The Skarloey Railway 1942-1960: Scaca Fell Forestry Crossing

[Tom F]

9 hours ago, RodneyS said:

Yes, all my Talyllyn and Corris kits have been taken over by Dundas Models.

Rodney

They are a fantastic range Rodney! Which reminds me I should really finish the rest of my kit piling up!

[Tom F]

David is back this morning to check on the Shorthorns.

 

[Sandhole]

4 hours ago, Tom F said:

David is back this morning to check on the Shorthorns.

 

JINGS!
That brings back a few memories of driving my 86 inch, Series 1, Doris down that hill.
Regards,
Chris.

[Tom F]

'That b*gg*r David just nipped in front of me! Doesn't he know we can't brake!' Yelled driver Bill Thwaite

 

Edited October 18, 2021 by Tom F

[Alister_G]

That's just a brilliant shot Tom, superb.

 

Al.

[Alister_G]

I think Bill Thwaite might justifiably be swearing at that daft idiot hanging onto a tree on the embankment, trying to take a photograph...

 

 

Al.

[MrWolf]

Based on my own experiences, the Land Rover probably couldn't stop either... 

[Tom F]

2 hours ago, Alister_G said:

I think Bill Thwaite might justifiably be swearing at that daft idiot hanging onto a tree on the embankment, trying to take a photograph...

 

 

Al.

Guilty as charged!

[Middlepeak]

Tom,

 

Paid a visit to the Chalk Pits Museum at Amberley today and found this tucked away in the railway exhibition hall. Looks a little familiar!

 

 

 

 

Regards,

 

Geraint

[Tom F]

3 hours ago, Middlepeak said:

Tom,

 

Paid a visit to the Chalk Pits Museum at Amberley today and found this tucked away in the railway exhibition hall. Looks a little familiar!

 

 

 

 

Regards,

 

Geraint

Many thanks for those Geraint.

Funnily enough I saw one today, at the back of the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway, which we snapped today while travelling on the Galslyn Venturer.

[Tom F]

Some Mid Sodor exploration today!

 

We ( Rmweb member @Quarryscapes and by my Border Collie Lass) hiked alongside the Ffestiniog to the Dduallt Spiral, then onto the old Ffes track formation down to the Tan y Grisiau Hydroelectric Power Station's Reservoir. A fantastic day, with the odd shower more than made up for by the glorious autumnal sunshine.

 

A lot of railway modelling inspiration today! 

[Alister_G]

6 minutes ago, Tom F said:

Some Mid Sodor exploration today!

 

We ( Rmweb member @Quarryscapes and by my Border Collie Lass) hiked alongside the Ffestiniog to the Dduallt Spiral, then onto the old Ffes track formation down to the Tan y Grisiau Hydroelectric Power Station's Reservoir. A fantastic day, with the odd shower more than made up for by the glorious autumnal sunshine.

 

A lot of railway modelling inspiration today! 

 

Just look at that backscene...

 

Cor!

 

Al.

[Tortuga]

1 hour ago, Tom F said:

Some Mid Sodor exploration today!

 

We ( Rmweb member @Quarryscapes and by my Border Collie Lass) hiked alongside the Ffestiniog to the Dduallt Spiral, then onto the old Ffes track formation down to the Tan y Grisiau Hydroelectric Power Station's Reservoir. A fantastic day, with the odd shower more than made up for by the glorious autumnal sunshine.

 

A lot of railway modelling inspiration today! 

That’s a very atmospheric background there!

I remember seeing a photo of the old cottage at Ddualt in an old Railway Modeller and thinking how lucky the occupants were to live in such beautiful scenery and have a railway on the doorstep; when I eventually rode through there on my first visit to the Ffestiniog, I was disappointed to find it was unoccupied and apparently abandoned (although well presented externally).

[rockershovel]

I've just come across this thread, 009 modelling at its best! 

[Aire Head]

12 hours ago, Tortuga said:

That’s a very atmospheric background there!

 

I like the way they have blended the backscene into the scenery but they could have kept the weather consistent between the two 

[Mol_PMB]

FR regulars will know that the weather in Blaenau is always different to that lower down the valley!

Super photo, the Pony is a great little loco (or should I call it Duke on this thread?)

[Tom F]

Back from a fantastic time away in Snowdonia. Everything feels a bit flat and down today.

 

 

 

 

Definitely feeling the post holiday blues.....but I've come away with some great memories, and a lot of modelling inspiration.

 

Edited October 24, 2021 by Tom F

[Tom F]

A touch of post holiday blues. So decided to head off to the layout for a bit of a pick me up.

 

'A moment between workings'

 

[MrWolf]

Great pictures, like you say, very inspiring. I'm planning a motorcycle trip across North Wales and down to the Talyllin railway next year. I'm getting our bikes ready now (They're 70 and 72 years old respectively) the main thing will be organising stopover points as Miss R doesn't do camping. I'm quietly relieved about that, I've spent too much time living in the open to do it for fun.

[Tom F]

Morning all

Just waiting for a friend to come over before we head out on a hike up Gunnerside Gill in Swaledale.

 

In the meantime, No. 2 'RHENEAS' is running around the War Department vans, in preparation to propel them towards the ammo depot.

 

There are rumours flying around at the moment.....rumours of some interesting things arriving in the post from a certain Dan Evason.......there are also rumours that No. 1 'SKARLOEY' may make a big step forward to completion by the end of the week.

 

I can neither confirm or deny this hearsay.....  

 

Edited October 25, 2021 by Tom F

[Tom F]

'Autumn 1950....

With Bill Thwaite now retired and Ben Taylforth leaving to become a cleaner on the North Western, Ivo Hugh puffs on his pipe and ponders the future of the Skarloey Railway.'

Many thanks to @alanbuttler for producing some figures based on scenes from the Railway Series, and to @Dan Evason superb painting skills.

 

[Metropolitan H]

Tom,

 

I hope you are steadily putting the book of pictures and appropriate text - on facing pages - together ready for the modern audience of Skarloey Railway afficianados.

 

I do find your posts and the underlying (shorthand?) narrative very appealing. Keep it coming - I am disappointed when you miss a day - even with understandably good reasons.

 

Regards

Chris H - A supporter.

 

 

Edited October 26, 2021 by Metropolitan H

[Tom F]

1 hour ago, Metropolitan H said:

Tom,

 

I hope you are steadily putting the book of pictures and appropriate text - on facing pages - together ready for the modern audience of Skarloey Railway afficianados.

 

I do find your posts and the underlying (shorthand?) narrative very appealing. Keep it coming - I am disappointed when you miss a day - even with understandably good reasons.

 

Regards

Chris H - A supporter.

 

 

Much appreciated Chris, thank you!

 

Well tomorrow is my birthday, so other than doing a little bit of weathering, I plan to do some more posing of the new figures that have arrived freshly painted from @Dan Evason

[Nick C]

11 hours ago, Tom F said:

Well tomorrow is my birthday, so other than doing a little bit of weathering, I plan to do some more posing of the new figures that have arrived freshly painted from @Dan Evason

Happy Birthday Tom!

[Tom F]

21 minutes ago, Nick C said:

Happy Birthday Tom!

 

Thanks Nick!

 

Not got much planned, nipping out shortly to Tesco (living the dream ).

In the meantime, some more shots with the new figures:

 

With the War Department's acquisition of some of the old slate workings...it does feel like the War has finally arrived to this remote valley of East Sodor.