Dymented - the Serious stuff starts!

[Philou]

@lezz01 Hate to break it to you, but it probably was jet fuel! When I were a lad and Noah was in primary school, we used to take coffee from the UK to my grandparents here in France. There was the Costa Rica Coffee Company in Cardiff and they used to roast their beans right in the city centre - it smelt so good! I have no idea if they became Costa Coffee or if it's just co-incidental. Still can't find decent ground coffee around here - you can, but it's always the expensive Italian one. Our local supermarket - you know the one - a lidl more expensive than Aldi - is improving as you can now buy coffee from Ethiopia, Brazil and Peru in soft pouches rather than super-duper vacuum packs that are as hard as bricks. Not as strong as I should like, but flavoursome nonetheless.

 

Today became a building marathon as Mrs Philou says she's coming back on Monday so there won't be any morning starts beyond Tuesday. Oh, and I autotested Covid + this afternoon - but I feel fine save for a slight irritation in the back of my throat.

 

I managed to lay and level the trackbed along the branchline as far as the throat of Dymented station and I've started to set out the Ledbury viaduct proper. We have pictures, but they're most definitively WiP:

 

 

^ The next section of trackbed to be placed at the end of the branch will be the pointwork splitting the single track into two through platforms, a bay/goods shed siding, headshunt and access to some sidings that will double up as branchline rolling stock storage. The location here is critical as the Mainline (top left) will oversail the branch and I can't lower the branch any further (I can physically but it would create a sump that I didn't think would be terribly realistic - water run-off, drainage etc.) According to my plan the headroom will be tight - I'm aiming for 75mm at best as that will allow 5mm for underlay and trackwork, do some under bridgework detailing and keep a bit of waggle room and not go for the bare 60mm minimum.

 

 

^ This the start of the viaduct embankment now with the viaduct bases in place - branch to the left and main to the right.

 

 

^ Here is the Ledbury viaduct being set up - the spirit level is - er - level and as it's 1.0m long the left hand end has been chocked up by 10mm giving me the next pier height at 1:100. The camera angle has exaggerated the rise - looks more of a ski-jump! Tomorrow's pictures will make more sense.

 

Cheers and take care everyone,

 

Philip

 

PS: I met someone today on my way to the chemist to get a test. He's an ex-pat and he said that he and his partner had Covid a fortnight back and it hit them hard both ending up stuck in bed for four days! So, do take care.

 

[Philou]

Hello chaps and chapesses,

 

No noisy work today as it's Sunday so the work was limited. Some curves were cut and a bit of fettling done to the viaduct. What stopped me in my tracks - sorry - was that all my little electric screwdrivers and drills all decided within minutes of each other that they needed recharging (fixed batteries - not external ones) so that was that!

 

As Mrs Philou will be back tomorrow evening, I suppose that I will need to do a bit of housework :(( . It's not too bad except for The Lump that tends to shed a lot of fur.

 

I shall have a good bash on the layout in the afternoon before I scoot off to the station to pick up Mrs Philou.

 

More tomorrow,

 

Philip

[Philou]

I did do a bash before time was up. The mainline viaduct was set up and the next piece attached too. It would seem though at first glance that the levels are going to be exceedingly tight between the branch and main. I can see I'm going to have to revisit the levels along the mainline. It probably has made a difference by taking spot levels every metre in a straight line, whereas they ought to be along the inner edge of the curve - not much difference I'm sure but in this instance every millimetre will count. I shall look at it with a fresh pair of eyes tomorrow - I did rush things as time was very tight - when I rush, errors creep in.

 

More tomorrow and maybe a photo!

 

Cheers everyone,

 

Philip

 

PS: Mrs Philou is back and her train was on time too!

[Philou]

Hello chums and chumesses,

 

A short day today as I was involved in a workshop on how to set out a local plan - right up my street, so I was interested in that.

 

Notwithstanding, I managed a little bit of fettling and adjustments to the gradients of the branch and main lines. I am now 753mm short of completing the mainline circuit! Oh yes! We also have some pictures:

 

 

 

^ The viaducts set at their gradients and fixed in place - the Ledbury Viaduct (nearest the camera) will remain, but the supports will be gradually removed as I create the viaduct in card. For the branch viaduct behind, this will be replaced in its entirety by a 'steel' one.

 

 

^ Here we have the branch line passing under the main. I was worrying for nothing much - plenty of room for the Bachmann coach which is on a piece of Peco Code 100. As I'm using Code 75 the height of the track will be slightly lower anyway! By the weekend, the branch should be linked to Dymented. (I have just remembered that I left to coach where it was - hope it doesn't roll off the end overnight!)

 

 

^ The mainline gradient looks level but it is 1:100 and the branch looks exceedingly steep, but it's at 1:50. If I'd cut down on station lengths or lengths of sidings, perhaps I could have eased the gradients, but then full-length trains (10 or more coaches) would have not been possible.

 

 

^ Last picture for this evening - the two viaducts with a side-on view (similar to last night - but no ski-jump). Here the gradients look more reasonable.

 

Tomorrow I shall cut the missing main line piece, get that levelled and with the exception of Bromyard Road bridge, the circuit will be complete. Thereafter, I shall do Dymented as there's the fiddle yard, station area and the link back to Pontrilas to be done. There will be only the chemical works siding to be cut and laid and all the formation (trackbed) will have been finished.

 

I'm itching to get track laid, but I suppose I really should give thought to the sector plate - M. le Menusier didn't get back to me regarding his idea so I shall plod on regardless and do a design.

 

Mrs Philou is somewhat bemused by my eagerness to get into the barn and do things. I think she's hoping I'd be as enthusiastic for cutting the lawn, or doing some vacuuming maybe .......... this is modelling, this is my nectar, this what I've wanted to do for over 45 years and I shan't be stopped now :)))))) !

 

Cheers everyone and stay safe,

 

Philip

[JeffP]

Beware: a good friend's hobby was his "red rocket", a Vauxhall Ventora he had lovingly restored.

His wife started out bemused at the amount of time spent on it.

Bemusement became questioning.

Questioning became complaining...

And in the end, he sold it....😒

[Philou]

@JeffP No worries (at the moment) as I'm calling in all the brownie points that I've acquired since 2003 - plus Mrs Philou knew that the end game was the layout - I think I'm still in credit ;)).

 

I have news regarding the layout (but no pictures today): The mainline circuit is complete. The last part was done and levelled at lunchtime. This afternoon was spent cutting new bits for the branchline out of Pontrilas towards Dymented. A bit of a faff but it was done by this evening. I should have spent a while longer to set out the gradients, but I couldn't think straight, so I knew it was time to stop for today. The result is that the branchlines are now at both ends of Dymented and, apart from the levelling of the link down to Dymented from Pontrilas, there's only the setting out of the station area to be done tomorrow. Dare I hope that by Saturday it'll be done?

 

After that, what? We're away next week for a fortnight so nothing is going to get done :(((( . There's still the sector plate to do plus the link back to the Ledbury tunnel modules but I also want to do some basic setting out of the landscape as once any track laying starts, I'll find it difficult to do the work behind as it'll be at arms length. Track and electrics will have to be done sometime too.

 

Cheers everyone take care,

 

Philip

[Philou]

Hello chaps and chapesses,

 

It turned out to be a bit of a slow day. I had all good intentions (isn't the road to hell paved with 'em?) of getting Dymented laid if not levelled today but it wasn't to be. I wasn't happy with the horizontal alignment of the branch on approach from Ledbury and I decided to revisit it. This entailed a bit of moving pieces around and dismantling the mainline for ease of access. The time I'd relaid the branch and put the mainline back, the afternoon was nearly over!

 

I did manage to cut the sidings area for Dymented and plonked that in place that allowed me to loose-lay some pointwork to get a feel for what should happen next. It looks as if things will now fall into place - but carefully does it as the two ends of the branches will need to meet in a flowing curve.

 

Here are some photos:

 

 

^ There you have it! To the bottom right, the branch on approach from Pontrilas with the mainline off to Hereford above. The emptiness is Dymented station and on the far upper left is the sidings/fiddle yard for the branch.

 

 

^ This is the fiddle yard/sidings to Dymented on the bottom left with the branch from Ledbury poking its nose out from underneath the mainline. The station of Dymented will be in the area mid-right.

 

 

^ This is a general view of the branch line leaving the Pontrilas station throat on the lower right. The pan shaped area right in the centre of the photo is the area for what I call the 'tin shed'. It was the engine shed for the tank loco (517 class or 14/48/58XX class depending on era) that was based at Pontrilas to serve exclusively the branch. Whether I shall have enough space to depict the shed in its entirety, I don't know at the moment. I should like to as it makes for a nice little cameo in its own right.

 

The area which was rather confined had:

 

The loco shed fabricated in corrugated iron (steel) sheets fixed to a timber frame;

 

A conical water tower similar to the recent Dapol model;

 

A brazier below the arm and bag to stop freezing in the winter; and,

 

A donkey engine (I have assumed steam powered) to raise water from the River Dore and into the tank.

 

Additionally, the shed has some back doors through which a coal wagon would be pushed through on a short length of rail to serve as a coaling stage. The tank loco in most of the pictures I have seen seems to be bunker first towards Hay-on-Way and would be 'correct' for being re-filled directly from the coal wagon.

 

There we are - it's all going the right way despite some reversals. I'm hoping that tomorrow will see the station area of Dymented cut and positioned. If it works out, then I shall level the two parts and then cut the linking piece to present end of the branch down from Pontrilas - fingers crossed!

 

More tomorrow,

 

Philip

 

 

[Philou]

Hello chums and chumesses,

 

The formation has now arrived at Dymented! I have a small section to add tomorrow that will be the final link between Dymented and the Pontrilas approach. I'm intending to loose-lay some track and switches first (including a 3-way point that perhaps should not be where I should like) so that I can trim back some of the green stuff and get some idea of what it should look like. I will cut the piece for the link afterwards as I shall need to shape it to the track configuration.

 

I have also some photos for you:

 

 

^ This is the main station area on the right hand edge adjacent to the raised through mainline. The foreground will be the main access and in the centre the goods shed. A.N.Other business will be on the left hand edge - still not decided whether it could be somewhere for chemicals made at Pontrilas to terminate here, or a mineral bottling plant (good excuse for some NPCC stock) as per Colwall and the Malvern Water bottling plant that was there. Beyond is the other branch and to its left the branch sidings/fiddle yard.

 

 

^ Just a reverse view showing the area to be tackled that will provide the link back to Pontrilas and a head shunt.

 

More tomorrow!

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

[lezz01]

Is that green board laminate floor underlay? If so you need to seal it. It's like old school insulation board right? If you don't seal it with diluted PVA. It degrades and crumbles into a green dust. Trust me on this! I know the hard way! Don't ask just trust me on this! It's not fun having to re-lay a whole baseboard after 18 months. Paint it on one side with 50-50 PVA/water let it dry over night, It will bow but fear not as turning it over and painting the other side and letting it dry over night again pulls it flat again, don't forget to do the edges. It's the ultraviolet and you have windows in that room or do you? It's fine under a floor because the ultraviolet can't get to it but it don't like day light at all.  

Anyway better safe that sorry. 

[Philou]

18 hours ago, lezz01 said:

Paint it on one side with 50-50 PVA/water let it dry over night

 

@lezz01 Now that's interesting what you say about crumbling away as I did notice today that the exposed edges of the board were turning brown, thinking that it was the green paint that wasn't UV stable. And you are right, it is very similar to the insulation board of old. I think it's actually uncompressed hardboard -  but I stand to be corrected on that.

 

My method of using the green board was to have been to glue to the ply with PVA (lightly diluted) and once dry to paint it (and everything else, scenery included) in matt white acrylic. The white would allow ease of marking out the track alignment and adding base colours afterwards. Should I give the one coat of PVA before the white paint?

 

I've had no issues (at the moment) using my method on two modules that are now 11 years old. These were set up below a large Velux in our spare bedroom.

 

Today, Dymented remains unlinked to Pontrilas. It took me all morning to set out the pointwork to the throat adjusting a tad here, moving a point by a gnat's that way, checking alignments and then doing the same at the other end (only two points) before deciding it looked OK-ish. Once I was happy-ish, I spent the afternoon cutting out the end piece for the link up to Pontrilas. There is only a short section about 600 x 400mm to cut tomorrow and insert into place (yes, yes, I know it's Sunday but an hour should see it finished).

 

I have two photos showing the trackwork and the new linking piece:

 

 

^ This the general arrangement of the switches. I only found out yesterday in another thread in a comment by Mike @The Stationmaster, that outside of mainline stations, it would be unusual to find three-way points on the main. I've jiggled things around but I can't make the arrangement work quite as well. I hope the purists won't notice!

 

From left to right in the foreground, we have: siding to the A.N.Other business, goods shed access (it could double up as a bay but I think that really would be un-prototypical) and the two platforms/passing loops. At the back is the fan of sidings/branch fiddle yard and a head shunt for the goods shed and the siding with the link back up to Ledbury on the right under the mainline.

 

 

^ Here have the end of the station/passing loops forming back into the branch single line plus a head shunt curving away to the right.

 

The section that's missing is - er - the missing piece between the green areas of underlay. This will be part of the station access and that should be ALL the main parts of the layout done. The only trackbed remaining to be done is the Pontrilas chemical works siding that leads off the down relief loop ie. the far side of Pontrilas station. Roll on Monday when I hope to be able to say 'S'done'.

 

Cheers everyone, more tomorrow and enjoy your weekend, whatever you're doing.

 

Philip

[Philou]

I thought I'd tack-on a PS. I've just realised that I have been very good so far and put in my trackbed on embankment and in cutting (more or less) per the plan. However, I haven't left anywhere alongside for the placing of signals! Who's not a clever boy then?

 

Before I get busy laying the track and doing the scenic work, I'll try and identify just where the signals are to go and I shall screw some plywood 'tongues' as necessary.

 

[lezz01]

I would give it a coat of 50/50 PVA and water just to seal it. I imaging that paint would have the same effect but better safe than sorry.

Regards Lez.  

[Philou]

@lezz01 Perhaps you're right - better safe than sorry. Just for interest here's a photo I took today of the 11-year old module. As you can see all the 'green stuff' has been pretty well covered either in paint (the large white area at the bottom is plain ply where buildings are placed but in store at the moment) or covered in track and scenic material. It hasn't moved or crumbled but I did notice that the ones I'm cutting up at the moment are a bit variable in taking a knife - tearing rather than making a clean cut - the blade is new.

 

 

Onto today's foray: S'done! Dymented is linked in both directions. As it was Sunday, I restricted using my tools to the morning otherwise I would have cut out the remaining trackbed and supports for the chemical works siding - but it's all marked out for tomorrow.

 

Of tomorrow, I'm not sure what time I'll have free as I need to sort a number of items before we head off on holidays AND do my UK tax return (most important!). Wednesday will definitely be not a working day as Mrs Philou is working herself up to a tizwoz worrying about things in the suitcase, passports, money - boring stuff ;) . Me? Mañana ....... and of course mañana never comes until it crashes around my ears!

 

Here's a photo of the linked up Dymented:

 

 

^ There you go - all done. I want to now mark out the track alignment through all the stations and cut away the excess so the platforms and buildings will rest on terra firma. The station yards/sidings will remain covered (saves on DAS/plaster) before bringing the surfaces up to at least sleeper height. Eventually, when I get to the actual track laying, all the edges of the 'green stuff' will be chamfered to create the shoulders for the ballast. A trial run has shown that it only takes a few strokes with some rough sanding paper to do the chamfering. A job for outside as I don't fancy breathing in the dust.

 

Hopefully, more tomorrow.

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

[Philou]

Nothing of note to report this evening as I only had time to cut out the three parts prepared yesterday. I did my financial chores this morning (UK tax excepted) so that's done. It was decided that we (we) should go and get some cat and dog supplies for when we're away - so that put the kybosh on my planned schedule. However, what was done today won't need to be done tomorrow so I should get the siding in place before lunch - er - that's the plan.

 

More tomorrow,

 

Philip

Edited October 3, 2023 by Philou

[Philou]

................ and before lunch it was all in place. The siding to the chemical works is finished. In the end I graded it at 1:25 - I've only seen photos of about 4 wagons at the works - shouldn't be too hard on a 517 to pull 4 - should it?

 

No works tomorrow as it'll be getting one or things to make some sarnies for the off on Thursday and then doing my suitcase - it's going to be a bit of a squish. My latent OCD will play up as I'll be forever turning things around in the case trying 'best-fit'. Sure as eggs there'll be an awkward space to fill :( .

 

I do have two photos for you until I get back:

 

 

^  Here is the side-on view - the signal box is the same one as before as the real one (still there today) is constructed of weatherboard and as far as I can see no brickwork below. It's also placed on a steel (iron possibly) extension to the 'cattle - creep' access to the site. The original works were a little way to the left but compression has dictated that it ends up there, opposite the 'box.

 

 

^ This is the view looking from the end of the Pontrilas platform in the Hereford/Shrewsbury direction. To the right are the works with the incline back up to the loop, the centre is the station throat with its pointwork and the branch to the left. Below, at the lower level, will be the former A465 (now bypassed) and open land. Further up alongside the A465, but before the branchline crossed over the road was a smithy - I might retain that anyway and have a modern blacksmith or an old garage - but perhaps the garage has been overdone of late.

 

As I've only a small area on which to place the chemical works, I'll have to just show part of it, but I'm determined that I shall have the chimney - a nice square tapered one, so no conical shapes to worry about.

 

Bar the sector plate and its link to the main layout, the trackbed is done. I do have the green stuff to place in the yard at Pontrilas and the whole of the station at Ledbury to do. That's all craft knife work so it won't take forever provided I dimension the ballasted areas correctly.

 

After that, I shall commence tackling the polystyrene bases for the landscaping along the far edges and work my way back to operating well - but that's for the near-future.

 

Cheers everyone and look after yourselves whilst I'm away,

 

Philip

Edited October 3, 2023 by Philou

[Philou]

I'm still 8000km away oh it's too hot and humid for me. Lovely setting - 40km off the coast - excellent sea-scape, but everyone is very very poor. They don't particularly want money, but more basic things like soap and the like.

 

There are no railways in use that I can see except for one line that was well kept and recently ballasted.

 

More when I get back.

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

[Philou]

Hello chums and chumesses,

 

I'm back home and Mrs Philou and I now need another holiday to recover! The journey was the worst - no delays or hiccups despite what's happening elsewhere - arrive aeroport 3 hours before flight (check-in plus security), 2 hour flight to the hub (Madrid) then 3 1/2 hour wait for the connection and  just a little short of 8 hours flying over the Atlantic THEN another hour's security at the other end. I think they were looking for smuggled items like soap, toileteries, tootpaste and brushes - yes, really.

 

We arrived just as night was falling and time we got out it was dark and into a 1950/60s American gas-guzzler and to the hotel. It was then that holidaymakers met reality.

 

The road out of the aeroport was a dual three lane highway that petered out after a few miles into a single carriageway road hemmed in by houses that had seen their best years ago - some street lighting but intermittent. Traffic lights that were respected by everyone - no 'I've got to be off first'. Then I saw the 'queue'. About 300m long waiting patiently at the fuel station - just this one, as we saw it the way back - and 90% of the cars were these old American cars. I wondered if it was the old cars run on petrol and not diesel, that seemed to be plentiful and cheap to us at 13p a litre. In context the monthly wage is about £50 and our guide was well off at £200 pm.

 

The hotel was built in 1998, so relatively 'new' and well kept when one arrived at the lobby. The rooms were not quite the same - not dilapidated - but worn out - well kept and clean, but tired. Enamelled bath chipped to bits, no plug (lift up type) in the sink and likewise the bath though there was a rubber one for the bath. The hinge for the toilet lid fell off straight into the bowl - I laughed! Even if I had fished it out, I would have needed a screwdriver and a screw to refix it - of which I had none. But someone did as it was back in place by the next evening!

 

The food at breakfast wasn't brilliant for the class 5* that it was supposed to be but adequate - we hadn't yet understood just how poor the country was. Nice view of a green sea with palms and the heat! 31° but feeling 38° due to the humidity. At 9am was the arrival of more 1950s cars (open top this time) to take us into Havana town. The old town has become crumbling decrepitude, houses within people live that have no rooves or where the top floor has collapsed one floor down or even whole buildings just collapsed into a heap of rubble. Some supported by scaffolding, but there were new ones as well. In the older ones where windows had fallen out, they had been either replaced by a smaller one and any old bits of rubble jammed in to fill the holes or just not replaced!

 

There were no shops as we know them - steel gates across with a tiny hole through which goods and money were exchanged - if there were goods to buy or money to spend. Despite the poverty people were clean, there being no litter or rubbish in the streets. Everyone had electricity and running water - 'leccy until 4pm that is and then it's off. Gas seemed to be available too. At no time did we feel threatened and everyone had a smile. We were accosted quite often with 'Come to this café/restaurant/bar - the food/drink is cheap.' But you had to be careful as 1) you didn't go where prices weren't marked up - the look of you dictated the price charged and 2) where prices were marked in pesos they wouldn't take them - EUR/GBP/US$ or CAN$ only (cash or cards).

 

The exchange rate was variable - in the hotel, they stuck to the official 120P/1EUR/£ rate, but outside it was 180. At a 'motorway services' we got 200! But nobody would take them other than as tips or extremely small purchases and you couldn't change them back either. Luckily, there was an English family that had arrived the day we were leaving that wanted some so we did a swop (thanks Tim).

 

The second hotel which was 250miles (400km) to the east of Havana and 6 1/2 hours away and was 40km offshore connected to the mainland by a causeway across a huge lagoon with 46 bridges (I didn't count them as they were all numbered!). The sea and the sand were magnificent and the hotel wasn't bad structurally and the staff friendly but it all works on tips! Every other plate was chipped, glasses not washed properly, knives and forks but NO SPOONS (coffee or soup)!

 

The food was worse - don't get me wrong as there was plenty of it - but reconstituted eggs, no milk, no fresh fruit as such. There was pork loin and fish but no beef and little bread. They did some very nice shortbread biscuits. Coffee was dire but you could ask for a double espresso at the bar that was part of the all_inclusive. No mint so no mojitos, no tomato juice so no bloody marys, rum (Ron or vitamin R as they called it) was freely available - can't think why, so it was Cuba Libre (ron and (coca) cola), piña coladas or water all round then. I stayed schtum as I realised the locals were having it bad and we were having 5* (ahem).

 

Part of the food problem (embargo notwithstanding) is that there are square miles upon square miles of untended and uncultivated land. When we asked the guide why was this, we were told it's simple because people won't work the land as there is no equipment (tractors and backhoes don't exist) and if there was the kit - no fuel. Those that do work use very old tractors (50-60 years old) and wooden ploughs pulled by oxen - yes really. Tobacco and sugar cane growing seem to be the main cash crops - the government buys 90% of the crops (apparently at a reasonable price) and the farmers can dispose of the 10% as they wish - cigars and ron mainly. Hence food growing is not a priority seemingly.

 

I'll touch on transport (road and rail):

In Havana and a couple of towns, there was public transport - even in the middle of nowhere there would be a bus stop. Buses varied from the articulated Dennis type (in Havana - limited to 74 standing!) through to little'n'large coaches, to run down American school buses (still in original yellow) to ex-army lorries with a body tacked on (and windows), open trucks (standing room only), Indian type tuk-tuks with 8 seated to three seated, one horse buses with 12 seated down to 4 seated. Saw them all, Dad with a handful of kids riding pillion on a moped (headgear optional).

 

The three lane motorway between Havana and where we turned off to go to the sea was in a state of disrepair - holes on bridges through which a grown man could fall to the river/carriageway/railway (make your choice), surfaces potholed for as far as the eye could see and no central or edge barriers.

 

The rules of driving seemed to be this:

You drive alongside the central reservation (6ft wide, grassed and no protection) at a speed convenient to you and your shock absorbers to the posted limit of 100kph and if you need to pass a slower vehicle then you undertake - oh yes really. Lorries seemed to keep to the very far side - oh and there was no hard shoulder as the vegetation had taken that over. In overtaking, you had to be sure that there wasn't a bull/cow/pedal cyclist/horse'n'cart/tractor/tuk-tuk or moped either crossing the carriageway or coming in the opposite direction! An eye had to be kept open for other vehicles changing lanes as it would mean a potholed section ahead. I can't say it was hair raising as there wasn't any traffic to speak about. In the 200km or so of motorway that we used, we overtook three lorries, one bus, about 6 cars and a few m/bikes, and we were overtaken by just as many cars and a white van!

 

As for the railways, I didn't see a single piece of stock, motive or rolling, but a few miles of weed grown rail track. There was one section of cleanly ballasted track and the rail looked newish laid on concrete sleepers. I don't know the gauge or whether it was for industrial or passenger use. There were two tender steam locos on the side of the highway on display one a 2-6-0 and the other a 2-6-2, both in black with a bit of red lining. As the bus whizzed past, I couldn't get any snaps of the locos and the railway ones are hit and miss. What rail overbridges I saw crossing the motorway were the American type with no sides just the main span (all single lines) terminating in embankments covered in overgrowth - evidently not used in some time though the rails were still on the bridges.

 

Whilst I was in the aeroplane musing in what I was going to post up on here, I did think of saying that I have seen little Britain in 20 year's time when unfortunately someone said the same thing about France (in French of course)! Is Europe heading that away? I truly hope not!

 

In reflecting on my holiday there, what have I learnt? Well, despite its shortcomings, we're bloody lucky we're living in Europe and have a standard of life that is far far better than many other countries and I count myself fortunate that my life expectation should let me get this layout done and have money to be able to do it. Will it make me a better person? Don't know. I certainly won't be moaning that a certain model hasn't got the right shaped windscreens, or the GWR green isn't the quite the right shade ...... or ..... or. I'll be thankful that I have money to buy the thing in the first instance.

 

Would I have gone there?

Had I known about the poverty, probably not (guilty feelings avoided) but I'm glad I did as it was an experience and it has shown me another world - not dystopian - but another world nonetheless. Would I go again? Don't think so as the journey was too long and I'm not coping with the time changes too well, but if I did, I would be better prepared in having small amounts of foreign coin to give as tips and small amounts of soap (yes soap) and basic toiletries, paracetamol and aspirin to give away and boiled sweets for the kids - they too have nothing - a pocket full of biros and pencils - things that are run-of-the-mill here. I noticed that even in the hotels, staff were using squares of torn up paper for note taking or bar-ordering - no such things as pads or post-its.

 

That's it for today. If the photos are any good, I'll post them up tomorrow.

 

I shall probably restart the layout tomorrow.

 

Keep safe,

 

Philip

 

[Philou]

Hello chaps and chapesses,

 

I hope my resumé of my holiday hasn't put anyone off - I shouldn't like that to happen. I just gave a view of how I saw it rather than the bland reviews given in holiday brochures. if you have a chance to go, please so do. They need help and holidaymakers can help as the money will trickle downwards. Simple things (at the moment of writing this) such as soap and other toiletries can change their daily humdrum lives. I would guard against drugs even paracetamol or aspirin as that may cause a lot of bother.

 

I will say one thing. We passed through one town at about lunchtime (don't know if the kids were going home for lunch or had finished for the day) but they were all spick and span dressed in bright white blouses/shirts and dark navy blue skirts/trousers. Apparently literacy is at 99.8%, so they're well educated - many of them try to get to the USA or Spain for a better life which is a shame as they're needed at home, who can blame them?

 

Anyway, a few photos for you:

 

Station halt in Camajuani not far from our destination. Looking at the track I don't think a train had been along there recently:

 

Level crossing at Santa Clara. There may have been a train there as the rails were a little more shiny. We didn't pass through the town that would have taken us nearer to the main railway station:

 

Somewhere under the motorway between Santa Clara and Havana - perhaps the main line between Havana and Santiago de Cuba way on the east. Trains run every FOUR days pulled by Chinese made units. BR did send some Class 47s in the 60s apparently:

 

I suppose of you're going to fly some 9000km to the Caribbean, this is what you want to see - the sea!! Florida is to the left and the Bahamas almost straight ahead. It was 31° (in the shade) with a felt temperature of 38° and humidity of 95%:

 

Anyway, overall, I had a good time and I'm slightly getting to grips with the 6 hour lag. No railway today as real life called and I was getting things ready for the Club's show tomorrow.

 

My mojo has withered, probably too much sun and I shall look at it again on Monday as Sunday I really really must to my tax return and send it off first thing Monday!

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

 

 

[Philou]

I went to the club show yesterday and took my Dapol Class 68 in TPE colours plus the rake of Accurascale TPE coaches. They were the stars of the layout due to their looks (colours and the models themselves). They were slightly out of place of course being at 1:76.2 scale rather than 1:87 - but nonetheless due to the smaller UK loading gauge they didn't look over-sized!

 

Performance was below par due to several things:

 

1) The coaches were very finicky over the track - behaving like Clara and Annabel - the one would derail just looking at. I think the flanges are very fine and perhaps there's a back-to-back that needs a look and were unforgiving over module joints.

2) The layout was made up of modules and each module had two ends hence two joints. I did note that the joints were not perfectly aligned in the horizontal and vertical planes. As it was the rolling stock's first outing, nothing had been run-in and so a little stiffness should have been expected. With over 40 joints, some on curves, it wasn't the best of layouts.

3) The coaches are comparatively light and could perhaps do with some weighting. I have some Code 4 lead sheet and perhaps I can place some under the seats - I'll need to split them apart and have a look.

4) The layout was being run under DCC and there were over 100 locos registered and everything was being run via wifi. There seemed to be at least 10 locos on the run at any one time and I found my mobile 'phone very unresponsive - too much lag between commands and execution. Perhaps less locos on the run may have been better - who knows. It may be that the CVs need a tweak too - but that'll all be done once I'm set up here in the barn.

5) Something happened while it was being given an address for the show as someone else was interfering with the controls (not in any harmful way) just, I think, some cross-talk between hand-sets going on - and not all the time either. It meant that even though I had shut down my 'phone, the loco and coach would continue to chatter and move slightly - to the annoyance of some. The answer was to just cut the power to the siding - which was by push-button - simples.

 

Regardless, the unit as a whole certainly drew the eye of those watching (and we weren't the only ones derailing), and a fair few knew what they were (the prototypes) - that I found quite surprising for an out in the sticks show.

 

My tax return is still incomplete having woken up at 11:00 this morning. I think my body clock has finally reset itself! I did manage to put my name and other bits of info on the form but there are some other things that need doing (totally incomprehensible phrases by way of explanations in the notes) and so I'll do them first thing tomorrow with a fresh mind and into La Poste and away it goes.

 

Modelling tomorrow? Hell yes, I certainly hope so!

 

Cheers everyone,

 

Philip

[JeffP]

Is your tax return for France?

French forms baffle me, and, unlike the UK, and DESPITE their much vaunted acceptance of other cultures, just TRY getting anything in any language other than French-legalese.

😡

[Philou]

@JeffP Oh gosh, no. This is for HMRC and the paper deadline is the 31st October. Normally I receive the copies in May and return them end of June but this year I was involved with the modules and a bit of the CBA mood - but I'm against the wire. Things are different this year as I have French income and unfortunately UK tax years and French ones overlap rather than co-incide, so there's three months to calculate in proportion. I don't want to take a hit from the UK authorities as I didn't pay French tax due to accumulated tax credits against UK tax paid. I was never that good at maths anyway and there are things that are allowed and others not - too complicated for me, but the values are so low it's not worth hiring an accountant either.

 

The French tax returns are all on line - all I have to do is fill the boxes with the Euro values (they give you the official conversion to use). In the UK, I did it once on line and I had to BUY some software to enable the one form to be completed with a £0.00 in it and that cost me £25.00! At least all the forms here are on line and free - and I get tax credits under the Double Taxation Agreements, as I suspect HMRC apply a slightly higher rate overall than the French.

 

For those that don't know - if you live in France (you need to check domiciliation and residence rules) it is well worth filling out a form, even if it is a nil return as you'll be considered a French taxpayer and there are some benefits linked to that. The tax offices will try their best to help - they did me.

 

My DWP and LGPS pensions are non-taxable by the French authorities, considered to be payments made by the state rather than a private entity, but are taken into account for tax purposes with a nil payment but - in my case - eligible for a tax credit.

 

I was thwarted in completing my form today - council business cropped up it the morning - and this afternoon, a neighbour needed a hand to fetch some 15mm ply with his trailer. As he's just had a complete shoulder joint replaced, I couldn't say no. It turned out well for me as I picked up a sheet of 5 and 10mm ply to complete the fiddle yard section, plus two packs of expanded polystyrene to start some landscaping later this week - yay!

 

Anyway, back to the paperwork ................................. :((

 

Stay safe everyone,

 

Philip

[Philou]

Hello chaps and chapesses,

 

Normal service will be resumed tomorrow as I managed to get my UK tax forms into the post this afternoon - so it should get there by the weekend - phew!

 

On my way back, I called in to M. le Builders' Merchant to enquire after the price of expanded polystyrene. 'I 'ave some vairy good matériel at a good pryce. Eet ees vairy efficient and does not lose zee 'eat.' He then introduced me to some compressed expanded (not extruded) stuff. No, no don't want expensive stuff as I'm going to carve it up and make vales and hills with a host of daffodils. 'Hmmmff. I 'ave zees cheapair poleesteerene. Eet ees 50mm épais an' eet ees 1.25m². Eet costs €20.' ' Per bale?' 'Non, par sheeeet.'

 

Crikey, polystyrene sheet has gone up in price - it used to be so cheap, you couldn't meter it - sorry, wrong goods. It was so cheap that you just threw it away! He did say he had some polystyrene packing that I could have - so that'll do as look as it's clean and doesn't smell of fish! I may have to lurk around our local recycling centre and see if I can get some from there. Unfortunately, if anything like the UK once in the bin (big bags here for the poly) it's considered waste and you can't touch it ever again. To think of the quantities I have chucked out as it was taking up space and no use for anything (at the time)!

 

I'll start tidying up the underlay tomorrow as it's a mucky job, as I don't think the weather will be dry enough to do any major woodworking outside as I need to be making up parts for the fiddle yard and the connecting module back to the main circuit. I can do the green stuff in the barn. Once done, it'll be time to be using up some of the styrene that I do have in stock - now, where to start?

 

Cheers everyone,

 

More tomorrow,

 

Philip 

[Nick C]

24 minutes ago, Philou said:

On my way back, I called in to M. le Builders' Merchant to enquire after the price of expanded polystyrene. 'I 'ave some vairy good matériel at a good pryce. Eet ees vairy efficient and does not lose zee 'eat.' He then introduced me to some compressed expanded (not extruded) stuff. No, no don't want expensive stuff as I'm going to carve it up and make vales and hills with a host of daffodils. 'Hmmmff. I 'ave zees cheapair poleesteerene. Eet ees 50mm épais an' eet ees 1.25m². Eet costs €20.' ' Per bale?' 'Non, par sheeeet.'

 

Crikey, polystyrene sheet has gone up in price - it used to be so cheap, you couldn't meter it - sorry, wrong goods. It was so cheap that you just threw it away! He did say he had some polystyrene packing that I could have - so that'll do as look as it's clean and doesn't smell of fish! I may have to lurk around our local recycling centre and see if I can get some from there. Unfortunately, if anything like the UK once in the bin (big bags here for the poly) it's considered waste and you can't touch it ever again. To think of the quantities I have chucked out as it was taking up space and no use for anything (at the time)!

£20 for a 2.4 x 1.2m sheet of 50mm expanded polystyrene from Wickes - probably no use to you there though!

[Philou]

18 minutes ago, Nick C said:

expanded polystyrene from Wickes

 

@Nick C  Hmm .... we do have B&Q here under the banner of Castorama (all part of the Kingfisher Group), and so they might just have cheaper polystyrene. But it is a 100 mile round trip and you can't get an awful lot of it in the back of a Duster! ;). I shall have a look on their site anyway. But your £20 per 2.4 x 1.2m sheet was more of the ball park figure I had in mind.

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

 

Edit: Just had a look and the equivalent is €25.20 per panel - so not terribly more expensive and it's a more handy size of 1.2m x 600mm for stuffing into the Duster. Certainly cheaper than M. le Builders' Merchant! Did you know that EP over here is sold on a m3 basis? Theoretically, whatever the thickness, the volume price should be 'about' the same - and we all know what 'about' means.

Edited October 24, 2023 by Philou
Update info

[lezz01]

I have a stash of EP. Whenever we by something that comes with flat packing I salt it away for modelling. I don't keep the shaped stuff just the flat. I had to buy some when I built the pond as I used 25mm for lining, it's a raised pond made from sleepers and I kept the few off cuts for modelling.  

Regards Lez.