Well hello again my little Corkette chums. Your patience has been rewarded....the Corkmeister has returned once more.....Hellfire! Once again I have spent most of the last few weeks working my fingers to the bone down in Farnham ensuring those pesky full size trains keep moving to time. Unfortunately, as a result, layout building time has been very limited. However, I have some really exciting news regarding future Corkscrew-Lines progress and my own future come to that!...more of that later. This update is quite varied and I have loads to show you after my various model and full sized adventures so lets get started...Dreadful!
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| Whizzo test running....Oh yeah...Hellfire! |
Traction Action!
A detailed look at what's currently happening to the Corkscrew-Lines traction fleet.
As I mentioned briefly last time, I have been waiting an awfully long time for a significant model loco release and hoping desperately I wouldn't be disappointed when it finally happened. When Dapol first announced they were going to produce the definitive model of the Western diesel-hydraulic and I read the specs for the model I knew my Heljan Western fleet had to go! I sold all five Heljan locos on ebay about a year ago and actually made a profit on the prices I had originally paid. The Heljan model was good but the Dapol release promised added detail, accurate brake rigging, a large space provided for a large speaker and crucially an accurate depiction of the front window and cab peak area which has never been properly modelled previously.
Well the green with small yellow panel version duly arrived a few weeks ago and I breathed a huge sigh of relief when I lifted the weighty model from the really impressive standard Dapol box. It looks, feels and runs like a premium model and so far I am suitably impressed. After a brief spell of running in on DC I fitted my normal choice of DCC chip - a lenz 21+ pin chip and let the loco loose on the Corkscrew-Lines proper and after a few circuits the loco settled down to quiet smooth progress albeit with a very slight wobble which will need investigation when I have the time.
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| Even the quality of the box is impressive compared to rivals. |
The loco does not come pre-fitted with number or nameplates but excellent etched items are included in the box to be fitted by the purchaser. This is an excellent idea because you can easily change the identity of the loco should you want more than one loco...and why wouldn't you? I still have to fit the headcodes, add a traincrew and couplings and then weather the beast but rest assured, further Dapol Westerns will be allocated to the Corkscrew-Lines in the future.
The Western wasn't the only arrival since last time. Another eagerly anticipated release arrived from Hattons a couple of weeks ago. The Heljan Class 128 Diesel Parcels Unit is an absolute beauty. It is another premium heavyweight model and the livery and detailing is outstanding. It also weighs the proverbial ton and will easily haul a dozen or so coaches up the helix...not that it will have to of course! The underframe detailing is especially well done and as always with Heljan locos, the mechanism is quiet and smooth. If I have one criticism, and it's quite a significant one considering where the hobby is headed these days, it's the lack of forward thinking regarding DCC. Despite this being a basically windowless model, there is no easy provision for the fitting of a speaker inside the body and once again, removing the body to fit a DCC chip involves possible damage to the fine fittings. Come on guys...lets have easy DCC installs and simple speaker fitting designed in to future releases.
I can remember seeing the BR Blue parcels railcars making smoky exits and arrivals from Reading when I was a lad so have a soft spot for these ungainly and unusual machines. You'll know from my previous verbal meanderings that I have a love of parcels stock and have large plans for extensive parcels and newspaper traffic on the Corkscrew-Lines so this unit will certainly get some mileage in the future...Hellfire!
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| Arrival of the Class 128 caused a full military flap! |
On My Workbench
In the last update I covered the batch of Dapol Lowmac kits I've been working on at the workbench in Alton. They are now almost finished and I had intended to move onto the construction of a Warflat kit from Genesis Kits. Well, events have overtaken me because a couple of weeks ago Bachmann announced they would be producing a ready to run (RTR) model of the Warflat as part of their standard range sometime in the next 18 months. This is absolutely fantastic news for me because it has saved me months of work and almost certainly will result in a cheaper and better quality rake of wagons than anything I could produce from kits.
You see I have reached the conclusion that building kits is not something I want to continue doing. Although I have the ability to do it and I must admit, whilst I've been living in Alton it has certainly helped pass the time, it is simply too time consuming. The Corkscrew-Lines project is a huge undertaking so I have decided I will now only be increasing my rolling stock fleet by using ready to run wagons and coaches. In the time it takes to build a Warflat kit I could have laid another 5 or 6 meters of track and made real progress on completing the line.
There are many modellers who of course derive enormous pleasure from wagon kit construction and would rather build a kit than buy RTR every time. That's great and I perfectly understand that everybody has differing ideas and tastes on almost everything about model railways...it's the diverse interests that makes the hobby so unique. For me however, it's now RTR all the way and when you see the quality of the rolling stock being provided these days by Hornby, Bachmann, Heljan and Dapol you realise we really have never had it so good. The final clincher was being told by Bachmann yesterday that a Warwell wagon was a probable future release. That's probably saved me another few months of gluing, assembling, painting, fitting separate couplers without the benefit of NEM pockets etc etc so I couldn't be happier...Dreadful!
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| Dapol Lowmac kits undergoing testing with loads |
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| Dapol Lowmac kits undergoing testing with loads |
The 2013/2014 Bachmann release schedule includes many other exciting items which will make my life easier. The thing I like about Bachmann is they manufacture the hum-drum boring everyday items that you could see everyday on the full sized railway. As an example, this year they announce various tank wagons, pipe wagons and tube wagons which I will no doubt be buying multiples of. They have announced a re-tooled Warship diesel-hydraulic as a class 43 which will also be headed this way and Western region auto-coaches and a fabulous ex LMS inspection saloon. Well done Bachmann...a fantastic set of models this year for modellers of the numerous, essential and mundane.
PROJECT TAT - "Typical Army Truck"
You may have noticed from the photos used so far in this update that I have completed a few more of my TAT lorries. In fact, the project went so smoothly that I eventually turned out 11 of them in double quick (or should that be quick march?) time. Shots below show them along with the Airfix Saracen and Saladin kits I have assembled so far. Some trucks will be layout based and others will be carried on wagons. If I need further vehicles in the future I now know I can quickly produce further batches. All in all I consider project TAT to be a total success...Hellfire!
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| TAT Production line |
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| Phase One of Project TAT is completed |
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| All I need now is a train of Warflats! |
Whilst I have enjoyed enormously constructing all these military kits, and as with the wagon kits, it has productively passed the time whilst living away from home, the time has now arrived for me to move onto mainstream model railway construction again. This is after all supposed to be a blog about a model railway...Oh My Lords!
Visiting Corkettes
Danny "Levers" is a Corkette with a passion for UFOs, the unexplained and conspiracy theories. I too share his fascination for these things and when I was a teenager (many years ago) I bought piles of books and magazines covering everything from UFOs to strange unexplained creatures and mysteries. Meeting Levers last year rekindled these interests and he kindly gave me piles of his books to read so I could get up to speed on what was currently happening in the world of the flying unexplained.
What he didn't tell me was there would be an exam to check on my knowledge and what I had learned...or more likely what I hadn't! With a sadistic glint in his eye he sat me down and read out the examination instructions to my disbelief...he was serious! The exam paper consisted of 4 double sided pages of questions covering everything from the Rendlesham Forest Incident to Majestic 12....poor old Corky!
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| Poor Old Corky! Look at that exam paper! |
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| No chance of cheating...he's standing guard! |
Levers was obviously pleased with my results because he told me as a reward we'd be going to RAF Boscombe Down (Where the top secret craft are tested) to see UFOs, small greys, triangular craft and there may even be the chance of an abduction! Don't ever let it be said I don't know how to enjoy myself on my day off! Unfortunately no UFOs were spotted although perhaps I was abducted and my memory wiped...how will I know?...Oh My Lords! They say it's good to experience new things...Hellfire!
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| This is just like train spotting...but without the trains! |
Turbo-Banjo mania spreads!
You may remember from a few updates ago that Steve Copley from Poole has decided to construct his model railway based around my modular baseboards and end frame section principles. Steve has now also decided to incorporate Turbo-Banjo loops into the design and sent me a shot of a pair of banjos in the process of being cut out. Steve says he'll send further shots of the completed banjos when he's installed them. Hellfire!
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| My plans for world domination begin...the Turbo-Banjo goes viral! |
Full Sized Railway Adventures
I thought I'd include a couple of quick grab shots taken at Alton station a couple of weeks ago when the Mid Hants Railway were running their Spring Steam Gala. The weather wasn't really conducive to staying too long and to be honest I was tired after a long shift at Farnham but once I'd seen a T9 in the platform I was captivated. What handsome machines these are. I have a Hornby T9 on pre-order and I'm looking forward to seeing it hauling a rake of ex SR stock on the Corkscrew-Lines in the future
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Yesterday I travelled north to meet up with a good friend and fellow signaller called James who became a Corkette last year. We jumped on a bus and headed to the York Model Railway Show at the Race-ground and a good time was had by all! I must admit the mix of layouts and traders wasn't really tailored for my particular interests but there were still a few cracking layouts to see and plenty to keep me interested. Also spotted and collared at York was another signaller known to James and me from our Initial Signalling Training at Leeds last year. Ben, who currently works at Aberdeen, was a member of the team operating the Alsager club's O-gauge layout. Small modelling world isn't it?
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| Fellow modellers and signallers...Ben & James at York |
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| York Show 2013 |
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| Classic DRS traction at York |
After the show it was back to Jones-Towers so James could have a go with some proper hydraulic traction rather than the modern nonsense he normally models with. We had classes 22, 35 and 52 circling the Corkscrew-Lines and James was having a great time. The Western was put through its paces with a parcels rake and didn't disappoint.
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| You don't have to be bald to work here...but it helps! |
The Future of the Corkscrew-Lines
I said at the start of this update that I had some significant news regarding future progress on the layout. The Woking to Alton line is being resignalled and as a result the 3 signal boxes at Farnham, Aldershot and Ash Vale will be closing in August. A new panel is being installed at Woking Area Signalling Centre to take over from the 3 smaller boxes and had I so desired, I could have transferred to Woking when the new system started. However, I wanted to try something different so I applied for and was successful in getting a Mobile Operations Manager role at London Bridge with Network Rail. What has this got to do with the Corkscrew-Lines? I hear you cry. Well, to make our lives considerably easier, Mrs Corky and I have decided to start the process of selling Jones-Towers and moving to a more convenient location for both our jobs.
This means I will be able to test the modular and portable concept of the Corkscrew-lines fully because it will all need to be taken apart and put back together again in it's new home. And rest assured there will be a new home. Ideally I'd like a larger area so I can ease the curve radius and incorporate a whole list of improvements and additions to the current plan but we'll see. In the meantime, as it is unlikely the move will happen quickly, I have decided to start track laying again and to take the lines across the doorway into the layout room for the first time. When the layout is completed there will be 4 crossings of the doorway so it will be good practice doing it now ready for the future in the new house. I am also considering starting work on a TMD for the ever growing diesel-hydraulic fleet. It will follow a Laira/Bristol Bath Road architectural style and be modular (would you expect anything else?) and able to be incorporated easily into any future changes to the current plan.
I will be starting the new role in a little over a months time and have already started the process of leaving my rented accommodation in Alton. As a result I am back to having just the one workbench but will have far more time to work on the layout. The Corkscrew-Lines Mk2 is currently planned in my head and hopefully in perhaps a years time it will start to become a reality. In the meantime it is business as usual and the updates will keep coming. I'm not sure if I'll have time for much modelling in the next month as I have to conclude leaving Alton and then its time for a trip to Canada for a couple of weeks but be warned...I'll be back!
If you've made it right to the end of this update then I congratulate you on your perseverance and stamina, consider yourself a true Corkette. Don't worry, there isn't an exam to check you've read everything- take note Levers!....Oh My Lords!
Take care my friends and we'll catch up again soon,
Corky!
