Ranelagh Bridge, Looking from the other side

[Clive Mortimore]

Hi All

 

This is yet another working project.

 

A short while ago I posted on Steve Fay's Ranelagh Bridge thread a couple of photos of some Peco track roughly laid out as the diesel version of Ranelagh Bridge http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/38539-ranelagh-bridge-west-london-stabling-point/?p=1690281. I showed them to my mate who many moons ago was going to build a P4 model with me. He replied saying just build it. So after a bit of thinking I have decided to do so.

 

In the topic title I have called it "looking from the other side", well my idea is to model the yard as if the viewer was looking from the houses that back on to it, towards the mainline. Most models usally view from Royal Oak underground station, which is fine, but I do find that the BR Historical Records Building blocks off part of the stabing point. From the track plan you will see that I am using the Records Building to hide the west fiddle yard. Locos will arrive and depart from here if they are goiing/coming from Old Oak or the carriage sidings the other side of Lord Hills Bridge. The station end fiddle yard is going to part scenic, I will have a sign covering up the end of the layout, just past the headshunt, saying "To Paddington".

 

 

As you can see I will include some bits of the mainline in the background.

 

This weekend I have been sorting out the recovered track from Hanging Hill and cutting that to length and shaping it for Ranelagh Bridge.

Having modelled 3 ER sheds the number of WR locos I have is limited. I don't have a Western. 

 

Back to Sheffield Exchange next week.

[Clive Mortimore]

Oh I forgot to say that Steve Fay's thread has been helpful with spurring this on.

 

Another long seated inspiration was an article in the Model Railway Constructor by Peter Kazmierczak way back in the day.

 

Big thanks to both of you.

 

[emt_911]

Evening Clive.

 

I like the different viewing perspective. Looking forward to seeing this develop

[Taigatrommel]

Will it incorporate a steam catapult for airborne Hymeks?

[Clive Mortimore]

Will it incorporate a steam catapult for airborne Hymeks?

One mistake at one show over ten years ago and I am still not allowed to forget it.      If you look carefully the Hymek is missing a buffer, it keeps falling off following its dive off Hanging Hill on to the floor of the exhibition hall in Chippenham  :umbrage:

 

In answer to your question, I think it will be a standard fitting for all my layouts.

 

Shot a 37 into the garden from the garage when testing Brisbane Road out.

Had a Cravens DMU land on Brisbane Road where I drove it off of Sheffield Exchange's fiddle yard.

[Andrew P]

Remind me NOT to let you near one of my Layouts mate, hahahha.

 

Like the track plan, the idea in the Blue / Railfreight era sounds tempting though, hahahah.

 

All the best with this one Clive.

[Taigatrommel]

All joking aside, I had an inch thick foam strip on the end of Bad Horn's fiddle yard to protect locos from my inattentive operating.  I really like the planned viewing angle, will the rest of the layout be "boxed in" to force viewers to take that viewpoint?

[Clive Mortimore]

Remind me NOT to let you near one of my Layouts mate, hahahha.

 

Like the track plan, the idea in the Blue / Railfreight era sounds tempting though, hahahah.

 

All the best with this one Clive.

Dear Mr P

 

I intend to populate the layout with some of the WR wonderful diesel hydraulic locomotives in that superb green as favoured by generations of locomotive painters at the GWR Swindon locomotive workshops.

 

Alternatively as the locomotives are not going to be used on Brisbane Road, BR (ER) ex GER lines, or Sheffield Exchange, BR (ER) ex L&YR and GNR lines I might do them in that lovely period when some was green and some was blue, with a couple of maroon ones. :imsohappy:

 

Cheers for the encouragement.

[Clive Mortimore]

All joking aside, I had an inch thick foam strip on the end of Bad Horn's fiddle yard to protect locos from my inattentive operating.  I really like the planned viewing angle, will the rest of the layout be "boxed in" to force viewers to take that viewpoint?

Hi Rich

 

It will be hard to "box it in" partly due to its real location. The records building will help, as will the boundary wall as that is quite high but towards the bridge it does get quite open at the back of the layout. In reality there should be 7 running lines, 2 LT lines with the island platform of Royal Oak station, 6 freight lines before you get to the first high piece of scenery and that is the A40 elevated road. Hopefully if it goes to any shows (if built) the exhibtion managers will allow me to place it at an angle.

 

[Clive Mortimore]

Just back from B&Q with some wood, a new saw, some screws, some nuts and bolts. Having a cuppa, then a quick play on Sheffield Exchange before cutting the baseboards to shape. They are not going to be 4fty by 2ft rectangles like the other two layouts.

 

I am thinking of not using cork with this layout. Once cork has had its soaking in PVA it does not act as a sound proofer. Reading and hearing other modellers experiences with foam and rubber in place of cork I am unsure of the suitability of these.

 

I can hear loads of you saying  “Oh dear he has gone to B&Q form his wood, that won’t work at all.” It has for Brisbane Road, and Hanging Hill. In fact the boards from Hanging Hill are still in service with  Sheffield Exchange.

[emt_911]

<Andy P mode> So when do we get the photos  

[Clive Mortimore]

<Andy P mode> So when do we get the photos  

Hi Duncan

 

Won't be any of me woodworking..........REME Fitter-Gun not a RE Carpenter :nono: :nono:

[rob D2]

What will you do for all the main lines in the background and the concrete flyover ?

Big picture or something on back scene ?

[Clive Mortimore]

What will you do for all the main lines in the background and the concrete flyover ?

Big picture or something on back scene ?

Hi Rob

 

Possibly nothing, I will see how it pans out.

[Clive Mortimore]

I have been building the baseboard frames and tops. No photos until the track is on them.

 

Hopefully if I am not to busy with other stuff this week I will make the legs for the baseboards.

[Clive Mortimore]

Last night I finished the baseboards.

 

Who said that one of the skills you learn as a railway modeller is carpentry? You got it wrong mate.   In building these two boards all I have done is cultivated my vocabulary of words one would not say in front of the vicar.

[Clive Mortimore]

I have been sorting out the track ready for laying it.

 

The station fiddle yard end.

The GWR main line falling off the edge of the world.

The loco yard, the big area with no track will have the records building on it.

The classic view from the records building fire escape. 

 

I have left the tracks to over hang the edges until I have fixed the tracks in place then they will be cut .

 

Note the strange shaped baseboards. If my woodwork teacher is still alive I bet he would cry seeing those baseboards, he nearly did when he saw the table I was making many moons ago. Our class and another one from our year done crafts at the same time, one class doing metalwork and one doing woodwork. After my table failure I joined the other class for metalwork. When the classes swapped I was back with my class doing more metalwork.

[Clive Mortimore]

The track is now laid. The tracks crossing the joint have been cut and the baseboards stacked away so that I can get back to working on Sheffield Exchange.

[Andrew P]

Looking very good Clive.

[steve fay]

This is great, I'm glad you decided to do it. The later diesel side is quite interesting with a good variety of stock most if not all is available RtR

It's nice to get a different perspective of it from that side a view I will soon get my self as I need to cut out a section where the tenements are to be to continue laying track although it will in time get filled back in.

It's a superb prototype & can modelled to suit many different time periods. I know another guy who wants to do it in 7mm but in the early post war years.

I won't be doing much on mine for a couple of months as I have an operation next Monday with a good six weeks recovery but watching yours take shape will spur me on to get back on with it when I'm able.

[F-UnitMad]

What will you do for all the main lines in the background and the concrete flyover ?

Big picture or something on back scene ?

Possibly one reason why the 'normal view' is also the most popular to model? I like the idea of looking at it "from the flats" so to speak. It could even be mounting fairly low for a genuine 'from above' vantage point.

That D600 has been through the mill, hasn't it?? ...or it's a variety of two-tone green I was previously unaware of...?

[Clive Mortimore]

Possibly one reason why the 'normal view' is also the most popular to model? I like the idea of looking at it "from the flats" so to speak. It could even be mounting fairly low for a genuine 'from above' vantage point.

That D600 has been through the mill, hasn't it?? ...or it's a variety of two-tone green I was previously unaware of...?

Hi F-unit,

 

Ah in days gone by before the Dapol Baby Warship one had to make his own. I found that if you took 3 Hornby 21/29s the following could happen. Two of them cut in two, the cut was made the same dimension as from the cab door to the centre of a D600, so you have two long "halves" and two short "halves". The third one cut in half, giving two medium "halves". Mate the two long bits together, add new noses and you have a D600. Glue one short "half" to one medium "half and you have a Baby Warship, do the same again and you have another Baby Warship. There is no wastage.

 

Unlike if you take 3 Class 37s and cut two down to make Baby Deltics, and use the left over body bits to extend a third to make a class 40 you not only end up with some wasted nose sections but 2mm of U shaped main body panel.....wot a waste. 

[Enterprisingwestern]

Hi F-unit,

 

Ah in days gone by before the Dapol Baby Warship one had to make his own. I found that if you took 3 Hornby 21/29s the following could happen. Two of them cut in two, the cut was made the same dimension as from the cab door to the centre of a D600, so you have two long "halves" and two short "halves". The third one cut in half, giving two medium "halves". Mate the two long bits together, add new noses and you have a D600. Glue one short "half" to one medium "half and you have a Baby Warship, do the same again and you have another Baby Warship. There is no wastage.

 

Unlike if you take 3 Class 37s and cut two down to make Baby Deltics, and use the left over body bits to extend a third to make a class 40 you not only end up with some wasted nose sections but 2mm of U shaped main body panel.....wot a waste. 

 

REME has got a lot to answer for!

 

MIke.

[Clive Mortimore]

This is great, I'm glad you decided to do it. The later diesel side is quite interesting with a good variety of stock most if not all is available RtR

It's nice to get a different perspective of it from that side a view I will soon get my self as I need to cut out a section where the tenements are to be to continue laying track although it will in time get filled back in.

It's a superb prototype & can modelled to suit many different time periods. I know another guy who wants to do it in 7mm but in the early post war years.

I won't be doing much on mine for a couple of months as I have an operation next Monday with a good six weeks recovery but watching yours take shape will spur me on to get back on with it when I'm able.

Hi Steve

 

Thank you. It was photos like this one by Brian Daniels that spaked the inspiration for me to build Ranelagh Bridge, hence me wanting to do things a**e about face https://www.flickr.com/photos/brianews/5734518370/in/gallery-haruspex503-72157627463715924/

 

It will not be a fast moving project, none of my stuff is, but I have Brisbane Road still to finish and Sheffield Exchange to get on with . I have big problem with Exchange in that I go out to the manshed to do some work on it and 2 to 3 hours later I put down the controller and realise I have done nothing again. But I am enjoying myself.

 

As for locos etc. RTR are OK but what is the fun of just opening boxes? As I write this I am thinking "ummmmmm a scratchbuilt 1000??????" Not too many locos are needed as even when full there would only be 10 or so engines. Double that to make changes and add a Gloucester parcels car to run back and forth on the carriage line, a few Esso tankers, and that Grampus that was always parked up on one the sidings. I am ready for hours of fun.

 

One ilttle question, can I borrow some of the wonderful building drawings that have appeared on your thread? Saves me having to do them for a second time.

 

I am looking forward to see how you tackle the buildings along Porcherster Square. They will be huge in 7mm.

[steve fay]

Yes that's fine. All my buildings will be laser cut kits and are being drawn up in CAD at the moment, they might be able to be made in 4mm as well. As for being Big Yes they are massive!!!