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Tony Teague

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Everything posted by Tony Teague

  1. Dave I am of course delighted that construction of the C3 is underway - and I'd be equally happy if my thread were 'cluttered' with the sort of discussion you have requested; I'm unfortunately not able to answer your questions myself and so I am hopeful that others more knowledgaeble than I will have something to say! Thanks for what you are undertaking. Tony
  2. I'm trying to maintain the pace so that I can finish off running through the coaching stock sets before we get to Xmas! This set is in plain, unlined olive livery and is a further Adrian Rowlands / Northstar production, Set No.410 It is hauled here by Bachmann ex-LBSCR E4 no.2497 The set is led by ex-LSWR left-handed 4 compartment brake 3rd no.3147 which is closely followed by 54' tri-composite no.5086 with right-handed 4-compartment brake no.3104 completing the set; I believe that Adrian Rowlands only made two rakes of this particular set (& I know who has the other!). Completing the train, and in matching livery is ex-LSWR 44' full brake no.227 - a Roxey kit constructed by Ian Willets and painted by Larry Goddard. One of my favourite looking trains, although it might be better complemented by an ex-LSWR loco! Tony
  3. Andy Just worked through your thread and was especially impressed with the results of your "weedifying" of certain baseboards - they look most impressive. This is a major project which I shall follow with great interest. Tony
  4. Andy Thanks A great pleasure to have you here and I'm only sorry that the train set did not behave at all times! - Sod's Law. The good thing is that as the more major works get ticked off, it will allow time for snagging faults and issues that have accumulated over the many years that the layout has been in build. Tony
  5. Returning to the coaches...........Sets 965 & 973: An all Bulleid 59' stock (& all Hornby) train, hauled by No.21C158 'Sir Frederick Pile' - who, like Lord Dowding above, has suffered premature naming: Set 973 comprises corridor brake 3rd No.2862: corridor composite No. 5719: and matching brake 3rd No.2861: Whilst identical Setno.965, comprises brake 3rd No.2845: composite No.5711: with brake 3rd no.2846 bringing up the rear: These two sets make an interesting contrast with what should be an "identical" set 980 - made from Kirk kits - back towards the bottom of p.60! Tony
  6. Before I feature the next train formation to be illustrated, I just want to mention that this week I collected a reasonably significant collection of O gauge BR(S) locomotives, carriages and EMU's from the home of a recently deceased modeller, which I will be helping to dispose of on behalf of his widow. I am currently cataloguing what is available - which is all in great condition - and so if anyone who follows this thread happens to be a post-nationalisation Southern O gauge modeller, or knows of others who might potentially be interested, then please send me a direct mail and I will provide a list of what is available - probably within the next week. Returning to my own train set, here as a slight change from carriages, is one of the two milk trains that run on Churminster & Stowe Magna - the other one being a very short, local milk pick-up - but this is the down milk emties train: Now, before anyone tells me that these are models of GWR milk tanks, let me say that I really liked this quite ancient Lima model and accumulated 'several' some time back, so I don't feel inclined to trade them in for something more Southern! Let's just assume that this down train of milk empties has been divertedfor today....... It is hauled by SR Bulleid light pacific no.21C152 'Lord Dowding' whose nameplate has been added a little prematurely, but looks right on the rake of 19 tanks + brake: What I really like about this train is the sound of just over 60 axles clattering along the line at speed! Whilst the majority of these are unweathered Lima models, the rake includes three Dapol tanks: Two of these are very badly factory weathered and when I finally get around to weathering the whole rake I shall have to start by removing this quite dreadful coating! Tony
  7. Something slightly more exotic than a Hornby Maunsell set today, ex-LSWR 3-LAV Set No.158 is back to the Adrian Rowlands / Northstar stock: Although the coaching stock is unweathered, the loco hauling it, Schools No.906 'Sherborne' was weathered by me: Leading the set is 56' brake third No.3077: This is closely followed by 58' composite No.4696: Whilst matching 56' brake third No.3078 book-ends the set: Tacked on the back is Hornby Van C, No. 739: Tony
  8. Graham Was much involved in modifying the vehicles running on your Faller Road system? I have installed the system on my train set but have only been able to source HO modern image vehicles, whilst the layout is UK (SR) 1938 - 48, and as a result the roads don't get run very often. My intention is to convert some vehicles of the correct era and outline but with plenty else to do, this is some way down my list of priorities, so any advice would be most welcome. Tony
  9. Recent operating & sorting out sessions have enabled me to photograph a number of coaching stock sets that have not previously been illustrated here, and the next one is one of the longer ones on the layout at 10 carriages - in fact you can't see the loco on the front from here! This is Set No.469, which runs as the down Victoria - Worthing 'City Limited'; it is headed here by Hornby Schools class No.917 'Ardingly' : The whole train is made up of Hornby RTR, Maunsell low-window stock, excepting the 56' ex-LSWR passenger van / full brake which leads the formation and is another of those Adrian Rowlands (Northstar) creations: Following this is 6 compartment brake 3rd no.4049: Then comes 8 compartment corridor 3rd no.2349: ....and then two 7-compartment corridor 1sts, Nos. 7667 and 7665: The set is then augmented for this service with Pullman kitchen 1st "Medusa": ......and then yet another 7 compartment corridor 1st, No.7666: ......two further 8 compartment corridor 3rds, Nos.2350 & 2351: Finally bringing up the rear is 6 compartment brake 3rd no.4048 I really like the fully lined Maunsell dark olive livery of this set which was beautifully weathered for me by the late Mick Bonwick. Tony
  10. During yesterday's runing session I also manage to extract a previously un-photographed coaching set from its hiding place: Set No.210 is made up of ex-LSWR 56' corridor stock; it should be a 5 coach set but it seems that one brake end has gone missing! The set is hauled here by bog-standard Hornby WC No.21C123 'Blackmore Vale' (excepting that like all of my RTR WC/BB locos it is stuffed full of lead!) The leading coach should be brake composite No.6537, but as this has gone AWOL, corridor 3rd to d.21 has moved up; what is odd is that I have an older picture of this set and even then it only has 4 cars despite the missing coach having been recorded by me as arriving here in 2013 and allocated to this set - perhaps it will show up one day! Another 3rd, No.680 follows Then comes panelled 1st No,7163 to d.475 Finally brake comp no.6525 brings up the rear. The whole set is from Adrian Rowlands (Northstar) and was painted by Larry Goddard. Tony
  11. Almost two weeks back I said that I must run some trains, and so that is what I finally got around to today - and most enjoyable it was! I will admit that there was a further incentive in that I had always wanted to have a banana train, and yesterday the postie brought me some of the excellent new Accurascale banana vans.......... When these were announced a few months back I confess that I must have gone bananas, because I bought a whole bunch of them! They are hauled here by Bachmann N class no.1860 whilst the leading van is ABS kit-built van No.50641 - the only van in the train (aside from the brake) that has been weathered so far: Although I had managed to buy a second, already built, one of these on E-bay (which needs a complete re-paint & is not shown), it was the realisation that should these kits ever appear again it would not be soon, which persuaded me that buying the new RTR models was going to be the only way to achieve what I wanted. The vans come in packs of three, and I'm sure they will be reviewed elsewhere, but aside from having the best packaging that I have ever seen on a trio of vans, the models are very finely detailed and finished, whilst each one has some minor difference from the others. Two different diagrams are catered for, that on the right being d.1478 (as is the ABS van), whilst that on the left represents d.1479. Having placed my order, Rapido then announced a GWR banana van to d. Y4, and as I like a bit of variety.......... This also went well with a pair of Oxford Rail LNER, ex-GER vans that I had acquired a couple of years back after learning that the originals had been loaned to the Southern Railway to help them cope with their increased banana traffic between 1933 and 1937. My only dilemma now is whether the train is long enough............ I have a couple of unbuilt Peco Parkside kits in stock for the GWR Y4 van, plus the pre-built ABS one that needs re-working, but I'm wondering, can one ever have enough banana vans? Tony
  12. Following a 2 day visit by my good friend Giles Walburn I am pleased to report that all of the remaining exquisite semaphore signals built fro me by Steve Hewitt more than 2 years ago, have finally been installed; it is an understatement to say that these really bring the layout to life. Down departures from Churminster were alreay dealt with through 3 bracket and one ground signal, but up arrivals are now covered by this 4-arm bracket signal (please excuse the junk beyond!). As the approach to this signal is substantially obscured by an over-bridge, it is precedded by a foxed distant: In the opposite, down direction trains enter the area controlled by the next box along the line and this is controlled by a further distant signal, sited just before the tunnel mouth. All three of those shown have been fully installed and the programme that runs them tested, however, the two distants have then been removed for safety, because there is a significant amount of scenic work to be done very close to them - and they are fragile! Up at Charmy Bottom, the twin starter signals have also been installed; the line in and out of this station is automatically controlled via a shuttle module which will also work the signals and I am waiting on a couple of electronic components that are needed to complete this work. On the Stowe Magna side of the layout, the two main lines are already colour-light signalled - this having been installed when the line was third-rail electrified in the arly 1930's, however, the up & down cross-London lines remain semaphore signalled (or until now, not signalled at all!). These lines will be controlled via 7 further semaphore arms and a single ground signal, all of which are now in place but so far non-operational; pictures at this stage may look a little strange since the signal arms may be pointing at rakish angles prior to their being connected to their respective servos and servo controllers. This is the down approach signal to Stowe Magna station with arms covering the main line through platform 5, the terminating bay platform no.7, and the yard; you may just be able to make out a ground shunt signal beyond and to the right. Three further sempahores cover the up departures from platform 6, the bay plaform 7 and the yard. As with Churminster, departure from the Stowe Magna area into that controlled by the next signal box is controlled by a distant signal beyond the loco yard. I will post further pictures as the installation and the scenery around it gets completed, hopefully including some video coverage. Tony
  13. Surely if we want to encourage rail travel & rail freight at the cost of road travel and freight haulage we should simply accept that road users will be inconvenienced and will squeal in the process! The problem is that no-one has the guts or sufficient power to do this, nor is it reflected in any 'transport policy' - and thus the endless consultations, escalating costs and lack of progress. Of course we all pay for this, regardless of whether we are road or rail supporters - the price of democracy perhaps? (written as a rail enthusiast who almost exclusively travels by road).😄
  14. Reached a significant milestone today in that the landform along the cutting is now complete! After building the shape from card strips, two layers of plaster bandage were applied: Here's the view in the opposite direction (with the bridge next to the quarry building removed): Finally the awful brown undercoat was applied: Plenty of scenic work required to hide the brown stuff! The sharp eyed will also have spotted that both the up and down lines have had a ballast drop - a visit from the tamper is awaited (plus PVA etc followed by rail and ballast painting): The narrow gauge lines are the only ones now remaining unballasted on the whole layout - Hurrah! However, aside from the need to tidy this latest ballast drop, glue it down, paint it etc, there is also a small amount of work to do further along the cutting where those two removable sections need rebuilding & refitting. But I feel the need for a pause and to run some trains......... Tony
  15. ? Are the 'vast majority' now buying sound fitted locos? I personally doubt it. I'm afraid that for me, the prospect of multiple locos emitting a solid background of tinny white noise is enough to put me off going near those layouts at shows where sound fitted locos prevail. I prefer to hear the clickety clack of a smooth running set of wheels on a track (which of course can be achieved far more cheaply!) Tony
  16. A short session today enabled me to get a 2nd coat of paint onto the recently formed hillside - so it now sports a darker shade of excrement 😷 (apologies for the camera shake!): The land now urgently needs grass & landscaping, whilst the track is crying out for ballasting................... I also made a little progress on the retaining walls for the site of the building that will be set into the hillside: I shall need to fill the missing landform gap to the left before I can complete this site and prepare it for building: Tony
  17. Having been away for a few days, not much has happened with the train set, but I thought I might post these images taken recently of the "twighlight zone" that is the railway's main fiddle yard. What caused me to take them (with my phone) was that a particular train lost it's coupling and despite considerable effort it could simply not be found; so we determined by reference to Sod's Law, that it must be in one of the more inaccessible parts of the layout. The trains were cleared from the road that the train had been stored on, plus those ether side, and then I took these pictures with the aid of an LED light. The first image shows the throat at the northbound end of the storage sidings, whilst the second was taken in the opposite direction; the wiring above relates to the top fiddle yard which sits over this one - handily making access even more impossible! Needless to say the missing coupling has still not been found and will probbaly cause a further derailment at some future date! Tony
  18. ....And I have about 25 O gauge BR(S) locos plus EMU's (plus carriages, wagons, etc) to dispose of for another widow; I don't have the bandwidth to do E-Bay, so it is likely to be via interested clubs, the GOG bring & buy etc. Tony
  19. You may be right about the end, retail price, but I doubt that either of those you mention would have paid the vendor any more as a buy-in price - which makes an auction perhaps the best option for anybody selling O gauge models such as this. Tony
  20. ...or perhaps seeing an opportunity in the absence of any news whatever as to whether the rail link will ever be built?
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