bigwordsmith

indeed, it’s almost as if we’re eavesdropping on a meeting of the Terry Wogan TOGs!

So according to a little flag at the top of the page on my iPhone, I’m reading the ‘unabridged’ version Does that mean we can use rude words like ‘Thompson’ and Stanier’?

If you think that Western Enterprise seared the eyeballs, what about DP1 or Kestrel? I have models of both. I did have a Heljan Falcon, but it kept falling off the rails, and anyway it looked too much like a Brush type 4 to be worth keeping.

Look forward to progress updates! Have fun...

I've decided I hate Rails - talk about 'lead us not into temptation'

So different from today's sorry service - the trains on the Dorking route stop at just about every halt on the line and terminate at Horsham. They were until recently home to the oldest stock on the SR (barring IoW). Now the only way to get to Horsham, and Billingshurst, my local station, is from VIC 2x an hour. If you want to come down from the 'Bridge there's one direct service each way, otherwise it's change to/ from the Thameslink, which strangely arrives at three Bridges just in time to watch the tail lights of the Arun Valley train heading south! Mind you, Southern's decision to cancel all off per BTN - VIC services for the next 36/12 is causing panic attacks throughout Brighton, so I suppose we can't complain.

You must be referring to the Arun Valley line ( Christs Hospital, Pulborough, Amberley, Barnham) which is still my local access route. It was until bout three years ago still semaphore signalled, but has now gone the way of all good things. I do hope the Bluebell got their mitts on some of the gear that was displaced.

I have soooooo missed this forum, and it’s motley crew. Many thanks to Phil for resurrecting it. now, if only I could find that pic of seven of nine meeting the lovely Ms. A, my day would be complete!

Blimey - it's been back online for five minutes, and I've seen more posts than in the last three from all the other fora I enjoy ( apart from PN)

I've always thought that this thread is a bit like a sleepy Devon Branch line - the running of trains is purely incidental!

Are we back on line your Duckness? I was a bit worried you and ‘er indoors were planning to decamp to Canada...

SO , no physical progress to report, although I have found a chippy, but a bit more thought in the planning stage! Mindful of all the concerns about access to the fiddle yard, not to mention one's own decreasing flexibility ( it's an age thing I suspect) I bra d brainwave the other night to have a fully visible fiddle yard, albeit with only four roads, but to set them up looking like a four track main line station approach. That way I can have signal gantries and the general detritus of a main line with the elevated section made up from the old viaduct suitably hacked about! Anyway, that, and allowing space for the cassettes, should make it all do-able. Now to tackle the mess in the loft!

well I got one enjoy them!

So Gordon, are you west of S’oton, or East?

As a kilt-wearing Scotsman myself, I can assure you there is nothing draughty about wearing the full nine yards!

having just rediscovered the tales of Thomas the Tank with my granddaughter, I’m not sure that Sir Topham Hat would agree with your last statement Phil,

Looking good David!

MANy thanks Jamie

A couple of months ago one of my Facebook Friends, a former client who is a real friend as well, shared this with me. I think it is very apposite to the discussion!

Hi Gordon Thank you for your kind and helpful comments. I think the worst example of loft building I ever did was to put a set of storage sidings underneath a branchlike station in the eaves, with a stonking great purlin running the length of the sidings about 3" above! I've decided to limit baseboard width to a maximum of 3' (900mm- I too am bilingual) and have a handy little step in the loft which I bought to rehab the Achilles that will give me an extra 3" of operating reach to get over the scenery to deal with any derailments in the sidings. My plan is to effectively reverse engineer the viaduct and sidings from the last line to act as a hidden fiddle yard. I'll put up a removable back scene above the embankment, which will only be 2" above the sidings and engine shed, so while you will be able to see the sidings from above, from anything less than 45degrees they will disappear behind the scenic relief. 4x1 is an almighty frame - I'll probably stick to my 2x1 lattice because I've kept almost all the timber from the last line, which was twice the size. I've attached a pic showing the old viaduct - this is the bit I'm planning to reverse to build the fiddle yard, as I already have the baseboard built it makes sense, especially as it has room to carry another two sidings. I will have to redo the viaduct bit as it climbs about 40mm across its length, although I may be able to get over that with some creative level swaps . It's always ore fun to have some gradients on the main line! The Western and brown/ cream coaches are a footex from Plymouth that got to New Street and couldn't find a loco to swap as the scheduled Type 4EE failed, so the Western got to run up to Scotland! As you can see having catholic tastes in locos creates some great opportunities for Rule 1 operations.

Thanks - me too!

It has crossed my mind! - the funny thing is we only built the garage last year and it was expressly intended to be my railway room!

The problem is that much of the stuff on the left side is railway related, the stuff on the right centre is our daughter's as she is currently in rented while going through a divorce, the stuff in the far right corner is all stuff we have to keep for HMRC, and the near right is a mix of things tha could one day come in useful and SWMBO's arts and crafts. The eaves cupboards on both sides are already full! The stuff down the end is mostly to do with the caravan, so gets brought indoors for the winter. Not sure where on earth most of it can go!

Andy that's very kind and I would love to be able to achieve a fraction of your realistic on the new layout, but my track laying skills, and patience, are wholly inadequate. Not to mention the limits of time available, as I still work, have an active life locally and regular grandchildren, as well as being an advanced motorcycling instructor with the IAM! Health is one thing we all take for granted, fortunately I'm getting better - I've been cleared to take up more physical exercise, so am looking forward to getting back to a good level of fitness. I''m already walking almost without a limp, which at 12 weeks seems to be a major achievement! My next huge challenge in the loft is finding out where on earth I can put all the stuff that is stored there!

No doubt when I get Waverley Route V2 up and running it will give you an awful sense of Deja Vu - I suspect our collections of stock and locos are very similar, although I've not gone DCC - I don't think I could cope with the operational complexities, and hearing the horror stories of folks like Phil the Duck, I'mnot sure I want to go there!