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

[Annie]

Finally completed all the lettering and tiny details on the GNR 3rd coach.  I ended up doing all the lettering and shading pixel by pixel using photographs as a guide since no standard off the shelf font was a good starting point.  This coach will be going up on the DLS fairly soon which certainly is a very big step for me to be taking.

I am thinking about doing a 1st class GNR coach since most of the artwork from the 3rd Class coach can be reused, but I want to stare at a few more photos first.  The GNR had working arrangements with the GCR so that's why I wanted some GNR coaches in case anyone was wondering.

 

Any forum members with arcane GNR knowledge please feel free to comment as I'm far from being any kind of expert and if I've made a howler of a mistake I'd rather know about it than not.

 

 

Edited May 14, 2018 by Annie

[Annie]

The GNJt.R has never been a railway to be bothered with tender engines very much.  They've owned them in the past, but they've always ended up being sold on after being little used.  The NER might be running their Worsdell Class C's along the Seaside Branch and there is that weary old McDonnell Class 59, but they aren't carrying GNJt.R lettering on their tenders.  

Worsdell's Class 'B' 0-6-2 tank engines gave rise to the Class 'C' tender engines and later on the Class B's were improved upon with the Class 'N' 0-6-2 tank engines.  At the time in which my layout is set the first withdrawals of the Class B's (LNER N8) were only about 5 years away so once again the GNJt.R has been gifted some engines that their former owners weren't so fond of anymore.  But don't get me wrong the Class B's were a successful design, but by the grouping they were starting to be outclassed by more recent classes of engines.

 

I purchased three lightly weathered green LNER N8's from Paulz Trainz and while the green isn't really LNER green and they lacked proper lining I didn't care because I wanted all three of them to become GNJt.R engines.  The Class 'B' tank engines were designed to haul coal on shorter trip workings, but were Westinghouse fitted right from the start which made them very useful and they were sometimes used on passenger trains.

On the GNJt.R they'll be working the goods trains and coal trains, but may get called in once in a while to do a passenger turn if the rostered engine is feeling poorly.

 

I made the lettering and numbering a little dull and faded to fit in with these engines' weathered appearance.  The numbering is in the correct series for the NER Class B's as it's become usual practice on the GNJt.R's part to retain the NER number on all the engines they inherit from their larger partner.  As usual while I had my digital paintbrush out and doing a general walk around I also gave the new arrivals proper NER whistle sound files along with a better engine spec file.

 

In term of size compared with the other 0-6-2T's I've got the Sharpie is smallest and lightest, next comes the Worsdell 'B' and then the GCR Class 9F's (N5)

 

I also got myself three Worsdell Class E (J71) tank engines while I was offering sacrifice to the goddess Visa.  Lighter than the Class E1's (J72) and good on tightly curved trackwork they will be very useful engines for doing trip working along the Furlong Branch and the various industrial sidings along the riverside.  I had been using a pair of Class E1's for this job, but it always was my intention for the Furlong Branch to be worked by Class 'E' tank engines.

 

No pictures as yet as they are still at the 'works' getting turned into GNJt.R engines, but here's a picture of a real one.

Edited May 16, 2018 by Annie

[Edwardian]

Nice.

 

I want a 4mm B at some point.  They are something of a local engine for me, being intended for mineral haulage over the Stainmore route.

 

In my fantasy NE stud, the Worsdell Bros A, B, C, O and P Classes would represent clean lines and uniform modernity - from the mid 1880s to the turn of the Century.

 

Everything else would recall something of that bewildering variety of designs, often archaic in appearance, that Ahrons described: Bouch long-boiler 0-6-0s, Fletcher BTPs, Fletcher and Tenant 2-4-0s, Fletcher and McDonnell 0-6-0s and, perhaps, a McDonnell 4-4-0.

[Skinnylinny]

I don't suppose the Worsdell E class came in an NER lined green livery, by any chance? I've been trying to find out how one of these would appear but there's a lot of conflicting information, and black-and-white photos aren't always as useful as I'd like...

[Annie]

Thanks James.  After I got my GCR 9F 0-6-2T's and discovered what handy maids of all work they were I started to cast around for 0-6-2T's for my NER based HUGE UK layout.  Finding the 'Sharpie' 0-6-2T was nice, but I really needed something equivalent to a Worsdell Class 'C' and I was very pleased to find the Class 'B' digital model.  I could have purchased the later 'N' Class, but I didn't think the NER would have been generous enough to give the GNJt.R three of those.

 

I have a Tennant '1436' Class 2-4-0 and I hope to get a Fletcher BTP once my pocket money recovers.  While I'm a big fan of the Worsdell brother's locomotives a secondary line country railway needs to have a few older engines around too.  The Tennant 2-4-0 is a very nice engine to drive and will soon became a mainstay of ordinary passenger traffic on the line once I've made a few adjustments to it.

 

 

I don't suppose the Worsdell E class came in an NER lined green livery, by any chance? I've been trying to find out how one of these would appear but there's a lot of conflicting information, and black-and-white photos aren't always as useful as I'd like...

 

No they were lined black engines Linny and have the LNER style of lining.  The only example of a lined E1 I can think of would be 'Joem'.  Hardly any of the NER's tank engines survived unfortunately.

 

[Annie]

On another note I've just received an invite into the inner sanctum of those who seriously create digital models for Trainz.  I don't want to sound like a fan girl, but some of these guys have made hundreds of models for Trainz and I regard them as being among the greats of digital modelling.  And they asked me to join them after seeing my GCR coaches and the GNR coach I made.

I've accepted the invitation, but what do I do now!  

[Edwardian]

I don't suppose the Worsdell E class came in an NER lined green livery, by any chance? I've been trying to find out how one of these would appear but there's a lot of conflicting information, and black-and-white photos aren't always as useful as I'd like...

 

If you mean the prototype, yes, it would!

 

The black goods livery was not introduced until 1904. The Es came out in 1886 and were a T W Worsdell design.  As such, the as-built livery was the splendid version of NE green with the claret borders and frames (see picture of 495 below).

 

Later they received W Worsdell's simpler livery, but still green (see 50, below).

 

The first E1s, 1898-1899, would have been introduced in W Worsdell green.

 

 

Thanks James.  After I got my GCR 9F 0-6-2T's and discovered what handy maids of all work they were I started to cast around for 0-6-2T's for my NER based HUGE UK layout.  Finding the 'Sharpie' 0-6-2T was nice, but I really needed something equivalent to a Worsdell Class 'C' and I was very pleased to find the Class 'B' digital model.  I could have purchased the later 'N' Class, but I didn't think the NER would have been generous enough to give the GNJt.R three of those.

 

I have a Tennant '1436' Class 2-4-0 and I hope to get a Fletcher BTP once my pocket money recovers.  While I'm a big fan of the Worsdell brother's locomotives a secondary line country railway needs to have a few older engines around too.  The Tennant 2-4-0 is a very nice engine to drive and will soon became a mainstay of ordinary passenger traffic on the line once I've made a few adjustments to it.

 

No they were lined black engines Linny and have the LNER style of lining.  The only example of a lined E1 I can think of would be 'Joem'.  Hardly any of the NER's tank engines survived unfortunately.

 

 

 Having been express engines, the Tenants are perfect for cross-country secondary line work by the early Twentieth Century. 

[Annie]

Very nice E1 pictures James.  My lined black Class E's have the same type of lining as No.50, but unfortunately with the way the colour masks are applied to the body texture on the digital model I don't think It's possible to make green engines of them.  They will be lettered for the GNJt.R rather than the NER so lined black is fine since the GNJt.R has a long history with black painted engines.

I decided I wanted the Class B's to be in plain green though as I wanted to mark them out as being a bit special.  Three tank engines for doing big jobs if you like and therefore worthy of not just being painted plain black.  Besides with the way the colour patches are applied to this particular digital model black would have made it look dead and too much like a huge mobile blackboard rather than a business-like tank engine.

 

Yes I really like the Tennant '1463' and I'm debating whether I should have a second one since the one I have seems so good at working the cross-country passenger trains from Porterton to Debton.  I do use the McDonnell '59' on passenger trains as well since they are a mixed traffic class of engine and it does that fine even though I set up its engine spec file to make it breathless and a bit weedy as compared with my much more efficient Worsdell Class C's..  Getting myself a Fletcher BTP will further add to the amount of NER green on the line as apart from the rather magnificent 'C7' Atlantic, - which of course doesn't lower itself to doing ordinary passenger turns, - the Tennant is the only engine I have wearing NER green at the moment. 

[Edwardian]

Very nice E1 pictures James.  My lined black Class E's have the same type of lining as No.50, but unfortunately with the way the colour masks are applied to the body texture on the digital model I don't think It's possible to make green engines of them.  They will be lettered for the GNJt.R rather than the NER so lined black is fine since the GNJt.R has a long history with black painted engines.

I decided I wanted the Class B's to be in plain green though as I wanted to mark them out as being a bit special.  Three tank engines for doing big jobs if you like and therefore worthy of not just being painted plain black.  Besides with the way the colour patches are applied to this particular digital model black would have made it look dead and too much like a huge mobile blackboard rather than a business-like tank engine.

 

Yes I really like the Tennant '1463' and I'm debating whether I should have a second one since the one I have seems so good at working the cross-country passenger trains from Porterton to Debton.  I do use the McDonnell '59' on passenger trains as well since they are a mixed traffic class of engine and it does that fine even though I set up its engine spec file to make it breathless and a bit weedy as compared with my much more efficient Worsdell Class C's..  Getting myself a Fletcher BTP will further add to the amount of NER green on the line as apart from the rather magnificent 'C7' Atlantic, - which of course doesn't lower itself to doing ordinary passenger turns, - the Tennant is the only engine I have wearing NER green at the moment. 

 

I should think a Worsdell-condition Tenant would be ideal.

 

Those are pictures of Es, not E1s.

 

Here's an E1 in green:

[Annie]

James, yes of course they're Class E's - duh!.  When I looked at their numberplates somewhere in my silly brain a small voice said, 'Those are Class E's', but then when I typed out my last posting I wrote them up as being E1's.  The differences between them are quite subtle.  I do like having both E's and E1's on the layout and I've set them up differently with their engine spec files so they aren't omni-engines anymore.  Paul of Paulz Trainz tends to use a one size duz all engine spec which works somewhat Ok for his smaller engines, - though they do tend to be very samey in the way they function, - but when put into larger and heavier engines gives them the most horrendously poor braking characteristics among other things.

Having these old photos you've provided is really helpful and now I'm thinking of making some nice NER brass numberplates for my engines.  With the way the texture masks work I'd have to put them on the tank sides, but then perhaps the GNJt.R decided to move them there.  At least that's my excuse, - one of the advantages of having a freelance minor railway in joint partnership with the NER.

[Skinnylinny]

The Es came out in 1886 and were a T W Worsdell design.  As such, the as-built livery was the splendid version of NE green with the claret borders and frames (see picture of 495 below).

The trouble I've been having is finding exact colours - would that claret be the Phoenix colour "P527 NER Loco Red"? And the lining, is that (from the inside of the panel outwards) white, thick black, bufferbeam red?

 

I've been commissioned to paint and line a 5" gauge model of an E class (preferably in the earlier livery worn by 495 in the image above, rather than the simplified LNER-style lining), and I don't feel I can use my usual bodge of colouring in lining transfers with Sharpie permanent marker, nor hiding details with a little bit of weathering on this model! It should, however, be a rather nice thing to behold when it's finished, although I may need a rather larger tin of Phoenix Precision green than my usual.

 

[sorry to drag the thread off-topic, Annie!]

Edited May 17, 2018 by Skinnylinny

[Annie]

A 5 inch gauge Class E, - it would be such a thrill to paint something like that.

 

All the surviving NER locomotives seem to be painted in the later simplified green livery.  Even the Fletcher and Tennant engines have been finished in the simplified livery so there's not really any locomotives you can go and see to check details.

 

I can only suggest that you contact the North Eastern Railway Association as they must surely know about such things.    https://sites.google.com/site/northeasternrailwayassociation/

[Skinnylinny]

She's going to need a lot of TLC and a full strip down - the loco can be seen here:

 

Hopefully, she should look rather different by the time I'm done with her!

[Edit: This seems to give a better idea of the livery that I'll be aiming for - the lining being cream, black, white]

 

Edited May 17, 2018 by Skinnylinny

[Annie]

A 'Rail Crusher', - nice picture.  I've been sorely tempted by one of those.

Those old lithograph images are very useful for livery details, but they can be a bit difficult to find when Google is being a complete dummy over understanding keywords.

 

And what on earth did they do to that poor Class 'E'.  It looks like it's been stuck at the back of somebody's leaky old shed for years.  

[Skinnylinny]

I don't know, but it won't look like that for much longer! I feel like some wire wool might be the best thing to start with to remove some of the rust, either that or the Dremel with a brass-bristled brush in it!

[Annie]

These old monsters still find work on the GNJt.R hauling coal up to the environmental disaster steelworks and ironstone kilns.

 

 

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engerth_locomotive

 

I haven't really got a clue whether Engerth locomotives ever really worked in Britain.  They certainly were popular in France and some were in service right up until just before WW2.  These are enormously fun locomotives as they will shift a heavy train at a walking pace and keep it moving without pause.  There's a sweet spot at around 4 mph where the steam and exhaust sounds are really really nice so I tend to keep them at that speed.  The line up to the steelworks on the HUGE UK layout is on quite a stiff gradient and since the Engerth locomotives were originally designed for railways with severe gradients it's quite an appropriate job of work for them to be doing.

[Edwardian]

She's going to need a lot of TLC and a full strip down - the loco can be seen here:

 

J71.jpg

 

Hopefully, she should look rather different by the time I'm done with her!

 

[Edit: This seems to give a better idea of the livery that I'll be aiming for - the lining being cream, black, white]

 

NER115-L.jpg

 

I don't suppose the Worsdell E class came in an NER lined green livery, by any chance? I've been trying to find out how one of these would appear but there's a lot of conflicting information, and black-and-white photos aren't always as useful as I'd like...

 

Linny, TW's livery for all classes:

 

Saxony green with claret borders.

 

Width of claret borders varied, e.g. reduced rear of cab opening on tank locos.

 

The green and claret were separated by a 2" black band that had a 1/8" white line on the inner edge and a vermilion line on the outer.

 

Boiler bands were black with 1/4" white edging, but there was usually only white lining to the rear edge of the boiler band adjacent to the smoke box and there was not lining on the boiler where the firebox met the cab front sheet.

 

The upper surface of the splashers was green with claret border edged white.

 

The frames were claret and had a 1" black border to the lower edge and were lined 1/4" vermilion.

 

Buffer beams vermilion with 1" black border edged 1/4" white.

 

I hope that assists!

Edited May 18, 2018 by Edwardian

[Skinnylinny]

That there is *exactly* the information I needed, thank you! Even in 5" gauge (assuming approximately 1:12 scale), 1/4" lining is likely to be overscale (unless I can get 0.5mm white and red lining transfers, but I'll need a *lot* of them... Might be time to dust off the lining pen and give it another go!) and as for 1/8" lining (which, at 1/96" to scale (0.26mm)) it's going to be nearly invisible!

I think any further updates on this I'll put through on my own thread to avoid clogging up Annie's, as the loco should be arriving on Sunday evening so that I can get a good look at what needs doing to her.

[Annie]

I don't mind having this thread 'clogged up' with NER pictures.

[Annie]

Been terribly mega sleepy so haven't been around much.  I'm awake now though after being asleep for 14 hours so I thought I'd post this test run with one of the new Worsdell Class B's (N8)

 

Blue, but not Caley blue.  I decided to paint the new engines blue the same as the 'Sharpies' and I think it looks better than the original green.

 

Heading away from the wharf.  The simulator said the train weight is 400 tons.

 

Passing by the coal sidings at Seaside Magna.  Engine sheds and MPD just visible at the top LHS of the picture.

 

Having left the ever popular Seaside station and its camping facilities and steamer dock behind it's onwards to Walberry Old Wharf station.

 

 

Leaving Walberry Old Wharf behind.  The wharf still handles the occasional inwards grain shipments and of course fish.

 

Approaching Ironbridge station.  Yes I'm very proud of the bridge that's why it finds its way into so many of my snaps.

 

And jumping ahead to another bridge, - crossing the wooden river bridge and heading for Bailey's Farm Halt and the Debton (GNJt.R) station.

 

Young trainspotters at Bailey's Farm Halt.  Mum is supervising with a stern eye (but secretly she likes trains too).

 

A pause at Debton (GNJt.R) station for the GWR pilot engine to arrive.  A new memo came down from head office to say that GNJt.R engines had to be piloted from now on.  More annoyances arising due to this Grouping business.  Actually it does make for additional operational interest even if the GNJt.R crews don't think so.

 

Dean Goods now in charge!  This is an older 2005 model that's been slightly updated for TS2009.  It's a lovely digital model and a lot of fun to drive. 

 

Leaving Debton (GWR) station behind.  Looks like the GNJt.R crew is making sure they do their bit too with taking the load.

 

Heading out into the countryside.  The road beside the railway line is still WIP.  The Furlong branch is just across the river and runs in front of the long row of trees in the distance.

 

More running alongside the river.

 

View from the Deans Good's footplate.

 

Passing Sudbury station on the joint LSWR-LBSC line.  Presently much discussion as to whether there should be a GWR station or at least a halt built here since the GWR station at Hunter's Lodge is a very long walk away from Sudbury.

 

I didn't take any snaps of arriving at the gasworks or shunting about, but this snap will give you some idea of how big the yards at the gasworks are.  The gasworks itself and the other end of the sidings are behind the sparrowcam photographer.  The longest coal train I could move off the wharves at Seaside Magna fits comfortably in these sidings.  When I first downloaded the base layout these yards were just about impossible to shunt due to the lack of crossovers at the far ends of these very long siding.  A simple task like shunting the brake van to the end of a train of now empty wagons was a nightmare.  It all works much better now though some parts of the gasworks area are still a work in progress.  It's tempting to have these sidings full of wagons, but the memory hit of that many wagons would be more than my present computer could handle.  However I do have a not very long single rake of empty wagons placed in the sidings to allow for 'picking up the empties' type shunting scenarios.

 

The gasworks.  While the GNJt.R crews were shunting wagons and gathering up stray empties the GWR crew took their engine off to the turntable at the end of the yards, turned it round, fed and watered it and had themselves a cuppa.

Normally I enjoy shunting, but my mouse is starting to pack up and is producing double clicks when I want single ones, - which does not help when points are changed with a single click.  Finding myself going the wrong way and then having to back up becomes very annoying after a (very short) while.

 

And ready for the return journey.  I decided not to inflict any snaps of that on you.  So it was a go back the way we came, drop the pilot engine at Debton and head for home type run.  The whole session from leaving the wharf at Seaside Magna until arriving back there took around two hours.  I was tired and sleepy by then so I was naughty and didn't shunt any of the wagons into the sidings where they were supposed to go.

 

The main point of the session though was to test out the Class 'B' tank engines suitability for doing jobs like the gasworks run.  The short answer is, 'Yes!'

Not surprising really since this was the kind of work the prototype was designed for.  The test engine had coal enough for the outward trip, - which is very important, - but had to have it's bunker topped up again for going home once all the shunting was done which is what you'd expect really.  As to the shunting it was handier at doing that than the Worsdell Class C tender engines that have been doing this job up until now.  Both the Class B and the Class C's are very controllable, steady and a pleasure to drive as well as sounding marvellous, but when it comes to shunting the Class 'B' was just that bit better at it.  But then I like tank engines a lot so I might be biased.

 

With Porterton station having been finally brought into service along with the big MPD there the Class C's and other NER engines will be moving to Porterton and no longer having to make do at Seaside Magna (and generally getting in the way according to the GNJt.R loco crews).  So me getting these Class B's now is quite timely since the GNJt.R is very much a tank engine line in its day to day operations.

 

On another note I had a go at making a brass oval numberplate for one of the Class B's, but the texture piece is quite small and is expanded into place by the body mesh patches which resulted in the texture distorting and having a rough looking appearance.  Soooooo there won't be any brass numberplates for the Class B's unfortunately, but at least I gave it a go.

Edited May 20, 2018 by Annie

[Annie]

Trial run of a modified GCR 9K (C13) on Valleyfields.  Another of Paul from Paulz Trainz's older models that I've done a bit of work to.  It was in partly lined LNER black, but nobody else makes a Class 9K so it was a case of this one or nuffing.  The textures were very small one colour patches that made the locomotive look like a dark grey lump so I increased the texture patch size and worked some extra shades of black and grey into them to give the impression of grime on a cleanish engine.  Post-war many GCR engines were described by commentators of the period as being 'shabby' and lacking the paintwork detailing common on pre-war engines so I guess this is one of them.  Still some WIP bits to do on some parts. Because the numbering texture patch was larger on this digital model I was able to successfully make and fit a numberplate.  It's in the wrong place, but I can live with that.

 

 

 

Valleyfields is a great layout for testing a new locomotive since it's essentially a very large oblong shaped layout with the trackwork going around in three endless loops.

 

 

I changed the one size duz all engine spec for one intended for a LMS 2P and it seems to suit the 9K very well.  And with a better steam sound file and of course a proper GCR whistle this became a much better engine to drive.  I complain a bit about some of Paulz engines, but his four position system for driving from the cab is something I really like.

 

 

Possibly I might have been having a bit too much fun with the 9K, but Atlantic tanks are a firm favourite with me.  At 70mph the sounds the 9K was making were glorious and all I would have needed was the wind in my hair to make the illusion complete.

 

The digital model is push-pull fitted with the GCR mechanical system and not the LNER vacuum system that was fitted later.  I don't have any push-pull coaches though and the only ones available are smooth sided Big 4 era ones.  According to the LNER info site the 9K's were push-pull fitted in 1933 so that's another anachronism I'll have to put up with, but since this is the only GCR 9K model available it will have to do.

[Annie]

Another picture of GCR No.3.  The final remaining bits and bobs have been done.  Potentially I could have three 9K's in GCR livery on Valleyfields since I purchased three LNER condition engines from Paulz Trainz, but I'm trying to work out if three would be too many.  A little voice inside my head keeps chanting 'MOAR MOAR MOAR!' - but I'm trying to let reason and logic prevail if even for just 20 minutes (or maybe less......).

 

 

A member on the Auran Forums very kindly sent me his custom reskin textures for the Darlington Works GCR 9J 'Pom-Pom' and now No.977 (and No.980) are very posh looking Pom-Poms indeed.  I was going to do my own lining textures for these engines, - which would have been a bit of a struggle, - but now I don't have to.

 

[Annie]

Distracted myself a bit by looking at the Robinson Class 9N Pacific tank engines Darlington Works has on offer, but came to the conclusion that they'd be too big for Valleyfields and I'd have no work for them to do.  The newly out-shopped Class 9K (C11) Atlantic tank engines will be handling the passenger roster and from my extensive playing about with them testing I can conclude that they'll be more than up to the task.  

 

 

I already have 'Immingham' in lined black hanging around in the MPD at Melville looking decorative because it doesn't really have any work to do as the Class 9F (N5) tank engines and Class 9J (J11) Pom-Poms cope just fine with the fitted fish and van traffic on the line, so yet another big decorative engine isn't a particularly good idea.

The two Class 1B (L1/3) 2-6-4 tank engines I have are much the same size as a Class 9N, BUT of course they do actually have a job to do moving large amounts of coal about which they do very well.  And then there is the fact that the 9N's were build late in the pre-group era and the models have cab side windows and aren't in the as-built windowless form of the initial batches that were built.  Smacks too much of the approaching winds of change brought on by the grouping which I tend to treat with a measure of suspicion these days.  So cross them off the list and move on I say.  

 

But should anyone release a digital model of the GCR  Class 8 Atlantics all pretence at rational decision making will go right out the window..........

 

[Annie]

After a bit more digital tinkering about and the discovery of some very nice accurate 'GREAT CENTRAL' lettering I now have three GCR 9K Atlantic tank engines ready for service on Valleyfields; - Nos.3, 5 & 8.

 

The above snap was taken at the sub-shed at Elgar Junction which is a station I initially failed to find when I first downloaded the base Valleyfields layout.  It's on a bypass single track loop off the double track mainline and as downloaded it had a modest little station, a shunting yard and engine shed along with some far too modern looking warehouses and a few houses plonked down in bare field.  Since then much work has been done at Elgar Junction.  The engine shed is now worthy of the name with all the requirements for the proper care of steam engines.  The shunting yard now has a nice sized goods transshipment shed and has been tidied up a bit.  The warehouses have been economically replaced with better and more appropriate ones constructed from corrugated iron.  And Elgar is now worthy to be called a town.

 

A view of the shunting yard.  In addition to the GER and GCR wagons there's also 2 or 3 wagons from the MR, LSWR and LNWR just to keep things interesting.

 

The station.  I haven't done anything here yet except put in a run round loop and improve the signalling.  The station building is described as being, 'A small LNER branchline station building'.  I have heard rumours of some proper GER station buildings on the DLS so I may investigate further.  In this snap the town is still in its 'buildings plonked down in a bare field' condition.

 

The completed town.  I've done my best to build it using some elements of forced perspective with the assumed viewing level being at the height of the locomotive crew on the footplate.  Elgar township was a bit awkward to build up as unlike the other towns on the layout it's possible to view it from a full 360 degrees.  It's visible from the both the mainline on the other side of the river and the single track loop line from the coal fields; - and it is visible over about 260 degrees of arc on both the approach and departure on the Elgar loop line itself.  Handy clumps of vegetation do provide some view blocking, but I didn't want to rely on that too much.  Overall I am happy with the result and it's certainly better than what was there before.

[Annie]

In other news I've just purchased an ex-lease quad core Xeon workstation to run my trainset on.  Being a built for business use machine it has a better build quality than made for home use computers which is one of the reasons why I've stuck with buying ex-lease machines over the past few years.  I was tipped off about using Xeon powered machines to run Trainz simulators by a forum member on the Auran forums.  He used to work in the computer industry sector and he runs some fairly detail intensive layouts in TANE on his Xeons so I could rest assured that he knew what he was talking about.  

 

https://support.hp.com/gb-en/document/c02027649  My one has an X3450 processor and 8Gb RAM

 

Xeon processors have the computing horsepower of an i7 processor apparently, but for some reason good spec Xeon workstation computers are cheaper on the ex-lease second hand market than an equivalent i7 powered machine.  More than likely it's a question of supply and demand with most folk who are shopping for an i7 or i5 computer having never heard of Xeons and being willing to pay higher prices to get what they want.  Good quad core i5's and i7's are only just coming onto the ex-lease market here so the prices are still relatively high.

 

The quad core i5 computer I had been considering buying was a small form factor machine with a power supply that could be described as 'adequate' and the potential for upgrading/rebuilding  while Ok was limited.  For the same money the Xeon machine I purchased is a tower case model with a better power supply, more RAM and much more capacity for upgrading so it's an all round better win really.  It's got Windows 10 Pro installed which is not my most favourite operating system, but I suppose I can put up with it.  According to my daughter the trick to preventing Windows 10 from ruining your fun with dumb upgrades is to configure upgrading to essential security upgrades only and nothing else.

 

So anyway 'Deep Thought' has yet to be delivered and hopefully it will turn up before the weekend.  I'm not especially looking forward to transferring all my data to the new machine and getting it setup to work how I want as my sleepy little brain tends to want to crash and blue screen in the face of those kind of tasks, but once it's done that should be the last time I have to do it for the next five years or so.

Edited May 23, 2018 by Annie