American model railroads by British modellers

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Mike Hughes - 24 Jun 2008 01:09 GMT

The following link is to my fotopic site where I've posted some pictures
of model railroads made by members of South Shore Model Railroad Club
based in Worthing, West Sussex, England,
http://mikehughes627.fotopic.net/

The models are still being updated as we are all working towards our
show on 21 March 2009 (anyone visiting England from overseas let me know
and I'll take you round the (small) show personally).

There are also some photos I took in Canada during my summer holiday
(=vacation) in July/August 2007.

I've just uploaded 22 more pictures of G scale model Broke Brick
Mountain. These can be seen starting at
http://mikehughes627.fotopic.net/p51453737.html (photos are sorted by
latest uploaded first)

Charlie fox-Wilson has already made some changes ready to make the
layout even larger that it already is. The latest photos record the work
that he's done so far. You will have to be quick to see them as Charlie
tells me there will be even more to be photographed in about 4 weeks
time as he expects to have the extension built by then.

Anyone near the village hall at Firle East Sussex on Monday 25 August
can get a view of this layout and South Shore Model Railroad Club member
Cliff South's Ashley, Danville and Deanstown Railroad (AD&D). They are
raising money for a charity which helps provide teaching facilities in
rural Gambia. I will post a reminder with further info nearer the date.

Failing this both layouts will be at South Shore Railroad Club's show on
21 March 2009 at Boundstone College, Sompting, West Susses. Details from
the web site www.southshore.org.uk. Make a note in your diary to come
and say hello.

It seems that I've become the club's amateur, unpaid, unofficial,
untrained photographer as Cliff has already asked me to take photos of
the updated AD&D for posting to my fotopic site. I can only post a
limited representation of the layouts so both Charlie and Cliff have
told me that they will be setting up their own fotopic sites some time
soon where we can post a fuller range of photos for your viewing
pleasure. I'll post the url's when we get them (about 2-3 weeks).

In the meantime enjoy the photos.

Any feedback would be very welcome as I will print it out and show the
club members just how far around the world their fame is spreading (OK I
can dream can't I) or not as the case may be :-))

Signature

Mike Hughes
A Taxi driver licensed for London and Brighton
at home in Tarring, West Sussex, England
Interested in American trains real and model?
Look here http://mikehughes627.fotopic.net/

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Dale Gloer - 24 Jun 2008 19:14 GMT

Mike,

great to see the pictures. I was in Worthing from Sept to Dec 2007 and
attended the show at Boundstone in September. I enjoyed the visit and
as I said, it is great to see you pictures on the 'net.

Dale Gloer

> The following link is to my fotopic site where I've posted some pictures
> of model railroads made by members of South Shore Model Railroad Club
> based in Worthing, West Sussex, England,
> http://mikehughes627.fotopic.net/

Reply to this Message

Mike Hughes - 24 Jun 2008 23:37 GMT

>Mike,
>
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
>Dale Gloer

Did we meet? I'm the fat guy who was near the entrance with the
timesaver layout. If you can make it again on 21 March 2009 I'd love to
meet you .

Signature

Mike Hughes
A Taxi driver licensed for London and Brighton
at home in Tarring, West Sussex, England
Interested in American trains real and model?
Look here http://mikehughes627.fotopic.net/

Reply to this Message

Dale Gloer - 25 Jun 2008 15:38 GMT

We may have met - I don't remember. Unfortunately I will not be there
for the March show.

Our local club, the Southern Alberta Model Railway Club, is hosting the
regional NMRA convention this summer. You can check out the details at
www3.telus.net/samrc
My layout, the Coyote Sub, is on the layout tour and there are a few
pictures of it on the site - more will soon be added.

Dale.

>> Mike,
>>
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> timesaver layout. If you can make it again on 21 March 2009 I'd love to
> meet you .

Reply to this Message

Mike Hughes - 25 Jun 2008 19:20 GMT

>We may have met - I don't remember. Unfortunately I will not be there
>for the March show.
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>My layout, the Coyote Sub, is on the layout tour and there are a few
>pictures of it on the site - more will soon be added.

It's a great pity that it wasn't last year. I was in Edmonton visiting
relatives. They used to live in Lethbridge when they first moved out
there, but then moved to Grande Cache - they were in the jails - but as
guards not inmates! That's why I went to Grande Cache and managed to get
photos of two trains in the yard at Winniandy, a place which usually
only sees two or three trains in a week. Follow the link in my signature
to get to the real trains section.

Signature

Mike Hughes
A Taxi driver licensed for London and Brighton
at home in Tarring, West Sussex, England
Interested in American trains real and model?
Look here http://mikehughes627.fotopic.net/

Reply to this Message

Pac Man - 25 Jun 2008 16:39 GMT

Hey, no kiddin'? That's almost the name of my club, the South Shore
Model Railway Club, in Hingham, MA. www.ssmrc.org I'm the one with the
full dark beard holding the sign.

> Charlie fox-Wilson has already made some changes ready to make the
> layout even larger that it already is. The latest photos record the work
> that he's done so far. You will have to be quick to see them as Charlie
> tells me there will be even more to be photographed in about 4 weeks
> time as he expects to have the extension built by then.

Okay, dumb question: is Charlie Fox-Wilson any relation to Lord Charles
Fox from the 1700's? My hometown is named after Lord Fox (Foxborough, MA),
and the town recently erected a monument to him.

> Anyone near the village hall at Firle East Sussex on Monday 25 August
> can get a view of this layout and South Shore Model Railroad Club member
> Cliff South's Ashley, Danville and Deanstown Railroad (AD&D). They are
> raising money for a charity which helps provide teaching facilities in
> rural Gambia. I will post a reminder with further info nearer the date.

AD&D? Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fan? Or coincidence? :-)

> Failing this both layouts will be at South Shore Railroad Club's show on
> 21 March 2009 at Boundstone College, Sompting, West Susses. Details from
> the web site www.southshore.org.uk. Make a note in your diary to come and
> say hello.

I went to the link, and I saw that your Treasurer is Bevis King. Now, I
know this is gonna sound weird, but is he by any chance the same Bevis that
actually came to the States and visited our club? I mean, it's not like
that's a common name in England, is it?

> Any feedback would be very welcome as I will print it out and show the
> club members just how far around the world their fame is spreading (OK I
> can dream can't I) or not as the case may be :-))

Nice modeling work. The "Broke Brick Mountain" is something I've not
seen before with it's large back drop, and it looks good. I like the
Operations challenge at Lynneton Yard, tho' I would have removed the packing
foam from the switcher. ;-) Also, I would have tried to keep the equipment
to the same era. The boxcars without roofwalks do not really go with cars
that have roofwalks as it was a pretty fast turnover in the early 1970's.
And I think ice reefers were long gone by the time Chessie came into being.
About the numbers on the roof...if it's for the public to try, it's
probably the best way to go. Unfortunately. Sigh. ;-)

Paul A. Cutler III
*************
Weather Or No Go New Haven
*************

Reply to this Message

Mike Hughes - 25 Jun 2008 19:15 GMT

>> The following link is to my fotopic site where I've posted some pictures
>> of model railroads made by members of South Shore Model Railroad Club
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
>Fox from the 1700's? My hometown is named after Lord Fox (Foxborough, MA),
>and the town recently erected a monument to him.

I don't think so, but if it helps you I'll put some more photos on the
modelling part of my site soon and I'll include a photo of Charlie and
Syd Bunker, another of our members. In the meantime I think that there
is a photo of Charlie already on one of the earlier photos of Broke
Brick Mountain

>> Anyone near the village hall at Firle East Sussex on Monday 25 August
>> can get a view of this layout and South Shore Model Railroad Club member
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
> AD&D? Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fan? Or coincidence? :-)

LOL

If you want to see the reasoning behind this one have a look at the club
web site www.southshore.otg.uk and follow the links to the layouts,
click on the black coloured name of the layout and read the background
info.

>> Failing this both layouts will be at South Shore Railroad Club's show on
>> 21 March 2009 at Boundstone College, Sompting, West Susses. Details from
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>actually came to the States and visited our club? I mean, it's not like
>that's a common name in England, is it?

You are absolutely right. In fact our web site has a link to an American
site - yours I believe :-))

>> Any feedback would be very welcome as I will print it out and show the
>> club members just how far around the world their fame is spreading (OK I
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>to the same era. The boxcars without roofwalks do not really go with cars
>that have roofwalks as it was a pretty fast turnover in the early 1970's.

Again read the background information on Lynneton Yard the you will see
that there is a heritage railroad centre at Michaelsberg, the nearby
main railroad town and they 'run in' their locos and also provide
various cars for filming use, which is why you can see all sorts of
mixtures - honest!

>And I think ice reefers were long gone by the time Chessie came into being.
> About the numbers on the roof...if it's for the public to try, it's
>probably the best way to go. Unfortunately. Sigh. ;-)

We have to have large numbers so that the public (and some modellers)
can see which car they are referring to.

If anyone is coming to Worthing on a Wednesday (except the second Wed of
each month) they'll be most welcome to come and join us. I can bring
Lynneton Yard for you to try and I'm sure there'll be something else to
see. We meet at Sompting but just send me an e-mail and I'll give you
full details.

Signature

Mike Hughes
A Taxi driver licensed for London and Brighton
at home in Tarring, West Sussex, England
Interested in American trains real and model?
Look here http://mikehughes627.fotopic.net/

Reply to this Message

Pac Man - 26 Jun 2008 20:39 GMT

> I don't think so, but if it helps you I'll put some more photos on the
> modelling part of my site soon and I'll include a photo of Charlie and Syd
> Bunker, another of our members. In the meantime I think that there is a
> photo of Charlie already on one of the earlier photos of Broke Brick
> Mountain

Nah, don't bother. It was just a fleeting thought, really. It's not
often one hears the last name of the person one's town is named after in the
same place he represented (West Sussex).

> LOL
>
> If you want to see the reasoning behind this one have a look at the club
> web site www.southshore.otg.uk and follow the links to the layouts, click
> on the black coloured name of the layout and read the background info.

Interesting history, there. How much of it is fiction?

> You are absolutely right. In fact our web site has a link to an American
> site - yours I believe :-))

Well, I'll be danged. There it is. Hey, great to hear from you guys!
Tell Bevis that we said hi! ;-) Tell him that Dan had a heckuva wreck on
Monday...he went through a close mainline crossover and derailed just about
every car in a tunnel. Then Dan tried to back up with disastrous results
(several jacknifed cars, etc.). Truly spectacular!

> Again read the background information on Lynneton Yard the you will see
> that there is a heritage railroad centre at Michaelsberg, the nearby main
> railroad town and they 'run in' their locos and also provide various cars
> for filming use, which is why you can see all sorts of mixtures - honest!

I believe it. But, um, does the real UP yard switcher have large foam
blocks on either end? LOL

> We have to have large numbers so that the public (and some modellers) can
> see which car they are referring to.

Oh, agreed. I think if I were to do a similar switching layout for the
public, I might use just the color of the car. Looking at the pics, you
have white, gray, blue, yellow, and brown cars. I'd probably draw a map of
the layout, and color code it for the cars...just to make it even simpler
for the "guests" to use. What do you think?

> If anyone is coming to Worthing on a Wednesday (except the second Wed of
> each month) they'll be most welcome to come and join us. I can bring
> Lynneton Yard for you to try and I'm sure there'll be something else to
> see. We meet at Sompting but just send me an e-mail and I'll give you full
> details.

Heh. The only way I'm going to try that one is if you ship the whole
darn thing to our club. 3000 miles is a little far to go just to visit a
layout, and none of my family has traveled to England in some 25 years (and
that was to see our relatives in Yorkshire).

Paul A. Cutler III
*************
Weather Or No Go New Haven
*************

Reply to this Message

Mike Hughes - 27 Jun 2008 08:40 GMT

> Well, I'll be danged. There it is. Hey, great to hear from you guys!
>Tell Bevis that we said hi! ;-) Tell him that Dan had a heckuva wreck on
>Monday...he went through a close mainline crossover and derailed just about
>every car in a tunnel. Then Dan tried to back up with disastrous results
>(several jacknifed cars, etc.). Truly spectacular!

I've sent him a copy of this message

>> Again read the background information on Lynneton Yard the you will see
>> that there is a heritage railroad centre at Michaelsberg, the nearby main
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> I believe it. But, um, does the real UP yard switcher have large foam
>blocks on either end? LOL

Didn't you know I'd started a new trend which has been copied by UP. The
foam block are soon to become a mandatory Health and Safety requirement.
The foam is specially formulated so that it cushions the bodies of the
UP train crews when they are moving about the front and rear of any
loco, but in particular NW2's :-))

>> If anyone is coming to Worthing on a Wednesday (except the second Wed of
>> each month) they'll be most welcome to come and join us. I can bring
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>layout, and none of my family has traveled to England in some 25 years (and
>that was to see our relatives in Yorkshire).

I've yet to put it to a vote with the members of the club but I feel
certain that most of them will be very happy to bring their layouts (and
the operators) to you. I assume you will you be sending the expenses
before we leave :-))

Signature

Mike Hughes
A Taxi driver licensed for London and Brighton
at home in Tarring, West Sussex, England
Interested in American trains real and model?
Look here http://mikehughes627.fotopic.net/

Reply to this Message

Pac Man - 27 Jun 2008 16:12 GMT

> I've sent him a copy of this message

When I told Dan about this conversation last night at the club, he got
this pained look on his face and said, "Is there anyone you didn't tell
about the train wreck?" Heh. I didn't mention that it's been posted for
the whole world to see on r.m.r.

> Didn't you know I'd started a new trend which has been copied by UP. The
> foam block are soon to become a mandatory Health and Safety requirement.
> The foam is specially formulated so that it cushions the bodies of the UP
> train crews when they are moving about the front and rear of any loco, but
> in particular NW2's :-))

Ooh, that's a good one. ;-) Once OSHA gets involved, we'll have to
install "safety foam" on all our locomotives...including steam!

> I've yet to put it to a vote with the members of the club but I feel
> certain that most of them will be very happy to bring their layouts (and
> the operators) to you. I assume you will you be sending the expenses
> before we leave :-))

Har-dee-har-har. Not a chance...unless your club members are shipped in
the box with the layouts! ;-)
Now I must go and write another edition of "The Operator" for my club's
newsletter. It's a multi-page review of each Operation session that we
have, and really our only form of rule enforcement at the club. See, each
time an operator screws up, he gets an "Oops!" in print (no demerits or
anything like that, just a little peer pressue). As you can guess, Dan gets
mentioned frequently. LOL

Paul A. Cutler III
*************
Weather Or No Go New Haven
*************

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Model Forum / General / Railroads / June 2008

American model railroads by British modellers