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

[Annie]

'Immingham' in lined black at Valleyfields.

 

 

'Immingham's' tender looks very nice on the 9J 'Pom-Pom', - it's just a pity I don't have the skills to line it out to the same standard.

 

 

The 1B and the 9F look on and watch the proceedings.  They will be getting proper number plates soon however.

 

[Annie]

'Immingham' in bronze green on Valleyfields.

 

[sem34090]

This was just posted, not by DT:

[Lancaster622]

That is beautiful! 

 

Who do I need to bribe then? 

[sem34090]

A man named Ben, who has yet to release it.

[Annie]

WOW! 

 

Cameron from Darlington Works is working on one of these Sacre tank engines, but progress is slow with it.  Needless to say I want one, - very seriously want one.  Sacre's MS&LR (GCR) locomotives are things of beauty and even Parker's updates of the Sacre designs are still lovely locomotives.  Hopefully the quickening of interest in the pre-group era will mean that more beautiful classic steam locomotives will be created for railway simulators.

 

​Edited to add a picture.

 

Edited May 1, 2018 by Annie

[Lancaster622]

Here here! I remembered on Saturday that I had actually purchased Trainz a New Era (had every version of the game since the original not that this info matters much haha) Just downloading Darlington Works freeware Barnums 

[Annie]

Wasn't feeling so hot today so I decided to take a train ride on Valleyfields.  This is the interior of one of those 'Barnums'  Lancaster.  The young lady didn't have much to say, but she was a good listener.

 

 

The only problem with trying to take a seat in a carriage is that every time the train goes through a curve you're likely to get thrown out of the carriage.  BUT the little GER Y14 I've got has a clever trick.  Click on 'cab view' and it will sit you down inside a coach instead.  I'm not sure if it's the combination of the Y14 and the GER 6 wheelers or not, - which have been modded and reskinned by the same chap, - or if it will do it with any train of carriages you please.

 

 

Anyway it was a nice relaxing way to get a good look at the layout and to see how well it's coming together.  Valleyfields was originally designed to be viewed from passenger eye level, but there are a few bits that weren't so well done which I've been working on.  

 

The train in question.  GER 6 wheelers and a GWR Family Saloon just for fun.  With the little Y14 in charge it wasn't a quick trip around the layout, but it was a nice way for me to relax and take things easy.

 

 

And this was where I got off the train at Melville station.  The whole area around Melville has had a lot of work done on it including building the MPD which has appeared in earlier pictures and putting in the fully interactive factory you can see in the background.

 

[Lancaster622]

Thank you Annie I will now be clock watching till home time!

 

I had to make the picture you shared of the Sacre tank loco my desktop wallpaper just too stunning not too!

[Annie]

I have both TANE and TS2012 but don't use them Lancaster as I much prefer the simplicity and lack of complication with TS2009.  Your experience may vary though and I wish you much fun with your new toys.

[Annie]

Now look what you made me do Sem, - I've just purchased a Caley 812 in lined black from Darlington Works.  Only $4.99 so I'd call that a bargain though.

Haven't a clue what I'll do with it, but no doubt I'll think of something.

 

[Lancaster622]

I have both TANE and TS2012 but don't use them Lancaster as I much prefer the simplicity and lack of complication with TS2009.  Your experience may vary though and I wish you much fun with your new toys.

Nice Purchase on the 812

 

I am getting on alright with T:ANE but I really dislike the high attachment point of the camera to the loco/stock looking over it rather than at it I feel

[sem34090]

A bit cheaper than my 812's... £15.99!!! But that does cover every livery and variant...

[Annie]

I don't think I would be keen on that either Lancaster as I like to be down at footplate level even if I'm not riding in the cab.

 

I really like the look of the Caley 812, but with a NER ( + other railways) based layout and a GCR-GER based one as well I don't really want to start in on a Scottish layout.  With my big layout, - the NER one, - being set on the cusp of the grouping I shall fabricate the excuse of a locomotive trial so the 812 can come out to play alongside my other engines.

Edited May 1, 2018 by Annie

[Annie]

A bit cheaper than my 812's... £15.99!!! But that does cover every livery and variant...

The full set of all liveries and numbers plus variations from Darlington Works is $29.99.  Since I have no use for the BR and LMS variations I didn't go for that.  I only really need one 812 anyway so I went with the lined black version.

[Caley Jim]

Just remember, Annie, that you can only use it on unfitted freight trains as it doesn't have the Westinghouse brake. The blue livery was used for Westinghouse fitted locos which, therefore, could also be used on passenger trains.

 

Jim

[sem34090]

Hence why my black one has only been used on coal trains so far, and has only seen the light engine and mineral headcodes...

[Annie]

Just remember, Annie, that you can only use it on unfitted freight trains as it doesn't have the Westinghouse brake. The blue livery was used for Westinghouse fitted locos which, therefore, could also be used on passenger trains.

 

Jim

My NER based layout where the 812 will be on locomotive trials (tissue thin excuse) is all about shifting coal in loose coupled wagons which is why I went with the lined black version Jim.  The blue one is very pretty, but it wouldn't see much use since my 'Sharpies' largely have the passenger roster to call their own.

[BlueLightning]

It's rather good fun this getting to run the train into the "rest of the world" after shunting!!!!

 

 

Gary

[Annie]

Shunting is something I really love.  But I do like running train services too.

 

Nice screenshot Gary.

[Annie]

Playing Testing was carried out with the Caley 812.

It's certainly a larger engine than the Worsdell Class 'C' tender engines that usually work the coal trains away from the wharf.  The only problem with buying posh new payware locomotives is that some of my older ones are made to look a bit dowdy.  The Paulz Trainz Class 'C's' do have one thing over the newcomer though in that they have fully interactive lamp codes and the 812 doesn't.  Cameron from Darlington Works makes nice locomotives, but they rarely have any enhancements.  The 812 was the first locomotive I purchased from him that has a cab interior as one particular example.

 

Naturally there was much murmuring about 'foreign engines' by the GNJt.R crews, but then they did that too when the Class C's arrived.

 

 

So how did it compare against my tuned and fettled Class C's?  The 812 is very controllable especially at slow speeds. The sound file and the engine specs are spot on because the locomotive sounded like it was working hard, - especially when starting the train of hoppers away from the wharf.  A 600 ton train is what the simulator said and normally I'd use two Class C's on a train like this one.  My one complaint is smoke!  The 812 produces heaps of it in great clouds which makes it hard to see anything at times.  I'm sure it's entirely prototypical given that the engine was working hard and especially so through the network of tracks on the wharf and the yards at Seaside Magna to get out on to the branchline, but it did get to be a bit of a nuisance sometimes.

 

 

 

The cab interior.  Excellent sighting ahead when in cab mode.  I could see all signals very clearly.  You would be amazed how many beautifully modelled loco cabs on otherwise well put together digital locomotives have utterly cruddy cab views which make them all but impossible to drive from the cab.

 

 

Across the wooden river bridge.  I haven't checked axle loadings for the 812, but I think it would be technically too heavy for the bridge.  For the purposes of the test though which is the standard gasworks run I was willing to overlook it.  The Class C's are inside the weight limit which is why they normally have the job.

 

 

A snap taken out on the double track mainline heading towards the gasworks.

 

 

And at the gasworks and the end of the run.  (Any resemblance to an actual real world gasworks is most probably only incidental)

 

 

Overall the Caley 812 gets a big tick from me.  This is a really nice engine and it works how I'd expect an engine of its type to work (not that I'm any kind of expert).  One of the big strengths with all the engines from Darlington Works that I've got, - both payware and freeware, - is that they are beautifully set up and their engine spec files are very much closely tailored to suit the locomotive they are intended for.  Steam powered roller skates they are not!

[Annie]

Something I'm trying very hard to resist is a beautifully put together layout that's on the DLS under the name WELNEY&UMNETHTRAMWAY.  This is a Winter layout set in the Fens in GER territory.  I tend to be attracted towards layouts set in the Fens, but have strongly resisted them up until now since I know very well that if I give in everything else I'm doing will be abandoned and forgotten.  It's a TS2004 layout and belongs to a class of layout built at that time by extremely talented folk who know their prototype well.  Maybe 10 years from now I might be good enough to consider myself approaching the equal of this layout's crafting.

 

It's standard gauge, but also has an extensive 2ft gauge network across the surrounding landscape which services the farms in the area.  Welsh NG it's not, - and therein lies a problem.  Locomotives wouldn't be difficult to sort out as there a good many non-Welsh types on the DLS, BUT rolling stock would be a problem since there's hardly anything that isn't from a Welsh railway.

 

I have this layout on my hard drive and I've looked it over and even put some of my GER rolling stock on it, but I am doing my best to resist it.  Believe me, - this layout is a must see if for no better reason in that it's an education in how to build a layout.

 

[Caley Jim]

Re 812 lamps. It does not have any brackets on the front footplate (at least in CR livery), only one in front of the chimney and one either side of the cab. I'm out at the moment so not able to check what the lamp code was for a mineral train.

 

Jim

[sem34090]

In that case, the DT 812 is correct: only the LMS and BR versions have lamp irons on the front footplate.

 

According to the pack, mineral/goods is a lamp either side of the cab.

[Annie]

Generally in Trainz the lamp codes used where locomotives are setup for interactive lamp codes are the revised RCH codes.  But I am aware that the Caley didn't use these which might be why Cameron from Darlington Works played safe decided to not bother with them.  I notice he's still got front footplate mounted lamp irons on his Caley versions though which isn't correct.

 

Some of my engines such as the NER Worsdell Class C 's and the NER McDonnell class '59' are setup to use these codes and I must admit I do like being able to use lamp codes as it adds something a bit extra to running trains on my layout.  It's mostly my older digital models that don't have them and when they can't be used I do miss them.  If I was more skilled with scripting than I am and understood how to place attachment points I'd have a go at converting my older engines, but something tells me I'd only make a mess of it if I tried.

 

 

Edited May 2, 2018 by Annie