C126

If I may drag the thread off-topic in a different direction, I hope the following might prove inspiration enough to those with the will and space to build a hump yard layout needing a '13': A miniature hump? ELLIS, Chris & ANDRESS, Michael. Model Trains, 1980, OCT. (Mentions "the Rev. Edward Beal built one for his famous West Midland layout over 30 years ago!" Does anyone know this layout?) Hump yard layout. LINK, Roy C. Railway Modeller, 1994, JAN. (There are subsequent part(s), which I missed.) A model hump yard. LOCKWOOD, Christopher. British Railway Modelling, 1998, JULY. Drop me a line if you would like further details. Hope this is of interest.

Re my goods handling suggestions, I, also, was confused by the two establishments in one frontage; sorry about that. Also, I am not sure what sort of economy North Kent had then. I assume only vans will be handled at the Railfreight and Suder's, and one flow could be a block company train of 'comestibles' from the north (but this means a repeated rake of identical vans). For 'Speedlink' wagon-load traffic, could shell-fish be harvested in quantities sufficient to be sent speedily up to Town by rail? VEAs from the quay-side, loaded thus owing to tight curves in the docks, and reversed to add to the main train? What is the land-use for the area? This should prompt thoughts on goods in and out. It looks very much like Pevensey marshes: bleak, desolate, and dotted with sheep. Could sea-salt be harvested, packaged, and sent out? If not fertilizer, how about (bagged) animal feed, seed, and chemicals in occasionally to a merchant's? Extractive industries need hoppers and opens, rather than vans, but is there any light engineering, associated with the sea nearby? Is there food grown nearby that could be processed and dispatched? I am not quite up to speed - not enough Darjeeling drunk yet to-day - but hope the above helps supplement Nearholmer's ideas.

You will put in buffer-stops, won't you, lest the driver get distracted by the 'invigorating' advert ahead...?

And do not forget all the litter on the tracks and platforms.

Sorry to confuse; have I read the maps incorrectly? I wondered if the "rambling route" (pls 1 & 2) could be more 'run down' like the Ashford Hastings line - which would mean using diesels - and so have an extension to the Ashford-Hastings service. I am not very au fait with Kent, so do put any errors down to my reading Wignall's 'Complete British railways maps...'. I have your station placed just North-west of Ashford and South-west of Faversham, so perhaps a junction near Charing? However, if you want to keep the electrified platform, then you can dispense with the diesel provision. Hope this makes sense.

You haven't even scratched the surface. Ask us what freight could be handled at your warehouse...

I take my hat off to what has been proposed so far. Just a quick thought, looking at my rail atlas, how about running a DEMU as an extension to the Ashford-Hastings service? I assume your station would be served by a branch from Ashford, but this means removing the Third Rail...

You are certainly not alone in having models that bare no relation to their intended layouts: I have an SNCF 'CC' nez casse AC-electric HO loco bought as a birthday present from my parents when we were on holiday and highly prized (so beautiful!), and now want a Class 13 shunter for my S.R. goods yard if it is ever made. I muse occasionally on what it is that makes a train 'attractive' or not: good design (Hymek, Class 53 Falcon, H.S.T.), sentimentality from one's childhood (33, 73), or just downright ugly (modern Class 70, Class 68). My old Lima '40' will be staying in its box, but I want a 25/3 to call at my yard with an inter-regional Company train. Perhaps you could use your 25 for a brief, seasonal, intensive, freight flow (but I have no idea what. Hops to go northwards to Burton-on-Trent?). Keep up the good work on your layout and letting us know how you get on. It looks splendid, and I am sure I am not alone in finding inspiration for my own project.

I had a sudden idea about using the '40' on an over-night Company block-train to the private shed, like the Kelloggs service to Crawley New Yard from the north via Willesden. However, this would be very much 'artistic license', I think, to have a Speedlink in addition, and the '40' might have been changed to a '47' at Willesden. See Michael Rhodes's photo in Dr Paul Shannon's 'Speedlink' (2014), p.7. "One of the first flows to use B.R.'s air-braked vans was Kelloggs traffic from Trafford Park to Hatfield and Crawley, which ran as a combined train as far as Willesden. No. 40 143 pauses at Manchester Piccadilly with the Willesden-bound train in January 1977."

May I just compliment Nearholmer for getting in before me! Hope my ideas do not sound quite daft compared to his wise words. Sorry: idiot that I am you would not need a loco-hauled peak-time service when the lines have 3d Rail. Doh.

I would start with the passenger services, which being Southern would be likely to be regular 'clock face', supplemented with loco-hauled extras (e.g., Uckfield and East Grinstead branches on the Central Div.). I would think a service would certainly serve London, so depending on how your terminus relates to other lines, either have loco-hauled peak 'through' services, with a shuttle off-peak (2-3 an hour, varying in speed?) connecting to a junction station, or have your station serve 'through to London'. Please correct me if I sound out of turn, but the Southern is rather 'London focussed'. Then 'bolt on' the extras: parcels, newspapers, a Kensington Olympia inter-regional 'portion' that is joined to another portion from a larger terminus, ditto a 'Sleeper' car if you want to be exotic. You could stretch it, perhaps, to serve a boat-train if you want your station near the sea. The last two would be early in the morning and late at night. As for freight, I think the scrap train would call daily (I stand to be corrected), with a 'Q' (as required) addition of the tank for the waste oil. I think freight was served outside peak hours, simply owing to pathing constraints on a busy commuter network. The despatch shed could have a daily trip service, perhaps late in the evening to allow over-night delivery, or in the morning (09.00-10.00) for 'next day delivery': anything needing to go quicker could be sent by Parcels (departing late after-noon). So, if I have not got quite the wrong end of the stick, I think it would be a case of 'inter-lacing' the regular passenger workings with the daily 'irregulars'. You could put these on flip-cards, or type up an hourly schedule and work from this. Errr... does this help?

I can only concur with what has been written previously - and would like to mention Nearholmer in dispatches for his kindness with a few Private Messages last year containing ideas for me - and look forward to reading what stock you have for what sort of layout, and where it is set. With my layout, I have been composing endless lists of suitable freight (if bending rules to make it busier than would have been), and then searching for lorries to deliver/collect it and wagons to carry it. I am obsessed currently with wool 'sheets' (un-graded bales) and pallet sizes (why are there three?!?)... I look forward to seeing what you have in mind.

This isn't wage-slavery; are you sure you were not an 'International Man of Mystery'?! I fear I have been watching too much black-&-white 'Simon Templar' in 'Lock-down'...

I must say on seeing this that my first feeling was similarity to the terror of completing a job-application form. Never been one to 'sell myself' or argue thus!

Dear Clive, Sorry, I meant it to be 'all relative'. Yes, I am sitting in my B.R. blue Southern Region bubble (but still would run a '13' on my goods yard, under 'Rule 1' for aesthetic reasons!). The whole economics of model production mentioned here looks to be a minefield, of which I am ignorant. I do not know if the 4VEP sold well (assume so as I can not find one 2d hand). I just hope 'market forces will prevail' to paraphrase Ma Thatcher, and I may have a reasonably-priced 4CIG one day...

Well, I will be daft enough to put my head above the parapet and say I would buy a B.R. blue T.O.P.S. '13', assuming I had saved the cash, etc. However, I would rather a few other models of more common prototypes were available before: a 4CIG, and a 33/0 with attractive glazing for a start, a 74, and several wagons reissued that are now sold out. I will look out a few articles about model hump yards I collected over the years, and post the refs. to-morrow, if of interest.

Big thank-you 'enz' for this. They are bigger than I thought. Concerned to get the 'ex-farm/ ungraded' packages, c.f., the big orange bales, I missed this. I can start on a pastry-cutter template, and get churning 'em out! I hang my head in shame at not doing enough 'surfing' to find the document. A thousand thank-yous.

Yes please, at your convenience! I am pondering trying mutton, and scouring www outlets as none local. Many thanks.

I can only express envy at the opportunities for enjoying decent catering thus. It is one of my many 'Covid fears' that the last few vestiges of railway Restaurant cars are never to return after the virus has been repressed sufficiently. Our holiday in Durham, with food on board, was stopped by Covid. I was looking forward to the Midland Pullman excursions silver service, until I saw the price and supplement charged. Yet this is the thing all laud about long-distance train travel; how difficult must it be to make a go of it? My last hope is the Brighton Belle.

Never so late as to be of no interest. Many thanks for this. As an aside, I concur with the idea of 'having grown up without a car then not needing one', even to-day. My curiosity was partly the division between the 'private sector' (coal and ag. merchants and their digger-drivers) vs. B.R. yard staff. I read here someone saying s/he quit in the 1970's (as a driver?!) because the pay and shifts were so appalling. Also, all these kind contributions have taught me the problem of rust in those days. We had a builder do work on our house in the '80's, and he had a post-DS19 Citroen, because he liked the suspension being able to cope with all his tools and gear, if I understood correctly. He demonstrated when I asked him about it (expecting a more rugged Land Rover or some sort of 'pick-up'), watching the car 'level itself' when he got ready to drive off. I am starting to ramble, so must sign off. Many thanks again to you all.

I have not forgotten this thread, but the recipes I hoped to post were disappointing (two Pheasant 'casserole' curries and a mediocre fresh Coriander Chutney). However, I tried the following for the first time yester-day, and hope it might be of interest to others. Scale up the proportions as wished. 'Indian Coleslaw'. ('Parveen's Indian Kitchen', episode 2, 27th January, 2019.) Ingredients. Half a small raw white cabbage, sliced to taste. Half a red onion. Half a large raw carrot, grated. 1tbsp. Mayonnaise. 1tbsp. Yoghurt. 1 tsp. Turmeric. 1 tsp. Nigella seeds. 2 tsp. Tamarind paste/syrup. Pinch each of salt and ground black pepper. Mix in a bowl the mayonnaise, yoghurt, turmeric, Nigella seeds, and seasoning. Add chopped cabbage, chopped red onion, and grated carrot. Drizzle over tamarind paste/syrup. Mix thoroughly. Serve. If anyone experiments with the spices and proportions, do tell what the results are like. I do not know how 'authentic' the dish is, but it provides a pleasing and unusual 'crunchy' addition to a main meal. I used up the last of it to-day on my 'Pav Bhaji' lunch rolls (coarsely mashed left-over curried veg.). My partner has just suggested it would be tasty in cheese sandwiches, perhaps, as well.

Sorry not to have read this sooner! Hope you enjoyed it. I trust it tasted good, and you will have another go?

I have yet to fly - hearing horror stories of modern air travel I am waiting for the Imperial Airways flying-boat service to return - and can only agree about the delights of rail travel. When a child, I expected to be a commuter to town on the S.R. like my father, and was rather disappointed I ended up rattling along the coastway services to a badly-paid job instead. However, compared to the modern carriages, Standard class in a 4CIG was a delight, and commuting a pleasure. I missed the train ride to work when I moved and used a 'bus around towns. Now I am back in a job requiring a brief journey by train, treat myself to a 1st Class Annual Season, and it is the thing I miss most from this virus. The journey provides a pleasant mental 'break', and the Stewards are wonderful. I must add I have given up trying to read on train journeys. A cinema addict when a student, just gazing out of the window at 'the passing film of reality' and letting one's mind wander, is one of the best things in life. I wangled a journey to Glasgow for a conference five years ago to ride on the Pendolino from Euston, and spent six(?) hours just watching the world go by, bewitched. When travelling together, my partner knows to give me the window seat and not expect conversation (except the occasional rant about 'that used to be a siding/ goods yard/ works'). The best cinematography is seen from a train...

Sorry to post yet another question. Does anyone know the dimensions of the standard white Nylon (I think) wool sacks, as used by farmers for un-graded fleeces? A sample picture is here: https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-sacks-of-sheeps-wool-fleeces-being-transported-by-road-wales-uk-141460414.html?pv=1&stamp=2&imageid=6AA3DAE7-80CC-4098-A725-B5571DE66901&p=72642&n=0&orientation=0&pn=1&searchtype=0&IsFromSearch=1&srch=foo%3dbar%26st%3d0%26pn%3d1%26ps%3d100%26sortby%3d2%26resultview%3dsortbyPopular%26npgs%3d0%26qt%3dwool%20sack%26qt_raw%3dwool%20sack%26lic%3d3%26mr%3d0%26pr%3d0%26ot%3d0%26creative%3d%26ag%3d0%26hc%3d0%26pc%3d%26blackwhite%3d%26cutout%3d%26tbar%3d1%26et%3d0x000000000000000000000%26vp%3d0%26loc%3d0%26imgt%3d0%26dtfr%3d%26dtto%3d%26size%3d0xFF%26archive%3d1%26groupid%3d%26pseudoid%3d%26a%3d%26cdid%3d%26cdsrt%3d%26name%3d%26qn%3d%26apalib%3d%26apalic%3d%26lightbox%3d%26gname%3d%26gtype%3d%26xstx%3d0%26simid%3d%26saveQry%3d%26editorial%3d1%26nu%3d%26t%3d%26edoptin%3d%26customgeoip%3d%26cap%3d1%26cbstore%3d1%26vd%3d0%26lb%3d%26fi%3d2%26edrf%3d%26ispremium%3d1%26flip%3d0%26pl%3d I estimate about 5x3x1', but am unsure of the dimensions of modern motor-vehicles. Certainly larger than a 4x3.5' pallet, I am sure (another subject with which I am obsessed at the moment). I thought they would provide a pleasing load on a Speedlink 'open' or two, from a collection centre on the high Weald to Bradford. Has anyone else tried modelling them? I was going to use modelling clay. Thanks for any help you can give, and giving this your consideration.

Thanks so much for these, and everyone else's contributions. Do the motor-cars of one's childhood look so much more 'handsome' than to-day's, or is it just me? I know almost nothing about them, but recognise many of the cars from my school-days by sight, if not knowing the make and model. Lots of advice to ponder; I can not wait for the model-shop to re-open.