Garden Railway Forum

ge_rik wrote: Tue Feb 04, 2020 7:49 am That tall chap's fig leaf is enormous - or is he just showing off?

Never even occurred to me!

ge_rik wrote: Tue Feb 04, 2020 7:49 am Only just caught up with this thread. A great read!

Thank you very much.

Just for general info, the Inspector arrived with me to 'do' The Elderbury & District a couple of weeks ago but with Ciara and Dennis around, not to mention the general state of the line and garden, I'm afraid he has been unable to get out and about and do his report ( I'm told that the bar takings at the Railway Hotel have mysteriously increased though!).
Sadly we are off on holiday to warmer climes this afternoon so it is likely to be towards the end of March before his report is issued but I will get it done asap. and forward him to his next destination.

philipy wrote: Mon Feb 17, 2020 9:17 am Just for general info, the Inspector arrived with me to 'do' The Elderbury & District a couple of weeks ago but with Ciara and Dennis around, not to mention the general state of the line and garden, I'm afraid he has been unable to get out and about and do his report ( I'm told that the bar takings at the Railway Hotel have mysteriously increased though!).
Sadly we are off on holiday to warmer climes this afternoon so it is likely to be towards the end of March before his report is issued but I will get it done asap. and forward him to his next destination.

Well!!! I think you should cancel your holiday immediately and get out into the garden......

Enjoy

Rik

ge_rik wrote: Tue Feb 18, 2020 9:33 am
Well!!! I think you should cancel your holiday immediately and get out into the garden......

Sounds like a good idea. Why didn't I think of it myself, or read your suggestion, before we got here a couple of hours ago?

Seriously, even if I was at home there is no way I could get down the garden, atm. Fortunately we missed 95% of the effects of both storms ( commiserations to those who caught the full force) but even so, the clag that we laughingly call soil is sodden and water is just laying on the surface. Put a foot down on the lawn and slimy clay clag just oozes half an inch up the side of your shoe. Lift your foot and the grass underneath it has mostly disappeared under water.

I hope you are having good weather, Philip, and get the chance to chill out (in the relaxation sense rather than literally)
I'm not envious, of course!

Rik

Finally I am able to report on The Elderbury & District Light Railway. My apologies for the delay which has been due to various reasons beyond my control. I have been staying at the Railway Hotel in Elderbury which although acceptable has begun to get tedious and I'm glad that I shall soon be on my way.

Elderbury station itself is small and lacking all but the basic facilities. I was somewhat disappointed at the general air of dilapidation and grass covered platform,
I was however, pleasantly surprised to find the maintenance dept busily attending to the surrounding vegetation and wearing suitable PPE. I did wonder if this was just for my benefit but they assured me that this is what they always wear. My only actual complaint was that there were no barriers to keep the travelling public back from their potentially dangerous tools.
I had a brief chat with a lady waiting on the platform with her daughter. She complained that she had been waiting for a train for years but I think this was probably a slight over statement.
There was a goods train waiting in the loop and I had a word with the Guard. He was a pleasant enough fellow, leaning on the end of his veranda with a mug of tea. He generously offered me a brew but just at that point my train arrived to take me to my next point of call, so I had to decline.
A short trip down the line and after passing through Green Man Tunnel brought me to Cuttle Brook Halt. I had been anticipating this stop with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation. It may be remembered that I previously made an unofficial visit to this location when major construction works were in hand and little progress was being made. Imagine my surprise to find the works completed to a fine standard and the whole line properly fenced at this point with appropriate lineside warning notices etc.
I spoke to one the local residents who was just arriving to catch my train and he expressed total satisfaction with the works and the improved standard of things locally.
Further down the line and through a second tunnel, we came across the sole example of signalling on the E & D and what a fine piece work it is.
This signal controls a three-way junction just beyond, with Bench Junction Signal Box on the right hand side. The box itself is small but perfectly adequate for its purpose. It could, however, do with a major re-paint however and the gutters need refixing.
I was pleased to see that the box is provided with an outside 'privy' since it had been a long time since breakfast.....!
I opened the door without thinking and was somewhat embarrassed to find it occupied!
We took the centre road at the junction which took us down a tightly curving gradient and under a large girder bridge which carries one of the other lines from the junction. Given the quality fencing on other parts of the line I was surprised and disappointed at the total lack of fencing here and also, given the gradient and curvature, the lack of checks rails and speed limits. This should be remedied at once and I'm currently debating whether to issue a prohibition notice until these very necessary works are completed.
After passing under the bridge we entered Lower Bench Station and pulled into the platform. This is a pleasant little station, nicely appointed and well looked after.
I soon found out the reason for this station being superior to other parts of the line. The station and its branch line was a relatively late addition to the system. The current local landowner is Maurice Mower, 4th Lord Elderbury, ( family motto: "Gramina Viridiores Est" ) and initially the Mower family wanted nothing to do with railways until they realised that the they were missing out both financially and socially. This resulted in the branch being shoehorned into the landscape to give them rail access adjacent to Bench Hall. This history was relayed to me in a somewhat boring conversation with His Lordship, who buttonholed me on the platform. He did kindly invite me to visit his family home but I declined on the grounds that I need to get on my way to my next inspection.
So overall the line is not in too bad condition but there is definite room for improvement. The Director has promised that action will be taken and given that he promised this in relation to the bridge works and was true to his word, I have very confidence that I can rely on him again.

Interesting report, Philip. I'm sure there are corners of your railway I've not seen before. I enjoyed the tour.

Rik

Well illustrated and described, I think you have had notice to make improvements.

I too enjoyed the tour. That first pic. is fabulous, the whole line looks really part of the landscape. The inspector gazing at the brook from the bridge is good too, and the privy shot brings back memories of the privy comparison episode.
Thanks Philip.
Grant.
PS can't help wondering if there is a resemblance in that Lord Elderbury character!!

Thanks chaps.

LNR wrote: Mon Apr 06, 2020 1:04 am
PS can't help wondering if there is a resemblance in that Lord Elderbury character!!

Resemblance to whom? Certainly not me!
If you are referring to the previous picture of his Lordship standing at his front door, then yes. There is only one Maurice Mower of course and he had made his way over to the station having been made aware of the inspectors visit.

Great report and some very nice photos.
Should he have been out and the passengers and railway staff...

Shouldn't they have been self-isolating....

Very much enjoying this thread. Surely Mr. Spectre gave extra marks for such a well-detailed line?

Old Man Aaron wrote: Mon Apr 06, 2020 12:19 pm Surely Mr. Spectre gave extra marks for such a well-detailed line?

You'd think, wouldn't you?!

A lovely report, and great photos. The stream and bridge really are looking good - and have we soon those very posh looking plum and cream carriages before? Very nice... Actually, I don't recall seeing that station, but perhaps I'd forgotten?

Cheers,

Andrew.

Andrew wrote: Mon Apr 06, 2020 1:03 pm and have we soon those very posh looking plum and cream carriages before? Very nice...

Actually, I don't recall seeing that station, but perhaps I'd forgotten?

No, I don't think you've seen those carriages. I bought them 2nd hand and just did some very basic tidying up and one new roof.

Yes you've seen the station before unless you were asleep a couple of years back when I bored everyone silly with all the 3D printing I did. For the waiting room interior, platform lamps, the 3D printed fire, the downpipes and gutters, the ridge tiles, the platform faces and fences, chimney pots, the wrought iron railings....!
Some of it is on these threads:
https://gardenrails.org/forum/viewtopic ... d+printing
https://gardenrails.org/forum/viewtopic ... inted+fire
and the rest spread around various others.

philipy wrote: Mon Apr 06, 2020 4:21 pm
Yes you've seen the station before unless you were asleep a couple of years back when I bored everyone silly with all the 3D printing I did.

Aha! No, not asleep, but I don't recognise it at all, so I think it's from the period I spent away from the forum (and modelling generally) a few years ago. Looks great though, so I look forward to catching up, thanks!

Andrew.

philipy wrote: Mon Apr 06, 2020 4:21 pm “...I bored everyone silly with all the 3D printing I did... platform lamps, downpipes and gutters, ridge tiles, the platform faces and fences, chimney pots, the wrought iron railings...”

And Lower Bench station looks great: I particularly like the aged stonework (throughout your railway) as well as all the precise architectural detail.

Extraordinarily silly going to all that trouble just to put that bloke in the bog, though. I mean, Honestly...? Well done.

BertieB wrote: Mon Apr 06, 2020 11:34 pm

Extraordinarily silly going to all that trouble just to put that bloke in the bog, though. I mean, Honestly...? Well done.

Thanks, it just came about as a result of an impromptu competition between Grant , Peter and myself
https://gardenrails.org/forum/viewtopic ... 94#p118594

A lovely report Philip. I suspect that the inspector was quietly impressd with your line, and so he should be.

OK folks, we are now on the hunt for volunteers!
A number of those members who put themselves forward to do reports at the beginning of last year, seem have disappeared on us. The inspector is currently on his way to his next assignment but after that he only has one more line left to visit.

So, if anyone would like to add their name/line to the list, please drop me a PM ( Don't put it on here, please) and I'll add you on.