Londontram

Thought of turning the chassis but there's no room in the smoke box I know Airfix chassis have there critics but the motor on the 14xx dose sit quite low but over the bogie area so most likely would be seen in the cap though with the cab doors closed and the crew in place I guess I can live with that in a tank engine

Don't blush you all deserve it, I'm just copying your ideas you all had the imagination, as to the Terrier all the RTR ones drive the back axle so don't lend them self well to converting to 0-4-2s, the 14xx as well as driving the second axle also has slightly bigger wheels which are more inkeeping with the Caley tanks. As to coaches I'm buying in some as and when I see them but I'm looking for ideas for older smaller stock for example can any thing be done with the old Triang clerestory coaches I'm sure I saw on here some one had converted them to look like Caledonian 45' coaches these also turn up on Ebay quite ofen To quote an old friend who used to say "A blind man on a galaping horse couldn't tell the differance"

I’m very much enjoying this thread, your truly an inspiration my friend.

If only Hornby would import spares from china

Yes I saw that the trouble is the ROD's came to the Caledonian in 1919 a bit to late for the period I want to model and I've seen the Cardean model as well and a very hansom loco she is too and B12s seem cheap on Ebay at the momment, the J83s go for next to nothing but lets face it its not one of Hornbys finest. The M7's dont fetch that much but some of them are very old Triang ones its the T9s that seem to be holding their money at the momment I think "Ben Alder" brought up all the spare ones and that has put the price up

As well as all those you've already talked about I do love the 1920s/1930s art deco style poster art from London transport, nothing seems to sum up that inter war period better and my fondest memory of childhood train travel was the posters above the luggage racks on the old carriages showing far away places like Devon and Cornwall, they had an innocence about them like the covers of the old lady bird books where the sun was always shining and kids were building sandcastles on pastel coloured golden sanded beaches

Just found this thread, brilliant - keen to have a go, I've got an old pen set somewhere but never been brave enough to try in the past but I've got some Caledonian coaches to do so need to have a go and this thread has given me the courage to make a start

My first memory of the Deltics were almost being sucked off Newark platform in the 1970s as I stood to close to the edge of the plaform as one passed through at great speed. I'd just moved near there after growing up near Newbury in the land of the western which never seemed to go as fast as the Deltics, sorry I diden't get its number.

Great thread this, always been a London transport fan and have enjoyed watching this develope.

very much enjoying this blog, hats off to the both of you for a wonderful layout all the more amazing seeing how far away you are. Keep up the good work and after seeing the photo's on here my wife wans to have ago on our next one so see what you two have started. Regards Steve

Look chaps can we set the record straight I as much as any one think that the fact that the APT failed was one of the greatest loses to British railway ever it could have worked and should have worked but as you all say chronic lack of investment and a negative government all meant that it was doomed to fail. Ridicule no - regret that it didn’t succeed yes. Perhaps if the money had been there then we wouldn’t now be buying our tilting trains from Italy and our freight trains from Canada.

Great thread giving me lots of ideas keep up the good work chaps

Sorry chaps just saying what i saw as a teenager i didnt understand the politics and could only hear what the people in my dads work were saying about them but I just remember coaches sat on the sidings surrounded by rusty stock with COND on he sides (the rusty stock not the APT coaches) but I recall them sat there not in rakes but on there own spread around the sidings with the clear plastic sheeting over tthe windows ripped and blowing in the wind the rain getting in through the unglazed windows to a 16 year old it didnt look like they where gettting ready for the paint shop. My fatther was an area manager for Internaional stores the supermarket chain now Summerfields and they had a depot here and all the offices were on the second floor directly on the side of the sidings offering a view hundreds of yards in either direction up and down the sidings the works being off to the left under a road bridge. I guess you chaps are right as I say I was only sixteen at the time but it was the talk of my dads depot as to what a state they were in and how long they had been left there exposed to the eliments.

Reading this thread has reminded me of when I was a teenager and my dads head office overlooked the scrap line at Derby and we would watch them shunt the new APT coaches straight out the works onto the scrap line all unpainted and covered in clear plastic sheeting such was the farce in the late 1970s early 1980s after the program had been canceled that the goverment under threat from the unions still let the works complete there contract just to keep the loco workers in work even though it would never go into service and we wonder why it all went wrong. Thanks for the interesting thread. Regards Steve ps I did have photos but they were all lost during a messy divorce hell hath no fury as the saying go'es

This is a great blog I'm going to be starting a layout set around 1890 to 1910 in Scotland the first time I'v ever tried one that far back and will need about 6 or 8 goods/coal wagons and maybe two or three coaches and you've given me so many Ideas keep up the good work. Steve