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Midland in London (or is it Birmingham?)


Tricky
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London like Brum? I think I'd go along the canals in both places to pick up likenesses, then you could always drain the canal out and put a railway in. The track layout intrigues me, presume there's a short traverser under the bridge? Then a longer one at t'other, and how do you enter that? And then theres the short line in the middle? The yards got a nifty look to it, quite railwaylike, somehow.

Edited by Northroader
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London like Brum? I think I'd go along the canals in both places to pick up likenesses, then you could always drain the canal out and put a railway in. The track layout intrigues me, presume there's a short traverser under the bridge? Then a longer one at t'other, and how do you enter that? And then theres the short line in the middle? The yards got a nifty look to it, quite railwaylike, somehow.

There is indeed a short traverser under the rail bridge which holds a loco and two wagons just about, which makes shunting interesting. The road bridge at right angles to it has a mirror in it to give the illusion of depth that actually isn't there. The traverser at the right hand end is the 2'6" one and serves all three roads. The short siding off to the right of the cross-over just about holds two brake vans. Theoretically a train could arrive on the far line, be shunted and re-made up to depart on the same line, but I haven't got enough stock to try it out yet!
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Guest Midland Mole

Wow, what a marvellous layout! The detail is very impressive, and it is always nice to see a MR layout.....also nice to see the MR Compound in your profile pic. :)

I will definitely be following this thread and look forward to seeing more of it in the future.

Alex

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Wow, what a marvellous layout! The detail is very impressive, and it is always nice to see a MR layout.....also nice to see the MR Compound in your profile pic. :)

I will definitely be following this thread and look forward to seeing more of it in the future.

Alex

Thanks Alex. Good to meet another Midlander! The profile pic at some stage might change to Beatrice, the most beautiful locomotive ever built IMHO!

Might you be able to offer any advice on my ground frame colour question? The only down side in my mind to the aesthetic perfection of the Edwardian Midland Railway was the livery of signals and boxes - that's why my bracket signal is filthy to cover it up!!

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Hello Tricky, good to see you have broken cover and out into the open and delighted us with some excellent modelling, some great atmospheric modelling already.

 

Best regards

Craig.

Cheers Craig. Not sure why I left it so long...!!
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Guest Midland Mole

Thanks Alex. Good to meet another Midlander! The profile pic at some stage might change to Beatrice, the most beautiful locomotive ever built IMHO!

Might you be able to offer any advice on my ground frame colour question? The only down side in my mind to the aesthetic perfection of the Edwardian Midland Railway was the livery of signals and boxes - that's why my bracket signal is filthy to cover it up!!

 

You are right, the colours they painted the boxes & signals were a little...garish....to say the least! :D

I wish I could offer you some sound advice on the ground frame, but sadly I am far from an expert. I don't know if this thread might be of use to you? Honestly I would not be surprised if they did paint the woodwork the same colours as the box. :)

Alex

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You are right, the colours they painted the boxes & signals were a little...garish....to say the least! :D

I wish I could offer you some sound advice on the ground frame, but sadly I am far from an expert. I don't know if this thread might be of use to you? Honestly I would not be surprised if they did paint the woodwork the same colours as the box. :)

Alex

Thanks Alex, I think I had seen that thread before when I was a 'lurker'! I think it refers to the levers themselves rather than the woodwork. I shall remain in blissful ignorance until further info appears...!
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There is indeed a short traverser under the rail bridge which holds a loco and two wagons just about, which makes shunting interesting. The road bridge at right angles to it has a mirror in it to give the illusion of depth that actually isn't there. The traverser at the right hand end is the 2'6" one and serves all three roads. The short siding off to the right of the cross-over just about holds two brake vans. Theoretically a train could arrive on the far line, be shunted and re-made up to depart on the same line, but I haven't got enough stock to try it out yet!

Here's a photo of the sector plate (not traverser, sorry), and mirror...! Slightly more effective in real life than in a photo. Honest.

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So, thoughts on the area fondly referred to as the goods yard. It measures 22" from the short brick wall up to the end of the wooden fence by 8" at the left hand end. I'm thinking of a very small lean-to office against the brick wall, possibly a lean-to covered shelter against some of the stone wall (if I can source a rough prototype) with barrels, crates etc stacked here and there. Photos I peruse mostly in my supply of Midland Records show quite a bit of straw and other yard litter around and about. I will shy away from cobbling the whole area, probably just the entrance and in between the track. I will hopefully have room for one dray and a rail-built stop. I would also fit a large entrance post with lamp on top and a couple of yard lamps. Your comments are most welcome...

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I see the layout is powered by good old analogue DC. I'm still agnostic about DCC, especially the sound aspect. My Cwm Bach layout is DCC, but my latest layout Tonfanau Camp is wired for DC, not least because none of the locos allocated to this project are equipped with DCC, which would cost several hundred pounds to fit.[/quote

 

 

 

Funny you should say that. I was just chatting to Wenlock on his blog about how great his 517 sounds! Monks Gate was always built as dc but the half cab was radio for a while. I had to have the battery and several other bits and pieces rigged up in a wagon which it obviously was permanently hitched to. Not satisfactory. But when I attempted to re-wire it all and squeeze it in to the boiler and side tanks and coal bunker managed to fry it and mess it right up, so it all ended in the bin. Wenlock may be able to advise how many hundreds of pounds might need to be spent to set up this loco from scratch...?!

Hi again Tricky,  Fitting sound in your loco would certainly cost a hundred pounds, but fortunately not hundreds! :-)  I used a LokSound V 4.0 sound decoder from Southwestdigital http://www.southwestdigital.co.uk/ that cost £107.00 pounds and one of their 15mm x 11mm sugar cube speakers at £9.00.  I reckon you need to budget for around a £120.00 pounds per loco. In addition you've also got to bite the bullet and buy a DCC contoller, mine was secondhand but was around the 300 pound mark if bought new   http://www.gaugemaster.com/item_details.asp?code=DCC02&style=&strType=&Mcode=Gaugemaster+DCC02

 

I must admit I enjoy having sound on my layout, but quite understand it's not for everyone.  I guess it's a case of like most things in life "You pays your money and makes your choice!"

 

Dave

Edited by wenlock
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What a really nice little layout this is Tricky, it`s so atmospheric,even in it`s unfinished state. I can`t imagine what what else your going to bring to it,but i`ll keep watch just to see.

 

And if your looking for a suitable shed, then how about pinching borrowing this little one off the BCB layout?.

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/62848-black-country-blues-thesignalengineer-returns-to-his-roots/

 

I think it could fit right in with the style your after,plus there`s a nice little plan and pictures to work off.....just don`t tell them you`ve used it though..!! :secret:

 

Cheers,

 

Brian.

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Some progress on the goods yard today, the substantial post at the entrance is temporarily positioned, to be fitted once I have fitted the lamp on top. Two layers of mount board cover the area, just leaving the section at the entrance to cobble with carved Das. A start has also been made to infill between the rails with mountboard and polyfilla. The farthest edge where the sleepers still show will be built up with more mount board flush with top of rail and then when the office is built and in place the whole area covered in polyfilla. I built the buffer stop from a photo and was the simplest and most compact design I could find. Maybe not a common Midland design but a prototype exists so I'm happy!

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What a really nice little layout this is Tricky, it`s so atmospheric,even in it`s unfinished state. I can`t imagine what what else your going to bring to it,but i`ll keep watch just to see.

 

And if your looking for a suitable shed, then how about pinching borrowing this little one off the BCB layout?.

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/62848-black-country-blues-thesignalengineer-returns-to-his-roots/

 

I think it could fit right in with the style your after,plus there`s a nice little plan and pictures to work off.....just don`t tell them you`ve used it though..!! :secret:

 

Cheers,

 

Brian.

Cheers Brian, I will take a look...!

Richard

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I realised as I was sizing up the small office that it wouldn't fit against the brick wall as it isn't high enough...! So....it's now against the back wall, it makes for an interesting roof line and a nice tall chimney stack and pot. This first shot is of the mock-up before committing...

Second shot of glueing up and third shot all glued up and drying before covering the 3mm mdf with Das.

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Very nice modelling, as others have said - where and why have you been hiding!  I love layouts like this - they don't have to be huge, and the detail and quality of the modelling takes over the viewers eyes.  Your buildings and ground detailing is wonderful, and I can hear crys of "more! more!" from the auditorium, sorry better go take my pills!  

 

Really is superb pre-grouping modelling. Well done!

Rich

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Very nice modelling, as others have said - where and why have you been hiding!  I love layouts like this - they don't have to be huge, and the detail and quality of the modelling takes over the viewers eyes.  Your buildings and ground detailing is wonderful, and I can hear crys of "more! more!" from the auditorium, sorry better go take my pills!  

 

Really is superb pre-grouping modelling. Well done!

 

Rich

Hi Rich, and thanks for your encouragement. Pressing on with the Goods Office, hopefully post an update later...
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The mind-numbing but strangely therapeutic process of scribing brickwork onto the sanded Das walls has begun. It's only a little building so shouldn't take too long. Start with all horizontal courses and then fill in the verticals.

Some bits have flaked off already and can be patched in with more Das and then made good, most of the roughness will get lost in the scribing and adds to the texture.

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Brickwork all scribed, next step to add brick detailing to the base of the walls where it steps out, window sill, door step and corbelling to the top of the stack. A start on the window as well. Plasticard spot-glued to CD case material.

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Superbly skilful and evocative modelling.  perfectly weathered for a really natural look.  Very enjoyable to view.

 

Thanks so much Edwardian, glad you like it. I presume 1907 is very much your era...?!
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