Lower Thames Yard

[Tallpaul69]

Good Afternoon everyone,

So, I am sitting here watching the rain tipple down as it has done all day, while typing this, and trying to persuade myself that I need the newly announced Rapido 15xx! (who said men can't multitask?)

 

So according to my 1959 loco shed book the 15xxs were mainly at OOC with a sprinkling in South Wales and one each at Southall and Didcot. How can i weave a sensible story to get one to Thame or High Wycombe? 

Maybe the Southall one found its way to HW as the shunter, although it (or its crew!) might have found the trip from Taplow to HW on the afternoon pickup goods a bit tough?

 

I'll think on it for a while, maybe waiting to see what the 2021 Hornby and Bachmann announcements bring?

 

Have yet to get anywhere with my scenic essay I mentioned in my last post, although I have found some more bits and bobs towards it.

 

Hope you are all ok, and getting on with your modelling, or are those of you in the UK being dragged by your other halves to the Debenhams etc. give aways?

Best regards

Paul 

[Tallpaul69]

Afternoon All,

Just got warmed up after an afternoon session putting up our outside Christmas Lights. I did think twice about doing them today as it was misty this morning, and had been so all yesterday. It wasn't too bad although the set I put up round the front of the house need a dit of additional support, but they will be ok until tomorrow provided it's not windy!

Yesterday i took a punt on the bay over a Bachmann V1 for High Wycombe. It is fitted with Digitrax DZ125 decoder plus one of their sound modules. I will let you know how I get on! Annoyingly last year I sold the one I had as I thought I would not need it for Lower Thames Yard.

I could wait for the new one, but as it will only haul one train in HW that seemed a bit extravigant.

 

Hope you are all ok and busy modelling?

Best regards

Paul

 

[Tallpaul69]

Good Day fellow modelers,

Just finished todays stint at the outside Christmas decorations. I was tempted out by the lovely sunshine, but it is still pretty cold! Hoped to get them finished today but I was defeated by a set of lights call Hedge Top lights that in reality are a type of 3 dimensional cats cradle. Will have to untangle them indoors and then carefully carry them into position.

 

Continuing on from what I said yesterday about Eastern Region trains on High Wycombe, luckily while I sold my original V1, I didn't get round to selling my Mk1, Gresley, and Thompson corridor coaches. Now I need to look out for a Hornby B1 to haul the second train. 

Currently, I don't have anything to haul the ER freight trains so next years searches will be for the likes of O1, J11 and L1.

Luckily, there is a weathered Hornby Li which is a model of one at Woodford Halse shed, so will be ideal for the Woodford to High Wycombe local freight.

I do have two weathered Austerities, but they will be sent away for chipping as AGR couldn't get the body away from the chassis!

Again, I do have some suitable brake vans and plenty of mineral wagons.

 

I am also toying with the idea of a J15. The Hornby model looks good and there was one at Aylesbury shed that did the Aylesbury to Princes Risborough local freight, shunted, then took the local freight to  Watlington. It then reversed its work from earlier in the day and got back to Aylesbury.

It would only be a minor diversion that got it to Thame or High Wycombe? 

 

I am also thinking that a similar story would allow me to run my Ivatt 2-6-2 tank that also was known to work the Aylesbury to Watlington diagram!

 

I am currently waiting for a Dapol Mogul being sound chipped by AGR. I am definitely getting Anthony to run this in the shop before taking it away and the cross heads etc. will get a close inspection, after Neal Ball and others experiences related on this forum.

 

Best regards

Paul

 

 

 

 

[Tallpaul69]

Hi Folks,

Just when I thought life was busy enough, two things have come along to make it busier!

 

While the outside Christmas decorations are now finished, on Saturday, we had a visit from our gardening contractor to say that they could start work this week on our front garden which they originally surveyed before the March Lockdown, if we wanted to go ahead.

We had thought that it would be spring before they would get to us, Covid willing, so we agreed they could start. Some of the work they will leave until spring but they have started on the heavy work to replace our existing pathways!

 

At the same time , I had been thinking about some degree of automation for the layout, particularly once phase 2 High Wycombe was built. Friday I came across a posting here on RMWeb that identified someone who had helped a friend do a similar degree of automation on his layout to what I am looking for.

 

So a quick PM to the author started an exchange of messages which , after a phone conversation this morning left me with a reasonable understanding of how my needs could be met, but more importantly, the changes to my layout build necessary to leave me with an automation option without too much difficulty at a later date. 

So once I receive some further information in the next day or two, I will need to have a conversation with my layout builders to see what they think.

 

What I am really after is a second pair of hands!

 

I want the ability to set a sequence of trains running over the layout as background to the more intricate shunting , departing and terminating, which  I want to do manually. I had been thinking of doing this simply by having two trains circulating the main tracks continuously , one clockwise and one anticlockwise, while I did shunting etc.

However it would be much more realistic if there could be a sequence of trains circulating.

 

In the meanwhile my Digitrax fitted V1 has arrived, but I have yet to get to run it. However, the paperwork that came with it tells me the install was done by Digitrains, so it hopefully should be ok. 

 

Hope everyone is well and getting ready for Christmas?

Best regards

Paul

 

[Tallpaul69]

Hi there All of you,

Not a great day today.

While the work on our garden paths is progressing well, the latest figures for the local Virus rate, which has gone from 103.5 /100k on the 4th December to 243.5 /100k in a week, suggests that our Christmas plans will need modifying. in the same time the England average went from 151.7 to 195.4.

We are waiting until we get the figures for the week to this coming Friday, which are available next Wednesday before making any decisions but it looks like our family get together on Boxing Day could be too dangerous for us!

Never mind, with a bit of luck we might celebrate Midsummer's day!

 

I am still developing the automation ideas, hoping to send something off to the layout builders by the weekend to get their take on it.

Not much moving forward on the modelling front, although I am hoping to do a scenic and ballasting test board this weekend, with maybe a small building thrown in.

 

There has been a good deal of moaning locally as well as on RMWeb about the performance of Royal Mail and other couriers. I have to say that considering the time of year and the problems that the Virus has bought, our deliveries and despatches have been ok. I think many people just don't take enough care in their addressing or take notice of notifications they receive about deliveries.

My wife sells a number of craft items she makes on the Bay and she gets a lot of poor address details. Nearly every time she does some despatches she has to ask me  (I was the one good at Geography and my railway interests help as well!) to assist with working out of at least one correct address!

 

Better sign off now and think about our evening meal.

 

Best regards

Paul

[Tallpaul69]

Afternoon All,

Well, here we are in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, and Buckinghamshire, moved from Saturday, into Tier 3, what fun!!

So all of us silly oldies will follow it to the letter (not that I was one for the Gym, you understand, but I do like the occasional pint in a pub!) 

Meanwhile the daft middle agers and the even dafter ones that seem to make up a good proportion of the young will just ignore it (except for the things that they can't control).

 

I shall go back to assuming, as I did in lockdown's, that everyone has the virus, unless I have good reason to think that they don't.

So, tomorrow, I will start getting together the things I need for my scenic sampler. This will now have to include a couple of card buildings since I rashly said that it would after being taken to task by Mick Bonwick for commenting on 4 card huts he has been slaving over. 

 

Happy days!

Cheers

Paul  

 

[Nick Gough]

Yes. It seems we, in Northamptonshire, are pretty much surrounded now:

Time to raise the drawbridge and prepare to repel boarders!

 

We thought we were going to be put up to 3 as well since there is, apparently a rise in cases in Northampton, and it all seems to be based on what's happening in the big towns and cities, not our peaceful rural areas.

[Tallpaul69]

Yes Nick,

We had noticed that, because we are always interested in what is happening in Northamptonshire because my brother in law is just southwest  of Northampton.

Our eldest son who lives near us was going with his family to the Silverstone Light Show on Wednesday and going to see his, uncle also taking him things from us and them for Christmas. No chance now, light show cancelled, and tier 4 residents not allowed out of the tier 4 area! So more things for the ist class post tomorrow.

 

Meanwhile, with non essential shops shut, I won't get to collect my Dapol Moguls before Christmas. So tomorrow I'll sketch out my scenic test board and perhaps make a start on it.

 

It could be worse, at least we were not scheduled to visit our younger son in Flintshire!

 

Take care

Cheers

Paul

 

   

[Tallpaul69]

Good Day to you All,

Well, that's the shortest day out of the way, so perhaps things will start to look up ?(Not if the Government has its way!!).

Haven't got started on the scenic test Board yet, so I thought I would treat you to a Santa Special.

 

 

Here are photos of the front and back end of the first run of the day on Saturday.  

 

 

It was quite comical seeing how large compared to the train the Truck was that you can see the cab of on the right of the first shot! As the train started across the road, the truck was still coming on but he did manage to stop in time.

It is not obvious the train is a Santa Special, except perhaps for the coloured lights round the edge of the Guards Van.

Tomorrow I hope to get more in the Christmas mood with a Rather Special (V. Large) Santa and some proper Christmas lights!

Meanwhile, stay safe, keep smiling, and keep modelling!

Cheers

Paul

 

[Tallpaul69]

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Yesterday I promised you a Large Santa, and here he is:-

 

 

Not , I hasten to add, ours, but an annual visitor to a road near us!

Funny story around this is that in the autumn the next door neighbours to this house moved. Having incorrectly remembered which house had Big Santa, I told my wife that we would not see Big Santa this year. Then in late November , I came round the corner in that road and there he was!!

 

Carrying on the seasonal theme, here are some lights. These ARE ours. I had intended to get a few more this year, but lockdowns etc. put pay to that idea. Never mind, there is always next year!

 

 

 

On a railway theme, I have today started a process to swap my G2A for a sound fitted version.

I came across one on the internet and found after a little investigation, that I could buy the sound fitted version and probably sell my unfitted version for a nett cost less that buying a sound chip for my one.

Now this is a loco that is a Rule 1 for my layout but I have an attachment to the class from my spotting days on trips to Leighton Buzzard, watching them pound up the incline from the Dunstable branch with loaded chalk tipplers from the quarry; and from a trip behind one on the South Beds Locomotive Club trip to Banbury in the early 60s. 

What is even better about this swap is that it is exactly the same model. This loco in reality was shedded at Tradegar. My rule 1 story is that it has been bought to Oxford for a rail enthusiasts trip (like the South Beds Trip above, except theirs was a Leighton Buzzard loco!), and as well as the trip to Leamington, via Thame, earnt its keep on a freight trip Oxford to High Wycombe.

 

Hope all your Christmas preparations are nearly done?

Regards

Paul

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Tallpaul69]

Wishing All readers of this thread A Happy New Year, and hoping your Christmas was as good as it could be in the current situation!

 

Anyway, here is a gem of a chuckle from our Christmas day:-

We held a Zoom Quiz between our three family households, partly because eldest Granddaughter Hollie (aged 8) volunteered to write the questions and be Quizmaster.

She decided to check answers after each question.

Q1:- What are the 5 most popular vegetables for Christmas Dinner?

after everyone said they had answers, Hollie gave the answers:-

1) Turkey.. (Whole quiz dissolves into laughter, Hollie exits stage right in a huff!!!

(It took 10 minutes to restore order and persuade Hollie to carry on.)

 

I do have to report that except for this one incident, Hollie did well, her slides for the questions were very good and the questions suitable for ages 7-70 taking part. 

I am sure we could not have done so well at her age, so Well Done Hollie!!

 

Happy Post Brexit (if you are in the UK), and hoping you can contain your excitement at our Freedoms(?) coming from the 1st of January?

Regards 

Paul

[Tallpaul69]

Well now, all you modelers and any other readers of this thread:-

Thank goodness it is time for 2020 to shuffle off from our scene. I would say "and it will Good  to see the back of you and start a New (and hopefully better) Year", but bearing in mind the old saying "be careful what you wish for!" I will keep quiet.

All I will say is Best Wishes to you all, may you get your jabs against the Virus soon, and may the agreement with Europe give us all what we expect.

Best regards

Paul

 

[Tallpaul69]

Good Afternoon dear readers,

Firstly, Happy New Year's Day to you all.

Secondly I thought I would copy other writers of Threads and post , as much for my own benefit as yours, a few highlights and missed opportunities of the past year and my hopes and aspirations for 2021.

 

If I look through the Railway room door today, at first glance it is little changed from a year ago, but if I look in my storage shelves I have cause for some satisfaction:-

The shelf of Locos awaiting chips has quite a lot less on it, the shelf of my locos chipped has more on it and one of the two shelves labeled "Locos for Disposal" has been relabeled "New purchased chipped Locos". The remaining shelf of locos for disposal  has also slimmed down since last year, although somer disposals need to be made on the rolling stock front especially coaches.

 

On the layout front, although there was the disappointment that "Lower Thames Yard" as originally designed would not be made, there was the satisfaction that in not much more than a month, "Thame" (Layout Phase 1) was conceived, drawn by the builders, and agreed, and a start made on reviewing the models to hand and on order to suit the new arrangement.

The signals have also been revised and repriced to suite "Thame". 

 

I must also thank the people who have responded to this thread and also my questions on other threads, and so enabled me to make progress on scenics, buildings and many other aspects of the layout .

 

So for 2021 there are a few key events:-

Turn my chipped locos into working locos via CV playing on the test track (January through March)

Complete a ballasting and scenic test piece, so I know what I am doing when it comes to the real thing on the layout (below) 

Take delivery of stage 1 of the layout (penciled in for April, with the rubber kept handy!)

Test Layout (April??)

Start ballasting (Maybe May through August?)

Start scenics Interspersed with ballasting so (Maybe May through October?)

Complete Phase 2 (High Wycombe" sketch and send to builders for drawing up (November?)

Discuss phase 2 with builders (November/December)

 

Many other jobs need to be fitted in, particularly my work on DMUs. They, and a pile of boxes of bits, have their own shelf and reproach me every time I pass, but it was no good proceeding with the DMUs until I had a clear idea of the revised layout needs, and so I thank the RMWeb residents who have provided me with a good number of items to work on.

 

So I will round off this review by again thanking everyone for their words of  encouragement, their causes for amusement, and generally helping keep the show on the road, even in our darkest virus days! 

 

Best regards

Paul 

[Tallpaul69]

Well, here we are again folks!

Full lockdown all round (if you are in the UK!), and another balanced but underwelming set of offerings from Hornby.

I suppose I should be glad that there is not much to tempt me in the 2021 agenda, as there is plenty for me to invest in in other directions.

I might add one of the new Maunsell coaches to my SR Margate to Birkenhead holiday train for High Wycombe. Don't think I will be tempted by the new 9F, I have more Bachmann and Hornby examples already. 

As usual Hornby's BR era wagons are a very poor selection. Not sure why they show so little interest in 1950-65, I suppose they make more money out of the private owners wagons, and Bachmann would take some beating in the BR period?

Anyway, I hope you all found something to your liking? 

Roll on Easter!

Best regards

Paul 

[Tallpaul69]

Just realised that I last posted on Tuesday!

Well, folks, you haven't missed much because the modelling since then has been minimal.

Partly, because I have been busy with other things such as taking down and packing away our Christmas lights and decorations. I usually take longer over this than putting them up as I learnt the hard way that rushing the putting away gives you problems you don't want the next year when you come to get them out! Also it has been very cold outside, so I found I could not work all that long outside at one go.

 

The other reason for lack of modelling is that I couldn't work up much enthusiasm!

This was bought on by having feedback from my layout builders that work on my layout is delayed.

This is due to them awaiting track items from Peco to complete the the jobs currently in the workshop to free up space to work on my layout, as well as a number of Peco items for my layout not being available.

 

I suppose I should be glad that demand for Peco's products is high, which suggests overall railway modelling is in good shape, but it is frustrating.

I might restart work on my round and round test track, which I abandoned in the autumn thinking  the first phase of my layout would be ready early in 2021.

 

I hope you are all having better luck with your modelling?

Best regards

Paul

[Nick Gough]

I can sympathise with your Peco problems Paul.

 

Luckily I have enough pre-used code 100 track to finish off my storage sidings. However, I have to spend time giving it a good clean, removing a layer of tarnish from the rails and removing damaged sleepers, before I can put it to use.

 

I can't remember whether you have mentioned it before but which Peco track system are you intending to use?

[Tallpaul69]

Hi Nick,

the layout is to be in code 100, because I want the ability to run some of my vintage items such as 2 rail Hornby 00 sometimes. This means that the set up will need to be capable of switching over from DCC to run DC.

 

Yes, I have quite a bit of second hand track including points but I don't think my builders will want to use it although it is generally in good order, as you say, just needs cleaning.

 

Cheers

Paul 

[Nick Gough]

It can be a bit hit and miss re-using old track. I've rejected a few pieces where the rails are a bit bent or there's other damage so I wouldn't expect the professionals to risk their reputations with anything other than new.

Even though what I've used isn't very pretty, with some sleepers missing (mainly where the track had been pinned down), it's good enough for the storage area.

[Tallpaul69]

Good afternoon one and all,

I had intended to take this week off from modelling and RMWeb, partly because the modelling inspiration was running dry, and also I wanted to watch the Masters Snooker on the TV.

 

However, while I am enjoying the snooker, and the news on the layout build is no better, I have found a layout to buy to occupy one half of my hobby room without taking away from the space for "Thame" (if that ever gets built!).

The layout, essentially a TMD, has been built by a newish outfit in the layout building game, but they have built and sold a number of layouts over the last year or so. I first had contact with them last year, when they thought my original Lower Thames Yard was too complex for them at that stage.

It differs from two of my prime aims for a layout in being an end to end, rather than roundy round, and modern rather than early 60s steam. 

But it can be delivered in about 2 weeks time, the main board while fully scenic, has main buildings that can be removed (so could be replaced by older pattern ones). The main thing to be built is a fiddle yard board to my requirements.

OK, running steam on it might have to be a preservation centre, but life is full of compromises especially in the current virus climate, so wish me luck!

I have plenty of modern locos etc. for the modern version of Thame etc. that I can use on it.

 

Here are four shots to wet your appetites?

 

 

The fiddle yard fits on the far end.

 

 

This shot is from the other end, the fiddle yard is behind the camera, accessed by the track in  the middle of the shot.

 

 

A view towards the main shed and the maintenance building on the right.

 

 

The small container depot in the top centre could be repurposed, the crane is not fixed down.

So this might be Lower Thames Yard (mark2) or Thame TMD!

 

Best regards

Paul

 

 

[Nick Gough]

Glad to see that you will soon be able to operate some locos Paul - if not trains.

[5BarVT]

Nothing like operating something to reinstate the the mojo.

Enjoy!

Paul.

[Tallpaul69]

24 minutes ago, Nick Gough said:

Glad to see that you will soon be able to operate some locos Paul - if not trains.

Hi Nick,

I will be able to run some short trains such as loco fuel, inspection saloons, and whatever purpose I decide for the container depot. 

This could be scrap or fuel oil or agregates!

 

If I run it as a preserved line I can use railcars, auto trains and a "demo" freight.

 

In modern running, I will probably keep the two road loco shed and maintenance shed as a TMD and use the two road shed at the other end of the layout as a DMU depot, although only for single and 2 car sets.

Lots to think about and keep me busy seeing what different items look like on the layout, I am glad to say.

 

Regards All,

Paul

[Tallpaul69]

Morning All,

Thought you would like a little update on the new layout?

 

Firstly, it needs a name, keep calling it the new layout is a bit silly!

So, for the moment, it is "Wycombe TMD". Why Wycombe rather than Thame?

Well, i think that "Thame" may well not be proceeded with. There isn't enough room to have the TMD layout, Thame and High Wycombe, and Thame was only a way to get something running relatively quickly.

Long term High Wycombe is more interesting. So the idea is that Wycombe TMD will be against one 12ft wall of the room and High Wycombe against the other 12ft wall with maybe 6 fiddle sidings behind it running round to a few loops in front of Wycombe TMD, then back to HighWycombe via a jubnction with the track out of Wycombe TMD. To do this will mean the Wycombe TMD fiddle yard board being rebuilt.

Current difficulty is that Wycombe TMD has been built by one party, and another party is down to build Thame! This might change-watch this space!!

 

Moving on to Wycombe TMD I thought I would run past you a few of my ideas for enhancing the scenics.

So here is a reminder of the train entrance to the scenic part of the layout:-

 

 

Leaving the container depot on the right, which I may well repurpose, for the moment, I think i will need to dirty up and increase weeds etc. in the track bed, particularly the buffer stop end of the siding!

I might also work out a cameo of workmen to go in the space in front of the portacabins to the left. I have couple of packs of Bachmann rail workers, so I will dig them out and have a play. I might give them a crate or a piece of equipment to play with (shaded of Little Muddle)! 

Any suggestions will be welcolme.

Best regards

Paul 

[Nick Gough]

Will the change of plan allow you to have more room for High Wycombe?

[Tallpaul69]

19 hours ago, Nick Gough said:

Will the change of plan allow you to have more room for High Wycombe?

Yes Nick,

I hope to be able to have the Goods Shed in a more correct position than on previous plans. One thing to sort out will be where the trip freights to the North yard go.

Previously thay could go to Thame, and return. Might have a couple of sidings to represent the North Yard in front of Wycombe TMD, which I am thinking rather to call "Wycombe End". Also the smaller loco shed on it might be a wagon repair shop rather than a DMU depot. That will allow me to have more wagons on the go!

Cheers

Paul