APOLLO

In 1963 aged 11 I started travelling around by rail with my train mad elder brother. That year we holidayed at Ilfracombe, and traveled down to Halwill Jcn & Padstow via Torrington. Also went to Dulverton / Tiverton & Hemyock - all by steam (well, an occasional diesel). As I was young, the shiny green new diesels where the bees knees to me, I remember being at Chester on the day of the last castle hauled Birkenhead - Paddington train. A brand new shiny, humming Brush 4 (Cl 47) in a bay platform was the star for me, even got invited into the cab. All the old GWR farts were on the other platform crowded round the Castle !!. Later we trawled the last of steam in Lancs & Yorks, with the occasional holiday special (The S&D Bath-Evercreech Jcn in 1966). We were on one of the last Jubilee hauled Leeds Glasgow trains in August 1967 - "Alberta" - pity she was not preserved. Not all were glamour trips though, I'll never forget an Xmas relief train Manchester - Leeds with a knackered black 5 & dirty worn out coaches - no steam heat & hardly any lighting, 50 min late at Leeds, return connection home missed, cold, wet, hungry, dark. Well the end of steam for me started with the closure of my "home" shed, 8F Springs Branch (Wigan) - not the end of raiway interest for me, as we had a state of the art brand new diesel depot built there. The WCML was being improved (double headed hoovers thundering through Wigan), and was shortly to be electrified in 1973. No, the end of steam was not the end for me, sad as it was. THAT came slowly, in the 1980-90's - it was called SECTORISATION / PRIVATISATION. My loft layout is loosely dated around 1966/7 - Steam, green & blue diesels, a mix of maroon & Blue & grey coaches. Tons of infrastructure, a mix of semaphore & colour light signals, signal boxes galore, a tatty old gasworks, scrapyards, canals with dead dogs floating around , etc. ATMOSPHERE - that's what is missing today. There is even a wonderfil thread on this site about this very "unloved" era. I have some photos on it both prototype & my model railway. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/52572-why-is-this-so-rarely-modelled/page-1 Each to their own though, I find something of interest in every layout I view, whatever it's theme. Brit15

It's more "Nature Watch" than "Train Watch" these days when on a train journey. I never fail to notice the ever abundant and rampant vegetation. I too think of the past when on a train, yes some stations are brighter, cleaner and so are many trains - but for me the magic somehow ain't there (mostly) anymore. Incidentally Network Rail did quite a lot of tree and vegetation removal around Wigan last year, especially around Springs Branch, the depot being made viewable again from Taylors Lane bridge just to the south. I took a visit there the other day (just passing - no camera) - the vegetation is back and seemingly with a vengeance. We need the Yanks to straf our railways with their B52 bombers loaded with "Agent Orange" (a strong herbicide & defoliant) !!. Anyway, the modern image modeler will help keep "Woodland Scenics" in business I suppose !!! Brit15

I did New York to Washington on a "Day return" back in 1991. We went down on "The Montrealer" if I remember correctly. Not very scenic, but it was my first trip on an American train. To me the large Yank stations are lousy, glam glitter & shops "up top" but cramped and dingy train side. Anyhow our few hours in Washington was superb. We walked from the station (which had back then a nice model railroad store !!) to the state Capital Grant Memorial, then down to the Lincoln Memorial. Lots too see along the way, Washington Monument, Constitution gardens, Several museums (we visited the Smithsonian National Space & Air museum). etc. Also The White House is just alongside. Walking round outside we saw a uniformed guard with an Alsatian dog, the dog wore a coat emblazoned "Secret Police" - I remember saying "You've blown your cover Fido" - the guard was not amused !!! I liked New York & Washington - but it's San Francisco for me any day !!! Brit15

Ahh - That's why you model the "Late and Never Early Railway" and not "God's Wonderful Railway" then !!! A link to Lewisham Bills videos mentioned above, the Warship at Marylebone is on the London Termini video. .https://vimeo.com/user5981217 Brit15

Yes those videos are quite fantastic. Warship diesels running into Marylebone with Tim Rose's "Morning Dew" blasting in the background - who needs sound chips !!! Brit15

I always fly with Yorkshire Airlines - eeyup !!! Brit15

I just came across this superb site. Over 39 Thousand old railroad photos, many taken of stations / junctions etc from the rear of trains. https://www.flickr.com/people/barrigerlibrary/ Albums listed in Railroad order https://www.flickr.com/photos/barrigerlibrary/albums I could spend the rest of my life on this site !! Brit15

Over the pond "Model Railroaders" do operation very much like the real thing. Many large layouts have a Dispatcher to control train running via a CTC machine. He (she) doesn't run the trains, but decides which train goes where and when. The CTC machine (Centralised Traffic Control) are based on the real thing - and operate the points / signals / routing. This is Bruce Chub (electronics wizard) and his home made "Sunset Valley" railroad CTC machine. The operator talks to the various "engineers" via telephone or walkie talkie (layouts are sometimes huge). They take operation very, very seriously. Freight car waybills, train orders you name it. It's all bit overboard for me though - I just like to run trains, I also hate switching (shunting), just occasionally splitting trains and re-forming them to add variety. I operate very much the same on my OO loft layout. Brit15

Unfortunately it's not an idea - it's reality from next May - see Government report. I will be having a safety check (AKA MOT) - and will rectify any faults found. Cars made prior to 1960 haven't needed MOT for a while now - seems not to have caused too much upset. Brit15

Brit15

Cars over 40 years old will be exempt from MOT test after 20 May 2018 https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/644412/government-response-to-exempting-vehicles-of-historical-interest-from-roadworthiness.pdf http://www.evo.co.uk/news/20023/cars-over-40-years-old-now-mot-test-exempt-countach-esprit-and-alfasud-sprint-sneak-in So my 1973 Rover P5B (MOT'd till 27th May 2018) will never need an MOT again. However I intend to take her to my local garage for an annual safety check, up on the ramp etc at the very least. What are your views ? Brit15

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Model railways is / has always been mainly an old fart's hobby. I remember going to the Manchester Model Railway exhibition every year just before Christmas in the Corn Exchange, near Victoria station back in the mid / late 60's. Full of old farts, many smoking cigs & pipes !!!. Most of those will have passed on since then. I never remember seeing too many my age around back then. I was young kid back then, an old fart now (official one to at 65 !!). The hobby will continue, change and progress - as will Hornby. Such is life. Hornby though need to take their finger out - Pecketts especially - they'd sell a million in various liveries, but none to be had - even future variants seem to be sold out. No way to run a "Railroad" !!!!! Brit15

Brit15

Why not buy a secondhand computer, for photo viewing / file access spec doesn't need to be very high. I would look for Windows 7 as the oldest O.S. Around here I could buy a decent WIN 7 machine for around £50. (with 3 months warranty) Brit15

I doubt there were ever any set sizes, they seemed to vary in height / length / construction type etc. I googled "coal staithes" and images - lots to choose from ! https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=coal+staithes&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwitmsKu9aLWAhVnIMAKHT_xC_UQsAQIJQ&biw=1280&bih=894 Loads of modelling info on this interesting site http://www.igg.org.uk/rail/7-fops/fo-coal.htm Also http://www.igg.org.uk/rail/8-yards/y-coal.htm Hope this is of help, Brit15

Just widen the wheel gauge with a screwdriver just a tad - worked for me with my old Tri-ang locos (on Peco code 100 points). Brit15

Found this mooching around on Youtube Salvage Squad Scammell Scarab 'Mechanical Horse' Brit15

It will be 1 (one) pre owned Hornby Peckett, poor / incorrect box, chimney and one buffer missing, runs with a limp and a clicking noise. BARGAIN at £150 (plus £4 Yodel- aye-eee-ohh chuck it over your gate fee) !!! Brit15

Reasonable ? - Not in my book. I've just purchased TWO Weaver O gauge covered hopper freight cars. These are big even by O scale standards - 15" long, 4" high, like new and just kadee couplers to add and off they roll. Cost for the pair - £45 incl free postage (ebay). OK they're not new - but they are average price for these on ebay. And folk think O gauge is expensive !! Brit15

Wigan gasworks 1970 - awaiting demolition. https://www.flickr.com/photos/136789710@N03/albums/72157679064568760 A dead gasworks by now, no hissing of steam traps, bangs, thuds, roars etc. The site is still there now in 2017 - so contaminated no one dare build on it !!! Brit15

Ferryhill shed Aberdeen map (I presume this is the one Tony) http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=17&lat=57.1326&lon=-2.0989&layers=170&b=1 Photo of a V2 on the table here, http://www.nrm.org.uk/railwaystories/railwayvoices/georgeyoung Brit15

It's not just the weathering (which some modellers are quite expert at). It's the seemingly un-modelable atmosphere. The smell of steam, smoke, hot oil, creosote sleepers on a hot day, ths hisses, bangs, clicks and multiple other sounds, wind in the telegraph wires, wind moving those wires, trees and bushes. Rain, puddles, you name it. Some layouts do have atmosphere - of course it's not all there - only reality can do that. But each of us seeks his own atmosphere. I'm building a gas works model - most buildings pipes etc are in - but it's not quite right yet - lots of weathering & "atmosphere" to add as my skills will allow. My first day at work was at Wigan gasworks back in 1969 - boy that place had atmosphere !!!! I need to add grot - lots of it !! Brit15

A man goes skydiving for the first time. After listening to the instructor for what seems like days, he is ready to go. Excited, he jumps out of the airplane. After a bit, he pulls the ripcord. Nothing happens. He tries again. Still nothing. He starts to panic, but remembers his back-up chute. He pulls that cord. Nothing happens... He frantically begins pulling both cords, but to no avail. Suddenly, he looks down and he can't believe his eyes. Another man is in the air with him, but this guy is going *up*!! Just as the other guy passes by, the skydiver -- by this time scared out of his wits -- yells, "Hey, do you know anything about skydiving?" The other guy yells back, "No! - Do you know anything about fitting car Calor Gas valves ?" Sorry, old joke (I'm a retired gas engineer) !! Brit15

Just look at these wonderfull photographs (link from another thread on rmweb) https://ironroad.smugmug.com/1960s-Steam-Finale/ Then ask yourself. What is missing from my models but is present in all these photos ?. Answer Atmosphere. I'm blowed if I know how to model it - but I try ( and I don't overly bother about it) !!!!!!!!!! Brit15