Martin S-C

I rummaged in my wagon-kits-to-build box and discovered to my joy (and surprise!) that I have three crane wagons to tackle. The small ABS GW 1.5ton, the instructions from which I pictured above, the Mikes Models small Midland crane truck which I've studied today and has wonderfully crisp castings but a missing hook. Not a huge deal to find a replacement; and thirdly, the Cambrian GWR 6 ton crane and match truck which will be my main works mobile crane stabled at Nether Madder. The other two will be kept at Green Soudley and at either Witts End or Snarling to serve the branch, probably the former. For when they are stored in the open I plan to manufacture a removable canvas cover or tilt to keep the weather off, or maybe even a small over-track ramshackle hut (really a tin roof on legs). Last week Neil and Alan from the LLC returned to add more to the baseboard frames. Alan is doing the carpentry and he likes to work in his own workshop (quite understandable) but we've unfortunately hit a few snags due to miscommunications so that after a few days when he gets back with the next bit or a changed bit, it wasn't right, so he had to scoot off again and redo it. Last Wednesday we got the "east" end of the frames all finished. This is the raised portion that supports the higher parts of the layout and we raised these up by 4" to avoid having to use very tall risers under the trackbed. The centre section of the main frame that will carry the twin termini and the townscape was also finally done to my spec and fitted as well so that leaves us just the lifting flap to do. There's a few tweaks needed to it and that should happen this week. Neil hard at work below Armisford Mill. ...and under the main twin termini/townscape boards. Alan supervising. I am playing paparazzi. Overall view looking towards the Green Soudley frame. Witts End on the left, Catspaw Quarry on the right. The Great Saga of the Doorway Entry Solution has finally been resolved in the shape of a very Old Skool lifting flap with top mounted barrel hinges. The trolley was rejected on grounds of space and speed/ease of use and a lift-off fully removable section rejected on the basis of it probably getting damaged sooner or later. The various powered or pulley-raised panels/platforms were rejected as being unnecessarily complex and fussy. Lack of clearance because of the low ceiling also affected their practicality. In all of them I finally decided there was too much work for too basic a problem. While the nice under-slung curved-rib hinges of Enodoc's method was my first choice I think Alan secretly wanted a simpler solution and what we have finally gone for should definitely be that. The exposed top plates of the hinges will be concealed under small removable scenery modules. The gap for the lifting section. Lifting flap frame temporarily in place. The hinges will be at the near end. Neil brought the 1:1 scale plans around, blown up and printed from my artwork (AnyRail track layout plus my hand drawn scenic features) and I laid this all out to see where everything goes. It fits the baseboards perfectly (success!!), although a couple of areas will be a stretch to reach, namely the shed and stores siding at the colliery and the bay and uncoupling area of the main platform at Nether Madder. Everything is reachable, I made sure of that, its just that these two locations are only JUST reachable. There is some slack space in the Nether Madder goods yard so we may be able to slew the platform track a couple of inches closer to the operators position. At the colliery its just the loco shed that isn't in easy reach and since there will be no coupling and uncoupling going on there, a stick with a hook on it will be provided to tug out recaltriant locos should one misbehave inside the shed. Took some pics of the paper plans all laid out though in areas these are very faint. I couldn't resist and placed a piece of scrap track down and planted the Very First Train to stand on rails on the new layout. The train comprised the first two wagon kits I built and weathered for the layout (seems so long ago now but was only last May), and my most recent pair of repaints, finished last Tuesday. I swear I will not, EVER do another PO wagon with HMRS transfers written out using individual letters! One of those is quite enough thank you, though I am happy with how the tar wagon turned out. Wilf brings the first train into Witts End. Well, sort of. Bloomin clever getting here with no track. Then a vist over to Catspaw Halt. The two latest wagons. View of Wilf's rear end. Paper plans laid out. This is looking west or north-west in fact. The colliery corner. The slag heap (dashed concentric curved lines) will be under the window. Where it says "... of 1 in 36 drop" is the Ryehope to Puddlebrook road with the Witts End branch running along its far side as a tramway. There's a level crossing at far right where the road dog-legs away from the camera and the railway track curves on. Moving clockwise and looking north. The level crossing mentioned above is here in the extreme left foreground. Moving to the right the branch line leaves the roadside section and drops down towards Witts End. The road beyond rises up towards the concourse of Puddlebrook station. Rear left are the colliery screens and washery. Puddlebrook signal cabin is in the centre towards the wall and in front of the door, at right rear, is Puddlebrook station. "X" does not mark any particular spot. Clockwise again, still north. Witts End engine shed, coal stage and water tower in foreground. Puddlebrook platforms at the rear. This plan was drawn before we'd discussed the final lifting flap dimensions and consequently the loco facilities will be shifted about six inches to the right so that the engine shed isn't over the join. Clockwise a bit more, still north. Some of the printed rolls came out very faint, almost too faint to read. This is Witts End station with the village to the extreme right. The stone mason's works is under the window and the infant River Aight runs under the railway raised on its ramshackle timber viaduct inspired by that over the River Blackwater on the Maldon to Witham railway at the extreme right rear. Moving back the other way and looking south-west, here is the Ryehope corner with the rising ground running up to the high ridge of Old Twerps Back (a local beauty spot and viewpoint) at the left rear. Wood Distillation Works at front left with the Ryehope-Puddlebrook road closest, curving round to front right. The tramway track is not very clear but passes just behind the "L. C." notation and follows around the curves of the road on its far side. Colliery reception and departure roads under the window with the stabling road nearest. Miner's cottages in the very far corner. Lots and lots of slopey ground and track in this section, will be one of the three principal rural scenes. Anti-clockwise again. The Wood Distillation Works is front right, Catspaw halt is where Wilf and his train is. Behind the wagons you may be able to make out the fan of pointwork at the west end of the Exchange Sidings. Behind those, against the wall (and will be at the highest level of the layout at +7.5" above datum) is the Carriage & Wagon Shops. The "Canterbury Tales" Inn is to their right, then you can just see rows of railway workers houses including a short row of four dwellings at 90deg to the main row above the tunnel mouths where the main line and exchange sidings lines both plunge under Old Twerps Back. This area will transition from rural towards the most industrial area of the layout, out of shot to the left. Anti-clockwise once more. Quarry workings in the foreground, Catspaw Halt front right, Exchange Sidings and Carriage & Wagon Works beyond. Skipping past the centre section which does not photograph well due to faint printing, this is the north-east corner showing Snarling Junction, the dairy in the rear corner and the siding to Armisford Mill in the right foreground plus the coal yard. A printing fault means some pieces of track through the station did not show on the plans but we can estimate closely enough where things go. As you can see, some very variable prints. West end of Snarling. Where it says "cottage" will be a small scene involving part of the village of Snarling; one cottage, "The Flower that Bloomed" public house and Flower Farm. South-east corner of the layout. Armisford Mill placed for size and angle with the Little Madder River running under the line. The Crown Timber Siding is in the right rear corner. The baseboards are wider than the plan here. Crown Timber Siding and Nether Madder loco coaling stage in the SE corner. Variable prints again. Grrr. Looking south. Approach lines to Nether Madder. Note the baseboard is wider than the drawn plan here as well. Overall view looking across the centre boards of Nether Madder and Green Soudley towards the colliery at the very far end. The GSR gunpowder van. I like the red X on the black GW GPVs so stole the idea. Its a Dapol repaint and is depicted in fairly clean condition. The greaseworks tanker I started back in early November. Another Dapol repaint. Good thing I didn't finish it then as I'd have to change the town name now. Silver linings and all that. At this small size the HMRS alphabets are a bit too "blobby" for my taste. They don't come out looking crisp enough.

I had set up an adblocking rule too many.

Thanks Andy, I had pressed a wrong button. All better now, cheers. Feel free to delete this thread.

Right, as I thought, something is broken.

I'd like to try an image upload test here too if I may please, Mikkel?

Is there some upgrade work being done by the back room boffins that may have caused a hiccup? Yesterday was fine but today no images are showing anywhere on the site. If I quote a post that has images I don't see the links either.

Going back to the biscuit box stack, might these actually be empty boxes, sheeted over to make a very crude hut for the coal merchant or other workmen in the yard?

I hit a fairly noticeable phase of "can't be bothered" after my saw accident with my hand. Modelling stopped completely for the remainder of November and pretty much until mid-January. Regrettably my distracted mind took me back on Evil Bay and I bought more loco and wagons kits that I really cannot justify. When in a funk some use retail therapy to buy shoes or hats or handbags; in my case its rolling stock. I just sold off a bunch of wagons that are out of geographic location I'd bought early last year "because they were pretty colours". Damn these nice RTR offerings! The start of the baseboard frames got my mojo running once again and I've finished a couple of wagon repaints I'd halted in the middle of. I am away in France this weekend but on my return I'll bung some pics up in my thread.

I was just asking a question. I had no idea there was a coreless motor debate. Not everyone has the same experience of the internet as you, so please bear that in mind. Thank you for the info anyway.

Hmmm.... what about DCC and coreless motors? DCC controllers all have back EMF as far as I know.

Now we know what Vera gets up to on her days off.

We could certainly build the landscape from papier mache.

What was Freddie's connection with Switzerland? Did Queen do a lot of recording there? Superb photos. Switzerland must have the cleanest air in Europe. I only when there once when I was a lot younger but after two weeks walking around I had never felt healthier!

"In the Land of Cardboard Trees" sounds like a song title from one of those hippy English folk-rock bands from the late 60s. Caravan maybe, or even the Beatles in their Sgt Pepper phase. I like both locos very much and the GC coaches are great too.

Its erm... a little bright! Plenty of variation due to differing views and of course different light conditions.

I was worried the three farm workers all lounging about would look like a bunch of pre-Rapaelite women in that scene and I think I was right! All those guys need now is a few pints of mild and a big box of scratchings and they'll be there for ages....more.

If you had an anglepoise lamp with a directional shade above...

They could go over to the dairy and join the conversation there. It seems to be a pretty gripping discussion.

Since I began casting my eye about for a suitable freelance livery for my locos and chanced upon the beautiful M&GN ochre yellow I have begun to investigate more of that company's history and it too was an interesting amalgamation of smaller concerns, very much up my street. I've collected several books about the company and need a nice long weekend away from the 'puter to have a read by a crackling log fire. Maybe I should find an inn in Kings Lynn or somewhere in the region and gift myself a weekend away.

As my layout comprises several small companies, the 1.5t crane can belong to one of the lesser ones and my bigger 6-tonner will be stabled at the main works. I like the idea of taking a crane to a halt out on the branch that lacks a yard crane and using it to lift an unusual load out of a wagon and onto a horse drawn vehicle - a piece of farm machinery perhaps - a small crane might see more journeys for that purpose than it would attending mishaps.

I have the ABS models GWR 1.5t travelling crane kit to build, though possibly that's the sort of thing that would be moved to out-of-the-way rural goods yards to unload unusual loads where no yard crane was installed. I also have a kit of a 6t crane wagon somewhere but don't seem to have a photo of it. I think its a Mike's Models one. That is probably more like the kind of equipment an engineers train might have since it could put its feet down and lift overturned carriages, etc. Mind you a lot of recovery of derailments on these lesser railways was done just by very slow and careful jacking up and packing with sleepers etc. On a single track without crane access from another line that would be the only solution. I've added a pic of my GW stores/tool van as well. Its a bit careworn but nothing that can't be spruced up with a bit of TLC. Thanks for those links Andy - they are great inspiration. A lot of locos were scrapped in 1923-1924 due to excess numbers at the grouping which sadly is too late for me. With a layout set in 1919 however I could just about justify locos that were worn out in heavy service during the war and sold on for that reason. My universe is a parallel one and in my timeline I can invent an arrangement whereby a government scheme is established to assist the tired out railways by offering basic values for very worn equipment with a third party buyer paying a nominal balance. The deal would involve the new owner paying for repair work at the previous owners workshops which would have a double benefit of maintaining old worn equipment fairly cheaply and providing a lot of work for all the demobbed labour coming home from the war. *ruminates a few moments* Yes, I like that explanation. I'll set it out in my canon!

The IoW 2-4-0 tank built by Beyer Peacock was a moderately successful design so I understand and was used in a broadly similar form by a number of companies so this is one locomotive I very much wanted to have a model of. Its one of the easier types to justify, I think, in a freelance setting. The Cambrian 2-4-0 tank was also by Beyer Peacock and the same argument can be applied there - different cabs, safety valves and other fittings but under the skin essentially the same design. I want to have a go at "de-GWR-izing" it as much as I can so that it has more of the appearance of a different engine. Probably the top feed will go and some alternative safety valves will be fitted and whatever else my skills will allow. Its pretty small inside so the first job will be seeing if it will take a decoder and speaker. I am trying to focus on models of locos built by the prominent private works such as Dubs, Sharp Stewart, Beyer, Hudswell Clarke and so on but there are some lovely company locomotives one simply has to own a model of and this is where my freelancing becomes a good deal freer than others. I have to invent a flimsy story to allow a well-known GW, MR or SECR design to run on my layout and while it can be viewed as laziness I often turn back to the layout that's inspiring me and consider how that person approached the issue. Of course in the 1930s through to the 1950s there was a good deal less choice of models - both from the box and kits - and even materials to scratchbuild with were more limited so if John Ahern were alive today I wonder what kind of models would he be running on his layout today. I am probably way off the mark in gathering such an eclectic hoard and while I don't like relying on Rule #1 often it is being deployed a fair bit. I purchased this lovely little 3D printed kit this past week from the very talented Mr Turbosnail of this parish merely because it is so cute and unusual. A Neilson & Co 2-2-2WT of the mid 1860s freelanced from Irish broad to 16.5mm gauge. With humble apologies to Mr E. D. Wardian for reusing his photo of his own freshly unpacked model. The painted model and photo is by Tom (Turbosnail).

I really, really, ought to ban myself from e-Bay... *sigh* Won these on auction early this week. The NM&GSR engineers ballast train is almost ready to enter service. I have a kit built brass GWR tool/stores van as well that needs a little fettling to get it into running order and a couple of crane wagon kits in the to-do box. I can cobble a suitably cranky old crew coach together from something in the spares-and-repairs box. The ballast brake cost me about the same as the Cambrian 2-4-0T but I think it was worth the price, a brass D&S kit, its been superbly constructed. The bigger wagon is the Ratio model and the shorter wheelbase one either Slaters or Coopercraft. The fact they are nicely painted in a dusty red-bauxite has led me to decide to use this colour for departmental vehicles as I see little point in repainting them. I'm presently removing the transfers and will add a set of NMGS Engineers markings in due course.

It's hard to define what my locomotive roster will be when I can't stop buying them! This little beauty just purchased on e-Bay. Its an old whitemetal kit, probably Gem, and weighs a ton but is extremely well made with excellent pick-ups, motor and a lovely big brass flywheel in the cab so it runs really smoothly. Some TLC is needed to repair a few missing details and replace the "school globe" handrail knobs but its a nice model of a prototype I've wanted for a long while. Test run:

The handbook that comes with the model suggests looking on the ESU site for one of the continental tram engines that has a bell. They recommend the Lokalbahn BR-98 or BR-91 and the Glaskasten locomotives. This of course limits you to an ESC decoder though that's no bad thing. If you have the Lokprogrammer software on your PC you can install any sound files and mix and match to make up a suitable sound set, or any respectable DCC fitting service could do that.