From Llangunllo to Llanbister Rd.

[Geoff]

That first one is just sublime.

Thanks for posting

And thank you for your kind comment Adrian.

Stunning images all, I think my favourites are both of the "two wagons" shots, not least because they show off that wonderful Tanat Valley-esque goods shed.
Simon

My trusty Lumix bridge camera is responsible for the images Simon, I just set it to 'auto' and point it in the right direction.
I wasn't sure if the goods shed was going to work, and for a few weeks its future hung in balance. The alternatives would have been a simple loading bank, with an old goods van body plonked on it, or one of those prefabricated concrete provender stores.

I think this is railway modelling at its very best. I have been scanning some of the late Mervyn Halbrook's pictures today, taken from around Limpley Stoke signal box where he was signalman in the early 1950s, and your along the track shots with signals really convey the same feelings and strong sense of the Great Western Railway that his pictures do.
Simon

Thank you very much Simon, that's praise indeed, not sure if its fully deserved though. I didn't have you down as a reader of the Railway Modeller, and must confess that I very rarely buy it myself these days, still, I'm pleased that you enjoyed the articles.

Limpley Stoke in the 50's, now that is interesting, another book from Wild Swan perchance? Anyway I'll quit whilst I'm ahead, and leave you with a couple more photos of the goods shed.



This photo of 7416 drawing the wagons out of the yard, was the first of a sequence showing the arrival of the pick up goods.





The shed looking from the other direction for a change, with just a solitary 16t mineral waiting to be unloaded.

As a matter of interest, here is an early photo of the goods yard on the original Penhydd, the shed was based on the one that stood at Hemyock.
I did try to fit chairs to the PCB points, but unlike Captain Kernow, who has done a marvellous job on his new Bethesda Sidings layout, I gave up at an early stage!

I agree, those spreads do nothing at all for me and often show the faults (thick glazing, terrible couplings, wonky bits etc.) rather than the overall scene, which what most of us are trying to create I would've thought!

Lovely pictures as ever. This layout is a real gem.

Well I'm glad that someone else agrees with me Jonas, you've hit the nail firmly on the head there, and thanks for your kind comments.

 

[Captain Kernow]

Recently read your excellent article in the Railway Modeller, Geoff (the second article). Top stuff, very interesting and accompanied by some nice photos.

 

[Geoff]

Cheers Tim, glad you enjoyed it, and won't be asking for a refund

I had another 7mm wobble last week, it all started when I saw a Tower Brass pannier in the local model shop. Not that I was impressed with the model mind you, or its £875 price tag. Yeah I know its brass, and in a different league from the mass produced RTR, which is now becoming available in 7mm scale. But I can't see them shifting a used model at that price with the new Minerva, and Dapol panniers on the horizon, anyway I came away thinking that a pannier wasn't really that big in 7mm scale after all. So once home I started playing around the sketch pad, and some track templates, the end result being this simple idea, inspired by Llansilin Road in the Tanat Valley. Lets assume that the line survived a little longer but, was severed just beyond Llansilin, the loop being used to access a quarry which would be off stage.

The area around the crossing is inspired by scene on Gordon Gravetts 'Ditchling Green', which in my opinion is one of the most convincing, minimum space 7mm scale model railways ever constructed. However the buildings would be of Welsh stone and slate, with some half timbering thrown in for good measure, imagine something like this.......



The buildings would of course be grouped differently, with the road rising upwards towards the crossing. So what's holding me back, well short trains certainly aren't that's for sure, and I've got the proceeds of two articles burning a hole in my pocket to part fund the project. So it boils down to me being able to move away from my favoured railway in the landscape look. If I enjoyed shunting then the decision would be made much easier, then again I might come to enjoy the latter with loose, 3 link couplings?

At the moment I'm giving myself a headache, whilst pondering the future direction of my modelling. If I could somehow create these sort of scenes in 7mm, within the space available, then I reckon that I would throw caution to the wind and move upwards to the senior scale.







Time for an afternoon snooze I think......

 

[Dog Star]

If I could somehow create these sort of scenes in 7mm, within the space available, then I reckon that I would throw caution to the wind and move upwards to the senior scale.

Search out photos of Arun Quay from Gordon Gravett... look for the Warminster Show topic in the Exhibition forum of RMWeb.

 

[Geoff]

I've been keeping tags on the superb Arun Quay since it first appeared in MRJ mate, but its not the sort of scene that I wish to model. You see I like to sit back and watch trains pass through a slice of countryside, something which isn't easy to create in the larger scales.

 

[SimonT]

Geoff,
the nub is how deep you can build your model. Welsh valley sides help as they can be quite shallow. The hillside at the back of Aberbeeg is only ten inches deep but goes up 15 to 18 inches. At the front there is 6 to 14 inches of Wales in front of the track bed but it is on an embankement and then has part of the valley floor and river. At the deepest the layout is just under 4ft deep but the includes space for nine tracks. I suspect you could do something magical in as depth of 30 inches.

I look forward to it

Simon

 

[Geoff]

Geoff,
the nub is how deep you can build your model.
Simon

Thanks for your insight Simon, at the most I would only have 24 inches when it comes to depth. Lengthwise I could go to 9 feet for the scenic section with an additional 3 feet, six inches for storage cassettes or whatever. I see the track bed being laid on a shelf set into the hillside, the road leading to the crossing and the buildings on a lower level. What I'm struggling with is the relationship between layout height, depth and length, as I feel they all need to be in proportion with each other, if a stunted, top heavy appearance is to be avoided.

Tim, (CK) suggested that I just have a dabble in 7mm, and that is how the idea of modelling Kington engine shed first came about, which might be a better bet as a means of scratching my 7mm itch? That would allow a pannier and a couple of wagons to pass through the scene, decisions, decisions

 

[Captain Kernow]

Geoff,

Is there any mileage in a small(ish) scenic section that could be used for shunting indoors when it suits, but which could be moved outdoors on a fine day and 'bolted on' to a continuous run established outside?

 

[Geoff]

Geoff,

Is there any mileage in a small(ish) scenic section that could be used for shunting indoors when it suits, but which could be moved outdoors on a fine day and 'bolted on' to a continuous run established outside?

Its not something that I've considered Tim, mainly because I don't fancy lugging sections of layout around. However if I could swap my modelling room for the conservatory it would be a different matter, but somehow I think the boss would object to that. .

Thanks for the suggestion all the same

 

[SimonT]

Geoff,
sketches and better still mock ups from foam board all help establish that delicate balance. Doesn't prevent cock ups as I desovered on my new little one as I got one end totally wrong; the new lower and more open arrangement works so much better.

Your musings and thoughts as you try to work out what, and how to do it would be useful for others considering a change to 7mm.
Simon

 

[keefr22]

Oh no. I'm in Hampshire visiting daughter and family at the moment, and as always somehow happens, today I ended up stood in front of the O gauge cabinet in Alton Model Centre. Desperately trying to once again desist from buying an 08 or Terrier...I did manage to be good again, thinking that if I were to buy an O gauge loco I'd prefer to wait for a Dapol Pannier. Now, if you do start dabbling in O Geoff, I think the inspiration would definitely destroy my little remaining resolve....!!

Keith

 

[Geoff]

Simon,

I'm a great believer in mock ups, though as you say they don't always prevent cock ups. At the moment I have some rough, and I mean rough card structures set up in the modelling room, the idea being to get my eye used to the larger scale. I've gone for the smallest buildings that appeal to me, as its the height of things that concerns me the most. When it comes to thoughts and musings I've got plenty of both to keep me busy, whether they would help others is open to question, however I'll be more than happy to share

Hi Keith,
So you are also battling the temptation to splash the cash on some big toys, I'm thinking of starting a petition to have display cabinets of 7mm models banned! Its the Lionheart/Dapol 74XX pannier that floats my boat, I've been resisting the purchase of one since they were first announced. So the Tower Models, and Hattons websites are out of bounds for now in case my finger slips.

 

[Geoff]

Further to my last post here's a few photos showing the challenge that I would face to model my type of railway in 7mm scale.



This is the sort of scene that I'm happy with, short trains, little track and plenty of open countryside. I can happily sit back and watch trains slowly pass through the station, but should I fancy a spot of shunting, then there is nothing to stop me from dropping off a wagon or two, and picking up some empties.



......and here we have an A6 point, I stopped calling them turnouts years ago, when a couple of railwaymen of the old school visited my old layout Penhydd, and asked me what I meant by a turnout? One went on to say that if he asked a driver to set back over a turnout he wouldn't have a clue as to what he was talking about, but asking him to set back over a point would have the desired response. I'm aware that the GWR didn't use 'A' switches, but come to that, they didn't use a track gauge of 31.5 mm either. This was the shortest point that I could come up with in Templot, and measures 17 inches long. I believe the Peco point is a tad shorter, but would prefer to build my own from ply sleeper strip, and individual chairs, the same applies to plain track.



.....and here we have the same 4mm goods train that appeared in the first photo on the template, which helps illustrate the problem that I would have in trying to create an open slice of countryside! However its possible that I could make up for that with some architectural modelling, which is another love of mine. In the meantime work on anything 4mm has ground to a halt, anybody aware of any medication which can make the 7mm bug go away once and for all?

 

[Obblygobbly]

Just think how long it took to gather the collection of models you have and how little is RTR in O scale. I think you would be crazy to change scales unless you are (a) quite young with many years of modelling ahead of you and (b) you have a huge wad of cash to get rid of.

Does that help?

 

[Captain Kernow]

Hi Geoff, I'm sure I've got an A5 point kit from C&L in my pile of stuff to build, for my eventual 7mm shunting plank. The largest loco I'm planning on getting is a Minerva 8750 pannier. Detailed perusal of the Lionheart 45XX is strictly prohibited.

I was getting tempted by this 7mm stuff about a year ago, when I passed the Minerva stand at RailEx in Aylesbury last year. I almost bought a Peckett there and then, but I had friends with me to bolster my resistence.

A couple of months or so later, a group of us went up to RailWells, where Minerva once again had a stand. I resisted the temptation to even approach it for most of the day, until around 3pm, when my friends had to depart, leaving me all by myself next to the Minerva stand. The nice man said that it was the last red Hudswell Clarke in the country, and he'd knock a bit off due to 'a bit of glue on the footplate'. I've always liked pretty red engines, and I've still not found that 'bit of glue'.

 

[Geoff]

Just think how long it took to gather the collection of models you have and how little is RTR in O scale. I think you would be crazy to change scales unless you are (a) quite young with many years of modelling ahead of you and (b) you have a huge wad of cash to get rid of.

Does that help?

Thanks for your comments,

There is a surprising amount of '0' gauge RTR currently available, but with the exception of say, two locos at the most, everything else would be kit, or scratch built. You don't necessarily need a large wad of cash to model in '0' gauge, well not for the sort of projects that I have in mind.

Modelling in EM, or P4 isn't exactly cheap either once you factor in the costs of new wheels, chassis and detailing components for your stock.

As for the number of years left ahead, well I know its a tad morbid to say this, but none of us know if we are going to wake up tomorrow morning do we, and with Trump in the White House the odds are getting worse.

Tim,

I think you are correct about C & L doing an A5, but I would like to have the largest crossing angle that I could possibly get away with.

It would appear that we've been following the same sort of road into temptation. It all started for me when with a simple email from one of my friends, telling me that Tower Models had bought the last remaining stocks of the Lionheart Panniers, and auto-coaches, furthermore they were being sold off cheap! We were on holiday at the time so I couldn't do anything about it, and by the time we had returned home they had all been sold. So I was saved from myself on that occasion, but now the panniers are being re-released, under the Lionheart/Dapol banner I'm not sure that I can resist.

My thinking at the moment is go ahead, buy a 74XX and a few Parkside kits, should I find that 7mm modelling isn't for me, then I doubt that I would have much trouble moving them on, unlike my collection of EM stock.

 

[John Rich]

I am nowhere near as experienced in Railway Modelling as you gents but I did have a serious dabble with 7mm after a couple of abortive 4mm attempts.

I did make quite a lot of progress with building Engines, Wagons and Coaches and a roundy roundy layout but eventually got disheartened as I found the workload of building everything dispiriting in the end.

Sold the lot and am now moving back to 4mm, I do still hanker after 7mm but would definitely only build a Futers like cameo, the problem is when I now look at some of the 7mm rtr and kits it is usually followed by a sharpe intake of breath at the cost, I am with Obblygobbly on this one.

John

 

[Geoff]

John,

I'll start of by saying that you are certainly more experienced in 7mm modelling than I am, so thanks for your views. I have heard similar stories to yours, and that is why I am wary of making the change, and sounding people out.

 

[Rob Pulham]

Hi Geoff,

I on the other hand decided to build a 7mm coach in 2009/2010) and then realised that once I had attempted to add the same level of detail to a 4mm version of the same kit that I would never go back to 4mm so I sold up and have modelled in 7mm happily ever since.

My personal opinion is that from what I have seen of your various posts you are very much a builder, and despite the temptation of 7mm RTR, being a builder, I feel that you would enjoy the 7mm journey.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

I have heard similar stories to yours, and that is why I am wary of making the change, and sounding people out.

Nowt wrong with sounding people out as we all have our own experiences. For years I modelled HO Swiss and later Southern Pacific and Canadian National. My UK interest is Southern Railway which I started O scale about five years ago. In my case I've never looked backed. Started with a few wagon kits then onto a locomotive and selling all my HO stock to subsidise the purchases. As for my layout in O - it's only 8' x 1' with one point!

I'd give O scale a go and am sure you'll, as Rob says, enjoy the journey as your modelling here has demonstrated.