The Great Bear

I've clicked agree to the previous three compliments but I still feel it necessary to add something - exceptional modelling, the roof being particularly stunning.

Very , very nice modelling. Blimey they are big buildings!

12 hours ago, Mikkel said:

 

 

Looking at these photos makes me go all soft and sentimental. I shall now go read the news, that should restore the cynical outlook 

As well you don't live in the UK, Mikkel. You'd end up overdosed on cynicism.

I like the idea of Burbage Wharf, as Tim says something different and you can have a parade of trains on the mainline at a show should you wish. I meay well have missed this being said, but how would the layout be operated, from the front of rear, does that have any bearing on why way round it is, not just whether the canal is in front or behind but access to the yard for shunting/hand of god unless all automatic.

Good to see mock ups, like something out of an Iain Rice layout planning book.

Exquisite.

3 hours ago, Malcolm Trevena said:

Dave

hopefully I've uploaded the photo correctly. Here are the sides exactly as returned from Slaters, what do you think?

Malcolm

So these are colour 3d printed (or similar) sides? Mind blowing if so - the colouring in particular. My own 3d printed efforts fall down with my painting and lining:(

Sublime modelling, Mikkel...

Not sure if this is the kind of thing you have in mind?

Absolutely exquisite and sublime Mikkel:

 

You present a certain dreamlike / collective memory / quality / to your portrayals / which is so edifyingly delightful.

 

I always feel a sense of delight and excitement whenever I click on a link to one of your updates

Spot on comment

If you want a quick way of ballasting, have you considered use of C+L track and Tracklay? The tracklay is not cheap but makes neat ballasting of plain track a cinch in my experience. It's not explained on my layout thread but Ben Alder has explained this. Search should find it.

A great shame that your exquisite work will no longer be seen here; will try to follow your new blog.

All the best

Jon

Interesting choice, look forward to seeing this develop. A good mix of building styles/materials with the wooden station, the corrugated iron goods shed and the brick engine shed (abandoned, unless you are going to use further poetic license.)

Interesting to see these and the comments on how they go together. How did the bogies go, I think I'd read somewhere that's the weakpoint of these kits?

Wonderful.

Hi Barry, the bunker hoops, did you make them or did you buy them, if so can you recall from where? Also am I right in thinking the lamp irons were from Mainly Trains?. Thanks, Jon

I think you don't need to use the lower of your two sidings to assemble outbound traffic, if I've understood your plan correctly. Here's my take on it (but I'm no expert!):

1. Train arrives

2. Loco runs around

3. Detaches brake van and places in the run around loop (or at the end of the line)

(Inbound traffic at this stage still coupled to the arrived train)

4. Outbound traffic collected from the sidings and assembled onto the brake van in the loop. There are constraints on the marshalling order, which wagons go where.

5. Inbound traffic collected from the platform line and placed in the sidings as required

6. Loco couples to passenger coach draws runs forward and reverses onto the wagons and vans in the loop to assemble whole train

7. Whole train drawn out then reversed back into platform line ready for departure

Good to be thinking early about operations. I'll too look out for Stationmaster's advice.

I recently did the same took spare wheels from an airfix chassis and put them onto a Dapol one. Running over insulfrog points now transformed. Doesn't run completey smooth, now a bit of waddle when running forward but overall a great improvement. As no gradients on my little layotu it still pulls a decent length train, the autocoach five wagons or so and brake van. Don't know why I didn't try this ages ago.