jazzer

Of all the brilliant models that I could be inspired by on RM web, I seem to be sidetracked and fascinated by posts from a bloke simply unpacking boxes. Most of us would probably regard it as a major challenge to scratch build one loco from styrene sheet, but you seem to turn them out almost on a production line. How long roughly does it take to do each one, apart from painting ?

I am sure Sheffield Exchange has plenty of commuters that only you can see but nobody else can ! ! !

Something to do with the Emperors new clothes I think

I do like the double headed Class 31's as I suppose if one must have deisels Green 31's are as easy on the eye as they get. However, at risk of a descent into pedantry, may I be so bold as to enquire whether there is any recorded occasion when the gangways were actually used ? I'll be blowed if I can ever remember seeing a photograph of them working in multiple, let alone in the flesh (or perhaps the metal), a certainly never known the gangways to be used, although living on the Eastern Region, it was rare to see anything double headed ever. Or was a case of being overcome by modellers licence ? It all looks pretty good though.

That really is a cracking layout. Modelling is one thing but capturing an atmosphere is so, so, difficult, yet one look at the pictures screams West Of England mainline. Well done on an exceptional model.

Well, that brings the memories flooding back ! The best I could handle or my wallet could afford was a 250cc Greeves Griffon, tuned by Mike Bavin that was rated as the fastest Greeves in the Eastern Centre at the time although could never match the speed of the CZ's in the dry but was far more manageable than they were if it was wet! My travelling companion was a mate who was a maths teacher, and who was very short sighted with pebble glasses and even raced in them but still couldn't see very far in front of him. He rode a very powerful 360Cc Greeves so you can imagine the shenanigans with him hardly being able to see very far in front of him and a powerful bike with a mind of its own ! All a distant memory now though , but my life long love of steam engines still continues. I love reading about KM and some of the other superb models on RM web. All very inspirational as I make snails pace progress with my own (steam era) project.

Now you are going over to the big beasts will we be seeing you on a 360cc CZ at Farliegh Castle instead of a 250?

I don't think there is any truth in the theory that Bulleid light pacifics were destined for the Great Eastern mainline. The idea seems to have gained a bit of traction because one Bullied pacific (from memory I think it was Sir Archibald Sinclair) was tested in 1950 but according to Richard Hardy this was simply so they could get some idea of the loads and times a class7 loco was capable of before organising the new timetable in readiness for the introduction of the "Britannia" standard Class7's in early 1951, which had already been agreed.. Bullied pacifics were seen the GE line again a couple of years later when all the Britannias were temporally withdrawn after a driving when worked loose on its axle while working the Golden Arrow and some light pacifics were borrowed from the Southern to keep services going. After modifications the Britannias returned to the GE and the Bulleids were sent back to the Southern region. There was never any intention to keep them. The decision to order 27 EM2's is a puzzle. I cant think where they would be used. Hardly the GE main line I would have thought because much of it in those days was,like the Woodhead route restricted to 60mph, and needed a lot of work done to straighten curves and improve the track before it could justify electrification to Clacton and Ipswich in 1962. By that time of course the benefits of a 25kv system were obvious and the EM2' could not have been used anyway.

Ah, well, each to his own I suppose, but overhead wires are a turn off for me. I still think you should carry on with a Sheffield Exchange though. The wonderful Green RT London Country bus is a great idea though.

Noooooo! I used somtimes pop over to Harlow Town I my lunch hour. Boring,boring. I suppose I must have been hoping to see the ghost of some long scrapped L1 hauling 7 Thompson suburbans to Hertford East but all I ever saw was a couple of soul - less electrics sneering at me as they slid in and out , and I f I was lucky a Class 47 shaking the wall as it thundered up to Cambridge. For a model zero operational interest. Sheffield Exchange is a terrific concept for your dmu fleet and you have to see it through. I think most of us on here want to see it finished . It is your public duty to get on with it especially if there is some steam as well. Imagine a steam / deisel loco change on a Manchester- Parkeston Quay for example, not far removed from prototype. Endless possibilities compared to Harlow. Love your loco models, just need to see them in action.!

Great Stuff ! The bit liked best was the 4F, one of my favourite classes. I saw a lot of them mostly on coal trains/empties through Market Rasen and occasionally Bank Holiday excorsions from places like Nottingham to Cleethorpes. They also handled the Boat Trains from Tilbury Riverside to St. Pancras. Thing is I never remember them going all that fast, maybe 40mph tops ( maybe others can say different?). Possibly the reason is because of their relatively small 5ft 3in driving wheels combined with axle boxes that were a bit prone to failure, plus of course the lack of a leading pony truck or bogie for stability on curves. Maybe the one in the video is deputising for a failed class 5 on the fitted refrigerated freight, hammering along to make up time but if you hang some coal empties behind it at 20/30 mph you have a more common prototype, and it will look great, although I wonder if others have different memories.

Ah yes, Silver Link. The second A4 I ever saw pulling up alongside Silver Fox one Sunday evening at Kings Cross. What a thrill that was at the time. A very appropriate post, if I may say so, as today is the 80th anniversary of its class mate Mallard getting into the history books with its record breaking 126 mph. Incidently, for those that are interested there is a terrific book by Don Hale simply called "Mallard" that describes the whole background of events leading up to the run and the run itself.A great read.

Perhaps that’s because there was nothing railways wise worth remembering from the 1970’s and it should all be consigned to the same dustbin as flared trousers, Afro hairstyles and Austin Allegros. I must have been very lucky discovering railways from a young age. I still ember the day aged about 6or 7 when I fell in love with steam , watching a PLA 0-4-0 saddle tank near Custom House station a short walk from wher I spent the first 8 years of my life. I was able to catch the last few years of the N7’s on the North Woolwich branch, then Liverpool Street and Kings Cross before a motor bike got me to the bitter end at Waterloo. Holidays in Market Rasen produced a variety of steam on holiday excursions to Cleethorpes and 4F 0-6-0s or WD 2-8-0s on freights to Grimsby. I was absolutely bereft when it all came to an end (and still am ) Sadly I never got to see Kings Moreton in steam days but it must have been a wonderful sight with those Halls Granges and Castles hammering through (hint, hint )but the blue diesels Mr Peters puts up are consoling in my grief. Keep’em coming Andy!

Thank you for that. Maybe I'm not such a dinosaur after all.

No doubt the good people of Kings Moreton are as delighted as we are that the axe has been lifted. There can't be many places in the country with a train service like that, completely free from train failures , points failures , signal failures, late running and strikes. The local Commuters Association must be delighted, presumably also the local ASLEF branch will be pleased that the sub shed is being kept open. I am pretty pleased about it myself . I just hope the proprietor of A. Peters ( Photography) , looks after himself and keeps those inspirational pictures coming.

Exceptionally good weathering on the classes 47, and 37, if I may say so.

Elderly care indeed ! I hope you told her that we trainspotters never grow older than 13

Actually, from that angle it's not a bad looking building. Is scratch built, kit or kit bashed ?

That sounds like my kind of pub !

I bet the people in that black and white cottage in the second from bottom picture are the ones behind the movement to get the line closed with those chonking diesels rattling past at all hours, not able to have their windows open for fear of being poisoned by fumes. It's probably occupied by some blameless retired couple who bought hoping to spend their twilight years listening to the melodic simmering of steam trundling by, no doubt accompanied by a friendly wave from the salt of the earth driver and fireman, then overnight those blue things suddenly appear with their choking fumes. Ireally think that steamer should come out of the shed on a few specials if only to make those kindly old folk very happy Good pictures though. One might almost say the Ivo Peters of the diesel era !

Garden Railway ?

Looks ok from here. The goods shed looks ok where it is ( assume you extend the track down to it of course! ) . As I said before there is a limit to what can be achieved when there is only 2ft of width to play with. I would go for the track plan as it is. All I would add is that in the picture the points for the run round loop seem a bit far back (difficult to tell from photo) but as it seems to be a branch operated mainly by tank locos you only need about 8/9 inches beyond the point so as to avoid the need o set the train back to clear the points before you run round. It doesn't matter if the tender locos don't clear the points, it gives you an excuse to have a pilot to remove the train. That's exactly what used to happen at Swanage, when trains from Waterloo arrived behind a Buleid Pacific they had to send a pilot down to remove the train. Anyway, it's your train set and looking good so go for it.

That's a pretty good track plan. The problem for most of us is that on the real railway BLTs were originally built primarily with goods traffic in mind ( in the days of the horse and cart of course ) and if you are modelling the steam era the real goods yards tend to be much bigger than most of us have space for. Therefore the trick is to make the oo guage goods yard look more extensive than it actually is. I think in your plan you've made quite a reasonable job of that in the space available. I like the headshunt running parallel to the running line. It helps the illusion of making it seem more extensive, and is fairly prototypical. If Iwas being ultra fussy I would say perhaps consider having the bay platform on the goods yard side to make it more prototypical e.g. Swanage but that's a very minor thing and personal preference. I look forward to seeing more as it takes shape.

It's the reverse curves that give the layout it's character Andy. There are very few sections of real railway that are perfectly straight and level, but lack of space means most of us finish up with straight track and over sharp curves, so it's always refreshing to see your videos. P.S. Don't let Dr B.Ching anywhere near Kings Morton for the time being. There will be blood on the streets if it's allowed to close.

A man after my own heart. It's always frustrates me at exhibitions when I see a layout built far in excess of any modelling standards I could expect to achieve and the whole thing is ruined ( to my mind anyway) by untypical speeds, particularly pulling away from stations. So many operators seem to be impatient to get the train up to some wholly unrealistic speed before it disappears into the fiddle yard. Equally unpalatable ( well to me anyway ) are trains that hammer into a station and screech to an unrealistic stop.Dont lets even mention shunting in the yard at a scale 20mph. I think adjusting yours to a scale 60mph looked slow because you are used to seeing them run too fast, but well done for working it all out and raising the point.