Moggs Eye

It was a cracking weekend at the Warner's exhibition at Peterborough; we had a great spot in the hall (back to back with the excellent Yorkshire lads from the North of England Line), the food was good, hotel was fine and the beer in the next door Harvester pub went down very well. My operators bickered playfully with each other over both days and the layout behaved itself, mostly, with the usual digital gremlins and a set of points that needed its spring replacing on Saturday morning - what fun. The layout was well received, but the highlight was the elderly gentleman who'd come to see it after enjoying the article in the Railway Modeller. We've had a few more invitations, which is nice, so the Land Rover and I will be covering new ground to take Emsworth to different parts of the country. Here's 50050 waiting for a path down the Main Single Line while the Lookout wandering back from the signal box is wondering if he has time to cross in front of it. 66013 is my oldest class 66 (it was originally Bachmann's first release 66153) and an early attempt at renumbering and weathering. It's been withdrawn from service for a couple of years, but after some diligent wheel cleaning it ran perfectly all weekend. 20188 is the celebrity shunter at the off scene railfeight yard at Emsworth. It's seen here with a single wagon that has just been released from the wagon servicing point. The Sebastian Beach shopping centre forms the backdrop. Another yard shunter, the more ordinary 08847 takes its turn on the Inspection Point while a train of various types of military Land Rovers is help up in platform 1. The remains of the old Midland Railway building on platform 3 contrast with the shopping centre behind it. That class 20 again, just emerging from under Hope Street Bridge. Suzy the Sprinter keeping an eye on the Yard Operator and Wagon Repair Shed. Finally, for now, one of my favourite classes trundles in front of St Vincent Junction box with a Sheffield to Leeds semi-fast. Not sure who rostered a single car unit on that turn, but I'm sure the passengers who had to stand for most of the way enjoyed their journey on this pinnacle of public transport engineering. That Lookout still hasn't got across the track and he's looking the wrong way at the moment. We're at Weston on Trent in a few weeks helping to raise money for the school there - should be a good show if you're in the area. Cheers, Ben.

Progress has been slow, but sure on Holland Beck over the last few months, constrained mainly by the cricket season. Now that is out the way I've really got a move on. That's what I'm aiming for still, though the distant arm has been removed from the Up Main Home. You'll notice that due to planning errors the Beck has been moved from its original position running along side the road to under the platform. Track laying has been slowed down as I need to have the scenery done in the Beck before I can put the two railway bridges in place over it. The station platform now also crossed the Beck. Finally for now a view along the layout towards Barton Upon Humber. There will be a pair of sidings running from the single slip through some kind of scenic break (probably a pipe bridge) to the fiddle yard. The fiddle yard at the Barton end will only be a dead end as that part of the branch will only be having 153s on it anyway. For those of you wondering why Central Trains have a unit running along the Barton branch, it's the very successful Lincoln to Barton service which connects with the bus service to Hull. Cheers, Ben.

I remember seeing Engine Wood in a modelling magazine some years back. That particular edition has survived thinning out of the magazine collection due to the Engine Wood article. What I especially liked, aside from the atmosphere generated by the modelling, was the attention given to the back story - not just the fine signalbox diagram, but the closure notices too. Good work, nice to see some pictures again.

Emsworth will be on show at the Peterborough Exhibition on the 14th and 15th of October - Stand 66A, with our backs to the North of England Line. If you're about, come and say hello. Cheers, Ben.

Really impressive variation on the smaller layout theme by building it around the corvette and fine scale track. Good luck with the progression, I'm looking forward to seeing it develop.

Railway Modeller had a backlog of articles and I didn't get much warning of when the layout was going into print. We'll be at Peterborough in October, Weston on Trent in November and Lincoln in February.

You don't see the low budget sets or hear bad dialogue when you're a kid. Doctor Who and the Ark in Space terrified me when I was small - I had nightmares about it for years afterwards. When I watched it a few years back it was risible. Never go back! I still enjoy the show, Peter Capaldi is great and I can't wait to see Jodie Whitaker taken on the role.

I'm pleased they've chosen a woman. I don't think it's political correctness, I think it's inclusivity - though the two concepts are very similar. The difference between them depends largely on your viewpoint.

I took Cottleston from Winnie the Pooh (The song Cottleston Pie) and Emsworth from the BBC series "Blandings" (inspired by PG Wodehouse).

It wouldn't be acceptable today, but I will always remember, with a smile, Martin Landau playing Chief Walks Stooped Over in the comedy western The Hallelujah Trail.

Unfortunately Photobucket has stopped me displaying pictures of the layout from its site. However, the August edition of the Railway Modeller has some of Paul Bason's pictures of Emsworth in its original form and some nicely done artwork to support the accompanying article. I'll get some pictures posted here when I get the chance. Cheers, Ben.

As far as I know that have been using straps rather than chains recently - there are different colours depending on the type of vehicles being carried. CVR(T) variants had a red straps for example. I model around the 2000s so they may have used chains further back. Cheers, Ben.

Still no word on flying unicorns, but slow progress is being made on the layout. The signals now have arms and working lamps, I just need to put them together with the servos, controller and power supply - what fun. The station building is largely complete... Its Hornby heritage is clear. The reason why it's not sitting flat on its base is lighting wires which don't yet have a hole in the baseboard to slip through. The room on the left is accommodation for the crossing keeper, while the shelter is for any passengers that might turn up. The platform will be immediately to the right and will cross the beck itself thanks to another own-goal in layout planning. The prototype for having the station building separate to the platform comes from Barrow Haven station on the Barton branch - sadly this wooden structure was demolished and replaced by a rather inhospitable shelter. I had intended to the use the wooden platform at Barrow Haven as the inspiration for Holland Beck, however after a visit to Ulceby station a couple of weeks ago I was really impressed by the platform heightening that has gone on here and will attempt to replicate something similar on the layout. Cheers, Ben.

Thanks very much for the replies and contributions. The context for the request is a fictional, extra location on the Barton Upon Humber branch and the watercourse in question is a typical, narrow Lincolnshire drainage channel, not something that would warrant a viaduct, or even an aqueduct over the line (interesting idea though). Cheers, Ben.

Hi, As I progress on my Holland Beck layout I've realised, through bad planning, that the station platform is now going to have to extend over the beck. I know that has been done on the prototype in various places, but the only one I can think of is Pickering on the NYMR. Could any of you point me in the direction of stations, preferably small ones, where the platform is on a bridge please? All relevant contributions gratefully accepted. Thanks, Ben.

Thanks. I believe the images were taken from by the latest Russian satellite, before being given to the current US President's team and then leaked to the Washington Post.

Another one from Lincolnshire, this is Ulceby which is a station on the Barton Upon Humber branch, but is probably better known for its traffic to and from Immingham. I really like the way that this station has had its platform raised and then extended at the Immingham end. Behind the current fence line are the original Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway railings fast disappearing into the undergrowth. There is a gap in the railings where the station building once stood, but no trace of the old down platform. The state of the art signals make a nice contrast as well.

A Google Earth view of the layout taken as I was unpacking it from the Land Rover after the exhibition on Saturday. [/url

We had a good day at Sleaford yesterday with Emsworth. The club is relatively new and this year was their second exhibition and their first in a rather nice hall at St George's Academy in the centre of Sleaford. Despite its winter in the garage the layout ran well with a relatively inexperienced crew. Having it's first self-propelled run at an exhibition was 156425 which previously ran as an unpowered unit, Hornby body and Lima chassis, coupled with a Hornby 153 on Cottleston. I fiddled about making cabs for it and a structure to make sure the motor isn't visible from the passenger saloon and wonder how long it will be until is replaced by a Realtrack version. Here it is again leaving Emsworth's platform 2 with a service from Sheffield to York. 08847 takes a moment from shunting the wagon repair yard at Emsworth. The random card based system for running the loco and wagon yards came out on top yesterday when there were seven locos stuffed into the sidings before the dreaded 'Shunt the Wagon Yard' card was drawn. Much head scratching followed along with a number of shunting moves where clearing points were very very finely measured. 60065 'Spirit of Jaguar' gets a path onto the Main Single Line towards Sheffield ahead of 70036 Boadicea which was, according to the working timetable, heading to Wansford for a Steam Gala. 37114's turn to wait for a path on the single line with a train of armoured vehicles while 60040 awaits the fitters' attention over the inspection pit. A wonky view westwards towards the station with all the platforms occupied. The 156 in platform 3 will be heading for Doncaster now the Pacer in platform 2 has just cleared the single line from York. As soon as the Pacer's crew has changed ends and departed for Sheffield the 66 in platform 1will be following. Above it all the signaller in St Vincent Junction box is taking a moment to enjoy the view and wondering when she'll get chance for a cup of tea. The next exhibition is some months away, Peterborough in October, so between now and then I'll be working on a new mess room for Emsworth's DB crews, maintaining rolling stock and hopefully working on the new layout(s). Cheers, Ben.

Emsworth is having a trip to the Sleaford Club's exhibition on June the 3rd. https://sites.google.com/site/sleafordmrc/home If any of you are passing come and say hello. Now, I must remember to unplug the Frog Juicer from Cottleston and connect it to Emsworth...

Unfortunately my life has been sacrificed on the altar of junior cricket. I seem to be spending every evening and at least one day of the weekend watching one of my boys playing cricket somewhere around Lincolnshire, and beyond. Haven't made the ground at Barton yet (it's very close to the railway line - Single Car Sprinters and Cricket, what could be better). The Knightwing shunter is complete apart from painting and boasts orange flashing 'strobe' lights front and rear with a flashing warning lamp on the cab roof. The ground frame and station 'building' are largely done and painted. There are some baseboards ready for track laying. Maybe in July when the cricket finishes! Cheers, Ben.

This is the down side waiting room at Havenhouse, just west of Skegness. This station usually appears in the top twenty of the least used British stations and even if the entire population living within a mile of the station used it every day there wouldn't be an massive improvement in usage. It does remain a charming Great Northern Station, with all its buildings intact, but now the the proper down side waiting room is locked out of use the Company has provided this rather accommodating shelter. Back in the day when Havenhouse still had a signal box to look after the level crossing this tiny hut was the coal store! At least they reused it!.

Here's Barrow Haven on the Barton Upon Humber branch taken a few weeks ago. Fascinating location, with a reasonable train service between Barton and Cleethorpes. The shelter is a modern addition, but the railing are made from off-cuts of track and must have been there for ages.

I had an interesting chat with one of the Skegness station staff yesterday evening. He didn't know why the signals for platform 6 had been taken down (the lamp for the shunting signal has gone now as well), but there has been some testing going on to make sure that platform 5 is ready for the summer. There are plans to be running two HST services each Saturday which are to be timed so that both will be at the station mid-morning to cater for the surge in passenger numbers at that time on a Saturday. This should mean that the local service won't be crammed with holiday makers and luggage. (if the planning all comes together.) There is also some interesting talk of direct trains to Lincoln again. Apparently these are dependent on altering the service intervals and pathing to have trains passing at Boston, which creates problems if there is late running. Interesting times - I hope the plans come together.

Only having end to end layouts I use a rolling road for running in and testing. I also find it useful for wheel cleaning - set the thing running and then use a little IPA on a cotton bud the clean the wheels while they rotate.