don

Steve as an Inglenook fan i would go for the upper one of those two trackplans,you said you wanted to have a "rural" look,this should give you more scenic area to create that rural look.

Use the left hand end to satisy your desire to have track appear from between buildings but keep to the simpler open "feel" of the  sidings,add a simple stick type bolt on fiddle yard.

My four pennyworth!!

I look forward with interest to see the outcome. 

I beleive that Guagemaster are Walther dealer.

The reassembler series are very enjoyable,well done Mr May.

Saw that on the tube,lovely vehicle.

I have only been able to see 3 episodes so far but have found them to be very good.

Didnt she do well! sounds first class,

I travelled on the Autocar on one of its inaugural trips from Bolton Abbey Station to Embsay and return on Thursday,and what a superb vehicle it is.

A lovely sunny day  and its colours showed it off to perfection.

Well done to those involved for returning this vehicle to service .

Don.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Well i am doing my bit, gave up modelling British because i was fed up with comments from the rivet counting brigade at exhibitions and went North American, a revelation ,something completely new to read and learn about and most US modellers i know all use rule no1, however ,in the last twelve months and now they seem to be good runners i have acquired six  Hornby 0-4-0's!!!!! they do look out of place of course but i feel a plank coming on, should i see a doctor?

Don.

I started at Hornsey as a cleaner in 1961,there were only two  roads inside the shed,1&3? with the other two roads terminated at the entrance..

Both roads had full length pits, but i think they were shorter than steam days holding two diesels on each.and floor area was concreted over its full length.

I cant recollect their being any internal fuelling carried out as the fuel sidings were on the Hornsey Carriage Sidings side of the footbridge.and returning locos usually refuelled on arrival at the shed,

Equipment inside was minimal, i remember a couple of mobile maintenance platforms and water hoses but not a lot else,

Shed staff at that time  were a charge hand foreman in charge of labourers and cleaners,and i think two mechanical staff on a day shift who did routine checks,anything else was attended to at Clarence Yard ,they had a cabin at the bottom of number four rd, 

The roads number 5-8 were unchanged,

I don't think the building had any doors.

Happy days!

Don.

Hey

I've read this this thread with interest & sparked many ideas

One of which is a competition that I have started on YouTube, if you fancy watching and getting involoved please follow the link below

 

Thank you

Olly

Olly i gave up at the one minute forty seconds mark as the audio was almost impossible to hear! And yes i am on full volume.

Don.

I know this question is usually asked in reverse UK to US but has anyone done it the other way as I need at least three very low relief structures for my switching layout? The rest of the structures on the layout are bashed from Walters plastic kits. They do need to have a loading dock etc.

 

Hoping someone can advise

Johna

Hi Johna, have a look at Ten Commandments,the factory buildings are ideal,can be lined up or stacked, or cut and shut for a wedge shape.

Don.

What tickled me was that they hired in an LMS loco, rather than an LNER one.......

I believe Tornado is there at the moment?

Don,

Watched it and thought it was ok,yes i am ex footplate and i am a member of two heritage railways,BUT it wasnt realy aimed at me but will draw in a lot of future customers.

Two years ago my daughters Xmas present for me was a day on Flying Scotsman at the NYMR, It was packed! yes there were enthusiasts there but it was mainly us oldies and partners having a nice day out, AND spending our pensions in the local community,

You may be surprised how many tourists will turn up after watching these programmes,if you are an Emmerdale fan i used to live in Hotton,and yes our shop was back dated to the 60's twice for filming, not that it too much to do it!

Just watch it and enjoy what we have.

Don.

Hi!

 

I was very happy about your comments, thanks a lot for this!

Google translator helps me a bit...

 

First of all another video from my layout:

 

Here´s the latest progress:

At the fuel trader, I have added a small shed.

 

As seen on this picture, I modificated the original kit...

 

Best regards, Thomas

Very nice Thomas and getting better still.

Its nice to see a European small layout.

Don,

The way things are looking now is that the CSX train that was hit had shoved back into a storage track (not a signaled siding, just a storage track accessed by a hand-throw switch off the main) on the other side of the mainline from an automobile unloading ramp facility.  It was during a signal suspension so track warrants were required.  So the CSX train shoves in the clear, thinks he lines the switch back but doesn't.  Calls the dispatcher, gives back his track and the switch.  Dispatcher gives track to Amtrak.  Wreck ensues.

 

This is signaled territory which would normally have alerted the dispatcher to the open switch and would have prevented him from setting a conflicting movement, however a signal suspension was in effect to cut in new PTC signals.

 

This is NOT a final story, this is ONLY an educated guess based on information both public and heard through the grapevine.  Again, an educated guess ONLY.

Now sadly confirmed.

Thoughts to all concerned.

Don..

Mike Halfords acrilyc aerosols and Humbrol enamels are the model boat builders friend,no probs on wood metal or plastic,

Have you tried REVELL plastic cement,Humbrol plastic cement,Slaters MEK Pak cement,all regularly used,but wont work on ABS,but i dont think you find any of our models using this.

MEK is methyl-ethel-ketone,google for suppliers,

All from your local model shop.

Don.

My favourite is the Chesterton Indiana Railcam,on RAILSTREAM LLC.

Plenty of trains,usually long and running from 10mph to track limit speed around  70mph, through the middle of small town USA.

As a free cam you will get adverts but not to annoying,some you can click off after 5seconds.

Watch the volume though!!

Don.

...and just to the right, across the road, was the famous model railway emporium where oft my scholar's mite was spent...

and a bit further up Pentonville Rd was Victors for us American modellers.!

 

Hi Andy

 

It is the country end of platform 1, you can see the offices (parcels offices ?) behind D5615 in this photo.

Platform 1 saw a lot of incoming parcels traffic. The road vans collecting the parcels were driven under the offices on platform 1 coming in above the York Road tunnel and exiting at the front of the station.

 

in 1.jpg

Platform 1 road entrance.

 

in 2.jpg

York Road entrance.

 

out.jpg

This was the exit for the parcels vans.

 

Those pictures of the platform 1 entrance/exit are interesting and rarely seen,at the country end of the platform the building shown behind 5615 i think housed tools and equipment for plate layers and S&D,there was a 2 story building, i think it was at the very platform end that upstairs had a station staff canteen and below the mess room for station shunters.

Most mail and news paper trains were handled off of platform 1&2.

there were two mail/sleeper trains that arrived at about 3-3.15 am and it was an absolute madhouse with barrow loads of mail being moved to the waiting vans on the loading bays.

These mail trains were followed by a couple more mail/parcel trains but of lesser importance,but it remained very busy up to the start of the peak.

Sleeping cars were quickly released and platforms 8&10 became stabling roads until about 8-8.30 when the coaches would taken out to BoundsGreen for washing and Hornsey carriage sidings for cleaning and readied for another night. 

Don.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OOPPPSSSS!!!!!!!! must take more care!!

Don.

Hi Andy

 

It is the country end of platform 1, you can see the offices (parcels offices ?) behind D5615 in this photo.

Platform 1 saw a lot of incoming parcels traffic. The road vans collecting the parcels were driven under the offices on platform 1 coming in above the York Road tunnel and exiting at the front of the station.

 

in 1.jpg

Platform 1 road entrance.

 

in 2.jpg

York Road entrance.

 

out.jpg

This was the exit for the parcels vans.

 

Those pictures of the platform 1 entrance/exit are interesting and rarely seen,at the country end of the platform the building shown behind 5615 i think housed tools and equipment for plate layers and S&D,there was a 2 story building, i think it was at the very platform end that upstairs had a station staff canteen and below the mess room for station shunters.

Most mail and news paper trains were handled off of platform 1&2.

there were two mail/sleeper trains that arrived at about 3-3.15 am and it was an absolute madhouse with barrow loads of mail being moved to the waiting vans on the loading bays.

These mail trains were followed by a couple more mail/parcel trains but of lesser importance,but it remained very busy up to the start of the peak.

Sleeping cars were quickly released and platforms 8&10 became stabling roads until about 8-8.30 when the coaches would taken out to BoundsGreen for washing and Hornsey carriage sidings for cleaning and readied for another night. 

Don.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 1970' and 1980's?? I was an avid watcher of the ECML at Oakleigh Park and New Barnet from 1969 until 1975 (living at the time just 1,000 yards from both), and then from 1987 actually working at the Cross. I never saw one.

When i was a second man at KX in the 60's the "Big Sulzers" class 45/46 were the preferred Deltic standby loco as the early class 47's were not all that reliable and the 40's,well the lovely big lumps that they were would be struggling to get to 40 at Hornsey but looking forward to the dip down to Wood Green to get a bit more speed for the long climb ahead!

By the back end of the 60's they seemed to have sorted the 47's and they could fly.just lacked the "official" 100mph top speed.

Re Snow Hill,it was all diesel when i was there but cross London freights would go through the Farringdon platforms and come to stand  at the bottom of the bank in the tunnel opposite the low level signal box,once stationary the signals would come off for banker to come forward,the rear of the southbound would usually be just inside the tunnel mouth,once buffered up there were two wires on brackets at cab window height that you squeezed together,this illuminated a circular white lamp with a black letter B in it to indicate to the train loco that you were buffered up and ready to push,i think the banker got a similar indication when the time came to start the push,i say think as it was 50yrs ago!!!!   

Gone but not completely forgotten!

I was a cleaner, then passed cleaner and then a fireman at Hornsey in the early 60's so was used to the widened lines(only ever heard them referred to as "going down the hole") (the drain was the tube) and the associated yards and sidings,the sidings in the area behind platform 17 was always known as "the milk yard".

It was a very dodgy place at night,frequented by ladies of a certain profession and the client! and persons of no known abode,it was very dimly lit,you just did not go there after dark.

It was quite an experience to go down and up the hole for the first time,the bores were very tight and you did feel as if the cab would hit the roof or walls,i only ever did it on diesels,steam i would have thought could have been quite frightening,perish the thought of stalling on Hotel Curve!

I think the sight and sound of a BR Sulzer or a Paxman suddenly appearing at full throttle with a freight from below street level was always an attention grabber!

Passenger trains coming from Moorgate would try to pull up tight to the end of 17 as it seemed that the gradient was starting to ease off a loco length or two before that point so reducing the prospect of slipping,the BR Sulzers(class 24) were very sure footed  and the controller could  almost just be opened to the stop and would gently pull away, the Brushes(class31) i seemed to remember would trip out if the amps got too high (or was that just the Mirlees engined ones?)When fitted with the the EE engine they were fliers.

It is certainly very interesting to know what is below the ground,that westbound tunnel was a surprise to read about.

Looking at KX last year when visiting my daughter in London we met up for lunch by THE statue and wandered into the station for a look around,awful!

I will keep my memories ta. 

Don.

No 10 has arrived and another interesting mix,keep up the good work Chris.

Don.

January 7th will be the first of the groups meetings for 2017.

Following meetings will be on the first Sunday on the ODD months,

We meet bi monthly at the Memorial Hall, Hollins lane,Hampsthwaite,North Yorks. HG3 2EY.

10.am till 3.30

Entry free to members,£3.00 for day visitors.

Usually 2 Traders and our own private sales,

Tea,coffee and hot food available.

For info.contact  Don Thomson 01274 447330 or David Nuttall on 01943 862425

Look forward to meeting you.

Don.

Hi , its a nice sunny autumn morning at Chesterton Indiana,if you want to have a look at the modern scene try this free cam,yes you will have some adds. but hey! its free!

Trains from NS,UP,CP, CN and an occasional Amtrak ,you wont have to wait long for something to come by.

What i do notice are that there are often Fallen Flag,some pretty old ones too in the mixed freights.

Some one posted a picture today of a Penn Central hopper car in Jade Green taken recently on the Railfan Depots facebook page.

Don