Joined
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983 Posts
Hi. I'm Mike and, if you know your shed codes, you'll already know I'm from Nottingham, England and, as I've been an avid reader of the forum for some time decided it was time I joined. Some of you will know me from a similar forum as Silver Surfer but, so my brain can cope, I decided a re-name was required for membership here.
I'm well past my sell by date and have modelled mainly N and OO DC since boyhood with the inevitable gap for raising family etc., and for the first time in my life I have usable loft space in which to model. Only 10' x 10' (I speak only old money) but it's boarded out, insulated, has power, lights and heating - even a carpet. Access is via a fold down loft ladder which my wife refuses to climb (whoopee) so I've got my own little space and no disturbance or tampering fingers. Grandchildren are banned from climbing the ladder on Health and Safety grounds - even the grown up ones.
My present creation is OO DCC and is a fictitious branch line built by the Victorians to link the south Midlands with the South Coast hence the name 'Midlands and South Coast Railway Company' Run in the 50 - 60's era with mainly steam and early diesels, the branch runs from somewhere south of Leicester where it taps into LMS and LNER rails, through Didcot, picking up the GWR and onto somewhere round Blandford Forum where it joins the S&D onto Poole and Bournemouth having also tapped into SR rails as it does so. Therefore, as you can see, with this scenario I can run just about any traffic I wish as it doubles up as an emergency relief line for most of the big four.
My model depicts a terminus station at 'Hawkers Bridge' a Town that thinks it should be a City. During planning of the line the builders opted for a one platform halt type station to serve the town but, totally outraged, the townsfolk applied to Parliament for a further review and it was agreed that the town could have whatever they wished, but only at their own expense. Therefore, Hawkers Bridge Station (basically an OTT white elephant) was built. An application to have the branch double track up to their town was refused and the builders, not to be completely outdone, would only allow a one point connection between the station and the branch. Much to their relief, and after years and years of uneconomic operation, a bridge weight restriction was placed further down the branch which meant holiday specials had to terminate at Hawkers Bridge and be sub divided into smaller trains (2-3 coaches) for the continuing journey to the seaside. This is the period I model.
Vivid imagination or what? I've always had to have a reason for my layouts and this - like it or not, is the reasoning behind this one. The one thing it does which I believe to be most important with our hobby - it gives me a great deal of pleasure.
Glad to be aboard, I look forward to continuing my education and will, if I can, pass on any help from my modelling experience(s).
Mike
I'm well past my sell by date and have modelled mainly N and OO DC since boyhood with the inevitable gap for raising family etc., and for the first time in my life I have usable loft space in which to model. Only 10' x 10' (I speak only old money) but it's boarded out, insulated, has power, lights and heating - even a carpet. Access is via a fold down loft ladder which my wife refuses to climb (whoopee) so I've got my own little space and no disturbance or tampering fingers. Grandchildren are banned from climbing the ladder on Health and Safety grounds - even the grown up ones.
My present creation is OO DCC and is a fictitious branch line built by the Victorians to link the south Midlands with the South Coast hence the name 'Midlands and South Coast Railway Company' Run in the 50 - 60's era with mainly steam and early diesels, the branch runs from somewhere south of Leicester where it taps into LMS and LNER rails, through Didcot, picking up the GWR and onto somewhere round Blandford Forum where it joins the S&D onto Poole and Bournemouth having also tapped into SR rails as it does so. Therefore, as you can see, with this scenario I can run just about any traffic I wish as it doubles up as an emergency relief line for most of the big four.
My model depicts a terminus station at 'Hawkers Bridge' a Town that thinks it should be a City. During planning of the line the builders opted for a one platform halt type station to serve the town but, totally outraged, the townsfolk applied to Parliament for a further review and it was agreed that the town could have whatever they wished, but only at their own expense. Therefore, Hawkers Bridge Station (basically an OTT white elephant) was built. An application to have the branch double track up to their town was refused and the builders, not to be completely outdone, would only allow a one point connection between the station and the branch. Much to their relief, and after years and years of uneconomic operation, a bridge weight restriction was placed further down the branch which meant holiday specials had to terminate at Hawkers Bridge and be sub divided into smaller trains (2-3 coaches) for the continuing journey to the seaside. This is the period I model.
Vivid imagination or what? I've always had to have a reason for my layouts and this - like it or not, is the reasoning behind this one. The one thing it does which I believe to be most important with our hobby - it gives me a great deal of pleasure.
Glad to be aboard, I look forward to continuing my education and will, if I can, pass on any help from my modelling experience(s).
Mike
