Andrew

It's starting to look good, Tony. Glad to know you are getting on with the bridge. I like the way those low side walls are at a slight inward angle - very neat. Sounds like you have the weather on your side at present. Keep up the good work.

Droning on and King Coal There aren't (m)any drone shots from the 1950s so some of the following may have been taken from a light aircraft with a railway photographer in the copilot's seat. Here is another view into Black Ghyll cavern, with passing short coal train hauled by a BR Standard 4MT. The same train was caught again further up the line as it passed Foxdale Carr Hall: Later in the day, the loco was seen from the lineside returning with a longer, mostly empty train: and, curiously, the airborne photographer captured the train at almost exactly the same moment! Over at Throstlebeck looking across to Sycamore Curve there was a lineside shot of passing trains -- a 9F on a parcels train and the inevitable coal trip: and presumably on a different day at Throstlebeck the same photographer was lucky to catch the same two workings again:

It's looking great, Thomas. I love those long, large radius high speed turnouts. Looking forward to seeing a test train...

Sounds like you could do with a pocket tripod, Mick. Mine starts at about 10cm or even less if you splay the legs. Plenty on Amazon. But your photos and videos are already superb.

Terrific video, Mick. Looks superb. And I liked the way the puttering of the diesel dropped off as it disappeared into the tunnel/shed.

The main span on my Northern Viaduct is a piece of repurposed timber 5 feet long and 20mm thick. It's now been there for nearly 8 years without any significant sagging. As you seem to be proposing a shorter, removable span, it will be much easier just to go for timber and see what happens.

Return to Black Ghyll Here's a context shot to set the scene. No doubt the local residents always knew it was there, but probably didn't want to encourage inexperienced potholers who often get into difficulties, particularly when unanticipated rainfall swells the underground rivers...

Goods vibrations Quite liked this shot: A new feature has emerged on the layout. Black Ghyll is a large cavern, much visited by serious potholers because of the extensive cave system to which it provides an entrance. It's very close to Sycamore Manor, but was previously obscured by vegetation, now cut back. A close look shows what may be ropes left behind by cavers ascending to the lip before going down into the caves...

The mineral wagon collection has grown a bit in the past months. After noticing that very few new ones were on sale, I decided that this once ubiquitous wagon needed to be properly represented on my period layout, so started buying secondhand ones of almost any make. The real ones came in many variants, so uniformity isn't needed - unlike more modern block trains. Then I had a weathering session with acrylic paints. Absolute realism probably demands more wagons than the current DGR fleet...

That cutting looks superb, a great photo spot to complement the spectacular viaduct. And the moss/lichen on the rocks completes the effect.

Green and Black Self-explanatory, really:

A short video clip from the recent Standard 2-6-4 Tank's outing, showing most of Foxdale Bank on the Dorking Garden Railway: https://youtu.be/RnqAQVqlod8

Ultimate Garden Railway This really is. Imagine a 2ft gauge line to your front door - complete with an incline! https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/devon-man-spends-18-years-4094372

Scotland, Steam And Scenic Splendour This is possibly the ultimate garden railway video (18 mins): https://youtu.be/RVG4hs10WFo Highly recommended (even though not a Class 37 in sight, Mick!).