THLR and Asquith Falls Railways

[tgfoy]

Yes it was quite a severe rainfall, the garden took day's to drain afterwards. I know what you mean about other forums not really having anything much about 00 garden railways, it's one of the reasons I joined here. Hopefully more people will discover it and join. I have posted links elsewhere, where I think people wil be interested and shown some people the site so hopefully they will join. I to would be interested to see others garden lines here, it would be fantastic to see what others are doing and learn from them. The people I know with garden lines have larger scale ones, it is only on here (and you tube) I have seen other 00 ones in this area or elswhere. I did wonder if ours was the only one round here really, glad it isn't.

Anyway here are some more pic's of our collection. Our GWR steam loco's this time.

Hornby no 101 tank (we actually have three of these as a result of buying some small collections).

[mick]

...For anyone interested I note that Hornby are releasing details of their 2010 range at a minute past midnight Christmas day morning on their website.

Thanks for that Tom. As if my shopping list for the current years new releases isn't big enough already! I'm still trying to decide if I need 'Tornado'.. have deferred judgement on City of Truro... I'm interested in the Hornby steamers with sound but haven't heard one yet... already ordered more class 47's but need some more stock for them to haul. 12-wheel Pullman's look amazing. Perhaps if I wait, with there being so many new releases out simultaneously at the present time, they will have to reduce prices in the New Year to get rid of some stock and I could get hold of a bargain or two. But then perhaps I'll miss out completely as there are the A2, ROD and lots more all due early next year. Have we ever had it so good? I can't remember a time when there was so much choice available.

[TomAssociated]

Hi,

A very extensive collection there tom, it is always a pleasure to come round and help you with your running sessions. Hopefully next year we will get to make a start on extending the layout and get some decent running sessions in.

Thanks for directing me to this site tom it is a great little site with alot of information on it.

Regards Tom

[tgfoy]

Hi Tom, thought you would like the site, glad you joined. Hopefully starting work on the extension in the new year, weather permitting.

Mick: I know what you mean, my own wish list this year has hardly been touched yet here we are with announcements for next year coming. I to am looking forward to seeing Bachmans A2 and hopefully will get the 04. For me I love to try and get loco's in pre BR livery where appropriate. I was hoping to get ome of the twelve wheelers too and the pullman observation coach.

I think you are right, we have never had so much choice that I can remember either. I think Hornby have the right idea using older tools for the more basic Railroad models to encourage beginners though. Prices on some things make me think more than twice (city of truro being a good example of that). It's going to be interesting to see if the recession has caused Hornby to hold back on brand new loco's and reintroduce models from the past that the already have tools for (might mean a rerelease of the Blue Pullman) to save money.

Anyway time for the photo's, agin company themed though if I have already posted a picture I won't add it again. so heres the rest of my LMS collection.

Hornby Black 5

[mick]

Two of my favourite locomotives among that last batch and yet I don't have an example of either. I never managed to get a black 5 and held off purchasing one when I saw the announcement that Hornby were to release a sound-fitted example for release by the end of this year. Unfortunately they've priced me out of that with a RRP well over £200 likely to mean me having to pay around £190 to get hold of one. I wasn't entirely impressed with the sound-fitted Duchess which I bought last year but I gave them the benefit of the doubt and expected an improvement this time. Likewise I would have been interested in the sound-fitted A4 but again, it's more than I feel comfortable paying.

As for the Schools class, one of my other favourites, I think the new releases from Hornby look very nice but... I'm put off due to my purchase last year of the Hornby T9. The T9 got rave reviews despite one or two silly errors during assembly, but it just feels so flimsy, light, and lacks any power. It looks like a 'trainset' engine. I can't say I 'trust' the Hornby brand in the way that I do with Bachmann. With a Bachmann I know it's going to be able to perform and with the garden being home for the railway the loco's need to be powerful and sure footed. It's good that Hornby cater for the train set market and encourage new entrants to the hobby because the hobby itself couldn't survive without that.

[tgfoy]

Yes the price of new loco's is getting high, especially if the loco disappoints once you have it. The T9 promised to be a fine loco but you are not the only person I know who is disapointed with it Mick. I was looking through my Ramsays again, and have noticed that since the 1970's Hornby always seem to be playing catch up. Mainline and Airfix models were more detailed, Hornby tried to catch up for example. It's the same now, I have found Bachmans Locos to have better motors and traction, consistantly, they are overall better models because of it. Appearance of both ranges is about the same now so it's reliability that matters and Hornby's motors let them down in my opinion. I still look forward to seeing what they plan to release each year, this is a plus point for Hornby they mostly do deliver what they say they will in that year, Bachman can be a bit hit and miss, although this usually means Bachman deliver a better all round model. At least thats my take on it. I hope Hornby can catch up soon.

Ok we are onto LNER (east coast) steam, probably do this in two parts, I am a bit biased to this company personally. Again any I have already put individual pictures up of I shan't repeat.

Not really LNER but this Hornby 0f was repainted in this livery and I couldn't resist it at under £5, not a bad runner either. Unofficially named.

[mick]

That's a collection I can relate to from my earlier spell at railway modelling. Those LNER engines were all catalogue items back then and it's good to be reminded of them. I still like the N2 and J39 but I tend to shy away from any that aren't DCC ready and will wait until the chassis are upgraded - if ever they are.

Mick

[tgfoy]

Hi mick, yes there are some old famiiar loco's in the collection, I can understand you waiting for new chassis to be made for them, I think the time is coming when DCC will be the standard method of control rather than DC though.

I notice that the Model railway edition of James May's Toy Stories is scheduled for 7pm christmas day bbc2. At least one programme worth watching over christmas that isn't a repeat.

Part 2 of my LNER outline collection below.

Replica B1

[mick]

Did you buy some of my collection of locos back in 2001? I never had a B12 but I had Springbok, Cheshire, and Manchester United. What memories! What's worse is that I never got the opportunity to run any of them in those days. Never had a layout or any track and everything I had was more or less as purchased. Had to let them go for next to nothing compared to what I'd paid for them (divorce can be financially crippling both at the time and for several years afterwards).

Just been looking on ebay and I'm rather surprised at the number of Blue Pullman items and especially complete sets that are on offer. There's usually a small number but this evening the count is somewhat higher than I can recall seeing before with even top quality stuff (£500+) on offer. Just wondering if there are a lot of people looking towards Hornby's new release announcement for next year and perhaps thinking it's time to move them on or do they know something we don't?

[tgfoy]

Hi Mick, I don't think I did, My Cheshire was part of the 1980's release the year hornby did four 4-4-0's with built in smoke generators, though I did get the black B12/3 in that year. The B17 ic Norwich City, the only one I could find at the time and the B1 was from Sheffield.

That's intersting news on the Blue Pullmans, I know there are lots of people on the Hornby forum who for a few years have been asking for the Blue Pullman, I wonder. I haven't heard anything definate but there does seem to be an expectation this year.

Love the new video by the way, I remember seeing Hornby's version of that loco in it's royal train set in the 80's. Bachmans looks good to say the least.

Part 3 of the LNER outline collection now, I know there was a group shot of the Pacifics in a previous post but here they are individually, though I start with something diferent.

Bachman K3

[mick]

That's a line up of Pacific's that makes me realise I have a lot of loco's in my collection still to photograph. Some of them are earlier Bachmann and of course DC hence they are really taken from their boxes - the remainder, those that are DCC ready, are awaiting the installation of DCC chips. On the whole we have an interesting selection of LNER goodies available to us but good as they are, some are in need of an upgrade to bring them into line with current technology. I would like to see some of the current catalogue items upgraded rather than have a glut of new models announced for next year. We still have a whole host of items awaiting release that were announced 12 months or more ago so there's plenty to be going on with.

I'm looking forward to the release of the A2 as well - it really does look promising at the moment and I'm excited about the Bachmann Robinson 04 simply because they made such a great job of the recent G2A and I fully expect the 04 to be as good.

As an example of where current manufacturing standards have got to, have you seen the examples of the JJA Auto-Ballaster wagons on the Bachmann website? They are absolutely magnificent with detail that we could have only ever dreamed of a few years ago. Etched brass metal canopies and discharge doors! If that doesn't become a contender for wagon of the year then I'll be blowed.

[tgfoy]

Yes I saw that, they are brilliant pieces. I am looking forward to the 04 too, mind Bachman recent releases have all been good. I havn't had chance to see the G2 yet but have heard good things about it.

I did wonder if this coming year might be the year of simple reliveries, save money with the economic climate. Hopefully there will be more than that though, including some upgrades hopefully. Still we have much to look forward to from Bachman, just from what we know already and the Hornby range a few day's from being announced therre is much to be optomistic about, at least I think so, though of course there is always the one snag, will the purse strings stretch far enough.

Sounds like you have quite a collection awaiting chips, they would look great running round your line.

I posted quite a few pictures earlier but heres the BR standards in my collection. The Britania class has already been posted.

Bachman standard 4

[mick]

Standard 4 tank looks super in BR green livery. The two I have are both black versions - not sure if I've had them out on track or not yet. I never liked the BR standard class 4 2-6-0 until Bachmann released their retooled version (didn't Hornby release one just after too for some strange reason?) but it's not one that's currently on my wanted list for the simple reason that like you, I'm trying to budget for the coming year.

Looking at the posts by IanR on the Kirkfield and Warmthorpe Railway, I'm seriously considering investing in an air brush in order to attempt some weathering. I also need a fair number of DCC chips and if I can stretch to it, some additional sound chips. I think I've decided I'm going to give Tornado a miss as I would rather have one or more A2's when they are finally released. Above all else I want to get the layout fully completed with a few sidings so that running sessions are more enjoyable. To do everything and to get everything that takes your fancy would cost an absolute fortune and at the moment I have sufficient stock to have a lot of fun and enjoyment with but which isn't being used because the layout itself isn't complete. I don't want to rule out running more steam loco's but in order to run them I need to reduce the gradients slightly or else I'm limited to perhaps 6 coaches maximum. That's enough work and expense to be going on with I think.

[tgfoy]

Hi Mick, checking Ramsays both bachman's retooled version and Hornby's were released in 2008 although Bachman had produced the old Mainline version for some years (thats the version I have).

The Standard 4 in green is of course the NYMR's 80135, in it's as preserved livery of "not quite brunswick green but quite close to it" as I heard one driver describe it.

It's always a balancing act where to spend the available cash, tempting as the loco's are there are other things to get as you say. I am in a similar boat as you are, the extension will need track etc or there is no point me building it, I have a box full in stock but will probably need more, then there is a new yard in the shed to build. So this year adittions to the collection may be few and far between. Still it will be fun seeing what is added to the ranges this year.

Onto locos of other companies and liveries in the photo's this time.

Hornby 2P in S&DJR livery

[mick]

I'd forgotten about the 2P. If I remember correctly the one I used to have was a Dapol model and the tender was permanently coupled?

With all that snow you have on the ground and covering the track base it's hard to believe that in the hight of summer there'll be some LNER Pacific's and other goodies roaring around there. I've just been looking back over my construction photos from this summer and it seems a different world to how it looks and feels right now. I'm amazed at just how far back the vegetation goes - even my conifer hedging has shrunk and I want that to thicken up to help conceal my tracks!

Seems like some of Hornby's plans for 2010 have been leaked but from what I've heard so far there's not much sign of a Blue Pullman, only mention of another EMU. For what my opinions worth (and most will say that's not a lot) I think they'd be better going for the BP. It's been requested for a number of years now and interest hasn't ever waned - it's as popular a model as ever. If Hornby decide not to do it then I really do hope that Bachmann take it on.

Looking at that last photograph of your layout, what do the tracks do when they enter your shed? Is there a loop inside and a track running round the exterior?

[tgfoy]

Hi Mick Yes it was produced by Dapol though it was originally a Mainline model apparently, but it is the very same and reintroduced by Hornby and it does have the permanently coupled Tender still.

I know what you mean about it all seeming very diferent at this time of year, like it is sleeping awaiting the trains again. What kind of Conifers are they? there are ways of encouraging some species to thicken up but at the loss of some hieght potential. Even the dread Lleylandii, with as much bad press as it gets, can be controled into a reasonable plant and not allowed to be the thug it's reputation suggests.

I have tried to avoid some of the speculation so far but will be again disappointed if the Blue Pullman is not redone this year. As you say it has been requested by many for a number of years now, and Hornby have the tools by all accounts so it should theoretically be relatively cheap to produce it again. Perhaps they are going to make new, more detailed tools and release it another year, though that is idle speculation on my part. Certainly if Bachman decided to do a new one it would be a superb model with a good strong motor.

The extensoin that I hope to build this year will see the line go round the shed to complete a double track continuous loop with two yards in the shed itself for trains to be arranged ready for service. Currently there is a Yard on just one side with room for eleven trains, though this will be rearranged to increase capacity. This will mean that we will be able to operate the line as a continuous loop or an end to end line with two operators. The Yards will enable us to shunt frieght trains if desired. Access to the yards will be via a single line from the two main lines over a simple crossover. Isolators will act as automatic stopping points if the points are set against them. Simple but effective.

Just in time for Christmas we come to the child friendly part of the collection. Having three children (now teenagers) we did get some loco's they would enjoy as youngsters, we have also been known to run preposterous trains for thier enjoyment on our old garden line and on this one. A nieghbour runs a daycare nursey and one of the Kids favourite trips in the summer is to see that bald mans trains over the road, the children are already asking if they can come next year and if Thomas and Toby are enjoying the snow. It's great when they come, they are so enthusiastic about it. The Thomas and friends are all Hornby, I have seen the Bachman ones but I prefer the look of the origonal illustrations which I think Hornby captured whilst Bachman seem to have gone for the look of the TV characters in prference. Having said that Hornby did go a bit mad with three of the locos, producing them well out of scale, not that it bothers the kids.

Thomas

[mick]

Hi Tom

Thanks for that latest selection of photographs. Have to admit that I'm not too familiar with 'Thomas' and his friends but where would the hobby be today without them? I'm really pleased that you're able to share your interest with local children - they obviously appreciate all your efforts - and Thomas and Co is the ideal introduction for them.

So with Christmas almost upon us it will undoubtedly signal a break for a few days. I'll be popping in on the forum occasionally and given the chance I'll be adding some more video action as and when I can (hoping the A4 arrives in time for Xmas!) but it's almost time to begin looking forward to the New Year and I'll be watching your progress with the extension and hoping to see it all documented every step of the way. If you can get the VHS transferred to digital then that's something else for us to enjoy.

Finally, I would just like to thank you personally for taking the time to share your interest on the forum. It's helped to ensure that my own interest in garden railways hasn't waned one bit and I'm now as enthusiastic as I have ever been. Here's to the coming year!

Wishing you and your family a really Happy Xmas!

Mick

[tgfoy]

And to youand yours Mick, you have inspired me and I will certainly be keeping you (and everyone) up to date with progress.

I have given myself an early christmas present and probably more work to do. This site has inspired me to create one of my own, it even has forums. though it is a work in progress I have completed the home page, set up some forums, added some pictures and a number of links (including to your site Mick). all done between this post and my last. Hope you have a look and perhaps join the forum everyone, I will be adding more to it (including some pictures not included on here), as time allows over the next few days and weeks, inbetween checking the Norad tracks Santa website with the kids during the next 30 odd hours.

Thank you Mick for keeping my enthusiasm up and letting me join in here. Catch you soon.

Tom and family.

Edited because I forgot to add link to my new website. (what a dozy Beggar I am) Doh!

http://thlrandasfrgardenrailways.webs.com/

[mick]

Had a look at your new website last night Tom and you've certainly not been slow getting photos and information uploaded. I'll register on your forum and add a bit of info in the hope that it will get things going for you. I'll nip back in a few minutes and take another look to see if you've been up to anything today but it'll be tomorrow or maybe after before I add anything myself.

Not sure what I make of the Hornby 2010 announcements. I'm not impressed with this A4 sound loco I have just bought so I can't get too enthusiastic about anything else they have on offer just yet. Sad there's no Blue Pullman mentioned yet and surprised to see another EMU with Bachmann releasing 2 versions. Will have to take another look at a later date - been too pre-occupied today.

IT'S CHRISTMAS.....!

[tgfoy]

Thanks Mick, have accepted you as a member, I was keen to get something worth looking at on it as soon as possible, will probably go back later and consider it more. Done a bit on it today between tracking Santa etc. but it's been chaotic here too.

I know what you mean about the Hornby range, I have posted an initial overview here and on my site. It is a bit niether nowt nor somat in a way, though I am going to aim to get that coaling tower at least.

Sorry to hear the sound A4 is a disappointment, you seemed to be looking forward to it arriving.

Probably won't be about much myself for the next 24hrs. Hope you have a good day.

Tom