esngblog

And just a few photos and ideas today.

A rarely photographed ex-SECR J class 0-6-4T, near Petts Wood and heading for Victoria.  The area was a lot more built up when I regularly used this footbridge some 30 years later.

I would have been catching an RT on the 94 though, as part of my route to school.

How to squeeze another railway onto the already crowded Isle of Wight.  A great idea to model the island without having to choose a station.  Make it a Colonel Stephens line, and the options are almost endless!

‘Arcadia’ is the KESR in ‘S’ scale in 6″6′.  It would also make a good micro in any scale (perhaps on the IOW, with that turntable.)

And what you need to run on it….

Troublesome trams (in Amsterdam).  That’s almost poetic…

A rather different modular system….

This must be worth modelling – but who dares add a ‘Jetex’ rocket to power it?

I’m having a rather relaxed blogging week, so here are just a few internet findings.

I can’t help adding in a few Jago Hazzards.  It’s difficult to be informative AND amusing!

Meanwhile, back at the ESNG running night……

Finally, a long video.  Interesting to see another nation’s approach to modelling, with some nice scenes and some good ideas.

Just a couple or three inspirational pictures today.

First, Waddon Marsh in 1929.  Before the station was built and the industrial development around the area, and only one of the two power stations had been built.  Also pre-electrification.  Great details such as the ground frame in the open in the foreground, with two smart railway employees and their hut behind.  And what must be the little toilet hut behind.  There’s some fine fencing next to the road on the left, with an interesting ‘bump’ where a private siding seems to cross the main line and join the sidings.  In the background, the many factories and other works are expanding.

I’ve posted this second picture before, but I’ll add it for comparison.  Although the Waddon line remained quite rural, the Croydon end became heavily developed, with a second power station (now an IKEA superstore.)  This is in later BR days, perhaps the early 1960’s.

Both pictures are inspiring and have lots of modelling detail.

And in contrast, here’s Victoria in 1951.  A Merchant Navy class, probably in blue livery, heads the Golden Arrow.  A small boy looks on.  Another great picture of a bygone age.

And why not add these three pictures of St Lawrence station, the last stop before Ventnor West on the Isle of Wight.  A strange halt, tucked under the cliffs along the coast.  In it’s early days there was one siding, just the other side of the road bridge, for the odd sack of coal.  The bridge is still there, with its nasty sharp zig-zag in the road, as is the station building, now a private dwelling.  Like the first photograph, a simple but very satisfying scene. 

I even got a little modelling since my last post. Just a little…..  But Terrier addiction has resulted in a little retail therapy.  Wapping and Stepney were on order and have arrived.

And I couldn’t resist this O gauge beauty.  I’ve resisted the O gauge version for so long, but Rails had this SECR liveried Terrier for a lot less than the two N gauge ones.  Rude not to!

Perhaps this should be the next club project – Frankfurt – as long as I don’t have to do the wiring!!!!

Now this would be a challenge – triple dual gauge modelling!

“Gauge stacking”. Sweden once had a network of “complementary secondary networks” of narrow gauge intertwining between the standard gauge network and covering “places to go” that the standard gauge lines didn’t find worth covering. The narrow gauge networks were divided into two different gauges (leaving out the odd lines of other gauges that didn’t create networks), most extended were the 891 mm gauge corresponding to 3 swedish feet, and a 1067 mm gauge network in the southternmost parts of the country. These networks connected at some points but couldn’t “cooperate” because of the small difference in gauge.

In this picture we see the engine class W3t of 1067 mm gauge hauling two low-built transporter cars for carrying standard gauge cars upon. Loaded to these are a standard gauge transporter car for carrying 891 mm and 1067 mm vehicles. It’s loaded with an old 891 mm passenger car bound for the workshops in Ronneby to be rebuilt for other purposes. Quite odd and seems a bit wiggly.

And a US Civil War prototype for the ESNG rail gun enthusiast.

A little more normal, the LVR crosses the PRR.

Brighton in 1933, and two iconic items of rolling stock – the last ‘Gladstone’ and a new 6PUL unit.