The Sheep Chronicles. A Sheep dips his hooves in various bucolic backwaters.
NHY 581
Western Thunderer
I'm glad I'm not alone, Simon. I do like the grey livery. Very distinctive and it does rather suit the locos.
I almost succumbed to a D class but strange but true, I fancied the grey more than the Full Monty one....and its no less wildly branch like than an L1 but.............never say never.......
NHY 581
Western Thunderer
Morning all,
Not a huge amount happening at present around Chateau Sheep. Preparations are in hand regarding Bleat Wharf 's forthcoming appearance at Railex Taunton in a little over a weeks time.
The locos haven't run since Bleat's appearance at the Minehead show in early August ( a fine if somewhat hurried day out ) but they'll be checked and cleaned accordingly. Other stuff is ready to go........I think.
Prior to this, Bleat is off to school. A few of us are taking layouts to Ysgol yr Deri in Penarth, nr. Cardiff this coming weekend. The school caters for a wide and diverse range of differently able pupils aged 3 to 19yrs and is apparently the biggest school of it's type in the U.K
The challenges some of these little people face in their daily lives and the manner in which they just get on with it is truly humbling..
It's not an exhibition as such and Bleat will just be plonked on a table, without lighting and the usual exhibition stuff. I'll be handing the controls to the little people and letting them have a go at shuffling a few wagons about the place, hopefully having fun in the process. There will be visitors, mainly parents and helpers, and the hope is we can raise a couple of bob for the children to have a model railway department within the school. Staff there believe that they will respond well to problem solving such as moving wagons about and generally playing with trains so why not give them a go..............and of course they will have the accompanying making and doing that goes with any project.
So, I need to decide what locos will feature. Probably Henry the B2 Peckett simply because he's a bit of a dapper chap and possibly a spare W4 or diesel shunter. Prototype is not important. This is all about movement, playing and how bright the trains look...............oh and having fun in the process.
Rob.
Not a huge amount happening at present around Chateau Sheep. Preparations are in hand regarding Bleat Wharf 's forthcoming appearance at Railex Taunton in a little over a weeks time.
The locos haven't run since Bleat's appearance at the Minehead show in early August ( a fine if somewhat hurried day out ) but they'll be checked and cleaned accordingly. Other stuff is ready to go........I think.
Prior to this, Bleat is off to school. A few of us are taking layouts to Ysgol yr Deri in Penarth, nr. Cardiff this coming weekend. The school caters for a wide and diverse range of differently able pupils aged 3 to 19yrs and is apparently the biggest school of it's type in the U.K
The challenges some of these little people face in their daily lives and the manner in which they just get on with it is truly humbling..
It's not an exhibition as such and Bleat will just be plonked on a table, without lighting and the usual exhibition stuff. I'll be handing the controls to the little people and letting them have a go at shuffling a few wagons about the place, hopefully having fun in the process. There will be visitors, mainly parents and helpers, and the hope is we can raise a couple of bob for the children to have a model railway department within the school. Staff there believe that they will respond well to problem solving such as moving wagons about and generally playing with trains so why not give them a go..............and of course they will have the accompanying making and doing that goes with any project.
So, I need to decide what locos will feature. Probably Henry the B2 Peckett simply because he's a bit of a dapper chap and possibly a spare W4 or diesel shunter. Prototype is not important. This is all about movement, playing and how bright the trains look...............oh and having fun in the process.
Rob.
br2975
Member
.
And, despite her having retired a year or more back, I'm taking Rosamund to Ysgol y Deri this weekend, as well.
.
Brian R
NHY 581
Western Thunderer
Phil O
Western Thunderer
I believe so, out at Blackbrook, by the M5. Not as good as staying at the school when it was an easy walk into town for food and several pints.
NHY 581
Western Thunderer
Yeah, not ideal but the Griffin is next to the Holiday Inn Express down the road. It's a bit antiseptic but it has beer (ish) and food.....again....ish but we won't die of thirst or hunger.
Looking at the map, there's an Indian not far away but I think a recce might be in order prior to setting out on the Mk 1 foot..........
Looking at the map, there's an Indian not far away but I think a recce might be in order prior to setting out on the Mk 1 foot..........
NHY 581
Western Thunderer
Hi Phil,
It was a busy weekend all told. It's tricky to do anything other than operate when you're 'single crewed'.
It flew by though.
Bleat Wharf is now safely installed back in the room of doom and is operational, along with Sheep Dip and Ewe.
My first bit of modelling since my return has been the de-weathering of a very heavily, overly in my opinion, weathered Hattons 14xx.
Not my favourite RTR model, but one of my favourite locos.
This was picked up at a decent price at Taunton Railex and I'm pleased to report that it actually runs in a reasonable fashion. ( I tried three or four previously supplied by Hattons and none ran very well at all )
It came with a Lais DCC decoder fitted but frankly, they are rubbish and in the bin it went. Now with a Zimo decoder within it does what it should.
Hattons depicted 1432, an Oswestry loco, in a very heavily weathered finish which totally obscured the lovely lined green livery which suited these locos so well.
I decided to try my hand at removing this finish as best I could and tried various things, eventually settling on a fibre brush. Sounds horrendous but by execising care, over time it came away.
This was before............
And this is after.............
There's still a bit of fine tuning to do but I'm quite happy with how it's turned out.
Rob.
It was a busy weekend all told. It's tricky to do anything other than operate when you're 'single crewed'.
It flew by though.
Bleat Wharf is now safely installed back in the room of doom and is operational, along with Sheep Dip and Ewe.
My first bit of modelling since my return has been the de-weathering of a very heavily, overly in my opinion, weathered Hattons 14xx.
Not my favourite RTR model, but one of my favourite locos.
This was picked up at a decent price at Taunton Railex and I'm pleased to report that it actually runs in a reasonable fashion. ( I tried three or four previously supplied by Hattons and none ran very well at all )
It came with a Lais DCC decoder fitted but frankly, they are rubbish and in the bin it went. Now with a Zimo decoder within it does what it should.
Hattons depicted 1432, an Oswestry loco, in a very heavily weathered finish which totally obscured the lovely lined green livery which suited these locos so well.
I decided to try my hand at removing this finish as best I could and tried various things, eventually settling on a fibre brush. Sounds horrendous but by execising care, over time it came away.
This was before............
And this is after.............
There's still a bit of fine tuning to do but I'm quite happy with how it's turned out.
Rob.
NHY 581
Western Thunderer
Evening all,
Not much to report in terms of hands on modelling but I am still doing a bit of research ahead of the next layout.
Normally, I just plonk a few things down on a product of Sweden with little thought about the backstory ( I'm not clever enough for that ! ) and take it from there.
But, with no real construction likely anytime soon, I wanted to maintain a bit of interest. So, here are my thoughts.
Chapter 6.
Lambsdown.
The real Sheppey Light Railway operated under the Light Railways Act 1896 and opened in 1901. It's terminus was Leysdown.
I think you can see where this is going..........
The Isle of Sheepy Light Railway opened in 1897 as an independent company. The terminus was at Lambsdown and served a small village which the SLR company hoped to develop as a resort. Intermediate stations were at Sheepness East, Sheepminster on Sea, Bleatdown Halt Bleatchurch, Woolly Road Halt. The junction station with the SE&CR was at Bleatborough.
The development of the island never materialised and the line closed completely in 1950.
I've therefore spent sometime working out potential periods in which I'd like to model Lambsdown.
Here are some thoughts which in some cases are even based on fact........no, really.
I've narrowed things down to ;
Pre WW1/ Post WW1/Early Southern SE&CR BLT. Recently taken over from the independent light railway.
Or
Very early 1950s ex SE&CR British Railways BLT.
Motive power/stock is in place for both.
A 1950s setting would allow buildings etc to be finished in pre WW2 Southern livery which in turn would give the opportunity to backdate to 1930s Southern days as well as the 1950s..
But, my main inclination is as follows.
A pre WW1 setting would allow some latitude in livery of the buildings as there seems no documented colour scheme for the SE&CR. This paint scheme could feasibly extend into the 1920s as well as pre war full monty Wainwright green, taking in the wartime/post WW1 SE&CR Green and Grey loco livery as well as early Southern days ( pre Southern building repaint ) though obviously this excludes the possibility of a 1950s scenario......
There's a few things that narrow it all down even further.
This type of time frame dictates the condition of the structures in terms of their finish etc. with an earliest of only some 15yrs for them to have deteriorated, albeit in coastal sea air. Therefore a light touch on the weathering if I go for a SE&CR era layout ( most likely )
The time frames could be quite narrow, using the small locos used on the branch as a measuring device.
Pre WW1, the SE&CR Terrier, no. 751 , bought by the SE&CR specifically for the line, disappeared in 1909 to receive a new SE&CR Wainwright boiler.
It only made intermittent visits after this. P class no 27 took over in 1910, railmotors filling in the gap.
The H and C classes really are extras.
They have bit parts really but a C could cover the occasional goods working.
The H is truly over kill for the passenger workings at this time. A second P class, no 178 can augment no.27.
Within the period of WW1 and up to the grouping, the time frame is again dictated by the available ( in stock ) P classes.
No.27 was repainted from Wainwright livery into ROD green before being shipped to France in April 1915.
178 was repainted into the initial SE&CR wartime livery of green/yellow letterring and numbering c1917 and was still as so in 1919.
So nos 27 and 178 in Wainwright livery are good up to 1915.
754 was in wartime grey from roughly 1917 until at least 1924 so 178 could cross over to depict the latter stages, immediate aftermath of WW1.
A325 was repainted into Southern lined green in July 1924, one of the first of the class so treated. 754 received lined green sometime after that and became A754 but was renumbered to A557 in December 1925.
Coaching stock wise, the six wheelers were used on the Sheppey Light until 1924 when they were replaced by converted railmotors rebuilt as articulated sets.
So it is possible to run 754 in grey alongside A325 in Southern green, with six wheeled passenger stock but it really has to be no later that late1924.
Phew !
It's a good job I don't take this train set stuff seriously......
Next stage will be the plonking of buildings etc onto the table top planning facility.......the dining table, for a spot of 3D planning
Rob.
Not much to report in terms of hands on modelling but I am still doing a bit of research ahead of the next layout.
Normally, I just plonk a few things down on a product of Sweden with little thought about the backstory ( I'm not clever enough for that ! ) and take it from there.
But, with no real construction likely anytime soon, I wanted to maintain a bit of interest. So, here are my thoughts.
Chapter 6.
Lambsdown.
The real Sheppey Light Railway operated under the Light Railways Act 1896 and opened in 1901. It's terminus was Leysdown.
I think you can see where this is going..........
The Isle of Sheepy Light Railway opened in 1897 as an independent company. The terminus was at Lambsdown and served a small village which the SLR company hoped to develop as a resort. Intermediate stations were at Sheepness East, Sheepminster on Sea, Bleatdown Halt Bleatchurch, Woolly Road Halt. The junction station with the SE&CR was at Bleatborough.
The development of the island never materialised and the line closed completely in 1950.
I've therefore spent sometime working out potential periods in which I'd like to model Lambsdown.
Here are some thoughts which in some cases are even based on fact........no, really.
I've narrowed things down to ;
Pre WW1/ Post WW1/Early Southern SE&CR BLT. Recently taken over from the independent light railway.
Or
Very early 1950s ex SE&CR British Railways BLT.
Motive power/stock is in place for both.
A 1950s setting would allow buildings etc to be finished in pre WW2 Southern livery which in turn would give the opportunity to backdate to 1930s Southern days as well as the 1950s..
But, my main inclination is as follows.
A pre WW1 setting would allow some latitude in livery of the buildings as there seems no documented colour scheme for the SE&CR. This paint scheme could feasibly extend into the 1920s as well as pre war full monty Wainwright green, taking in the wartime/post WW1 SE&CR Green and Grey loco livery as well as early Southern days ( pre Southern building repaint ) though obviously this excludes the possibility of a 1950s scenario......
There's a few things that narrow it all down even further.
This type of time frame dictates the condition of the structures in terms of their finish etc. with an earliest of only some 15yrs for them to have deteriorated, albeit in coastal sea air. Therefore a light touch on the weathering if I go for a SE&CR era layout ( most likely )
The time frames could be quite narrow, using the small locos used on the branch as a measuring device.
Pre WW1, the SE&CR Terrier, no. 751 , bought by the SE&CR specifically for the line, disappeared in 1909 to receive a new SE&CR Wainwright boiler.
It only made intermittent visits after this. P class no 27 took over in 1910, railmotors filling in the gap.
The H and C classes really are extras.
They have bit parts really but a C could cover the occasional goods working.
The H is truly over kill for the passenger workings at this time. A second P class, no 178 can augment no.27.
Within the period of WW1 and up to the grouping, the time frame is again dictated by the available ( in stock ) P classes.
No.27 was repainted from Wainwright livery into ROD green before being shipped to France in April 1915.
178 was repainted into the initial SE&CR wartime livery of green/yellow letterring and numbering c1917 and was still as so in 1919.
So nos 27 and 178 in Wainwright livery are good up to 1915.
754 was in wartime grey from roughly 1917 until at least 1924 so 178 could cross over to depict the latter stages, immediate aftermath of WW1.
A325 was repainted into Southern lined green in July 1924, one of the first of the class so treated. 754 received lined green sometime after that and became A754 but was renumbered to A557 in December 1925.
Coaching stock wise, the six wheelers were used on the Sheppey Light until 1924 when they were replaced by converted railmotors rebuilt as articulated sets.
So it is possible to run 754 in grey alongside A325 in Southern green, with six wheeled passenger stock but it really has to be no later that late1924.
Phew !
It's a good job I don't take this train set stuff seriously......
Next stage will be the plonking of buildings etc onto the table top planning facility.......the dining table, for a spot of 3D planning
Rob.
I would suggest early post WW1, say about 1922/3 when everyone was hopeful before the depression. The line remained independent so using their own locos & stock in their 'own' livery, or still in the original. Also justifies borrowed locos and/or stock in pre or post grouping liveries.
Just my thoughts.
The other possible time is early BR. A similar story when the independent line becomes BR. Mostly run with their own assorted stock, old and not so old but some BR appearing.
Regards
Allen
Just my thoughts.
The other possible time is early BR. A similar story when the independent line becomes BR. Mostly run with their own assorted stock, old and not so old but some BR appearing.
Regards
Allen
Joe's Garage
Western Thunderer
Rob the lining on these is really very fine, exquisite. I really do like your modelling but have you ever been tempted to replace the couplings.....now I'm going to hide!!
All the best
Julian
All the best
Julian
LarryG
Western Thunderer
Fair do's, you made a good job of sorting out the Hatton over-weathered 14xx. It's a shame the old Hornby 14xx had to be replaced by a loco that was an even worse runner, afterall the body was very good. But it means now that no one will produce a RTR model for a good many years. A 14XX was my first purchase when returning to 7mm scale.
NHY 581
Western Thunderer
Morning Larry,
Thank you. Ordinarily, I wouldn't have touched this version with a barge pole. Shocking job on the finish. But......it was cheap and crucially, ran okay ish.
One can only wonder why Hattons allowed this to be produced with such a shocking chassis. Utter rubbish. The body however is lovely, even better when not covered in an appalling factory added attempt at weathering. I would have removed more but thought I' d stop before I took it too far.
With no plans for a Western Region layout, this loco will simply remain 'in stock' with the occasional appearance at Sheep Dip on a light goods working.
Rob.
Captain Kernow
Western Thunderer
If the fitters at Hereford shed can manage to ensure the right couplings, the Shedmaster may see fit to roster it on a local goods working along the branch to Kington and Capel Bethesda next April?
