Temeraire

Afternoon everyone So having sat in the sidings overnight the wagons were visited on Friday evening by the "MoDs"! Mr Rhb brought the military shunter with him and a few CVs were tweaked to improve the running. There are a few minor bits and pieces to attend to before he declares it finished (and I have to pay him!), mainly a bit of extra weight hung underneath and numbering etc and coat of varnish, although I wasn't expecting front and rear lights originally! Not obvious from the pics but the orange beacon light on top of the cab actually looks as though its rotating. Finished or not it will be running next weekend so look out for it and any questions ask Paul! One last pic as I went into the garage on Saturday morning for something and noticed the sun catching the layout. 'Lion' catches the early morning sun as it sits on the fuel road.

He’ll need the rockets without any juice rails!

Cheers, make yourself known if you do visit.

I got worried when I read this far as to what I'd missed or was wrong!! It has you just couldn't see it! Many thanks for commenting.

He can hold his own exhibition!

Evening all Further progress has been made with the extension over the last couple of weeks and I'm at the point of declaring it finished (I think) and time to leave well alone! Having cleaned up the track after all the works it was time to 'test' and run some trains ready for tomorrow night when a couple of the crew are coming over to refresh on the layout after the 2 year exhibition wasteland! The first through the 'countryside' was the thumper seen approaching the Whistle board before the station with an arrival from Portsmouth. Having changed ends the driver awaits the signal to return to Pompey. A few minutes later it heads away from Tidworth and gets a run up to the gradient back to Ludgershall. Once the thumper cleared the single line at Ludgershall, 'Eastleigh' brings an arrival for the Bulford exchange sidings into the loop. After a run round in the station, D6508 draws up to the ground frame and awaits permission to proceed through the gates. As Eastleigh eases through the gates 33117+4TC is seen arriving from Waterloo. Once through the bridge into the headshunt the train is set back into the sidings. '08 sets off to the stabling point at Tidworth having positioned the wagons in the sidings. As it clears the point Eastleigh is passed by the 4TC/33 combo as it heads back to the 'smoke'. The wagons sit and await the arrival of the MoD shunter to be taken inside the offscene MoD depot (traverser). Just as I was about to head home the 117 left for Reading via Bedwyn.( First time the 117 has been used on Tidworth) So there we go then all ready for the Tolworth Ex next weekend but there might be more pics after the running session tomorrow night.

I’m sure some of us will Andy!

Definitely up for a beer or two with you and Ray.

Evening all So three weeks on and progress has been steady with an hour here and there and a fiddle each time I walk past the layout in the garage. Apart from some signs and bit of extra weathering to the track I think its pretty much done and I need to leave it alone! Firstly a couple of general overviews from either end of the extension. Looking towards the station end. View back from the roadbridge. View of the forest floor! Looking from the dirt track across to the MoD entrance. The other way with the now empty sidings. Area around the platelayers hut. Lastly for now my favourite pic of the bunch the view over the fence through the trees at the Ludgershall end. That's it for now folks, I'll take some more when I get the trains out to 'test' the layout ready for Tolworth.

I’ll be there with Tidworth with the extension finally finished off hopefully!

None! Although there was a possibility of Basingstoke in March but I’ve had no contact from them.

no progress Phil lots of other stuff going on and any time has been given over to finishing off the Tidworth extension in time for the Tolworth Ex in November.

Andy there are several different lengths of the bar, though perhaps the ‘short’ one was swapped if it’s a secondhand unit? I’ve got some in the shed I’ll have a look what I’ve got and let you know.

if there had been it would’ve been full before the show opened!

Just a bump to remind everyone that Oak Rd is appearing on MK this weekend so come and say hello.

Thanks Rob, the fencing came from Scale Model Scenery but was a special commission with the 'V' top although it may be in their range now if you ask. It drove me mad as there are 6 wires threaded through it with the 'V' so not something I'll be doing again anytime soon! The gates are left over from the Ratio fencing kit that I had lying around.

NO! I'll be putting the trains back on the track behind Oak Road so no doubt we can catch up!

As you can see from my location it wasn't an accident.

So what have I been up to so far? First up the roadway regained its 'no overtaking' lines. Crash barrier finally added either side of the overbridge to keep the traffic off the railway! Top side of bridge. Then it was on to the job I haven't been looking forward to! Site prep for the addition of the gates to the MoD sidings. After a lot of faffing about plus swearing the gates in position. Rear view of the gates now awaiting rectification to fencing and ballast etc. Ballasted and fencing altered to fit. Not perfect but I should've done the gates before the fencing! Once all these little jobs are done everything will be weathered etc to blend them in, but at least I made a start finally on finishing the extension. All being well it will all be done in time for the Tolworth Exhibition in November.

Evening all, Time to resurrect Tidworth! Three weeks ago Tidworth was set up for the first time in two years since its last exhibition in Taunton for a our RMweb group day here that you may have seen mentioned in the Exford thread. Once erected a few visitors were removed! Line blockage at the overbridge! Someone left their skin behind! The middle two boards have been left up in the garage so I can finish off the extension and the join with the old end board, and I finally made a start this weekend.

all those sheds were the Medical stores and have been demolished for housing in last couple of years. It is just a railhead now. was told by the man that runs the operation there that all ‘super garrisons’ have to have a railhead and Tidworth is now one of them.

Sorry? Apart from the eight of us yesterday you mean.

Morning all, Well that was fun! Yesterday Exford Park & Tidworth played host to a number of RMwebbers for a BBQ, chat and trains, although the chat and food featured most in the end! It is rare that so many of us can get together in one place at one time with everyone's other commitments so thanks to Paul, Andy P, Stu, Scott, Chris, Rhys, Mike, Kevin and of course Scott's 3 boys who gave my WiFi a hammering while we were all 'talkin trains'! The layout performed well enough despite Mike's 'difficulties' with the setting of routes, but by the time he left at 10.30pm I think he'd got it. ;-) Thanks everyone for a good day and look forward to doing it again sometime.

Evening all Been a couple months again, where did that go? Not had a lot of time in the shed but small steps forward have been made. The footbridge has been made to look a bit more dirty concretey (is that a word??). It was primed, suedecoated, painted a greyish concrete colour and then weathered. Another view showing the concrete fencing along the platform. A bus tries the bridge for size! All the previous pics were taken on July 30th and the following day a start was made on the ballasting of the goods loops behind the platforms. Whist waiting at home for the 'boss' tonight I had a play for a while. Having dragged the St Blazey-Gloucester Speedlink service up from the FY into the goods loop, 50149 runs around its train and off to the stabling point as '149 rarely left Devon & Cornwall. A few minutes later and it is seen in the shed taking a break. Meanwhile 'Dusty Bin' 47321 has run to the loop to take over the service to Gloucester. After coupling up and a brake test, the duff draws the train forward to the yard exit signal (its invisible atm! and waits for a passing mainline train.

Blimey Andy 4 pages and you haven't cut any new wood yet! Liking the plan shame about the period. Pairs of 37s and a 50 or two is where its at! See you soon for a running session.