Annie's Virtual Pre-Grouping, Grouping and BR Layouts & Workbench

[sir douglas]

yes, the enuii website sadly disappeared in this past year

[rocor]

4 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

That's not the Vulcan Charles Tayleur was thinking of.

 

I had a hunt for suitable depictions of Vulcan but was distracted by Wikipedia's description of Tintoretto's painting*:

 

The painting depicts a scene of extra-marital sex. The goddess Venus is lying nude on a couch whilst her lover Mars is hiding helmeted under a bed. Venus' husband Vulcan, tipped off by Apollo, has just returned unexpectedly. Luckily for the adulterous couple he has become distracted by his wife's naked body,** disregarding the warnings of his dog. Cupid is sleeping in a cot by the window.

 

*An image of which I will not embed here as it features female nudity. One has to think of the New Puritans.

 

**There you go, a critique of the male gaze is implicit in the painting itself.

 

This incident is alluded to in a couple of bars of Figaro's recitative in Act IV of Mozart's opera, though Tintoretto seems to have omitted the net.

 

Charles Tayleurs, Vulcan, may be safely gazed upon, however.

 

[Compound2632]

5 minutes ago, rocor said:

Charles Tayleurs, Vulcan, may be safely gazed upon, however.

 

I don't know about that; there's quite a lot exposed there.

[Edwardian]

6 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

That's not the Vulcan Charles Tayleur was thinking of.

 

I had a hunt for suitable depictions of Vulcan but was distracted by Wikipedia's description of Tintoretto's painting*:

 

The painting depicts a scene of extra-marital sex. The goddess Venus is lying nude on a couch whilst her lover Mars is hiding helmeted under a bed. Venus' husband Vulcan, tipped off by Apollo, has just returned unexpectedly. Luckily for the adulterous couple he has become distracted by his wife's naked body,** disregarding the warnings of his dog. Cupid is sleeping in a cot by the window.

 

We saw that at the Alte Pinakothek this summer, one of Miss T's favourites in fact, as she greatly appreciated the humour

 

 

6 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

*An image of which I will not embed here as it features female nudity. One has to think of the New Puritans.

 

**There you go, a critique of the male gaze is implicit in the painting itself.

 

This incident is alluded to in a couple of bars of Figaro's recitative in Act IV of Mozart's opera, though Tintoretto seems to have omitted the net.

 

... nuovo Vulcan del secolo, in rete la potrò

 

So here's Paris Bordone, achieving greater prototype* fidelity

 

 

*Ovid's account in Metamorphosis

 

 

 

 

Edited January 11, 2023 by Edwardian

[eheaps]

Another Met image that popped up on social media that might be of interest here, an early O gauge three rail set. Knowledgeable commentators state that this is the 1927 version of the set which had modifications from the original 1925 version after that was banned for being too dangerous. Apparently the original version had exposed 110V studs on the rheostat and the home office stopped it being sold in this country (but this didn't prevent them from continuing to sell it to on the foreign and colonial market). The models themselves look excellent. I know we've had a OO MetroVic electric recently, but I wonder if there's ever been another RTR Dreadnought produced after this set?

 

[Annie]

1 hour ago, eheaps said:

Another Met image that popped up on social media that might be of interest here, an early O gauge three rail set. Knowledgeable commentators state that this is the 1927 version of the set which had modifications from the original 1925 version after that was banned for being too dangerous. Apparently the original version had exposed 110V studs on the rheostat and the home office stopped it being sold in this country (but this didn't prevent them from continuing to sell it to on the foreign and colonial market). The models themselves look excellent. I know we've had a OO MetroVic electric recently, but I wonder if there's ever been another RTR Dreadnought produced after this set?

 

I can remember back when I was still involved with the Hornby Railway Collectors Association there was a member who owned this set, but it was one of the 110 volt ones and he'd very wisely had it professionally modified to a much safer voltage. It was a bit of cheat in that the locomotive only had four wheels, but it certainly ran very well.

 

When ACE were were making their first Uk bogie coaches I ordered their boxed 3 coach MET set basing my decision to buy on their catalogue artwork.  I tried to order directly from ACE, but they refused my order and referred me to their NZ  agent who was well known to the local 'O' gauge community as a trader in vintage tinplate trains with a reputation as a somewhat shady rip-off merchant. 

Eventually this agent got in contact with me after i placed my order and said there was a delay with my order and he then tried to foist a LNER boxed set on me, 'because it looked the same'.  Finally the MET coaches arrived, but they weren't a boxed set they were three individually boxed coaches, - two brake 3rds and a 1st class coach, - which were not what I ordered at all.  As well as that the coaches looked nothing like the catalogue illustration and one of the brake thirds had its roof fitted incorrectly.

I complained and he blew me off showing no interest at all in doing anything to remedy the situation.

I'm afraid my interest in buying anything else from ACE died a death after that and when a fellow HRCA member expressed interest in my coaches I didn't hesitate and I sold them on the spot.

 

Unfortunately I don't have my copy of that ACE catalogue anymore so I can't show you just how different the MET coaches are to what was originally advertised.

 

[Johnson044]

On 26/12/2022 at 15:28, Annie said:

Some snaps of 'Hesperus' at work on my earlier TS2019 version of 'A Kentish Winter'.  The environmental lighting is noticeably harsher than it is in TANE.

 

 

 

This is astonishingly lovely Annie!

[rocor]

If I saw a set of Christmas cards for sale, with Annie's 'A Kentish Winter' images on the front, I would have brought them in a heart beat.

[Annie]

3 hours ago, Johnson044 said:

This is astonishingly lovely Annie!

 

1 hour ago, rocor said:

If I saw a set of Christmas cards for sale, with Annie's 'A Kentish Winter' images on the front, I would have brought them in a heart beat.

Thank you for your kind comments gentlemen.  The 'A Kentish Winter' layout holds a big place in my heart.  Unfortunately I don't have that particular TS2019 version anymore due my making a silly error over its files, but I'm hoping that I can get something like the same wow factor with the TANE version I'm working on.

 

Edited January 12, 2023 by Annie
Um.........

[Annie]

Now this was a surprise.  I'd been having a quiet day to myself catching up with things when I decided to check out a website belonging to a keen young digital modeller who likes to create model locomotives for Trainz.  You have to understand that there has been a near drought in Trainz for quite some time when it comes to anything involving the Midland Railway; - which is unbelievable really since the Midland was a significant railway company during the pre-grouping era.  So to cut a long story short he'd updated his website with some new engines, - which including these three .......

 

1252 Class. The only thing I've done to it is reduce the size of the 'MR' initials.

 

Johnson 3F (The builder didn't say which class he based his model on)

 

And here's the real surprise a Baldwin built 2501 Class!  Again all i've done to it is tame its huge 'MR' initials.

 

[Metropolitan H]

7 hours ago, Annie said:

I can remember back when I was still involved with the Hornby Railway Collectors Association there was a member who owned this set, but it was one of the 110 volt ones and he'd very wisely had it professionally modified to a much safer voltage. It was a bit of cheat in that the locomotive only had four wheels, but it certainly ran very well.

 

When ACE were were making their first Uk bogie coaches I ordered their boxed 3 coach MET set basing my decision to buy on their catalogue artwork.  I tried to order directly from ACE, but they refused my order and referred me to their NZ  agent who was well known to the local 'O' gauge community as a trader in vintage tinplate trains with a reputation as a somewhat shady rip-off merchant. 

Eventually this agent got in contact with me after i placed my order and said there was a delay with my order and he then tried to foist a LNER boxed set on me, 'because it looked the same'.  Finally the MET coaches arrived, but they weren't a boxed set they were three individually boxed coaches, - two brake 3rds and a 1st class coach, - which were not what I ordered at all.  As well as that the coaches looked nothing like the catalogue illustration and one of the brake thirds had its roof fitted incorrectly.

I complained and he blew me off showing no interest at all in doing anything to remedy the situation.

I'm afraid my interest in buying anything else from ACE died a death after that and when a fellow HRCA member expressed interest in my coaches I didn't hesitate and I sold them on the spot.

 

Unfortunately I don't have my copy of that ACE catalogue anymore so I can't show you just how different the MET coaches are to what was originally advertised.

 

Sorry to hear you had such a bad experience of the ACE Trains Metropolitan Railway stock.

 

I was resisting temptation till I saw the first of the Metropolitan Met-Vick Bo-Bo locos and the British Westinghouse "Camelback" Bo-Bo which came shortly after, but I wasn't tempted by the ACE Trains "C1" coaches as shown in the picture - preferring the similar but better liveried Darstaed coaches as see running below with the ACE B-W loco.

That is the circa 1905 on livery and looks right for the loco.

 

But to run with my model of the M-V loco - No.12 "Sarah Siddons" - I prefer the Later ACE "C/26" Metropolitan coaches which are closely modelled on the three "Dreadnought" vehicles running on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway and make a very good appropriate train with Pullman car "Galatea" in the post 1925 maroon (doesn't show the smuts and dirt) livery. I run the Brown and White "Mayflower" Pullman with the B-W loco hauled train, its more appropriate!

 

Anyway as it is just over the 160 years from the opening of the Metropolitan, here are a few more pictures on my layout.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope you like these. My apologies for the deviation from your other trains.

 

Keep enjoying your trains.

 

Best wishes

Chris H

[sncf231e]

As a Dutchman I of course do not know anything about prototypical correct Metropolitan trains, but I do like my ACE Met train.

 

Regards

Fred

[Annie]

2 hours ago, Metropolitan H said:

Sorry to hear you had such a bad experience of the ACE Trains Metropolitan Railway stock.

 

I was resisting temptation till I saw the first of the Metropolitan Met-Vick Bo-Bo locos and the British Westinghouse "Camelback" Bo-Bo which came shortly after, but I wasn't tempted by the ACE Trains "C1" coaches as shown in the picture - preferring the similar but better liveried Darstaed coaches as see running below with the ACE B-W loco.

That is the circa 1905 on livery and looks right for the loco.

 

But to run with my model of the M-V loco - No.12 "Sarah Siddons" - I prefer the Later ACE "C/26" Metropolitan coaches which are closely modelled on the three "Dreadnought" vehicles running on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway and make a very good appropriate train with Pullman car "Galatea" in the post 1925 maroon (doesn't show the smuts and dirt) livery. I run the Brown and White "Mayflower" Pullman with the B-W loco hauled train, its more appropriate!

 

Anyway as it is just over the 160 years from the opening of the Metropolitan, here are a few more pictures on my layout.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope you like these. My apologies for the deviation from your other trains.

 

Keep enjoying your trains.

 

Best wishes

Chris H

Thanks very much Chris that was a lovely 'cheer up' for me.  If the Darstaed MET coaches been available I would have taken them rather than the ACE 'C1' coaches.  They are definitely much better IMHO than the ACE coaches.

2 hours ago, Metropolitan H said:

My apologies for the deviation from your other trains.

Deviate all you want.  'O' Gauge tinplate is always welcome.

 

31 minutes ago, sncf231e said:

As a Dutchman I of course do not know anything about prototypical correct Metropolitan trains, but I do like my ACE Met train.

It's always nice to see your trains running on your outdoor layout Fred. 

If I'd received the three coach boxed set I'd ordered I'd more than likely still have it now, - it was being treated so shabbily with being given the wrong coaches and with one of them being incorrectly assembled and then having my complaints ignored that completely ruined things for me.

[Annie]

A cheer up present to myself.  'Captain Baxter' in 1980s preserved condition.  A quite affordable little payware engine made by Connor Law. 

 

 

I've asked Gonnor about making a GER E22 for me as well, - one of the engines from the first batch made in 1889.  It's difficult to operate a light railway in GER territory without a E22 and I've wanted one for ages.  I did think about asking if I could have one with the front coupling rods removed, but I thought it might be best to see what the model is like first before I start getting ahead of myself.

Picture courtesy of the GER Society

[Annie]

An unusual sight on a misty morning on my Norfolk layout.  Testing Steve Flanders's GWR Steam Railmotor in TRS22.

 

 

 

 

[Annie]

I've been working out some trip working schedules.  9F No.772 is heading for the goods yard at Elgar Junction.  With shifting the time period for my Norfolk layout on a bit I can't really keep on with running my 9F's in MS&LR green livery.  For some reason all my GCR black liveried 9F's are unlined whereas just about everything else I've got in GCR black is fully lined out.  I could line them out, but it would be a lot of work and I don't know if I'm up to doing it at the moment.

 

 

 

 

[Annie]

Testing and trying to get things working properly with my new Midland engine in TRS22.  Various scripted things like the couplings are no longer working and have disappeared and the lamp codes don't work either.  All is fine in TANE though, - so you can understand why many Trainz folk are a bit annoyed over TRS22 breaking things.  When I feel like a spot of puzzle solving I'll mount the couplings as static non-working attachments and I'll do the same with the lamps as it only needs the ordinary passenger code and nuffing else.

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Compound2632]

On 12/01/2023 at 15:54, Annie said:

Midland was a significant railway company during the pre-grouping era.  

 

Understatement! Only the LNWR could claim to be more significant; on any measure these two were the only truly national lines, well ahead of the other two of the pre-grouping "big four", the NER and GWR, by any measure.

 

We could discuss the liveries carried by these three models...

[Annie]

33 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

Understatement! Only the LNWR could claim to be more significant; on any measure these two were the only truly national lines, well ahead of the other two of the pre-grouping "big four", the NER and GWR, by any measure.

 

We could discuss the liveries carried by these three models...

I can easily guess that all three models need work doing to bring then up to some kind of reasonable standard.  What was the surprising thing for me was that after all this time somebody'd finally had a go at making Midland Railway locomotives for Trainz.

[Compound2632]

6 minutes ago, Annie said:

I can easily guess that all three models need work doing to bring then up to some kind of reasonable standard.  What was the surprising thing for me was that after all this time somebody'd finally had a go at making Midland Railway locomotives for Trainz.

 

It's not so long since we saw @eheaps's superb Smith-Johnson compound.

[Annie]

1 minute ago, Compound2632 said:

 

It's not so long since we saw @eheaps's superb Smith-Johnson compound.

That's true and Ed's Smith-Johnson compound is an outstanding piece of modelmaking, but it's the more ordinary and everyday Midland engines that are missing.  For some time now it's been possible muster a Midland 4-4-0 of some kind and a collection of coaches for it to haul about, but that's been pretty much it.  I'm not sure about the Baldwin, but the Johnson 0-6-0 and the Class 1252 4-4-0T definitely break new ground and give some hope that it might be possible to model the Midland in Trainz one day.

[Connor]

On 13/01/2023 at 12:36, Annie said:

A cheer up present to myself.  'Captain Baxter' in 1980s preserved condition.  A quite affordable little payware engine made by Connor Law. 

 

 

I've asked Gonnor about making a GER E22 for me as well, - one of the engines from the first batch made in 1889.  It's difficult to operate a light railway in GER territory without a E22 and I've wanted one for ages.  I did think about asking if I could have one with the front coupling rods removed, but I thought it might be best to see what the model is like first before I start getting ahead of myself.

Picture courtesy of the GER Society

 

Glad to see my Baxter model getting good use.

 

Hi everyone! I'm Connor, responsible for this model of Baxter, and also responsible for hosting those Midland Railway locomotives (a friend made them and I've just released them, with regards to the 3F he didn't specify its particular class). As also mentioned I will be creating this Great Eastern E22 Class alongside many other locomotives no one else has thought to make. To name one, recently I made a GWR Churchward County

[Annie]

4 hours ago, Connor said:

Hi everyone! I'm Connor, responsible for this model of Baxter

Nice to see you here Connor.

[Annie]

9 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

 

It's not so long since we saw @eheaps's superb Smith-Johnson compound.

On checking the website I can see that Connor's friend Ricardo has also made in addition to the other three MR models: -

 

A Midland Railway 115 Class (Spinner)

A MR Johnson/Deeley 4P Compound 4-4-0

A MR Johnson Class 2 4-4-0

A MR Johnson 1400 Class 2-4-0

And amongst the older TS2006 models there's a MR Class Class 156 2-4-0

 

(And he's done the GNR Baldwin H1 Class as well)

 

Since I can't build 3D digital model locomotives for toffee I'm not going to frown and poke at them with a stick, -  I'm going to say 'Thank you very much', instead.

 

Edited January 15, 2023 by Annie
more to say

[Annie]

Sunday Afternoon Cheer Up Picture: (Picture shamelessly borrowed from Didcot Railway Centre) 

Wantage Tramway No 5 hauling a goods train into the town circa 1930. 

I haven't forgotten my own Wantage layout project as I've been hunting about looking for suitable buildings.