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Thanks, very kind. I think the terrible photography has done it a favour in not showing up some of the poor finish.... Here is the real thing at the real place from Steven Toogood on Flickr (whose photosteam includes many brilliant shots) http://www.flickr.com/photos/steventoogood53/6726166833/ Patience sir, the others will come in good time. I've not built all of them yet! There are 5-6 to show in various states from completed but not weathered to all done. I did pick up a brand new 46146 The Rifle Brigade on eBay last week for a very good price, so that might be another to look at soon. Iain

Thanks both. The WCML seems to have a lot to catch up given the remarkable number of grand and impressive ECML creations, but I suppose there is Preston in P4, Carlisle, Tring (did I remember that right?) and Camden Bank (that's Mr Worthington's stunning EM gauge portrayal of the whole run from Hampstead Road all the way up the bank to the north end of the shed, not my tiny approximation of the shed only!). Any others I missed? I have a massive amount to learn and do before mine can be considered in an adjacent galaxy to some of these. Iain

Thanks Steve. I used Fox totems on some of the other locos I did, and I have to agree with you. However, the made-for-46256 Fox cabside number has the numbers too close together. Minefield! Iain

A bit more done today. I've done a lot of clearing up after the epic bout of wiring over the last few weeks (how many pieces of stripped insulation can there be in the world?), then a fair bit of planning and cutting out pieces of scrap ply/mdf/card to represent buildings and structures, to see how it will all fit together before cutting lots of expensive plasticard. I've also started a thread about some of the locos I've modified to represent some of the motive power that will be on the layout. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/65335-motive-power-for-camden-shed/ These were all built about 2 years ago. Iain

As a side show to the gradual progress on building my layout, Camden Shed, I thought I'd add a thread about some of the motive power that will be used. I built all of these a couple of years ago. First up: 46256 Sir William A. Stanier F.R.S. 46256 was a regular at Camden, shedded there at various times, and for most of its working life, until 1960/1 I think. Even after that, when it was based at 5A Crewe North, it was regularly seen at 1B. To my mind, maybe the most regrettable non-preservation decision made. It would have been highly appropriate had it survived. But I guess everyone has a different view on that. I know I'm probably unusual in thinking that the modified Coronations 46256/7 look even better than the other 36 in the class. I also think the late BR red/maroon livery lined with black and straw in the old LMS style on the edges of the panels most suits these locos, and that maybe isn't so unusual. This is built from a Hornby super detail City of Carlisle, and various components, almost all from Comet. Comet sell a conversion kit for the two Ivatt Duchesses which is familiar to many. I also used a complete Comet part welded Ivatt/Stanier tender which was correct for 46256/7. Both of these went together very easily. Late in the day, the Hornby front bogie was also discarded in favour of the Comet replacement. Gibson wheels on the tender, and front bogie (where they make a big visual difference). However, I did have a few problems initially getting the front bogie to run well, due to weight, springing and mounting. The trailing truck and frame extensions needed some fettling to get them just right, as did the loco-tender connection. Comet don't (or didn't at the time) supply the reverser, but it was easy enough to fabricate from plastic rod and tube. Everything else about the Comet conversion kit was superb. The etched smoke deflectors make a huge difference, fiddly though the mounting straps are. Painting and lining gave me some problems! It was my first effort at spray painting and well, I made a total shambles of it. At best a partial shambles.... There are paint runs and so forth. I ought to have stripped it and restarted but ploughed on hoping that it would be camouflaged by successive coats and then by weathering...... schoolboy error..... Weathering wasn't completed and the new front bogie shows that. Lining was done with Pressfix, and some of it ( the tender in particular) was very fiddly. At least it was for a muppet. The tender frame cut outs, and the curved top corners on the tender sides are particularly tricky given the shapes of what is supplied on the Pressfix sheet. So anyway, it will now be completely stripped and repainted. At least I think that is the way forward..... Watch this space. Iain

Thanks for sharing this with RMWeb before dismantling. Very interesting and inspiring pictures too. I echo Dr G-F's awe that this is effectively a practice run! Carlisle will be a walk in the park for you. I expect you were forced to overcome all of the usual loft problems - temperature fluctuation, inacessibility for wiring, scenery and repair, dust, fauna etc etc, and not even at your home address. Gowhole is even more impressive for that. Thanks, Iain

Had to go to London yesterday and between meetings in the morning I had 30 mins to go to Chalk Farm and get some prototype information. Apart from people wondering why I was taking pictures, (and there may have been many thoughts going through their heads.....) and the cold N wind, it was fun to do. Unfortunately pictures were hard to get - the Pembroke Castle pub wasn't open and getting a view of the bridge mountings was close to impossible. I did take some notes and I think I have a good idea of how to represent them. Similar to the mountings that Jim S-W etched for BNS on p 33 of his thread. Attempts at a close up zoom holding the camera above the wall were a waste of disc space. And must have looked decidedly odd to any passers by. The Pembroke pub on the corner: I have plenty of photos of the back of this, which was the backdrop to the turntable, and the site an interesting incident where a driving error caused a loco to overshoot the turntable and bury its tender in the cellar of the Pembroke. The fire was thrown out, the boiler filled with water, the tender drawbar was burned through and the tender left there (under police guard to prevent pilfering). The loco was then moved into the shed to cool down - all so that the turntable could be back in service, for without this the shed was at a standstill. The tender was retrieved some time later and the wall hastily bricked up. Iain

+1 Gordon s showed me this, and he in turn was inspired by Captain Kernow. I absolutely recommend it!! Not all that tedious in fact because although painting the PVA between sleepers takes some time, it is so neat and requires little or no tidying up afterwards. I have only used it with thin C&L sleepers, mind. Iain

The colour of the lettering on the sign is going to bug me..... Looked repeatedly at the pic I have and while it might be understandable to have interpreted it as light cream, I ought to have worked out that it wasn't. Another order may well have to happen. But anyway, back to much more important things. We have a fully functioning 4 track mainline and 12 road storage yard circuit. All droppers wired to the bus, all 41 tortoises working. Minor fettling of a couple of switch blades required, and one major short detected and rectified. However, just when you thought it was safe to go back in the shed.......the deadly virus has struck. Yes, Trackliftingitis. Not as severe a case as Larry (coachmann) has, but a concern nonetheless. The geometry of the pointwork on the down lines leaving the shed area to the north under Regents Park Road bridge left something to be desired. On the prototype, the loco line ran north alongside the down fast and through an opening in the bridge abutment, not under the bridge itself. You can see it clearly on the Flickr shot I linked to earlier in the thread. and also in this photo of the LMS track arrangement at Chalk Farm on a model at the NRM. (The turnout on the line to and from the shed area that is partly under that bridge abutment was removed by the time I am modelling) I had the loco line joining the down fast too soon, so that it woud be visible on the scenic side and to be honest, I knew it would bug me. So, I have a couple of big curved turnouts, D12 and C10, to build and then reposition the tortoises underneath the board. Should hopefully work out ok. Iain

Hi Gordon, Sorry to hear about the setback but I think you have rectified it well. I wish I'd spoken to you beforehand - I did a load of experimenting with ballasting and fine tip applicators, syringes, different mixes of detergent and dilution, drying times before removal etc. I couldn't get anything like the right results and went back to the paintbrush method. I think it was the need to use detergent to make the glue flow into the narrow gaps which then caused that glue to run upwards between ballast pieces, and even removing the ballast immediately after application wasn't soon enough to stop that. Anyway, glad that you have got it sorted out! Best wishes, Iain

Jason, Another vote of admiration and thanks from me. Superb buildings and everything fits in the overall scene so well. Iain

Thanks Andy for your interest and encouragement. Thanks very much, if you can it would be great! Just don't get arrested.....! Thanks Mike, I had thought white but the pic shows cream. Must have been discoloured/weathered/nicotine-stained by the time it was photographed! Thanks for the help and interest, much appreciated. Iain

You are very kind Jeff... The only downside of Camden is that I have to invent reasons for 9Fs, and especially 92220, to be there.... All the chat about budgets etc on the Scotsman thread and they could have put a bit of cash into ES and had it running on the GC. Talk about another iconic loco! If I can hang onto your shirt tails as you speed through KL's construction, I might get something finished! Iain

They do indeed have standard templates but this was not one of those - he just made a unique one matched up to the picture I gave him. The standard totem templates just require you to choose what name to go on it. For this one, standard LMR maroon colour for the background and light cream lettering. I had assumed a standard BR (LMR) font and hadn't even spotted that this, or other regions might have different fonts.... Ron just matched up the font on the picture I gave him. Good luck with it! Iain

Sure, if I'm allowed to. It was from Ron Connor who exhibited at Aldershot, yes. I can't find a web address at present but I do have one at home for his brand new website. I'll PM you his email address. Blue would suit ET better obviously! With Peterborough North, Little Bytham, Stoke Summit, Retford, Stockrington, Hatfield, as well as ET, I think the LMR region needs a bit of a boost, especially the WCML....! I'm certain I'm not capable of competing with that kind of quality. It's like making England play a test series in India...... Iain

A bit more progress to report. All the underboard wiring doesn't make for a very inspiring photo I'm afraid. Even on the plain track boards of the storage sidings, there are 70-80 droppers connected to the up and down bus wires. Only the corner board to finish wiring now - it's partly done but I've not managed to get enough time on it to complete it. Here is the inside of the control panel, not far off completion. I've done some planning of how to integrate: my approximations of Regents Park Road bridge and Primrose Hill Station building with an invented retaining wall borrowed from further down Camden Bank, because I can't really see how to represent Camden Goods Yard. It's not easy! The station building is so close to the bridge and it lends a characteristic backdrop to photos looking north from the shed, so I'd like to include it. I think I need to make some mock-ups and maybe post pics here to see what people think I had a replica sign made as well. I'm not sure exactly where this was sited but I imagine it was at the entrance on Dumpton Place. May bring back a few memories for those who managed a tour (or a bunk!) of Camden Shed! I've got a photo of the real sign in an old Backtrack, which I gave to the sign maker. In comparison with that picture, he's done a very good job in fact. Iain

Superb stuff as ever Gordon. A delight to see the combination of planning, patience, skilled workmanship and determination to do things right. Beautifully flowing trackwork and continued inspiration for the rest of us. Thanks! Iain

Not an estate car, sledgehammer or chainsaw in sight..... Prospects for the long term survival of ET are improving! Looking great Gordon! Iain

Thanks very much. Hope there will be more to see in the coming weeks. Thank you - I hope to enjoy filling it with suitably interesting locos and stock. At least it won't fill up too quickly....! Thanks, I paid a visit last year and took some photos and measurements (though the photos weren't great as it was getting dark). The detail I would like to get is of the mountings of the bridge ironwork onto the brick piers at each end - but that would involve doing all sorts of trespass and climbing I fear! One question I may need to ask in another place to get it seen is what sort of road markings would have been on the roadway of the bridge in 1962? Now, it would be double white lines in the centre and double yellows on both sides, I expect. I am assuming, though can't yet prove it, that the bridge was pedestrianised after then. Iain

Thanks Jeff, much appreciated. Have very much enjoyed watching Kirkby Luneside take shape as well. Wired a few more sections yesterday evening. I'll be glad when this job is done. It's obviously a key moment because then everything else can just be added in bit by bit. Trains can run past what will be the construction site of the shed area (although I can't really stock up all the storage roads . But I do find wiring boring! Makes it all the more important to concentrate and avoid errors though. The immediate plan, once the 4 main lines and storage area are wired and running properly, is to complete my representation of Regents Park Road bridge, Primrose Hill station building on the eastern side of the bridge, plus the back of the Pembroke pub and retaining wall on the western side. All of these have had to be slightly rescaled to fit them in, just as the track plan has been. Once that is done, I will then have a vantage point to photograph some trains in the scene, similar to this shot from Peter Brabham's Flickr stream that I quoted earlier in the thread. Iain

I said that would come back to bite me.... Managed to finish all the tracklaying as in the pics above and all 12 roads plus the kickback sidings seem fine at this stage. Also did thankfully very few gentle adjustments where necessary to get smooth running. I dare say there will be a little more of that to do. I have wired up about 80% of the whole thing so far, but running out of tortoise motors didn't exactly help me get things finished. You might have thought I could count..... There were three multipack boxes that I thought were full. But they weren't. Hasty order placed. I've also nearly completed the control panel wiring, which will speed up the construction of the shed area. Will take a couple of pics but that's the trouble with wiring - not very photogenic! Iain

Thanks Scott. I'm sure you're right. I hope I get at least one of the triangle right.... my abiding fear on this project is that it will take ages, cost loads and turn out terribly! To be honest I could have built the storage yards with peco turnouts but wanting a minimum radius of 36", and seeing the benefits of smooth curves and transitions on other layouts, I went down the hand built route. Not so much for the cost. There is a certain elegance to them that rtp turnouts don't capture. A major benefit will hopefully be that I have cut my teeth to some degree, and the handbuilt chaired turnouts in the shed area will be a little easier to get right. They are all B6-B8 and should be more straightforward than curved D12's anyway. A bit (lot) more wiring and then taking my older son to visit Bristol Uni, then both boys to have a curry with grandparents this evening. Sounds like a good plan! Iain

I feel like I've wired about 8 million droppers during the 3 hours I had today, and I doubt I've done more than a fifth of them. Do they take as long for others as I seem to be taking? Using recycled peco from the old layouts in the storage sidings was a good idea for the wallet, and fine for the practically new and full length bits. When I needed to use 2-3 pieces per yard towards the end though, it gives a lot more pieces of rail, and I wish I'd just shelled out for new. Iain

Great to see this coming on well Gordon. Being at the wiring stage myself, I can only dream of having planned my layout construction to leave lightweight rigid boards at eye level with both sides accessible ...... Iain

Just finished laying the final piece of track in the storage sidings. All 12 roads plus 10 kickback sidings done. Apologies for the picture quality - just trying out posting a pic with the iPad. Hopefully the three Mk1 coaches gives some idea of how much space I have to fill. While there is a fair bit packed in boxes at the moment, I have some scope to errrr ...... "expand" the stock list...... A load of electrical stuff to do now! Iain