Blobrick

Thanks for your input folks, l ve taken the plunge and got my hands on an example, and l m pleasantly surprised at the quality of the model. 

Many thanks for your advice

Cheers Bob C

I have acquired a couple of Fleischmann N gauge locomotives. I wish to fit Decoders to these models. They are designed for Next 18 NEM 662 units. Can anyone recommender a suitable basic decoder at a reasonable cost please? 

Also were is the best place to source suitable blanking plugs to fit Next 18 decoder sockets?

Fingers crossed

Bob C

Peco 009 code 80  track items for sale

All items are as new, not all are boxed

3 x LH Small radius points Electrofrog  SL E 492 

3 x RH Small radius points Electrofrog  SL E 491

8 x Peco Setrack curves No.1 radius  (complete circle)  ST-412

4 x Peco Setrack straights ST-411

Job Lot

£65.00

Set of 4 Bachmann Narrow Gauge buildings consisting of :-

Bachmann 44-0101 OO/OO9 Gauge Narrow Gauge Slate-Built Engine Shed

Bachmann 44-0105 Narrow Gauge Slate Processing Building 009 Gauge

Bachmann 44-0106 Slate Built Boiler House and Chimney

Bachmann 44-0108 Narrow Gauge Slate Worker's Cottage 

All building are as new having never been used. Sold as a job lot.

£60.00

Bachmann 391-101SF Double Fairlie Merddin Emrys  Lined Maroon (Sound Fitted)

This model is part of an abandoned narrow gauge project. Model is in as new condition, being removed from box, test fun and photographed. Comes with  unopened details bag

PM me for further details

£200:00

Bachmann Collectors Club 391-100SF Double Fairlie "David Lloyd George"

This model is part of an abandoned narrow gauge project. Model is in as new condition, being removed from box, test fun and photographed. Comes with certification and unopened details bag

PM me for further details

£250:00

Thanks for taking the time to answer, Re6/6. It's good to hear that their running quality is up to scratch. My only observation is that the bogie side frames look very shallow in the photos, a lot more than other manufacturers , would you concur ?

Thanks again 

Bob C

I ve been looking for a suitable N gauge class DBAG 189 E lok.

Whilst searching l came across a Hobbytrain branded MRCE  class 189.

Having never really heard of this brand before, l was wondering if any members had experience with this brand or had opinions regarding quality/running and how they compare to Fleischmann, Trix  etc?

Thanks in advance

Bob C

10 hours ago, PaulG said:

 

I'm guessing you are helping Bob, who I knew quiet well in the 20 years I was GERS Journal Editor. He will have a copy of the Journals I mentioned and also please pass on my kind regards. 

 

Paul.

Hi Paul 

The gent l m assisting is Bob Clow, however Bob is not in the best of health theses day, so your help is very much appreciated

Cheers

Bob C

2 hours ago, PaulG said:

I put together an article on GE water troughs in the Great Eastern Railway Society Journal 109, January 2002.

 

 

At that time I didn't have dates for the removal of the troughs, but there were follow up letters in Journals 111, concluding the Ipswich troughs went in 1962, after the end of steam traction.

 

Paul

Paul

Thank you very much for taking the time to reply to my question. The reason l was asking was to assist an ex BR driver, who's writing about his career driving on the GE from Cleaner to Traction inspector during the 1960s to 1990s. He also curates a local Railway museum in the Harwich area, but due to ill heath he's been unable to attend and maintain this museum since Covid.

Once again many many thanks Paul

Do any of the RMweb members know when the two water troughs on the former Great Eastern main line, Liverpool St to Norwick line, (Halifax Junction Ipswich & Tvetshall) were taken out of use and removed?

Fingers crossed

Bob C

I  have been looking at the Bachmann instructions leaflet included with the "Charles" l recently acquired. I notice that there's a sketch showing the removal of the front pony wheels "should the model be fitted with them" 

Does this mean that there is a 2-4-0 version of "Linda" and/or "Blanche" in the pipe line, if so has there been any release dates mentioned ?

Bob C

Thanks guys, that helped, l ve PM d the OP

Cheers

Bob C

Can any RMweb members help please?

Back around 2016 an RMWeb member "t8hants"  started a thread seeking information on First World War trains marked "ILF"  I would very much like to make contact with the OP or anyone who contributed to the thread as l d like to find out where the source material he used came from?

Asking for a friend,  seriously!

Fingers crossed 

Bob C

Its a very long shot but here goes, but does anyone have or know where l could possibly find a Bachmann Branchline 44-0016 Narrow gauge (Lynton and Barnstaple) station building?

If  so please PM me?

Fingers crossed

Bob C

1 hour ago, tophski said:

I have a "what if" version of the L&B, but mine is based more on one of the branches being built, and the line surviving its demise, if only for a few years. Mine is circular, with 3 versions of each train, one up, one down and one in fixational livery.  I also have modelled various what if versions of the stock, in suitable liveries, based on the existing models, including a CCT wagon.

10ft sounds huge until you start to put things down, the L&B's "mainline" ethos, Pilton does give you a chance to model the turntable though, as they rolling stock and locos may well still be turned to ensure even wear and tear....

 

I shall look forward to seeing a version of your trackplan!

 

Chris T B

Hi Chris

Thanks for your comments, currently the layout is at the every early stages, and no doubt things will change or evolve as time progresses. I think that l will stick with Blackmoor as the main station but possibly in its 1920s guise with the extra siding which was removed by 1930. I think the first step is seeing just how much space l m going to need to make this look open and not cramped. 

Its early days!

Cheers 

Bob C 

6 minutes ago, PaulRhB said:

I had a similar realisation that they looked good together 😁

 

 

I also took the what if they had idea courtesy of the Bachmann Baldwin for my Combe Martin branch as there were cheap ones available for the new branch post WW1

 

Lovely photos Paul, thanks for sharing them. The Peco coaches are really lovely models, they exude an air of quality much like the real ones do.

8 minutes ago, exet1095 said:

Could the OP kindly correct the spelling in the thread name to “Barnstaple” please?

 

Many thanks,

 

Paul

Duly corrected with apologies to all ! Thank you for pointing out my error.

I ve spent a lovely day whilst working in the garden, thinking about what form any proposed layout should take?

I think it would be a continuous circuit ,with say Blackmoor Station on one side and a compressed Pilton yard on the opposite side. I think Pilton makes an excellent alternative to a traditional "Fiddle Yard", providing not just somewhere to store "Trains" but also the chance for some extra scenic  work.

I think l might be able to squeeze the essentials of both locations in around a length of 10ft or so 

So all that leaves me now is to decide what the "spare" engine should be (Mr Bachmann permitting!)

1 hour ago, MPR said:

I suppose that is a Fairlie good approximation.

 Where's that Groan button when you need it!

Not to be out done by the lovely Heljan models, here's my take on the L&B motive power dept.

27 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

I suppose it really deends on who was advising/engineering the L&B and where their preferences lay?  

For example did somebody recommend a particular builder which tehhcompany went to and got what that builder decided best met both the needs of the customer and what they could make the most profit on?  

Or did the railway simply invite tenders for engines, rolling stock, and so on and then go for either the cheapest or what it c0nsidered offered the best overall value over a stated life or whatever?

 

Don't forget it would have been illegal for the Ffestiniog to act as builder and supply engine sit built to another company.  There would be nothing against it supplying second-hand engines so it could do that.  And of course the engine(s) might b not be full repainted but just have ownership details altered until a full repaint was needed.

 

so for which ever you want you just need to make a few minor amendments to the LB's purchasing policy or the amount of money available.

Hi there SM

Thanks for taking the time to read my ramblings, you ve made some good points..........

I agree that are a lot of grey areas in my supposition, however we are talking about events that could have taken place over 140 years ago, l bet the paperwork got lost!  I ve also assumed that the directors had final say over most matters and although they had listened to advise from the appointed Engineer, they had the final say as to motive power choice, invoking rule No.1 if required!

I have assumed that this proposal was well funded and would postulate that the L&B purchased the locos directly from the Fairlie company and they arrived  part assembled at Pilton. (Shades of Lyn, without traversing all the water!)

I would like to think that since the company prided its self on highest quality of rolling stock , they would not have "spoilt the ship for a half penny of Tar" and therefore assumed that second hand locos were not considered 

I find these types of exercise interesting, l enjoy seeing other view points  and listening to their input, most stimulating!  

Many thanks

Bob C

Just supposing............

The older members of RMweb may well recall the series entitled "Just Supposing" from a series of articles written by the late Arthur Whitehead which were published by the Railway Modeller in the early 1970s. 

In this series Arthur wound explore the possibilities of a layout design he had prepared for that month, normally based on a  particular Railway company's practice. An example of these was his article on "Dewsbury Midland", one of my all time favourites. In this article he explored what would have possibly happen if the Midland Railway had built its proposed cut off line in the west Riding of Yorkshire, thereby reducing the journey time for the Anglo-Scottish traffic and opening up further traffic in the west riding in direct competition to the L&Y.

To me this was one of three options in undertaking any intended layout design. 

The 1st being the modeller can buy and run any model they so choose with and stock, as this approach is not governed by requiring to be prototypical, purely just for fun, I like to think of this as the "Train set" approach.(Something l think we all enjoy as a guilty pleasure!)

The 2nd method is to base a fictitious layout based on a geographical area following a chosen companies practices This seems to be the most popular approach and forms a half way house between the 1st and 3rd options

The 3rd option is to base your model on an actual geographic location, and specific operating practices of the company in question warts and all. This is the purest approach, where the modeller is creating a 3 dimensional picture of a real location, but it does rather put a straight jacket on the modeller as they can only operate locos and rolling stock from the time and location chosen, so can be very restrictive. 

Arthur's approach fell in the option 2 category   l d like to introduce a 3a option.

This is where you have an existing company you ve chosen to model, the model its self is as close to prototype as space etc will allow but you make a single significant change and follow the ramifications of this change through.

This rather lengthy preamble, brings me to my idea. I recently bought a Bachmann Double Fairlie tank loco, to be honest who can resist these wee beasties?

I was running this loco in on my Nm RhB layout, as it has 9mm track. l must admit, l was very impressed with the models running characteristics even on DC.  As is my normal practice after the initial running in, l finish the process off with some weight behind the loco. I had  bought a couple of Peco L&B coaches when the Heljan Manning Wardle tanks were first announced, and these provided the load for the loco.

I was struck by just how good these coaches look running behind this Fairlie, and a thought suddenly struck me............

What would have the Lynton & Barnstaple railway been like if one of the earlier unsuccessful proposals had actually succeeded?

If the railway had come into existence, say 15 years earlier, what changes would we have seen?

Around this time the Ffestiniog railway had started to build its own Double Fairlie's at the Boston workshops, This was after been given free access to Fairlies patent for allowing successful trials of the design on their metals. Although not the first Fairlie on the line "Merddin Emrys"  was their first loco to be completed in house in 1879 

On looking for a suitable locomotive for the L&B the directors could have visited the Ffestiniog to witness this new Fairlie in action. The locomotive would have offered advantages over other current types available. No need to double head during peak holiday traffic, saving on crew costs, also thereby needing fewer locomotives? The Fairlie would always be running forward, so no reduced visibility from traditional bunker running etc?

So my change to the L&B's history  would be that the directors choose the Fairlie design as their prime mover instead for Manning Wardle.

All other aspect of the line remained the same, with the Bristol Wagon and Carriage works suppling the all rolling stock as they did in 1897 only 15 years earlier.

Stations and track layouts, building and associated infrastructure etc were basically the same as of 1897

The current  Bachmann offering of "Merddin Emrys" in early Ffestiniog livery, is perfect for this project. The early livery is similar to the livery the Manning Wardle tanks wore  for the first 15 years or so. However the name plates on the tank sides are longer than those required to carry the given names of Exe, Yeo and Taw, so l think adopting "River" in front of the names would add the needed length to cover the  printed versions on the models tank sides. I m still thinking about the crests carried on the cab sheets, but they are rather small and do look similar at a distance to the early L&B crest.

Now the question is would the L&B order three of these locos seeing that double heading would not be a requirement?

I suspect that consideration could have also been given to the purchase of one smaller loco to work the off peak winter/Sunday traffic?  In which case could a Single Fairlie might have been the solution (Maybe Bachamnn will produce one?)

This is just a though exercise, a little fun for the grey matter, but l find that this idea just wont go away. I d be interested to hear the thoughts of any other  RMweb members who's had the stamina to read my ramblings

Right its high time l was taken back to my padded cell!

Bob C

20 minutes ago, AY Mod said:

Have a look at pics of the main shed at Aberllefenni and maps for some interpretation of arrangements.

 

 

 

https://maps.nls.uk/view/102185137

Thanks Any, l appreciate the tip. As l said earlier it all comes together eventually abet slowly!

Cheers

Bob C

The final version has now l think to many sidings and has lost the narrow gauge feel. However if the model was set in the preservation era , the additional storage would be useful. Please feel free to comment, as all are appreciated.

Bob C