Southernboy

Very impressive Mr Simon. Top marks from me as always Can you remind me how or from where the fiddly green detailing across the very top of the roof came about please, and thank you?

Hello mikeandnel, I like both (pre-war) Southern Railway and Pre-Grouping - so as a compromise have set my railway in South London 1923 - 1937. My reasoning for 1923 as a start-date is that in the first year or two of Grouping much stock would still be running in pre-grouping liveries alongside trains in Southern railway colours. So that allows me the best of both worlds. I believe some LBSCR AC electric sets were still running in Umber livery until 1929. I chose 1937 as the end-date for my layout because I like 4-Cors. It's still 'early days' for me in terms of having the stock I would like - but at the moment I am working on three ex-LSWR 3-Subs. I'd also like to build an example of a LSWR Bogie Block Set to contrast with the 3-Subs. I have a Union Mills T9 (in Southern Livery) which I love. Longer term I'd look to make some LBSCR AC sets and a set of Ironclads as well. Anyway - you have some lovely locomotives there - quite impressive. I'm guessing these are 00? Do you have a layout to run them on? Or perhaps you use a club layout?

I must confess I'd never even seen or heard of a cordon before - so have just spent an interesting half-hour on the internet to discover what on earth this weird, wonderful but somewhat disconcertingly alien-looking of wagons could be! When it comes to finding railway modelling challenges (and then executing them well) I think you certainly keep everyone else on their toes!

Hello Anthony, I've just come across your thread and am very impressed with not only the size and scope of your layout, but the speed of progress too. I particularly like the fact you plan to model a wide expanse of associated scenery and buildings, definitely a 'trains in the landscape' layout, something I particularly enjoy. I was just looking at the pictures of your layout room with it's three large garage doors - and was thinking how pleasant it must be in good weather to be able to work with those doors thrown wide open. Anyway - I'll look forward to future updates.

Shunting with N gauge capstans is a very interesting proposition and an aspect of your layout I'd be particularly interested to see developed. Whether to do it or not is a personal judgement call of course - but if it were me I'd have no problem, seeing it as one of those 'necessary compromises' many modellers make on their layouts. Out of interest have you decided on what you will use to represent rope? It's the one detail people will focus on seeing as it would be such an unusual and interesting feature. Either way, just to say I've been enjoying following progress since you started this thread and wish you good luck - I think you have a great plan and look forward to seeing Bath Spa unfold

South London, urban and third rail - well you've certainly caught my attention. I've always liked the Minories plan. The emerging underground line lends additional interest, and I see the baseboards are already taking on some interesting shapes too. Good luck with Lots Road - I look forward to seeing this evolve.

No I've not seen that before Simon and thank you. There's plenty to observe and inspire! As the opening titles suggest, this was mostly filmed before or just at the very start of the blitz - so still the period of the Phoney War - but the real horrors were imminent. Mind you, for us Franklanders this is all total science fiction of course and personally I'm not convinced we'll go to war anyway Thanks again for posting.

I have to agree with Jim Martin, that's a very impressive stretch of track, and the third rail looks excellent. Meanwhile, I'm wondering whether you have a layout thread somewhere?

That's a lovely loco, and thanks for the pictures. I believe that under the LSWR goods locomotives were painted in holly green, and after grouping the Southern Railway painted goods locomotives black. But I don't imagine this would have happened on the stroke of midnight ... how many years after grouping on 1 January 1923 do people think some examples of these locomotives would have survived before overhaul / repainting? Two or three years? I'd quite like one - but would love to have an excuse to re-livery in holly green (because my layout covers from grouping to 1937 btw)

It looks like it's operational, and that's the main thing. Wonderful job Missy - you just bowl-me-over time and again with your incredibly detailed and convincing modelling.

Stunningly realistic Missy, colours, textures, atmosphere - and for me, quite inspirational. As for '...trying to get motivated...': At the end of the day this is a hobby, it's about relaxation, enjoyment, there's no obligation ... so don't pressure yourself. Let motivation return in it's own good time

" ... but I do need to invest in longer blinds in my dining room ... " I'd never had blinds until I moved into my present flat a few years ago, and I have to say they give an excellent, subtle degree of control over the amount of light / temperature you admit into your room. The difference compared to curtains honestly surprised me.

Woah !! This looks massively different to the Grime Street I used to know - and so much better for it if I may say so. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I firmly feel I'm somewhere between around 1947 - 1952. That immediate post-war atmosphere is definitely strong!

Excellent work on that back scene - you have a fine eye for colour and a confident hand with the brush.

I have to say - those GWR railcars look remarkably ahead of their time in terms of styling. It's looking great Missy. Can you remind me what you've done for motorising?

It's great to see you embarking on this new project David, and I'm sure it's going to be another popular success Good luck!

Hello again Black Sheep. Basically you are asking me whether a roundy-roundy is preferable to a hidden-sidings to station-type scenario - and I can't answer that. You have to work through the pros and cons of layout options yourself to be fair. With Frankland I started off with a list of EVERYTHING I wanted, (scenically / operationally / stockwise / etc) ... then narrowed the options in terms of cost / practicality (practicality including what skills I could maybe learn within the lifespan of the layout) and also what aspects of railways / railway modeling held my attention over others ... and from that arrived at the compromise my layout would be. "I presume you occasionally take a train or loco off and change it for another from some off layout storage." Yes - usually I use the middle of the three lines through the station at the front. For me that's not a problem because Frankland is my playground - my imagination never notices such incongruities

Available space was a big factor ... provision for goods / locomotive handling was something 'compromised out' of the equation at an early stage. At one point the kick-back siding (in fact there was originally going to be two sidings) at the rear of the layout was going to be small depot for mail/parcels/newspaper trains as a nod in that direction, but even that was compromised out - It seemed that 'scene-setting' should take precedence and, in order to work successfully, be given room to breath. Equally, passenger stock (especially EMUs) and services are my primary interest. And so I decided these should be the prime focus. So as you suggest, in my imagination everything else happens 'off scene'. Once I've got a reasonable selection of EMUs and steam-hauled express trains up-and-running, I'm sure my attention will turn to mail, parcels and goods trains passing through ... but these may well be a few years down the line yet.

Thanks for recent comments, all very much appreciated F-UnitMad: Don't worry, the camera hides as much as it reveals, and that is my full intention each time I don my dinner jacket to make a broadcast from Frankland There's obviously a lot of work ahead, which is both daunting, but exciting at the same time. PaternosterRow: "I can't imagine having more pleasure in being able to have trains loop around in such a realistic setting ... " Thank you - that's more or less what I guess I'm trying to achieve with Frankland: I could have gone for a 'prototype' station at the front and 'hidden sidings' at the rear, but for me the trains then don't seem to go on a journey or take my passengers anywhere. Thus the two planned stations and open geography. btw I think you mean 'Dance Music'. What is 'Swing'? Is it some Trans-Atlantic thing? We really aren't keen on American influences! Glenn Miller doesn't even start to get noticed until 1938. We are quite particular about such details on Frankland you know. Standards are standards after all old chap! Says Mark with tongue firmly in cheek

Thanks, I don't know whether it's intentional or not, but the sky seems somehow quite heavy and foreboding, which feels quite appropriate for an industrial setting in the North. It certainly adds an atmosphere and character to your layout

I just noticed the sky (back scene): Is it airbrushed / aerosol spray ?

As always it's a delight to catch an update from you carlwooduk, I can never get enough of your layout. I'm intrigued by your mention of 'Geoscenic fine road product' - any chance of closer pictures? Or a link to the product itself? (Google didn't seem to know about it, or at least not in the first five or so pages I looked through)

Fantastic work on that desk/computer/chair Mr Simon [fan-tas-tik] adjective conceived by an unrestrained imagination, extravagantly fanciful; marvelous.

Glad the show went well Mr Simon. The office furniture and copier look great. "Maybe these are something else I should have etched... or shapeway'd..." I suppose the dilemma there is you can either just get on with it, and job done, or work out drawings and plans, send them off, wait a few days or a week or two, hope they come back as you imagined they would look, and then assemble them. Sometimes I find myself just wanting to get on with the job here and now. Having said that, there are some longer term, more complicated projects I have in mind that probably would justify the extra work and patience required in using a third party to create a kit. Either way, it's always a delight to catch up with Gresby

I clicked 'Like This' - but wish there was a way to double or triple 'Like This'. Your work really deserves more than just 'one house point'. What we have here is the most exceptional modeling and I hope you each feel proud of what you have achieved (and I'm including other aspects such as weathering and the electrical side of things too). As an aside - any further video of your Green Goddess or road vehicles in transit would be most welcome - they are yet another detail I particularly enjoy catching up with.