Nick Gough Posted December 20, 2021 Author Share Posted December 20, 2021 51 minutes ago, RJS1977 said: Sad news - POLAR EXPRESS CANCELLED Announced last night: "It is with great sadness that tonight we have to announce we can no longer operate THE POLAR EXPRESS Train Ride at Cholsey and Wallingford. With ongoing essential staff/cast shortages due to COVID-19, we have had to cancel all remaining departures from Monday 20th December to Thursday 23rd December. All passengers due to travel with us will receive an update via email within the next couple of days. We will be offering transfers to 2022 and refunds for the event in the new year subject to our Terms and Conditions. We can only appologise and it has been a pleasure to have so many of you join us for our first year operating THE POLAR EXPRESS. It is with a heavy heart, and great sadness we could not take the remainder of you to the North Pole this year. On behalf of everyone at Cholsey and Wallingford Railway and PNP Events, we are sorry for the inconvenience and disappointment this has caused, our team are truly, heartbroken." Additionally yesterday's operations were cancelled owing to emergency sewer works by Thames Water which meant no toilet facilities were available on-site. Thames Water assured us that the problem would be resolved by today but then covid reared its ugly head. As you can imagine, everyone on the Railway is absolutely gutted as we had received a lot of positive feedback from visitors prior to this. Sorry to hear this. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Gough Posted December 22, 2021 Author Share Posted December 22, 2021 (edited) Some more painting in the stairwell (needs some tidying up!) The Railway World article describes them as "cream with a brown base": The first section of brickwork applied - to the rear lower wall: Edited April 24, 2022 by Nick Gough 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Gough Posted December 22, 2021 Author Share Posted December 22, 2021 My plan is to finish the lower stairwell, and fit the two ground floor windows, before I attach the rear wall to the rest of the building. consequently, I have started drawing up the window frames and the brick arches in the Silhouette programme. 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Gough Posted December 24, 2021 Author Share Posted December 24, 2021 I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and hope that your Christmas plans all work out as you would wish. Thanks to you all for your contributions, comments, suggestions, reactions and taking the time to look at my efforts during the past year. 10 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie586 Posted December 24, 2021 Share Posted December 24, 2021 Merry Christmas Nick, and all the best for next year. 3 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Gough Posted January 1, 2022 Author Share Posted January 1, 2022 (edited) The view from our bedroom window this New Year's morning: Actually we are in Lapland with our daughter and family having actually made it after postponement from last year and the recent "can we/can't we" uncertainty. One extra bonus is that 2021 was two hours shorter for us! Modelling has taken a back seat the last couple of weeks, but normal service will be resumed ASAP. Best wishes to all for 2022. Edited April 24, 2022 by Nick Gough 6 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Gough Posted January 4, 2022 Author Share Posted January 4, 2022 (edited) Returning from Lapland I've got the green light to resume modelling: So my first move was to fit the plinth to the platform side of the down main building: The gaps next to the doorways and at the corners are for the stone blocks to be found, in these positions, on the prototype: I have only taken the plinths a short distance down since the lower half of the building is hidden by the platform: Also seen is a paper print for the windows, from my Silhouette drawing, trying for fit. Edited April 24, 2022 by Nick Gough 13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Gough Posted January 9, 2022 Author Share Posted January 9, 2022 (edited) The first few items, for this building, from the Silhouette: Brick arch for the archway and window lintels: Two part window frames glued together: Edited April 24, 2022 by Nick Gough 9 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Gough Posted January 11, 2022 Author Share Posted January 11, 2022 (edited) A few odds and ends on the building today: Firstly I have fitted the downstairs windows, and glazed them, from inside: Inside the doorway, entrance to the platform, has been bricked up with the lintel fixed in place: The 'stones' marking the bottom corners of the doorways are in place: One good thing, after yesterday's Hornby announcement, I won't be diverting any money from the Peco bullhead switches and crossings fund! Edited April 24, 2022 by Nick Gough 7 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted January 11, 2022 Share Posted January 11, 2022 I can't help thinking that the architect who rationalised the platform buildings had one of these on his desk... At least you're able to right historic wrongs. Really like the lintels. 6 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Gough Posted January 11, 2022 Author Share Posted January 11, 2022 1 hour ago, MrWolf said: I can't help thinking that the architect who rationalised the platform buildings had one of these on his desk... At least you're able to right historic wrongs. Really like the lintels. You're right - they could be twins. It's a wonder I've never seen a giraffe car or an exploding Battle-Space wagon at Cholsey. 1 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted January 11, 2022 Share Posted January 11, 2022 I think the last examples of comedy Tri-ang that I saw on the UK network are the four wheelers on the Northern Rail Morecambe branch service and NR inherited them from the bottom of British Rail's toy box... 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJS1977 Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 1 hour ago, Nick Gough said: You're right - they could be twins. It's a wonder I've never seen a giraffe car or an exploding Battle-Space wagon at Cholsey. I'll have to see what we can arrange ;-) 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 13 minutes ago, RJS1977 said: I'll have to see what we can arrange ;-) I hope you mean the Tri-ang ducking giraffe car and not the Morecambe Rattlers, I think they've been foisted on the Yorkshire Dales Railway, possibly as a punishment for having some very nice Victorian coaches. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 13 minutes ago, RJS1977 said: I'll have to see what we can arrange ;-) I hope you mean the Tri-ang ducking giraffe car and not the Morecambe Rattlers, I think they've been foisted on the Yorkshire Dales Railway, possibly as a punishment for having some very nice Victorian coaches. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Gough Posted January 12, 2022 Author Share Posted January 12, 2022 7 hours ago, RJS1977 said: I'll have to see what we can arrange ;-) That would be an interesting experience for the next Polar Express! 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Gough Posted January 18, 2022 Author Share Posted January 18, 2022 (edited) To summarise my recent activity; I have fixed the inner wall to the end of the subway (bottom centre): Together with the floor for here and the bottom of the steps: I am not entirely sure what the original floor was constructed from (I suspect bricks). I have painted it black, as a compromise, since it will be fairly well hidden when the building is in its position. Having done this I was ready to glue the rear wall to the rest of the building and start attaching more of the brickwork: The rectangular cut-outs at the top of the walls are for the stone blocks that support the girders, which support the platform canopy: As you can see the girders were 'carefully' removed when the full size building was vandalised modified. Edited April 24, 2022 by Nick Gough 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted January 18, 2022 Share Posted January 18, 2022 Given the restricted access to the end of the girder, that is a pretty neat bit of burning. The half round cutaway at the bottom is a section cut out so that the girder wouldn't smash off the stone corbel as it fell. It's still vandalism though! 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJS1977 Posted January 18, 2022 Share Posted January 18, 2022 As I mentioned before, the girder goes right through the building (to counterbalance the weight of the canopy), so removing the girder in one piece would have entailed taking the roof off! Hence the girders were cut instead. 1 1 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted January 18, 2022 Share Posted January 18, 2022 Burning off girders that close to brickwork or concrete is quite tricky. If the hottest part of the flame comes into contact with it for a second or two the surface tends to shatter, leaving a little crater and firing little bits of stone back at the person wielding the gas axe. It's not pleasant! 4 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Gough Posted January 18, 2022 Author Share Posted January 18, 2022 1 hour ago, RJS1977 said: As I mentioned before, the girder goes right through the building (to counterbalance the weight of the canopy), so removing the girder in one piece would have entailed taking the roof off! Hence the girders were cut instead. There are two separate official drawings for the girders, at Cholsey, shewing this, and a variety of different types of girder depending on the different widths and shapes of each building. Those for the island platform are double ended, supporting the canopy on both sides. 3 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Gough Posted January 21, 2022 Author Share Posted January 21, 2022 (edited) Further progress with brickwork, at the rear: At the Didcot end (Gentlemen's Lavatory entrance): Edited April 24, 2022 by Nick Gough 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Gough Posted January 21, 2022 Author Share Posted January 21, 2022 (edited) I seem to have acquired an assistant: I'm not sure where he's come from, bearing in mind it's cold outside and all the doors and windows are closed. Edited April 24, 2022 by Nick Gough 6 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Gough Posted January 21, 2022 Author Share Posted January 21, 2022 (edited) I'm pretty sure it's not a moth: Edited April 24, 2022 by Nick Gough 5 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold ChrisN Posted January 21, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 21, 2022 49 minutes ago, Nick Gough said: I'm pretty sure it's not a moth: Nick, It is a Tortoiseshell butterfly. Perhaps it has been hibernating in your railway room. 3 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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