Here is a trailer for the video

There has been some discussion recently about computor control……."the black arts"……"the dark side"……"gobbleydegooke"

This video will have none of the above……..the only bit of RR&Co you will see is the clock which starts the sequence (its a "fast clock" hence 30 minutes shown in 5)

Otherwise just six or seven locos automatically operating more or less simultaneously in what can best be described as a three ring circus.

Here are some pictures of the cast and a description of some of the acts 

In the outer ring a long freight train hauled by a 28xx 2-8-0 will crawl past on the Down Relief



Later a 4-6-0 Manor Class will come off shed ready for the Bristol-Birkenhead Fruit



The Yard Pilot with shunters truck will move wagons from the Fruit Warehouse to the assembly siding





The centre ring consists of the Up and Down main lines. While the shunting is taking place on the outer ring you will also see two sets of roundy roundys or tail chasers.

On the Up line I am limited to two trains…..



A Midland 4-4-0 heading 5 carriages from Birkenhead to Swansea(?)

Followed by the six carriage Paddington train headed by Broughton Castle and hopefully assisted by Alderley Hall (currently there is a slight technical problem with buffer lock…..need to fit longer Kadees).



On the Down line there is rather more flexibility ……..County of Worcester heads a 5 coach train from the South…..3 GWR and 2 SR



This will be followed by a local passenger from Nantwich



Following that there will be a Chester Races special (Horse Boxes, Celestories) or the Bristol Fruit Train……photos to follow once I have made my mind up

Tail chasers are relatively easy to set up……..you will be able to see RR&Co adjusting the locos speeds in order to keep their distance….all I have to do is watch!

The inner ring is more complicated……..a series of commutor trains shuttling between Granby and either the storage sidings or the lower level branch………

The autotrain is easy…….it shuttles back and forth…..no problem



The Branch B Set  requires a loco run around at Cynwyd



…….followed by a loco exchange at Granby (you can see the relief loco stabled in the autotrain shot)

Finally the death defying routine involving two LMS commutor trains and four locos

Two Ivatt 2-6-2s

 

And two ex L&Y 2-4-2s



Trying to get them to stop over the magnet every time and uncouple every time has been an interesting exercise

Here is a live (blurred) shot from a rehearsal :roll:




Well I guess thats the gauntlet well and truly laid down……….I havent shot a piece of video yet……….so over the next week or so I have to link these assorted acts into some sort of coherent whole

Hopefully you will watch this space:cheers

I'm watching John,

This sounds good. A wee clip of the RR & Co mimic panel showing locations changing would be good if it could be worked in.

Cheers

Toto

That looks really complicated John, looking forward to the video! :)

Cheers
Ron

[user=1775]g0ibi[/user] wrote:

That looks really complicated John, looking forward to the video! :)

Cheers
Ron

me too
:thumbs;-):cool:

That's a pretty tough self-imposed challenge. I'm looking forward to the video.

[user=434]John Dew[/user] wrote:

Well I guess thats the gauntlet well and truly laid down……….I havent shot a piece of video yet……….so over the next week or so I have to link these assorted acts into some sort of coherent whole

Hopefully you will watch this space:cheers

The audience await - front rows already taken - bags of pop corn and ice coated ice creams in hand   - so no pressure at all John

Thanks for all the encouragement guys  I believe its fashionable in some parts of the UK to have an "essay crisis"……..I guess that is just what I have created for myself:shock:……..but in this case a self imposed dead line cant be bad…..it was time I stopped procrastinating:oops:


toto wrote:

I'm watching John,

This sounds good. A wee clip of the RR & Co mimic panel showing locations changing would be good if it could be worked in.

Cheers

Toto

Hi Toto

I will try and do that…….I may try a separate video of the run around routine or the LMS deal……locos and then the switchboard.

Give me a day or so!

Cheers

Hi John,


No probs. I think the running trains is your main focus but if the shot of the mimic is on …..great. If not, then maybe a separate clip so as not to detract from what you want to achieve yourself. Either way it will make for good watching.


cheers


PS …… The loco shed with the loco lift is a particular favourite of mine…….. not that I'm suggesting anything.