TomJ

How do you test a submarine in Huddersfield? The canal’s not very deep

The easiest and cheapest way to the NRM (and York in general) for us and many is the park and ride. Unfortunately that still drops off right outside the old entrance. So it’s a bit of a walk but most irritatingly you have to cross a very busy, fast road with no crossing. Given the number of families who visit perhaps moving the bus stop along and adding a crossing might be worth considering

That's exactly what I can't work out. I can sort of see why it might work for the North Coast - but even then it involves transhipping coal from rail to boat, and potentially back again. And I could understand if coal was transferred straight from boat to where it was needed - but doing it this way seems a very long, labour intensive way, that I can't see how it would be easier (or cheaper) than rail?

I hope this is the right place to post this. I've been reading some books about the line to Paignton and Kingswear, and was intrigued by the coal traffic at Kingswear for Torquay gasworks, Why was it brought in this way? Presumably it went from pit (?South Wales) to rail - to be unloaded into a coaster, that then sailed round Lands End to unload back to a railway wagon for a few miles to Torquay. Wouldn't it have been move efficient and simpler to keep the coal in a railway wagon and take it by train all the way to Torquay? Just wondering.... Mind you I think Kingswear is possibly the prototype many modellers dream of, beautiful single track branch, with big engines, passenger and freight and a cramped setting!

Thanks everyone. That’s more than enough justification for me! Mind you if someone does make the 47xx in N gauge then the 2mm Tamar Bridge might well get an upgrade!

Quick question. Did the GWR 2-8-0 tender engines ever cross the Tamar Bridge into Cornwall? I’ve not found a picture of one. But I rather like them and the Dapol model. Might have to apply for another Rule 1 license! Thanks

Great to see this. Sadly my version of Crediton never came to much but I still have ideas for North Devon in N in the future

It’s the land sale yard - where the colliery sold coal directly. The structures were some kind of shelter, I’ve never seen them anywhere else

Steve Lamacq mentioned using online forums. Do you think any are on here? And what’s their username???

As a teenager I was a massive indie music fan and Steve Lamacq’s show was essential listening. So I can’t explain how cool it felt to hear him talking about his model railway. You can like Blur and trains!!

There was also a little china clay in the hills around Lands End, which was shipped out via Penzance. I believe the dairy at St Erth was also the sight of a china clay works once. So perhaps in a parallel world the small harbour at Porthleven was expanded and used to ship out the clay found in the west of the Duchy??

I know this is almost heresy on here but I find myself wishing for an Azuma! The HST is so rough, run down and the toilets so rank it really isn’t up to it anymore. No chance of doing any work or eating or drinking as it’s lurching from side to side

We didn’t actually go as far as York - went via Hambleton and joined ECML just south of Selby. Slightly disconcerting when the London train left Leeds heading north!! The line was flooded between Leeds and Doncaster. So one huge advantage of the bi-modes (and HSTs!). All the electric trains were cancelled

Duplicate post - sorry

Ok - so once we joined the ECML you could certainly tell once we were back on the juice. Suddenly went off like a rocket!!

Due to this mornings disruption my Leeds to London Azuma is being diverted via York. I’ve just realised this means we’re running on diesel (obvs!) As well as being a benefit of bi-modes I’m actually quite impressed by how quiet and smooth the ride is. I know we’re not going fast but I barely noticed we weren’t on electric

This is quite some thread drift. Now discussing the theoretical actions of the pantograph of trains that only exist in the imagination

So I got mine yesterday and it’s a beauty. Looks and runs superbly. In the instructions it mentions a bag of accessories. The only thing in mine is the snowplough. Am I missing anything much? Is it worth chasing up? And if so with whom - retailer or Dapol? Also should this come with alternative easi shunt couplers, before I buy a pair? Thanks

This is a shameless bump! I can’t believe it’s a couple of years since I updated this. There’s still a lot of work to be done on the layout - playing trains is distracting! Anyway the reason for the update is that finally I can recreate one of the photos that first inspired me. A LL class 50 pulling a rake of NSE coaches past the Carbis branch into Bugle. Thanks to Dapol I now can! The coaches are second hand Farish Mk2, stripped down and Electra rail vinyls added and under frame altered. Typically Farish then brought out their own rather amazing Mk2 but I’m kind of fond of mine and keeping them!

And here’s the engine shed (couldn’t fit it previous post) Its kitbashed from a Ratio carriage shed, helped with the curved roof! I built the rough shell years ago for a vague plan so I’ve updated it with fresh paint, new windows and doors and vents. I’m rather pleased how it’s turned out finally a rough draft of the track plan to give an idea how it all fits together. I’ve since added another quayside siding

A bit of construction has started - between the bigger jobs I’ve been working on some of the buildings, some of which I’ve upcycled from previous projects. There’s nothing special about the baseboard - 2x1 stripwood bracing with 9mm ply and a bit cut away for the harbour. Track is all Peco code 55 - next job is wiring the area at the front will become the harbour. At the back siding is a rake of partially built mineral wagons standing where the loader will be. The station is complete apart from interior and roof and is based on the timber structure at Abergwfinwi in South Wales, Chris Klein did some drawings in the RM for his 7mm layout Cwm Bach (that’s on here). Nothing fancy, plasticard shell with ratio windows and embossed timber. I wanted something that was obviously GWR but not at all grand. The goods shed is also from South Wales based on Glyncorrwyg. The engine shed is from Newcastle Emlyn, I could only find a few photos so it’s loosely based on. Next job is wiring and point motors. Not my favourite!

It was posted on here - in the Industrial Railway section. I can’t link on my phone by just google ‘loco passing between two shops’ and you’ll find the thread. It’s from a set of Rady-Dowlais freight working and the location is Caeharris Crossing, Dowlais High Street. You can still find it on google street view

Even though my main layout is nowhere near complete I’ve started another one! Because I can! But mainly because I had some wood, track, points and motors left over from another aborted project. The aim was to build a little layout (5ft x 9inch) that can live on the shelf and be played with on the dining room table. My 8tr expressed an interest in helping so that clinched it. It had to be ex GWR to fit my stock but I wanted something different from the usual West Country branch. Initial plans were based on a GWR version of Wantage. Then we went on holiday to Pembrokeshire and we walked the costal path to Porthgain Up till the 30s stone was loaded into ships, and the ruins of the loaders and the narrow gauge railway serving them are still explorable. This was too good not to model! A bit different with plenty of shunting. The story is that as the quarries grew a light railway was built to take the stone away to the GWR Fishguard line. This was later taken over by the GWR itself who Swindon-ised some of the fittings. This is where we now see it in the 60s. A sparse passenger who general foods service but Stuka fairly busy with stone trains. BackRoomBoffin on here drew up a track plan which kept shunting interest up. That’s the backstory. Construction has started and I’ll put details and pics in the next post

I suppose my point was that even if the seats are complained about is there actual evidence people are abandoning the train for the car or plane? What people say and do are often very difference, especially on social media! The LNER trains still seem rather full!

I’m not a techy person and certainly don’t know how to run my railway by computer. BUT I’m a total convert to DCC. There are so many systems and it doesn’t have to involve computers or automation. I use a NCE powercab. The layout is wired pretty much as I would for dc except no sections or isolated tracks. Imagine you were wiring it to run just one loco - but instead you can run several and park them anywhere etc. I control my points from the DCC controller. Again wiring pretty similar except the point wires lead to a decoder not a switch!