Railway land and surroundings used to be kept much clearer of trees and vegetation than is the case today, and trains themselves were heavier, especially if hauled by a steam locomotive or one of the hefty early BR diesels!
Today's elongated tramcars are a lot lighter on their wheels, so to speak.
Going back to liveries for a moment, I'm not sure what colours to use for my latest acquisition in 009 - a small layout (oval and two sidings) is a-building.
From a seller on eBay, I've bought a very neat 3D-resin kit for an early French railcar, a Crochat petrol-electric. The kit comes with a Kato N gauge chassis/motor, and full interior detail! These cars - in various sizes and gauges - were fairly popular before reliable diesels became available, and a 60cm gauge example has been preserved.
A rather dull colour scheme - I'm torn between traditional French red-and-cream (not unlike the later County Donegal colours), or blue-and-cream to match my Eggerbahn steam railcar. OTOH, the Lisbon et al tram livery of yellow-and-white appeals! Hmm...I think I have some bright yellow acrylic paint in stock...
In the 'Lead us not into temptation' category, Rails of Sheffield and a few others have been urging us to buy a quite delightful - and very reasonably priced - modern narrow gauge locomotive of traditional design: https://www.kato-eu.com/aitemu/narrow-gauge-sekisui-main-line-0-4-0st-emeslett-“oscar”. I can feel my resistance weakening... Doesn't everyone need one of these?
@Bishops Finger I too dabble in 9mm narrow gauge and a friend passed an Eggerbahn-Jouef railcar, which had been repainted in a pastiche of 1930s GWR. I backdated it to cream and blue and it looks right now.
Red and cream can look rather dull if the wrong red is used whereas a good blue makes these vehicles live.
Now although I very much enjoy riding on trains (especially metro and light rail), I don't venture in here because I don't know anything about gauges and what have you. But I thought that many of you would perhaps enjoy this YouTube channel's videos - they are a German channel that have a garden railway, and also a black and white cat named Felix that loves to lie amongst the railway to inspect it and generally resemble Catzilla.
Although I never managed to travel in one, I always rather liked the quirky French railcars with their cab sticking out of the roof. However, I do not know whether any of them were narrow gauge or whether they only existed in standard gauge. I think there were some also in Northern Ireland at one time.
I did ride in one, in 1971, between Douarnenez and Quimper in Brittany. The line is no more, it closed a few years later. I enjoyed my ride, the train was actually quite busy (but, of course, only one carriage).
There certainly were some odd railcars on the metre gauge lines but I don't think they had the sticky-up cabs. There were also the Panoramiques on the standard gauge - I've never seen one but I think they were popular on the Cote d-Azur line (among others, I'm sure).
An interesting line in Brittany is the Auray-Quiberon "Tire Bouchon" - it only runs in summer, to provide an alternative to the one road which goes down the popular Quiberon peninsula. I've never ridden on it.
AFAIK, no narrow-gauge railcars in France had the cab up in the roof! The LMS Northern Counties Committee in Ulster did indeed have some, but they, of course, were broad gauge.
I travelled on one of the SNCF Panoramique railcars back in the early 70s, from Digne to Grenoble IIRC (or in that part of France, anyway).
@Pomona - thanks for that link. Large-scale garden railways are quite common in the UK, often with steam power, but cats are not a necessary addition...apparently, they don't much like hot engines...
Although I never managed to travel in one, I always rather liked the quirky French railcars with their cab sticking out of the roof. However, I do not know whether any of them were narrow gauge or whether they only existed in standard gauge. I think there were some also in Northern Ireland at one time.
Yes, the 'Picassos', but there were several other autorails with a raised cab, built for smaller railways. I have a Large Book on the subject of European railcars, and will have a look at it later...
That will be interesting. The LMS (I think) tried out some Michelins but, apart from anything else, thought they were not at all crashworthy. I think the bodies were basically wood and canvas, like aircraft of the day. The three-car unit used on the Varsity line was something else entirely!
Billard of Tours - a firm well-known in France for its innovative and modern railcars, mostly (but not exclusively) on metre gauge - designed and built some 4w standard-gauge cars with a driving cupola next to a curvaceous bonnet housing the engine. This was the type FNC, and several of the same design were built by the SNCF.
IIRC it was built for service on the metre gauge lines in Madagascar, which had an eccentric collection of railcars. Not sure if it's still operational, but I think the CF de Baie de la Somme still has it on site.
(The Somme system was within easy reach of a day trip for here, until Brexit... My last visit was in 2014).
Do any shipmates know the remarkable models of Breton narrow gauge in the unusual gauge of 1:50 by Gordon and Maggie Gravett? This is a link to an example, but if you search either under their names or 'Pempoul' you will find more.
We were in Brittany this summer and drove through Carhaix (actually more than once as we got lost!). It is still on the railway, albeit converted to standard gauge. There was a surprising amount of railway infrastructure still in place, notable the large engine shed or workshop. There is also a stuffed-and-mounted metre-gauge Mallett.
The Somme system tends to paint its engines in rather odd liveries, which is perhaps just as well, as otherwise everything would be dull green or black!
Some of the RB's big autorails survived the closure - on Pempoul, the one with the rounded ends is a De Dion OC1, one of which ended up on the pre-preservation Somme lines. The more angular car is a De Dion OC2, some of which went to the Blanc-Argent line. I've been lucky enough to ride on both versions, and can vouch for the fact that they are fast, but not especially comfortable...
Both OC1s and two of the OC2s have been preserved, though may not be in working order at present.
The video maker is very skilled - I've watched a few of the things they have restored. Thanks for posting.
If you enjoy TheFabrik you might like Cool Again Restoration, he does some truely awesome tool restoration. I find them very relaxing to watch.
OK, I'll look for that - thanks. I think I already recommended my Iranian sheet metal-worker on the youtube channel 'we are woven' elsewhere, perhaps in the handicraft thread.
Getting back on topic, 'Chandwell' is doing nice stuff in N-gauge with a semi-derelict spinning mill at the moment.
Another 'model railways and cats' YouTube channel - this time a Japanese cat cafe (which provides a home to rescue cats) which has a model railway and lots of Kitten Kong moments 😄
As an N-gauge'd modeller, this makes my hair stand on end! But hey, they probably know what they're doing!
<snip>
From the size of the marauding Cat, I think the railway must be N gauge - which makes sense, given the popularity of N gauge in Japan (and Kato products are well-received everywhere, I think, on account of their high quality).
I'm watching "Bargain Hunt" which is set at the GWR centre at Didcot. Lots of interesting, even unique, railwayana. Slightly spoiled by a brief clip of a steam-hauled French express (rather splendid though), and another of the "Jacobite" at Glenfinnan!
I've never been to Didcot, even though it's within fairly easy reach of here. I'm not especially fond of the GWR per se, but Didcot have done a great job in re-creating at least some aspects of the Broad Gauge.
What a pity, some have said, that after the 1850s the GWR never really developed the Broad Gauge...
I recall travelling to Oxford a year or two earlier. It didn't stop at Didcot but ran via the Avoiding Line, and there on our left stood "Pendennis Castle" in all her (?Its) glory. That was before her trip to Australia.
A reminder that some of these heritage railways and museums have been up and running for well over half-a-century. The Talyllyn obviously takes the prize, with the Festiniog close behind, but I recall visiting the Bluebell Railway in 1960 or 1961. All they had were 2 coaches (painted blue!), P class Bluebell and Terrier Stepney. Both engines were then in black, I think - a far cry from the exotic liveries of later years!
And they weren't able to run into Horsted Keynes station - they had to stop at Bluebell Halt outside.
I'm actually a bit amazed that they made a success of things so early on - there were still pre-Grouping locos (and a few carriages) in "ordinary" service at the time, eg on the Isle of Wight or Hawkhurst branch (which did close in 1961).
I think that "Stepney" was in lined black but "Bluebell" already in blue - as were the coaches.
That's too far back for me, but I do recall the blue locos and carriages on the Longmoor Military Railway. (And, contrary to what some folk say, I'm pretty sure that "Gordon", now in the Severn Valley Engine House, was not the inspiration for Wilbert Awdry's blue engine. Was that choice perhaps more to do with the experimental BR blue livery: https://cheltenhammodelcentre.com/images/highres/R30476SS.jpg
Bluebell may have been a very dark blue ,but my memory (not infallible!) is of two black locomotives. However, it's all a long time ago now! I do recall Bluebell Halt - the engines had to top-and-tail the coaches, in the absence of a runround loop.
As you say, it was perhaps surprising that they did so well so early on, given that there would be quite a lot of steam and 'traditional' working for some time. Other lines in the south-east either failed (Westerham - another 1961 closure) or took many years to get going (Kent & East Sussex - yet another victim of 1961).
The Hawkhurst branch was one of my favourites, as on days out in the car My Old Dad would often contrive to go past Goudhurst station. We did once take a trip on the branch train from Paddock Wood - a delightful amble through some delectable countryside - not long before closure. The stock was, by then, usually one of the 'modern' push-pull sets formed of two Maunsell coaches, as was also the case on the Westerham line, the Allhallows branch, and the Tonbridge - Maidstone West local trains, most of the old pre-grouping sets having gone by 1961.
All very interesting; before my time though. My own "home" line, the southern end of the Midland main line, was dieselised pretty early in the 1960s - though I can just about remember 9Fs on the 90-wagon coal trains. I did travel on the IoW in 1966.
I recall travelling to Oxford a year or two earlier. It didn't stop at Didcot but ran via the Avoiding Line,
That would be on the Reading to Oxford line side. You can also avoid Didcot on the other side, as is done by the newly-restored direct service between Bristol and Oxford.
I'm watching "Bargain Hunt" which is set at the GWR centre at Didcot. Lots of interesting, even unique, railwayana. Slightly spoiled by a brief clip of a steam-hauled French express (rather splendid though), and another of the "Jacobite" at Glenfinnan!
However, the GWR under Churchward did buy a couple of French locomotives for the purpose of comparison.
Comments
Today's elongated tramcars are a lot lighter on their wheels, so to speak.
From a seller on eBay, I've bought a very neat 3D-resin kit for an early French railcar, a Crochat petrol-electric. The kit comes with a Kato N gauge chassis/motor, and full interior detail! These cars - in various sizes and gauges - were fairly popular before reliable diesels became available, and a 60cm gauge example has been preserved.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crochat
A rather dull colour scheme - I'm torn between traditional French red-and-cream (not unlike the later County Donegal colours), or blue-and-cream to match my Eggerbahn steam railcar. OTOH, the Lisbon et al tram livery of yellow-and-white appeals! Hmm...I think I have some bright yellow acrylic paint in stock...
Get thee behind me, Kato...
Red and cream can look rather dull if the wrong red is used whereas a good blue makes these vehicles live.
The new Crochat autorail may well end up blue-and-cream, if I can find a suitable match for the Eggerbahn car.
There certainly were some odd railcars on the metre gauge lines but I don't think they had the sticky-up cabs. There were also the Panoramiques on the standard gauge - I've never seen one but I think they were popular on the Cote d-Azur line (among others, I'm sure).
An interesting line in Brittany is the Auray-Quiberon "Tire Bouchon" - it only runs in summer, to provide an alternative to the one road which goes down the popular Quiberon peninsula. I've never ridden on it.
I travelled on one of the SNCF Panoramique railcars back in the early 70s, from Digne to Grenoble IIRC (or in that part of France, anyway).
@Pomona - thanks for that link. Large-scale garden railways are quite common in the UK, often with steam power, but cats are not a necessary addition...apparently, they don't much like hot engines...
Were those the Bugatti railcars? https://newsroom.bugatti.com/en/press-releases/bugatti-train-the-story-of-the-french-railway-revolution. They are often said to have been Sir Nigel Gresley's inspiration for the A4 streamlining, and especially interesting for providing a use for surplus Bugatti Royale straight 8 engines.
Here's one of the SNCF versions:
http://www.train35.fr/fncjmg.html
An HO model is available, with matching trailer (remorque).
The LMS briefly used a Karrier road-rail bus, with a body built by Cravens of Sheffield:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LMS_Karrier_Ro-Railer
The wonderful CF de Baie de la Somme has had a Micheline for many years, seen here in action in 1998:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLDcWoFHjXs
IIRC it was built for service on the metre gauge lines in Madagascar, which had an eccentric collection of railcars. Not sure if it's still operational, but I think the CF de Baie de la Somme still has it on site.
(The Somme system was within easy reach of a day trip for here, until Brexit...
We were in Brittany this summer and drove through Carhaix (actually more than once as we got lost!). It is still on the railway, albeit converted to standard gauge. There was a surprising amount of railway infrastructure still in place, notable the large engine shed or workshop. There is also a stuffed-and-mounted metre-gauge Mallett.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Réseau_Breton_4-6-0_tank_locomotives
The Somme system tends to paint its engines in rather odd liveries, which is perhaps just as well, as otherwise everything would be dull green or black!
Some of the RB's big autorails survived the closure - on Pempoul, the one with the rounded ends is a De Dion OC1, one of which ended up on the pre-preservation Somme lines. The more angular car is a De Dion OC2, some of which went to the Blanc-Argent line. I've been lucky enough to ride on both versions, and can vouch for the fact that they are fast, but not especially comfortable...
Both OC1s and two of the OC2s have been preserved, though may not be in working order at present.
The video maker is very skilled - I've watched a few of the things they have restored. Thanks for posting.
If you enjoy TheFabrik you might like Cool Again Restoration, he does some truely awesome tool restoration. I find them very relaxing to watch.
OK, I'll look for that - thanks. I think I already recommended my Iranian sheet metal-worker on the youtube channel 'we are woven' elsewhere, perhaps in the handicraft thread.
Getting back on topic, 'Chandwell' is doing nice stuff in N-gauge with a semi-derelict spinning mill at the moment.
NB. Thanks, mark_in_manchester, for the Chandwell reminder. Must check this out again. Last big thing I watched was his cathedral build!
From the size of the marauding Cat, I think the railway must be N gauge - which makes sense, given the popularity of N gauge in Japan (and Kato products are well-received everywhere, I think, on account of their high quality).
What a pity, some have said, that after the 1850s the GWR never really developed the Broad Gauge...
I recall travelling to Oxford a year or two earlier. It didn't stop at Didcot but ran via the Avoiding Line, and there on our left stood "Pendennis Castle" in all her (?Its) glory. That was before her trip to Australia.
Ah! nostalgia - it's not what it used to be...
I'm actually a bit amazed that they made a success of things so early on - there were still pre-Grouping locos (and a few carriages) in "ordinary" service at the time, eg on the Isle of Wight or Hawkhurst branch (which did close in 1961).
That's too far back for me, but I do recall the blue locos and carriages on the Longmoor Military Railway. (And, contrary to what some folk say, I'm pretty sure that "Gordon", now in the Severn Valley Engine House, was not the inspiration for Wilbert Awdry's blue engine. Was that choice perhaps more to do with the experimental BR blue livery: https://cheltenhammodelcentre.com/images/highres/R30476SS.jpg
As you say, it was perhaps surprising that they did so well so early on, given that there would be quite a lot of steam and 'traditional' working for some time. Other lines in the south-east either failed (Westerham - another 1961 closure) or took many years to get going (Kent & East Sussex - yet another victim of 1961).
The Hawkhurst branch was one of my favourites, as on days out in the car My Old Dad would often contrive to go past Goudhurst station. We did once take a trip on the branch train from Paddock Wood - a delightful amble through some delectable countryside - not long before closure. The stock was, by then, usually one of the 'modern' push-pull sets formed of two Maunsell coaches, as was also the case on the Westerham line, the Allhallows branch, and the Tonbridge - Maidstone West local trains, most of the old pre-grouping sets having gone by 1961.
That would be on the Reading to Oxford line side. You can also avoid Didcot on the other side, as is done by the newly-restored direct service between Bristol and Oxford.
However, the GWR under Churchward did buy a couple of French locomotives for the purpose of comparison.
I strongly suspect that someone I buried three years ago was the last survivor of the Talyllyn Pioneers.