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Most of the parcels stock is done too. Large logo 47 455 waits time with the Euston to Holyhead vans. This is one of the few places you can take a photograph without highlighting how much work is required on the platforms!

A Rudd has the same issue as my MTA’s… they weren’t built until 1989. I built a Parkside kit of some ancient ballast wagon only to find out it was from the 90’s too.

45022 is a favourite Peak of mine, although I thought it had been withdrawn in 1985. My platform 5 shows it still in service in January 87 and I’ve managed to track down a couple of photos of it from 86. It was in a really shocking state by then! It lost its nameplates early in the 80’s, but I decided a little bit of rule 1 wouldn’t hurt. The freightliner flats are pleasing if tedious to weather, not least as I wanted them all to be able to run unloaded. I decided the best thing for the containers was to give then a quick but relatively heavy weather to tone down the toy like brightness of their colours. Many of the boxes on the Holyhead route seem to have been in a similar condition to peak 22 in the mid eighties. And with that, the freight fleet is ready…

The fleet of dirty freight trains and locos is steadily growing… all kadee fitted at the ends. From left to right: 31 on the nuclear flask train 25 on most of the Speedlink set (I have various wagons that can be swapped in and out) 20’s on tanks 47/0 on a ballast shark - the rest of the ballast wagons will hook up to the shark for now… 85 on steel 56 on HAAs Finally on the right is the last ones to do… 45/0 and freightliner flats. The wagons themselves should be straightforward, but I’m undecided on what to do about the containers. Most are the wrong colours for my period, and re-liverying them all seems like a big job at the moment. I may just spray them red or white and give them a bit of a weather… most boxes seem to be fairly plain in 86.

A wagon repair certainly has its appeal. If possible I’d like a real location and freight type. I like to stay accurate with some flexibility, if that makes sense. Probably time to restudy the excellent Penmorfa website!

I originally intended to have several WCML diversions and timetabled moves (Christleton being a loop off the West Coast rather than Chester’s triangle makes this possible), however the timetable is already rammed and I would need a lot more fiddle yard space. I’m just looking for an extra couple of wagon load destinations really.

I’ve been trying to find out more about trip workings, specifically how the ‘target’ numbers were allocated and what they meant. Target 92 seems to be the code for the trip freight from Llandudno Junction to Holyhead. The Junction was the end of the Speedlink service from Warrington and linked it in with the rest of the Network. I think by 86 most of the smaller freight destinations in the Chester area had gone, so I may need to add a couple of local workings to justify an additional couple of trip workings each day. It would be nice to justify a couple of wagons that aren’t tanks, opens and vans. Suggestions?

That’s somewhere close to insanity! I suspect it will take quite a while to get mine error free. It probably takes about 3 months for me to run through 24 hours!

It’s been a whole month since anything happened on the layout, partly due to trying to get some house restoration projects progressed (one has a positive impact for Christleton - more to follow), and partly due to excessive time in the Alps. I had always planned to spend time on the timetable in the quiet evenings of my holiday… little did I understand the challenge! My previous full run through of the timetable resulted in a hand marked copy full of notes (some of which must have made sense at the time), plus I have 3 new multiple unit sidings to allocate. This will be helpful as the 5 units often ended up on top of each other or sharing siding space with other trains, which limits their length. Here’s an extract of where I’m up to: A quick explainer for those new to the layout. I got hold of the 1986 passenger and freight working timetables, and copied all the movements for Chester (on which Christleton is geographically based). Reading across you have: Move number Time Origin (usually a fiddle yard road or platform) Destination (as origin) Headcode Train Description Timing Load - from the WTT which gives an indication of loco hauled and train weight etc. Real from - actual origin Real Dep time Real To - actual destination Real arrival time (not always shown in the WTT) Booked loco - from the 1986 loco allocation diagram where known, or just the type from photos Loco - loco type on the layout Stock - consist on the layout Formation - not used much, occasionally I’ll add where a specific coach is added. Comments I then have all the fiddle yard roads to show what they are holding at that time. These don’t get printed out but are essential for planning. 5 Crewe roads, 6 Warrington (W2 can exit to Crewe, W3&4 can enter from Crewe), 6 Holyhead roads. HWT which allows trains to access the Warrington roads from the Holyhead lines. 2 stabling roads at White Lane carriage sidings and a White Lane through road allowing trains to exit to the carriage sidings and then transfer to the Holyhead or Warrington roads. Finally the MU roads nominally allocated to Hooton, Helsby and Piccadilly. In the screen shot I’m working on movement 314, which is just over halfway through the day. The original timetable used codes MU1-5 for the units. I’m updating this to D1-4 for DMUs and E1 for the 304. I’m trying to keep the same units on the Helsby and Hooton shuttles, and obviously the EMU stays on the Oxford Road / Piccadilly services. Most of the changes are fairly straightforward, but occasionally I find some shuffling is needed where previously a DMU arriving from Llandudno was allocated to leave on a Piccadilly service for example. Ultimately it should free up quite a bit of fiddle yard space to add more services if I want to. I’m also sorting out various errors from the original draft. One example is adding an additional tank train flow from Warrington to Crewe and back. This frees up siding space to allow stock to run for the booked RM&EE path. This extra tank train will probably become a diverted Stanlow to Hunslet, which I have photos showing various locos including double headed 25s. I’m also going to add a few trip workings to both Chester and Warrington. The former should allow some of the shunters to get some mainline turns. Hopefully it won’t be too long before I’m back running a proper timetabled service!

With 47103 (praying to relevant deity that it remains so numbered) soon to be released into traffic, the freight fleet is making good progress. Next up are the Rats, which are already weathered and just need Kadees. I’m a little bothered by the different shades of yellow front end, but not enough to take action. Most of the speedlink fleet is already weathered too, although a couple of wagons need a bit of work. My previous efforts have left a shiny white residue in places, but that should be sortable. My current regime of using Humbrol colour wash doesn’t seem to have that result, long may it continue. After that it’s the turn of the Bescot 31. I tried to heavily weather that and it doesn’t look right at all. Reviewing pictures of dirty locos shows that the bodysides and cab fronts always stayed fairly respectable, even when underframes, roof and grills were deeply oil stained. You can make as much mess as you like, but you may need to clean it up!

With hook and bar couplings temporarily in place, the weathered rake of Cavalex BBA wagons gets lifted out of Christleton Junction towards Moss End by an 85. These were often double headed over Shap by pairs of electrics, which is something that could definitely happen again here. The BBA wagons are much improved by a light weather and the addition of the steel uprights. How long they’ll last is another matter.

Well that’s a pain… but appreciated nonetheless. Time to choose again.

I have a problem with the Cavalex BBA steel wagons…. I don’t seem to be able to get them to run with anything other than standard hook and loop couplings. The supplied screw couplings are beautiful, and could be functional, but not on my relatively small radius curves (450mm in the storage yards). I think I’ll have the same problem with any chassis mounted coupling on such a long framed vehicle. The NEM pockets are set too far back for Hornby / Roco couplers and the Bachmann fixed pipes are too rigid. Kadees throughout might work, but they don’t look the best. Any other suggestions?

Probably my favourite part of weathering a loco is doing the research on it. Bachmann’s 47035 is my only 47/0 and a central part of the freight fleet. I have a 1986 and 1987 copy of the Platform 5 book that gives good information on numbers, liveries, depots and class variations. Ideally I like to model a loco that was within regular range of Chester and in the right colour in Jan 86 and Jan 87, which gives me confidence that it’s right for my period. A quick look shows that 47035 was no more in 1986, having become a 47/4 in 1984. In looking for a suitable new number I usually opt for a Crewe Diesel allocation, and then try to find photos on Flickr to confirm livery, likely workings, any unusual variations and such. My 47/0 is used for various turns, but includes MGR and Freightliner, which it turns out are somewhat exclusive. Some of the 47/0 fleet were slow speed control fitted for MGR work and thus didn’t get used on much else. This is good news as it means I need another one! All this means 47187 is in the process of being created. 187 was a CD loco, banger blue, no slow speed, correct fuel tanks, regular freight loco, so looks like a good choice. It does need yellow headcode and a high intensity marker adding. Let the fun commence!

With the production line back in full swing, an 85 waits to get the Dee Marsh to Mossend steel empties moving. The Cavalex BBA wagons are a lovely model and much improved by close coupling and the steel uprights. Just a pity they don’t have the Bachmann type couplings which would allow really close coupling. Like many of my freight rakes this one can probably be a truck or two longer. In this case, I may still even be able to acquire some!

Don’t start the I was first debate - I’m still in hot water about the hundredth follower! The 20’s are fairly recent Bachmann offerings (December ‘22) with factory fitted sound. Given the choice again I’d go unfitted and opt for Legomanbiffo sound, but a 20 looks like a challenging speaker fit!

The cameraman already had his hand in the air, hence the driver acknowledged with a single hoot.

With the tanks and hoppers ‘done’, a quick video of each moving off to the fiddle yard to allow the next set to be worked on. The new class 56 getting the HAA’s moving. Then a pair of dirty 20’s roll in with the tanks. The signal’s not there yet, but the driver still slows until it clears for the middle road. There’s a short overlap in the middle road, so all trains are cautioned on the approach, except in the rare event of greens all the way through.

A very light weathering for the 56… it may get heavier later, but it’s far too beautiful a model to risk. A varied level of weathering for the HAA’s; they’ll get the Point of Ayr tyre marks eventually. The eagle eyed will spot its coming in wrong line. The xray eyed will spot the couplings aren’t fitted yet.

It’s been a while since I found some modelling time, possibly in part because of my ridiculous plan to weather every bit of rolling stock, change the couplings and clean the wheels. I faced up to the first challenge of getting the 20’s and tanks running. The kadee fitment was by far the biggest headache, but seem to be working fine now. Kadees are just on the end wagons, there are Smiths instanter couplings between them. For the moment I’m going to stick with the plan, but I have an emergency exit planned if needed. I also have something of a deadline as I’ve bought a surprise loco for a good friend (he’s not on RMweb before anyone gets excited!), which is due ‘this quarter’. It definitely needs a set of blue and grey coaches for when it’s unveiled. Meanwhile here’s the tanks passing the next set for weathering.

The 45s look really good Pete, particularly 45110 with the orange cant rail. That’s the same one I want to do, but the lining is putting me off! I agree about the Heljan versus Bachmann too. The Bachmann just looks a lot more like how I remember them. I need to upgrade the speakers on mine, they were an early sound fit and have cheap tinny speakers. The modern ones are so much better.

Christleton Bluebeck long ago lost its status as a full shed with dedicated motive power allocated to it. By 1986 it was reduced to a sub shed of Crewe Diesel. Usually the overnight home to just a motley selection of class 25’s and increasingly now their replacement 31’s, along with a couple of shunters. During the day it plays host to ETH type 4s and various freight locos between turns. The reversal of trans-pennine services means it’s still a good spot to see a whole host of traction. Class 56’s were pretty rare on the North Wales coast, although they did make a brief appearance around ‘83 on the fly ash trains that were part of the A55 construction. The new Cavalex model is far too beautiful to overlook though, so they will do occasional turns on the Fiddlers Ferry to Christleton MGRs before handing over to a pair of 20’s. They may also work some of the Stanlow tanks, although pictures of them on 4 wheeled TTAs are very thin on the ground. Absolutely amazing model. And just wait until you hear it!

Mine arrived today. A similar job awaits - hopefully to a least a fraction of your ability! Class 56’s in ‘86 aren’t that common, although a few did the fly ash trains in ‘83 when they built the Conway bypass. Mine will nevertheless find themselves on the Point if Ayr MGR and the Stanlow tanks.

One of those very indulgent Christmas gifts to self is due to arrive imminently, so track cleaning has been accelerated. The whole layout has been cleaned with white spirit. It certainly shifts some dirt! The premise of using white spirit is based on the theory that the leading cause of poor running is oxidisation of the rails, rather than the accumulation of surface dirt. Oxidisation is accelerated by micro-arcing - when locos are making a less than perfect electrical contact. This is encouraged by any abrasive cleaner which makes the rail rougher, or by any polar cleaning liquid. Water is a good example of a polar liquid, we all know how quickly it helps to oxidise metals. White spirit is non polar so should reduce micro-arcing. I have then applied a very very fine coat of “No Ox Id - a special” which is a very fine conductive lubricant. The theory here is that although it may attract dirt, being conductive it will maintain better wheel to rail contact and therefore better running. We don’t actually want clean tracks, we just want good running. It’s a theory at least! I will tell you in a few months if it has any noticeable and lasting effect, but certainly on initial application locos run very smoothly. My rule now is that nothing goes back on the track without clean wheels, a quick weather, and without tension lock couplings. We’ll see how long that lasts!

Back to the job in hand. Before doing the track clean I thought it probably best to glue the fiddle yard track down. It involved a bit more track alteration than I thought, but it looks a lot neater for being straight. The 5 lines to the left are the Crewe sidings whilst the 7 to the right are for Warrington. Warrington sidings 2-4 also have an exit to Crewe. In theory there’s space for another line, but the point geometry is prohibitive. At least until I build something! Next job is to repeat it all for the 9 sidings in the Holyhead yard.