RobAllen

As I'm posting photos today, here's one of 3F 3218 at Melcombe Road.

My photos from yesterday. Click through the image to see the rest on Flickr.

LOL! Ha! A good 15 years until 65, but of course, that's not when I qualify for the state pension…

I saw Hookton Riverside yesterday. Lovely to see in person and a joy to watch. Thanks for taking the time to chat about couplings too.

Note to self: Always take a photo of the name of the layout before taking the rest of the photos…

Saw Beijiao at Warley yesterday. Fantastic layout and I particularly loved the engagement with the audience. Thanks!

I didn't get to chat as you were in full flow when I was there to give the very nice man behind the table my money to join the M.R.S. The wagons looked amazing when seeing them in person. Incredibly well done.

This sounds like the voice of experience…

Somehow, I'm not convinced that my 8' x 18" space with LMS stock is up to the challenges on this list!

For what it’s worth, I thought that the price was more than fair.

I had a good day today. Particularly liked Edington Junction and Shillingsford, but then I am a little biased towards SDJR modeling. I also really liked Hookton Riverside and Rosebury Goods. There were a lot of traders there and I wasn’t sure whether the concentration of so many traders was the point or whether they were supposed to be supplemental to the railways being exhibited. NEC food is rather expensive too… I fully intend to attend next year.

Some of us have decades of work to go before pension…

This will be the first time that I've attended. I expect it'll be quite the experience and am looking forward to it. I would like to attend exhibitions next year and between Thornbury last weekend and Warley tomorrow, I expect to have had a good introduction back into it all, given that I can't really remember the exhibitions I attended 35 years ago with my dad.

I have also found @David C's 5-part series on operating branch line layouts in July - November 2010 in Railway Modeller. Looks like a very interesting read for this evening. It's so helpful that all the old issues of RM are available online.

Thanks for your insights @David C; I have had it in the back of my mind that I should think about operations more and you've prompted me to move it up in my thinking. Fortunately for me, the SDRT sell working timetable reprints for the S&DJR. In addition, @Peter Kazmierczak wrote a rather fantastic article about planning a timetable in the July 1987 Railway Modeller ("The Westcombe branch, Part 2 - compiling the timetable" for anyone looking for it). It's generally applicable, but incredibly helpful for me, Peter's example is S&DJR based.

Great choice for use on model railways. Hopeful that it'll be a huge success for Accurascale, though I'm struggling to see how I could run it on my upcoming layout.

Thursday already? I have tea and am planning to do some "continuing professional development" to keep my hand in the game as I try to find new clients to pay me to work for them.

Added to the diary! Cake sounds good, especially after the rather excellent Victoria sponge that I had at Thornbury last week.

The British Finescale website is currently closed, so I'll wait until end of November to look at the options there. The idea of building my own points even from a kit sounds scary, but @NFWEM57 has posted about their build and maybe it is within my capabilities. Definitely something to investigate and think about!

Whose bright idea was it to go the gym? Oh yeah. Mine…

Still playing in RailModeller Pro. This is definitely a balancing act that would be easier if Peco did bullhead curved points! Considering a double slip to save space. Not sure if I’m up to wiring one though :)

Doh! I got it around the wrong way. Fixing in my post.

Unfortunately, my friend cancelled as he's unwell and is at the doctors. Sweeping fallen autumn leaves is now on the agenda as it was noted that "you now have the time"…

I have a cuppatea here. I need to prep for an interview next week and then hopefully seeing a friend in Cardiff. Toying with going earlier and popping into Lord & Butler. The main issue with being under-employed is that I have seen the future where I will have more modelling time!

Good to know the right term. Am I correct in thinking that the physical thing is the same regardless of whether it is a trap or a catch point?