black and decker boy

Yes they will be air vents. My terrace has them fitted too. Not sure what they do given that the roof has a 2 inch gap all round at eaves level behind the gutters which lets lots of air flow into the roof but any modernised roof in these parts will have them and that row looks to have had new roofing fitted as they are all uniform.

More shots of the exemplary modelling seen at Scaleforum 2013: 1) Allt-Y-Graban Road 2) Dubbieside 3) Elcot Road 4) Halifax King Cross 5) Nottingham Goods 6) Stoke By Nayland

Pictures of Blackgill by Eddie Ford as seen at Scaleforum today. A very nice layout and very popular as there was always a crowd when I went past today. No connection to the layout other than as a satisfied punter :-)

If that had been a real 47/7 in Scotrail or LLB then my childhood would have one flooding back. Great shot.

Stoke Mandeville on the Aylesbury - Amersham - Neasden line:

That mill really is brilliant.

Burnley were playing Blackburn today so the town would have been empty, lucky as you seem to have got back out with you wheels still attached. Did you spot any banjo playing yokels on the way through? As for the weather, you need to go back tomorrow, the gale force winds and driving rain may be unpleasant for the rest of the UK but are par for the course up in the east Lancashire hill towns, its what makes us so hardy :-)

I concur with the painted door steps and window cill stones - my house in Rochdale (millstone grit mid-terrace built 1875) features just such items. Jason, photos down the street and of the backs are fantastic and very reminiscent of the Rochdale / Bacup east Lancs areas. Have you considered the need for back-to-back terraced houses - ie the similar size & shape as your current single house terrace but actually split in half so there is no rear to the building, both are fronts if get my meaning. These were very commonplace in the area (swept away or knocked through eventually) and my Grandma lived in one in Whitworth for many years. Still 2 bedrooms. One side was often just on a walkway not a road (and facing another matching set) so it was a good way of cramming more houses into a small space. Google OL12 8DH and look at the stone terrace, especially the gable end, its quite different from a normal full width terrace (I can't grab the picture to post here sorry). Streetview OL12 8DH.pdf

Jason, the pipe coming out from the bathroom should join into the tallest pipe on the left. The soil pipe always vents above the gutter (in the trade this is the soil water vent pipe) so all connections from bathrooms, kitchens etc must join this. The half height pipe with a hopper can only be surface (rain) water so should not have connections from inside. Thats not to say dodgy DIY has never done it but would be in trouble if caught by the water company. The downpipes look spot on for cast \ ductile iron types found in the area and match those on my house in Rochdale very nicely.

You have to think that the Westerns would have been unchanged with the design work that went into them and the livery trials etc. Not sure where you could fit a brass dome though. As said above, modern liveries would be to a similar theme to todays as eveything is scripted by Marketing & Image Consultants. That said, would the big 4 have branched out into buses & road haulage or stayed in Railways to then be bought out by the big Bus companies? A different historical path could still have ended up with First Great Western anyway.

A few pics of the superb layouts I have been lucky enough to see on the circuit this year: 1) Melton Mowbray (N Gauge) 2) Portchullin (P4) 3) Felton Lane (P4) 4) Troutbeck Bridge (oo) 5) New Hey (EM)

Issue raised with His Nibs and a solution is to be sought :-)

The WNXX latest news page (Subscription only) has had all the info on 60 001 test runs (and photos) and 70 099 being at Cardiff plus this forum has had more of the same, it just needs a bit of fishing.

Arrival at Eskmuir and the ex-Caledonian Railway station building & canopy Wander down to the Engine shed A shed labourer clears ash whilst a Caley 3F and BR Sulzer type 2 await their next duties A black 5 runs into Eskmuir past the shed

You're a star sir, much obliged for your insight

A couple of questions for 16T aficionados: 1) How common were pressed door variants and how widespread in BR use (1960s and 70s)? 2) Did you get fitted minerals mixed in with unfitted rakes, again in BR use (1960s and 70s)- ie Bauxite vac braked wagons running with brakes isolated or would they only have run in fully vac braked rakes or as part of a fitted head? Cheers

The only thing its missing are the stair rods of rain water running down off the canopy onto the platform edge \ track like a waterfall and a group of passengers huddling together for warmth (it is August so coats and wooly hats are in fashion in Bacup).

Would these have worked over BR metals at any point on exchange freight \ engineers trains or confined solely to LU metals? Kit looks very nice indeed.

Hi Jason, as you may have spotted whilst route learning on Eskmuir (thanks for the help by the way) at Railex, all of our coaches are fitted with Kadee buckeyes in the NEM pockets for all connections internal to the rake. This is to make best use of the close coupling systems fitted to modern coaching stock and prevents buffer locking on curves and points but nice close coupled formation when in the station. We use sprat and winkle couplings on the outer ends to save learning over and struggling to get 3 links to work with the sunday morning shakes but a home layout doesn't have that restriction and I agree with you that 3 links do look good. 3 links between coaches can be a problem getting the shunters pole between the corridor connectors. Smiths 3 links & instanters are good quality and they also do a finescale version of the 3 link (same hook, smaller links). We find the screw links fit for purpose but as you say, perhaps not the best detailed. I also fit working corridor connections to coaches & dmus. A1 models do a nice paper / card kit though an enterprising man like yourself will no doubt be able to knock some up. These also help prevent buffer locking if you have fitted 3 links to the DMUs.

This Smithybridge on the Ex L&Y Rochdale to Hebden Bridge Calder Valley line. The signal box is ex L&Y. The Station etc is modern day BR. The area is being resignalled and the box is due to be demolished later this year.

wow, what a marathon. Its taken me a good few weeks of patient reading to get through the 45 pages and what a journey its been. I am one of Andy Cs cohorts so hail from the area but not old enough (though i currently feel it) to have seen Bacup in its grimy glory and its not somewhere I would choose to go now (and keep the wheels on my car). The atmosphere and scene setting is excellent and immediatley recognisable as this area of the world. We are all at Railex Aylesbury in a few weeks on Eskmuir, if you are there come along and say hi.

I like Western Highlander. What about Western islander Western Caledonian Western clansman

Nice

We will always be retrofitting to some degree. Whilst new units like Electrostars may claim to be compatible, until you have the exact spec of what you bolting in, it may never be a perfect match and as the trains software gets older and outdated and newer and fancier ERTMS kit comes along, these gremlins will need ironing out. That said, A 25 year old 158 must be a less user friendly interface that a 5 years old EMU. Who wants to fit ERTMS to the steam railmotor then...

A few photos of my latest batch. Again using mainly Modelmates weathering dyes built up in layers.