mikeyh

Hi, No time for any proper modelling for last few months but hopefully a new arrival last week might provide a bit of incentive to get out to the shed a bit more. The coincidence of 'The Bristolian' train pack being offered for £140.00 and the release of the latest Hornby Collet coaches in matching 'shirtbutton' livery seemed too good an opportunity to miss. I'm no expert but it looks to be a nice looking loco and runs well, and the coaches are superb so I can't quite understand why this pack has needed to be so heavily discounted. I'm afraid I've contributed to the inevitable surplus of BTKs in the coming months by buying just the 2 different composites and the third to make up a nice 6 coach train. 6009 King Charles II heads an up express out of Wembdon Hill tunnel and into Wembdon Road station. A few minutes later, after it's station stop, the train is seen passing Wembon Road loco shed. On the branch behind 8750 Class pannier tank 4612 heads for Chilton Trinity. Finally a closer view of 6009 with 4612 behind. Over the next few weeks, spare time permitting, I intend to turn the clock back by putting away all the 70s / 80s stock and getting out all the GWR stock for a few months. Would also be nice to make a bit of actual progress on the layout - we shall see! Thanks for looking, Mike

Just testing Seems to work ok

IMG_3118 by Mikey H4, on Flickr

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IMG_3118 by Mikey H4, on Flickr

Good evening and thanks very much for your comments - much appreciated - and also to everyone who liked or has just had a look at the layout. Over the last month I've been trying to concentrate on the branch terminus, Chilton Trinity, as this end of the layout won't be affected by rebuilding / extension of the shed which I'm considering for next summer. This is really a steam age station but it's somehow managed to survive into the late 70s / early 80s. Still lots to do but a few pictures of progress so far. Overall view showing the relationship of Chilton Trinity station and the lower level brewery / factory complex. The modern age has reached here in the shape of modern 45 tonne vans to dispatch the factories products. Coal for the boiler still delivered in unfitted 16T minerals. Class 117 power twin coupled to a Class 128 Parcels Unit wait at the platform before departing to Wembdon Road. 08 243 parked outside the old steam shed after bring a trip freight up the branch from Wembdon Road. Brake van parked out of the way in the headshunt. Sentinel industrial shunter waiting to push vans back into the (not built yet!) factory siding. Overall view of the station area. Over the next few weeks I hope to finish wiring all the point motors and switches and then try some track painting and ballasting. Thanks for looking and a very Happy New Year to all on RMweb. Cheers, Mike

Thanks Ian, I have just started a thread for the layout, Wembdon Road and Chilton Trinity, in the layout topics section so will try to post more photos on there - progress and time permitting. I've just tried to put a link in my signature so hopefully should be below. Cheers, Mike

Hi, So after many years of lurking, admiring, liking and passing the occasional comment on other peoples layouts on RMweb I'm finally taking the plunge and starting a topic on my own layout. A few people may recognise this from another forum. However, I seem to spend much more time on here than the 'other place' which, to be honest, seems more like the model railway equivalent of BEBO or MySpace these days! I'm hoping a few more people might at least see the layout on here - even though I know posts will only be on the front page for minutes or hours rather than for days or weeks! So here's a brief description and a few photos to show progress so far - I will then try to post updates when there is something new to show. The story started about 5 years ago when I decided to construct a railway room in the garden - fully lined, insulated, double glazed and electricity installed - to house the model railway previously located in the loft. Since then the layout has slowly developed from the base boards of the previous loft layout - in hindsight I should have started from scratch as it's been a lot harder to adapt the existing boards than I thought. I had a vague idea for a large junction station, called Wembdon Road (inspired very loosely by Newton Abbot), on one side of the room - with countryside, a canal and MPD on the other side, and a branch line rising to a small terminus (Chilton Trinity) at the door end of the room. So finally a couple of overall views of the layout as it is today - still loads to do but hopefully getting there. As you can see, my main interest is in late 70s / early 80s BR Blue. However - we also sometimes run a GWR period. And we also have a slightly random collection of British Railways steam. We do try to keep the 3 eras separate though it doesn't always completely work. All the stock is pretty much straight out of the box RTR - I hope to be able to pluck up courage to do some weathering / detailing / kit building one day. Control is analogue. Also point motors, ballasting and signals are on the 'to do list' for sometime in the future. So there we have a brief introduction to Wembdon Road and Chilton Trinity - if anyone is interested in more details or pictures of any aspect of the build I'd be very happy to show in greater depth. In common with many people, modelling time is always severely limited by work and the rest of life but will try to post more updates as any progress is made. Thanks for looking. Cheers, Mike

Thanks Paul. So any chance of cast number plates do you think? Like some of the 57s have (had?). Mike

Hi, Just back from a great week away in Fowey. I usually try and have one day out either riding or viewing the trains - this was Thursday just gone (27th) so not quite 'Kernow Today' but pretty close. Nothing unusual seen but a pleasant day out - here are a few snaps of the (hopefully) most interesting bits. First visit was to Par station - just in time to see power car 43086 leading the 08.44 Penzance to Paddington past the beautifully painted signal box. I was lucky enough to be offered the chance of a quick pic. of the very tidy and clean looking interior of the box. Then down to Long Rock - bit of a waste of time really as the only stock visible was 08 410 (minus part of it's number on this side but looking very smart for a 58 year old loco in GWR green livery) and a couple of coaches. View from the other side showing the full number - a GWR style cast cabside number would really finish off the retro look. Then back to Par for the afternoon - mostly standard livery HSTs and Sprinters but power car 43146 was a bit different in it's 'BUILDING A GREATER WEST' livery on the rear of the 10.06 Paddington to Penzance. Next up 66 023 is the resident loco for the clays, seen entering Par with 13.50 Fowey Docks Carne Point to Goonbarrow Junction empties. 15 minutes later 66 142 appeared round the curve from St Blazey heading the 15.06 to Exeter Riverside NACCO JIA China clay wagons . Up to the bridge at Treesmill just east of Par - a nice spot with good views both ways. One of the GWR Green liveried power cars leads the 12.05 Paddington to Penzance down the bank from Treverrin Tunnel towards Par. Finally 66 023 was back growlling up the bank with the next load of clay - the scheduled 16.29 (but running 50 minutes early) from Goonbarrow to Fowey Docks. Cheers, Mike

Attended a work do in Cardiff last night - was pleased to find the Radisson Blu hotel is right by the railway and our room had a great view of the approaches to Central station. Mostly Arriva Trains Wales Pacers and Sprinters of course but quite a few 66s as well so managed to snap a few.. First photo from the hotel isn't great as the window doesn't open and was a bit grubby but shows what a great view it is. 66 197 heads down the bank from Queen Street station with 10.39 Cwmbargoed Opencast to Port Talbot loaded coal hoppers. 14.10.16 I managed to sneak off for an hour to the station - Platform 0 has open access and gives a good view of the west end of the station. 66 176 on 09.30 Dee Marsh Reception Sidings to Margam steel wagons. 14.10.16 A bit later Freightliner 66 564 passed through light engine as 16.00 Aberthaw Power Station to Stoke Gifford. 14.10.16 Cheers, Mike

Hi, Always enjoy browsing the great photos on this thread. As I live in an area where there is very little freight traffic I will usually point the camera or phone at a 66 if I come across one, but never got round to putting any pictures on here. A bit of a coincidence last week prompted me to put these 2 up - surprisingly I can't see many other pics. of these locations on here. On holiday last year in Cornwall I made a bit of an effort to see some of the clay trains. 66 078 was the resident loco, seen here in the classic location at Golant heading for Carne Point. 26th June 2015. Happened to be in Southampton (for the Boat Show) last week and was pleasantly surprised to find a train just about to cross Canute Road. As it pulled forward turned out to be 66 078 again - now with a big DB sticker instead of the EWS logo. Amazing to see this lengthy train of Land Rover Discovery Sports (must be 2-3 million pounds worth) trundling across this busy main road. Halewood to Southampton Eastern Docks. 23rd September 2016. Cheers, Mike

Great to see your photo in Rail today Craig. Mike

Hi Bill, It was great to see Creedyford 'in the flesh' on Saturday. Even when you think you know a layout from here you get a completely different perspective from seeing it in real life. You seemed to be doing a pretty good job of keeping things moving on your own - a few of the other layouts with large teams of operators could learn a thing or two from you! Cheers, Mike

Hi, Last time I went to Trago Mills (admittedly the Liskeard branch but I think Newton Abbot is similar) - they had a pretty good selection of very reasonably priced railway books - worth the visit for that I thought! Mike

Hi, Not seen the blue one on here yet so here's mine that arrived yesterday. I'm no expert but looks pretty good to me! Here it is attached to the Hornby Van C for comparrison. Quite different when you see them side by side, and quite different shades of blue! Not sure which, if either (or maybe both), is correct? Mike

Interesting - do these problems develop very quickly? I saw the train pass Bridgwater earlier when it appeared to be going very well and then, almost literally, chased down to Devon where we saw it between Bishopsteignton and Kingsteignton, only a mile or so from Newton, where it also looked (admittedly from a distance) that it was going pretty well. It appears,as of 22.45, the return train hasn't quite made it back to Bristol yet - a long day out!