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Evening everyone, I must say that I'm really enjoying the use of this new camera. It captures the lighting and focus very well indeed. I'm certainly no photographer but the camera does capture the atmosphere of the layout really nicely from different angles and picks out the detailing and weathering of stock and scenery really superbly. The 03 spent last weekend up here whilst our resident 08 was having a rest (previous post) but she is back on her normal duties this week and, when not hiding in the shed, she usually enjoys trundling around doing some wagon bashing, especially if a larger engine such as the Collett Goods or Dukedog rolls in on a freight. I love these 08s, both Bachmann and Hornby, so much so that thoughts are now turning to a new layout, but that's another story... For now at least, I can savour the delights of photographing this little beauty as she goes about her daily business after 2260 has brought in a pick up freight for shunting around. Cheers for now, Chris

Hi Alan, I've only just discovered this wonderful thread of your stunning layout after seeing it at Wigan show last weekend. I spent a fair amount of time soaking up all the fantastic atmosphere that your layout has. Amazing! I really was in awe of your canal, especially the lovely swans swimming around. Are these Springside ones? Once again, a superb job and hope to see it again soon. I shall be following your thread with interest. Chris

Hi Ray and Polly, It was lovely to see Camel Quay again over the weekend at Wigan show. I saw you both last year at Warrington and the layout impressed me back then. It is an excellent read to see Camel Quay's development throughout this thread and I really liked your Sentinel shunter down by the quayside. Is this a Model Rail exclusive item? Keep up the amazing work and hopefully see you again soon! Chris

Hello everyone, This weekend has seen a visitor spend some time here at Berry Pomeroy up the branch at the terminus. The resident 08 has been away having some minor weathering added and a lovely 03 has been busy in the yard bashing wagons around. I think she looks quite at home here, circa 1962 Chris

Hello St Enodoc, Just caught up with this superb blog. Looks like you have a very interesting plan here which should shape up very nicely! Good luck with it and I shall watch with interest Chris

A very interesting layout here with some inspiration and ideas taken from familiar places! Enjoy building and running trains...and I'll follow with interest. Chris

Evening everyone, Not a great deal to enlighten you all to with Berry Pomeroy recently. We have settled down to steady life here at the terminus with all major jobs now completed. Some weathering of stock regularly takes place in between other jobs which is great for relaxing and unwinding and some new shots taken with a new camera seem to have paid off. I very much like the focus that the new camera gives in emphasising objects in the foreground. Here we see 9786 signalled for departure with a morning service down the branch and the fireman seems to be waving to the guard's Right Away whistle. Finally, a shot taken looking down towards the road over bridge from the station building end of the layout. I really like this shot and it shows how excellent this new camera actually is. I also like how it highlights the curvature of the line leaving the station environs. Enjoy your hobby and the autumn beauty outside! Chris

Hello there, As promised a few weeks ago, here are some recent shots of the new signalbox interior from one of the superb Springside kits. White metal pieces and a joy to assemble over a couple of days. Being only the small signalbox kit, no shelf for the bell instruments is provided so a little scratch building was necessary to knock up a simple shelf and legs out of plasticard to stand over the levers. Being only a small box, it doesn't need cluttering but a suitable signalman is now needed. Preferably either sat reading the paper in between trains or leaning against the post on the outside balcony surveying the scene. Possible ideas needed here but the search is definitely on... Enjoy your modelling and the remainder of the summer warmth. Chris

You're welcome, William. Ah righto, good to hear about your scratch built bridge and I look forward to seeing the finished structure. Best of luck with this! Is this to replace the tunnel entrance on your micro layout? Chris

Hi William, What a superb little layout. Really well thought out, detailed and simple but very effective. Well done and keep up the great work! Looking forward to seeing the rebuilding, especially the new brick overbridge. Are you using the Wills one? Kindest regards, Chris

Hello to all fellow modellers, Some recent modelling has taken place around BP over the current summer period. Mainly small detailing areas now really but this is the part of modelling that I like best. Some weathering of wagons has taken place as well as the fitting of a signal box interior, which I really did enjoy doing (some photos will follow shortly). However, it's always relaxing and pleasing to take some nice shots of the layout in different lighting conditions, such as the ones here from the yard. 4560 has just been given the 'off' by the box for the branch passenger. Also, if a certain postman has lost his cat, I may have found it by the yard crane... Enjoy your summer. Chris

Hello fellow modellers, Recently trying out some new angles with the camera which produced this rather nice trackside shot from underneath the road bridge. Ahead, the local goods is ready for the off hauled by 4560. The new "to do list" includes the additional fitting of a slightly larger telegraph pole next to the signal box. Presumably this was the norm for each 'box for bell code communication and telephones? Enjoy your modelling! Chris

Hi Gary, Just noticed and caught up with your thread and read with interest your #20 post regarding the Hornby Skaledale GWR station building. This model is fantastic and I have used one myself on my current layout for my GWR branch. I kicked myself years ago for not buying one when I saw one in a local model shop and so a certain online auction site saved the day back in January. I highly recommend it if you're still looking for a station building. Enjoy your modelling and look forward to your postings with updates. Chris

It has been a few weeks since the last update on here but a few bits and pieces of work have taken place on the layout since then. Most notably has been the construction of a new signal heading out under the road bridge onto the fiddle yard. I must confess that this signal was beautifully built by my superb fellow modelling friend. I fitted a shunting 'S' to the lower arm to enable goods to be shunted forward towards the section starter signal (to be seen in the distant future when the layout is extended) and reversed into the yard to access the goods shed and/or cattle dock. Both signals work excellently and are perfectly suited just before the road bridge. Here are a few recent photos: the new signal post with shunting 'S' fitted. The signal in situ waiting for ballasting around. Ballasting completed and a rare view from the backscene towards the road bridge/fiddle yard entrance. A view from a passing photographer from the road bridge with a trip working having arrived in the station with a 45xx and the newly installed signal in the foreground. Enjoy your modelling! Chris

Hello, Just another quick update here in GW country. A new GWR platform water crane has been installed at Berry Pomeroy to feed those thirsty locomotives. It is a lovely white metal kit and looks much better than the Hornby version previously. Plenty more detail and actually slightly taller and more accurate to swing over the top of the locos. Image 1 showing the crane just after painting and placing on the platform for size and overall look. Image 2 showing completed crane with drainage, brazier underneath (which needs weathering under the crane arm from the soot) and chain attached onto the arm and fastened securely onto the wooden post. By stroke of luck, 5500 was completing some shunting whilst the photograph was taken and suitably posed One of my favourite locos and looks lovely with light weathering added. Also, the same afternoon, 9786 rests on shed as the crew prepare for the next duty. Enjoy your modelling everyone. Chris

Thanks Jules. Indeed it is! I just need to get round to creating a better system of shunting puzzles using picture cards to randomly choose which wagons stay or depart when shunting the yard after an arrival. It's surprising how long you can spend shunting, arranging and forming a consist of wagons before a passenger service comes along to snag everything momentarily! Chris

Hello everyone, Not had an update on here for a few weeks. Things have developed happily here at Berry Pomeroy. The final side of the road bridge from the fiddle yard has been sculpted and completed directly behind the goods shed. The orchard is taking shape with apple saplings planted as well as bits and pieces such as benches, sheds, sundial and the usual garden equipment. The water tower finally has it's ladders leading to the top. Finally, after many failures with the Dapol electric working signals (2 decided to throw tantrums and refuse to work after a few days each) a replacement Ratio one has been installed instead. Manual operation wins the day. Very annoying due to their price but I'm wondering if this is a problem other modellers have or have had? The layout is providing me with plenty of hours of enjoyment, particularly the interesting shunting arrangements. Anyway here are photos if they are of some interest. Thanks for looking everyone and be happy in your modelling Chris

Another few updates here at Berry Pomeroy since last week and a few recent photos if they may be of interest. The attention has recently turned this week to a few detailing parts around the yard. Bits and bobs in terms of general railway clutter and around the locomotive shed, as well as ground signals and the odd grassy tuft here and there. I'm refraining from cluttering the yard too much as it feels as if less is more here. The front scenic area is coming along nicely with the small embankment and the wartime pill box embedded within. Again, this is the papier mache job which gives me plenty of joy to mould. The cattle dock has been moulded around to fit within the embankment also. Having photos of the cattle dock at Highley station provided guidance here Finally, a start was made on a simple allotment with some veg growing which was delightful to build. Simple matchsticks for the border painted brown works a treat and next job here is to include a greenhouse with plants growing inside as well as planting some small apple saplings and knocking something together for the signalman's gardening patch having been tended to in between trains. Enjoy your own modelling everyone and thank you for looking. Chris

It's been a very productive couple of days recently here on the layout. Plenty of fine details have been carried out around the station and yard. Definitely the odd thing needs touching up here and there. Our hobby is great in that there isn't really a finishing point. There's always something new to add or something that you one day notice that you've missed. At least that's my view anyway Here are some recent photos showing a couple of branch passenger services in the station with a pannier and a lovely railcar. I cannot explain how joyful this is to operate. Super smooth from day one and always gives the 'clicket clack' as it arrives and departs from Berry Pomeroy. Also, we have a Midland interloper on shed. This 1F is absolutely ideal for shunting the yard and biffing wagons around. A shot taken in some lovely morning sunshine, although it does seem a bit dark. Cameras can be so evil at times. The layout really does look ten times better with the naked eye! Amongst other bits and bobs, I have enjoyed piecing together and painting the fire buckets attached onto the Pagoda shed. One of the lovely Dart Castings items picked up from their excellent stall at York Model Show over Easter. Chris

It's lovely to write about some great detailing progress here on Berry Pomeroy. Yesterday evening and today has seen plenty of action around the station area. GWR spear fencing has been added, as well as some new platform lamps and a nice flower bed with stone edging around the running in board along with some raised brick flowerbeds. Now, we are just short of people, a few advertisements on the fencing and are awaiting to install a lovely new platform water crane when it arrives in the post and has been painted. Also, the embankment has had a few extra bushes installed and general detailing around the base of the signal box has been added as well. It's so nice to see plenty of colour beginning to take shape on a new layout and it breathes life into us as modellers as well. Chris

What great additions to the layout today, Jules. Also, I must say...Snap! Today I have been "planting" the same exact flowers too on the platform here at Berry Pomeroy. Ideal and ever so simple to install with great effects. Also, well done with the goods shed repaint. Perfectly GWR now! Also, I like your new signal box nameplates. I think they look similar to the one I have used here. Is it the Cooper Craft one? Keep up the super work. Always a joy to see Mayshill's updates Chris

Well, just a couple of new shots here of the new embankment from the road bridge. This has been such a joy to construct! Although messy, I really do enjoy using the old fashioned papier mache technique with newspaper and "borrowing" some instant papier mache mix from work helps a treat and sets solid overnight. As a result, this technique always gives great results and shows effectively the dips and mounds in the embankment shape really well. The whole embankment was painted brown before drying then generously applying PVA glue over the top before adding scatter, hedges and the odd tree here and there. Once dry, the rest of the ballast around the signal box was added as well as a couple of other detailing parts. Looking forward to making the next small mound at the front of the layout in the not too distant future!

Very impressive new coaching stock here, Jules. Well done! It's always nice to see different varieties to keep your interest flowing May I ask you where your platform gas lamps are from? Are they Ratio kits? Keep up the super work! Chris

Hello everyone, Just a quick update during a busy, messy week on the new layout. This week has seen plenty of ballasting using the new ballast spreader and gluing with the Ballast Bond liquid. Further on from this has seen plenty of embankment moulding on the back of the layout from the overbridge and around the rear of the station. Papier mache is one of my favourite parts of modelling and, once dry, will be painted brown and grass scatter applied. Chris

Another great weekend has been spent on Berry Pomeroy. This weekend has seen the installation of the station platform with the beautiful station building and pagoda shed placed on top to gain effect. I have to say for myself that this looks wonderful and is a lovely addition to the developing layout. Also, the platform starting signal has been installed and onto the control panel as well. In addition, the full (well almost) locomotive fleet has now been moved into the fiddle yard where they can all chat comfortably and simmer in between duties. Currently, ballasting has commenced around the yard and station using one of the handy Proses ballast spreaders. Chris