Nick Gough Posted October 31, 2020 Author Share Posted October 31, 2020 (edited) Things are different this year so we have just returned from a week, in a cottage, in Dedham, on the Essex/Suffolk border AKA "Constable Country": This view might be more familiar with a horse and agricultural wagon in it? However, we did manage a visit to the East Anglian Railway museum: With a little Great Westenry there: Edited November 20, 2022 by Nick Gough Replacing photos 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Gough Posted October 31, 2020 Author Share Posted October 31, 2020 (edited) Having returned home, and with rumours of another lockdown looming, I decided it would be prudent to pop over to Northampton model shop for some essential supplies: I bought the last yard of bullhead I need to complete the scenic section of the relief lines (I won't be buying any more until the bullhead slips and crossings come out), plus a few points to expand the storage sidings. Of course a few packs of joiners - because you never know when you're going to run out. These should tide me over the next few weeks! Edited November 20, 2022 by Nick Gough Replacing photos 2 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJS1977 Posted October 31, 2020 Share Posted October 31, 2020 On 10/10/2020 at 18:06, Nick Gough said: 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: Of course the 1366 panniers weren't seen much at Cholsey, Well, not yet. We don't have any current plans for 1366 to come and visit us, but never say never..... 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Gough Posted October 31, 2020 Author Share Posted October 31, 2020 14 minutes ago, RJS1977 said: Well, not yet. We don't have any current plans for 1366 to come and visit us, but never say never..... It would certainly look good in the bay platform. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Gough Posted November 1, 2020 Author Share Posted November 1, 2020 (edited) Back to 1st November, last year, and a two hour drive down the coast to Pontarfynach for our last railway visit. A brief stop at Machynlleth to photograph the surviving Corris Railway terminus: Then on to our destination: And a trip on my favourite narrow gauge line: Edited November 20, 2022 by Nick Gough Replacing photos 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Gough Posted November 1, 2020 Author Share Posted November 1, 2020 (edited) Back to the layout. After a ten day break I'm going round the bend again: But this time with the Up Relief line: Edited November 20, 2022 by Nick Gough Replacing photos 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Gough Posted November 1, 2020 Author Share Posted November 1, 2020 (edited) The final piece of bullhead running line fixed in place: Edited November 20, 2022 by Nick Gough Replacing photos 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Gough Posted November 7, 2020 Author Share Posted November 7, 2020 (edited) When we were at the East Anglian Railway Museum, last week, I managed to pick up a copy of this document: It runs to 428 pages including details of the named trains: Although it's way after my modelling period it caught my eye, partly as a comparison with my 1932 GWR timetable: But also because it was issued in the year that I was born! Well worth a shilling! Edited November 20, 2022 by Nick Gough Replacing photos 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJS1977 Posted November 7, 2020 Share Posted November 7, 2020 Wallingford - Cholsey in six minutes! That's some going! (an average of 30mph). I think the fastest we've ever managed it in is 10, for a slightly shorter distance. That said, we don't rush, as most of our passengers have come for the ride, so they don't want it over too soon (and on the Santa trains we often have to stop by the church to make sure he has time to see everyone!) 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Gough Posted November 8, 2020 Author Share Posted November 8, 2020 11 hours ago, RJS1977 said: Wallingford - Cholsey in six minutes! That's some going! (an average of 30mph). I think the fastest we've ever managed it in is 10, for a slightly shorter distance. That said, we don't rush, as most of our passengers have come for the ride, so they don't want it over too soon (and on the Santa trains we often have to stop by the church to make sure he has time to see everyone!) It is good going, particularly when the branch speed limit was 30mph, according to the 1945 Service Timetable, with a 25mph limit from 10 chains to 25 chains (the curve away from the main line). Mind you the 14xx had good acceleration, particularly with just a single autotrailer, and no speedometer! 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Gough Posted November 8, 2020 Author Share Posted November 8, 2020 (edited) The 1932 timetable, in comparison, has a single journey time of 7 minutes for most trains: Although a small number (eg 10:42 Cholsey dep) had 9 minutes - these were mixed trains (passenger & goods) according to the service timetable. Edited November 20, 2022 by Nick Gough Replacing photos 3 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Gough Posted November 8, 2020 Author Share Posted November 8, 2020 (edited) Pointwork for the Down Relief storage loops starts: Together with a connection into one of the Up Main loops: Test running a coal train of 37 4-wheelers plus brake van: Edited November 20, 2022 by Nick Gough Replacing photos 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold ChrisN Posted November 8, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 8, 2020 2 hours ago, Nick Gough said: The 1932 timetable, in comparison, has a single journey time of 7 minutes for most trains: Although a small number (eg 10:42 Cholsey dep) had 9 minutes - these were mixed trains (passenger & goods) according to the service timetable. A GWR mixed trains as late as 1932. I find this interesting. I think they were not popular with the BoT although they were regulated by then. Unlike this one on the Cambrian. 1870. If you look carefully you see the unbraked coach and Guards Van at the back, loose coupled like the wagons in front. I am sure that the train on the timetable was the other way round. 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Gough Posted November 9, 2020 Author Share Posted November 9, 2020 23 hours ago, ChrisN said: A GWR mixed trains as late as 1932. I find this interesting. I think they were not popular with the BoT although they were regulated by then. Unlike this one on the Cambrian. 1870. If you look carefully you see the unbraked coach and Guards Van at the back, loose coupled like the wagons in front. I am sure that the train on the timetable was the other way round. I bet that was a fun trip! Bobbing about at the back of a goods train, whilst crossing the Mawddach estuary, particularly at high tide with a gale blowing in across Cardigan Bay! The GWR still ran several mixed trains, on various branch lines, in the 1930s. Wallingford alone had three each day. There was even a specific mention in the rule book to Autotrains: "Whenever it is necessary to attach additional vehicles on trips when the Auto-car would be leading, the Auto-engine need not be uncoupled and placed in front, but may be allowed to propel not more than two vehicles provided the regulator is coupled through from the engine to the leading end. It may at the same time also pull vehicles which, including those propelled, will make up a tonnage as shewn below: ..." Since the Wallingford Autos normally had the loco at the Cholsey end the Down formations must have looked similar to this: https://warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/gwrb772.htm 2 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Gough Posted November 14, 2020 Author Share Posted November 14, 2020 Not much time for modelling this week. Despite lockdown we have been busy, each day, carrying out childcare for our 'Support Bubble'. However, today I have been preparing for some more tracklaying. I have a quantity of code 100 track, recycled from my previous layout, for more storage loops. It needed a good clean after several years in the loft. Hopefully, tomorrow should see some actual track on the layout. 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Gough Posted December 19, 2020 Author Share Posted December 19, 2020 (edited) Modelling time has been more limited the last few weeks and much of what I have been able to do has been too mundane to be worth posting. However, I now have completed circuits for both Relief lines so can run trains around the railway room on these as well as the Mains. This is the Didcot end of the storage loops: The adjacent passenger train is on the Up Relief line and the nearest goods train, on the other side of the gap, is on the Down Relief line, and the Main line loops beyond it. In the space between the two relief lines there will eventually be another seven loops. A closer view of the first pointwork at this end: Looking in the opposite direction (the Reading end): With the tracks converging just before passing over Moulsford river bridge: Looking forward to a bit more free time and progress over the next couple of weeks. Edited November 20, 2022 by Nick Gough Replacing photos 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Gough Posted December 21, 2020 Author Share Posted December 21, 2020 A quick trip to the local model shop this afternoon - before Government realises that Northants hasn't been moved up to Tier 3 yet: To continue with the Relief lines storage loops over the Christmas period. 3 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Gough Posted December 21, 2020 Author Share Posted December 21, 2020 Number 1 grandson joined me for a short running session today. He was delighted to discover that he can now run four trains at once, without any of them running out of track! However, "When are you going to make the branch line longer, grandad?" "Not yet," (at least not until the medium Bullhead points appear) We then had a scientific analysis of - which train can complete its circuit first! 2 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold ChrisN Posted December 21, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 21, 2020 7 minutes ago, Nick Gough said: Number 1 grandson joined me for a short running session today. He was delighted to discover that he can now run four trains at once, without any of them running out of track! However, "When are you going to make the branch line longer, grandad?" "Not yet," (at least not until the medium Bullhead points appear) We then had a scientific analysis of - which train can complete its circuit first! Of course the one on the inside has the advantage. Only having a single line we did it by starting one engine in the fiddleyard and one in the station, the one that caught the other was the winner. Percy beat everything! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Gough Posted December 21, 2020 Author Share Posted December 21, 2020 1 hour ago, ChrisN said: Of course the one on the inside has the advantage. Only having a single line we did it by starting one engine in the fiddleyard and one in the station, the one that caught the other was the winner. Percy beat everything! Charlie does like to run the passenger trains at full power setting although he does accept that freight can run at a more realistic speed. Consequently the coal train was banished to the sidings today and another passenger substituted. At least he, usually, remembers to start and stop gradually rather than wheelspin starts and skidding to a halt. At least Percy (and Thomas) usually stay on his home layout, unless it's servicing time. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJS1977 Posted December 21, 2020 Share Posted December 21, 2020 3 hours ago, Nick Gough said: Charlie does like to run the passenger trains at full power setting although he does accept that freight can run at a more realistic speed. Consequently the coal train was banished to the sidings today and another passenger substituted. At least he, usually, remembers to start and stop gradually rather than wheelspin starts and skidding to a halt. At least Percy (and Thomas) usually stay on his home layout, unless it's servicing time. Though Thomas did run on the branch in the 1990s - perhaps that's why your grandson's so keen for you to finish that off! 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Gough Posted December 22, 2020 Author Share Posted December 22, 2020 8 hours ago, RJS1977 said: Though Thomas did run on the branch in the 1990s - perhaps that's why your grandson's so keen for you to finish that off! Good point! 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Gough Posted December 22, 2020 Author Share Posted December 22, 2020 Yesterday's purchases loosely placed in their intended positions: 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tallpaul69 Posted December 24, 2020 Share Posted December 24, 2020 Nick, That pointwork looks great! I hope you find time over the break to fill in some of the gaps! Maybe in the gaps between food, drink (and the sleep as a consequence!). Best Christmas wishes to you and yours, and lets hope having(it seams) got Brexit finally done, that we can do the same for Covid in the New Year! Regards Paul 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Gough Posted December 24, 2020 Author Share Posted December 24, 2020 59 minutes ago, Tallpaul69 said: Nick, That pointwork looks great! I hope you find time over the break to fill in some of the gaps! Maybe in the gaps between food, drink (and the sleep as a consequence!). Best Christmas wishes to you and yours, and lets hope having(it seams) got Brexit finally done, that we can do the same for Covid in the New Year! Regards Paul Thanks Paul and a happy Christmas to you and your family! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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