Tom F

Thanks Steph, and thanks for asking about Lass. She's gone over 36 hours without vomiting and has enjoyed scrambled eggs for breakfast and tea. In fairness she's been fine in herself. I suspect she picked something up from our hike in the Lake District last Saturday.

Thanks guys. Incidentally, they are Dundas produced as a 009 Society exclusive.

A bit of a tricky day. My border collie had me up at 4am vomiting and had been sick while I’d been at work. She seems ok in herself but it’s understandably distracted me this evening. In the last hour before I head off to bed, I’ve fitted the handrails to the first MoD van.

I’m guessing this is what you mean N

No. 2 'RHENEAS', passes over the crossing in late October, 1940. Sir Handel Brown, the owner of the railway and slate quarry was recently showing some military types around some of the old quarry workings. Old Pete Taylforth reckons they are planning an invasion! His nephew Ben Taylforth doesn't particularly care, as long as he can still fire these little old engines, on this lovely little railway in the East Sudrian Fells.

Hi Andy, yes I noticed this when I tried to access my notifications on my phone using safari this morning.

Yes of course, you are indeed right. Awdry constantly refers to it as MoD (even during the War Period), so forgive me for the error. This does make things rather interest, as the layout spans 1942-1960, so there will be a subtle difference in branding on vans. The on loan diesels were only there during the war period (according to Awdry). For the moment, I'm only depicting one of them, alongside locos No. 1 and 2.

Thank you. Check out Cwm Prysor on a forum search (granted it's unfinished) I've had some really good help recently on researching the military use up at the Quarry. I had initially presumed RNAD ammo sites and MoD ammo sites were one and the same. This doesn't seem to be the case, and the MoD had their own (Eastriggs is one I've been looking into). So we are able to keep to the Awdry lore, which very much states that Ward Fell was an MoD site. In the meantime, No. 2 prepares to dispatch loaded slate from the exchange sidings.

Thanks for your kind comments Steve. Glad the thread is helping you at this time. Model railways has a wonderful escapism aspect about it, which I know personally has been of great help to me over the past few years.

Thank you! Well, I really need to get the RNAD vans built and finished as they are a big part o the operating sequence for Scaca. I also want to finish loco No. 1 'Skarloey' and get the RNAD diesel built. However I plan to start work on the next instalment in a month or so: 'SKARLOEY' (the station).

Feeling a bit reflective this evening. Exactly a year ago, I posted on Facebook how I felt I was suffering from depression and needed to see a doctor. I was seriously concerned over finances (I'm a peripatetic music teacher by trade) and felt there was little hope. My own modelling interest had pretty much gone. 12 months on, and Scaca Fell, the first stage in my Skarloey Railway odyssey is complete and I'm currently writing up the article for Railway Modeller. Just a reminder to myself, and others....that anything is possible!

Hehe indeed! That way eventually leads onto the fell tops onto the Skarloey to Peel Godred road.

'Heading home....'

Last lot of slate out of Ward Fell for the day. No. 2 will stop briefly for water at Glennock, before the wagons will be shunted into the exchange sidings at Crovan's Gate. Where the slate will then be loaded into standard gauge wagons on the NWR.

Thank you! I'm going to be moving on to rolling stock shortly. I've RNAD vans to get building!

On that crisp autumnal morning, looking down the forestry track, we got our first glimpse of an engine….

Thanks Thomas! I'm really glad people are enjoying the photos. I think I enjoy photographing the layout as much as operating it! It's 1944, and Rheneas's crew have had a tough time getting the old engine to the quarry. "Is that injector picking up now Bill?"

'Arrival of the empties in 1943'

Hi everyone! I decided to take a break from posting this week, as I felt I was running the risk of saturating the thread with photos of the layout. I have been busy working away behind the scenes though. The layout is now fully operational with working fiddle yards. I've been working out a sequence (depicting 1942-1945) so I can now disappear into my own little world and play trains. I now have more rolling stock to build. As well as finishing 'Skarloey' I have some RNAD/War Department vans to build along with an 'on loan diesel' to build. This gives the layout three locomotives to work with during the 1940s period.

Driver Bill Thwaite backs down No. 3 to ‘Thie Ushtey’ as fireman Ben Valentine prepares to have the hose at the ready. Looks to be plenty of water this morning.

Morning Rob! I can confirm that the track work is indeed peco 009. I'm going to have to acquire some more in due course, as I'm planning the next Skarloey layout with my friend @BritishGypsum4

It is a grey autumnal morning over the eastern district of the Island, as No. 2 heads up the valley. A combination of damp rails and fallen leaves have made this a difficult journey for the crew.

I'm absolutely loving taking different photos of the layout. I think it's fair to say, this is my favourite location. It has a real remoteness and isolation that perhaps I crave deep down myself.....a reason I enjoy my hiking I think. 'It's 1946 in the Eastern District of Sodor. The diesels on loan during the war have gone, and with No.1 'Skarloey' in poor mechanical condition the full weight of the railway's existence lies fully on the four little wheels of No.2..... 'Rheneas'. On a cold October afternoon, Rheneas heads up to the quarry with No. 4 'Beatrice' on the last slate pick of the day.'

I was very touched this evening that my friend Tim Dunn (transport/railway presenter, writer and broadcaster) tweeted out some of my photography of the layout, with a lovely write up.

Thanks Ade Yes, chose against allowing comments as I feared it would be the same old 'why don't they have faces?' or 'are you making a series?' For those interested, here it is: