Focalplane

Looking at the photo it certainly could be running in ex-works as it has that oily look about it. That thought had crossed my mind.

More from the archives. Peter Gray's "Steam on the West of England Main Lines" a photo essay book, has 4706 on a Sunday working 4:15 pm Exeter-Plymouth stopping service, on 30 August 1959. Quote "This was a convenient way of returning to Laira the 47XX class engine which had worked down from London the previous day on the 1:25 pm from Paddington to Kingswear". An additional comment is that the locomotive was in the "typical externally neglected condition typical of many Bristol St. Philip's Marsh engines at that time". So, more evidence that the 47XX worked weekend specials to Devon. In looking through this book it now comes clear that most of the 10XX County Class worked in the Southwest, which explains why I rarely saw one in the Midlands. But that is OT.

10 August 1957 was a Saturday!

Been reluctant to add to this thread until I had my reference to hand. As one of a certain age I can attest that the nickname Night Owl is a modern fabrication. Put another way, if the nickname existed I don't ever remember hearing it until very recently. But the idea that the 47xx only worked at night on fast fitted freights is somewhat apocryphal. I have a copy of R C Riley's Great Western Album from 1966 and there are three photos of the Mixed Traffic 2-8-0 class: 1. 4707 in unlined black on a Bristol Swindon stopping passenger train. 6 April 1951 2. 4700 newly painted in lined green passing Ealing with the 12:05 pm Paddongton Plymouth express. 10 August 1957 3. 4707 emerging from Parson and Clerk Tinnel with a west bound fitted freight - the purpose for which these powerful machines were primarily intended. The photo was taken in broad daylight, no date given. So, two passenger trains out of three, all photographed in broad daylight. Of course this proves nothing much in that most photographs would have been taken in daylight. But it does show that they were out and about doing the mixed traffic duties that Halls and Granges also carried out.

Legge Lane, all two small boards of it plus locos, etc., is back in France. The boards are connected and I have tested the wiring done so far. The turntable works nicely but needs some soundproofing around the Meccano motor/gearbox. So when I return at the end of January there will be work waiting for me. First priority is to finish the track laying around the turntable and test everything before starting on the buildings, scenery, ballasting, etc. I still have not found a suitable fine cinders texture for the yard area. Maybe I will return to the Graissessac open coal pits and grind up some coal dust. I see that PECO have started selling packets of real coal. There goes another business opportunity.

Simon, welcome to RMWeb! If you live near Béziers then there is a good railway model shop in the village of Bessan, east of the city. It is called FB Systems and has a website. No OO gauge but very good HO, even some North American. I suspect that most of its business is mail order though there have always been people in the shop when I called by. I used to live in Nissan lès Ensérune but have now moved to Aude, south of Narbonne. I once stayed in a Formule 1. It was on A1 and full of noisy Dutch families. Once is enough. Ibis Budget (was Étap) is the next up in the Accor Group hotel chain hierarchy and much, much better.

The entire but not very large layout is now in southern France. It could be renamed but there is not much point in that. Shipston actually comes from Sheep's Town, so Moutonville would be a close approximation, but I don't think the GWR, S&MJR, etc. would approve! Unpacking, I realized that there are too many projects on the go, so toward the end of January there will be an attempt at rationalization. There will a strong temptation to start baseboard construction which I will not be able to resist. I am only here for a few days before using some air miles to fly Perpignan to Birmingham via two Paris airports. That will be an interesting day. As noted before, there will remain a Comet Models Caprotti Black Five to look forward to in England. Not that it will feature on the Shipston Branch, but it will keep me happy.

I like the weathering of the lamps - I intend to do the same as the pure white lamp cases just don't look right to me.

I have been away (and no Internet, how did we survive without it?) for a few days and came home to a package from Fox. Now the GWR brass plates can be affixed for 2551, 3207, 5724 and 4804. But not until the entire stock is moved to southern France in a few days time. I have made the decision to keep the two layouts (Shipston and Legge lane MPD) in France for the time being. SWMBO needs the space here in England, what more can I say? (But then I like France). The good news is that the modules that exist are relatively small and fit in the trunk/boot of my car. There will be some activity before Christmas but then there will be a hiatus until mid January. The good news is that a limited amount of material will be left behind in England to allow me to start on a Comet Models Black 5 Caprotti. So there will be activity in both countries, obviously related to where I might be at the time. And the big decision has been made. I officially retire on December 31st! This should mean a lot more focus on modeling. Stay tuned.

I believe they were also based at Aston during this period, or maybe earlier.

Don't do it! The sickness will pass.

Contrasting TGVs Taken at Valence TGV, a combination double trainset consisting of a 700 series Dasye Duplex and a Carmillion International Reseau. The train came from Lille and is heading for Perpignan. The International Reseau is numbered in the 45XX series and is equipped to travel in and out of Belgium. Typically these trains consist of the Bruxelles through train connecting with a Lille based Duplex for onward passage to Lyon, Montpellier and Perpignan. I think the Carmillion paint job is the best so far that SNCF has applied to its TGVs. I think the word is a contraction of Carmine and Vermillion. Valance TGV is a great place to watch TGVs go by as the main concourse is above the tracks with windows looking out to the south. Occasionally, SNCF will route a through ticket with a change here rather than at Montpellier or Lyon. If so, take it!

My Warley "splurge" has joined the Shipston-on-Stour roster and has received a few modifications. The model is the GWR green 9003 which will be re-numbered 3207 when an order of brass plates arrives from Fox Transfers. This is the one that started out life at Stratford (GWR) shed. So far I have added the packaged details that came in the box and added screw link couplers to engine and tender. The metal coal plate has gone and there is some real coal in its place. I have also added a TCS 21 pin DCC decoder which I received this morning from Wickness Models. I like the TCS decoders a lot - very good slow running and the quiet drive lives up to its name. The tender has space for a Loksound V4 and speaker should I decide to upgrade. Crew are very much needed on this open cab model so they will be added next, along with the brass plates. The Dukedog will be paired with the two Hornby Clerestories and this train will serve the fictional route from Birmingham Moor Street through Stratford to Shipston via Ettington Junction. As a Stratford shed loco the service will probably be timetabled to start in Stratford in time to make a 1930s style commuter run to Birmingham from Shipston, with a second service in early evening. EDIT Currently running in the Dukedog and there is absolutely no rock'n'roll about this one, very stable. Should be a great addition to the layout. I also tested 5724 and it ran nicely on its own 8 pin TCS decoder.

I made an L-Girder base when I lived in Houston (and had space!) and I liked the ability to design gradients and leave open spaces for the changing topography. One of the issues I remember was the placement of switch motors within the design. Fortunately Rix made some adaptors for the old solenoid motors that were available back then, so that they could be positioned away from potential snags. I used fir and plywood for the supports and boards. With the high humidity in Houston MDF wasn't really an option unless it was sealed. Thanks for sharing all the detailed photos, a great resource for anyone contemplating this method.

I do think the 14XX Class is one of Collett's finest creations in that it looks the part and performed well in the role it was required to play. In many ways it is a safe bet for Hattons/DJM in that with houses getting smaller the classic GWR branch line will continue to be modeled for the foreseeable future. The key will be in the design of the three axles and the pickup. Like others I am not sure about the choice of numbers and liveries (should my Airfix/Comet not work out) but there are lots of opportunities out there to re-number an engine to suit the era and location.

I really enjoyed Sunday at the Warley Show (NEC). But very little of what I did (and bought) has had an impact on the progress of Legge Lane MPD. Instead I seemed to have focused on the Shipston Branch with quite a few pounds being invested in that project. I did buy a few raw materials that will hasten completion of the turntable and some of the Warley Wagons will be just as much at home at Legge Lane as they will at Shipston. The big impression, however, was in the field of high end laser kits, though Timbertracks's wonderful kits are GWR based. Turn them into LMS designs and I will be interested, but the owners did point out that I can custom design my own shed using Illustrator or Corel Draw. Scalescenes stays on the scene for now. The Greenwood turntables also seem to be the way of the future and there is tremendous potential with their initial offerings (their website is actually some way behind what they had on display). A lot of fun, and a few photos, which are on my Shipston blog, here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/1581/entry-15213-my-first-warley/

My first Warley Show was excellent. But I am now a poor man! I guess these two statements almost have to go hand in hand. The Shipston Branch benefited enormously, with several significant additions, including a GWR Dukedog which was my impulse buy, a TCS decoder for the 57XX, new wheels and bearings for the Hornby Clerestories, Brassmasters coupling rods for the Midland 3F and various bits and bobs. The various small suppliers at the show were most helpful. Sylmaster provided many items listed on my "to buy" sheet. And in general I found the exhibitors to be friendly and interested in my questions and comments. Thanks, guys! There is no doubt that laser cut kits are part of the future; two companies were showing examples of how high the high end can go. Greenwood Model Railway Products exhibited what are basically laser kit turntables still under development but very close to being ready for market. I calculate that their kit is three times the cost of the Peco kit but since I have now bought three of the latter their cost is competitive. My next turntable will probably be a Greenwood (60 ft vacuum style, please!). The other high end manufacturer is Timbertracks and their engine sheds are fantastic. Unfortunately at the moment they are mainly GWR and not LMS, but the future could open up all sorts of possibilities. Not much evidence of 3D printing (the demonstrator had to call in sick, unfortunately) though I am following this new branch of the hobby through RMweb. I have been following the new product announcements with interest though in all cases they are not likely to be on my wish list. The nearest would be the DJ models/Hattons 14XX/48XX/58XX loco, but I am currently making a Comet/Airfix hybrid and that will be just fine. I understand there are now two different Adams Radials in the works which seems like unfortunate over kill. A Midland 2F 0-6-0 or similar would seem to be of a lot more use to more modelers - numerous built, wide distribution as well as a wide range of liveries. I had not been to the NEC for several years and in the interim a lot of good things have taken place. It is a truly huge but magnificent location and very versatile as well. The cost of food and drink does seem to be high, though. A few photos: Waiting for the door to open: Talyllyn: Warley (NEC) from Talyllyn's cab: Bellerophon:

With two Airfix bodies and a Comet chassis almost complete I may pass on this one. No-one has asked how the trailing axle will be sprung, this is the 64,000 dollar question IMHO as it was the problem with the original Airfix chassis. But I remember the 14XX class with a great deal of affection - the Gobowen Rattler was a regular for me in the late 1950s.

Alan I am most impressed with your progress. The learning curve was steep but you seem to be reaching a level plateau of productivity. Exciting times to see the research starting to bear fruit. The Comet chassis for the Dean Goods is fairly straightforward and in P4 should be easier than in OO. You may complete yours before I do mine at my present rate of progress. Painting won't start until the New Year due to travel and family commitments.

I think I have finally found a prototype loco for renumbering my Midland 3F. Though this is not without some uncertainty. Today I received my copy of Middleton Press' "Branch Lines around Towcester" which is a strange title for a book dedicated to the Stratford upon Avon and Midland Junction Railway. Obviously the authors had leanings toward the eastern end of the line. However, there is a photo of a Midland 3F, No. 3529 at Fenny Compton, hauling a Stratford bound train in 1939. This is Plate 86 in the book. Meantime, Mike Musson of warwickshirerailways.com fame (yes he should be famous!) has revisited and tweaked the photos of Stratford Shed and posted them on the site. His image smjsa77b has been significantly improved and two numbers have been re-interpreted as 3077 (inside the shed but not a Midland 3F, but a 2F) and 3322 on the road to the side of the shed. The only problem with 3322 is that it may have been scrapped before the photo was taken. This is indicated on railuk.info http://www.railuk.info/steam/getsteam.php?row_id=27598 to have been withdrawn in 1926. This would be before the new engine shed was constructed. So, what to do? I took a long hard look at Mike's improved image and decided that I could see 3529, not 3322. Anyone who remembers the movie "Blow Up" will understand the potential errors in making this judgment. But since I have the evidence of 3529 at Fenny Compton, I still have a genuine candidate for the model which is currently in the "paint shed" awaiting its transfers.

Yes, a box cutter could be a Stanley knife, but it is a sort of generic term. I bought another brand in France and it works really well. I then bought one in England and it had a safety screw lock on it that prevented the blade from sliding out. This locking device was clearly an after thought (for the UK market?) and soon jammed into place, rendering the tool useless. I might add that, in trying to unjam the screw I could easily have done myself harm. Instead I threw it away. I hope you are no longer confuzzled (no French word exists for that!)

Thanks for sharing your experiences. I am half way through a Comet chassis upgrade for the same Hornby superstructure. All going well so far but I have been forced to put the project on hold for a few more weeks.