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Down Ampney Layout Build & Workshop Thread (For All Things 7mm FS & 0-16.5)


CME and Bottlewasher
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7 hours ago, Hal Nail said:

 

Er.... Hate to put a dampener on things but who has said you are an exception???!!! :)

 

This will be the first year in his adult life that my 73 year old Dad hasn't played cricket but with covid etc he just doesnt feel like it at the moment even though technically they have restarted, albeit with no tea or beer! Seems a real shame for him not to finish on his own terms and we are all hoping come next year and (hopefully) things improved, the enthusiasm will be back.

 

Just one of many examples but my point is its affected many people in strange ways and I wouldn't give anything too much thought at the moment and just get through to next year and see how things are then. (I say this while putting the house on the market as ive had enough of it!)

 

Chin up!

 

 

Hi HN,

 

Thanks, roger Wilco!

 

I didn't mean, I was the exception, just that you were all the exception, here, when it comes to being kind, helpful, interesting, supportive fellows and you being such.

 

I suppose though that this long tail element of Covid it's so, so drawn out, myriads of weird symptoms, extreme relapses etc etc. awful fatigue, etc etc. It's tough atop of other more mundane health challenges. Then there's this weird, almost untreatable, antibiotic resistant bacteria that my other half has contracted and no one knows how or why - other than depleted immune system. I'm now set to be tested too. And we are both allergic to penicillin! But before being rushed off we are being proactive.

 

I'm sorry to hear about your dad, my stoic father was p!ssed off for the first time this weekend. I felt for him, bolstered him. By and large I agree, stick it out, don't let it/them grind you down. But I think that after being through what we've been through, dealing with more of the same, what I've seen, heard and experienced? I see life differently now. I do hope, above hope that we will ALL get back to normality. I just hope that my thoughts are not wishes for horses.

 

Good luck with the house move, we feel the same too. We used to have a wonderful community here, 'used to' being the operative words.

 

Chins up and soldier on though. LOL!

5 hours ago, mike hughes said:

It’s always sad to hear things are still not well with both your healths. 

 

Michael

Thanks Michael, it is a challenge, but there are others worse off, so we are grateful for small mercies.

 

If we can get my other half over her current health challenges, then that will be something, all a bit worrying.

 

In closing, Im reminded, after my musings here, that one modeller said to me, "I don't want to read about people's lives just the modelling", well without people there is no modelling. And, one of my favourite books, is; "Model Railways (And Their Builders)" by Jack Ray (plus his "A Lifetime With O Gauge - Crewchester and Others"), which is all about the builders and their railways, a wonderful insight. A Lifetime with O gauge is similar in that it's very human too. Humans being creative, overcoming the odds, their motivations etc.

 

As Churchill said/to paraphrase "..... we shall keep b$ggering on....."

 

Good health to you all.

 

Kindest,

 

M.

 

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On 20/05/2020 at 14:25, Adrian Stevenson said:

Hi Martin, sorry to hear you have been so poorly.

 

I was only re-reading your thread on your garden line thread the other night for inspiration for my own proposed build.

 

Take care and get well soon!

 

Cheers, Ade.

 

 

Please post a link for your layout thread Ade, when you get a moment.

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Chin up CME  Take small steps and enjoy what you have now.  I too have hardly done any modelling recently, well considering all the time available in the lock down not much at all.

I have been able to go and watch one of my Grandsons playing football for an under 12's team and their skill, enthusiasm and energy is wonderful to see.

 

So taking a leaf out of their book and getting asked have I got my layout sorted yet I started to work in my shed again.  Little by little with plenty of tea and biscuits I am moving forward and upward. :yahoo:

 

Regards

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42 minutes ago, Barnaby said:

Chin up CME  Take small steps and enjoy what you have now.  I too have hardly done any modelling recently, well considering all the time available in the lock down not much at all.

I have been able to go and watch one of my Grandsons playing football for an under 12's team and their skill, enthusiasm and energy is wonderful to see.

 

So taking a leaf out of their book and getting asked have I got my layout sorted yet I started to work in my shed again.  Little by little with plenty of tea and biscuits I am moving forward and upward. :yahoo:

 

Regards

Thanks Barnaby, wise, kind words. Strange times aren't they.

 

Maybe we will have sun and warmth until November and that will give me time to work outside, with baby steps. Fingers crossed.

 

You're right we have to take pleasure where we can.

 

Stay well and safe everyone, we can but look out and look after each other as no one else will.

 

Best wishes,

 

M.

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  • 5 months later...
On 12/10/2013 at 13:23, CME and Bottlewasher said:

The Line's Reason For Being;

Down Ampney uses that age old modeller's device of 'modeller's licence' and the 'what if' scenario, in that the layout is set in the era 1965-1976 and is based firmly in the WR on the old M&SWJR in fact - apologies to all of the purists out there! This would then allow us - just - to run some ragged old kettles alongside diesels. I have stretched the time-frame for which the old M&SWJR - under WR control - may have been still been viable by my looking at revenue flows for the line, and for the sake of modeller's licence, I have bolstered these revenue flows in my scenario so as to justify the line's continued existence. I have supposed that the military in the locale - and up and down the line - held a longer sway with a continued presence (longer than in reality) - due to the Cold War etc. and that sand and gravel was still being excavated in large quantities (with a small narrow gauge 'feeder' line), with milk traffic for the line also still generating good revenues. I also envisaged that there were still links - for military and other supplies - with the industrial Midlands which would require the use of rail transport for certain military - and other - equipment.

 

Wasn't there a very large amount of sand and gravel taken from South Cerney? From what are now sailing club lakes and reservoirs.

 

image.png.012122a8804277dbe1ae9ad3ae45438f.png

 

Plenty of military in the locale that can provide a suitable scenario. The even-bigger Fairford is hardly a stone's throw away.

 

image.png.55ca5577242f00d3ec4c839f49229199.png

 

And, for the "might-have-been", just beyond is Fairford Station, which wasn't built as a terminus because the original proposal was for a longer line (that didn't quite happen). But could have been extended past Down Ampney to Cricklade.

 

image.png.d0e356c4b7a02e4b792ea05773c4f1e8.png

 

 

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I have fetched concrete slabs from a works at South Cerney many years ago,and it was a busy factory then,and it wasn't the only one round that area.Nowadays the gravel pits have been landscaped,and are surrounded by holiday homes,costing in the region of £500K,all built on piles put in by another firm I worked for.

 

atb

Phil

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On 26/02/2021 at 13:51, KeithMacdonald said:

 

Wasn't there a very large amount of sand and gravel taken from South Cerney? From what are now sailing club lakes and reservoirs.

 

image.png.012122a8804277dbe1ae9ad3ae45438f.png

 

Plenty of military in the locale that can provide a suitable scenario. The even-bigger Fairford is hardly a stone's throw away.

 

image.png.55ca5577242f00d3ec4c839f49229199.png

 

And, for the "might-have-been", just beyond is Fairford Station, which wasn't built as a terminus because the original proposal was for a longer line (that didn't quite happen). But could have been extended past Down Ampney to Cricklade.

 

image.png.d0e356c4b7a02e4b792ea05773c4f1e8.png

 

 

Pretty much yes to all of that. I've tried to weave historical fact and fiction together - akin to authors like Stephen Lawhead et al. Eg Down Ampney or Fairford would be a railhead for either airfield. In 'my' world scenario only Down Ampney station still exists. Thanks for posting, your observations are spot on....

21 hours ago, 34006 said:

I have fetched concrete slabs from a works at South Cerney many years ago,and it was a busy factory then,and it wasn't the only one round that area.Nowadays the gravel pits have been landscaped,and are surrounded by holiday homes,costing in the region of £500K,all built on piles put in by another firm I worked for.

 

atb

Phil

Indeed, spot on, sadly the Cotswolds excludes the many these days, for the few. Those lakes? All sorts at the bottom - including old 1960s and 1970s cars, ergo a scrap yard in their £500k back garden lol!

 

Thanks for taking an interest and posting fellas, good insights and valid comments - all appreciated.

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18 hours ago, CME and Bottlewasher said:

Pretty much yes to all of that. I've tried to weave historical fact and fiction together - akin to authors like Stephen Lawhead et al. Eg Down Ampney or Fairford would be a railhead for either airfield. In 'my' world scenario only Down Ampney station still exists. Thanks for posting, your observations are spot on....

Indeed, spot on, sadly the Cotswolds excludes the many these days, for the few. Those lakes? All sorts at the bottom - including old 1960s and 1970s cars, ergo a scrap yard in their £500k back garden lol!

 

Thanks for taking an interest and posting fellas, good insights and valid comments - all appreciated.

Don't discount agircultural traffic.
The CWS had a big estate centred on Down Ampney, I worked there for 22 years. 
There was a creamery on the A419. Rail tankers.
Bulk grain bins and possible fertilizer deliveries.
Of course, if the airfield carried on, then I would never have worked there.:lol:
Regards,
Chris.

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15 hours ago, Sandhole said:

Don't discount agircultural traffic.
The CWS had a big estate centred on Down Ampney, I worked there for 22 years. 
There was a creamery on the A419. Rail tankers.
Bulk grain bins and possible fertilizer deliveries.
Of course, if the airfield carried on, then I would never have worked there.:lol:
Regards,
Chris.

Hi Chris,


I think that we might have touched this before Chris? You make some very good points. At the start of this thread I mentioned, if space permitted, I'd like a small dairy, I don't want to overcrowd the layout though. The agricultural traffic would be akin to that at Cricklade, which my father dealt with from time to time. IIRC grandad worked for CWS at one time, he my father and uncle used to maintain local airfields too. Latton Creamery is now a rally and off road school.

 

Thanks for your interesting comments.

 

Kind regards,

 

CME

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