The Night Mail

[SM42]

1 hour ago, AndyID said:

Coffee and cake time.

 

Looks like the squirrels have been at that cake 😁

 

Andy 

[AndyID]

1 minute ago, Hroth said:

 

Handy blokes to know.....

 

 

Yes sir. We'll have that out in a jiffy. Which side was it again?

[AndyID]

3 minutes ago, SM42 said:

 

Looks like the squirrels have been at that cake 😁

 

Andy 

 

'twas I. I have to build my strength up for skiing. Two weeks at Aspen can take a lot out of a guy 🤣

[Tony_S]

10 minutes ago, AndyID said:

 

'twas I. I have to build my strength up for skiing. Two weeks at Aspen can take a lot out of a guy 🤣

I have no excuse for consuming the cake Aditi purchased after visiting the hairdresser. It was called a Christmas bun. It was like a Chelsea bun but with some sort of seasonal spices. 

[SM42]

31 minutes ago, AndyID said:

 

'twas I. I have to build my strength up for skiing. Two weeks at Aspen can take a lot out of a guy 🤣

 

I did wonder when the squirrels had mastered the use of a fork, (and without those opposable thumbs)

 

It would be but a small

step from there to world domination.

 

Once they had beaten us, only the ducks would stand in their way. 

 

Squirrels vs ducks. 

 

Hard to predict who would win, but the ducks would be favourite as they already have an air force and navy.

 

Andy

Edited December 19, 2023 by SM42

[J. S. Bach]

Night Owl from the Piedmont.

Edited December 19, 2023 by J. S. Bach

[SM42]

Mrs SM42's money is on the ducks

 

Andy

[iL Dottore]

13 hours 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".

Good point! Your comment is exactly why I tapped into the collective wisdom of TNM. I knew something was missing, but couldn’t put a finger on it.

13 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

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. 

Hmmm! I’m wondering how complex it’ll be to build and wire (DCC) a double slip in 3mm? I found this https://dccwiki.com/Crossovers_and_Slips#:~:text=A Double Slip allows for,functioning as a crossover only. which seems a bit complicated (but what do I know? [see below])

12 hours ago, Hroth said:

 

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?  🤔

 

That’s an interesting suggestion, although some other RMWebbers view it differently:

Given that my knowledge of (and enthusiasm for) the intricacies of trackwork can be writ large on the back of a postage stamp, at the current “state of play” I shall eschew - as far as is feasible - complicated track plans.

 

11 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

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

 

 

 

 

 

Many thanks for the suggestions and links - much research awaits, methinks. Uxbridge Vine St is certainly a track plan that is heading towards what I’m hoping to achieve.

10 hours 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.

That’s a very kind offer, Andy, and one I’ll take you up on. I have a number of baseboards from a company called “Brilliant Baseboards” (now sadly defunct due to the owner’s demise) and it’ll either be two or three of those end to end (dimensions to follow)

10 hours 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

 

 

Got the eMail, Jamie. Many thanks. A quick glance shows it to be a most promising track plan!

10 hours ago, Tony_S said:

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. 

That’s another great plan, Tony. Thanks.

As mentioned before, I’ll have a lot of research to do this Christmas!

 

Edited December 20, 2023 by iL Dottore
Spelling

[iL Dottore]

GENTLEMEN!

 

Firstly, my thanks for all your contributions, I expect to have found something that is (for my level of skill) “do-able” by the New Year

 

BUT, I now have a dilemma: does iDB (iL Dottore Bahn) keep the construction of the new Schuleisenbahn in-house, or should the construction be outsourced?

 

Financial resources at iDB, whilst generous, are not infinite (but can be “topped up” to a degree). However, the real rate limiting step at iDB is headcount (currently running into single digits [i.e. one]).

 

There are a number of well regarded British Contractors reachable through the TNM Clearing House. However, bearing in mind the recent HS2 debacle in the UK, would outsourcing the construction of the new Schuleisenbahn to contractors result in (1) political interference by uninformed ministers (i.e. Mrs iD)? (2) significant time delays and cost-overruns? and (3) eventual cancellation whilst still incomplete by the government of the day (i.e. Mrs iD)?

 

Your thoughts, Gentlemen?

[jamie92208]

Get the track plan finalised in Templot with baseboard outlines. There are several TNM resources for this activity. Then sub contract the point work to a firm like Marc way and then lay them and lay the plain track yourself. 

 

Jamie

[Hroth]

1 hour ago, iL Dottore said:

BUT, I now have a dilemma: does iDB (iL Dottore Bahn) keep the construction of the new Schuleisenbahn in-house, or should the construction be outsourced?

 

You could always ask CC Industries to subcontract construction of the Schuleisenbahn for you, while retaining a modicum of control as a supervisory project Director.  Though if you've ever seen a Grand Designs programme, you will recall that timescales are always optimistic, the initial budget is hopeful and the contingency reserve is inadequate...

 

You could attempt DIY, imagine the feelings of achievement you will, errr, achieve!!!

 

[Happy Hippo]

2 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

 

 

BUT, I now have a dilemma: does iDB (iL Dottore Bahn) keep the construction of the new Schuleisenbahn in-house, or should the construction be outsourced?

 

 

I have some experience of what the American film industry love to call 'Off the books Black Ops'.  What ends up portrayed on screen is bovine droppings. 

 

Your saviour when you require such a mission to be accomplished is a wad of used notes of varying denominations in a series of brown envelopes.  This is passed to independent contractors none of whom know whom the other contractors are.

 

 

 

 

[SM42]

Back from the dentist. 

 

Ow!

 

One filling done, got to go back for another. 

 

They are running about 20 minutes late due their first patient, me, needing a little bit longer than allowed for. 

 

The surgery is staffed by many attractive young ladies ( in fact all the staff are) which takes the edge off the pain somewhat. 

 

I now have a free day, so I shall be visiting my regular railway haunts. 

 

Andy

[Winslow Boy]

2 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

I have some experience of what the American film industry love to call 'Off the books Black Ops'.  What ends up portrayed on screen is bovine droppings. 

 

Your saviour when you require such a mission to be accomplished is a wad of used notes of varying denominations in a series of brown envelopes.  This is passed to independent contractors none of whom know whom the other contractors are.

 

 

 

 

Isn't that what the rail industry does now HH.

[Winslow Boy]

4 minutes ago, SM42 said:

Back from the dentist. 

 

Ow!

 

One filling done, got to go back for another. 

 

They are running about 20 minutes late due their first patient, me, needing a little bit longer than allowed for. 

 

The surgery is staffed by many attractive young ladies ( in fact all the staff are) which takes the edge off the pain somewhat. 

 

I now have a free day, so I shall be visiting my regular railway haunts. 

 

Andy

Just out of curiosity Andy when you groan is it in polish?

[SM42]

6 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

Just out of curiosity Andy when you groan is it in polish?

 

Ow works in many languages 

 

Andy

[Happy Hippo]

I ordered a book from The Titfield Thunderbolt bookshop yesterday after lunch.

 

Imagine my delight when it turned up this morning.

 

Considering it is the week before Christmas, that is excellent service.

 

So many thanks are due to 'Not Jeremy'.

[Hroth]

After visiting my dentist last Friday, I've just invested in a new toothbrush...

 

[monkeysarefun]

4 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

bearing in mind the recent HS2 debacle in the UK

 

 Embrace it - track plan solved!

 

 

Edited December 20, 2023 by monkeysarefun

[Tony_S]

Instead of TT it could be HO HO HO scale….

[newbryford]

I heard this on Radio 2 earlier and can't get it out of my head.....

 

 

[New Haven Neil]

That nice Tuppence Coolio has been along to daub some of his crayons on an old sheet of A4.

 

[iL Dottore]

Outsource?...

OR

Do It Yourself?....

 

Hmmm!

 

[Happy Hippo]

32 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

Outsource?...

OR

Do It Yourself?....

 

Hmmm!

 

The first group of workers look content and have made a maximum effort with minimum overheads.  The track is laid and a bonus has obviously been paid.  There is even a train running.

 

There's an awful lot of management consultants and very narrow gauge track in the second picture!

Edited December 20, 2023 by Happy Hippo

[newbryford]

18 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

..

 

  There is even a train running.

 

 

But not on the track.....