nickwood

Hi MIB Many thanks for having the patience to trawl through the ramblings. You are lucky you found it here, on another forum it runs right back to the beginnings and runs to over 25 pages

Just had a call from Kernow MRC to say my GWR version is in the post. Just in time to change the couplings, a spot of weathering and get it run in ready for Much Murkle's next outing at Newbury Exhibition on the 8th February. Yippee!!

I can't believe that I haven't posted anything since October Much Murkle will be at the Newbury MRC exhibition on Saturday 8th February. Details here http://www.newburymrc.co.uk/common/home.htm Please say hello if you are coming along. I haven't made any changes to prevent prodding fingers as happened at the last outing at Cradley Heath. On reflection I will see what happens this time and if it is still a problem then I will have to do something about it. I do have a team of more experienced operators this time so it is not so likely that anyone will be able to touch without getting noticed. I'm also intending to spend most of my time at the front of house talking to the visitors I have replaced the damaged signal in readiness with a Dapol motorised version. Cheers

Yes I am quite flattered by it and quite fancy a go on it myself but I don't have Trainz. Hello John, good to see you back around. Pete gave a hand in the morning but had problems getting used to the DC controller. I had to sack him in the end Hopefully I'll get some time to catch up on Granby soon.

For a bit of a laugh I put Much Murkle into Google tonight just to see what came up. I was surprised to find that it now features on the layouts section of gwr.org (linked to this thread) that I wasn't aware of, but this surprised me even more Trainz Someone has gone to the length of replicating the layout for simulator use. It's all there but the buildings look different.

I may have done if I'd seen him do it. It happened while I was away from the layout. My wife who was on operating on her own saw him do it and he disappeared before she could think of what to say. Despite having notices asking people not to touch, it is amazing how many people think it is acceptable to use the edge of the layout to steady their forearms whilst taking photos, or have to touch something to be able to ask a question about it. I had many great conversations and interesting comments with people but also seemed to spend a similar amount of time politely telling others to keep there bodily parts to themselves.

..... and what a great time we had Frank. I think there was always someone in front of the layout watching all day long and I had lots of positive comments and three more show invites. Much Murkle ran almost faultlessly all day, the only issues were some couplings that got knocked slightly out of alignment on the journey but once the stock was removed from the layout and the couplings tweaked all was well there. The layout usually resides in an unheated garage and a few of the cassettes were a bit tight in the cassette / layout interface probably due to the heat in the hall. An over enthusiastic punter prodding a signal and breaking the arm off was the only negative for me, but as I have the signals earmarked for replacement anyway it's no big deal. I'm looking forward to the next outing which will be at Newbury on February 8th.

I joined Andover MRC earlier this year, just at the right time it seems as thoughts were turning to a new ehibition layout. After a few months of thought and budgetting, myself and a few other members have been given the go ahead and funding to build a new exhibition layout. The criteria we had to work within was; The layout had to be interesting for both operators and public plenty of movement Suitable for members stock to be used Suitable for any era between 1930 and 1980 Track layout to be finescale with an interesting but fairly simple layout. Facility for auto uncoupling Should be transportable in a single domestic sized vehicle. Switchable between DC and DCC Have a plausible industry to provide most of the traffic. Scenery at front to be below rail height rising all along the layout to the rear. In order to meet criteria 1 and 2 we would need have plenty of variety with some shunting thrown in. Various alternative configurations were considered, roundy roundy, end to fiddle yard, fiddle yard to fiddle yard etc. To meet criteria 3 means the layout had to be either 0 or 00 gauge. The club already has two exhibiltion standard 0 gauge layouts so it was going to be 00. To meet criteria 4 we would have to carefully consider how to deal with regional indentification. We want to avoid setting the geographic location in a very specific area. Most members have western region stock but we do not want eastern region or others to look out of place. Criteria 5 will be met by using C+L 00 code 75 flexi track and building the pointwork by using their components. Criteria 6 is easily catered for by use of strategically placed electromagnets We liked the idea of through running but a roundy roundy was ruled out as being too big to meet criteria 7. We finally settled on a scenic section with sector plates at either end serving plug in cassettes behind the scenic section. Criteria 8 is fairly strightforward but an essential requirement to meet criteria 3 Criteria 9 was met by an off-scene quarry and an on-scene lime works. To further meet criteria 1 and 2 on scene working will be loaded wagons being brought from the quarry into a set of exchange sidings and empties returned, supplemented by gunpowder and other supplies being brought in by rail. Loaded lime wagons going out with empties returned and a cross country passenger service passing a small isolated station. To meet Criteria 10 It is anticipated that the scene will be a fairly isolated country setting with the railway cut into the hillside, hinting at the suitability of the area for quarry workings. The track plan has been drawn up by one of the team members (and changed a number of times) using Templot. He printed it full size so that we could test operation by playing trains with it rolled out on the floor. After a number of changes we now think we've got a workable track layout. I don't have a plan to show you yet as I don't have a copy of the file but I'll post it up as soon as I can. The next step is to make a card mock up to see if the scenics we have in mind will work. Don't expect frequent updates as club work doesn't always achieve instant results but it should be an interesting project.

You've come a long way in the three years since you started Jon and I like the way that you are incorporating your initial work. Excellent stuff.

John / Doug, sorry for the delay in responding but I've been attending to the other locos. Many thanks for the helpful comments and I've just added a hint of oily grot on the coupling rods and connectors. This week is devoted to getting Much Murkle ready for the Cradley heath exhibition this satyrday. I've had a thorough check of everything, a good clean up and testing session. Fingers crossed everything will perform well on the day including me!

Thank you very much everyone for the likes. As this is my first foray into weathering locos I am hoping for a bit of feedback to see if I have overdone things, not done enough or got it about right. Would I be better off using a seperate thread to do this?

Thank you for all the likes and it obviously made a few of you smile Since the last post I have had a 3 week holiday in the States and a busy time with work since getting back a couple of weeks ago. It's been so long now that I've forgotten how Henry's dilema ended, so lets just say it was inevita-bull that he got aboard and returned home. I have my first exhibition looming at Cradley Heath on the 19th October, hopefully there are going to be a few RMwebbers come along, please say hello. There are a few minor bits and pieces that need attention on the layout beforehand but the major task I have set myself for the next three weeks though is to get all of the locos weathered, fitted with crew, lamps, fire irons as well as renumbered. I went to Pendon on a weathering masterclass last saturday led by Tim Shackleton who does the weathering DVD's for the Right Track series. I learnt a lot and have made a start. I can't really take photos during the course of doing it but I will show you the results as they get finished. The first is a very familiar loco on MM my favourite early Bachmann Pannier. Here it is un-weathered on the layout A lot of people seem to think that all GWR engines were kept clean by their crews. Whilst this may be so, steam engines operated in filthy environments and would never have been the sparkling examples that we see now on preserved lines. Crews might have run an oily rag over the tank and cab sides but would have been unlikely to do the same on the tank and boiler tops or underframe. Enevitably the dirt would become engrained even in those areas wiped down. I wanted the look of a hard working but reasonably well looked after engine engaged on goods duties. Here's the result so far. The numbers and the lamp have been added since weathering and need to be toned down a bit still. In my view it still needs a touch more light brown (brake dust) around the brake hangers and some oily black depsoits around the coupling rod connectors. Oh and ...Oops I've just noticed that I have forgotten to change the number on the buffer beams

Ditto. I now know what my next job is !!

I'm going to be away for a few weeks and won't be able to look in much so I thought I'd leave you with a little story..... It's the middle of a beautiful Tuesday morning at Much Murkle. Local farmer, Clarence Fencott's is returning a prize Herefordshire bull that he's borrrowed from another herd in Ledbury. Henry (that's the bull's name) is taking a drink while he waits in the cattle dock for his transport. Meanwhile, his lady friends are wondering if he'll be like many males and disappear for good having had his wicked way with them all. Their thoughts are disturbed as the 10.51 from Hereford coasts along the branch into Much Murkle station confines Could that be Henry's transport coupled behind? The train draws to a halt at Much Murkle station where Jack and Marjorie are once again found chatting away. The village gossips tongues will be wagging if they continue to be seen together so often. The Prairie shunts the horse box to the cattle dock where Henry looks at with distain. Hmmm, thinks Henry, they could at least have brought a Luxury Beetle Cattle Wagon to take me home, are they seriously expecting me to get into that cramped, smelly horse box. Will Henry be sensi-bull and get aboard? or will he be horri-bull and refuse? could there be terri-bull consequences? or is it just a laugha-bull situation? To be continued........... when I get back

I've just come across your thread and read it through from the begininning. You obviously enjoy building the structures and setting the scenes and it shows. You have a great layout in the making, please keep showing us your progress.

I can't believe it is so long since I last posted John, I decided to take your advice and remove the DG couplings on the loco and coach. I fashioned a piece of bent wire for a new coupling and the results can be seen below. A big improvement in looks even though it now means that they must be used as a running pair. The photos do show up that I haven't refixed the roof on the Autocoach properly 🤫

Thank you all for the contributions. John, good to hear from you and you are quite right, if the 48xx was going to spend all of its time coupled to the autocoach then it would not need to have the DG's fitted. I would like to be able to use it for other duties ocassionally if possible but if I can't find a better solution to the fixings for the couplings then I may well go with your suggestion and possibly introduce another 14/48xx into the roster. Doug, good to hear from you too. It would make a nice scene for a photo or two. I'll have to have a look and see if I have some suitable figures to make it work.

Hi Rob It is quite a while since I built these kits. I've checked but neither have the makers name on the mouldings. I'm sure that the NE van is a Three Aitch kit, long out of production but may turn up on Ebay. I think I'm correct in saying the LMS van is a Ratio kit and should be still available. Thanks to everyone else for all the likes.

I got the stock out for a little play, first time in a while. 4863 and autocoach arriving at Much Murkle with the mid morning service from Newent Not many passengers about though. Coalmen, Alf West and John Gummery load the cart ready for the next delivery run, knowing that very soon they are going to have to unload another wagon of coal when the next goods arrives. Whilst the autotrain waits at the station, a goods arrives brought in by Collett 3217. The vicar in his Austin 7 is heading back to the church after visiting one of his sick parishioners Looks like someone is going to be in trouble for the missing lamps and signalman Percy Fleetwood has surely noticed those missing lamps. Meanwhile the Autotrain waits paitently at the platform. Head Porter, Jack collins has a chat with Marjorie Edwards whos has been to Newent to buy some flowers for her friend's birthday. The goods pulls into the loop, ready to shunt and form the outgoing train. With the goods safely in the loop, the Autotrain is given the road to depart back to Newent 3217 uncouples and pulls forward to take on water before shunting the yard. The first wagon to be placed is the loco coal for the coal stage which needs replenishing. After much toing and froing the outgoing goods is ready and waiting for the signal to be pulled for departure. The goods train has departed and after 45 minutes of intense activity, Much Murkle returns to its normal sleepy state. Jack and Marjorie are still in deep converstaion though. I wonder what interesting gossip is being shared?

You are not the first to say that the professional lighting is lacking in atmosphere, I think I would put it. There is no doubt it brings out the detail better but it is a bit clinical I agree. I'm not sure that makes mine any better though.

A small scenic change has taken place at Much Murkle The West of England Sack store and timber platform has been demolished and replaced by a new loading dock and small yard crane. The reason foir this is twofold. The sack store was only ever intended to be temporary and it's removal opens up the view of the station building and water tower for photographic purposes. This is how the area looked before on one of the photos taken for Hornby magazine by Trevor Jones. This is how it looks now You can see the difference between a professional lighting rig and just using the layout lighting !!!!

Just a quick update on the 14xx to 48xx conversion which was completed recently. The Martin Finney plates arrived and I set too making up 4863. Lamps, fire irons, DG couplings and real coal in the bunker added. I'm not happy with the DG couplings on this loco. I had difficulty getting a suitable fixing and consequently the couplings project well beyond the buffers. The gap between loco and Autocoach is almost as much as with large tension locks. I'm going to have to have a rethink but it will have to do for now.

Hi Davy. I replied using the email address that you sent by PM. Hope it helps. Thanks Scott, nice to know someone has read it Thanks 81C. The layout has been neglected lately due to work commitments and domestic decorating duties. Hopefully I can get some more photos taken soon.

Hope the Fireman picked up the fire devil