gismorail

Some lovely photographs this week Mike very interested in the fiddle yard shots looks like Christmas in there

with flames licking

still dancing in

Well I know I'm supposed to be starting the electrics for this little essay in Cheshire Lines might have been ....and honestly after doing some work on the house this morning and having gone as far as I could .... I went into the shed to start trying to 'short circuit' the North Wales National Grid.. ...... but the clean state of the coal drops started to wrangle me ....well who's ever seen anything to do with coal being clean ..... So out came the paint and weathering powers just to give them an authentic look ............... Now that's better ............Mmmmmmmm better get on with some sparks I suppose .

now we're laughing

while Utd cry

not in manchester

political corruption and

Many thanks Andy that is praise indeed. Have enjoyed the challenge as to how to construct this interesting bit of railway infrastructure as well as researching the history of such facilities. I'm not really sure as to whether the Cheshire Lines Committee would have gone to the trouble to sanction such a construction but considering the problems that their experienced on the Winsford branch in earlier years it was important that a good impression was set for this venture. Chumley End is serving a rich farming area which is dominated by the Chormondley and Peckforton Estates so plenty of coal will be required for the working estates and the local communities. One of the advantages of being able to site the coal yard right at the front of the layout it means that a more spacious area can be modelled around the general goods yard.

Been busy with work and have had new windows fitted to the cottage over the last week , wow couldn't believe the dust and it showed all the cob webs spent last weekend cleaning up I was so ashamed..... Anyway managed to get some work on the coal drops done tonight....... had plenty of time to figure the best way of building a structure that hopefully looks fairly convincing and workable . I realised that some of the scenic part had to the constructed prior to fitting the trackwork over the drops as there was no way of adding the brickwork once it had been put into place as well as applying a certain amount of weathering all of which can be detailed once the outlaying ground work has completed. In the final construction a wall will added behind the coal drops to keep the goods yard traffic safe from what is a scale 8 foot drop into the coal merchants bagging pit. My research has revealed that this was the ideal height for the coal to be released from the hopper wagon's without turning the coal into dust . The most crucial part of the construction was making sure the gauging was correct over the drop areas and it was my intention to hold the rail in place using the C&L three bolt chairs that I had purchased for some of the point work construction which I felt would make a fairly neat job especially with the structure being right at the front of the layout. I think I mentioned during the construction of the track work that I have found the C&L chairs very fiddly and that this is not helped by the amount flashing left on the plastic moulding I have also found that some of the recent batches for chairs that I have bought the actual jaw of the chair is also is closed up with flashing which makes threading the chair onto the rail more or less impossible without opening it up with a craft knife, this in turn makes the chair lose on the rail which does not give me a great deal of confidence of the stability of the track over the drop areas. With this in mind I searched for another solution as to hold the rail in place on the beams over the drops and finally settled for cutting the chairs off some surplus C&L ready made track and threaded them onto the rail then glued them in place whilst the held in place with track gauges as shown in the above photograph. The above photograph shows the resulting attempt in close up as well as showing the metal tie bars over the drop area. Its not ideal that I have had to leave the original sleeper beneath the chair but feel the effect is not too badly compromised. The final shot shows the coal drops from the other side looking towards the head shunt and the station area. Once the scenery around the area is completed and the drops have had coal added along with the coal yard accessories and yard office I think it will make a nice point of interest in quite a prominent area of the layout as well is adding to the depth of field.

Hilary's spam emails

Thanks for the pic's Mike some work to do on night photo's I'd agree with you there. Are you using a tripod and delayed exposure ?just a thought as I'm no expert

back in the

a liitle cheek

just pass on

I like this it's looking good with loads of operational interest excellent and in such a small space well done. The first shots of the layout with all the staging etc are very cleaver almost looks like a railway 'Punch & Judy' stall Will follow with interest excellent

With the new lighting it should be interesting moody and spookey just right of Halooeen.

in the sunshine

To dead mice

Mrs Cardboard cutout !!!

old school playground

old slappers rule

and everlasting strips

I believe that if / when Bachmann do update the Manor it will be a brand new model as I have heard from a couple of sources that the original mouldings have suffered damaged ..... I am sure whatever appears it will be a well received model which is desperate need of a return

the setting moonlight