Exton Quays

[Pushpull33]

I am looking forward on the feedback on the layout, good or bad. I realise that everyone has there own opinions but any coments are greatly recieved. A guy at Bournemouth over the weekend must have stood and watched the layout perform for half an hour or more and then informed me that the fishermans wellies should perhaps be black as green wellies didn't exist till after the war. I have not yet looked in to the history of wellies but a good observation all the same. I think I will take this as compliment.
Colin

 

[Pushpull33]

If I have not allready said somewhere, I would like to thank everyone for any help and advice that may have been given in the production of Exton Quay. I would also like to congratulate all the entrants, we have all won as many have said. The final list has some outstanding layouts, my monies on Llananta Cove.
Exton Quay is alive and well and has had a couple of changes. We will be at Wimrail at Queen Elizabeth school, Wimborne.this weekend 16/17 March if you are able to make it please come and say hello and introduce yourself. Bournemouth west is also attending so one cracking show to be had.
Colin

 

[allegheny1600]

Hello Colin,
I've just had a good re-read of this whole thread and I have to say, it's marvellous.
It makes me wish that I had started a cameo of my own but I'm great at starting things, bad at finishing so it's of no consequence that I'm waaay too late!
Good luck with your projects and if you ever do come up north, I'll endeavour to make a visit.
Cheers,
John.

 

[Pushpull33]

Hello Colin,
I've just had a good re-read of this whole thread and I have to say, it's marvellous.
It makes me wish that I had started a cameo of my own but I'm great at starting things, bad at finishing so it's of no consequence that I'm waaay too late!
Good luck with your projects and if you ever do come up north, I'll endeavour to make a visit.
Cheers,
John.

Hi John.
Thank you for the wonderful coments. I think, with a small layout, you see it progress quicker. It encourages you to keep going, as the layout progresses, you see it come together. I tried to keep it relatively simple, ideas and methods that I know will work. To be honest, there is nothing here that has not been done before but every modeller will give it their own personal touch. Give Four people the same track plan and they will all come out looking different.
At exhibitions I like to encourage people just to have a go, i seem to spend an awful lot of the time chatting to people rather than running trains, more so than with other layouts that i have built, guessing because the layout is operated from the front, people seem to really like this. If they go home with a wagon kit then I feel I have succeeded. I am always happy to share ideas or how something was built, what products I use etc, I for one get a lot of enjoyment from this, I'm not one to hide behind a layout pushing buttons allday. I think I have said this before, but I think it should be Model Railway law that a selected operator should be positioned at the front of every layout to answer question.
Contrary to popular procedure, there is no information on the front of Exton Quay, hopefully it encourages people to talk and I am amazed at the amount of people that will stand, look, study and work it all out for themselves, then come to me and say, Devon, 1930s, yes, your right, that then gets the conversation going.

John, it's never to late. Find an era and area that you are interested in, I read through books not necessarily railway related of a chosen area, to build up some sort of feel for the chosen project.

Exton Quay has recieved nothing but amazing coments, and has become somewhat overwhelming.

You never know John, one day I may bring it up North. We will be at Bridport (Dorset) on July 27th this year and the diary is somewhat full for next year.
Thanks to all.
Colin

 

[allegheny1600]

Many thanks for your encouraging words, Colin.
In that case (never too late!), I think I'll resurrect my own little quay - called 'Flixborough Wharf', a rather more modern take on just this kind of subject matter.
Cheers!
John.

 

[Simpas]

Colin,

I'm with you on the 'out front' brigade. Wansbeck Road was operated from the rear and I often had to prompt people into enquiring by answering the question I thought they were going to ask; usually getting a response too...! Again I'm like you in that is one of the most enjoyable parts of exhibiting so when you're accepting invites look out for those that take place well North of Watford i.e. head for London then hard left and keep 'gannin' till you reach either York, Newcastle (upon Tyne, that is..) or Blyth shows and we'll look forward to seeing you - unless I encounter you first as I have a habit of visiting shows all over the place.

Mick S.

 

[Pushpull33]

Its still here and still going strong, yes, i am talking about Exton Quay.
I was asked to a charity event last Bank holiday Monday, it all went very well.
We have also had photographs taken for the Hornby Magazine, due to appear in the next couple of months. Through that, we have also accepted an invitation to the Great Electric Train show in October at Milton Keynes. Not forgetting that, we will be at Bridport (Dorset) in July.
I am in the process of building a new crane for the dockside and a number of wagon kits are sitting here looking at me.
A few updated photos

Funny how things turn out.

 

[Peter Cross]

The BWT looks good in its lined green. Shame about the gold Southern, not primrose. I had to use 4mm transfers on my 7mm one. I wanted a lined one but non were painted such after the 1930's rebuild.

 

[Simpas]

Colin,

Indeed it is; enjoy the shows because I'm sure you will be going to more...!

Mick S

 

[Pushpull33]

The BWT looks good in its lined green. Shame about the gold Southern, not primrose. I had to use 4mm transfers on my 7mm one. I wanted a lined one but non were painted such after the 1930's rebuild.

Digital cameras are horrible things, at normal viewing distance with the human eye the 'Gold, Southern' doesn't look to bad. If i find some in primrose, it will get changed. I did try to print some off on transfer paper but my old printer just wasn't up to the job that small.
I actually used 3mm scale transfers and as you are probably aware the 'Southern' came from what should be on the carriage sides. thought perhaps i could get away with it. The number on the rear buffer beam was also a tight fit even with 3mm scale transfers. Or should it have the number just below the fold on the rear bunker ? A photo in the "Bible of Bradley" The Bettie classes, on page 134 says, not

According to the "Bible of Bradley" No 0314 was added to the 3ooo series in 12/1936 and painted plain black 12/1939. As the layout is set mid 1930s i am hoping that Green lining is correct. I had the same quandary with the Adams B4, No 94 had a boiler change 9/1936 and there is a photo taken on 12th September 1936 at Eastleigh works painted in plain Black livery hoping that prior to this it had Green Lining.
Why do we do all this, someone please tell me. All very trying stuff.
Colin.

 

[Peter Cross]

It's all good stuff, at the end of the day it's a hobby. I have the same choice problems modelling early 1930's. I could get away with more of the early liveries. But I don't like the thought of yellow lining with olive.

 

[Pushpull33]

It's all good stuff, at the end of the day it's a hobby. I have the same choice problems modelling early 1930's. I could get away with more of the early liveries. But I don't like the thought of yellow lining with olive.

I know what you mean, think it was more of a gold, looks better with white lining.

Had a fabulous day at Bracknell EM Expo, always a good show but gets amazingly expensive. I had a good chat to Simon, care of Swan books also.

Anyhow, Exton Quay has a new crane on the Quay side. This is something that i don't normally do, if i can make it i normally do but its from the Bachmann clan, looks amazingly like the one that was situated at Sidmouth. A bit of work, a new base and a repaint i'm happy with it.
The base was made from Two circles of plasticard, the top is actually tile grout the stone around the edge is Daz modeling clay, scribed to represent the stone circle. A bargain at 3 Quid. A workman from Dart Castings was purchased today to stand by the crane.

 

[Pushpull33]

Firstly, i would like to congratulate the winners. Sorry, Simon, i couldn't make it to the show. Perhaps next year.

As Exton Quay is based around the old Fertilizer plant based at Topsham, i thought it would be a bit of fun and perhaps a talking point at exhibitions to have a couple of wagons in there own livery (made up of course). I found a picture of an old enamel advertising sign for the factory and used this as the bases for the livery.

My son, clever with computers drew the artwork, they were then printed onto transfer paper, using a couple of unpainted Dapol wagons. Below is the result. I'm rather pleased. Remember this is just a bit of fun.

 

[Pushpull33]

A great day was had at Bridport Model Railway Exhibition. Always a good well organised Exhibition with some superb layouts on display
It turned out to be somewhat overwhelming. Exton Quay received an Award, Voted by the viewing Public it received best in show.

 

[adrian]

Exton Quay received an Award, Voted by the viewing Public it received best in show.

Congratulations - thoroughly deserved given the photos you've posted on here.

 

[AJC]

Congratulations - thoroughly deserved given the photos you've posted on here.

Agreed! Very well done.

Adam

 

[Simon]

Congratluations and very well deserved too, Exton Quays is a super layout by anyone's standards.

Simon

 

[bogusman]

Cogratuluations a cracking layout

Peter

 

[Simpas]

Colin,

Congratulations from the northern end; well done. You'll be bringing it up here at some stage I'm sure.

Mick S.

 

[Pushpull33]

Hi all.....
Thank you to everyone for the kind comments. I tend to stick with things that i know and ways of doing things. Exton Quay has been greatly received at exhibitions and we have a few more booked for the future. Looking forward to meeting some of you in the future.

Anyways, getting back to the topic of this particular post.
A new addition, not that it ran down to Exton in my particular period but it was around at the time, mainly around Southampton Docks taking School children and VIP's on tours of the new docks being built up at the time. Eastleigh paint shop in there wisdom decided to keep the carriage part in LSWR livery.
Built from an old Jidenco kit, i'm pleased with how she has turned out. Still some details to add but we are almost there.

She will make occasional appearances on Exton Quay so keep a lookout.