Melangoose

Some trains running today 70805 waits at the signal with Coal Empties as the Wentlog bound liner train passes. An Arriva Trains Wales Gloucester bound Sprinter passes the old level crossing. Colas is short of traction this morning as 37421 helps out 56094 on the RHTT circuit 71000 The Duke of Gloucester heads back to Birmingham on a Charter for shoppers visiting Bath Christmas Market

66125 did the honours of the last collection of the “White Stuff” before the layout is disassembled for Fridays trip to the West Midlands. 66125 was a spare loco bought for Wyvern Road, when I say spare it’s because initially there was the running problems with the Hattons Class 66. Saying that once the running is sorted they kind of turn into the best locos in the fleet. They are also very delicate and pick it up in the wrong place and you have a hand full of detailing parts. Which kind of put me of having these as part of the Melangoose fleet which would be regularly handled at Shows. But 66125 debuted at DEMU Sutton Coldfield (as an experiment) and now I couldn’t live without it on Melangoose.

Great video, always nice to see Exford Park.

On a normal day of running on WR I have x5 fiddle yard roads with freight trains (x3 in the up direction and x2 on the down). I have more than x5 freight trains so stock is changed over every few months. Got a couple of trains out this evening and I hadn’t realised how much that I missed them.

Please say Hello at the NEC. I am a big fan of your Greenford 00 project.

Likewise looking forward to the weekend, will be good to catch up with you and Spike.

With the NEC Exhibition just over a week away (we are Stand E7), time for a hoover and clean those tracks to run some trains.

Just seen your video on how you make your OHLE gantries. Well done you, they are very good and you explain it piece by piece, which is great. Look forward to seeing the layout develop.

Hi Pete I see that the layout is in next months Hornby Magazine. Will sure get a copy to keep.

At Kernow Open Days over the past few months at Guildford and Camborne an SWR Class 159 has been displayed as a future release. In the latest Hornby Mag their is an article on a layout by Andrew Keast with an SWR 159. I think that I am correct in saying that Andrew used to work for KMRC as a Financial person. Hope that I am not reading too much into this, but the model looks very nice.

It’s good to have you back. Missed you videos for the last year or so. Always nice to see your stock in the layout.

Bill, Look forward to you starting your permanent home layout, you always build inspirational layouts. Can’t wait to you get started.

A great set of pictures Bill. Sounds like all the family had fun. Nice to see Hendra back on Layout Topics. Take care.

I have been having a look to see how the next bit of foreground will look. This is a mock up of where the Scouts building will go. I think it looks about right, but I don’t know how far I will get with it as shortly I will be getting Melangoose ready for its trip to the NEC at the end of next month.

Very good weathering. Those wagons will make a nice rake.

Nice pictures as always. I do like your Class 56 with the Metals train from your previous post. Well done.

There must be a weekend possession on somewhere local.

Thank you for the comments You are spot on about the bikes, need to look for some next time I’m at the model shop.

I was at Frome Railway Station yesterday, for anyone who doesn’t know Frome Station it has a grand GWR Trainshed, but also a disused platform (hence my interest). How we perceive certain aspects of model railway is more of an individual taste. Most disused platforms and trackbeds are covered in about 3feet of weeds. On my layout I didn’t want that extent as I wanted to see the details on the floor with the old sleepers and track chairs that remain on site. The other issue I that I would say that scenery is not my strongest point when it comes to model railways. I was very pleased to see that Frome wasn’t too overgrown and has made me a lot happier with what I have done.

A little video

Made some good progress with the old Wyvern Road (disused) station. No Buddleia yet, but some is on order.

That looks very nice, can’t wait until they hit the doorstep.

Good luck with the Newbury Exhibition. I shall keep an eye open for ModelRail at the end of next month.

The tinkering around with the old station continues at my usual “snails pace”. Thinking of adding a derelict fence at what would be the back of the platform, kind of imagining that there used to be a siding there when in use decades ago.

I hear that the Police Driver Training Unit know all the best cafe’s.