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'Correct' ratios of locos to stock


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  • RMweb Gold

Your TVR  A  might have been borrowed from Barry shed....

 

It might; I hadn't thought of that.  And I remember a photo in Eric Mountford's Caerphilly Works book of one in ex-work Egyptian Serif 'BRITISH RAILWAYS' unlined green livery alongside the northlight; another livery  ticked off the list; can't off hand remember the number but Barry had a good few and I'm assuming that the 'a' suffix in the Barry entry on the Rail UK site for 1948 allocation means round topped tanks, which this one and mine have.  They were popular at Barry for the longer distance passenger turns over the Vale of Glamorgan line and into the Valleys, but were being replaced by brand new 5101s and, later, BR Standard 3MTs.

 

That of course raises the possibility of a 3MT as a borrowed Barry engine as well.  Just what I need, more temptation.  I'll be good and concentrate on 4557 and new 5101 and 94xx first, though.  

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  • RMweb Gold

It might; I hadn't thought of that.  And I remember a photo in Eric Mountford's Caerphilly Works book of one in ex-work Egyptian Serif 'BRITISH RAILWAYS' unlined green livery alongside the northlight; another livery  ticked off the list; can't off hand remember the number but Barry had a good few and I'm assuming that the 'a' suffix in the Barry entry on the Rail UK site for 1948 allocation means round topped tanks, which this one and mine have.  They were popular at Barry for the longer distance passenger turns over the Vale of Glamorgan line and into the Valleys, but were being replaced by brand new 5101s and, later, BR Standard 3MTs.

 

That of course raises the possibility of a 3MT as a borrowed Barry engine as well.  Just what I need, more temptation.  I'll be good and concentrate on 4557 and new 5101 and 94xx first, though.  

Apparently, the converted A class at Swindon had a rectangular tank top. Those 'done' at Caerphilly had the original rounded top profile. This also includes the 03 & 04 as well.*

 

RCTS volume 10 is your friend. Apparently, the cabs of the A's went through several changes

 

* As told by Eric Mountford.

 

Cheers,

 

Ian.

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If you actually notice wagon or coach numbers you are truly a cut above the rest of us. Even reading them could be a challenge!

I’ve been thinking I should expand on this. I don’t remember the numbers, but I do remember the patterns. For example if you had a train of 16 ton minerals, I’d remember the rough positions of the unusual ones you’d put in for variety, the slope sided one, the rebodied ones etc.
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I guess this also depends what sort of modeller you are.

 

I have a full HST set but it'll never run that way for the forseable future as my layout simply isn't big enough.

 

A couple of DMUs, a few steam locos and a few diesel, probably less than 20 locos all together.

 

I rarely have a "running session" but that's because my layout is/was in it's infancy, as I am with controlling it.

 

So I'd send a train out somewhere, bring it back and that'll be done.

 

Hence:

 

~20 locos

~10 coaches

~10 wagons

 

I'm not really a freight sort of person.

So I guess I am wildly unbalanced?!

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  • RMweb Gold

I guess this also depends what sort of modeller you are.

 

I have a full HST set but it'll never run that way for the forseable future as my layout simply isn't big enough.

 

A couple of DMUs, a few steam locos and a few diesel, probably less than 20 locos all together.

 

I rarely have a "running session" but that's because my layout is/was in it's infancy, as I am with controlling it.

 

So I'd send a train out somewhere, bring it back and that'll be done.

 

Hence:

 

~20 locos

~10 coaches

~10 wagons

 

I'm not really a freight sort of person.

So I guess I am wildly unbalanced?!

 

Whatever floats your boat. Just relax, and enjoy the hobby.

 

Cheers,

 

Ian.

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  • RMweb Gold

I guess this also depends what sort of modeller you are.

 

I have a full HST set but it'll never run that way for the forseable future as my layout simply isn't big enough.

 

A couple of DMUs, a few steam locos and a few diesel, probably less than 20 locos all together.

 

I rarely have a "running session" but that's because my layout is/was in it's infancy, as I am with controlling it.

 

So I'd send a train out somewhere, bring it back and that'll be done.

 

Hence:

 

~20 locos

~10 coaches

~10 wagons

 

I'm not really a freight sort of person.

So I guess I am wildly unbalanced?!

 

Probably not by RMweb standards...

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  • RMweb Gold

It all depends on what you are trying to portray.

 

For most modern railways all you need is a few DMUs or EMUs as that is all you will ever see apart from an occasional engineering train.

 

 

 

 

Jason

 

I don't agree!  Identical steam hauled trains were all you ever saw in some places at any time, and any main line, along with many which are by no means main lines, will carry a good bit of freight traffic.  But some of it may run at night when you are less aware of it.

 

It depends on where you are trying to portray more than what or when, IMHO.  But locos are less of a feature of the modern railway than they were of a more traditional one, even 1980s or 90s diesel and electric based layouts, as very few passenger trains are hauled by them nowadays.  

 

If you are modelling a small BLT or similar prototype or basing a freelance model on one, as I do, it is possible to include all the stock that would appear in a normal day's timetable, but as soon as you move out on to the main network, it is impossible to model all the stock that might pass through your station (not that that stops some people including stock that never did, or only did once in a blue moon), and you have to compromise on a representative selection, and, as Stratford Bill said (and he generally knew what he was on about), there's the rub, because there are no hard and fast rules as to what representative is.  Do you included the night services, although your layout is not lit, how many locos are enough, how much stock, what about excursions or goods specials, where does it end, where did it begin...

 

Probably not worth worrying too much about; my advice is to acquire the locos and stock you need first, followed by those you need that are not available yet but will be (Bachmann 94xx), followed by those you like the look of and cannot otherwise justify.  But I'm me and you're you, mostly, and this may not work for you; if this is the case, you will not be under any censure from me for it!

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Erm. I did say "modern". No mention of steam era in my post. :)

 

I don't think there has been a steam locomotive on my local line since 1968 apart from a couple of light engine movements to Allerton and the re-run of the 15 Guinea Special when the L&MR was closed for electrification work. But I was away in Europe when that happened.

 

There certainly isn't any loco hauled freights. They use other lines. I don't think there has been a regular loco hauled passenger train go past since the end of the Class 31s on the Sheffield trains. Or a very rare diversion.

 

But I could run at least half a dozen different types of DMU and EMU if I modelled my local station. And it is an actual mainline with expresses going to Manchester, Yorkshire, East Midlands and East Anglia. That's as well as the suburban trains to Liverpool and Southport.

 

If anyone wants to point out the freight trains on the route then please tell me where they are.  :blum:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunts_Cross_railway_station

 

Or I could walk down the road and watch Pendolinos and freight trains on the WCML Or one of the 08s shunting at Speke Junction.  :jester:

 

 

 

Jason

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  • RMweb Gold

Fair point, Jason.  I was using the steam age to point out that some locations have never enjoyed much in the way of biodiversity, and that this is not an exclusively modern phenomenon, though the general shrinkage in all but block or intermodal freight over the last 50+ years has meant that more places fit this description than previously!

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