Mike_Walker

Oh good grief!!! 😊

Marlow and diesels in the 1960s? No problem. The Donkey was dieselised in 1962 with occasional visits by Class 22s to say nothing of the timber trains from Bow Creek worked by Stratford-based Class 30s* or 37s or even on at least on one occasion a pair of Class 15s! * As I was firmly advised by one who worked the trains, they still had the Mirrlees engines back then.

The big issue is, as already pointed out, there were so many variations. Look at any photo of a typical milk train and it will usually be a case of no two looking the same. Therefore if we were to get a hi-fi model would a train formed of many of them be accurate?

I really have to agree with almost everything that's been said so far. As for NR's ability to control costs that is a complete farce. A few years ago I did some work for a TOC which was involved in preparing the "yellow peril" for a line reopening on behalf of Network Rail (who usually produce such documents themselves but in this case the TOC was the main promotor of the project). My quotation for the work had been accepted by the TOC and I submitted my invoice. The TOC presumably added their "cut" and passed it on to NR. To everyone's amazement NR rejected it because the sum involved was "too small"! The TOC suggested I add a couple of extra zeros and "buy myself a steam loco". I refused and the TOC duly paid my invoice, what final agreement was reached between them and NR I don't know. But working in the industry for the past quarter century I've heard of many cases where NR have thrown money away in a scandalous if not criminal way. Having done work for many TOCs and OA operators during that time it has been my experience that they are extremely cost conscious. The rising costs for HS2 are hardly surprising when the government bows to every pressure group to extend tunnels or make other enhancements. Then to delay the project to save costs is farcical. It might reduce the expenditure in the current FY and short term but will only increase costs in the longer term if only down to inflation even if back to normal levels. But, of course, it kicks the can down the road and hopefully becomes someone else's problem.

I don't think many passengers spend more than a few minutes on a platform unless they are unfortunate and have their train delayed or cancelled.

Even the dog doesn't look impressed! 😁

Excellent video. I did go but watching this shows me how many small details I missed!

Only if that is possible. At my local station the only "staff accommodation" is the area that forms the ticket office. If the staff are required to spend their time out on the platform legislation requires they have somewhere to take a break and attend to "personal needs". You can't expect them to stand around on an exposed platform for 8 hours or whatever length their shift is. Therefore the existing accommodation will have to be retained with just the ticket counter left unused. As mentioned above, the space is too small for any viable retail use beyond a kiosk style operation. As I've said before, this represents zero cost saving apart from, as Mike @The Stationmaster says, a bit of training and accountancy but that will no doubt be outweighed by the loss of revenue. How long the staff will be prepared to perform their new role is uncertain (but in our local case, I suspect not long) so when they inevitably decide to seek alternative employment will they be replaced? I suspect the answer is simple: no. As for DOO of passenger trains, I don't want to take this thread off topic but I'd ask you to remember that large parts of the UK network, including the entire London Underground, have been working DOO for anything up to 30 years now and there has been no discernible effect on passenger or staff safety in that time compared to traditionally crewed operations despite the hundreds of millions of passenger journeys made. In fact, I know of drivers who say they prefer DOO to working with a guard as they feel it improves the safety of train dispatch from stations.

Can't say as I was only quoting from Hugh Longworth's book but it would seem likely as they were in the reversed livery.

Formerly mk1 Pullman Kitchen First E314E 'Hawk' built by Metro-Cammell in 1960 and converted to departmental service in 1979.

The advice of the society's legal advisers.

I'm amazed you can still gain access to Platform 1 (Down Main). At most stations in the Thames Valley the DM platforms are closed to public access as is the UM side of the islands behind robust fences. That even applies at Slough now!

Thanks, any suggestions as to what to use, given that the check rails and infill is already in place.

But we are advised not to engage directly with the child in case it is misconstrued by the parents and only do it if they encourage us to do so. The whole thing is becoming a legal minefield.

Not in the context of a model show but we have had similar issues with Swindon Panel at Didcot. Visitors of all ages are encouraged to have a go but the height and width of the panel presents a challenge for younger children to reach the back parts. We have debated the issue and taken into account the legal aspects - something taken very seriously across the Didcot site for obvious reasons. The legal advice was that if we provide any form of step up, which we do, it must be clearly pointed out that use is at the parent's risk and it is their responsibility to supervise the child. We are supposed to point this out each time. I agree that modern parental standards can be abysmal. Whilst some children and their parents are genuinely absorbed by the panel and its operation a small number are not. They allow their offspring to turn knobs and push buttons at will, at best this causes us operational confusion (Why can't I call that route? Oh, some b*****'s locked those points the wrong way) or at worst physical damage. We are not allowed to intervene only ask the parents to stop them which usually results in us getting abuse. We even had one instance where a parent lifted a child up onto the panel so he could run along it - again our protests were met with foul mouthed abuse and actual threats! Back when I were a lad my parents wouldn't have cared if the exhibitor gave me a clip round the ear - if not they would have done it. Not that I'd have thought of touching without invitation. How times change.

Wot and mis out on the delights of gatherings like Larkrail?!

Mark is also an enthusiastic member of the MDRS - he joined when he was about 13 and has been a member ever since becoming a very pro-active President a couple of years ago. Like you, we knew he'd go far. Chris Green told me that they knew they had someone special when he first joined the railway. When he was still a young trainee I used my contacts to arrange for him to have a behind the scenes tour of the Long Island Rail Road and he managed to impress the management there too - asking them some very probing questions!

Yes, it's the monthly meeting of the Marlow & District Railway Society but everyone is most welcome to attend. As David says, it starts at 7.30 and there is a £2 admission. Having seen David's presentation before I can recommend it - it's a corker! Next week, the Marlow Society's Local History Group are hosting a film show on both the Marlow branch and Wycombe Railway supported by a photographic display and personal reminiscences from enthusiast John Smith. It's at the Liston Hall, Chapel Street, Marlow on Tuesday 25th again starting at 7.30. Admission s £4.50.

I appreciate where you are coming from and I agree that it does let things down a little when viewed from this angle and range but it's not so noticeable at "normal viewing distance" and angles. The problem I had was that the Beatties have very limited ground clearance and it took some time to remove any high spots in the infill to get them to run smoothly over this piece of track so I'm loathe to start filling in again and go back to square one! Perhaps a coat of light grey paint might make the chairs less visible.

Looking forward to it... 🙂

Another view of 30585, this time bringing the loaded clay wagons back to Boscarne Junction.

I've started a thread on the layout.

Congratulations to Jerry, Simon and all for a fantastic little show; quality trumps quantity every time. Here's to next year.

Having received a number of likes in response to my recent post in “Realistic Modelling” I feel it’s time to start a thread on my current project Helland Wharf. It’s a deliberately simple layout which started out as no more than a photo plank but has evolved into a portable layout which can fit in a Mk3 Focus. It is inspired by this classic Peter Gray image. To make it a bit more interesting I have included the siding which was closed and lifted in 1960 but for operating purposes I plan to exercise Rule 1 and use both Beattie Well tanks, WR 1366 panniers and even 03 shunters. Inspired by others use of shelves, I used a 1200 x 250 x 15 shelf from Homebase for the main, scenic section with matching 450 shelves at each end providing basic off-scene representations of the Dunmere and Wenford ends of the line. A lightweight frame was added to the underside to accommodate the wiring (which is simple in the extreme – analogue, no DCC hereabouts) and the DCC Concepts dowels to locate the three sections. I started off by constructing the two iconic cottages that flank the line here. The one on the right of Peter Gray’s photo is called Hollyhock Cottage today (and that’s what I call it even if it was something else back then) and is actually one of a semi-detached pair but I only have space for one. It is an interesting building which has obviously been altered many times over the years. Fortunately, there are many photos of Helland on the web so I was able to discover how it appeared in my time frame (it has since undergone further modernisation) which enabled me to create a drawing as a first step. The other, Cobbler’s Cottage, is even more interesting in that it appears to be a single storey dwelling above a storage area, the whole building being set into the hillside. Again, it has obviously been extended and modernised over the years but sufficient photographic evidence can be found to show what it was like in my period. Both were built using my preferred method, a shell constructed out of multiple layers of 2mm card faced with Plasticard then painted with acrylics. The windows were printed out onto self-adhesive labels and then cut out with a very sharp knife – new blade! The rooves are both covered with Scale Model Scenery’s weathered slates which I think are excellent. Here’s the front wall of Hollyhock Cottage and below, the shell of Cobbler’s Cottage under construction. The two completed cottages, gardens excepted. With those done it was time to start on the layout proper. The track is Peco bullhead with a medium radius point laid on 3mm cork sheet. Wanting to keep things as simple as possible, I've chosen to keep the point hand operated (as was the prototype!) using a simple slide mechanism that will be invisible once the ground cover is finished/ Next the various backscene boards were added and which have since been painted. And so to the scenics starting with the road and crossing… One thing I wanted to achieve was a seemingly joint less transition of the road into the backscene. This was achieved by taking a screenshot of Google’s Streetview image of the lane which, fortunately, hasn’t changed. This was then played with in Photoshop to get the scale right and to extend the road surface sufficiently to allow it to reach the rails. Fortunately, the lane climbs quite steeply beyond the cottage although on the layout it rises vertically! However, as the lane can only be viewed directly and not from the sides this isn’t a problem. Work continues towards Dunmere. Stay tuned…

Two points, first the Class 93 is for the Rail Operations Group and second, we have yet to see exactly what GBRf's Class 99 will look like in the flesh.