The Great Central in and around Leicester 1955/65

[tigerburnie]

Content removed

Edited May 28, 2019 by tigerburnie

[APOLLO]

I also modeled (loosely) Leicester central back in the late 80's. A great prototype as there was so much variety in Locos used.

 

Later years a Brush Type 4 (class 47) or occasionally an EE Type 3 (37) was used on the Newcastle - York - Poole - Bournemouth daily train. One set of southern green coaches was also used on this service. Occasionally an EE Type 4 (40) and Brush type 2 (30 / 31) were seen.

 

Some useful pics here http://railwayanamichael.com/index.php?cPath=271_1_7_46

 

There is lots of info on the web, and some good GC sites also.

 

Brit15

[tigerburnie]

Thanks Apollo, useful advice and those photos look perfect, I have Colin Walkers book Mainline Lament, but he concentrated more on the trains and less on the station area.

[tigerburnie]

[tigerburnie]

Whilst waiting for some components to continue the track laying I thought I best get some practice building as it must be 50 years since I last did any modelling at this scale, so I've built a Metcalfe PO233 signal box. Ideal starting point before trying to scratch build the station building later, not too bad, but glue in places it really should not be, need a tube with a finer nozzle. I'm surprised you can't get a more controllable application, like maybe a syringe.

[tigerburnie]

This layout is continuing in phases, when it's too hot I sit in the garden drinking cider, however the nights are now drawing in. All the main lines in the station area are pretty much laid, goods depot and turntable not yet built or bought, so this area will be finished later. The platform has ended up being over 8 feet long which with the two end central tracks requiring to be 44 inches long to accommodate 3 coaches and a loco and tender(3 railcar trains were used towards the end of the railways life) for local stopping trains, compromises have had to be made. The first casualty is the north(down line) engine siding has had to be omitted, I just couldn't fit it in without seriously reducing the station length. I have also abandoned the idea of the custom made parallel double slips I had intended to use, again at around 20 inches long, no room, so the end result using points is actually closer to the prototype. Switches for the isolation for the passing loops should be delivered tomorrow so once the wiring is completed the railway buildings will be next along with lighting and station buildings and canopies. I am struggling to find some concertina sliding gates that were used on the goods lift, anyone any ideas?

[tigerburnie]

Mostly doing electrical work and sticking down the track in the station area, the centre section of the platform is now built and I am scratch building the buildings for the platform. This centre section has taken the brunt of the compromise as I needed the middle dead end sections to accomodate a loco, tender and 3 coaches for local stopping trains. These platforms 1,2 ,3 and 4 are 50 inches long, so in order to fit into the space, this centre is only 20 inches long, consequently the buildings are now also shorter than they appear on the few photographs I can find to model from. I am pleased with the overall appearance and I'm sure it will make a good representation of the prototype.

 

 

Edited September 10, 2017 by tigerburnie

[tigerburnie]

This copy of a time table of the period will help with some accuracy in the trains running, actually more than I thought on a line that was mostly freight running. I thought the "Master Cutler" was still running at this time, but this only mentions the "South Yorkshireman" as a named express.

 

[tigerburnie]

I now have a Working Time Table that includes freight running as well, most interesting to read.

[tigerburnie]

Starting to ballast the station area, not done this before, so began at the extreme north end where the bridge will distract the eye if it isn't up to scratch.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 11, 2018 by tigerburnie

[tigerburnie]

Well this is fun!! very time consuming, but quite satisfying in an odd masochistic sort of way, but I will be pleased when this ballast is all finished.

 

Edited April 11, 2018 by tigerburnie

[richard i]

looks like a good start, i would have looked at the same loccation if i had the space to do it justice

Mine is just a smaller station close by.

Richard

[James Harrison]

A promising start!  (Leicester Central is completely beyond my available space but much of my thinking and planning for my terminus is based around LC's north bays).  Have you seen the GCR through Leicester website?  http://www.gcrleicester.info/

[tigerburnie]

Hi James, yes that site is in my favourites, I'm using some of those images to try and build some shorter versions of the station buildings, I'll take some photo's. The station from the throat of platforms 1&2 down to 3&4 is just over 10 feet, I can just fit in the Northgate bridge going to Frog Island,but the south end is a tad stunted, I was hoping to get to the river, but no room for it.

[tigerburnie]

Managed a full 8 hour shift on the railway today, nearly finished the ballasting in the station area, not started on the turntable/goods area yet and the "fields" side will also be ballasted as well, just the north and south ends will be just running on cork.

 

I have put a spirit level on this, it's me that on the slant not the railway.

 

The mess will be tidied up and scenic back drops will hide the background a bit, Additional legs/bracing to be added, but I just wanted the bare bones done and I've run a couple of trains round the up line just a pleasure to see something moving more than a couple of feet.

Edited April 11, 2018 by tigerburnie

[tigerburnie]

One more image of the station area

image removed

Edited April 28, 2018 by tigerburnie

[tigerburnie]

Both loops now completed and trains have run , some older engines don't like some of the points, my old Jinty I had new in the early 1960's seems to have fat flanges, it won't be running on the railway, so it's not a problem, but I will have to be aware when finding rolling stock I do want to run.

[APOLLO]

Both loops now completed and trains have run , some older engines don't like some of the points, my old Jinty I had new in the early 1960's seems to have fat flanges, it won't be running on the railway, so it's not a problem, but I will have to be aware when finding rolling stock I do want to run.

 

Just widen the wheel gauge with a screwdriver just a tad - worked for me with my old Tri-ang locos (on Peco code 100 points).

 

Brit15

[tigerburnie]

Ran the Hornby A3 "Flying Fox" round a few times both to test the track and to run the loco in a bit(second hand purchase),it ground to a halt, tender motor still running? Inspection showed the drive sprocket had moved on the shaft coming away from the wheel drive sprockets, a dab of glue has done a tempory fix but this will need sorting, any suggestions, can I buy spares?

[richard i]

Petes spares, they do spares for all Hornsby stuff. If you know the locos catalogue number it is even quicker to trace on their site.

[tigerburnie]

Had a small session on the railway, still waiting for the postman with a point for the South goods area, I have pretty much made the station platform and some of the buildings have been made. First attempt at scratch building using card, these will be replaced as I have now sourced some better images of the station, there's a cloakroom to fit on the north end of the platform that I had forgotten about.

I took one of these set of Hornby steps, cut it in half, then jig sawed holes to suit for the steps down to the subway, quite pleased with this.

.

The fencing will not be used, just had some, so tried it to get a feel for how it might look

.

 

 

Edited March 18, 2019 by tigerburnie

[Andrew P]

Looking very good indeed, I do like the Track Plan, loads of good movements.

 

Just a quick question, and please forgive me if I've asked this before, BUT have you got a Fire Extinguisher in the Loft? I was working on a Loft Layout many years ago, and smelt something funny, when I turned around, the Florescent light above the escape hatch was on Fire, there is only one way out, next day I bought a Fire Extinguisher. 

 

All the best with this project mate.

[tigerburnie]

I do have one Andy, but it's old and needs replacing, something I'd over looked so thanks for the advice. I will be installing low voltage LED lighting in there, I don't have any fluorescent light fittings as I've seen too many of those fail and overheat when at work.

Edited April 28, 2018 by tigerburnie

[tigerburnie]

Starting to look at locos and rolling stock, first port of call were my old Ian Allan loco shed books, I cannot remember seeing many 0-6-0 4f's, yet there was 11 of them in the early 1960's, I even had most of them crossed off, so I saw them. Funny how you remember the glamorous(apart perhaps from 9f's) bigger loco's but not the work horses who probably pulled every pickup freight train in that period.

So the Triang, from my yoof, 4f will need some serious upgrading, a perfect place to start after not having touched an engine since early 1983, proper hand rails and maybe some better detailing. Don't think I'll be using the Jinty though, unless any snuck down the Burton line from the LMS.

Edited October 2, 2017 by tigerburnie

[Littlethorpe]

Starting to look at locos and rolling stock, first port of call were my old Ian Allan loco shed books, I cannot remember seeing many 0-6-0 4f's, yet there was 11 of them in the early 1960's, I even had most of them crossed off, so I saw them. Funny how you remember the glamorous(apart perhaps from 9f's) bigger loco's but not the work horses who probably pulled every pickup freight train in that period.

So the Triang, from my yoof, 4f will need some serious upgrading, a perfect place to start after not having touched an engine since early 1983, proper hand rails and maybe some better detailing. Don't think I'll be using the Jinty though, unless any snuck down the Burton line from the LMS.

 

Don't recall ever seeing a 4F on the GC around Leicester. The Jinty is OK as 47442 transferred fro Leicester Midland to Leicester Central in October '59 and stayed for about 6 months.