LNER4479 Posted October 21, 2019 Author Share Posted October 21, 2019 Do bear in mind John that 41 figure is spread over both down (uphill) and up (downhill trains) so every two minutes in each direction. For an exhibition crowd that feels about right to me, particularly considering that, unlike Grantham, it's just one movement on one part of the layout. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D9003 Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 9 hours ago, St Enodoc said: Give them a bit more breathing space Graham! I never saw Shap in steam days but my Peter Handford LP captures the sheer solitude of the fells between trains. I'd be inclined to try to replicate that by leaving at least a real minute or two between any two trains in the same direction. Unfortunately, most of the viewing public want to see trains moving, and a minute is a surprisingly long time for to wait. If nothing is moving on a layout many people will simply move on to the next one. 2 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium St Enodoc Posted October 21, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 21, 2019 6 minutes ago, D9003 said: Unfortunately, most of the viewing public want to see trains moving, and a minute is a surprisingly long time for to wait. If nothing is moving on a layout many people will simply move on to the next one. Then let them! That will leave more room for those who would like to stand and take it all in. 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse Sim Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 10 hours ago, St Enodoc said: Give them a bit more breathing space Graham! I never saw Shap in steam days but my Peter Handford LP captures the sheer solitude of the fells between trains. I'd be inclined to try to replicate that by leaving at least a real minute or two between any two trains in the same direction. Us as Railway enthusiasts would love that, but I’m sure there would be some mother who would complain about “no trains actually running around the layout” 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse Sim Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 By the way, excellent stuff Graham, any pictures of the new fiddleyard in action? that big boy does look good, not ganna lie I’d happily have one of them running around the layout.....I hope my friends at the local hobby shop don’t see that, they’ll never let me forget that! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johndon Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 41 minutes ago, LNER4479 said: Do bear in mind John that 41 figure is spread over both down (uphill) and up (downhill trains) so every two minutes in each direction. For an exhibition crowd that feels about right to me, particularly considering that, unlike Grantham, it's just one movement on one part of the layout. Having watched the layout for 20 minutes yesterday, it certainly didn't feel like 2 minutes between each train in each direction. I did notice that you appear to 'queue up' the next train just outside of the scenic section which was interesting... John 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNER4479 Posted October 21, 2019 Author Share Posted October 21, 2019 34 minutes ago, johndon said: Having watched the layout for 20 minutes yesterday, it certainly didn't feel like 2 minutes between each train in each direction. I did notice that you appear to 'queue up' the next train just outside of the scenic section which was interesting... John Yes indeed John - there are two departure roads that the FY operator pulls forward the next trains from their fiddle yard berths into. Not only does this ensure that there should always be a train awaiting entrance 'on stage', it also reduces the length of run that the front operator has to drive a train when it is NOT in the scenic section. One of the things I've come to learn with a large layout that there can be an awful lot of time taken up simply driving a train out of and back into the fiddle yard, all of which contributes to the 'nothing moving on this layout!' syndrome. Not only that, but said operator(s) can spend half the show with their back turned away from the audience which isn't good from a presentation point of view. Lively / friendly banter twixt operator(s) and those spectactors who like to converse thus is all part of putting on an enjoyable presentation (I think?!) 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted October 21, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 21, 2019 6 minutes ago, LNER4479 said: Yes indeed John - there are two departure roads that the FY operator pulls forward the next trains from their fiddle yard berths into. Not only does this ensure that there should always be a train awaiting entrance 'on stage', it also reduces the length of run that the front operator has to drive a train when it is NOT in the scenic section. One of the things I've come to learn with a large layout that there can be an awful lot of time taken up simply driving a train out of and back into the fiddle yard, all of which contributes to the 'nothing moving on this layout!' syndrome. Not only that, but said operator(s) can spend half the show with their back turned away from the audience which isn't good from a presentation point of view. Lively / friendly banter twixt operator(s) and those spectactors who like to converse thus is all part of putting on an enjoyable presentation (I think?!) Fiddleyard design is a much neglected aspect of layout design. 1 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNER4479 Posted October 21, 2019 Author Share Posted October 21, 2019 2 hours ago, Bazza said: Hi, great to see the Big Boy in action. Have you fitted the cab handrails? Hornby has not been able to advise me on how to fit them. Bazza. sorry to be way off subject. The layout looks great! Not mine! (sadly). It is a Genesis model from some years ago (#4009); was a guest star appearance. Don't know a lot more about it than that other than it made it round the layout without incident. Mind you, I thought Tom was a bit brave running a train on the opposite line at the same time, given that the tracks are laid to the prototypical UK 11' 2" centre-to-centre spacings... 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Gibbo675 Posted October 21, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted October 21, 2019 17 hours ago, LNER4479 said: Only one from me - a bit of fun at the end! Not sure what the assembled gallery made of this monster ... which did manage to make it's way round without destroying any lineside infrastructure. More importantly, the weekend was a marvellous opportunity to give the layout with new fiddle yard and much expanded stock a real good shakedown in advance of the big shows to come. New fiddle yard was a great success and Andrew's clever electronics allowed for slick operation. We had 33 trains in all; 2 are reversible making 35 actual trains seen up or down the bank, plus 6 banking engine returns, hence 41 train movements in all. And we were cycling round in 40-45 minutes. Given that train movements are not especially fast (some can easily take two minutes to do a full circuit), I don't reckon you can improve much on that. Hi There, What you need is one of these: It is a BR Non Standard Class 12. Gibbo. 12 2 1 1 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony Teague Posted October 21, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 21, 2019 15 hours ago, St Enodoc said: Give them a bit more breathing space Graham! I never saw Shap in steam days but my Peter Handford LP captures the sheer solitude of the fells between trains. I'd be inclined to try to replicate that by leaving at least a real minute or two between any two trains in the same direction. I can see it being difficult to simulate the "solitude of the fells" in the average exhibition hall, no matter how long there might be between trains! 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
croydon junction Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 1 hour ago, Gibbo675 said: Hi There, What you need is one of these: It is a BR Non Standard Class 12. Gibbo. Is it air braked? Matthew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibbo675 Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 1 hour ago, croydon junction said: Is it air braked? Matthew No it's made of plastic !!! Hi Matthew, Couldn't resist that. In true British under investment style it has only the vacuum brake, I could make a pump to make it look the part but then where would the trucks to go behind have come from until the late 1970's at least ? What it does have is a Giesel ejector and a mechanical stoker though. Gibbo. 2 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
croydon junction Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 47 minutes ago, Gibbo675 said: No it's made of plastic !!! Hi Matthew, Couldn't resist that. In true British under investment style it has only the vacuum brake, I could make a pump to make it look the part but then where would the trucks to go behind have come from until the late 1970's at least ? What it does have is a Giesel ejector and a mechanical stoker though. Gibbo. When was it built? Surely BR wouldn't build a loco to only last 8 years.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibbo675 Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 10 minutes ago, croydon junction said: When was it built? Surely BR wouldn't build a loco to only last 8 years.... Hi Corydon, All I can say to that is that 92220 didn't last very long ! My imaginary locomotive is just that, imaginary. I am building BR Non Standard Kitson-Meyer and Beyer-Garratt types just for the fun of it also, they are to be found on the Imaginary locomotives thread. Apologies to those if I have brought the thread off topic but the picture of the UP Mallet reminded me of my own contraption. Gibbo. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted October 21, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 21, 2019 9 hours ago, LNER4479 said: Yes indeed John - there are two departure roads that the FY operator pulls forward the next trains from their fiddle yard berths into. Not only does this ensure that there should always be a train awaiting entrance 'on stage', it also reduces the length of run that the front operator has to drive a train when it is NOT in the scenic section. One of the things I've come to learn with a large layout that there can be an awful lot of time taken up simply driving a train out of and back into the fiddle yard, all of which contributes to the 'nothing moving on this layout!' syndrome. Not only that, but said operator(s) can spend half the show with their back turned away from the audience which isn't good from a presentation point of view. Lively / friendly banter twixt operator(s) and those spectactors who like to converse thus is all part of putting on an enjoyable presentation (I think?!) And also has the advantage that any vehicles off the road are discovered in the move up to the departure road rather than as a train emerges on to the scenic section! Something I was planning to include in Abbotswood Mk2.... 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jamie92208 Posted October 22, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 22, 2019 15 hours ago, Phil Bullock said: And also has the advantage that any vehicles off the road are discovered in the move up to the departure road rather than as a train emerges on to the scenic section! Something I was planning to include in Abbotswood Mk2.... I use a similar system. Trains are pulled out of the fiddle yard to a handover section by the FY operator then left for the main line operator to pick up when ready. They can then be driven right back into the FY by the main line operator which clears the train from the scenic area. However they can be stopped at any time by the FY operator in case of difficulties. As long as the FY operator has switched to another track for the next departure the incoming train stops automatically just before it reaches the fouling point. This arrangement was done to take workload off the FY operator so that it could be single manned. The mainline tends to be double manned with an Up and a Down operator. Jamie 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Barry O Posted October 22, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 22, 2019 Finished a special van in the run up to Hartlepool Show, Just need to weather it,,, Baz 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Wright Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 (edited) Another shot of my 'Semi' running on Shap over the weekend (sorry, couldn't resist it!). What you and your helpers have created, Graham, is one of the finest layouts currently on the circuit. It's entertaining, exciting and realistic. It's a privilege to be just a tiny, tiny part of it. My grateful thanks to Baz on the Sunday morning for moving trains into position for photography. Edited October 22, 2019 by Tony Wright to include a thank you 14 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMS29 Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 (edited) On 22 October 2019 at 16:27, Barry O said: Finished a special van in the run up to Hartlepool Show, Just need to weather it,,, Baz Barry, I have watched the wagon all weekend, but forgot to ask for some more detail, Tom Edited October 23, 2019 by LMS29 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Barry O Posted October 22, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 22, 2019 4 hours ago, LMS29 said: Barry, i watched he'd the wagon all weekend, but forgot to ask for some more detail, Tom Tom It is a very old MAJ plastic kit of an Lancashire and Yorkshire long wheelbase van. Fitted with Gibson wheels. Baz 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNER4479 Posted October 22, 2019 Author Share Posted October 22, 2019 4 hours ago, Tony Wright said: Another shot of my 'Semi' running on Shap over the weekend (sorry, couldn't resist it!). What you and your helpers have created, Graham, is one of the finest layouts currently on the circuit. It's entertaining, exciting and realistic. It's a privilege to be just a tiny, tiny part of it. My grateful thanks to Baz on the Sunday morning for moving trains into position for photography. Thanks Tony - that's a lovely picture. Possibly a bit more toning down of the ballast required but otherwise Hartlepool was a great shakedown for the shows to come. Looking forward to presenting the layout with its much expanded cast list over the next few months. Hope you can make it to one of the shows - we're pretty spread around the country: Peterborough, Glasgow and York. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Wright Posted October 23, 2019 Share Posted October 23, 2019 8 hours ago, LNER4479 said: Thanks Tony - that's a lovely picture. Possibly a bit more toning down of the ballast required but otherwise Hartlepool was a great shakedown for the shows to come. Looking forward to presenting the layout with its much expanded cast list over the next few months. Hope you can make it to one of the shows - we're pretty spread around the country: Peterborough, Glasgow and York. Thanks Graham, I like the picture, too; though cutting out all those apertures in the bridge took me well over an hour! I assume you're still coming over here today? If so, what time at Grantham? Regards, Tony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNER4479 Posted October 23, 2019 Author Share Posted October 23, 2019 27 minutes ago, Tony Wright said: I assume you're still coming over here today? If so, what time at Grantham? Just set off - stand by for a message once I have a confirmed ETA (subject to any last minute ECML disruption...) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockershovel Posted November 11, 2019 Share Posted November 11, 2019 Quite excellent. Really captures the sense and feel of the location. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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