Brian Harrap

Such a delight to operate Ramchester, everything runs so smoothly and the vast expanse of the station area makes it feel like you are at a real place - quite a walk up and down to see to the uncoupling etc when shunting, I'll take my bike another time.

Baron

Sad news indeed, Ian was such fun and always had a friendly word.

Hello Geraint,

Seems you had a fun time in Holland with Gerco. I hope you didn't have too much trouble with getting Ians' railway stuff passed the border police, how things have changed now - no more easily  trundling across with a layout to a European show. I did enjoy the visits I was able to do, such fun. It would have been a very early version of QUAI:87 you would have been looking at, before the wagon hoist and the higher level was added and a lot more buildings too of course.

As for the brainstorm of trackwork you sent, no thanks if you don't mind, the old eyes and fingers aren't what they were.

all the best and thanks for the update, happy modeling,

Brian

New hearing aids - none of my stuff runs as quietly as it used to. Bah

Great day out at Thornbury with Rod and Howard, thank you both. Thought you might like to see the 3way crossing nose I was on about for the new tramway layout, but don't hold your breath.

Baron

On 11/02/2023 at 16:07, Middlepeak said:

Brian,

 

I hadn't noticed before that the swing gate over the adjacent siding bears the legend 'STOP'. A nod to the English audience maybe, or is it to disguise the real location of the Quai?

 

Either way, it keeps me guessing and it's nice to see some new pictures to inspire us!

 

Best wishes,

 

Geraint

Hello Geraint,

The stop sign. I came across this contraption whilst ferreting around a cement works at Lixhe in Belgium (I had thought such smashboard signals were confined to the wild west) but here it was clearly allowing access to only one siding at a time although quite why I was not able to find out. I had to have one on QUAI:87 of course and I rather cheated a bit by installing it at the confluence of several diamonds that needed a polarity change switch so thats what rotating the stop board on the layout does. Driving you loco onto a wrongly set diamond is thus averted.

Of now to check out oebeek........Obeka......... you know the one

Best, Brian

Twas Iain who, many moons ago, approached me in the cake shop in Chagford ( I don't know how he knew which cake shop I frequented) and suggested we (he and I) take ourselves and my first P87 layout on a jolly to an exhibition somewhere in Holland. That turned out to be the precursor to many such trips with various layouts and friends to exhibitions all over Europe. Thank you Iain.

Brian

On 23/06/2022 at 10:36, Ian Morgan said:

@Brian Harrap brought Minizob (Zobhafen?) to the Basingstoke show in 2003:

 

By the way, in passing, did you know that the track and stock on this layout is all to Proto Z standards. The equivalent of P4 and the like. 0.2mm flangeways - even a bit of narrow gauge. Thanks for posting Ian.

Brian

Thanks Neil, thats fascinating, still can't get my head around how you would actually use it.

Brian

Does anyone know what this is?  Ok its a crane. But with two jibs mechanically linked together, neither having slewing capacity. How on earth would you use such a thing?

Brian

14 hours ago, burgundy said:

How did it get from Oberammergau to Quai 87?

Best wishes 

Eric 

On a modellers licence of course

B

Here's something you don't see very often

On 10/04/2022 at 20:53, HSB said:

Ramchester is going to look very compact after seeing Heaton Lodge Junction in the flesh!

 

 

 

I had planed to get up to see this but knee replacement operation put paid to that

B

Does  anyone know when the engine shed at Korenov was rebuilt please. It was a wreck when I visited in 2015.

On 09/12/2021 at 18:18, Singletrack said:

@Brian Harrap you have previously shown some prototype buildings that have given inspiration for buildings on the Quai. Is there a prototype for the «cut-away» building to the left of the wagon turntable?

 

/Ragnar

Hello Ragnar,

The building is not an exact model of any real building but I got the idea from such a building at Goole (gone now).  The Goole building was cut back to make room for the wagon turntable that was used to turn around end unloading coal wagons so they were correctly orientated for running to the tippler and unloading into ships.

The turn table on QUAI:87 is used to turn Kuhlwagons the right way round for running into the precooling shed on the right. There was a building in the way to the left so I cut it back as at Goole. Just for fun really. Sorry about the low resolution pics, all I have just now.

Thank you for your interest,

Brian

18 hours ago, Singletrack said:

it doesn't shed any light on any further development though 

No, pity

B

On 05/12/2021 at 16:59, bgman said:

 

Or use the light switch ! 

Yes Graham, but I cant get artificial light to pierce  under the rail/ ballast gap on the track to the right nor pick out the verdigris green of the OHL so well before it goes black. Just sayin,

Baron

Late afternoon on QUAI:87. Sometimes you just have to photograph the light while its there.

Baron

Hello Ragnar

I am currently working on a mockup of what I propose to build. Its a bit unusual and so far has got some funny looks from members of the local RR club. I shall make some improvements before I post it on here.

Couldn't get access to the photos on the link you sent - have to be a member and I can't answer the questions in Norse.

Best regards, Brian

Hello Singletrack

Yes the Kaluga does get involved in shunting operations. I have quite a few items of rolling stock which still has the old Marklin type couplings which I don't think I shall get round to changing. The rest of it I have fitted with KD knuckle type couplings mainly for improved appearance. So that I can use both types together on the quai's  I have fitted the Kaluga with a differing coupler at either end, rather appropriate I thought given the heritage of the prototype. When playing with the layout in this mode I shunt all the Marklin fitted wagons into sidings facing east and the KD's facing west so it all works out quite well and everything gets a bit of a run on the Quai's.

Thank you for your interest, I am working (in my head) on an idea for a train ferry type diorama which I shall share with you when I've got it sorted.

Regards, Brian

Who or what lives in that hole under the track?

B