I don't have a layout of my own so I often have to make do with a length of track in the attic. This is fine for testing, but not so much for 'playing trains'. I do intend to build a layout of my own at some point in the future - it's just a matter of time, resources and a healthy dose of confidence! Fortunately, I can afford to be a bit lazy due to the fact that I'm a member of the Bo'ness Gauge O Group (or BOGOG for short). The group layout is called 'Glenauchter' and is set during the mid 30s on the LMS. I believe that it's heavily based on Gleneagles (though I couldn't say for certain as I've never seen the station). This doesn't mean we can't run 'funny trains' though. In fact, most of the stock I've seen running on the layout doesn't really fit into the area or period - though isn't that all part of the fun? I've seen Southern electrics, tiny 1840s engines and even a HUGE German...thing (is that the correct term?).
There's always a nice variety of stock on pre-grouping days.
On the weekends the layout is open to the public and there's always something nice trundling through the station. I don't think I've ever had a bad day operating the layout though there's been a few derailments and the occasional crash but that's all part of the experience! I've not operated many layouts, but Glenauchter has been a lot easier to figure out than anything else I've played with and though some aspects can be a bit fiddly but there are always members willing to help out. This is another thing I really like about the group. Everyone is happy to share their invaluable knowledge and advice - I've learned more tips and tricks as a member of this group than from any model railway magazine!
WC&PR Railcar No. 5 arrives at Glenauchter.
As well as pre-grouping, 50s, diesel days and various other themed days, we also have the obligatory 'Day Out With Thomas' weekends. These days can be a great excuse to be very, very silly. Especially when you have more faces than engines...
Doris the DMU and Patrick the Patriot pause for a photograph the Tuesday before 'Day Out With Thomas'.
So why not come down to the Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway for the weekend and watch the trains go by in 1:1 and 1:43 scale? You can find us in the Norwegian coaches on the way to the museum. Stuart
I'm not what most would call a 'great modeller', but I really enjoy giving it a shot! This leads me to today's post - my attempt at modelling a OO scale light railway station. Yes. This is what I meant in my last post about a dangerous 'swerve' into OO...
Day 1
The station in question is 'Matilda-on-the-Waltz'. This came about as the result of faffing about with station signs and an attempt at building a Stephens-y style station building (made almost entirely out of corrugated plasticard). Naturally the two combined to create a rather naff station on the HT&CJR (see previous post for some info on the railway).
Looks a bit unstable!
It was a relatively simple build as I had plenty of spare bits and bobs about my room and plenty of motivation to make something new. Before we get to the finished product, I should probably give a brief history of the area. In fact, our author friend from the previous post has yet again given kind permission for me to reproduce some of his work here:
Matilda was set up by Francis Warburton III in 1920 to house workers for his newly acquired quarry. It was built upon the former town of Coleburn which was taken over by the army for the use of training engineers in 1914 and abandoned in 1919. The fairly new town had a very strong Australian influence as most of Warburton’s workers had followed him over from there. This was the source of the town’s name - Matilda being a reference to the famous Australian song ‘Waltzing Matilda’. This carried over to the station that served it: ‘Matilda-on-the-Waltz’ which was never as popular as its Victorian predecessor.
HT&CJR No. 3.
Eagle eyed (or other eyed) readers may have noticed the rather big picture of a curious looking tank engine above. It's a static model (for now, anyway) that was bought from Shapeways. I think it's quite nice. Here's some information about her:
No. 3 ‘Matilda’ Ex-MER 2-4-0T - Purchased in 1922 after being sold off by the Port of London Authority for a very small sum, this little oddity was a favourite of Stephens. It was lightweight, fast and most importantly it was cheap to run!
In Service - It did most of its work during the railway’s summer seasons taking excursions into Southern territory. After a long working life, No. 3 was left in a siding at Matilda-on-the-Waltz in late 1936 and was slowly taken apart from 1939 until 1942 before the last parts were sold for scrap in the autumn of that year.
The Bundoran Express has had a bit of a diversion...
I finished the station fairly quickly and I think that it's come out surprisingly well.
"Should we get on this one?"
At some point I hope to have this station on a layout, but for now, it's nice set fodder.
A better view of the coach body.
I wonder when the next train is...
Mrs Miggins devours her sandwich.
A familiar guest.
As with every model railway, this project is far from completion. But, for now, have some footage of K&ESR No. 3 (on loan with a pair of Stanier suburbans) at 'Matilda-on-the-Waltz' at some point in 1937.
So. It's been a while. After a dangerous swerve into OO and a brief absence from this blog thing, I'm finally ready to show off what I've wasted all my time and money on this month.
'What is it? The Rocket?'
Meet the latest addition to my O gauge fleet: HT&CJLR No. 2 'Gladstone'! Eh? Okay, I should probably explain. HT&CJLR stands for the 'Harwell, Tellsbury & Clidden Junction Light Railway' - a non-fictitious* line in the equally real county of Cliddenshire. The line was one of the lesser known projects that railway engineer H. F. Stephens undertook so it's no surprise that there is very little information about it. However, there is a book (long out of print) that gives quite some detail of the line's existence from 1910-1953. The author has kindly given me permission to reproduce the section about No. 2.
No. 2 ‘Gladstone’ Hudswell Clarke Contractors Saddle Tank - By 1912 it was obvious that one engine wasn’t enough to run the line. The company purchased a relatively new Hudswell Clarke Saddle tank that had had been used at the quarry at Coleburn (later known as Matilda). She was painted green with black and white lining and was fitted with continuous brakes at Clidden works upon purchasing. She gained her name upon entering service (being named after the first chairman of the railway company).
In Service No. 2 could often be seen on the first passenger train of the day and was a particular favourite of the station staff at Clidden Junction. She was primarily used on the line from Monks Wallop to Harwell due to her westinghouse brakes (required for taking LB&SCR trains to Harwell). She was usually a good performer and more than up to any task the railway could throw at her. However, one problem plagued the engine until her withdrawal - the brakes. The continuous brakes fitted to her by Francis Warburton III (the company's first chief engineer) were known for being unreliable on occasion. This can partly be attributed to the rushed nature in which the apparatus was set up but mainly due to the fact that Mr. Warburton was a terrible engineer. Despite the obvious danger to passengers and crew alike, the company never fixed - or even considered fixing - the brakes. This resulted in her eventual withdrawal in 1941 when she collided with the tail end of a goods train at Clidden Junction. Fortunately no one was hurt, but a cattle wagon was pulverised and the engine trapped and beyond repair at the bottom of the steep hill by the trackside. There she remained until 1973 when the last salvageable components were removed and used as spares for surviving class members. The nameplates and bent chimney are currently on display at Clidden Railway museum.
So how about that, eh? Here's some more pictures of the engine (or rather the model) in question.
No. 2 exits Harwell tunnel near the northernmost station on the line with the first train of the day.
No. 2 was named after Joseph Gladstone, the first chairman of the railway.
The rather ornate '2' on the cabside is a stark contrast to her humble role on the railway.
You may have spotted No. 2's small train of two coaches. The railway had a rather odd convention of naming their coaches instead of numbering them!
'Janine' was the first coach purchased by the railway. By the late 1920s most of the railway's stock was very tired and rarely cleaned.
Lorna was bought shortly after Janine along with several other coaches.
I hope you enjoyed this brief look at my latest project and hope to be posting more frequently (I can dream). So for now, au revoir, auf wiedersehen, toodle pip, goodbye-ee! Stuart *fictional
Sorry that I've not been keeping this blog updated, but I've been rather busy! So for now, have some pictures of my model of K&ESR No. 3 'Bodiam' made entirely from spares (much like the real Bodiam, I suppose)!
Not the greatest model to have graced this Earth, but it suits the purpose it was built for! I think it could've easily turned out a lot worse...
Eagle eyed readers may notice K&ESR No. 2 'Northiam' in the background (well it's actually SRNI No. 2 'Gladstone' but that's not the point). This is her swan song as I'm currently building a far more accurate model to replace her. Hopefully this one will actually run on curves...
I didn't really. But I did, however, purchase a model of a locomotive that regularly went there...
No. 4 in the Glenauchter fiddle yard during her first run.
That's right - another sodding Terrier! But this one is rather special. It's a limited edition model of Weston, Clevedon & Portishead Railway No. 4 commissioned by Antics.
If you haven't been able to tell already, I'm rather fond of this engine and the railway it belonged to. One of my first OO models after getting back into railway modelling in 2014 was No.4 in GWR condition. Intrigued by the odd matching of loco and livery, I looked into No. 4's history and began an epic quest to destroy the one ring to rule them all (or something).
Long since cannibalised for parts, GWR No. 6 stands by a signal box at some point in 2014.
This sparked my interest in the light railways run by the eccentric Colonel Stephens and his successor W. H. Austen. It's hardly surprising that I chose the Dapol model of LB&SCR 643 'Gipsyhill' (later WC&PR No. 2 'Portishead') as my first O gauge model.
'Gipsyhill' during her first public day on the Glenauchter layout. She is currently in the process of being turned into K&ESR No. 3 'Bodiam'.
Anyway, back to the new shiny thing. I knew before purchasing that I'd have to fiddle about with the model to make it more like the real No. 4, though this didn't really bother me. I was pleasantly surprised upon opening the box to see that Antics had kindly supplied condensing gear and extra brake pipes for the model. Also enclosed (as well as the usual set of Dapol instructions) was a lovely postcard, some vouchers and an additional sheet which provided excellent pictures and information on the modifications that needed to be made and how to go about making them. I can't really fault this purchase as the extra bits provided proved most useful in altering the model. As well as weathering the loco and adding the condensing gear and vacuum brakes (though not the ones provided) I decided to tackle the plethora of pipes that No. 4 had under her bufferbeam.
No.4 at Broadstone halt - now with an unholy mess of pipes.
Have I done a perfect job? Lord no! But I'm definitely satisfied with the finished result. I thoroughly recommend this model, it is certainly worth the price.
This picture of No. 4 at Walton Park station shows the rather naff bottle jack made from an old super glue nozzle!
Film fans among you will notice that the blog is named after a particularly famous line from a film from the late 1930s. I like this film. It is good. The film in question is 'Oh, Mr Porter!' (1937) which starred a fantastic trio - Will Hay, Moore Marriott and Graham Moffat. It's a very funny film and, despite it's age, holds up rather well! instead of giving a brief plot summary, I shall be a lazy git and plop a link to the film here:
The wonders of technology, eh? Anyway, you may be wondering at this point "where are you going with this you silly sod?" well first off, don't use that tone with me! And secondly, A.C. Stadden sell models of the main cast in 7mm scale. Here's a set I've painted up...
"How can the next train be gone when it's right here!?"
"All aboard for Ballyhooley, Ballykelly, Ballybuggle...and all the other bally places!"
Colonel Stephens isn't impressed with Mr. Porter and his staff...
The figures were not my first project related to 'Oh, Mr. Porter!' I kit-bashed a model of 'Gladstone' (a very peculiar locomotive in the film) from an old Mainline J72.
'Gladstone' as played by K&ESR No. 2 'Northiam'
'Gladstone' Mk. I with Harbottle!
'Gladstone' Mk. I with plates
'Gladstone' Mk. I repainted to a more accurate blue livery
'Gladstone' Mk. II with stovepipe chimney
'Gladstone' Mk. III with new chassis, modified chimney and smokebox
A little out of scale...
She still needs a bit of work, but I think she's turned out alright for an engine made on a budget of £15!
And so my second blogpost comes to it's rather unsatisfying conclusion. Yay?
Hullo and welcome to 'Next Train's Gone!' - a blog about my horrific attempts at modelling railways and stuff. My name is Stuart and I am a person of sorts. Now, those of you who know me fairly well can predict about how long this blog is going to last. But for those not in the know, I have previously tried making two blogs - both of which died very quickly. Third time lucky? Anyway, about three years ago I fell back into the world of model railways and my wallet has never been the same since. Until very recently I primarily modelled OO gauge engines and rolling stock, but, after being introduced to O gauge, I've moved up to senior scale! Of course, this (like any scale) has it's advantages and disadvantages - some of which include but are not limited to: PROS It looks nice. You can properly detail the people. CONS I have no money. So yes. This is going to be fun*. I do hope you enjoy your stay, it's £5.67 a night so you're getting a fairly good deal here. Yours insincerely, Author, editor and publisher - Stuart *probably
