Heaton Lodge Junction

[woodenhead]

1 hour ago, HeatonLodge40 said:

I’m actually the proud owner of a Piaggio Ape 3 wheeler. If you don’t know what one is you’ll see them in Italy (no not the same as those Tuk Tuk’s).

I’ve been trying to get it down here to carry stuff about as mine has a pick up body but it won’t fit through the door. I haven’t given up yet though. I’ve always liked these since I saw one in Milan weaving through heavy traffic carrying a dog, a pig and a goat .

Why not install some G scale track below the main railway to act as a navvys line - then you can send stuff up and down on the back of a flat wagon!!

[HeatonLodge40]

14 minutes ago, woodenhead said:

Why not install some G scale track below the main railway to act as a navvys line - then you can send stuff up and down on the back of a flat wagon!!

That’s actually a really good idea 

[Joseph_Pestell]

1 hour ago, HeatonLodge40 said:

I’m actually the proud owner of a Piaggio Ape 3 wheeler. If you don’t know what one is you’ll see them in Italy (no not the same as those Tuk Tuk’s).

I’ve been trying to get it down here to carry stuff about as mine has a pick up body but it won’t fit through the door. I haven’t given up yet though. I’ve always liked these since I saw one in Milan weaving through heavy traffic carrying a dog, a pig and a goat .

 

Given the exhaust fumes those give off, perhaps not a great idea in a cellar.

 

But lots of trolleys available that would no doubt be very useful in such a large space.

[TheSignalEngineer]

On 24/12/2019 at 21:23, HeatonLodge40 said:

40126 has damage built in to its sides which occurred at Thornaby

It got a few scars when it was involved in  a runaway in Birmingham in 1965.

 

On 28/12/2019 at 15:33, HeatonLodge40 said:

Levelling this many frames can be very frustrating as I’ve discovered over the last 3 years.
Different trestles carry different weights, so adjusting one trestle where the frame is slightly out of alignment horizontally can put the next 5 frames out instead.

I've got six boards and can't keep those aligned 100%.

 

On 28/12/2019 at 16:19, HeatonLodge40 said:

I won’t be supplying coffee in a flask before anyone asks 

How about a bottle of Tizer and a bag of crisps?

 

8 hours ago, Tony Teague said:

 

have you tried roller skates?

Or a bike, possibly a Raleigh Chopper?

 

 

[sir douglas]

just recently seen a red one of this kind of little 3 wheelers in a drive way just down the road from me

[ian]

19 hours ago, HeatonLodge40 said:

I’m actually the proud owner of a Piaggio Ape 3 wheeler. If you don’t know what one is you’ll see them in Italy (no not the same as those Tuk Tuk’s).

I’ve been trying to get it down here to carry stuff about as mine has a pick up body but it won’t fit through the door.

 

Given the period being modelled wouldn't a selection of BRUTEs be more appropriate?

[HeatonLodge40]

Another day manhandling the 25 5’x4’ fiddle yard boards has seen them all now joined to the 30’ radius curves.

 

I mentioned the other day alignment is a big issue with this project and on joining the first fiddle yard board to the last of the curves this morning it was obvious the curve was going to send the fiddle yard way out of true.

 

Don’t like taking a circular saw to one of White Rose modelworks precision laser cut frames but took a deep breath and gave it a go. This chunk now removed and a new straight piece screwed in corrected the direction of the fiddle yard which is now bang on straight. 

Amazing that to achieve an absolutely straight line (parallel to the walls) I utilised the huge iron columns which although built in the 1880’s are to the millimetre - spot on. Pretty good engineers those victorians.

 

Pics show the amount of curve I needed to saw off, the result & the fiddle yard in its new entirety.

Also a view of the two ends yet to join..

 

[Stubby47]

I hope when the boards are split then re-assembled at Warley ( or any other show) they all re-align as expected.

 

A few mil out at the start can lead to a bigger problem 25 boards later.

[HeatonLodge40]

15 minutes ago, Stubby47 said:

I hope when the boards are split then re-assembled at Warley ( or any other show) they all re-align as expected.

 

A few mil out at the start can lead to a bigger problem 25 boards later.

Don’t I know it  

[HeatonLodge40]

Since it’s almost the end of another year I thought I’d do a recap of where it all began. 

So here is 2015 to begin with : 

 

‘That picture’ - Railway photographer Bill Jameson’s pic captures me on the fence in 1983, (far left) makes the decision to start the project..
 

 

Work starts..

Work begins 

‘That’ picThe track plan..No 1 frame the first one

[HeatonLodge40]

2016..

 

Trying to crack scenery techniques 

[HeatonLodge40]

2016 cont..

 

More frames arriving..

 

Country lane construction..

 

At this point I was still wondering where the heck I was going to locate all these frames as the garage was chocker

[HeatonLodge40]

More of 2016..

 

with the frames outgrowing the garage I began to realise I had to find somewhere to work on this lot..

 

The pointwork takes shape..I didn’t build em but I enjoyed detailing them  

[HeatonLodge40]

2017... 

 

Finding somewhere to put a layout that was going to end up being 200ft long was beginning to stress me out. 
Industrial units way too unaffordable.

Then 3 miles from my house under a huge derelict factory I find this ..

 

So all modelling stops for 6 months while I spray 5000 litres of enamel paint onto floors and walls, and from YouTube learn how to build a workshop, paintshop & living room.

(Note Allan Downes model of the ‘Monarch of the Glen’ Castle pride of place.

The tiger is on guard duty ...

 

Finally with the help of an artic the whole ensemble lands in the basement while I’m still hammering and falling off step ladders 

Edited December 30, 2019 by HeatonLodge40
Spelling

[HeatonLodge40]

2017 cont..

 

Picking up more scenic skills.. first dabble in resin for water, a nice little copse and I enjoyed using DAS to make stone walls. Plus detailing pointwork.

Meanwhile it’s getting bigger.. 

[APOLLO]

5000 litres of enamel paint - for a model railway room - enough for an ocean liner !! - - Just beyond my comprehension !!

 

Good luck & best wishes in 2020. I would like to see this layout one day. (no - it's not a layout - it's quite something else).

 

Brit15

 

 

[HeatonLodge40]

1 minute ago, APOLLO said:

5000 litres of enamel paint - for a model railway room - enough for an ocean liner !! - - Just beyond my comprehension !!

 

Good luck & best wishes in 2020. I would like to see this layout one day. (no - it's not a layout - it's quite something else).

 

Brit15

 

 

Thanks. Yes I had to get an account with a paint manufacturer. 
I trod enamel paint everywhere for months. 

[Growling]

Wow... didn't realise how much work you had to do on the basement....  building the walls etc. 

 

Great spot you found to house it all though. 

As always I am in awe of your dedication over 4 years. It will all be worth it.

That pointwork on the main junction is something else.

 

What's the biggest highlight and low light so far would you say?

 

Any joy with the Class 110 or 124 enquiries?  They would really compliment the era of running.

[HeatonLodge40]

2018 a landmark year.

 

After noticing the great British public queuing in the rain to pay £10 to see a crappy Santa outside a shopping mall I figured they’d definitely pay £5 to come and see a huge model railway also outside a shopping mall.

 

Two months later I sold my half of a business I’d spent 12 years building to go full time on this project.

I don’t mind admitting it was much tougher working 10 hour days on my own in the basement than I thought..

 

However..

 

: the frames keep coming

 

: Don’t ever ask me why I spent 3 weeks planting 2000 brass bracken ferns in clay

 

: they look good though..

 

: bridge building out of clay & plywood (actually the one near where I was photographed in ‘83.)

 

: a scumbag breaks in the factory above, steals the lead piping for the water main, water fills the lift shaft to basement level - about 11ft. Whereupon it floods the basement. There’s 2’’ of water here. Trestles make it through. My office and living room didn’t..

 

I love bridge building..

 

 

 

 

[HeatonLodge40]

First half of 2019..

 

Now I wonder if I can get hold of a couple of these  

 

First trains begin to run..

 

Now this is the real bridge..

 

The one thing I never agreed with Allan Downes about. He thought I was mad modelling stuff you can’t see. Well you can if you get down on your knees.. here’s the underside of the aforementioned bridge..

 

Theres often problems to overcome. A steep embankment meant the catches  holding the frames together haven’t room to close.

So had to resort to aluminium sheet to get the clearance..

 

I couldn’t work on my own without this. Best £400 I ever spent ..

 

A CAD of the model set up in a marquee for outside the shopping malls

 

More of the bridges (the best is yet to come on bridges early next year)..

[HeatonLodge40]

Rounding off the first half of this year..

 

: More trees .. I do make some but not all. I use battery cable, DAS and a soldering iron.

 

: More boards delivered to cork and lay track on

 

: 

[HeatonLodge40]

Couldn’t resist a pic of a Intentio kit I built of a delapidated ex LNWR PW hut...

 

The fiddle yard begins..

 

2.5 binliners of Mini Natur & Noch grass so far. It doesn’t help that I always do a minimum of 3 layers 

 

: The lovely old LNWR footbridge takes shape. It’s still there today although not for much longer. 
The model is two Churchward kits 

 

And a Happy New Year 

Edited December 30, 2019 by HeatonLodge40

[HeatonLodge40]

55 minutes ago, Growling said:

Wow... didn't realise how much work you had to do on the basement....  building the walls etc. 

 

Great spot you found to house it all though. 

As always I am in awe of your dedication over 4 years. It will all be worth it.

That pointwork on the main junction is something else.

 

What's the biggest highlight and low light so far would you say?

 

Any joy with the Class 110 or 124 enquiries?  They would really compliment the era of running.

Yes thanks to you I had a conversation with Mr Hughes who has promised to have a 4 car blue/grey class 124 ready for late next year. 
This one will be as they were in ‘84 minus an engine and griddle car. 
Cheers 

[Mick Bonwick]

The trouble with reading an account that is 45 pages long is that by the time you reach the end you've forgotten how it all started. Speaking personally, that is. Seeing it summarised in (significantly) fewer pictures just highlights the enormous energy this project must have consumed. I used to think that I had mastered the everyday use of the English language, but my failure to describe adequately just how this project has inspired me just demonstrates how wrong I was.

 

One question, Simon. Will there be a model of you standing on a fence somewhere? 

[Dave John]

If this ever turns up at Glasgow for the SECC show then shout if you need a body to help ...........