The Great Garden Railway Inspection Reports

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Lonsdaler
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Re: The Great Garden Railway Inspection Reports

Post by Lonsdaler » Sat Mar 20, 2021 3:32 pm

SimonWood wrote: Sat Mar 20, 2021 8:40 am Love the crate materialisation. I see the Doctor still hasn't worked out how to rig up a working chameleon circuit though!

The sign-writing is very crisp - how is that achieved?
Is the chameleon circuit the one that was supposed to make the TARDIS blend into it's surroundings? I'm guessing so, but I don't think the INSpector was offered that when his crate was modernised :lol: :lol:
The sign writing is laser printed, onto water resistant durable labels by Avery (iirc). Since the station was placed outside and left there in 2016, I have had to renew it once (early last year) due to sun fade.
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Re: The Great Garden Railway Inspection Reports

Post by philipy » Sat Mar 20, 2021 3:51 pm

Lonsdaler wrote: Sat Mar 20, 2021 3:26 pm
I wasn't too happy with the animated gif for the crates arrival, so I've remastered it as a video, albeit a short one. Do go back and view it - I think it is improved! :lol:
And I am determined to get this inspection done, although it might be in dribs and drabs :thumbup:
I think it's brilluant and I'm glad you mentioned it because tbhI hadn't realised that it was animated before! :oops:

dribs and drabs is good, it will pad the thread out, because I don't think we have anyone else on the list, so if anyone wants an inspection please PM me - don't post on this thread.
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Re: The Great Garden Railway Inspection Reports

Post by Lonsdaler » Sat Mar 20, 2021 5:34 pm

philipy wrote: Sat Mar 20, 2021 3:51 pm I think it's brilliant and I'm glad you mentioned it because tbh I hadn't realised that it was animated before!
Thanks Philip,
That's precisely why I redid it, it didn't seem to continue running as an animated gif.
Phil

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Re: The Great Garden Railway Inspection Reports

Post by Andrew » Sun Mar 21, 2021 1:16 pm

Fantastic stuff!

It's a lovely looking station (the inspector will surely be impressed?!), I look forward to seeing the rest of the line...

Glad you're on the mend,

Andrew.

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Re: The Great Garden Railway Inspection Reports

Post by SimonWood » Sun Mar 21, 2021 2:57 pm

Lonsdaler wrote: Sat Mar 20, 2021 3:32 pm Is the chameleon circuit the one that was supposed to make the TARDIS blend into it's surroundings? I'm guessing so, but I don't think the INSpector was offered that when his crate was modernised :lol: :lol:
Yes, but it got stuck as a police box in the 1960s and the Doctor still doesn't seem to have fixed it, so not surprising she didn't offer it to the inspector... The video is even better with the sound effects... though I thought I heard the cloister bell at the end there, indicating some catastrophic threat to the space-time continuum. Could this be what has caused all the humans to vanish on the Greta and Wenningdale? I hope they haven't been exterminated...
The sign writing is laser printed, onto water resistant durable labels by Avery (iirc). Since the station was placed outside and left there in 2016, I have had to renew it once (early last year) due to sun fade.
I misread that the first time as renew it each year, which seemed reasonable... but once in five years is great. I imagine it wouldn't be nearly as long with an inkjet...but I might experiment.

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Re: The Great Garden Railway Inspection Reports

Post by BertieB » Sun Mar 21, 2021 4:57 pm

VWORP VWORP VWORP*.... Terrific! Well done. This opens up endless new possibilities...

SimonWood wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 2:57 pm “...I imagine it wouldn't be nearly as long with an inkjet”
Some of my earlier (certainly older than 5 years) heavily varnished, inkjet-produced decals have quite noticeably faded, generally appearing rather lighter against the backgrounds they were originally supposed to match. Four-colour black seems particularly susceptible, it can start to look ‘washed out’ and grey quite quickly.

*Official Tardis Noise spelling

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Re: The Great Garden Railway Inspection Reports

Post by Lonsdaler » Sun Mar 21, 2021 5:13 pm

SimonWood wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 2:57 pm I thought I heard the cloister bell at the end there, indicating some catastrophic threat to the space-time continuum. Could this be what has caused all the humans to vanish on the Greta and Wenningdale? I hope they haven't been exterminated...
:lol: I think it's the clank as the crate hits the slate platform. Well, I hope it is!
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Re: The Great Garden Railway Inspection Reports

Post by Lonsdaler » Sun Mar 21, 2021 5:15 pm

BertieB wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 4:57 pm VWORP VWORP VWORP*.... Terrific! Well done. This opens up endless new possibilities...

SimonWood wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 2:57 pm “...I imagine it wouldn't be nearly as long with an inkjet”
Some of my earlier (certainly older than 5 years) heavily varnished, inkjet-produced decals have quite noticeably faded, generally appearing rather lighter against the backgrounds they were originally supposed to match. Four-colour black seems particularly susceptible, it can start to look ‘washed out’ and grey quite quickly.

*Official Tardis Noise spelling
I have produced items with inkjet in the past, but laser is more light stable I think, with the advantage that the black toner is pure black - if such a thing exists!
Phil

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Re: The Great Garden Railway Inspection Reports

Post by Lonsdaler » Sun Mar 21, 2021 5:31 pm

FWLR wrote: Sat Mar 20, 2021 8:00 am Didn't know you were poorly Phil. Hope you are feeling much better.

Like the start of you inspection mate. Like those lamps on the station building.
Thanks Rod. As I said, it was no big deal compared to many, and indeed, the problems you have experienced.
Playmobil-vet-clinic.jpg
Playmobil-vet-clinic.jpg (267.18 KiB) Viewed 5175 times
The station is a 'converted' Playmobil veterinary clinic with a rendered surface with stonework inscribed. The lamps came with the original - none working, but do look effective.
I need to resurrect the thread on my railway - there is so much that I haven't detailed there from ages ago, as well as later offerings.
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Re: The Great Garden Railway Inspection Reports

Post by Old Man Aaron » Mon Mar 22, 2021 3:15 am

You've really transformed that vet! Good to hear you're doing better; illness, even when others have it worse, is no joke.
Looking forward to hearing the rest of Mr. Spectre's report, in due course.
Regards,
Aaron - Scum Class Works

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Re: The Great Garden Railway Inspection Reports

Post by Andrew » Mon Mar 22, 2021 8:55 am

Lonsdaler wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 5:31 pm
The station is a 'converted' Playmobil veterinary clinic with a rendered surface with stonework inscribed. The lamps came with the original - none working, but do look effective.
I need to resurrect the thread on my railway - there is so much that I haven't detailed there from ages ago, as well as later offerings.
Wow, that's quite a transformation! Would also make for rather a nice chapel...

And yes please to the railway thread resurrection - I always like to see other folks' railways...

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The Inspector is greeted at last! GWLR pt2

Post by Lonsdaler » Thu Apr 08, 2021 11:13 pm

I have to say, I found it most unusual to not have a reception committee when I arrived at a new railway. I searched within the station environs, to no avail. And then, in the distance I heard what could only be the sound of someone whistling an exotic tune. Suddenly, from the direction of what appears to be a show cave located in the station area, came a porter, wheeling a now unloaded luggage truck. As he saw me, he waved, and then hurried across the tracks to greet me on platform 1.
Image by Lonsdaler, on Flickr

"Oh my word, you must be the gentleman from the Railway Inspectorate. We have been wondering where you could be". I introduced myself, and ascertained that the porter was Mr Patel, a railway employee since the line was founded in 2014. He was most apologetic, and obliging - it appeared that my travel in time had resulted in a delay in my arrival, and a closure due to a pandemic was in force. The rest of the staff were away for a socially distanced training day, but would be back on the morrow. "My cousin runs a very reasonable road transportation company, and would be delighted to take you to the fine accommodation we have pre-arranged for you. Mrs Twice-Knightley at the Mons Repose Guesthouse will be so pleased to see you. I shall call my cousin to collect you, and I shall make sure your, err, crate? is safely placed into our fine Stores.
I nodded to convey my agreement to these arrangements. Swiftly, Mr Patel placed my crate upon his truck and wheeled it to the railway store building
Image by Lonsdaler, on Flickr

Just as Mr Patel returned to me, a vehicle sounding distinctly like an old Enfield motorcycle arrived - it was none other than a Tuk-Tuk, driven by Mr Patel's cousin.
Image by Lonsdaler, on Flickr

Mr Patel saw me safely aboard the exotic vehicle, together with my modest travel bag, and giving his cousin strict instructions to have me back to the station building for 0930 tomorrow to meet Mr Mainwaring (Capt., Retired) and his heads of staff, to begin the inspection. And with that we were off, to the charms of Mrs Twice-Knightley's establishment. Things were looking up, and I was relishing my meeting tomorrow.
Phil

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Re: The Great Garden Railway Inspection Reports

Post by Peter Butler » Thu Apr 08, 2021 11:59 pm

Well, goodness gracious me, my breath is positively baited!
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Re: The Great Garden Railway Inspection Reports

Post by philipy » Fri Apr 09, 2021 6:28 am

Peter Butler wrote: Thu Apr 08, 2021 11:59 pm Well, goodness gracious me, my breath is positively baited!
Yes indeed. :lol:
Philip

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Re: The Great Garden Railway Inspection Reports

Post by Andrew » Fri Apr 09, 2021 8:28 am

The inspector looks uncharacteristically pensive at the prospect of boarding the TukTuk! I look forward to ready more...

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Re: The Great Garden Railway Inspection Reports

Post by FWLR » Fri Apr 09, 2021 10:20 am

Well Phil, that is some transformation of the Veterinary's. You would never know it was a Play-mobile toy. Brilliant mate. Hopefully when we can get to some steam up's soon we can have a good catch up.

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Re: The Great Garden Railway Inspection Reports

Post by Lonsdaler » Fri Apr 09, 2021 12:22 pm

FWLR wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 10:20 am Well Phil, that is some transformation of the Veterinary's. You would never know it was a Play-mobile toy. Brilliant mate. Hopefully when we can get to some steam up's soon we can have a good catch up.
Indeed. Fingers crossed!
Phil

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Re: The Great Garden Railway Inspection Reports

Post by Lonsdaler » Thu May 06, 2021 6:31 pm

After a fine cooked breakfast and excellent service from Mrs. Twice-Knightley, I was collected from mons repose at 0900 precisely for my return trip to Black Burton Station, arriving in good time for my meeting with the senior staff of the GWLR.
I made my way to Platform 1, where Mr Mainwaring (Capt., retired); for some reason in his old home guard uniform, Trevor Trogg (a positive giant of a man!), Senior Civil Engineer (Structures and Permanent Way) and Mr Fred Dibble, Motive Power and Rolling Stock Manager.

Image

Having introduced his senior staff to me, we started the inspection with a look at the facilities at Black Burton. The station is located in a former quarry, which severely limits the platform length as well as location of storage sidings etc. As an aside, the quarry was the only known location of the very rare mineral Unobtainium, a material so rare it is now used for nothing at all. As a by product, all the clay used for making pottery in Black Burton was sourced here too. Sadly another industry that is now only a memory. For the main station and terminus of this railway, the station itself is woefully small, with limited covered areas for waiting passengers. Mr Trogg then took me to view the turntable, engine shed, the stores building and the loco refuelling facility. It has to be said that the limited space makes the turntable a necessity, although I understand there are issues with the local water table.

Image

I was very impressed with the fuel oil storage arrangements, with a metered pump for dispensing fuel and a safety cutoff switch in the event of mishap. The surrounding bund wall is sufficient to hold one and a half times the contents of the tank, further protecting both the staff and environment in case of spillage.

Image

The station, as well as having a passing loop via Plarform 2, also has 2 sidings, arranged in a most peculiar configuration, which Mr Trogg explained was due to the strictures of operating in a disused quarry. One of those sidings also links to the turntable to provide (assuming not full of stock) an alternative loop for the station area. Both Mr Trogg and Fred Dibble proceeded to lament the general lack of available siding space throughout the company.

We proceeded to the station throat, to inspect the signalling arrangements employed at GWLR. As a light railway, the signalling system is not sophisticated, but to outward appearance looks most impressive. However, in talking to Mr Sem O'Phore, the signalman, it became clear that the signal provision is currently 'aspirational' in so far as the low number of train movements effectively mean the whole line is single engine use most of the time. As such, the signal network is ready for the hoped for renaissance of this line.

Image

Image

After a full day of detailed inspection and with time pressing on, Mr Trogg escorted me back to the station to meet with Mr Patel, for the return to my lodgings. On our way he shewed me his own enterprising project. Gretadale Grotto is a 'show cave' with a guided tour of the now abandoned Unobtainium mines, which display some remarkable geological features, found only in association with Unobtainium. I was most intrigued, particularly by the Notice of Disclaimer - I shall avail myself of the tour before I leave this area for my next appointment.

Image

Image

For the moment, however, I had the delights offered by Mrs Twice-Knightley to look forward to, prior to my tour of the rest of the railway tomorrow.

**ADVISORY NOTICE**
Now that Mr I.N. Spector is equipped with a TARDIC (Time And Relative Distance In Crate), time has become, quite literally, fluid. Thus, although to us it may appear that almost a month has passed since his arrival last night, to the good folk of the Greta & Wenningdale Light Railway only one night has passed. Admittedly, for some, it was a loooonng night :roll:
Last edited by Lonsdaler on Thu Jun 24, 2021 1:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Phil

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Re: The Great Garden Railway Inspection Reports

Post by philipy » Thu May 06, 2021 8:06 pm

Absolutely brilliant Phil! I haven't stopped chuckling for the last 5 minutes. :lol: :lol: :lol:
Thank you.
Philip

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Re: The Great Garden Railway Inspection Reports

Post by Peter Butler » Thu May 06, 2021 10:23 pm

Most entertaining and original. Great pictures too!
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