AFK A room sized layout that hosts intensive operating sessions.

[ianathompson]

 

This is the main photo used on the website and draws your attention to the fact that the website has just been through a revamp to make it more user friendly.

 

A new journey along the line has been included whic uses up to date photographs and diagrams

 

This can be found here.

 

If there are any issues, such as non working buttons please let me know and I will try to fix them.

 

Ian T

[ianathompson]

 I have not been totally idle on the modelling front whilst redoing the website.

 

Work continues slowly on the melting snow scene and thoughts have turned to the end of the peninsula scene once more.

Here are a couple of snaps of the proposed arrangements at Ghealdaban.

Preparing the layout sketches for the Carramassco Gorge caused me to rethink the ideas.Time will tell whether the lower part of the scene will work.

 

These are the views of the upper scene as a basic mock up.

At least it will stop the area acting as a dumping ground for discarded items!

 

 

It is now envisaged that the road from the valley to the village will pass through the scene.

This was not the original inention. 

The scene lifts out to allow the Danulbo area cassette to plug in behind the backscene.

It is unlikely that there will be so much road traffic when completed.

The bridge acts as a handle and the foam board shows the extent of the removable section.

The red box is a marker for a barn and the shelter has temporarily been stolen from the Karushnastrato crossing.

 

 

 

 

The lower angle view includes a train testing clearances.

The car at the right waits on a steep slope but it seems to be no worse than many Swiss roads.

In typical AFK manner the train stops on the crossing and ignores road users.

 

Onwards and upwards!

The next job is to "do" the lower scene.

Then to complete the two station buildings off the layout at the moment.

Also to rewire all the controller sockets to provide a more robust system for the controller tethers.

 

Ian T

[Barry O]

Glad you are getting some modelling done @ianathompson.. Cricket Admin is getting seriously in the way og my modelling at the moment.. hopefully my modelling time will return .. shortly...

 

Baz

[ianathompson]

On 13/11/2021 at 16:35, Barry O said:

Cricket Admin is getting seriously in the way og my modelling at the moment.

 

Its that time of year!

Fortunately managed to dodge this bullet although I have been advised to throw my whites away if I don't want to step onto the park next year.

That is not going to happen is it?!

 

Ian T

[ianathompson]

The website has been updated to show developments at Ospicio, Caladonno and the /Carramassco Gorge.

 

 

This is a picture of the rotary plough passing the shieling as it tests clearances.

 

This week will hopefully see some developments on the stock and rewiring front.

 

Ian T

[ianathompson]

Work is slowly progressing on the provision of roofs for the carriages.

I had hoped to complete  enough stock before beginning another session.

The work is taking a long time, however, so it looks like the cabriolet coaches will still participate next time out..

 

 

The railcar set is on the bench, occupying the usual 6 square inches of space.

I have always envied those with the skill to make exceptional models with little fuss in a short time.

An AFK build takes forever and results in a fairly rough resemblence of the prototype!

Still we cannot be skilled in everything and I console myself that I have many other interests and talents.

I suppose if we were all brilliant modellers then the masterpiece models by Beeston, Rice, Gravett et al (insert as appropriate) would be regarded as "average".

 

One thing that I have never been able to do is easily join roofs to carriages.

I usually fudge the issue, especially with a standard roof of a greyish colour.

Unfortunately the French manufacturers (Brissoneau & Lodz)  built these railcars with the roof forming part of the structure.

Obtaining a clean joint requires multiple passes with the sand paper and the filler.

Whereas some can achieve this with raw styrene I always have to paint the carriages to discern the flaws.

I suppose I will get there eventually!

 

The motor car currently lacks its chassis as one of the home made drive shafts fell out.

Something else to be looked at before re-assembly.

 

Other progress has been made during the between session shut down, and documented on other threads/websites.

Here are a couple of examples, for the few that follow.

 

 

Ospicio has gone from bare boards and no backscene towards obtaining a sense of place.

The heavy snow melts as spring comes in.

 

 

Caladonno station building has also received attention.

The snow never melts in the Narnian enclave!

 

Ian T

Edited January 9, 2022 by ianathompson
typo

[ianathompson]

Further to the last post work continues on completing the bare minimum amount of stock required for an ops session amongst the carriages.

Arc roofed vehicles are simple enough to arrange but the typical continental roof profile is more difficult to capture than its British counterpart.

 

 

The railcar has been "completed".

In actuality it awaits steps and doorhandles, so it is not complete.

I almost forgot to add the cowling over the engine bay but my memory was jogged by looking at the pictures in the book about the Chemin de fer du Sud.

There were variations between the batches but I opted for the Mark I version which was simpler then the Mark II.

 

The model is not an accurate copy, in any case, but tries to "capture the spirit".

Interesting minor questions that have arisen as a result of visual study of the prototypes.

The position of the horns on the first batch and the arrangement of the communication doors in the front puzzle me.

 

The second series and the ones that went to Spain after WWII had horns poking through holes in the cab end, below the driver's window.

Ther is no mention of this in the (obviously French) text, or their apparent absence in the first series.

Reading the text, the narrow door was inserted to allow the train staff to get between units whilst in motion.

There was a grab handle to pull the door shut but no apparent opening handle.

 

Returning to the as built model; the more observant will note that the luggage compartment doors do slide open.

Unfortunately the effect is spoilt by the need for a large well to accommodate the bogie.

You cannot have everything can you?!

 

I am still hoping to start an operating session within the next week or so but, besides fixing roofs, I have become side tracked by timetabling minutiae.

If it is not physical modelling it is paper modelling!

 

Ian T

[ianathompson]

Finally, after much too long an interval, another session has begun.

There are only a few photos at present but they can be accessed here.

 

 

6. The Urteno goods has crossed the paper train at Glissent and now traverses the Kasatritikakamparoj. The SG vehicles are blocked in the middle of the train. It was a little difficult to put this train together. There are, in theory, 35 transporters knocking around but the truth is that only 17 have been built and two of those are currently defective. The usual procedure of putting SG wagons onto the ground was followed to rob enough to meet the needs of this train. A number of other SG wagons are in factory sidings and therefore removed from the layout, freeing up transporters. I really must build another batch. The materials are in stock, it is just finding the time to do it.

 

Ian T

[ianathompson]

Despite a series of set backs the session continues.

 

 

 

20. Finally, after a long hiatus, things begin to move again. The Urteno goods passes Ghealdaban running slightly early. There are still two sockets that must be replaced to ensure that the session can continue but, having spent around two hours on a wiring job that should have taken twenty minutes, these can wait.

 

Hopefully things are looking up.

 

Ian T

[ianathompson]

A further set of photos has now been posted on the website.

 

 

30. “Isuri” receives it 05.00 alarm call. The mountain communities usually rise early so this is not too much of an inconvenience, except to the students sleeping off their hangovers! The pilot has pulled two vans of blankets from the factory at the bottom of Steep Street. There might or might not be more buildings here since last time. I honestly cannot remember.

 

 

34. Elsewhere the schools’ railcar climbs the vulpafaŭkangulo trailing two vans. This is the maximum load that can be taken by railcar over this demanding stretch of line. The model’s mechanism, a Fleischmann Magic Train shunter, is really at the limit of its performance coping with the tail load and its own, new body.

 

Hope that you find them of interest.

 

Ian T

 

[ianathompson]

Another set of pictures from the operating session is now available.

The file is now sufficiently large that it will take a little while to load up.

 

 

43. This picture has obviously been doctored to cut out the wires dangling from level above. In all honesty I do not notice them when I operate. I spent a pleasant half hour sitting on a high buffet watching proceedings at Urteno, almost at eye level, as an enthusiast would. There was nothing dramatic, just the “crocodile” shunting wagons around the station. As has been noted, the scenery and the station could do with completion, but this doesn’t detract from my enjoyment.

 

 

51. One of the drovers accompanies the emigrating cattle to the station at Breĉo de Glissent. There is a little less fuss than yesterday. The drovers will also not be coming back to a nice warm bed tonight as they are taking up residence in the high country shielings as part of the transhumance system.. Emmalia will have a little less on her plate today as she only needs to shepherd the drovers in one direction.

 

 

56. The road crossing beside the Hole in the Wall, the café (still awaiting development) in Fenditavalat square, is what I quaintly saw described, in one of my French books, as “une affaire des saints”. Despite repeated requests from the authorities the shunter emerges unannounced, except for its horn, from behind the blind corner with a wagon or two in tow. This is a source of much amusement to the regular patrons of the café. The authorities might consider erecting a warning sign but they refuse stating that it is the railway’s problem. In any case they will soon be able to harass the railway once the bonnet is removed from the shunter as summer approaches.

 

Ian T

[ianathompson]

There is a rather thin slection of photos available with this post.

I am currently undergoing a course of raiography to deal with a cancer problem.

Hopefully all should be well.

During the interim, as one friend put ir, "Your time and your body are not your own!"

Please be patient: they now take some time to load up.

 

 

82. The URT-RFK train is completely dismantled at Lacono. The pilot has taken the last four vans, full of carpets, from the rear of the train into the northern holding sidings and attached them to the tinned goods. The train engine meanwhile has pulled in alongside it to deposit the KTT bound loads on the adjacent loop. Once the express has cleared the mainline the train engine will couple onto the wagons in the south loop to go forward. The pilot will leave the yard to look after the tail traffic on the express and the local behind it. The bogie wagon of cars, on the goods loop, would be turned on the turntable to face the loading dock set at a 45º angle to the loop for unloading. The old yard would have been overwhelmed by such traffic levels.

 

It could be a little while before there are sufficient photos to make it worthwhile posting again.

 

Ian T

[Barry O]

Hope the treatment goes well @ianathompson.

 

Baz

[ianathompson]

Just testing the new site to see what happens!

 

 

The website has a couple of new posts for those interested.

At least the website, where I have posted most iof my photos, is not affected by the problems here, thankfully.

 

Edit: It is a big file so it takes a little while to upload.

 

Currently don't seem able to see any photos on this website.

 

Is this normal?

I suppose that I need to press more buttons.

B****y technology!

 

IanT

Edited April 1, 2022 by ianathompson
additional info

[ianathompson]

Another update is now available.

It surprised me as to how large it was but I do not post regularly.

As usual the file takes a little while to load.

 

 

145. The fireless makes its way through the traffic of the Karushnastrato as it enters the Kapra Pordego (Goat Pen). This siding in the middle of the street leads to the paper mill and the industrial area. From the look of the exhaust the loco must have replenished the pressure cylinder, as opposed to boiler, before leaving the factory. As per usual on the model clearances have been tightened up and I will have to watch the upper story of the building at the right when I come to fixing it permanently.

 

159. The loco pushed the wagons back into the loop, having had a contretemps with the snowdrift in the left foreground. This takes great delight in grabbing well wagons and loco ploughs and derailing them. It is made from the mesh used for car repairs covered with paper and plaster and hides the point microswitches. Despite being repeatedly bent back it creeps forward unless an eye is kept on it. A big piece of BluTac now hides underneath as well, supposedly to keep it in check. Further problems have become apparent in this scene……

 

167. The KTT goods is finally let out, very late, and when it arrives at Breĉo de Glissent it immediately encounters problems. The train is restricted to a load of 160 tons, although it is currently loaded to 140 tons. The two vans in the siding would put the train on 190 tons because the van containing fish is one of the problematic 30 tonners (i.e. 3 axles). These are the bane of train crews’ lives and are normally left sulking in the sidings at Relforka. The staciaĉefino also advises that the hopper wagon delivered to the glassworks this morning needs picking up (putting the train on 220 tons) and that the two spare vans in the siding could do with taking round to the glassworks. The maths is not wrong because although the hopper is a bogie vehicle (nominally 40 tons) it is rated at 30 tons because it is short. There is no way that this particular loco, La Besto, the Creature (from the Black Lagoon) will take more than the mandated load over the next section. In truth it will struggle with the permitted maximum. What to do? Answer; ask Control. They created this mess.

 

Ian T

[ianathompson]

Time moves on and another set of pictures chronicling the layout is now available.

As per usual it will take a minute of two to load up.

 

 

181. The Isuri pilot returns from Rivaborda in the mid afternoon. There are a number of vans in the Riverside yard and more in the goods yard. These, along with the hoppers in the blanket factory, could do with moving south. This could mean a late evening special might be needed. Wagons gradually seem to accumulate at Fenditavalat partly because of the limited train lengths that can be held in the Basabazaro.

 

 

195. The schools’ railcar across the Magasoromban, or the Altingablecaŭtoj for Thalnian speakers, provides a pleasant rural contrast with the pressures of Lacono. The train is making the stop at Ayleha, out in the wilds. The Maejorolatyrn valley is well known for its cold microclimate, as the cow contemplates whilst chewing the cud.

 

 

212. The RFK-FDV goods ‘gets’ the “Star” as it leaves the snow shelter at Ospicio, as is to be expected. This is at the cost of holding the mixto at the down home to allow sufficient distance for a clearance point. The AFK does cheat a little where it is unavoidable but as far as possible it tries to follow prototypical procedures.

 

Ian T

[ianathompson]

After the passage of some time a number of photographs have been added to the website.

They were ready some time ago but I took a break at Easter and there was not time to add them before I left.

There are about forty or so of them.

 

 

216. The FDV-RFK goods is nowadays scheduled for a crew change at Lacono. It will stand for almost two hours because there are no paths south of here. The shunter has been unable to visit the Danulbo industrial zone today so the engine crew are asked if they want to earn a little overtime. To anyone who has worked with engine crews this is a no-brainer, alongside, “Is the Pope a Catholic?” Unwary van drivers had better pay attention when this monster is in the middle of the road!

 

 

225. One slightly concerning aspect of having both goods trains shunting simultaneously is the possibility of crossing the relevant consignments notes into the wrong train administrative packet. As has been noted before, admin is not a strongpoint of the AFK. Two similar crew vans with consecutive numbers does not help matters either, although the sharp eyed will be able to spot differences between, currently incomplete 276, and 277.

 

 

230. Meanwhile the AFK’s nemesis is bearing down upon the congested southern section of the line. The mixto makes the stop at Cadsuiane-Fanhuidol, as seen from the steep approach road to the foremost village. A couple of opens are needed here for the pulp wood traffic but this is allegedly in hand.

 

 

253. The up railcar, meanwhile, has reached Boursson. Any-one with an understanding of the AFK would have smelt a rat by now. The railcar is standing in the PFT (loop) with nothing to cross and all the signals “on”. It will be held here for some time until the mixto appears. What the passengers, especially the entitled bureaucrats, make of this is anyone’s guess. At least Glissent has the Golden Perch to hand but Boursson is literally in the middle of nowhere. It is named for the numerous surrounding villages which incorporate the name of the first Abbott of Narrasson Abbey into their own names for historical reasons. The station is remote from any of them and only contains a very basic refreshment room, run by the stacioĉefina between trains. It is also, inevitably closed by this time of night!

 

Ian T

 

 

Edited April 25, 2022 by ianathompson
error

[ianathompson]

The operating session has finally finished.

There are around forty photos on the website following it to its conclusion.

They can be found here.

 

 

272. The railcar, towing the ambulance, and the two van tail load, runs into Urteno at 21.05. It will stand to allow the hospital patients to be removed from the train whilst the shunter, in the background, adds the Post van. There are few passengers on the train by now and most of them know one another well. The Urteno station stop used to be the cue for them to decant to the station café/bar creating a ‘club’ style atmosphere. The station staff advises them that they had better be quick tonight because the train will leave “shortly”, although everyone realises that this is “AFK speak” for, “In around half an hour”.

 

 

279. Speaking of ugliness the CFS three phase loco brings the cement train into the Merkatubaxu at Isuri. The loco and van of the Altingablecaŭtoj local have simply waited in the square before preparing to take this train out. There has been a crew change as this working runs to Lacono before taking a break and leaving early in the morning. The interchange between the two railways is quite flexible and although the AFK train is timed to depart much later it is easier to run it early tonight. A phone call to Nordabordo, across town, sees the train traverse the connecting spur, blasted into the Orbon gorge following WWI.

 

 

284. The banker is closely followed by the railcar covering the URT-ERO diagram. This is the last down passenger service of the day and it serves to return the unit to its starting point for “tomorrow”, It does often runs empty over the last leg of the journey, once it leaves the Kasatritikakamparoj for the coast. The RFK-URT goods, beside the trainshed wall, will terminate here tonight and return with the wagons in the siding on the left.

 

It made a dramatic arrival, as it derailed on the turnback curve behind Aspargo engine shed and could not be retrieved without removing the retaining wall behind the shed. This necessitated clearing all the locos and stock as well as taking out part of the tunnel entrance. This is a right pain in the rear and such manoeuvres are reserved for the between sessions breaks, as far as possible. The culprit was quite obvious once I could get access. The two rear SG wagons (on transporters) had buffer locked because I had not used a long enough connecting bar. There are three lengths available and I had used a short rather than a medium length one. The rerun, with everything replaced and the correct length bar, went off without a hitch. Lesson learned for the future!

 

 

298. The pilot, as usual, has the last say in matters. The tank wagon is positioned opposite the gasworks, after one in the morning, for the pipes to be extended across the road to allow for loading. It will then be filled with tar. The road is closed during this procedure. There are one or two items that still require shunting, even at this time of night, but there is a limited window for the loading process so the pilot returns to the shed and the session ends.

 

That concludes the tenth recorded operating session. I only ever intended to document one session, but readers seem to find them popular. The railway will now shut for repairs and maintenance as well as some construction, in one form or another. There are three other layouts also demanding time and attention so how much progress is made remains open to speculation. As usual I have many grandiose schemes under consideration but experience suggests that few of these will come to fruition!

 

Thats all for now folks!

 

Ian T

[ianathompson]

It is some time since I posted on this particular thread but activity has continued with the layout.

There was even an undocumneted (on here) operating session.

 

A new operating session has now begun.

The photos can be found here.

There are not too many of them at the moment but that will doubtlessly change with time.

 

 

4. The following train is bound for the cement works at Lyddatyl on the CFS and will be handed off at Fenditavalat. It has to wait for the preceding train to clear the section even though the line is split by an IBS. With a glut of traffic on hand at Relforka this train has also been loaded to the maximum which could see a repeat performance at the cattle arch. Although the loco is ten coupled it is a little light on its feet and is viewed as class I/II. Loading trains over the weight limit was not that an uncommon scenario, at least from the anecdotes that I read in the press about US railroads.

 

 

13. The cement train leaves at 04.15. The goods shed shunt has taken around 90 minutes but the wagons are now roughly blocked to go forward. The goods shed, at the left, is now almost clear for incoming traffic and the local goods stands in the next road with the brake attached. It looks as though it will be short today.

 

Ian T

 

[ianathompson]

Unfortunately dental issues rather impinged upon operating the railway this week.

The latest photos are here, as the sessiion continues.

 

 

16. Unfortunately I discovered that I had put the Fenditavalat freight out in front of the Urteno freight. I suppose that this might merit a Form 1 on the real thing but I decided to recess the Fenditavalat train at Boursson. It could have gone into the yard at Lacono but this would create as many problems as it solved. The crew were prevented from getting a line clear flag on the block instrument by Lacono and were told to go into the loop. (There are some inconsistencies here, on my Form 1, but that’s my story boss and I am sticking to it!) The Urteno train steams past the home and distant, which have both been cleared, to overtake the errant train. A little more weight seems to be needed over the rear engine (the only one that is powered).

 

 

30. The Fenditavalat pilot pulls a couple of vans from the blanket factory. Quite how this fits into the urban fabric of the ancient city has never been determined but it provides another traffic source for the railway. The market hall is undergoing incremental development.

 

 

41. The FDV-RFK goods train does not often find too much work in the upper reaches of its run. Today is an exception and an empty van is deposited beside the goods landing for the seasonal cattle traffic at Ospicio. It will be prepared by the station mistress to receive its load.  The loco then picks up a wagon of gravel from the quarry siding before reforming the train to continue on its way. The timings are sufficiently slack that the lost time has now been regained.

 

Ian T

[ianathompson]

I seem to have had a poor medical start to the year.

I will spare you the details but little operating has taken place recently, so the next report may have to wait for a while.

https://myafk.net/operating-session-12

 

 

 

46. The shunting at Boursson is soon curtailed by the approach of the railcar which sees the distant at the enirasignalo, the yellow diamond, and slows down. The approach signals are (theoretically) interlocked with the points and forirasignalo (starter) and cannot display an unrestricted speed indication as the railcar has to pass through the loop. Oyach, the elderly curate, is still crossing that rickety bridge as he does his rounds every morning. I am not about to ascribe anthropomorphic attributes to these characters (well not too many) but I thought more of them should be named so I consulted a random name generator on the net. The impressionistic, or is it just ‘awful,’ trees mark a point where the backscene painting was restarted after a break. It certainly would not stand comparison with the best examples but it does its job in a low key way.

 

 

58. There is little traffic at the moment but that is likely to change when the fishing fleet comes in. The crew leave the engine alongside the water crane and walk across the road to the Steamboat to get their breakfast. The Ancient Mariner is a more popular choice for many of the summer daytrippers. The rickety railway bus provides connections to the Thalnian railways at Partanzo, thereby avoiding any need to board an AFK train.

 

 

66. It is now time to turn attention elsewhere to roughly synchronise the layout. Breĉo de Glissent has fallen behind, as usual, and so the ‘shunter’ is fired up. The shunting here is mostly done by the railcar that lays over between turns on the branch. The running was a little erratic and the wheels were cleaned. This is becoming an evermore frequent occurrence with certain locos because the nickel silver plating has worn through to the brass underneath. As Andy remarked, they were not designed for a layout where they put in such mileages. To be fair to the Fleischmann power unit it was bought second hand in the late 70s, when I was an impecunious Post-Grad, and is formed of the ’entry level’ generic shunter. I don’t suppose that it owes me anything. It has also lasted much longer than the contemporary 2-6-2T chassis which spent most of its time in bits before being replaced by a modern version. The railcar backs down onto a bulk grain wagon in the Co-op siding. This we be discharged at Eromarbordo.

 

Hopefully I should be back befroe too long!

 

Ian T

Edited February 2, 2023 by ianathompson
typo

[ianathompson]

Another batch of photos is now available.

They take some time to load.

There are around thirty of them.

I actually have more images than this at  the moment but it takes so long to upload them that it impacts on modelling time.

 

As per usual, when I start writing the captions, it feels more and more as though I am writing a novel!

I suppose that it beats having an anodyne model that does not inspire interest!

Anyhow you should meet a few more characters in these photos, even though there are no models of them (yet).

With my well known dislike of figure painting we could be waiting some time for physical manifestations!

 

 

78. The 06.53 from Bitrano which acts as the CFS schools’ train runs into a strangely deserted Merkatubaxu, on time, at 07.48. The AFK equivalent will arrive shortly to tow the train down to Rivabordo so that the electric railcar can avoid running round the trailer and leave for Nordabordo, as the CFS station is colloquially known, although the official name is Orbonakliffo. The locals prefer to refer to it as Norŏourbakki or ‘Bakki in Marranĝaccan.

 

 

82. As the crew reverse the loco back into the spur there is some mystification at the empty van’s priority status. There has been an administrative error somewhere because it is only going to take a load of rabbit skins and these certainly don’t merit priority. The gunsights, meanwhile, which are a priority, are still lost in the maw of the coal sidings. The crew are more concerned at the time eating necessity of shunting this rough, remote twisty siding in the middle of nowhere with their large rigid wheelbase engine. Why couldn’t this have been done by the Urteno pilot? Mutterings, mutterings. There are always mutterings about perceived extra work! What it boils down to is that there is no chance of a nice relaxing coffee and pastry at the station restaurant/bar whilst the engine stands on the mainline!

 

 

100. The local pulls into Boursson having made the climb from Glissent without issues. It accelerated smoothly away from the Sojonno stop and effortlessly rounded wet leaves curve. The additional weights chucked into the tender after the previous travails seem to have done their job. As an aside the typically heterogeneous nature of an AFK secondary service is epitomised here as the train sways over the back road level crossing at the south end of the station.

 

Ian T

[ianathompson]

More happenings in the Little World can be found here.

There are around thirty nre photos.

As usual the file is now so large that it takes a little time to load up.

 

 

115a. Nature red in tooth and claw! A bonus archived view of the birds and their fish below the bridge. Winter stays late in these parts and the ice floes jam the exit of the Lagabianca as the birds struggle to find the protein needed for the short breeding season.

 

 

122. As has been noted before, working the siding at Varden is difficult and dangerous, rather than simply awkward. Miraro’s task is not helped by the fact that the Fenditavalat crew do not usually shunt here therefore requiring even more care and attention. The wagons cannot be released from the loco until the brakes have been applied, hard, and the wagons coupled to the bufferstop.  In actuality the wagons are secured by the short pole permanently fixed here. The loco has uncoupled and slightly backed off so that it can be ascertained that the brakes are holding. Space is restricted so access to the siding is through the platform. The loco is standing on a concrete patch which allows road vehicles and passengers access. The ski-lift is on the list of things to do.

 

 

132 Now that the anonymous tunnel has been named it seemed a pity for the photographer in the Neoŏra Aeptogil not to capture the railcar emerging from the Höggormshöfuðgöng. The Aepto is constrained between a retaining wall and the cliff face. As has been noted before the scene could do with a little more greenery.

 

 

137. Eromarbordo has fallen behind the rest of the layout and now receives attention. As has been observed before this is a difficult place to shunt and it contains a number of complex track formations. The first priority is to get the two grain hoppers unloaded. These are propelled across the diamonds into the grain shed whilst part of the train stands to the right. All three roads are jammed solid with wagons, the headshunt along the quay and the sidings beside the warehouse are also full. One wrong move here could be disastrous. Some ‘lazy day’ at the seaside for the crew! The railcar has been run onto the Town Staithe to leave room for the shunting.

 

I hope that you find things interesting.

 

Ian T

[St Enodoc]

7 hours ago, ianathompson said:

I hope that you find things interesting.

Oh yes!

[ianathompson]

The next installment of session 12 is available here.

There are about 30 photos and the file will take some time to load up.

 

 

143. The long distance morning goods pulls into the merkatubaxu at Isuri trailing the SG wagon. As is often the case some students from the University are whiling away their time in the Station café rather then reading for their degrees. The table football machine is obviously not in use at the moment as a young gentleman props himself up on it, whilst chatting to the young ladies. It will see more intensive use this evening as the game is sufficiently popular for the University league matches to attract large crowds, complete with boisterous behaviour and not a little illegal betting. 100 Kronoj, a King’s ransom, isn’t unknown in the First Division. (None of that posy Premier League nomenclature here! Monday is relatively quiet as it is the night when Division 4 games are played. The loco running plate seems to have taken a bit of a bashing but will get a quick fix from the fitter at Rivabordo before it returns on the afternoon train.

 

 

148. The FDV-RFK goods crosses the fertile valley bottom in the latter stages of its 70 kms journey. I was a little dubious about marshalling the empty flat at the front of the train, especially given the curvature, but everything has proceeded smoothly… so far anyway! The train, which stretches into the distance, is 8 or 9 feet long and hauled by a bruiser of a loco, in contrast to the usual twee image of the narrow gauge.

 

 

156. As there are insufficient steam locos to cover the roster of the mixto Relforka shed has turned out ancient diesel No 434, which harks back to the beginning of internal combustion. It is a bit of a strange choice given its unkempt condition but needs must when the devil rides. The loco has been sidelined with a few problems recently so it is being accompanied by a fitter to keep an eye on it. As the train waits for the incoming railcar, Ichdoclo, the diesel fitter, instructs Aldmahano, the driver, to, “Rev the old b****r up”. (Part caption)

 

Ian T