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Heaton Lodge Junction


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Well, I’ve been away a couple weeks but done three days finishing the bracken and gorse planting. 40 large frets later and it looks like I’ve done virtually nothing. Trouble is to get any sort of effect the bracken has to be bunched right up.

 

Intended to continue today but arrived at the basement to find a crowd of people inc Yorkshire water trying to stop a burst water main that’s flooded the whole place.

Bit late for that. Fortunately it came in through a disused lift shaft and although the whole place is 2cm deep in water most of it didn’t come from above and deluge the model..That said the office/workshop carpets have had it.

Guess it could be worse. Least it wasn’t a fire.

On the plus side you'll have a nice clean floor :jester:

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Crisis over and on with the job..

 

Next couple of boards have prominent tufts of grass on the cutting hence the pebbles pressed into the wet plaster.

The plastic styrene between the boards separates the boards but let’s me see the levels are correct.

 

I’m pleased with the little wood copse..this has the stone walls by 10 commandments painted with watercolours. The wire fence uses posts by slaters and the dead leaves and soil (earth powder) by Treemendus

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I have just seen the post about the flood. I am sorry to hear the news and hope it hasn't done too much damage

 

When we had a flood at home , smaller in scale than this , the main concern from the surveyor was damage from moisture and humidity that would persist for some time after the incident, and indeed after the standing water had been removed.

 

Consequently we had 2 weeks of humidity readings, dryers and fans running constantly, before the levels came down to normal. Have you been advised similarly

 

I hope  I am not butting into a situation that is already under control, but it would horrible to see consequential damage done to such a magnificent layout. You may be surprised at the levels of moisture that could be still in the air for some time to come

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Thanks for the positive comments again..

 

Spent a couple of hours scratchbuilding a vandalised relay box out of scrap brass. Never see any models of this so thought I’d give it a bash.

 

Also another couple hours snipping evergreen channel styrene strip into small lengths for the lineside trunking for priming and painting.

I’ve tried a few shortcuts laying the trunking but as Allan Downes used to say, to get the random effect of tiles they must be laid individually. Same with this I think.. Laborious but the results are excellent

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Thanks for the positive comments again..

 

Spent a couple of hours scratchbuilding a vandalised relay box out of scrap brass. Never see any models of this so thought I’d give it a bash.

 

Also another couple hours snipping evergreen channel styrene strip into small lengths for the lineside trunking for priming and painting.

I’ve tried a few shortcuts laying the trunking but as Allan Downes used to say, to get the random effect of tiles they must be laid individually. Same with this I think.. Laborious but the results are excellent

 

Love the vandalised Loc! (Loc = abbreviation for Location Case). As you say, a touch of reality rarely seen on models (understandable really). BTW, the lineside "trunking" is referred to as "toughing" (as in Surface Concrete Trough), but don't let that detract from what is a fantastic layout displaying all manner of skills that I can only dream about.

 

Regards, Ian.

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Love the vandalised Loc! (Loc = abbreviation for Location Case). As you say, a touch of reality rarely seen on models (understandable really). BTW, the lineside "trunking" is referred to as "toughing" (as in Surface Concrete Trough), but don't let that detract from what is a fantastic layout displaying all manner of skills that I can only dream about.

 

Regards, Ian.

Cheers for that Ian. What would you suggest for modelling a wrecked interior, I don’t know what the interior of one of these cabinets would look like..

Thanks again

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Simon,

I’m not sure about the red wire in the trough. Looks a bit too, well, red...

Maybe they are, but I don’t recall ever seeing red insulation on chunky cables.

Best

Simon

You are probably right Simon I guess I did it to catch the eye. The later cables are much thinner decoder wire

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Cheers for that Ian. What would you suggest for modelling a wrecked interior, I don’t know what the interior of one of these cabinets would look like..

Thanks again

I'll look out some photos for you and you can then decide.

 

Regards, Ian.

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Simon,

I’m not sure about the red wire in the trough. Looks a bit too, well, red...

Maybe they are, but I don’t recall ever seeing red insulation on chunky cables.

Best

Simon

Big red cables like that are normally found on the Southern Region for the 3rd rail traction feeds - but such cables are not installed in the troughing route, just laid on the ballast surface or on 'open' cable hangers.

 

Regards, Ian.

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Thanks Ian, but aren’t they a sort of “rubber orangey red” rather than “pvc crimson”? :)

I guess they’d get hot if they were enclosed in troughs.

Best

Simon

Hi Simon,

 

The colour ranges from a bright red to a very pale wishy-washy pink. The reason for this is the effect of UV which 'bleaches' the colour.

 

No, the cables don't get jot in the troughs. The troughing is essentially for the S&T and low voltage E&P cables. Traditionally the Traction power cables have always been "exposed" in this way - so they can be seen, so people don't forget about them and realise straightaway what they are for.

 

Regards, Ian.

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Non-S&T cables in S&T troughs were supposed to be coloured, although this could be a a stripe along the cable sheath  or coloured bands added as it was laid. IIRC it was Red for M&EE and Yellow for Civils point heater units remotely controlled by a switch in the signalbox. M&EE cables in S&T troughs were usually electric point heater supplies from a rack of transformers to the point ends.

Mixing of synthetic rubber and PVC cables in the same trough was not a good idea as polymer migration could make one go soft and the other brittle.

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Well since no interruptions this week I got loads done, in fact 3 full boards/cradles have had the polystyrene pebble and plaster treatment.

I did deviate from the polystyrene on one board using experimental aluminium net but I don’t like the fact you can’t ‘plant’ anything on those cutting so covered. So this morning I ripped out 5 ft worth of plaster/net and went back to polystyrene. I’ll stick to what works for me I think..

 

The two tracks climb at this point to clear a road bridge on the next board whereafter they drop sharply at 1:70 towards the dive under tunnels.

The four tracks are about to enter a 12ft long crossover also over the next 3 boards.

 

The 2 aerial views show the road bridge the twin tracks are climbing to clear, and the other end where the ‘dive under’ tunnel begins.

These aerials were taken a couple of years ago before Network Rail cleared masses of scenery. Of course these days the whole junction is hugely rationalised. 6 tracks then - 4 now.

 

The signal diagram is the BR original which the model follows faithfully. As on the prototype each signal and point on the model is numbered as on the diagram. Amazing what you can find on the internet

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Got loads done again this week whilst waiting for more etched brass bracken frets to finish the previous board.

 

In fact I’ve painted both the previously nougat coloured scenery, fixed in place (and painted) the stone walls and fences on the top of the cutting, completed the scratchbuilt vandalised relay box and also scratchbuilt a relay box platform. By the way the vandalised relay box uses AK interactive corrosion paste and airbrushed rust colour for the effect.

All the 4 lines of concrete troughing are now painted weathered & complete on these latest 3 boards (that’s 48ft of 1cm long channel styrene)

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You really need to think about opening up a masterclass in modelling skills for lesser motals like myself to learn those skills! I said the same thing to Allan a couple of years ago! Superb modelling and hope I get to see it at an open day or exhibition in the future. 

 

Still think a BR red liveried Duchess of Hamilton with 13 coaches full of rail enthusiasts would look stunning - especially if it was live steam! 

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Hi Ian, thanks for those comments.

I’ve said before it’s so much easier modelling a prototype cos it’s just a case of modelling what you see (or saw), and finding ways to do it.

As for the Duchess I’ve a couple of steam specials planned which will run from the West-East and vice versa every couple of hours.

The first is Evening Star with 12 MK1’s that was running on the main line in ‘84, and the second I haven’t yet decided on.

Possibly Union of South Africa which I think was also on the main line in that year.

If anyone has any suggestions on locos which were doing charters in the mid 80’s be much appreciated. Big Pacific’s especially.

 

As for live steam I’ve looked at this also and the main issue is lack of control. I and an engineer friend have been working on the idea of constructing a number of small ‘kettles’ of lightly pressurised water tanks which fit under the boiler of a RTR loco into which is fitted a small heating element.

The tank would then pressurise about two thirds of a cup of water to about 15psi (think of an almost flat tire on a car) before blowing off through working safety valves. The element could work off a 9v battery.

This way you’d get the steam effect and control.

 

It’s now got me thinking about fitting them into diesels or possibly coaches if there is room. Then through narrow copper pipes it could mimic steam heat vapour coming from the coaches. Given HL is set in the winter it would definitely be seen on the real thing.

I’ll keep you posted

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Would it be possible to use vaping pipes they can produce copious amounts of vapour/ smoke/steam. Fairly compact and rechargeable they don't do a sulphur  perfumed variety though !!

The layout is absolutely stunning I have used your banking scenery method and have had great success with it

cheers

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Whatever you use, do consider the condensation.

 

Vaping “smoke” is largely glycerine, and this will eventually coat everything (scenery, rolling stock...) with a thin, sticky film...

 

Steam will of course leave everything a bit damp!

 

Best

Simon

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