ianathompson

I'll give you a lesson next time, including the ones named in Marrongacan as well as Thalnian. I might have to consider inventing Narnian if the enclave develops. There is a dragon on order and a potential centaur conversion. I am not totally sold on this as it might just be a step too far. We'll just have to wait and see. Incidentally I have managed to fix the loose wire after half an hour's digging and soldering. Lord knows how it came loose! Thanks for the complements. It certainly is not perfection! Each session almost develops as a story, I suppose, which might be part of the attraction. Most of the tangles reflect the problems that we had in the signal boxes in real life, before I retired. The other important factor is that there is a comprehensive back story for the railway. I dislike semi nebulous justifications for fictional railways whether based on "might have beens" or those in a parallel universe. It can be found here. Hope that you can find time to read it. It is rather long as it was forty years in the making! Ian T

A lot more photos have been added to the website. 33. Cattle are already beginning to arrive at Breĉo de Glissent as the branch railcar runs round a couple of grain hoppers that it has fished out of the Co-op siding. There is not going to be much time for the down local goods to shunt here today as a result of the special train running. The cattle herd is symbolic at around a dozen figures and, although I do not know much about it, I expect that a single drover, rather then the four here, could easily handle that number. 50. Looking over the Gas Works Street wall at Lacono we can see that the URT-RFK goods is pulling in early. The AFK sees no point in running goods trains to time just for the sake of it. The train was ready to leave and there was a slot on the single line so it was put out. The enlarged layout is being used as envisaged in that the shunter is working from the north end, using the loop alongside the arriving train as a headshunt accessed from the double slip. The old layout would have been overwhelmed by the number of wagons currently occupying the sidings 55. As the loco is in Cadsuiane the train is deemed to have arrived. The train is parked on the mainline using a track brake. If it was not restrained it might well run away, although today’s train is not particularly free running. The large loco just clears the station building. This had to be moved a fraction, some time ago, to allow this engine into the yard. The two wagons in the siding are loaded with cord wood going to the paper factory. They will be dropped off at Ospicio for the new local train to pick up. The crew did not read their new timetable yesterday and left them behind causing problems later in the day. 61. The busses congregate at Fenditavalat, in their five times a day ritual, to feed passengers and post into the morning railcar. This will leave shortly before 09.00 to give connections between the ancient provincial capital, Lacono, its successor, and the Kernregio, the heartlands of Thalnia. Ian T

A lot more photos have been added to the website. 33. Cattle are already beginning to arrive at Breĉo de Glissent as the branch railcar runs round a couple of grain hoppers that it has fished out of the Co-op siding. There is not going to be much time for the down local goods to shunt here today as a result of the special train running. The cattle herd is symbolic at around a dozen figures and, although I do not know much about it, I expect that a single drover, rather then the four here, could easily handle that number. 50. Looking over the Gas Works Street wall at Lacono we can see that the URT-RFK goods is pulling in early. The AFK sees no point in running goods trains to time just for the sake of it. The train was ready to leave and there was a slot on the single line so it was put out. The enlarged layout is being used as envisaged in that the shunter is working from the north end, using the loop alongside the arriving train as a headshunt accessed from the double slip. The old layout would have been overwhelmed by the number of wagons currently occupying the sidings 55. As the loco is in Cadsuiane the train is deemed to have arrived. The train is parked on the mainline using a track brake. If it was not restrained it might well run away, although today’s train is not particularly free running. The large loco just clears the station building. This had to be moved a fraction, some time ago, to allow this engine into the yard. The two wagons in the siding are loaded with cord wood going to the paper factory. They will be dropped off at Ospicio for the new local train to pick up. The crew did not read their new timetable yesterday and left them behind causing problems later in the day. 61. The busses congregate at Fenditavalat, in their five times a day ritual, to feed passengers and post into the morning railcar. This will leave shortly before 09.00 to give connections between the ancient provincial capital, Lacono, its successor, and the Kernregio, the heartlands of Thalnia. Ian T

Just to pick nits Workington Town are still going strong in the league. They are the Rugby League side whereas Workington were (and still are) the football team. The rugby team were formed in the fifties and had to use a different name for legal reasons. When I watched Rugby League as a kid I used to wonder why there were so few "Towns" or "Cities" until I found out that the rugby teams generally predated the soccer teams. Ian T

Had this argument many times "down the club". Missed last night's "hundred" at the club because I was playing croquet. Better stop there. This is a model railway forum after all! Ian T

The next batch of pictures is available. Progress has been restricted by numerous sporting commitments. A small selection is shown below for those who do not use the website link. 9. The crew of the cement train set the road for the Urteno train once they had arrived. When this passed they routed the following down train into the loop and cleared the signals before departing, as seen here. This is the usual AFK procedure outside the station hours. The paper train pulls into Glissent under the “take siding” indication on the four aspect semaphore. Once it is safely in the loop the crew will set the road and pull off the signals for the Fenditavalat goods. 18. Caladonno, which might or might not become Caladonno-Blittiri as displayed on the nameboard, is permanently immured in winter, rather like neighbouring Narnia, when under the control of the Witch Queen. Indeed I am rather taken with the thought of declaring this area to be an exclave of Narnia. Spain has a number of such territories in the Pyrenees across the French border. It is a small price to pay for incorporating a snow scene into the layout, particularly as other alpine areas are modelled in summer. The Lacono shunter has dropped off the two vans of blankets and is about to return to Fenditavalat. The driver is working the frame, which at this remote location is enclosed, to change the points and clear the signals, because it is outside station hours. The snow plough is traversing the country lane leading to Blittiri, a small upland hamlet. Part of the backscene has been finished but this area was simply roughed in and awaits further attention. 24. The crew of the KTT local have misjudged things slightly in their complicated shunting. The loco and two wagons are still on the mainline to the south of the station as the railcar approaches and by the time that they are in the clear the railcar has dropped 6 minutes. The crew will not be asked to explain this delay unless it becomes a regular problem. 30. The heavily laden schools’ railcar crosses the Magasorombo, to use the Marronĝaccan, with a heavy trailing load. The area is known as the Altingablecaŭtoj in Thalnia and translates as the High Reaches. The railcar has struggled with this load but it is necessary this morning as there will be no spare space on the following goods train due to the priority given to the military loads. The railcar is making the stop alongside the chapel at Aleyha to pick up pupils form this remote area. Ian T

The next batch of pictures is available. Progress has been restricted by numerous sporting commitments. A small selection is shown below for those who do not use the website link. 9. The crew of the cement train set the road for the Urteno train once they had arrived. When this passed they routed the following down train into the loop and cleared the signals before departing, as seen here. This is the usual AFK procedure outside the station hours. The paper train pulls into Glissent under the “take siding” indication on the four aspect semaphore. Once it is safely in the loop the crew will set the road and pull off the signals for the Fenditavalat goods. 18. Caladonno, which might or might not become Caladonno-Blittiri as displayed on the nameboard, is permanently immured in winter, rather like neighbouring Narnia, when under the control of the Witch Queen. Indeed I am rather taken with the thought of declaring this area to be an exclave of Narnia. Spain has a number of such territories in the Pyrenees across the French border. It is a small price to pay for incorporating a snow scene into the layout, particularly as other alpine areas are modelled in summer. The Lacono shunter has dropped off the two vans of blankets and is about to return to Fenditavalat. The driver is working the frame, which at this remote location is enclosed, to change the points and clear the signals, because it is outside station hours. The snow plough is traversing the country lane leading to Blittiri, a small upland hamlet. Part of the backscene has been finished but this area was simply roughed in and awaits further attention. 24. The crew of the KTT local have misjudged things slightly in their complicated shunting. The loco and two wagons are still on the mainline to the south of the station as the railcar approaches and by the time that they are in the clear the railcar has dropped 6 minutes. The crew will not be asked to explain this delay unless it becomes a regular problem. 30. The heavily laden schools’ railcar crosses the Magasorombo, to use the Marronĝaccan, with a heavy trailing load. The area is known as the Altingablecaŭtoj in Thalnia and translates as the High Reaches. The railcar has struggled with this load but it is necessary this morning as there will be no spare space on the following goods train due to the priority given to the military loads. The railcar is making the stop alongside the chapel at Aleyha to pick up pupils form this remote area. Ian T

The new operating session has finally begun after some delay. For a layout whose main purpose is puportedly operation it has suffered two long closures for "works". I hope that the next inter session gap is much shorter. There is not much to say about the new session that is not already on the website and the it has not progressed very far at the moment. It is nice to be back, however! Given that running has only just begun there is only one photograph here to act as an attention grabber. The session can be found here. 9.04 The retimed cement train rolls into Lacono at 01.12. It will stand here for some time and will be re-crewed. At this stage of the night the passenger facilities double up as freight reception roads and this train is running into platform 3, the main passenger platform. With this arrival all seven through roads are blocked. It is my intention to try to undertake minor work, such as the painting of the factory sign, as the session progresses, although previous attempts at such activities have been thwarted by the need to respond to the problems that inevitably arise when a large layout is in operation. Two ”sprung” point blades have already been found and fixed, even though the session has hardly begun. Hopefully I will make quick progress but there are many other calls on my time. Ian T

The new operating session has finally begun after some delay. For a layout whose main purpose is puportedly operation it has suffered two long closures for "works". I hope that the next inter session gap is much shorter. There is not much to say about the new session that is not already on the website and the it has not progressed very far at the moment. It is nice to be back, however! Given that running has only just begun there is only one photograph here to act as an attention grabber. The session can be found here. 9.04 The retimed cement train rolls into Lacono at 01.12. It will stand here for some time and will be re-crewed. At this stage of the night the passenger facilities double up as freight reception roads and this train is running into platform 3, the main passenger platform. With this arrival all seven through roads are blocked. It is my intention to try to undertake minor work, such as the painting of the factory sign, as the session progresses, although previous attempts at such activities have been thwarted by the need to respond to the problems that inevitably arise when a large layout is in operation. Two ”sprung” point blades have already been found and fixed, even though the session has hardly begun. Hopefully I will make quick progress but there are many other calls on my time. Ian T

It is croquet all day today against Norwich in a league match! Tomorrow might see some progress on either front, or Inverness Citadel, before music intervenes. Ian T

Work is slowly progressing towards beginning another session. Perhaps as an insight into operating a large layout I spent two hours last night checking the wagon cards against the actual wagons at each location. As "regulars" will know each wagon has a document to receive a load card and a destination card. The documentation travels with the wagon as it makes its journey. That is the theory at any rate. Unfortunately admin practices on the AFK follow those that I adopted during my working life. ( It's an important piece of paper. Everything will grind to a halt if we don't have it. DO NOT give it to Tommo under any circumstances, He will eat/lose/set fire to it.) In other words, they are chaotic! Finally everything is straightened out, although three or four documents have been lost/ never existed and the need for a few more has become apparent. Meanwhile the new stock built during the inter-regnum needs couplings, the curse of the AFK, as I use home made centre buffers. This is in hand. Track cleaning and wheel cleaning should follow. There will then be a traffic generating session and then I should be ready to go again. Ian T

I think, without checking, that Peter Denny built a train lift for an early version of Buckingham. The construction was covered in the OPC two part series of books. Jas Millham's version was described in an edition of MRJ and they are also occasionally featured in Model Railroader. These mechanical contraptions appear to be rather fearsome beasts demanding accurate alignment and smooth movement between levels. I have to declare an interest here as my own layout is of double, and in places triple, deck construction. I considered some of the pros and cons in an article on the website. I had around 400 square feet for the layout but feel that this is about the minimum for a round the walls helix. The continuous gradient is about 1 in 36 which is a little steep for rural Norfolk! A removable cassette, as suggested by ian in the post, and by Iain Rice, amonst others, that can be plugged into different levels is a simple solution. This apparently ideal choice does have some drawbacks however. Rice's suggestion (in one of the US layout design books) was based on a converted Ikea book case. Obviously the shelves were stacked at different levels and a short cassette was used for access. Short was the operative word. Train lengths were very limited, perhaps a shunter and a couple of wagons, or a switcher and a couple of cars to use the appropriate terms. I use a cassette for a minor upper fiddleyard onto which I simply drive the trains and unload to a nearby shelf. I would not like to contemplate moving it betweeen levels. It is around five feet long and difficult to manoeuvre in a tight space, and that is without a train upon it. The longer the cassete becomes, the heavier and more unwieldy it gets. There would also be the problem of securing "in transit" trains so that they did not roll off when the cassette was moved. You would need to consider how much it weighed and the space required to switch it between levels. There would also be the possibility of dropping it, along with the train. There is also the additional problem of driving the train "onto the cassette" in the upper position to find that this is not there! The train, or at least the loco, then nose dives onto the lower level. There are obvious simple solutions to this but they need to be bombproof and to work every time. Relying on memory to place a physical or electrical "buffer stop" in the way of the train would not inspire confidence in that the inevitable would eventually happen. There is also the drawback that this procedure would have to be followed for every train. Whilst ihis might be acceptable for an occasional service I imagine that it would soon pall as intensity increased. From a personal point of view I dislike the idea that the train's journey cannot be completed without resort to mechanical contrivance. I have a similar aversion to small "bitsa" layouts that rely upon a sector plate to represent various points in the track fromation. It somehow strikes me as "cheating"! I suppose that, if there is a theme to this post, it is that double decking definitely comes with some form of cost. On the other hand it effectively doubles your layout space. Ian T

It was standard practice but there were exceptions. On my pre Grouping railway of choice, the GNoSR, Lossie Junction, just outside Elgin provides one example. The branch for Lossiemouth split away from the Coast line with just a simple single turnout. There are doubtlessly other examples, (which will soon surface I am sure!( Ian T

Many moons have passed since this thread last saw the light of day. It is now time to re-awakwen it as the layout will once more travel to the Cotswolds in the near future. It spends much of its time in its unusual role as a table beside the front door. This photo was posted some time ago, in the Minories thread, relating to unwieldy bendy planks which are supposedly easily transported. Once re-opened I was gratified to find that all the signals worked, despite the attentions of the local spider populace. Some track needed minor attention, however, as it had come out of alignment across the baseboard joint. Whilst little progress has been made upon the stock side (too many other layouts on the go!) the buidlings and infrastructure are slowly progressing. The grandstand for Citadel's ground, looking out over the Firth has been finished. I have realised that the GNoSR "arrived" in Inverness before Citadel moved to play at Shore Street so the fact that the main stand is on the "wrong" side of the ground can be reconciled in my alternative reality. The stand base is supposedly built from local stone so I await criticism on its colouring from the local inhabitants. If there is none then the rest of the stone will be similarly coloured! Come on. Speak up or hold your peace. The 08 (yes I know that none ever ran in Scotland in black) is testing the platform edges for clearance. The outside cranks are set rather too wide to be realistic and it was discovered some time ago that it would not run into platform 2, the bottom right hand iin the photo, when it received stone cladding. This was rather annoying as the test locos, with outside valve gear all managed well enough. This has now been attended to. The loco has taken issue with the loading bay but matters have been amicably resolved. It is standing with a van waiting for the Stevens drop flap signal to clear. This will not occur just yet as some-one has left the platform starter off, just visible at the right. The gallows signal for the west end of platform 1 is normally located underneath the canopy but is clearly visible here. As might be expected of a former signalman, all the signals, including the shunt signal beside the bay and those beneath the platform starters, work. I don't doubt that more development will take place, and be reported upon, before the layout resumes its slumbers. Ian T

According to the recently published Hull & Barnsley Railway, by N Deacon, the H&B intended to join the LNWR at Longwood, south of Huddersfield. (p28). The history gives the impression that the plans were very sketchy and were an opportunist move by the H&B. The Bill for the extension went through Parliament but nothing more happened. Quite how they intended to reach Longwood I do not know. The L&Y Huddersfield-Penistone line was built in 1850 which removed the easiest routes through this area. If you are keen on altering railway history I would have thought that a branch from Cudworth to Darton and then on to Clayton West, to join the L&Y, there would be a much more credible solution. For a relatively small outlay the H&B could then have run into central Huddersfield and interchanged traffic with the LNW and L&Y at Hillhouse. There were proposals to built from Clayton West to Darton, I believe, but they came to nothing. Given the geography of Halifax it is difficult to envisage how the H&B would have approached the town as an independent company. The GNR extension involved some very heavy engineering becasue the L&Y had taken the easiest route. Ian T

Snap! No real idea why I am so enthused by continental natrrow gauge when I never really saw it in the flesh. Ian T

Thanks for that. It looks fascinating and I will take a closer look as time permits. In modelling terms I suppose that I am an impressionist rather than a realist! Most of my rolling stock is a pastiche of various protoypes and my imagination. Ian T

Thanks for that advice. I have bought a copy from Flea Bay. Ian T

The ones in Batley used to get in the middle of the road to "shoot" railway bridges. There were unfortunate consequences if the driver got this wrong. I well remember returning to Primary School, after dinner, and observing that what had been a Heavy Woollen double decker was now a "single decker". Ian T

It adds that all essential character that gives a "sense of place". Grew up in the West Riding mining areas and moved to the Fens in later life. Would not know/undertsand a four square building if I saw one! Ian T

No. This was one of the simpler aspects of these things! They had two motors, with a different number of poles (usually 6 and 8). These were run alone, or in series or parallel to give the grand total of four fixed speeds. All the catenary wiring had to be duplicated, of course, and needed real life "dead frogs" at points (as on the model). The third phase was supplied via the bonded rails. (The model is a standard two rail chassis. I understand that Roco made some models of the prototypes, although they seem as common as hen's teeth!) That said there seems to have have been no inherent reason in the ugliness of the Italian deesigns other than functionality. It is this brutal ugliness that I find attractive! Ian T

That is one of the inspirations for my loco. Fortunately I have a small Italian book on the "Tri-fase" which is readable to a limited point if one did O level Latin. It shows all the classes and gives the route history. Google obviously helps with the pictures. Histoire de la Traction Electrique by La Vie du Rail gives access to the technological aspects. I was lucky enough to travel under the three phase when I was taken to Italy on holiday by my parents in the early seventies. My father worked on the railways. Some-one (Panorama?) set up a tour company on the principle that you could get to Italy/Spain on a reciprocal free/cheap ticket. All they had to do was organise the accommodation/courier side of it. Whilst there we went to visit the ex-curate from Batley, on the Sunday. He was the Anglican priest at San Remo. That was when the coast line did what it said on the tin, rather than hiding in a tunnel as it does now. Not speaking Italian made it quite an adventure. I well remember the wooden seats in the carriages! This is probably at the root of my overseas interests. Those Chapelon Pacifics (slightly different context I know!) could really move! Ian T

It seems to have been a bit quiet on here of late so i thought I might wake the thread with a picture of my latest unlovely loco. I did post upthread with a Brotan boilered steam loco. The photo and caption duplicates that posted elsewhere on RMWeb. This is obviously a photo of the model under construction as it still awaits buffing gear, amongst other things. A hideous new monstrosity joins the cast of CFS locos. It owes more to the old SG Italian three phase system than anything that ever ran on the narrow gauge. The antler like bow collectors were a striking characteristic of these machines. The cabin is also the traditional heptagonal shape (i.e. seven sides). The body was built before the original chassis developed a fault and had to be discarded. It was, of course, to a different wheel arrangement. The body was prised apart and reconfigured. Needless to say, there are no right angles after this treatment. It has had a daub of Humbrol paint to reveal areas needing most attention, such as the joint along the front bonnet. I am not very happy with the qualities of modern Humbrol. This colour looks like chocolate and might as well have been chocolate for its ease of use. A new water column has taken root in the square, compete with German style lantern. The beast is availing itself of the facilty to take a drink. Oh yes!! These things ran up to water columns and topped up their liquid rheostats, which evaporated with use. They often emitted steam from open vents and there is one at the back, although the steam was left out of this photo. Ian T

It is some time since I last posted on RMWeb. This is just a message to say that work is still proceeding . I have switched hosting platforms as well so there might be a few more photos in future, rather than a terse reference to the website. Most of the work has concentrated on Fenditavalat, or "Isuri" as I now think of it, having written the history and translated the word into Marrongacan. The square's road surface has been filled in with a view to providing some cobbles. This has been a thief of time because the surrounding buildings need finishing and bedding in. The Mediaeval building at the left is a completely new structure, replacing its predecessor. The shopfronts of the buiding on the right have been completed, another time consuming enterprise. The stonework on the market and the adjacent buidlings has been completed, but needs bedding in. The road surface also awaits a final pass to level it up. The bus is new. It represents the CFS, the "home" team. Isuri is in Calviero province rather than Altonia, so the AFK buses are the visitors. The cattle are wandering home after a day's grazing in the surrounding pastures. Isuri retains its bucolic roots despite being the former provincial capital. A hideous new monstrosity joins the cast of CFS locos. It owes more to the old SG Italian three phase system than anything that ever ran on the narrow gauge. The antler like bow collectors were a striking characteristic of these machines. The cabin is also the traditional heptagonal shape (i.e. seven sides). The body was built before the original chassis developed a fault and had to be discarded. It was, of course, to a different wheel arrangement. The body was prised apart and reconfigured. Needless to say, there are no right angles after this treatment. It has had a daub of Humbrol paint to reveal areas needing most attention, such as the joint along the front bonnet. I am not very happy with the qualities of modern Humbrol. This colour looks like chocolate and might as well have been chocolate for its ease of use. A new water column has taken root in the square, compete with German style lantern. The beast is availing itself of the facilty to take a drink. Oh yes!! These things ran up to water columns and topped up their liquid rheostats, which evaporated with use. They often emitted steam from open vents and there is one at the back, although the steam was left out of this photo. I hope soon to be back with another session. Ian T

That is quite an interesting image. I have re orinentated it and posted below. I know little about buses but I purchased a similar one for a secondary project that I (very) occasionally work on. I have even bought passegers and crew for it and intend, whenever I get around to it, to open up the body to paint the inside and put the passengers in. Ian T