aberdare

Evening Derek I have just enjoyed reading your latest posts on the turntable as it is something I may have to face later. There was one at Tiverton Junc at the beginning of the 20th century but removed later and I had virtually decided to choose that option for an easy life, but now I am rethinking that after seeing your excellent work so a bit more research regarding size is needed before I commit to the build. Mind you I've just seen how yours looks on the post just made and it's already swaying me in favour, oh dear, yet another project. I will make myself known as I hand over my fee at Goathland to whoever is manning the door, if not you I'm sure you will soon be pointed out. Jim

All this talk of stargazing and night photography made me want to get out and have a go myself as it has been quite a few years since I did anything like that, at this point I should post the results but that is not to be. As I have to go up the hill to get above the valley to clear the tree line and be out of the house during late evening I couldn't do it, Linda has been confined to complete bed rest for another two weeks and I need to be here all of the time, Oh well I'll just content myself looking at all your excellent shots instead. I also thought it had scuppered my chance of getting to Goathland to see Jason and Chris with the Mill, but I have been told "You are going", well who am I to argue with the powers that be , apparently I need the break so it looks as if I will be there on saturday afternoon, looking forward to it. Jock, I enjoyed reading about your day at the 'relay for life' and look forward to reading your post about it again next year. That's it from me for now, all the best to one and all. Jim

Another break from RMweb for me again as a few red flag health issues were raised over Lindas' health during the last few days, all support teams have been updated and are on standby, so I'll catch you later. Keep up the great humour and I will pop in for a good chuckle now and again. Jim

^^^ tut tut Bit of a busy day for me too, just having a look round now.

Hi Chris I seem to remember you had a question earlier on platform surfaces, I had a simillar problem working out what was at Tiverton Junction by looking at photographs but the contractors drawings I got from the Swindon & Wiltshire Museum have been very enlightening. Though GW rather than Cambrian there did seem to be a lot of similarities so here is what was there. The original surface around the buildings and up to the footbridge was listed as 'blue tile', looking at the pictures these seem to be the ones with the diamond pattern in them, they appear to be larger tiles with the impression of smaller ones on them. I do know I have a photograph of something similar in the shed somewhere and I'll try to dig it out if I remember. Whether they were a company standard or local I do not know but as I've got that picture from another station I'd guess they were a company standard. In 1897 when the building work took place some of these were replaced (on the mainline platforms only) by 'artificial stone' these appear to be the paving type and are listed as 2ftx2ft by 1.5" on sand and were supplied by the company. Outside of the building boundaries and footbridge the platform was ashphalt except for the ramps which were again artificial stone.

Hi Mikkel I have just been reading this thread through from the start as I had not been around much for a few months and I would just like to thank you for giving us such an interesting and informative one. There are lots of ideas on here for me to look at in the future when time allows and I will certainly look at improving my Wills saddle tank after seeing what you have done. Oh and the boxes are fantastic. Thanks Jim ps you will have had a sudden rush of likes too.

Jon Ah yes the bend, just one of those things where us modellers always have to go aound corners. On the prototype the line curves slightly left so I had to have it go that way a little, but then had to turn right to go around the shed, however the bit of land between the mainline and The CVLR rises and once some shrubs or one of my trees are added I think it will be all but invisible unless you are very close to it. Also if looking from the yard through the station the canopies and footbridge will act as a view blocker so I think it will all be OK, fingers crossed anyway. Jock Thank you, we have made a lot of changes to ensure that I can keep my modelling going but still being in attendance if necessary, a few more bits to do to get the winter modelling space sorted but all looking good so far. I hope that you find the time to follow your dream too and I look forward to following it when you start. Best wishes to both yourself and Joanna Jeff Just looking to inspire you not shame you, haha. It just goes to show what a little time each day can achieve as over the last few weeks it was only half an hour at laeast each day, slow but steady is the way. Ed It's easy to miss as it goes quiet from time to time, I hope you enjoy your read through and join the band of followers. Thanks again to all those who have responded, Jim

Hi Andy In real life it branched from the right at the Junction and followed the river Culm uphill and around quite a few sharp curves, through Uffculme, Culmstock and into Hemyock although there was a halt built later. On the layout your guess is as good as mine . It leaves the Junction runs round the end, in front of that bit, across there and after rounding the curve pops out of the woods and into Hemyock. Clear as mud eh In fact I do have a plan which I had photographed before but seem to have lost them so I popped out to take another one for you, here it is, Hopefully that clarifies things. The section over the centre will be a lift out part which I will insert when needed and the line against either of the stations will run under the edges of the hills so will be hidden. As I model in a pretty haphazard way if I find that my estimates of how it fits together are wrong I will run it into a casette in front of Hemyock, transfer it to the south end of the junction and run it into the terminus. This will also overcome any incline issues as it will then be like two separate layouts, so I have a get out if needed. I hope that has cleared things up for you, If it has can you explain it to me please. Just as a final note Hemyock was originally the other way round - as seen in old pictures - but it gave operational issues and I didn't like the line curving from junction to terminus open and visible. How it is now gives me better and easier photo opportunities as well as operation and as you can see I have a solution or two for it to work. I love flexi-plans. Jim

After a break of several months for personal reasons the modelling has started again. I would just like to thank those who replied and liked the posts, I do have to take breaks now and again but hope that they are not as long from now on. It was around February time that I went to my shed, looked at all the furniture and disability items and thought to myself 'Jim. you really do need to get back to normal life', so I set about improving access and getting the shed sorted. While doing this I decided where I needed baseboards so put some in place, no , that's not the right thing to do is it, fix them in place properly and that is what happened over the following weeks. Now that I had started I spent what time I could in there, anything from 15 minutes to a couple of hours as long as progress was made I was happy. It wasn't long before a few bits of track got spread over the boards and that's where I thought of the new title. So there isn't too much to see as yet as I have only been baseboard building and laying track but here is a few photographs of the progress since February. This is it after I chucked a few bits of track at it and shuffled it about to check it would all fit as I had planned it, which it seemed to so it was time to take this a bit more seriously now. The next job was to complete laying cork across all the boards and around the end of the shed to what will be the storage yards. The track was again laid back on to get a rough idea of position. Then it was time to follow a scale plan as closely as space allowed, of course this is when all the niggly little issues arise. The station is on a very slight curve and depending on what photographs you look at it sometimes looks very slight or sometimes a lot sharper and I had loads of attempts at getting it right - I'm still not sure now - but it's down now so that's that. The other problem with the curve was having to bend Peco points and crossings, fairly simple to do (as discussed elsewhere on the forum) and it stopped that curve-straight-curve effect, however it meant that the main line was exiting the side of the baseboard sooner than expected from my initial rough alignment so a few adjustments to the curve were made again. Anyway here are a few shots to show what I hope is the final positions, Looking toward London with a temporary down platform on the right with the CVLR branch curving around it. Looking across the yard toward the Exe Valley line, in the background are copies of the contractors building plans of 1897 (courtesy of the Wiltshire & Swindon History Museum) and the detail on them is amazing, I just hope I can do the building justice when I build it. Looking towrds Exeter. An overall view showing the full length except for two points off the bottom of the picture. Well that's it, all I have to do now is complete the wiring and test it before ballasting and then..... ..... don't know really I haven't thought that far ahead so I'll see where the mood takes me.....mind you the thought of a weeping willow is constantly nagging......but then again,,,,,, hmmmmmm. Hope to catch you later, Jim

Flippin eck Jeff there's loads of room in there. You should see mine and what is stored underneath the boards, I sometimes have to move outside to get things done due to lack of space. I guess that's why I stay slim just so I can get in the door. In all seriousness It's good to see you spending a bit of time in the bunker and moving it forward and in time you will overtake my progress once again. I seem to work at tortoise speed and a three-legged one at that. Now if I can just squeeze past the mobility scooter, freezer, two desks, two bookcases and umpteen boxes I might just reach the layout. Just keep the dream alive Jeff and you will get there but please don't take 35 years like me. Jim

Snip 'of heavenly bodies'. Ah yes I remember those from my College days, they were what distracted me away from Astronomy and the interest waned never to return. Never mind. Jim

No Facebook or Twitter for me either, Linda is on FB and she is always moaning about it or some of the posts on it and is thinking of leaving it - I don't think she will though as it is useful for when she is less mobile. Good to see you have made a decision on the camera Jeff and Scott is right about the logic and use of it, I prefer the Canon for that reason. Mind you I also had 3 other EOS lenses from the old film version of which only one needs rechipping for auto use.. Jim

Dave (Heeley Bridge) Best wishes for Monday and I'm sure you won't get lost this time. But if I do spot anyone looking lost in the Village I'll point them in the right direction, it won't be the first time yet the Crematorium is only at the top of the hill and I could walk there in about 20 minutes, All the best Jim

Books I enjoyed the Duncton Chronicles by William Horwood and that encouraged me to read some of his other work and one of the best was Skallagrigg which I became thoroughly absorbed in and enjoyed. Another book was Heart of the Valley by Nigel Hinton, a simple tale of nature and the Dunnock and its struggle through life, a small but entertaining read that reduced my missus to tears when she read it. The worst, The Childrens Book by A S Byatt, one of the only books I have ever given up on, after 100 pages I got bored with it still introducing yet more characters but seemingly going nowwhere.

Jeff It seems as if there is no maximum time for exposure so as long as it has power it's OK and the batteries seem to last a long time as long as it's not continually focusing I've not had it that long myself so am still learning about it, a great bit of kit so far though and I do not regret upgrading from my bridge camera. Jim

Yes, me. I have a 1200D Like you I used the old OM2 for years and found it great at night and hope this one is too. I have just set it onto shutter priority mode and the maximum setting was for 30s, whether it can be set for longer I will have to check. Amuse yourselves while I disappear for a few minutes.......... Right, I just set it to manual and when selecting the time it went to the 'B' setting after the 30s one and I set the camera for single shot and pressed the shutter, a timer popped up and kept going for well over a minute. Considering that I have not charged the camera for a few weeks I don't think it will run out of power. Could show the result but it won't show anything against this white background Hope that's the info you needed Jeff and if you need to know more just ask. Jim

Thanks for posting Mike, there are one or two I would copy from that list for my Hemyock branch, especially number 2 from the second set. I was thinking of using my Silhouette cutter too but it is packed away for the time being whilst a few changes are taking place around the house though I may prepare a few drawings up front if time allows, realistically though I think it may be next year. Great post though aand I always find myself coming back to your blogs for inspiration and information. Thanks Jim

I was away for a few days with the missus up near that unmentionable thing that runs between Pickering and Whitby and popped into that place in Beck Hole that sells unmentionable items to us, resisted spending too much as well. Anyway we have decided that we will attend the War weekend up there in October as we have the outfits already so all being well at the time it should be enjoyable. I might venture out into the shed later and disturb the spiders - non poisonous Shaun - and see what's under the cobwebs, it could well be a mod.... Ooops, nearly Jim

. I will need to make a box even if I use coachman's method I think. I am not sure how 'misty' my spray is but if I aim it upwards it should separate out the drops from the mist, I think. Experiment the next time I am ironing. Hi Chris I use my wifes' old spray scent bottles and all you get is a lovely misty spray, no droplets. I use it to finish off my ballasting and you see the PVA being drawn up through the ballast and sleeper sides. Jim

Hi Chris I prefer the closer sleeper spacing of the two samples shown. As for ballasting I do a little at the end of a modelling session and leave it overnight, the ballast is stuck down with PVA which I feed in between the sleepers from a bottle with a long nozzle that fits quite nicely between them and when it has sread and levelled a bit I sprinkle the ballast on. A light brush smooths it out without pulling clumps out, the excess is vacuumed up in the morning, the few gaps I end up with are then filled. I also do a few small sections (4 or 5 spaces) here and there to check alignment first, once happy I then do all the centres and then the edges, it's just what works for me as we all have our methods. It takes a while but I don't get bored and the end result is something I am happy with. Jim

Sorry to hear about your lost and misiing pets Clive and Shaun, I think we have all experienced it and missed them over the years. Some of you may remember that I got a hissing, snarling little spitfire of a cat last year who I got to be very affectionate, sadly she went out one morning never to return, so we now have another the third in five years so we are hoping it's third time lucky and we can have this one for much longer. As for stars, it was when I was a young lad living in Singapore that I became fascinated by them as there were just so many and with clear skies and warm evenings it was a great pleasure to just stare at them. I don't know how it came about but I got interested in Magellan at that time too but maybe it was because I went to a forces school and we did a bit on navigation. Never got in any fights though . Well I did get in one, a dog fight!! We had some sort of Japanese ex police dog and one day out walking him with the lead wrapped around my wrist he spotted a stray Alsation leading a wild pack, well being a tough fighting dog no other was going to be on his patch. Off he went with me in tow and into the pack, lots of barking and snarling from the dogs, screams from me and then loads of people beating them off with sticks. When asked if I was OK I said "yeah, fine thanks" then a young girl guide pointed out I was bleeding - a lot - ambulance called, forces hospital, stitches and injections, desite the bleeding I didn't really feel much pain which was just as well. Life is quieter now so I'm off to do household chores and a bit of gardening, catch you later. Jim

An early picture of the villagers from Lower Millhayes outside the cottage opposite the station c1904.

I've just remembered another event from last week. We were quietly sitting indoors having a cup of tea when we heard next doors smoke alarm go off so we joked about toasters etc as you do until we heard frantic footsteps, raised voices and the alarm still going. Getting a bit concerned i nipped out the back but could see nothing so then went around the front, blimey smoke pouring from the side of the house so I popped round to see what was happening and to help if needed, it was their conservatory, fire brigade called and two appliances arrived screaming through the village. Luckily the fire was virtually under control by then but they ensured all was safe and investigated the cause, a mirror apparently that when the curtains were opened reflected the then bright sunlight onto some music sheets on an organ and up it went. They told us they see it quite a lot of fires start not just with mirrors but crystals as well, not many of them in south facing windows any more. Thankfully no one was hurt but left a bit shaky but a fair bit of damage to repair. Who said village life is quiet. Makes you think though. Jim

Hi Chris It's been quite a while since my last visit so it is good to see that progress is being made no matter how slowly and I am impressed by all the research that you do to get things right. I can't help much with Cambrian knowledge but I find it interesting as I can use that information to have a few foreign wagons on my own layout, some slate wagons delivering goods to the Culm and Exe valleys at the turn of the century sounds perfectly feasible to me. On the subject of the Cambrian I do have a GWR Rules & Regulations poster from the 1920s which was apparently from one of the stations on the line, It had been used as a general notice board later in its life as the rear has the remains of chalked notices referring to Penychain where the old Butlins camp was. Jim

Many thanks to all for the replies and support for my earlier post, it is greatly appreciated by us both. Astromony, now many years ago (40+) when I was a student I was Vice Chairman of the Kings Lynn Astronomical Society and apart from our regular meetings we would sometimes meet on top of the tower block for a bit of star gazing. I always remember seeing Saturn for the first time and kept going back for another look, the reality of seeing it was much better than anything in a book. In conjuction with our star gazing those of us who were engineering students designed, built and used a tracking mount for our telescope. We did try and get Patrick Moore to come and give us a talk but gave up on that as the earliest date available was to be after we left College, happy days though. Forgotten most of it now. As for rabbits we definitely eat em round here, I think I've still got two in the freezer. Catch you later.