New Railway Modellers Forums

Regarding the coaling plant, here's one of mine from a layout that I had in the early 90's.

Looks right. A very similar structure was used at Grantham, and I have read an account of a man put on coaling duty there during WWII, and he was not enamoured of the experience. No matter which way the wind blew there was coal dust everywhere, in winter it was exceedingly cold from exposure, and the metal decking treacherous. Very easy to be injured by slipping or falling, and collision with the iron push along wagons in a poorly lit space was frequent. But since he wasn't where so many of his friends ended up, being shot at, or down coal mines, perhaps it wasn't so bad. (He had a disability, not specified, which precluded military service and the mines.)

Hi stuartp. Thanks for the very useful information and links.
The main reason for my question is that the photo from captrees gave me an idea for a building adjacent to the coal staithes on my layout. Don't know when I'll get a chance to actually build it (and of course Christmas is coming) but your post has given me a start on the backstory for when someone asks how it all works.

Bigmet, I can imagine your man on LesW's coaling stage, shifting coal all day in the freezing wet. Add the opportunity to be injured or killed. What's not to love? But, as you say, considering the alternatives...

Ken Shabby wrote: ↑Wed Oct 18, 2023 5:44 pmSpare or discarded wheel sets in yards and sidings.
Apart from at a depot or a heritage railway this is something I've never seen on the real railway.
I guess it could be the remains of stock that couldn't be moved and was cut up on site., but it wouldn't have pin point axles.
Ken

If the pinpoint axles stand out too much, you could use some old Hornby Dublo ones instead. I wouldn't suggest using any Trix Twin ones, as someone might mistake them for steamroller wheels.......

The ideal location for wagon wheelsets is a 'Wagon Repairs Limited' site. Typically a small yard off the running lines, couple of sidings and a small headshunt and trap point protection. The premises, a couple of small buildings, one of these with a forge, an A frame to lift wagons at one end, couple of hefty work benches, some fair sized timber storage racks, piles of brake shoes, axleboxes - and some wagon wheels, usually on the rails at a siding end.

This business had depots like this scattered all over the network until wooden bodied wagons were truly on the way out by 1970, essential because wagons had a hard life; and it's not a modelling cliche, I don't recall ever seeing one modelled on an exhibition layout...

The Ratio GWR signal box from Highley why does it appear on every layout!

David Bigcheeseplant wrote: ↑Mon Jan 08, 2024 5:00 pm The Ratio GWR signal box from Highley why does it appear on every layout!

Not on mine, don't even know what it looks like. But probably due to the usual factors, reasonable price, readily available, looks like the general perception of a signal box.

I've got a spare one built from a freebie kit that came in a mag! The just as bad alternative is the Oakham crossing box, I've the Kitmaster, Dapol, Airfix kit from the late 50s.

Not so much cliche's but I find some of these model railway channels doing intros like they're David Lean and Stanley Kubrick, sometimes running for 60-90 seconds to be tiresome. I want to watch your vid not be regaled about you covering news, trainspotting, unboxing and endless reviews. You're not a bloody cinema venue advertising future releases!

Commercial monopolization empires trying to take over every commercial aspect of the hobby is to me a problem.

Also certain model shops that view their customers modelling funds as "Their money" and get upset if they are denied access to it!

Entire layouts built using the exact same commercially purchased products only re-arranged in different ways. Not saying they are not fun. Just want to see something a bit different and creative.

Bufferstop wrote: ↑Thu Jan 11, 2024 10:45 pm The just as bad alternative is the Oakham crossing box,

In fairness the MR policy of standardisation and prefabrication meant that an awful lot of their real signalboxes looked like Oakham or multiples of it

Agreed it needs work though, not just tipped out of the packet !

I've been thinking about this a lot

Mountain wrote: ↑Fri Jan 12, 2024 4:04 pm Commercial monopolization empires trying to take over every commercial aspect of the hobby is to me a problem.

Also certain model shops that view their customers modelling funds as "Their money" and get upset if they are denied access to it!

Entire layouts built using the exact same commercially purchased products only re-arranged in different ways. Not saying they are not fun. Just want to see something a bit different and creative.

People often have a safe spot and are nervous of being ridiculed I am a tough nut to crack and revamp mine not always to other people taste but my layout my rules
For sone safe is best

LOVE the Daleks! That scene would make a great 'Far Side' cartoon.

Where did you get the Daleks from ????