David Holman

Saturday 12th November, JB. If you can make it, it will be good to meet you. Likewise any of the rest of you on the far side of the water.

St Albans' like York, seems to be one of those shows that generate multiple other invites, though only one new one is going to be possible this year, as the list already includes Huntingdon, Crawley, Alexandra Palace, Reading, Croydon, East London Finescale & Cultra. Have also agree to Manchester in December, then found there was an invite to Eurospoor in Utrecht in my RMWeb page... That is far too close to East London & Cultra, so will have to wait for another year, assuming they will still have me. Eurospoor is amazing - I went with an 0n16.5 layout in 1994 - & has over 200000q ft of space. Trouble is, it would be a 5 day trip, albeit a very tempting one! Still, the G2 is almost ready for service again, while the two new Sligo coaches are also close to completion. It is the annual modelling completion at the club on Tuesday & for once, this creates a deadline for Sir Henry & his train. Hopefully will have some pictures soon.

I have the said book JB & a very fine piece of work it is too, including all the juicy 'might have beens' west of Sligo. Overall, I would say Irish track plans are a much neglected aspect of the hobby & have spent many a happy hour on the Irish Ordanance Survey Website, where 25" maps are very useful for track plans. Probably where Mayner got the Westport one from perhaps?

The Rice plan is certainly one I've looked at in the past, along with several derivations he did over the years. Very tempting... A MGW branch is certainly a possibility some time in the future, though for me the Belmullet/Blacksod Bay proposals offer most promise. A joint line with the Sligo Leitrim would enable me to use much of my current stock, while the idea of a 4-4-0 called Wolf Dog is somehow very tempting. Still think Courtmacsherry offers the perfect branch terminus track plan, with harbour spur, the street behind the station providing the ideal back scene, plus the loco shed hiding exit to fiddle yard. Alphagraphix catalogue offers pretty much all the locos and carriages you need and am surprised nobody has had a go yet. Or maybe they have??

Many thanks chaps. The layout hasn't been worked on for over a year now. Indeed there are some bits that could do with a bit of attention after a dozen outings now. As some of you have said, a good photographer can conjure up all sorts of enhancements just by clever framing, composition and the like, so credit this time is very much down to Tony Wright.

A major part of the fun in exhibiting is meeting some lovely people. So it was on Saturday at St Albans, where our evening dinner table consisted of yours truly plus Gordon & Maggie Gravett, Continental Modeller Editor Andrew Burnham, Tony Wright [of Stoke Summit fame] & his wife, plus Dave Walker a noted loco builder in larger scales & pupil of the great Beeson no less. It was a fine evening's conversation, well lubricated with wine & beer! On Sunday morning, Tony took a few photos of Ariana Town & emailed them yesterday. Happily, the files are small enough to share with you, so here are a couple of favourites. Just goes to show the effect of a fine photographer & a quality camera.

Did the St Albans show this weekend. Always a fine show, the quality was very much up to standard - hardly surprising with the likes of Adrian Colenutt [uckfield] & John Doyland [ex Colchester] part of the organising team. The Club's systems were fully tested on Saturday morning when a fire alarm meant for a complete evacuation ten minutes after the show opened. As it happened a false alarm, so all was well & the procedures worked really well. Am reminded of my headteacher days, when I'd play unpleasant tricks on the staff when doing fire drills. A favourite was to 'hide' a couple of kids just before we set off the alarms in order to see if they were picked up on roll call. Happily, they always were, but only goes to show you can't be too careful. Another interesting moment was the sight of a visitor in full Muslim/Arab dress on Sunday afternoon. Certainly not something you see very often at a model show, indeed cross dressers are much more common [yes, really]. My real point is that [in England at least], the hobby appears very 'white/Caucasian', with Asian/Afro-Carribbean visitors few & far between. With India & Pakistan in particular having extensive rail systems, I wonder why we don't see more of these backgrounds at shows? Anyway, as you may have seen on my Workshop page, it was a rather mixed experience. Sir Henry's debut went extremely well & 'he' ran beautifully all weekend, covering the mixed & excursion trains, as the two new coaches are not finished yet. Am hoping they will be ready for Pontefract in two week's time. However, on Saturday, we had a persistent fault on the short piece of track between the turnouts for the turntable & cattle dock sidings. Every loco stalled, unless driven a speed - hardly ideal, to say the least. Tried all sorts to remedy the situation & only when I tried tweaking a rail to eliminate what might have been a slight dog-leg did I discover the fault. A semi dry joint on a Peco rail joiner was the culprit, with the joint only failing when a loco was actually on it As soon as it moved beyond, the thing was fine again. Tweaking the track made it fail completely & then a quick visit from the soldering iron & everything was fine. Am wondering if it was the layout spending Friday night in the car [in sub-zero temps], as opposed to my centrally heated workshop, was the culprit... Sunday was a much more relaxed affair, albeit a slightly hazy one followed convivialities on Saturday evening at the hotel [a surplus of red wine], plus the usual 3000 calories 'full English' for breakfast AND a full roast for lunch! All ok till the G2 was damaged that is... Will be making all my boxes more secure for Pontefract.

The St Alban's show last weekend went pretty well [see my blog to read more], but while packing up, I managed to knock the box containing my G2 2-4-0 off the top of a pile of 4 box files which I use for other stock & on to the floor. Not expecting any problems, I was dismayed to find the loco has suffered some significant damage. The cab roof and only recently renewed fall plate had come off, but, as you can see from the photos, the left hand side of the the cab front/spectacle plate are mangled, while the chimney was bent over with a dent in the smokebox. At the very least, a word that rhymes with what rowers put their oars in seems appropriate and plenty more besides. Fingers crossed, the damage will not be too hard to put right [though doubt the can will go back completely flat], though a fair amount of work will be needed to match up the paint work again. Will keep you posted. All goes to show that exhibitions can really take their toll on a model railway & the end of a show is especially dangerous...

Time machine over 3D printer any day JB, though wouldn't say no to both...

Having been pondering what is available in 7mm scale, where am thinking the net needs to be expanded to include kits, as RTR is not as extensive. Indeed the only RTRs I can think of might be the recent crop of industrials from Ixion, though there have also been two versions of the LNER Sentinels, for anyone interested in doing the Limerick Market branch! The usual Woolwich moguls, Jinty etc of course available as standard gauge kits, so like 4mm could be adapted for anyone interested. Despite suggestions in the 'Modelling Irish Railways' book, then only wagon [from unfitted, loose coupled days] would be the Slater's petrol tank, which did make the transfer, though needed buffers moving out, as well as wheels, of course. Would be interested to know of any other options.

In my dreams! Would that I had the space for a 20 van cattle train. That said, I did actually build a 7mm scale tail chaser a few years ago. Trouble was only the 16' straight section on one side was scenic and though it fitted in a Transit van, a 30x15 layout with only a 16' scenic section did not endear itself to exhibition managers. Plus it was a huge thing to manage. Did appear in RM though after its one outing at Chatham in 2009. After that decided any future layout had to fit in its entirety in my workshop. Hence 16x2 for Arigna. When I win the lottery, it will be high on the list. Trouble is, need to buy a ticket first!

Many thanks folks. It is by no means perfect, but it does seem to capture the character of the prototype & also [at the moment] runs very well, which is all I ask really. I keep promising myself I will improve my soldering skills, but it is amazing what you can get away with under a coat of paint. Have now built over 50 locos in both 4 & 7mm scale over the last 30 years, so have learnt a few things in that time I suppose, even if mostly not how to do things!

Began work on this model on 14th September, so 111 days later, it is finally complete. Did a weathering job on it yesterday, which involved getting the airbrush/compressor/spray cupboard out. Always fraught for me - was the clean up from last time thorough enough on the airbrush? Will I get the paint mix right? Will the spray pattern be ok or paint come out like a muck spreader, etc etc? Happily all was well & the paint mix [as per Martyn Welch's bible] of Humbrol Metacote Gunmetal, Tarmac and Leather in ratio of 2:1:1 is just right for toning down & highlighting the very deep, flat black you get from an automotive spray paint can. After a couple of hours letting the paint dry, then did some gentle work with weathering powders. This involved grey on the tops of the boiler & cab, with browner tints for the smokebox & footplate, plus burnt sienna around the brake shoes, base of firebox etc on the chassis. Then left it overnight to dry hard [find this works better than covering with matt varnish as a seal for the weathering powders], before joining the body & chassis again. While doing the latter, found that the sandboxes were too far inboard, so had to prise them off the chassis & pack them out to the correct width. The sandpipes now sit much better, which explains an earlier issue! The last bits of work were glazing the cab windows, adding the crew & finally putting coal in the bunker. The latter is from a pice I liberated from the concentration plant entrance in Arigna a couple of years ago - so am guessing it is more likely Polish and Irish... The photos show the finished model, note comparisons between weathered and plain black from last time, also alongside Hazlewood to show the differences between a Small Tank & a Large one. Also some poses on the layout. Not sure if I will get the two coaches finished in time for St Albans in two weeks time, so Sir Henry may well have its first outing running the excursion train with the three MGW six wheelers. The working inside motion shows up quite well & anyone who doesn't notice will certainly have it pointed out to them!

A decent model which am sure will be all the better for going through the carriage shops! The potential for doing Irish NG in both G and indeed Gauge 1 has long interested me. Gauge 1 would allow 0 gauge [32mm] track and around 1:29 scale. Tempting...

Seems like the festive period has not produced much modelling - or at least, none of it has been photographed/written about yet... Chrtistmas & New Year used to be one of my most productive times when still working. A two week break from school and little on TV to distract [not much change on the latter], meant I could get plenty done, just with a work board on my knee and glass of falling down water by my side. Current work on Sir Henry & the coaches is not something that can be done this way at present & though I managed to get a few figures painted, the loco has had to be fitted in during gaps when relative/friends were not present & I could sneak into the workshop. However, I'm sure my wife didn't feel entirely left out, as she could certainly hear all the swearing as it was a case of one step forward, two back. The issues stemmed initially from painting the chassis/body work, then re-assembling. It seemed there were shorts everywhere when I tried to run the loco on the track. add in a sticking bogie wheel, sticking bogie itself, the drop links from the reversing gear fouling the inside motion, etc etc and it has taken many hours of trial and error to get what was a very smooth running chassis on the work bench, translate that to running well on the layout. I also had to think the connecting rods by about half a millimetre and do the same to the front bearings, in order to get enough side play into the coupled wheelbase. The various shorts were cured by cutting back bodywork inside the side tanks and using insulating tape and/or cyano on the underside of the footplate/insides of front splashers. This all resulted in needing to refit the brake shoes, repainting of large parts of the wheels & chassis, plus taking off & replacing the wheels more times than I care to remember. Such are the perils of all metal locomotives. It is just as well Sir Henry is analogue & not DCC...

Seems to me you will need to do a scale drawing [as opposed to your original sketch, as the curves will take up far more room than you think. In 00 scale, I wouldn't go under 24" radius from a visual and operating point of view, though I guess you could get away with 18" radius if you don't mind seeing your trains going round right angled bends. However, even 18" curves means your straight sections will be down to little more than 6' and 4', while remember that even small radius points will be 6" long. In addition, putting platforms on an 18" radius, 90 degree curve will mean clearances between coaches an platform edges will be cavernous. My suggestion would be to make most of the layout curved [ie no real straight sections], with the tightest radii hidden in cutting/tunnel and platforms on the gentlest radii. Putting the station almost on a diagonal will increase the length available & because you are only indicating scenery on the other boards, you can afford to make these fairly deep as you will not be reaching over to uncouple. As JHB has said, consider a second level too. Cyril Freezer's booklets [Peco] contain a wealth of ideas, plus there is a series running on double deck layouts in Railway modeller at the moment.

That bridge scene and is surroundings are indeed splendid. Looks like a challenging location with all those trusses. A layout well worth seeing up close and personal to appreciate both the work and the artistry.

The loco has been going through the paint shop and final detailing this week, though there still remains much to do - not least because one or more of the pick ups is shorting out against the body at the moment. The perils of brass engines! However, thought it was worth a preview, even though in freshly applied black [automotive spray can], much of the detail is lost because it can be such a flat colour to photograph. After Christmas, will get busy weathering, which should help highlight the details, but an air brush is not the thing for the festive season - though aspects of the latter may help to steady the hands [but also blur the eyesight].

Re exhibitions, my own view is that the customer comes first, after all they are paying good money to come in. So, as much movement as possible on the layout, without it becoming silly, plus good scenics, buildings etc for those times when nothing is moving - inevitable on a terminus fiddle yard sent up. Now, my take on that is likely to be different to the next person's, so it is therefore up to the exhibition organisers to ensure their show has a reasonable balance of displays. For general shows, this surely means are range of scales/gauges/prototypes/eras etc, large tail chasers and detailed dioramas, something for the kids, plus a good range of traders. The size of the show depends on what can be offered and the bigger it is, the more that can be accommodated. At my club, we try very hard to invite only those layouts that are interesting to look at and run well, though are obviously dependent on what is available at the time. Really good layouts can be like buses: none for a while, then several come along at once. So, while for me a really good show would be host to my favourite traders and display layouts of obscure prototypes alongside busy tail chasers, that would not be everyone's cup of tea. Appreciating there is a variety of interest out there is really important. Likewise, when inviting traders, you do not want multiple stalls selling the same thing. At one local show I counted no less than ten book sellers, with twice that number of second hand box shifters. OK for a swap meet maybe, but surely not a model show. Since 1987, I've exhibited at close to 100 shows and visited at least as many as a customer. Few people spend more that a couple of minutes at each layout and will move on in much less if nothing is moving. The only layouts to challenge that are the exceptional scenic ones. Gordon and Maggie Gravetts layouts are worth looking at regardless of movement, likewise Bramblewick Cove and Hursley and Petherick. All their builders are also consummate artists, which perhaps says it all...

Lovely work. Puts my soldering to shame and am sure you spend far less time cleaning up than me!

Seems like I've opened the proverbial can of worms here.... Not my intention! The issue is that of increasing numbers of people not having experienced railway operation pre 1970 and the effect it can have on layout design, choice of period etc etc. If folk want to do their own thing, fine. At times, I can enjoy seeing trains go round in circles, BUT doing things (reasonably) properly can very much enhance the whole experience, which is surely one of the main purposes of this forum.

Certainly agree with the above comments & at shows there is something special about a continuous run that is well operated. At Tolworth recently, the Guildford Club had their immense Normandy Junction [0 gauge] running at least 4 trains at once all day & there was rightly a big crowd the whole time. My own favourites are Dainton Bank [even though it is GWR!] and Stoke Summit. The latter was very much my home territory & despite being just a double track mainline and goods loop [no station at all], the crowds were always at least three deep. I even saw odd person [pun intended] writing down engine numbers! The key to this layout was a vast fiddle yard, with [i think], around 18 tracks each way, each capable of holding a 13 coach train or 40+ wagons. Despite fairly basic scenery, the anticipation of seeing the signals going off made the brief wait for the next train worthwhile. There again, I can get just as much enjoyment looking at a well main small layout/diorama. What I don't like are layouts that do not/are not run well & am sure we've all seen a few of these. As I've said before, things do go wrong [a drawer full of T-shirts at home for this], but I do ensure that everything works before I leave for a show & am not sure that is the case for everyone. Given the quality of modern RTR models, that seems fairly inexcusable. Hence every reason to run the layout properly and there is some superb stuff out there to enjoy. Rant over!

Indeed, Stephen. Everything we do is a compromise. Autocouplings can be hands free, but are not prototypical and few people try to connect brake hoses. At shows, it is mostly about keeping things moving, but I do think it important to try and work in a railway like manner. So reasonable speed (but not too slow -shunting could be quite smart) but careful buffering up, with a full stop to couple up. Always aim to have vacuum braked stock nearest the engine and ensure passenger trains are hauled by VAC braked locos. A few years ago, I had the privilege of operating Trevor Nunn's East Lynn. Fabulous S gauge layout. Interestingly, all points and signals worked by the signal box operate from a hidden lever frame, but local points in the goods yard and on the wharf are worked by hand levers in situ, as per the prototype. Personally, I can live with the big hand from the sky and find it better than shuffling a train back and forth over a magnet to do my uncoupling. Kaydees and the like work very nicely for running round, but Alex Jacksons just seem like witchcraft to me! The joy of the hobby is do do what we enjoy, feel comfortable with etc. So if folk are happy with a train set, that is fine, but I do worry a little that the knowledge of railway operation pre 1970 could be lost, because anyone born since then has not experienced it.

Three link/screw link on AT, Weshty. Have used Dinghams and Kaydees in the past. Considered Dinghams, but the turntables preclude this as they are one way only. Three links I can cope with, screw links a regular cause of expletives especially when between two coaches or vans! Alpraham Sidings was real state of the art stuff & all the more applaudable for it. Perhaps a bit too sophisticated for the likes of me, but them I'm more of a builder than an operator, even though I like to do things reasonably proper at shows.

Recent correspondance about layout design has re-ignited a concern I've have for a while now, that [with the passage of time] there are a lot of modellers who can have had little experience of how railways ran in 'the good-old, bad-old' days of loose coupled freight. Indeed freight of any sort seems to be at a premium in Ireland, so anyone modelling the current scene is not really left with a lot to do methinks, though am sure that there will be those who want to prove otherwise & good on yer if you can. However, unless you are old enough to remember pick up goods, parcels traffic, mixed trains and loco hauled passenger, it seems to me that this knowledge is going to fade if we are not careful. This was forcibly brought home to me a couple of years ago when exhibiting at a show in Sussex. None of my usual operators were available that weekend, but a couple of other club members kindly volunteered. What I didn't realise [but was soon to find out], was that they had virtually no knowledge of railway operation & had probably never done more than run their own models round in circles. Come lunchtime, I said to them something like 'while I'm away, just take your time and shunt the pick up goods'. This drew rather blank stares, so I added 'run the train into the goods loop, then run round and swap wagons in the train for ones in the goods shed and sidings'. Keeping my fingers crossed that this shouldn't be too much of a problem, I left them to it. On my return 20 mins later [with a crowd 3 deep in front of the layout], it was to find them shuffling wagons, BY HAND,in front of bemused spectators, as they clearly had no idea how to manage a simple shunt. Indeed, even the term 'run round' was probably new to them. After I'd calmed down, I realised that the issue was as much mine as theirs. It just hadn't occurred to me that they wouldn't know how a pick up goods would be operated. Extensive tuition followed throughout the afternoon - including running at the right speed, buffering up and thinking out what might be the minimum number of moves possible to organise the wagons. We perhaps forget that, as well as being highly skilled and responsible, railwaymen were also very intelligent puzzle solvers. As modellers, we might be happy to endlessly shuffle wagons around, but they were like as not on piece work and the sooner they got things sorted, the sooner they went home. Since then, for exhibitions, I work to a very simple sequence, which sees each train do a very specific task & where freight is concerned, each goods train shunts just one particular siding [though Arigna Town only has two anyway]. This helps keep things moving for the public, but also helps operators get into a rhythm. Not fully prototypical, but then on my line, there would be gaps of several hours at times between train - which is clearly not acceptable. At home, perhaps the perfect scenario might be the American basement empire, where a whole line, from junction to terminus is modelled and the 'way freight' is driven from one end to the other, shunting each depot along the way. For those of us with more limited space, then the 'terminus-fiddle yard' is the most basic option, with the fiddle yard representing the 'rest of the world' and trains running from it to the terminus. A continuous run can do the same thing, with a fiddle yard to supply a succession of trains running past a through station in both directions. Now, if simply watching the trains go by is your thing, then fine, but for me, things take on extra dimensions if you can replicate what the prototype did. Maybe not an actual line perhaps, but at least representing the range of trains from the historical period you are modelling. Hence, a chance to do research & then a purpose behind what you buy and/or construct, so the layout takes on a real purpose and life of its own. So, I do think we need to nurture newcomers to our hobby or, with only heritage railways and unit trains to watch in the real world, they will miss out on what is a very satisfying part of railway modelling. What do others think?