Jules

I hadn't thought of that - thanks for the tip!

Lovely layout - really like the mods to the station building. I do like the weathering on the standard 4 tank. I think I have one of the Airfix coal office models somewhere, although I think it had a bit of an accident and got crushed!

Thank you for the compliment, I'm glad there might be a few ideas in here that could inspire you! I did the changes to the station building to make it a bit different to the suggested style. My impression from various pictures of ex GW station buildings is that the largest proportion had flat canopies, and slate roofs, rather than the Castle Cary style. I still need to finish it off with signs for the booking office, waiting room etc - the Tiny Signs (I think thats who I used for the other signs) didn't include these, there was a Gentlemans Waiting Room and Booking Office/Waiting Room which seemed a bit of an odd selection. I need to experiment with the printer to try and print some. Another task to add to the 'finishing off list', which seems to keep growing!

Good find - looks the business

Thanks for all the likes Thank you Alan and '81C' for the two pointers re the corridor connections. When I was doing the coach Ii thought that they ought to be replaced as well. I have a horrible feeling that they will be somewhat harder to replace now that the ends are well and truly stuck to the bodies, than if I had done it when the ends were still separate. Live and learn!

Alan, Thanks for the compliment! As I said in the post you have quoted, it could have been better if i had realised the underframe in the centre was lower to accommodate the weight, which made all the new white metal fittings sit too low, and if I'd got the replacement footboard straight rather than having a gentle curve. But apart from those issues, I am fairly pleased with it, although I still need to fit the hand rails to the ends, once I have successfully created some!

Another small improvement has taken place! I haven't touched the layout for about four weeks, the combination of the heat making being outside preferable, a weeks holiday and other interruptions have left little time for modelling, and when I did have some time I wasn't in the mood. So, as it was a bit wet on Sunday, and I had a bit of motivation, I thought I would tackle one of the jobs on the improvement/to do list. After adding a couple of signals (see earlier posts if you missed the excitement!), I believe it was Captain Kernow who pointed out that the starting signal off the end of the platform was a bit too tall (bit like me!), as shown in the pics below. I found I had a spare signal lying around in a box, so chopped the post down a bit to reduce the height, as shown in the following pics. I think it might still be slightly too tall, but I think it is an improvement on the previous signal.

Hi Les, Thanks for the comment, there is indeed a bit of space there now. I think the area needs a bit of finishing off to take away the overall greyness, and a bit of clutter/boxes/whatever, although I don't want to overdo it and make it too cluttered, if that makes sense! I think maybe a horse-drawn cart waiting to be loaded/unloaded might add something a bit different. Cheers Jules

Not a lot has been happening in the land of Mayshill - getting the garden in order and playing trains has been the main activities recently. However, I have made a small change to the goods yard. As initial built, for some reason I decided to mount my Mikes Models yard crane on a strange shaped platform between the coal siding and the adjacent siding, as shown in the pics below. For a while I have been considering replacing this, as I don't think the existing arrangement was particularly prototypical. So out came the demolition men, leaving this empty space. Soon to be bought upto track level with DAS modelling clay. I re-used some of the original brickwork to make a small (five brick high) plinth for the crane to be mounted on. I relocated the crane between the long siding and the goods shed siding. This now means the crane can service two sidings, giving a bit more flexibility. A comparison to the first shot.

I don't know if it is the same diagram, but Parkside do several LNER box vans that look similar

A few from the Gloucestershire Warwickshire railway yesterday... Before a trip in the brake van of the freight train from Toddington to Cheltenham, the coal is damped down The photographers are photographed (I guess I will be spoiling a few pictures ) Inside Greet tunnel (not showing any humans, but they were there!) Is it on or off, better check (on subsequent journeys, this signal had been attended to and was properly showing on or off) Waiting at Gotherington Cheltenham waits at Winchcombe, to go to its namesake Waiting to change the token Disposing of 2807 at the end of the day

Thank you both for those jolly nice words - although I am generally quite pleased with the way the layout looks, I do look at it and see a quite lot of things i would like to improve (probably the next layout!!). All of the stock could do with a bit of weathering (nothing to grubby mind, this is the GW after all!), and there is still work to do such as adding more trees and shrubbery, notice boards, a few more people, finishing off the signalling etc. Hmmm perhaps I'd better make a proper list and get on with some of those tasks

Thanks Les - the 52 is completely out of place but I rather like the brutish size of the real thing after seeing and riding behind them on various preserved lines. I know other people have had a few issues with theirs, but mine rather beautifully out of the box (with no running in) and it is a joy to shunt with. I think the fly-wheel helps with the smooth running, shame more steam locos aren't fitted with them. I just need to get some brass cabside plates, stick some real coal in the bunker and add a crew then it will be ready for more running-in turns!

Thanks for the idea about using piano wire for the handrails - I wonder if my sister will notice if I pinch one from her piano?! I've taken a few more snaps (in difficult lighting conditions - that's my excuse!) of some Mayshill operation... First up, it seems like the 52 is on an extended running in turn, doing a bit of shunting. Waiting for the crossing gates to be opened and the signal to clear. Later, the more usual branch engine brings in a single coach (a through one from London?) and a siphon for the dairy. Removing the tank wagon and Fruit D... to be replaced with the siphon A couple of Mayshill infrastructure

I haven't done anything on the layout since the last update - I've just been enjoying operating it. What I have done recently is an attempt to improve the Hornby Railroad GW brake coach, inspired by a post on here - I think it was on Wencombe. It basically consists on slimming down the black ends so they fit between the sides rather than on the end of them, replacing the long molded handrails with wire and replacing the roof vents. I found in my box of bits a couple of vacuum cylinders, brake hangers and dynamo, so add ed those. It was only after fixing them in place I realised my schoolboy error - the floor is lowered at that point for the weight! So the actuating arm had to be removed, but I have left the rest even though it hangs a bit low. I also replaced the buffers. After studying a few pictures, it looked like the footboards along the length of the coach should be a bit higher, not along the bottom edge, so I removed the molded ones and added new ones about two thirds of the way up. They looked quite level without the body on... However, once the body was on, it shows a rather obvious bowing towards the centre - the other side is worse so I'm not going to show that! I have yet to do the end hand rails - I've had two attempts but failed to get them right, so I will return to them. So, was it worth the effort? Parts of it! I think doing the ends, handrails, roof vents and buffers makes a difference. I think the rest is perhaps wasted effort, especially as I messed it up a bit. Still, it's all good experience...

Check out this new experimental railmotor...

In best Captain Mainwaring style, 'Ah, just waiting to see who'd be the first one to spot that'!

As the title is 'Kingswear visitors', and I was, here are a couple of hasty snaps of resident 7827 on 2/4/2013 at about 17:00. The beautiful clear blue sky doesn't indicate a nice barmy spring day!

I haven't done a great deal over the last couple of weeks, the signal box has been bedded in a bit more (although the photos still show a bit of a gap), the fencing has been completed and the hedge put on the left hand side of the road leading to the level crossing. I have also attempted to produce a little allotment by the signal box, looks like lettuces are growing and not much else! The wall on the right is temporarily placed there, pending building a cottage to fill that area. a couple of random ones.. I think I will need another extension to justify this!

Thanks for that - I think the lighting is my issue.

Just been catching up on this topic, more great pictures as usual. I notice you said that you use a Lumix compact to take some of your shots. I too have one of those ( a DMC-FX35) but my results seem very ropey in comparison to yours. What settings and zoom do you use when taking the shots please? It might help me to take some better shots of my layout!

Saw Tornado blasting through Chippenham on Thursday lunchtime, the first time I have seen her in blue (although it was moving rather quickly! - whistle on all through the the station!!!), your pictures confirm how good the colour suits her

Hi 81C thanks for the comment I had thought of having something waiting at the crossing, a lorry (or maybe horse and cart?) sounds like a good idea. I haven't got any other projects planned for the layout (yet!), I need to finish the scenery, but after that I think it will be adding details (a few more people, point rodding (when the new Wills stuff is available)) and things like that. I have considered modifying the wiring to allow two trains to be in the station (goods and passenger) which would just need a few switches adding, and replacing the double slip with either a live frog version, or doing away with it all together, as it is slightly troublesome. Actually, that does sound like a couple of projects!! I also really need to add a bit of weathering to all the stock - while I don't want it to be filthy, a bit of 'in-use' dirt would improve the overall look. Cheers Jules

Thank you all for the likes, and comments. Captain, I'm always grateful for constructive comments (the signalling is a result of Mike 'The Stationmasters' comments). I have to admit, I just assembled the Ratio signals without considering their height and sighting, but now you have pointed it out, they do seem a bit high! I'm not sure how easy they will be to modify now they are assembled, so they may well remain as they are for now with a view to replacement in the future. As I still have to assemble the bracket signal for the entrance to the platform/loop, I will bear the height in mind.

Continuing on the path of minor progress... I have painted and placed the ground signals on the layout, and have completed about 50% of the fencing. The fencing is all complete on the far side of the layout, and the majority of the posts are in place on the nearside. Unfortunately my local model shop had run out of the GW lineside fencing (someone had been in about an hour before me and bought all their stock!), so I will have to wait until they get some more before completing the posts and adding the wire. That is certainly a job I'm looking forward to completing!! I still have quite a bit on the scenics to do - but it's beginning to come together. A few of the usual slightly ropey pictures follow... This one is looking towards the crossing keepers box - I have been attempting to print the name board for the front, but so far have been unsuccessful - not sure if it is the font/program I am using, or the printer. Or both. Looking at this pic, I'm also not sure about the 'hole in the wall' style of entry into the fiddle yard, certainly not from this angle. The fence looking the other way A close-up of the dairy gate a close up of the crossing The dairy in 'sunlight' The pannier waits for the road Looking back at the station