repainted.

 

A couple of other interesting items on site:

P1270692.JPG.4a9cf6a5bd642a39cd31cf830156e332.JPG

Maybe used for heating the glasshouses?

 

Apparently, an ex-Great Eastern 6-wheeler.

P1270697.JPG.3e74375ba5b463500d59d7c20bdf04bf.JPG

Edited by Nick Gough
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  • 2 weeks later...

This time last year we were about to set off for a spooky visit to Dolgoch Falls:

P1240856.JPG.08a857cf8d82cd4026ef2c7c41ec5c35.JPGP1240859.JPG.7a21208f0ed8b5ef4949428af32a2704.JPG

 

We were spending a week at Harlech and were able to introduce our two grandsons to some of the Great Little Trains:

P1240494.JPG.cce474f017b2595d6de6cb9fd6f5689e.JPGP1240668.JPG.fb924dfcb592abee419676b899c7beda.JPGP1240677.JPG.e0e10771baf6315ef4889d64d90e76ec.JPGP1240815.JPG.a4d11f668745f2679b42bf9f2102b8cf.JPG

 

And the dog came too:

P1240801.JPG.e7d38ab32ce1fcf6321b3688c14df213.JPG

 

Edited by Nick Gough
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