Lapford station in N gauge.

[Peter C]

Haha. No plans to dismantle it Peter.
I might make a start on putting some lights in my coaching stock next. All the buildings have lights and it would be good to have at least a couple of trains fully lit to compliment it.
I guess I just need to enjoy running it for a while now.

That would be cool. I saw somewhere on YouTube a few years ago a system which did coach lighting and was activated by movement; when the sensor thing (at the end of the lighting strip) hadn't sensed movement in a while, the lights went off. I believe it was from TrainTech but I'm not too sure - and I assume it's OO gauge only so that's not too helpful really!

Re the signs - They came like this:

View attachment 101434

Very handy indeed but some of them are really tiny!
I agree with what you say though, there’s so much stuff all around us that we don’t always notice.

Ah that's super! The names at the top of the page are a nice touch too.

I’ve also added these Whistle Boards and speed limit signs thinking about it:

View attachment 101435

View attachment 101436

I had to repair a couple of trees today after the cat sat on them too…

Those signs are the kind of thing that's missing on a lot of high-end layouts I find. You'll always* get a speed limit sign at a junction or crossover, but I suppose because they can be quite fiddly, people don't tend to model them.

You've got me wondering now if employing massive cats to sort out Network Rail's lineside vegetation problem would be viable...

-Peter

*[insert example of obscure junction/crossover sans sign here]

 

[hexagon789]

Haha. No plans to dismantle it Peter.
I might make a start on putting some lights in my coaching stock next. All the buildings have lights and it would be good to have at least a couple of trains fully lit to compliment it.
I guess I just need to enjoy running it for a while now.

Re the signs - They came like this:

View attachment 101434

Very handy indeed but some of them are really tiny!
I agree with what you say though, there’s so much stuff all around us that we don’t always notice.
I’ve also added these Whistle Boards and speed limit signs thinking about it:

View attachment 101435

View attachment 101436

I had to repair a couple of trees today after the cat sat on them too…

Top notch, it's really come on has Lapford. I'm glad you've no plans to dismantle it - you've put so much time and effort into it it would be a crying shame to uproot it all.

That last photo is a first-rate contender for one of those photo competitions - 'when a model looks like real life'...

 

[Cowley]

Those signs look really good, and excellent value too!

Thanks @Iskra, much appreciated.

Top notch, it's really come on has Lapford. I'm glad you've no plans to dismantle it - you've put so much time and effort into it it would be a crying shame to uproot it all.

That last photo is a first-rate contender for one of those photo competitions - 'when a model looks like real life'...

Ta Hexagon. I must admit that I was struggling with the light taking that one as it’s not an angle I’ve done before but it looks quite interesting with the curves I think.

Anyway. I know it’s past my bedtime but I couldn’t resist a few nighttime shots just now.
Here you go.









And this is an overview of the whole of the Lapford bit to give it a bit of context:



I do really appreciate the support that you’ve all given me over the last couple of years while I’ve been doing this by the way.

 

[hexagon789]

Ta Hexagon. I must admit that I was struggling with the light taking that one as it’s not an angle I’ve done before but it looks quite interesting with the curves I think.

Its the curves that sell it I think, it adds that sensation of depth.

Anyway. I know it’s past my bedtime but I couldn’t resist a few nighttime shots just now.

I'm very glad you couldn't, that first nighttime shot is so atmospheric - utterly brilliant.

 

[Gloster]

Rather a lot of light in the signal box. Signalmen generally preferred to have just enough light to work with, often just a light over the booking desk or the chair (you can’t do the crossword in the dark). I must admit that I was an exception and used to have all the lights on, but I am a nocturnal animal. It may have been different at Eggesford in the evening, but with 03.00 starts, napping in the chair was probably how you started the day (even I did in winter with 06.00 starts: 04.15 setting for the alarm).

 

[Cowley]

Rather a lot of light in the signal box. Signalmen generally preferred to have just enough light to work with, often just a light over the booking desk or the chair (you can’t do the crossword in the dark). I must admit that I was an exception and used to have all the lights on, but I am a nocturnal animal. It may have been different at Eggesford in the evening, but with 03.00 starts, napping in the chair was probably how you started the day (even I did in winter with 06.00 starts: 04.15 setting for the alarm).

It’s not actually that bright in the flesh. For some reason it looks really vivid in the photos but point taken @Gloster, I’ll stick it on the snag list.

 

[cossie4i]

In the last picture my parents use to own the Mill that would be just to the right of the first bridge.
I think what you have created is brilliant.

 

[Cowley]

In the last picture my parents use to own the Mill that would be just to the right of the first bridge.
I think what you have created is brilliant.

Thanks Cossie. I was talking to someone about that mill the other day. I think I might take a trip up there to have a look for it at some point because I don’t think I’ve ever seen it.

 

[cossie4i]

Thanks Cossie. I was talking to someone about that mill the other day. I think I might take a trip up there to have a look for it at some point because I don’t think I’ve ever seen it.

It’s literally just over the bridge on the right hand side.
At one point it was also the post office.

 

[Cowley]

Had a bit of a running session this afternoon so here’s a few photos…

A 31 shunting the yard before heading to Barnstaple:


A Railfreight 47 on a DMU substitution also heading towards Barnstaple:




Lastly 50032 heading towards Exeter with the sun out :

 

[Iskra]

Very nice! What name is your 47?

Always like the 50, looks splendid in the toothpaste livery.

 

[Peter C]

Had a bit of a running session this afternoon so here’s a few photos…

A 31 shunting the yard before heading to Barnstaple:
View attachment 102860

A Railfreight 47 on a DMU substitution also heading towards Barnstaple:
View attachment 102858

View attachment 102857

Lastly 50032 heading towards Exeter with the sun out :
View attachment 102859

All looking lovely as always!
The atmosphere you've created is just superb. Or courageous should I say...

-Peter

 

[Cowley]

Thanks chaps. Much appreciated.


It’s 47209 ‘Herbert Austin’ @Iskra. I’m not sure if that particular one ever made it up there but plenty in that livery did on freight trains to Lapford and I imagine that one was one of them.
Here’s another at Barnstaple substituting for a DMU with ‘Annie and Clarabel’…

North Devon Brush

On the 13th July 1990 Class 47/0 no.47241 backs onto the Exeter 'load two' at Barnstaple before forming the 1414 to Exeter St.Davids. This train was loco hauled due to a lack of operational DMUs.

www.flickr.com

 

[Peter C]

with ‘Annie and Clarabel’…

Not "Annabel and Cabbage" as I heard someone call them?

-Peter

 

[Cowley]

Not "Annabel and Cabbage" as I heard someone call them?

-Peter

 

[Iskra]

Thanks chaps. Much appreciated.


It’s 47209 ‘Herbert Austin’ @Iskra. I’m not sure if that particular one ever made it up there but plenty in that livery did on freight trains to Lapford and I imagine that one was one of them.
Here’s another at Barnstaple substituting for a DMU with ‘Annie and Clarabel’…

North Devon Brush

On the 13th July 1990 Class 47/0 no.47241 backs onto the Exeter 'load two' at Barnstaple before forming the 1414 to Exeter St.Davids. This train was loco hauled due to a lack of operational DMUs.

www.flickr.com

That's an interesting photo. I like the totally different conditions of the ballast in the trackbed on the two differing lines as well as the use of two brake coaches.

 

[Cowley]

That's an interesting photo. I like the totally different conditions of the ballast in the trackbed on the two differing lines as well as the use of two brake coaches.

Yes that was just around the time that the run round loop was being removed. They could still run around a couple of coaches just south of the station where there was (and still is actually) a couple of sidings.
Here’s a comparison photo of 50032 on a railtour after the loop was removed taken not long after the class 47 photo by my good friend our very own @Ash Bridge:



Look at the state of that!

 

[Ash Bridge]

Just to add to the comments of Mr C above. I was actually at Barnstaple the previous month (June 1990) to the class 47 shot also; having arrived on the class 101 3 car dmu depicted below, never suspected then that the loop was due for removal and it was quite a shock when we arrived behind 50032 a mere 2 months or so later to see the former down platform totally devoid of its track. Would be lovely to see it reinstated at some point in the future though!

 

[Cowley]

Just to add to the comments of Mr C above. I was actually at Barnstaple the previous month (June 1990) to the class 47 shot also; having arrived on the class 101 3 car dmu depicted below, never suspected then that the loop was due for removal and it was quite a shock when we arrived behind 50032 a mere 2 months or so later to see the former down platform totally devoid of its track. Would be lovely to see it reinstated at some point in the future though!

Thank you Mr Bridge. Great photos.
I really would love to do a model of Barnstaple one day. There’d be quite a few interesting buildings to make…

 

[Ash Bridge]

Definitely agree on that! and should you take up the challenge I would really look forward to seeing the end result

 

[Cowley]

Definitely agree on that! and should you take up the challenge I would really look forward to seeing the end result

Thanks mister.
Going to need me a concrete silo.

 

[Iskra]

Thank you Mr Bridge. Great photos.
I really would love to do a model of Barnstaple one day. There’d be quite a few interesting buildings to make…

You may as well just do the full route

 

[Cowley]

You may as well just do the full route

I could definitely keep going with it if I had the space.

In other news the Lesser Spotted Steve Flint (im what was on the telly) has been round at mine today doing a photo shoot for the railway to appear in Railway Modeller magazine in the not too distant future.
Look here he is!



He really put a lot of effort into getting everything right and I must say that he’s an absolutely lovely guy.
Tomorrow morning I’ll be over at my friend Paul’s house where Steve’s going to be shooting his railway too.
N gauge takeover!

 

[Peter C]

In other news the Lesser Spotted Steve Flint (im what was on the telly) has been round at mine today doing a photo shoot for the railway to appear in Railway Modeller magazine in the not too distant future.
Look here he is!

View attachment 103171

He really put a lot of effort into getting everything right and I must say that he’s an absolutely lovely guy.
Tomorrow morning I’ll be over at my friend Paul’s house where Steve’s going to be shooting his railway too.
N gauge takeover!

Wahey! (Is that what the cool kids are saying now? I don't know)
I must admit I thought it would be a bit more technical than "bloke with camera" but sound as though it's a case of it being more than meets the eye. Can't wait to read about it

-Peter

 

[Cowley]

Wahey! (Is that what the cool kids are saying now? I don't know)
I must admit I thought it would be a bit more technical than "bloke with camera" but sound as though it's a case of it being more than meets the eye. Can't wait to read about it

-Peter

It was quite a fancy camera…
He also took some video clips to put on the website. There was a lot to think about really because as you can see there’s not a huge amount of room in there anyway when you’re trying to set tripods up etc. Plus I was trying to get a decent procession of trains throughout the shoot without repeating anything too much and also moving things in and out of the yard so that what was being loaded changed from time to time.
I kept having to swap road vehicles around as well because they’d obviously have moved on after each photo.
He said that it should be in fairly soon and I’ve already sent him the article I wrote out for it (that was 2000 words).

 

[Peter C]

It was quite a fancy camera…
He also took some video clips to put on the website. There was a lot to think about really because as you can see there’s not a huge amount of room in there anyway when you’re trying to set tripods up etc. Plus I was trying to get a decent procession of trains throughout the shoot without repeating anything too much and also moving things in and out of the yard so that what was being loaded changed from time to time.
I kept having to swap road vehicles around as well because they’d obviously have moved on after each photo.
He said that it should be in fairly soon and I’ve already sent him the article I wrote out for it (that was 2000 words).

Ah OK. Thinking about it, I never knew the amount of effort which went into making just the one article. So were you there trying to keep the show going as he went around with his camera? I'm imagining a bit like an exhibition?
That video should be interesting. The touch with the road vehicles is lovely too.

-Peter

 

[Cowley]

Ah OK. Thinking about it, I never knew the amount of effort which went into making just the one article. So were you there trying to keep the show going as he went around with his camera? I'm imagining a bit like an exhibition?
That video should be interesting. The touch with the road vehicles is lovely too.

-Peter

Yes that’s right, although the trains weren’t moving much I still had to set each one up, drive them into position and make sure the lights were working etc. Plus when we did the video clips I drove the sound fitted 31 around probably ten times so that he could film it from different angles, and that meant doing it exactly the same way with each pass.
This all took five hours and it’s fair to say that I’m feeling slightly frazzled now!

 

[Peter C]

Yes that’s right, although the trains weren’t moving much I still had to set each one up, drive them into position and make sure the lights were working etc. Plus when we did the video clips I drove the sound fitted 31 around probably ten times so that he could film it from different angles, and that meant doing it exactly the same way with each pass.
This all took five hours and it’s fair to say that I’m feeling slightly frazzled now!

Thanks for explaining it all. I did wonder if the trains were moving around in the photos in those magazines or if they were stationary!
Does sound like a lot of work. At least you can relax with the railway - oh...

-Peter

 

[Iskra]

That's a very interesting insight into the world of model railway magazine production @Cowley 5 hours is quite the shift. I'm sure it will all be worth it when your layout is world famous

 

[43055]

I could definitely keep going with it if I had the space.

In other news the Lesser Spotted Steve Flint (im what was on the telly) has been round at mine today doing a photo shoot for the railway to appear in Railway Modeller magazine in the not too distant future.
Look here he is!

View attachment 103171

He really put a lot of effort into getting everything right and I must say that he’s an absolutely lovely guy.
Tomorrow morning I’ll be over at my friend Paul’s house where Steve’s going to be shooting his railway too.
N gauge takeover!

Yes that’s right, although the trains weren’t moving much I still had to set each one up, drive them into position and make sure the lights were working etc. Plus when we did the video clips I drove the sound fitted 31 around probably ten times so that he could film it from different angles, and that meant doing it exactly the same way with each pass.
This all took five hours and it’s fair to say that I’m feeling slightly frazzled now!

Very interesting. I look forward to reading the finished article when it comes out.