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Sneak Preview - the New layout for next year...Canal Street

bmthtrains - David

Entry posted by bmthtrains - David

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Getting grumpy lately with not much modellig to do has helped make my mind up to finaly commit to building a new layout - same size as Ring Road, and in as many ways alike as different.

 

Planning will be ongoing for the next few months, and once finalised, I will be able, as with Ring Road, to begin building construction well before the baseboards are started, which won't be until next spring at the earliest.

 

So what are the plans?

 

A couple of screen grabs (copyright belonging to Google) give you an idea of my inspiration:

blogentry-6666-127326698286_thumb.jpgblogentry-6666-127326700943_thumb.jpgblogentry-6666-127326701294_thumb.jpgblogentry-6666-12732671573.jpg

 

These are of course photos of the line to the west of Deansgate and Oxford Rd stations in Manchester. While I am not going to build an exact model of this location, it does lend itself remarkably well to N gauge, as this outline on an OS map shows, it fits nicely onto a baseboard:blogentry-6666-127326708509.jpg

 

Anyway, Canal Street will be a model very heavily based on this location, suggesting an approach to Manchester (though more ill-defined, as was the case with Ring Road being 'in the midlands'). A two track line will cross on a viaduct, with a separate route for the old terminus line now part of the tram network:

blogentry-6666-127326704134_thumb.jpg

 

You can see the attraction for me here - railways raised off the ground, lots of buildings and urban scenes to be modelled, but this time a nice mix of the run down, the regenerated, and the brand spanking new. The far right of the layout will be more a kin to Oxford Road with a more city centre feel, and a scaled down skycraper will dominate that end. To the left, the huge girder bridges and abandoned sections of viaduct will mix with new housing and of course the canal.

 

I am planning a massive 16 road storage yard, and the whole layout will be 2 boards again, this time constructed to be meaty enough to be taken on the road. This is why Canal Street is similar in many ways to Ring Road, as it will be able to be exhibited properly thanks to its better construction, while RR really won't be able to travel very often.

 

That's all for now, a much slower rate of progress on this project than on RR, and a far higher level of detail and quality of modelling (a lot of weathering skills to be learned for this one!) are my aims!

 

David

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Steadfast

Ha ha! Know that area well David, having spent the night moored up in a canal boat on holiday a couple of years ago in the spur that comes off towards the front of the layout! Wandered to Deansgate and got the train to Piccadilly - saw my first Pendolino

Good Luck - will be watching with interest

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54Strat

The building in the lower centre in pic 4 is where I used to work for a couple of years, formerly Ocean Software, then Infogrames now Atari I think. My desk overlooked the canal, a great place to work with Dukes 92 opposite and there was always a glamour photoshoot on that footbridge, or a scene from Corrie being shot here.

 

And you've got to model the Water Womble, youtube. It sometimes moored next our building and went up and down pulling all sorts out of the canal.

 

Though tbo, the name 'Canal Street' is associated with Manchester in another way. ;)

 

Here's a link some more shots of the old viaduct http://www.28dayslat...ead.php?t=47878

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BobD

Is that a sweeping road bridge I can see on the arial view. That may be an interesting item to include.

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woodenhead

Go on, put the junction in as well, it'll add to the operational interest or it can just be a dummy.

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SNCF stephen

Hi David

 

I will look forward to seeing how this one develops over time. Just out of interest though, how many layouts will you have once this one is constructed? And also, how is the tram fleet coming along? I saw, in the flesh, for the first time the Kato trams recently. They are really superb pieces of kit.

 

Its a shame that Worsley Works Metrolink Tram Kit is only in 3mm and 4mm as that would have been perfect for your new project.

 

Good luck.

 

Stephen

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bmthtrains - David

Thanks for the comments guys!

 

The layout wont be an exact copy of this, but will use many elements. The right hand side will be much more city centre-ish.

 

The real Canal St I know rather well, and I'm hoping to fit in a small homage to that actual location somewhere (a neon rainbow pub sign anyone?)

 

And I will be selling my OO sound stock as I'm definately concentrating on N only now, so in the end there will only be 2 layouts here at home, though possibly 3 if I ever get round to doing the small DLR layout.

 

I do need to get some of the Kato trams, they are a bit short, but will livery up quite well into the new yellow Metrolink livery.

 

David

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