Bob's Barchester

Operating Barchester

  • Posted 24th April 2023, 12:22 pm
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The Movement Cards.

As you can see from the diagrammatic picture of the layout it is effectively divided into two halves. The top half being main line operations, with one exception, and the bottom half branch line and goods.

The break in both rails adjacent to platform 4 is easier to see in the enlarged version of this picture.

Click on image for a larger picture.

Platforms 1, 2, 3 & 4, plus…

Barchester Diary 2009

  • Posted 24th April 2023, 12:21 pm
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August 2009 Additions :

8th.  Max Fowler's Prototype photographic gallery.  British Rail Wagon Photographs, very comprehensive. Western Champions railway photographs. British Railways Locomotives from the last 30 years by Andy Williams.
10th. You will see on the front page that there is a notice about a big show that we are organising for next year and I hope to see many of our readers there. Please don't hesitate to say hello if you do manage to…

Barchester Diary Feb 2007

  • Posted 24th April 2023, 12:20 pm
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Welcome to a new month of modelling and news of Barchester. Keep up to date with all that goes on.

Well the Bachmann 56xx has arrived and taken it's place on Barchester's rails. This model also lives up to all the expectations that I have of the latest Bachmann models. Great attention to detail and excellent running qualities. The detail, all applied at the factory, is also robust enough for most general handling purposes.
…

Barchester Diary 2007

  • Posted 24th April 2023, 12:20 pm
  • By

Welcome to a new month of modelling and news of Barchester. Keep up to date with all that goes on.

Well the Bachmann 56xx has arrived and taken it's place on Barchester's rails. This model also lives up to all the expectations that I have of the latest Bachmann models. Great attention to detail and excellent running qualities. The detail, all applied at the factory, is also robust enough for most general handling purposes.
…

Barchester Diary 2006

  • Posted 24th April 2023, 12:19 pm
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Another month started and I am getting on quite well with the diesel fuel station. The latest results are shown below.

The assembled pipe work and other bits waiting to be mounted on the latticework girders.

In the next picture you can see that the main pipe work has been installed and connected to both fuel storage tanks. Fuel tanker offloading is done from the right hand track as well as the refuelling operation. No…

Barchester Diary March 2005

  • Posted 24th April 2023, 12:18 pm
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You will maybe have noticed that nothing has been said yet about a carefully thought out and tested track plan that I am working to. That's because there isn't one. The first mistake  of many. Please notice, do as I say, not as I do.    
          Have had to order more track as there is a definite shortfall. As I lay each turnout and length of track so I gently push one of my coaches through each…

Barchester Diary Feb 2005

  • Posted 24th April 2023, 12:16 pm
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Baseboards all finished then and ready for the next stage of laying out the track plan on the baseboard surface. It would help of course if I had a definite plan in mind but I still haven't got it right on paper. Never mind, press on with what I have got.
Barchester platforms cut out (card), side supports added and dropped temporarily into place. Have cut up loads of my saved up Corn Flake packets…

Barchester Diary Jan 2005

  • Posted 24th April 2023, 12:14 pm
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OK, I had the space now, and a generous space it was too, some 20 feet by 8 feet along one wall of a large room. Unfortunately there were two floor to ceiling 18 inch square columns that also shared this space giving me a practical model area of 20 feet by 3 feet for the model itself. So I decided on a 20' by 2' 9"end to end layout, this being my favourite method of operating. I didn't take up the…