The MSLR is an interesting little operation and would be quite good for inspiration in some ways actually. I haven’t visited it but it looks nice whenever you see a photo of it.
It is quite an interesting setup, definitely. I've actually changed what I was planning to do with that bit - it didn't feel like it worked with the rest of the layout for some reason (the rest is 'conventional' railway on a large(ish) scale, and having all that in a small space felt a bit odd). I've not come up with another idea for it yet, but I might take it down to just a single siding. All up in the air at the moment though.
I've also spent some time looking at Oldmoor-on-Sea, and wondering if there are any ways of improving it. Having spent some time looking through some threads on the forums, and other bits of the information superhighway, having a seaside station with three platforms, but only having enough room for four coaches absolute maximum, wouldn't happen on the real thing and really quite an odd design. Now, I'm not going to go full 'everything must be 100% prototypical' here, but I would like the layout to have at least some sort of realism to it.
I had thought about converting the area to a TMD of some description - which I think was suggested by
@Cowley at some point: that would require not a lot of changes to the trackwork, and could free up loads of space in the main bit of the board for some much-needed scenic space. The main thing making me think that wouldn't be the best idea, though, is the fact that it would mean trains going to and from Little Piddling would have to reverse in the depot, and not at a station as I originally intended. A way of getting around this would be to have something like at Coombe Junction Halt where, from my research (i.e. looking at Google Images for a bit), the train seem to clear a junction, the conductor then changes the points, and the train then proceeds down the other track. I could have something like this on the curve around to where Oldmoor-on-Sea is now, like in the professional artist's impression below:
Having some more space for scenery on the layout whilst keeping the depot - and giving the latter a proper area of its own - would be lovely. I'll trial-fit the buildings tomorrow and report back.
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We've not heard much from Oldmoor recently - apparently the town's only got the one landline and it's been broken for weeks now. They're waiting on BT but they might as well be waiting for the return of BR.
Anyway - let's have another episode of
East Oldmoor-ders...
Will Mrs Miggins find her library card? Where did Dave Hatley leave his passport? Why hasn't Oldmoor got a bus service yet?
[quiet scene - Miggins household. Mr and Mrs Miggins are eating breakfast; Mr Miggins has a boiled egg and toast, and Mrs Miggins is eating a piece of concrete]
"Well, Maureen," says Mr Miggins. He's just read in the paper that the price of wool on the stock exchange has taken a dive, putting the wool shop owned by his wife in a perilous position. "I've just learned that wool prices on the stock exchange having tumbled - which leaves your wool shop in a jolly difficult situation."
"Honestly, Barry," replies Mrs Miggins, "This has happened a million times before. Don't you remember the great wool crisis of 1996?" She continues eating her breakfast - which she's just realised is part of the M25.
Mr Miggins sits there, remembering the great wool crisis of 1996. He's got lots of memories from that time.
[change of scene to the Crown & Anchor Pub. Dave Hatley is cleaning glasses]
Dave Hatley has just hired a new member of staff - Beryl - to act as a cleaner in the pub. He hopes this will mean he doesn't have to clean glasses each episode, but he's not sure. Beryl is currently cleaning a table near the front window, and she notices a strange figure standing by the level crossing.
"Dave," she calls, "there's a strange bloke by t' level crossing!" (she's from oop North, you see)
"He's always there," Dave replies, "he's our local trainspotter. He comes in here from time to time - and he never talks about anything apart from bloody Caprotti valve gear and Stephenson link motion!"
Beryl has an interest in late-19th century industry. Being from Yorkshire, this is to be expected. She stops listening to Dave's rant, and stares out at the trainspotter. In the end, the thought of finding someone with whom she can talk at great length about Class 47s, 'Whistlers', and 'Choppers' is overwhelming and she runs out to speak to him. Being a (stereotypical, for comedic effect) trainspotter, though, he doesn't say much, smells, and is muttering something about British Rail and 'why can't they get that project done in just three days? It only needs £10 million...' before walking off. Beryl is left alone, and walks back into the pub. Following her one true love walking away from her, she's decided to give up with dating for good. "I'm going to become a nun," she says to Dave, "I was never interested in him anyway."
Back at the Miggins household, a man enters the house, complete with anorak, notebook, and mutterings about armchair nonsense - Mrs Miggins greets him as he comes in. "Hello Barry," she says.
[
East Enders end drumbeats play - the end]
-Peter