The Pilotman

Some monochrome grids from 1990: 56048 passing Colthrop Crossing on 9/3/90 the following day, 56050 passes Ufton Level Crossing 56044 at Twyford, 10/3/90 the same loco at Midgham, a week later There was never any doubt as to what was coming around the corner when a 56 had the taps open.

In the late 80s there was a regular 31 diagram involving the 1106 New Street to Reading followed by the 1334 Reading to Manchester. Never saw an InterCity/Mainline loco on it though. Here's a couple of shots. The first one is 31414 at Didcot East with the up train (16/11/89) and the second (undated) one is the down train leaving Reading with 31423 (+nutter) at the front.

And now, of course, all you have to do is post a picture here of an unidentified Deltic and someone will usually be able to tell you which one it is before the day is out.

Thanks Paul. Given the name I assumed it was one of those based further north and more likely to be seen on the MGR circuit. I can't recall seeing it any other time even though I was out a lot with the camera in those days.

Back in the late spring of 1988 when I probably should have been studying for my imminent A levels, I photographed this working heading west towards Hungerford on the Berks & Hants. The loco, 56074 Kellingley Colliery, would not normally have been seen down south on aggregate traffic to and from the Mendip quarries and the first four wagons (and possibly the second half of the train too) are Clyde Cement PBAs which were really out of their normal working area. No date I'm afraid and I don't know the working either. And sorry for the relatively poor quality; it was K64 in the camera and a very gloomy day.

J661 posted yesterday is a terrific shot; oozing in period atmosphere, and a lovely composition too with the loco framed nicely by the corner of the roof and chimney stack. If it wasn't for the passing train you could probably hear the sound of the car's unseen owner rummaging around in his toolbox looking for the correct size spanner. One of your very best, David. Thank you!

Time for a few pictures now to illustrate what I am doing (click to enlarge). This is the view looking west. The scenic section will be on the right with a seven road marshalling yard in the foreground. The station and depot will be on the wider section where the chimney flue is. On the left of the picture is the fiddle yard. There will be seven roads each for the up and down main lines. Ignore the track with the wagons on; that doesn't represent anything on the finished track plan. I just wanted to see what a rake of 15 VBA vans looked like snaking through a reverse curve. This is the view looking east (scenic section on left, fiddle yards on the right). Most of the area on the left will be the "St.Blazey-esque" marshalling yard. The main lines (with up and down goods loops east of the station, like Lostwithiel) will be to the left of the yard. This is the bit that's been causing me most grief so far; the multi-storey fiddle yard... Furthest from the camera is the "Newquay" branch which climbs away to a three-road fiddle yard which sits above part of the up line fiddle yard (but not the bit where any fiddling will take place). Nearest the camera is the "Fowey" branch which descends to a run round loop underneath the down line fiddle yard. In between them is the main line section which spreads out into two staggered seven road fiddle yards. The Kato track in the pictures won't be used for the layout (that'll be Peco Code 55). I bought some to use as a test track and then used curves of various radii as templates to cut the plywood sections for the bits where the track is raised above the baseboards. On the scenic bits of the main line, the minimum curve radius will be 36 inches to give nice sweeping curves. Off scene, and on the branches, minimum curve radius will be 15 inches. I'm not due to work much in March so hopefully I'll be able to make some progress with track laying.

I took a picture of a 33/1 shoving what I think is a pair of TCs (although one is a five car unit) nearly 30 years ago at Cholsey. I didn't know what the working was then and had more or less forgotten about it. Maybe it was such a troop train.

A cracking shot, that! Spent many a happy hour in my youth on the cattle dock directly across the tracks from West Main signalbox.

It's D1099 WESTERN MYSTERY

I came across the following image today which appears to be a Carflat in the consist of an engineers train. To me, it looks like the first variant of the model that the NGS are producing. I don't know how widespread use on such trains was but if Motorail trains or new car delivery trains don't have a place on your layout, here's a good reason to buy some. As many people have said before, you can't have too many engineers wagons... http://www.hondawanderer.com/37197_Denchworth_1994.htm PS. Anyone have any idea what a Carflat might have been used for in an engineers train?

So we are (Royal Highland Fusilier) but not for much longer...

Last week I posted a schematic track diagram to the Peco Technical Advice Bureau for their input on wiring the layout. Today, it arrived back annotated with where all the power feeds and insulated joints should go. As there will be over a hundred points on the layout (actually 111 at the last count, but I might still pop another siding or two in somewhere) there was as much red ink on the diagram as on some of my school essays from the 1980s. As an electrical novice, I see challenging times ahead when I get to that stage.

I parked there for years but can't see my motor in that picture. I know who the Ford Sierra belonged to, though.

I am not sure at which point it is acceptable to start a layout thread on this particular forum but the baseboards are almost finished, the track is almost all purchased, the track layout is pretty much finalised and I think I can see the way ahead now. So here goes.... This layout has been in my head, and on some small scraps of paper for about twenty years. To be honest, I never really expected it to become a reality at all but I have ended up living in Germany in a decent-sized house with enough time and money, and with a wife who slowly came round to the idea of me transforming our loft into a railway room. The thread title says it's a first time layout and that's largely true; I did try a couple of time in my teens to build a layout but on both occasions domestic issues put a stop to them. So this is, in many ways, my first layout and I suspect it will be my last too. Why do I say that? Well, mainly due to the fact that this is a large project. The layout is almost ten metres long and as it's N gauge, a complete circuit of the layout is two scale miles. There is a station, a diesel depot, a freight yard, passing loops and three branch lines diverging from the double track main line. So plenty of operating potential, which is what I want. In essence, it's several smaller layouts in one. And also, it's several locations in one. The era I am most familiar with is the 1980s and as I grew up in Berkshire, the Western is what I know best. Family holidays in the West Country have inclined me towards this area. When I say the layout is several locations in one, I mean that I have taken bits from various places to come up with this idea. It's an amalgamation of Par, St.Blazey and Lostwithiel all in one place but with a few other bits thrown in. I will be adding pictures and a track plan in due course as things progress but I wanted to start this topic now to act as an incentive to keep the project moving forward.

Probably 6O51 Ripple Lane to Micheldever, usually a 37/7 and the only train of TEAs running in that area at that time with a single 37 on the front.

No need. I saw one there once. Or was it a 37...?

Proof that frothing can work sometimes

I'd go for a dozen of those!

Very occasionally I am lucky to see one (there are a few still knocking about in the Fatherland) on my commute and "imposing" is very apt, both in looks and sound. Back on topic, I too will be sorry to see the end of this layout, which captures many of the features that make West Country railways so appealing.

I agree, and the same goes for Swayfield as well. I love the picture of the 40 with a mixed goods that seems to stretch back to the horizon! It's a shame that such interesting trains have disappeared from the current scene. Well, in the U.K. anyway. I was waiting for my train to work a couple of weeks ago in Osnabrück (Germany) and a monster 42 wagon freight ran through with a real mixed bag of steel, timber, coal and chemical tanker wagons, amongst others; at least a dozen different wagon types. And that was on a Sunday morning!

Likewise! Now, let the Deltic identification begin!

I had lots of practice at this when out flagging signals. There wasn't much else to do between trains...

You sure about that? Looks like headlight on, tail lights off and a driving operative in the cab to me.