Maiden Lane Loco

[TrevorP1]

"The time has come," the walrus said "to talk of many things..." This verse from 'Through the Looking Glass' ends with reference to the likelihood of flying pigs and I'm hoping this doesn't refer to the chances of my new project reaching a fruitful state.

 

For some time now I've been content with building dioramas but last year I began to get the urge to build something that 'worked'. Whilst I'm not particularly interested in operating it would be nice to see something move. My heart is in the West Country but my interests are many and varied so last autumn saw me all but set on building a representation of Kyle of Lochalsh in diesel days but... something was nagging at me... Kyle has been done so many times (and with good reason).

 

Then I discovered Gilbert Barnet's Peterborough thread on here and it reawakened a long dormant liking for things 'east coast'. With only 8' X 2' to spare it would be a challenge to say the least. I looked at N gauge and bought an item of stock to 'get a feel' but it was just too small for me.

 

To cut a long story short I began looking at Kings Cross Passenger Loco. I only saw it in diesel days but surely it would fit? Erm, well no. But the idea wouldn't go away.

 

After much playing with rolls of paper, templates and endless pieces of cardboard I've settled on a plan which should be recognisable as KX but actually is a lot less. I wanted to include something of platform 16 and the milk dock, plus at least a representation of the Culross building which dominates the scene, plus of course Gas Works Tunnel is a convenient break at the other end.

 

What I seem to have ended up with is, in effect, two dioramas back to back. 

 

Anyhow. To practical things..

 

 

 

These two snaps show things being developed on what would become the baseboards. (Apologies for the Spam Can in one of them!)

 

The station end has changed a little since then but I'll post this lot now before I loose it!

 

 

 

Edited February 9, 2018 by TrevorP1

[TrevorP1]

The previous post was where things stood at the end of February. I am very lucky to have a friend whose day job is restoring wooden railway carriages. He is also a railway modeller and one day was foolish enough to admit he likes building baseboards. With a little bribery and a couple of sheets of birch ply he very quickly produced the two wonderful items in the photos. He was completely unfazed by my requirements for the gradient on platform 16 or the slight dip down under the Regents Canal in Gas works Tunnel. 

 

 

 

 

It will be a shame to cover his work in track etc. They are pretty light and very strong. I'm sure you could jump on them and they wouldn't budge. 

 

The boards are now in position in my den and I'll bring things up to date in the next post.

[TrevorP1]

Moving on, I'll bring the photos up to date with mock-ups produced in the last couple of weeks. At the 'city' end I've had to greatly reduce what was there in real life and also twist things round a little. It was at this point that I decided that I could no longer really stick to anything like the real site, also that if I put the Culross Building in anything like it's real place it would dominate the whole scene and be pretty unmanageable. So using plans found on the internet I made a mock up to 3.5mm scale and placed it as a kind of 3D backscene. Working from photos and guesswork I tried to get the essence of the suburban buildings as well. In the view with the Scammell I've gone away from Kings Cross altogether and the pub beyond the gate is the W B Yeats from Finsbury Park. Hopefully when I do this properly it will disguise the fact that I just don't have room to put a curve on the backscene.

 

 

 

Moving round slightly is what I'd like to do with the end of, what was, Battlebridge Road. I've had to turn the retaining wall through 90 degrees to real life and I've just sketched some houses and a gasholder.  I quite like this view - mostly fictional - but how on earth I'm going to do the gas holder when it comes to it I have no idea...

 

 

Lastly, the Gas Works Tunnel end. Self explanatory I think with a card and foam board mock up.

 

 

From the tunnel to 'Battlebridge Road' will be retaining wall and a short grassy bank.

 

The space I have available is very restricted but in the future I hope to be able to build cassettes for either end and on high days and holidays set things up in the lounge but that is a long way in the future!

 

My normal preference for modelling and real life is somewhere with some countryside but this is a new challenge and the area has so much to offer for a model.  I have read so many books and stared for hours at hundreds of photos that I feel I know the district quite well. In reality I went there once when I was about 12 and again in the late 80's when I was in my 30's. Perhaps I will go for a look one day but I'm not sure it would be any help because so much has changed.

 

I've settled on 1958/59 for a nominal period as there was so much variety then.

 

Finally, many may know, but Maiden Lane comes from the original name of the first bore of what we now call Gas Works Tunnel. It seems appropriate because I can hardly refer to the place by it's 'real' name.

 

I'm off to Cornwall in a few days time so I'm planning to pick up some of the new Peco bullhead from a certain establishment in Camboure to begin track laying. I'll have to wait for the pointwork so the plan is to also start with the background buildings and move forward.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[trw1089]

Hi Trevor

 

I too am an avid follower of Peterborough North on here and am similarly inspired, so it's good to see how it inspires others.

 

I really like what you are doing with this layout and tackling a built up city theme with KX as its basis. Already I think you've captured the atmosphere of the passenger loco area. Like you say, there are a good many photographs of the area and if you've also been fortunate enough to visit it when it was still mostly intact, then I think you've got all the right ingredients for a cracking layout!

 

I'll certainly be following with interest.

 

Cheers

Tony

[TrevorP1]

Not a great deal to report this weekend but I have been doing some scale sketches of platform 16/17, or at least my version of them. A bit tricky with the different levels. and the usual problem of trying to get something 'believable' into too small a space. Normal viewing for this will be across what would have been platform 15 at the real Kings Cross so it should make for an interesting aspect. At this stage all still subject to fiddling and shuffling about.

 

 

Off to Cornwall on Friday so I'll pick up some track etc from KMRC while I'm there and I'll get started on that when we get home. I'm content to wait for the Peco bullhead turnouts but I will but least be able to get a section in to run something up and down. While I'm waiting I'll get on with the buildings and Gasworks Tunnel. 

 

I'm looking at 'bashing' a Walthers kit for a start on the Culross building. Seems expensive at first but when you add up all the bits and pieces it's not so bad and may even be cheaper in the long run.

 

Thanks to Tony for the encouragement. This won't be a quick project but I can wait to get really started!

[sb67]

Great start Trevor, it looks the part already, looking forward to following this thread.

Steve.

[TrevorP1]

Spent 2 or 3 hours this weekend getting some cork sheet down. I've also armed myself with some of the Peco Bullhead track - this looks a jolly good product and holds it's shape well.

 

I had hoped to lay a little of this whilst waiting for the pointwork but on second thoughts I'll be patient and wait for the points before I start. It's not as though I've nothing else to do... Buildings to make, a start on the wiring plus I seem to have acquired some wagon kits!

 

 

[TrevorP1]

Time for a quick progress report. Apart from tidying up the baseboards and making a start on the electrickery, I've mainly been working on my version of the Culross Buildings.

 

I decided not to attempt an exact replica so I am adapting an American Atlas kit which they call 'Middlesex Trading'. I'm also using a small number of laser cut items from L Cut. It is therefore mixture of 3.5mm and 4mm scales but by the time it's covered in pre Clean Air Act grime I don't think this will be a problem. 

 

I'm quite partial to Scammell Scarabs and Mechanical Horses so underneath the flats will be a small maintenance depot for these vehicles.

 

 

[31A]

Not quite sure why I haven't come across this one before, but I look forward to seeing more of this!  I also made a low relief out of that Atas building for my layout but in a different way to you; it certainly looks the part.

[sb67]

The Atlas kit looks great, bet that will look the part painted and weatherd.

Steve.

[TrevorP1]

Some more pieces arrived from L Cut today. The arched components are intended as windows but they are ideal for the line of doors.

 

 

These might make things clearer.

 

 

 

A few trial pieces cut for the suburban platforms as well.

 

 

No intention of an exact replica but I hope a good flavour, just no space for the actual milk dock nor full length platforms. Hope to make some more progress on Sunday but we'll see!

 

 

The Atlas kit looks great, bet that will look the part painted and weatherd.
Steve.

 

 

Hope so! Fingers crossed!

[TrevorP1]

Over the last few days it felt like I wasn't getting anywhere but a couple of hours this morning and things have fallen into place. 

 

 

 

I found some doors in my old bits box and they seem go pretty well with a trial fit.

 

 

The split level platform beckons... This may take some time!

 

If anyone else is planning to chop around some L Cut parts as I have, be sure to use a new scalpel blade. The card is very fragile and the bricks will distort easily. The service from L Cut has been fantastic. The parts are meticulously packed and arrive very quickly.

 

 

 

[RexAshton]

This building's exactly what I'm looking for. Hope you don't mind me pinching some of your ideas.

[TrevorP1]

This building's exactly what I'm looking for. Hope you don't mind me pinching some of your ideas.

 

 

Be my guest!

[TrevorP1]

Lately it's been too warm to spend any great time in the den but I've managed to get this far with the gable roof building. I'm not sure wether to press on with gutters and downpipes now or give it coat of spray primer. Whatever, I think I'll tackle something simpler next - like the wall beside it!

 

The general aim is to get the 'carcasses' of all the structures done, leaving all the detail work till after the trackwork and other upheavals.

 

[TrevorP1]

I really wish Peco would get on and bring out the bullhead pointwork but in the meantime I've been building walls. Waiting for more plasticard to turn up and then I'll get cracking on the larger but plain retaining walls towards the tunnel. These will be based on the sloping walls at Belle Isle. The grass mat is just pinned there to see how the slope will look. In case anyone wonders, I haven't gone crazy and built a wall on it's side, the panel on the right is just an odd piece to help me judge heights! 

 

[Wigan Wallgate OO Gauge]

This is great

[TrevorP1]

I lost momentum on the project over the summer and now there is a house move and relocation to North Wales is on the cards! However, the new railway room will bigger so it will be worth it in the end and I should have room for a cassette type fiddle yard.  I will be able to move a lot of my den in advance of the main move so over the coming weeks there will be much dismantling and bubble wrapping!  

 

In the meantime I can make a start on the stash of wagon kits and projects I've aquired. First up, I've started on a couple of loco coal wagons.

 

 

 

Edited September 5, 2017 by TrevorP1