ModRXsouth

Great news - I found Brunswick Yard a particularly inspirational layout. The expanse of tall and subtly detailed dark walling forms a highly effective background to the parallel tracks and colour pops of the rolling stock. I look forward to seeing it in print plus on view next February. Anyone know if Brunswick Yard will be at at other shows in the coming months?

Has Brunswick Yard been featured in any magazine?

The Fatadder - Thank you for the local parking information.

Clive Mortimore - “If traveling by train the Town Hall is a 2 to 3 minute walk from the station. There is parking close by in Anchorage Road car park, at the station, Railway Road car park, and the Reddicroft car park, all only a few minutes walk away.” Any idea of these car parks’ charges - and do you pay by coins, cards or awkward app? I suddenly now have the weekend free so can attend DEMU Showcase for the very first time, so naturally checked my train travel options. Lucky me, my Surrey line has weekend engineering works with replacement buses so 3hr 50m or 4hr 46m including four or five changes! Meanwhile AA Journey Planner reckons 2hr 29m to 3hr 9m by car including M25/40/42, hence my parking query. Any advice appreciated; would Sunday be better if driving?

Those do indeed all look very impressive! Now to restart the requests for them to be produced in N gauge - we can can but hope….

There is a YouTube video of the NGS Show which is greatly appreciated by those who could not attend that weekend. It includes some views of various Revolution samples. Behind an unpainted sample of the ‘Caroline’ Inspection Saloon, there is another sample of a carriage in an all over teal colour with white lettering. Does this hopefully mean that in addition to the Network Rail 313121 set, the Arlington Fleet Group twin translator cars are also going to be available? Looking forward to Revolution’s next update!

To Accurascale Fran - Your opening post referred to “item(s) in our current OO gauge range you would like to see done in N gauge and why” and also mentioned your projects for Realtrack and Revolution Trains. How about this idea - Revolution’s PFA wagons are due soon with some sets including half height red containers. There therefore seems no point in Accurascale duplicating the N gauge PFA wagon itself, but why not produce the other nuclear waste containers? Accurascale has already researched and produced fantastic OO gauge versions of the Nupak, Novapak and Dragon containers with their associated blue and grey flat platforms, plus the 8’6” tall red, white and blue containers. In the spirit of co-operation and goodwill to enhance the load options for the Revolution PFA, could these colourful containers please be re-tooled for N gauge? They are relatively simple and robust plastic shapes without delicate parts like a wagon’s couplers, brake gear, ladders, etc, so no complicated packaging would be needed like cardboard or plastic boxes or inserts - just a light tissue wrap to protect the container’s labels in transit, then just pop the ordered containers into a simple padded ‘jiffy’ postal bag. Any chance?

374-740 Mk2F TSO 977985 Structure Gauging Train - Network Rail I am curious about the decision to produce this specific ‘intermediate’ coach (ie not a brake, driving or generator coach) to add to the Network Rail options available for N gauge modellers. In practice 977985 is nicknamed “Dusty Bin” as it features the black cylindrical Laserflex system unit fitted at the pictogram end of the coach, and above an extended coupling to the adjacent coach. The detailed Farish product description includes an ‘Accessory pack’ so is this going to provide an add-on fitting or moulding to portray the Laserflex unit? The adjacent coach is also important as reference to the “Key Special - Testing Testing” bookazine notes that 977985 is normally linked to 977986 as the SGT Support Coach. I really hope that Farish intend to complete this pairing by adding 977986 to their next announcement. Its fully plated over windows would also provide N gauge with another distinctive Network Rail coach type. Surely 977985 cannot be left by itself? Indeed, browsing the bookazine offers some alternatives that Farish could still apply to their Mk2F TSO: Plain Line Pattern Recognition Coach or Radio Survey Coach - perhaps we may yet see them….

That ‘utility building’ does indeed look great as a rather ‘neutral’ and useful structure so I have just viewed the Artitec website. The HO item is listed as ‘Warehouse facade’ and the linked manual appears to show that the kit indeed has no rear side. Yet the N item ‘Goods depot’ looks like the same building but the photo with the open doors appears to show a rear wall including a window. There is no N manual or other photos so does this N kit have four sides while the HO only has three? I wonder if the N kit’s rear side is a duplicate of the front with doors and windows, or just windows only?

Robertcwp - You ask “For me, the question is where the trains will come from.” Southern’s stock position is already tight, with shortened Class 377 formations following the Class 455 withdrawal plus the south coast Class 313s are also due to be replaced. As I speculated in my earlier post, could the additional Belmont services be coming from extending the London Overground’s Class 378 West Croydon terminators? Perhaps LO then also take over Waddon and Carshalton Beeches stations and calling services, with the Southern services becoming fast Epsom - Cheam - Sutton - Wallington - West Croydon - Norwood Junction - London Bridge.

The “redoubling” does not mean that this £14m is returning double track to Belmont station itself. A summary of the Council’s successful Levelling Up Fund bid is available online at https://drive.google.com/file/d/19vFfDFGBDz0BWO5pHg0OOxhjdQE41OUB/view Sutton Council’s successful bid will only provide a new turnback siding on the Network Rail former trackbed south of the station bridge. The intention is to assist access to and growth of the nearby London Cancer Hub as well as improve train services for the locality, by doubling the current frequency of trains from two to four per hour. If this proves popular, it might lead to demand for six trains per hour. Sutton Council could apply again for further funding to reinstate the missing second track south from the existing Ventnor Road Junction, and then past the station’s restored second platform and connecting to the turnback siding. Perhaps a more pertinent question about the extra services is who will run them? This is a Southern line serving Epsom Downs via Sutton to London Victoria. However, is there not an ambition/intention from the Mayor of London to expand the London Overground network? Would the new services of four per hour comprise the two existing Southern trains serving the full branch from Epsom Downs, Banstead, Belmont, Sutton and onwards to London Victoria, with the other two services seeing the Overground’s West Croydon terminators instead extended to turnback from Belmont? An interesting rolling stock mix of fully seated Southern Class 377 and the sparsely seated Overground Class 378.

Ben - “When you go into the 4mm options menu and select a particular wagon a graphic image comes up showing exactly the configuration of markings.” Perfect - many thanks. The differences in the white Radsafe, yellow radiation and orange Hazchem labels, plus bogie plates can indeed be seen. How lucky we are to have this variety in N (and OO!). Now for the choices and ordering decision…..

Ben - Thank you for your reply, but could you please still clarify if version 3 (no orange hazard labels) is the only different one across the 8 N gauge FNA-D versions? I pursue this because the OO gauge FNA-D ordering notes add the line “… and prototypical variations in lettering and warning panels.” Granted that the greater size of OO gauge gives scope for mixing label locations, but the N gauge VEA vans, KUA carriers and forthcoming PFA LLW containers feature variations in label positions, all adding to the individual character of the wagons you are producing for us. Thanks.

Ben - Happy New Year to you and the Revolution Trains team. Thank you for the above very helpful video. You mention “on the occasions when two or more flasks are in the consist one is nearly always acting as a barrier or spare, as it carries no hazard warnings. This is represented by our version 3 incidentally.” Could this please be made clearer in the shop’s N and OO pages for the FNA-D? Both pages list the eight versions but make no mention of any version having detailing differences. Also, after the OO page’s tweak, the N listing of version 3 still needs the ending amendment from 006-7 to 006-5. As well as the combinations of old and new flask carriers, the video also shows some PFA flats. I hope someone enterprising will produce N versions of the low level waste platforms and loads: Nupak and Novapak cubes, Dragon and tall 20’ grey, blue and maroon containers.

Adrian - More great photos keeping us entertained! Would a wandering Class 128 diesel parcels unit be an idea to enhance workings into the platform? Christmas is coming…!! Karhedron - “Interestingly, that looks like an ex-GWR brake vehicle at the rear.” Any speculation on the precise type of ex-GWR brake? The photo links through to Flickr where the notes say “c6/1965.”

‘Ashford 180’ is celebrating 180 years of railway history at 11 venues across the town next weekend. The flyer mentions various events including “model railway exhibitions” and a weblink www.aimrec.co.uk/ashford180 but further information is limited. Does anyone have any lists of the specific layouts and traders attending, and at which venue?

Thanks Pedro32 - To clarify, the ASLEF strike affects ‘West Midlands Trains’ so that knocks out both West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway. Now considering driving, but with the NEC website showing multiple events in various halls across the 26/27 November weekend, will the stated 16,500 parking spaces be sufficient? Can the local motorway sections and roads cope with the volume of traffic trying to enter and leave the site?

Just checked the ASLEF website (headed with photo of Class 455 approaching London Victoria!) and its press release does not mention LNWR or TFW as strike affected companies. Could this change - aren’t LNWR and West Midlands Railway ‘related’ - ?

The West Midlands Railway network map shows Birmingham International is served by West Midlands Railway, Avanti West Coast, Cross Country, London Northwestern Railway and Transport for Wales. According to the BBC News website, the list of companies affected by the Saturday 26 November ASLEF strike does not include LNWR or TFW, so can it be assumed that these two will be running their timetabled services?

I echo Invicta Informant’s comments - quality layouts plus good range of traders who gained some of my money. I kept returning to Brinklow for its constant movement of lengthy trains and particularly varied wagon consists running through excellent scenics. Two observations - the central aisle seemed much narrower than previous years so the main part of the church felt congested. Layouts too far forward or simply larger attendance? Also the guide’s cover featured Gordon’s Lane (Wessex mainline with third rail and MPV depot) but that layout was not present - late change or preview for next year?

Having attended on Sunday, I open with a request to the GETS organising team at Key Publishing: can you kindly make the show’s guide available online please? The Hornby front desk staff said that the printed guides were all taken on Saturday but they have the jpg’s available, so I hope that someone at Key can press the relevant buttons this week to post it on their website making it available to all. Please do not put it behind a pay wall! I for one enjoy reading the layout write ups (plus track plans if possible!) in exhibition guides, plus they help to identify layout photos and provide contact details for traders, particularly the smaller ones. Due to uncertainty about the early morning’s post-strike rail services, I decided to drive. After two hours on the A3, M25, M1 and A5 following the satnav to MK1 1ST, I arrived at 10.30 to find the Key website’s nominated car parks S1-3 all full so was directed to the large one beyond McDonalds. It was an absorbing show - yes it was crowded, the two balcony levels got hot and more seating is needed on all three floors, but a range of fine layouts kept my attention through to the 4pm closure. I also collected a stock pre-order and benefitted from Key’s 20% discount on their publications. So now just hope the guide appears…..

Karhedron - Many thanks for your reply. In the absence of photos, is it still reasonable to accept that a Warship or Western diesel could have been a milk train’s traction at Morden South?

Looking forward to the Traction articles, plus the book in due course. Any confirmation on the mention of Warship and Western diesels at Morden South on its milk trains?

Not good news: rail strikes just announced for Saturday 1 and Wednesday 5 October. Now pondering a 4.5 hour drive plus petrol costs - but free parking?

Articles on milk trains to London are great news - looking forward to reading them plus the supplement. I have a personal interesting in the Wimbledon to Sutton line which featured the Express Dairy sidings at Morden South so hope that this location is mentioned. I am following the rmweb thread under ‘Boxfies, Micro layouts & Dioramas’ as this currently features ‘South Moredon Dairy (a Morden South bottling plant inspired micro).’ Posts have mentioned the tanks, brakes and locomotives in the real life services. I have also come across a website about Nine Elms shed - svsfilm.com. An entry states that the night milk train from Torrington to Morden “was worked by a Western Region crew with a Warship or Western class loco. A Nine Elms driver would conduct them from Clapham Junction to Morden and back via the main line.” It would be really incredible if photos exist of a Warship or Western at Morden South!