Our world in miniature, hobbies

Hornby were the best performing railway company last year! "Lockdown sales boom puts model railway maker Hornby back on track"

Yes, in fact they couldn't fulfill orders. My friends running a model retail shop in Sutton Coldfield had a few items of mine to sell second-hand. A misty morning at Hounds Hill, freight exchange going on. That was the kind of operation that made the railways uneconomic. Labour intensive, for just a few van & wagon loads.

Hi all, Many UK railway stations changed names over the years. Our railway station in the above picture was originally called Five Field Lane, until becoming the name of the town, Hounds Hill. The platform nearest the camera, was constructed first. The town platform wasn't constructed for another eight years, but received its name Hounds Hill, whilst the Five Field Lane platform retained its name for another couple of years. I was tempted to keep them separately named, after I learnt that some BR stations had separately named platforms. Forgetting London Underground (where there are many depending on what street level you come out to or from), Par in Cornwall is an example. Until 1968, the down platform (the one going to Penzance) was Par, whilst the up platform was called Newquay Exchange. So many through trains went to Newquay, plus Penzance trains would often travel wrong line into the exchange platform so passengers wouldn't have to cart holiday luggage over the bridge. Does anybody know of any other similar locations. Unofficially, Birmingham Moor St through platforms were called 'through', but I never saw signage like I did at Par.

Hi all, Lockdown or not, it's such a pleasure to walk into our model & music room & play trains. It's all so reliable, even though it might be lengthy periods between sessions of whatever. I'm tied by Pam's illness from not venturing out, but once my mind is lost into the scene, it's almost like being outside. I might even get my paint pots out & spruce up some of the vegetation as time allows.

Hi Philip, Smaller stations often didn't have platform numbers so they were "officially" referred to by the line name (Up/Down/Main/Loop/Branch). Looking at an old photo Par didn't have platform numbers. Often platforms were unofficially referred to by the destination (e.g. Newquay). At Bewdley platform 3 is called the "Back Road" (but not to passengers). Moor Street didn't originally have platforms on the "through" lines to Snow Hill. These were only opened when Snow Hill was re-opened in 1987 and the terminal platforms were closed (they have since re-opened).

Hi Peter & thank you for that. Through lines rather than platforms makes the conversations that I've heard over the years make more sense. Through lines, not platforms. Brill. I've just come in from the railway room, having tidied up one of the yards. It's so real to me. Obviously I don't stick to a full timetable, to do so I would be in the room fulltime. I maintain a sequence so that I can move it along a few turns upon each visit.

A restful scene this morning.

It's not just the accuracy of the modelling that I enjoy, it's re-enacting the events that I've witnessed in & around Coventry over the years. Sundays in the fifties & sixties were often quiet days on the secondary lines like ours here. Until the late afternoon onwards, when parcels traffic would pick up. In fact from six o'clock onwards GPO vans were constantly arriving at Coventry, the parcels "pre-sorted" for north or southbound. The clatter of the parcel cages, as well as the north & southbound intercity trains increased frequency, was deafening. So, here at Houndshill, we have a busy scene, with a filthy condition Jub, working tender first to Coventry. On our railway, the train will disappear into the through fiddleyard, the loco detaches from its train. It then continues onto a train in the terminal fiddleyard, which it will reappear with during its sequence. If the sequences are in order, it will be at least nine sequences later, several days anyway, before we see that loco again. What train it's on, I haven't a clue, as the fiddleyards are under the scenery. I might be able to work it out from the mirror at the far end. I hope you like that!

Another Sunday with minimal traffic. The afternoon pick-up goods waiting to run through Burrow Hill, to Tippers Hill yard. Sunday pick-ups are for faulty wagons, taken off during the week. The next picture is Bramble Lane through station. It's been closed on Sundays for ten years. Very sad as that is my local station. The only steam passenger services are Sundays, but do not stop. A skeleton bus service provides a link with Longford Park, Hounds Hill & Burrow Hill on Sundays. A seventies Black & White bus in the yard.

Skilled and lovely as ever Philip. Is that Eld's windmill in the distance?

Hi Helen, It's Mill Hill. It's actually a Lilliput ornament bought from Owen Owen closing down sale. I have a Romany caravan too. Thank you Helen. I enjoy adapting where I can, otherwise you see the same kits on everyone's railway. The monastery ruin is a fish tank ornament. Lastly, the Tollgate entrance to the preserved bridge access to the monastery is also a fish tank ornament. It's free access to forum members. If you want the Mill to be Eld's mill, then from now on, it's known as Eld's Mill. I like it very much.

The black horse made me jump. I was too close to the screen. I think Eld's mill would be very suitable as it's in vaguely the right direction and was owned by a distant mayor of the city. I really enjoy finding just the right object for a project when I'm least expecting it. Sad that Owen Owen closed but well done on unearthing your treasures.

Our forum is of such value to me, more so now than ever. It's nearly like meeting up at the Belgrade. Lockdown or not, I'm currently locked down with carer responsibilities. Members recalling events & memories. That's so rich to me. It's odd, but I'm not jealous of not having the out & about freedoms that I once had. Our recently lost friend often posted on this thread. He gave me tips about camera use & so on. Our forum is real, not just words. Quite apart from my carer duty restrictions, so many things are impossible for me now. One of my feet therapies was playing on roller skates. Hey MR, get your skates on, the sun's out. I can just see the reaction of Mrs MR as well as my Pam. Ok then what about offground tig! They were real for so many of us in those days. Ally ally in. Sandra, ya mum's calling. Hey, ding dong, it's the D Di van. That's a lot of what our railway is about, for me anyway. Some picture relief now. Well, at least the chippy is open. All of that running & we have missed our train. So we get the bus instead.

Great photos and sentiments. Good to see the J Van at the chippy.

Hi all, China clay workings bring nostalgic thoughts of train-spotting around St Blazey in Cornwall, but a huge ECC quarry & works existed at Croft near to Hinckley. Used in rubber production as well as kerb stones. So here we have a delivery of dried clay, one truck the wrong way round, I've just noticed.