BurscoughCurves

Dark satanic mills...

Thanks gents, I may well do that! Pete

Hi folks, I hope everyone is keeping well during the second lockdown. Just a few random images to update. I haven't done much modelling recently and have not had the chance to operate/play enough for my liking either unfortunately. The only thing I've done is to paint and add a few more figures. Although I've used both white metal (Dart Castings) as well as Modelu scanned/3D printed figures, as they are not within the same eye-shot I think I can get away with it. A quick conversation before work starts (I think you can tell the senior; all to do with the hats!): A final cupper before heading off to work (perhaps the same shift?): A sedate guard dog: Some low winter sunlight: I must take more shots during running sessions. I get too involved and don't want to hold the sequence up though! All the best, Pete

Hi all, No modelling to update but thought I'd show some pics from my current running session. First up is an N2, which has brought a semi-fast in and is now receiving some attention on shed. After a morning of shoveling ash, Jack is dreaming of his first pint of mild. Next up is an immaculate B1. She is about to depart with the Halifax portion of the Yorkshire Pullman which has been re-routed from Halifax Town due to engineering works. The pilot 08 is shunting vans to be collected for an east bound freight behind a new Type 3 diesel. One thing is for sure, this thing is noisy when it tackles the incline! Seen waiting for a clear road whilst on a driving training turn. A track level shot of the action as a result of a Crab dipping into the ballast some weeks back. Finally, early evening in October 1960. Time for a spot of local gossip by the looks of it! All the best, Pete

Hi Manna, I originally only had three main fiddle yard sidings (excluding the x2 shorter not pictured which use the parcels platform as a headshunt; the off-scene 'goods depot'). It was so restrictive and really impacted my enjoyment of the layout. The cassette system has really expanded operation and make sticking to a packed timetable achievable and enjoyable. Hi lmsforever, I'm not sure what page this was mentioned on but we did use to have the luxury of platform canopies but unfortunately they were damaged 'beyond economical repair' during the war, and cut back during the early 50's. I did insist that the platform surfaces were patched up and flush, but I was never particularly happy with the cut back 'stumps' of the support columns left between platforms 2 and 3. The contractors has disappeared before I had time to argue it out with them!! In reality I didn't want to obscure the platforms, although I would have loved to install some. Please note the patched locations on the platform, and remnants between the platforms: All the best, Pete

'I don't think that tractor will ever get fixed...'

Hi Manna, Just for you; two views of the fiddle yard! All the best, Pete

Hi Ian, I hope you are well. The ‘Gifford’ image above is absolutely fantastic, I couldn’t praise it enough. It puts my efforts on Halifax PS to shame! All the best, Pete

Hi all, A quick update to show the finished backscene. It was as predicted a lot more difficult to airbrush the templates mounted on the layout in-situ. I will definitely learn from this on future layouts! Better/more planning needed... Some of the edges are a little furry but the overall effect is okay; it adds some depth without taking the eye from the layout. I also installed the 3D printed station signs and running in boards: The major scenic jobs are complete, however I have a list of smaller, fiddly things to tick off. I'd like to finish weathering the fleet and stock but I am partially working from home on the bench in the layout room so I won't be able to do this for now. I am also planning on trading in several blood and custard coaches for maroon ones but the stock at Hattons looks a little light at the moment. The usual selection of random images to finish. Regards, Pete

Thanks Paul, really kind of you. Cheers Richard. I'm still getting to grips with it to be honest, and need to experiment more than I am doing really. I imagine some folk on here would reel in horror at this technology being described as essential! luddites! I mean that in a very light hearted way of course. Although I could have done so much with it detailing buildings a year or so ago I'm actually glad I did the work manually to be honest. It is a fabulous tool though, and in the correct hands can produce amazing work (I'm thinking specifically of the work of @MikeTrice amongst many others). It is exactly that- a tool, the technology of which has become so accessible recently. Working with CNC machine tools I'm still amazed the number of people who think you just 'put the drawing in and the technology does the rest'. It encompasses a range of skills to master; being proficient and creative in CAD, understanding the techniques and limitations of DLP printing in various resins, model supporting, curing and finishing etc. I'll have a few more printed test items to show soon. Here's the clock mounted anyhow: Regards, Pete

Thanks Mike. As I've mentioned before it is a goal of mine to get a layout published and I hope that will be case for HPS. A few images from the last few weeks: Firstly, a major incident occurred during an otherwise routine morning on the former LNWR terminus in central Halifax. Crab 42765 (which had arrived with a local deputising for a failed DMU) decided to jump the rails whilst on shed around 09:30 on the 16th of July (1960). Unfortunately this occurred on the double slip and managed to block the headshunt, coaling and ash road, the shed roads and one of the turntable roads. During the resulting drama an anonymous witness claims the incident occurred because of an incorrectly set route. The crew in question have since had a severe dressing down (well I have been... by myself)! Fortunately a 45 ton breakdown crane, which was being temporarily stored on shed road 5 after a recent bridge repair, could be maneuvered by a 'trapped' loco into a suitable position for recovery. Eventually, once every man and his dog had contributed to the situation and stream had been raised on the crane, the loco was re-railed. The station pilot, J50 68959, was called in to take the mid-morning Pullman service to Leeds for connection to Kings Cross ,and made up time to make the connection. Several local services were heavily delayed however. The loco in question: The eventual recovery: The anonymous witness... Well I did cause the problem by my sloppy route setting during a running session so thought I'd try to dig myself out of a hole and work around it. A little bit of random chaos thrown into the session! I managed to paint a test piece of backscene on the bench to try the basic stencil method. I am happy with the results and have started to make the full sized stencils. I just need to pluck up the courage to get it done now! The test section showing the 4 colours used for my reference (note; I will be omitting the windows that can be seen on the factories): Having made a fume extraction chamber for my 3D printer I also started printing again over the weekend. To get back into things I modelled and printed a station clock and some name and running boards for the platforms and will be painting and mounting them shortly. The 'LNWR' clock: A test printed name board based on those at North Bridge station: Hopefully more progress on the backscene soon. Thanks for reading, Pete

Hi all, Thanks for the input on the backscene @ianathompson and @4630. All this talk of PhD's... I am in the company of some learned folk! Expanding the theme I have mocked up a second attempt. The chimneys just below the outcrop at Beacon Hill (on the left hand side) appear quite high but are very noticeable in some excellent images within the pages of 'Great Northern Outpost Volume 2: Halifax, Thornton & Keighley Railway'. I have slowly collected this range of books as they are full of excellent colour images. I based several of my buildings on prototypes from these books. Although I can remove most of the buildings from immediately in front of the backscene, I don't think I can take the actual paper backscene down itself unfortunately. Bad planning on my part. I will either attempt airbrushing 'overlays' on the bench and mount them in position, or try going directly onto the backscene in-situ... carefully! Regards, Pete

Hi folks, Not much modelling done recently as I'm still working from home in the layout room but I'm having some good running sessions. One thing I changed a few weeks ago was the track cleaning fluid I was using. I know there is a lot of information out there about this so I will keep it brief! My previous process was; 1) track rubber 2) hoover bit from rubber 3) clean cloth with methylated spirits on the rail tops to finish. Even with a small layout such as mine this could take the best part of an hour. It gave a good clean finish which allowed for at least a week of good running. What I did notice was the fairly quick build-up of black surface scale when rubbed with a clean dry cloth after about 8-10 days. I have changed to use Servisol 'Super 10' contact cleaner sprayed onto a clean cloth only- no use of the rubber at all. It doesn't require such an abrasive action to clean and rubbing the rails after a number of weeks didn't produce any black staining at all. It makes sense being a mechanical contact cleaner and I had a small amount left in my stash from years ago it just took me a long time to put 2 + 2 together! I do use nitrile gloves and keep the room well ventilated when doing this as it is a bit pungent however. After my recent 3D printing trials and tribulations I decided against installing the electrical ground signals after it dawning on me that a mix of mechanical and electrical signals would not have been very common. Instead I installed static Ratio LNWR type semaphore ground signals which I had left over from a set when I kit-bashed the main/shunt signals some time ago. I am starting to think about adding some simple detail to the overcast photo back scene. I am thinking of airbrushing very subtle Pennine hills in two light brown and green shades and adding some faint building outlines. To mock up this I have crudely mocked up the following (in MS paint!): I think this could work okay but my main area of concern is above the over-bridge between the two large buildings. I will have to add some closer in-field detail to this area I suspect. Below are some images from part of a running session; mid/late morning. The Brit has arrived with an express and is being watered and turned before being a priority departure: The class 24 had arrived very early with a parcels train has finally shunted the empties and is waiting light engine at the ground signal for access to the MPD (ignore the disc headcode- I still haven't altered these!): A local arrives into platform 3, usually a DMU but there must have been a failure: Early afternoon shunting duties for the J50: The photographer has bolted onto the tracks...! A crude crop to finish: All the best, Pete

Thanks Mike. I’m going to build up some more CAD to print whilst it’s away, and play trains of course! I’m going to try a range of removable wagon loads next I think. The prototype and proprietary lamp for comparison: Pete

Hi all, A quick update on some recent projects. I've been considering for some time now getting a DLP 3D printer and finally bit the bullet. I purchased an Anycubic Photon S printer and have been test printing some items for the layout. I could have got a lot of use out of it if I had had it some time ago for detailing the buildings on the layout, but I am content having done all of the fiddly, laborious tasks 'long hand'! The first project was to make some ground signals. Having seen the ones available from DCC Concepts, I felt they looked a little over-scale so thought I'd have a go at CAD modelling and printing some of my own. I found various dimensions online and ordered some micro LED's in warm white and red. The printing has been a real learning curve but I have made some progress. I am waiting for delivery of SPDT switches before installing them. Various early test prints at different orientations: The two chosen for use on the layout will be mounted to a concrete base (as per a reference image) and have been primed and painted black. They will be dimly illuminated on the circuit that powers the semaphore signal servos. I will have to re-arrange my control panel though, a task I am not looking forward to! The second project has been to replace the DCC Concept gas lamps to a more scale version. I realise this post may look like a conspiracy against DCC Concepts! That certainly isn't the case; I like the lamps purchased but as was highlighted earlier in the thread, they are a little large and dominate the scene. The design is based on some period lamps in a local (posh) estate. The image below was imported into my CAD package and the muppet in it was used to scale off (me). The initial design was extremely fine but very flimsy when printed and cured, so a slightly beefed up version was modelled: I was struggling to maintain the 1mm through hole along the length of the thin stem. After multiple failed test prints, I decided to make it out of four pieces, and using a fine copper tube as the post section. I am happy with the results, and could certainly improve on this in the future from what I have learnt. Clear resin was used to act as glazing for the glass panels. Build plate with various component parts: The wonky prototype: The initial assemblies on the layout: The Photon is a great tool, and has so much potential. It is however a messy process and as my layout is in a spare room I wasn't able to do anything in the room whilst I was printing due to the smell and harmful resins. I used the correct PPE (including respirator) and had my extractor running continually during prints. After a week I couldn't wait to pack it away and continue with actual modelling though! I will likely use it in a similar fashion to the airbrush; sporadically when I have specific projects to concentrate on. If anyone would like some DCC concept lamps, feel free to let me know and I'd be happy to pass them on. Thanks for reading, Pete

Hi Brian, Thanks for the reply. You’re a dab hand at aligning it then! I have a similar setup on my layout but control the motor from the track bus via a decoder. It works well but needs a good look on final approach! Love the layout, especially the NCB area. I am pleasantly surprised by the amount of operational interest that termini such as ours can give. I am expanding my WTT with each operating session. I’m glad I went with a terminus over the alternative, and extremely tight, roundy roundy option I was toying with. All the best, Pete

Hi Brian, Like the video as always. Question; how do you control the indexing of your turntable? Sorry if you’ve explained this before. Regards, Pete

Hi Tony, I hope you are well. Having browsed your thread with interest for a long while now, this is my first contribution. We chatted some years ago at the Wigan show, and discussed a good place to start with kit building (a SE Finecast 4F was recommended). It was, and still is my intention to start kit building locos and stock after the scenic side of my layout is at a more complete stage. I feel I am almost at that point! Regarding the increase in hobby time in light of the current situation, I certainly have made far more progress than I would have during normality. Although I have been working from home as best as I can during this period, I have ticked off several projects, big (ish) and small. The main one would be the progress on the last major scenic area of my layout Halifax Powell Street; a what-might have been former LNWR secondary main line terminus in Halifax. This is my first 'proper' layout, located in a small spare bedroom. Having been inspired by many fantastic images of the region (all satanic mills and retaining walls!) I have disguised the exit to FY with some significant feeling mill buildings, and short rows of terraced housing naturally! I have really enjoyed architectural scratch building. Please forgive the quality of the images, I only have a smartphone available to me at the moment. The second project was to replace the over-scale looking smoke deflectors on my Hornby Britannia, changing her identity and giving her a medium weathered finish. I used etched brass deflectors from Silver Tay models, with the midland style hand cut-outs correct for the new identity of 70054 Dornoch Firth at the time modelled. It is my first venture into loco detailing and re-numbering, and definitely improves the look of the model I believe. I have also used the time to set up a temporary spray booth on the work bench and have become more confident in the use of an airbrush. I have made decent headway into changing emblems where applicable (Modelmaster waterslides) and weathering the fleet. Several more locos and plenty of items of stock to go yet. The hobby brings so much pleasure to me and has been essential to my mental wellbeing during the lockdown. It has always been the perfect antidote my day job which I do enjoy, but can find stressful at times. Finally- I'd would like to add how much I admire your layouts and approach to modelling. I can't remember what year it was but it must have been in the early 2000's when at the Manchester show I remember seeing Stoke Summit and it being the first time I saw a familiar model from the magazines 'in the flesh'. I was rather star-struck! Best regards, Pete

Thanks Jon, I will keep an eye out for when they become available. Thanks again for the kit. Cheers Lez. It adds a bit of interest to the MPD siding next to the shed. It's currently shacked up next to my L&Y Radial acting as a withdrawn engine. I like the loco a lot but as I've shifted the date of the layout it has become a bit of a rarity. I'm thinking of making a (removable) tarpaulin to cover the cab and chimney when running in the early 60's era. It'll still get to run on locals in '58! The first run of the Britannia since she changed identity to 70054 Dornoch Firth: Cheers, Pete

Hi all, I hope everyone is keeping well and continuing to stay safe. I managed to (almost) finish a small project I have had waiting for quite some time now; a conversion of an old Hornby hand crane using a Cowans & Sheldon conversion kit from @jonhall. I need to find a suitable decal set for it, but it is mostly complete and is based on the 6.5 ton crane. I made a runner up from a conflat wagon when I noticed a prototype example on the excellent Paul Bartlett website. I wasn't happy with the ride after making plastic bushes for some replacement metal wheels; I couldn't get the thing square on a flat reference surface. To overcome this, I bought a low profile compensation unit from Dart Casting. Once shimmed to the correct height it runs lovely now. The weight of the cast chassis certainly helps! It is rigged with thread, which was fiddly and meant removing a guide piece at the end of the jib which I cannot replace now the rigging is complete! I may try again when my patience have returned! I have some wooden blocks and chain to add to the runner when painted and weathered. Although far from accurate, I like the look of it. It can be seen below being shunted into the parcels platform ready for unloading some containers by the newly re-numbered and weathered '08. She is now D3457 back at home in Yorkshire! Best regards, Pete

Hi folks, just a few images of the recently weathered stock on the MPD (the WD on shed road 1 wasn't done be me; a lovely TMC job). All the best, Pete

Hi Gilbert, I like the lower shot; it shows the flow of the station very nicely and gives a sense of what might have been seen. All the best, Pete

Thanks very much Lez.

Hi all, Hope everyone is keeping well. Cheers Dan- same to you. Keep the updates coming. I've just finished a medium/heavy weathering on the Britannia after the etched deflectors, name plates and re-numbering. I think I need to seal the main surfaces as it shows fingerprints easily but I am concerned about altering the finish. I'll just try a few wafts of matt acrylic varnish tomorrow. I've weathered a few of the fleet so far and am getting more confident with the airbrush- I was terrified at first! Stay safe, Pete

Hi all, Lucky number 13 here!! I’m glad to be able to donate to such a worthy cause, the NHS is something we should all be so proud of and protect, now and during ‘normality’. Thanks to Andy and co for a great event, on a fantastic forum. Stay safe everyone, Pete