Nick Gough

Don't tell him Pike!

Thanks Paul. I'm feeling a lot better today, and planning a visit to the gym tomorrow. I should have some more modelling to report soon!

Indeed. That's why, every time I lay down on the table, I am reminded of that YouTube clip! Thankfully though my radiographers are a lot more pleasant than Auric and his minions.

I've managed to find a video of the radiotherapy equipment in action, which is quite interesting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzwPI1zJ9K0

I'm now halfway through my radiotherapy sessions, with another two weeks to go. I'm not experiencing any serious side effects and the actual procedure is no problem - the biggest issue is trying to find a parking space at the hospital. However, I haven't been feeling at my best this week - mainly because I have a stinking cold and had a tooth extracted on Monday! Since I don't feel anything, during the sessions, and the only indication that anything is happening is the movement of the equipment, it's hard to believe that it is actually having any effect. My steam railmotor arrived in the post last week though, unfortunately, I had to send it back due to poor running. The replacement arrived yesterday, so a nice quick service. It needs running in but is definitely better. A lovely model - full of detail.

Watch out for the Fokkers!

Great Western Journal ran a series on horseboxes and horse traffic. Apparently GWR vehicles had sliding trapdoors in the partition between the horses and the groom. Some examples are given of the cost of horse travel - which work out to be more than double the first class fare for an equivalent journey. The groom would have costed an additional third class fare.

Now there's a strange coincidence! We saw the touring production of 'The Mousetrap', at our local theatre, in October. I was amazed to find that it was the same murderer as when I last saw it - about fifty years ago. Mind you when I first saw the play, it didn't have 'Tucker' from Grange Hill or the female nurse, wot died in Casualty, in it.

Back to bridges: The steel parapet fitted and a couple of pieces of ply for the core of the outer abutments, with the abutments built out with plastikard: Also, one of the pillasters in place. With the second pillaster: Note, this one has a recessed panel in the brickwork. This is following the prototype - as seen in this older view (before the greenery ran amok): I wonder whether the right hand one has been rebuilt at some time and omitted this feature? Looking from the other side: After that I lined the inside of the bridges with brick paper -with two different colours for the two different sections: Bringing the ends out to cover the outer face of the abutments on the 'newer' section of bridge: The inner roof of the arch bridge has the brick paper positioned diagonally: Since this was the arrangement in skew bridges:

Hooray! Just received an email from Kernow to say that my steam railmotor is on its way. Great news, and timing, as I've just returned from my first radiotherapy appointment. Nothing to it - "Never even blew me hat off!" I still feel as fit and well as when the whole process started.

A couple of birds-eye views of 93's roof: NB. The chimney hadn't fallen out in the box - it was removed to allow travel over NR, within the loading gauge. Received my email, this afternoon, for my chocolate/cream No. 97 - ordered 11/12/2022.

Looking at the passengers, perhaps you should name it "The Ghost Train" ?

After a quiet but pleasant Christmas & New Year something interesting was delivered today: My wife, having seen one, had asked whether I would like one as a Christmas/birthday present - it would have been rude to say no! Clearly not within my usual modelling period - but it did run on the Titfield to WMallingford line, and it is one of my favourite films. A little recent modelling work. A couple of bridge parapets under construction: And some more work in the area of the road bridge: The goods yard access road descends, in front of the platform, to meet the station forecourt, on the right. I have built up the embankment behind with strips of foamboard, to keep the weight down, since this is the lifting flap.

I believe this locomotive is actually a 'Star', probably one of the Knight series. Although the watermark masks a lot of detail, I can just make out the rear of the outside cylinder, just in front of the leading driving wheel, together with the slidebars, which extend back over the whole of that wheel. The 'Saint' cylinders and slidebars are mounted further forward. The nameplate appears to have a long name consisting of two longer words, in larger letters (KNIGHT...?), separated by at least one smaller word in small letters (of the/of ST.?) Looking to the front of the locomotive, there appears to be a box structure extending forward from the drop curve of the footplating, under the smokebox - the cover for the inside cylinders. Finally, there appears to be a longitudinal handrail mounted on the front footplating, adjacent to the smokebox. This would normally indicate the presence of footsteps beneath, and there does appear to be something like that, descending below the valance, into the watermark. A quick look through my books and I couldn't find any photos of Churchward express engines with front footsteps (other than Ursa Major - clearly not that). Indeed, if this was a 'Saint', footsteps here would conflict with the position of the cylinder. However, RCTS - Locomotives of the GWR - Part 8, has the answer; "Nos 4011-6/8 carried front footsteps for a short time" together with a photo: The 'Knights' were built in March - May 1908, so I think we see one of these locomotives not long after its entry into traffic. 4011/3/5/6 were first allocated to Old Oak Common - so perhaps one of these?

Who's going to be busy in 2024?

One of these survives at Didcot, though unrestored: https://didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk/article.php/141/no-1357-dean-8-compartment-third-clerestory

A merry Christmas to all visitors to Cholsey & Moulsford and thanks for your interest this year.

Merry Christmas, Chris, to you and the inhabitants of Traeth Mawr and its visitors. Also thanks for your support and advice during the last few months.

Merry Christmas John!

Merry Christmas to you too, Neal!

Merry Christmas Rob!

The relief lines road bridge is supported on 31 girders spanning the road below: Although the railway lines are on a skew, passing over, the supporting girders are mounted perpendicular to the road. Looking through my photos I noticed that the 18 girders supporting the two railway lines are clearly deeper than the 13 beneath the goods yard/car park access road: So I decided to cut out a small section of 9mm ply from the top surface of the bridge: And replace this with a piece of 3mm ply: With small strips of wood attached to represent the girders. Another piece of ply holds it in place: (I intended to raise ground level here to allow the roadway surface to be at sleeper top level in the goods yard) This gives a 3mm difference in height between the goods yard road part and the relief line part of the bridge: I'm not going to put girders under the relief lines since they would be invisible with the road in place.

Do you have a source of info for these bogie changes Mike?

Merry Christmas to you Rob!

I thought you were planning to finish it and get some tinsel on it.