Hammer

The "tender" for both the Y9 locos at Leith appears to be a standard wagon with cut-off side planking at the rear. What was the reason for that feature? The front 2-thirds seem to be full of coal.

It is a completely normal wagon. Like other small shunters, there was a good deal of improvisation to make up for lack of bunker capacity. According to the LNER Encyclopedia, a number of Y9s did end up with wagons coupled on a drawbar.

Right now, I have no idea why the rear of the tender was cut down. I'm going to try and do some investigation in to it. Hopefully a trip to Bo'ness might be able to answer the question.

That website is proper conspiracy wonk stuff. It's good to see a nice debunking of it.

A simpler way to get some photos if you are short of modelling time would be to copy Missy's way of doing it. see her blog at

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php/blog/220/entry-3140-how-i-take-pictures/

I did see Missy's idea, and I certainly approve, but I like the idea of being able to fold up a diorama as well. Who know, I may go for a larger scenic plank like that instead.

Sounds like a good idea to me...but beware! I started out with exactly the same idea, and decided that the amount of things I wanted to 'practice' require a small 4 x 1 second layout instead.

Well, I've already got the small layout ready to go, but I want a dry run before I break out the PVA

A suburban or industrial backdrop could be easily fitted around the sidings, with a few retaining walls as the scenic break, or half relief buildings. Shy of a remote mine or factory, the sidings would probably not just be in the countryside, although there is nothing to stop there being a small station, just off scene which would justify a goods yard.

 

Of course, it's your layout so go with what you like the look of, experiment with various buildings and ideas.

 

I'll be keeping an eye on this, I do like minimum space layouts and intend on making my own at some point!

 

J

Thank you for the comment. I did think about having a small station off stage (as it were), but I don't think I could get away with the level of grot I'm wanting if there was a station nearby.

Given that the layout and I are only in the same locality every few months, I've got plenty of time to decide on what else to put in there. It's why I'm looking at things I can work on away from the model - like the grounded van body and the coal stands.