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High Trees Junction


PaternosterRow

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I haven't posted in an age and, in fact, haven't even visited RMWeb for quite a while.  What a great new format and I'm really interested in becoming a Gold Member - currently in negotiations with the financial controller about the monthly fee! 

 

The new layout, High Trees Junction, is nearly complete so here is a few initial test pics.  This layout forms part of a roundy roundy scheme in my loft.  My previous layout, Perry Barr Station, is on the opposite side.  I just wanted to get my trains running for a change so have turned away from micro layout building for a while.  After a previous country type layout some years ago, Cheslyn, I vowed never to go down the country route again.  However, the thought of building a huge suburban theme really put me off after many hours of drawing up several schemes.  It would just take too long to construct the required amount of buildings to populate it.   To my surprise I enjoyed building this one.  High Trees Junction is a simple enough scheme and soon became an essay in forced perspective.  Having grown up in Birmingham, like most city folk, I fell in love with the English countryside.  Whilst I am surrounded by natural beauty here in Ireland I do miss those English Church Spires.  It always seemed to me that you could always spot two, even three, Spires from high vantage points in Britain so it seemed essential to include two in this layout.

 

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The signal box is Scalescenes and the signals are from Ratio.  I really enjoyed making up these.

 

 

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I wanted to have a lead in curve although it is not based on a prototypical radius.  I think the radius is generous enough to make it look convincing.  The brambles are all made from rubberised horse hair and flock.

 

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There's always a Church Spire to be spotted somewhere in English countryside views.  The small church is probably around 1/200 scale is merely a downloaded photograph that has been made up into a 3D model from card.

 

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The fabulous Lima 101 waits on signal from an imagined Branch connection to the main.

 

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The entire layout.  All of the trees were handmade from seafoam and flock.  It was a large task, but once a production line was set up it didn't take too long.  I bought the seafoam from a Spanish modelling supplies company for a reasonable price and the flock from the UK.  All the trees came in for around £150.

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The village scene.  This hides the entrance point to the left.  The church (approx N scale) is freelance from mounting card.  The pub is Scalescenes and the house from Superquick.

 

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These two shots are from the same viewpoint at different angles.  The illusion of distant hills is busted once viewed from above.

 

That's it for now.  More pictures at a later date.

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You do get around Mike, from Orwelian dungeons to rural brambles! 

 

Great stuff again. I'm particularly taken by the distance view. It's fascinating how a grass bank and some brambles (ok, a lot of brambles!) can create such a convincing and effective scene. Not that it happens by itself of course - the modelling is excellent as always.

 

Regarding the last photo... I don't know how to tell you this gently, but those corners you see on maps aren't actually corners :D

 

 

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That long shot is really lovely.  I do like “trains in the scenery”.

 

Can’t afford enough real estate to make it happen in 7mm, but I do like the “heft” of larger models.  Compromises, compromises...

 

best

Simon

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1 hour ago, Mikkel said:

You do get around Mike, from Orwelian dungeons to rural brambles! 

 

Great stuff again. I'm particularly taken by the distance view. It's fascinating how a grass bank and some brambles (ok, a lot of brambles!) can create such a convincing and effective scene. Not that it happens by itself of course - the modelling is excellent as always.

 

Regarding the last photo... I don't know how to tell you this gently, but those corners you see on maps aren't actually corners :D

 

 

Hi Mikkel,

 

Yep, I do plough on with stuff.  My wife has definitely become a bit of a Railway modelling widow over the last few years.  Mind you she don’t seem to mind too much as it definitely keeps me out of the pub!  I also suspect she rather likes the sound of whistling and general noises of satisfaction that emanate from the loft.

 

Regarding the corner - you try telling the Ordnance Survey people that! Which reminds me of the time when my wife and I went on one of our many exploring trips. She firmly declared that a certain place we were trying to find did not exist.  That was until I found that she was only saying that because she left that particular OS Map at home! Probably should have written ‘and here be dragons’ in the white space!

 

cheers for the comments and nice to here from you.

 

Thanks for the great comments.

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1 hour ago, Simond said:

That long shot is really lovely.  I do like “trains in the scenery”.

 

Can’t afford enough real estate to make it happen in 7mm, but I do like the “heft” of larger models.  Compromises, compromises...

 

best

Simon

Cheers Simon

 

It’s bad enough having to compromise in 00 let alone 7mm.  I damn lucky to have the extra room to do what I can in.  Houses over here are much cheaper than in the UK and consequently much bigger price for price.  Mind you, I still couldn’t afford a Pendon like space - more’s the pity.  

 

Cheers for the comments.

 

Mike

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Hi Mike,

 

Some more very nice modelling as usual. Just one point, are some of the signals the wrong way around?

 

David

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8 hours ago, DavidLong said:

Hi Mike,

 

Some more very nice modelling as usual. Just one point, are some of the signals the wrong way around?

 

David

Hi David,  don’t know.  I’ve never been that great at accuracy and have no idea about all the rules of the British system etc.  However, I think my ups and downs are the right way around.  For example the 125 is on the left and therefore the up.  The double signal faces the oncoming train with the main signal taller and on the outside.  The Branch signal is on the inside and lower.  I understand that to be the convention anyway.  The main down is on the right - the signal faces the oncoming train.  The branch down with the Lima 101 held at the signal should be the right way around, however, I’ve just noticed that I’ve put the lamp ladder to the front of the signal arm instead of at the rear.  Is that what you spotted or have I got it all wrong?   Please, please give me your advice as it’ll save me a load of embarrassment before I post more pics.

 

Cheers, Mike

 

 

David, scratch all above.  I understand now, the arms are pointing the wrong way on the main line signals.  How on earth I managed that is anybody’s business!  Thanks for pointing this out and I’ll get on right away in correcting them.  I thought I’d followed the build instructions but obviously not.  What a dummy I am.  Less haste, less waste, eh?  Please let me know if I’m correct in my assumptions.  Much appreciated.

 

Mike.

 

Edited by PaternosterRow
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Hi Mike,

 

Photo 1 (HST) All arms should point away from the track to which they are adjacent i.e. towards the trees!

Photo 4 (DMU) Arm is pointing the correct way but rear of arms are white with black stripe for home signal and white with black chevron for distant signal.

Photo 5 (HST) Both arms should point away from the adjacent track as bracket by DMU.

In all cases the lamps will have to be moved to align with the spectacles on the moved arms.

 

Hope this helps.

 

David

 

Edit: the signals have an LNWR look about them. This would be unusual in the HST era as they would most likely have been replaced by standard LMS or BR upper-quadrant signals.

Edited by DavidLong
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14 minutes ago, DavidLong said:

Hi Mike,

 

Photo 1 (HST) All arms should point away from the track to which they are adjacent i.e. towards the trees!

Photo 4 (DMU) Arm is pointing the correct way but rear of arms are white with black stripe for home signal and white with black chevron for distant signal.

Photo 5 (HST) Both arms should point away from the adjacent track as bracket by DMU.

In all cases the lamps will have to be moved to align with the spectacles on the moved arms.

 

Hope this helps.

 

David

 

Edit: the signals have an LNWR look about them. This would be unusual in the HST era as they would most likely have been replaced by standard LMS or BR upper-quadrant signals.

Cheers Dave.

 

I was going to use the layout to run br steam and the few green diesel locos in addition to my BR Blue.  It’s really just a generic run around scheme.  Do you think I ought to just replace the signals with LMS types?  I have indeed pulled up both main signals tonight and made a start on turning the arms around and also putting lamps, ladders in correct positions.  These are indeed the old LNWR types, but they seem to be designed to allow the arms to fall instead of raise.   They were a cheap Ratio kit off eBay.  I will indeed repaint the branch one.  Thanks so much for pointing out the errors.  Whilst I’m no finescaler, I do like to have things about right if not exactly right.  

 

Thanks again, Mike.

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Mike,

 

The problem with signalling is that the type used very much defines the area of the country in which the layout is set. If on the lines of the GWR then it will be lower quadrant signals with square wooden posts giving way to steel tubular posts over the years. On ex-LMS and LNER lines upper quadrant signals with steel posts became the standard from at least the 1930s. In some cases older signals merely had the arms replaced by the upper quadrant variety while retaining all other original fittings. I would suggest that you have a look here:

https://www.track-shack.com/cgi-bin/ss000001.pl?page=search&SS=ratio+signals&ACTION=Go!&PR=-1&TB=A

(other suppliers are available!) and decide which items would suit you best.

 

David

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