adrianmc

One week to go till the doors open for the 36th Uckfield Model Railway Exhibition.

15 hours ago, steve W said:

Clearwater Harbor is almost ready, a few more bits to do. It will be good to get out again.

Looking forward to seeing the layout and meeting the team again.

Looking forward to seeing Sherton Abbas again - this time with it's extension!

One of the layouts attending is Newton Heath Works in 7mm/ft scale 32mm & 16.5mm gauges (0 & 0-16.5).

Built by Martin Finney and Mike Baker the layout won the Wild Swan Cameo Competition back in 2019 and featured in MRJ 275.

36th UCKFIELD MODEL RAILWAY EXHIBITION

Organised by the Uckfield Model Railway Club.

UCKFIELD CIVIC CENTRE
Civic Approach
Uckfield
East Sussex
TN22 1AE

Saturday 16th October 2021
Sunday 17th October 2021

Open 10am till 5pm both days.

The 2021 Uckfield Model Railway Exhibition will once again be featuring a selection of some of the best quality layouts around. There will be full trade support as well as Demonstration and Society stands. Licensed Restaurant within the Civic Centre will be open throughout the weekend. There will be bacon/sausage baps for early arrivals to purchase - from 9am.

Highlights include part of John Greenwood's West Country grand plan in 2mm/ft finescale, Wadebridge to Padstow, travelling all the way from Cornwall. Paul Windle will be bringing his new 00-9 layout, Axebridge down from the the north-east, the first time exhibited in the south of the country. We have the debut of Belmullet, the new 7mm/ft scale Irish broad gauge layout from David Holman. Also we have the current Continental Modeller's Railway of the Month, Horsethief Bridge, a portrayal of the BNSF by Antony Quinlan in American N. Finally we have the winner from the Wild Swan Cameo Competition for you to enjoy, Newton Heath Works.

Special precautions are being put in place by the organisers and the venue to reduce the risks associated with the pandemic. These include increased ventilation, hand sanitizer stations, optional track and trace registration, suggested one way circulation route in the main hall and primarily the request that visitors and exhibitors wear face coverings whilst moving around the venue.

Of the 14 layouts scheduled to attend there will no less than 12 different scale/gauge combinations represented. Standard, broad and narrow gauge British, Irish, American and Continental prototypes.

List of layouts expected:

Belmullet - 7mm/ft scale 36.75mm gauge
Irish broad gauge terminus layout by David Holman, Kent - debut exhibition.
Sherton Abbas - 7mm/ft scale 31.5mm gauge (finescale 0)
Exquisite Edwardian era (circa 1905) GWR branch line terminus by David Stone, South Wales - RM Aug. 2019.
Newton Heath Works - 7mm/ft scale 32mm & 16.5mm gauges (0 & 0-16.5)
Isle of Purbeck industrial clay works cameo layout by Martin Finney & Mike Baker, Dorset - winner in Wild Swan Cameo Competition, featured in MRJ 275.
Clearwater Harbor - 1:48 scale 16.5mm gauge (On30)
Fictitious North American narrow gauge line by Steve Waterfield, Surrey - CM Oct. 2019.
Great Bardfield - 4mm/ft scale 18.83mm gauge (P4)
Rural Essex through station set in the BR 1950s and 1960s period by David Hawkins, Hampshire - BRM
LLawryglyn - 4mm/ft scale 18.2mm gauge (EM)
1910-12 Cambrian Railway terminus with lead mine feeder by Richard Loydall, Warwickshire - RM Jul. 2013, BRM Sep. 2017.
Llandowdno - 4mm/ft scale 16.5mm gauge (00)
Small GWR terminus by Stephen Dowding, East Sussex - debut exhibition.
Framnock Bay - 4mm/ft scale 16.5mm gauge (00)
Compact  BR terminus with extensive sidings built by the host Club to fit a bay window in their clubrooms  - second exhibition.

Axebridge - 4mm/ft scale 9mm gauge (00-9)
Compact narrow gauge industrial scene by Paul Windle, Yorkshire - RM Oct. 2020.
Marmagne - 3.5mm/ft scale 16.5mm gauge (H0)
SNCF rural branch line station in France built by Roger Nicholls and exhibited by Tony Durose, Derbyshire - CM Mar. 2005.
Southwark Bridge - 1:148 scale 9mm gauge (British N)
Fictitious  South London terminus set in the mid 1960s to mid 1970s by Graham Bridge, Kent - N Gauge Society Journal.
Wadebridge to Padstow - 2mm/ft scale 9.42mm gauge (2mm finescale)
Extensive model of the westernmost extremity of the Southern Railway by John Greenwood, Cornwall - MRJ 235.

Modbury - 2mm/ft scale 9.42mm gauge (2mm finescale)
GWR might have been through station c. 1906 constructed by Ian Smith, Leicestershire.
Horsethief Bridge - 1:160 scale 9mm gauge (American N)
BNSF Columbia River line in the American Pacific north-west by Antony Quinlan, Middlesex - CM Oct. 2021.

Trade expected at the present time:

C&L Finescale Track Building Systems - suppliers of finescale trackwork and components - Saturday Only

Classic Rail - high quality second user items in all popular scales - NEW for 2021 - Sunday Only
Coastal DCC - suppliers of DCC equipment from a very wide range of manufacturers

Compass Miniature Railways & Models - local model shop with very extensive range of accessories and ready to run rolling stock - NEW for 2021
Dingo Servo Mounts - servo control for turnouts and signals - NEW for 2021

Golden Arrow Productions - Resin kits for Southern prototypes and suppliers of bowpens for lining
Matthew Cousins GRA - railway artist, known for his views of the Bluebell Railway

Monk's Gate Models - detailed scenic accessories for 7mm/ft scale - NEW for 2021

Plus Daughters - N gauge specialist stocking British, Continental and American ready to run
Rail-Books - all the latest books and publications
Roger Jones - second hand ready to run

Severn Models - etched scenic buildings and accessories in 2mm, 4mm and 7mm scales
Simply Southern - southern outline wagons
Squires Model & Craft Tools - wide range of tools, glues and raw materials for the modeller
South Eastern Finecast - 4mm scale locomotive kit manufacturer

The Wagon Yard - specialist in N and 00 rolling stock - NEW for 2021
W.M. Collectables - extensive range of second hand ready to run

Public access to the Civic Centre is via either the free High Street car park (Civic Approach), or the Tesco Superstore. The venue is also only three minutes walk away from both the railway and bus stations.

Additional car parking at the station car park - £3 per day at weekend.

More information and layout pictures at http://www.uckfieldmrc.co.uk/exhibition.html

Visited the Bexhill Model Railway Club's exhibition yesterday at the St Richards Catholic College.

With facemasks and hand sanitizer much in evidence it was good to see a fair number of paying visitors at this local show.

Spread over the main split level hall, three classrooms and a long corridor there were 16 layouts of various shapes and sizes supported by roughly the same number of traders.

Much time was spent chatting to David Holman who had brought along his excellent 7mm scale Irish 3ft narrow gauge layout Fintonagh.

Visited the Bexhill Model Railway Club's exhibition yesterday at the St Richards Catholic College.

With facemasks and hand sanitizer much in evidence it was good to see a fair number of paying visitors at this local show.

Spread over the main split level hall, three classrooms and a long corridor there were 16 layouts of various shapes and sizes supported by roughly the same number of traders.

Much time was spent chatting to David Holman who had brought along his excellent 7mm scale Irish 3ft narrow gauge layout Fintonagh.

Received notification of shipping as well - happy days.

Ordered on the 19/09/2014 which I believe was the day the project was announced and pre-orders were invited!

On 17/05/2021 at 16:28, adrianmc said:

 

Would it be possible to have the specifications of the fitted sound chip and speakers - i.e. chip and speaker manufacturer and model numbers along with the source of the sound files?

 

Hi Oliver,

Any chance of providing the above requested info?

Hi Oliver,

Nice sounds.

Would it be possible to have the specifications of the fitted sound chip and speakers - i.e. chip and speaker manufacturer and model numbers along with the source of the sound files?

Be good to know what we would be getting for our money hardware wise etc

Latest version to drop through the letter box yesterday morning.

Arrived in the post today. 

Good to see that the brake shoes are in the prototypical position - i.e. they will line up with P4 wheel sets.

The picture is fairly cruel as it's larger than life - in reality the lines caused by the manufacturing process are not really visible at normal viewing distance.

Just now, The Ghost of IKB said:

Or else they are being very cunning......

Not long now....

Maybe there is a giveaway - the link to the Dapol page is: 

https://www.Dapol.co.uk/B4_News_Article

Sorry to hear this sad news. Many a time I've spent helping behind Peter's layouts at exhibitions - usually over lunch time.

Being fairly local, Peter was kind enough to bring many of his excellent creations in both 12mm and 14.2mm gauge along to the Uckfield Exhibition. These included in recent years:

Bulverhythe

Hoath Hill Sidings

Thunders Hill - aka "the play pen"

Hoath Hill Halt

Whatlington

Sub Wealden Gypsum Co.

He was due to return this year with his latest layout Alfriston which made its exhibition debut back in March 2020.

He was a very talented modeller and a friend who will be missed on the exhibition circuit.

My and the Uckfield Club's condolences to his wife and family.

It appears that The Great Electric Train Show scheduled for March 13/14 2021 at EventCity, Manchester may have been cancelled.

The Key Model World website now only has an entry for the Marshall Arena event in Milton Keynes on October 2/3 2021.

Looks as if there was an edit overnight to the website removing references to the Manchester show - although if you click on the Milton Keynes Show 2021 button the text on the loaded page still references Manchester.

1 hour ago, BlueLightning said:

 

Actual point that the duckets on the Hattons carriages are nothing like those of Stroudley carriages, much more like LCDR ones, which not only had them on the end, but also had a similar shape to the Hattons ones (There may be other railways, the LCDR is just one I am familiar with)

 

 Hi Gary,

I think one of the more visible differences between these generic coaches from Hattons and Hornby is the shape of the duckets.

From the Hatton website it appears that all their duckets are flat topped. Those from Hornby have a curved top.

If modelling the early SR scene the Hornby look to be closest with the curved top duckets being fairy close representations of ex LB&SCR and SE&CR stock.

16 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

Is this actually a Stroudley carriage? The high arc roof looks more like the style built under Billinton's superintendancy.

I would agree - I was using Stroudley as a description as to general style - the coaches to these diagrams were built 1892-1897 so definitely under R.J.Billinton's tenure with as you say a higher arc-roof profile.

1 hour ago, Ravenser said:

 

I read that as 127mm over body (152-25)= 31'9"

I actually make it 128mm over body (151-23) = 32"

Which would make sense with the prototype SR No 7514 being a 32ft 4-compartment 1st - SR Diag 507/508/509

As I have said previously the model is a very close representation of the prototype Stroudley LB&SCR - the only main difference being the more "generic" choice of grab rail adjacent to each door.

What would be interesting is to have the other dimensions - especially the wheel base.

According to Mike King's drawing this should be 10ft 6in + 10ft 6in

I see that the next London Festival of Railway Modelling at Alexandra Palace is now publicised to be held in March 2022 -  the19th & 20th to be exact.

https://www.world-of-railways.co.uk/information/the-london-festival-of-railway-modelling

14 minutes ago, chris45lsw said:

I used to think that only the first batch of Diag 2651 RFs had the small kitchen window but I now believe that all three batches of Diag 2651 RFs had it.  And the wider window only featured on Diags  2650, 2655 & 2656.

 

Chris KT 

According to Mike King's book An Illustrated History of Southern Coaches only Kitchen Dining Firsts numbered 7858 to 7863 had the small kitchen window - these are the six coaches constructed in 1927 in the first batch of Diag 2651 examples (these are also the batch without the transverse vestibule).

According to Mike's drawings in the book all the other similar coaches built to Diagrams 2650, 2651 (batches 2 & 3), 2655 and 2656 had the larger windows.

However there aren't any pictures in the book of a Diag 2651 2nd/3rd batch coach showing the relevant side to check the above - the only picture of a Kitchen Dining First to these diagrams showing the kitchen windows is of No 7866 which is a Diag 2656 (large window).

55 minutes ago, rovex said:

While it's good to see a two car dining set available rtr for probably the first time, as I've bought the earlier open third to go with my restaurant car, I won't be buying one. Shame though.

Yes that is another way to go for the post 1932 scene - instead of a renumbered/liveried Dining Third there is the prototypical option of coupling a 1930 Diag 2005 Open Saloon 3rd Class to the kitchen end of a Kitchen Dining First. Hornby have produced at least two examples in fully lined SR Olive Green - 1400 (R4537) and 1375 (R4833).

3 minutes ago, Dunsignalling said:

So, to fit with the rest of what they do, might it be better for Hornby to finish the SR livery Dining Third as an Open Third with a 13xx number?

 

John 

Yes agreed - and a suggestion I made earlier in the thread.

However we are in mid 1930s territory here with unlined SR Olive Green.

For those of us interested in pre 1930, already with existing prototypical sets of fully lined Hornby Maunsells, a matching kitchen/dining set would be great.

1 hour ago, Dunsignalling said:

AIUI, Hornby have made Kitchen Firsts to two different diagrams, though neither may be wholly appropriate or (yet) offered in the livery variant to match the SR Dining saloon. 

 

Yes correct - Hornby as far as I'm aware have produced Kitchen Dining Firsts to two diagrams - Diag 2656 and Diag 2651. 

One of these - Diag 2651 - is on the face of it the one required for the pairing with this new Third Class Dining Saloon - but unfortunately it is not!

The Southern Railway produced several batches of Kitchen Dining Firsts to this diagram but they were not all the same when originally built - the diagram being amended to reflect the changes as each batch and subsequent modifications occurred! The batches were:

4x Diag 2651 - Nos 7858-63 - Eastleigh 05/27

4x Diag 2651 - Nos 7939-42 - Eastleigh 07-12/29

16x Diag 2651 - Nos 7943-58 - Eastleigh 05-09/30

The main differences were with the first batch. As built these lacked the already mentioned transverse vestibule with external doors at the Dining Saloon end and when compared to the other two batches had a smaller window in the kitchen adjacent to the double doors. Between 1935 and 1939 these coaches from the first batch were altered in that the transverse vestibules were added to match the others. However the smaller kitchen window remained.

Hornby's model is of this post 1935-39 modified first batch Diag 2651 with the added vestibule but retaining the smaller window.

Due to this smaller window - which wouldn't be correct for the 2nd/3rd batches - the number of the released Hornby BR (S) coach was changed from S7946S (3rd batch) to S7861S (modified 1st batch).

It is because of this combination of added vestibule and small kitchen window that the existing Hornby coach tooling cannot accurately represent a batch 1 Diag 2651 Kitchen Dining First as built thus denying us the opportunity of having a fully lined SR Olive Green 1927 Kitchen First/Dining Saloon Third pair.

Here's hoping!

PS Diag 2656 is virtually identical to Diag 2651 batches 2 and 3 (vestibule and large kitchen window) with the main changes reflecting internal kitchen arrangements and external stove vents. 

28 minutes ago, GreenGiraffe22 said:

 

Perhaps Hornby are planning an earlier dining First to go with them next year?

 

The early Kitchen Dining Firsts completed in 1927 (Diag 2651) differed really in only one major aspect from those produced by Hornby (Diag 2656). The original coaches to diagram 2651 didn't have a transverse vestibule with external doors at the Dining Saloon end - something that later Kitchen Diners were so equipped. 

So for Hornby to produce a model of one of these early ones - there were only six - then tooling for the different sides would have to be produced.

Any easier option - but only if modelling post 1932 - Hornby could release an unlined SR Olive Green version of this new Third Class Dining Saloon / Open Third and number it in the range 1363-8 to make a suitable pairing with one of their existing 1932 Kitchen Dining Firsts in unlined SR Olive Green?