Tallpaul69

Hi All, Further to this and earlier postings about when the AEC Railcars went green, I have found two pictures that show in the Thames Valley, green and carmine and cream versions working side by side, and pairs of single railcars (double ended) working in tandem! The pictures are in "Britain's Rail Super Centres-London the Great Western Lines" on page 36. There is a view dated 4th May 1960 of a green unit (W30) at Cowley on the Uxbridge Branch departing for Uxbridge. Below that is a view of W24 and W25 in carmine and cream , on the same day(!) approaching Cowley on route from Uxbridge to West Drayton. Any details of interesting trains you saw at Iver would be welcome? Best regards Paul

Re Alan and Redgate models postings on my Video via YouTube, the posting there was Public, so is there still an issue on accessing this? Can Redgate suggest how he accessed it so Alan (and anyone else having access trouble), can see how he did it? Many thanks Best regards Paul

Can I politely suggest that the discussion about N gauge, code 55 etc., is not relevant to the main thrust of the thread which is about my DCC journey in 00 gauge? Sorry, but it is difficult enough keeping up with the various issues on 00 aired here, I for one don't need added complications! Best regards Paul

Phil, Getting back to the mainstream of this thread, please find attached the first timetable, now on Excel. This is the real timetable for the Maidenhead to High Wycombe branch in 1961. I have amalgamated the passenger and freight WTTs. I have started allocating model locos and stock to the trains, but this still needs some work. The next stage will be to turn it into a model timetable where the real destinations are replaced by the lower and upper branch fiddle yards, and Maidenhead becomes Lower Thames! Then I will be doing the same two versions of the main (relief) line timetables, but this will take more work as I have to decide which trains to run as some of the relief line and main line trains from the real world will have to go. I think the mix will be something like 2/3 relief line trains, 1/3 mainline trains. The biggest casualty I have identified so far are the named expresses! Hope you can understand this, let me know if I can improve the clarity in any way? Best regards Paul Thames Valley Timetable-Branch 1.xlsx

Spikey, I suggest you look again at Phil's efforts on my behalf earlier in this thread? Anyway, N gauge is not an option, the models are too small, although the detail is much better these days. I would not enjoy watching the trains through a magnifying glass, as my vision even after several eye operations and with daily eye drops, is just not good enough, or my fingers nimble enough to handle them. The perils of creeping old age I am afraid! Also, the investment I have in 00 is too large to change! Best regards Paul

David, This is NOT my latest plan, it is some four months old, I merely posted it on Sutton Courtney to explain the two alternative treatments of a branch that I have been looking at. For further details, please see my latest posting in reply to you on the Sutton Courtney thread. I suggest you might post your original and final plans on here as well as there? Best regards Paul

David, as I said in my Posting, it is a SKETCH!! I have always known that the right hand side needed reworking, particularly the curves/points around the bridges. It has in fact been drawn out by one of the organisations that may build it for me with decent curves although the pointwork has had to be simplified, so access from up to down for reversing trains is not as good as I would like. Unfortunately until we agree the layout the copyright of the plan is with the originators so I cannot show it. How did you finally sort out your 12x9? Can you show us your original and final plans? Best regards Paul

That is a good idea, if a little complicated! At present I can only run items on a 6ft test track, so the above ideas are not possible. I hope today to record a short video of the 122, but as I am just getting started on uploading videos via YouTube, it might be a while before you can view it! Meanwhile, I am trying to link an earlier video of my TTS fitted Castle to this post, which may or may not work!!- Nothing happened, obviously doing something wrong!-back to the drawing board? Cheers Pau Here is the next stage of loading my video! So, Having got a YouTube account set up, I am now going to try uploading for you all a short video of my TTS Castle and Hornby Sound Vent van on my (very) temporary test track on our dining table! This is only my second attempt at a model video, so there is more sound than model movement, as I found it difficult to control the models and the iPhone at the same time! You can find the video in YouTube at:- youtu.be/DgK_KlQ5xhk Hope this works? Best regards Paul

Hi ohn, Rich and other watchers, With only 12ftx8ft to play with, I have had to make a number of compromises. So running c1960-2, my maximum train length is tender loco plus 5 coaches and there is no station, just a junction and yard. This does have the benefit of making it easier to run later eras without having to change all the station furniture, and modelling the relief lines only of the Thames Valley with the compromise of post 1963 colour light signals, means I ust have to remove the signal box and cover the tracks around the goods shed with a raised "concrete" area. Cant show you any pics, all this is still in the planning stage! Getting to the fiddle yards: I am planning on three tracks each way plus a middle crossover track. I hope to get two trains in most of these. For the branch yard(s), there are two versions:- If I go for the branch on the inside of the mains (reliefs) there will a continuous branch circuit with the fiddle element being three loops plus a number of dead end sidings at one end. If I go for the branch outside of the mains (reliefs) there will be a dead end yard with a loop and two sidings over the rear of the main fiddle yard, reached by a gradient branch and a second yard inside the Mains (Reliefs) with a loop and 3 dead end sidings plus a kick back for loco storage. The above may be complicated to understand, so if you look at one of my other threads "Design Ideas Welcome" where Phil (Harlequin) has been kindly helping with my poor drawing skills on the outside located branch, and my attached sketch "2019 Layout-1" of the inside branch version, you hopefully will get the ideas!! Best regards Paul

That is a good idea, if a little complicated! At present I can only run items on a 6ft test track, so the above ideas are not possible. I hope today to record a short video of the 122, but as I am just getting started on uploading videos via YouTube, it might be a while before you can view it! Meanwhile, I am trying to link an earlier video of my TTS fitted Castle to this post, which may or may not work!!- Nothing happened, obviously doing something wrong!-back to the drawing board? Cheers Paul

Thought I would update everyone on my progress:- Yesterday I collected my latest items to be Sound Chipped. One is a Bachmann WR 56xx tank, the other a Dapol class 122 Rail car. The 56xx sounds good, although I think I shall have to increase some of the volumes a bit. I have yet to find out if its sound is better than my TTS fitted Castle, although I suspect that may have to wait until I have somewhere to let them have a good run. So I may be putting together a circuit of 2nd radius curves as a continuous test track, once I figure out somewhere I can put it and leave it set up. It might be feasible in one corner of my workshop next to my existing long thin test track so that I can move my NEC from powering the existing test track to powering the circuit without too much trouble. I have to say the "play" potential of the sound fitted class 122 is huge! It is interesting to do a start up routine by switching on the cab lights, slamming the drivers door, starting the engine up, then on with the head and tail lights, off with the cab lights, on with the saloon lights, brakes off, rev the engine, and gently move forward! Hope you are all progressing with your projects, Best regards Paul

Glenn, are you trying to be provocative? Lets just say you have to look at the body as well as the wheels to distinguish between classes of all steam locomotives whatever their originating company! Cheers Paul

Hi Robin, I also have elderly Mainline Pannier and Manor, also a Replica Modified Hall which I am thinking about getting chipped. The two tender locos might get sound, but I think the pannier inside is too tight for sound. Best regards Paul

The Colletts look very good, as does 82006. You don't need an excuse to run such good looking items! Its also good to see some of your older locos getting a makeover, how do they run? Best regards Paul

Thanks Dibber25, I have also seen a picture from 1952 of a single car unit towing an Autocar in Brian Morrison's "British Rail DMUs & Diesel Railcars". I assume this worked in the same way as a non auto fitted steam loco, and required the AEC car to run round the Autocar at the end of each run? Best regards Paul

At present Phil, it is paper based, but I hope to get it into a spreadsheet soon, when I will be pleased to share it! The first version will be the Branch timetable, because this is the most developed. The mainline version needs quite a bit of work still, as I have yet to work out which train goes in which loop in the yard, and which trains each of them will represent. Ultimately I have to integrate the two to make sure there are no conflicts! Best regards Paul

Hi Phil, and those others watching this thread, I am behind on sorting out some of the trains peculiar to the Maidenhead area. So making progress slowly, taking them one at a time:- In an earlier post, I was asking how the fish van empties from the morning Oxford to Slough fish and parcels got back to Oxford to join the special fish empties back to the east coast fishing ports. While fish was perishable, and so needed handling quickly, I doubt that the vans could get back to Oxford for the same evening fish empties. The Maidenhead vans could get to Reading in the 8.10pm Maidenhead to Reading parcels, although they are not mentioned in the carriage working book, whereas the morning loaded fish vans are! So it seems likely that they went on a Freight such as the 6.50 Hayes to Reading West Junction (arr. 8.58), and the vans from Slough and Taplow also as this train called at all three locations. Now I have to work out the movements of these vans, and how to shunt them together in the main fiddle yard.-More later! Best regards Paul

Hi Alan, Ron, Pete, and other contributors to this thread. Have now got back to normal after Ally Pally, although I have not achieved too much on the modelling front this week. Main job started has been to set up a test track in my workshop. Not such a big deal I hear you say, but I did have to rearrange a lot of stuff to give a clear 8ft length. Previously I had everything in a box and set it up on our dining table when I wanted to test something. This got a bit of a bind even though we only use the table when we have visitors! I have still to lay some sidings so I can have several locos out at one time and a small amount of stock. Mentioning stock reminds me that I have been testing the Hornby Sound fitted Vent van that I bought at Ally Pally. I am pleased with it and expect it to be useful in enhancing the effect of sound when I have my layout. Only sound I was a bit disappointed with was the steam train arriving, which unfortunately is accompanied by station announcements that are decidedly 2010s not 1960s ("Stay behind the yellow lines … train approaching....@(!)). I plan to park it somewhere where it is not obvious. The fact that it can play 3 sounds at once is useful. The next testing program will be adjusting sound volumes on my Castle and the Vent Van, but I better finish the test track first! Hope everyone is making progress with their DCC projects, and that you all remembered to alter your workshop/ railway room clocks last night! Best regards Paul

Each to their own I say John, My layout, when it gets to a final plan, will also be a GW theme, but around 1960. Mainly because that is how I first remember the railway. Because I also want to run more modern eras, I decided to have a junction and a yard but no station, to avoid having to change platform furniture etc. On signals I am cheating by a location in the Thames Valley after the 1963 colour light signals came in. Parts of the yard will have removable covers to get round the decimation of small yards in more modern times! So I have two plans at present, one with the branch inside the main tracks and one with it outside, all in a 12ftx8ft room. The problem I have is storage loops and getting a reasonable number of trains on the layout to show a believable sequence of running. Saw your plan in the BM article but what do your storage loops look like, and how many trains do they hold? If I can get anywhere near your level of realism I will be very pleased! Keep up the good work. Best regards Paul

Further to the above, Can anyone advise when the AEC Railcars started to be repainted from Carmine and Cream to Light DMU Green, and when the last one was so treated and which one that was? Many thanks Paul

Hoped uploading of my videos would work but I am getting a message saying the .MOV files are over 10Mb, so upload wont work? Anyone got any suggestions?? Best regards Paul

Just catching up after last Saturday at Ally Pally and a visit to my brother in law Monday. Enjoyed Ally Pally, although I didn't find much to lighten my wallet. The only sound related item I did buy was a Hornby sound fitted vent van! Quite pleased with it, most of the sounds are good, although the steam train arriving at a station sequence is disappointing because the announcements are 2010s railway not 1960s! (stand behind the yellow line......etc.!). So this will lurk hidden by a building or some such and provide atmosphere when the trains are not moving or wagon clanking to enhance the steam sound picture when shunting! Will post a first video soon, featuring the van and the castle. More sound than movement I am afraid as I have yet to work out how to handle the iPhone and control a train at the same time! Will not get to collect the 56xx with sound until next weekend. Wanted to post the video today, but while typing this realised that I have not sent the video to my laptop so cannot do it yet. However had sent it to my wife's ipad so we could show her brother on Monday. He is a modeller but sticks to the Hornby 00 3 rail of his youth. He is a spritely 84 but sadly is talking about giving up the model railway! Think this is all my news for now, Best regards Paul

Thanks Rod, Details of any unusual workings from/to the London direction into/out of Reading, while you were observing would be appreciated? Did you for instance, see any of W33 etc single car sisters, and if so were any of them in carmine and cream as against the lighter mu green? What tank locos did you see apart from the 61xxs and the various panniers? Best regards Paul

Thanks Phil, I think that the other factor, which for me, makes the falling branch impractical is the access to the incline. You are right that 105mm is very tight under a baseboard. I think 15mm is the minimum for the underframe of the baseboard plus 10mm for the board, so we are looking at 130mm. So dropping 130mm in 5250mm is almost 1 in 40. So sorry, Chris, I don't think the under branch fiddle yard works. Shame, it could be good, and lots of layouts use it, but maybe they ae able to have a longer incline, or are in a larger layout. Best regards Paul

Thanks for the clarification Chris. My feeling is that the distance for the incline from the branch junction to the start of the front lower branch fiddle yard, would be less than the distance to the start of the current high level branch fiddle yard. What the effect of this will be on the gradient, I am not sure? Maybe Phil can draw this out and advise? Regarding the reverse loop, that might work, but while I can probably live with the reversal of the rolling stock, the engines would have to stay the same way round because the only train going up the branch with access to a turntable would be the goods to Hinksey, and that locomotive did not return until the next day! But there is a shunter on the branch (in reality the High Wycombe shunter), so this could take trains round the reverse loop. Mind you, I was getting enthuse to the interesting, but un prototypical, prospect of banking up the branch! However, I have yet to get the mechanism for banking in DCC sorted yet so that might be a non starter! Sadly, a double track branch is a not on, for me it pushes the bounds of reality just too far, I am afraid. Keep the ideas coming. Best regards Paul