7mm Stroudley Park

[SouthernFan Ian]

Today was the day I erected Stroudley Park for the first time. My wife was out for a Christmas Lunch so took over the consevatory for Stroudley Park. It’s quite surprising how much space a small 0 Gauge layout occupies in what I thought was a large space. Here’s a few general images. I just couldn’t resist ‘testing’ some locomotives!!!

There’s still much more to do but it was a very enjoyable day. I think a celebratory glass of Auchentoshan is called for.
Regards,
Ian

 

[simond]

Slainte!

 

[coal tank]

Fabulous

 

[SouthernFan Ian]

Some joker thought it would be funny to attach a bogie brake van to the morning milk train.
With much cursing, wheel spinning and engine revving, the full milk tanks were positioned for emptying. At least the guard was pleased, he had a smoother ride.

 

[spikey faz]

Today was the day I erected Stroudley Park for the first time. My wife was out for a Christmas Lunch so took over the consevatory for Stroudley Park. It’s quite surprising how much space a small 0 Gauge layout occupies in what I thought was a large space. Here’s a few general images. I just couldn’t resist ‘testing’ some locomotives!!!
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There’s still much more to do but it was a very enjoyable day. I think a celebratory glass of Auchentoshan is called for.
Regards,
Ian

Love the Bulleid West Country. Do you mind me asking which kit it is based on?

Mike

 

[SouthernFan Ian]

Love the Bulleid West Country. Do you mind me asking which kit it is based on?

Mike

Hello Mike,
It’s actually a Meteor Models kit. It took me a long time to build as I decided to scratch build several components as I wasn’t happy with some of them. I also added sprung Hornblocks as well. Most of the cab backhead is scratch build. I would have preferred a Finney kit but Meteor was the cheaper option.

Regards,
Ian

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Some joker thought it would be funny to attach a bogie brake van to the morning milk train.
With much cursing, wheel spinning and engine revving, the full milk tanks were positioned for emptying. At least the guard was pleased, he had a smoother ride.

At least the joker used one converted from the ex-LBSC electric 'luggage/milk' driving vans.

 

[SouthernFan Ian]

At least the joker used one converted from the ex-LBSC electric 'luggage/milk' driving vans.

You’re quite right Dave. Makes a change from a Queen Mary type.
Regards,
Ian

 

[SouthernFan Ian]

Spring time refers not to the season but spring suspension. A job I’ve been putting off for months.

The photograph shows Ruston No1 carefully pushing a Van C carrying churn traffic into the dairy and there lays the problem.
A Van C is long wheelbase and when I built it several years ago, I nievely built it without any form of suspension.
I recently discovered Connoisseur Kits retro fit spring suspension kits and this gave me the opportunity (with bated breath I might add) to carve the under frame of the van to accept spring suspension.
The kit is extremely well thought out and went together like a dream. My biggest dread was prising out the wheels to shorten the axle by removing the axle ends.
Now fitted plus a bit of 20 thou packing for free running, the end result is shown here just waiting for a bit of attention from the airbrush to blend it all together.

 

[SouthernFan Ian]

I’m making a sign for the layout but it’s not going at all well!!!

 

[SouthernFan Ian]

Last week, Stroudley Park was erected in the conservatory again (this is becoming habit forming). Fellow Western Thunderer Dave Bowden was there, along with two other local 0 gauge modellers with a friend from Holland.


Bill Rankin’s H Class is in the foreground and my Brighton D3 is about to depart with a Balloon push pull trailer and an arc roof lav composite. Both locos have split frames electric power collection.


The finished running in board was fitted for the first time and I am pleased with the result. My original plan was to have a proscenium arch but I felt it would be to intrusive and impede shunting operations. I rather like the openness and from a practical point of view, it holds the top edge of the backscene in line.
Regards,
Ian

 

[SouthernFan Ian]

I am venturing into a world I have often considered but never visited: The World of Sequence Timetable Operation.
The problem is I do not really know where to start preparing a timetable that will actually work!
All the turnouts on Stroudley Park are now numbered and the crossover at the station throat is visually identified as 4A and 4B. Plans are in hand to label each turnout control switch with N and R for normal and reverse. It is intended to incorporate this nomenclature into the timetable.
I suspect to create a proper timetable that works will take a considerable amount of time.
If any Western Thunderers use a sequence timetable, would you be willing to share your thoughts please? Thank you.
Regards,
Ian

 

[AdeMoore]

I’ve also no idea Ian but my starting point would be using Ai to get me going!

 

[James Spooner]

I am venturing into a world I have often considered but never visited: The World of Sequence Timetable Operation.
The problem is I do not really know where to start preparing a timetable that will actually work!
All the turnouts on Stroudley Park are now numbered and the crossover at the station throat is visually identified as 4A and 4B. Plans are in hand to label each turnout control switch with N and R for normal and reverse. It is intended to incorporate this nomenclature into the timetable.
I suspect to create a proper timetable that works will take a considerable amount of time.
If any Western Thunderers use a sequence timetable, would you be willing to share your thoughts please? Thank you.
Regards,
Ian

Hi Ian,

I do use a sequence on Elmham Market, but cheated as the station is based heavily on Lavenham. I obtained a copy of the working timetable for the Stour Valley lines in the early 1950s and used that as the basis. When I added Stratford St James into the equation I overlaid a service of four return push pull trains and a daily pick up goods into the existing timetable/sequence.

i think, if I were starting from scratch, I would do some research into common train frequencies for stations of the same ilk as yours. I would then factor in things like your dairy, which is going to need at least one train of tankers a day, plus probably incoming items such as coal etc and start to build a pattern. At the end of the day, the world is really your oyster; if you want to add in horse-box specials for a nearby racecourse, you can!

Nigel