gerrym

Hi , I have submitted an entry form for the competition and there should with any luck be some pictures attached here! the photo's are of my entry, Queens Street Yard. Cheers Gerry M

Hi Marc, Since I have been exhibiting Queens Street Yard I have changed from three link couplings to Dinghams in 7mm scale. All my stock is built with three links but the stock specifically used for QSY has been adapted. The Dinghams on the layout are not strictly the full item as I only have loops at one end of each wagon and I have omitted the catch or latch that allows shunting with out coupling. This came about because the layout was scenically complete and I did not want to start hacking everything about to install magnet below the track! They seem to be height critical to operate well. My rolling stock is from a variety of sources and consequently there is slight variation in the level of the coupling pockets of each wagon creating a mis-match and problems coupling up. I uncouple the wagons manually with a small "shunting pole" made of stiff wire attached to a pen light. this is used to simply lift the loop when coupling or uncoupling . They are much easier on a small cameo layout but need critical setting up to be really user friendly. Gerry

Hello Marc, Yes it is one of your kits, purchased a couple of years ago at either the Telford or Bristol shows. I am pleased with the model, I must admit not a great many GER kits out there really. The colour scheme is, as far as I am aware for a fully fitted van for through traffic. Basic light Grey with dark grey ends and the brick red side panels. Difficult to find much information unless you are a member of the GER society. The lettering again is not easy to find so printed my own on the lap top and sprayed over with fixative. This is wearing well so will use again when the need arises. Gerry

Hi Marc, Yes, it has appeared at the Cheltenham show in October last year and is booked into the GWSR gala W/E show on May B/H at Winchcombe, then Hucclecote in June and Ross on Wye in I think August this year. Gerry

Hi Steve I am adding a few more pics. of the yard starting with a diagram of the track layout. This pic. shows the control panel in its entirety, as I said earlier it is recessed into the front face of the FY to protect the switch gear as much as possible. As you can see there are four sections controlled with on/off switches, more than is really necessary actually. To their right is another switch which controls the FY lines, marked TT for the Sector plate and ES for the Engine shed road funnily enough ! this switch is centre off to isolate the FY completely. To the left hand side of the panel is another switch to operate the lights on the buildings and the yard lamp never really used but I like it. The next picture is of the FY itself, which could not be simpler, the road nearest the camera is just that, a simple rear entrance to the Engine shed to allow a crafty change of motive power. Behind this is the sector plate which just swivels a couple of inches either way to access the two lines entering the scenic area, just a way of reducing the layout length instead of another turnout. You can see that I have increased the width of the board in the FY to provide some space to store stock "off scene". I have added some further pics showing a "Tardis" type moment into the 1950s/60s, the yard Owner has just arrived in his shiny new Morris Oxford to have a chat to the Foreman and the latest delivery is being collected by Express Parcels in their Bedford Beagle van. The Class 08 shunter is messing about with a few BR wagons. One or two of you may recognise the Dapol 08 as the one featured in an article about weathering that was published in the November 2017 edition of the RM mag. Finally there is a couple of pics. of an Ivatt Class 2MT "mickey mouse" interloper that should not be cleared to enter the yard due to its axle loading but somehow has escaped everyones notice. This is one of the first locos of this type with the straight sided cab and painted in the initial BR plain lettered scheme.

Hi Steve, I have added a some pics of the latest locomotives to operate at Queen Street Yard, a GER G40 0-4-0 " coffee pot " and a Y6 tram engine. The coffee pot is a Ragstone Models kit and the Tram engine is a Connoisseur Models kit.

Hi Osgood, Thanks for the comments. Yes you are quite correct that is a Gladiator Ramsbottom saddle tank. I like the Gladiator kits, they go together well although this loco has a resin moulded saddle tank which was a little distorted unfortunately so needed some work to make it fit properly. The rest of the kit is brass. The little Wisbech and Upwell Y6 that I have just finished tonight in fact! is from Jim Mcgowens Connoisseur range, another favourite of mine. I am waiting for the new owners of the Gladiator kits to re-introduce the 0-4-2 crane tank version of the Ramsbottom loco as that would be something a little different! Gerry M

Hi Steve, Thanks for the comments, I will put a sketch together of the track plan and add to the post. I didn't go into any detail re the fiddle yard but the the two main sidings on the layout enter the fiddle yard under the bridge and align with a turntable for want of a better description that just swivels between the two lines rather like a sector plate. The engine shed road in the fore ground enters the FY via the engine shed and onto a fixed line to allow locos leave or enter the viewable area if that makes sense? The layout will be at the Gloucester and Warks Steam Railway gala event on Spring B/H at Winchcombe and then Hucclecote, Gloucester in June and then Ross on Wye in I think august.

]Hi everyone, This is the first posting I have attempted so bear with me as it may be rather sketchy. Seeing so much interest in smaller o gauge layouts I thought I would add a description and hopefully some pics of my layout/test track. This layout came about from the need to build a test track for the locos and rolling stock I build as my main interest. This board became an exhibitable layout by accident really! The layout is 4ft long by 15ins deep all made from 5mm plywood cut from standard sheets 1200 x 600mm. The fiddle yard which has been added to the left hand side is similarly constructed from ply and is an additional 2ft in length. The layout as you can see is a very compact inner city goods yard set around the Edwardian period as most of my stock is pre-grouping period. The layout was completed about five months ago and has appeared at a couple of shows locally and is scheduled for further exhibitions this year. Most of the locomotives that are used are either Great Eastern or LNWR short wheelbase 0-4-0s. I have just completed a GER Y6 tram engine in GER livery. The layout has built in lighting using self adhesive LED strips fixed under the pelmet at the fron to the main board. The layout is operated from the front with the control panel recessed into the front panel of the fiddle yard. This protects the switches etc when being transported. The whole thing was designed to fit into my Honda CRV along with all the stock boxes, power box, stools tool boxes etc and still leave the front seats available for two people. What happens if I change the car I don't know! The supporting legs are built into the base boards and hinge up for travelling. I have learnt from previous experience to minimise the number of loose components to pack for an exhibition that can be forgotten when loading up!! If I have pressed all the right buttons you should hopefully see some pics of the layout, if not can somebody tell me where I am going wrong!