Kelly

Im sorry to hear about you health. I had an ex who suffered from fibro and it was painful for both of us. Her to have and me to watch. Please do get well soonGood luck with your layouts and keep us updated if you can :-)

I have been over doing it recently has been the problem, and hence have paid the price for it as a result.

The limits of my health are deciding a few things for me though with regards to layouts. Foamboard and lightness for instance.

I enjoy the exhibitions when I get chance to go with Natalie, but they really do wear me out something hellish.

I have a few kits and so on to get on with when I find the motivation to do so, and will when I've finanalised what the plan for the LU layout (I'd forgotten a name had been chosen for it, West Cromwell Road) will be and getting some track templates to work out sizes of boards etc and go from there.

Joining Leamington and Warwick MRS also seems a really good option for me, as it isn't far from me and will potentially provide me with opportunities I can't manage otherwise. Natalie living close by also means car sharing will be an option too.

Very nice, SAM publications do a couple of very good Datafile books on the Spitfire (part 1 Merlin engined, part 2 Griffon engined), though I think both might now be out of print. Both the airfix and revell kits have their faults, but your effort captures the look of this distinqtive plane quite nicely.

I've recently recovered a few of my older attempts (15-20 years old) at a airfix 1/72 Hurricane and Spitfire, and a airfix 1/48 Spitfire VB... Suspect I'll try to redo them, but they'll need a lot of work due to missing parts and so on and repainting... I wonder if the 1/48 Revel B17G is still in my parents loft...

As a matter of interest what's the purpose of the 'rat run'?

To allow transfer between the two fiddle yards really. It should start after the scenic break really, and be linked to both lines, but it was added as a bit of a afterthought.

Very nice, I've a Dapol ProtoDeltic on my workbench to get around to at some point, and do rather fancy doing DP2 (and GT3 et al ...) and doing dioramas for all of them... At least if i mess up the Dapol body it don't cost much (unlike with a rtr body).

Looks very good

Looking good. I have an old Mainline one I intend to update sometime, not been able to find the A1 etches anywhere though.

Looking at the photos and the model I think I'd have to agree about the lip, its because of the glazing moulding to some extent I think, certainly on the Mainline issue it is a lot chunkier, I was thinking of replacing it with acetate or similar and brass wipers of some description.

The Salisbury/Chilmark idea is not on ice as such- it is just not reached the stage where plans can be finalised and wood cut. I just need to sort the narrow gauge/standard gauge tranship area out first.

Was kind of what I was meaning in my muddled way of writing lol. I want to get the Salisbury/Chilmark idea right, and so research and time is key, especially as neither of us is working presently so a longer time frame for budgeting it is best anyway, although the Narrow Gauge and NG/Standard Gauge tranship area won't need a lot of stock, only the exchange sidings/main line would.

Hi Kelly, anything on the workbench yet?

 

Dave

Not had chance to do anything on the workbench as yet Dave as been too busy (DEMU Showcase, other events, life) and not too great at same time in regards health. But currently awaiting attention are: two Parkside Dundas SR CCT 'plywood', a box of Dapol kits to have a play with (been over 15 years since I last touched scalpel or glue to a plastic model!), a Mainline Class 42 Warship which will end up Maroon as D827 'Kelly' after a bit of updating etc and a pile of broken old airfix aircraft kits to take apart and salvage where possible.

Hi Kelly

I thought you'd bought the wood for a layout! Never mind that looks like a good place to start!

Dave

 

 

LOL, well I will eventually still need to finalise plans and work out what sizes needed etc as budget very very tight sadly

In the past i have had to call in at east riggs MOD explosive stores near gretna green

i was with a HGV witha 40 trailer we revsed in to the Shed with stand gauge at one side & narrow gauge the other the was room to get the all of the HGV in then close the doors the loading dock could take 3 HGV at one time

MoD facilities tend to not be on the small side

The transfer shed will likely have room for lorries (it being set in early-mid 50s or mid-late 60s will give chance for some of the nice classic road haulage marques) in the middle of the shed with the standard gauge being on one side, the narrow gauge the other. Still visually in my head atm, and not really got chance to put it to paper or digital ink as yet.

Kelly

Looked impressive in the flesh

I really like the sound of this project Kelly - it certainly ticks all the boxes for me:

 

NG - Tick

SG - Tick

Unusual layout theme - Tick

Exchange sidings - Tick

Military theme - Tick

Local (to me) - Tick

You've got me hooked

Glad you like the plans

Hopefully I can manage to pull it off! At least starting with the NG bit means it is a) simpler B) smaller and a gentler starting point generally to getting started with what will be my first layout (discounting the few abortive attempts with my father when i was a teenager).

Kelly

Hi Kelly

 

Was good to meet you and chat 2mm etc.

Glad you enjoyed the show!

 

Keep us up to date with your project as it goes along

 

Roger

Was good to meet you also and chat to you about 2mm, not something I've previously done and glad I did!

I will do! when actual physical stuff like baseboards or making kits etc happens I've no idea as yet mind! but planning continues, I have plenty of time, just little or no spare cash so liable to be a long haul project!

Kelly

As you need flat sides for the 4DD you may find that the Tri-ang/Hornby Mk.1s are easier as as the sides are separate rather than moulded with the floor on the Lima ones. IIRC the 4DD units had non-standard low bogies to bring the floor height down. Really quite remarkable trains; for such a non-standard design they lasted surprisingly well.

Thats for that, most useful to know!

Yes I understand the bogies suffered as a result of being non-standard. Shows how inventive the Southern could be though to a perennial problem on the North Kent lines - Dartford to Charring Cross/Cannon Street via Bexleyheath (area I grew up in)/Woolwich - of overcrowding due to busy rush hour commuter demands.

That cinema coach look nice! and unique too. Looking forward to seeing them at Taunton Sunday

Added layout plan no. 6 to the post as per natalie's request.

Kelly,

 

One niggle about your trackplan. Whilst the South Western wasn't phobic about facing points on running lines, they were unusual leading into dead end sidings. A more likely design would be a single slip opposite the signal box and a trailing point opposite the distant signal. Oh and a second niggle, the distant signals are far too close to the home signals, I think they should be ¼ mile away.

 

Bill

Bill,

Nat came up with a few alternatives that featured the points non-facing, but I was thinking it'd be more likely for traffic to come from salisbury for the military traffic. I'll have a word with her as she did that trackplan based upon a South Eastern area (Crabtree iirc).

As for second niggle, nowt to do with me, signalling was Natalie's input, I'll nag her about it though!

Thanks for the comments, it is still a planning stage thing, these sort of things have to be considered and ironed out

Kelly

Both eras appeal for different reasons.

'

No confusion on your part. All I've done is essentially lost the trailing connection out of the sidings on the up. Your down-up trailing crossover was simply off stage. Plan is based on Crabtree Sidings (near Belvedere)- though no level crossing and Littlebrook which was the exchange point for Dartford Power Station (with a modification in the branch direction). A SR ARP type box is envisaged in the region of 20-25 levers. SR rail post signals are envisaged although some LSWR examples might also appear. My thoughts for era are for 1966/67 as this allows Warships on Waterloo-Exeter trains as well as the last vestiges of steam. 1953/54 is also attractive as it allows for a wide variety of kettles but also 10000/1, 10201-3 on some of the Exeter services.

I know Belvedere well. Same for Dartford Power Station... went on a tour of it as a kid once.

Both eras appeal for differing reasons.

'66/'67 for Warships (gotta have D827 'Kelly'!!).

'53/'54 for the early diesels and the Bullied pacifics, and maybe a stretch of reality Leader...

Kelly

Will have to have a look out see if I can pick up a copy of that issue Bernard. Thanks for the heads up.

Olddudders: Yes the mainline is purely for trains to go by! just to add a little extra to it (actually based on the prototype to some extent). The exchange sidings aren't quite right, but as a rough drawing they're ok.

As for era, I'm thinking WW2/50s or late 60s. Not fully decided on which yet, but all will give interesting options.

"Discussed a little with Natalie" !! I think I've done more than discuss it a little! But it is certainly a location that ticks all the boxes- lack of third rail to be compensated by Bulleid Pacifics and green coaches moving onto Warships- including of course D827. Let's think of Chilmark but with a slight twist- mainly in having some exchange sidings a la Dean Hill as they would enhance operation I believe and also require that the traffic would need to be tripped by an MoD loco to/from the depot.

Yes you've done a reasonable amount thus far will have to send you to Kew

I'm kinda thinking of a smallish layout about 3' max (cos of lack of space) that could either be a diorama or something else. Not sure I can work an airbase dispersal pan and a railway into the same thing (unless I used a NG railway too).

Re Portsmouth suggestion, the Navy was more active there rather than the RAF.

 

There's a huge advantage in modelling 1968/69, even though steam had finished, there was still a lot of steam age infrastructure, you had older liveries and "modern" corporate blue/grey livery and ex-SR EMUs were still running as well as BR designs, including new 4VEPs in all over rail blue (like Hornby's planned model) and 4CIGs in green. If you moved on a year later to 1970, you could then have 4CIGs running in sparkling new blue/grey.

The local buses, Portsmouth Corporation and Southdown still wore their traditional liveries, too.

Yes as it was a port area, its reasonable it would of been more RN than RAF, though I believe there were a couple of RAF bases near to it.

As for the period, yes theres a lot to model in that timeframe, although I think a bit earlier would be a bit more interesting for me, but the idea is to try to make it possible somehow to 'float' the period of the layout so it can go from 40s/50s to 60s/70s perhaps.

Either way, plenty of choice of stock at least.

kelly

There are the RAF depots at Chilmark, Dinton and Dean Hill where BR (ie mainline railway company) delivered appropriate goods in standard gauge wagons to the exchange sidings from where the RAF loco collected then and took them onto site and the transhipment shed where the loads would be transferred into a narrow guage railway and then taken off into the location of the storage bunkers-often on the site of an old quarry. I assume Hilsea was worked on similar lines.

 

The nature of such locations means that details of the internal railway systems were blanked out on contemporary OS maps but the details can be found if you keep your eyes open and know where to look. The TeleRail DVD on Chilmark and Longriggs Military Railways are useful for mid 1990s.

It depends if they took them anywhere near the runways/dispersal areas (where the Lightnings or Vulcans would of been stood ready), or if they were off site and brought onsite by truck?

None of the books I've looked through (aviaiton) have given any hint of this and the photos therein don't show any hint of trains/railway near the runway/dispersal area/hangers.

Kelly