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Shelf queens and lambs for slaughter

Or maybe that should read “for laughter” when my bodgery has been applied?

I have no idea how the Duke of Connaught will compare for scale with Lledo trams but, repainted, it might be suitable for display on the bridge over High Street. It can’t possibly be worse than the Lone Star diesel currently occupying the track, can it?

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The showman’s engine is too small for On30, probably just too big for OO, but intended for neither. It will join my collection of vintage die cast road vehicles as a shelf queen. The Model T Ford will make another hillbilly flatbed for use on the FCPyF but the Bentley will probably be cannibalised for spares. £3.31 (plus p&p) for the lot, I’d happily have paid that for the showman’s engine alone.

Another mixed lot of die cast toys picked up overnight includes three matchbox diesel shunters. More cut and shut fodder as puppetry locomotives on Poachers Hill, Muchness Light and the Wagon Repair Depot. Yes, I already have several of these but I can vary the weathering from total rust buckets to ex-works for variety… And they’re cheap, this lot was £1.16 (plus p&p)! Not sure what to do with the two steam engines, possibly join them together as a bicabine or a Fairlie? A sojourn in the scrap box is more likely. The van and the remnants of a coach are unlikely to be of use but, while under scale, the saloon car might be suitable as a background model in On30. The articulated lorry might be entertaining as a restoration project. The axle from its trailer could replace the missing rear on the tractor, where it matches the front wheels, and be replaced itself by a spare from the scrapbox that would not necessarily need to match.

A positive note from the garage, I have cleaned the wheels on the motive power in readiness for an operating session on the FCPyF later this week. If any local modellers are free and would like to visit they’re welcome to enquire by email (oscalemodelle@aol.co.uk). It would encourage me to finish tidying up instead of working round the detritus still present in the garage after replacing the front room carpet!

Timetable cutbacks

I have still not got round to an operating session on the FCPyF. It seems to me that the best way of going about it without assistance from a second operator will be a drastic cut in the number of trains to be included in the sequence. To this end the Perejil to Colina Rosa line has lost its freight service and is down to one passenger train a day in each direction between San Fernandez (N) and Cuarto (via Puente Guia). This maintains Cuarto’s through service to the capital and will be operated by railcar 55, shown below at Resurreccion.

Cuarto’s other remaining passenger service works from and to Grande, operated by railcar 48 as seen at Pano Cucina.

There are two daily passenger trains in each direction on the main line with both paired trips meeting at Colina Rosa. Loco 85 starts and finishes the day at Grande while railcar 81 is based at San Fernandez. The railcar is routed via the passing siding in both directions so the loco hauled train can take the easier route on the main.

That brings us on to more profitable business.

The daily freight from San Fernandez Norte to Grande (via Casablanca) is handled by diesel number 82 while number 84 makes two round trips on the Cuarto mineral trains.

The unsung heroes of any operating session are the shunt engines at Cuarto and Grande.

The top shunter shifts loads and empties between the mine and the long siding at Cuarto and its counterpart at Grande is kept busy moving general freight traffic out of the way while the hoppers are emptied at the elevator, a job made considerably easier by the recent extension on the south end of the goods siding.

Down to a (hopefully) manageable fourteen trains plus shunting manoeuvres. Passenger trains are shown in bold type. The shunt engines (targets 15 and 16) operate to local instructions as required. Observant readers will note the absence of steam locomotives in the sequence. Mogul 60 is kept at Grande shed as a spare engine should one of the diesels fail but no other steam engines are scheduled to work during this operating session. A couple of spare coaches are at Cuarto in case of railcar failure, they can be transferred to Grande on the booked mineral trains if required.

A tale of two termini

Derrotado translates from Spanish to English as defeated, in theory the place name originates from an early attempt at crossing the mountains between the north and south of Sierra Oculta. The railway got this far but went no further, dismissed the surveyor and adopted an alternative route though easier terrain at the cost of greater mileage. The layout’s history is also a tale of defeat. In the beginning it was nothing more than an off stage fiddleyard at one end of a disconnected branch line. The other end was a cassette which could transfer trains from the branch to the layout’s (then) main fiddleyard representing the north end of the main line.

The second phase was adding scenery to make a tuning fork terminus with a turntable for passenger railcars. Freight trains were operated by propelling them “from the junction” with a caboose leading.

This version of the branch was quite satisfying to operate but the cassette transfer eventually became a chore, and the primary reason for the next stage. This was a major overhaul of the track plan with the branch being connected to the main line fiddleyard via a pair of lift-out bridges with a portable section sitting between them.

This became known as the “Deviation Line” and was, at the same time, extended over a third lift-out bridge, from Derrotado to a new terminus at San Fernandez Veinte Veinte (it was built in 2020).

This is where the actual defeat took place. The third bridge was an operational nightmare. With tight curves at both ends it proved almost impossible to run trains without derailments and was quite short-lived. San Fernandez was soon relocated to its present position, displacing Derrotado in the process.

Once again serving as a branch terminus, Derrotado briefly acquired a run round loop when the goods siding was connected to the turntable but this was a detraction from operations rather than an advantage and the track plan soon reverted to being the original tuning fork. The branch’s overhead wiring brings its story up to date, in theory the operating practice of having a locomotive at the downhill end of the train is due to steep gradients, making the branch a natural candidate for electrification.

At the start of this article I said Derrotado translates as defeated. So it does, but the real reason is because I have long admired the late John Allen’s HO scale Gorre & Daphetid. Hence “a tale of two termini”.

Not so much the later versions, though his scenery was among the best of its time. It is the compact early versions that appeal to me. The second version in particular because the siting of the loco and freight sidings seems more logical here. Note also the inclusion of a transfer facility between standard and narrow gauge. Not operational, just cosmetic, similar to the FCPyF’s break of gauge at Grande. Freight cars on sidings can sit for several hours, days even, without being moved. Not everything on a layout has to be operational!

Daphetid always played second fiddle to Gorre and was a tuning fork as first built though it was planned from the start as being for later expansion.

This expansion did come during the third edition of the layout but it reverted to being a very basic branch terminus again in the layout’s final incarnation.

Do you see the similarity between the development of Derrotado and that of Daphetid? The expansion and later contraction of Derrotado’s role in the overall scheme of things was not actually intended from the start but it did work out quite similar to that played by Daphetid over two decades from the1950s to the 1970s.

For all the superb mountain scenery I still think that tiny branch terminus was a very inspiring part of John Allen’s magnificent layout, if not for most then at least for micro layout fans.

Sadly it was lost in a fire shortly after John passed away in the early 1970s. I am not aware of any video footage showing the G&D in operation but the two YouTube links below contain extensive collections of photographs, a few of which I have copied to illustrate this article.

YouTube Link A / YouTube Link B

Lago Fernandez

The blog entry regarding hands on modelling reminded me of an unfinished job at Esquina del Fuego. A while ago the Tri-ang water tower was nicked for use at San Fernandez and a resin kit constructed as a replacement.

In actual fact I bought the kit for San Fernandez, it turned out too small but that’s by the by. Until this morning the smaller water tower had not been bedded into the scenery on the tramway terminus.

While I had the layout set up I noticed that the points in the yard were jammed. After a few minutes fiddling with them I decided it wasn’t worth the effort so I forced the blades over to the middle road and pinned them in place. The far siding is locked out of use until further notice, which probably means permanently. This, and the run round loop that was added two years ago, mean Esquina del Fuego is no longer an Inglenook so it has been renamed Lago Fernandez, logical for the terminus of the Tranvia Lago Fernandez.

The yard has not seen any revenue freight traffic for well over twelve months and the remaining siding is adequate for occasional engineers’ wagons that might turn up when there’s work to be done.

The tramway is not regularly operated with loco and stock these days, a pair of class 90 railbuses being preferred. The water tank, usually empty, has been retained for when special excursions venture onto the line with a steam engine in charge. There have been proposals to electrify the tramway and operate it, as with Derrotado, in connection with the San Fernandez rapid transit network. A major stumbling block is the need to build a wye for turning PCC cars.

Adding a couple of inches

I have added a minor extension on the south end of Grande. Two or three times a day the Cuarto mineral train drops off a set of loaded hoppers on the middle road at Grande and picks up the waiting empties for the return run.

Between the empties departing and the next set of loads arriving the local shunter pulls any mixed freight wagons from the goods siding so the hoppers can transfer their loads to a waiting broad gauge wagon via the elevator.

It is not much of an extension but that half car length is the difference between having to split a set of hoppers during unloading or shoving all three over the pit one after the other.

I originally thought I’d have to extend the two broad gauge tracks too but the FCPyF compound boundary wall on one side and a large bush on the other mean the cantilevered extension just needs to be an embankment with the narrow gauge siding on it.

Adding a couple of doors

The MDF kit intended for use as a row of terraced cottages on the High Street tramway layout is far to grand for a mill town so I have replaced the two existing doors and added two more so it is now a terrace of four houses.

The image above is what the kit makers, Sarissa Precision, designed the house (singular) to look like. I don’t build kits according to instructions.

Obviously still in need of a roof and gable ends, definitely a lot less des res, but those donkey stoned doorsteps show there’s still evidence of civic pride. You need to be of a certain age, and probably brought up in the north of England, to know what a donkey stone is. I do believe they’re still used in remote parts of Lancashire.

Hands on modelling

I have mentioned this in the past but it still rings true, when I first got internet access twenty some years ago there was an American modeller on one of the Yahoo groups (Do you remember them?) who built and operated shunting layouts using dummy locos, pushed by hand.

Consider the alternative, a supposedly steam or diesel engine being powered by electricity delivered through the running rails. Not really any more prototypical than pushing them by hand is it?

Anyway, back to the American gentleman, he got his enjoyment through solving the shunting puzzles. Freight cars could not move unless attached to the locomotive. How the locomotive moved was irrelevant to the freight car and, in turn, to solving the puzzles.

I have refined the manual contact with dummy locos slightly by using puppet rods to push or pull them, and also for “gravity” shunting on Esquina del Fuego and Meyham.

Using dummy locos and railcars saves fitting motors, gears and electrical pick ups, making construction a lot simpler, while the puppetry makes for extremely reliable operation.

Not one of the locos in the images or video above is motorised, they all rely on puppetry for animation. The reason I am waxing lyrical about push-along trains is because the Autumn 2026 edition of The Micro Model Railway Dispatch features an Inglenook layout built using Lone Star Trains (as opposed to Treble-O-Lectric).

It would probably be possible to attach a puppet rod to a Lone Star locomotive for a hands off appearance when operating but is it necessary? As with the American modeller referred to in the opening paragraph I’m sure Ben Bucki’s enjoyment when operating Star Lane Sidings comes from working out how to reposition the wagons (using the locomotive of course) rather than seeing the train move. There will be modellers who pooh-pooh such simplicity, preferring to spend mega money on electronic gismos to make their trains move… Then have to spend ages pushing buttons to get those gismos to work. I’ve tried DCC when guest operating at an exhibition, it does not float my boat.

If you like small layouts and you’re not familiar with the e-zine I would thoroughly recommend taking a look at The Dispatch. It is free, published quarterly, there’s no need to subscribe if you don’t want to but registering by email will gain you early access to the publications. At the time of writing this the Autumn ’26 edition has been circulated to subscribers only so you’ll have to wait a week before it goes public. When it does you will be able to find it on the link below.

micromodelrailwaydispatch.com

Terraced houses

It’s market day and I have a game of chess organised for this afternoon so just a brief update on the Blackcloud Tramways “High Street” micro. The laser cut MDF wargame scenery kit was delivered yesterday. I have loosely assembled the wall pieces, using back and front to get two for the price of one. Plain card will be provide the unseen rear of the building in addition to being used to double the roof’s length. The cushion stuffing is standing in for trees to fill the empty spaces on either side of the houses.

If I can make some new doors two of the ground floor windows will be replaced so the terrace has four instead of two houses. The combined structure will sit slightly lower in relation to street level when its foundations have been prepared. Replacing the department store with the terrace should create the desired “dreary northern town” look.

While I was in town a couple of eBay bids came in as winners. When the two lots (both from the same seller) are delivered I will have sufficient two foot radius curves to make a complete circle with some left over. There are also a pair of turnouts included so I am more inclined to go for the modular idea enabling a small(ish) shunting layout to be set up on the floor indoors while also leaving the option available for outdoor operations in fine weather. My RC Hunslet, being made from MDF, is not suitable for a garden railway when it is raining!

This and that

I retrieved the three Blackcloud Tramways micro layouts from storage yesterday so I could take fresh photographs for a website update. High Street has been in an unfinished state since 2022, the department store never looked right and I lost interest. A new Sarissa Precision kit has been ordered to replace the flat roofed building, hopefully the box file based micro will get completed soon.

On a somewhat larger scale, I mentioned in the previous post about my radio controlled SM32 diesel struggling on Hornby 1ft radius track. A box of 2ft radius curves has been delivered today and the loco can manage four skip wagons with no problems. There are not enough track sections for a full circle yet so, now knowing that they are suitable, I have put a bid in on some more.

The engine and train are currently adorning a bookshelf until such time as I can plan and construct a small garden railway for them. No hurry, the weather is back to normal and it’s a bit wet outside! On which note, you’re probably thinking Hornby tinplate track is not ideal for outdoors. I intend to paint it before use so it should last. However, a very tempting all-weather alternative to garden railwaying might be to attach small scenic bases to the track sections so they can be assembled in a similar manner to the Kato-style micro modules for indoor use.

Back on track

After the recent turmoil created by replacing the carpet I reclaimed the front room on Wednesday and moved the furniture back out of the garage. I can see the layout again! Track and wheel cleaning are on the cards for the FCPyF so a much delayed operating session can take place. There is still some alien rolling stock and other bits and pieces that need removing from the layout first so the session will be next week at the earliest. The FCPyF is not the only thing in mind though, I have made some progress with Allt-Na-Ballt’s conversion from O9/On18 to OO9/HOe this morning as shown in the raw, unedited, video below. Still to do after the paint on the platform dries, glaze the ticket hut window, fit a door on the netty and glue the buildings in place.

On the topic of roundy roundy layouts, I have added some ballast weight to my SM32 RC diesel in the hope that it’ll be able to pull the skin off a rice pudding. The Hornby tinplate track is for a proposed garden railway at some time in the future. Even with new batteries she struggled with two skips in reverse and didn’t like the one foot radius curves at all when running forwards. I need some larger curved sections. Apologies for another unedited video, I just do not have the patience for farting about with the various on line editors that are available. This is a hobby, it’s meant to be fun.

Another pending project for when Allt-Na-Ballt’s conversion is finished is altering the off stage arrangements for Cognito to use cassettes instead of clamped on fiddlesticks. There is no shunting involved with Cognito but some of the rolling stock has missing couplers, the cheapest way of replacing these is to use magnets and paperclip wire. I may also replace some of the existing hooks and loops to get closer coupling within the trains.

Some new four wheeled coaches have been delivered this week, they will replace the CCS’s bogie stock. Cognito is wired for conventional operation but it should lend itself to puppetry, at least for stopping trains. A puppet rod can push the rear of the train on stage as far as the station, by which time the front of the train will be obscured by either the water tower or the goods shed so the rod can be attached to the loco and pull the train off stage.

The diesel loco in the photo above has been borrowed from the Sans Serriffe Railway and may take up residence on the Cahoots, Cognito And Sane. The CCS is a freelance railway so nobody can say the use of imported foreign locomotives like the British steam engine and the Italian diesel is out of keeping.

SDRM October 2026

Easy walking distance from Newton For Hyde railway station and Bee Line bus services from Hyde bus station.