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

[Annie]

2 hours ago, NeilHB said:

Lovely stuff Annie, makes me think I must build a few more 3-plank opens for the ETCo! 

Thanks Neil.  I think in terms of their general usefulness it's difficult to end up with too many of them.

[Annie]

35 minutes ago, Hroth said:

The only problem with software that  will "never never never never be 'upgraded'" is that in a few years time its probable that the OS you're using will either be dumped too, or that later updates of the OS will result in library changes that have an adverse impact on the software running on it*.

All too true, but hopefully by then TRS22 will be a perfected work that's no longer being 'upgraded'.  It was immensely annoying to have to constantly repair things that had been working fine before an 'upgrade' and this is exactly what happened with TS2019.  The SP1 'upgrade' introduced some annoyances with difficult to use drop down menus, but it was workable, SP2 was an utter mess that everyone wanted to forget and SP3 that followed fixed most of the mess, but had an annoying bug where it was difficult to place objects with any kind of accuracy and the portals were all broken.  SP4 limped in and was slightly better and I never bothered with the final troublesome SP5 version because I'd taken my chances with TRS22 which was finally workable, but heavy on computer resources to run it.

 

TANE which I'm running now was a major problem child when it was first released due to being rushed into a final retail version before it was ready (apparently it used to blow up graphics cards), but by the time it reached its final SP4 version which used some of the better TS2019 features it was stable and largely bug free.  More than a few Trainz folk would have liked it a lot if N3V had stopped there and not rushed off into weird experiments with environmental lighting and features that caused more problems than were of any real benefit.  I did used to wonder how many people purchased those buggy versions as their first contact with the Trainz simulator and gave it the toss not long afterwards because they couldn't get it to work.

[Annie]

More 15ft E&GR 3 plank dropside wagons.  I've added two 3 plank wagons with sprung buffers, one with long lever single shoe brakes on each side and the other with more modern single side brakes.  I did think about doing a 3 plank dropside with dumb buffers at one end and sprung buffers at the other, but that sort of thing was used mostly on mineral wagons and the E&GR certainly has plenty of those with that kind of buffer setup.

I'm considering doing 3 more number variations with the wagon sheets/tarpaulins considering that the E&GR has so many 3 plank dropside wagons.

 

 

 

Here's a wider view of the wharf at Less Sudden.  To successfully shunt all the wagons and vans on the wharfside into a train ready to be taken off and away to the wider world is a fascinating shunting puzzle to solve.

 

[Annie]

Various snaps from Push-Pull (Motor Train) schedule testing on the Sudden branch.  Getting Push-Pull sets to work properly in Trainz is somewhat of a black art since the driving trailer has to be set up as a locomotive as well.  Getting the balance right between the Train engine and the (secret locomotive) driving trailer is not all that easy.  'Eastlingwold' and the ex-NER driving trailer look lovely together, but getting them to run a schedule without weird glitches has always been a nightmare. 

In the end I coupled 'Eastlingwold' to my two coach GER 'litho' push-pull set just so I could check that it wasn't my schedule that was the problem.  And what do you know everything was fine.  I'm not sure what I'm going to do about that yet, but I'll figure something out.

Since I've got to set up all the timetable schedules again from scratch I thought it might be best to get the branchlines working first so I can play trains on them in between doing other tasks on the layout.  Despite the frustrations it was a lot of fun to be visiting the Sudden branch again and being back in my own little world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Annie]

Thanks for the 'Likes' gentlemen.  I could have thrown a 1000 'Likes' on my Sudden branch post because I was having so much fun, but of course I'm not allowed to.  

The ex-NER driving trailer is lettered for the Eastlingwold & Great Mulling and painted plain brown and is a nice digital model.  I'm considering adding an ex-NER clerestory 3rd to the push-pull set to see if that makes any difference.  The distance between the train loco and the (secret loco) driving trailer looks like being a factor in how well a push-pull set obeys the schedule commands.  Great Sudden at the end of the branch is represented by a loop and really if the passenger service on the branch is being operated by a push-pull set it needs to be at a minimum a two coach set to cope with the likely numbers of folk wanting to travel to Eastlingwold.

 

I have plans to reskin my 'litho' 50ft push-pull set using the teak coach texture library I've built up over time which should improve its appearance, but that might take me awhile to do.

 

[Annie]

'Eastlingwold' with a nicely behaved push-pull set.  I painted an ex-NER D48 3rd class coach in E&GR lined brown to match the driving trailer and together they make a useful combination.  The D48 3rd is shorter than the Ex-NER driving trailer which is ideal since platform lengths on the Sudden branch aren't all that long.  My GER 50ft push-pull set was only just squeaking in at Less Sudden.

I had a good frown at the config files for the ex-NER driving trailer and compared them against my GER 50ft driving trailer's specs, - and sure enough there was an error.  The easiest solution was to copy the specs for the GER 50ft driving trailer over to the ex-NER driving trailer and on test all was good.

 

The Sudden branch is home to Terriers 'Eastlingwold' and 'Barrow Hills'.  When the Affiliated (Imaginary) Railway Companies were negotiating with the LBSCR to buy several Terriers the very proud and traditionally minded E&GR said they didn't want any.  Not long afterwards they came back to the committee table and said,  'Very well, just one then.'

'Moxbury', 'Hopewood', 'Windweather', 'Eastlingwold' and 'Barrow Hills' arrived a month later all nice and shiny in their new paintwork, freshly overhauled and specially converted to the vacuum brake.  The E&GR committee members went away with 'Eastlingwold' muttering about 'silly little engines'; - but at the next committee meeting they asked somewhat apologetically, 'Do you think we could buy another one?'

Well to cut a long story short as well as cut through the urgent exchange of many telegrams the LBSCR essentially replied, 'Sorry no, - we've sold the lot and there's none left.'

All was despair at the next committee meeting, then the Locomotive Superintendent put in his sixpeneth by saying that 'Barrow Hills' was standing idle much of the time since the crews at Tenpenny wharf preferred their old engines for doing transfer work over the tramways and hadn't warmed so much to the new engine. 

So there you are that's the story of how two Terriers came to be working deep in the heart of E&GR territory.

 

 

 

 

 

[Annie]

Two elderly 0-6-0s simmering quietly at Oakmarket (E&GR).  The E&GR is well known for being a home for ancient engines and these two are favourites of mine.  The Longridge is usually found working on the Grimwold mineral branch, but is visiting Oakmarket to collect empty wagons, - and the Hicks is about to take a train of empty coal wagons through to Great Mulling.  I've not numbered any of my E&GR 0-6-0 tender engines, but I am considering giving them names instead.

 

Longridge 0-6-0 built 1848.  R. B. Longridge and Company.  Considered to be a builder of good quality locomotives.  The works closed in 1853. It has been estimated that they produced 209 locomotives between 1837 and 1852.  Also built Broad Gauge locomotives for the GWR in 1841 (Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, Venus, Mercury, Lucifer).

 

Hicks 0-6-0 built 1850.   B. Hick and Sons, subsequently Hick, Hargreaves & Co, was a British engineering company based at the Soho Ironworks in Bolton, England, 1833 - 1867.  Renamed Hick, Hargreaves & Co, 1867 - 2000s.  Built 90-100 locomotives up until 1855, but were primarily a marine and stationary engine manufacturer and locomotives were only a sideline.

 

[Compound2632]

On 03/07/2022 at 22:10, Annie said:

Here's a curiosity for the experts among you; - a dumb buffered covered van.  I've had this photo in my archives for some time now, but I've not been able to find out any more about it.

 

 

That is a curiosity. I wonder if the body is home-made on the frames of an old mineral wagon?

[Annie]

8 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

That is a curiosity. I wonder if the body is home-made on the frames of an old mineral wagon?

I was wondering that as well.  It's the sort of thing any good carpenter could put together if a cash strapped minor/light railway was in need of a van.

[cornamuse]

Your work is amazing, so detailed and believable, I love it! 
 

[Annie]

19 minutes ago, cornamuse said:

Your work is amazing, so detailed and believable, I love it! 
 

Thank you very much.  Rather than going for ultra detailed and super realistic scenery which is certainly possible with the Trainz simulator I've stayed with a touch of the John Ahern approach to model railways which was a big influence for me when I was younger.

This layout is very much my happy place where I can go and wander around to my heart's content.

[Annie]

Evening Broad Gauge Cheer Up Picture:  "Sebastopol" at Swindon, Driver W. Sansom on the footplate.  A Broad Gauge Society picture, but they don't say who did the colourisation of the original photo.

 

 

 

Original photograph.

Edited July 9, 2022 by Annie
added a picture

[Hroth]

Hurrah!!!

I feel more cheerful already!

 

The WIkipedia page for the Iron Duke/Rover class shows Sebastopol in a monochrome image, the coloured one may be a recent attempt to show that the olden days weren't in black and white.

 

The loco behind Sebastopol carries the number 2020, at first I thought it was another Rover, but on cursory investigation it seems to be an ex-Bristol and Exeter 2-4-0 , originally 14 in the B&E roster and renumbered by the GWR.  Built in 1870, it lasted until 1892...

 

[Northroader]

Brizzle, not Swinnun, me luvver.

Edited July 9, 2022 by Northroader

[Annie]

10 minutes ago, Hroth said:

The loco behind Sebastopol carries the number 2020, at first I thought it was another Rover, but on cursory investigation it seems to be an ex-Bristol and Exeter 2-4-0 , originally 14 in the B&E roster and renumbered by the GWR.  Built in 1870, it lasted until 1892...

Supplementary Broad Gauge Cheer Up Picture:  Not No.2020, but No.2021 instead.  I have a big soft spot for the ex-B&ER engines.

 

[Annie]

24 minutes ago, Northroader said:

Brizzle, not Swinnun, me luvver.

So if I am to interpret your use of dialect correctly you are telling me that the photograph was taken at Bristol and not Swindon.

[Hroth]

27 minutes ago, Annie said:

So if I am to interpret your use of dialect correctly you are telling me that the photograph was taken at Bristol and not Swindon.

Its probably something to do with the weathervane on the gable end.

[Schooner]

Accent more than dialect, mention of which should trigger reference the -stow/-stol debate*...

 

*Did 'Bristow' (the meeting place by the bridge) become 'Bristol' because of the dialect trait of adding a terminal L to vowel-ended words, mispronouncing the name? Or was the correct pronunciation mis-written by map makers from/for Lunden aware of another dialect trait of pronouncing '-ol-' as '-ow-'  (as in 'owe', rather than 'how')? Minefield!

 

Answers on a postcard to the usual address**...

 

**

Castle Aching Parish Council

Castle Aching

Folden Mappe

West Norfolk

Edited July 9, 2022 by Schooner

[Annie]

Just now, Hroth said:

Its probably something to do with the weathervane on the gable end.

I've been frowning at various old photos of the B&ER works at Bristol and the photo of 'Sebastopol' was definitely taken at Bristol and not Swindon.  Plainly somebody at the Broad Gauge Society needs to be selected for re-education for posting a photograph with incorrect details.

5 minutes ago, Schooner said:

Accent more than dialect, mention of which should trigger reference the -stow/-stol debate*...

 

Fascinating.  My brain has defaulted to the cognitive powers of cold porridge for the greater part of the day so I shall bow to your greater knowledge in this matter.

[Schooner]

...and mine appears to have chosen to operate a Sunday service a day early. Shall we call it quits?! :)

[Hroth]

1 hour ago, Annie said:

My brain has defaulted to the cognitive powers of cold porridge for the greater part of the day so I shall bow to your greater knowledge in this matter.

 

1 hour ago, Schooner said:

...and mine appears to have chosen to operate a Sunday service a day early. Shall we call it quits?! :)

 

Just so long as we don't get a Pearce & Crump Rail Replacement Bus...

 

Image source:   Studiocanal Films Ltd

 

Edited July 9, 2022 by Hroth

[Northroader]

 

[Annie]

Evening Narrow Gauge Cheer Up Picture:   A colourised image of Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway's 0-6-0T No.1 ' The Earl ' , at Welshpool.

(Image source The Montgomery Express)

 

[Annie]

Very Early Morning Cheer Up Pictures:  Couldn't sleep so I ran E&GR No.20 about on a passenger run from the mysterious west to Moxbury.   

The Eastlingwold & Great Mulling's Beyer-Peacock singles have been working trains to and from a connection with the West Norfolk Railway right from the day that I'd managed to get Moxbury completed and open for traffic.  Normally No.20 is seen working local trains on the E&GR and one of the rebuilt singles works this passenger service, but I suppose there must've been an engine failure of some kind so No.20 got the job.  Now that I know that my Norfolk layout is going to be in TANE to stay I can get on and develop the timetables and scheduling properly which I wasn't able to in TS2012.

I'm still setting things up in TANE, but the railways and tramways are quite functional.  Still quite a bit to do with various things, but it's coming along nicely.

 

 

 

 

 

[Annie]

A snap taken at Grimwold station on the Grimwold branch.  Looks like it might rain.  It's been a good while since I was up this way on my Norfolk layout.