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Heaton Lodge Junction


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3 hours ago, APOLLO said:

 

Interesting - I've never heard of that technique before. What make of matt spray varnish do you use ? I may give that method a try.

 

Brit15

 

I use Rustoleum Matt Spray Varnish.

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It'd be interesting to know when the regulations changed for hi-viz clothing  from the universal BR 'donkey jacket' with a hi-viz orange shoulder patch to the full hi-viz jacket and pants. Also when hard-hats became mandatory. I'm modelling Horton In Ribblesdale station in 4mm to represent the late 1970' / early 1980's and although I'm a long way off placing figures on the layout, it would be good to know.

Edited by AndrewT
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Checking back through some of my photos the small high viz 'Crop Top' was universal on track in the late 1970s to mid 1980s. They could even still be found in use as late as 1988/9 although by then there were also the longer version with reflective stripes. We didn't seem to wear all-over hizgh viz except in bad weather. I can't remember the date but the big change came with some workwear regs, possibly early 1990s, which applied to more than the railway.

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I'd concur with TheSignalEngineer regarding Hi-Viz clothing. IIRC we (certainly me) didn't get the full HV gear until Railtrack came along, so mid-1994 at the earliest. I also seem to recall that the wearing of hard-hats in the beginning was "advisory" rather than "compulsory" for certain activities, e.g. patrolling, inspecting, etc. Not until the advent of Network Rail in 2002 was there a real crackdown on the wearing of hard-hats, plus gloves, goggles, etc.

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23 hours ago, HeatonLodge40 said:

Great to be back modelling again instead of sweating under those fiddle  yards.

Today I thought I’d ease myself back in by modifying a few figures I’ve acquired.

 

Model U’ figs are superb imo so with some extra BR hard hats ordered from them too I’ve brought some steam loco crew into the ‘80’s by filing off their caps and replacing them with hard hats.
Also had some pewter figs of workmen in a box for years that are similarly of the last century, so they have had the same treatment. 

The bags and high vis bibs are also awaiting some paint..

 

 

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It was a fairly common sight,  well into the 80s to see senior drivers still wearing (with pride) their steam 'greasetop ' caps in the cabs of modern locos.

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The amount of PPE dramatically increased in  the 1990s. In 1990 when I  went on a site visit I had a bag about the size of two footballs which held shoes, hard hat, goggles, gloves, dust masks, disposable overalls and high vis vest.

In 1996 I had a large holdall full of stuff. I still have it (the bag, not the PPE) and it holds enough clothes for a two week holiday but unfortunately is too big to qualify as cabin baggage.

Edited by TheSignalEngineer
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On 23/09/2019 at 10:40, HeatonLodge40 said:

 

Well I guess if you stick your head above the parapet you’re bound to get it shot at..

 

I had some screenshots of some posts on other forums passed on to me over the weekend.

Basically taking aim since ‘that guy has pots of cash.. cheque book modeller..anyone can do that if you’ve enough cash blah blah’ he drives a fu**ing Lambo enough said’ (!)

 

Whilst I have had huge support on this forum which is much appreciated (I don’t post in much detail anywhere else)..& I’m not the sort of chap that gives a flying fig over what others say, neither am I the most sociable of people..

It still might still surprise a few people that I must be the only idiot in history to sell his business, refinance his beloved classic Lamborghini & remortgage his house to get this project finished (!) Money in spades I certainly don’t have.

 

I’ve always been uncomfortable with accolades and there’s many a post in this forum ..which because of its positive words, have really given me huge encouragement exactly when I’ve needed it (being on your own in a dungeon for ten hours doesn’t help).

So very many thanks again.

 

But as you’ll all know from previous posts I’m sticking my neck on the line (no pun intended) for this project purely because on the run up to Christmas next year it’s going to be stuck in the faces of tens of thousands of the great British public out shopping (not railway modellers) mainly to get new 

people involved, and also to get me a return on all this. (See posts a few pages back)..

 

Anyway..

As I’ve also said before I’ve an HGV license and if the aforementioned public turn their noses up at what will branded ‘Britain’s Biggest Model Railway’ then you can be sure I’ll be seen in the cab of a Stobart truck somewhere :) 

 

 

 

 

Edit: Sorry, I just noted you've drawn a line on this but I've just picked up on your amazing project and just want to add my thoughts.

 

Bl00dy hell!! I cannot believe there are fellow modellers out there with this attitude!! We all come from different backgrounds but share the same hobby. Some of us may be fortunate to have funds whereas others are modelling on a shoe string, but at the end of the day we do it for the pleasure it brings, as with any hobby! 

I'm sure Simon has worked hard all his life and is now achieving a lifetime ambition so how dare anyone deny him that.

I've only just discovered this thread and am envious as hell but highly respect the work and skill involved to achieve his goal.

Keep up the outstanding work and I hope I can see this layout in the flesh one day.

 

Regards, Deano.

Edited by Deano747
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15 minutes ago, class27 said:

Simon you will need to see if modelu would print a Stihl saw  for you ;)

If they do, just keep it away from those cables. I once stopped a contractor cutting an existing cable duct at Wembley Central. It housed the 11kv feeder to the DC traction substation. 

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1 hour ago, class27 said:

Simon you will need to see if modelu would print a Stihl saw  for you ;)

Did they have them in 1984?!! :) 

 

To be honest it doesn’t matter as the layout will run at Warley next year in the 1980’s for the first two hours, 1990’s for the next two etc alternating all day..

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6 minutes ago, HeatonLodge40 said:

Did they have them in 1984?!! :) 

 

To be honest it doesn’t matter as the layout will run at Warley next year in the 1980’s for the first two hours, 1990’s for the next two etc alternating all day..

 

How long will it take to swap all the stock???

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33 minutes ago, HeatonLodge40 said:

Did they have them in 1984?!

Depending on who you read abrasive saw blades have been around since at least the 1950s or 1970s. I my staff were certainly using both angle grinders and large portable cut off saws on the railway in the late 1980s.

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3 hours ago, HeatonLodge40 said:

Did they have them in 1984?!!

Yes - that was the year that a contractor using one at Craigentinny set fire to the insulation in the cavity wall of the amenity block...

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Well that developed quickly

We certainly had them in 1984 at work when you just held your breath for the dust! Today you would be in very hot water if you used one without dust suppression, and appropriate PPE. 

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23 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Yes - that was the year that a contractor using one at Craigentinny set fire to the insulation in the cavity wall of the amenity block...

Correction - that was more likely 1981 or 1982, which probably helps the debate.

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I think we should set up a Stihl saw thread :) 

 

One of the least glamorous tasks on HLJ is going over the frame ends every 6 months and checking rail height alignment between frames. 

Yep I know the ends should be soldered to a screw/brass strip but it never got done. It’s a project for the future..

Even though the temperature in the basement is always the same a small number of the rail ends do move by half a mm or so. 
I simply slide a scalpel under the cork supporting the track and pack a rail out if need be. Much easier sorting it with the platform lift as I can raise each frame to eye level81F458A9-2E52-4DA0-87E5-6A381C374707.jpeg.84975480cbe01c93bf7e93a871fcb7b6.jpeg

 

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I've only got six boards and they can be a pain at times. The tracks were laid over the joins, soldered to copper-clad screwed down along the edges then the rails cut. During the hot, dry weather last year I had to adjust some joins because of movement, this year in the damp they've been adusted again but not always in the opposite way to last year.  :wild:

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