Mikkel

Well this page raises the bar even further! Some great effects with light and speed - thanks for all the inspiration.

An empty Cl.444, heading for Bournemouth Depot, rushes through Christchurch as the clock approaches midnight.

Lots of great photos here, but this one seems special to me. Lots of interesting lines and shadows - and the sense of late night set off against the coloured streak from another world! Quite brilliant, I think.

Tripped over this bit of disused narrow gauge track not far from my back door....

 

Whoa!

Hi Jules. Very nice interior additions.

I've never actually seen the Castle Cary kit unbuilt in the flesh, but these shots give a good impression. Thanks for sharing!

beeman, I assume you are referring to this post (edit: OK, Jamie beat me to it ):

http://www.rmweb.co....dpost__p__88907

Some discussion on the Hornby and Heljan turntables here:

http://www.rmweb.co....dpost__p__87287

As for the Metalsmiths range mentioned above, here's some additional info from a recent thread:

http://www.rmweb.co....post__p__158641

Fantastic, you couldn't make it up. Either this couple seriously need to liven up their marriage, or they just really like watching trains

Quite apart from that, this is a great looking layout. I never get tired of watching china clay trains! Thanks for sharing.

At the risk of repeating myself, here's another in the series of "Postcards from Farthing".

Many thanks Marc and Dave. Don't think I've got any of those MRJ issues but will look out for them, and will also see what a web search brings up.

Tide going in and out, eh? Sounds fantastic!

I once saw a Dave Rowe layout with actual flying birds......fab!

This I've got to see - any chance it's in a mag that I could find? I assume they were not actual flying birds though

And what a great shot Marc, with some superb modelling. I really like the van in the foreground - excellent.

From memory, Cirencester and Ashburton are two places that show this feature.

A belated thanks for this Jules, looking at various prototype photos I can see it was commonplace (though there appear to be exceptions where there was no track infill). That's the great thing about this hobby, there's something new to discover every day

Looking forward to more pictures of progress on Mayshill.

Great stuff, Flood. The strategic positioning of the hoses is brilliant, exactly the kind of thing that makes it look real.

Hi Jules, great to see some progress on this. I know what you mean about shunting wagons around, I can spend hours like that

The filled-in track by the cattle dock, I've not actually noticed this on the prototype before, but I can see why it would be there. Do you happen to know any locations where it was used as I'd be interested to see if I can dig out some photos?

Nice to see this thread thriving . A few shots here from Farthing, inspired by recently ploughing through a number of volumes on Edwardian railways. As usual it's "pragmatic OO", with figures modified to suit the period (for captions see blog).

Those casettes look beautiful Jules :icon_thumbsup2:

I can see what you mean about making sure they're not too narrow, that's something to keep in mind for me too, thanks for sharing the experience.

Good to see an update on Granby John. It's looking good and if you hadn't told us about the point motor shed - err, sorry the Scammel garage - I'd never have found it the least bit odd.

I really like the footbridge and the clutter beneath it. Thanks also for teaching me a new word - smoke baffles - I never knew that was their name. I assume you are happy with the Tortoises? I'd like to go that way too.

Jules, no need to apologize for modelling a GWR BLT, instead congratualte yourself that you are at the cutting edge of the GWR's return to fashion .

Do you have any particular plans for how the casettes will be fashioned? I'm thinking along similar lines and on the lookout for ideas for something simple and straighforward.

Hi John, thanks for sharing these photos. I like the way you have composed the different elements of this station, some interesting viewblocks and the three different levels (yard, station and terraces) makes it seem like a lof of layout in what must be a raltively narrow space.

Can't wait to see the automated shunting in the bay!

Thanks gwrrob..... Mmmm, so that means 300 sheets when her indoors adds an equally innexpensive coat.

Well you could always argue that a City of Truro is a basic household necessity, whereas who needs a coat in winter?

Me I'm a bit stretched for funds, but am debating with myself whether the kids really do need christmas presents this year .

Having another detailed pregrouping model on the market is great news. The fact that it is GWR is even better .

Personally I wouldn't worry too much about the buffer beam numbers, although they were only introduced in general in 1907 after the red livery was abandoned (Slinn's GW Way does in fact mention that a few locos carried buffer beam numerals already from 1900, although he doesn't state which ones). A bit of paint should fix it soon enough though.

All the lamps are Mikes......The yard lamps, the street lamps on the terrace and the shops and I am just fixing som station lamps on the branch. I was lucky enough to buy a job lot from a dealer here in Vancouver!

Thanks for that. That does sound like good luck, you could have made a killing on ebay with those - but much better of course to put them to good use instead . Ok so I'll add those lamps to the list (I have an old Mikes Models catalogue but it seems that some of their GWR lamp types are not in it).

Anyway, back on topic - Mikkel, you have traumatised me with the news the Mikes Models are no more. I also had that very yard crane on my first layout, also one of their water cranes and probably several other bits I can't even remember. I thought the range was excellent, it would indeed be good if Holt were to reintroduce it.

Well they told me some years ago that they had bought the range but couldn't find someone who could do the actual work to produce them. Then suddenly not too long ago a few selected kits started being available on their website again, see:

http://www.holtmodel...hp?search=mikes

- but it would be good to know what their plans are for the rest of the range.

John I hope we're not hijacking your thread here!

Indeed it does look like the old D&S kit. However, it has been available from ABS for some time now (I am fairly sure it is the same kit). ABS produce two versions, one in the original pre-diagram form with simple 4-shoe pushrod brakes, and one in the rebuilt AA16 form with clasp brakes and self-contained buffers. They were mentioned recently in another thread and, as I have one of each, I'll be adding them to my blog in the near future.

Thanks for that Nick - happy to know that. I guess D&S sold off their whitemetal kits?

John, I wonder if the lamp in this photo is also from Mikes Models? There were several different types available, and I am trying to figure out which ones exactly. Many thanks!

Most definitely not an expert, John (but we are fortunate in having some real ones here on RMweb . Perhaps they can add to the info below.).

According to "GWR Goods Wagons" by Atkins, Beard and Tourret, the AA16 12ton diagram of 1919 consisted of older 10ton vans that were upgraded, as a result of shortages of light brakevans at that time. The date of introduction of the original vans is given variously as 1882 (main text) and 1886 (list at front of book). Apparently a few survived until 1951.

The construction notes from my version of the kit gives the date of original introduction as 1886, and say that the majority lasted until the mid-1930s, with a few lasting longer in departmental use (presumably the 1951 ones mentioned above). There is a photo of one working as a tool van in the Atkins et al book.

I'm sure there are other sources giving details of these brake vans. But based on this info, perhaps strictly speaking by 1947 the survivors would have consisted mainly of a few departmental vans rather than on branch pickups. But perhaps there was one or two still about in general traffic, and I don't think it's something anyone would worry too much about .

Hello John, I've been following your thread for a while, I really enjoy the grand scale of things here. You ought to get a hefty discount on Metcalfe kits with that amazing row of terraced houses .

I think the brakevan is indeed a D&S kit, of the AA16 diagram. As you say a nice change to the RTR ones that tend to dominate GWR layouts. But now sadly out of production with the demise of the D&S range. I really hope someone is picking up that range. I also share your like for the cranes from the Mikes models series (another discontinued item, I hope Holt Model Railways will reintroduce it).

Looking forward to more of this, I have never had a large layout such as this (other than wild plans that never materialized!) but can certainly see the attraction.

Hi Rovex,

I would agree with Stu that this one is going to take a lot of dedication to get reasonably good - it is especially the whole front section that is seriously off, as Stu mentions. But then, that may be just the challenge you are looking for!

If you go for the Star instead, you might be interested in this thread on Rmweb3, which includes improvements on the approach taken in the gwr.og.uk article:

http://www.rmweb.co....tar+from+castle