westernviscount

Some inspirational news for the kids. Forget dreams of being a nurse, teacher, doctor, astronaut, musician.... Youtuber is the way forward!! It all makes me feel kind of...well...empty. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-59987711

Another couple of kit efforts relating to containers... I am rather happy with the paintimg of the deck on this one. Not sure what happened to the XP decal though. Probably attached itself to what ever I was wearing at the time!

Your shackles look rather nice Iain. I think I will have a go at adding the shock absorber next time on mine. For what it's worth, here are my efforts. The conflats and BD container are parkside kits and the 'a' type insul container is from Bachmann. Shackles are from Roxey I made it fun for myself by fixing the container to the bed before making the shackles.

With all if tge above in their raw state...

Some parcels stock for Templefield... A super detailed LMS Lima GUV The Bachmann BG with open doors And a Comet kits Hawksworth BG. I nees to attend to the bogies which I previously neglected to remove the earlier footboards.

Happy New Year folks. My list... 1. Spend more time running the layout, trying to remember how enjoyable it is when I am in the "I cant be bothered" mood. 2. Sort out the fiddle yard, adding space at the back of the layout. 3. Get all rolling stock to a satisfactory state (especially all couplings standardised and reliable) 4. Address bufferbeam detail of the locos 5. Build another brass coach kit when finances allow 6. Spend less time on RMweb and more time modelling. 7.Accept retirement is never going to come, so feel no guilt for pusuing a hobby I love now and let the go getters go get.

Construction of the signal for Templefield. The main parts are made up from tge ratio kit with a scratch built extension of the footboard. The route indicator was built from plastikard... The arms and route indicators are operated by .5mm brass wire and L cranks under the baseboard by GEM.

A few more shots of a quiet Templefield... Another sunny day eleviates the gloom. Empty platforms are the realuty of Templefield in the early seventies. Closure to passengers is weeks away in this shot.

As I said up thread, I was lucky to meet Barry Norman at the mid essex show and I was invited to write a piece for MRJ which I thoroughly enjoyed.

A sunny day at Templefield...

Thank you Simon. I have considered the idea of EM myself. I see it as the next step to serious modelling. It especially looks good on small layouts where the track is usually right up to the front of the layout. Templefield has echoes of an EM layout called Carron Road from the eighties or nineties. I did not knowingly copy and the presentation of mine is very different but the trackplan could be a direct steal!!

The seldom photographed goods yard. Tgis is the end of the layout with the fiddle directly behind it. Less attention was given to this part of the layout and I intend to correct this, this year. I ignored the lamp for a long time until "lockdown". I hadn't really considered how crude it looked. So I fashioned a new one from spare copper tube and MSE ladder and turned a piece of plastic using a mini drill for the lamp shade...

A track plan of Templefield for the curious.

Something I have managed to do during the "lockdown" period is this chopped about BG cameo. And another sad pic in the early seventies!

Many thanks both. Ha ha, i am reminded of what someone said to me at an exhibition... "What a place, I would hate to be stranded here". Mission accomplished I thought!!! Speaking of exhibitions, I have not been out with the layout since Sept 2019 at Bury St. Edmunds. Although I haven't attended many, I very much miss them. I find the promise of an upcoming show was very motivating.

Thank you all for your kind observations. The layout has stalled somewhat over the last year for one reason and another and postingbpics and reading your comments has encouraged me to blow the dust off and take a look at those "maybe tomorrow" jobs.

Whilst the track was renewed I staged a mini diorama of how things might have looked after TEMPLEFIELD closed...

Many thanks Paul. Tysley is such an atmospheric station. The plastikard construction means the structure is not the most stable and some warping and twisting has occured. I am very tempted to revisit perhaps using some brass for key bits.

When I started, I thought I had no intention of exhibiting. However my early experience with the hobby very much involved exhibitions and they became one of the most enjoyable aspects of the hobby. As a punter at the Canvey island Transport show, I felt a small event might be a fun thing to get involved with so arranged to attend the following year witht the layout. Although deadlines had become the bane of my life in work, I found the promise of a show a real motivator. So 2016 sae the first show on Canvey. In this form the layout was rather diminutive in stature, being set at a height comfortable to sit whilst operating but I found it too low for most viewers. Based on experience at Canvey, a rebuild of the legs raised the layout up to a more comfortable viewing height for most. Thos seemed to improve things. Lighting was on loan from my Dad's layout. I decided to build a pelmet for the lighting and to frame the layout. The picture above is the layout at the 2017 Mid Essex show. I was lucky enough to speak to lots of like minded folk at this show and have maintained friendships from this event. By chance Barry Norman attended the show and I was invited to write a piece for Model Railway Journal which I of course was bowled over by. The layout was recorded and features in this video. Templefield is at 12.20ish. Although the weekend was very enjoyable, I was very disappointed with how the layout ran. My hotch potch approach to track laying had caught up with me along with less than careful use of couplings. The above vid captured some horrendous buffer lock and the back and forth running is due to my less than reliable point motors. This pic captures a key error. I had not given track laying the necessary attention. So I decided to have a go at building my own points. This was a very engaging project and corrected lots of running problems.

Some more pics outlining the stock used on the layout. A heavily weathered green sulzer type 4 which is one of the few locos not requiring renumbering from the factory finish. A renumbered rat A partially arty shot of a dmu.

The period of the layout sits after steam and before tops. I chose this period because it involves diesels which is my first love. I also find the period is fascinating because the infrastructure and practices appeared unchanged from steam. As a modeller, I feel this offers more running potential, especially ona small layout than a more modern period. Locos, although forming the basis of the hobby in terms of their appeal in the real world. However, in model form they don't, on reflection appear much of my attention in terms of accuracy etc. Templefield is western region based and as far as I know, few of my locos have any business being on tge layout but I admit my selection is based on my favourites and dare I say, what my budget will allow.

The depot/factory led to some happy weathering, using a stencil for the "ghost sign" and enamel paints and powders for the rust effects.

As I say, the scratchbuilding of structures is the most enjoyable part of the hobby for me. The signal box is plastikard including the window frames which is something I would probably not elect to do next time! The pub is based on one in Cheltenham I think. A very absorbing (read distressing) project was the signal. It is bashed up from a ratio kit and scratchbuilt working route indicators. The dodgy brickwork on the platform represents the baseboard join!

The scale is 4mm with track by smp and points originally scavanged from by Dad. In all honesty, the significance of the name is purely one of convenience. TEMPLEFIELD is one of the made up names in the modelmaster nameboard kit. The station building is based on Tysley with the stairs ppsitioned centrally. The canopy is handbuilt from plastikard, inclusive of the valance. The clock is based on a photograph of the clock at Llangollen station (my spiritual home!).

Hi PJ. Many thanks. I am going to put some up a bit at a time due to the pic sizes but intend to reduce the sizes so I can post more without the faff.