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SouthernMafia

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Everything posted by SouthernMafia

  1. 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
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Lol very good. Signaller would do well to get an HST over there !
  5. 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 !
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. We've been busy building more bridges... One more to come (the original 'Redbridge') which sits low relief on the wood at the back
  9. 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!!)
  10. 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!
  11. 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...
  12. 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.
  13. 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.
  14. 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)
  15. A small bit of progress this morning...the Red Star Parcels bay is coming along. Platform surface awaits
  16. Twyford, Maidenhead, Slough, and the 3 branch lines remain GWR. Effectively east of Slough goes Crossrail/MTR.
  17. 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.
  18. 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?
  19. 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.
  20. Apologies if this has been noted already but I haven't had a chance to read this thread in detail yet. I managed to watch the dispatch procedure at Southampton Central today as I was curious to know how they did it following this post. It's basically a two man dispatch simulating CD/RA equipment, one dispatcher stands by cab, and second by stairs towards rear. Rear dispatcher gives first tip to front dispatcher, who relays to Driver. Driver closes doors, then rear dispatcher gives second tip to front man, who gives green flag to driver. All this while the OBS looks on...
  21. Good to see you and the layout again Ian, some motivation to get Portland up to the exhibitable standard of yours before October !
  22. I have given this some thought and similarly thought about extending the track, however 3 main reasons for not doing so: 1 - the platform can currently take a loco plus 6 coaches, however the fiddle yard can only take take loco plus 5 coaches. So a fair bit of alteration would be required to run a 7 coach train on the layout. 2 - i don't want to fill every spare gap with track - there is already a lot of track and it would be nice to actually have some scenery, although that does actually mean building it ! 3 - i cant be bothered to wire any track to the new board I am thinking about extending the middle siding slightly onto perhaps a small loading dock of some description, but that would be the only road to be extended if I choose to do so.
  23. Thanks Peter, it's certainly an iconic and fondly remembered train and one I've always been keen to model. I have a collection of Reggie Rail Mk1s but with the Mk2s coming out it was a no brainer, despite their rather hefty price tag. Luckily I'm a believer in if you want something you pay for it, and I also support my local model shop in the process (AC Models Eastleigh - a superb model shop). The TSOs will likely sell out quicker than the BFKs (hence no BFK purchased just yet) so best to get in early - the coaches weren't even out their delivery box at AC! I've got a few 37s.... Bachmann 370xx RfD (unnumbered) Bachmann 37013 Mainline Bachmann 37035 Dutch Bachmann 37057 BR Large Logo Bachmann 37114 EWS Bachmann 37258 Dutch Bachmann 37406 RfD Bachmann 37410 Transrail Bachmann 37411 EWS Bachmann 37421 Colas Bachmann 37506 Red Stripe Bachmann 37514 Rf Metals Bachmann 37892 Rf Petrolium ...so pick a suitable candidate! Imagine 37406, 37410 and 37411 have all been based at Cardiff at some stage in their careers? Also able to replicate this rather outrageous working! https://flic.kr/p/fGFZ7S Ian J, I noticed this too and will certainly think about modelling it. Trouble is it means loosing an NSE Mk2 TSO which could impact on my WoE rakes....! Other Ian, thanks for your kind comments. Sadly I didn't make the thumper car, only painted it, but I have suggested it to my talented Winchester Railway Modeller colleague about doing a few, and seeing what they would go for on eBay! We have 1 on order from a fellow modeller to go into Connex, not sure how I'm going to be painting that faded yellow livery though!
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