Iron Horse

So tonight I thought I'd look through some earlier pictures to show a bit of the general development. As I said I moved from my daughters bedroom and this enabled me to also extend the main board, I guess previously you could argue it was no more than a scenic plank but this extra length gave me something a little more tangible So this first picture shows the basic extension The second shows how the tracks were extended, the station and docks area have gone full length but I have also added extra at the rear on the headshunt to enable double headed 37's to operate from the depot This shows roughly the idea for the station and puts a base in for the docks Finally this is a shot looking down the fiddle yard, 3 sidings off of the branch and 4 on the main line Thanks for looking

Yes John that was an excellent day indeed, not forgetting the mighty 50041 and 3 peaks.......how times change eh? I've been following all of Rivercider's photo threads and have got loads of useful stuff from them, Did coal sector 37's ever work the HEA's or had they finished before sectorisation? Don't suppose you took any photo's of the cement terminal itself? I seem to be lacking detailed shots!!!!!! I was going to go and do the snatcher this Saturday, may have a rethink.............

Thank you as well Rob, although as you can probably tell from my replies above I really have no idea what I'm doing.....think it's called winging it

Hello John, how the devil are you? Thanks for popping by Now you could be just the man, have you got any freight photo's of either stuff for Exeter Central Cement terminal or the household coal terminal back in the 80's. Also any consists going along the sea wall would be very interesting, no rush for either but if you do look back sometime that would be fab As for meeting up, yes we must, what plans have you got for the rest of the year? Thanks Marcus, well weathering, that's a minefield isn't it. My fiancee bought me one of the compressor and 2 airbrush kits from amazon and to be fair to get going with it, its been fab. Reasonably happy with some of the results I'm getting on my loco's although I have to admit I am finding washes/paint on-wipe off approach slightly more satisfying on wagons such as the one above. I want to give that another brown wash on the wagon sides although I may go back to the airbrush for the chassis. I don't think I've settled on any preferred method really yet....

That trunking looks ace Marcus, fortunately my layout was small so I used the Wills trunking but I can imagine on a large layout it would get very expensive, very quickly. I still didn't like the straight runs though so I cut them up into individual pieces to lay anyhow!!!!!!

Thank you gentlemen for your kind words It's been a quiet week this week and any free time I've been trying to weather my rake of modern spoil wagons I'll post some pictures later as I'm just off on the first taxi run for my daughter to ballet

Just a brief post tonight, the first pic shows the entrance to the fiddle yard, mainline going back to double track to the left and the branch line off to the right Then I guess this was my first go at a bit of countryside scenery

I'm so jealous Marcus, how do you do it.......that corner looks amazing

Thank you Gentlemen, Trev, no it isn't a roundy roundy, just a fiddle yard going into a terminus. Also to yourself and Phil, there are times when I think the castle should actually take centre stage......my daughter made it very well So I guess overall in terms of this topic I'm at an advantage, I have 2 years worth of photo's to bore you all with before I actually catch up with myself. One of my first tests away from the layout was a model building, my fiancee bought me a model kit.......last one of those I made was a tank probably back in 1983 Then Phil told me I need to try renumbering and weathering........well that's a test isn't it. Got an airbrush and had a go......good job the prototype was dirty

So, not really too sure about starting this as surrounding me here I find very competent modellers and so many others with such a wealth of knowledge, I know before I do anything I'm going to feel uneasy. However I am proud of what I have achieved and perhaps it is about time I man-up and listen to some constructive criticism! I was brought up in the Oxford area in the 80's with a staple diet of class 50's, I did a bit of modelling, did a bit of spotting and did a fair bit of bashing (my main partner in crime being Phil Mc). Had many holidays with my parents in Teignmouth and grew up to love the South West for many different reasons. However life and work took me to the south coast and after stepping off of the Class 50 Terminator railtour at Paddington in 1994 I just packed it all in. So what changed 20 years later? Loads of things on a personal front I guess, nothing serious (but enough to play with your mind) and a fiancee that said to me "you need to start your hobbies again" As a result I went to my local model shop Trident Trains at Dagfields near Nantwich, where Richard subsequently blew my mind with what was available, sound.....intricate mouldings........wow, wasn't expecting any of this....... Then it was negotiation time, "Alayna (my daughter) can I have a corner of your bedroom please for a model railway?" "Of course you can Daddy" was the response.....happy days indeed. Now in essence the railway is flawed in every way, I like the 80's but I've really grown into the modern era, I like Cornwall but I like freight traffic, I like realistic train lengths but have very limited space.......SO before I go anywhere with this if you haven't got any imagination or only want to see perfect and realistic consists then this probably isn't the topic for you. I tend not to mix era's but felt by keeping the model based in the South West if I modelled it based in the 80's I could probably get away with running modern GWR, Colas and DBS stock without too many changes. The layout started as a terminus, with some sidings next to the docks and a diesel depot in the other corner, however I was allowed to move rooms in the house at the beginning of 2015 and this enabled me to create an extra scenic section and a longer fiddle yard all in the shape of a horse shoe. When I put the extra scenic section in I imagined that the terminus was fed by a highly rationalised mainline approach but there was a branchline going off that could only be accessed from the terminus/harbour........it's amazing what's up that branchline...........china clay, nuclear facility, MOD base to name but a few. But I don't want to bore you all with words as I know pics are much better, so firstly the main layout board at the beginning of 2015 having moved it into the bigger room Next are a few pictures trying to show the extensions Then I thought something like Chacewater Cement terminal could fill the corner Now obviously I've got 100's of photo's of the layout's development but I took one picture last night and for the first time I thought that ain't too bad hence the picture below and all the words above. Thanks for reading and if anyone is interested I shall post more as and when I can. Teignquay..........well I loved my holidays in Teignmouth and have done a fair bit of surfing Newquay............an obvious choice....lol

So stick with what you are doing, get more coaches, make a DBSO and another tractor

Hi Marcus, hope you are well, dead jealous of the 50's (my favourite class) I had tickets for Download before the tour got annouced (yep.....I got very wet......lol), sidings look fab, which static grass applicator did you get in the end and what glue have you used? Cheers

Not the best of photo's but was very pleased to come across it as I went through some old pictures this evening, 08937 on the "long gone" Centre Road at Exeter St. Davids 30th August 1984

A blast from the past 37503 on railtour duty 25th February 1989

Just a random one from some evening scanning 50020 on Laira depot 13th August 1989

Hi Marcus, not the best of pictures I'm afraid but if you did want any of them in Hi-Res then just let me know and I'll send them to you..........

Lovely to meet you yesterday Marcus amid all the mayhem........although I do believe the SVR put on an excellent event When I download my pictures if I have any good ones I'll drop one in here showing you at the helm

So a bit far away from home back in 1984, 47361 Wilton Endeavour sits in the sun at Oxford Stabling Point

Thank you very much........best get organising my day return from Crewe then

Is the Saturdays Only loco hauled running this year by any chance?

Ironically Mick, 007 was my machine when it was blue prior to refrub so I currently love it's current state so very much look forward to seeing your current rendition

So my favourite class and my first bit of scanning of my old prints (there are a hell of a lot more!!!!!!!) 50 050 and 50 007 at Yeovil Junction on The Terminator Railtour back in 1994

So my shot the day before and not so good 47 830 on the 06:00 Kilmarnock - Laira T. & R.S.M.D. taken at Casey Lane, Crewe.

So a couple of pics of last Saturday's 01:22 Dollands Moor - Ditton working taken at Casey Lane, Crewe

Ah, so that's what I saw on Saturday at Crewe Basford Hall Junction, thanks guys. I did get some pics that I could post later if anyone is interested?