LMS29

Pete, I visited the bookshop on the Grove and purchased a copy of FW (Bill) Smith's new book, Railways in Wharfedale. The book is only available at the Bookshop on the Grove but at £12.95 is well worth considering for your library. Tom

Pete, Thanks for your response. It will take a while to follow this through and work out what is possible. At the moment I only have two Gresley coaches in Crimson and Cream so plenty of building ahead, if indeed they need to be C &C. Tom

Pete, I have just reread my my last post and your comments and need to offer some explanation/corrections. The photo of the WD with MOS tankers I have has tankers coupled to the loco with no barrier wagons. The loco is heading towards Skipton so it is possible that the wagons were know to be empty. The third opens and corridor thirds were for the Leeds to Glasgow train that I am building as an example of trains rerouted up Wharfedale not the Blackpool to Saltburn Saturdays only , my typo. I am aware that the latter train had Gresley coaches, the photo I have shows a teak Gresley as the first coach. I am still working on the makeup of this train. If you have any more info on the composition I would welcome it. As an aside the 1946 timetable show it going to Sunderland rather than Saltburn. As a heads up, Bill (FWSmith) has written another book, this time about his experience as a signalman. I will let you know more after my next trip to Ilkley. The MOS tankers are made from an AIRFIX tank which was shortened, from memory, the lower part of the wagon is based on a Parkside Dundas kit and the rest of the wagon was made from plastic strip and rod from the spares box. I have used the plastic tube method on the ICI chlorine tankers I made for use on Shap Summit layout. Currently working on customising wagons and locos for use in the 1946 schedule. Tom

RL Sounds like we are going to have to do a lot more work on the 1930's theme from the results of this straw poll. Tom

Pete, Good to see that you are still making progress. My work on Ilkley Station continues, if a little under reported. I have decided to run the station on two timescales 1955/6 and 1945/6 and am in the process of researching and creating a summer timetable for late LMS period. I have also been building some more rolling stock. The MOS ammonia tankers are to help recreate the photograph with the WD loco and an MOS tankers approaching the bridge over Brook Street. I have also been building some Open Third and Corridor Third coaches to use on the Summertime, Saturday only Blackpool to Sunderland / Saltburn holiday specials. I realise that there is still work to do to complete the build and then to weather but I thought they would at least give an idea of the things I have been doing. Tom

An enjoyable show. I was glad I had a short sleeved summer shirt in my bag! There were some issues behind the scenes but most did not show to the spectators. Tom

Work on Shap is still continuing behind the scenes as it is developed for the next appearance at Hartlepool. In the meantime, I have taken a holiday in Linz, Austria. I enjoy a ride on the Postlingberg tram. I also visited a local modelbahnclub in St Florian a town about 10 miles outside Linz. The club are still very much developing a huge layout which is very difficult to photgraph. The club has chosen to model a number of local subjects. This is a picture of a model of the steel works at Linz on their largest layout. The model is run on a number of levels and the fiddle yard is hidden below the main level. It is very difficult to photograph. There are other models and this shows a village scene from another mountainous layout. This was a very interesting group and well worth a visit. If anyone is interested in learning more please PM me. Tom

Jonathan, The same teacher encouraged my son's interest in motor mechanics. On one occasion he gave him a scrap engine to take home and investigate. All was going well till he got to the sump and engine oil leaked all over my work bench and the surrounds. He is still interested in things mechanical and remembers the teacher with respect. Tom

Baz, You are a couple of days ahead of me. I was planning to do my checks on Thursday. I should have some new wagons to show you. Tom

Pete, I recognise that the modern stuff gets in the way but behind that the railway cottages and houses behind are still the same. I Will look out for a photo of the signal. I am sure it appears in some shots I have seen. The rest looks great. Tom

Superb article and excellent photography. Really shows the best of the layout. Tom

Jamie, The Ammonia wagons were built for my layout Ilkley and based on photographs taken around Wharfedale of the trains running between ICI at Billingham (Haverton Hill) and Heysham. Like Graham I am not sure of the of the destination of the train in the Ivo Peter's photograph but I do know that ICI sites at Grangemouth and Ardeer could have been possible recipients. Tom

Richard, I am sure Red Leader will explain in detail in one of his future inputs. Briefly, we started with the photo evidence of goods trains on Shap and then assembled the appropriate combination of wagons and loco. Once assembled we ran the goods with each of our bankers to find which of the bankers gave the most realistic banking. Tom

The secret for van packing, like the rest of the layout, is maticulous planning and everything has its appointed place. I helped pack it last Thursday. Tom

Hope that you guys have a good show. I will be having a bit more exercise than 3279. Look forward to seeing the photographs. Tom

With all the attention focused on getting Grantham ready for the next two show, I managed to build a few wagons to supplement the Shap rolling stock collection. Looking at historic photographs produced two photographs with wagons that interested me. The bulk Soda Ash wagons built for ICI in the early 1960s and a much earlier milk tank transporter, which may find a use in the future.

Great photographs. Do I feel a narrow gauge model coming on?

One of the maps annotated the building as sand. You may be right about the ash. Will do a bit more research and perhaps we can discuss at the Lincoln show. Tom

I could not help noting that just to the north of the 'classroom' building that Paul has so skilfully modelled is a small building for sand and in one of the aerial shots there was a wagon with a pale load (sand?) alongside the coal wagons. Would that have existed in the 1930s and if it did is there room for another of Paul's excellent buildings? Tom

It certainly was cold. Looking at the photos, I just realised I forgot my Sammy Legards bus to put on the Bridge at the south end.

Red Leader, I have a copy of this article and will bring to the next running session, Tom

Baz, Looking forward to hearing your cunning plan and enjoyed reading the views shared about the era (s) that should be depict next so would be interested in hearing Red Leaders view on the era (s) we will be modelling at out next show. Tom

I used the same sources of photographic evidence that the team used when designing the scenery and organising the rolling stock.

Graham, If you want to do this sort of rolling cycle, it maybe best if you made the time spans more than an hour, say one third of the day for each time cycle. The main changes would be motive power and coaching stock and that should be achievable. Tom

That will give the lads in the south box something to shunt ..... Well done.