A few recent longish Youtube Videos of the layout with some added sound effects for a bit of atmosphere. Still 'a work in progress' as it were.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X54OMtQ5QuA&t=28s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHfarBLRn2M&t=104s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CWDOapePqg&t=12s
Outside the Box at Watford. A southbound Freight passes a northbound Express. A Bakerloo Tube completes its journey from Elephant & Castle as it arrives in platform 5.
Looking north towards Harrow, plenty of activity taking place.
Thumping south at Linslade, 1005 heading for home territory.
Looking north along the Harrow section of the layout, with the Watford section along the other side of the loft.
Passing the Depot at Watford.
Southern Cement passing Harrow.
Southbound at Harrow.
Cabview approaching Harrow on the Down Slow Line.
Suburban interlude at Watford.
Northbound at Headstone Lane.
Latest video of the layout with non-DCC sound at
A Euston bound Express passes Linslade.
A diverted Midland service for Sheffield crosses from the Down Slow to Down Fast Line at the north end at Watford, after providing a connection into the St. Albans Abbey branch.
Harrow. Looking south.
The southern approaches, outside the Box at Watford.
Waiting to leave the Reversing Sidings at Harrow after the southbound Bakerloo service has vacated Platfor
Southbound Freight passes Watford on the Up Slow Line.
Harrow & Wealdstone looking south.
Passing the Depot at Watford.
North end at Watford looking south.
Northbound Sleeper service and Freight exit the tunnels at Linslade.
Approaching Harrow from the south. Must be the Peak hour, as the Stanmore Branch DMU is formed by a pair of Cravens 105s.
The Up Postal passing Harrow.
The southern approaches to Watford.
Harrow interlude as the Branch freight arrives from Stanmore.
Looking south from the bridge at Harrow.
Southbound class 3 Parcels at Linslade.
The Widnes to North Wembley BOC Tankers pass Harrow. The Stanmore shuttle approaches platform 7.
Northbound through Watford.
The Branch Freight from Stanmore arrives in the Yard at Harrow. A Euston bound Express passes a pair of 501s as they brake for the station stop.
A Derby Lightweight DMU approaches Harrow after another trip to 'The Village'. An 84 heads a freight south as an early liveried 86 overtakes on the Up Fast Line.
A class 4 Parcels rattles through on the Up Slow Line at Harrow while an 08 waits to enter Harrow Yard after a short working along the Stanmore
Well, it was just as well the railway was mostly completed when it was, as it seems that it will be seeing a lot of extra use in the coming months. There are a lot of smaller detailing jobs that can still be done, but running the trains is going to be the order of the day for now
A northbound freight and Express approach Harrow from the south. A Derby Lightweight Single Car DMU finds itself operating the off peak services on the Stanmore Branch.
Busy moment a
Heading south through Harrow. A class 40 on a Tanker working for Ripple Lane as an Express for Euston overtakes.
A short Freight heads south at Linslade with a 25 on the front.
Looking south from the Bridge at Harrow.
At Linslade, heading south.
Approaching Harrow from the south. A class 120 Cross Country DMU has found its way onto the Stanmore Branch.
Class 40 on a southb
A class 87 heads a Euston to Wolverhampton Express through Watford, as a 304 EMU sets off for Euston on a service from Birmingham via Northampton.
Out at Linslade the Southbound Manchester Pullman overtakes a Western Visitor on some loaded Hoppers.
The southbound Flasks pass Linslade on the Up Slow Line.
Giving the HST a spin, passing south through Watford on the Up Fast Line.
The Up Bletchley Mai
Looking over the top of the Advertising Hoardings on the Upside at Harrow.
An Up Motorail service about to plunge into Linslade Tunnel.
Overview looking south through Harrow.
An Anglo-Scottish service hurries south at Linslade.
To the south of Harrow. The Stanmore Village DMU sets off on another trip. A pair of 25s head south on a loaded cement working, and a 40 finds itself working south on an Em
To the south of Harrow. A Cravens 105 arrives with a shuttle from Stanmore Village. A southbound Parcels passes a freight with two 25s in charge, as a Euston bound Express hurries through.
Northbound Express overtakes a 47 hauling some empty MGR wagons at Harrow. In the background a six car 501 heads off for Watford.
Out at Linslade, and the 47 hauled MGR empties has just exited the Tunnels.
Improbability factor. 1200 'Fa
South end at Watford. A green liveried 40 heads some coal empties north as an Express Parcels service overtakes.
A Watford to Bournemouth Excursion sets off from Platform 11 at the Junction.
Passing Harrow & Wealdstone. The Tring to Kings Cross Cement has a solitary 25 in charge, as an Express for Euston speeds past on the Up Fast Line.
The Dagenham to Halewood passes Linslade on the Down Slow Line.
I had been meaning to make a TCV (Twin Deck car Carrier) for my West Coast layout. This was to represent the Newton Chambers type that had been used on the 2235 Euston to Perth, and 2140 Perth to Euston during the 1970s. Sorting through my leftovers Box gave me a few things to work with. Although not 100% correct, and not super detailed, it will do for my purposes. It used up some time now the weather had turned wet. The project took about ten hours spread over five days.
Fini
Harrow & Wealdstone. A class 4 Parcels drifts through on the Up Slow Line. A northbound Express on the Down Fast Line, as two 501s pass in the background on the DC Lines.
An up Express passes a Parcels working on the approaches to Linslade Tunnel.
An Express for Euston hurries through on the Up Fast Line at Watford Junction. In the background Tube and Local services prepare to leave the New Line platforms.
HS4000 maki
The Layout will be featuring in Traction magazine, as a two-parter, in the September/October issue, and the November/December Issue.
To the south of Harrow. A Derby Lightweight DMU approaches with the shuttle from Stanmore Village. The Tring to Kings Cross cement working heads south. Eagle eyed observers will note a Gresley Buffet Car in the southbound Express. Fortunately I had kept good records of the periods, and at least one example turned up on a Special which came
A southbound Freightliner hurries towards Linslade Tunnel on the Up Slow Line. Memories of Summertime canalside walks of the 1970s.
A northbound Express thunders through Watford on the Down Fast Line, as a southbound Freightliner passes through on the Up Slow Line. No doubt the passengers are wondering if this will delay their service for London ?
A class 6 Parcels working for Hemel Hempstead rattles through Watford on the Down Slow Line.
About twenty years ago I was faced with the problem of how to try and model the West Coast Main Line in N, but with only the Farish 87, and the Lima 86 available? The only solution was to try and fill the gaps by scratch building all the missing items. This had started as a project to run them on the exhibition layout 'Kings Park'. The first three attempts were at class 85s built round some secondhand Fleischmann continental AC locos. However these were a bit overscale in width, topping out at a
Part of the Control set up. One of five panels, this one looking after Harrow. When I began my West Coast project I wanted to use Track occupation and four aspect signals. Fortunately, about twenty five years ago I had run a large scale experiment with N Gauge in the garden. (Railway Modeller April/August 1995). This consisted of about a run of 250 feet out and back. To keep an eye on things I installed track circuiting throughout and automatic four aspect signals. At this time I bought a lot
Have just about finished a 10 year project, although a few minor things need completing, the layout is now in its fully functioning state.
A length of about thirty feet in N Gauge has allowed me to attempt full size stations. Hopefully the station frontage is recognisable (without reading the station name). A class 310 calls on a local from Bletchley to Euston.
To the south of the station the actual area has had to be modified from reality, as with only 30 inches of width I had to scal
Two 501 sets coast into Harrow on a Euston to Watford local service. A Kenny O to Perth Motorail passes on the Down Fast. On the Slow Lines two eight car 310s pass each other.
304 meets 310 at the south end of Watford. These units were constructed using old style Farish coaches which had the removable window strips. These had been taken out. In the case of the 310 the window section was replaced by solid plasticard. Windows were marked out and then drilled out and filed to shape. In the cas
A late running overnight Express races towards the Tunnels at Linslade. My choice of locations was mainly influenced from my early working career on the Southern end of the West Coast Main Line in the 1970s. The third part of a selection of stories is about to appear in Traction Magazine. Many more tales have already been posted on the Layout's Facebook page between September 1975 and June 1976, with more to follow up to 1979. Photos of the layout have been included in the stories to provide a b
Tube stock passing at Headstone Lane on the 'New Line'. Passing the Sports Ground at Headstone Lane. 'Peak' southbound at Linslade. To the south of Watford Harrow & Wealdstone. The Stanmore Village DMU waits to leave from Platform 7 after connecting with the Bletchley 'Local'. A short Parcels working from Hemel Hempstead paces the Stanmore Village service. North end at Harrow. Two 73s thrash south on Diesel power. Looking north through Watford as a 304 EMU calls at the Up Slow Platfor
One of the jobs I have been meaning to do for ages was to add some castellated ornaments above my representation of Linslade Tunnels. As I didn't have enough space to recreate the gap between the Up and Down Fast Lines at the real location I had to settle on a slightly different arrangement, and my Tunnel has four instead of three towers. Hopefully the end result looks something like the real thing? Making up the castle towers using leftover bits of cardboard and embossed plasticard. Adding so
