Matloughe

Hello all! I hope everyone is well; I have been busy the past month or so - not actual modelling so as to speak of but I have been planning in preparation for the better weather and being able to do more work in the Garage. Firstly the stunning Dapol Stroudley coaches arrived, and have had their first run together - using the shorter coupling bars seen here. The track is currently in the 'Halstead' format as I still havent made a decision on which trackplan to use. Each day I find I favour one of the other but end up switching - this is fine for the moment as I haven't the money to order the last pieces of track needed to firmly make a decision on the layout yet. I have managed to get the USB lights working correctly however - so the layout here is being lit entirely by daylight and its own cobbled together lighting rig. I am planning to finish the primer paint and to look at some acrylic paint in the near future too. I haave also managed to make something move on the layout Here is a short clip of Ixion Hudswell Clarke pushing some wagons. The siginificance of this is that this is the first movement of this locomotive under its own power in about five years and it might be a little bit grouchy it soon shrugged it off and polished those railheads nicely. A nice side-by-side view, again in the Halstead format. The benefit of using Halstead is that all trains get a complete run from one side of the layout to the other so you get to see much more model - it also feels much more open given the limited depth of the boards (12"/300mm) the downside is I would always need two locomotives to complete terminal operations as the train would need to be shunted to the bay road to release the train engine. Whereas the other plan I have could be operated by a single locomotive - probably far more in keeping of the light railway, running around via the fiddleyard. I'll have to go away and have a think; I am trying to use what I have to hand rather than buy all new but I am not adverse to buying new it will just lengthen the time to completion. Perhaps I should go back and look at other inspirational layouts to me like Trebudoc. The only real constrains is a 3' 6" fiddleyard dictating overall train lengths and ideally I'd like to be able to accomodate all three of my Stroudley coaches in a platform - even if I only regularly run the two brakes in practice, so I could switch it up with a single Mark I if I obtain one. Kind Regards, Gary

It depends which scale we're discussing - the plan is for my 00 stuff to slim down and keep just the LB&SCR items and work on that - I might relent and keep some Southern Railway exLBSCR items so I could show a progression and run a layout in the grouping era. So things like my model of Birch Grove and Terrier 2644 are both safe. I have a SR Hornby M7 & T9 and am considering rebodying them to be a D3 and B4 respectively - but not decided for certain I have the body kits just not sure I want to modify the originals or buy replacements specifically to rebody. As for other scales, in O: I may have taken advantage of Rails of Sheffield's offer for a Stroudley 3-Set. They worked out at £59 per coach, which is only £16 more than the RRP of the Hornby Stroudley next to it - and you get a lot more model for your money!! And in N Gauge I am considering selling the lot off to pay for the O Gauge coaches. In other more related news: A 'really useful' engine helped me clean the layout and test all the track work - they layout hasn't run since December really so all the track needed a good clean and I had to repair a wire going to one of the point motors. After which the E2 here helped me find bits of track that needed a spot clean with some helpful sparks from the rails and sudden loss of movement where a dead spot was encountered. After which it was used here with the push-pull coach under construction. Some more detailing was undertaken, I bought from my favourite online market place some 3D printed Barrels and crates for a princely sum under £1.50 - including free postage! So I set about cleaning them up - there was some swarf and bits from where they were obviously attached to the print bed. The barrels came with lids - but as you can see I forced one in and it cracked the barrel so I didn't bother fitting the rest. Having painted them all up; I tried them on the goods platform and realised that the brown of the goods platform planking was the same as the barrels and crates! So out came the darker brown paint I have and I attempted my first ever dry brushing of details on and weathered down the goods platform - I deliberately left the space infront of the sliding door with less weathering to represent the fading of colour wood has when walked on quite frequently. The sliding door does open - I made sure to place the barrels etc apart so I could pose it - I also only used a few items as I thought it would look strange with lots of goods piled up outside the goods shed! You can also make out the paper interior here with the black and white bricks/tiles through the window. Sorry not much work has been undertaken, finances are being funneled towards the purchase of two Rapido LBSCR E1's (one in Goods Green, the other in Marsh Lined Black) as well as an assortment of pre-grouping wagons. I think later on this year once things have died down and things are paid for I will be looking at replacing Rusper Road with something else. I have been given full permission to use the whole length of the piano top which is five feet by just over a foot deep. Rusper Road has a floating shelf prepared for it so it can be slotted above my computer desk on its own shelf in due course. Kind Regards, Gary

With less than two weeks to go I thought I would share the layouts scheduled to attend the Ilfracombe MRS annual show on Easter Saturday 30th March. Buckfastleigh & Staverton - Our Clubs 00 Gauge Layout, measuring 17 feet by 10 feet and having a station on either side and some freelance scenery on the ends this layout is being upgraded with some new scenery a replacement control panel for Buckfastleigh as well as new point motors fitted we're planing to run this as a preservation era layout with club members stock. Ashmoor Vale - This is the O Gauge layout from the club - measuring a might 48 feet long and two feet wide, this layout is somewhere on the Devon/Somerset border and features a through station with a wharf scene and plenty of scratchbuilt buildings this can operate using DC or DCC at the same time! Thanks to some ingenious wiring under the boards. Pointless 2 - This is from out N Gauge section and is a continious run consisting of double track folded in on itself in a double figure of eight with multiple levels so you're not quite sure where your train will emerge from next! Ilfracombe - This under construction N Gauge Layout is approximately 16 feet long and is a true to prototype model. This has been shown before in an incomplete state but lots of work has been undertaken on the wiring of the layout so this year we hope to be able to run the first train into Ilfracombe for a long time! Blaendare Road - A 00 Gauge layout from Barnhill MRC; A small terminus set high above Pontypool in the late 1950's through to the 1960's. With plenty of Goods traffic and passenger workings a very atmospheric BR(W) layout. Nicton Borrud - A 00 Finescale layout from Barnstaple MRC, set somewhere in the hills of Hampshire this terminus is set in the late steam and early diesel period and features lots of area specific detail including some Southern Electric 3rd Rail EMU's. Hornby 3-Rail - From Len Watson a selection of Hornby Dublo 3-Rail showing how the hobby has changed over time and introducing some nostalgia. Shunting Puzzle - a G Scale layout where the viewer is encouraged to 'have a go' and solve the puzzle in as few moves as possible. There are no right or wrong ways to do it; just so long s you have fun with the large scale models. Hounslow Sidings - A 00 Finescale layout by Raymond Norwood. Set in the South-London Suburbs this layout is a winter scene of the station yard with plenty of shunting to be had! DCC controlled and plenty of sounds from the locomotives to make an authentic scene. Dads Army - An N Gauge layout set to the theme of the famous TV show in Walmington-on-Sea. Building in O Gauge & Display - by Eddie Michel Eddie, an IMRS member will have a table set up and be demonstrating the techniques of building brass kits in O Gauge as well as a display of some of the previous locomotive and rolling stock kits he has built. We will also have a stand from the Ilfracombe Museum as well as two traders: Marks Models of Ilfracombe and Smallworld from Barnstaple. As a Model society we will also have a small stand of second hand items which will be available to purchase; all proceds from the Ilfracombe MRS Stand will be re-used by the club for more model making activities. Out show this year is going to be held at The Landmark Theatre in Ilfracombe, post code for Satnav is EX34 9BZ or alternatively for those who use what3words to help them navigate you'll find the combination of: bulletins.postings.slowness to be of some assistance in finding the show. It is going to be held on Saturday 30th March 2024 (Easter Saturday) and run from 10am to 4pm. Kind Regards, Gary

Good Morning All, I hope eveyone is well? Firstly I should apologise that my previous efforts have come to naught. For some context it was quite difficult to get ahold of items in the post-lockdown time as supply chains were affected I wadsn't getting anywhere with my small sidings project and it was sidelined. The track was removed and the boards repurposed as initially an N Gauge Branch-Line Terminus and then latterly as a 00 Gauge Micro layout seen on this thread as Rusper Road. Its funny, the end of two sidings in 7mm is an entire terminus in N Gauge! Anyway returning back to the present, last year I dismantled and refurbished the boards for what was my previous 00 Gauge layout 'Ifield Green', in a previous house some mice had got to it while it was stored and destroyed the scenery, wiring and trackwork on one board so it was scraped clean back to bare wood and then primered into a mid grey: The layout is spread over three near identical boards with a top surface area of 3' 6" (1,066mm) by 12" (300mm) - I include the Metric on here as it was designed in Metric and I had to convert it to Imperial to assist my Grandfather who wanted to help build the boards with me. One board is the fiddleyard (at the far end) and has two end pieces and the other two nearer boards are the main scenic board. Giving me a scenic area of 7' (2,132mm) in length. As an aside these boards were built in 2013 and makes them over a decade old, the spent many years in white primer and have never warped, despite being used for a 00 Layout for many years in various garages and outbuildings: They were actually designed for a 7mm layout, which was meant to be an enlarged version of the 5' long layout Halstead: So I have two competing ideas for the new layout one of them is the original plan of Halstead: When I first started dabbling in 7mm, it was Halstead as a trackplan that drew me in - some photos here on Western Thunder So the basic idea if you can bare with me is the Tracks arrive at the top of the screen behind the Gaugemaster Box which is standing in for some sort of Goods Facility on that line. The main platform road is at the front with the open wagon sitting on and the Red Ixion Box is standing in for a station building. With a bay platform where the box van is. The other competing plan, is more unconventional for me: With two lines heading into the Fiddleyard, the Red Box is again deputising for a staton building, and a smaller siding at the front and a longer one at the back both forming the goods yard. I imagine a rather thin bridge with steps down being the entrance to the station for passengers. The Box van in the platform road is standing roughly where a set of three Stroudley Coaches would need to stop. This is good, because in a moment of weakness yesterday I ordered a set of three from Rails of Sheffield!! Looking the otherway from the bridge. In either plan I will need to buy a new point with a left hand or right-hand. The first plan would require the use of two locomotives to process all trains - and the second allows a run-around via the Fiddleyard which would probably be cassettes with setrack on. Please note the trackwork is very rough as I am only planning things out. I'd like to hear suggestions should anyone have any as I am currently undecided. One thing is certain however. I am very keen to see both my Hudswell Clarke and my Terrier stretch their wheels!! So thanks for looking from my and my crazy ramblings! Happy Modelling! Kind Regards, Gary

Good Evening All!! I hope all is well; its been a bit quiet on the update front for several reasons. The club has sadly lost a long-time member and time has been spent sorting the layouts out and organising for the show. Out show this year is going to be held at The Landmark Theatre in Ilfracombe, post code for Satnav is EX34 9BZ or alternatively for those who use what3words to help them navigate you'll find the combination of: bulletins.postings.slowness to be of some assistance in finding the show. It is going to be held on Saturday 30th March 2024 (Easter Saturday) and run from 10am to 4pm. I have attached a picture of the flyer below - those who are local may have seen these around North Devon. There will be approximately 10 Layouts on Display, including from Ilfracombe MRS: 'Ilfracombe in N' - a layout I have deliberately not photographed as it is underconstruction but will be operational for the show. 'Buckfastleigh & Staverton' - A large 00 layout with a station on each of the long sides, operated from the centre. 'Ashcombe Down' - An end-to-end O Gauge layout. I believe we have some guest layouts including one from Barnstaple MRC and some private individuals - there will be a couple of traders as well as a well-stocked secondhand stall of model items and books from the club should something be of interest. I also believe this year is the first year we will be accepting Card payments for entry and sales from Ilfracombe MRS. Now for a mini-update, be it a good idea or not - but one of the end boards of 'Buckfastleigh and Staverton' was looking decidedly bare and as foolhardy as it may seem it was decided to give it a spruce up and some alterations before the show. I have a sneak peak below of the work in progress, please excuse the messy background - I always say you need to make a mess to be creative: So from the last time it was viewed, the track has been reballasted to match the profile of the boards eitherside - a large collection of Superquick mockTudor houses has been swept away in favour of the two Victorian Semi-Detached houses seen here. The main road and lane infront of the houses has had some texture applied and planning is underway for more scenery on this section. I'm hoping by the show it will have some ground cover, the gardens be established with boundaries of hedges and fences (I am tempted to put a 009, wagon in one garden on a panel of track for tha rail enthusiast that lives there) as well as some fencing. The idea is this board will become a 'prototype' for refurbishing more of the scenery on the layout and allow all members to get stuck in and have a go. It will be interesting to see what progress has been made - but you'll have to come to the show to see for yourself!! If getting stuck in and 'having a go' sounds interesting please let me know, we meet on Friday nights at 8pm til 10pm. We have a room above the Undertakers on Wilder Road in Ilfracombe, the post code is EX34 8BL and there is a car park on the opposite side of the road to the club room and currently parking there is free after 6pm (but please check the sign yourself for confirmation). We also have a break for tea/coffee & biscuits/cake mid-way through the night. There is also an extensive library of books as well as space to work on club projects or bring your own project along for some help & advice. Feel free to drop me a message if you like - we can sort something out so its not intimidating walking into a new club alone. It might be a little hectic in the run-up to the show but we're a friendly bunch; there is always time to give something a run or get the PVA Glue or Soldering Iron out. Kind Regards, Gary

Evening All, I hope everyone is well - its been an eventful week or so; its been revealed that Rusper Road will not be attending the Ilfracombe MRS show as a reserve or spare as I don't think we can spare myself to operate it even if we're short of a visiting layout so the tempo has been reduced somewhat and I have throttled back with the work on the layout - this is helpful as I have been suffering since mid December with a severe bout of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in my dominant hand, finally got a doctors appointment next week so will be investigating further. Also on Friday, Rusper Road featured on Hornby's Feature Friday on their social media with a small blurb and some photos I provided. Today was a great day at Rusper Road the sun was shining and I took the opportunity to shuffle some bits and pieces around and indulge in the sunlight before it was overtaken by the oncoming bad weather. It was a nice change after being in the limelight and the relaxation of trying to get the layout looking good for a deadline. A1 Terrier #40 'Brighton' enters the loop at Rusper Road heading towards the freight siding. Shunting the latest brew - courtesy of Dapol and the late Hattons model shop a Harvey's Brewery wagon is providing supplies for The Plough Inn. The mundane duties of the day, the local heading towards Horsham with some passengers who have business in the small market town. I think a change of motive power might be a good idea for future posts and let Brighton have a rest. Something that I can safely say is I have secured the funding for a Rapido E1 in Goods Green to join the line-up for Rusper Road and am actively now saving for another in Umber; I am hoping to pickup a selection of pre-grouping wagons either as kits or RTR with a lofty goal to have a wagon from each pre-grouping company. Permissing has also been actively granted for a replacement for Rusper Road in future - but this time I have a space of four and a half feet by one foot, which is something like three times the area of Rusper Road. Stay Safe, Keep Modelling! Kind Regards, Gary

London Transport Panniers lasted until 1971 😉

That is very kind, I have to confess that although I consider myself reasonably articulate but I had to look up what perspicacity means. I think with the process I have in my mind I have thought and designed what I want in my head for so long that its now a matter of getting to what I can see in my minds eye. I was very tempted to put a '36' headcode on the 2-BIL. Sadly Rusper Road is too short to run a proper EMU - the non driving end of this unit is actually against the buffer stops and the Driving Trailer is still in the box. I did manage to take it to the club a few weeks back and allowed it to stretch its wheels - it looked really great gliding along. The baseboards in the Garage were built in 2013! For an enlarged copy of Halstead but I ended up putting Ifield Green on it and now its come full circle and I've decided that its going to be used for its original purpose - its going to be a slow burning project I've got some items along the way some LB&SCR pattern Buffer Stops, some laser cut 3D buildings it'll come together slowly - its track I need to buy first I'll need another point at least and maybe another yard or two of track. Fenchurch is great, I still can't get used to it in Improved Engine Green - I always remember it being in Umber, but to be fair the last time I had to opportunity to visit the Bluebell was in 2009! I'm tempted to pick up preserved locomotives, I really fancy a model of the Spa Valleys Jinty 47493. Thats a good idea Eric; I don't know if I am going to be required - I am deep down hoping that I am but I know it'll be stressful getting everything cleaned and ready to go. Yes I am thinking of congregating the churns by the station name-board as that's roughly where the doors on the luggage van are and I am going to glue some of the crates and barrels onto the wooden goods platform. You're not the only one! I often joke to my Partner 'You could fit a model railway in that!' Not just yesterday we saw some floating shelves in Home Bargains and I said I could fit Rusper Road on that and she replied perhaps I should get the shelf and put it above my computer desk and make that Rusper Roads 'home'. I've got a couple of small trees at the left-hand side, I really wanted one at the front between the platform and front of the boards but I couldn't get them to fit. I am always on the lookout for some foliage as I think it needs a bit more greenery for sure! Kind Regards, Gary

Good Evening all! I hope all is well, I realise that its been nearly a month since the last post - however I have been focusing a lot more on smaller details since the turn of the new year. My club - Ilfracombe MRS has its annual show on Easter weekend, and its been my intention to get Rusper Road up to a standard in which it could be showed if it is called upon to deputise for a layout that pulls out if needed. I have bought and been working on some 3D prints of some crates, barrels and conical milk churns: A very! close up here larger than I had intended. All three are 3D prints, the barrels and crates need to be cleaned up, painted brown and detailed/dirtied up and stacked around the goods platform. The milkchurns however have had a coat of silver paint and have been positioned around the layout: One is holding the gate open as a gatestop at the entrance to the station; as you can see I opted for the earlier 'conical' churns of the Edwardian era rather than the differently shaped later ones. If you'll excuse the background - this isn't an angle I photo from often because of where the layout is positioned - but I actually quite like the slightly gloomy lighting here it was a miserable afternoon outside and the level of lighting almost seems totally appropriate. A couple more churns (soon to be joined by a third) are positioned under the station name board - the proposed area was no-longer a massive dairy farming area in my time period so I assumed a couple of churns would suffice. You can also see the Gas Lamps and station benches - both Hornby products normally obscured by the platform fencing. I also recieved two of the newer pattern churns and decided to paint one up in silver paint and place it at the foot of the new Signal box stairs - this is to represent water that is delivered by churn to the signal box. You can also see the lamp hut near the signalbox here as well. Now for something a little different, see if you can spot the difference between the following three photos: April 2023 December 2023 Feburary 2024 Its quite interesting to see how things have developed and changed; I have a few more of these photos but the changes are so minute I didn't think it worth sharing. I also have some oddities I thought I'd share: Something Green arrived at Rusper Road - I was told it needed something called 'Electrickity'? something like this, currently we're puzzling over where the coal at water goes to service it! A small box arrived and some merriment was had with trying to fit some things in it: 4mm/00 7mm / O-16.5? 4mm / 009? If its any interest the wooden crate is made entirely of ply, it cost £6 from The Works and is 31cm x 25cm and 13cm tall - and I have it here on its side so the footprint is 31cm x 13 cm. Just something to dabble with in my mind but probably not entirely practical! And lastly something for @Northroader & @Irish Padre. I spent some time in my Garage over the past weekend tidying up the boards I have out there; tidying up the boards out there and I got some track, stock and locos out and dabbled with 7mm Pre-Grouping: It takes some imagination, but we're looking at a trackplan identical to Halstead and Winslade. The Red Ixion Box is standing in for a station building as a roughly proportioned 'lump' for want of a better term! The Gaugemaster Box in the background is representing some sort of Goods Facility that will help mask the off-scene exit behind. And for those counting the scenic boards are 7' x 1' or 2,100mm x 300mm which in 7mm/O Gauge is still well within the 'micro' category. Any excuse to get Fenchurch out and test - this represents the majority of my 7mm stock except the Ixion Hudswell Clarke and a very beat-up GWR Toad this will be a nice sized bay platform. Equally a nice-sized Goods siding, the station platform is effectively the full length of one of the boards at 3' 6" long (1,066mm) which is good as I have a 3' 6" fiddleyard seperate to the layout so will allow a nice length train for shunting purposes. But enough of that for now, further updates from Rusper Road as/when I have something. Maybe from the exhibition! Stay safe! Mines a BLT! Kind Regards, Gary

As an aside, may I ask what DCC Controller do you use? I used to have a Digitrax Zephyr but it was damaged beyond repair when my layout was housed in my old Garage by rodents - I am in the eventual market for a new one - the comments about decoders made me wonder about the controller. Fantastic photos of stock recently, I am wishing you all the best for further progress. Kind Regards, Gary

Hello All, When I built 'Bishops Park' my 8x1 Minories, I used Peco Small Radius insulfrog points throughout - and it didn't affect the running my desire here as I was planning to primarily run Multiple Units was to have the station throat reasonably compact so as to offer the maximum platform space. If I were to do it again I would make some changes - I might use medium radius points to make it flow better - but equally I think I would build it on a slightly wider board for the bottom most track to have a run-around loop and kick back into a siding or two behind the signal box, I might be tempted to also or either to insert a centre road between the two main platforms - but this is just extra padding for more interest rather than essentials. I would also be tempted to build some of the station approach 'off scene' so trains could shunt backwards to change platform and moving the fiddleyard away from the station to give some more 'running in' time. Putting the station on an 8' x 1' 6" or 2' board, a 4'x1' cutting bolted onto the end of that with two lines and a siding and then the Fiddleyard beyond that. The deeper station board to give the opportunity to add some scenery around & above the tracks (assuming its in a cutting) - I have found some photos of Bishops Park, including the station throat with those small-radius points I thought I would share: Seen from above the exit to the fiddleyard, back in 2013 all pointwork is Peco Small Radius Insulfrog you can gauge a rough distance that the pointwork takes up about two foot six inches of length as it was on foot square cork tiles, this left one and a half feet to curve the tracks into the start of the platforms before the lifting section. View from the opposite end; I definately think that on reflection the long narrowness of the platforms would be better offset by a deeper board allowing for more scenery for the town above and behind the station. I would certainly like to introduce a centre road adjacent to the Pacific and a run-around loop on the right-hand platform. Notice I never opted for a kick-back siding so the space on the top right-hand side (where the controller is) would be wasted or open ground without much scenic plan. I do think a siding or two serving a milk depot or parces depot would be a good idea and give the station pilot something else to do. The centre road could be for running-around or simply a carriage siding to hold stock until needed. This is the only photo I seem to have of stock traversing the small radius curve - it doesn't look bad to my eyes - the Bachmann EPB is a fantastic model. I've always liked the platforms were of such a length they could accept a 4-coach train + locomotive it also allowed for you to adjust things: Before building custom platforms and fixing them down I did a lot of testing using Hornby items, here I built a 'raft' and some support columns out of corregated card as a mock-up of the station building being on the location of the traditional bridge obscuring the hinges and it divided the layout up in an interesting manner - ultimately I decided the platform would go on a raft over the end of the platforms with the two main platform tracks finishing underneath in the gloom as it looked and felt more realistic. Ultimately I wish I could go back; the layout over its short couple of years existance gave some real interest as my first 'attempt' at a real railway. Maybe I should go back and attempt it again with the adjustments I have mentioned already and make the 'ultimate' Bishops Park of my imagination... I will leave you with one last photo, its not fantastic quality, its taken over a decade ago - but I think it instills the ideas and direction I was going in with this minories project of yore. A solitary 2-EPB sits ticking over in platform 2 at Bishops Park - its lights illuminating the platform and the newly constructed retaining wall of corregated cardboard... not a passenger is in sight, no staff, no station lighting. Just the rather warm glow from the units own lighting. I hope my ramblings and ancient photos weren't too boring! Kind Regards, Gary

To be fair... I am pretty tactless 😁 But when the supplier cannot get the basic shade of livery right on an initial release (Black instead of Crimson Lake) then I also like to question them - and my email about the livery of the IoWCR Terrier went unanswered sadly; but at least they listened to someone and changed it. Although I don't think its bright enough myself for a Lake colour. Will I order it...? I'm not sure, I used to collect Pokemon cards and the desire to 'Catch them all' is strong especially as it is the only example I am aware of in a red base livery. What puts me off quite a bit is the price point at almost £150 RRP which is significantly higher than the original release RRP without any real difference in details added to make it unique (aside from livery), effectively what we have here is a recoloured R3781 Rolvenden. Perhaps I am being too critical - I understand that things cost more for raw materials it just feels like the Isle of Wight Central livery was just a follow on to the A1x train pack done on the cheap before it was pointed out the livery was wrong. I also love how the boiler join above the splasher has been airbrushed out on the provided image from Hornby: I'll have to reserve judgement I think. If it had been an LBSC livery I think I would have been a 'must have' especially as no-one has made an A1x in Umber correctly and that would fill a nice niche historically. But this will probably be the only Red Terrier we ever see. Kind Regards, Gary

Thank you Ben, I am finding that smaller changes are definately focusing my views on getting outstanding jobs finished. A job that has been bugging me for about nine months has been the station office, I just initially covered it in some whitewash paint to hide the horrid yellow plastic of the Hornby R500 Shelter: Its very roughly painted, but there is currently no interior lighting and having checked - you cannot actually see much of the inside apart from the stove against the much lighter walls. The floor has had a coat of very dark, brown - almost black to the naked eye - I was anticipating this representing some sort of Linoleum, the stove and chimney I have painted black - and where it passes through the roof of the building I've painted some silver to represent lead flashing. The walls I've just painted an Ochre colour in honour of Mr Stroudley and for the desk I was attempting to represent (not that you can see it) one of those old Victorian Walnut desks with the green leather pad - secretly I just wanted to see what this Orc green looked like! Sadly, with the back of the building facing outwards - you cannot really see inside at all! But at least I know there is a representation of some detail there - I can always go back and refine it later on down the line. Another task I have started is working on the signalbox, so over the Christmas period I recieved a Bachmann 44-182G Withyham Signal box like the one at Sheffield Park - you can see this on my Christmas day post - I also got a lamp hut and shack building. In keeping with normal railway practice I placed the Lamp Hut near the signalbox but away from the station and other buildings in case of a conflaguration. This is more or less the configuration I am looking at; some changes are going to occur - firstly the Signalbox will be repainted into LBSCR Colours (see next photo) and it will move, so it s tight up against the boards at the foot of the platform. I will also trim the hedge back and bring the back of the box much closer to the edge of the board and I will then replace board crossing duck boards infront of the signalbox - the space between the box and the lamp hut will have a bracket signal for the starter. You can make out the gap where the existing signalbox was located where there is no scatter - once I've settled everything in-place and its set I feel like I need to hoover the excess scatter up as its gone everywhere!! You can also see the Station Lamps and new Benches for the platform - there is a set on either side of the station building glued down, and the station sign is also glued down and onto the fence. I should stress the signal box is halfway through a repaint, I was too tired to finish hence the green is still in need of covering up/touching up. Stay safe, mines a BLT. Kind Regards, Gary

@Edwardian what is your opinion of the two models? Personally I went for the Dapol SECR version the livery just looked better applied and detailed, I have compared Dapols Brighton and Hornby's Leadenhall previously: The front of the cab with its machine-gunned aesthetic doesn't do much for me on the Hornby versions of the Terrier - although saying that I might look at the front of Carisbrooke as thats an A1x and compare to Dapols 2644. The boiler join line on the Hornby model is also particuarly glaring once you know its there you cannot unsee it! I'm also not sure if the Improved Engine Green are two different shades or if subtle differences like the darker Hornby shaded letters, lack of bright hand rails, and less pronnouced white on the lining are making the Hornby version look darker in colour. Hornby's wheels certainly dont look the right colour compared to the bodywork or the Dapol model. Kind Regards, Gary

Welcome to Rusper Road!!! Terrier #40 "Brighton" is sitting at the buffer stops simmering away having arrived with the local service. So I mentioned previously that I was painting up some station signage, well hand-in-hand with that I have also been working on some fencing for the station as well. I know concerns were raised previously about the safety of my platform for my passengers. I am keen to avoid litigation and have provided the requisite platform fencing - this photo here is through the open gate onto the platform. I am toying with painting the second sign and positioning it thusly to act as a welcome sign of sorts to the station for the passengers - the fence is a 3D print from an eBay seller and the signs themselves came from an eBay seller and were painted up into my LBSCR colour scheme I have researched. Previously in April 2023, the area looked like this: So as I've said before I am now moving towards more fine details which I think will make less of an impact overall compared to Ballasting or building the hills - however you do get the opportunity to get some great photos: You do suddenly start getting these photogenic angles and shots to take advantage of - lets face it we all like to arrive at the station and find our train patiently waiting for us!! Although not my photo this is a fantastic period poster from the LBSCR using the same type of coaches as shown above - anyone fancy an excursion to Brighton? Any takers? I've still got some more work to-do, so I hope you have enjoyed your brief visit here to Rusper Road - I will be continuing to work on the safety of the platform; I need to add some drainage for the water crane which is awaiting cleaning up and installing; I also have a much nicer job of installing some Poster Boards from Sankey and period advertisements as well so the next time you visit it may not look quite as 'uniform' as it does now. "Rightaway Guard" I'll see you next time here at Rusper Road, stay safe and as always mines a BLT! Kind Regards, Gary

I have a folder on my Dropbox for inspiration, Halstead and Winslade are in there with lots of photos - it's a good looking layout!! I'm going to have to go to the garage later and have a size up. I love that G6! Kind Regards, Gary

Lyddlow Goods was a heavy inspiration for the end of sidings good yard the boards I used weren't long enough or deep enough really. Halstead is what I am thinking of doing on the larger boards. Kind Regards, Gary

I wouldn't get too excited, the problem with the boards that Rusper Road sits on is they are only 200mm (8 inches) wide - if th deeper board had been available at 300mm wide (12 inches) I would've selected that. I have two conflicting plans for O Gauge, a 900x300 (3 feet by 1 foot) very small plan consisting of siding ends - effectively duplicating what I tried before, or a 2,100mm x 300mm (7 feet by 1 foot) very small station, bay road and sliding similar to Halstead which I believe was the flagship O Gauge micro for a while. I could use two Y points and have a Fiddleyard board so would have more space to work with. Or I could use the 7 foot boards for a larger 00 gauge micro. Equally I have a plan in 00 that will fit on the 3 foot boards too! Too many decisions to make and model and not enough time or money to satisfy everything. Kind Regards, Gary

Thats very kind words Steve - This project really started in Lockdown and was in danger of killing itself off more than once. I am fairly impressed (if I say so myself) that I have completed it to the standard it is so far, and I am still tweaking it to get it to a more finished state - the only downside is from where I am sitting now all the projects I have are minor ones so there wont be sweeping changes like when I built the hills or ballasted the track. You will get there, I'd suggest (and I am in no position to offer advice really) is just go for it; I was admiring all these pre-grouping layouts and thinking "I'll never make one like that" and eventually one day I just decided so have a go; I took stock of what I had, came up with a plan and just ploughed head-long into it. Its by no means perfect, I've had the track up several times, the platform has been replaced with a better one, my footbridge was too small for anything to pass through it! All of these challenges have been overcome and I have to my own eyes a nice looking micro layout with the Pre-Grouping theme I wanted and have researched for years. If others don't like it thats on them and they can scroll past, don't be disheartened I'd say have a good crack at it and if there are problems - reachout, others have most likely had the same or similar issues and can offer advice. The smaller changes left to make on Rusper Road are something I am looking forwards to, the limited budget means it is very slow burning - but here is something for you all to whet your tastebuds on: The current project is working on the station and platform finishings, please excuse the close-up image it looks a lot better in person. But here is a custom running board I have had created in the LBSCR 'Mid-Sussex' style, and I have painted it in the style of Sheffield Park from the Bluebell Railway I think I need to go over the white a little more and get some of the maroon on a cock-tail stick or needlepoint and touch up but I am fairly impressed with my painting. Here is another throwback for you, the boards Rusper Road currently uses had an N Gauge layout on previously that didn't develop - however before that it also held an O Gauge micro as well and I have a couple of photos here: This scene was literally the very end of two sidings dominated by this warehouse style building. I really quite liked it - the problem I had was this was the very first iteration in 2020 and I struggled to get my hands on materials to progress this layout further - which is why I ended up trying both N and returning to 00 beause I had vast quantities of these items already to hand and wasn't relying on the overstretched and disrupted supplychain for modelling. Its quite interesting how things have developed when you look at them closely. I do have an idea for an O Gauge Micro; I am going to let my Guild membership lapse however as I haven't really done anything with it in favour of the Brighton Circle and maybe the N Gauge Society as I still have an idea for an N Gauge layout and you need to be a member of that society to be able to purchase from them. Who knows what the future brings. Kind Regards, Gary

Its hard to tell. I am modelling the LBSCR and am fortunate that there are some accounts for Sheffield Park from the turn of the nineteenth to the twentieth century. For a secondary rural line, approximately 90-95% of the traffic was native carried in native wagons and vans (mainly wagons). When you place your line in the real world, where does it go? If its a secondary mainline connecting to other companies - you'll see a higher proportion of their stock as well as your own. When you have your plan and how it locates with other lines that will give you more of an idea of stock levels. Could two companies have an access agreement - could you see L&Y stock as well as GCR; the possibilities are endless. As a rough rule of thumb I'd start at 75% native and work from there. If you have a real life line as inspiration, try and see if there are any photos of freight and mimic it. Or if you could get information from a society. Kind Regards, Gary

I just wanted to wish you all a Happy New Year from here at Rusper Road! 12 Months ago Rusper Road didn't exist; and here it is now and part of that is the support and advice you guys have offered over the past year - so I want you all to have a Happy New Year. You are all appriciated, stay safe, have fun and be merry. Here is to 2024! 🍻 🎉 Please enjoy this last photo from 2023. Kind Regards, Gary

Frustratingly I cannot find a clear trackplan for Croydon Central. It is closed by the earliest 25 inch map on the NLS website, and the 6 inch map looks like it shows two side platforms each with a run-around loop but no other details. Could you suggest anywhere else I could look for a trackplan? Kind Regards, Gary

@burgundy@Edwardian Central Croydon is something I had looked at before but I don't think I could make it fit in 7' by 1' - I'll have a look later today it's one of those situations I wish my boards were slightly deeper and slightly longer! I was researching minories and I stumbled upon this post from @Pacific231G with a fantastic picture of a pre-war O Gauge layout from E.A Beet - it was quite inspirational and I took to AnyRail without even making a cup of tea!! ☕ @Nearholmer I really like your O Gauge set-up, it's nice to know the track plan works - I'll take that idea on board the topmost platform being a carriage siding against the wall with just access for cleaners. it might also make more sense to remove it and free up more depth for scenery resulting in just a two platform station. I also managed to squeeze this plan down into a mere 90cm x 30cm in N Gauge as well (with shorter 3-Coach trains max) which was my original planning for a micro layout. Kind Regards, Gary

So During the festive season I have unexpectedly come back to this idea I had previously of Minories on my 7'x1' boards formerly occupied by Ifield Green - it took my a while to find this post and come back with my random jottings down to make things coherent. So within the same space as before, however now divided up into neat 100mm x 100mm squares my ideas were thinking of an urban terminus, along the lines of Minories but less grand maybe a suburban terminus for example, the advantage here is that the entire plan is drawn using Medium Radius pointwork so could be substututed for the new Peco Bullhead Rail within the same space. I could also substitute the small radius points and free up some more length - but I don't think it would be an more beneficial. At least Medium Radius points have better running characteristics. I could swap the second point in from the left for a three-way, which would preclude the use of bullhead track but would remove three points consecutively and possibly allow a smoother curve into the topmost platform. I'm not sure how else it would benefit me. The idea would be that the lowest platform with the run-around loop would be the principle arrivals platform - trains with locomotives short enough to fit in the 160mm long headshunt could push back and run-around themselves without need of the station pilot. All platforms would have isolated sections (not shown here but marked out on the plan) at least 260mm long to isolate an incoming locomotive. The pilot could remove the coaches to another platform allowing the incoming locomotive to be serviced (if needed) or to shunt to the opposite end of the train for departure. Alterntively the pilot could remove the coaches from one platform to another and return to its own siding, allowing a loco from the servicing siding to attach to the outbound train and the inbound locomotive could be serviced. Or in a true minories fashion, the inbound locomotive would have to wait for the locomotive from the servicing siding to couple up to depart. Once released the inbound locomotive would be serviced and the pattern repeated. Personally I quite like the idea of having a station pilot myself scuttling about moving coaches. I have included an end-loading dock at the end of the pilot platform for some extra variety - the loco refueling siding could be some sort of goods siding instead with locomotives not being serviced and being relased and departing or serviced off-scene. And equally parcels traffic could be handled at any of the platforms. The island platform I make to be about a scale 14' wide so might be a little narrow. The backscene could be low-relief station buildings like parcels offices etc - you could have a partial overall roof potentially to make the scene a little more 'grander' I'm thinking a retaining wall behind the signal box and perhaps an overbridge masking the off-scene exit complete with a horse Omnibus or perhaps an early motor bus for the ironic modelling trope. Thoughts? Kind Regards, Gary