PGN

And last but not least (well, according to the judges it WAS least, as they only gave this one a Highly Commended ... ) the S15:

And here are some pictures of the B4, which was awarded a Very Highly Commended. Despite having only 6 parts, it proved a very difficult kit to put together satisfactorily, because the footplate consists of three parts and getting the alignment on these right is essential. I also decided to attack the Arnold chassis and trim down the motion a bit to make it look more prototypical. This was not the easiest of tasks by any means, but I think the outcome is worth it!

And a few more train boxes with ready-to-deploy trains: MR Goods: class 4F 0-6-0 (or whatever it was called in Midland days) + MR cattle wagon + MR 7-plank wagon with timber load + 2 x MR sheeted 5 plank wagons + MR van + MR 7 plank wagon with coal load + MR sheeted 7 plank wagon + CL van + GC 7 plank wagon with timber load + LNWR van + MR brake van GER Suburban Passenger: "Buckjumper" 0-6-0T + 9 x 4 wheel coaches SDJR Passenger: class 4F 0-6-0 (the one in the incorrect blue livery) + 8 x 4 wheel coaches (I wanted this one to be a "pure" Graham Farish train, rather than mounting the coaches on the Fleischmann 6 wheel chassis which I usually use to make the Farish 4 wheel coaches look more realistic CR Express Passenger: class 4P in Caley Livery (serving as a generic proxy for Caley 4-4-0s) + 7 x bogie coaches CR Coastal Passenger Fairburn 2-6-4T in Caley livery (serving as a generic proxy for the big Caley tank locomotives) + 7 x bogie coaches CR Branch Passenger: Manning-Wardle "pug" in CR blue livery (serving as a generic proxy for the little Caley "pugs") + 5 x 6 wheel coaches That completes the 19 train boxes I have managed to make up so far. In the offing are: LBSC Cattle Train: K class 2-6-0 in Marsh umber livery (there is some debate as to whether they ever appeared in this livery; but it looks good so I'm sticking with it) + 6 x LBSC cattle wagons + 2 x LSWR cattle wagons + LBSC brake van. I will be able to complete this train as soon as my latest transfer order arrives from Fox. LSWR Navy Ammunition Train: S15 in LSWR goods livery + 2 x barrier wagons (LSWR 5 plank wagons) + 6 x LSWR gunpowder vans + 2 x barrier wagons (as before) + LSWR brake van. I need the new Fox transfers to complete the barrier wagons, and I also need to organize a suitable LSWR brake van. ROD troop / horse train: Robinson 2-8-0 + continental outline brake van + a rake of "8 horses / 40 men" vans + continental outline brake van. I just need to acquire and paint a few more suitable vans to make a worthwhile train. (I may also switch engines with the tank train ... I haven't decided on that one yet.) MR coal train: 4F 0-6-0 + a dozen or so MR coal wagons + MR brake van. I need to renumber one of my Farish MR 4Fs before I can make this one up; but I shall probably use the un-renumbered locomotive (3848) on this train to use it as a demonstration of a "pure RTR" pre-grouping goods train, using the Farish locomotive from the "Landship Train Pack"; the NGS 50th anniversary special edition wagons from Dapol; and a Peco MR brake van LSWR motor spirit train: 395 class 0-6-0 in LSWR goods livery + 2 x barrier wagons + as many tank wagons in Class A volatile livery as I can muster + 2 x barrier wagons + LSWR brake van. I need to repaint a Union Mills 395 class (I have two of them waiting to go into the paint shop) and provide 4 more barrier wagons + a LSWR brake van for this train LSWR cattle train: 395 class 0-6-0 in LSWR goods livery + about 6 LSWR cattle wagons and perhaps a GWR cattle wagon or two + LSWR brake van. I need to put the 395s through the pain shop and organize the cattle wagons and brake van before I can make up this train. Once I have all of these completed (and there isn't really all that much work there, other than the LSWR brake vans) I shall have 25 fully formed and ready-to-deploy N gauge pre-grouping trains. Longer-term projects include LSWR express passenger; SECR passenger (using repainted N Brass RTR L class 4-4-0s rather than Farish N class moguls to haul the Farish "birdcage" sets - 2 sets per train - when they arrive); GCR passenger (when Etched Pixels has the bogie coaches back in stock); GCR goods; NER express passenger; NER goods; SDJR goods; GNR goods; GWR passenger and goods; more ROD trains; HR passenger; MGN passenger and goods; and possibly another RR train exploring the possibility of kit-bashing an outside-frame 0-6-0ST from a Farish 08 chassis and a GEM LYR 2F ST kit ... ... so plenty to look forward to on this thread. Sometime. Maybe.

Here's a load of pictures of the completed G6. B4 and S15 photos to follow in due course.

Wow! Was this really six and a half years ago??? And I can't believe I didn't report the end result of the build! All three models got built, and entered for the NGS model making competition (can't recall whether that was 2012 or 2013). The G6 got a Bronze award, the B4 got a Very Highly Commended and the S15 got a Highly Commended. Photos to follow shortly. Since then, modelling has been focussed on an abortive attempt to build an N Brass SECR C class 0-6-0 (I was going to persevere, but now Farish have announced a forthcoming RTR there doesn't seem all that much point ... ); playing catch-up in the paint shop with all my locomotives waiting to go into their proper pre-gouping liveries; and providing a better selection of rolling stock for my locomotives to haul. Not that I've had all that much time to do much modelling, as the focus of my attention has been on running the NGS Era 1 & 2 section ... I'm also starting to group my stock into permanent trains so that they can be stored in ready-to-deploy condition. Here are the contents of a few of the "train boxes" that I have to hand right now: LBSC Express Passenger: E5 class 0-6-2T in Marsh umber livery + horse box + 5 x bogie coaches all in plain umber livery LBSC Local Passenger: D3 class 0-4-4T in Marsh umber livery + 4 x 6-wheel coaches + 2 x 4-wheel coaches + 4 wheel full brake in a mix of plain umber and umber/white liveries LBSC Goods: A1X class "Terrier" 0-6-0T in Marsh umber livery + 3 x LBSC 5-plank wagons with various loads + LBSC 3-plank wagon with load + 2 x Corrall & Compy coal wagon + MR ventilated van + sheeted MR 5 plank wagon + LSWR van + empty LSWR 5 plank wagon + empty SECR 5 plank wagon + LBSC brake van LSWR Local Passenger: G6 class 0-6-0T + 5 x bogie coaches SDJR Passenger: 2P class 4-4-0 + 5 x SDJR 6 wheel coaches + Midland clerestory bogie dining carriage (Manchester - Bournemouth headboards) + Midland clerestory 6 wheel carriage + Midland clerestory 6 wheel full brake GNR Express Passenger: K3 class 2-6-0 + 5 x bogie coaches + bogie full brake GNR Local Passenger: J13 class 0-6-0T + 5 x 6 wheel carriages NER Local Passenger: freelance 0-6-0T + 6 x 4 wheel carriages + 4 wheel full brake NER Express Goods: R class 4-4-0 + 2 x bogie van + 6 x refrigerated van + birdcage brake RR Passenger: P class 0-6-2T + 6 x 6 wheel coaches ROD Tank Train: G2 class 0-8-0 + 6 well wagons with sheeted tank loads + continental-outline brake van MR Passenger: "Flatiron" class 0-6-4T + 4 x bogie coaches (brakes with elliptical rooves; inside coaches with clerestory rooves) FR Local Passenger: "Baltic" 4-6-4T + 2 x bogie coaches It's kinda hard to explain why a Baltic is working a train of just two coaches (well, not really: I only have two Furness coaches at present ...) but I figure that the engine that was due to work the train must have failed, and the only other engine in steam that could be sent to work it was the Baltic. Something not too dissimilar happened in the 1950s, when Cambridge shed sent their only available locomotive in steam - an A4 streamilned pacific - to replace the failed yard shunter at Saffron Walden.

I'm sure you'll come to see the light in time, Simon!

Well, isn't it great to have an agricultural consultant for an uncle? It almost makes up for the fact that my father didn't follow my grandfather into dairy farming ... Anyway, my uncle tells me that cattle in Surrey in 1920 would "almost certainly have been dairy shorthorns". That's good enough for me. When I model that watermeadow scene, I'll put some dairy shorthorns in it. Now ... what does a dairy shorthorn look like? And how can I model it in N?

The locomotives currently in my paintshop are nearing completion. Once they are finished, I shall move back to my workbench and tackle three LSWR goods locomotive kits which I have waiting to be built. They are: (1) Peco / Wills B4 0-4-0T. This is one of the simplest of all whitemetal kits, consisting of just six parts, but becoming devilishly difficult to find nowadays. This kit was designed to fit the Arnold Hanomag chassis. Again, these are becoming difficult to find, but I just happen to have a couple in stock. The one pictured below is actually a non-runner. The motor runs perfectly well, but the gears are not meshing for some reason which I am currently unable to fathom. However, I have another one which is currently away with a 2mm etched kit manufacturer so that he can take dimensions and see if any of his kits can be adapted to fit. If I have not managed to make this one work by the time that one comes back, then I shall use that one to provide the motive power for this kit instead. (2) Langley S15 4-6-0. A much more complicated kit, but if the examples I have seen are anything to judge by, it builds up into an excellent model. In LSWR days, of course, it did not have the smoke deflectors - so that's two parts I don't have to fit, in any case. This is a current production item, so no rarity value attaches to the kit itself. This kit is designed to fit a Fleischmann chassis, and I happen to have one of those to hand too. I have had it running on my current project layout (which is up and running and provides a very useful test track) and it is an excellent little mechanism. (3) N Brass Locomotives G6 0-6-0T. This too is a current production item. It will be the first brass locomotive I have built, so wish me luck! I have heard very good reports of this kit; so if it all goes pear-shaped blame me and not Nick Tilston! This kit is designed to fit the Graham Farish GWR pannier tank chassis, and I happen to have one of those to hand, too. Once these are all built and painted, I shall be well on my way to having the LSWR freight locomotive fleet I need to work my Shalford Junction layout (when It's been built - progress reports to appear on my blog from time to time). There will also be a ROD Robinson 2-8-0 (number 1733), and a Highfiled long-boilered 0-6-0 in Great Northern livery standing in for one of the J7s which were lent to the LSWR to help cover for the 50 0-6-0s which were shipped abroad to help in the war effort and never came back. Throw in a couple of Union Mills 700 class 0-6-0s converted back into LSWR shape (which I think probably requires no more than to shorten the smoke box back to unsuperheated length) and I reckon I'll be well covered for LSWR freight.

There is a photo of a special train taking a section of a West Riding yeomanry artillery battery to the firing range at Knott End in about 1912. Fascinating train formation; but as I recall there were not three barrier wagons either side of the GPV. IIRC the train formation was: 3 horseboxes Brake tri-composite (1st for officers, 2nd for NCOs, 3rd for ORs) flat wagon with 2 guns flat wagon with 2 limbers barrier wagon GPV barrier wagon brake van It was worked over the Garstang & Knott End by a LNWR locomotive (again, IIRC it was a "Cauliflower"), but the carriage was not in LNWR livery and was presumably supplied by the system of origin. I have always thought that this would be a delightful formation to make up in model form ...

I like that Midland van of yours, S!

I intend to build my first Pre-Grouping layout to depict Shalford Junction in about 1920. All three of the major pre-grouping constituent companies of the Southern railway ran their trains over the same metals here, taking advantage of the narrow Wey valley to get through the North Downs just outside Guildford, and this makes it an ideal location for my purposes. So I went to Guildford last weekend, and I had a good wander around in the general area of the Junction to get the feel of the place and get an idea of the buildings and structures which would have to be included in my layout. The idea is to build it so you view the railway line across Shalford watermeadows. The SECR line from Redhill will enter front left of the viewing area, and the LSWR line from Portsmouth will enter back left of the viewing area, with the junction towards the centre of the viewing area (a little to the left, so that there is only the one pair of tracks to take across the baseboard join) with the line to Guildford exiting the viewing area centre right. Peasemarsh Junction, where the LBSC Horsham - Guildford branch meets the LSWR main line is a little way offstage to the left. The LBSC had running powers over the LSWR main line from Peasemarsh Junction to Guildford, so for the purposes of this layout the main line will be joint LSWR / LBSC from the left-hand scenic break to the junction, and joint LSWR / LBSC / SECR from the junction to the right-hand scenic break. The visible trackwork will be simplicity itself - just plain running line and a double track junction. The idea is for a watch-the-trains-go-by layout, to showcase N gauge pre-grouping locomotives and stock from the LSWR, SECR and LBSCR. The major scenic feature front-left will obviously need to be the SECR truss girder bridge over the River Wey: I shall need to alter the course of the Wey a little bit, in order to enable the end of the bridge to meet the endscene with a few large trees shielding the scenic break. This means I'll need to model a bend in the river that isn't really there; but if I combine this with the race to Riff Raff weir, it will hopefully not be too noticeable! Riff Raff weir is going to need more research, as it is clear that the present structure is rather more recent than 1920: Beside Riff Raff weir is the lock-keeper's cottage, and this will obviously have to be included. Pity I couldn't get a good squint from all angles; but hopefully the National Trust will be able to assist with some good archive photos. (I wonder how old this willow is, and what size it would have been 90 odd years ago??) Another important landscape feature will be St Catherine's Lock. If I place this pretty much centre-stage, I should be able to use it to take the river across the baseboard join. I think I shall probably wish to incorporate this scene, albeit with cattle which are of an appropriate type for Surrey in the 1920s: There are two underbridges which will need to be modelled, including this one where the line crosses the track down to St Catherine's lock: And although there are not that many buildings which will need to feature, I think Artington Manor is obviously going to have to appear, between the railway and the road (as I am planning to straighten the road a little, and run it just in front of the backscene with the far hedge providing the scenic break): Further field work is going to be necessary to get some pictures of the overbridge which will provide the left-hand scenic break for the LSWR main line, and to capture a few of the scenic features for the right-hand end of the layout. According to the old maps there used to be a ferry which has now been replaced by a bridge. I shall need to see whether the county archives can come up with any photos of the ferry. The track down to it crosses over the railway line, and I am thinking that this bridge will provide me with a suitable right-hand scenic break. The shape of this layout is definitely starting to come together in my mind; and preliminary sketches suggest that I should require six boards each of 4 foot by 2 foot, to produce a total layout which stands 12 by 4, (an 8 foot by 4 foot central block made up of 4 boards, with two end boards at 90 degrees to them) and a viewing area which is 8 foot long. The end boards can then have vertical end pieces on which I can display information about the prototype, the layout and the stock while hiding the return loops to the fiddle yard on the back boards. I'm starting to get some very positive vibes about this project ...

And that, my dear Neil, was exactly why I invited people to limit themselves to three ...

Devon - yes, I have seen Highbury Colliery; and in fact Jerry currently has three of my locomotives in his paint shop!

At the moment I'm building up my collection of stock before I start on my first dedicated pre-Grouping layout (which will depict Shalford Junction in 1921: LSWR, LBSC and SECR all running their trains over the same metals - and mud in the eye to all those whingers who bleat "the trade doesn't do enough for those of us who want to model the Southern in N"!) and, perhaps inevitably, I'm initially focussing rather more on locomotives than on wagons and coaches. I'm putting more emphasis on acquiring the locomotives I shall need for Shalford Junction than on other pre-Grouping companies; but I have a number of other ambitious ideas to explore, so I am generally collecting anything pre-Grouping in N even if I don't have a current use for it. This is my current roster of locomotives available for immediate service: CR 4P 4-4-0 no. 375 (Graham Farish RTR; not a correct livery for this prototype) another of the same (awaiting renumbering) GCR "Improved Director" 4-4-0 no. 506 "Butler Henderson" (Graham Hughes kit, built and painted by an unknown hand) GER "Buckjumper" 0-6-0T no. 87 (Graham Farish RTR, renumbered for me by Carl Peplow) GER "Buckjumper" 0-6-0T no. 372 (Graham Farish RTR) GNR "Ragtimer" 2-6-0 no. 1003 (Highfield RTR) GNR 0-6-0 no. 1135 (Highfield long-boilered 0-6-0 kit, built, "Northernised" and painted by an unknown hand) GWR 0-6-0 no. T47 (Highfield long-boilered 0-6-0 kit, built and painted by an unknown hand) HR "banking tank" 0-6-4T no. 42 (ABS Beaver kit, built by an unknown hand and painted by myself) LBSCR A1 "Terrier" 0-6-0T in Stroudley livery no. 53 "Ashtead" (Dapol RTR) LBSCR A1 "Terrier" 0-6-0T in Stroudley livery no. 54 "Waddon" (Dapol RTR) LBSCR A1 "Terrier" 0-6-0T in Stroudley livery no. 82 "Boxhill" (Dapol RTR) LBSCR A1 "Terrier" 0-6-0T in Stroudley livery no. 84 "Crowborough" (Dapol RTR) LBSCR D3 0-4-4T in Marsh livery no. 366 (kit-bash by an unknown hand, painted by myself) LBSCR E5 0-6-2T in Marsh livery no. 571 (Langley kit built by an unknown hand and painted by myself; used as my avatar picture) LSWR M7 0-4-4T no. 245 (Dapol RTR) LSWR M7 0-4-4T no. 676 (Dapol RTR, re-numbered for me by Carl Peplow) NER freelance 0-6-0T (Highfield Models RTR - the first ever British-outline RTR in N) NER R class 4-4-0 no. 592 (Union MIlls RTR; special edition of 50 models) another of the same (awaiting super-detailing) NER R class 4-4-0 no. 725 (Union Mills RTR) another of the same (awaiting super-detailing) NER (ex-S&D) long boilered 0-6-0 no. 3541 (Highfield kit, built and painted by a unknown hand; the number is incorrect, as the kit is obviously based on the "1001 class", and I intend to renumber it either 1255 or 1275) NSR "New L" class 0-6-2T no. 51 (Planit Engineering kit, built and painted by myself) RR P class 0-6-2T no. 5 (Langley conversion kit, built and painted by an unknown hand) SDJR 3F 0-6-0 no. 66 (Union MIlls RTR) SDJR 4P 4-4-0 no. 67 (Graham Farish RTR; not a correct livery for this prototype) Additionally, I have about a dozen locomotives in my paint shops in various states, and another four away with professional painters (Peco kit-built B4 to receive LSWR livery; Dapol RTR LSWR M7 for renumbering; Union Mills RTR SDJR 2P for lining and renumbering; and Minitrix kit-built J63 to receive GCR livery). Then there's a number of kits awaiting construction or partially completed, and the usual vast array of "projects". But for the time being, Shalford Junction is giving me my focus, and locomotives of the Southern constituent companies have a clear priority. The next two locomotives to emerge from my paint shop will therefore be a K class mogul and an A1X "Terrier", both in Marsh livery.

A little while ago, when I was trying to figure out WHY I never got very far into any modelling project before stalling, I realised it was because my heart wasn't really in any of them. After nearly 30 years of pretending to be interested in all things LMS, it suddenly dawned on me that actually I WASN'T. What interested me was the pre-Grouping period; and the challenge of modelling it in N. Was it even POSSIBLE to model the pre-Grouping in N, I asked myself. Well, there was only one way to find out ... and that was to jolly well give it a go. After all, Grafar had produced three pre-Grouping RTR locomotives (OK, so two of them were the 4P in thoroughly unprototypical Caledonian and Somerset & Dorset liveries, and the other had the original can motor and pizza cutter wheels ... but all the same!) and then there were a number of kits that I knew of which were clearly pre-Grouping types (LYR railmotor and Aspinall 0-6-0 saddletank; LNWR "Prince of Wales tank" 2-6-4T). And N Brass Locomotives had, at one time, produced a RTR "coal tank" 0-6-2T. So there were certainly SOME locomotives. And the NGS produced a kit for a MR box van; Peco produced a Midland brake van; and Farish had produced a North Eastern bogie van. Then there were all those Dapol gunpowder vans (including LNWR, LSWR and NB). So it certainly looked as though SOMETHING ought to be possible. And so the fateful decision was made ... I would sell ALL my Big 4 and British Railways stock, and turn my attention EXCLUSIVELY to the pre-Grouping period.

Those are my thoughts exactly ... and the reason why, in starting this thread, I decided to focus on inspiration.

Just read all about it in RM. Wow! Wonderful concept. Wonderful layout. Wonderful execution. I always think that the people who say "The public want to see lots of movement at exhibitions" miss a point (well, several, actually). An exhibition should showcase the hobby in all its diversity. So yes, there need to be a fair proportion of "lots of movement" layouts; but there also need to be others showing that there ARE other approaches to railway modelling. And then there need to be layouts like this ... which show that there are other approaches to "lots of movement" besides big four-track through stations! Hats off: this is the sort of thing that keeps the hobby fresh and vibrant. Well done!!!

That was certainly my impression ...

What three layouts that you have seen have really inspired you, and why? I'm looking for personal responses here: I'm trying to get to the bottom of what kind of things modellers find inspirational, rather than attempting to identify an "all time greatest layout". The layouts that inspire you need not necessarily be in your chosen scale - although I suspect that for many of us, inspiration is more likely to have come from those who are working to a similar scale; and in my case all three are in fact N gauge and 2mm layouts. So my three are: Nether Stowey, which showed that N scale scenic layouts could be every bit as convincing in their scenic aspect as those built to larger scales Bassenthwaite Lake, for daring to be different, and showing that a basic oval "trainset layout" can be made into something worthy to stand alongside the finest exhibition layouts Chee Tor, for daring to be tall, and exploiting the potential of 2mm scale to allow towering landscapes through which the trains can run. There are, of course, many others which nearly made it onto my list ... and I was tempted to mention a few of my "second division" of inspirational layouts. BUT I said posters should mention three layouts only ... and if I don't keep to that rule in the first post of the thread, sure as pugs is 0-4-0s. nobody else will!

Dave Rowe is an exceedingly fine modeller ... I have read his articles in various magazines with absolute awe. Can't help with any suggestions as to where you might find copies of his books, mind. But you'll nto go far wrong takign a leaf out of his book ... should you ever find it ...

You don't pay VAT on things bought from a trader whose turnover is low enough that they don't have to register for VAT ... unless they register voluntarily. I seem to remember reading somewhere that Colin aims to keep his turnover below the threshold, for obvious reasons! A Cauliflower, eh? Fantastic ... we've never had an LNWR 0-6-0 before, and it's much needed. The LMS boys will love it ... but more to teh point, us pre-groupers will love it!

Hmmmmm ... I wonder if it makes a difference that he's the other side of the Atlantic? I mean, a GWR BLT may be a cliche HERE .. .but is it a cliche there? Or to put it another way, you may see a million and one D&RG passing station layouts in the US (do you? I dunno. But let's suppose, for the sake of argument, that you do) but you hardly see a single one this side of the Pond. So it might be a cliche there ... but it woudln't be here, woudl it? It's all relative ...

Wish he could be persuaded to give us a few more of the pre-grouping liveries ... but I appreciate I'm in a true minority there!! All the same, with Dapol giving us the M7 in LSWR livery, and the Terrier now into its FOURTH alternative identity in LBSCR livery, we can only assume that SOMEBODY is buying them, so there must be a market of sorts ...

Absolutely! And terribly under-priced, if the bids they fetch on Ebay are anything to judge by ...

Ah - but that's the point. The pool of water in the tarpaulin wasn't everyday. In fact, it was so uneveryday as to be non-existent (and let them as says otherwise produce a photograph or two to prove it!) The point is that sheets were there to protect wagon loads from the elements - and in particular water. If they were put on in such a way that water could gather, then like as not they would tear, allowing said pool to drain all over the contents of the wagon. Result - ruined load, compensation claim against the railway, and like as not instant dismissal for whoever put the sheet on so poorly as to allow that to happen. Sheets should always have been put on in such a way as to present a convex aspect to any rain that happened to fall on them, so that it would run off. And loads should have been packed in such a way as to ensure that this was possible.