Banbury in N scale - A great time at the Abingdon in March 2024

[roundhouse]

The broken carriage siding lights have now been replaced. I knew that they were fragile 3D prints hence made sure that I had spares but didnt realise that half a dozen had been broken. I think they get knocked when the Chiltern168's get set up in the sidings so we will need to put them on the tracks elsewhere.

 

Next out was the grass gun and now theres quite a bit of static grass lying around the sidings which needs to be vaccumed up once the grass in its planned location has dried.

 

Hope to do a few more tasks before the weekend but having not been too well for the past two weeks not a lot of work has been done in the garage since Dobris went out.

[roundhouse]

Starting to feel better but still up later than normal. However a little bit more static grass laid this morning.

 

These two boards are looking overgrown with all the excess grass lying around but tonight it will get vaccumed up then some hairspray applied to hold the stuck grass in place.

[Maurits71]

looking really good.

[roundhouse]

Thanks Maurits 71.

 

 

Now that the line between Banbury and Leamington Spa is due to reopen on 13th March (just a shame its not in time for this weekends show), I thought that I had better vacuum up all the loose grass!!

 

That was last nights task.

 

The remaining fixed grass was sealed with hairspray  although there is still some loose bits scattered about, this will soon come away when the boards are shaken before boxing up ready for this weekend.

[roundhouse]

The layout ran very well yesterday. A few items of rolling stock, mainly locos failing but we have enough spares to replace them.

 

A very good show which was busy yesterday but so much that you couldn't get to see layouts such as Green Parl, Sidmouth etc.

 

Only one new item purchased for the layout which is the new Dapol Network Rail yellow DVT which we have paired with the new Farish snowbird.

[roundhouse]

Another good day operating Banbury. Very few problems and very few operator errors. The layout is settleing down well and we were more often than not using the coulour light signals on the main lines.

 

It will be nice to get them working automatically at some stage though as trying to remember to change the signals and shuffle up trains in the fiddle yard can lead to mistakes!!

 

Had a fair few potential invites for future years so will look forward to them being confirmed.

 

We were packed up and on our way in 40 minutes toaday and a fairly good run with just the usual hold ups on the M40 and M25.

 

Our next show  with this layout is Trainwest in April. Fingers crossed Gordon will have his sound fitted 66 working again by then!!

 

A few tasks to do before then.

 

Ian

[roundhouse]

Our next show is Trainwest in a few weeks time.

I have been working on a number of bits of rolling stock but nothing yet to really photograph.

We are down on operators for this show so it's going to be tight but we should just about manage as long as nothing goes wrong!!!

Edited March 30, 2015 by roundhouse

[Geoff Endacott]

Our next show is Trainwest in a few weeks time.

 

I have been working on a number of bits of rolling stock but nothing yet to really photograph.

 

We are down on operators for this show so it's going to be tight but we should just about manage as long as nothing goes wrong!!!

 

A few? I make it less than two.

 

Geoff Endacott

[roundhouse]

A few? I make it less than two.

 

Geoff Endacott

Ok you caught me there.

 

Dont worry we do have the correct weekend in May April

[roundhouse]

Just a quick update whilst being pushed by 67001 on our way to Manchester (so no modelling at the moment), we now have a guest operator for Sunday at Trainwest so a full crew that day.

Hoping to do some work on the stock next week prior to the show.

Edited April 7, 2015 by roundhouse

[roundhouse]

Its Trainwest this weekend and the layout is ready to load tonight and a very early start on the road tomorrow morning.

 

Whilst I haven't done any work to the layout in recent weeks, some of the stock has had attention.

 

The 3D printed FGW class 165 has had the temporary decals removed as they were starting to peel off the body, a gloss coat applied and now (what I hope will do until someone brings out the barbie wavy lines), my home printed ones applied and varnished on one side this morning. Tonight once the layout is loaded I hope to add the Precision Decals and also the orange cantrail stripe etc.

 

There are a few new locos to run in aswell. We can now create a move that we saw at Banbury before commencing the layout where a Dutch livery 37 passed through hauling a steam loco (might have been Nunney Castle) and its support coach.

 

We will also have Gordons Virgin Super Voyager 3 x 5 car on diversion off the West Coast Mainline and fingers crossed his repaired sound fitted class 66 on a freight.

 

We are still one short in terms of operating crew for Saturday so we may have to reduce the amount of stock oin the fiddleyard and changing stock compared to what we like to do but we shall see how things go.

[Steadfast]

I'm looking forward to seeing Banbury tomorrow, should make more sense now I've been to the real place!

Hope you have a good trip down

 

jo

[Tom J]

Sorry it wasn't a 'Thomas weekend', or we would have had the operator vacancy sorted for you, Ian! Have a good show.

[roundhouse]

Tom

 

Of course, your occassional trips to the South West which you  would like to be more often than they are!

 

Thats a shame as you both would have been very welcome.

 

Hopefully see you at a show in the not too distant future.

 

Ian

Edited April 11, 2015 by roundhouse

[Joseph_Pestell]

Hoping to be there later today (or perhaps tomorrow if work problems today).

[roundhouse]

We had a good run of two hours to Melksham and set up just in time for opening. Layout running well apart from. The odd issue. Wi post some photos later hopefully but despite being one operator down we are managing. Just longer operating sessions.

[Rivercider]

It was good to see this excellent layout at Melksham.

Though my memories of Banbury are from the 1980s I enjoyed the modern scene, and the chat about it,

so, thanks to all the team

 

cheers

[roundhouse]

Banbury has changed even from the early nineties when I happened to travel through more so than in the eighties with the double glazed waiting areas on the platforms at the bottom of the stairs and booking office extensions, the Network Rail and Chiltern control structures let alone the trains themselves. I remember sitting in the car roughly where the Network Rail building is for some time before seeing a class 47 on a rake of mk2s pass through. Nowadays you only have to wait 10 or 25 minutes at most for a train to appear.

 

We had a visitor of Gordon's yesterday before the show opened and again just before closing. It's fitted with sound!

 

Well Chiltern is part of DBS!!!

 

Some more conventional photos if I get chance today.

 

 

Some more photos

Edited April 12, 2015 by roundhouse

[roundhouse]

Another good day today and thanks to BigP for offering to help today we had a full crew and he soon appeared to get the hang of it.

 

We also had a Royal visitor.

 

A host club member helping on Cross Street brought his Royal train for us to put between 67006 and 67005 and run all day through Banbury.

 

We were packed away and loaded into the car in just shy over 30 minutes and after me doing the driving through Devizes and onto the A303 my other half is now doing the driving through the M3 roadworks.

 

The layout isn't out now till the Chatham show in June but the fiddle yard will be out with Santa Barbara in May.

[bigP]

--

Edited January 30, 2021 by bigP
Deleted

[roundhouse]

Thanks Paul

 

You were very welcome.

 

I do my best not to drive with one hand on the ipad and one on the steering wheel

 

My other half really does help with setting up and dismantlyin plus with the driving. We couldnt do so many shows and long distance ones without her coming along especially where we travel Saturday mornings (max 2 hours) otherwise we would have ot travel Friday and then require accommodation for that night aswell.

 

Thanks also to Gordon and Mike for helping this weekend especially yesterday afternoon operating the layout when I did spend an hour or two helping out a fellow exhibitor with an electrical probelm.

 

Layout now unloaded at home and nowto relax for the rest of the evening.

 

Ian

[roundhouse]

The last few photos taken at the weekend. I did intend using my DSLR but in the end only used the iPad.

 

The rail grinder had had further detail added recently but time ran out to add the steps etc.

 

Gordon's Virgin Voyager set was working the West Coast mainline diversions. He did have it running as a 14 car most of the weekend but this shot shows it one set removed.

 

And finally the Dapol 66 which is a limited run from Gsugemaster

[Eggesford box]

A contrast in engine and stock at Banbury yesterday, one following the other

The 31 was on ECS and heading into the loop

 

[roundhouse]

Excellent photos. I have a blood and custard rake so just need the green 31.

 

Ian

[roundhouse]

Helping on a layout at a small show in Gravesend today. I couldn't leave a solitary Dapol Falcon on Kent Garden Rails stand!!

 

So now the Network Rail train will be one more wagon longer!!!

 

The layouts next outing will be to The Chatham show in June.