RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted August 23, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 23, 2017 the bit of ballasting left for Mr Duck is in the bottom right hand corner... baz O ###### I'd hoped you had forgotten that. Can I do it by post? Ar$£ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gr.king Posted August 23, 2017 Share Posted August 23, 2017 You scan and e-mail it, or "snap chat" it these days don't you? The printer grinds and splutters a bit as it prints out the ballast of course.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Barry O Posted August 23, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 23, 2017 O ###### I'd hoped you had forgotten that. Can I do it by post? Ar$£ memory akin to an elephant.. until I am looking for some modelling items... You scan and e-mail it, or "snap chat" it these days don't you? The printer grinds and splutters a bit as it prints out the ballast of course.... you print it on a 3D printer... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Winterbury Posted September 4, 2017 Share Posted September 4, 2017 Any suggestions for a very condensed Grantham, it has inspired me to create my own, but such a magnum opus is out of reach for me space-wise, any help? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Gerbil-Fritters Posted September 4, 2017 Share Posted September 4, 2017 T gauge? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Winterbury Posted September 6, 2017 Share Posted September 6, 2017 In 00... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium great northern Posted September 6, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 6, 2017 In 00... I looked at Grantham in 00 before settling on Peterborough North. Grantham would have been my preferred option, but even in a room 25ft by 10ft there was no way it could be done so as to look anything like the real thing. The Nottingham branch is really essential, but if it is to curve away from the ECMl as it does, a lot of width is needed. I would have had to have the curve from the North on the main line coming in from the wrong direction, and the ladder crossovers at the South end need a lot of length too. In the end, anything I tried looked nothing like Grantham at all. Some things just can't be done, unless one has a very big space, I'm afraid. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Winterbury Posted September 6, 2017 Share Posted September 6, 2017 I just wanted to say that Grantham seems MUCH larger than it is now- why? Grantham station is a simple affair nowadays, with 3 through platforms, a bay and a slow goods loop. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Richard E Posted September 6, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 6, 2017 Many stations are smaller, or in most cases, non-existent due to the disappearance of the pick-up goods facilities. It is surprising how much space those facilities, along with parcels traffic, took up. Also you have to consider there isn't the need to change engines on a regular basis, a 225 or 125 set will cover a thousand miles a day or more, what did a steam loco cover, 200-300 miles perhaps on a good day? Maybe 400 for a top link machine if you are very lucky? You'd need water for a top link engine every 100 miles or less, that could be top up at stations or by using troughs but you'd need to change engines once you were low on coal. So you'd have regular engine facilities for changes, Peterborough and Grantham were just such places as were Retford, Newark and Doncaster. We've lost so much infrastructure it is amazing. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Echo Posted September 6, 2017 Share Posted September 6, 2017 Any suggestions for a very condensed Grantham, it has inspired me to create my own, but such a magnum opus is out of reach for me space-wise, any help? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flying Fox 34F Posted September 7, 2017 Share Posted September 7, 2017 I just wanted to say that Grantham seems MUCH larger than it is now- why? Grantham station is a simple affair nowadays, with 3 through platforms, a bay and a slow goods loop. Ed, Have a look at the Scottish Libraries Side by Side map website. It shows you how much narrower the railway right of way is through Grantham these days. Compared to other locations along the ECML, Grantham at its largest extent is actually quite compact. The Locomotive Depot dominated most of the site between Springfield Road and Harlaxton Road bridges. The station goods yard on the Up side, where the car park is now, was very constricted. The Down side yard wasn't much larger. All model railways suffer from a lack of space when it comes to length. The current South Junction is 1/2 mile south of the station, or 38 foot in 4mm. The bay platform is able to accommodate a four coach unit at 302 feet. A class 91 and rake of MkIV coaches are over 800 feet long. Modeller's of the current era really struggle. Part of the problem with modelling real locations is the Human Eyes ability to foreshorten the view. It's only when you walk somewhere or study a large scale map do you appreciate how long a railway location can be. Thank goodness for Modeller's License and the Art of Compromise. Paul 4475 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Winterbury Posted September 7, 2017 Share Posted September 7, 2017 Thank you. But then I'm well aware that Grantham is still used for loco changes. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Echo Posted September 7, 2017 Share Posted September 7, 2017 If I were doing modern image, I would seriously consider going N gauge for somewhere like Grantham. There would be problems finding all the stock though for an accurate roster - true to some extent for 4mm scale too. Maybe the BR diesel era with Deltics would be the easiest to stock. Another thing to consider would be to put Grantham in a cutting with the roads and footpaths going over the railway rather than under it. Very abstract, but more scenic breaks close to the station. Whatever way, it would make a huge project for one person. Most layouts of that size and complexity require a team of builders and operators - and still take a number of years to complete. Then there's the frightening cost of it all! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post LNER4479 Posted September 15, 2017 Author Popular Post Share Posted September 15, 2017 (edited) Another prolonged silence can only mean one thing - travelogue alert! We once again headed to the Fatherland, certain aspects have an irresistible draw for us... The town of Wernigerode, just inside former eastern Germany, is a latter day tourist trap in its own right... ...but is rather better known to hardened enthusiasts as the base for the incomparable Harz mountain railways, a 90 mile metre gauge network of largely steam-hauled trains, a 364 day per year operation, providing employment for @200 of the local populace. A preserved railway this most certainly is NOT. But even better on this occasion it was our great pleasure to have Mr & Mrs LNER3279 with us for the first leg of the trip. Only here for one thing, obviously. One of my favourite locations on the network, Eisfelder Talmuhle, set in a dramatic wooded valley For the return trip, for the princely additional supplement of 1 euro, you can ride in the Cabriofahrt (no giggling at the back) right up close to the loco as it heaves its train back up out of the valley, an experience not to be missed. At Drei Annen Hohne, junction station for the Brocken mountain, three steam hauled trains meet. Ours is the one on the right. We did go up the mountain ... but conditions were - shall we say - not the most favourable I've encountered up there! Next time - we move on to pastures new, to seek out further steam lines... [edit - now with added video!] Edited September 15, 2017 by LNER4479 21 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullie Posted September 15, 2017 Share Posted September 15, 2017 Is it a requirement that you enter the 'cabriofahrt' sideways? Sorry my sense of humour is terrible! Martyn Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNER4479 Posted September 15, 2017 Author Share Posted September 15, 2017 Is it a requirement that you enter the 'cabriofahrt' sideways? Sorry my sense of humour is terrible! Martyn Post now edited such that 'portrait' photos are displayed the right way up - first time it's done that on me...? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNER4479 Posted September 15, 2017 Author Share Posted September 15, 2017 Any suggestions for a very condensed Grantham, it has inspired me to create my own, but such a magnum opus is out of reach for me space-wise, any help? Hi Ed, You had the misfortune to post your question on the first day we were away so apologies for the delayed response. How much space to you have at your disposal? Whilst I wouldn't disagree with what Great Northern and others have said, if you are prepared to accept significant compromise and probably some suspensions of belief then it's always possible to map something out. It would be an interesting design challenge. I remember one of Cyril Freezer's design exercises being based on Exeter Central as he gradually reduced it in size to fit ever-diminishing spaces. Be a challenge to do the same with Grantham... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sp1 Posted September 15, 2017 Share Posted September 15, 2017 (edited) Hi Ed, You had the misfortune to post your question on the first day we were away so apologies for the delayed response. How much space to you have at your disposal? Whilst I wouldn't disagree with what Great Northern and others have said, if you are prepared to accept significant compromise and probably some suspensions of belief then it's always possible to map something out. It would be an interesting design challenge. I remember one of Cyril Freezer's design exercises being based on Exeter Central as he gradually reduced it in size to fit ever-diminishing spaces. Be a challenge to do the same with Grantham... I remember those Exeter Central plans (Peco Track Plans book?) - even the smallest one is sadly too big for the space I have..... Edited September 15, 2017 by sp1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted September 16, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 16, 2017 Thank you. But then I'm well aware that Grantham is still used for loco changes. Blimey, are we missing something? Only locos I see at G'm are on specials or freight. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gr.king Posted September 16, 2017 Share Posted September 16, 2017 For the return trip, for the princely additional supplement of 1 euro, you can ride in the Cabriofahrt (no giggling at the back) Mention of our later, separate trip to Titisee would presumably be too much of a test for the straight faces.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dominion Posted September 16, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 16, 2017 Mention of our later, separate trip to Titisee would presumably be too much of a test for the straight faces.... I took my 3 boys when teenagers to lake Titicaca, which was a double word score as far as they were concerned. That was the same trip that included seeing the bird species known as the Blue Footed Booby. The guides trained all the kids to yell "Boobies" at the top of their lungs ever time the birds were sighted. Tom 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post LNER4479 Posted September 19, 2017 Author Popular Post Share Posted September 19, 2017 (edited) So, after a pleasant few days in good company and having been captivated as ever by the Harz, we headed off towards pastures new (for us) - the north east corner of Germany and the Baltic coast. We stayed at Stralsund, an old walled city guarding an important strategic corner of the coast. The harbour area was worth walking to. Didn't take us long to find steam. This is the Rügenschen BäderBahn, otherwise known as the Rasender Roland (not quite sure why?), serving a coastal tourist area. 750mm gauge, there were three trains in operation and the whole thing was IMMACULATE. Conditions weren't too clever however which made it a bit challenging in the cabriofahrt... Very pleasant railway, and very well-used at the eastern end near the coast - but it didn't really 'grab' us. Next day, we headed out to Bad Doberan and the rather better known 'Molli'-bahn This day the sun shone and we did get to a rather beautiful beach. The most distinctive feature of the 'Molli' is its street running so we hung around to see the train make its way slowly through the town, bell clanging constantly as it did so. Rather quaint. All traffic stops at a main road junction. Definitely the pick of the two - but not a patch on the Harz! Next time - a trip out with a difference Edited September 19, 2017 by LNER4479 20 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium St Enodoc Posted September 19, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 19, 2017 So, after a pleasant few days in good company and having been captivated as ever by the Harz, we headed off towards pastures new (for us) - the north east corner of Germany and the Baltic coast. WP_20170910_18_17_57_Pro1.jpg We stayed at Stralsund, an old walled city guarding an important strategic corner of the coast. WP_20170909_17_36_46_Pro.jpg The harbour area was worth walking to. WP_20170909_12_00_31_Pro.jpg Didn't take us long to find steam. This is the Rügenschen BäderBahn, otherwise known as the Rasender Roland (not quite sure why?), serving a coastal tourist area. 750mm gauge, there were three trains in operation and the whole thing was IMMACULATE. WP_20170909_14_17_05_Pro.jpg Conditions weren't too clever however which made it a bit challenging in the cabriofahrt... WP_20170909_13_05_47_Pro.jpg Very pleasant railway, and very well-used at the eastern end near the coast - but it didn't really 'grab' us. WP_20170910_13_34_07_Pro.jpg Next day, we headed out to Bad Doberan and the rather better known 'Molli'-bahn WP_20170910_13_08_52_Pro.jpg This day the sun shone and we did get to a rather beautiful beach. WP_20170910_15_14_39_Pro.jpg The most distinctive feature of the 'Molli' is its street running so we hung around to see the train make its way slowly through the town, bell clanging constantly as it did so. Rather quaint. WP_20170910_14_18_03_Pro.jpg All traffic stops at a main road junction. Definitely the pick of the two - but not a patch on the Harz! Next time - a trip out with a difference Very nice Graham, especially the street running. In the third photo there is a tantalising glimpse of dual-gauge track - more please? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNER4479 Posted September 20, 2017 Author Share Posted September 20, 2017 In the third photo there is a tantalising glimpse of dual-gauge track - more please? Thanks, John. Does this explain a little more? Most interestingly, the five (or so) miles link from the DB mainline at Bergen is also operated by the Rasender Roland, using this smart, new railcar, which we used to get to / from the railway. In the background (not too clear, I'm afraid), is a stretch of dual gauge track that both the railcar and the steam use to get to Lauterbach Mole, the 'other end' of the line, also on the coast (we didn't have time to do this, unfortunately). There are also standard gauge tracks into the yard, including an end loading ramp where an IMMACULATE transporter bogie wagon stood, presumably used to get the locos to and from DB Meiningen for major overhauls. 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted September 20, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 20, 2017 (edited) Thanks, John. Does this explain a little more? WP_20170909_15_06_50_Pro.jpg Most interestingly, the five (or so) miles link from the DB mainline at Bergen is also operated by the Rasender Roland, using this smart, new railcar, which we used to get to / from the railway. In the background (not too clear, I'm afraid), is a stretch of dual gauge track that both the railcar and the steam use to get to Lauterbach Mole, the 'other end' of the line, also on the coast (we didn't have time to do this, unfortunately). There are also standard gauge tracks into the yard, including an end loading ramp where an IMMACULATE transporter bogie wagon stood, presumably used to get the locos to and from DB Meiningen for major overhauls. That coach on the left is a perfect Maunsell/Bulleid Green AFAI'mC. Lovely pics G. Phil Edited September 20, 2017 by Mallard60022 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now