SouthernMafia

What models are options for a conversion? Could you model the more modern day/90s variant with some tinkering?

I've noticed at Maidenhead this morning that platform 5 has no wires and in some cases no booms. Also the first 2 sidings have got their signals illuminated so are now in use. Trouble is with no platform 5 and no reversing siding, at the moment 387s will only be able to use platforms 3 or 4 to turn back, which could cause the signaller a few problems if things start to go a bit wrong. It may be that 5 is used as bidirectional if there's something stuck in 3, which is OK provided there's no Marlow train also there. Furthermore if he uses 3 to turn back, until the reversing siding is laid the only route is back onto the Up Main heading east. So 4 looks more probable.

http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/FGP/13171647.html There is a suggestion from this article and another source that the 18 "new" trains for the Pompey line are infact refurbished (again) 442s!

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/first-mtr-south-western-trains-limited-wins-south-western-franchise This link gives a bit more information. Lots of interesting points of discussion, including how they're going to knock out 8 minutes on a Southampton to Waterloo train. Fast from Winchester perhaps as per Peak?

We've started adding that magic rail that makes the trains move... Method as detailed here Painting and weathering to come.

Also (nearly) finished today is a Mk2F RFB, converted from a Hornby Mk2E. Despite comments I think Hornby have done a good job of these, and for the money I paid are very good value, the printing is crisp and with a bit of underframe weathering they look good. As the RFB isn't modelled, an FO was suitable bodged to produce one. The Hornby paint job was protected as much as possible, and I have only had to spray the executive dark grey, white and yellow. I'm not a fine modeller so there's probably a vent or a rivet in the wrong place, but it looks like an RFB to me. Just the interior to sort next and then I'll take a couple of decent snaps of it with my DSLR rather than the camera phone. I've also renumbered the rest of my fleet of Mk2Es so there's no number duplication

Been playing about with a mock up of the station building: Relatively happy with its size and location, although the middle bit may get extended by about 10mm or so, and it may get a smidge taller as well The bit on the right (front facing) is shorter by 20mm than the bit on the left, unlike the real thing which I can assume was the same length. Subsequently there are only 2 windows instead of 3. A reminder of what the real thing looks looked like: The gap between the back of the platform and the backscene will be filled in a bit to accomodate another building of some sorts, and also allow access to the platform when the building is shut.

Terrific result, I have been reading this with great interest throughout the week whilst simultaneously (safely of course) observing customers running for a beeping closing door, or attempting to put a door on the catch on a moving HST. I dread to think how the industry would have had to change if he had been found guilty. Common sense prevails.

Lol very good. Signaller would do well to get an HST over there !

It's almost like I jinxed it, disruption this morning at Ealing Broadway due to signalling problems. At one stage every platform at Reading had a London train in it !

An additional all line block is to take place between Heathrow Airport Jnc and Ruscombe from 00:01 to 13:00 on Sunday 26th March to ensure the OHLE is energised in time to Maidenhead for May timetable change. All HSS services will start and terminate at Reading. Something got me thinking last week that will be interesting to see once Crossrail arrives. Last Tuesday whilst on shift at Maidenhead we lost all signalling on the relief lines for about 30 minutes, and the Up Main also had some disruption. This caused some considerable delays to the stoppers and up HSTs. Were this to happen with Crossrail trains I wondered a) whether they could divert up the Main as the up stoppers did, and b) what impact that has on Crossrail timetabling and tight pathing through the central section. Something is always going to happen outside the railways control so disprution will still happen post Crossrail, I just hope with all this upgrade work the railway becomes more reliable, feels like every day there is an infrastructure problem east of Reading... Furthermore having spoken very personally with some rather disgruntled Henley customers on Friday evening who missed their connection at Twyford (8 min delay from connecting HST) I'm not sure they're going to be impressed with the Crossrail tube trains with no toilets or first class that they will endure if travelling off peak or down the relief lines. One hopes that Twyford and Maidenhead will retain some sort of semi fast 387 service pattern, which looks like will be popular with its introduction in May (we think a lot of the HSTs that stop in the AM Peak will become 387) As someone else mentioned in a previous post, 387s are a good upgrade for customers from the Turbos, but are only a short term thing for the stoppers and I think customers are going to feel like it's a downgrade when Crossrail trains start running.

The sort of plan and inspiration: (Southampton Central)

Past few days progress. Focus turns next to final design and construction of the station building to see how much space it eats into the forecourt area, before further work can carry on on this board. Some low relief buildings will also start to be constructed for the town scene (see plan on next post) Some touching up work to do on the original platform where I removed the platform ramp.

We've been busy building more bridges... One more to come (the original 'Redbridge') which sits low relief on the wood at the back

I think it's 19mm, and is slightly angled with a wider base (all I could find in B&Q, annoyingly for the main platform I think I used 18mm but can't remember where I got it from!!)

Yes totally agree in terms of service reliability, just hope it doesn't happen to some of the already full and standing HST equivalent services in the peaks!

Discussion with one of the OHLE project managers at Maidenhead yesterday produced suggestion of 12 car 387s replacing the peak time HSTs to/from Didcot from late September, which presumably throws up HSTs to displace some 180s for Grand Central? Not sure when they're due to be cascaded but can't be far off. Presumably 387s will take over Reading stoppers from around then too which will start to allow Turbos to head further West. Interesting suggestion around Bedwyn service posted above, depending on how many IETs could be used for this, plus the Oxfords (which should be 387) I'm starting to wonder how many times a service that was once an 8 car HST and becomes a booked 10 car IET is run as a 5 car IET vice 10 car. It will happen at some stage and passengers are going to love all these new shiny shorter trains...

Testing/energising of the OHLE east of Maidenhead commences this weekend, with a number of stations closed to public and staff whilst testing commences overnight over the next few weeks. 387s go live to Maidenhead from May. Reading is due to be energised mid September, with through 387 services to Didcot shortly after. Believe this is slightly earlier than planned.

It's not really located anywhere since its fictional, but I suppose the nearest bit it is modelled on is the old station, adjacent to the main road on the right as you have highlighted above.

3mm foam board platform surface added. Next challenge will be painting it and getting the textures looking good. Any tips on this gratefully received. (I'm rubbish at this, it just looks uniform)

A small bit of progress this morning...the Red Star Parcels bay is coming along. Platform surface awaits

Contact wire up on Platform 7 at Reading with lots of bits being added to various other bits across other platforms. No change over on 15 which just has the contact wire up, although tonight NR are playing about with the sighting of the Home gantry signal on P15B.

Excellent layout and superb modelling. Not quite sure how I'd achieve that in 00 let alone N ! I'm a big fan of your backscene, the colours and fading look good for a crisp winters day. Could you explain the process/materials used?

Told you it was just 2 wires..

Cheers Peter, just finished modifying this beast to accept a larger V4 speaker in the fuel tanks, and have detailed up the ends with my usual coupling bar and the Bachmann bits. Just needs a good weathering now along with the rest of my fleet! Could definitely do with a Reggie Rail 37/4 though... Following on from last week's post some progress has been made on the new board: As you can see the plan is to create a parcels bay akin to Penzance. Ground works have begun for addition of a new platform area which also doubles up as a bay for the locos accessing the depot - means the driver can walk along a platform rather than the ground when changing ends. Behind the Mk1 BG will be the station forecourt, and to the left runs a road perpendicular to the board, which runs up a small incline to a roundabout, serving the station and high street. Inspiration (or even a carbon copy) drawn from Swanage.