Wright writes.....

[jwealleans]

Do you have any on Grantham?

No NER corridor stock at all, I'm afraid. The only Buffet Car we run is in a ragtag bundle of 6 wheelers, parcels vans and that one corridor vehicle which comes through behind a D2, usually, working from Doncaster to Peterborough. It has to be a positioning move for the Buffet Car and only after I'd got hold of the RDEB GN conversion kit did we find that it was actually worked by the GN Area's one and only brand new Gresley build... so it remains the Hornby one we've always used.

Edited June 14, 2018 by jwealleans

[APOLLO]

Firstly good luck and best wishes to Clem and Bucoops above. Health comes first though model railways is surely a tonic !!

 

A couple of weeks ago I was reading this interesting thread about Cadeby and the Late Teddy Boston

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/134675-cadeby/

 

His book "From Font to Footplate" was mentioned, a quick look on Amazon and a copy found for just over a tenner posted. What a wonderful book this is, divided into two parts, his model trains and the real ones that ran round his Vicarage at Cadeby.

 

I've often seen references and photos of both Teddy and his railways, and this little book is packed full of interest. His large GWR layout in his shed would win no cups at exhibitions, but it brought immense pleasure to Teddy and his visitors, as the many photos in his book clearly show.

 

More photos here  http://cadebyvillage.wixsite.com/cadeby/teddy-boston

 

Incidentally my copy is annotated "Happy memories Teddy and Audrey" signed Audrey Boston - an thoughtful touch to whoever the recipient was.

 

What a diverse and wonderful hobby we all have. May the diversity continue !!!

 

Brit15

Edited June 14, 2018 by APOLLO

[Tony Wright]

Hi Tony and everyone,

  Well, about 8 months ago the doctor called me in to say my blood test showed I was pre-diabetic. My Hba1c reading was 46 just 2 outside of it taking me into a irreversible diabetes type 2 condition. It was a wake up call for me. My wonderful doctor and the NHS placed me on a 15 session,12 month set of seminars and at the same time I was determined to pull back from the edge of this cliff. Since then I have changed my eating habits and lost a stone and a half, my daily 2.5 mile walk takes me 5 minutes less time to do and my latest blood test revealed a Hba1c reading of 31. Feeling very good..... What has this to do with this thread?  Well, I'm building a layout based on the Nottingham-Derby GN line and I'm not a fast modeller. When I discovered my condition, I realised that to get even close to finishing it, I'll need to live if not forever, then as close to that as possible. The prospect of leaving it as it is at the moment in a less than half built state has been a great motivator in stemming that 'doesn't matter' attitude when it comes to healthy eating. This hobby is a life saver in so many ways!

 

Anyway, I've made some progress on the Comet chassis B1 posted a few days ago. It has become Colwick's long time resident 61188 and here are a couple of shots of it on a Burton fully fitted class 4 freight (note the lamps Tony). It now runs beautifully on a fully sprung chassis although I have a couple of adjustments to make to allow the tender to ride a little lower at the front whilst still providing some weight transference to the rear of the engine which is just a little front heavy.  The loco needs a steam heat hose at the front and also, the chimney and dome both need just a little work on the boiler seatings. The tender is off a Bachmann J39 which now has a Wills 3500 gallon tender. It's lined with waterslide transfers and I've noticed from the photo that a little bit has gone a bit wavy and needs replacing. After that it needs weathering along with the loco itself albeit very sparingly. As soon as I finish these little jobs I must try to leave the locos alone and get on with the layout itself, not least planting some of those trees on the embankment above the B1. I have a signal box, goods shed, station building and bridge all to build on the west end of the layout, then an extension to the goods yard for the coal line. I'm then facing a complete new control panel and a 30-lever lever frame to build. Then there's the signalling.... Maybe I should have joined a club.....:-)

Glad to hear you're much healthier, Clem,

 

I mentioned some little time ago that I had my annual MOT test late last year and was told my cholesterol count was higher than desirable, as was my blood sugar level. Not dangerous, just a bit more than last time. I was also told that, though I wasn't overweight, some of it was in the wrong place (if I believed in God, which I definitely don't, being a non-superstitious bloke, I'd say he has a perverse sense of humour. Why does the extra weight go on to our middles? Why not on to our arms, like Popeye?). 

 

Anyway, I've altered my eating habits, lost over half a stone (though still have a bit of a spare tyre) and decided that, if I want to finish LB, and, perhaps build another layout, since time is finite (in human terms), I'd better get on with it, made easier by staying healthy. 

 

Anyway, I'm told that railway modelling, because it's creative and requires research, is a means of keeping dementia at bay. 

 

The B1 is superb, by the way. If you're modelling the summer period, don't bother with a steam-heating hose because they were usually removed for repair/maintenance in the warmer weather, their function not being required. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Willie Whizz]

Gresley Beat, not to fussed about layout accuracy personally. The Trains are the star of the show/layout as they should be, its called Model Railways .  

 

Liverpool Lime Street is superb , I however didn't like the idea they use of operators at the front of the layout, it restricts the viewing.

 

Peterborough North 

 

Of the above, in Tony's post, I have seen Burntisland, nothing moved for over 15 minutes. I didn't go back.

 

I saw Liverpool Lime Street a couple of years ago.  Whilst still clearly a 'work in progress' at that point, I'd agree visually it already looked superb.  However, I stood by it on three separate occasions of 10-15 minutes each during the day and, likewise, virtually nothing moved.  At first I thought they must be having some form of operating problems, but no-one seemed very concerned or attempting to cure anything.  In the end I came to the conclusion they must be attempting to operate the timetable sequence in "Real Time" - which, on a model, really is about as exciting as watching paint dry.  So like you, I didn't go back.

[unclebobkt]

        Par.

"!

       Dare I write: " Par For The Course."!      

[grahame]

I saw Liverpool Lime Street a couple of years ago.  Whilst still clearly a 'work in progress' at that point, I'd agree visually it already looked superb.  However, I stood by it on three separate occasions of 10-15 minutes each during the day and, likewise, virtually nothing moved.  At first I thought they must be having some form of operating problems, but no-one seemed very concerned or attempting to cure anything.  In the end I came to the conclusion they must be attempting to operate the timetable sequence in "Real Time" - which, on a model, really is about as exciting as watching paint dry.  So like you, I didn't go back.

I'd suggest that this situation is one that could have been improved with better communication. And that is something often lacking on many layouts at exhibitions.

 

As a viewer you could ask why there was an apparent hiatus and/or the operator(s) could explain to the crowd the reason for a break in activity.

 

However, those little flip over cards, that can be read by operators as a sequence of moves to follow and have an 'explanation' of what is going on for veiwers to read on their reverse side as they flop over the backscene board, don't cut it for me. They're usually far too small to read from the crowd/barrier line, or can't be seen due to others crowding it out.

 

G

[Tony Wright]

Gresley Beat, not to fussed about layout accuracy personally. The Trains are the star of the show/layout as they should be, its called Model Railways .  

 

Liverpool Lime Street is superb , I however didn't like the idea they use of operators at the front of the layout, it restricts the viewing.

 

Peterborough North 

 

Of the above, in Tony's post, I have seen Burntisland, nothing moved for over 15 minutes. I didn't go back.

Thanks Mick,

 

Though I agree the trains are the stars of the show on many layouts, when you have a cenotaph coaling tower of this quality, then the trains (in this case the locos) do rather take second string, at least in my view. 

 

 

Built by Geoff Taylor, as featured on 'Top Shed' on The Gresley Beat. 

 

Unfortunately, my pictures of Liverpool Lime Street are somewhere in the office in Bourne, so I cannot show those.

 

 

I think Peterborough North photographs very well, especially in close-ups (indeed, some of Gilbert Barnatt's pictures which he posts on his thread are incredibly realistic). 

 

I'm a friend of Gilbert's, and I've helped him on Peterborough North and built locos for him, so he knows my views. There's no doubt he's chosen a team of highly-skilled professionals to build it, including Peter Leyland (architecture), Tim Easter (locos and stock), Mike Edge (locos) Ian Willetts, Dave Studley, Larry Goddard and Steve Pearce (coaches), Norman Saunders (trackwork), Neil Kinneson (electrics), Ken Gibbons and Tony Gee (signals), plus help from Mr Duck, my elder son, Tom, and friend Rob Davey. Their work is outstanding. Gilbert's research has been truly scholarly.

 

 

It's just that, though the station itself is cramped, the actual railway site is vast. As I say, Gilbert knows my views, and I'd never attempt to model anything as ambitious as this, without a (small) aircraft hangar! Even if I had the space, I don't have the fiscal resources to have it recreated, nor enough skill to do it myself. That's not to take away from the quality of the modelling on Gilbert's PN, but it's just my own point of view. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony.  

Edited June 15, 2018 by Tony Wright

[t-b-g]

Accuracy means different things to different people.

 

As somebody who enjoys the subtleties and variations in permanent way, I look at those layout photos and what immediately jumps out at me is that at least four of the layouts should have some flat bottomed track to be accurate for the period modelled.

 

Would you call a layout accurate if it had locos and stock that were 20 years apart in period and livery and call it accurate?

 

Speaking of which, I think Copenhagen Fields is a superb layout but in the photo provided as an example of "accuracy" we have a Stirling Single (not in "preserved" condition as far as I can tell) passing under an LMS liveried EMU. So what period does the layout portray?

 

All modelling is a compromise. Some forced on us and some out of choice.  Very few of us have the space, resources, the input of others or the finances to build layouts like several of those shown. So we build smaller, more manageable layouts. The sorts we can build ourselves in less than 3 lifetimes and that will fit into our available spaces when we have built them.

 

My preference would always be for a smaller layout, perhaps fictional but based on real practice, which each aspect modelled as well as I can. One day, I might actually get there! Until then, I will continue having fun with what I have.

[Tony Wright]

Accuracy means different things to different people.

 

As somebody who enjoys the subtleties and variations in permanent way, I look at those layout photos and what immediately jumps out at me is that at least four of the layouts should have some flat bottomed track to be accurate for the period modelled.

 

Would you call a layout accurate if it had locos and stock that were 20 years apart in period and livery and call it accurate?

 

Speaking of which, I think Copenhagen Fields is a superb layout but in the photo provided as an example of "accuracy" we have a Stirling Single (not in "preserved" condition as far as I can tell) passing under an LMS liveried EMU. So what period does the layout portray?

 

All modelling is a compromise. Some forced on us and some out of choice.  Very few of us have the space, resources, the input of others or the finances to build layouts like several of those shown. So we build smaller, more manageable layouts. The sorts we can build ourselves in less than 3 lifetimes and that will fit into our available spaces when we have built them.

 

My preference would always be for a smaller layout, perhaps fictional but based on real practice, which each aspect modelled as well as I can. One day, I might actually get there! Until then, I will continue having fun with what I have.

Thanks Tony,

 

Little Bytham is one of those layouts where, at least on the fast lines (in part) there should be FB rail. Since it's only OO, it's doubly-inaccurate. 

 

I think Copenhagen Fields portrays an overall scene from pre-Grouping days up until the LNER streamliners. Thus, strictly-speaking, its time period is way-out, especially with a Stirling Single in 19th/early-20th Century condition. It makes the overall 'scene' inaccurate, even though the individual models are most-certainly accurate. 

 

Because my preference is for big, prototype-based main line layouts, that's influenced my choice of what I posted. I'll seek out some smaller ones, just for balance. You're right, of course; all modelling is a compromise, and the smaller system, built mainly by one person has enormous merit. Layouts based on larger prototypes can suffer (in my view) from being too compromised with regard to selective compression. Both Retford and Carlisle do not suffer in this respect, but some others attempt to get far too much in in insufficient space or have to leave far too much out because of layout site restrictions. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[St Enodoc]

Why does the extra weight go on to our middles? Why not on to our arms, like Popeye?

'Cos your diet isn't exclusively spinach.

[grahame]

Though I agree the trains are the stars of the show on many layouts, when you have a cenotaph coaling tower of this quality, then the trains (in this case the locos) do rather take second string, at least in my view. 

 

13 Gresley Beat layout 4.jpg

 

Built by Geoff Taylor, as featured on 'Top Shed' on The Gresley Beat. 

 

 

 

Many moons ago I scratch built one of those coaling towers (based on Carnforth I think) in N/2mm from cardboard. It was never properly finished and I ended up selling it. But here's a pic:

 

 

G.

[Tony Wright]

As promised, some pictures of smaller layouts which, in my view, are pretty 'accurate'. 

 

 

If you like locos (of all sizes), you model in O Gauge, but are a bit space-strapped, then build a relatively small loco shed layout. Which is just what Dave Wellington and Alan Hammet did. 

 

 

Not all prototype-based layouts need be massive. This model of Buxton in OO (forgotten the builder) didn't take up much space. 

 

 

Neither did (does) Gary Atkinson's wonderful rendition of Woodhead in N Gauge.

 

 

It's 'grim up in t'North', but Richard Stott got it dead right in a very small space, in N gauge.

 

 

Well over 30 years ago, Wolverhampton MRC built a model of Moretonhampstead in OO. Though not entirely small (it was 30' long), it was a model of a small prototype, and, as such, accurate in length. Though I built a few locos for it, I found it deadly boring to operate. 

 

 

Rob Kinsey of WMRC took on a smaller footprint than Moretonhamstead to build a 'might have been' system in South Wales, in EM. I built this loco for him and painted the backscene - he wanted rain!

 

 

The master of modelling in a small space (or any space?) must be Gordon Gravett; epitomised here with his Arun Quay in O gauge.

 

 

With his equally-talented wife, Maggie, Gordon built Pempoul; again, in not too large a space. I'm staggered how anyone could find something like this boring! 

 

 

 

 

[Chamby]

I saw Liverpool Lime Street a couple of years ago.  Whilst still clearly a 'work in progress' at that point, I'd agree visually it already looked superb.  However, I stood by it on three separate occasions of 10-15 minutes each during the day and, likewise, virtually nothing moved.  At first I thought they must be having some form of operating problems, but no-one seemed very concerned or attempting to cure anything.  In the end I came to the conclusion they must be attempting to operate the timetable sequence in "Real Time" - which, on a model, really is about as exciting as watching paint dry.  So like you, I didn't go back.

I had a similar experience with Bath Green Park.... Is there a pattern emerging here? Maybe something like:

 

“The amount of movement observed on a model railway at an exhibition is inversely proportional to the quality and accuracy of the model itself”.

 

There are exceptions, of course, but I can think of many occasions when it would apply!

 

Phil

[Clem]

Don't forget a couple of LMS vans to add to your list. The overall setting looks great.

 

 

Thank you for your kind comment and don't worry, ex-LMS freight vehicles will be quite numerous - vans, opens, minerals and even the 7'9"" and 8'6" iron ore hoppers. At some point, I want to reproduce the well-known Burton-York beer train. As well as the usual consist of fitted open wagons with barrels and general fitted vans, it seemed to contain of a number of beer tankers. I have photos, but they always focus on the engine and the vehicles in the train are in the distance. I need to do some serious research on it when the time comes.

Well done for making a positive change I recently got diagnosed with Coeliac disease (so needed to go Gluten free) - as a direct link to that my vitamin D and calcium absorbtion was so bad the doctor even said a naughty word when he saw my blood results. Fortunately I was just inside the reversible zone for osteoperosis so am on an intensive Vit D and calcium tablet regime to get it back.

Thanks. I know something about Coeliac disease as a very good music friend of mine was diagnosed with it a couple of years back. He started losing weight and it got to the stage where he was convinced he had cancer (and very frightened too) only to be diagnosed with Coeliac disease. He's been fine since although he misses bread and cake. He tells me that the gluten free versions of bread, cake etc. are too dry. Also my better half has been drip feeding me vitamin D tablets for the last 3 years, mainly in the winter. To be fair the ones I take dissolve in water and taste like blackcurrant juice so there's absolutely no resistance. It gets to the stage where you can almost tell how old someone is by counting the tablets they take!

 

Glad to hear you're much healthier, Clem,

 

I mentioned some little time ago that I had my annual MOT test late last year and was told my cholesterol count was higher than desirable, as was my blood sugar level. Not dangerous, just a bit more than last time. I was also told that, though I wasn't overweight, some of it was in the wrong place (if I believed in God, which I definitely don't, being a non-superstitious bloke, I'd say he has a perverse sense of humour. Why does the extra weight go on to our middles? Why not on to our arms, like Popeye?). 

 

Anyway, I've altered my eating habits, lost over half a stone (though still have a bit of a spare tyre) and decided that, if I want to finish LB, and, perhaps build another layout, since time is finite (in human terms), I'd better get on with it, made easier by staying healthy. 

 

Anyway, I'm told that railway modelling, because it's creative and requires research, is a means of keeping dementia at bay. 

 

The B1 is superb, by the way. If you're modelling the summer period, don't bother with a steam-heating hose because they were usually removed for repair/maintenance in the warmer weather, their function not being required. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

Thanks Tony for the kind comments. You're so right about the steam heating, I've just checked the excursion/summer photos I have of 61188,  both pre and post AWS, and in both cases the steam heat pipe doesn't appear until the 1960s in the summer. Interestingly though, some of the other Colwick B1s do seem to carry them in the seaside excursion season. Obviously Colwick were in some cases, slow to remove them in Summer. My period (1954/5) pre-dates AWS fitting. I learn so much from this thread!

 

On the health side, well done for losing half a stone. Losing weight is generally hugely beneficial and does take discipline, although I would never have thought of you as being in any way over-weight. I take statins for my cholesterol but they don't suit everyone and they do sometimes have side-effects. 

 

Finally... Little Bytham is looking absolutely stunning (in a good way!!). 

[Chamby]

....Layouts based on larger prototypes can suffer (in my view) from being too compromised with regard to selective compression. Both Retford and Carlisle do not suffer in this respect, but some others attempt to get far too much in in insufficient space or have to leave far too much out because of layout site restrictions. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony.

 

. I think this applies to 99% of the layouts I have seen. I am also guilty as charged, attempting to portray a mainline station in a space just 16 feet by 8. All sorts of interdependent compromises have to be made... where one thing can be achieved but only at the expense of something else!

 

As time goes by, and the list of compromises grows with my own layout, I find myself wondering whether it is too compromised to be named after the station on which it is based. It would require something like 18 meters to portray accurately... the station and approaches, and I only have sixteen feet available to me at the moment. So whilst I will endeavour to model as much as I can, as accurately as I can, to look as much like the original as I can, it just cannot be what I would like it to be. So, it becomes a hybrid blend of accurate modelling and compromised representation... part fact, part fiction.

 

I would be interested in people’s views regarding how much compromise can be achieved before it becomes inappropriate to name the model after the original location. How much compression can be achieved before something ceases to legitimately be what it purports to represent?

 

Phil

[t-b-g]

I had a similar experience with Bath Green Park.... Is there a pattern emerging here? Maybe something like:

“The amount of movement observed on a model railway at an exhibition is inversely proportional to the quality and accuracy of the model itself”.

There are exceptions, of course, but I can think of many occasions when it would apply!

Phil

There is a paradox that comes into play. The vast majority of real places, especially those that we have a prayer of building to scale, were not busy enough to satisfy somebody who enjoys the operational side of railways without sacrificing accuracy and realism. So you build an accurate layout and then run trains far more frequently than they did in real life and another aspect of accuracy goes out of the window.

 

It is where the true model railway, designed for enjoyable operation, comes into play. Layouts like Buckingham and Borchester are my favourite examples. If you are going to shunt and marshall trains, it matters little if they have 5 carriages or 15. You get just the same "play value".

 

To me, the best layouts I have ever operated have had several stations and intricate sequences or timetables. Once I had been lucky enough to have the chance to operate layouts like that, a simple "tailchaser" holds no interest for me any more. Even better if it is fictitious and nobody can say "that is wrong" when you run an intensive service!

 

It doesn't suit everybody but it does it for me!

[Bucoops]

Thanks. I know something about Coeliac disease as a very good music friend of mine was diagnosed with it a couple of years back. He started losing weight and it got to the stage where he was convinced he had cancer (and very frightened too) only to be diagnosed with Coeliac disease. He's been fine since although he misses bread and cake. He tells me that the gluten free versions of bread, cake etc. are too dry. Also my better half has been drip feeding me vitamin D tablets for the last 3 years, mainly in the winter. To be fair the ones I take dissolve in water and taste like blackcurrant juice so there's absolutely no resistance. It gets to the stage where you can almost tell how old someone is by counting the tablets they take!

 

I have to agree with that about bread! Ugh, so stodgy So many gluten free foods are laced with sugar to make them "sticky" - gluten is kind of the glue in wheat/rye/barley products that you're in a rock and a hard place. When your gut is "broken" you hardly absorb anything so you can eat whatever and maintain weight - but the big risk with that is cancer. The biggest clue that the gut is healed is rapid weight gain as you suddenly absorb the lot. There are much worse things to have, but it's certainly ruined my love of food.

[jwealleans]

Now then. Ben Alder's post 25427 on the previous page.

 

I asked John Smart, who's something of a guru on this kind of thing.

 

He has told me:

 

It is an ex-North Eastern Open Third, six of which were converted to Buffet Cars in 1932-3. There were 2 batches of 3 cars, each batch being slightly different.

 

According to the Carter article in Backtrack, during the 1950s one of these was used on the mid-morning Inverness to Wick service, only going as far as Helmsdale. SC23750E.

 

The original NER Open Third diagram was 155 before conversion.

 

They did have windows in the ends.

Edited June 14, 2018 by jwealleans

[Chuffer Davies]

I think that Kingswear was built by the late Mike Bradley who then went on to create Hungerford with Mike Evans and others. As far as I know it is still in existence and cared for by one of the Hungerford group

 

Jamie

Hi Jamie,

I’m afraid you are confusing two different layouts. It’s Kingsbridge that Mike Bradley, Mike Evans, and Bob Smith, all of Wakefield MRS, built. I still have it stored in my loft and there has been a suggestion that once Clayton is finished then we might get it back up and running.

 

I’ve no recollection of who built Kingswear.

 

Frank

[Re6/6]

 

 

I’ve no recollection of who built Kingswear.

Frank

The late Mike Casey built it and after his passing it was given into the care of a model club in Oxfordshire (Hungerford?). 

[Headstock]

Now then. Ben Alder's post 25427 on the previous page.

 

I asked John Smart, who's something of a guru on this kind of thing.

 

He has told me:

 

It is an ex-North Eastern Open Third, six of which were converted to Buffet Cars in 1932-3. There were 2 batches of 3 cars, each batch being slightly different.

 

According to the Carter article in Backtrack, during the 1950s one of these was used on the mid-morning Inverness to Wick service, only going as far as Helmsdale. SC23750E.

 

The original NER Open Third diagram was 155 before conversion.

 

They did have windows in the ends.

 

Evening Jonathan,

 

is it one of these?

[Headstock]

Thank you for your kind comment and don't worry, ex-LMS freight vehicles will be quite numerous - vans, opens, minerals and even the 7'9"" and 8'6" iron ore hoppers. At some point, I want to reproduce the well-known Burton-York beer train. As well as the usual consist of fitted open wagons with barrels and general fitted vans, it seemed to contain of a number of beer tankers. I have photos, but they always focus on the engine and the vehicles in the train are in the distance. I need to do some serious research on it when the time comes.

Thanks. I know something about Coeliac disease as a very good music friend of mine was diagnosed with it a couple of years back. He started losing weight and it got to the stage where he was convinced he had cancer (and very frightened too) only to be diagnosed with Coeliac disease. He's been fine since although he misses bread and cake. He tells me that the gluten free versions of bread, cake etc. are too dry. Also my better half has been drip feeding me vitamin D tablets for the last 3 years, mainly in the winter. To be fair the ones I take dissolve in water and taste like blackcurrant juice so there's absolutely no resistance. It gets to the stage where you can almost tell how old someone is by counting the tablets they take!

 

 

It all sounds very impressive, especially the Iron stone/ore hoppers. How are you intending to produce them? Freight stock gets a bit of a bum rap in model railway land, usually down below the ducks on the duck pond on the list of priorities. With regard to the bear trains, a colleague is producing the demountable road tanks and attendant six wheel wagons that worked from the Guinness brewery at Park Royal. I think that the demountable tanks were unique to Guinness but the wagons were based on the GWR six wheel milk tanks chassis.

[John Smart]

Evening Jonathan,

 

is it one of these?

 

Yes that is the other side of 23750. The buffet counter is at this end on the other side. Note the smaller windows behind the counter in the original view.

 

John

[Clive Mortimore]

As promised, some pictures of smaller layouts which, in my view, are pretty 'accurate'. 

 

Hollow Beck 05.jpg

 

If you like locos (of all sizes), you model in O Gauge, but are a bit space-strapped, then build a relatively small loco shed layout. Which is just what Dave Wellington and Alan Hammet did. 

 

Buxton 12.jpg

 

Not all prototype-based layouts need be massive. This model of Buxton in OO (forgotten the builder) didn't take up much space. 

 

Woodhead 01.jpg

 

Neither did (does) Gary Atkinson's wonderful rendition of Woodhead in N Gauge.

 

Staly Vegas 10.jpg

 

It's 'grim up in t'North', but Richard Stott got it dead right in a very small space, in N gauge.

 

Moretonhampstead 08.jpg

 

Well over 30 years ago, Wolverhampton MRC built a model of Moretonhampstead in OO. Though not entirely small (it was 30' long), it was a model of a small prototype, and, as such, accurate in length. Though I built a few locos for it, I found it deadly boring to operate. 

 

MR 15A.jpg

 

Rob Kinsey of WMRC took on a smaller footprint than Moretonhamstead to build a 'might have been' system in South Wales, in EM. I built this loco for him and painted the backscene - he wanted rain!

 

Arun Quay 02.jpg

 

The master of modelling in a small space (or any space?) must be Gordon Gravett; epitomised here with his Arun Quay in O gauge.

 

Pempoul 01.jpg

 

With his equally-talented wife, Maggie, Gordon built Pempoul; again, in not too large a space. I'm staggered how anyone could find something like this boring! 

Hello Tony

 

Again some nice photographs of well modelled layouts.

 

Moretonhampstead shows no matter how well we do our research of a location we intend to model we miss some basic observations of the habits of our fellow humans. We as a species do not spread ourselves equally along a platform at a railway station but tend to huddle near the entrance or in the case of a branch terminus which is normally severed by two coaches  where the coaches will be. Likewise the porters will position their barrows where the van in the train will normally be. As for the passengers who are sat on the benches with their feet dangling in mid air......  

 

Pempoul, I cannot fault the modelling but the subject matter leaves me cold.

 

There have been comments about the operation of two large terminal stations. Having just built one myself it is difficult to keep a constant service going, time taken to do light engine moves etc does mean gaps in train running. As my layout is a stay at home effort I am lucky I have a set of running lines around the room so the trains do several laps before being dispatched to the storage sidings which helps with the lack of action in the station. As for the two layouts mentioned, one has such a complicated fiddle yard system no wonder there is little movement in the station as the time taken to get a train to or from the fiddle yard is in my mind wasted time. Layouts with simple fiddle yards seem to flow better no matter what the design of the layout is.

[Tony Wright]

Hello Tony

 

Again some nice photographs of well modelled layouts.

 

Moretonhampstead shows no matter how well we do our research of a location we intend to model we miss some basic observations of the habits of our fellow humans. We as a species do not spread ourselves equally along a platform at a railway station but tend to huddle near the entrance or in the case of a branch terminus which is normally severed by two coaches  where the coaches will be. Likewise the porters will position their barrows where the van in the train will normally be. As for the passengers who are sat on the benches with their feet dangling in mid air......  

 

Pempoul, I cannot fault the modelling but the subject matter leaves me cold.

 

There have been comments about the operation of two large terminal stations. Having just built one myself it is difficult to keep a constant service going, time taken to do light engine moves etc does mean gaps in train running. As my layout is a stay at home effort I am lucky I have a set of running lines around the room so the trains do several laps before being dispatched to the storage sidings which helps with the lack of action in the station. As for the two layouts mentioned, one has such a complicated fiddle yard system no wonder there is little movement in the station as the time taken to get a train to or from the fiddle yard is in my mind wasted time. Layouts with simple fiddle yards seem to flow better no matter what the design of the layout is.

Good evening Clive,

 

On several occasions Mo has been sitting on platform seats and her feet don't reach the floor. She is, after all, just 4' 11" tall. So, not all passengers sitting (not sat!) on benches have long-enough legs to reach the ground. 

 

I certainly get to the end of platforms when I'm at a station. I think many folk aren't as gregarious as you think, but I do take your point. 

Edited June 14, 2018 by Tony Wright