Chris M

We are calling the layout Hortus Halt. So far as I am aware Hortus is Latin for garden. we will be running it this Sunday (19th) at the Warley club open day. http://www.warley-mrc.org.uk/

Fair enough. The point is to create a layout to promote G scale that is easy and cheap to transport to exhibitions. I hope it might generate some interest and get people to think about building a garden railway. I much prefer running trains in my garden on a nice sunny day.

The significance of the lack of engine shed is that large locos may well have worked short branch trains to get them from the service point to the branch terminus. Newton Abbott sometimes sent 3,4 or 5 fully serviced locos coupled together running backwards to provide motive power for trains from Paignton.

Both termini had through trains to London and both had platforms long enough for a full main line train. Both lines are referred to as branch lines even though the Kingswear branch was double track as far as Paignton.Newquay looks to have had normal branch line length platforms until 1928. The main platform was further extended in 1934 and 1946 presumably to cope with through holiday trains so probably would not have seen large passenger locos until the platforms were extended. Perhaps oddly the engine shed was closed around 1930 so locos would have to have been serviced at St Blazey. It looks like Kingswear lost its engine shed at around the same time so the service point would have been Newton Abbot.

It could of course be a preserved railway. Over the years the Severn Valley Railway has strengthened its bridges so it can now run heavier locos than it could when under GWR/BR ownership. Under BR it was a blue route so Castles would not have been allowed but Kings can now to visit. I expect some other preserved lines have done similar .

I see two problems with commercial shows whether big or small. Firstly it does take income from model railway clubs. Most people won't go to every show in their area so a new commercial show is likely to lead to reduced revenue for a club organised show in the same area. This is almost certainly bad for local clubs. Secondly from an exhibitors point of view I am not a great fan of giving up my weekend for free to help someone turn a profit. Having said that I would give up my time for free regardless of helping someone to make money if I thought the show was achieving something worthwhile for the hobby. As a punter I much prefer going to shows where I know the money is going to a model railway club or a good cause but I do go to a couple of commercial shows most years, grudgingly parting with money, because they have something I want to see or be part of. Generally speaking shows put on by clubs tend to be better value because of the hours of work put in by club members for free. Stafford show this coming weekend is an excellent example of a great value good quality club show. I have no connection with Stafford club.

July 1988 ( I think based on my recollection of holidays) and an immaculate Windsor Castle passes Dawlish Warren with the royal train. HRH Lizzie is on board for an event in Torquay if memory serves me correctly. Note all the white shirts in the cab.

16 ft by 10 ft. All of the baseboards will fit in the back of my car but a second car is needed to carry buildings and stock. This will make it a relatively cheap layout for exhibitions. Although we will need either six trestle tables provided by the exhibition organisers or a third car to carry our layout supports. First exhibition will be Warley NEC this year.

At Warley club we are building a G scale layout to take to exhibitions that captures the feel of a garden railway. It is not a model railway as such, more a replica of a garden railway. The photos show progress so far.

As far as the West Country is concerned the number of wagons on a train could vary quite significantly from as little as 4 wagons up to about 15. It has been said that these tanks were quite a drag and they ran to express priority so they were rarely long. Each wagon weighed about 28 tons when loaded. There were two trains a day from Penzance in diesel days. There are plenty of photos of up milk trains but a dearth of down trains. I therefore suspect the down trains ran during the night but I don't know.

Something thing you find when you build a garden railway is that even the ground in your back garden moves. Usually only slightly and slowly but over the years a nice even grade can turn quite uneven.

Interesting point. D1020 was painted blue in November 1967 so that's a big degradation in four years. I know the cleaning plants were very harsh on the paintwork, especially Laira so maybe it is possible. On the other hand withdrawals were a couple of years away and that does seem to be extremely bad condition for what was still a passenger loco.

Tube stock gong for refurbishment or whatever always makes for an interesting train. Not too many years ago I got of my early morning commuter train at Solihull only to see a tube train stopped at the other platform. Felt weird and I wondered if I was still dreaming. I didn't take a photo but this is what they look like http://daviddepperphotography.zenfolio.com/p761960861/e2551a32b

I don't see any of this as double standards; its just that some things are more important to us. For each individual the things that are important and unimportant are different and thats one thing that makes all model railways different. My pet dislike is layouts that have so obviously started out as a flat board with track laid on it then scenery added around it - always looks wrong to me. Conversely I don't worry at all about rail height. I have very good friends who would say the complete opposite to this. Nobody is completely right or wrong although it is good to listen to others to get a different perspective of things that you may or may not take on board. Some things stick out like a sore thumb to some individuals but aren't noticed by others.

I've got a caboose which came with a smoke unit. Can't leave this running long indoors because it starts to get foggy. This is made by USA Trains. Their diesel locos come fitted with the same smoke and nit as standard. Because I like to keep to high standards I have bought some diesel scented smoke oil. My GP7 running with both fan assisted exhausts pumping smoke is a great sight. This of course is not serious modelling.

I spent seven years commuting in the West Midlands so have experience of a TOC run service as a customer, albeit in a different part of our country. My personal observations:- 1.The stock provided by both Chiltern and London Midland was good. LM introduced new units and Chiltern brought in refurbished 30 year old MkIIIs which are great. The stock is generally cleaner and more modern than I recall in BR days. 2.LM suffered with a lack of drivers. I think there is a significant problem in that TOCs would rather poach drivers from each other at increasingly high salaries than train new drivers. If nationalised this problem would not occur. 3.Most delays were not the fault of the TOCs; it was more often caused by a Network Rail issue. To be fair to Network Rail a lot of the issues related to people pinching cable or idiots on the line so many delays not their fault either. 4.The railways today feel as though they are positive and trying to progress which is a stark contrast to the rundown feel I remember in BR days. Did an increase in passengers cause a change or did a change cause an increase in passengers? I don't think anyone knows. 5.Peak time trains are horribly overcrowded. The main problem here is that more and more people are using the trains and the TOCs are always playing catch up. Investment in new stock is always going to take time whether in private or public ownership. My point is that, from what I have seen, the TOCs are doing a good job and most problems with delays do not appear to be the fault of the TOCs. I have no idea of the facts behind the problems in Scotland.

You will be taking some of your tanks with you then?

This is a great layout. Reasons why I rate it:- 1. Based on a real place. 2. Plenty of movement. 3. Good of variety of trains. 4. The trains in use are plausible. Maybe not 100% accurate to what has been through Banbury in the last ten years or so but certainly within the bounds of possibility. It's a shame that so many other layouts don't do this. I also liked Santa Barbara which again was a very recognisable model of the real thing.

They are USA Trains locos. 1:29 scale running on 45mm track. See http://usatrains.com/

Don't panic Mr Mainwearing! Oops, right war but wrong place.

Found a few photos of my UP S4. It is real snow and she had really been plowing.

Found some better pictures of my GE locos. I know U boats never wore warbonnet livery but I couldn't resist it. This is obviously a heritage line which also explains the somewhat odd coaching stock as well.

Each to their own. Solenoids work, are simple to install, reliable and are cheap. I have no need for servos and the cost of the electronics to control them. I also don't see any advantage of servos to justify the additional cost. Would agree that this one seems like an unnecessary addition.

She might be small but she pulls well.

I've got a G scale u boat but can't find a photo and all my garden railway stock is now in winter storage. I do have a not great photo of my 44 tonner. UP did have just the one 44 tonner and this is a genuine livery.