Our world in miniature, hobbies

Hi all Afternoon goods, arriving at Hounds Hill, from Priorsfield https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DYuF7Z1lC0

Any idea what goods the train is carring Philip, it does look realistic sound and all. I ve been having a peep at your Yorkshire ones to, along with Pams pictures fantastic, you were just a stone s throw away from my daughters.

Not sure if this has been on before. Coventry Model Engineering Society

Hi all The shorter evenings focuses my attention on our Hall Brooks railway. All of the main construction work is completed but as with any hobby further detailing, like remote control of points & signals looms for completion. With so much bad & sad news about, for me to get lost inside of my hobbies is a bonus. Another bonus this past week for me was when one of our forum members, joined our Wednesday bacon butty morning, this Wednesday. Her feet must ache from the years that she has stood with her friend on Bishops Heath platform, waiting for her train. Meeting our member has even more focused my mind on some of the nice things in life. What does delight me with our railway is its general reliability in operation, so that just prior to me typing this post, I enjoyed a little shunting interlude, getting our empty tar tanks ready for their trip to the gas works, prior to being sent to Whitley Wharf, city engineers department. The fact that the railway or track-work has not been cleaned in ages, made no difference as the shunting went a head without hitch. The picture shows pannier tank 4666 having attached the guards van to the No1 & No2 tar tanks at Longford Park, ready for the short trip, once the main line at Penny Park junction is clear.

Hi all An increase in local goods traffic, sees a need for an additional medium freight loco. A class 4F Fowler would be the obvious choice, except that we have two Fowler class 3Fs which are almost identical. Hornby have just released a Southern region similar power class, a new concept for Hornby as part of the body construction is metal, giving it good weight. First here is a picture of the real thing. Then a picture of the model Like so many of the locomotives in use in Hall Brooks, none ever got up as far as Coventry. I did see one at Banbury in 1957. Built in Scotland for the LSWR they were a very reliable performer. A design, so different to anything else in Hall Brooks & at least they are available at the Coventry Antics model shop. Several of the class were allocated to Guilford shed, where they were modified by having a train heating pipe added, so as to work both passenger & refrigerated goods trains. Does anyone else like them?

Hi all An update in conjunction with the wheel-tappers & tail-lamp associations, I have had my questions answered regards the 700 class loco. One of them being the electrical pickup arrangements, which are ace, all wheels including the tender. Perfect for a made-of-work do anything loco. I expect to get full domestic approval for the purchase of one loco for trials in Hall Brooks. When Pam saw this loco, her comment was "What an ugly brute". I ask you! It's a big-boy thing! I enjoy doing the research into all of the vehicles that we have on our Hall Brooks railway. Class 700 Notes.

Sulphur! You get used to it after a while and don't notice it so much. On a trip to Bolton once, after steam had been abolished between Coventry and Manchester Picadilly, we had to change at Manchester Victoria which was still running steam. To get from one platform to another we had to go down a subway. The smoke from a passing engine got sucked down the subway and I almost choked to death, not being used to it anymore. For all the nostalgia it's likely that many of us would no longer be here if steam hadn't been abolished on the railways when it was.

I have to agree with you Dutchman despite the enjoyment of travelling by rail 'in the old days' it is not the same anymore, and thank you for your response.

Hi all Look at what has just arrived in Penny Park. Supplied by Antics who better than matched the Hatton's price. This must be the best ever Hornby loco, performs faultlessly, so much so that I will order another slightly later era, from Hatton's as I am sure they will match the price of Antics. The one arrived at Penny Park is about 1952, whereas the later era were about 1958. Sorry, I cannot hang around here all day, we have some shunting to do. "Hope we have a spanner to fit this one, Ron"

Yes, that's the one I like, I can almost smell it. It looks very well placed. Thanks for keeping us up to date Philip.

Hi Dreamtime All aboard the Skylark, hey! Best wishes to you.

Hi all With all of the gloom & uncertainty regards the Ricoh station, at least our forum railway is running to time & well. Hornby have turned a bit of a quality control corner of late, much for the better. Antics have several new Hornby locos, which I honestly believe for the first time in at least half a decade are out-performing Bachmann. I have to remind myself that we are not a trade or advertising web-site, but when I see something good or bad, I do try to share with unbiased views. I like to support our local shops, recognising though that the internet is always there, snapping at the heels of every trader, shop or on-line.