Strathwood

I thought my Chestnuts were feeling warm.... Kevin

Having donned all the relevant safety apparatus, cleared the station and stopped all the trains (sorry the train) we have examined carefully the portmanteau which has some very suspicious labels upon it, namely; Great Western Railway Rosslare-Fishguard. Inspector Nightly from the yard was contacted and made his way to the scene and declared he could hear a dull ticking sound from within. (the porter signalman chap declared it was from the station's ticket office clock but Nightley would have none of it, saying there had been a mysterious hole blown somewhere nearby on a busy road only recently ,and besides he was only doing his duty). The bomb squad have just been contacted to make their assessment before possibly attempting a controlled explosion further down the goods yard where the line's owner has asked for a new hole for some point motor thingey if it all goes pearshaped. (He had asked for it be specific dimensions would you believe, something about making good the scenery). If I hear any more gossip I will let you know, in the meanwhile I have taken cover and set up my headquarters at the pub in Westerham, where I will be inspecting all the ales to satisfy myself all is well. Kevin

Hello Paul, I thought your Garston Bridge was coming along well and I had noted your liking for the Merseyside diesel/electric scene c1970. What was it that changed your mind? Kevin

One "senior" family member told me that when the trams were abandoned between Hounslow and Shepherds Bush around the same time in October 1935 that all the kids in the area were sent out by their parents to collect the tarred wooden blocks in prams etc for the fires that winter, and that they burned nicely too, keeping many a family warm that christmas down the Bush. Kevin

With all that glue about the place it looks like someone is going to come to a sticky end. Kevin

Sounds good (I hope). Kevin

Oh NO does this mean that the dreaded Western Region now have control of this Kent branchline? Look what the beggars did to the southern stretches of the Somerset & Dorset and to the Withered Arm... Their Panniers saw off the R1s at Folkestone and some of the M7s at Nine Elms, fingers crossed this is not the thin end of the Swindon wedge. Kevin

Not a problem this time, but you might like the other shot of Ranelagh Bridge which is also in the same book. Kevin

For those who are interested this photo has been lifted from Sixties Diesel & Electric Days Remembered V from Strathwood.

Looking at that timber means its going to be a big heavy baseboard. When does the cable drum arrive on a flat wagon for the wiring as I will need to arrange the yard so that access is free to the crane, as some fool has left half a dozen box vans in the yard full of model railway magazines, and they seem to be this months copy too.... Kevin

Baldrick where is my next exhibitin..... Kevin

From the Forth Bridge school of engineering me thinks. Kevin

Hmmm I can see we are gathering a "Hole in the Wall Gang" ala Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid on this thread next, except we are in darkest Kent. Kevin

Oh dear, please bring back the days of green with half yellow warning panels, all is forgiven.... Kevin

I like it but where is D8234 lurking? She was a fixture here for a while as the resident pilot. Kevin

Not to mention Looking back at the Warships all in colour too. I would think that a range of transfers would cover the various styles of vents by the headcodes, or a very careful application with a felt tip pen would do the job if Bachman don't print them on to the later livery variants to be offered. Kevin

Hmmmm D6964 from Stratford was as common as muck to us London boys as were the rest of Stratford's entire allocation. Not sure I saw D828 Magnificent too often either, our pests at 81A were Swift, Tenacious, Temeraire, and Royal Oak. Whilst almost every time I went to Clapham Junction, D817 Foxhound would appear at some point of the day on an Exeter service. As for my last Peak, she was D138 finally bagged at Derby Works. Don't recall my last Brush Four but think it was one from Immingham. But my last Crompton was D6582, last Hymek D7038 and my last Deltic was D9004 the latter eluded me for far too long somehow. Although I most likely saw it beforehand as a speed blur passing in the opposite direction whilst on the ECML going in the opposite direction. Then one happy half term it turned up at last at the Cross, to save my shame finally. Whilst common Westerns in London for me seemed to be Talisman, Trooper, Firebrand and Marquis but I don't recall my last one as they seemed so easy to clear back then as were the Warships. However for London lads trying to get all of your Claytons and Class 26s, that was a real challenge and a half, even though it seemed every weekend all the Claytons were stopped and in long lines at various locations, it was hard to find the ones you wanted, although in the end all you had to do was visit, Millerhill, Haymarket, Polmadie, Glasgow Works and Ardrossan over a weekend to bag all bar two of the survivors by Easter of 1972. The missing pair were at Derby RTC I think by the way. Indeed happy days. Kevin

Sorry Brian but your locoshed suggests you need to get across onto the ECML more often if you are going to bag a lot more pre-TOPS cops... But well done on clearing your Westerns, I know a lot of fellow spotters on here wished they had too! Don't worry about travelling to Crewe and northwards to clear your Class 50s as they will be coming to you soon! Kevin

Current ideas suggest urban stabling point c1967-69 for one level and modest double track Southern Region secondary route with third rail Berkshire/Surrey/Hampshire borders on the layout built below it. Next thing to decide here is ex LSWR route or LBSCR route for the building's and signals styles. Either way passenger services will be in the hands of single two car HALs or BILs. Presumption is they were split from the mainline services at a nearby junction. Goods traffic being only the local pick up, as sector plate and turntable fiddle yard can only cope with Standard 4MT and four wagons and brake, although if running an early 1950s scene the pick up could be in the hands of a T9 although M7s, Q1s, 700, E4, N, C, 4MT varieties could all appear, as could light engine workings with even N15s, Nelsons, Schools or Bulleids. To try and accomodate a four car EMU rake would be a coach too far within the space available.. Whilst the stabling point scene will have goods/parcel facilities incorporated as I have a fondness for parcels stock and the variety still to be seen in the late 1960s, this allows for something else aside from bringing locos on and off shed all the time. The styles of architecture here will appear area neutral in order to run all regions locomotives on differing operating sessions. No Deltics next to Warships for example, but one week Eastern Region another Western Region etc. With locomotives sharing two identities as appropraite to their liveries c1967-69, ie D9003 Meld on one side and D9021 Arygll & Sutherland Highlander on the other, so that when the loco goes off scene is turned and re-appears later it looks like I have an even larger stud of locomotives than reality. Nothing new in this I know, but it will mean I will be offering single nameplates from time to time for sale to any others likeminded. In both cases it means the usual limited running associated with modest end to end layouts. However with the advent of DCC sound it adds another dimension to what are otherwise just shunting movements. It was the idea of watching the trains go by that kept the N gauge ideas going for so long. However there is room along one garage wall for something in the future so, this idea may be back and the Western Region hydraulics placed into storage as per the protoypes pending decisions... Kevin

Thanks, lots of useful material in this one article alone. Kevin

You see what I mean, more info always required. Whilst I have seen this layout on 70s EM I had not known about its trackplan, thoughts move on another notch. many thanks, Kevin

I have been giving this subject of corruagted iron some further thoughts with the cooler nights of autumn/winter drawing on as I do not fancy the idea of lots of Cornettos in order to gain enough material to do a whole building roof. Therefore we are going this week to invest on one of those ASDA large family meat pies (other pies are available), as the thicker grade large metal foil tray looks like it might be just the answer. Not to mention I do like a nice meat pie with extra gravy for supper! Besides after your post recently I have heard there has been a run on Cornettos from middle aged men all across the country. So I thought I should start another trend in pies... Kevin

Thanks, I know what you mean. I have already spent a long time doing the research on this subject having looked into this over a twenty year period from time to time. What I do not want is a layout that looks like a shelf with some locos running in and out from under a bridge at right angles to the stabling point, nor do I want lots of dead straight track as too many stabling points in model form seem to enjoy. Instead I like the idea of gentle curves and subtle level changes, just like the real world. Giving consideration to the idea of the best of both worlds perhaps and a chance to model two interests without being forced to make a hard choice, I have another cunning plan! With one layout "box frame" sat on top of another, the whole can then have a cloth cover thrown over it to keep the dust and little fingers out whilst not in action in my study. This feeds the chance to capture multiple interests, lates sixties diesels and Southern Region branchline one above the other, also I like the idea of watching the scene from an eye perspective around track level, rather than the bird's eye view. This allows me to site the lot above my bookcases, also makes maximum use of the space available and takes away the need to provide legs for the baseboards. Should they ever be exhibited, we can concoct an arrangement involving several trestle tables allowing me operate from the front, with extra stock, coffee, lunch etc lurking out of sight around the back. So perhaps we are almost getting there, at last...But please everyone keep any ideas and suggestions flowing. Kevin

What were you looking for on Feltham as I grew up there as a kid? Kevin

Has this project moved any further along please? Kevin