Bishops Stoke, the Penny Pinch, Up Cycle and Nocost Railway Company

[PhilH]

Morning

 

First of all a disclaimer. This is a trainset, pure and simple. Any resemblance to a real railway or real railway working is coincidental and unintended. If you are of a nervous disposition when it comes to these things please move on.

 

A month or so I felt a familiar tingling in my loins, one that I haven't felt for many a long year. Unfortunately it was an urge to do something model railway related. I had discovered some long forgotten bits and pieces (no smut please) and opened a cupboard full of boxed, unrun locomotives, coaches and wagons. I had started my magnum opus in the loft many years before but had left it to the spiders a long time ago as I discovered I really didn't like being in the loft (too insular, too hot, too cold etc). Anyway, to cut a long story short I decided to rip it up, bin it and sell the stock etc.

 

Then along comes this tingling...I had a large spare bedroom which I could keep as such whilst having some sort of trainset round two walls of it. That'll do I thought..the upshot is this thing, L shaped, 3.6m x 600mm scenic area, 2.6m 5 road fiddle yard so I don't have to keep putting stock away. It's dcc, and although the wiring is my usual insult to call it a birds' nest effort, it all works. I didn't plan the layout of it as such, it just grew organically

 

Baseboards are a mixture of one complete module rescued from the loft layout (engine shed), some stuff I had lying about and 2" thick dense blue foam which is rigid enough to be self supporting, makes a great surface for pretend asphalt after painting and was free (thanks Karl). A dog's dinner but works well.

 

Point and slip control is mostly mandraulic, the foam being 2" thick makes it difficult to install point motors without a load of faffing about which I couldn't be bothered with. I throw them manually (all within easy reach) with my patented pointy stick, the electrical switching is done manually on a control panel.

 

Everything on this trainset is made from recycled, forgotten, bought for an old project or simply just the dregs of a modelling life. It has cost precisely £7 of new money (2 led bulbs). the track was lifted and repaired where necessary, the ballast was soaked, reclaimed from the old layout, washed and dried and reused (it was nicked sea shore sand to begin with...)

 

Anyway enough...if you are still awake a couple of photos to show progress. Still loads to do, not brilliant but I'm actually enjoying it which is what it's all about.

 

 

Edited April 5, 2020 by PhilH
Stuff

[PhilH]

I've done a bit more on the trainset, perhaps not the best but I suppose the important thing is I'm enjoying it in these troubled times. 

[eldavo]

You certainly sneaked this one in under the radar mate.  The Southern Water skip contents loco shed still looks good.

 

Cheers

Dave

 

[PhilH]

For the first time in a long time I had a little play on the trainset. I took a couple of pictures so I thought I’d post them on here. It’s definitely not up to any sort of standard but it was fun to build something that didn’t cost the Earth.

 

Edited January 4, 2022 by PhilH

[Chris116]

Looking very nice and if you had fun building it and have fun operating it then it is just what a model railway should be. 

 

I look forward to hearing more about the layout and wish you a very happy New Year.

 

Chris

[David C]

Pretty impressive standard of modelling from what you've posted so far - nothing to apologise for, certainly. If you've enjoyed building it, even better.

 

Happy 2022!

 

David C

[eldavo]

That's 2 posts in a year!  You wanna go a bit steady me old mate.  ;-)

 

Love the general grot and grime around the engine shed.  Still trying to get a similar effect on me own trainset.

 

Cheers

Dave