SDJR7F88

Black (Victorian Brown) Beauty...
Ffestiniog Railway Large England 0-4-0T+T, 'Welsh Pony' assends Gwyndy Bank with 'The Victorian' bound for Tan-Y-Bwlch. The match loco and stock makes for a resplendant sight against the rugged Welsh landscape.

A bit late, but better than never. Here's my video from the weekends event. Cracking show as ever, welldone to all involved.

28th April 2024 saw the RMweb South West Area Group (SWAG) host their annual members day held at Staplegrove Village Hall, Taunton, Somerset.
The show featured no less than 10 visiting layouts and dioramas in a variety of gauges and scales, as well as the famous 'bring & buy' stand, plus a good selection of other traders and demonstration stands . 
Layouts as featured;
OLD PARROCK - 4mm
CROPPER STREET SIDINGS - OO
PAYNESTOWN - N
ST.OSWALDS - 0-16.5
KYLE OF LOCHALSH - 2mm Finescale
RUYTON ROAD - P4
MIDDLETON TOP - 4mm
OSNEY TOWN - 7mm
UPBECH ST. MARY - 4mm
LYDBROOK DEAN - 4mm
Hope you enjoy!

Confectionery Crossing...
Fry's Sentinel, No.7492 make a rare appearance on the road crossing outside the gates of the Somerdale site, as it propels one of the firm's registered 'GWR Mink A' vans towards Keynsham station. From there the van will be collected by a local pick-up goods and taken into Bristol, before being marshaled into one of the many express freight service for the North - with it's confectionery contents travel as far as Glasgow or Edinburgh!

The 'Mink A' van is one of the latest releases from Rapido Trains UK, and was suitably weathered prior to staging this photo; I used various weathering powders to replicate the faded/bleached paintwork often seen on GWR goods vehicles after a few months in service.

Lady in Blue...
Penrhyn Hunslet 2-4-0T+T, No.590 'Linda' scales the slatewalls of Gwyndy Bank, making light work of the 1 in 80 gradient.

Winter at Wellow...
Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway 7F 2-8-0, No.53809 makes a spectacle as it approaches Midford with a coal train from Norton Hill Colliery during the sever winter of 1963...

During RailEx Taunton 2023 I had the opportunity to take-in one of Britain's finest model railways - Chilcompton Tunnel - Stephen Jones and his team's stunning recreation of this much photographed location on the legendary Somerset & Dorset Railway in OO.
Filmed in the style of the legendary railway photographer Ivo Peters, we see just a small selection of over 20 prototypical train formations as they tackle the challenging gradients of the Mendip Hills edited with real sound. Sounds are provided by a number of prototypical and similar locomotives from my collection, captured at various Gala and Preserved Railways over the past few years.
Trains as featured:
0:18 - Fowler 4F Class 0-6-0, No.44447 pilots West Country Class 4-6-2, No.34091 'Weymouth' on a South bound express.
1:18 - Stanier 8F 2-8-0, No.48773 heads North with a Pigeon Special, whilst GWR interloper Collett 2251 Class 0-6-0, No.3210 emerges from Chilcompton Tunnel with the stopping service to Templecombe.
2:44 - Fowler 4F Class 0-6-0, No. 44331 makes a powered accent of the Mendip hills on a stopping goods.
3:28 - S&DJR 7F Class 2-8-0, No.53806 makes a spirited getaway from Chilcompton with a rake of empties bound for Radstock.
4:18 - BR Std 9F 2-10-0, No.92220 'Evening Star' heads South with the 'Pines Express', as BR Std 5MT 4-6-0, No.73082 coasts toward Bath with a fertilizer train.
Hope you enjoy!

Going down with flying colours...

Vicar Sam Weech and Ollie Matthews - the Bishop of Welchester, nurse 'Thunderbolt' on the final charge to Mallingford. 

Having lost time due to circumstances beyond their control, the duo use the down hill stretch of the line to their advantage... taking care not to exceed the 25mph speed limit imposed by the Light Railway Order act of course...

The Lonesome Pine... 
BR Std 9F 2-10-0, No.92220 'Evening Star' fittingly heads the final 'Pines Express' over the Mendip Hills - 8th September 1962.

The long slog... 

WD Austerity 2-8-0, No.90553 plods North with an unfitted minerals train. The locomotive is seen here passing one of a number of water troughs on the route as it begins the long climb to the summit.

Well... It took four days, but this years video from Larkrail is now edited online!!! Once again, many thanks to all involved.

15th July 2023 saw the return of the Larkrail Model Railway Exhibition at the New Oriel Hall, Larkhall, Bath. The show featured no less than 11 layouts and dioramas in a variety of gauges and scales, as well as a good selection of demo stands, plus trade.

Layouts as featured;

ARUN QUAY - 7MM

HUNSLET WORKS - 7MM SCALE / NARROW GAUGE

NEWTON HEAT WORKS - 7MM SCALE / NARROW GAUGE

COPENHAGEN FIELDS (GOODSHED AND MARKET) 2MM FINESCALE

LOCKTY - EM

WANTAGE TRAMWAY - P4

ARCADIA - S SCALE

SHELFIE 4 - MAPLE RIVER - H0

SHEEP DIP - OO

UPWATCH QUARRY - 16MM

HEPTON WHARF - P4

Hope you enjoy!

10 hours ago, phil_sutters said:

These superb images reminded me that I hadn't replaced my Bath to Bournemouth album, that had got lost in the platform transfer. That oversight has now been corrected. There are photos of a similar train with a 7F receiving assistance from a Bagnall. 

 

 

Funny you mention those photos Phil. As these are the ones I took inspiration from! The brake van being suitable modified and weathered from that first pic (though the tail, tail WH marking was hidden by the tree)! 

Wonder what that marking ment...