Annie

4 hours ago, Schooner said:

I also forgot to take any pics, so obvs had to hit another project - the Diagram 3D O1 (4 wheel) Siphon, in 7mm:

I've been much tempted by these since it looks like the sort of kit sleepy me could successfully make.  Would look good alongside my old Bonds 'O' Gauge wooden models.

I think the C&W works and loco facilities being together in the first trackplan is more logical, but I do take your point about wanting more clear space over on the rural side of things.

Midnight Broad Gauge Cheer Up Pictures: Photos courtesy of the Broad Gauge Society.  Two for the price of one.

 'Courier' circa 1878.

'Courier' circa 1880.

1 hour ago, Northroader said:

 

Annie, when they first tried digging the Channel Tunnel in Victorian times, they found a coal seam, so this led to the development of coal mines in East Kent, and so it is possible to find NCB sidings on the Southern, if only limited. From a rail fan / modeller point of view, this led to the East Kent Railway, a Colonel Stephen’s job. So to Wingham Canterbury Road, my kind of station.

 

http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/w/wingham_canterbury_road/

 

 

 

Of course, - Tilmanstone Colliery!  Somehow it slipped my mind that it was in Kent.  Thanks for jogging my memory into a functional condition again.

https://transportsofdelight.smugmug.com/RAILWAYS/COLONEL-STEPHENS-RAILWAY-EMPIRE/A-COLONEL-STEPHENS-RAILWAY-THE-EAST-KENT-LIGHT-

RAILWAY/i-dBjzbkv/A

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_Coalfield

The layout's builder agrees that NCB sidings would be an unusual sight anywhere on the Southern Region, but Trainz has more resources for coal related industries than anything else so King Coal got the vote.

This is a view across the sidings with the wharf across the aisle visible in the background.  Those two blood & custard coaches might be a bit posh for a workman's train though.  The engines and rolling stock presently on the layout were placed there by the builder for testing purposes and might not be entirely appropriate for the early BR era.

In other news my copy of 'Railways of Sussex' arrived today and my first impression of it is a good one.  Plenty of interesting pictures, though the minor railways are done a bit quickly for my liking.  As a softcover book it's a little on the cheap and cheerful side, but still worth having on the bookshelf.

St James Park terminus now with its hat on.  Been away from doing anything with Trainz these past few days due to other concerns and demands on my time.

I've been asked by a member of the creator group I belong to if I could have a look over a Trainz Model Railway layout he's built to see if I can help him with some problems he's having with it.  Part of it is inspired by C.J.F's 'Minories', - only in a somewhat expanded version with industries, a harbour, NCB sidings along with a through station on the mainline and a very cunningly hidden in plain sight fiddle yard.  Other bits of it are inspired by some of C.J.F's track plans as well.  It fits in a room measuring 20 metres by 40 metres, but it's still very much a model railway.

It's named St James Park and is set in the early BR era somewhere in the Southern Region.  I'm absolutely stunned by it to tell the complete truth as it must've taken hundreds of hours to build the thing.

Some snaps I took at the St James Park terminus side of the layout.  It's been modelled as if the station over roof has been removed allow access to the trains in the station.

Afternoon Tilt Wagon Cheer Up Drawing:

Further details:  The South Wales and Vale of Neath iron tilts had 3ft diameter wheels so there wouldn't have been any need for covers over the wheels inside the wagon.  The B&ER iron tilt had 4ft diameter wheels so it would have needed covers inside the wagon.  Compared with other iron tilts the B&ER tilt almost looks like a narrow coal cart gauge wagon in its general proportions with its 8 foot 10¾ inch width.

If ever I figure out how to make my own wagons for Trainz a B&ER iron tilt wagon will be heading the list.

The Broad Gauge Society newsletter has arrived and it has drawings and notes for a B&ER iron tilt wagon and a South Wales Railway iron tilt wagon.  The SWR tilt is a rare beast with only four having been built and all of them were sold to the South Devon Railway.  While the length is the same as the B&ER tilt at 17 feet it is much wider at 10 foot 6 inches as compared to the B&ER tilt's 8 foot 10¾ inches.  Apparently the SWR tilt was based on the Vale of Neath Railway's tilt design. Edit: Found the VoN tilt drawing, - and it's the same size as the SWR tilt.

Only 14 out of the ex B&ER tilts were converted to the narrow coal cart gauge.  Approx 200 or so were known to have been built in 1849.  I have the B&ER and the GWR numbers for the lucky 14 should anybody want them.

Model of a Vale of Neath tilt wagon.

Mike's blog on making a GWR tilt wagon is a useful reference.  https://www.rmweb.co.uk/blogs/entry/25950-an-1850s-broad-gauge-tilt-wagon/

Interesting small halte Cheer Up picture:  On the former Coleford, Monmouth, Usk, and Pontypool Railway and opened in March 1954, - Cefntilla Halt.  Only open for two years before BR closed the line (Boo hiss).  Located near Cefntilla Court which was the seat of the Somerset family and the House of Beaufort.  Its construction was first suggested by FitzRoy Somerset, 4th Baron Raglan, to British Railways in 1953 to bring needed passenger traffic to the line, which was under threat of closure.

Yes I know this little halt was built during the early BR error era, but being in GWR territory that hardly counts.  What I like about it is that almost any minor railway or light railway could have done the same from the 1900s onwards.

(Pictures courtesy of the Disused Stations page on Faceplant. Photographer unknown)

8 hours ago, Tom Burnham said:

Thanks - as I understand it, the side rods are to do with equalising the suspension, rather than coupling the wheels together.

My impression on first seeing a photo of this locomotive was that they were heavy duty side rods until I noticed that they were attached to the axle ends.

3 hours ago, figworthy said:

Interesting roof on the buildings behind.

It most certainly is.  It makes for a very attractive looking roof.

3 hours ago, Tom Burnham said:

That looks like the building that's still there by the entrance to what's now the Amberley museum.  I seem to recall the tiles are an early type of concrete tile but I'm happy to be corrected.

It's good that an attractive building like that one has been preserved.  I wouldn't have a clue though as to what the tiles are made from.

(Photo courtesy of Amberley Museum)

1 hour ago, Tom Burnham said:

Interesting narrow cab on the traction engine type loco on the right. I guess so that the driver can keep warm and dry while the shunter stands next to him in the rain!

A photo of the locomotive in question Tom.  All in all it's a most unusual beast with that narrow cab.

9 hours ago, Schooner said:

In other news, I've just come across a (potentially) affordable model, RTL* as it were, of this grand old lady

at about 1:80, assuming accurate measurement. Just the thing, and rigged in just the condition, to go in a layout-backing graving dock...

Gosh, - now there's a fine looking ship.  I had to look up the flag code too which made me raise my eyebrows a bit. 

I hope your intentions to purchase do pay off Ok as that would make a fine centrepiece for any maritime model railway. 

I spent most of the afternoon today at the local hospital in the next town in their Day Clinic ward.  Don't worry it wasn't for anything dire as it was a routine examination to make sure parts of me are still functioning within maker's specifications.  I'm still working within spec, - so that was good news and I arrived back home a little tired, but happy.

A nice Cheer Up surprise was waiting for me courtesy of Schooner of this parish.  This very nice photo is titled 'Small engines at Amberley'.

Anything involving small and intrepid engines shunting interesting looking wagons in and around a grotty old load of old sheds and industrial buildings and I'm in.  😀

5 hours ago, Schooner said:

Juuuusssst in case I get up tomorrow thinking that it's a good idea buy a pretty little ship boat barque model in what looks to be 1:80 at the outside...

Ooooo a shunting puzzle type nautical layout, - I like it.  This could lend itself very well to a Trainz Model Railway format layout.

3 hours ago, Schooner said:

4 hours ago, Mikkel said:

 

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1270141

'Old stores', - I definitely approve of that.

2 hours ago, Schooner said:

🎵

 

 

😇

Now that did give me a good laugh, - Thanks Louis.  😄

1 hour ago, magmouse said:

Great news about your improving health, Annie. I’m looking forward to seeing the ongoing work on Minehead, but please don’t forget about Tristyn - the winter scene is so atmospheric. The two layouts make a nice contrast.

 

And thanks for all the cheer-up pictures - always cheering and often inspirational!

 

Nick.

Thanks very much Nick.  Twice now I've been able to get out for a walk down to the local shops and back with my daughter accompanying me which has been really nice.  I was tired when I got back home, but nothing like I used to get from just doing simple household tasks like folding washing for ten minutes or so.  Being out in the mild Autumn weather was a lovely boost to my spirits.

Never fear I won't forget about Tristyn and you are quite right it does make a nice contrast as compared with Minehead's Summer weather.  It also gives me somewhere to run my varied collection of GWR standard gauge engines.

Most of my Cheer Up Pictures come from the Broad Gauge Society, but sometimes from Didcot's archives as well.  The one I posted today was one I'd not seen before so I thought it might be of interest.

Now that the effects of LongCOVID are finally fading out and I'm starting to get some of my energy back I thought it might be a good idea to set my rubbish dump of a room to rights.  Yesterday I started to sort out my books and in the process discovered books, - and not only railway books, - that I must've ordered and then forgotten about.  So far I haven't found any copies of books that my foggy brain ordered twice which is just as well since with postage some of the books I found were not a cheap purchase. 🫣😬

I also found copies of the GER Society Journal and the Broad Gauge Society Journal that had been put away unread.  I shouldn't be all that surprised about it though because when I saw my doctor last week she told me that I was two years older than what I thought I was.  Good old Brain Fog, - not nice to know you, - and now you've gone don't bother to come back.  😠

It's not all a disaster though because I found most of my light railway books and GER books.  No longer being on meds for LongCOVID and not so fatigued and fogged down is definitely a good thing and perhaps I'll be able to get back to doing some good work on my projects again.  'Tristyn in Winter' was a big help with getting some of my railway mojo back again.  Being not based on anywhere in particular, but probably somewhere in South Wales and not totally serious about prototype fidelity meant that I could just play trains and have fun with it.  I'll most probably continue with updating buildings and messing about with it, but I'd really like to keep focused on Minehead for now.  If I can get the Minehead to Watchet section properly sorted out and complete I can then think about what I want to do with the rest of the line.

Bulkeley double heading with Sebastopol. Believed to be at Reading.

5 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

 

Truro closed last Tuesday with Par and Lostwithiel following on Monday this week.

They never should have let them convert to the narrow coal cart gauge.

Castle Hill OS map revised 1891-1894.  The footbridge across the running lines is where the photograph was taken from.

1 hour ago, Schooner said:

That has to be one of the most useful photos to the early-GWR modeler I've ever seen! There's so much to take from it, thank you :)

I completely agree, - it is one very useful photo which is the main reason why I 'borrowed it' and re-posted it here.  I'll be going over it for a while yet with my magnifying glass to see what treasures I can find.

1 hour ago, Compound2632 said:

 

And why are the ones for the down direction apparently all off, when the shunting move is straddling all four running lines?

That is a very good question.

Someone on Faceplant pointed out that the down signal further up the line is 'on' so the route is protected.  It was also pointed out that there seems to be PWD staff at work doing things in the immediate area.

19th Century GWR Morning Cheer Up Picture:  Shamelessly borrowed from the Didcot Railway Centre.  Shunting at Castle Hill (later called West Ealing station).

So much in the way of interesting details, - and look at those wonderful signals!

7 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

 

Sorry!

No it's fine.  It might mean a bit more work with checking and adjusting the track alignment all the way through to Watchet, but having the right kind of track more than makes up for it.