37Oban

Another vote for Hawick!

Phew!

Hi, take the plunge, you won't regret it! I used to build my own track in N, now I've gone to EM. Get a good set of gauges, a decent soldering iron and have a go! There's lots of advice on here to help you on your way. Hardest job is deciding which technique to go for: fully soldered construction with pcb sleepers, wood and rivet, plastic chairs on timber, commercial track bases. As you've got a small plank to try things on have a go with them all and settle on one that suits you and what you are looking for. For the record I'm using the old tried and tested technique of pcb sleepers for every third or fourth sleeper with the rail soldered to these and wood dummy sleepers for the rest. Definitely old school but it looks good with a bit of care and it works for me! Roja

My vote goes to Stalybridge Roja

Hi, as alluded too in my first post, cardboard baseboards. Why cardboard? Several reasons really. Firstly, I needed something strong and light. Due to my disability even lightweight plywood baseboards are awkward to move and manouvere; even boards as small as 2' x 1' are difficult, and as I wanted something bigger than that an alternative had to be found I considered rigid foam but discounted it, not necessarily on cost grounds but that I don't have the equipment, or ability, to cut the necessary plywood protective base and edging. Cardboard is cheap, lightweight and, if treated correctly, rigid. Ten sheets of 841mm x 594mm x 3mm corrugated sheets were duly purched off Ebay, along with a pack of 10 50mm x 889mm cardboard postal tubes. These are easily trimmed to length using a razor saw. Three lengths of 25mm x 25mm x 2000mm 'L' shaped wood moulding was also bought. To make the boards, a sheet of card was laid flat and a second sheet glued to it at a 90 degree angle, the overhang trimmed off and used to make up the length then the whole lot weighted and left to dry. I did this to all the sheets. I only have space to do 1 set at a time so this took a week to do, leaving each one overnight to dry. Once all were dry two were selected for the baseboard top and two for cutting into 50mm strips, with the other spare in cae it was needed. It was, as I'm not very good at cutting long, straight edges. The wood moulding was also cut to fit along the sides and ends of the boards. Construction was simple and fairly quick. Wood mouldings were glued along the sides and ends of the boards to provide support for the side pieces and also protection for the cardboard edges. The side strips were glued in place, then three of the postal tubes to provide support for the tops, checked for squareness then left to dry, when the tubes were trimmed to length. The position of the tubes is not critical as I use wire-in-tube for point operation and all wiring is on the surface. Once dry the tops and sides were given two coats of button polish. This important. One, it helps stiffen the surface and, two, provides a waterproof surface. This is necessary if you use pva or any water-based glue at a later date. Any slots cut into the cardboard for point operation etc were also give 2 or 3 coats of button polish. When the track is laid any pin holes or alterations to the slots will be treated with button polish before ballasting etc takes place. The wooden blocks on the top of the boardfs are for hinges so the two boards can be folded together. The plates on the sides are mdf plates bought from ebay to provide anchor points for suitcase catches used to hold the boards together when opened and hooks and eyes when closed. I really must crack on and fit these. The photos should make everything clear. One thing I shall do in the next week or so is get my daughter to go with me to buy some more wood moulding to fit to the base of the sides to protect the cardboard edges there. Roja

Well, after due consideration of all the delightful junctions I've plumped for Craigellachie. Roja

St. Mungo lies at the end of a short branch of the Cathcart Circle. Construction of the line began in January 1883, the same time as the first section of the Circle. It leaves the Circle at a junction just south of Queens Park station and heads in a roughly northerly direction ending near the south bank of the Clyde, opposite Glasgow Green. Although on the Clyde, the river is really too shallow for serious shipbuilding but there are factories and housing developments which the line was designed to serve. There was also a short spur to the Southern Necropilis for the transport of finished stone for tombs and monuments. Just to the south of St Mungo a second junction heads to form a junction with the line from Dunbrek to Bellgrove, leading to Queen Street station. A useful link, but it was rarely used until the late 1950's. The station was originally going to be named Adelphi Street but an influential member of the Board of Directors of the Caledonian Railway, who were to run the line, suggested St. Mungo, the patron saint of Glasgow, who, until now had been overlooked, and this was unanimously agreed. A prestigous name for a small station. Housing developments at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, along with the various industries, ensured healthy receipts despite competition from the tram network. However, the line was singled at the beginning of the 1950's as an economy measure. Despite this, the line was electrified, along with the rest of the Cathcart Circle. This was authorised on 27th April 1956 but work didn't commence until 8th November 1960, electric operation starting on 27th May 1962. However, the line to the Queen Street route was not electrified at this time. Initially Drummond class '171' 0-4-4T were used on the passenger services, soon to be followed by the delightful class '104' 0-4-4T and then the CR standard '439' 0-4-0T, the latter two handling the bulk of passenger services until after Nationalisation. Freight traffic was in the hands of various 0-6-0 locomotives, both tender and tank. Occasionally elderly G&SWR locomotives could be seen on some services, but they didn't last long. After Nationalisation newer LMS and BR Standard 2-6-6T began to appear, soon ousting the CR locos on passenger turns, whilst Black 5's and Standard 5's took over freight duties, of which there still was a considerable amount at this time. DMU's were introduced, on a gradual basis, in the late 1950's, and these were concentrated on the Queen Street service. So successful they were on this that the service rose to 10 trains a day each way from the previous 4. Classes seen were 100, 105, 107 and 108, with 3-car 120 and 126 sets appearing at the weekends on the popular "Six Lochs" tours. By 1962 steam had been eradicated from the line, the freight traffic now been dealt with by classes 17, 20, 21, the occasional 24 and 25, 26, 27 and latterly 29. Sometimes an 06, as well as the shunting products of NBL and Andrew Barclay would appear on short trip workings. For it's size the station was extremely busy at times. Due to it's small size, and short run-round loop, and also that several of the factory sidings could only be shunted by trains in the down direction, upto 4 freight services a day could be seen in the station waiting for a path. Several nearby businesses sent parcels by rail, and this justified the use of upto 3 vehicles at peak times, such as Christmas. Also, on a Friday night, a sleeping car service was provided. This usually took the form of a composite sleeper, bsk and parcels van for the London traffic. This train was taken to Central station were it was attached to the main service for it's journey south. Don't go looking for St. Mungo, it's not on any map of Glasgow, although Adelphi Street is were I said it is. I've been fascinated by railways in Glasgow, and the Cathcart Circle, for years. I've also thought that St. Mungo would be a good name for a station, so after dabbling in N gauge for a long while I decided to take the plunge with EM. Why EM? Why not? I like the appearance of the track, and re-wheeling diesel loco's, dmu's etc isn't really difficult, and I enjoy track building. So this is going to be an exercise in going EM as cheaply as possible, as I have limited income. This isn't as difficult as it may seem, especially if you chose items carefully and are prepared to do a bit a work. You may have seen my thread in scratch and kit building, Roja's EM bits & bobs. It isn't too difficult to modify and change models to make something a bit different from straight out of the box. That's it for now. Cardboard baseboards and track next! Roja

Decisions, decisions!

That's interesting! It seems the two spellings were interchangeable, at least at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. An OS six inch map from 1888-1913 has it has Redesmouth but a Bartholomew half inch map of 1897-1907 has it has Reedsmouth! Roja

Reedsmouth Jct for me too. Or should it be Redesmouth Jct as it spelled on various maps? When did the spelling change? Roja

Hi, could to see I'm not the only one who has been known to make a freehand turnout! If you don't replace the crossover it'll niggle you for as long as it's in place. Better to rip it up now and replace it than regret it later. Roja

Hi, cracking little layout, right up my street! Could spend hours playing, I mean, operating trains on it! Roja

So many to choose from! Lincoln Central is an obvious one, as is Woodhall, and Firsby but the one I'm going for is New Holland, junction for the Barton branch before the Humber bridge was opened and New Holland Town and Pier stations were replaced by a single platform halt! Roja

Hi, I have now reached the stage of if I'm not happy with it, then start again, no matter how far along a project I am. I've learnt that it can often take longer, sometimes considerably so, trying to correct faults to make something I'm happy with rather than starting again and being aware of the mistakes I'd made. Roja

Going for Barmouth too. Roja

If not too late Market Weighton

Doncaster for me. Fond, and not so fond, memories of waiting for early morning newspaper train back to Hull on a Sunday morning! Roja

Carlisle for me too. Roja

You missed the brambles at th end of the barn! Roja

Has to be Barnetby, which is fairly local to me. Roja

Have you been to my local station, Barton-upon-Humber? Pretty much describes it except the bus shelter is away from the single platform, beyond the buffer stop! Roja

Mm, bit tricky! Four to choose from in Glasgow! After due consideration, and a cup of tea, settled for Queen Street, especially when the goods side was in use, although St Enoch ran it close! Roja

Has to be Oban in the sixties. Interesting station building, transhipment shed and sidings for the ferry traffic and a totally separate mpd and town goods yard. Lovely! Roja

Hi, it's worth it for the introduction alone, but I may be a wee bit biased! Roja

Hi, just a wee update. I received the photo of the cl20 in Oban station. On the back it states "D8103 (or 8130) (blue) on Glasgow train (?) Oban 19/8/67" So most likely a service train and not an excursion, and 20's were some times used on passenger trains between Glasgow and Crianlarich during the summer. There's a photo of D8117 on such a service in 1962 in "Diesels in Scotland" by W J Verden Anderson, so it possible they had made it Oban on the occasional passenger service, just not been recorded. That would have been a steady trip, especially along the Clyde! Roja