Hello again my friends and fellow Corkettes. Although it has only been a month since the last update, I have lots of new adventures to share with you as I continue to put my bad back issues behind me (sorry!) and there is some fantastic news regarding the start of construction on the Corkscrew-Lines Mk2. It has certainly been a positive month...Oh My Lords! But more on that much later so stay awake at the back!
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| 2H Hampshire Units - Things that go "Thump" in the night! |
New Arrivals on the Corkscrew-Lines
The general concept for the Corkscrew-Lines has always been a layout broadly based on a fictitious secondary main line located somewhere vaguely in the Hampshire/Wessex/Devon area (make that very vague) and set in the 1960s with plenty of liberties taken regarding rolling stock and frequent use of my modellers licence. I have split railway company allegiances but have a slight bias towards the Southern. As I grew up in my home town of Basingstoke I found I had an instinctive love and fascination for anything ex LSWR. However, as a boy, just a short trip on a beloved Hampshire "Thumper" unit, there was another exciting world of the ex GWR delights to explore at the always bustling Reading General station. These cherished childhood memories and countless adventures on both SR and WR regions with a camera and a round of cheese sandwiches have left their indelible mark on my "Ned soul" so any future railway modelling I became involved with would inevitably have to try to recreate those distant happy days.
You will have noticed no doubt that there has been an emphasis on my part over the last couple of years on building up the WR based Diesel-Hydraulic fleet. The fabulous Dapol Class 22 Baby Warships and the majestic Dapol Westerns have been purchased to supplement the Heljan Hymeks and Teddy Bears and Bachmann Class 42 Warships so all that now remain as outstanding are the Kernow/DJ Models Class 41 Warships and the retooled Class 43 Warships from Bachmann. I have amassed a sizeable collection of Diesel-Electric types too in an effort to try and accurately represent the typical traction types to be seen on the Western region in the 1960s. That's the Western Region side of the layout dealt with so what about it's close neighbour?
On the Southern Region, what really fascinates me is the way that steam locomotives continued to play such a significant role on the mainline from Waterloo in the 1960s. The juxtaposition between electric, steam, diesel and even electro-diesel traction types in one area at the same time must have been extraordinary to witness first hand. At this stage I have no desire or inclination to model the third rail on the layout but in an effort to make sure I properly replicate steam during this transitional period, I have in the past collected the occasional steam loco to add to my SR stud. I have Hornby Bullied Pacific West Countries and M7s and Bachmann N Class Moguls. To add variety, I have purchased the occasional second hand model via e-bay including a Schools and a King Arthur class. However, now it is time to get a few more essential ex LSWR locos in the bag for the layout. Very shortly the Kernow/DJ Models 02 Class tank with push/pull Gate Stock will arrive but for now the latest steam loco to join the ex Southern steam fleet is the gorgeous T9 or "Greyhound" class. This Hornby loco is absolutely beautiful and having been run in for around an hour on the test track ran faultlessly. There will be a lot more steam locos arriving during 2015 so watch this space...Hellfire!
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| Edwardian elegance personified |
Having already mentioned the southern region's Thumpers, it should come as no surprise to hear that I have had a pair of the Bachmann Limited Edition models on pre-order from Kernow Model Centre for a few years now. My chosen livery of green with small yellow panels had so far not been produced and just a few weeks ago it looked like it may never actually be released at all. The recent price rises announced by Bachmann meant Kernow were in protracted discussions with them regarding future orders and prices. Whilst this was ongoing I noted that the models I had pre-ordered on the Kernow website were removed and not available to order. I therefore concluded they were either going to be deleted completely or their prices increased significantly. I realised I could purchase a pair of the first release models immediately in all over green livery at the original price so went ahead and ordered a pair. I reasoned I could always renumber and add my own small yellow panels to them via the spray-booth at my leisure safe in the knowledge I actually had my pair of Thumpers.
Just a few days later the announcement came from Kernow that the green small yellow panel version would in fact be produced after all but only one version and at a greatly increased cost. In fact, the prices have risen by approximately £70.00 per unit so I feel vindicated and I am happy I jumped at the time. The models I recently received are absolutely stunning and ran perfectly straight from the box on the test track with no hesitation at all. After waiting years for my Thumpers I can confirm the wait was worth it. I want to really go to town at a later date and fit the best speakers I can and try to recreate the distinctive sounds of these iconic units as they formed a significant part of the soundtrack to my "Anorak" youth!...Dreadful!
Incidentally, on the remote chance that any of the movers and shakers at Kernow models are reading this blog, if you do decide to produce a centre car for these fantastic models and thus allow us to create a 3H unit then I'll be ordering 2 of them straight away. Go on, do it...you know you want to!
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| Wobbly buffers will be attended to...Doh! |
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| Today's poor Thumper replacement - A class 171 unit leaves London Bridge |
You will no doubt recall I have an uncontrollable desire when it comes to models of certain items. Notable examples are brake vans, BR liveried road vehicles and models of SR and WR signal boxes. Well this strange affliction has struck me once again and manifested itself in the purchase of surely the cutest of all signal boxes...the wooden ground frame cabin. I have received a pair of typical ex LSWR wooden cabins based on the example at Boscarne Junction. They are little gems and yet again are the result of a limited edition deal between Kernow Models and Bachmann. I have nothing but praise and thanks to Kernow for continuing to produce the items I need for the ex LSWR sections of the layout and long may this continue.
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| Oh isn't it cute? |
Last time I shared some images with you of the latest Oxford Die-cast model buses to arrive here at Jones-Towers. Well, I have recently purchased a couple of HGV models from the same stable and they are just as impressive. I remember the days when our roads were full of British built lorries and of all the diverse domestic manufacturers surely these models of artics by Atkinson and ERF represent the quintessential vehicles of the period. I'm not entirely sure that the Pollock livery on the Atkinson actually fits into my modelled time frame possibly being from the early 1970s but I don't care (he says whilst whipping out his modellers licence for display) because I absolutely love Atkinson Borderer trucks and this livery is fabulous.
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| At £12.00 each these are a fantastic bargain...Dreadful! |
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| Cruel magnification |
Finally, a few books were purchased at the Warley show last week from the Ian Allen sales stand. These were all either half price or much less so it seemed rude not to pick up some bargains whilst I had the chance.
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| Bedtime reading - Ned style! |
Meanwhile..."Back in the Ned-Cave"
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| One down and 2 more to go...Oh My Lords! |
The first of the three Walthers twin track girder bridges has been finished at last. There was nothing particularly difficult about its construction but I must confess it was a little repetitive and monotonous due to the large number of similar components. Still, it does make up into an impressive model and when the other two have been completed and they have been added to their concrete piers and wing walls, I'm sure this will be a fantastic centrepiece to a section of the mainline. Thank goodness for airbrushes and spray-booths because you could grow old trying to paint all the intricate girders on this model. Once the spray-booth is set up and working next year these models will be one of the first things to be sprayed...Dreadful!
Recent events surrounding the planning of the garage conversion at Jones-Towers (read on for all the exciting details) have taken up most of my free time meaning this is the only "Ned-Cave" action to report on this time.
Full Sized Adventures
You've no doubt been reading these rambling Corkscrew-Lines blog updates for quite a while now so you will all be familiar with my great friend and full time railway Ned/Crank/Anorak, the one and only... Johnny Napier-Boy Herbert. Well to cut a long story short...that'll make a pleasant change I hear you cry!...Johnny invited Mrs Corky and myself to join him for the "Wind-Up" night a couple of months back. A rag-tag group of loosely railway or bus enthusiast types all gather together each week for an evening of Ned and Crank talk in different parts of the country and in different pubs. This has been going on for many, many years with the regulars referring to it as the "Thursday Night Wind-Up". Now Johnny is a regular and he has regularly invited me to attend but I have always been reluctant to commit to an evening of drinking with a group of people who could potentially make me look sane and normal when compared to their level of anorak antics, obsessions and focussed personalities!
I'll admit it...I was wrong! The group that assembled outside Paddock Wood railway station on that Thursday night back in October turned out to be a really pleasant bunch. A diverse group but none of them forced their own particular brand of "enthusiasm" on me (other than Johnny as usual!) and in fact it became obvious as the night progressed that some were literally only there for the beer. You may be wondering why I weakened after so many years of refusing the delights of the Wind-Up. Well my friends, the clincher this time was Johnny's confirmation that a classic bus would be provided for the group to take them to the pub some miles away in a Kent village. Aha! that's much more like it I thought. I was not to be disappointed as waiting for us at Paddock Wood was the magnificent beast you can see below. A 1968 Maidstone & District Leyland Leopard with Willowbrook bodywork. The aural delights of this monster were enjoyed by all present as we squeezed down country lanes to our ultimate destination, the Halfway House in Brenchley. A good time was had by all including excellent ales and a very filling bangers n mash. Subject to another classic bus being provided, I would certainly join my Ned comrades once again on the wonderful "Wind-Up"...Hellfire!
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| All Aboard at Paddock Wood for Beer |
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| The Leopard prepares to prowl. |
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| Inside the belly of the Leopard |
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| Thoroughly enjoying being "Wound-Up" |
One day last month, Mrs Corky and myself headed to Guildford to meet up with my old mate Danny "Levers" and his lovely wife "Dreadful Debs" to enjoy a day of socialising and banter. It turned out to be a very relaxing day with lovely people and we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We spotted a pink MPV at Guildford station carrying out railhead treatment duties. I once did some road learning as a train driver on a MPV and found it a thoroughly depressing experience. It was like sitting in a motorised shipping container!
The highlight of the day however was accompanying "Levers" to his place of work on our way home and joining him for the first half hour or so of his night-shift in Haselmere Signal Box. Now Dan knows Mrs Corky has worked on the railway for almost 30 years and now works in Control at Kings Cross Signal Box and I am an ex-Signaller and currently work on the operational railway so he could trust us not to distract him...we understand "box etiquette". It was still very generous of him to allow us to join him in such a wonderful place, a relic of a different era which although inevitably living on borrowed time, still performs it's original function perfectly. I hate that progress will sweep away little pieces of Victorian magnificence like Haselmere Signal Box.
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| Now that's not a livery to be proud of! |
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| Haselmere Signal Box |
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| Mrs Corky and Levers - Time for tea of course! |
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| The panel is explained |
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| Wet and windy...the night that is, not Levers! |
Probably the nicest thing about our moving back to Sussex has been getting reacquainted with old friends. A perfect example is how we now regularly see Neil & Jo who Sarah started working with decades ago and has always kept in touch with. We spent an enjoyable afternoon recently wandering around lovely Shoreham-By-Sea and in particular the area around the extraordinary collection of houseboats at the mouth of the River Adur. One in particular appealed to me as the owners had incorporated a Duple coach body into their living quarters thereby instantly outdoing their immediate neighbours who could only manage a Reliant Robin...Bonkers - Absolutely Hellfire!
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| A different kind of bus preservation altogether! |
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| An amphibious Reliant Robin...and why not? |
I have always fancied having a section of the Corkscrew-Lines with a backscene which depicts storm clouds rolling in. I would try to capture the look of the fantastic light you sometimes get when a storm is about to arrive or has just passed and there is bright sunlight. My mate "Levers" - remember him from Haselmere Box? - is a very gifted artist and has volunteered (honestly he really did volunteer) to paint all of my back-scenes on the layout. Well take a look at this scene Levers of the new footbridge over the Adur at Shoreham because this is the sort of sky I'm after. Check out some of Levers work at;
www.mandelli-art.co.uk
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| Looks like we are about to get wet! |
And talking of bridges...our wanderings took us to the fantastic grade II listed Old Shoreham Toll Bridge which incredibly once carried the A27 trunk road traffic across the Adur. The original bridge was constructed in 1781 and then eighty years later it was taken over by the LB&SCR and then subsequently came into the ownership of British Railways who continued to own it and charge tolls for its use until 1970 when the new A27 road was constructed to the north. Fascinating stuff. Neil told me he remembered as a youth seeing the large and very shapely rump of a Southdown Queen Mary (Leyland Titan PD3 double decker bus) sticking out of the Adur mudflats one day. The driver had lost control of the bus and headed straight over the side of the wooden bridge...plop!
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| Jo, Neil & Sarah on Shoreham Toll Bridge - Three Wise Monkeys! |
Visiting Corkettes
A few weeks ago an old friend popped into Jones-Towers for a cuppa and a slice of cake - it's all very civilised here don't you know! The visitor was Andy "Gibsy-Wibsy" Gibbs and he had brought something very special with him to show me. Andy is a very accomplished modeller who is currently building a substantial loft based N-Gauge layout based on Kensington Olympia. His exploits are regularly featured in the RM-web forum so I had already seen a lot of his work but the scratch-built buildings he showed me really blew me away. Modelling of the very highest order.
You can also check out Andy's fantastic photographic blog which will keep anybody interested in the BR Blue era entertained for hours;
www.andygibbs.zenfolio.com
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| Extraordinary modelling |
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| Just soak up the detail - this is N-Gauge remember! |
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| Absolutely gorgeous...Hellfire! |
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| Gibsy-Wibsy or Yoda as I like to call him! |
All I have to do now is somehow convince Andy to abandon his N-Gauge folly and come and join me as chief structure builder on the Corkscrew-Lines! Unfortunately I don't think it's going to happen but I can always dream. Being the generous sort of chap he is, Andy gave me a complimentary ticket to the Brighton Model Railway Club exhibition in Patcham. He has been a member as both man and boy so I popped along to see what was going on and had an enjoyable time checking out the layouts and traders stands. A particular favourite was Chelwood Exchange by the East Grinstead Club. This had green diesels shunting wagons in an extremely well observed scene with some lovely detailing...Hellfire!
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| Chelwood Exchange |
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| Chelwood Exchange |
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| Chelwood Exchange |
Another treat was the exquisite Welford Bridge by John Wilshaw in N-Gauge which took full advantage of the landscaping opportunities N-Gauge provides. A beautiful layout.
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| Welford Bridge |
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| Welford Bridge |
It's Warley Time Again!
Every year in November the country's biggest and best model railway exhibition takes place at the Birmingham NEC thanks to Warley Model Railway Club. On Saturday the 22nd I travelled to Euston to meet my partner in crime - Rooster, to board a Virgin Pendolino and head north. Upon arrival at Birmingham International we pretended, for an all too brief 10 minutes or so, that we were cool and joined the hoards heading for the Motorcycle Show before peeling off at the last minute to join the Neds and Anoraks heading into the Model Railway show...it was nice while it lasted! Thanks to the generosity of Rooster's good friend Mike (proprietor of the excellent Durham Trains of Stanley), we had a complimentary ticket for the show so swept past the queuing masses with a regal wave.
Once inside we met up with "Oop North" James and I also had a brief chat with my old mate Steve Copley who was once again part of the team on the DCC demonstration stand. Sorry I didn't get to see you again during the day Steve...maybe next year! The last reprobate to join our motley band was the one and only "Napier-Boy"...Dreadful!
I had a mental list of the things I wanted to see and do and top of that list was to inspect the first test samples of the APT-E by Rapido-Trains. I outlined this exciting Rapido-Trains project in update No.48 and I was looking forward to meeting the guys behind the project and seeing the first sample in the plastic. Well I wasn't disappointed. The model looked stunning so I can only imagine how good the final models will be. To meet the guys behind the project - Jason, Bill, Terry and Kit was an absolute pleasure and what an affable and knowledgeable bunch they were. These guys are a breath of fresh air to the current model railway scene and I hope they go on to produce more British models. Just consider this...the APT-E will be running on the Corkscrew-Lines approximately a year after it was first announced. And the model will include DCC sound, working lights, operating tilting mechanisms and probably cost only half what Bachmann or Hornby would charge for it. I have an outstanding pre-order for a loco with a British retailer and manufacturer which is now approaching it's 6th anniversary and these guys can produce a stunning model like this within a year whilst at the same time keeping us, their customers, informed and entertained at the same time. Absolutely Hellfire!
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| Rapido-Trains at Warley |
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| Rapido-Trains at Warley |
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| Corky chats to Jason at Rapido-Trains |
Another highlight for me was checking out the latest layout from the team behind Hornby Magazine. The layouts that Mike Wild and his team produce always appeal to me. Perhaps it's that they are normally OO-Gauge and usually set in my favourite 1960s period with plenty of DCC sound fitted action. Or perhaps it is that they seem to produce layouts that dovetail with what I'm normally planning in my head. This year for instance the layout included a modified version of the very same Cement Works kit that I constructed earlier this year. I certainly got some fresh ideas regarding placement and weathering from them.
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| Shortley Bridge & Felton Cement Works |
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| Shortley Bridge & Felton Cement Works |
Mrs Corky often tells me to consider a smaller scale when I am trying to squeeze my grand ideas into a modest space. She should maybe consider herself fortunate that I have chosen such a sensible scale rather than attempting the Corkscrew-Lines with beasts like the Western shown below. Absolutely Hellfire!
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| Oh My Lords...Hellfire! |
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| Oh My Lords...Hellfire! |
It is always difficult to take decent images of models in display cabinets at shows but I just had to get a shot of the class 73 sample models on the Dapol stand. These bode very well for the final models of the little EDs which should be released next year. They are iconic Southern region classes of course which in early green and electric blue liveries will be perfectly at home on the layout. One other model which I was expecting to be announced at the show following some heavy hints online was the class 07 shunter which was such a part of the Southampton Docks scene for so many years. I was anticipating an announcement by Heljan so this model remains as one of the few RTR BR diesel classes not so far produced. With the current frantic new model announcements such as 3 manufacturers announcing an Adams Radial Tank and 2 producing a King and a Class 71, it is a shame nobody has so far gone for the 07 shunter.
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| Tasty...very tasty! |
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| I'm hoping it's just a matter of time! |
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| Corky & James selfie! |
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| Beavis & Butthead! |
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| Warley |
The Corkscrew-Lines Mk2 - We Have Blastoff!
If you have miraculously managed to wade through all of my ramblings so far and you are still awake then your perseverance will now be rewarded my lovely little Corkettes because I have saved the best news till last. Work is currently under way to convert the double garage at Jones-Towers into the next inner sanctum for our beloved Corkscrew-Lines!
Last month I visited the local planning office to discuss what I had in mind for the garage with the duty planning officer. This is a free and informal service to establish in very broad terms what development would be permitted or would require full planning permission. As there would be no external changes to the garage from the roadside and 4 parking spaces would still remain on the driveway following the conversion, and as the only external change would be changing a single side access door to the garden with similar double doors then the news was all good.
However, any suggestion of adding an extension onto the garage to house a workshop "Helix-House" would complicate things greatly as not only would full planning permission be required but the style of the structure planners would require would be prohibitively expensive. They would require the use of brick with a fully tiled roof which would require substantial foundations and make the whole project unnecessarily complicated and over engineered for what I required. strangely, my existing permitted development rights allow me to erect a shed of any colour or style I choose (with certain height limits) which could butt right up alongside the existing garage and the planners confirmed they were quite happy with this. The path was therefore clear. Convert the garage and construct a shed for the helix...excellent!
So what approach should I take with the garage conversion? I could simply add extra power sockets and lights and put some insulation in the loft and use the garage partially converted. Or I could go the whole way and turn it into a room similar to those in the house with finished floors, ceilings and full insulation. After much thought it became obvious that any conversion, if done properly could actually add value to the house and give me a space that could be used all year round despite the temperature outside. The previous occupants had used the garage as a gym and in a previous house we owned and sold, the garage was used as an office so it made sense to convert the room so it could be used for any purpose in the future. This wasn't going to be a DIY job, this needed to be done properly.
So came the worse part of the process. Finding a builder who would be reliable, professional, knowledgeable and affordable. I received 4 quotes and one guy stood out as being the obvious man for the job - Rob Georgeson. He watched some video clips of the last Corkscrew-Lines set up in Lincolnshire and understood what I needed from the start and even made some excellent suggestions on how the room could be improved to accomodate the layout. The icing on the cake was his confirmation that he could start work in just a few weeks time so all of the baseboard sections which were then stacked in the existing cold garage could be rehoused in the new space before the cold and dampness associated with winter fully descended and potentially spoilt the boards.
A week ago an electrician arrived to carry out the first fix electrics. I am fitting 4 double electrical sockets and 12 flush fitted downlighters. The electrical sockets will be fitted below the height of the lowest baseboard sections and light switches will be fitted so as not to interfere with the layout. Wiring runs have been routed to avoid any future breakthrough areas into the Helix-House in the garden.
And so it was that last Saturday as I travelled to Warley, Rob the builder and his team started work on the garage. Leaving an air gap all round, they erected a wooden stud framework around the walls which was then stuffed with insulation. Then insulation sheets were attached and sealed all around the room including the ceiling. A new floating floor incorporating extra insulation was laid. The new UPVC French doors were fitted with the left hand door as the main point of entry into the room to accommodate and allow the trackwork in the corner of the garage to curve before any lifting/swing sections are constructed. Rob has very helpfully marked on the floor where every vertical stud is placed so I can secure shelving uprights straight into the woodwork when it is time to fit the baseboards.
After only 3 days work the garage is now fully plaster-boarded and the plasterer is due to arrive tomorrow. Next week comes the second fix for the electrics and then it is down to me to paint the room and to lay the laminate floor. I am hopeful the whole job will be finished in a little over a weeks time...Absolutely Dreadful!
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| Materials delivered |
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| Room is lined with insulation board |
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| Below the board is a wooden frame with insulation |
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| Plenty of wooden uprights to accommodate shelving |
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| All boards are taped to ensure a sealed room |
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| French doors style matches the previous single door. |
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| The room is plaster-boarded awaiting final top coat of plaster. |
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| The room is plaster-boarded awaiting final top coat of plaster. |
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| Position of uprights is marked on new floor prior to plastering |
I will discuss with you all next time my thoughts at this stage regarding the future Helix-House and how it will be connected to the garage. I will also explain how I intend to construct the helix and how I may even make it portable (well movable) so it can be constructed in the garage and then transferred to the Helix-House at the appropriate moment. For now I will continue the process of getting the garage ready to accommodate the baseboards and boxes of stock and equipment. If all goes well then despite moving twice within a year, the layout will find itself in a new permanent home within 12 months of being dismantled in Lincolnshire...Dreadful!
Miscellaneous Musings!
It was my birthday last week. You will have already guessed I am getting the best birthday present ever by having the garage converted but my wonderful family love Corky so much (and why wouldn't they eh?) they bought him a cake!
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| It tastes as good as it looks!..Hellfire! |
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| "Blue Blistering Barnacles Tin-Tin" - Waterstones in Guildford |
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| Buffer stops at Brighton |
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| Buffer stops at St Pancras International |
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| Buffer stops at Kings Cross |
That's all for now Folks!
Corky!
