Update - No.30 - 23.06.12

Originally sent to friends and family only in June 2012

No, your eyes are not deceiving you, I'm back!  After an absence of almost 3 months Corky has returned from his self imposed exile in the barren model railway bereft wastelands of the Network Rail "Initial Signaller Training" course in Leeds.  I hope you are all keeping well my lovely little Corkettes and you will forgive me for not providing the regular updates you had become accustomed to......naughty, naughty Corky! 

So what's been happening? I can hear you all cry.  Well, quite a lot really but unfortunately not very much within the inner sanctum of the Corkscrew Lines where things are basically as they were left 3 months ago.  I have successfully completed my Network Rail initial signalling training which consisted of about 9 weeks in Leeds at the training school interspersed with the odd week working on the route I'll be based on from Woking to Alton in Hampshire.  The training was tough and consisted of an "absolute-block" course followed by a "track-circuit-block" conversion course (both types of signalling systems used in the UK for those of you unfortunate enough not to be familiar with the wonderful world of the railway!).  Of the 12 candidates who started only 7 made it to the end after many dramatic The Apprentice style departures following poor marks in the frequent end of week assessments.  The course was very tough and you had to basically live and breath signalling to get through it all.  Hence the lack of any progress in the Garage.

I have now moved onto the next stage of my training which is actually learning to work my first signal box, Farnham.  This will take many more weeks because Farnham includes an absolute-block section to the next box at Aldershot, a single line section to Alton including a passing loop at Bentley, extensive carriage sidings belonging to South West Trains in the neighbouring depot, Holybourne oil sidings and a busy level crossing.  More than enough to keep me occupied!  Now it's obviously not possible to commute the 150 miles each way from Jones Towers to North Hampshire/Surrey every day so I am renting a room in a flat in Alton whilst down south and scuttling back to Lincolnshire whenever I get the chance.  Hardly an ideal situation but needs must as they say.  The bad news is the Alton line is due to be re-signalled in about a year's time with all the current L&SWR boxes being closed and new signalling panels being installed at Woking Signal Box.  The good news is Network Rail employs about 35,000 people and I have been told to apply for other vacancies that take my fancy so I can ensure I still have a job in the future.  This will hopefully dovetail with Mrs Corky's move to the new combined signalling and control centre currently being constructed at Three Bridges and due to open in a years time.  If all goes to plan we'll sell Jones Towers, both find jobs within a relatively easy commute of Three Bridges and buy a new home which will hopefully be our long term base for the rest of our working days.

The net result of all the above is the magnificent Corkscrew-Lines project that we all know and love is in a state of flux.  Do I continue to work on the layout when I cannot be certain how large an area I will have to shoehorn it into when we've moved or do I suspend building works until the dust has settled in 2013?  Well, the pragmatist in me has won that argument (for a change) and apart from collecting new stock and the odd bit of armchair modelling no more will be done to the layout until we have firmer plans.  You'll all be devastated to realise that means fewer Updates in the future.  Now don't get too upset my lovely little Corkettes because the Corkscrew-Lines are safe and the desire to continue is strong so this is just a temporary hitch in the construction of what I know will be a fantastic layout for us all to enjoy........just a little bit later on than I'd hoped.  Who knows, if I catch The Fat Controller in a particularly good mood she may even let me build an even bigger home for the layout than now in a future house....I can dream anyway!

New Arrivals on the Corkscrew-Lines

As you all know, the Corkscrew-Lines are based in the South West of England in ex L&SWR and GWR territory and in a loose 1960's time frame so I can be flexible with what I'm able to run.  A few new releases by Hornby have arrived at Jones Towers which fit in perfectly with this theme.  The latest ex Southern Railway bogie parcels vans from Hornby are an absolute delight with high levels of detail and separately fitted metal components including door handles.......absolutely Hellfire!  As you'll know doubt remember from earlier updates, I have a soft spot for parcels traffic so a pair of these lovelies are now on the roster.  They need Kadee couplers fitting and some extra weight to make them compatible with existing stock.  The helix will bite and derail anything mid train which shows any sign of weakness regarding weight or poor coupler height so this is a standard mod' for my stock.

Another item of similar parentage and period is the fantastic Hornby M7 tank engine and matching Maunsell Push-Pull set which will be perfect for the branch passenger trains which will run off the layout into hidden storage sidings at various points.  I also have a Kernow Model Centre 02 steam loco and Gate stock push pull set on pre-order so these 2 sets will compliment each other perfectly in the future.....absolutely Dreadful!  I've included some shots of the train trundling past Shinbash Low Level Signal Box for you to enjoy.  The loco is gorgeous and a complete train in a box for £160.00 seems like pretty good value to me.

  
I hope you enjoy the attached images which show the latest arrivals, some of the locations I've visited recently when not at signalling school and a few odds & sods along the way.  I've also added a few images of my new "office" which may interest the railway traditionalists amongst you.  The signalling lever frame shown in what appears to be a modern office block is just that!  It is the simulator at training school for a fictitious junction station called....wait for it....Hornby Junction!  It's located on the 5th floor with panoramic views over West Yorkshire.  All a bit surreal really.  The views from the hotel room in Leeds show the few remains of the old Leeds Central station approaches including the viaduct which stands in splendid isolation now and also one of the remaining original parcels towers which is now incorporated into a park.  There is railway history and architecture all around us if you know where to look!

Welcome to the latest Corkette - James, who is a kindred spirit, another trainee signaller with model railway tendencies.  You are amongst friends here mate, welcome to the epic adventure that is the Corkscrew-Lines.  Check out the previous 29 updates but be warned....they are even more boring and peculiar than this one which has resisted the normal tendency to descend into complete farce!

And finally, congratulations to Rooster who has just ordered a brand new shed!  It makes you proud doesn't it.....a proper blokey shed ordered and already plans to stuff it full of model railways......Oh My Lords!

Take care my friends and fear not, Doctor Beeching will not be allowed anywhere near my beloved Corkscrew.  I don't know what the future holds for the Corkscrew-Lines but there will still be a model railway and there will still be insane rantings and nonsense!

Corky.