Dinmore Manor

Shameless plug as one of the organising team for this event. 9 locomotives in steam including headline visitors 9F 92203 ' Black Prince' & 34028 'Eddystone' Narrow gauge railway in operation, traction engines, local, non-stop express, stopping and freight trains to an intensive timetable. Discounted advance tickets available now. https://www.gwsr.com/enthusiasts/major_events.html Hope many of you can make it, anyone wish to display an S&D themed layout? If so contact me. Mike

Thought I should upload a few pictures that have gone missing in the recent site update. Layout itself hasn't changed much since, been making a building and finishing off some stock instead so still a little progress. Having helped Steve Howard with Hambleden Valley at the Statfold show over the weekend I now have interest from 3 exhibition organisers and for 2 magazine articles so I guess I shall have to crack on and get it finished at some point..........!

Only got 3 beats per revolution of the wheels...

More scenic progress lately, be clutter, tools, cameos, signs, yard entry gates and the like to be the focus of attention next I think. An extensive test session took place yesterday evening, whilst drivers were under the influence of various levels of vodka and gin, but all survived relatively unscathed other than an issue with the radio control battery holder in the cab roof. Still a layout with no name, hmmm Fred sets the road via the working ground frame for his driver No inertia device in the Russell, but nice to pose for a photo or two Full time job on the ground frame if a busy shunt is going on, hope his fire and water level is ok still....

Managed to make some great progress on the scenics in recent days, with much thanks to a good friend for his help. A bit of tuition has helped wonders, I'd say about 3/4 of the layout now has atleast some scenic treatment. So still plenty to be going on with and lots of little details to add. Finished the day off with a little steam up, naturally...!

After some 7 months or so, now that a daft impulse oo layout purchase has gone, I've got room to be able to dig the 16mm one out. Pretty much finished this right hand corner of the layout this afternoon, other than a repair to the goods shed roof and more weathering. Just got the other 8ft to finish......!

Cracking stuff, only just seen this, more layouts of this type the better! After a busy summer and a daft impulse oo gauge layout purchase which has now gone I should be able to progress mine again soon. Keep up the good work.

Sadly due to space limitations, new furniture and needing to thin out items and projects it is likely that I shall be selling this layout. If anyone may be interested drop me a message.

Good to meet you all and glad you enjoyed your day with our fine machine, please excuse the very slight bias.....! Mike https://www.facebook.com/DinmoreManorLocomotiveLtd

A GWR wartime brown coach has appeared on the layout courtesy of a good friend who suddenly appeared with it having painted it last week, nice little surprise! An order of military vehicles has been placed and a field gun kit, so be plenty of things to start building and weathering in the coming weeks.

Great progress, keep up the good work!

The Pway gang worked wonders over the weekend with the code 100 ripped out and replaced by new code 75, now awaiting the arrival of some ballast wagons. Sadly poor Fred, who featured in the last photo, is no more having been violenty removed by an alien force, sights of UFO's had been reported. Ok, I forgot he was there when cleaning up loose ballast with Henry the hoover...... Ooops

That is very nicely weathered. I do like how the bronze of the injector bodies has been highlighted, just looks 'right'.

Work has commenced this afternoon with the recommission of the storage sidings, unlocking of the sector plate and getting all the infrared sensors back up and working properly. The previous owner having utilised a separate fiddleyard. Then the Pway gang moved in and got shot of the code 100 rail sections within the station, Fred looks pleased with his days work.

For the first time in many years a GWR Railcar visits the platform of Upper Isis Station, back to the beginning perhaps you could say..? Nice enough model but why does it have to be geared to do a scale 300mph at the expense of good quality low speed running...?!

Thank you for providing so much detail again Andy, I need to do some research and start looking out for various vehicles/vehicle kits etc, the publications you mention will be going on my search list too! It will be fascinating I'm sure, just as I can tell it was for you having read the Model Rail article which arrived through the post today. I carefully removed the 3rd rail yesterday and the 5 uncoupling ramps, shall replace to short code 100 sections within the station and reinstate the original headshunt at the weekend, so a little bit of progress atleast...! Mike Looking much better for the removal of the 3rd rail....

Thanks for taking the time to post those pictures and background info Andy, I have a copy of the MR issue in the post to me, look forward to seeing it. Those pictures have me sold on sticking with the WW2 theme, shame all the vehicles etc. have gone but it will give me something to do! I'll build a new base for the signalbox, don't worry about that! Does look somewhat odd on the ground! I'll try not to spoil it......! Mike

Certainly so, was a real 'impulse' purchase, the pictures on the listing were poor but after a quick Google and browse of the builders website I knew I had to have it...! It was later modified/widened by Countryside Models by over a foot and all the track relaid, with the addition of the 'military' siding in front of the original goods yard, maybe the curve is more gentle now than originally as per the website pics??

I have just become the new owner of a wonderful little layout called 'Upper Isis' after a recent random Ebay 'is this item of interest' suggestion and with only 50 minutes to go....! A 6x8' L shaped GWR branch set around the WW2 period, though now missing a few of the details to fit that period. Originally built by Countryside Models as a commission build, the layout featured in the September 2010 edition of Model Rail. More recently it was used as a display piece in a model shop and a little crudely modified to suit its new purpose, a through station instead of terminus to allow a unit to be used as a shuttle, some sections of code 100 let in in place of the original fine scale track to facilitate uncoupling ramps and various bits of scenery to repair, oh there's also a bit of 3rd rail to remove as it was going to be altered to a more Southern feel by the previous owner. Underneath the odds and sods that require attention though is a superbly built layout, I'm most pleased with it. So far all I have done is remove a bit of dust so pretty much as purchased. I'm initially planning to replace the code 100 sections then make new backscenes, as though the originals are nicely painted and suit the layout well they are now somewhat distorted and tatty in places, perhaps go photographic? Then there are many scenic bits to repair, especially where one section is removable, big gaps have appeared around the edges. And then stock to buy, build and modify, I've been out of 4mm for many years so had to borrow a few items from a friend to give things a test! Toughest thing to decide on will be time period. Do I stick with WW2, some of the buildings have their windows taped up and the signalbox name plate is lying in the undergrowth as was often the case during that time...! Or do I bring it forward 10 years or so in to early BR. Or slightly later, hmm, decisions decisions......!!

Great stuff 'ZigZag' Get a layout build thread going so we can follow the progress, I'm sure you can easily post more frequently than my snails pace!! The more of these sorts of indoor steam shunting layouts that get built and noticed the better, may convince some to do something different to thrashing around a loop non stop until the gas runs out at a speed a HST would struggle to match..... Each to their own of course but Zzzzz......!

An interesting concept, got a few pictures to go with the words?

Some real steam doing a bit of shunting this evening. Layout thread: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/123586-no-name-yet-indoor-live-steam-blt-in-a-limited-space/

Hi Steve, good to hear from you again, that is looking fantastic, another revolutionary idea by yourself, can't think of anything at an exhibition like that before! You need to put a layout build thread on here! Did you put any further thought in to a smaller layout to use indoors at home? Not sure if shall make it on to exhibition circuit, shall see, kind of snookered myself a bit with ground frame at the front of the layout so operators would be in the way... As you have found also need a sizeable fleet of engines too which isn't just time and effort but also probably £6k or so of expenditure but we shall see. You know you would always be welcome to visit if the layout doesn't go visiting! Another bit of video, need to try and stop the engine 'gargling', cylinders are not staying hot enough, thinking of potentially adding more superheat, we shall see....! Sorry, had to re post and re upload video due to error with original vid pausing half way through.

Completed the infill of the yard areas, texturing, puddles etc. next. Fiddle yard up and running, a substantial affair running on hefty section aluminium angle to carry the weight of the models. The hidden siding under the rock face is there to accept the train you have just come off the layout with, then draw forward on to another road of the traverser to take the next train on to the layout, works quite well and takes less time than you would think. Need to start putting some thought in to the hopefully working stone loader which is to be in the small yard at the traverser end. All progress, just not earth shattering progress....! Mike

All is not forgotten...! Been building a couple of new wagons, making a start on completing the yard area and ordering various items to push things along a bit. But certainly much slower progress than there should have been, nothing new there then I hear you all say....! Shall post some pics when I next have both boards dug out and set up. I wont leave it 8 months this time! Ah, I did complete the fiddleyard, works quite well thankfully, nice to be able to use the layout as intended finally and also have some proper running sessions to determine the required location of uncoupling magnets, it's far trickier than I expected and locations have changed a number of times slightly. Due to short siding lengths and different wagon lengths if you get 2 magnets set in just the wrong place you hook on to one wagon and can't hook on to the next because its over a magnet! An operating sequence is all part and parcel of the above too to avoid such unwanted splitting of trains.