The Night Mail

[Happy Hippo]

 

 

I read a number of the new product threads elsewhere on RMWeb, and I am amazed by the number of experts that can tell that that the shade of paint is the wrong colour, the third rivet in from the bottom window is the wrong size and the mesh in the horn grills is misaligned. So I am surprised that when they have waded through 90 pages of pre production froth, they still buy the obviously flawed product, and then complain even more that when the crew were put in the cab, their sweaty armpits didn't smell right!

 

So, does anyone else here think the same as me?

 

'If you can do a better job, then cough up the readies and go into manufacturing.'

 

I can assure them that they will not be making a fast buck.

 

 

[Oldddudders]

8 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

 

 

I read a number of the new product threads elsewhere on RMWeb, and I am amazed by the number of experts that can tell that that the shade of paint is the wrong colour, the third rivet in from the bottom window is the wrong size and the mesh in the horn grills is misaligned. So I am surprised that when they have waded through 90 pages of pre production froth, they still buy the obviously flawed product, and then complain even more that when the crew were put in the cab, their sweaty armpits didn't smell right!

 

So, does anyone else here think the same as me?

 

'If you can do a better job, then cough up the readies and go into manufacturing.'

 

I can assure them that they will not be making a fast buck.

 

 

There is an air of triumphalism about such assertions, not all of which are even true. In the main, those carping are not people who have layout threads, either, so one suspects they are either merely collectors or fretting over detail is the summit of their achievement in life. The current EFE Gate-stock thread has a classic of the sort, where the claims of inaccuracy have been recently booted well into touch. I also detect the same people making assertions on models that are completely unconnected in era or locale. Again, their layout, if any, must be the most odd mixture. 

 

I vigorously support the Captain Kernow approach "If it looks like a Black 5 it's probably a Black 5", and will always prefer a model that runs reliably to any that look the biz but do not deliver. I am the disappointed owner of several in the latter category. Pickups are a favourite failing. 

[Happy Hippo]

3 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

There is an air of triumphalism about such assertions, not all of which are even true. In the main, those carping are not people who have layout threads, either, so one suspects they are either merely collectors or fretting over detail is the summit of their achievement in life. The current EFE Gate-stock thread has a classic of the sort, where the claims of inaccuracy have been recently booted well into touch. I also detect the same people making assertions on models that are completely unconnected in era or locale. Again, their layout, if any, must be the most odd mixture. 

 

I vigorously support the Captain Kernow approach "If it looks like a Black 5 it's probably a Black 5", and will always prefer a model that runs reliably to any that look the biz but do not deliver. I am the disappointed owner of several in the latter category. Pickups are a favourite failing. 

I like your reasoning.

 

 

I've never been successful with pickups, they generally run a mile!

 

[Tony_S]

33 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

I've never been successful with pickups, they generally run a mile!

Is this the same as “click and collect”.

[Happy Hippo]

There may be light at the end of the tunnel with the 56/66xx loco saga.

 

I have scoured the internet and my small collection of books for information

 

I have now found a picture of 6647, in BR black (early crest) with the taller safety valve bonnet, without the prominent weld line along the side tank.

 

6647 was a member of the class that appears to have spent it's entire working life in S Wales, finishing it's days working out of Radyr.

 

But this find was not 3/4 the way through an obscure book, it was on the front cover of Vol 1 of Rickard's Record by Brian Miller.  Talk about hiding in plain sight!

 

 

[Happy Hippo]

It is rather wet and miserable outside, and It's trying hard to snow, so rather than venture outside I started considering how flexible we can be as modellers.

 

So, here is another one of those questions to tax your brain this weekend.

 

How precise are you with the time scale that your model railway represents?

 

For instance my acceptable time zone for my main South Wales exploits is 1956 to 1966.

 

I chose this 10 year period as it allows me to model stuff I think I can remember (born in 1956).

 

I do try to further compartmentalise this so we can have the following distinct operating periods:

 

1. 1956-58, a mix of early and late BR steam liveries prior to the introduction of diesel traction.

 

2.  1958-62, the transition where 350hp EE shunters and various classes of DMU became prevalent, but steam still prominent. 

 

3. 1962-64*,  where traffic levels are dropping; Earlier fleet members have already had their final date with Gertie the Gas Axe.  

 

4.  1966 onwards.  now into 'modern image' where the fleet is diesel only.  Currently  green locos but with a solitary blue 08.

 

* Steam soldiered on in S Wales until early 1965, but the only Valleys  steam sheds that survived the 1964 cull were Aberdare and Rhymney.

 

Although this seems a huge undertaking from a stock point of view, one has to remember that SWS is a glorified shunting plank so we are not looking at the need to have quadruple track, huge amounts of stock or the massive infrastructure needed to support such.

 

How rigid is your time frame when you are modelling?

 

 

Edited January 30, 2021 by Happy Hippo

[Dagworth]

Ravensclyffe is pretty strictly set in 1983. I can’t really go any later with it as it’s based on coal. 
 

Dagworth is 1985-87ish. 
 

The little layouts are whatever I feel like. 
 

Andi

[jamie92208]

LGA ise set in 1923 ish. This gives me the excuse to run mostbof it as pure Midland but to have interlopers from the L&Y, LNWR, Furness etc as I like the colour variations plus LMS wagons..  I have made one out of time concession.  The turntable is a 60' one which wasn't fitted till 1933 ish.  This allows me to turn the Settle and Carlisle Claugton that currently occupies a space on the shelves of shame.  AlsonI mightbone day build the Patriot, Giggleswick for obvious reasons. However quite how I will service City of Carlisle I know nor care not. Rule one applies.  It also stetches a bit the other waybas the Baldwin 2-6-0 was gone by 1915.  

 

Jamie

[bbishop]

Southwark Bridge is set in autumn 1912.  It's not my layout but I am building some stock in P4. So that is LSWR in Ep1 

 

I planned Beaulieu as 1931, so SR in Ep2 7mm and have sufficient stock.  I was diverted to 1959 before exhibiting, so it needed different stock and signals.  It has been retired for several years and, if ever resurrected, would be 1931.  I really should sell off my 1959 stock.

 

My present efforts are Spur Null in 1961.  This is just after the change from Ep3a to Ep3b, so I can get away with the slightly different liveries.  The critical factor is my Silberfisch in green livery, which sets the period   I can't set it much later as the DRG goods wagons and Donnerbüchsen coaches would soon start to disappear. 

Bill

 

 

 

 

Edited January 30, 2021 by bbishop

[Danemouth]

Danemouth is set in 1958/64 so that I can run steam and green diesel.

 

My maternal grandparents lived in Railway Street in Splott which backed onto the goods sidings with the main line on the far side (Pearl St) so that's what I remember. There was also a caravan holiday at Goodrington Sands in 1961 where I first saw Warships in green. Also a scout camp in Ireland where we caught the train from Cardiff General to Fishguard pulled by a Western.

 

And going to Porthcawl c1957, change at Pyle onto the branch train, IIRC a Prairie with three autocoaches

 

So I model what I remember!

 

Dave

[Chris116]

My RailTrack and Heritage Railway layout which I have not started building but have more stock for than I really should have is set in 2000. The RailTrack side will use Central Trains DMUs plus Diesels in Fragonset and other such operations early diesel locos. The Preserved line will be able to run as GWR, BR(S), BR(E) or BR(M) as I have a full set of locos and stock for each.

 

The Harbledown Railroad 8ft by 1ft US Wisconsin area layout is partly built and is also set around 2000 and has both Wisconsin Central and a preserved steam operation due to run. The US layout will have removable station building so that it can also be used for a line that uses J70s and other small locos the Heritage line uses. Station buildings are built for both US and UK operation and track laying was due to start about a month ago but my mojo seems to have escaped!

Edited January 30, 2021 by Chris116

[simontaylor484]

I haven't started my layout yet it is in the planning stages at the moment the only stock i have is an Lner B1 that came in a starter set. The prices of N gauge locos means i have decided to spend the money on track and baseboards first. I had planned to do modern image with a preseved line but we will see what actually transpires.

I am a child of the late 70s i would love a sound 37 and valenta powered hst but that is way in the future.

I dont mind if there is a rivet missing or the colour not quite right its the memories it brings back 

[Happy Hippo]

47 minutes ago, Danemouth said:

Danemouth is set in 1958/64 so that I can run steam and green diesel.

 

My maternal grandparents lived in Railway Street in Splott which backed onto the goods sidings with the main line on the far side (Pearl St) so that's what I remember. There was also a caravan holiday at Goodrington Sands in 1961 where I first saw Warships in green. Also a scout camp in Ireland where we caught the train from Cardiff General to Fishguard pulled by a Western.

 

And going to Porthcawl c1957, change at Pyle onto the branch train, IIRC a Prairie with three autocoaches

 

So I model what I remember!

 

Dave

My father worked for the BBC and was heavily involved  in what were originally called Radio Links.  All television signals travel by line of sight so he was responsible for the planning of these line of sight routes around Wales.  Generally speaking it involved putting vehicles with rx/tx comms to relay signals back to the larger transmitters (they also had a receiving ability) such as Wenvoe.  Apart from the start point which might be in a valley, most of these sites were on top of hills to maximise the range and reduce the number of 'hops' required.

 

The sites had to be inspected on a regular basis to ensure the sight lines remained unobstructed.  The Forestry Commission had a habit of populating vast areas with fast growing conifers, which did cause problems as some of the sight lines only just skimmed the tops of hills by tens of feet, and a newly planted site in the wrong place would soon obscure this.

 

As my father went about his job and carried out these site checks I would tag along from quite an early age during the school holidays.  In those days before I could map read, my navigation was by pub/church/railway, so over the years I saw how Welsh social history was gradually changing as first the railways and then the churches and other places of worship were being abandoned.  It also probably served as a good apprenticeship for military signalling and why I was King of the Radio Relay for a while.

 

Funnily enough Woodhams yard at Barry did not really feature until the late 60s, although I vividly remember the withdrawn locos alongside the main line at Barry.  Other locations that stuck in the mind were  locos parked on the embankment at Cashmore's in Newport, and the large lines of withdrawn locos at Ward's of Briton Ferry, which you could see as you crossed over the bridge on the way to Swansea.

 

My mother's parents lived in Clive St in Grangetown and  their house backed onto the line from Grangetown down to Ferry Road.  My father's mother lived in Pen-Y- Dre, between the foot crossing to Caedelyn park and Whitchurch station.  This meant that I was fed a diet of Pannier tanks on a regular basis whilst steam survived in the Cardiff area.

 

My Godfather, Alf Williams had been the last Stationmaster at Peterston on the South Wales main line, and we had regular trips out to see the family.  I was never bored.  I just stood on the fence and waited for the next train, and in those far off days they were very frequent.  The  bracketed semaphore signal which was quite near the front door would interrupt any other activities I was involved with at the time. (Usually looking for slow worms).

 

So all these locations in the Cardiff area, allowed me to see the transition from steam to diesel up close, which is probably why I too model what I can remember.

 

But I'm not just stuck in the distant past, as my (in storage) 4mm fleet has locos from BR blue, sectorisation and post privatisation periods in the mix.

 

However, if I ever do build anything significant for the grandchildren in 4 mm scale, it will  be very much in the anything goes category.

Edited January 30, 2021 by Happy Hippo

[tetsudofan]

I've been lurking here for sometime so suppose it's about time I made an appearnce. As regards layouts I suppose I would be classified as somewhat of a peasant when it comes to themes, basically if I like that's what I do.

 

What's out in the garden takes up most of my time, one day I might go for German narrow gauge around Dresden:

 

 

or another day might fancy going to Switzerland:

 

 

or for something completely different maybe a trip to the US:

 

 

Indoors I'm just as bad:

 

 

Also lurking around is some German 0-gauge which I accumulated whilst helping out on a certain German layout normally spending most of the time in the fiddle yard using the cassettes shown on here a couple of days ago.

 

Keith

 

 

 

 

[Dave Hunt]

My MPD layout not only has locomotive liveries and numbers that encompass about five years of Midland history but also that never worked within a hundred miles of each other. The layout itself consists of buildings taken from several different parts of the Midland system but at least everything is genuine Midland and each element is as accurate as I can make it. Since my enjoyment of our hobby is making locomotives and other vehicles from all over the Company's geographic area and the period from about 1903 to 1908 or 9 I'm really stuck with the anomalies but it really doesn't bother me that much. I enjoy making things rather than operating and the layout is really just a way of displaying what I make - a sort of working diorama I guess. However, I'm full of admiration for those who model a specific location at a particular date with only stock that would have been seen there and operate it to a realistic timetable and I love to see layouts like that but that isn't what I do. Each to his own I suppose. 

 

Dave

[PhilJ W]

Cake (and bun) lovers look away now.

[newbryford]

9 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

It is rather wet and miserable outside, and It's trying hard to snow, so rather than venture outside I started considering how flexible we can be as modellers.

 

So, here is another one of those questions to tax your brain this weekend.

 

How precise are you with the time scale that your model railway represents?

 

For instance my acceptable time zone for my main South Wales exploits is 1956 to 1966.

 

I chose this 10 year period as it allows me to model stuff I think I can remember (born in 1956).

 

I do try to further compartmentalise this so we can have the following distinct operating periods:

 

1. 1956-58, a mix of early and late BR steam liveries prior to the introduction of diesel traction.

 

2.  1958-62, the transition where 350hp EE shunters and various classes of DMU became prevalent, but steam still prominent. 

 

3. 1962-64*,  where traffic levels are dropping; Earlier fleet members have already had their final date with Gertie the Gas Axe.  

 

4.  1966 onwards.  now into 'modern image' where the fleet is diesel only.  Currently  green locos but with a solitary blue 08.

 

* Steam soldiered on in S Wales until early 1965, but the only Valleys  steam sheds that survived the 1964 cull were Aberdare and Rhymney.

 

Although this seems a huge undertaking from a stock point of view, one has to remember that SWS is a glorified shunting plank so we are not looking at the need to have quadruple track, huge amounts of stock or the massive infrastructure needed to support such.

 

How rigid is your time frame when you are modelling?

 

 

 

I'd go for #4 everytime, although a working Woodham's yard would be a neat feature for #3.

Edited January 31, 2021 by newbryford
typo

[BR60103]

The official description of my period is "British railways 1829-1959".  (Please note the small "r" in railways)

But I have a bit of slippage -- a few items later and a train with a CPR diesel and some cabeese. Not to mention some drawers full of N.A. stock.

Possibly my inspiration is everything in The Eagle Book of Trains.

 

[pH]

3 hours ago, newbryford said:

 

I'd go for #4 everytime, although a working Woodham's yard would be a neat feature for #3.

I’m intrigued - what would a “working Woodham’s yard” look like? It always looked pretty static to me any time I visited.

[Happy Hippo]

47 minutes ago, pH said:

I’m intrigued - what would a “working Woodham’s yard” look like? It always looked pretty static to me any time I visited.

Probably the mortal remains of steamers being shunted into  long lines by diesels.

[jamie92208]

3 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

Probably the mortal remains of steamers being shunted into  long lines by diesels.

Plus a couple of dioramas of part cut locos. However you could be accurate and have rakes of 16T mineral wagons being shunted in to meet Gertie and lots of rusting tenderless locos daubed with graffitti as a backdrop.

 

Plus loaded 16 T wagons going out with the mortal remains of their relatives in them.

 

Jamie

[polybear]

8 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

Cake (and bun) lovers look away now.

 

 

Whilst Bear *may* be partial to the odd cake or bun (with the former far preferred) and *may* have consumed more jars of Marmite than Imelda Marco has shoes, mixing the two together seems a little weird.  However, in the event that the opportunity for a taste test should present itself then it would be rude not to, if only in the interests of science you understand.....

[NHY 581]

20 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

 

 

I read a number of the new product threads elsewhere on RMWeb, and I am amazed by the number of experts that can tell that that the shade of paint is the wrong colour, the third rivet in from the bottom window is the wrong size and the mesh in the horn grills is misaligned. So I am surprised that when they have waded through 90 pages of pre production froth, they still buy the obviously flawed product, and then complain even more that when the crew were put in the cab, their sweaty armpits didn't smell right!

 

So, does anyone else here think the same as me?

 

'If you can do a better job, then cough up the readies and go into manufacturing.'

 

I can assure them that they will not be making a fast buck.

 

 

 

I get quite grumpy when we have pages of posts decrying various aspects of a newly announced model. 

People making point after point regarding the shape of this,  the position of that, the height of something or the width of some thing else. 

 

And funnily enough, when the model is released, it all goes quiet on the thread because none of the vacuous guff that was presented can be substantiated because the model is actually pretty bl@@dy good. And neither is this guff retracted......

 

Even more rare is the sight of the modelling or the layouts of these experts...........not even a photo of the well worn armchair....

 

Now that would be a good thread, never mind 'How realistic is your........' 

 

How about ''Show us your armchairs....'

 

 

17 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

It is rather wet and miserable outside, and It's trying hard to snow, so rather than venture outside I started considering how flexible we can be as modellers.

 

So, here is another one of those questions to tax your brain this weekend.

 

How precise are you with the time scale that your model railway represents?

 

For instance my acceptable time zone for my main South Wales exploits is 1956 to 1966.

 

I chose this 10 year period as it allows me to model stuff I think I can remember (born in 1956).

 

I do try to further compartmentalise this so we can have the following distinct operating periods:

 

1. 1956-58, a mix of early and late BR steam liveries prior to the introduction of diesel traction.

 

2.  1958-62, the transition where 350hp EE shunters and various classes of DMU became prevalent, but steam still prominent. 

 

3. 1962-64*,  where traffic levels are dropping; Earlier fleet members have already had their final date with Gertie the Gas Axe.  

 

4.  1966 onwards.  now into 'modern image' where the fleet is diesel only.  Currently  green locos but with a solitary blue 08.

 

* Steam soldiered on in S Wales until early 1965, but the only Valleys  steam sheds that survived the 1964 cull were Aberdare and Rhymney.

 

Although this seems a huge undertaking from a stock point of view, one has to remember that SWS is a glorified shunting plank so we are not looking at the need to have quadruple track, huge amounts of stock or the massive infrastructure needed to support such.

 

How rigid is your time frame when you are modelling?

 

 

 

 

Thoughts were provoked by this. 

 

Looking at my current layouts and those seemingly impending, I can break it down thus..

 

Mutton. 4mm Ex-L&SWR through station on the Lamb Regis branch. Firmly 1955 to 1962. 

 

Bleat Wharf. 4mm Ex-S&DJR goods yard. 1950-1966. 

 

Sheep Dip. 4mm Industrial something, somewhere. Um..........1960-1970...maybe..ish....sort of. Actually, I've not really thought about it. I just built it to house some dirty little engines. 

 

Outwool. 4mm Ex-GER W&U inspired goods yard. It's currently at the plotting, scheming, back of an envelope, painting buildings stage but will be set in 1950-1953 when using J70s. If I get around to building a skirted 04 Diesel then that would stretch operation out to the 1960s. 

 

At the pondering/contemplating/back of another envelope stage we have a possible Ex-GER tiny terminus........Lambton Muffler. ( I smile and chuckle as I type that. Dare I say it, one of my better layout names ) which will be 1950-1962. 

 

Now there is a theory that some of us model a time period some ten years before they were born...........though many may choose to recreate what they grew up with or even worked with. 

 

I do not remember steam, at all, arriving as I did as such things were coming to an end.  Therefore it would appear that I drop ( roughly) into the former pigeon hole....

 

Rob. 

[Happy Hippo]

2 hours ago, NHY 581 said:

 

I get quite grumpy when we have pages of posts decrying various aspects of a newly announced model. 

People making point after point regarding the shape of this,  the position of that, the height of something or the width of some thing else. 

 

And funnily enough, when the model is released, it all goes quiet on the thread because none of the vacuous guff that was presented can be substantiated because the model is actually pretty bl@@dy good. And neither is this guff retracted......

 

Even more rare is the sight of the modelling or the layouts of these experts...........not even a photo of the well worn armchair....

 

Now that would be a good thread, never mind 'How realistic is your........' 

 

How about ''Show us your armchairs....'

 

 

 

 

Thoughts were provoked by this. 

 

Looking at my current layouts and those seemingly impending, I can break it down thus..

 

Mutton. 4mm Ex-L&SWR through station on the Lamb Regis branch. Firmly 1955 to 1962. 

 

Bleat Wharf. 4mm Ex-S&DJR goods yard. 1950-1966. 

 

Sheep Dip. 4mm Industrial something, somewhere. Um..........1960-1970...maybe..ish....sort of. Actually, I've not really thought about it. I just built it to house some dirty little engines. 

 

Outwool. 4mm Ex-GER W&U inspired goods yard. It's currently at the plotting, scheming, back of an envelope, painting buildings stage but will be set in 1950-1953 when using J70s. If I get around to building a skirted 04 Diesel then that would stretch operation out to the 1960s. 

 

At the pondering/contemplating/back of another envelope stage we have a possible Ex-GER tiny terminus........Lambton Muffler. ( I smile and chuckle as I type that. Dare I say it, one of my better layout names ) which will be 1950-1962. 

 

Now there is a theory that some of us model a time period some ten years before they were born...........though many may choose to recreate what they grew up with or even worked with. 

 

I do not remember steam, at all, arriving as I did as such things were coming to an end.  Therefore it would appear that I drop ( roughly) into the former pigeon hole....

 

Rob. 

Another Welshman appears out of the dark!

 

We'll soon have enough for a choir:  'The Night Wailers'.

[newbryford]

8 hours ago, pH said:

I’m intrigued - what would a “working Woodham’s yard” look like? It always looked pretty static to me any time I visited.

 

Lots of G*R rusty lumps being shuffled about.

 

And a bit of modeller's licence to show a few being cut up.........................

Edited January 31, 2021 by newbryford