HillsideDepot

The Southern isn't really my area of knowledge, but I don't see why not. The GWR had 4-wheel "Milk Brake Vans", but also used bogie brakes. There are also two sides to the operation of milk trains, certainly on the Western. The trunk trains from Cornwall and West Wales would pick-up en-route, but then be split up in London (at Kensington, I think) to serve the various bottling plants with each resulting, shorter rake, needing a brake van. There is a photo somewhere on RMWeb (although probably among the missing images at the moment) of a Q1 with its tender and cab in the milk shed at Morden South with a BR standard brake van in the shadows behind. And the promotional film shows 16t coal wagons on site, which would have needed a goods brake to get them there and back (although the mode of operation might have meant that it stayed on the mainline during the shunt).

Progress at South Moredon has been slow and spasmodic, but I hope to have an update soon. In the meantime, interviews have been held for dairy staff. Or put another way I've had a go at painting some Modelu figures. I've not painted figures before, and wasn't particularly confident, but they have turned out better than I expected, albeit not with the level of detail many manage. The excellent 3d prints are a great starting point, I just need to up my game to make best use of them.

Thanks for your interest. Before Guards were allowed to ride in the back cab of the loco they had to be provided with accommodation in the train, and given the higher speeds that milk trains ran at this would, as Sitham Yard says, usually be a "passenger" brake rather than a "goods" brake, at least on the main haul. That the BG appears in those photos perhaps suggests that the train was being shunted at the time. Edit to add that the film of Morden South suggests that churns were emptied into tanks (road or rail) at country depots for transfer to the bottling plant, indeed although strongly influenced by Morden South, my take on it at South Moredon is of the country end of the process, despatching rail tanks to London for bottling.

I'm thinking Patchway, but can't find any photos on-line to either prove or disprove that.

When the party's over...

From my layout thread "getting ready for a Jubilee street party"

As Paul, and no doubt others, correctly guessed, there will be a Silver Jubilee street party outside the Scout Hall later today. And they have the bunting up at the local shop too When Scale Model Scenery Introduced their bunting an idea rapidly formed on my mind which, with trestle tables and barriers from the same source helped the temporary scene came together. Happy Jubilee holiday everyone!

Now they are getting the trestle tables set up at the Scout hall. There is definitely something going on...

I don't have either edition ('though the second one is on my list to purchase when I next visit Simon's shop) but this detail from the Wild Swan website might help https://wildswanbooks.co.uk/Books/Pendon.htm

June 1977, and what's this? A ladder against a lamppost? Can't be the Southern Electricity Board as even back then they had hydraulic platforms to reach the lights (based on Leyland FGs: BaseToys model in my stash of future projects). So, what is going on?

Here's hoping the gorgeous Cheltenham District Bristol RELL just behind had a run past the scanner while it was set up... That said, Trowbridge depot's National HEU120N, in as delivered Bristol livery would certainly be of interest to me, as would any version in Badgerline colours. I'd better start putting a few pennies aside in anticipation.

Certainly everything we do with Scouts now has to have a written Risk Assessment, so there would have to be a clear understanding of what was to be done beforehand. If it was carrying tables around before most people arrived and then taking barriers around once layouts were set-up then that avoids most of the "construction site" type hazards. I know giving a hand moving layout sections was mentioned above, and that might be problematic. You also need to consider the attention span of young people, and that they won't see what is required and pitch in without being asked as it will be all new to them. There is a big difference between moving tables one at a time from a stack to predetermined locations over a short timespan and moving sometimes odd shaped and possibly unbalanced baseboards whenever a car, van or trailer turns up over the course of an evening. Car parking obviously has its own hazards and therefore risk assessments, but when I've been involved in doing it we didn't direct people into a specific space, but waved people to the right part of the area and let them make the actual decision on where to park. We also made sure that we had an adult at the entrance and where cars were parking just in case anyone wanted to be awkward, but the young people did the work. From a Scouts perspective, it can be done, so long as the exhibition team know what is possible and reasonable and the Scout leaders know what is required and can brief accordingly. It'd probably also be wise to ask Explorer Scouts (aged 14-18) or Scout Network (18-25) members rather than Scouts (10-14). District Deputy Commissioner (14-25) Mid Wiltshire Scouts

I recently visited the site of South Moredon Dairy, on the course of the M&SWJR in Swindon. Moredon Power Station is roughly where I envisage the layout to be, and while the power station is long gone there is still a large electricity sub station there, and some fencing which might have been the site boundary. But it is very hard to pick much out. There is however an arch bridge not far north of the location, which I was keen to record in an attempt to get the colouring right on the model. A little further north, towards the southern end of the Swindon and Cricklade Railway a bridge has been removed, but various small pieces of brick and stone were scattered around, which are likely to be demolition rubble. I selected a sample of each, although when photographed in artificial light the colours are rather different. I'll do any colour checks with the model in daylight. The model bridge is getting there, but possibly needs a wash of a lighter colour on the stone, but again natural light is the key. Finally the grounded (doesn't seem the right word for something up in the air!) milk tank has been weathered. The ladder needs extending to the ground, but I'll wait until I've finished all the ground work in that area.

Thanks. How silly of me not to put the link in! Try https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-the-daily-round-the-story-of-milk-production-and-distribution-1954-online

Hopefully we're over the tech problems and my reinstated photos are all there and showing correctly. Work is continuing, in fits and starts, but gradually getting there. So a couple of shots, albeit both are now out of date as things have progressed again since.

I really like the idea of this, and hope that they expand to other locations. They are doing what a few exhibitions have included, and what might happen at a club open day. But an exhibition or a club open day is a one or two day affair, what if that clashes with a great day to go to the beach, with the under-10's football final, or with grandma's birthday? This "shop" is there every day, including wet days during school holidays. Naturally we are focusing on railways, but the chance to make some scenery to go with the toy cars which are already at home might just what will capture a child's imagination. And the child that makes a little scene for their toy cars, might then want to add a train. And that super deluxe, all singing, all dancing loco in the display case, yes, absolutely it should be there, with its price tag clearly displayed. Why? Well, it "validates" the idea of model railways. They aren't just children's toys, but something that adults also appreciate and value. I might go into the local car dealership for a cheap runabout, but the fact that the same company makes super plush executive cars gives me the confidence that some of that knowledge and knowhow is included in my little two-door. I'm sure people will see the display and ask "so why is that engine so much more expensive that that one?" pointing at the top of the range 47. When they discover all that it can do, and how close it is to the real thing, even if they have no idea what a class 47 is, some might think "I'd like one of those" and if just a few eventually purchase one, Bachmann are better off. And at what cost to Bachmann? Next to nothing, the example in the showcase might even be the one they've already used for their advertising photos. I was at a small exhibition yesterday, and while browsing a trade stand the lady next to me, who I think was looking at Bachmann coaches, but the detail is unimportant, said to her husband "look at the price of these!" before adding, thoughtfully, "But you wouldn't buy a whole train all at once, you'd build it up gradually. What a great thing for a family to do together, something that grows over time". Spot on! But let's think what else our "family" might enjoy doing together. Cycling is quite popular, but as soon as you get away from your average child's bike into something more specialised, prices rise. And if its something the family really enjoy, and go down a specific path within the wide range of cycling options, they are going from the "starter set" to well beyond the deluxe 47 in price. Good luck to Bachmann with this; it'll be interesting to see how it develops. I can certainly think of a few places where such a venture to expand to, if this initial one proves the concept.

Great to see Parson's Vale today, Rob, and to have a good long chat. Some really nice details on the layout, several of which have been "filed away" for future use!

There is a screw through the chassis into the bottom of the tank which is hidden by the middle axle. The ends then pull out from the tank.

At last, some progress! The unloading shed is getting there now, with a representation of the pipework within. The various photos and segments of the film don't really show more than a glimpse or two of the pipework, so it is largely supposition, based on limited fact. But, like the whole layout, I hope it achieves a suitable representation of what was there. The fence between the sidings was a mass of chrome pipework, but again details are sketchy. Although not visible on the prototype, so possibly not correct, I will probably add a few flexi hoses as a means of unloading the tanks. The stop blocks were 3D items in reality, but compressed here to fit, and should look the part when the third wall and the roof are added. The front wall is placed in position. The next items to build, which I'm not looking forward to, are the roof girders, at least my building is only 2 tanks long and not the 7 it should be. The low relief buildings are pretty much done now, although I realise that an extra inch on the layout width would have made things look better; too late now though. The exit to the fiddle yard. In reality the equivalent bridge at the real location was some distance beyond the point where the sidings joined the mainline. The M&SWJR had both arch bridges and girder bridges, but not, as far as I've found both together. But an arch with the later addition of a girder span seems to work here.

Thinking of the EE becoming part of GEC line, could DP2 have fulfilled the engine test bed role which fell to 47046 / 47601 / 47901?

Those transfers are exceptional! I especially like the destination display, the fonts look spot on. I think I'll have to talk to Jo...

Tanks for the memories... Many, many years ago, when I still had a 8 x 4 train set I was given 4 of the then new Lima 6-wheel milk tanks. Amazingly all 4 survive today, and 3 have had roles on more recent layouts. As Lima intended - and still with the red sticky label underneath used to identify my rolling stock at the youth centre model railway club! Repainted as an Internal User for my Hillside Depot layout Repainted (and not fitted correctly back to its chassis!) for my Liverpool Street inspired London Road Loco Sidings micro. An in-progress (not much progress!) conversion to one of the temporary refuelling tanks the Western Region had. The chassis used for the refuelling tank has donated its body to South Moredon thus. It's doubtful that this tank and the little Ruston were on site at the same time, but well, why not?

An update is long overdue here! Things have been moving on, slowly, largely because the rest of life seems to be going like an HST at full power! Compared to the photos above, the low relief buildings are now roofed and the bridge to the fiddle yard is largely complete. The small embankment from the passenger line to the sidings is in, and I'm pondering the steeper banks down to the lower level at the rear of the layout. The "grounded" milk tank (I say grounded, its actually up on brick columns) has been done. Wiring is done, and the layout works, which is good. I'll try to get some photos in the next few days. One thing's for sure, with an exhibition booking for the layout I can't be larking around...

That must have been some meeting to have filled the back of the envelope and used part of the front too!

And Lanarkshire Model Supplies http://www.lanarkshiremodels.com/lanarkshiremodelsandsupplieswebsite_026.htm