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

[sem34090]

I was hoping nobody would notice that...  

[Northroader]

“We don’t care what momma don’t allow,

  we’ll get to York just any old how”

[sem34090]

Looking again at my pictures, and the one above, the singles in all have a vac pipe on the front (I hadn't noticed and actually thought I was cheating!).

[Annie]

LNWR Claughton and train on test on Middle Vales.  This is a model by the other maker I mentioned and I've got the texture modding and shininess banishing about 90% done.  What is perplexing about this maker's work is that all the animations for valve gear & etc are very very good and he always has the best sound files for his engines and they drive very nicely, but always look like something over chromed and over polished from a hot rod show rather than actual working engines. 

 

 

More than once I've thought about taking Middle Vale back into the pre-grouping era, but the problem that always stalls me is that while many things on the layout would remain the same, there just isn't that much around in the way of LNWR infrastructure.  One large signal box, one just about correct medium sized signal box, no signals at all, no true LNWR station buildings.  The engine sheds at Donabate and Dunleer are very close to being LNWR designs fortunately. No water cranes....... and the list goes on.

About half of the industries would disappear because they are too modern, but I could work around that by using period correct substitutions to create different industries.

I'd be able to manage with goods wagons because I've made more than a few LNWR open wagons and vans since there were none to be had on the DLS, - and thanks to Ed Heaps there is now an LNWR brake van available.  Ken Green's fabulous coaches would take care of the coaching stock.  But locomotives would be a problem because what is available are mostly old models that would need a lot of updating.  There are a very small handful of gems though made more recently, but even so the range has a lot of gaps.

Still it's something to think about now that the early BR version has had its bugs knocked out.

[Annie]

Further snaps from the LNWR Claughton test.  I am warming to the idea of taking Middle Vale back into the pre-group era.  The early BR layout will stay as it is because it's a good layout for playing trains on and operating with reasonably prototypical methods, but with the additional delights of trainset-like interactive industries that actually do stuff.  The new version would be a clone of the BR layout which I would then convert to the true faith take back into the pre-1924 era.  The question would be of course how far back do I go?  I would prefer to stay with pre-WW1 as I have with my GER layout, but much would depend on what locomotives and rolling stock are available.

Searching around and updating myself I have found a 'Problem' (no not that sort of problem, - I mean the elegant single driver locomotive) and an 'Alfred the Great' class by Ed Heaps which are stunning models like all his work.  The Alfred Great class dates from 1901-1903 so that gives me a base marker for how far back I can go.

An 0-6-2T Coal Tank and 4ft 6in and 5ft 3in 2-4-2T tank engines are available; - older models, but basically Ok.  Paul Hobbs made a Webb 'Cauliflower' in grimy LMS condition, but I don't know if it can be backdated or not since his models can be quite complex with the way they're put together.  My favourite G2 0-8-0s are available in LNWR livery.  A not particularly brilliant Precursor and Precursor tank engine are available as well and they might do Ok with a little work.  Soooo it's a start I guess and it gives me more food for thought.

 

 

 

[Annie]

Doing a little research on LNWR building paint schemes and I found this useful website  https://www.stationcolours.com/lms

 

The link is for the LMS constituents page, but they do the the other three members of the Big 4 as well.

[Northroader]

Yes, that site is the creation of KirtleyPete of this parish, probably best known for Saltdean, also very useful source of printed building papers at 0 gauge shows. He did a softback book with the same stuff in, which I have. Most useful.

[Annie]

Well that website certainly helped me out today with some things I wasn't sure about Northroader.

[RedGemAlchemist]

5 hours ago, Annie said:

Doing a little research on LNWR building paint schemes and I found this useful website  https://www.stationcolours.com/lms

 

The link is for the LMS constituents page, but they do the the other three members of the Big 4 as well.

That is tremendously helpful. Thank you very much! 

[Northroader]

He does contract modelling work, in case you haven’t spotted it, feast your mince pies on this:

 

[Martin S-C]

21 hours ago, Northroader said:

What a superb photograph. That must have been a sight to behold.

 

Annie - I am loving the images over the last few days. I haven't visited RMWeb due to feeling a bit rubbish and having my mood dented by some external events (a sick friend) but coming back here, your lovely images always lift my spirits.

I was looking at the 1900 map of East Rudham station and thought how curious the layout was - all the sidings accessed via a kick-back but two roads apparently converging to share access to what looks like an end-loading dock. If that is what it is, it's most unusual, unless those two tracks are going inside a goods shed or other store?

[Annie]

30 minutes ago, Northroader said:

He does contract modelling work, in case you haven’t spotted it, feast your mince pies on this:

 

Wow!- just plain wow!  That is amazing.  And here's me struggling to make some reskin textures for an LNWR country station.  Suddenly I feel so inadequate.  

 

7 minutes ago, Martin S-C said:

What a superb photograph. That must have been a sight to behold.

 

Annie - I am loving the images over the last few days. I haven't visited RMWeb due to feeling a bit rubbish and having my mood dented by some external events (a sick friend) but coming back here, your lovely images always lift my spirits.

I was looking at the 1900 map of East Rudham station and thought how curious the layout was - all the sidings accessed via a kick-back but two roads apparently converging to share access to what looks like an end-loading dock. If that is what it is, it's most unusual, unless those two tracks are going inside a goods shed or other store?

I hope your friend is feeling better Martin and is now on the mend.

 

Thanks, I'm glad you like my snaps.  Mucking about with my trainset has certainly helped to lift my own spirits a bit since I was getting fed up with falling asleep all the time.

 

East Rudham is a bit of an odd station and I've got quite a bit of work to do there.  Those two converging sidings coming up against something not identified on the map has me a bit puzzled too.  An end loading dock seems likely but the 'L' shape on the map is a near perfect match for the L&FR built goods shed which still exists, but is now converted into a posh house.  So I would think that the goods shed must've had two tracks going into it.  I haven't found any period photos for the goods shed and the photos of the posh house conversion don't show anything that's really worthwhile since it's all been messed around with.

 

 

[Annie]

I got myself horribly distracted by someone releasing a route/layout for the  Cockermouth, Keswick & Penrith Railway set in the LMS era for TS2019.  I've downloaded it and it looks to have good bones in that it's a good basis for further detailing.  I would of course want to take it back into the pre-grouping era which shouldn't be all that difficult, BUT the last thing I need right now is another layout project!

I modelled the Furness Railway when I was younger and I had a thing about railways in Cumbria at one time, but with me seriously considering making a proper LNWR line out of Middle Vale I really didn't need this distraction.

 

It's funny though because the layout builder used some of my LNWR open wagons as dependent assets for his layout and I had quite an emotional moment when I saw them.  To me it meant that I'd somehow arrived as a content creator for Trainz.  Silly I know, but I'm good at being silly sometimes.

[Annie]

 

It's certainly a fascinating part of pre-grouping railway map though.  You can tell I'm starting to weaken about the Cockermouth, Keswick & Penrith Railway can't you?  If I was to leave Middle Vale as it is in 1948-1952 and pre-group this new CK&PR route instead then I could not only run the LNWR engines and rolling stock I have, but NER ones as well (And I have a lot of pre-group NER stuff).  The problem I have with Middle Vale is that I don't really have enough suitable LNWR engines to run it since some of the ones I thought I could use are not good models and even if I did a lot of work on them they would still not be good models only now they'd be wearing lipstick (in a manner of speaking).  The Claughtons would be fine for Middle Vale that's true enough, but they are too late for the period I'd want to represent.

But for the CK&PK I think the 'good' LNWR engines I have could work out fine for that line.

 

Perhaps collecting souvenir teaspoons would be less worrying. - boring true, - but less worrying. 

Edited August 16, 2019 by Annie
incomprehensible word placement

[Annie]

Testing on the CK&PR.  Keeping it simple so far with changing out signals and knocking back some of the too rampant vegetation beside the line.  Next I'll change out all the rolling stock for pre-grouping approved models that would likely to be seen in the region.  There's been some clever work done to represent the unique railway buildings on the line which by and large I'll leave alone, but some buildings outside the railway fence have the evil taint of modernity about them so they'll be demolished/cast into the pit and replaced with period correct items.

 

 

 

 

[Northroader]

Beats teaspoons, dunnit ??

[Annie]

Sure does Northroader.  I've had the Furness (almost a) 120/K1 4-4-0 and coaches for a while now, but had nowhere to run them so it was time to get them out of my digital trainset box.

[Nick Holliday]

22 hours ago, Annie said:

East Rudham is a bit of an odd station and I've got quite a bit of work to do there.  Those two converging sidings coming up against something not identified on the map has me a bit puzzled too.  An end loading dock seems likely but the 'L' shape on the map is a near perfect match for the L&FR built goods shed which still exists, but is now converted into a posh house.  So I would think that the goods shed must've had two tracks going into it.  I haven't found any period photos for the goods shed and the photos of the posh house conversion don't show anything that's really worthwhile since it's all been messed around with.

 

The NLS OS map for 1904 shows a slightly different layout which may explain your concerns, with an additional siding creating a run-round loop.

[Annie]

Thanks Nick.  Yes that is a much more useful track layout, - which is most probably why they did it and made the change.

Just as well I didn't jump into changing the station yard all about yet.

Edited August 16, 2019 by Annie
fumble brain

[Northroader]

I always feel with those old ordnance survey plans that they never bothered to get the track layout spot on. The exact detail of how and where the tracks converge never seems to be very convincing, the first plan for East Rudham is a good example of this.

[Annie]

Yes the 1904 map is a lot more clear than the 1900 one.  The original layout builder claimed he used genuine 1910 M&GNJR diagrams to layout the stations, but it's very plain he either didn't know what he was looking at or was telling fibs because none of them match anything I've been able to find.

[sem34090]

The Stirling Single has been out again recently. Please excuse the complete lack of accuracy, this is mostly due to a lack of GNR routes and a lack of other GNR locos.

And now for a 1938 Railtour...

And for something very different, for me, the GWR features!

[corneliuslundie]

Go for Carlisle and you could have all the companies you like and a few more besides - though not the GWR. A rather big setup if you include both Citadel station and the various goods yards and loco depots.

And you are not the only one with out of area vehicles. What price this in South Wales?

Jonathan

The pink appeared with I used a matt varnish. i think it must have had a secret dose of MR lake.

Edited August 16, 2019 by corneliuslundie
added comment

[Annie]

Plainly it's a touch of iron ore dust which would have been typical for a FR open wagon.  Nice wagon by the way Jonathan.  I need to make some FR wagons if I'm going to carry on and do things with the CK&PR, though fortunately with now having quite a large texture library from making other wagons that shouldn't be too difficult.

 

Carlisle would be a step too far for me since I'm very much a small local railways modeller, but there are some Trainz folk who are into that kind of thing.  One of the guys in the creator group I belong to is building Snow Hill which is an insane level undertaking.

[sem34090]

Snow Hill isn't a level undertaking at all...