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Blowers Green-7mm 1970's blue diesel layout [The rat pack has arrived]


Oldworseandworse
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Hello all.

 

I have just joined RMweb and this is my first post for my 0 gauge layout Blowers Green. The layout is set on the old Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton line on the site of Blowers Green Station just south of Dudley tunnel. Rather than bore you all with lots of words for this post I will simply say that the layout was started 4 years ago and it has been exhibited at a number of shows including Guildex 2014 and DEMU 2015. It currently depicts a fictitious wagon repair yard at around the mid 70's. I will add some photos of the layout and stock over the coming weeks; but hopefully Swindon123 will add some that he has taken in the meantime.

 

Cheers for now,

 

Bill.

Edited by Oldworseandworse
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Just a thought- what about adding Park Head Viaduct to what already looks like a tremendous model?

 

(I have often toyed with the idea of a model of the viaduct myself. Childhood memories........)

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I'll leave you northeners (to me anyway) to it...!

Northern?

We're about 10 miles from the SVR

 

Edit: ps apologies to the OP for going slightly off topic - but it does look a bostin layout (oops ..did it again)

Edited by sp1
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Some more photos of Blowers Green, as you seemed to enjoy the first lot. Some are not brilliant as they where taken a couple of years ago at Guildex in 2014 and my photographic technique was still being perfected, but they do have the advantage of having all the buildings in place. The brick buildings seen in some of the photos are removable, as the intention is to have them detailed internally and lit. Also note that at that time the Dudley Tunnel extension to the layout was not in existence as where some of the signals.

 

Looking over the yard towards New Road overbridge. (Taken at Guildex 2014).

post-7146-0-84161000-1458928578_thumb.jpg

 

Same end as above, looking from the operators point of view. (Taken at Guildex 2014).

post-7146-0-21889500-1458928587_thumb.jpg

 

An operators view of the yard from the New Road end. (Taken at Guildex 2014).

post-7146-0-43999400-1458928611_thumb.jpg

 

Looking at the North end of the yard from the main line. (Taken at Guildex 2014).

post-7146-0-55448800-1458928634_thumb.jpg

 

Finally a later view looking towards the new Dudley Tunnel extension board. (Not taken at Guildex).

post-7146-0-65463100-1458928648_thumb.jpg

 

Enjoy!

 

Paul J.

 

(Edited to add some more info).

Edited by Swindon 123
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Just saying that your 'Tunnel Extension' reminds me a lot of the approaches to Bradway Tunnel on the London St. Pancras to Sheffield line, just north of Dronfield as you go under a pipe just like you have modelled, before entering the tunnel which means you've left Derbyshire and heading towards South Yorkshire as the tunnel straddles the border between both counties.  

 

Good layout, even though I don't model in O gauge.

 

Sam

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Ive not seen this layout - yet, I hope to - but the effect of concrete sleepered double track [rarely seen in 7mm scale] works really well with the sense of open space in an urban landscape.

 

Dave

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I like the pipe crossing, often seen rarely modeled.

 

Brit15

Yes Apollo, its a nice feature. Bill visited the site of Blowers Green station to get some photos of the pipe and the tunnel mouth and surrounding retaining walls to achieve accuracy, although distances have had to be compromised a bit, as on most layouts. The seemingly isolated bridge abutments are the remains of the bridge that carried the original station buildings, which were on a bridge over the track when the station was called Netherton.  More info on the station can be found on the Disused stations website at this link,  http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/b/blowers_green/index.shtml  Also see RM-web topic http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/2848-forgotten-railways-of-the-midlands/  for other photos taken of Blowers Green and Dudley Tunnel. (You'll have to wade through the topic to find them I'm afraid).

 

Paul J.

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My thanks to Paul for his posts and images and to those of you who have commented so far.

 

The concrete track is made using 'Peco individulay' products. The concrete sleepers come in packs which are sufficient for 1 yard of track and are individually threaded onto flat bottom nickel silver rail, which is also supplied in packs. The bullhead track is standard Peco flexible nickel silver track laid on 1/8" cork tiles whilst the mainline is laid on two layers of cork tile to give a good ballast shoulder.  The mainline crossing and one of the turnouts in the yard are made from C & L components using their templates. All the other turnouts and the catch point are standard peco with the original tie bar replaced by paxolin tie bars and Ambis Engineering etched components. All turnouts are driven by 'tortoise' point motors with polarity switched by the point motor or via a relay.

 

The pipe is 28mm copper overlaid with strips of rivet embossed plasticard from the slaters range and secured using Loctite 'shock absorbing' super glue. I had considered getting the rivet detail as etched sheets so that they could be soldered in place but the super glue/plasticard combination offered a swifter solution and gave the strapping the thickness I required.

 

The new Dudley tunnel boards are far from complete with brickwork weathering/detailing, scenic work to the embankments and security fencing to the 'Gasworks' pad still to be added.

 

Once I have cracked how to shrink my photo files so that they are accepted i will post images of the locos and stock that we run on Blowers green.  Cheers for now, Bill.

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Hello all,

 

I have been practising my photo reduction skills with the help of Swindon123 as my mentor. Here are 3 that we resized today featuring some of the locos and rolling stock that run on the layout. Many of the photos that will be posted over the coming weeks will have been taken at exhibitions the layout has attended over the last few years, prior to the addition of the Dudley Tunnel boards.

 

31193 runs round it's wagons on the reception road.

post-28848-0-36844800-1459359676_thumb.jpg 

 

Viewed from under New Road Bridge, 25213 standing on the block at the end of the reception road.

post-28848-0-51323400-1459359652_thumb.jpg

 

03382 and 6518 standing on the block at the end of the reception road.

post-28848-0-63992500-1459359709_thumb.jpg

 

As I improve my IT skills I will add more photos and information to this thread. I also intend to add the layout details to the RMweb exhibition layout database and if I can find out how, will link one to the other. The computer may 'say no'!

 

Cheers for now,

 

Bill.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hello Again,

 

As promised I have now managed to re-size some more images of the layout taken at previous exhibitions. They include several showing detailed and weathered locos in the yard and one or two of the little cameos that I am slowly adding to keep the viewers interest. Hope you enjoy this small selection.

 

03382 awaits it's next turn.

attachicon.gif03382 awaits it's next turn R.jpg

20019 and 20021 in the reception Road.

attachicon.gif20019 and 20021 in the reception road R.jpg

47068 awaiting release.

attachicon.gif47068 awaiting release R.jpg

Busy in the yard.

attachicon.gifBusy in the yard today R.jpg

It might get through it's MOT!

attachicon.gifIt might get through it's MOT R.jpg

Where are the crew vans - I need a brew.

attachicon.gifWhere are the crew vans - I need a brew R.jpg

 

Cheers for now,

 

Bill.

Me, Freddy Peach an' Albert Stokes.

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