HeatonLodge40

Sadly no Tizer but there are 10 pairs of binoculars you can use !

I designed HLJ to work automatically from the outset to get around the points you made. Because the layout has many conflicting routes and space in the fiddle yard for 28 full length trains it would still be exceptionally difficult performing all these complicated manoeuvres - with even 15 operators. With the automation switched on there will always be 3 trains minimum either approaching or actually passing. It’s great to see the colour light signals change slowly too - just as the old filament bulbs did back in the day

In my defence what I wanted to create with Heaton Lodge Junction was the sheer anticipation of being able to see a train approaching from well over a scale mile away. This can only be done on a huge scale by its very nature. In O gauge (like the real thing) it’s pretty mesmerising. As such there will be 10 pairs of binoculars at each end of the model for visitors use. Yep, it may not have siding or a station but it does have steep and shallow gradients, tunnels, a viaduct & bridges, superelevated curves, complicated handbuilt pointwork and a 150ft fiddle yard with lots of long heavy trains. Above the layout are 4 platform type timetables which show the time of all the trains inc the next steam charter. Pete Waterman’s Chester cathedral layout had 44,000 visitors over a month. If I get half that over 2 weeks I’ll be very happy. I guess we’ll see soon enough!

It was a disaster! I did say ‘oh balls’ which the camera picked up. The resin stayed sticky for months till I redid it. Oh well

Yes of course turn up anytime from 4th December- 19th December. The e-tickets are just an option.

Ah thanks it was very nerve wracking have to say! Thanks also to all who’ve bought tickets!

You’re correct Kev it should be 101 I’ll get it corrected. On another note I believe the layout is on the ITV news.. last item later on

Although where £250k comes from I’ve no idea.

Yes someone sent me a copy. No p*ss taking which was nice.

Yes from tomorrow when the website goes live you should be able to buy an eTicket on britainsbiggestmodelrailway.com

I know what you mean about flight cases they are brilliant! I’ll probably put dividers in them and use them for the freight stock. Locos will be going in the flight cases with drawers. Other drawers will be for a full set of spares/track repair/scenic repair/track cleaning etc

So this is where the the reassembly starts. Fortunately I’ve a friend with me whose a mathematical genius.. This first board has to be an exact distance from two walls and aligned to an angle that is also pre calculated..(see second pic with laser measure on a jig). The big issue is if this isn’t done meticulously, then if all the 50 frames down one side (as they are being joined) are as much as 1mm out then the curves joining both the scenic and fiddle yard won’t meet up. And you can’t shift 6 tons of layout easily ..

It’s taken a few days longer than expected but bingo! Heaton Lodge has disappeared! Actually it hasn’t, it’s just a dress rehearsal - it’s now down & all the frames are on their carts. I’ve invested in a chess timer to time the reassembly..this begins on Tuesday. 16 hours is the target..

Yes I chose the HST logo for the reasons Rob & MGRxtreme said above - even the public know what it is. Steam loco no good cos there is far more diesel on HLJ. Personally I’d have had a screaming 56!

Thanks, I don’t really want to charge at all but there again there is a lot of expense with the rent of the venue, exhibition insurance and a million other things. Heres a pic of two thirds of the fiddle yard like you’ve never seen before!

Here is a copy of the advert appearing in most of the modelling press in November..

Lots of radio silence lately I know. All positive update wise though, the automation works superbly - in fact the sight of seeing two ‘40’s on a 20 van Redbank parcels slowing down for a red, then accelerating as the points change a single yellow plus feather light up is super to watch. It’s been a huge amount of work to get the system to perform - mainly because it involves getting one 10amp system to talk to another system that works the automation & won’t run on 10amps! At the end of the day there isn’t a manufacturer whose designed a system for O gauge either, so you see the issues. So the last few days the job has begun to completely dismantle Heaton Lodge, load all the boards onto the steel handcarts & at the same time tidy up the wiring and fix other bits and bats. The150ft fiddle yard is now mostly down, next week down comes the scenic side. It’s a mess in the dungeon at the moment so please excuse that! After that it’ll all be reassembled for more testing, getting the overhead ‘platform’ type timetables to work and weathering a load of rolling stock that hasn’t been done yet. For those who are interested the layout will be displayed in Wakefield City Centre from Sat 4th - Sunday 19th December in the Market Hall, Union Street WF13AE. Official sponsors Heljan will also be there with additional OO layouts by Peco. It’ll be in the modelling press soon enough together with more details.. Thank you to all of you that have followed this thread for the last 7 years, plus Andy York & Phil Parker for a kind and complimentary write up last month in BRM. I will keep updating here every few weeks but it’ll be more on the logistics of shifting 100+ boards weighing about 5 tons.! Hopefully see some of you in December

A welcome parcel arrived from Denmark on Friday. Heljans brand new 31’s will shortly be joining the fleet - there’s 8 altogether, two are already present and correct plus another 6 just landed. These await weathering, sound and numbering. The 50 will join the existing green ‘Sir Edward Elgar’ on the rail tour circuit..

I’m well aware of the coupling issue thanks. Give me a chance! Im modifying the GUV coupling by unscrewing the coupling housing and dropping a blob of hot glue half way along the spring - which cuts the spring travel by 50%. Crude but it works

Red Bank rises again! After oiling 20 vans to make them run as free as possible followed by weathering & numbering, Healey Mills 40057 heads west with the Red Bank newspaper empties. This train on weekdays is always routed via the Calder valley on the L&Y line, crossing from the up slow to the up fast. (Haven’t had time to add a brake lamp before anyone asks)

I wish. It’s usually a two minute walk to find the back half of a train. Another problem to solve

The coupling issue is becoming exactly that - not so much because of the hooks pulling out but breaking because of the weight of the very long heavy trains. For example the 40 on the HUO’s in the video above has now another 15 16T mineral wagons added. The 40 will still pull them - even up the incline - but the train often breaks apart with broken coupling. I haven’t time to change coupling (to more robust ones) given the 500 or so wagons on HLJ, so I’ve ordered a large quantity of stainless steel links about 1cm long. I’ll use these as a fail safe and loop them over the coupling. Might not look pretty on close inspection but better than a pile up

You’re right, in fact I never saw more than 15 on a train heading up the incline back in the day. I’ve just this thing with long trains. I am going to have to address the coupling issue - long passenger rakes have the same non prototypical effect too

Healey Mills based 40057 heads up the 1:75 incline heading for its home depot with a heavy load of unfitted HUO hoppers, passing 37222 with a Liverpool express on the way

Here we have the Trans Pennine Class 124 heading for Newcastle passing Heaton Lodge Junction. The Class 101 DMU & 56 wait for the road further east.