Thorness

Doesn't the bottom of the tank need to be higher than the top of the water crane? This https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/misc/misc_equip193.htm#watercrane would suggest that 11' might not be enough.

Vintage footage of action at Norwood Sidings.

I think there should be a short stub to "catch" any locos that overshoot the turntable slightly but I'm not sure space for a wagon would be appropriate. Cheers Don

Awaiting delivery: Norwood Sidings by Thorness, on Flickr Norwood Sidings by Thorness, on Flickr P1030184 by Thorness, on Flickr

A few details added to the dockside. A close up look at the Sprat & Winkle couplings in action:

The fact the Scalescenes boxfile set included a barge and that the blockwork at the front makes it look a bit like a dock edge has convinced me to create a canal foreground (or is that forescene?) which, hopefully, will disguise the shelving when taking photos. Norwood Sidings by Thorness, on Flickr Probably the most significant change is the replacement of the traditional tension lock couplings with Sprat & Winkle couplings. Norwood Sidings by Thorness, on Flickr Norwood Sidings by Thorness, on Flickr I found these easier than I expected and can now play trains completely "hands off". It is nice to be able to leave wagons wherever you want ,not just where the uncoupler happens to be. Only one magnet is needed for the layout, between the points on the left in this pic: Norwood Sidings by Thorness, on Flickr and as you can see I've added some nice murky water to the canal Norwood Sidings by Thorness, on Flickr That's up to date for now. There are loads of things still to be sorted, I've got some mooring bollards almost ready to stick on but one serious deficiency is people! Norwood Sidings by Thorness, on Flickr Norwood Sidings by Thorness, on Flickr Cheers Don

I started this off using tension lock couplings as obviously they were on the locos and stock that I acquired. I liked the idea of remote uncoupling and tried the Brian Kirby modification to the couplings but couldn't get them to work reliably. I think part of the problem was that the wagons were too free rolling with short trains so at slow speed there was not enough tension to lock them and they frequently uncoupled when passing over the magnets. The first wagons I bought were second hand from a local model shop and being older models they had the bigger type of tension locks - ugly but at least they work reliably. The new stock has NEM tension locks and I have to say I am not impressed, they may not look quite as bad and work well once coupled but coupling up seems to be very haphazard, even on straight track the hooks seem to do there best to avoid the loop on the adjacent wagon. Initially I persevered with tension locks and made some manual uncouplers for each siding. Norwood Sidings by Thorness, on Flickr After much experimentation I finally settled on an arrangement for the buildings: Norwood Sidings by Thorness, on Flickr These are mostly Scalescenes with some from Wordsworth Model railways (http://www.wordsworthmodelrailway.co.uk/index.html) Norwood Sidings by Thorness, on Flickr I decided the ugly timberwork below ground level needed to go so that has been hidden behind some block work: Norwood Sidings by Thorness, on Flickr Norwood Sidings by Thorness, on Flickr Norwood Sidings by Thorness, on Flickr Lack of forward planning on my part meant that there were no isolating sections at the end of any of the sidings but rather than add extra wiring from the board to the control box I have have cut the track and fitted small reed switches across the join. These are activated by small magnets hidden in stacks of timber. Norwood sidings by Thorness, on Flickr Norwood sidings by Thorness, on Flickr Norwood sidings by Thorness, on Flickr Cheers Don

I have been modelling narrow gauge for several years but the lovely Hornby Pecketts have seduced me back to 00. In March having bought the locos and several wagons I started to build somewhere to use them so Norwood Sidings came into existence. This is basically an Inglenook plan with an exit to a long fiddle stick. The sidings board is 4ft x 9 inches using DC power and motorised points (a first for me!). The approximate plan: Norwood Sidings by Thorness, on Flickr it is not quite right as I have used flexi-track not setrack. The live frog points and the LEDs for the control box seem to have resulted in a lot of wires for such a small set up. I think there are about fifteen wires in the umbilical cord connecting the layout to the control box. Norwood Sidings by Thorness, on Flickr Norwood Sidings by Thorness, on Flickr It all looks so much better when it is the right way up! Norwood Sidings by Thorness, on Flickr Norwood Sidings by Thorness, on Flickr Progress has been slow since the initial burst. The industrial setting has given me an excuse to go for an inlaid track approach and I'm sure lots people will recognise the several of the Scalescenes buildings that I've used. Norwood Sidings by Thorness, on Flickr Laying all the track before I'd decided on the buildings did mean I had to do some slight track adjustments to get enough clearance for both tracks to get through the end building. More to follow. Cheers Don

Looks good. I wouldn't worry about the bit of red on the window frame, it looks like some of the red lead primer showing through. Cheers Don

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In the warehouse I worked in until quite recently we always covered the top of pallets with the wrap to help prevent items being pilfered.! These were not done by a machine. Don

One of these maybe: https://railsofsheffield.com/collections/oo-gauge-wagons-freight/products/Dapol-4f-021-020-box-van-lms-611428-weathered but then it could be one of these: https://railsofsheffield.com/collections/oo-gauge-wagons-freight/products/box-van-sr-44625 Difficult to see the difference apart from the livery.

I know nothing about how the chains were actually placed but I would have thought the loose chain hanging down from the valve would be very prone to blowing about dangerously in a strong wind.

It gets a bit awkward at number 15!

I don't think Brian Monaghan would publish a picture of his saying Aerofilms at the bottom!

It was so long ago I can't remember any details and to be honest until I saw the title and pics at the start of this thread I had forgotten where they were taken! The same trip took us to Stuart Street Power Station in Manchester and a site in Stalybridge that had a fireless loco. I've noticed the date is wrong it should be 1970!

Here are a couple of picture from Kearsley taken in early 1970: Taken on a visit with the Wirral Railway Circle. Cheers Don

Thrubwell Hall Estate Railway 1/24th scale running on 16.5 mm track. Inspired by the Eaton Hall Railway. Cheers Don

It all began with an iPhone. March was when our son celebrated his 17th birthday, and we got him an iPhone. He just loved it. Who wouldn't? I celebrated my birthday in July, and my wife made me very happy when she bought me an iPad. Our daughter's birthday was in August so we got her an iPod Touch. My wife celebrated her birthday in September so I got her an iRon. It was around then that the fight started... I explained that the iRon can be integrated into the home network with the iWash, iCook and iClean. (This inevitably activates the iNag reminder service.) I should be out of the hospital next week.

The IRS published a small book (52 pages) "The Snailbeach District Railways" by Eric S Tonks. Originally a private publication in 1950, the IRS revised and enlarged edition published 1974. I have no idea if it is still available but the ISBN number is 0 901096 17 2. Cheers Don

This picture was taken in 1976. Obviously some repairs and undergrowth clearing since then! Cheers