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

[Compound2632]

13 minutes ago, magmouse said:

apart from the odd leak.

 

I try to by my vegetables in pairs (and my fruit in odd quantities) to avoid linguistic ambiguities.

[magmouse]

1 minute ago, Compound2632 said:

 

I try to by my vegetables in pairs (and my fruit in odd quantities) to avoid linguistic ambiguities.

 

And does your strategy bear fruit?

[Compound2632]

1 minute ago, magmouse said:

bear fruit?

 

Mostly wild berries of various sorts, I believe.

[Annie]

20 minutes ago, magmouse said:

The Auckland floods have been in the news here in the UK. Glad you are OK, apart from the odd leak.

 

Nick.

Thanks Nick.  I'm just glad that I no longer live in Auckland having moved out to the rural Waikato over a decade ago.  Some of the places that flooded were areas that have never had an issue with flooding before and with the change in the weather patterns that we've seen here over the past five years it's plain that it's not going to be a one time event.

People in the Auckland region are still pretty much in shock that such a thing happened and how fast it happened.

[Annie]

Doing beta testing and things like that on Nicholas's W&U layout for TRS22.  Not a bad sort of cheer up.

 

[Edwardian]

Immediately made me think "Wisbech", then I read your text and realise that it was intended to be! Bleary-eyed early morng viewin! Looking forward to seeing more of this.

 

 

[sir douglas]

this came up in a FB group yesterday, Wantage's Jane in an accident 9th Jan 1935

[Tom Burnham]

Ouch!  That's quite a well maintained PO coal wagon, by the way.

[Compound2632]

3 hours ago, Tom Burnham said:

Ouch!  That's quite a well maintained PO coal wagon, by the way.

 

Of course! Somebody's valuable asset, either the merchant or the wagon hiring firm's. If hired, typically on a seven-year contract including repairs and with a full repaint at mid-term. PO wagons were better treated than railway company wagons, paint-wise, until they were pooled during the second world war. It's an illustration of the general truth that it is unwise to project back to the 30s and before the impression one gets from the well-photographed 50s and 60s.

[Annie]

4 hours ago, sir douglas said:

this came up in a FB group yesterday, Wantage's Jane in an accident 9th Jan 1935

Nice, that's one photo I hadn't seen before of poor old Jane coming off the rails.  Thanks very much Sir Douglas.

 

That's a very useful picture of a local Wantage PO wagon as well.

Edited February 3, 2023 by Annie
More words needed.

[Annie]

Nostalgic Cheer Up Picture:  I was not very old and still  in primary school when I first saw a picture of 'Gervase' at work on the K&ESR.  The picture completely confused me as it didn't look like any steam engine I'd ever seen in my picture books of trains.  My grandad had been an engine driver and a lot of my other relatives had worked on the NZGR as well.  Steam was fading out on on the NZGR and it hadn't been that long since I'd seen my first diesel locomotive which I'd instantly hated.  So I knew very well what a steam engine should look like.  My young brain concluded that somebody silly must've made a mistake and took me off to do something else instead.

 

And now back in the present day I came across this picture of 'Gervase' on the GCR this morning while looking for information on something else, - and my childhood memory of this unusual locomotive came flooding back.  A true survivor it was good to read that it's being properly cared for and is still being useful.

 

(Picture courtesy of the GCR at Loughborough Leicestershire)

 

Quote

"Gervase" is a 0-4-0 Vertical Boiler Tank locomotive converted by the Sentinel Locomotive Company in 1928 from a conventional H Class design Manning Wardle Saddle Tank first delivered on 28th December, 1900.  https://www.gcrailway.co.uk/the-railway/locomotives/gervase/

 

[Hroth]

52 minutes ago, Annie said:

Nostalgic Cheer Up Picture:  I was not very old and still  in primary school when I first saw a picture of 'Gervase' at work on the K&ESR.  The picture completely confused me as it didn't look like any steam engine I'd ever seen in my picture books of trains.  My grandad had been an engine driver and a lot of my other relatives had worked on the NZGR as well.  Steam was fading out on on the NZGR and it hadn't been that long since I'd seen my first diesel locomotive which I'd instantly hated.  So I knew very well what a steam engine should look like.  My young brain concluded that somebody silly must've made a mistake and took me off to do something else instead.

 

And now back in the present day I came across this picture of 'Gervase' on the GCR this morning while looking for information on something else, - and my childhood memory of this unusual locomotive came flooding back.  A true survivor it was good to read that it's being properly cared for and is still being useful.

 

(Picture courtesy of the GCR at Loughborough Leicestershire)

 

 

 

Thats got Hornby Starter 0-4-0 written all over it!

 

It might have been a better idea than what they're trying to do with an LSWR B4...

 

Edited February 3, 2023 by Hroth
a bit more...

[Annie]

9 hours ago, Hroth said:

 

Thats got Hornby Starter 0-4-0 written all over it!

 

It might have been a better idea than what they're trying to do with an LSWR B4...

 

It would certainly make a nice 'starter' 0-4-0 and something a bit different to the usual as well.

[sir douglas]

ive only seen Gervase while it was at Elsecar

 

theres one interesting thing to look at if you have the chance of getting close to it, as the old cylinder position cant be seen on the chassis, cut away and braces with angle iron

[Annie]

1 hour ago, sir douglas said:

i've only seen Gervase while it was at Elsecar

 

there's one interesting thing to look at if you have the chance of getting close to it, as the old cylinder position cant be seen on the chassis, cut away and braces with angle iron

A closer look after a little image manipulation.

 

[Annie]

Running about on the Mold & Denbigh branch.  This is a 1950's era layout built in TANE by one of the creator group who does seriously nice work when it comes to layout building.  He says it's unfinished, but his 'unfinished' is better than many completed layouts for Trainz.

I know the Precursor tank engine is an anachronism, but it's always been a good test engine and besides as an ex-LNWR engine it's sort of appropriate.

 

 

[Connor]

On 31/01/2023 at 19:38, Annie said:

Cameron Scott has been digging about in his locomotive archives and he decided to release two of his Furness Railway engines from a now redundant project as freeware.  Both the J1 Class and the L2 Class are exquisite pieces of 3D modelling that I would have been happy to pay money for, but I'm not going to argue with him about it.  The 'Sharpie' J1 is particularly welcome because I'm fond of the locomotives that Sharp Stewart & Co built.

 

I already had a 0-4-0 Class A5 tender engine made by Cameron Scott and an older K1 4-4-0 by Rob Dee, - and to my great surprise a K2 4-4-0 that I haven't got a clue where that came from; - so possibly my old P4 ambitions of modelling the Furness Railway could eventually be realised.

 

Some time ago back in 2019 (BP) a certain Mr G. Parker created a Lake District layout based on the old C.K.P.R. and while I did have a look at it back in those halcyon and carefree times I managed to misplace it while sorting my Trainz files.  However I have found it again and while it might be a source of irritation to some members of the parish I thought I'd run my new engines about on it.

It seems to be LMS era and while it's a layout with good bones it could do with a wee tidy up.

 

The Class L2 0-6-2T at a borrowed Penrith station.  The FR 50ft bogie coaches are reskins by Rob Dee.

 

 

Class J1 No.47, - isn't she lovely.  The 4 wheel FR coaches are older models by Cameron Scott.

 

 

 

 

 

I do intend to make some Furness Railway models, including but not limited to a new K2, some of the 0-6-2Ts, possibly a Copperknob if I can find diagrams, and one or two of the 0-6-0 tender locomotives.

 

So far I have made a G5 0-6-0T, which has yet to be exported to Trainz - if you'd like to see some pictures of the liveries I've made for it then I'll happily share them.

[Annie]

1 hour ago, Connor said:

 

 

I do intend to make some Furness Railway models, including but not limited to a new K2, some of the 0-6-2Ts, possibly a Copperknob if I can find diagrams, and one or two of the 0-6-0 tender locomotives.

 

So far I have made a G5 0-6-0T, which has yet to be exported to Trainz - if you'd like to see some pictures of the liveries I've made for it then I'll happily share them.

Sounds good Connor, - I would be very pleased to see some pictures.

 

I suppose you know that if you  are subscribed to the digital version of Railway Modeller you can access their back catalogue of magazines going back to the 1950s.  There were quite a few Furness drawings published over the years.

 

Edit:  If you don't have access to these drawings I can send you digital copies.  I've got a drawing for Copperknob which I can certainly pass onto you.

Edited February 5, 2023 by Annie
more to say

[Annie]

'North Star' by Connor and the coaches are by Steve Flanders.  Not so well today so I cheered myself up by running 'North Star' about all over 'Tristyn & District in Winter'.  This is one very sweet running locomotive.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 5, 2023 by Annie
added a picture

[Annie]

This is an older model for Trainz that I've blown the virtual dust off.  A TS2004 model of GWR De Glehn Compound 'La France'.  I have 'Alliance' and 'President' as well.  I ran these three engines about for a good while on various GWR layouts including into Cornwall which was naughty of me, - and I had a lot of fun with them too.  Then Ed Heaps made his utterly exquisite  GWR De Glehn Compounds for TS2019 and the older TS2004 models were quietly retired. 

It was while I was messing about on 'Tristyn & District in Winter' that I remembered these older models, so I got 'La France' out of my digital trainset box and gave it a test run with 175 tons worth of GWR coaches.  The original engine spec proved to be somewhat breathless and could barely attain 70 mph and the braking was appalling.  Sooooo I decided to use the same engine spec as Ed chose for his De Glehn Compounds and I borrowed the sound file as well since the TS2004 one was not the best.

On Tristyn & District's  fast 90 mph section 'La France' attained 83 mph and was generally running and sounding better.  Braking was a lot better too.  I'm happy enough with that.  I think I have a look at updating the smoke animation files next.

 

Somewhat of a contrast.

 

The leading coach is a Brake Tricomposite.

 

I almost dropped the camera getting this snap.

 

 

Edited February 5, 2023 by Annie
More words needed.

[Annie]

Now with improved smoke animation and some additions to the train.

If anyone is curious as to the makeup of the train: - W3 6w Parcel Van, E19 Brake Tricomp, E27 1st/3rd Clerestory Compo, E14 1st/2nd Clerestory Compo, E27 1st/3rd Clerestory Compo, E27 1st/3rd Clerestory Compo, E26 1st/3rd Brake Clerestory Compo, K4 Full Brake.

 

 

Edited February 5, 2023 by Annie
Um.........

[magmouse]

Thank you, Annie - the De Glehn and rake of clerestory stock is another treat for us. The video in your last post is quietly mesmerising, even though ‘nothing’ is happening. I also love the snowscape - I think the sun has come out since the previous one?

 

Nick.

[Annie]

Thanks Nick.  The De Glehn is an old favourite and it's nice to have it running again.  Steve Flanders's amazing collection of late 19th century GWR carriages make running sessions a treat for me as well.  It's been a habit of mine for a while now to get the snowscape layouts out during our grotty hot Summer as a way to cheer myself up.  Tristyn & District in particular is an excellent test track for when I'm fettling older engines from early versions of Trainz so they run better.

The simulator's sun moves across the sky as time moves on so the lighting effects change throughout the simulator's day.  I've kept the daylight a little brighter in Tristyn & District rather having the clouds and daylight look like the sky is about to fall in at any moment.

[Edwardian]

Brrrrh! That all felt cold!

[MikeOxon]

I often enjoy putting together models of engines from different periods - it brings out the differences in proportions very clearly, 

 

I wonder how 'realistic' your engine controls are - can you for example feel the difference between the 4-cyl and 2-cyl Stars and Saints or between Stephenson and Walschaerts motion, with their different 'lead' characteristics? 

 

The thing I missed most with the flight simulator was the lack of any sense of physical movement and I guess the same is true of train sims, which cannot provide a real footplate experience.  Great fun to watch though 🙂

 

Mike

Edited February 6, 2023 by MikeOxon