Seaton Junction

[markS&D]

Lovely layout - the space - and that is required for a Bulleid Pacific with a rake of twelve attached - superb. Sadly my Merchant Navy loco's arrive at Wykeham just to be turned on the shed turntable, before heading back to Bournemouth, and then back to London Waterloo - well that's my story. I currently have twenty four M/N Class - only six to go! I really am envious of the space you have. BB

Thanks for the comments!

Space also means more expense unfortunately, Peco has had quite a big slice of cash whilst I have been building this, and I haven't finished yet, I have just started building a representation of Seaton Station, although it will be condensed down quite a lot in length, so that my Push Pull branch train has somewhere to go.

I have had a look at your layout, it looks great btw, there's nothing wrong with having the Bulleid's on shed, you can sit and admire them. Mine just pause briefly at the station, or just flash past.

I haven't got as many MN pacifics as you, I currently have 5 of them, covering 5 different tender types.

35002 Union Castle (5000 gallon cut down tender)
35003 Royal Mail (5250 gallon BR rebodied tender)
35016 Elders Fyffes (5100 gallon cut down tender with full width vacuum cylinder cover)
35018 British India Line (6000 gallon cut down tender)
35026 Lamport and Holt Line (5100 gallon tender with narrow vacuum cylinder cover).

It is a bit unbalanced to be fair, as I have only got 2 rebuilt West Countries, and 1 original condition BOB.

[markS&D]

New Video folks, if you are interested

https://youtu.be/vwQc-bf8xTc

[markS&D]

Hi folks. I previously mentioned that I was in the process of finding somewhere for my Branch line train to run to, instead of it simply running into the fiddle yard area.

I wanted to model Seaton Station, but due to space limitations, I have had to compress the length of the platforms, so they will just allow a 4 coach train + loco (on the longest track) I have also had to dispense with the goods yard siding due to a lack of width. I have however managed to get the lines either side of the station platforms, plus the loco shed line which was situated right next to the station.

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On the blue painted wooden boarding, I intend to have a background of the river Axe, and the 'Axe Bridge' behind the station and shed area. At least at my model seaside station, there will be no mention of 'Covid 19' or 'lockdown'!

[markS&D]

Just a little update, showing a bit more progress on the branch line station:

Hand painted background showing the 'Axe Estuary'.

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Platform tops nearly completed.

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...Meanwhile on the mainline '30830' passes Seaton Junction.

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[markS&D]

A little update to show I am still working on the layout, first shot "British India Line" pauses at the station with an express:

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A recent purchase, 'Devon Belle' observation car, which cost me £65, and 3 pullman coaches, I have got a BR Blue orignal Merchant Navy on Pre-order, but goodness knows when that will be in stock at the shop! Eventually, I would like to make this up to a full length train, as and when funds allow.

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[markS&D]

Hi folks, not been on my topic for a while, due to house renovations. The result is now that the property has a new roof, the chimneys have gone, I have now got velux windows in the railway room, and we have a new boiler installed in the loft space.

All of this has meant that I have been able to extend the layout 23 inches on its length, but have had to construct a 3 feet long removable section where the layout passes under the boiler so that the plumber can access it easily.

I can now open both velux windows on a hot day and get lovely fresh breeze blowing into the loft space, plus natural light at last

Purchased some more locos over the last few months, including the BR blue MN, which I waited 8 months to get. Hatton's messed me about with my pre-order, the cancelled it due to stock shortage, then after I purchased the loco from elsewhere, they than offered me one. strange?

35024, on the Down Devon Belle

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34091, on an Exeter Express

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73110 pauses with a semi fast

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[Bigmet]

...plus natural light at last...

Just remember to park any stock out of the sunlight - unless a realisitic faded paintwork appearance is what you are looking for. (This natural fading works particularly well on the various brown and bauxite shades used on fitted wagons in my experience.) In one converted roof space I know well, two south facing Velux windows faded two boad arcs on the carpet ...

...Hatton's messed me about with my pre-order, the cancelled it due to stock shortage, then after I purchased the loco from elsewhere, they than offered me one. strange?

You are far from alone in this experience. It is only known to the retailers and Hornby why such failures to fulfill customer orders occur.

[markS&D]

The natural light only faces onto the scenic section of the layout, I always return all trains back to the storage loops on the other side of the room. These are away from direct sunlight.

35024 still awaits it’s Devon belle headboard and wing plates. I did make a new loco tender drawbar for it though as I found the stock one wouldn’t go round my curves on its tightest setting.

[Bigmet]

... I did make a new loco tender drawbar for it though as I found the stock one wouldn’t go round my curves on its tightest setting.

Anyone would have thought that by now Hornby would have looked at a Bachmann tender loco model introduced between about 2009 and 2020 with a neat screw locked slide concealed under the tender which gives the owner freedom of adjustment of the loco to tender spacing. There's nothing better: drawbar in the right location on the loco, and a ten second adjustment for the best appearance possible. The Super D, ROD/O4, 3F, C class, J11, all have this 'class act' feature, and there may be more, the S&DJR 7F and the 4F and 812 0-6-0s are 'possibles'.

No need to make your own replacement drawbar for optimal spacing; Heljan, Hornby, Oxford Rail, Rapido, are you paying attention to your copmpetitor's technique?

Of course all the best things come to an end, so Bachmann now rejoin the naughty step list, they used a camming link on their latest tender loco release, the V2. Way off scale spacing, and it doesn't work reliably. Sigh, rip out the incompetent gubbins, replace with simple drawbar for scale spacing.

[Bigmet]

...A recent purchase, 'Devon Belle' observation car, which cost me £65, and 3 pullman coaches, I have got a BR Blue orignal Merchant Navy on Pre-order, but goodness knows when that will be in stock at the shop! Eventually, I would like to make this up to a full length train, as and when funds allow...

And very lovely a full length Devon Belle will look on your fine layout scene, sweeping toward the 'Sunny South'. Just one problem, finding an appropriate model heavy enough to pull it without excessive wheel slip! The new 'Hornby-Dublo' metal bodied Bulleid pacific will be up to the job, or you can pack lead inside a regular plastic bodied model. The latter has been my choice for ECML Pullman services based largely on Hornby models. (It's all much easier when the Bachmann Met-Camm (mk1 based) Pullman cars start to displace the various K type cars; the Bachmann models have pick up on the pinpoints and are some of the most free running stock on the layout.)

[markS&D]

The rebuilt MN Pacific’s that I own have all had Albert Goodall detail parts added, such as cast white metal ash pans, cylinder drain cocks etc, which has added to the weight of these models. 35016, which is the one I have for the down ‘ACE’ pulls 12 coaches that are a mixture of Bachmann Bulleid, Replica Railways BCK’s, Hornby and even a couple of Kitmaster metal wheeled coaches, it has no wheel slip.

As for original MN, I’m not too sure, I have found it’s top speed lower than the rebuilt versions, not sure on its hauling capacity, not tried it. Although a full length Devon Belle could be 14 coaches, not sure if it would handle that.

[markS&D]

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[markS&D]

Contents deleted
John W

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Glad you are feeling better, Thread unlocked and ready for your use.

[markS&D]

Thought I would upload some photos taken more recently.