Mulgabill

I am amazed at how much this has come on with this set of pics. (And I only looked yesterday!) I agree that the shed doesn't quite have that something that most exGW shed had, but its fairly close. I best recall Long Rock in the late 60's early 70's - all Warships, Westerns and NBL Type2s. And I'm reminded of it even more by the small building behind your shed. Again not quite the same as PZ, but evoking those memories of that type of ancillary building which can so easily be missed in the quest for space for more rails. The new facia pulls the whole thing together so well. Regards and keep it going TONY

Is that Sir John Betjeman indulging his love of railways with a trip to Kingsbrige> TONY

I've been kicking myself for missing the Cheltenham show, so intend to catch you at Yate in January. But could I suggest you post a reminder a week or two ahead of your appearances, to give your followers a timely kick up the rear! All the best and thanks for modelling an area and era I remember well. TONY

I'm finding this fascinating, as I've all this to come at some point. But I can see why it suits a garage, I'm not sure I'd trust that weight in my loft! TONY

I think you have to ask yourself "what are the wing walls holding back?" They wouldn't have wasted bricks just for the look. If the surrounding ground is appreciably higher than the trackbed, then you need wing walls. If not they;re not needed. But than again, it's what you think looks best, the rest of us are just voyeurs. TONY

That looks like something out of Dr Who. I spent some time working in a plastics factory, where we fabricated parts for high end artworks, amongst other things. A couple of tips spring to mind when working with acrylic. 1) If drilling the bit needs to be "blunt", we used to file th edge off new bits.At least my younger colleagues did, it was beyond my eyesights capabilities. The revs should be low, and only briefly applied to the plastic. In between applications of the drill the bit should be cooled by dunking in water. This is all to avoid the build up of heat in the plastic. 2) Unwanted scratches, or haze, can be polished out with Dura-glit, use small constantly moving circles, over and around the problem. Again dont continue for more than a few seconds at a time, dont allow the material to get too warm. All the bast TONY

Does the CCT need the sled to stop it falling over? .... or was the Southerns track so bad they followed the milk-stool principle? TONY

Strikes me that sort of feeling usually inspires somebody on here to produce a model. What does an OO scale moderator look like, and how about in 1947? TONY

I know th GW were fond of naming anything bigger than a shunter - but hadn't realised that extended to station benches! This is one of my favourite lines, and looking forward to herding (all) the grandchildren to the seaside in proper style soon! TONY

Hi Youmake me most envious - but I'm glad I looked having managed 1 visit to Barrow Road the week after it closed. I'd hoped to find withdrawn engines but they had all been cleared an just 9680 stood outside, wearing its number painted on a piece of card hung from the cab by sizeal string. I look forward to seeing the layout fully set up. Regards TONY

I also went to Bristol yesterday, and was rather surprised at how quiet it was. Some good layouts, but a little lacking for the larger, action layouts I recall from the past. Had to resist the Langley 4mm rhinos and elephants, difficult after following this thread! Tony

I sweem to recall earlier in this thread the question of double headed Kingscoming up! I was fortunate enough to invest £2 in my local charity bookshop recently, in return I got Western Signalman by Adrian Vaghan in which (p 24) he quotes Larry Crosier as meeting the 11:50 down Paddington Mail at Totnes, on his way home from Tigley box. On one occassion hauled by 2 Kings, with each crew (supposedly) believing the other loco to be castle! This event is not dated, but would appear to have been about 1948/49 - near enough I would say to give Rob an excuse. TONY

Hi I would concur with the above, but whilst the building is now the correct way round, Bitton actually has (has) double doors in the approach side of the building. Although even today they are rarely used. Keep up the good work - TONY

Hi Andy For inspirtion you might take a look at this, on Flikr - if the web address works for you https://www.flickr.com/photos/65704889@N04/16742425042/in/pool-1924718@N21 Its of the progress of a model of Mangotsfield (2 stations up from Bitton). Seems the shoulder is a common problem I too have been suffering, but not quite enough to send me to the Docs, hope yours improves soon. Regards TONY

Hi Tex Yes - I bought a mirror sailing dinghy from an Aussie who had given it the name, in the expectation that it would toss him in the creek. I still have the boat, and the tag seems to fit. Tony

Hi Andy First off thanks for the video some while ago of the 9F on minerals. I have deliberately held off adding to your pressures of deciding just what you want to get out of Bitton. But now you seem to be working through the realities, I think I may be able to offer a couple of "local" insights. Firstly there is/was little significant industry in the immediate locality of Bitton station. I don't know why it didn't occur to me when the Great Sausage Hijack took place, but only about 3 miles away was Frys Somerdale factory. The Somerdale estate was rail connected, to the GWR at Keynsham & Somerdale station, receiving and despatching by trip workings, certainly well into the 60's. The rail connection was still there into the 70's if not later. I recall seeing transfers arrive from Bristol behind NBL type 2, and D95xx diesel hydraulics. (Incidentally I remember the 95XX being known as Mickey Mouses, or Banana Splits, in Bristol - never Teddy Bears). It wouldn't be too far a stretch of the imagination to conjure up a Midland connection to the estate network, from near Bitton. Especially as the Midland line was pre-dated by a Dramway which went to the river Avon, not too far away. So Chocolate could be a traffic, that didn't exist for Bitton, but might have done. (Another aside - Carsons Chocolate factory was located in the Mangotsfield triangle just up the line). Your thoughts re an oil terminal, take me back to a period when I was based in the offices at Murco's Westerleigh Oil terminal. That was built on what was Westerlleigh Yard, between Yate and Mangotsfield, when the Midland line traffic had been diverted onto the Western (1966) and after cessation of the coal trains to Bath Gas works (early 70's?). It takes block trains, 2 a day Winter and 1 a day Summer, usually class 60 hauled. That would, in the real world, precludes a rail fed terminal at Bitton, it simply wouldn't be considered by the oil companies. However you may want to think that Murco may have been tempted to build their Terminal a bit further down the line at/near Bitton. I hope these thoughts are helpful, and indeed if you felt it would be useful to visit what remains of the real Bitton, I would be happy to take you, if we were able to meet somewhere near where I now live (just South of Gloucester). TONY

Shouldn't that be divided by 7? i.e. for 7 "spaces" separated by 6 lamps. Regards TONY

I've not seen a photo, but by chance I do have one in a painting. Many years ago somebody at my first place of work was an amateur artist, and did commisions of peoples cats, dogs etc. I asked if he would do me a "copy" of a pannier on a short goods passing through Clifton Down, which was in a Bradford Barton book. He was more than pleased to do it as he was also into railways/model railways. Not only did he visit the site to get the colouring right, he offered to substitue a 14xx on a clifton down set, in place of the photos DMU. All the best with your search. TONY

Hi I'm new to this, but have dilligently read through all 183 pages to date. Even when the end seemed to keep moving away, with all the posts coming in. I was attracted by the fact the Bitton was only 2 stations away from my boyhood "local" ie Mangotsfield. And a couple of recent sub-topics took me back to those memories from when I was about 10 or 12 years old. Almost as clear now in my mind was the recollection of listening to 8fs slogging up through Warmley and across syston common, towards Westerleigh, at about 10pm on a Wednesday evening. It may well have run every evening, but I was only awake that late on Weds after scouts! I only saw the train once, 48760 on I think a Bath - Westerleigh mineral working. It passed Warmley at walking pace and I swear it was audible from around Bitton, pretty much all the way to Westerleigh. The other memory that I hope to have reawakened was my early days out train spotting Mangotsfield to Temple Meads childs day return 10d always in a Southern green 3 coach set hauled by Std 3 tank usually 82004 , 82001 was the other regular in 1965. (Does anybody know what these coaches were, are they available rtr?). What I won't expect Andy is to find the blackberries I was fed to keep me quiet in as a 4 yr old when in his charge on the footpath across the Mangotsfiel platform ends. Although with that reputation for grass???? Keep up the good progress so far TONY