Another project under way?

No. 1 (and only) son Michael dropped in on Thursday to do a little track planning.  He’s got a couple of Peco Settrack boxes to run his trains on at home, and has now relieved Derek of one of his spare 4′ x 2′ modules.  So what could we do to use up the sectional track and have an interesting layout?

Having pushed things around a spare sheet of plywood, one idea was this.

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It’s a bit American in design, with the loop at one end of the board.  But it does give somewhere to use up the 1st radius curves.  These won’t be a problem as Michael has mainly small locomotives.  The sidings at the top will mainly be for locomotives, and those below for trains.  There’s enough room for a little scenery, if so desired, and gives somewhere to test run some trains.

We’ll think about the design, but I might have to do a little tracklaying.  Fortunately, I think that I have enough Peco points and track in stock to fill in the gaps between Michael’s track items.  I’m sure that it won’t end up like this, but we’ve made a start.


And here’s something similar, USA style.  9′ x 4′ so a little larger in HO.  But it shows how good the USA is at building good looking small layouts.

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Potpourri #1032

Another trawl through the internet, to cover up my lack of modelling…..

A cab ride on the IOW line….

The history of Clapham Junction…

I visited Ambarawa (Java) twice in the late 80’s.  All the old locos were standing in the open air, with no shelter, museum, or working trains.  I must try and find my photos taken then and put them online.  I wish that I could go back!

Not trains, but some great modelling…..

A mass of pictures of that most wonderful locomotive, the LBSCR Baltic tank….

And another one!

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Mind you, this has appeared in the house, so there may be some modelling happening soon!

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ESNG meeting – 8 August 2021

Sunday, and back to the hall for another running session.  The Rule of 6 seems to have returned.  Just the six members turned out, but we had a very pleasant afternoon running trains.  We were missing a few regulars, especially the Cha(i)rman, who still seems to be working antisocial hours.

Paul, as ever, summed it all up better than I could:

A pleasant and enjoyable afternoon at the East Surrey N Gauge Group meeting. A modest attendance did not diminish the enthusiasm and a small circuit was soon in place. Some of the track joints caused some issues which lead to a discussion about how we could make them less troublesome. I took a variety of stock, 2 x E233 in different liveries, a 285 double deck sleeper set, an M250 cargo set, 2 x Nankai Electric Railway 5000 series in blue and ‘Peach’ liveries, the 500-7000 Series EVA and the 500-7000 Hello Kitty. All worked well, but the M250 set needs a serious wheel cleaning session.

Paul was right about the track.  Why is it that trains run well, and as soon as one turns away, your train derails?  It probably is the track, but I blame gremlins!

We seemed to have trains from all over today.  Paul – Japan.

Chris – America, with an ancient Bachmann Electroliner – no sound-chip needed here!!

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Brian – Europe (Germany to be exact.)

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And last but certainly not least – Derek, Derek and Jon – the UK.

Brian produced his usual video record of the afternoon…..

Another satisfying ESNG Running Session on the 8th August 2021. East Surrey N Gauge members met up again indoors, with the windows and doors wide open, and it was another opportunity to film some N gauge train action. Many eras, and several countries, had trains represented on the tracks. Again, an interesting collection of small but perfectly formed models. Enjoy the film!

And to close, I love this model shop sign from Chester.  I think I visited this shop many, many, moons ago….

modelshop

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Prototype for everything?

If you are old enough, you may remember the Triang Giraffe car, where the said animal ducked its head on approaching a low obstacle.  I never had one, and would confess that I never even wanted one!

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Tri-ang Railways Novelty Wagons, R.348 Giraffe Car (Tri-ang Railways catalogue, Ninth Edition, 1963)

But fact is often stranger than fiction!  The Great Eastern Railway once had to transport a stuffed giraffe from Harwich docks, and came up with this loading diagram to get it within their loading gauge.  This could make an interesting model, even with the giraffe wrapped in canvas to protect it from the weather…..

1 - giraffe

And three great pictures of London Victoria in 1920, 1960 and 1963.  I hope that no-one opened the carriage doors when the train arrived in 1920.  The carnage would have been something to behold!

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Potpourri #1031

Another mixup for Friday…..

This would be a real modelling challenge!

Mind you, you don’t have to go to Queensland for floods.  The BBC recorded this at Euston…

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Another modelling challenge – especially if you wanted to include the catenary….

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This is perhaps more attainable!

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Moving over the pond, this trolley depot/shed would make an interesting model, too….

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And so would this.  Minimum space living!

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And a USA vehicle to model….

car

Now one often sees complaints about the cliche of ‘the bus on the overbridge.’  Well, if you’re going to do it, do it in style like this!

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To finish, I’ve got this book on order…..

book

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ESNG meeting – 4 August 2021

Seven members tonight.  Not too bad for a Wednesday.  It was easy enough to get a circuit up and running, more difficult to keep the trains on our appalling track!  Here we have the usual suspects in action…..

Chris had a Canadian Pacific train running.  Canadian diesels always looked very smart…. 

Simon ran a couple of most attractive passenger trains – the Rhinegold and the South Pacific in sunshine livery….

Derek’s locomotive had difficulty keeping its pony truck on the rails….

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‘Tother Derek offered a variety of cement trains….

Back on Sunday afternoon for another session!


And here we have real life imitating an ESNG club night.  A little accident with an EMU at Pulborough……

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A little (more) retail therapy

This week seems to have been very busy!  Not much time for modelling, but a little shopping.

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This was a must to buy – a book of Somerset and Dorset track plans, with lots of interesting photographs and informative captions.  Plenty of modelling projects (that will never get constructed) lie within, and I have really enjoyed reading it this week. 

What stands out is the complete mixture of locos and rolling stock on the line.  It’s almost the ultimate Rule 1 railway.

Perhaps this is why I didn’t get much done this week (apart from rereading ‘Lord of the Rings’, perhaps for the 10th time.)

Completely recommended!

I’ve wanted a set of rolling roads for some time, for testing and running in locomotives.  So I treated myself to a set from DCC Concepts.  On the luxury end of things and a bit pricey, but very well made and presented. 

A nice touch from the NGF, received this week. I can put an exhibition plaque on the layout without it even leaving home….

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Lovely bit of video, of the modern South Shore Electric.  A true interurban that has survived…

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Some smallish layout designs….

I haven’t posted any track plans for a while. So here are a few that have captured my imagination recently. 

Alan Whitehouse’s ‘Mini-MSW’ model of the trans-Pennine Woodhead line, a delightful 5′ diameter 2mm fine-scale layout has a successor.  Same size, and concept, but I’m looking forward to seeing Sovereign Colliery Junction.

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Two ‘old-school’ layouts.  The first is ‘Gutter Lane’ in coarse-scale ‘O’.  Continuous run, tight curves, but a rather satisfying design.  A lot of fun to run, I suspect.

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Then there’s the Potwell Mineral Light Railway.  Again in ‘O’ and loosely based on the KESR and similar light railways, this dates from way back, and if I remember correctly, was clockwork powered!  But a fun little line.

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This is an old Iain Rice plan that I rediscovered.  A UK themed switching layout – originally designed to use a 3-way point and an outside single slip and no other pointwork.  But a neat little layout, representing a yard at the end of a yard, with the main station under the road bridge.

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Two US switching layouts, one in HO and one in O.  Both offering a lot of switching fun in a small area.

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Finally, from Japan a minimum space scenic loop.  A chance to develop your modelling skills at low cost in a small space?

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Potpourri #1030

I continue to be amazed at the amount of quality content on YouTube.  Railway, that is, but I keep getting diverted by some brilliant music videos, especially from the 1960’s and 70’s, and build videos for plastic kits.  I’m very impressed by the shading and weathering techniques used on aircraft and armour.  I wonder how much could be applied to trains?  And perhaps this is why I’m not getting much modelling done at present, apart from a lot of time spent rereading ‘Lord of the Rings.’

But I digress.  The Golden Arrow was very much part of my childhood, as we lived close to it’s route to the coast….

More overseas trains – on the Isle of Wight….

Adams Radials on the Lyme Regis branch.  Beautiful little locos!

Under the Embankment

And the story behind a famous photograph. (Or the usual ESNG club night running.)  Why put brakes on trains – too much expense all round!

And finally, with no apologies, it is, after all, the Olympics….

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ESNG meeting – 25 July 2021

Back to the hall on Sunday for our afternoon meeting.  Great to have nine members attending – enough to be busy and sociable, but not too crowded in the hall.  Door and windows were open for ventilation, though we had to close the doors when the heavens opened!  The chairman also had to leave early as he was starting work at 11pm.  If he starts any earlier, he’ll meet himself coming home from work.  Paul commented on Facebook….

Back from an enjoyable afternoon with the East Surrey N Gauge Group. My module worked OK and my trains ran well. Also sold a few of my European wagons to help finance the purchase of some more Shinkansen sets later this year.

The usual suspects…..

Historic UK steam…..

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Modern UK trains…..

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The latest in multiple units, both prototype and model…..

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And some European intruders…..

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And Brian recorded it all on film….

East Surrey N Gauge Running Day 25th July 2021. Nice to meet more than six members indoors, with the windows and doors open, and another opportunity to film some N gauge train action. All eras, all regions of the world, had trains represented on the tracks – an interesting collection.

But not Antarctica, Brian?

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