TomJ

If people are looking for another excuse to buy one then the IoW units were tested on the mainline before heading over the Solent. Apparently the first unit was tested between Basingstoke and Eastleigh. I’m sure I remember on a trip to the IoW seeing the ‘new’ trains in sidings near Portsmouth. This thread has pictures of them at Haslemere. It wouldn’t take much imagination to see them running in on other NSE lines!

I’ve been looking at some plans for colliery layouts, including Paul Lunn’s one in the recent Model Rail I’ve got a few questions about how the internal networks were operated by the NCB. I know that the rules were ‘different’ to BR and that brake vans were a rarity Would wagons be propelled through the screens? I’m imaging that locos wouldn’t be allowed through - is this correct? So leading on from this - on the plan you’d have to propel a train down the gradient, trucks first. And pull up the loaded ones behind the loco. Were there rules about locos having to be at the bottom when on a gradient (to prevent runaways) or could you get away with it? It seems brake abs weren’t used despite lose coupled wagons. If the plan needs wagons pushing through the screens AND the loco at the lower end of the gradient then I need a rethink! Thanks

Thanks everyone for all the advice, pics and references. I found a copy of ‘Rail Centres Oxford’ (for 65p!) which is very inspirational. Certainly lots of locos on my shopping list Im looking at getting a rake of coaches for the N-S inter-regionals that came through Oxford. What coaches would you see in the early 60s - SR, ER, Mk1 or a mix? Would it be all SR or all ER coaches or where they mixed rakes? I’ve got a choice in N of Maunsell, Bullied, Mk1 (green or maroon?), Gresley or Thompson coaches! Choice can be too much sometimes

These are some of the worsted jokes I’ve heard sorry!

I believe the Lambourne Valley Railway was built under the light railway act. Like many it was built by an independent company - but in this case had its own rolling stock and locos. Later taken over by the GWR who rebuilt Lambourne station and introduced their stock

Currently day dreaming/arm chair planing a future project based on Oxfords long lost (some say fictional) city terminus. Set in the late 50s, early 60s. I have found out a lot of information already, especially about the inter regional trains and ‘foreign’ locos seen there. But my knowledge of things outside Swindon is limited so I need some help filling in the gaps! Am I right that there was a link from Banbury to the GCR? And that this was used for trains going from the south coast to the north? As I understand the SR locos would work to Oxford. Would an ex-GWR loco take over as far as Banbury? Or would you see an ER (or was it LMR by then?) loco taking over at Oxford? And which non GWR classes particularly would you see if you were an Oxford trainspotter? Basically if I were to get one or two foreign locos to add to my ex-GWR fleet for variety what would be a good choice? I’ve already got a SR N and a West Country on order. Anything else from the SR? And what should represent trains from the GCR? Thanks

Many of the visiting locos from RH&DR to Ravenglass and Eskdale are too long for the turntables at either end. In those cases the tenders are detached and simply pushed onto the turntable after the loco. Always a good show for those watching Obviously a lot easier in 15inch gauge!

To misquote the Bard ‘There is something rotten in the state of (West) Somerset’

In a recent Model Rail there’s a lovely little OO9 layout by Chris Nevard of a small colliery. And it got me thinking of using up some old N gauge track and an excuse to buy a lovely Bachmann Baldwin But we’re there ever and small mines served by a ng line? I know loads had underground ng networks or for supplies on the surface. I’m thinking of one where the coal was taken away by a ng line, perhaps to the standard gauge lower down the valley or staithes on the river/canal Any ideas so if I do go ahead it’s at least vaguely based on reality? Thanks

PS - hope you wore a hat taking those photos

Love it! Although still not sure I want to visit!

It’s a very wet day here so what better way to treat MrsJ on Mother’s Day by staying out her way! Instead I’ve made a start on the old Ambrosia dairy to go behind the station Construction is my now standard way - Scalescenes brick or stone papers printed onto card and then mounted on foam board. Basically as a kit to be assembled. Here is it taking shape Windows are old Ratio brass ones I’ve salvaged from the spares box and repainted. Next job to add them

What to do with a week off in wet March than work on the layout! And reflect on what a totally bonkers twelve months it’s been! Inspired by Cowley 47512 recent postings - and the amazing help he’s given me - I thought it was time to post a bit more progress All track and wiring done. Testing starting. Some buildings posed to see how they’ll look. Here’s an overview of the station and the yard. The white paper is the footprint of the old dairy which is next to be built. The layout using buildings from my old layout so it’s a bit of a mash up of Crediton, Lapford and Eggesford The other end with a Scalescenes girder bridge hiding the exit. The station house is a modified Kestrel kit - hopefully the colour has the north Devon look A close up of Crediton station and the three arch bridge. With a lot of trial and error I’ve made it skew. AND a Mark 3 ‘just’ fits through! Crediton signal box. Before anyone comments the roof is just balanced on! So time to start painting and ballasting track. A just a bit of playing trains.....

If only the IoW could have held on w few years! Wasn’t the Piccadilly stock mentioned as a possible replacement at one time? Positively youthful compared to the last two batches of trains!

The 1990s are calling - they want their loco back! We’re surely past the stage where DCC is a luxury extra, of interest to only a few and only for large tender locos

Caernarfon- both the original standard gauge and the new WHR station. There is the apocryphal story of the America visitor who said that Conway Castle was spectacular but why did they build it so close to the railroad!

It’ll never happen. Because it will stall for ever whilst the politicians argue about whether the livery should be orange or green and whether the in train announcements need to be bilingual.

Thanks everyone. That’s enough examples that it’s definitely plausible for me. And conveniently screens the fiddle yard exit. As the disused stations site quotes ’The shed, which contained a pit, just visible, was fairly unusual, but not unique, for a branch terminus in that it was double-ended and sat astride a through road’ Not unique will do for me!

I have had no success with a variety of approaches to the delayed re-recoupling. But I find simple uncoupling to be very reliable with either the Dapol magnets or small neodymium ones which are cheap enough that I’ve just added loads around where I may wish to uncouple. Also if you’re a tight Yorkshireman like me it’s worth noting that the Dapol magnets work fine cut in half! I bury mine in the cork a little bit and add thin micro strip to represent sleepers. Once painted and ballasted they are almost invisible. To the extent that I can’t remember where to stop the trains!!

I’m modelling a layout very loosely inspired by the Wantage Tramway but as if it had been taken over and ‘modernised’ by the GWR. One odd feature (amongst many) was that access to the gasworks was through the engine shed - the siding running right through. I’m trying to decide whether to keep this feature - perhaps with a corrugated iron GWR replacement). Were there any other example of goods wagons being shunted through? I do know of the Bakerloo line running through Queens Park shed. Not quite what I was thinking of!!

I can honestly say that if I tried a plan like that I’d soon be looking at micro layouts that could fit in my post divorce bedsit!

I didn’t take any photos of construction but I’ll try to take some of the underneath. the other benefit was that it could easily be made in the spare room with basic equipment during lockdown so didn’t need to buy anything. It was a great project to destress for a hour or so coming home from working at the hospital

I’m building an N gauge minimum space layout 4ft x 6inch - using foamboard. I’ve sandwiched strips together them assembled a framework like a conventional baseboard. Glued together with a hot glue gun and lots of triangular bracing pieces The whole thing is faced with 3mm ply to protect it. The layout couldn’t be lighter and so far seems good. Can lift it off the shelf one handed!

That’s a great suggestion using Google Earth measuring. Option 1 isn’t likely to be useful for a while - esp as I live in Yorkshire! So the rail-height of the N gauge coaling stage is 28mm - so 14ft. Using the measuring I make the ramp approx 200ft. Which is about 1 in 14. Very close to everyone else's suggestions! Thanks everyone