Tallpaul69

Hi John, My model is based on the High Wycombe Junction and the yard at the west end of Maidenhead Station. You will find more details on my thread "Lower Thames Yard". I know what you mean regarding class 50s. My interpretation of 1992 is a bit fluid. I will be running trains from the period 1990-93that I like. I settled on that location because I particularly liked the timetable there for 1962, the earlier period I model, with interesting trains on the High Wycombe branch. I only have room to model the Relief lines and the start of the branch, which is fine because a constant stream of expresses on the Main Lines is not particularly appealing to me! I did look at west of Reading but nothing appealed to me as much as my chosen area. Is there a thread for your model? Best regards Paul

Hi Halsey, As it stands this area has no means of access to integrate it into the rest of the layout. The retaining wall suggests a building or building(s), but the question is how to make it (or them) strong enough and well enough fixed to the raised area roof to withstand movement for access. Thoughts:- Is there room to make some sort of access to the raised area? this could be just a footbridge or pedestrian slope. I think I would favour a factory. Being one unit, this will be easier to fix strongly to the lid of the raised area. The story is that the access road is to the rear of the site behind the building. Things like piles of raw materials, fork trucks etc. can be glued to the lid. I will think about/ develop this further if that would help? Hopefully there will be other ideas? Come on guys, help the man out? Cheers Paul

Hi Rob, It probably serves me right for not reading every one of your posts, but I didn't know you were planning a '57 version of the layout? If you do then you are getting nearer to my favourite '62 time frame? How do you plan to mark the later timeframe on the scenic etc., or are you just going to change the locos and stock and use Rule 1 to "ignore " the inconsistencies? I know my '62 and '92 timeframes are easier to deal with because I haven't got station platforms and I can use colour lights except for the Wycombe branch, and the signals there I plan to change when I change eras. However you have a lot of '30s infrastructure so I will be interested to see (and learn from) how you deal with the changeover! Best regards Paul

Hi Kevin, Is the Collet going to be weathered, or stay ex Works? Suppose weathered is the best bet as I guess even in the '30s engine cleaning was not top of the priorities? I expect the few remaining cleaners that were not passed for firing and therefore out on the road were fully occupied with the top link engines? whatever state it ends up in I am sure it will look great! Cheers Paul

Hi all, I thought after the last few posts I would lighten the mood by giving you a feel for the 1992 version of my upcoming 00 layout "Lower Thames Yard":- 1992 marks the changeover between the first generation DMUs and the second generation. So around this time a number of first generation sets were made up at short notice to substitute for those that had broken down and were not worth repairing. Others were needed to fill the gaps left (just as now!) by the late delivery of new MUs So I will have a number of oddities including a 3 car set consisting of two 121s with a TC from a 117 in-between. Another set will be class 117 DMBs and DMS with a class 101 TC in between. Also deputizing for a 121 and trailer will be two 121s in tandem. These will be contrasted with a Class 166 in as delivered condition representing the new order. Oxford trains will be represented by Mk1 and Mk2 sets behind Class 50s and Class 47s. There will be more 50s than there really were in 1992 simply because I like them more than Class 47s! Long Distance workings will of course be in the hands of HSTs although there will be a non prototypical presence of Blue/Grey sets. Specials will include the Royal Train, steam hauled excursions and a Post Office train. What about parcels and freight? Parcels will be class 31 and 37 hauled, with a mixture of blue ,blue/grey, and RES, bogie vans. While most will be Mk1, Stanier GUVs and the two blue Gresley GUVs that I have a soft spot for will appear from time to time. Although they had in reality gone by 1992, a 128 will appear on local parcels. The only Local freight will be the short 37 hauled HEA coal trains and return empties from Didcot to the London area. Main line freight will be classes 47, 56, 59, and 60 hauled, their trains represented by a sets of Speedlink mixed wagons, sets such as Mendip stone and Bogie Oil tanks, and engineers trains which will mainly be traditional wagons such as Grampus. Specials will include Nuclear Flask trains and Weedkiller specials. I hope the above demonstrates that 1992 on the WR main line has a lot more to offer than Toothpaste colour NSE locals and Intercity HST sets? Happy modelling Paul

Hi Paul, I may be able to help you. A year or so ago I was researching for a model of the east end of Slough Station. I abandoned the idea because I did not have sufficient room in 00 for the model so I moved along the line to do a model based on Maidenhead. I am not sure what I have, but I may have details of sources of information even if I don't have photos myself. It will be a few days before I can dig out the relevant details, so I will get back to you next weekend. I will PM you once I have gone through my files. Cheers Paul Ansell

Its time to take a look at the trains for the 1992 version of the layout. 1992 marks the changeover between the first generation DMUs and the second generation. So around this time a number of sets were made up at short notice to substitute for those that had broken down and were not worth repairing. Others were needed to fill the gaps left (just as now!) by the late delivery of new 2nd generation DMUs So I will have a number of oddities including a 3 car set consisting of two 121s with a TC from a 117 in-between. Another set will be class 117 DMBs and DMS with a class 101 TC in between. These will be contrasted with a Class 166 in as delivered condition representing the new order. Oxford trains will be represented by Mk1 and Mk2 sets behind Class 50s and Class 47s. There will be more 50s than there really were in 1992 simply because I like them more than Class 47s! Long Distance workings will of course be in the hands of HSTs although there will be a non prototypical presence of Blue/Grey sets. Specials will include the Royal Train, steam hauled excursions and a Post Office train. What about parcels and freight? Parcels will be class 31 and 37 hauled, with a mixture of blue ,blue/grey and RES, bogie vans. Although they had in reality gone by 1992, a 128 will appear on local parcels. Local freight will only be represented by the short 37 hauled HEA coal trains from Didcot to the London area. Main line freight will be classes 47, 56, 59, and 60 hauled, their trains represented by a sets of Speedlink mixed wagons, sets such as Mendip stone and Bogie Oil tanks, and engineers trains which will mainly be traditional wagons such as Grampus. Specials will include Nuclear Flask trains and Weedkiller specials. I hope the above demonstrates that 1992 on the WR main line has a lot more to offer than Toothpaste colour NSE locals and Intercity HST sets? Happy modelling Paul

Hi all, I'd frighten my self if I put all my coaches side by side, but they do break into two categories- complete, (which is most of them!) and then those only partly built! I also have the excuse of running a layout in three different eras, although the modern era has only-well modern coaches, except for a set of Pullmans and a set of Mk1s for steam and heritage diesel specials. Keep up the good work Paul

Meanwhile, the train now standing at platform 1 is...………..?? Sorry, more than small doses of boating make me feel seasick!! But it is a brilliant model. Cheers Paul

I will have station buildings visible from the road side as a scenic break, but the (non existant in my model), platforms will be hidden by them out of sight! There will be a goods shed and associated loading bank, but as others have said in their postings, height for them is easier-just need to be able to load/unload the vans and wagons. Cheers Paul

Hi there, Any writeup/pics on how you dealt with the chassis you bought would be appreciated! Alternatively, do you want to buy three more, or would you consider taking on my three to repair for me as a commission? Best regards Paul

Hi Dogbox, This is useful especially the pics-I have three of these to try to fix! I will be interested in further updates on your progress with this project? Cheers Paul

Can't help you re the Kadees, although I will be interested in the answers as I will soon need to fit Kadees to my Heljan 33s. The reason for replying is to warn you to check the bogies on your 33s. I have just found that one bogie on one of mine has rot in the area that fixes to the chassis so that instead of just pivoting, the bogie can move backwards and forwards laterally! Nasty!! Might have to cannibalise two of my three if I can't get the spares. Could always have one as a non working static somewhere on the layout there isn't a Motive Depot.) Cheers Paul

All this trouble about platform heights makes me doubly glad that, for other reasons, I decided not to model station platforms! Cheers Paul

Hi all, Having discovered one of my 00 Heljan Class 33s has rot in one of the bogie pivots, I am looking for a replacement bogie or a chassis complete with bogies. Many thanks Paul

Just found time for posting a few odds and ends:- First the Bad news:- Collected four locos from having some of my stock sound chips fitted this morning from Anthony at AGR, to find that one hadn't been done. It was a Heljan Class 33 and one bogie is suffering from The dreaded rot! So in the short term will swap the chassis with that on one of my two blue livery 33s that I am intending to sell having scrapped the 1977 version of the layout. Then try to find a bogie or chassis from someone else who has a loco with the same fault to enable me to sell the second loco whole! The Good news:- Not paying for the one Chip fitting, gave me funds towards a Bachmann Fitted Toad , Acton RU, for one of my fitted freights. Just have to decide whether to keep the unbranded toad this replaces or not? Otherwise got in the post the first Bachmann times with the new style "British Railways Announcements". Not sure about this approach yet, but at least we still get the works report giving an idea of what stage items are at. Had thought this might be dropped! With the 94xx only showing under "Livery Samples" given the current situation in China, looks like this is still a good few months away. The first 117s and 121s are supposed to be on the way to us, but have they got out of China? I suppose an all round delay is no bad thing, it gives everybody time for "wallet recovery"! Cheers to you all Paul

Hi all, I had intended to talk in this post about the signals for Lower Thames Yard, and it is true I spent this afternoon writing up a schedule of the signals for the layout. However, I thought some details about the trains I intend to run might be interesting to a wider audience. So in the post I will discuss some of the key trains for the 1962 version, then in future posts I will revue the trains for 1992 and 2016. To give you a feel for the trains in 1962, the following is a run down of the trains, that to me, define the service in 1962 and differentiate it from other stations between Paddington and Reading. Firstly there was the early morning Reading to Princes Risborough via Maidenhead parcels. This train left Reading on the relief Lines and reversed at Maidenhead where the loco ran round and then proceeded up the branch to Wycombe where it joined the GW&GC joint to Princes Risborough. The engine then returned light engine via Maidenhead to Slough shed. There is no equivalent train in the opposite direction. Instead the various vans were emptied at various points on the route and then returned to Maidenhead attached to various passenger trains. The vans were gathered at Maidenhead and then returned to Reading on the evening Maidenhead to Reading parcels. Another interesting train that has no obvious return tripwas the morning Oxford to Slough fish train which brought in fish vans off of the overnight trains from Aberdeen and Hull via the GC line which had been dropped off at Oxford. These were dropped off at stations between Reading and Slough to be emptied. The empties returned in ones and twos via pick up freights to Oxford either via Reading or the Wycombe and Thame branches. There were evening fish empties form Swindon to the North East which picked them up from Oxford. So it is likely that the vans took 3 days for the round trip and did two round trips in a week. Maidenhead had interesting workings of GWR and later class121/2 DMUs. Through the 50s and early 60s the unique 3 car GWR Diesel set started from Reading in the early morning. It headed to Slough and then returned through Maidenhead heading for Newbury. It then returned to Reading and did more trips on the Newbury line during the day. Later, or when the GWR set was out of action a variety of sets might be substituted such as two 121s with a 117 trailer between, or just 2 121s or a cross country DMU set. Another interesting DMU set started from Slough in the rush hour as a class 121 plus a trailer. The set spent its day between Maidenhead and Wycombe. Some trips comprised the set plus trailer, then as things got quieter it stabled the trailer at Maidenhead and did some trips as a single car. On one of them it picked up a parcels van at Maidenhead, and took it to Wycombe. It returned to Maidenhead with a second parcels van which it left at Maidenhead to be taken forward on the evening parcels to Reading described above. Having dropped the parcels van at Maidenhead it picked up its trailer again for the early evening trips along the branch. Finally it returned to Slough in the early evening. While most of the local trains along the Paddington to Reading line used the class 117 DMUs the morning and evening trains to and from Maidenhead, Bourne End, Reading and Oxford were steam hauled. Also through the day the trains along the branch apart from the trips of the 121 and trailer were steam hauled. Additionally in the morning Maidenhead saw several LEs from Slough heading to pick up coaches from Maidenhead and Bourne End and to shunt at Twyford and Maidenhead . The reverse happened in the evening although the returns happened over a longer period than the morning starts. I hope the above gives you a flavor of the trains I intend to run on Lower Thames Yard? Have fun, enjoy your modelling, Best regards Paul

Hi Clive and all, Its nice to see some pics of a busy station with more than two trains! Its also good that you are not afraid to show us things running that are not quite finished in a landscape that is not quite finished, but at least you are getting on with the important (IMHO) part of modelling -running trains!! I am encouraged that, when my layout is capable of running trains, I can show it doing just that, never mind if it takes me "x" years (where x is a figure that just keeps growing) to do the scenic. Keep up the good work and lets see plenty more photos of running sessions. Cheers Paul

Thanks Andy, Just to confuse the issue, since I posed the question about Distillers Peak Roof wagons I have found in David Larkins "Private Owners Wagons on British Rail" a picture of one of the DCL wagons. The caption to this suggests the wagons were used for grain carrying for whisky manufacture prior to the use of the bulk grain hoppers! The same book suggests in captions to photos of Murgatroyd's and ex Murgatroyd's wagons that the operation later became part of BP Chemicals! So although this means the peak roof wagons might at one time have reached East Anglia, sadly, the Paddington to Reading line is out, which means my DCL model will have to go in the "awaiting repaint " box! Thanks to all who replied, Regards Paul

Thanks Jason, and to all the others who have contributed to this thread! I have six salt wagons, three of which are in ICI livery (two different versions!). So I think they are in the right proportions? One is a query though, as it is in DCL Livery. Now I know Distillers had fingers in a lot of pies, was the salt for their own use, or a byproduct of some distillation or did they have a salt mine somewhere? If for their own use I guess the vans would only be seen in the north of England/Scotland? Anyone got thoughts on this? Many thanks Paul

Hi all, One of the difficulties in designing a multi era layout is making the buildings and infrastructure believable in each era. When you base it on a real location it gets even harder. That is why the layout is not called Maidenhead! That way I can ignore anything that doesn't fit or I don't like! So let me give you a picture of my approach to the buildings. I should also say that this will be a railway that never leaves home, and is unlikely to get many visitors apart from non railway aware friends and family! Firstly with regard to the railway buildings:- Fortunately many of the railway buildings remained substantially the same from 1960 until 2016. I intend to ignore the fact that the Branch Platform Overall roof was removed in 2014 as it forms part of my scenic block for the tracks heading towards the fiddle yard! The signal box at the western end of the up relief/branch platforms was in position from 1963 to the mid 70s so will be a removable building as I am moving the resignalling which bought it in to replace the middle signal box from 1963 to 1962. The Goods Shed I am moving from a through line in the yard where I have no room for it, to a siding off of the branch where it will form part of the scenic break in front of the overall roof! I am stretching its life from a removal late 90s/early00s to still being in place in 2016. The station itself, is only portrayed by the buildings beside the approach road and they still exist. Decorating them will be a problem, and I may choose fictitious neutral colours! Moving to the non railway buildings:- First, I must explain that the central operating well is edged all round (even in front of the fiddle yard), by roadways. Grenfell road (real road!) runs from the foot of the station approach road round to the bridge where it crosses the Wycombe branch. From a junction at the bridge it is joined by High Town Road (real road!) which runs in front of the left side of the fiddle yard to join King Street, another real road, that then runs round to the right to join Grenfell Road at the foot of the station approach. My compromises:- In reality King Street has been pedestrian since the 80s(?), which I am ignoring. While most of the buildings in Grenfell Road and High Town Road present in the 60s still exist, this is less so in King Street and particularly around the station approach. I will start with 1960s buildings and decide on modernization later. The modern wide dual carriageway bridge for King Street under the railway does not in my world exist! In the 60s it was narrower than the modern version, but portraying any version of it seems too difficult! So I have invoked Rule 1 and ignored it! My station approach is flat instead of sloping away from the station buildings, but I keep the visible part of the railway on an embankment by sloping Grenfell Road down away from the King Street/Station Approach junction, to run on the flat in front of the Branch Junction area and then climbing again, but more steeply than in reality to the Wycombe Branch bridge. Further development. I may at a later stage build hinged covers for the fiddle yard and its approach, so that more of the town can be portrayed! I hope you can see how I am dealing with the time span through which I aim to model? I have deliberately left signals out of the above, they will get there own posting in a while. Ideas and questions welcome? Best regards Paul

Hi all, I know what you and Fatadder mean about storage. While I am fortunate in having a separate room at the back of the garage for storage, I have only this week made a concerted effort to get the last part of it racked and stock moved into it out of the fruit boxes it has sat in for over two years since being packed up prior to us leaving our old house! It probably wouldn't have got done now but for having to move the stack of boxes to allow our failed tumble dryer which is in one corner of the area to be changed. Fortunately it didn't take as long as I had allowed, so have also managed to start up a new Thread "Lower Thames Yard" to document my upcoming 00 layout taking inspiration from the Wycombe Branch junction at Maidenhead in the early 60s. Keep posting the inspiration! Cheers Paul

Hi to Kevin, and the 250+ followers of this thread, Having enjoyed reading this thread over the last year or so and thrown in the occasional thought, I decided I should let you know that I have set up a thread called "Lower Thames Yard" for my upcoming Western Region layout. There is no layout yet, just plans, and while I can't promise this thread's level of modelling action (particularly on the boating front as there's no water in my model plans!) or of loco pictures, I hope you will have a look and chuck in your two pennys worth telling me (politely!) what you think of my efforts. Hopefully we can also have a joke or two along the way? In the first post I have set the scene and subsequently asked help on background from the first respondents. Next I will be telling readers how I am dealing with semaphore and colour light signals to cope with operating in two eras 30 years apart! Soon I hope to post pics of my efforts with BR and 1990s liveries although I know they are no match for the GW efforts of those posting to this site. So "Cheers" everyone, and I hope to read from you in my thread at some stage! Best regards Paul

Hi to Robin, and the 150+ followers of this thread, Having enjoyed reading this thread over the last year or so and thrown in the occasional thought, I decided I should let you know that I have set up a thread called "Lower Thames Yard" for my upcoming Western Region layout. There is no layout yet, just plans, and while I can't promise this thread's level modelling action or loco videos I hope you will have a look and chuck in your two pennys worth telling me (politely!) what you think of my efforts. In the first post I have set the scene and subsequently asked help on background from the first respondents. Next I will be telling readers how I am dealing with semaphore and colour light signals to cope with operating in two eras 30 years apart! Soon I hope to post pics of my efforts with BR and 1990s liveries although I know they are no match for the GW efforts of those posting to this site. So "Cheers" everyone, and I hope to read you in my thread at some stage! Best regards Paul

Hi to Clive, and the 100+ followers of this thread, Having enjoyed reading this thread over the last year or so and thrown in the occasional thought, I decided I should let you know that I have set up a thread called "Lower Thames Yard" for my upcoming Western Region layout. There is no layout yet, just plans, and while I can't promise Clive's level of whit or music videos I hope you will have a look and chuck in your two pennys worth telling me (politely!) what you think of my efforts. In the first post I have set the scene and subsequently asked help on background from the first respondents. Next I will be telling readers how I am dealing with semaphore and colour light signals to cope with operating in two eras 30 years apart! Soon I hope to post pics of my efforts with DMUs although I know they are no match for the efforts of Clive, Gibbo and others. So "Cheers" everyone, and I hope to read you in my thread at some stage! Best regards Paul