muddy water

Looking great! Now you will have to rewrite your movement sequence. Will it be large fiddle yard to station to small fiddle yard? Or will they be independent?

The DB red class 08 makes a nice difference. I am sure it was hired in to cover for a Freightliner one have heavy maintenance. You do see the companies hiring in competitor’s locos to cover failures and extra workload. https://flickr.com/photos/joe_bloggs_railway_photos/51250287151/in/photolist-2mKV3F7-rfd4Ez-zf3oN8-2jAZDqs-2m5P7Qx-2mJyqT9-2mwsp25-2nkmKe3-2n5jwAt-2n7WiJk-2n5n5dH-2kbaXUD-2n9BnKC-2khV8hj-2hRp94F-dYLLvt-2m5PXkC-kNeMH4-2kPf5vi-2n68wd7-Gqsizu-V8teFJ-2kDe4KP-2n2qE1r-cZ4AGf-XMWTpP-2nm71VW-2kVcXvj-2mrRNPq-2ncqBvv-2nnhnvo-2n8MRcT-2m4W1PU-2nazPGx-2n9aadn-2kQbcWU-2kvBjTT-UYmrwb-2iA2Q8e-2kNY5TA-2kRfQAe-2kMDbYj-2koFkkj-2n9CCmL-xRPFaa-2jugRHN-E3L9zg-jKAKUP-2m3ryQF-24RzpAd Or in this case, rescuing them!

It is great to hear people’s comments like they have walked across that lattice bridge!

Exhibition day one! The normal pre-exhibition rush has paid off. Transformation of basic scenery to active life has occurred. After we worked out which trains liked which routes through the fiddle yard and scenic layout, things were running pretty good! We knew that Lima and Hornby class 73 locomotives would catch on the third rail, with the moulded sanding pipes on the bogies. So these were removed for trouble free running. Various vehicles were placed around the layout. I soon ran out of them! I am sure we could put 50 and still not have it look crowded.

Checks are being carried out using a MPV before our coming up exhibition. Probably some route learning!

Just to bump this thread! I have recently joined this group and was amazed at running a model railway to a proper timetable! New members will start shadowing a more experienced member on one of the stations to see what has to happen and when. Some of the stations are very busy, where you could have two mainline and two branch trains arriving with in minutes, whilst you have to shunt the pickup goods train in the yard! Other stations are a bit more quite, especially on the single track branch sections. The operator can have a rest between trains or help out with the busier station in the same shed as them. But they have to keep their ears open to hear their signal box bells ringing, announcing the impending arrive of a train. Their shunting pole cast aside, they rush to accept the train, because a delay of a minute here can cause a ten minute delay further down the line. Both end stations have the preceding stations in the same shed, so bell codes are not necessary, as you can speak to your fellow operator to accept or offer a train. This is the next place for the new member. At the terminal stations, the trains are driven into the correct platform corresponding to the timetable. The train engine is uncoupled and run forward clear of the carriages. Then an appropriate fresh engine from the shed is coupled to the front of the train to take it out when it is called in the timetable. As we run in a time period 1948-1964 the correct ex regional passenger locomotive has to be matched with the appropriate coaching stock. All regions are represented with the British Railways standard designs being very handy if you do not have the appropriate loco on shed. (Britannia 7MT 4-6-2 are the great wildcard for even the parcels trains!) Then the old train engine at the buffers under the station canopy has to be sent to the sheds for turning and servicing.

Detail of our upcoming exhibition! We will try to get some more photos!

Swanley Junction will be appearing at the Orpington and District Model Railway Society show.

https://fb.me/e/4CRdPqYht

Orpington junction 4 on the M25. The club is having an exhibition on the 21st and 22nd May 2022. Swanley Junction will be there with some other club layouts. It would make a few heads turn, running overhead electrics on the third rail! (would have to be a drag like going out to Yarmouth!)

And what do you think of this?

Love the models you have done! You have made great progress from when you first started! 👍🏻 https://www.facebook.com/groups/573173142789869/permalink/4977429369030869/ Not sure if you have seen this, but it would make an unusual formation. Anglian, ex Virgin, One and Swallow liveries all in one train!

Lovely! What diagram was the period 2 CK? I have some spare bodies, but no underframes/ 6wheeled bogies.

The bottom or top of an incline could be an interesting operation. Different number of banking locos, depending on the load. Stopping of goods train to pin down and release the brakes.

Started but not finished! I think, I have to many projects on the go at one time. Then I see something new and start that! Is there a cure for this?

Reversing at Swanley? Was this a regular activity. What years did it happen. My club is modelling Swanley and is always looking for unusual workings.

Looking to make some of these platform containers. I have found out they are 20’ long by 8’ wide at the extreme point. Anybody know the height of the girder frame? I could not measure them as the train was doing 60mph! Has anyone made these or 3D printed them?

Did any of the siphon get BR1 bogies in BR days or did they all retain their GWR versions?

Lovely! What motor did you use to power them?

Signal gantry at London end.

Just a few photos of some progress