Clifford Road

Hi Claggy, Good to see your back, even if your only dabbling at the moment .... Oh the sound of 114 climbing up there on the ballast! Lol! I must admit, my interest has been there in abundance lately, only problem is so has work!!! However, finally managed to get a couple of hours with the video camera over the weekend, and filmed Clifford Road a little for the first time (08 and 20s feature on it - saving the LL 37 for the next installment!!) - just added it to my topic. Must say it came out really really well. Perhaps something around that kind of thing may work, its hands on, completely different, and if you don't like it you simple erase the tape and haven't spent any money!!! Welcome back anyway - your route knowledge must go far and wide these days! Rich

Happy New Year PCM! Looks good Peter. I prefer the large logo livery on 47s, personally, but there's something about your model that seems to give it an edge over the normal all over blue 47s! Rich

Hi Gary, Happy New Year to you! Well 1930s LMS in 7mm sounds good to me! Its not quite blue and grey with the hearty throb of an EE power unit, but its not far off! Everybody seems to start developing resistance to going O gauge when they see that Large Logo 37! With most they must get good at it, as the resistance (or is it the lock on the wallet??) works! But the odd one or two win through and take the plunge! Doing Clifford Road really has taught me that you don't need a huge space for O gauge to be able to achieve a lot, something i'd never grasped previously. I've never exhibited a layout before (have plenty of experience of watching many of them from the spectator side) but I think i'd love to in the future ..... Although CR is definitely a stay-at-home beast ... mainly because the layout framework (which is securely bolted to the wall!) means its a solid 13ft baseboard ... try getting that in a van! ..... Back the HGV this way Mr Stobart! But given your skills I think an O gauge layout would be a superb project and a good draw at exhibitions (esp if you went 1980s like Glenuig) .... if you were open to operators i'd happily volunteer! Now ... never mind the sketch book and tape measure .... find the pencil and rubber first! Having said all that, I love Glenuig though! I see something new in the photographs almost everytime I look at them! Rich

Hi Leon, Its a while since i looked at your layout ... to be honest I lost the thread and couldn't remember the name! Then I saw a post of yours on another thread and hey presto, found you again! Your layout is really looking superb .... from my occasional visits to Cardiff and the odd official wander around Tidal yard, its really true to form! Well done ... and premier traction too! Class 37s! Rich PS Love the grass around the buffer stops!

Hi Gordon, Sorry to hear that - I thought things had gone quiet given the quantity of previous posts. I echo Derek's comments and wish you a speedy recovery and all the best for the New Year. You must be in double pain - that from the back and frustration of not being able to do anything ... not good - get well soon. Rich

Hi Gary, Well if Chris has done the pictures, it will be a superb article! I'll look out for that .... were you approached or did you put it forward? - well done either way! Over Haddon is superb! What a contrast from pre-1948 LMS to post-1980 BR! Think i still prefer the Sulzer and EE motive power lol! But the standard of Over Haddon does you proud! Well done mate. Rich

Hi Gordon, Just been reading through the 14+ pages of the thread ... Great work! How have things moved on since early November? The stone walls look so realistic! Well done. Rich

Hi Gary, How are things progressing on Glenuig .... hope all is still running to time and not too badly affected by the recent dustings of snow! Rich

Hi Pete, Are you making any progress with this? or have the demon's struck and pulled you back to 2mm again .... think 7mm good, 2mm bad lol! Seriously, am keen to hear any progress your making, plus how are you getting on with switching between 7mm and 2mm? Doesn't it make 2mm modelling even harder? Rich

Ah! Now your talking!!!! Superb shot ... i can hear them whistling away from here! Yes my pair will be heading down to Springburn for the Christmas break - some BR red tape has stopped the crew training move .... a lot of rubbish if you ask me, just because they've no numbers to identify them! Pah!!! So anyway I gather the works odd-job guy has been sent to B&Q for some stickers and they are to be attached over Christmas, before returning to Clifford Road before New Year hopefully for crew training to recommence!!!! I've not had any issues with buttons as yet on my system and know a couple of people who are Digitrax and they are ok too. The only downside I would say if you look at Digitrax (and it may not be an issue for you anyway) is don't bother with Transponding (where the system can identify which locos are where - with appropriate decoders) .... as it don't work, so numerous people have told me! Don't work is perhaps a little strong - dodgy is better!!! I notice there's no Christmas decorations on Llanbourne .... is that that station porter whose a union guy laying the law down again, or British Health & Safety going on about ladders? lol! Well done anyway, have a great Christmas. All the best Rich

Hi Peter, Superb photograph .... although I think the 20s in the background would be a little more interesting for me!!! Really looks the part though! Everyone has their own interpretation of which DCC system is best - but I've got Digitrax and would totally recommend it - worked well for me and I played with ZTC, Lenz and Zimo before going for Digitrax. If you've any questions, feel free to fire them across - i'm not an expert but i'll help if I can and will *try* and give you an honest unbiased opinion!!!! Rich

Hi Dave, Wow - Waverley West never ceases to amaze me. Your skills, both modelling and photographic, are superb. Keep going with them - they bring a huge amount to enjoy to a lot of people ... me especially!! Also nice to see some more detailed shots of the shed scene - modelling a shed at the moment, albeit in O gauge, its given me some idea's for the back area of the depot! Hope you don't me me borrowing the odd one or two Rich

Thanks Peter, Could be quite interesting .... feature the arrivals and departures for the hour at the start of the thread and then photograph the various movements. If you weren't on t'other side of the world, I'd offer to arrange a day to give you a hand to photograph and compile it! Whats next in your plans for Llanbourne, or is it further stock rather than adding to the layout? Rich Clifford Road TMD - 7mm Scottish Depot in the 1980s

Hi Peter, Love the photographic updates from Llanbourne - have you thought of following Clagmeister's concept (maybe on a separate thread or a blog?) of doing a day in the life of Llanbourne? Starting with the first train in the morning and finishing with the last at night - done over several days of course! Given the freight, the locals, the inter-regionals and the variety of locomotives, I think that would be a superb thread! Only a thought, not wishing to give you extra work! Rich

Oh very nice! Both images look really good - must have been one model higher than a box brownie that you used Oh to recreate those images today!! I can see the dilemma, CLS with steam around would look out of place - if you go for semaphores are you going to have working ones or static? Oh .... PS..... Wouldn't worry about the changes in music you talk about .... come the next big thing in 1957 and nobody will remember this Elvis fella Lol!

Hi JD, How's Balbeggie Sidings fairing with the snow? Just wondered how the layout was progressing? Cheers CR

Craig, Just been looking back through the archives on this thread - nice layout. The control panel certainly looks the part! I can understand the push-buttons for points etc.. but wondered what the bigger dial type switches were for? Cheers, Rich

Oh nasty! 12 hour night turns are bad enough, but 11 hour 1am starters! omg! I did a period of 12 hour turns on control for that other freight company that used red engines and is now in the hands of some foreign lot and that was bad enough - 7 to 7 ... but 1am starts! You have my sympathy's!!!! However, yours is one of those layouts I could never get fed up with .... so i don't think you'll ever do it to death from my point of view! I must admit reading your thread on here, together with the 'day in life pieces' has really rekindled my interest in the west highland ... always loved 37/4s so Fort William could have been my spiritual home in the late 1980s! Think 401 should look good in mainline - lets hope 'them fellas down south' don't get any ideas about doing away with large logo livery!!! Good look on the scenics, looks really good now!How far are you going to let the clock tick ... is it just a continual process running 20-30 years behind real life, or is there a point where you turn the clock back again? Think it would be the latter with me! I always did say that how life treated you was a roll of the dice! Bad news about the overnight freight though ... god help the passengers on the replacement buses! Oh what a stroke of luck! haha! I presume Fort William and Caolisport shed and handling all operations - which at least means it will be done right! Must admit, you've encouraged me to push on with my layout once more, after the harsh life of work in recent months. So well done - keep going Claggy ... your doing well. Hope the locos all performed well at Workington. CR

Hi Claggy, Work commitments mean its been a couple of months since I last got chance to look at Caolisport ... wow! That ship really fits well onto the layout. Given that the West Highlands are one of my favourite area's of the country, I could look at your layout for months and never get fed up!!! Well done - nice to see my fav 37 .... 37410 .... is still wandering around ... now onto serious stuff - any idea if the estate agent in Caolisport has any reasonably priced properties available? I think a move up there could do me good!! Well done on the layout - keep it going! What's in the pipeline ... or at least still to do in your mind?

Hi Claggy, Can't remember where mine came from now, but I'd suggest the Vintage Carriage Trust at Ingrow (KWVR) if your visiting anytime or are located within a reasonable distance. Their magazine room is superb and generally has a fair few (40-50) timetables of different types (WTT, Public, Freight Notices etc, ROTR (Rules of the Route)) and periods - generally 1980s-2010 although i've seen some 1950s and 1960s in there. Happily have a look for you next time i'm over there if your not close by. Rich

Hi Claggy, Looks good! Don't think from my time on the real railway we ever had an SuX day code - that would mean its Mondays to Saturdays which is EWD (Every Week Day), which i think was only ever used on the working timetables/freight schedules. I'm not aware that the passenger service had it - however if your grouping all seven days together it would be worth using. Perhaps follow the BR principal and have a seperate table for Saturdays and/or Sundays? Also the SO and SX day codes should be in capitals if your making it look right .... just reached for my copy of the 1986 timetable and I can't find Caolisport listed (obviously a BR typo!) but I guess it should have a Table number in the top right..... Not criticism, just help! Hopefully! Rich

LOL! I wish i could take credit for it, but unfortunately not! Seriously, your layout amazes me and I see something different everytime i look at the imagery. Well done on a superb piece of modelling and excellent photography as well! Enjoy the field trip!

Maith thú! (That's well done to those who don't speak Gaelic!) I watch your layout topic on this forum with interest and every photograph I see just makes me think I'll never get anywhere near the standard you have. Just remember the old Gaelic proverb where your locos are concerned .... Is fear rith maith ná drochsheasamh. Keep up the good work - its a credit to you. Rich PS - The proverb in English means a good run is better than a bad stand! PPS - When the sarcasm comes out and you want to look clever when you ain't ... always turn to Google! How the hell did and does anyone speak Gaelic? Its a foreign language!

My god Peter, what on earth did Llanbourne District Council make of the planning application for that lot!!! lol. Its the one thing I've found amazing since starting, how something can look right in your mind, but then when you get it on the baseboards, it just doesn't fit or work right! Sounds like you've got things moving (no pun intended!) in the direction that you want them anyway - look forward to seeing the extension when its complete! Rich

Paul, Thats great - thanks. I'll let you know how i get on and what kind of a mess I get in! Rich