Bachmann members day at the Swanage Railway

Whilst I have been languishing about with a broken shoulder, Allan and Derek visited the Swanage railway for the Bachmann members day. Looks like a lot of fun, and the star of the show was predictably the beautiful T3 4-4-0, as the day’s announcement was an OO model in the EFE range. Below is a photo dump!

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It’ll be all Wight on the night…. #7

Still on the way home….

Eastleigh…..

Southampton….

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And Brockenhurst.  The last photo is where there was a swing bridge across the track to platforms 1 and 2 to transfer parcels.

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That’s this tip posted.  Next stop, TINGS with NCI.

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It’ll be all Wight on the night…. #6

Small trains – a visit to the Moors Valley Railway.

On way home met up with family and visited country park with railway

Sean’s back….

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And even smaller trains

Real railways for the final post from this trip.

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ESNG meeting – 4 September 2024

We did have six members to Wednesday’s meeting. That includes me who just stayed for an hour and ran no trains. In fact very few people seemed to want to run trains but we were very happy to chat. No pictures, due to my shoulder, but I can record that Simon ran a very nice brass Challenger that he had bought at a good price, and Terry ran his usual selection of trains.

I will add a few photos to make up for the lack of mine!

A perfect micro-layout?  Detroit 1976. (Photographer unknown.)

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Close to home.  Redhill North box and Holmthorpe Junction. (Photo, John Atkinson.)

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London Bridge, 1932 and 1960’s.

And London, 1941.

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We all quibble about the ‘correct’ colours for our models (ignoring different paint batches, lighting, etc.)  This sums it up nicely.

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And to finish, some real 1962-3 snow.  Try modelling this!

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ESNG meeting – 1 September 2024

Eight members turned up for Sunday’s meeting.  No pictures, for as I posted on Facebook last week…

A little personal update, for information and perhaps sympathy. Wednesday morning I had a bath-related incident and fractured my left shoulder. I now sport a large blue sling covered in velcro and clips and am properly hors de combat for some time. Fortunately without much pain so far.  But I can make a real cup of coffee one-handed.

As I write this, I’m waiting for the local fracture clinic to decide what to do with me!

I did pay a visit to the meeting, though, and even risked a small curry afterwards,  And Brian recorded proceedings.

This is a rail-replacement service with a difference.

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It’ll be all Wight on the night…. #5

And the rest of the buses.

There’s nothing like an old open-topper (unless it’s snowing.)  A Southern Vectis Bristol K5G dating from 1940.

Three generations of front-engine single deckers.  I have a soft spot for the older versions, though I’m not convinced by that narrow-gauge one!  A 1934 Dennis Ace, a 1949 Bedford OB, and a 1985 Ford Transit.

A classic AEC Matador service vehicle.  How many OO layouts have had conversions of the British Army version on their roads?

Upstairs, downstairs, on a Bristol ‘Lodekka’.

Some older vehicles…  A 1957 Bedford SB3 with a lovely Duple Vega body, the rear of a 1956 open top Bristol ‘Lodekka’.  A 1956 Bristol MW6G single decker, some front ends, and some rear ends….

And some needing a lot of TLC….  a 1927 Daimler CK rescued from duty as a garden shed.

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Still more delights to come, as Allan and Ron wend their way home.

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It’ll be all Wight on the night…. #4

Looks like Day 4 may take two posts…..

Overcast turning sunny with a fresh breeze. Visited IOW bus museum. Afterwards bus via Sandown, Shanklin, Ventnor and Godshill to Newport. Onward to Alum Bay via Yarmouth returning to Newport via Freshwater Bay and Brighstone. Then back to Ryde by bus.

A little more tourism from the top deck of the bus….

And waiting outside the museum….  Left to right, a 1993 open-topped Leyland Olympian, a mystery item, a Bristol VRT from 1973 and a 1962 Bristol ‘Lodekka’.

A wet year seems to have germinated all sorts of things in this bus! 

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Rest of the buses next time.

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It’ll be all Wight on the night…. #3

Trains today!

Hot and sunny. Spent day on Isle of Wight Steam Railway

Arriving at Haven Street.

On the line.  These Ivatt 2-6-2T locos were considered as replacements for the O2’s, so are quite appropriate for an IOW railway.

In the yard.  Spot the lurking ‘Shark’.

Best of the best.  The remaining member of the O2 class 0-4-4T that ran the railway from the 1930’s.

Second best?  One of the Island Terriers in the museum.

The carriage works.  A real labour of love restoring beach huts and chicken coops into pre-grouping coaches.  The little four-wheelers are some of the original coaches on the island.

Ryde Pier trams.

And other exhibits.

Next time, we are back on the buses!

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ESNG meeting – 25 August 2024

A very quiet Sunday, perhaps due to the Bank Holiday weekend?  Just the five members, though we were livened up by a visit from Michelle, age 4, who enjoyed the trains running.  And we did manage to run a few!

We managed to have three mail trains running at one point….  More than the Post Office will manage later this year.

SECR goods….

China Clay….

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Various goods….

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And passenger…..

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And Brian’s video…. 

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It’ll be all Wight on the night…. #2

Pure tourism today.  But worth a post, as Ron’s photos show just how pretty the Isle of Wight can be when the sun comes out.

Sunny. Spent today travelling round island by bus. Treated ourselves to a 3 hour ride on the summer only Island Coastnet bus from Ryde to Yarmouth via Bembridge. Sandown, Shanklin, Ventnor. Blackgang Chine. Freshwater Bay and Alum Bay. After a refreshment break took bus to Newport for bus back to Ryde via Godshill, Shanklin, Sandown and Brading.

Ryde

St Helens

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Sandown

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Shanklin, including the Bus Station where buses stop on two sides of the supermarket!

Ventnor

Blackgang Chine.  No doubt our intrepid travellers were attracted by the barrel…..

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On the military road, approaching Freshwater Bay and the Needles.  I think that this is my favourite part of the island – it’s so different from the rest of the area.

Yarmouth

Next time, we’ll visit the IOW Steam Railway.

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