The Shankly and Gdynia Railway

[IanAlan]

Thank you BB and Brian for your kind words.

Regarding that last picture, BB, I was in two minds about uploading it. I like it very much, but I wondered if it might be a bit too artistic for many viewers. It does show off some of the metal rails that I had to bend into shape to create the safety fence on the Ratio coaling tower. Last year when I was making the coaling tower, I put off doing this for several months because it looked too fiddly. To my surprise and relief, it worked first time although I used three pieces of wire per horizontal railing instead of two as suggested in the instructions. If you look back to posts in this thread from about a year ago, you'll see photos where the engineers are working at the top of the coaling tower without any safety railings. Dangerous work practice indeed.

Regarding the BIG 100,000 views, Brian, I deliberately stopped looking at the numbers when I reached something like 90,000. I was contemplating taking a peek, but obviously the numbers added up quicker than I thought, so thanks for alerting me. Thank you to everyone who has taken a look at the photos of my layout, and an extra thank you for those who have contributed comments, asked questions or engaged in discussions. Thanks also to those who have answered my questions, either here or on other threads on MRF. It's good to share.

So here's a little more sharing.

[IanAlan]

For any England Football Club fans who feel a little down in the dumps, like myself, here are some photos to try to ease us back to post-Euro normality.

Aerial View of Shankly


Another Busy Day at Shankly


Cows at Van Dijk Farm


Pigs at Carragher Farm

[glencairn]

A layout with always something going on. Van Dijk Farm, Carragher Farm, yes a Liverpool fan.

I stuck to family names.

Glencairn

[IanAlan]

Hi Glencairn,
It's nice that you spotted the Liverpool FC names. I'm racking my brains as to how to get a few more in, especially those from the Champions League winning team of 2019 (it seems so long ago). The Railroad car transporter might get a new corporate name, 'Fabinho'. Like yourself Glencairn, I have also used a few family names. Before my de-urbanization last month, I had 'Julie's Fashion and Shoes' (sister and fashion-follower) and 'Anton's Garage and Buses' (nephew and bus driver). I've also printed out 'Kevin's Models and Trains' (brother-in-law and model railway enthusiast), but never got this on a model building. As well as that, there was 'Hinson's Books and Magazines' (life-long friend, best man and bookworm). So it's certainly a personalised layout.

Footbridge and Cattle


Horses at Origi Farm


Rural Idyll


Changing the Rails


The Little Blue Locomotive Rides Again


Did you notice anything there? I'm wondering whether footbridges have names. Wijnaldum Bridge? Am I pushing my luck with that one?

[Chops]

Delightful and inspiring views. The ability to slide in what appears to be 3 mains and a few sidings is simply unheard of here in North America, in that given space. The effect here makes everything look geographically bigger and quite busy. Even still photos look like bee hives of activity. One of my favorite British layouts.

[IanAlan]

Hi Chops,
Once again I must thank you for your kind remarks. It's nice to receive such a compliment. For the record, the base board is approximately 4' 8'' by 6' 1'' (or 140cm X 185cm if you prefer metric), hardly big but not small either. There are actually four main lines (all 'oval') as can be seen in the following photo.



The inner circuit is actually one and a half circuits as there is a shortcut, which can be seen in front of the central engine shed in this photo. There's also a siding going to (and through) the engine shed.



The outer circuit is also one and a half circuits as there is a long way round which includes the island platform of Shankly and the tunnel. The Class 73 is on this line in this photo.



Unfortunately, most of my locomotives, coaches and wagons don't like the Y shaped points either end of the island platform. It could be called Derailment Corner, so I've tended not to use it much for moving trains. Usually it's more for static display. The new Class 73 has no problem crossing the Y points and neither do three of the new long wagons (in some directions at least), so it's had a new lease of life in the last couple of weeks. I was planning to replace the points and island with a straight line of track, which I hope will make it usable by all my stock.

[IanAlan]

My internet connection died while I was writing my last post, so I lost some of the editing I had done. I had typed that I had postponed putting in the new straight line while I was enjoying sending the Class 73 and the long wagons around the island platform. I was also going to direct your attention to the last photo in that post which shows fairly clearly the 'less is more' redevelopment of the island platform. I think it looks better with more space for the passengers, sign boards, benches and lampposts, and fewer buildings. This is a reversal of my usual practice of putting more stuff in, rather than taking stuff out. Perhaps the layout reached saturation point, hence my ruralisation.

Class 73 Exiting Paisley Tunnel


Janus on Its Travels


The Flying Scotsman Rides Again


Waiting for the Train to Pass


Sunday Afternoon by the War Memorial

[Carl L]

Love the servicing cameo, great idea, which if you don’t mind I may copy. Having built the same tower , knowing how fiddly the rails and posts are I think you made a great job, better than I did.

And congratulations on the 100,000 milestone.

[IanAlan]

Hi Carl,
Thank you for your supportive comments. You probably recognise the Dapol railway workers who are changing the rails, but I'll mention their brand in case anyone else doesn't know where they came from. The original models were Airfix, but that was long, long ago. You are very welcome to 'copy' the scene Carl, as is anyone else who's looking at any part of my layout. I don't think of it as 'copying', I call it 'recycling' as people see something that someone else has done done and use it for inspiration to make their own variation, which is always - at the very least - a little different. Learning from others is one of the building blocks of civilisation, so I'm all for it. I'm sure there are other MRF members who have seen things I've 'recycled' from them, but I hope that I've always made it just a little different although I must admit that I haven't always acknowledged my inspiration.

Regarding the tower Carl, as I said in an earlier post, it took me many months to pluck up the courage to do the railings at the top, and also to add the ladder, which I put on vertically, rather than at an angle. That was just as well as it left me some unused girders, which I needed because I kept breaking the diagonal support bars that couldn't withstand the pressure of my finger and thumb whenever I picked it up. I have now learnt to pick it up seldom and by the legs.

I have to admit that the teenager inside me is rather pleased with the 100,000 plus views, despite being in my later fifties.

More Shankly Days


Down on the Farm


Class 73 in Your Face

[IanAlan]

It's been a busy week redecorating the house without much chance to do anything railway related, but here are some photos from last month.

Class 73 Locomotive at Shankly