Dava

Hoping to be at Wakefield this year to see this layout, whatever its state of completeness. It is a wonderful project. Remember seeing the station building displayed 4-5 years ago. Dava

Anyone enjoy hump shunting? Since seeing a coach with 'No hump shunting' on it this has caused Mrs D. & I some amusement. Dava

So here's the weekly update from Cape Breton...the week which saw definitely the final loco movement on our full size railway linking this bit of Canada to the mainland - see separate thread. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/88033-cape-breton-nova-scotia/page-2&do=findComment&comment=1985380 Meanwhile we've been trying some options for a passenger service for the workers at Coxheath Sidings.The first attempt was our little Peckett and the Midland 4-wheel coach. However this does not like the track over the baseboard and sector table joints, so the workers will be denied such comfort! Instead we repaired the brake van with drover's compartment, trimmed the footboards and this runs more reliably, so workers will now have the advantage of rail transport to their employment....in the background is the Peco hand crane I built this week, which actually works. Dava

Good luck Robin The track layout on the micro I'm building is quite similar but I have included a second track on the sector plate and this works quite well, giving extra storage and operating capacity, though it has limited clearance. You can see it here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/96750-easy-low-cost-micro-layout-baseboard-ideas/page-3&do=findComment&comment=1978558 Small diesels ideal for this size of line, I have a Tower 02 which is very chunky and an Ixion Fowler, so far. Enjoy! Dava

Your use of ripped hanging basket liner for rough grass heathland is interesting & effective. Is it a natural product or synthetic like car carpet insulation? I've often used dried moss effectively. Dava

The upside is that Tralee is an attractive town for visitors & the Railway can add to\benefit from this. Also the T&D story is an interesting one (cattle trains etc) which the previous operator did not use. So I wish it every success. As the then owner of the West Clare at Moyasta said to me, its hard to make a living in the West. I doubt that's changed, its like that here in Atlantic Canada and we lost the fight for our Railway yesterday (see my Cape Breton thread). Dava

I recall riding the line about 20 years ago when the steam loco was operating. It was quite a short run with the windmill the main feature. Kids were not that interested and the ride featureless, unlike the T&D further west. We enjoyed the Cavan & Leitrim, West Coast & Fintown lines quite a lot more. Maybe the enthusiast group will make it more interesting. Dava

Since Exported to Martin Hartley in New South Wales! Dava

If we cannot keep the Cape Breton line operating then it must be retained as a cycleway, the waterside stretches along Sydney harbour & Bras D'Or are amazing and would be the best train ride in Eastern Canada. Dava

Today was the final loco movement on the Sydney Subdivision of the CB&NSR. The operator Genesee Wyoming has not reinspected the line on which they ended freight services last December. So no further movements after today. Locos 1504 (hauling) & 3366 were returning from maintenance in Sydney at (we think) the Victoria Junction depot of the Sydney Coal Railway. The convoy snuck out of town at 8am without a train whistle. So that's it folks, the last train really has left town on the old Intercolonial Railway. The campaign to retain the line will continue and politics will drag on but its rumoured that GW will sever the line. Dirty tricks a distinct possibility. Thanks to Jason Morrison for the photo at George's River. Dava

Tower Models updated Terrier delivery to 3rd week August with 2nd batch & sound fitted in September. So now you know! Dava

So, back to rail modelling in the near-railless land of Cape Breton...no point whinging about non-delivery of your Dapol locos here. Just getting on with resource-constrained thrifty modelling as therapy from the ennui of it all. Thanks to suggestions that the foamboard bases needed painting, after diagonal bracing was fitted they got a coat of paint underneath and on the sides. That was last weekend and the work rather delayed the building program. I had been doing (or aiming to do) about one structure a week. I decided to build a loading dock on the other siding. This was created quite quickly out of foamboard and the outline structure is in the first photo. You can also see the wall added at the end of the sidings which helps close off the yard. To the left beside the warehouse is a mockup of the timber yard which will be the next project. This is based on photos of the timber drying sheds which used to be on Baltic Wharf in Bristol Docks.I have lots of wood bits to use. Even strawberry punnets have their uses! Forgive the domestic & lawn mower stuff in the background. The next photo shows the dock infilled with foamboard and a scribed flagged top ready to go on after initial painting. The final view is the dock after finishing with DAS modelling clay and wet paint drying. A Peco crane will be mounted on the dock which can be used for timber and general traffic. More on the timber yard next time. Dava

A bit galling for those with one or more ordered from the first batch....after the other delays. Presumably there are some lightly injured Terriers either in China or UK. Having received Ixion and Heljan locos from China tightly packed in 4 piece foam inserts in stout card boxes, packing them is not rocket science as they say. No update yet from Tower Models who may be more definitive. Dava

Yes that is actually the GW line to Canons Marsh goods station, serving other industries along the way. I recall the swing bridge site was a Naval Cadets base last time I was there, a few years back. The dock railway system was fascinating in its own right. Dava

Looks like I've answered my own question about the Baltic Wharf timber yards in Bristol, here with a visit to Paul Townsend's 'brizzle born & bred' Flickr album on the docks. https://www.flickr.com/photos/brizzlebornandbred/ These are marked as being on a Creative Commons licence so I'm assuming they are good to share. It would be interesting to know who the original photographers were. First a wonderful aerial view from 1929 of the Underfall yard, Baltic wharf & more, showing timber yards under the ownership of May & Hassell. Next a view from across the harbour of Taylor & Low Brothers on Canada Wharf Which tell us that there were multiple timber merchants, and the proprietorship changed from time to time...I dont know when Bamberger's came in on this site. These tell me what I need to know for now about the timber wharfs and yards, but are both fascinating photos of the docks in their inter-war period. Dava

Does anyone know of photos of Bamberger's timber yard on Cumberland Rd & Baltic Wharf? There are a couple in Jem Southam's 1983 book on The Floating Harbour but I could do with some close ups for a modelling project. It was a classic industrial location I recall before it was all demolished for flats..... Dava

Dave is right Parcels trains did run into platforms 12, sometimes 11 at Picc but unlikely they would be shunted to Mayfield. His WTT may show departing parcels from Picc unless they left ECS? Dava

I'd think a Combo will be fine for the Terrier, I use one for Ixion locos & my own builds with Mashima motors. I've yet to see how the Heljan railcar will get on as mine is in the UK. Dava

A visit to another Cape Breton railway station museum.... As part of a long day in which I made the case to retain the Cape Breton Rail Line to a government committee, on behalf of our Scotia Rail Development Society, I visited the Orangedale Station Museum which is on the threatened stretch of line. It was a more heartwarming experience than Louisburg (see above). There is a community group who really love and care about this museum. The restored stationmasters flat in the building shows this. Just a few photos here, for now. CNR slogan on an old caboose has resonance today - if only..... The station building; the Genesee Wyoming tracks, occasionally used, no service but not abandoned which we are trying to save, run past. The operational GE loco and train (with nowhere to run). The pitch to the committee went well, more soon. Dava

I passed Mayfield often in the 70s when in use for parcels trains & recollect the catenary covered the station throat but not under the canopy. Maybe southern platform was electrified for arriving trains, what does WTT show? There was often an 08 shunting the GUV & BG vans Dava

According to Tower Models, first batch of 3 Terriers is now due in the second week of August & 2 other liveries in September. The sound fitted versions of these three types should be available approximately 3 weeks later Price increase on 2nd batch http://www.tower-models.com/ Dava

Thank you, Oakwood Press also do a good book on the Lauder Light Railway and the Leadhills and Wanlockhead Light Railway. Dava

The iconic MSC steam loco of choice would be the Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0T in short or long tank options with the same chassis The Hunslet 'Jazzer' had similar dimensions, examples of all 3 types being preserved. Agenoria did them as gauge 0 kits. RTR would be nice. https://www.flickr.com/photos/blue-diesels/6014199098/in/photostream/ Dava

I noticed in moving the baseboards that one of them - the loading dock end with the point - had developed a slight twist. I used foamboard since at the time it was all I could cut. The top is a double thickness but maybe more bracing would have been advisable. So better late than never? I cut extra diagonal bracing and fixed this to both boards last night. They seem more rigid but there was no point adding further scenic effects to a warped base. We'll see how it pans out. If I use ballast or ground cover it is likely to be very fine stone/earth dust which will have a weight, which would make any sagging worse. I have some scenic flock and granulated cork but not enough range in the colours. I'll probably experiment with a few test areas. Its all good learning about the advantages & limitations of foamboard. All I wanted was a micro-layout therapy project which is working out quite well. I'll carry on with the structures as they can be re-used on a future layout if required. I think I'll revert to plywood for the next layout project, whenever and wherever that may be. The woods here have plenty of natural moss which I like to use as bushy vegetation, plus real live lichen on trees. A harvesting expedition is coming up this week, if we get a dry day. Dava

I'm doing a building every couple of weeks. The summer here in Cape Breton is not exactly hot and the evenings are good for modelling. The latest project has been the warehouse which is next the loading dock and the main source/destination of traffic at the sidings. This is also crafted from foamboard but I wanted to avoid a monotone texture of sandstone, so decided on brick finish for this. The structure is one wall, with scribed brick, mounted on a card backing. The design is influenced by many such warehouses. In the UK it would be easy to acquire ready to use structures from Skytrex but building them is more interesting. Here is the basic structure after shaping and painting. Doors were added from card, and gutters/downspouts formed from alu drink cans. The cabin at the end is from cat food card packaging. It conceals section switches. No plastic is used at all. Using commonly available and recycled materials helps as access to modelling or even craft supplies is limited. Here is a low level night view. Finally a view with the layout turned to the viewing side. The next project will be a timber yard in the space between the warehouse and workshop featured above. We have lots of wood to use. Dava