David C

I'm not an expert on the GER (modelling GWR at the moment), but I think the buildings in the photos are a standard GER design known as the 1860s type ( because they were built in that period!) There were drawings in an early MRJ - I'll try to look out for them if you are interested. Must say, modelling the GER is becoming more attractive with Hornby's recent announcements .... David C

I saw the documentary on BBC4 earlier this week, too, but I am sure I've seen it before, but I can't think where. Is it on Youtube? I don't have time to search at the moment ... Beautiful work on the layout! David C

I saw this at St Albans the other weekend and was mightily impressed. The scenic work and backscene are superb! David C

Great modelling! Please keep posting such inspirational stuff. David C

Why can't Bachmann simply supply the top feeds as a separate add on? Moving on, does anyone know if any 64xx's were ever used regularly on non auto fitted trains? I'm not sure I fancy potentially wrecking one attempting to convert it to a 74xx, which would be the logical thing to do. I assume they must have been employed on non auto fitted trains at least from time to time, but I can't recall seeing photos of any such working. David C

Very nice work. I look forward to seeing the finished diorama. Do you mind telling me where you obtained the chain? It looks like jewellers' necklace chain - if so, how did you colour it? Metalblack or similar? Thanks David C

Just want to add to the chorus of appreciation of your photos! Thanks so much for posting them. David C

I don't think the prototype of the Wills lamp huts are GWR in origin at all, even if they do have a prototype. I don't think I have seen any photos of GWR huts with ventilators on the roof or with the same proportions or with buckets on the side! That said, I have adapted them for use on Woodstowe .... It would have been easier to scratchbuild them, frankly! Stephen Williams' in GW Branchline Modelling states there were at least 3 different types of corrugated huts in use by the GWR and includes drawings of all 3. (i) The smallest (used as lamp huts but not exclusively so) were 6' wide by 8' long by 7'1" to the top of the curved roof. These had doors in the ends with small windows (not like the Wills ones) in the other ends. (ii) The medium size ones were 8' wide with two standard lengths - 14 or 20'. Access was by double doors, usually but not always in the longer sides with one window in one end - at least on the 14' huts. The 20' ones may have had windows in the longer sides as well. (iii) The famous pagodas were 20' x 8' - slightly different to the Wills kit (but again, I've got one on Woodstowe!!!!) There were variations, although I don't recall seeing any in the smallest huts though. Wallingford had 2 of the medium size huts sited together - 1 had the double doors in the end, whilst the other had them in the sides. Kelmscott and Langford (Fairford branch) was opened in 1907 with a station building consisting of several pagodas bolted together, with at least 3 doors and several windows on the platform side. Hope this is useful. David C

I'd definitely go with code 75 bullhead. I use SMP for plain track along with rail soldered to copper clad points (search for Woodstowe in this forum to see the results). The problem is the lack of chairs on the points - you could use the C & L system which uses plastic sleepers and plastic chairs and the result is visually a lot better. However, it is more expensive and, so I am told, a lot more fiddly to make (I've never built a point that way myself). I've built my own points for very many years now and I reckon it takes me about 2 hours to knock up a basic point using copper clad sleepers, including filing the frogs and switch blades - say 2 1/2 - 3 hours in total once the tiebars are fitted and the gaps in the copperclad cut and filled. If you do go down this route, expect to chuck away your first point or two before you get it right. As regards DCC, I've no experience of it, although I am told the slow running of locos is significantly improved. I have no intention of using it as there will only ever be one loco moving at a time on my BLT. It is simply not worth the financial outlay. If I was modelling a main line station with lots of trains moving at the same time, I would consider it - but there again, one person can really only control one train at a time! Whether you choose to go DCC depends on the sort of prototype you are modelling - and on how much spare dosh you've got! David C

Interesting plan for a layout. I like the idea of using low relief industrial buildings in the background. I've done the same on my layout, although mine are considerably smaller than what you are thinking of. All the best David C

My inclination (for what its worth) would be to keep the cutting and stick a hedge along the top interspersed with lots of trees. For the 1950s houses and overhead power lines, you could also cut and paste photos of other buildings onto the backscene to mask what you don't want. You can again use trees as view blockers to break up the edges and hide any odd perspectives. Useful things are trees - and they really add to the scenery. Most layouts (mine included) don't have enough as a visit to almost any countryside reveals. You've potentially got a very nice layout there. David C

Thanks for all your kind comments, gentlemen. I do have more photos of Woodstowe, but they are all too big to be able to post at the moment. The Brighton show went very well - lots of compliments from punters plus a couple of exhibition invitations. The catering (for exhibitors) was about the best I've ever had! At the moment, I've got 2 projects on the go. One is converting one of the Bachmann praires to the unrebuilt version with inside steam pipes, which is proving to be a quick and simple job. The other is building a dia 147 B set using Comet sides and bits and pieces plus old Airfix underframes and Bachmann bogies. This is proving to be a much more complex and time consuming task than I ever anticipated it would be. After that, I am contemplating extending the layout by another 4' to give the trains a bit of countryside they can run through before disappearing into the fiddle yard. That, however, is some way in the future .... David C

Thanks for that info. Back to contemplating what form my next layout will take - it is likely to be LMS. David C

Woodstowe will be appearing at the Brighton Model Railway Club Show this weekend (9 and 10 November) at the Patcham Library and Community Centre, Ladies Mile Rd., Brighton, BN1 8TA. Opening hours are 10.00 - 5.00 on Saturday and 10.00 - 4.30 on Sunday. David C

Do the pick ups on the tender preclude closing up the gap between the engine and tender? Are they permanently coupled? David C

Very impressive work! Can I ask what you used for the brickwork? It looks like Slaters to me. If so, you've made an excellent job of the corners - to my mind, that's the most difficult task in using embossed sheets -and you've found sheets which have the vertical joins between the bricks in line! Are you planning a layout of Ormskirk? David C

Would The Station Master (and indeed, any other professional railwaymen/women) consider starting a thread or some kind of archive on how the real thing was operated - at least, in the days of steam? Its 50+ years since steam ended and this kind of information is invaluable for modellers and not readily available, at least in one place. There are the books by Bob Essery, but I haven't found them that useful or comprehensive. David C

I'm looking forward to seeing Brasted develop, having greatly admired Westerham. The resourceful way in which you scratchbuild items from scrap materials that aren't available commercially is fascinating. The photos of the station juxtaposed with those showing what the site looks like today are also fascinating - it made me realise that I drove over the Brasted station yesterday whilst delivering wife and oldest daughter to Gatwick! David C

This is wonderfully atmospheric modelling. Reminds me so much of Lancashire (I'm half a Lancastrian). David C

Just found a photo of an MR cattle pen in Bob Essery's "Train Shunting & Marshalling for the Modeller". The prototype is at Derby (photo taken in 1909) and consists of fence posts with 5 bars made of planks which I would guess are about 3" x 1". The gaps between the bars are uneven: the lowest (which is just above ground level) is only about 4-5" below the next (2nd from bottom). The 3rd from the bottom is about 6-7" above whilst the gap between it and the remaining 2 bars is approx 8-9" and 10". The other thing to remember is that if there is more than a single pen, the gates should line up with the doors of cattle wagons so that more than one can be loaded/unloaded at a time. Hope this helps. David C

Looking at the flickr site mentioned above, the photos are all of cattle docks on ex GWR, GER and LSWR lines. Each pre grouping company had its own particular design (or indeed, designs) - is it worth trying to track down what Midland Railway prototypes were like? Even if there are no photos of the dock at Bakewell, there must be photos, if not actually drawings, available somewhere. I don't model the Midland (although I'm toying with the idea of doing so), so I'm unable to suggest any sources. However, it might be worth looking at the books by the late David Jenkinson. There's also a book on the Settle & Carlisle which contains lots of drawings of structures which might have information on MR type cattle pens. David C

It was actually a model of a Steiermarkische Landesbahnen vehicle .... (I kid you not!) David C

Just to be boring, can I give a warning about windows and models? Sunlight streaming through can seriously damage your models - a friend of mine left a plastic coach on a window sill which turned into a banana on bogies one summer! In view of the fact that your buildings are made of styrene (even if only in part), I'd worry about leaving them exposed in front of a window. Bacup is such a splendid model it would be a great shame to have any part of it damaged. David C

Nice layout! I like the flowing curves of the track and the rural buildings outside the railway fence - and the scratchbuilt pointwork. Mine is all rail soldered to copperclad sleepers, too, but I've never tackled either a double slip or a 3 way point - I'm impressed. I agree with your comment about how much you learn about life in days gone by when trying to get details on one's layout right. The wonderful thing about this hobby is that you end up finding out about all sorts of things most non enthusiasts don't even consider. I recall looking hard at grass trying to work out exactly what shade of green it is - the answer of course is that its lots of different shades which vary according to the light conditions and the weather at the time. I look forward to seeing progress on Pine Road. David C

Just dug out the photo of the class 3 2-6-2T. It appeared in "Steam Railway" Oct/Nov 2012 in an article about dating photos, which is useful! 82009 is shown shunting at Bovey whilst crossing with 1472 on an auto train. According to the article, it arrived at Newton Abbott on 23 April 1955 and left on 8 September 1956, being one of 10 class 3s allocated there. The first (82031) went there in March 1955, but all had gone, either to Shrewsbury or Treherbert by October of the following year. Fascinating to see the shots of them on the Kingsbridge branch (thanks, Cary Hill). I'm now tempted to buy one for my own ex GWR BLT, Woodstowe! David C