Schooner

@Pete Haitch you tease, you!

Correct :)

That's a bit personal, innit?!

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1270141 Like Where's Wally, but with Victorian industrial architecture... :) An embarrassment of riches to choose from in those aerial shots!

Juuuusssst in case I get up tomorrow thinking that it's a good idea buy a pretty little ship boat barque model in what looks to be 1:80 at the outside... Thoughts and feeback, please! As per with my little tabletop schemes, designed to turned around and viewed played from both sides to give a change of scene from time to time. Figure A bottom left is seen as the primary headstick spot*, as I've assumed the straight line to the top left corner is aesthetic only, to make life simple. However, if made functional, Fig B would be good for an alternative connection when the layout is rotated, giving quite a different set of shunting challenges to swear at manage. *Intentio 1' cassettes, which I know can take 5 of my assorted little old wagons/loco and three 'normal' RCH lads. By way of inspiration, I was recently looking at some before during/after pics of No. 4 Dock at Falmouth, and probs had those in mind more than anything: https://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/image/EPW009875 https://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/image/EPW009876 https://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/EPW023171 https://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/EPW023357 Uh oh... :)

🎵 😇

Reference pic stashing: I'm back in the real world for a spell, so hoping to have a go at some modelling before too long! In other news, I've just come across a (potentially) affordable model, RTL* as it were, of this grand old lady at about 1:80, assuming accurate measurement. Just the thing, and rigged in just the condition, to go in a layout-backing graving dock... *Ready To Launch?

For this model only, or is this a development for the range? Quite a fan of your curved handles...so to speak!

That has to be one of the most useful photos to the early-GWR modeler I've ever seen! There's so much to take from it, thank you :)

You're absolutely right, but I can't see it really matters - it's what it's worth to the buyer which counts, not the seller. It might set a high bar, but it's as likely to be a watershed outlier as a new trend. What other buyers do with their cash is their business...luckily, cos some seem right muppets. Think prices are high? Wait. Think a subject is overvalued? Investigate better-value alternatives etc etc. It's a hobby, and we have options :) https://www.cdc-design.net/nlr-75-class-park-tank.html

This! Your space sounds perfect for one of the 'ideal model railway set ups': Interchange line (cassette), feeding a small exchange yard (for marshalling and switching fun), feeding the truncated line (trip and spotting). That's three types of train-playing, potentially requiring three classes of loco...or it could all be achieved by one, depending. Less is more, agreed, but the exchange yard need be no more than three roads; the truncated line need not have any extra sidings at all. That said, I think I'd be looking at maybe a loop with two spurs towards the dead end* and an extra siding or two (perhaps one aesthetic only, overgrown and curving off the front of the layout). These also give some geometry to play with so the running line has a reason to curve behind viewblocks or in front of an scenic focus etc. IIUC it's not unusual for industries along such lines to be served directly from it, not requiring their own individual private sidings. *Personal preference really: running around gives me more of a sense of a there-and-back-again trip (a loco propelling puts me in mind of a shunting move) although it might be less typical. Sounds fun! It's the sort of layout I'd like to have a go at designing for my own interest. If those come to anything would you mind if I posted them here?

Welcome to the Accidental Terrier Club!

Yes, but you're allowed to be as I imagine at least once or twice she was unfair to you! IIRC early reports were very positive, but not heard anything for a while (nor have I asked). Either way, bet it's a sight better than no casevac or CSAR at all.

Oh, I dunno! The old girl's been putting in a decent shift again recently...

Never had Brother @Compound2632 down as a Protectionist...!

Us too!

True, but isn't the question 'What can LMS-served Gloucestershire (eg) supply that GWR-served Wiltshire (or indeed Gloucestershire) cannot?' rather than 'How far is it to the next Big Four member?'...? EDIT: Not to poohpooh the vehicle, but to improve my knowledge and hopefully to dig out a story-telling opportunity :)

See also the excellent, vital, terrifying final ten mins analysis below: Been waiting for the moment to start pestering my MP and reach down the back of the sofa for any extra donatables. Think that time has already arrived.

Agreed. If the top and bottom links were c.3mm each - as per a 3-link being c.10mm - then the overall coupling length would be about right with 1209 middle links. Eyeballing the ratio of the middle links to the end link in the photo, though, this doesn't seem quite accurate. I have used the little S&W links in anger, they do work and would allow for larger middle links...but they are trickier than using a nearer-scale link to go over a coupling hook. Hmmm. Now, side chains...!

Is that white running gear? Like later PO white rims, for photo only? White lead, as in the mix for the body grey...? Wagonisers all: Is there an approved method for 5-links? A pair of the undersized S&W links joined by three links of Slaters' 1209-ish...? Would experiment and report back, but I'm away from the layout for a spell.

The book, IIUC. Otherwise worst luck all round, apalling situation...! From which tome, some useful nuggets. Locos (3'6" gauge) Black Hawthorn 575 0-4-0T St. Michael. Year? Later BR No.5 Avonside 1286 and 1287 2-4-0 (4 wheel tenders) of 1881/2. BR No.1 St. John and No.2 St. Joseph Vulcan 951/1882 and 952/1882 2-6-2T. 18'8" wheelbase, 27 tons 6cwt. BR No.3 St. George and No.4 Christchurch. Bagnall 1308, November 1890, and 1310, April 1891, 0-6-0T. 9' wheelbase. BR No.6 St. Philip and No.7 St. Andrew There are several photos of the Black Hawthorn during construction of the line, and several more of the Avonsides working it, but 'only' works photos of one Vulcan and one of the later Bagnalls. The pics are handy, but hopefully the works numbers will help track down useful drawings in time. Rolling Stock (3'6" gauge) Passenger coaches are not recorded at build but can be seen to be 4W, with clerestories, verandah ends and matchboard sides. 16 windows a side, in pairs with drop down shutters, and a rather sharp two-tone livery at build. Only four are ever seen in photos, which are 1 x First, 8 tons, seating 16 (saloon-style?) 2 x First/Second composites, 10 tons, seating 16/24 respectively 1 x Third, 8 tons, seating 48 on longitudinal wooden benches on either side. 1 x guards van, 4W, non-clerestory, lookout duckets at one end only. One report suggests this increased over time to 4 x First/Second comps and 5 x Thirds...but this is unsubstantiated. There was also a double-decked special, built for the Merrivale family*, as remembered by the daughter: "It had three compartments downstairs and an upstairs like an old-fashioned bus". This car was later used for a local service around Bridgetown, hauled by the 0-4-0T St Michael. *Walter Merrivale being Attorney and MD of the original Barbados Railway Comoany. Initial passenger services seem to have been two (then three) out-and-back trips from Bridgetown daily. These took 40 mins, setting off at 08.00 and 16.00, the returns leaving at 09.00 and 17.00. Simples! There never being a record book of rolling stock, goods wagons are even harder to ascertain, but the Wiki seems consistent with early pics - up to 10 covered and 20 open (flat) wagons* plus a 4W break van or two. *I think used for transporting cane to the factories in the 6-month-or-so harvesting season, and then fitted with chocks to take 6 barrels per wagon of molasses or sugar to the harbour for export. Stuff I can take a decent stab at the layout, architecture and general facilities of some of the principal stations. St Andrews (Belleplaine) remains 90% mystery, however. These include raised water tanks 17'6" x 17'6" x 4'6" deep at Bridgetown and Carrington; 9'0" x 1'11" x 2'14" deep (?!) at most other stations. These stations also had Ransomes & Napier goods cranes, and the same also provided the 27'8" turntables at each end of the line. At Bridgetown this fed the roundhouse - 6 stall? At St Andrews it might have fed the single-occupancy loco shed...but who knows! Sorry for lack of pics, on phone still and it's hard to manage. Very first stab at a plan below, though:

Huzzah and congratulations! The wagons are excellent, kits easily assembled and instructions among, if not, the very best. More power to your elbow, more of your wares to my layout...!

That's some damned impressive modeling! Not only most usefully illustrated, but also written in such a way as entertains as well as informs. Looking forward to the next instalment very much indeed.

Oooh alright then! Catalogue looks v good indeed! Plan forming for when I'm next home... :) Something which would make it even better, and help me choose, are drawing/build dates. Otherwise (as with the kits themselves, which I foynd absolutely top tier), all the info needed is right there, nice and clear. Well done!

Pffft, who cares?! Logging in to FB now, watch out wallet...