UK Screenshots for Pre BR Blue. High resolution warning.

The Redhill Standard Brick Company was a good find Tanker and being able to find exactly the right engine for the narrow gauge line on Steve Flander's website was an added bonus. If you're having problems finding photos of a particular area check out the University of Cambridge's 'Britain from the Air' archive https://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/collections/landscapehistories/1 Their search engine can be a bit annoying to use though.
Or failing that try the Britain from Above website. https://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/en/search?keywords=Merstham&country=england&year=all

I've been helped out more than once by old aerial photos when I couldn't find anything else in the way of photos.

Thanks Annie! "Britain From Above" is a very good friend of mine indeed. How else would I have gotten Haywards Heath finished without it? I also have an excellent aerial shot of London Victoria tucked away for when I finally make it that far in the project - I know exactly where Battersea Power Station goes thanks to that! :hehe:

I think this is going to be one of those "little lost railways" my grandpa always used to talk about. You know, the ones that were local, tiny lines that never really stood out when in operation. As he once told me, They came and went like the wind Alex, known only to the people that lived near them. I'm just happy to have discovered the line in the first place! Surrey is the last place I expected to see 2ft Gauge Lines!

Did a little bit more looking and while it looks like the Company itself was in Redhill, the sand pits and brickworks were in Helmensthorpe. That tri-branch yard formation was actually built for their locomotives use instead of being a goods yard for Merstham. Makes sense in a way. I also found a lead on this mystery line..

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Imma buy me that book.

Tanker46,
Great news on your progress. It's all very exciting to see the screenshots and hear how quickly your route seems to be falling into place. You are closing fast on London, Victoria. The miles are melting away. I'm following with great interest. Pace yourself though.

Thanks for the concern Gary. I will make sure to keep at an even pace.

Honestly, I'm following the same style as Pflindey's GCR Mainline - my main priority is laying the track, road and landscaping before I set down towns and scenery. Of course there are crucial lineside scenics that need to be put in so I don't lose my train of thought! London is going to force me to take a good long while to finish. So many houses...

Brighton, Haywards Heath, Three Bridges and Redhill are the four main areas I've practically finished - and there are several revisions I will end up doing once I get feedback from the beta. A lot of work to do before I start extending the route to Kent! :D
 
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That looks like an interesting book Tanker. Having purchased a few books on 'lost little railways' just recently I'm going to have to put the brakes on buying more until I've had a chance to read what I've got already.

I'm still having problems with being more sleepy than usual so I'm sticking to working on my Norfolk layout for the present time. After reading about the Axholme Joint Railway and its connection to the GNR-GER Joint line I decided to have a L&Y passenger service making a connection to one of the major stations on my layout. The schedule and the final details are a still up in the air at the moment, but it gave me a chance to play trains with my new Camscott L&Y class 5 tank engine.

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I love that L&Y Tank Annie. Camscott's models are such a treat to operate but his L&Y Locos are something else. I've taken a real deep interest in that railway and I might pursue a project in it once I free up my schedule some.

I'm really wanting to see more of the Norfolk Route you are doing.
 
I love that L&Y Tank Annie. Camscott's models are such a treat to operate but his L&Y Locos are something else. I've taken a real deep interest in that railway and I might pursue a project in it once I free up my schedule some.

I'm really wanting to see more of the Norfolk Route you are doing.

True enough, - Camscott seems to have gone to the next level with these newest L&Y engines.

If you want to start an L&Y project sometime in the future it might be worthwhile getting a copy of the book I posted, 'The Axholme Joint Railway'. It was very much a rural railway with nothing too complex to deal with in the way of infrastructure. It could be a good way to dip your toe in the water without committing yourself to a big project.

I'm still doing a fair bit of scenic updating work after transferring my Norfolk layout from TR2012, but by and large it's still a working layout. My present project is getting rid of all the portals and replacing them with storage loops which makes for much better schedule management.

A snap I took of No.8 in charge of the local passenger train at Windweather Harbour.


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Ah! My favorite Tramway has returned - and in TRS19 no less! And there is the Single Driver again! I am quite fond of that little tank. Those coaches are quite a favorite of mine as well! Did Paul make those for you Annie?

I will make a mental note of that book. Building smaller routes is definitely appealing to me as it allows for far greater detail. To be honest, I've actually considered creating a separate release of the Folkstone Harbor Branch as an independent route once I get to the southeast coast. We have all the SECR Locos needed to run it thanks to Paulhobbs! Would be nice to build an L&Y Branch Route in a similar fashion.

It's definitely a good place to start. Honestly I think the SR Project is going to be the one and only large scale project I put out. By the time I finish it, the kids will be about 7-8 years old and I am sure I will have far less time to dedicate to public Trainz projects. Outside of tweaking and updating the SR Project of course!
 
Ah! My favorite Tramway has returned - and in TRS19 no less! And there is the Single Driver again! I am quite fond of that little tank. Those coaches are quite a favorite of mine as well! Did Paul make those for you Annie?

Transfering my Norfolk layout to TRS19 was surprisingly painless with most of the work needing to be done being updating trees and ground textures. My main reason for doing the transfer was that TS2012 was really struggling to render and operate the layout which was preventing me from continuing to develop it. And yes the single driver tanks also survived the transfer and they've had some further rebuilding work done as well.
The coaches are from Paul's website and are Barry Railway and North Staffordshire Railway 4 wheelers that I've reskinned and modified for use on my layout. It pays to have a good poke around on Paul's website as he has all kinds of things hiding away in odd corners.

I'm finding that I'm having to give up on larger sized layout projects these days, - mostly due to this illness I've got. Pottering around on my Norfolk layout is fine, but I know very well that if I was starting to build it now I couldn't do it. So yes smaller routes are good for me as well, - like the update I recently did on the Ashington Branch and also the work I'm doing on my Broad Gauge Minehead branch.

I've actually considered creating a separate release of the Folkstone Harbor Branch as an independent route once I get to the southeast coast.


I think that would be a really good idea Tanker and I'm sure that it would be popular.
 
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Transfering my Norfolk layout to TRS19 was surprisingly painless with most of the work needing to be done being updating trees and ground textures. My main reason for doing the transfer was that TS2012 was really struggling to render and operate the layout which was preventing me from continuing to develop it. And yes the single driver tanks also survived the transfer and they've had some further rebuilding work done as well.

Indeed! That rendering issue with TS12 was the major factor in making the switch over to TANE. When it takes an hour to load a line side screenshot of the GCR Mainline, then you have a bit of a problem. That's also why porting the SR Project to TRS19 was inevitable. Once it reached a certain size in TANE it began glitching out for some reason. I have no problems with it in TRS19 now! :D

The coaches are from Paul's website and are Barry Railway and North Staffordshire Railway 4 wheelers that I've reskinned and modified for use on my layout. It pays to have a good poke around on Paul's website as he has all kinds of things hiding away in odd corners.

I thought a couple of those were NSR Reskins! You sure do know your stuff Annie!

Paul has had an excellent selection as long as I have been involved in Trainz. My North Blythe TMR Route almost exclusively uses LNER Stock from his website. I'm the biggest fan of his buildings though! :hehe:

The Folkstone Harbor Branch has been something I have been sitting on since my days in TS12. I made several attempts to model it in the past but I lacked the resources I have now. The SECR H, SER R1 and SECR C Class are all in game now so the rolling stock roster is set too! Gary Price even has some 57xx Class in case they want to model the later years on the branch.

BRDatabase's Depot Listing has solved most all my problems with looking for maps as it contains a comprehensive map of all of England during the 1950s (provided by NLS of course). This has made any prototypical project I want to do completely possible. I fully intend to extend the project to Dover one day so its definitely going to happen. It's only a matter of time before this comes to fruition!
 
I thought a couple of those were NSR Reskins! You sure do know your stuff Annie!

Paul has had an excellent selection as long as I have been involved in Trainz. My North Blythe TMR Route almost exclusively uses LNER Stock from his website. I'm the biggest fan of his buildings though! :hehe:

The good thing about Paul's NSR 4 wheelers is that they are a close match for the 1870's coaches owned by several other railways and are reasonably easy to reskin; - or they are so long as you don't try doing one in varnished teak as that experiment proved to be a wee bit harder to do.

I have some of Paul's GWR buildings as well as his collection of Beamish engine sheds. They are older models from his website, but they can be made to look very nice indeed.

The Folkstone Harbor Branch has been something I have been sitting on since my days in TS12. I made several attempts to model it in the past but I lacked the resources I have now. The SECR H, SER R1 and SECR C Class are all in game now so the rolling stock roster is set too! Gary Price even has some 57xx Class in case they want to model the later years on the branch.


No pressure, but I'll be certainly looking forward to seeing screenshots of your Folkstone Harbour Branch once you start work on it.

And because this is a screenshot thread here's a snap of No.8 crossing the salt marsh with a local passenger train.

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re posts KotangaGirl and Tanker46

Thanks for all the interesting topics and screenies, most goodly.

A few screenshots of my continuing brief forays into TRS19. Having copied one of my routes into TRS19 I find what an awkward driver interface it has.

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Cheers, Ken
 
re posts KotangaGirl and Tanker46

Thanks for all the interesting topics and screenies, most goodly.

A few screenshots of my continuing brief forays into TRS19. Having copied one of my routes into TRS19 I find what an awkward driver interface it has.

Thanks very much Ken. Yes the driver interface is a bit annoying, but I'm more or less used to it now. Despite that though you seem to be putting your stamp on TRS19 reasonably well since your screenshots are still carrying the quality mark.
 
re posts KotangaGirl and Tanker46

Thanks for all the interesting topics and screenies, most goodly.

A few screenshots of my continuing brief forays into TRS19. Having copied one of my routes into TRS19 I find what an awkward driver interface it has.


Cheers, Ken

Same here Ken. I have to admit though, it's nice to have the HUD so I don't get tripped up by some errant points somewhere down the line! Could do without the little notifications though..

Regardless, your shots have only gotten more impressive in this mad science experiment known as TRS19. Glad to have you with us!


Something out of character for this southerner, I noticed the NER Shots Connor posted a little while ago and I decided to test them out for myself. Very impressive collection and they handle extremely well! I've grown quite fond of the Ravens A2 Pacific..

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Since there are no publicly available NER Routes, I decided to dust off Mophus's old M&GN Lynn Area route from TANE and port it into TRS19 for a bit of fun. Really enjoyable locos!

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Nice to see my old NER 'litho' carriages getting an outing Tanker. I was interested in the NER at one time, but then I became distracted by the railways of Norfolk and I never went back to it. Connor certainly has put together an interesting NER collection of locomotives and I have to confess that I was tempted for a few minutes there.

Here's a snap I took of No.7 heading away from Great Marsh station on the Windweather Loop Line.

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Agreed. Once upon at time I was an avid LNER enthusiast and had quite an impressive collection before making the journey south. Although south is where I'll stay, it's nice to take a vacation north once in a while. The rolling hills and rural tramways always help reignite my passion for this great game.

And your NER Lithos are timeless Annie. I hope I didn't violate the time period too much by heading them with the A2.

I'm also using those NER Goods Vans you made a while ago - quite frequently in fact! :hehe:
 
Agreed. Once upon at time I was an avid LNER enthusiast and had quite an impressive collection before making the journey south. Although south is where I'll stay, it's nice to take a vacation north once in a while. The rolling hills and rural tramways always help reignite my passion for this great game.

And your NER Lithos are timeless Annie. I hope I didn't violate the time period too much by heading them with the A2.

I'm also using those NER Goods Vans you made a while ago - quite frequently in fact!
:hehe:

Thanks Tanker. Those NER clerestory coaches were in service to the end of the pre-grouping period and no doubt for some years beyond then, - though not in NER red of course. Possibly they wouldn't have be seen in company with Raven's Pacific since they would have been relegated to less important uses by then, but they still look good.
Quite a bit of work and research went into my NER Goods Vans and even now it still pleases me with how well they turned out. They turn up from from time to time on my Norfolk layout with an important consignment from 'up North'.
 
The NER bogie clerestory roof carriages were built between 1895 and 1906, though not all types were built across that entire period. The three-compartment Van Third to Diagram 18 came closest, though during 1906 the last nine originally meant to be completed with clerestory roof as Diagram 18 were changed to elliptical roof during construction and assigned Diagram 130. Between 1907 and 1910 a further six Diagram 130s were added.

The NER built bogie carriages with end gangway connections, though all but three were elliptical roofed. The three clerestory roof bogie carriages built with end gangway connections were the three Dining Composites with kitchen built as Diagram 105 in 1905. The NER converted three clerestory roof Diagram 27 Van Lavatory Composites to work with the Diagram 105s as a dining pair by adding a single gangway connector to the compartment end. Two of the Diagram 105s were sold to the NBR, one in 1913 and one in 1919. The example which remained with the NER was retired by the LNER around 1933. The pair which went to the NBR were loaned to the GNoSR in 1922 for the launch of their Aberdeen - Inverness dining train but at least one was noted working to Fort William in the summer of 1948. They were scrapped by 1951.

After the grouping the NER carriages of all roof types gradually descended in the pecking order, which was the normal state of affairs. New Gresley carriages arrived, but not at a rate which rendered the pre-grouping types surplus to requirements. In the NE Area of the LNER the arrival of new Gresley carriages permitted the transfer of some former NER carriages to other sections in order to permit the withdrawal of even older types. Even in 1939, the big four carriage fleets were still mainly composed of pre-grouping stock.

At nationalisation the average was around 50%. On the former LNER Eastern, North Eastern and Scottish regions the arrival of Thompson stock and then BR Mk1 stock led to the withdrawal of pre-grouping NER carriages on the BR NE Region from scheduled services by 1953. This does not mean that they were all scrapped, but it is likely that some spent a year or two in sidings awaiting use on strengthening duties and summer excursion trains. However, the arrival of the first BR Diesel Multiple Units meant the writing was on the wall for all non-corridor stock on former NER lines.


 
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I knew that you'd have the information on NER clerestory coaches at your fingertips Frank. My 'litho' versions might not be according to the NER diagram book though since they are based on vintage pre-war 'O' gauge Leeds Model Co printed paper coach sides.

One of Ed Heaps's beautiful GER P43 singles on the turntable at Foxhollow. In the normal course of events a P43 would not be seen at Foxhollow, but I wanted to borrow Foxhollow MPD's 55 foot turntable to take the snap.

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Waiting for the local passenger to pass. I've finally had a chance to properly sort out the Windweather Tramway's C53B tram engines after moving them over to TRS19.

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The NER bogie clerestory roof carriages were built between 1895 and 1906, though not all types were built across that entire period. The three-compartment Van Third to Diagram 18 came closest, though during 1906 the last nine originally meant to be completed with clerestory roof as Diagram 18 were changed to elliptical roof during construction and assigned Diagram 130. Between 1907 and 1910 a further six Diagram 130s were added.

The NER built bogie carriages with end gangway connections, though all but three were elliptical roofed. The three clerestory roof bogie carriages built with end gangway connections were the three Dining Composites with kitchen built as Diagram 105 in 1905. The NER converted three clerestory roof Diagram 27 Van Lavatory Composites to work with the Diagram 105s as a dining pair by adding a single gangway connector to the compartment end. Two of the Diagram 105s were sold to the NBR, one in 1913 and one in 1919. The example which remained with the NER was retired by the LNER around 1933. The pair which went to the NBR were loaned to the GNoSR in 1922 for the launch of their Aberdeen - Inverness dining train but at least one was noted working to Fort William in the summer of 1948. They were scrapped by 1951.

After the grouping the NER carriages of all roof types gradually descended in the pecking order, which was the normal state of affairs. New Gresley carriages arrived, but not at a rate which rendered the pre-grouping types surplus to requirements. In the NE Area of the LNER the arrival of new Gresley carriages permitted the transfer of some former NER carriages to other sections in order to permit the withdrawal of even older types. Even in 1939, the big four carriage fleets were still mainly composed of pre-grouping stock.

At nationalisation the average was around 50%. On the former LNER Eastern, North Eastern and Scottish regions the arrival of Thompson stock and then BR Mk1 stock led to the withdrawal of pre-grouping NER carriages on the BR NE Region from scheduled services by 1953. This does not mean that they were all scrapped, but it is likely that some spent a year or two in sidings awaiting use on strengthening duties and summer excursion trains. However, the arrival of the first BR Diesel Multiple Units meant the writing was on the wall for all non-corridor stock on former NER lines.



Thanks so much for the outstanding explanation Frank. I knew it was only a matter of time before our exemplary NER Historian gave us an accurate account of events to solve this debacle! Your wealth of knowledge on the North Eastern is amazing! :D

I have seen Pauls NER Elliptical Coaches before but I hesitated on buying them. Would they be better suited for use with a Pre-Grouping Era A2 or should I stick to early era Gresley Stock? I'm quite inclined to explore this in future.
 
I knew that you'd have the information on NER clerestory coaches at your fingertips Frank. My 'litho' versions might not be according to the NER diagram book though since they are based on vintage pre-war 'O' gauge Leeds Model Co printed paper coach sides.

One of Ed Heaps's beautiful GER P43 singles on the turntable at Foxhollow. In the normal course of events a P43 would not be seen at Foxhollow, but I wanted to borrow Foxhollow MPD's 55 foot turntable to take the snap.

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Excellent screenshots Annie. That new GER Single looks incredible. With the addition of the P43, Ed's now done a single driver for almost every Eastern Region Company! (Save for GCR)

I'm quite taken by that little brakevan in your last shot. Is that a custom built one? Or did you have it comissioned for you?
 
Excellent screenshots Annie. That new GER Single looks incredible. With the addition of the P43, Ed's now done a single driver for almost every Eastern Region Company! (Save for GCR)

I'm quite taken by that little brakevan in your last shot. Is that a custom built one? Or did you have it commissioned for you?

Thanks Tanker. The new P43 will be put to work on expresses and the mail trains on the GER-GCR joint line on my layout and I'm very much looking forward to putting this lovely locomotive through its paces. Ed has indicated that he's considering doing the earlier GER Holden D27 2-2-2 singles as well which I'll certainly be looking forward to. Have you seen the GER T19 screenshot Ed posted yesterday? Things are definitely looking up for Trainz GER enthusiasts.

The little brake van is an 1860's GNR brake van, but Paul has it on his website in the 19th century NBR pages. I use the brake van on the tramway and light railway sections of my Norfolk layout where it is posing as a second hand or possibly third hand purchase. I have it modded with azervich's Pre 1900s 4 Wheel Brake Van E-spec <kuid2:404079:1029:1>, - so it is a functional brake van, though with it being so small it's best to use them in pairs.
The sheep wagons are also by Paul and can be found on the same pages even though they are actually a 1860's LNWR design.
 
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