Annie's Virtual Pre-Grouping, Grouping and BR Layouts & Workbench

[Annie]

I'm still needing to sleep quite  bit, but I'm feeling a lot better than I was.  Continuing with the job of remedying the matt texturing on some of my older engines in TRS19 is a good way to get my brain to work properly.  Having already repaired No.3 I'm reasonably familiar with the mesh material settings and where they are listed with my much modified 'Knotty' class 'B' engines that I use as the Affiliated (Imaginary) Railway Companies' Standard tank engine design, but the 'Terriers' are something very different entirely.  Fortunately the 'Terriers' don't have LOD so that meant I only had to enter in the new settings only once for each attempt.  The modified 'B' class engines have LOD, but only two stage LOD so I had to enter the settings in twice, but at least I already knew what needed to be done.

 

I did 0-6-0T No.2 with reflective material settings at 1%.  No.2 mostly does shunting and trip working so she's cared for, but not a polish queen and that was my aim with adjusting the material settings.  No.2 is seen here pausing between jobs in the goods yard at Bluebell Magna.  The lamp code she is carrying is yet another mysterious GER one which horrified the LNER at the grouping by showing a red light to the front..

 

 

'Moxbury' was the designated test Terrier for me to determine just how and where the mesh materials were listed.  In the end I figured out which materials were which, - though it would have gone easier if the Terriers' maker had used less creative file names.  At least now that I know what to do I can sort out Moxbury's four sister engines reasonably easily.  The Terriers usually work on the tramways and branchlines where there's a weight restriction, but 'Moxbury' has the important job of being the pilot engine and general shunting engine at Moxbury station.  I used a 1% setting with 'Moxbury' as well as I didn't want to polish her up too much and I think the final result is reasonably good.

 

 

 

[Edwardian]

These are looking excellent Annie. Very well worthwhile exercise. 

 

It's probably worth reminding folk what a 'finescale' transformation we've seen from this

 

 

to this ....

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Hroth]

2 hours ago, Annie said:

 

 

 

 

Hot Cocoa!

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....

 

[Annie]

3 hours ago, Edwardian said:

These are looking excellent Annie. Very well worthwhile exercise. 

 

It's probably worth reminding folk what a 'finescale' transformation we've seen from this

 

 

to this ....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you very much James.  Gosh, - finescale.  But then on the other hand my 'kitbashing' of a poor and unsuspecting 'Knotty' tank engine into becoming the diverse property of a cooperative group of imaginary Norfolk railways and tramways is something that I've always treated in a reasonably serious fashion.  As compared with the original TS2004 model my kitbashed variations have had a considerable amount done to them with some even having much re-written and edited engine spec files to improve their running.  They are all at 'revision 04' now with me attempting to make a Westinghouse pump for them as their next planned upgrade.

 

3 hours ago, Hroth said:

 

Hot Cocoa!

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....

 

Yes indeed!  These special cocoa tank wagons are deployed in a similar way to lighting gas wagons such as the GWR's 'cordon' wagons except they are used to replenish the holding tanks at station refreshment rooms.  I was thinking of fitting this tank wagon with screw couplings and at the least through piping it so it can be run in fitted goods trains.

Yes it know it's silly, but there's times when a bit of silliness can do one a lot of good.

[Caley Jim]

46 minutes ago, Annie said:

I was thinking of fitting this tank wagon with screw couplings and at the least through piping it so it can be run in fitted goods trains.

Won't they need steam heating fitted as well, to keep the cocoa hot? 

 

49 minutes ago, Annie said:

Yes it know it's silly, but there's times when a bit of silliness can do one a lot of good.

Absolutely nothing wrong with that! I once had the idea of building a small layout featuring a factory manufacturing our other national drink. Only two types of wagons required - bogie bolsters to bring the girders in and tankers to take the Irn Bru out! 

 

Jim

[Annie]

7 minutes ago, Caley Jim said:

Won't they need steam heating fitted as well, to keep the cocoa hot? 

Yes of course, - how could I forget that.  Thanks for the reminder Jim.

 

8 minutes ago, Caley Jim said:

Absolutely nothing wrong with that! I once had the idea of building a small layout featuring a factory manufacturing our other national drink. Only two types of wagons required - bogie bolsters to bring the girders in and tankers to take the Irn Bru out! 

 

Jim

Ha ha, - absolutely delightful.  

[Edwardian]

11 minutes ago, Caley Jim said:

Won't they need steam heating fitted as well, to keep the cocoa hot? 

 

Good point well brought out

 

11 minutes ago, Caley Jim said:

Absolutely nothing wrong with that! I once had the idea of building a small layout featuring a factory manufacturing our other national drink. Only two types of wagons required - bogie bolsters to bring the girders in and tankers to take the Irn Bru out! 

 

Jim

 

Marvellous suggestion.

 

[Caley Jim]

2 minutes ago, Annie said:

Yes of course, - how could I forget that. 

Of course that also means they must be in passenger trains, or coupled next to a suitably equipped loco in good trains, except when returning empty. On second thoughts, would any residue solidify when it cooled, meaning they have to be kept heated?

 

Passenger to porter:

"What's the hold up? Why are e sitting here so long." 

Porter :

"Just topping up the hot cocoa machine, sir. Only be another 15 minutes!" 

 

Jim 

[Annie]

2 minutes ago, Caley Jim said:

Of course that also means they must be in passenger trains, or coupled next to a suitably equipped loco in good trains, except when returning empty. On second thoughts, would any residue solidify when it cooled, meaning they have to be kept heated?

 

Yes of course, - that would be exactly how it would need to be done Jim.  Plainly a special set of instructions for company staff will need to be written for these tank wagons.

 

7 minutes ago, Caley Jim said:

Passenger to porter:

"What's the hold up? Why are e sitting here so long." 

Porter :

"Just topping up the hot cocoa machine, sir. Only be another 15 minutes!" 

 

Jim 

Delightful, - that really made me laugh.

[Edwardian]

5 minutes ago, Caley Jim said:

Of course that also means they must be in passenger trains, or coupled next to a suitably equipped loco in good trains, except when returning empty. On second thoughts, would any residue solidify when it cooled, meaning they have to be kept heated?

 

Passenger to porter:

"What's the hold up? Why are e sitting here so long." 

Porter :

"Just topping up the hot cocoa machine, sir. Only be another 15 minutes!" 

 

Jim 

 

Well, if you're going to have through piping, you may as well have the cocoa itself piped through the train!

 

Very Heath Robinson in spirit!

 

 

 

[Annie]

With the wind blowing harsh off the North Sea at times I'm sure being able to obtain a nice mug of hot cocoa on the train would be a great comfort.

[Edwardian]

21 minutes ago, Annie said:

With the wind blowing harsh off the North Sea at times I'm sure being able to obtain a nice mug of hot cocoa on the train would be a great comfort.

 

Perhaps a cocoa factory somewhere on the layout?

[Annie]

1 hour ago, Edwardian said:

 

Perhaps a cocoa factory somewhere on the layout?

Now there's a thought.  Fun fact, - just about all of the English side of my family worked for Cadburys.  My Mum had a copy of a big group photo taken at the factory and there certainly were a lot of them.

 

 

I must bear in mind though that I still have a part built brickworks on the layout I need to finish, but on the other hand I would think a cocoa factory would be nothing like as tricky to set up as a modelling subject.  And then there's the question of where to site it.  Fortunately Bluebell Magna has streets of workers terrace houses cunningly arranged with forced perspective to fit them into a smaller space up against the edge of the layout board and if the cocoa factory was sited there it could be called Bluebell Cocoa and have a plausibly sized workforce near at hand.  I shall have to give this some semi-serious thought.

 

(Gratuitous vintage chocolate advertisement posted just because I like it.)

 

 

 

 

Edited September 13, 2021 by Annie
can't spell for toffee

[Hroth]

27 minutes ago, Annie said:

Now there's a thought.  Fun fact, - just about all of the English side of my family worked for Cadburys.  My Mum had a copy of a big group photo taken at the factory and there certainly were a lot of them.

 

 

I must bear in mind though that I still have a part built brickworks on the layout I need to finish, but on the other hand I would think a cocoa factory would be nothing like as tricky to set up as a modelling subject.  And then there's the question of where to site it.  Fortunately Bluebell Magna has streets of workers terrace houses cunningly arranged with forced perspective to fit them into a smaller space up against the edge of the layout board and if the cocoa factory was sited there it could be called Bluebell Cocoa and have a plausibly sized workforce near at hand.  I shall have to give this some semi-serious thought.

 

(Gratuitous vintage chocolate advertisement posted just because I like it.)

 

 

 

 

 

Not quite "Bluebell", but given you say you can't spell for it, there used to be a brand of toffee called "Blue Bird", we always used to get a small tin of it in our Christmas stocking.  Terrible, filling inducing/pulling stuff.

 

Tins were something along the lines of this example

 

 

And if that young lady keeps buying bars of choccy to scoff on the train, she's going to need more than an overtightened corset to keep her figure in check...

 

 

 

[Edwardian]

There is a glorious variety in cocoa adverts.

 

Here we see it can be sporting, loyal, potentially seductive and nostalgic.

 

[Compound2632]

6 hours ago, Annie said:

 

Well if that's a LNWR / WCJS carriage my name's Hornby.

 

But for period advertising, this takes the biscuit:

 

[MikeOxon]

IN PRAISE OF COCOA,

CUPID’S NIGHTCAP

 Half past nine- high time for supper; 

‘Cocoa, love?’ 'Of course, my dear.’

Helen thinks it quite delicious,

John prefers it now to beer.

Knocking back the sepia potion,

Hubby winks, says, 'Who’s for bed?’

'Shan’t be long,’ says Helen softly,

Cheeks a faintly flushing red.

For they’ve stumbled on the secret

Of a love that never wanes,

Rapt beneath the tumbled bedclothes,

Cocoa coursing through their veins.

-Stanley J. Sharpless

[CKPR]

Re.  the "Hot Cocoa" tank wagon -  As we seem to cogniscent not just of history but also of railway modelling history, I'm sure some of you will recall reading  about the the fictional PO wagons that did the rounds of various layouts and which constituted an in joke in the 1950s-60s Railway Modeller [MRN and MRC were too serious for that sort of thing but MRC adopted a sort of hep cat argo just before the Ian Allan takeover - get with it or be square, daddio !] - off the top of my head, I can recall the Sabden Treacle Mines, Wheal Clidgy, The Byfield Cheese Quarry and The Stocksfield Stottie* Mine

 

* Enormous  dinner plate sized barm**  native to the north east and best ordered in halves or  quarters.

** what you put bacon or cheese in [see also breadcake, oven bottom, batch, etc].

Edited September 13, 2021 by CKPR

[Hroth]

5 hours ago, Edwardian said:

Here we see it can be sporting, loyal, potentially seductive and nostalgic.

 

"Darling, if you drink any more cocoa, you'll be up all night..."

 

2 hours ago, MikeOxon said:

IN PRAISE OF COCOA,

CUPID’S NIGHTCAP

 Half past nine- high time for supper; 

‘Cocoa, love?’ 'Of course, my dear.’

Helen thinks it quite delicious,

John prefers it now to beer.

Knocking back the sepia potion,

Hubby winks, says, 'Who’s for bed?’

'Shan’t be long,’ says Helen softly,

Cheeks a faintly flushing red.

For they’ve stumbled on the secret

Of a love that never wanes,

Rapt beneath the tumbled bedclothes,

Cocoa coursing through their veins.

-Stanley J. Sharpless

 

Reminiscent of Sir JB at his best...

 

ej thribb

 

 

Edited September 13, 2021 by Hroth
Emphasis

[Annie]

Oh yes CKPR, - I remember the treacle mines and the cheese quarries.  I have a memory of toast orchards as well, but that might have been something else.

 

5 hours ago, Edwardian said:

There is a glorious variety in cocoa adverts.

 

Here we see it can be sporting, loyal, potentially seductive and nostalgic.

 

So many wonderful vintage cocoa adverts.  Even a just quick search on the interwebs brought up dozens and dozens of them.  Plainly there was no shortage of inventive imagination amongst advertising copywriters back then.  And what's more it seemed that cocoa could cure almost anything.

 

3 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

 

Well if that's a LNWR / WCJS carriage my name's Hornby.

 

But for period advertising, this takes the biscuit:

 

Gosh, that one really does take the biscuit.  British imperialism rampant and unashamed.  Show that one to the WOKE lot and they'd have the nearest canal full to bursting with old statues.

 

2 hours ago, MikeOxon said:

IN PRAISE OF COCOA,

CUPID’S NIGHTCAP

 Half past nine- high time for supper; 

‘Cocoa, love?’ 'Of course, my dear.’

Helen thinks it quite delicious,

John prefers it now to beer.

Knocking back the sepia potion,

Hubby winks, says, 'Who’s for bed?’

'Shan’t be long,’ says Helen softly,

Cheeks a faintly flushing red.

For they’ve stumbled on the secret

Of a love that never wanes,

Rapt beneath the tumbled bedclothes,

Cocoa coursing through their veins.

-Stanley J. Sharpless

And just plain 'Gosh!' to that one.  No wonder they had big families back then.

[Hroth]

1 hour ago, CKPR said:

I can recall the Sabden Treacle Mines, Wheal Clidgy, The Byfield Cheese Quarry and The Stocksfield Stottie* Mine

 

Surely the Jam Butty mines of Knotty Ash should be there too? 

 

(How tickled I am, etc...)

[CKPR]

7 minutes ago, Annie said:

And what's more it seemed that cocoa could cure almost anything.

Slightly out of period but my great-uncle Ted served in the navy during the battle of the Atlantic and on the Baltic convoys and was sustained on  a 4 hr watch with a packet of jam sandwiches (or when the jam ran out, bread & butter sprinkled with sugar) and a flask of cocoa.

 

[CKPR]

Just now, Hroth said:

Surely the Jam Butty mines of Knotty Ash should be there too?

Don't recall that wagon appearing in Peter Matthews'  "Wagons of the private traders" in MRN !

[Hroth]

5 minutes ago, CKPR said:

or when the jam ran out, bread & butter sprinkled with sugar

 

There's nothing finer than a sugar butty!

 

[Annie]

6 minutes ago, CKPR said:

Slightly out of period but my great-uncle Ted served in the navy during the battle of the Atlantic and on the Baltic convoys and was sustained on  a 4 hr watch with a packet of jam sandwiches (or when the jam ran out, bread & butter sprinkled with sugar) and a flask of cocoa.

 

It must be years since I last drank any cocoa, but I'll always associate it with camping trips and hiking about in the great outdoors.