Chris Gilbert1

Could anyone tell me when BR started painting their GUVs and Full Brakes in the red parcels/Royal Mail scheme. I’ve got it in my mind it was in the late 80s but I can’t seem to find any photos. 

TIA

20 hours ago, F-UnitMad said:

Ok, so I had to google it.... 🙄😳 but then, I never really "got" 'The Office' - I sat through a whole episode with some friends once and whilst they collapsed laughing, I smiled just once at something. I just didn't find it funny - they said it was because I'd never worked in an office why I didn't get it.

Good link though for those who are familiar with the US TV version. 👍

TBH F-Unit, it’s not my cup of tea, I just wanted a paper manufacturer that wasn’t real, so nobody could tell me I’d modelled that wrong, same reason I model the Brownville and Ashland.  

3 hours ago, Keith Addenbrooke said:

Excellent - could we ask what the dimensions are (it’s all well spaced out).  The kind of switching layout it can be a real joy to watch in action.
 

Especially like the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, Inc. trucks - a nice touch (what could possibly go wrong…)

 

Keith.

Thanks Keith 

The layout is 8ft 8 inches by 18inches 

Last test before it’s ready for Stafford exhibition, F-Unit it’s at Cradley in October. 

2 hours ago, F-UnitMad said:

Looks like they got some ex-Soo Line bargains from CP Rail. 😁😉

Yes there are definitely a few ex Soo Line bargains on this railroad 

27 minutes ago, Allegheny1600 said:

Some lovely modelling there mate.

What happened to #238, she’s lost her small radiator fan!

Thanks, just one of the many quirks of the BRAR fleet 

Rusty Monday morning. 
GP35s 238 & 233 leave Waterloo Road yard and head up the branch to the Dr Pepper bottling plant at Haywood, where they switch out empty syrup tank cars and return south will the empties.

It just needs ballasting, I built a Cornish clay layout after that and now I’m playing around with some British O gauge 

I’ve started a new project a couple of weeks ago called Tremoy Junction. Set in the late 80’s to mid 90s on a branch line close to St Blazey. 

WTF Wednesday. 
I was watching a YouTube clip called GWR Volume 3 Saltash to Penzance by GWR Yam Yam last night. 

There’s some very interesting stuff on there but at 1.40 these made me sit up and go
Wait 
What 

Anyone shed any light on it. 

Morning all 

Interesting comments, I can already report that I’ve been politely told that Thumpers only ran east of Portsmouth or something like that, by a number of (former ) friends.

Your right F-UnitMad rules have to be adhered to. 
One thing that never fails to amaze me, is the British modeller will complain if things don’t quite look right, from the curve on the nose of a class 37 to the idea of using the wrong class of loco in the wrong area. Yet will put up with poor standards of running, god awful coupling and narrow gauge track. 
 

The layout is at the ballasting stage now , but I’ve spent the last few days rearranging the railway room, to find space to store it. 
It’s now at eye level and I’ve noticed a slight bow in the baseboard
Not sure what it do about it now. 

Funny you should say that Raymondo 

On 30/03/2020 at 18:19, F-UnitMad said:

Not American, & Not Finished.... sure this is THE Chris Gilbert, or just an imposter??

Otherwise, I'm checking the date - it's not April 1st, just yet!!!

 

Looks good so far, anyway Chris!! cracking weathering on that 33.

Good evening F-UnitMad how the devil are you? Long time no speak. 
Yes it’s British and no it’s not finished, this British malarkey takes a lot longer. 
 

Well that idea failed, so what next. I need to crack this BR modelling lark. 
I wonder if I can get Shortliner’s Box Street to work. 

Working signals and live frog points, it’s all new to me. 

10 minutes ago, bodmin65 said:

Hi Chris,

Very interested in how you made the platform? What timber was used? if you don't mind me asking?

 

regards

 

Martin

Martin 

Its 15mm by 36mm soft wood from B&Q which just happens to fit inside the clips on the peco platform edges. More by luck than judgement. I need to add some mounting card to represent the top

Hi Adam, 

Thanks for the clips, very inspiring. 
 

Regarding the home signal, yes it’s probably not required or prototypically correct but I quite like the feel of it plus it will add a little operational interest. 
 

It’s very early days at the moment, and once the other details start to be added it might look too crowded there, so it may well be moved. 

Here is Haston Green, a small project I started last weekend at the beginning of the lock down. It’s an imaginary branch line  somewhere on the south coast of England between Poole and Exeter and set in the early 80s. 

The scenic part is four and a half feet long while the fiddle yard which is still to be built, will be three and a half feet long. The track plan is the same design as my North Haston layout from a few years ago, but I’ve removed the warehouse track from the rear and replaced it with a platform. 

The idea is to represent a branch line which is hanging on by the skin of its teeth. It still retains its passenger service, although it has been cut back and now terminates here. The remaining branch line past the level crossing was taken out of service. 
The passenger traffic is in the hands of a two car Bachmann Class 205 DEMU.  

The signal box, that controlled the crossing gates, is still open although not for much longer. The Dapol signals will operate once it’s all wired up. 

I’m still undecided on the freight traffic. The small goods yard was originally going to be a nuclear flask transfer point, but these wagons are quite long, which seem to over power the layout. 
I’m now looking at either a small heating fuel terminal or domestic coal unloading point or possible both. 

All the wagons are by Bachmann and have been fitted with Kadee coupling and I’m currently fitting under track magnets to allow for some hands free operation. 

The main locomotives with be a couple of Heljan Class 33s, although I am on the look out for a blue Dapol class 73 as they are both small enough to fit between the point and the level crossing. 

Despite building numerous American layouts, I’ve never managed to build a British one. Something usually manages to pee my off before I get very far into the project but I’m going to try and persevere with this one.

If anyone is interested in we are holding a freemo meeting at Armitage village hall on the 4th and 5th of April.

Opening times are 11.00 - 6.00 on the Saturday and 10.00 - 4.00 on the Sunday and the costs are £10 each day and that includes a light lunch. 

There is no need to bring anything as all rolling stock or locomotives as these are provided. 

If you wish to get on the call sheet and operate a train or two, you will be required to bring a smart phone. 

If you’re interested please email me at chrisgilbo@me.com. Unfortunately because of insurance requirements we can not accept anyone who has not pre-booked. 

Any profits made from the weekend will go toward our new yard. 

Skipepsi, Facebook is where most of my posts go now. 
There are plenty of useful Railroad groups on there and some interesting layouts on the Micro/Small Model RR group 
 

I know Facebook is not for everyone, and some of the stuff on there, is questionable to say the least,  but it works for me. 

6 hours ago, Wayne 37901 said:

@Chris Gilbert

Hi Chris,

I've not been over here since the above post but after 3 years I've purchased my first American stock, so I've been reading back through this thread.

 

For my switching layout I'm only thinking of using four axle power and at a recent show I managed to pick up an Athearn RTR GP38-2, two bulkhead flat cars (one by Atlas) and a covered hopper which I think was built from an Athearn kit.

 

The only problem is the dash 2 is in Duraham & Southern livery from the early 70s which is a little early for what I had in mind. DS was acquired by CSX in the late 80s, so I'm not entirely sure what to do. It was a good price and the only four axle loco I could find at the show.

 

Cheers

Wayne

 

Ps: now that North Haston has been sold, did you ever build a replacement?

 

Wayne 

I’ve send you a PM. 
I don’t really do RMweb anymore, too many nah sayers for my liking. 
 

Chris

Here’s the current proposed plan for the Midland Belt meeting in October being held at Armitage Village Hall
 

Operationally, it won’t be much different to what we currently do, with trains starting away from the main yards and working their way back in, before returning with the outbound cars. Doing it this way allows seven trains to start working right from the start.

If you are, interested heres the operating plan.

Planned trains starting away from Trent

L1-Blind River Job. - has couple extra industry of extra industries at Kipling. 
L2-Fairhope Job. - this module has been moved and now hangs off the main line (bottom right) a shoving caboose might be needed for the return train. 
L3-Cardwell Job. - this job will now probably have to be slit into two trains. One servicing the industries at Cardwell Junction, Hammerford interchange, and the new industrial park module. 
NEW L3A-North Brook Job - this will switch the industries at Sullivan Scrap, North Brook and Alpha before joining up with train L3 and heading together as one super train to Trent. 
L4-Dunn Papers. - no change

Trains starting from Trent 
L5-Main line - extra work, calling at Badger Cement. 
L6-Cement train - this may now run to Portland via Trent, as a bulk through train. 
New L7 Trent-Portland.

I’ve still got to work out how trains for Nucor are worked. 
NEW L8- Nucor turn. This may well run to Portland instead of Trent to reduce the pressure on Trent. It also serves Jonesville. 
NEW Z1-Nucor internal switch job.

Trent Yard switcher - no change 
But have to make up the following trains. 
T1 - Main Line to Armstrong and back. 
T2- Cars for Blind River
T3- Cars for Fairhope 
T4- Cars for Cardwell & North Brook
T5- Cars for Dunn Papers 
T6- Cars for Portland

New Portland Yard switcher - 
Has to make up the following trains. 
P1- Cars for Trent 
P2- Cars for Nucor 
P3- Cars for Cement Train

Passenger trains - There are passengers depots at River Falls, Armstrong, North Brook and Portland. I suggest we run a push-up service from River Falls to Armstrong where the train spits, with one train going to Portland and the other to North Brook. 
A tourist train comprising of a couple of preserved RDC’s could run from Ashland to Wallingford via Armstrong.

Dispatcher will definitely need to be a two man job and the Traffic manager will have to be full time as well.

That should keep us busy.

This is all subject to change.