sem34090

I seem to have jumped the gun somewhat - I've roughly planned out Ropley Yard to fit in your space!!! I'll post it later if you're interested. Having now seen the other posts, rather than going for something generic you could stick with the MHR and (depending on what you're after) compress Alresford's BR trackplan, or even model Ropley in pre-preservation form (No more than a platform and a siding for thd last forty years of its existence). Another idea might be to compress Alton as it is now, but I suspect that's the wrong way round for your needs. That could work as a scenic fiddle yard, being a terminus. Platform 2 would give a decent (relative to the baseboard size) storage road, then platform 3 would give you a run-round. There's also an additional siding there. Another one could be a 'what-if' - Preserved Itchen Abbas, either as the original station or as an imaginary extension to the MHR. I might draw those ideas up later, too.

First off, I'd love to see your Medstead section - Since starting there as a porter a couple of years ago I've somewhat fallen in love with the place. There's at least one other member of Medstead staff on here who might also be interested. My first suggestion is the signalbox diagram, though it doesn't show every siding - I'll see what I can come up with for you. In that space, I would recommend focusing on the yard end, as @TomE has done with his superlative N gauge version. Perhaps the entrance to the loco works at one end, the Kings Cross footbridge and carriage works entrance at the other? The thread might get more traffic if it's in the layout topics section, but equally it might disappear from the first page more quickly. It's up to you - I think the only way to draw attention to a thread so the moderators can move it is by reporting the first post. If you like I can do that. I look forward to seeing more on this!

More than a bit... I see it as depending on what areas of life one looks at - some were very much better pre-WWII, some were very much worse. In terms of adequacy in some places it isn't a vast improvement on 'none at all'. What's so different now? And I don't just mean Covid - Some countries haven't eradicated all the nasties yet. Again, there are plenty of places in the world where that problem is still current. Limited housing is even considered to be an issue over here, though that's by Western standards. A cruel judgement, I feel. There have been improvements, aye and many of them too, but I think many of us around here certainly wouldn't consider everything to have been worse then and everything to be better now otherwise I suspect that the escapism element of modelling something beyond ones memory would be potentially lacking. Or perhaps I'm wrong - I very often am. I know a couple of people who swear that they think pre-decimal made more sense and was more logical (and only learnt it in the 60s). I wouldn't know, personally, though I do seem to have a half crown in my wallet (I don't know why it's there either). As for measurements, I use a strange mix of imperial and metric but struggle to convert between them. For small distance measurements I invariably use millimetres, never use thou. or centimetres, and above that exclusively imperial. Weight tends to be imperial, and volume is either millilitres or pints!!! That's probably because my school insisted on teaching only in metric and wouldn't answer me properly when I asked "What's that in feet/inches/yards/miles?" as that's what was always used at home - I just got laughed at. I think railway modelling and my first stint as a heritage railway volunteer is how I really learnt how to measure stuff, thus the weird mixture I use. Things can always be 'improved'... But I think most involved with art and design from the 1950s into the 1980s amply demonstrated that sometimes what is seen as an 'improvement' is anything but. Actually, anyone who was involved that to 'improve' our lives nations would come to be built around the motor car during that same time period also proved that 'improvement' isn't necessarily all it's cracked up to be.

Oh really? Moving about as close to West Norfolk as that topic can go -

And depicts a more interesting, as well as more attractive, prototype... (I've got me tin 'at on already...)

That thing is signposted for miles around and is very underwhelming once reached, in my opinion.

Does that count as a racial-motivated attack? Would you consider attacking, say, an Italian or Spanish Duck, or a British Duck? Or, indeed, any other duck? (A Great Western one, for instance)

I believe the Mid Hants Railway used to stock a laser cut kit of Alresford 'box -a type 1- but I think I had the penultimate one. They do, however, stock a (normal) printed kit of the same, though it's currently unobtainable due to the lockdown. As for 3D printed buildings, I use Sketchup personally.

More like A-1-A...

I should add that neither of the first two are my doing... I merely drove the trains and took the screenshots.

I suppose I ought to post something - And a few from a Narrow Gauge diorama I made to represent a friend's proposed layout -

I was wondering about trying that! Just need to swap '53xx' for '23xx'...

Sadly only Bachmann seem to have definitely got it right. It's a shame - in most photos it seems pretty clear that they're a very dark colour and as you say the written references suggest black (or grey? I'd be interested to learn more here! Was that the Beyer Peacock Dutch tanks?). Actually I think the outside-cylinder version of these (NS 6100, the ROD ones were NS 6000) is available here - https://www.treinpunt.nl/forum/downloads/?sa=details;lid=7753 I wonder if that's based on the SECR wartime livery of plain green. I think Hattons were following the Bluebell's example here, and unlike the Khaki it sort of makes sense - I think they were amongst the first to go over and were repainted at Ashford so it's at least a fair guess. No excuse for it on Caledonia Works' E4 though, as far as I know. I agree. Go for it! I've already got most of DT's stuff, and bought the last remaining loco (the Bulldog) yesterday. You're inspiring me to get on with an ROD route again now.

Hopefully soon I can provide a Western Front route for you! I also recommend these downloads, also created to assist the project: http://ajrailsim.free.fr/guerre14-18.htm And from here - http://ajrailsim.free.fr/objets.htm Namely: - Locomotive à vapeur 220C145 PLM Coupe-vent - Voitures à 3 essieux des chemins de fer belges - Locomotive à vapeur française série PO5300 - Voitures et wagons français Époque I Finally, there's the GWR 4300 and 2301 from Digital Traction (unfortunately they're both Khaki, which as far as I'm aware is wrong) and the CR 294 and LBSCR E4 (in correct ROD Black and more dubious P-Class inspired green respectively.) from Caledonia Works (as well as the ROD 2-8-0 of course!). Hopefully that is all of use! I'll try and get some kind of demo route together soon-ish.

Goodness me! Long time, no speak! How are you? I don't suppose you'd be interested in this, would you? https://www.uktrainsim.com/filelib-info.php?form_fileid=39190 It was kindly made for the Railway Operating Division project (a currently stalled project of which I'm a part) by Victory Works. Hopefully an ROD route will materialise at some point this summer.

Gazelle wants her wheels back...

I visited the Ffestiniog twice last year, in the same week. First time spent the day in modern stock, second time in Coach No.20. It was chucking it down, it was cold, but to be honest I preferred the hard wooden bench as we rattled along behind Merredin Emrys - Far more character than a 'super-barn', with the added benefit of no screaming children. I was, however, a bit worried that the guard locked us in - surely that's a serious problem in the event of an accident? Mind you, I'm clearly insane - I've always gone for the veranda at Tanfield, come rain or shine and will be sad to see the 1938 tube stock disappear from the Isle of Wight.

Goodness! It's quite handsome, as such locos go. I remember when I first visited Tanfield, many years ago (by my standards - when I was in single digits), I thought it was some kind of Maunsell pacific - I noted the smokebox door, but not the gauge!

That is simply gorgeous and I'd be seriously tempted to buy one were it offered for sale, or to print one on my own photon were the file available to download or purchase.

I think the two best heritage lines in terms of coaching stock are Tanfield and the IoWSR (And, for a few months longer, the IoW as a whole!). I'd particularly recommend Tanfield to anyone who'd frequent this section of the forum - Although, I believe, an ex-BR line it has a beautiful light railway atmosphere with not a single MK1, and only a couple of bogie coaches, in sight. Even the 'restoration projects' (dubious description of some) in Marley Hill yard are interesting to look round - plenty of unique items there! Part of me wants to see them all restored, but another part of me would want to see them replaced with more derelict stock! I'd love to know how that 3ft 6ins gauge Aussie pacific got there.

That latter wouldn't happen to be located in the North East, would it - I think I know the one you mean. Good museum though!

I must confess that I agree - I wish the MHR had something a little bit more interesting. The best we can muster is a Bulleid open third, which isn't massively different to a MK1 TSO. We did have an Ironclad brake in open storage but there was nothing left of the brake compartment last time I saw it.

But true. They rely too much on their double track, I think - A nice feature, but a lot of the rest of it feels a bit dull.

Having visited Loughborough within the past year, that seems slightly doubtful. Incidentally, Loughborough is also home to the only heritage railway I have thus far visited when only a single member of staff was pleasant... Hopefully a future visit will change that impression.

I can really, really, relate to that sentiment of yours James.