Nearholmer

And, if you follow this link, and look for the loco 'Bromborough', you get a photo with fairly good detail of the cab of an 1889 HC. Have a look at the loco 'Ariadne' too, not an HC; much more interesting! http://www.brocross.com/poynton/book/book9.htm [thanks for alerting me to the omitted link, ian] K

Another good one, Mark, and certainly a lot to look at in that photo. What is that LNER tender engine that looks a bit like a tank engine right at the back? Is it an Apollo? BTW, would it be correct that the words Forge Farm Crossing would ring a bell with you? I grew up in that neck of the woods. Kevin

Here's what they were advertising in 1889. K

Mike I was beginning to have thoughts of Newhaven (Sussex) West Tramway as a sketched it, and that came into contact with both a narrow gauge line to the foreshore, to collect shingle, and a horse-drawn (standard gauge) line into a big chalk pit. Overall, it was a bit like the more famous tramway at Weymouth, but goods only. And, it past that rarest of wonders, an Art Deco pub! http://www.francisfrith.com/newhaven/newhaven-the-hope-inn-c1960_n20046 Edit: found this really good postcard picture on line. Taken c1958, but not much different in the early 60s, from when I have dim memories of going there in Uncle Wilf's Bedford van, very like the yellow one in the picture. This scene really justifies a layout themed around it! Kevin

Not meant as a serious proposal, but it might give some food for thought - it's acquired a wharf side atmosphere along the way. If anything, you might be able to get more in, at the expense of cramping, because I've got used to sketching for coarse-scale 0 gauge. Kevin [no computer software was harmed in the making of this sketch; I simply raided the childrens' colouring-pen tin, and used a pencil and ruler]

Yes, and then, if it's like my layout, two years later, it will still be littered with old cardboard boxes pretending to be buildings, because you've got so caught-up in playing trains that you haven't actually built any buildings! K

Herewith a "back of a fag packet" design for a modest marshalling/fiddle yard to go along one long side of the shed. The use of a double-slip is both a great space-saver, and highly prototypical. Naturally, you could add sidings to the extent that width permits. K

Something worth bearing in mind if you are a "goods and shunting" man is that there were broadly two sorts of yard in the steam age: - yards, sidings, where things were loaded and unloaded from wagons. This is the sort of place for goods shed, coal yard, warehouses, timber depot, cattle-dock, etc, and sprawls out a bit, to allow space for loading/unloading; and, - marshalling, sorting, classifying yards, where the railway company "shuffled the deck", to get wagons into trains for the right destinations. Some of these only had half a dozen sidings. The latter type is +/- a fiddle yard, with sidings in close-file. You might think about having the first kind of yard across one end of your shed, and the second kind down one side (basically four or five longish sidings, with a bit of a head shunt). This would provide a good storage place for all the excellent wagons that you will pick-up cheap on ebay, while still looking like something from the real railway. K

Halsey Personally, I'd advise you to forget all about learning a software package to "design" layouts for now - they have their uses, but all they do us draw stuff, you still have to do all the thinking, and drawing with pencil and paper works splendidly well. Like an earlier correspondent, I would suggest that you go straight for CJF's "60 Plans". Definitely old fashioned, but good nevertheless. Then, spend ages playing with your set-track on the kitchen table, to get a feel for things. The other thought is a question: what real railways inspire you? I ask, because each of a traditional steam age British railway, a modern British railway, a French railway etc, has its own conventions in terms of the way tracks are laid out. Anyway, whatever else: The Fun Starts Here! Kevin

Edwardian Probably zero comfort in your present circumstances, but there always comes a point when one is looking back at the c**p periods in ones life ...... They do come to an end. Possibly of more practical help: batten down all hatches! There is one fierce storm blowing over the bottom half of the country just now, and it is heading north. Kevin

Dava Much appreciated. Easy website to navigate, isn't it! That point certainly has potential. Kevin

Gents I'm having slight difficulty picking out the "nuggets" from this thread, so could anyone clarify for me? 1) are Peco going to make c40" radius set-track points? 2) what code rail and/or flange-depth clearance to the rail-fastenings? 3) adjustable check rail gaps, or fixed, and if so to suit what back-to-back? I'm into coarse-scale, which explains the questions, and if you follow the link to my thread, you can see what it is possible to fit into a converted garage, and read my rant about how many people deceive themselves into believing that 0 scale necessarily needs huge-radius curves, which it doesn't. Kevin

Yes, I'm both impressed and humbled by the rate of progress. In the past week, I have laid 6" of track on my layout! Mind you, I have been madly busy with family matters, and in the odd evening half-hour of peace, I ended up playing trains, instead of building things (again!). K

I've always understood the SSE to have used exclusively LNWR, latterly LMS, stock too, but heeding Simon's tag-line, I can't be absolutely definitive. If any of you has the album of photos by E J Bedford, there are some absolutely brilliant shots of the SSE, consisting of lots of LNWR six-wheeler brake-tri-composites, headed by Gladstones, but these are Victorian, not Edwardian, of course. The Birkenhead to nearly-everywhere-on-the-Kent-and-Sussex-coast trains, known latterly as "Contis", definitely used two sets, one GWR, one SR, on alternate days, running onto the SR via Reading and Redhill. I'm still trying to work out exactly when they commenced - one source suggests late C19th, but I think there were gaps of several years here-and-there, and I have no idea what stock was used. K

Edwardian First a suitable picture, stolen from Semgonline. Second, what is the album that you've found? Looks like one that I don't have, so I'm very interested - I especially like that phot of two model B4s. Kevin

I think you are right about "boots on the ground" - last time I explored the area properly was just before (got utterly confused) and just after (all was much clearer) getting that book, so nearly 35 years ago, and my recollections are by no means perfect. Sounds like you need to take a holiday from caravanning, and spend a long weekend in ........ er ...... Merstham. Which isn't exactly famous as an inland resort, it's major tourist attraction being a stack of 200 year old tram plates and a number of light industrial units. K PS: with apologies to any Mersthamians present.

Well, I'm hoping that author Mr Bayliss would forgive this breach of copyright in pursuit of study. I have a feeling that this little book is pretty rare, because it was only ever sold in local libraries and a few newsagents in the area. It was printed in 1981. Front cover and two relevant pages, legible using iPad. K

Grifone If I found a junky L1, my first thought would be to refurbish it. As it is, junky ones seem rare, and good ones have a price tag heavier than I am prepared to lift, which two facts explain why my railway is without one. Kevin

When time permits, I'm going to hunt out a book on the Surrey Iron Railway and CM&G, because I wonder if that building might have been a stable yard and smithy - the map certainly mentions the latter, and it looks way too big to be a typical village blacksmith's premises. K

Mark Because, actually making progress on my layout is a project that I struggle to find time for, and creating any more projects would simply lead to more opening bars of unfinished symphonies, I'm afraid. If I listed all my started-but-not-yet-finished tasks (hobby, domestic, and work), the list would fill a book! So, nothing against the SECR, in fact there are bits of it I rather like. Kevin

Looking good! I think I've read that BL did the same in regard Compounds and 2Ps. I'm a bit of a 4-4-0 fan, because they are very practical engines for small layouts, so hope to find a BL one in BR lined black livery one day. It could either be on a through working from the North, or masquerade as a Southern loco. K

Brian I can hear the clatter! Very atmospheric. Kevin

Not sure about that. It was the Watford Junction to Ricky Line that was going to run to Uxbridge - more likely big Praries to wAtford Junction, or Oerliken sets to Paddington. K

Slight off-topickery, so apologies in advance MetrOLand, but I didn't realise until recently that there was a firm plan in the 1860s to extend the Watford-Rickmansworth line to Uxbridge Vine Street, creating a Paddington-Watford route. Definitely one to file for the fictional layout scenarios! K

BGJ That all sounds suspiciously like fine-scale talk to me. Perhaps I shouldn't have included that photo in this very fine thread. K