The Night Mail

[laurenceb]

14 hours ago, Stubby47 said:

I've been pondering.....

 

In 4mm scale, we have P4, EM, and of course 00.

 

These all relate to the track gauge, the scale is assumed.

 

Why then is 009 so called ? Why not EM9 or P49, or even 4-9 ?

Modelling Railway Illustrated tried to impose their version, 4n9, 7n16.5  or some such without sucess

[Compound2632]

I guess the prefix gives some idea of the track tolerances or fidelity to the prototype trackwork. A quick look at the Scalefour Society website suggests that 2'3" gauge to P4 standards would be denoted P4/9mm - Irish 5'3" P4 is denoted P4/21mm and standard gauge P4/18.83mm. That seems about as comprehensive a descriptor as one could get - "P" denotes the set of standards to be used, then we have the scale, in mm/ft, and finally the (nominal) model track gauge. Thus a scaleseven model of Barnstaple Town station, featuring both the LSWR and L&BR, would be: S7/(33mm,14mm).

Edited August 4, 2020 by Compound2632

[newbryford]

On 31/07/2020 at 20:33, Happy Hippo said:

It didn't collapse when I tried it,

 

I bet you had 2 feet on the floor at the time though.................

[Happy Hippo]

1 hour ago, newbryford said:

 

I bet you had 2 feet on the floor at the time though.................

Next time I see you I'll stand on your layout 

[newbryford]

22 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

Next time I see you I'll stand on your layout 

 

With the current crisis, it may be some time before my layout is out again...............

 

How good is a hippo's memory?

[Happy Hippo]

2 minutes ago, newbryford said:

 

With the current crisis, it may be some time before my layout is out again...............

 

How good is a hippo's memory?

What are we talking about Cake or jobs around the house?

 

I never forget cake, I never remember the other whatever it is.

[Happy Hippo]

The rest of the family have disappeared to Blist's Hill.

 

I can now get on with important things: Like washing the floors and hanging out the washing.

 

I might even get some garage time in!

[jamie92208]

Hedges have been trimmed. Now for some shed time, first job there to finish mending the boss's glasses.  14BA taps, files and small drills will be deployed.

 

Jamie

[The Johnster]

Into town whenever The Squeeze says she's ready, to partake of a government half price pub meal! 

[Happy Hippo]

Time to ponder a design issue!

 

Although I'm still building two layouts, plus the rebuild that has to take place in the garden, and the 7.25" gauge project, I am still forward planning what will be the last great layout project.

 

Perhaps great is not the right word, because the finished article will be very compact compared to the likes of Jamie' LGA.

 

The railway will be depicted as typical South Wales Valleys fare:  Double track hemmed in between the river and the valley sides.  

 

I have a good idea of the track plan, and the scheme of how it will operate, however the design issue is whether to  make it long and reasonably skinny, or to bit the bullet and create a scenic section that is nearly all curved. 

 

Originally planned to run from a sector plate, through a bitsa station and on to all points south (traverser/cassettes), thinking is now leaning towards the ability to have a continuous run.

 

Having stated a continuous run, it would only be operated as such if I wanted to look at a train just trundling around, but the general mode of operation would be run as a point to point system, and the  the off scene train storage areas can be along side each other rather than 20+ feet apart.

 

Another option is to create a U shaped design with the scenic section following the curve, although I'm minded that even 6 foot radius would look a bit tight.

 

I'll put up a couple of sketches tomorrow which might help (or seriously hinder).

 

[bbishop]

The problem with my last great project is that it really needs a team to build it.  The virus has put paid to that.  Blindheim is 12' x 1' plus fiddle yard so is easy to work on solo.  I must do some work on it tomorrow.

 

Opticians today and a slight improvement in my astigmatism.

 

Bill

[New Haven Neil]

I need a major lottery win for the last great project - which would be Newcastle Central.  I would have to go back to OO for that one!  Or maybe that's a wishlist not a practical project, I'd love to do it though.  I suspect it would make Retford look like a 6x4.

 

I should imagine I may only make one more layout after the current O gauge Forest of Dean-y build gets a bit threadbare, probably back to OO and BR(S) 3rd rail.  I like change!

[Erichill16]

Evening All,

A bit of work has been done on W.H.R (YORKSHIRE). I’ve got around to letting and weathering some Bachmann war department wagons that I’ve been buying over the last year or so.

The Baldwin, to the left, 590, is a Bachmann model and 590 was bought for use one the Welsh Highland Railway. In this livery though there is  no ‘WHR’ lettering, which is slightly unfortunate. 
Bachmann also do ‘590’ in lined maroon with WHL on the tanks but it’s only available with digital sound and as my layout is dc due to the age of my stock I’ve not bought one. I must admit I’m tempted to buy one anyway and swap /sell the chassis

Regards

Robert .

[Erichill16]

Another picture from Sunday’s running session, a  Heeresfeldbahn diesel Loki, in DR OST livery.

[newbryford]

3 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

 

 

Originally planned to run from a sector plate, through a bitsa station and on to all points south (traverser/cassettes), thinking is now leaning towards the ability to have a continuous run.

 

Having stated a continuous run, it would only be operated as such if I wanted to look at a train just trundling around, but the general mode of operation would be run as a point to point system, and the  the off scene train storage areas can be along side each other rather than 20+ feet apart.

 

 

 

 

Another advantage of a continuous run layout is that trains tend to run in one direction loaded, and the other empty. So it's easy to have a loaded train, say clockwise and an unloaded antoclockwise.

No need to have detachable loads.

[jamie92208]

HH,  I will be sending you a PM.

 

Jamie

[Northroader]

I find “Great Projects” take too long to do, and soak up time and material anyway, so for well over the last twenty years I’ve messed around with “Small Projects”,  probably because I have the attention span of a gnat anyway. Last year with an eye to the future I decided to rationalise the activities on to one layout, and this left a lot of space in the loft. The missus spotted this and gave me a wigging, so I’m on to the “Next Small Project”. I’m 82, and feel regarding anything as the “Last” isn’t very positive anyway. When I do go the kids are going to have fun clearing it all up.

[jamie92208]

4 hours ago, Northroader said:

I'm 82 and feel regarding anything as the “Last” isn’t very positive anyway. When I do go the kids are going to have fun clearing it all up.

That was my plan. Leave my overdraft and the contents of the loft to the kids as a problem solving exercise. Then we decided to move to France and had to clear the loft, including the remains of my Woodlesford layout that i started before I got married in the mid 70's.  

 

Now the big layout and a load of rubbish is in the shed, all 400 sq metres of it. The eldest kid is now starting to make mutterrings along the lines of "Who do you expect to clear all this lot up when we put you in a home.".  He does want my U S 0 Scale stuff though.  

 

I think that when I finish working on Green Ayre I will need something to work on. I do have a sort of plan for an extended sort of diorama based on the Waterloo and City.

 

Jamie

Edited August 6, 2020 by jamie92208

[The Johnster]

12 hours ago, newbryford said:

 

Another advantage of a continuous run layout is that trains tend to run in one direction loaded, and the other empty. So it's easy to have a loaded train, say clockwise and an unloaded antoclockwise.

No need to have detachable loads.

But you need twice as many wagons.  And we all know how rare it is for modellers to buy far more stock than they need...

[The Johnster]

3 hours ago, Northroader said:

I find “Great Projects” take too long to do, and soak up time and material anyway, so for well over the last twenty years I’ve messed around with “Small Projects”,  probably because I have the attention span of a gnat anyway. Last year with an eye to the future I decided to rationalise the activities on to one layout, and this left a lot of space in the loft. The missus spotted this and gave me a wigging, so I’m on to the “Next Small Project”. I’m 82, and feel regarding anything as the “Last” isn’t very positive anyway. When I do go the kids are going to have fun clearing it all up.

Very much the rationale behind Cwmdimbath; a project that was cheap and simple to erect, wire, and get running that has engendered lesser projects achievable in my lifetime.  I’m 15 years younger than you and feel, with not the least morbidness, that I’m on the home straight and there’s no point in embarking on anything big.  The KISS philosophy has worked well for me and I am very happy with my last ever layout; it might be ‘finished’ in some respects but there’s at least my hoped for 20 years of modelling left in an on it.  

[Happy Hippo]

Perhaps I have given the impression that my last great project will rival the likes of Walnut Tree Junction on the ex TVR Main line between Cardiff and Pontypridd.

 

Nothing could be further from the truth!

 

My current railway, Splott West Sidings has only five turnouts on the visible section.  The empties out comprise a rake of 16 ton mineral wagons, with a correponding set of full ones.  They shuttle between the sidings and the fiddle yard by various run round moves and shunts.  They run as a block train(s), much as Mick has suggested.  Of course the van and tank traffic can go either way. 

 

Pantmawr Sidings, the G0G competition layout, has three turnouts and is operated as a mini SWS.

 

The three contenders for the  great project at not large or complex, the great being more about the effort being put into the scenery:

 

 

As originally designed by Brian Rolley, the idea was for freight to terminate and the exchange sidings to work as a short of shunting puzzle with the two sidings behind being shorter, traffic being shunted between.  Passenger traffic in the  form of an auto tank and coach or a single car DMU could carry on 'up the valley'.  Possibly via a single track, but I could see that perhaps a two road traverser would be better than the sector plate as you could then 'store' a passenger 'up valley' whilst using the other traverser road to run around any freight train that subsequently arrived.  I was also  not convinced that a simple shuttle of freight stock between the sidings and the exchange road would be enough.

 

The second option disposed of the single slip, but still had the problem of no off scene storage for the freight 'shuffle'.

 

The third addressed this problem, again losing the single slip and by reversing the sidings on the down side allowed the use of one fiddle yard to serve both the  freight and the rest of the railway.

 

Another aspect I have been considering is the addition of a simple goods shed and siding fed off the main line by a training connection, on whatever side was opposite to the exchange siding.

 

This scheme might be more appropriate for a  continuous run, but it does add a further two turnouts as it would be set up very much in the style of a trailing crossover.

 

I was a bit wary about such a facility as a number of Valleys stations had no freight facilities whatsoever,  however, I found that some quite large places, such as Hirwain, just had a single siding to cater for it's local freight needs.

 

The jury is still out on that as, I do like the simplicity and frugality of the track plans as shown.  

 

The grandness of the project comes in the scenery.  Most of my lines have cut the scenery off 'at the top of the cutting'.  This is my chance to build a tiered model with the river fronting the baseboards with the track set on a retaining wall. (Shades of Cresselley Crossing).  Behind that higher ground with a road and then a couple of terraces of houses rising up.

 

The track might take up boards of around 750 mm wide, but adding the front and rear scenics could add another 600mm without any difficulties.

 

I might have to make them on separate boards which bolt into place behind the operational boards.

 

Again, this might just be a plan too far bearing in mind it all has to be stored away and can only be operated when especially put up:  It will have no permanent home judging by the current housing situation.

 

 

Edited August 6, 2020 by Happy Hippo

[Northroader]

There’s lovely, scenery won’t be any trouble:

[Happy Hippo]

3 hours ago, Northroader said:

There’s lovely, scenery won’t be any trouble:

You can just see the viaduct that goes to Aberflyarff High Level.

 

My line runs through the low level station alongside the River Efflew.

 

The Johnster, Danemouth and possibly Stu (amongst others) will be only too familiar with Aberflyarff,  and the affection with which it is held in South Wales.

Edited August 6, 2020 by Happy Hippo

[Danemouth]

58 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

You can just see the viaduct that goes to Aberflyarff High Level.

 

My line runs through the low level station alongside the River Efflew.

 

The Johnster, Danemouth and possibly Stu (amongst others) will be only too familiar with Aberflyarff,  and the affection with which it is held in South Wales.

 

Which building is "The Golden Dap" pub?

 

Dave

 

p.s. for those not in the know "Dap" is local vernacular for a plimsoll what are now called trainers

[Happy Hippo]

38 minutes ago, Danemouth said:

 

Which building is "The Golden Dap" pub?

 

Dave

 

p.s. for those not in the know "Dap" is local vernacular for a plimsoll what are now called trainers

I think it's in the bowels of the village, so not really viewable from a distance.