pete55

Hi Paul, It is based on the Minerva pub next to Victoria Pier here in Hull Pete

Hello Sandra, yes the GN does rise towards the backscene and the offstage curve, although where past the flat crossing it starts to rise I wouldn't like to say offhand. Trains can struggle up and round there in either direction if not driven fast enough as you quite rightly say. It often caught out sedate GN drivers. As far as I am aware, no gradients have been altered since the original construction, and the GC yard does have a distinct gradient to it! As for the baseboard legs, yes many are packed a bit, but that was to keep the layout level as the floor has moved a bit over time.....I'll tell you the history of that sometime if you want to know. Pete Hill

The Derby Lightweight was not mine, I believe it was Buccanneer John's. Pete

Quite!! I was there when Tom brought the back scene to Roy's, and this during the period he was under going his cancer treatment. Roy's first words were along the lines of "Have you signed it? We can then sell it when you have passed away!" Tom was quite amused by that. He was was going to continue his backscene work for the rest of the layout, but sadly that was not to be. Pete

Hello Tony, the gantry was built and installed by Martin Lloyd, and I believe the signal at the end of platform 1 was built by Mick Moore. The scenic work was started by Richard Nice and myself, but was mainly the work of (Buccaneer) John McRae and Tony Gee. Pete

Hello Tony, I'm not sure it is Roy's work either. I do not recall him scratch building anything like a J6 in all the time I knew him, unless it was a long forgotten job pre dating the LRM kit which I believe was a Malcolm Crawley design, but t-b-g will know for certain. There were various bits of locos we found when sorting things out, many of which were not Roy's own work, but as you suggested, things that had been given him through the years. Pete

He probably converted it in a similar way to the methods I used. There is a "how to" guide for this loco and others downloadable from the Alan Gibson website under the downloads heading. http://www.alangibsonworkshop.com/orignal-index.html Pete

Obtained my copy from 53A models in Hull as usual yesterday

Nice one Paul, Rastus the rat and my EM Thomas!!

It certainly does, I'm not sure there is much spare capacity in the GC fiddleyard.....there certainly wasn't previously. Roy always wanted to enlarge it......not as simple as it sounds!

Sounds like we need some of your decent loco lamps for Tony to install on locos too!!

No problem, it will return!

If I remember correctly, Roy's original title was to have been "The queer tale of the Flying Scotsman and the Gay Crusader" !!

Hello Sandra, I think t-b-g mentioned to you in a telephone conversation recently that the Anglo Scottish Car Carrier and Silver Fox are sat in a box under a bed here, and after a quick service are ready to return to Retford. So when current circumstances allow I look forward to bringing it back home as it were! Pete Hill

Hi Clem, AG crankpins are M1, but I also use 14BA taps on return cranks with no problems. Good news about Retford too

Walked that plenty of times too.....

PMP is quite right, the Gibson conversion pack is for the later and current chassis.

Nice work John......hope you've got Phil booked for the vegetation!

Absolutely no good for the many who do not have a smart phone...….and it is probably far more than you realise.

Latest youtube video showing second beam being lifted into place

t-b-g sums up John very well, not much I can add to that. A larger than life character certainly, and one that will be missed. RIP John. Pete Hill

Thanks for the video Paul (Worsdell), very interesting to see. Pete

Thankyou Boris.....much appreciated

Try the NYMR unofficial forum https://www.nymr.org.uk/unofficial/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=951 That link should take you direct to the topic, although you may have to join the forum first. Pictures and comment posted today of current state of play.

Tony, after the time we have spent exposed to Retford in recent years, both in model form and in pictures, maps etc looking for some elusive detail, not to mention tales from Roy, I think we ought to be ashamed if we didn't recognise Retford when we see it!! Pete