Christleton Junction - 1986 - Gateway to North Wales

[mallaig1983]

Good work. Looks a very productive couple of evenings.

[61656]

8 hours ago, mallaig1983 said:

Good work. Looks a very productive couple of evenings.

Nice to do something different. A few months ago I was itching to do something other than trackwork. Then several nights cutting glazing surrounds for the tower block and I’m itching to get back to trackwork!

 

 I’m now really looking forward to having a proper running session. I could do with updating my timetable before the next visitor arrives...

[mallaig1983]

4 minutes ago, 61656 said:

Nice to do something different. A few months ago I was itching to do something other than trackwork. Then several nights cutting glazing surrounds for the tower block and I’m itching to get back to trackwork!

 

 I’m now really looking forward to having a proper running session. I could do with updating my timetable before the next visitor arrives...

I can understand that. So many different parts to this hobby it’s nice to have a change.

[61656]

1 hour ago, mallaig1983 said:

I can understand that. So many different parts to this hobby it’s nice to have a change.

I’m beginning to wonder when you get to the bit you like?

[BenW]

When the operators come round and make use of the brewery siding?

 

[61656]

53 minutes ago, BenW said:

When the operators come round and make use of the brewery siding?

 

The beer’s free if you can still say Christleton Junction Brewery Siding at the end of the operating session!

[mallaig1983]

You’ll have to make a Christleton Homebrew. ‘Up the Junction’? 

[BenW]

9 hours ago, 61656 said:

The beer’s free if you can still say Christleton Junction Brewery Siding at the end of the operating session!

Challenge accepted, if only because I know the judge won’t be able to say it himself

[61656]

46 minutes ago, mallaig1983 said:

You’ll have to make a Christleton Homebrew. ‘Up the Junction’? 

My (very) local brewery does bespoke beer labels, so it’s not that far fetched. 
 

I just commissioned several cases of Deltic Ales for my friends 55th birthday. 24 bottles all with a different deltic on them plus one of the power block. 

[61656]

I started the process of compiling a timetable / schedule this evening. Unlike previous efforts on paper, I’ve created an excel sheet, which will allow for easier alterations and additional services. 
 

After the early parcels, incoming boat train and local DMUs, the Speedlink comes in from Warrington. The 08 shunts the wagons whilst the mainline driver grabs a brew and a butty. 
 

Here we see the resident Jocko spotting a TTA, which it will run round and propel to the fuelling point once the Speedlink has departed for North Wales. 

 

Unusually there’s a 47 in the shed receiving repairs alongside the more regular 25 having a quick brake exam. 
 

Pleasingly, only the furthest left 47, Intercity liveried ‘Titan’, is awaiting the attention of the weathering gang. 

 

[5BarVT]

10 minutes ago, 61656 said:

Pleasingly, only the furthest left 47, Intercity liveried ‘Titan’, is awaiting the attention of the weathering gang. 

Should really be TTG, but life moves on!

Paul.

[61656]

24 minutes ago, 5BarVT said:

Should really be TTG, but life moves on!

Paul.

TTG took me a while - two tone green? 
 

Titan is the first named 47 I remember seeing. I was gutted it wasn’t Rail Riders!
 

Christleton around 1970 would be very interesting. Never say never, but blue will do me for now! 

[5BarVT]

Apologies, yes Two Tone Green.

Probably an age thing for me, it was only the WR that had some named in my formative years.

Paul.

 

[61656]

7 minutes ago, 5BarVT said:

Apologies, yes Two Tone Green.

Probably an age thing for me, it was only the WR that had some named in my formative years.

Paul.

 

I know the original namers were quite a big thing. Some of them had great names, and in a really striking font. Quite a few remained as 47/0s, so quite unusual for haulage in the 80s. 

[61656]

I’ve spent some time recently trying to get a proper timetable together, including slots for several of the freight trains that I’ve not yet acquired. It’s been very enjoyable trying to research the various trains and traffic flows. I still need to do some work to get the balance of traffic right, I always end up with one fiddle yard full and another empty!

 

It’s also really apparent that I’m a couple of locos short of what is needed to undertake the various moves. I keep ending up without a loco to release a set from the bays or an electric hauled service with no diesel to hand over to. 
 

I’ve also spent yet more time tinkering with the small number of places that get an occasional derailment. Trying to work out whether it is track or rolling stock at fault. I still have a few bits of ballast making a nuisance of themselves. I’m hoping a few decent running sessions will help bed it all in. 
 

Not much tangible progress to look at, but a couple of pictures nonetheless. A view from the roadbridge of a class 45 on a West Midlands freightliner. I’m looking forward to repainting some of the boxes into more 80’s styles. I keep worrying the Ever Green’s are going to turn sideways!
 

And a hint of the humdrum normality of any large station in the 80’s. A couple of shunters on the fuel roads, whilst a Met Camm services arrives from Chester. 

 

[St Enodoc]

5 hours ago, 61656 said:

It’s also really apparent that I’m a couple of locos short

[cheesysmith]

If you think you are a few locos short, don`t even start thinking about units lol. Even Crewe in the 80s, with the WCML being the last outpost of loco hauled trains, the number of units in and out was still a lot. Because they went about the daily routine of in/load/unload/out with quiet efficiency people tend not to notice them.

 

Take Manchester in the 80s for example. You had the London, XC, the Cardif 33, and maybe a freight loco per hour. In the same hour, how many DMUs/EMUs would be in/out/through?

[ISW]

On 07/02/2021 at 18:27, 61656 said:

 

And then there was ballast...

 

As a new entrant to ballasting, there’s a limit to the number of videos you can watch and articles you can read, at some point the rock has to hit the hard place. 
 

Is it the right colour, is it the right size, will it stick, are the individual stones the right way up? I guess we have to wait about 48 hours to see. So far, I’m cautiously happy with it. 
 

It makes a very big change from the dark brown baseboard I’m used to!

Sorry about dragging up your 'old posts', but I'm in a similar position (just about to commit to ballasting) and am wondering what ballast you used. It looks like one of the 'buff' coloured ones (which is currently top of my list), but I can't tell for sure.

 

Ian

[61656]

1 hour ago, cheesysmith said:

If you think you are a few locos short, don`t even start thinking about units lol. 

Units are definitely on the list. Heljan’s forthcoming 104 is much looked forward to! They also take up less fiddle yard space, so they’re much easier to accommodate.

 

I’ve had my eye out for the BR timetable for 1986 so that I can get a better feel for the ratio of units to loco-hauled, as well as seeing some of the variety of destinations. I haven’t yet managed to find the passenger timetable, let alone a working timetable with parcels and freight! I do have the 1986 loco hauled guide which is a brilliant reference book. 

[61656]

55 minutes ago, ISW said:

Sorry about dragging up your 'old posts', but I'm in a similar position (just about to commit to ballasting) and am wondering what ballast you used. It looks like one of the 'buff' coloured ones (which is currently top of my list), but I can't tell for sure.

 

Ian

 No problem answering questions from the back catalogue - it’s what it’s there for!

 

Ballast is Woodland Scenics B1374, fine, light grey. It’s so pale it looks like snow when it goes down, but it’s good for weathering as you can turn it virtually any shade. You can really highlight the new, medium use and heavily used areas. 

[ISW]

4 hours ago, 61656 said:

Ballast is Woodland Scenics B1374, fine, light grey. It’s so pale it looks like snow when it goes down,

It does look very 'white' on your layout. It'll be fine once you've hit it with your rhythm stick airbrush. I get the feeling that ballast is not something to buy online, as I'd need to 'see it person' before buying. Subsequent purchases could be online though ... I feel a need to visit Rails of Sheffield to check out the available 'colours'. I'm already settled on n-gauge or 'fine' ballast, as anything else is too 'large' for 00-gauge scale.

 

Ian

 

[61656]

1 hour ago, ISW said:

It does look very 'white' on your layout. It'll be fine once you've hit it with your rhythm stick airbrush. I get the feeling that ballast is not something to buy online, as I'd need to 'see it person' before buying. Subsequent purchases could be online though ... I feel a need to visit Rails of Sheffield to check out the available 'colours'. I'm already settled on n-gauge or 'fine' ballast, as anything else is too 'large' for 00-gauge scale.

 

Ian

 

The white has definitely been toned down and it looks quite good in person. I’m trying very hard to avoid the spray it all dark brown approach, but it will probably pick up more colour as I work my way round the layout scenically. 
 

Even in person I find it hard to judge what ballast will look like after a few years of wear and tear. 

[BenW]

4 hours ago, ISW said:

It does look very 'white' on your layout. It'll be fine once you've hit it with your rhythm stick airbrush. I get the feeling that ballast is not something to buy online, as I'd need to 'see it person' before buying. Subsequent purchases could be online though ... I feel a need to visit Rails of Sheffield to check out the available 'colours'. I'm already settled on n-gauge or 'fine' ballast, as anything else is too 'large' for 00-gauge scale.

 

Ian

 

I've used aquarium sand on my layout, which is much cheaper than 'real' ballast, a similar size and can be toned into whatever colour you want afterwards.

[ISW]

12 hours ago, BenW said:

I've used aquarium sand on my layout, which is much cheaper than 'real' ballast, a similar size and can be toned into whatever colour you want afterwards.

That's an interesting idea, although I imagine it's very monotone. However, it could be used to 'bulk out' a proprietary product.

 

Ian

[Banger Blue]

On 17/05/2021 at 11:45, 61656 said:

Units are definitely on the list. Heljan’s forthcoming 104 is much looked forward to! They also take up less fiddle yard space, so they’re much easier to accommodate.

 

I’ve had my eye out for the BR timetable for 1986 so that I can get a better feel for the ratio of units to loco-hauled, as well as seeing some of the variety of destinations. I haven’t yet managed to find the passenger timetable, let alone a working timetable with parcels and freight! I do have the 1986 loco hauled guide which is a brilliant reference book. 

Lots of WTT available here:

 

eBay > Collectables > Transportation Collectables > Railwayana > Paper Railwayana > Collectable Railway Employee Timetables

 

Section CH (PASS.) & CV (Freight) cover the area around Chester. See photos below for area covered: