Steadfast

Cheers Pete, Visiting Liskeard for the first time certainly put all you've done with Moorswater into perspective. Just a shame there is nothing to photograph there any more jo

Yesterday 60054 dropped onto 7C77 Acton - Merehead, an unusual turn for a 60. Coming back from London they normally seem to end up on a Whatley train, either 6C76 from Acton or 6V18 from Whatley. When I read it was double headed, I thought knowing my luck the 60 would be tucked inside... 60054 leads 59102 past Crofton with 7C77 Acton - Merehead, a good excuse to get out for the afternoon 15/8/13 jo

Here's a handful of a fair few photos of the real thing from last weekend, plus a couple from Cornwall on the way to the show. The Cornish stuff is the 9th, Laira stuff the 10th and the overhead views from the 11th on the way out of Plymouth heading home. Hopefully the Laira shots highlight my inspiration both operationally and in the details. 43189, Laira depot, Plymouth 10/8/13 08644 shunting a pair of mk3s at Laira depot, Plymouth 10/8/13 08641 (blue) and 08644 (green), Laira depot, Plymouth 10/8/13 08641 propels its set of mk3s into Lipson sidings, Laira depot, Plymouth 10/8/13 08641 shunts an engine carrying wagon at Laira depot, Plymouth 10/8/13 And a few from Clay Country 150125 departs Liskeard heading for Looe 9/8/13 43098 tails 1A92 Newquay - London Paddington towards St Blazey as it approaches Middleway crossing 9/8/13 66175 approaches St Blazey working 6G08 Goonbarrow Jn - Fowey Carne Point loaded China clay, seen to the north of Middleway crossing 9/8/13 66175 brakes for the 10mph restriction as it crosses the causeway at Golant working 6G08 Goonbarrow Jn - Fowey Carne Point loaded China clay 9/8/13 The full set of these, including every CDA in the train are available here: http://joalder.smugmug.com/Trains/Days-Out-2013/Cornwall-and-Plymouth-91011813/i-vn24Gxq jo

Hi everyone, the show went well thanks. Royaloak, I'm glad you and your son enjoyed the layout! Here's a few photos of the layout from the phone, I'll try to get some photos of the real place from Saturday once I've processed the raw files off the camera. Here's a selection of he stuff that could be seen on the layout, the GBRf 66 brings in refurb mk3s between barriers, the 60 is bringing fuel from Fawley and the fitters are getting to work on another HST needing repair jo

A copy of what I've posted on the exhibition thread: Got home about 9 despite the traffic on the M5 south of Brizzle. I was aiming for 8 but hey, home safe after dropping Jack home. Thanks to a tip off today, we stopped off and got some shots of Laira from the hill overlooking it. Thanks everyone who stopped at the layout, despite being visible on the approach to Plymouth, I was surprised at how many people recognised the layouts inspiration. Definitely made it worthwhile for me. I must also thanks to Ian and the team for a cracking show, and the small new addition to the layout! Finally thanks to Jack for the help and company of the last few days, definitely couldn't have done it alone. Cracking meals in the Wet Wok and Barbican Steakhouse too in the evenings, thoroughly recommended jo

Yeah that's be a bit of a trek Tom! Had a good day today apart from the 08 being its usual temperamental self. Photographed the real Laira,explored the remains of the Cattewater terminal and briefly glimpsed part of Tavy yard in passing. Looking forward to tomorrow! jo

Thanks Jack. We'll have to see what we can find. The layout is working reasonably well, the 08 being its usual temperamental self! jo

Cheers Tom, the show is at Plymouth, so we're going to see what we can see driving past the real thing later on jo

Well yesterday we managed to photograph a whole one china clay train in Cornwall. Did get it twice though, so every cloud and all that! The layout is all set up, so we'll be off in a sec to go and do the final few bits before the show opens. jo

Thanks guys, here's a picture of the new bits all together and ready for use over the weekend. I'll try to get a shot of them all in place over the weekend jo

So here's a few quick photos of 'new stuff' that will be appearing on Saturday. The wheels still need a bit more brown and brake discs adding. The one wheel set with brake discs will be a new wheel set awaiting fitting. A small shed based on one at Laira. The photo I have shows batteries inside it on pallets, I've adapted things a bit to include bags of sand too due to a shortage of pallets and the thought of chopping loads of plastic strip into small squares! Finally the mk1 bogie. It's still needs a bit if weathering and a coat of Matt varnish, but I'm quite pleased with it and it is something different jo

Cheers for the tip off with the cooler group colours. I'll put the finishing touches to that in the week then. The inspiration for the cab has Apollo 13 chalked on the side of it, not sure it'd be readable in N mind you! I'll try to get some photos up of today's work in the morning jo

Cheers Daryl, it's something different! Here's a couple of photos of the work so far I've since primed and begun painting these details, photos of which soon The Mk1 bogie is from the blue riband Farish mk1s, with added strut work and dynamo. The dynamo even has a belt made from Tamiya masking tape. jo

A few more recent sightings from me 60062 passes Compton Beauchamp working 6B33 Theale - Robeston 11/7/13 60063 passes Callow Hill working 6B33 Theale - Robeston 18/7/13 60062 passes Rodbourne working 6B33 Theale - Margam 13/7/13 60065 passes the site of Lacock Halt with 7C54 from Oxford Banbury Road, today in a VAR path running to Merehead instead of Whatley 8/2/13 jo

Here's a few from a couple of months ago 60017 climbs the gradient away from Wootton Bassett Junction at Callow Hill working 6B33 Theale - Robeston 2/5/13 60092 approaches Chippenham working 7C48 Appleford - Westbury 10/5/13 60054 thuds past the loops at Hullavington with 6B33 Theale - Margam (1) 18/5/13 Plus a couple of older ones that seem to match the weather we've had the last few days... 60054 and 60009 shunting the tanks at Westerleigh to form 6E41 back to Lindsey. 60009 had failed overnight on the inward 6V98, with 60054 dispatched as a rescue loco 23/3/10 60022 looks a bit sorry for itself with patched paintwork and oil streaking at Westerleigh 16/7/09 60059 approaches Alderton Tunnel on 6B33 Theale - Robeston 8/8/09 jo

Cheers Porkie, From experience the N Brass stuff I've used in the past has had nice clear instructions so shouldn't be too bad...just fiddly! jo

So on from 200. I couldn't decide which double header to begin with...so let's have both 66200 and 66156 climb at Callow Hill in the snow with 6B33 Theale - Robeston 23/12/10 66200 leads 66082 into Westbury with 6O32 Margam - Dollands Moor, diverted due to engineering work at Reading. The coal hoppers are stored following the closure of Didcot Power Station 29/3/13 66207 approaches the crossing at Station Road, Iron Acton with 1Z27 Gloucester - Bristol heading to Tytherington 2/7/11 66207 passes Langley Burrell working 6Z44 Wootton Bassett - Wembley, formed of empty VTG PGAs, wagons not often seen round here 4/8/12 66238 heads into the loop at Severn Tunnel Junction with 6V92 Corby - Margam empty coil carriers 21/2/08 66250 brings 66092 and a set of steel wagons into Margam on 6B04 from Llanwern 21/4/11 Freightliner next I think jo

Cheers Oli, it's plasticard sheet, a mix of 30 and 40 thou I think depending on what was to hand jo

Hiya, The approach road has been paper mâchéd and concrete area round the shed glued down. The contact adhesive melted the plastic sheet though, so that'll be a case of rip up and redo. Oh well, live and learn! It's got too hot to do much else on the layout and I've been a bit occupied with other stuff, but I'll try to sort some pictures soon. Priority is getting the other layout ready for the Plymouth show in August, making sure everything works and tracking down where I stashed the box of scenics, as well as some new scenery additions for the show. jo

One of the most simple looking yet effective designs, 60054 at Westerleigh carrying the livery they were designed for 1/10/09 jo

Nice 'out the box' shots Mick, and its interesting you pick up on the rusty silencer. As delivered, the wheels, silencer and knuckle coupler (EWS only) are unpainted rusty colour steel. I believe the wheels and couplers are down to US regulation on not painting them so any cracks are easily spotted. Model companies have been very keen to supply models with silver silencers, right back from the Lima 66s, through Dapol and Bachmann too, though now this is changing, but I've no idea why this would have begun in the first place. The only 66s, as far as I'm aware, to appear with silver silencers are a couple of the recent DB repaints, 001 and 185 I think it was. So prototype follows the model! Thanks for the kind words and 'likes' for the compositions everyone, as you say Nidge, sometimes a composition just appears as you drive round a corner, or walk that bit further. Perhaps because I've grown up with the things, and got so used to having the 59s around here too, the outline has become normality, with a 37 or 47 making welcome variety rather than reminding me of better times in the past. Anyway, enough waffling, a few more pictures. I got into the one hundred and eighties last time, so let's kick off with 66185 last Friday, well, a week ago exactly, and 66004 too since it was about half an hour in front of it. There's something about the DB red with the yellow NR wagons that I like, especially set against a nice blue sky. What was that about primary colours, again? 66185 approaches the crossing at Ferry Lane, Claverton working 6W31 Westbury - Llanbradach via Margam 5/7/13 66004 approaches the crossing at Ferry Lane, Claverton working 6W34 Westbury - Ystrad Mynach via Margam, with 66232 on the rear 5/7/13 66188 (along with the wagons it brought in on 6V13 from Dollands Moor), 08737, 66095 and 66004 sit in a quiet Margam Knuckle Yard 26/1/13 66188 passes Bourton working 6O32 Margam - Dollands Moor 27/9/12 66197 leads 66167 out of Wickwar Tunnel on 6B13 Robeston - Westerleigh 8/4/10 66198 passes Culham with 6X65 Didcot - Mossend via Warrington Arpley, a train that can only be photographed in the summer due to leaving Didcot around 20.00 10/5/13 jo

Thanks Nidge, furthest north I've snapped it is Hinksey, though it'd be nice to get some shots further away from my usual GWML stomping ground! A few more red ones here, up to the hundred and eighties... 66146 heads downhill at Cattybrook with 6B33 Theale - Robeston 30/7/09 66148 at Severn Tunnel Junction during the remodelling of the junction to improve capacity 29/12/09 66151 passes Lower Basildon with a train of VGAs on 6V39 Ludgershall to Didcot 12/10/12 66152 and 66154 pass Moulsford with 6V38 Eastleigh - Didcot 16/6/11 66163 and 66133 power 6B13 Robeston - Westerleigh alongside the Severn between Purton and Gatcombe 1/9/09 66167 powers away from Didcot with 6M65 Didcot - Carlisle Enterprise working, a train that no longer runs 27/8/09 66172 leaves Eastleigh behind as it heads to Marchwood with a late running 6B45 2/9/11 66182 powers away from Didcot with 6Z52 Appleford - Bow. The load from Bow is spoil from the Olympic worksite 3/2/11 jo

Nice stuff Nidge, out of interest how far do you take 6M40? Do you pick it up from Westbury, or is there a crew change around Oxford? If so presumably it's a Bristol guy from Westbury? jo

I did think of you and your TTA rake as I posted it actually! And I know exactly the 60 shot you mean haha. So I got as far as 66097 last time, lets keep moving up. 66101 and 66126 sit at Dove Holes quarry, Peak Forest, idling away waiting for some work to do 1/6/12 66102 passes Claverton with 6X41 Newport ADJ - Westbury conveying tilting pointwork carriers for the weekend track renewal work 8/4/11 66103 arrives at Avonmouth with 4D98 returning a single HTA from repairs at Barton Hill 21/7/09 66116 passes Pig Lane near Hullavington working 6O32 Margam - Dollands Moor via Llanwern 22/4/12 66120 passes Brassknocker near Claverton working 6O42 Halewood - Southampton 11/5/12 66139 at Rodbourne with 6B24 Didcot - Wentloog MoD train 21/9/09 66140 brings a set of empty hoppers out of Tunstead heading for the sidings at Peak Forest 1/6/12 jo

Talking of part of a childhood...the N scale Scanias look rather tasty, reassuringly more on a par with the modern coach, VW camper etc rather than the chunky metal older buses and tractors jo