The Night Mail

[AndyID]

6 hours ago, 34theletterbetweenB&D said:

When model railways were (temporarily) displaced by an interest in gurls, quite by chance I ended up regularly in the company of a flatful of nurses in training and subsequently qualified at one of London's principal teaching hospitals; all during that time having passed through 'Casualty' as it was then known, as an element of their training. The stories were positively eye-watering.

 

This has never been covered in C4's  '24 hours in A&E' to the best of my knowledge. Possibly not to give chaps with little imagination 'unhelpful' ideas?

 

Lorna was a student nurse at the Sufferin' General in Govan. One evening Fred Lawnmower, Lorna and I were chatting over some liquid refreshment. Fred was an orderly at a hospital and he and Lorna were discussing some of the the things they had observed. I passed out!

 

(Fred was actually John Gilmour but one of our school pals gave him that nickname and it stuck).

[iL Dottore]

Back to railway "stuff"

This is a very preliminary sketch for my 3mm layout "St Cuthbert's" (inspired by the Molesworth Books).

 

The idea being that it's a single track (double track more realistic/likely/prototypical???) extension from a West Country Main Line that ends in a small market town that is home to a minor public "skool": St Cuthbert's (AKA "St Custards).

 

The platforms should be long enough to take a 3 (4?) carriage "school special" plus a a workmen's train, some B-Set workings and a pick-up goods train. Possibly a steam railmotor or a diesel railcar depending upon era (1920s to 1930s).

 

All ideas, comments, suggestions, design "tweaks" etc. warmly welcomed (in fact sought)

[Northmoor]

The second of two Christmas spirits for me have just been delivered today (the first was an attractively-coloured gin from Sainsburys), a 10y.o Edradour.  The shop kindly dropped in a free miniature into the box as well.

[Northmoor]

14 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

Back to railway "stuff"

This is a very preliminary sketch for my 3mm layout "St Cuthbert's" (inspired by the Molesworth Books).

 

The idea being that it's a single track (double track more realistic/likely/prototypical???) extension from a West Country Main Line that ends in a small market town that is home to a minor public "skool": St Cuthbert's (AKA "St Custards).

 

The platforms should be long enough to take a 3 (4?) carriage "school special" plus a a workmen's train, some B-Set workings and a pick-up goods train. Possibly a steam railmotor or a diesel railcar depending upon era (1920s to 1930s).

 

All ideas, comments, suggestions, design "tweaks" etc. warmly welcomed (in fact sought)

You're going to need some means of loco release from the buffer stops after arrival, plus some means of shunting the yard without fouling the "main line".

[jamie92208]

7 minutes ago, Northmoor said:

You're going to need some means of loco release from the buffer stops after arrival, plus some means of shunting the yard without fouling the "main line".

And a headhunt for the goods yard with some sort of arrangement to protect the passenger lines.  Usually achieved using a double slip on the exit from the siding nearest the main. 

[jamie92208]

Good evening from wet and dark Compiègne. No wonder people surrendered here. We were knackered. 8. 5 hours for 310  oles. Paris traffic on the A86 was horrendous. 

 

Anyway re hoovers.  I believe their are some very good jokes about suckling Henry but better not go any further. 

 

Jamie.  Now off to a Chinese. 

 

[AndyID]

As previously mentioned the slinky squirrel deterrent on the bird feeder was ineffective. While I was getting my coffee I was watching the primary offender gorging himself at the feeder when the solution became obvious.

 

The actual bird feeder needs to be at a different potential from the stand that it hangs from. The squirrel has his hind paws on the stand while holding the feeder with his front paws. An electric fence energizer should do the trick. I have found one that has a low energy output designed to deter squirrels and racoons.

[SM42]

1 minute ago, jamie92208 said:

. We were knackered. 8. 5 hours for 310  oles. Paris traffic on the A86 was horrendous. 

 

 

 

 

That's a lot of golf. 😁

 

I am suspecting that our west bound trip may take quite a while. 

 

Recent reports are of 6 hours queues at the German border. 

 

There was certainly quite a lengthy tail back on Sunday  evening. 

 

Dread to think what it will be on a weekday. 

 

Andy

[Tony_S]

12 minutes ago, SM42 said:

 

That's a lot of golf. 😁

 

I am suspecting that our west bound trip may take quite a while. 

 

Recent reports are of 6 hours queues at the German border. 

 

There was certainly quite a lengthy tail back on Sunday  evening. 

 

Dread to think what it will be on a weekday. 

 

Andy

Is this seasonal traffic or “security checks”. On our last trip (2019) from Austria there were considerable delays as Austrian border security were checking every vehicle. All the Germans we met insisted it was nothing to do with them.  No one seemed to know why it was happening but it was for a few weeks at least. 

[Hroth]

20 minutes ago, AndyID said:

As previously mentioned the slinky squirrel deterrent on the bird feeder was ineffective. While I was getting my coffee I was watching the primary offender gorging himself at the feeder when the solution became obvious.

 

The actual bird feeder needs to be at a different potential from the stand that it hangs from. The squirrel has his hind paws on the stand while holding the feeder with his front paws. An electric fence energizer should do the trick. I have found one that has a low energy output designed to deter squirrels and racoons.

 

Nerf guns are quite effective too.

 

There's nothing more satisfying than the hollow "THWOCK!" as a Nerf round bounces off the perps skull.

 

After a couple of hits, they seem to get the message!

 

[Hroth]

5 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Back to railway "stuff"

This is a very preliminary sketch for my 3mm layout "St Cuthbert's" (inspired by the Molesworth Books).

 

The idea being that it's a single track (double track more realistic/likely/prototypical???) extension from a West Country Main Line that ends in a small market town that is home to a minor public "skool": St Cuthbert's (AKA "St Custards).

 

The platforms should be long enough to take a 3 (4?) carriage "school special" plus a a workmen's train, some B-Set workings and a pick-up goods train. Possibly a steam railmotor or a diesel railcar depending upon era (1920s to 1930s).

 

All ideas, comments, suggestions, design "tweaks" etc. warmly welcomed (in fact sought)

 

You'll need a loco spur for the station pilot to release the train loco, as ane fule kno.🤪   How about using the Minories plan, with embellishments, to make it more interesting?  🤔

 

Edited December 19, 2023 by Hroth
lighten things up with a couple of emojis... And tidy the formatting hash generated by the tablet.

[SM42]

33 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

Is this seasonal traffic or “security checks”. On our last trip (2019) from Austria there were considerable delays as Austrian border security were checking every vehicle. All the Germans we met insisted it was nothing to do with them.  No one seemed to know why it was happening but it was for a few weeks at least. 

 

The Germans are checking vehicles on the Eastern borders to catch those smuggling illegal immigrants apparently. 

 

I'm told the border with Czechia is the same. 

 

Considering there are hundreds of places where you can walk,  cycle or drive over the border, it is some undertaking.  

 

Andy

[Happy Hippo]

1 hour ago, Hroth said:

 

Nerf guns are quite effective too.

 

There's nothing more satisfying than the hollow "THWOCK!" as a Nerf round bounces off the perps skull.

 

After a couple of hits, they seem to get the message!

 

All I will say about that is when Tutu make the hollow thwock, the perps get the message for the first and final time.

 

2 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Back to railway "stuff"

This is a very preliminary sketch for my 3mm layout "St Cuthbert's" (inspired by the Molesworth Books).

 

The idea being that it's a single track (double track more realistic/likely/prototypical???) extension from a West Country Main Line that ends in a small market town that is home to a minor public "skool": St Cuthbert's (AKA "St Custards).

 

The platforms should be long enough to take a 3 (4?) carriage "school special" plus a a workmen's train, some B-Set workings and a pick-up goods train. Possibly a steam railmotor or a diesel railcar depending upon era (1920s to 1930s).

 

All ideas, comments, suggestions, design "tweaks" etc. warmly welcomed (in fact sought)

How long do you have?

 

I always recommend that those wishing to design a model railway and want a faint hope of realism, trawl through the SRS site and pick a station that suits their needs, and then adapts it to fit the space required.  When it comes to sidings they can be added, or subtracted to meet the individual modellers needs.  Another advantage is that you can use the diagram to plot your signals fairly accurately.  

 

I know that Mike the Stationmaster among others, does have some hair wrenching moments, when say Mr xxx, designs a quite improbable track plan, builds the layout, and then asks for help signalling it.

 

Hers are some examples from the SRS site:

 

Uxbridge, Vine Street

 

 

Merthyr:

 

 

Rhymney (B&M)

 

 

Rhymney (RR)

 

 

The last two diagrams are interesting in that they are two companies differing approaches to the size of station in one of the biggest towns in the valleys.

 

The B&M terminus is most definitely a branch terminus, apart from iron works traffic, but the Rhymney Railway version, is much bigger with all the facilities one would associate with a large main line terminus.  Most valleys  traffic did terminate at Rhymney,  although there was also through traffic off the Heads of the Valleys. (In my living memory, Rhymney was always a terminus. as the line north closed in the 50s.)

 

 

 

https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/drawings.php

 

Click on which one of the big four you are interested in and you should be taken to the drawings by main line and branch.

 

It is fairly comprehensive for the GWR, but even then not all stations and signal box diagrams are recorded.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 19, 2023 by Happy Hippo

[AndyID]

2 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Back to railway "stuff"

This is a very preliminary sketch for my 3mm layout "St Cuthbert's" (inspired by the Molesworth Books).

 

The idea being that it's a single track (double track more realistic/likely/prototypical???) extension from a West Country Main Line that ends in a small market town that is home to a minor public "skool": St Cuthbert's (AKA "St Custards).

 

The platforms should be long enough to take a 3 (4?) carriage "school special" plus a a workmen's train, some B-Set workings and a pick-up goods train. Possibly a steam railmotor or a diesel railcar depending upon era (1920s to 1930s).

 

All ideas, comments, suggestions, design "tweaks" etc. warmly welcomed (in fact sought)

 

How much space is available for the entire layout including fiddle yard etc.? Even at 1:100 you might be surprised by how much space you will need. I can plonk something into Templot to get you started. I'm assuming you want the track to look as realistic as possible.

[jamie92208]

5 minutes ago, AndyID said:

 

How much space is available for the entire layout including fiddle yard etc.? Even at 1:100 you might be surprised by how much space you will need. I can plonk something into Templot to get you started. I'm assuming you want the track to look as realistic as possible.

Grassington would be a good example of what HH says.  I have a track plan at home. 

 

Jamie

[jamie92208]

By sommiracle my forgettery ©Chrisf  made me realise that I had emailed a scan of an article about Grassington to a friend in Oz.  Here is the page with the track plan. If you forget about the quarry branch to the left you've got what you need. 

 

I'll email it, for some reason the tablet won't attach files. 

 

Jamie

 

 

[Tony_S]

How about

https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/html/gwb/S706.htm

If you are looking for any photos online for research you need to make sure you are looking at the Great Western branch not the Colonel Stephens line. 

[Happy Hippo]

38 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

By sommiracle my forgettery ©Chrisf  made me realise that I had emailed a scan of an article about Grassington to a friend in Oz.  Here is the page with the track plan. If you forget about the quarry branch to the left you've got what you need. 

 

I'll email it, for some reason the tablet won't attach files. 

 

Jamie

 

 

This is on the disused stations site:

 

http://disused-stations.org.uk/g/grassington_threshfield/index.shtml

 

 

[Hroth]

13 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

This is on the disused stations site:

 

http://disused-stations.org.uk/g/grassington_threshfield/index.shtml

 

 

 

The one thing I find depressing on Disused Stations is the last photo for a station, which is often captioned "The station site has been developed...".

 

And often shows a motley collection of dodgy 70s flats that deserve to be redeveloped themselves.

 

Edited December 19, 2023 by Hroth
punctuated, and an extra comment

[AndyID]

Coffee and cake time.

[Hroth]

30 minutes ago, AndyID said:

Coffee and cake time.

 

I had a muggacoffee and a couple of mince pies earlier this evening.

 

Its too late to take a photo, all the evidence has been consumed!!!

 

[bbishop]

I managed both dentist and barber today!

[Hroth]

21 minutes ago, bbishop said:

I managed both dentist and barber today!

 

In the olden days, that would be the same person....

 

"Shave and an extraction, six pence!"

[AndyID]

8 minutes ago, Hroth said:

 

In the olden days, that would be the same person....

 

 

Not to mention a bit of surgery too 🤣

[Hroth]

2 minutes ago, AndyID said:

 

Not to mention a bit of surgery too 🤣

 

Handy blokes to know.....