The DVLR Mark 2

[Dr. Bond of the DVLR]

Thank you very much indeed for the kind words.
The field/paddoc is a piece of door mat (its still there although it now look less like a doormat).

I am afraid to say the railway has got to this stage mainly through neglect - I've done very little on it this past year. I did make sure to clear off every single big overscale leaf to improve the look of the shot, the railway does benefit here from going round a corner at the back so you can get a lot of scenery in the way.

This little bit is supposedly inspired by a little bit of the kettering furnaces railway (seen at 14.52 here...)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVTQhpkAITo

[Dr. Bond of the DVLR]

Hullo all,
I'll spare you the "I got back from Uni and I found this" photos but needless to say today was spent most of today picking up all the leaves and ripping up the MYOB. Bits of the railway have really settled in very nicely so I thought I'd share some naff phone photos of it with you.

Sandlings corner quite quiet, just a chicken dotting about, someone needs to re-hang the gate...


Looking towards Butley - I like the curves here.


Looking up-line from Aldeburgh. The MYOB has only just taken to this stretch, it being quite a dry part of the garden.


A really naff washed out photo (it was getting dark) but I do like what the river does and the trees are maturing nicely


With that done its time to think about sidings at Aldeburgh - I quite like the idea of this one - standard Mid Suffolk Light Railway siding layout here - depending on the shunting done you can access one of the sidings whatever direction you approach the station in. The siding to the left would serve the brickworks and fertilizer plant (if that ever happens) and the one to the right tucked up by the station will be the beech siding and serve the fish sheds (when they appear).
Station layout still provisional though I think this would be workable, the station would then be good for planting properly with platforms etc.
This area has never really been scenicaly developed - don't really know what to do with the big mound!


Progress is now very slow due to PhD and not living at home any more.

[LNR]

Sandlings Corner is still a perfect picture of rural narrow gauge railways.
Grant.
PS just realised I have an old doormat, hmmm!

[ge_rik]

Really like that shot up-line from Aldeburgh - not just the railway snaking off into the distance but the road up the hill as well.
Rik

[artfull dodger]

Nice pictures. Sometimes a little neglect is whats needed to get that overgown and rundown look to the railway. I just wish I could do the same to my railway, but the family beagle had other plans, so its time to elevate my railway several feet above ground level away from said beast. Thanks for the pics! Mike

[Soar Valley Light]

Thanks for the update Zak. The line is really looking established in its surroundings now. There are some really lovely shots there. It's only just dawned on me that the absence of trains makes no difference to the photos. The DVLR looks every bit as much a railway without them as it does with. THAT is the mark of success as far as I'm concerned, well done on such a great result!

Andrew

[invicta280]

Really like that shot up-line from Aldeburgh - not just the railway snaking off into the distance but the road up the hill as well.
Rik

Absolutely. That picture captures so much atmosphere.

[Dr. Bond of the DVLR]

Thank you for the kind words - its been very much trial and error over the years! The truth is that I rarely get a chance to run a train these days - I generally get everything looking back to normal, take some photos then its the end of the day and that's that!

So, already aware I have enough on my plate I fancied a little something else to have a go at. I am looking at developing the quarry stock a little further. The DVLR stock is all medium sized 16mm stock, I quite like the idea of a few extra small locos and wagons.
As longstanding forumites are aware the DVLR's quarrying industry is coprolite - a real Suffolk industry from a bygone age. Phosphate nodules are dug up from the local crumbly rock (Red Crag), washed and sieved then transported to a fertilizer plant whereupon they are dissolved in Sulphuric acid to make superphosphate - a cheaper alternative to imported guarno...
The shallow trenches often had rails layed to them, the excavated sand being dumped into the wooden tippers from barrows on planks.
http://www.shillington-history.org.uk/P ... 0-%201.jpg
A closer look at the barrow - do any 16mm suppliers do these or will I be having to scratch build them?
http://www.orwellpastandpresent.org.uk/ ... iggers.jpg
Of course the holy grail of the coprolite quarry tramways was this:
http://www.bernardoconnor.org.uk/Coprol ... age001.jpg
(One day I'll build one!)
Anyway, some tippers, some soil, a Peter Jones loco and a small stick of wood later...

[tom_tom_go]

Check out eBay for 16mm barrows Zach, I believe I have seen laser cut kits for sale which were under £10.

[daan]

Great railway! It really gets overgrown with scale plants.. I think you know the binnies? They are also a cheap alternative and IP engineering has good working loco's for a small budget fitting with these quarry lines. But they require some time to build though..