Queensbridge Road Wharf

[nest]

Hi Gareth 

 

Good to see this is still developing. Hope you're keeping well and hope it is not too long till the next update. 

 

Nestor  

[garethashenden]

Reinspired, I have returned to this layout. As previously seen I had started the building on the left hand end. Unfortunately I haven't worked out the ideal solution to the road/backscene interface and that had been mentally preventing me from working on the buildings in that area. So I have moved to the other end. I purchased two kits from JS Models, and had them custom made in brick rather than the usual stone. One is perfect for what I had envisioned, and the other will do. They both fit the scene and are very quick to assemble. With those assembled I started work on the building in the corner. This is a railway owned warehouse with an arch under it to allow access to the yard from the street behind. Next to it will be a London Hydraulic Company accumulator tower, helping to avoid all the roofs being the same height and giving me an opportunity to dive into the history of this fascinating company.

 

I have long planned on having a narrowboat at the front of the layout, but I recently discovered that some Thames sailing barges were narrow enough to be used on Regent's Canal, so I'm going to have one of those instead. I bought a very inexpensive vacuum formed kit for one, advertised as "OO 1/72 Scale". It fits the width available perfectly, although it will take a lot of work to make a good model out of it. Does necessitate needing to look through something to see the trains, in this case masts and rigging, which is an element I enjoy in layout design. The masts will almsot certainly require a return to some sort of automatic coupling, AJs most likely, since I won't want to put my arm through there to undo the 3 links...

[garethashenden]

I've been looking over prototype photos of the North London Railway and Poplar Docks and came to the conclusion that the whole goods yard area doesn't need cobblestones or setts and that a lot of it was packed dirt of timber planks. This was pointed out to me when I first started the layout, but did I listen? Anyway, I spread some fine ballast around to see how it looks, and it looks good! However, before I go too far, I want to work out how the points are operated by the 1/76 employees of the railway. 

 

At first thought individual point levers seem to be the most appropriate, there are some in some of the photos of the docks. But then I was wondering if a small ground frame would be better, all four points can be operated from one location. Seems sensible enough. A thought that followed on from there was why a ground frame and not a signal box? If this were a terminus a ground frame would be right, but its always been envisioned as a through line, although single track and goods only. So would the North London have signaled a single track goods line? I feel that its not beyond the realm of possibility if it were busy enough and I think it would add interest to the layout. 

 

So now I need a second fiddle yard, a signal box, and some signals. I also need some help with correctly positioning the signals. The only thing I really know about signaling is that I don't know much about it. I would think I'll need at least one in each direction on the model. There should be a distant and home for each section right? I don't really think there's enough space for the distant signals on the layout but maybe there is? The next question is if there's any point in holding trains clear of the loop's points. Its a very small loop, not large enough to let two trains pass. Really just a way for a locomotive to shunt the yard. I think the positions that make the most sense for signals would be just before the bridge when headed to the left, and just before the road when headed to the right. May as well keep the crossing clear until the next section becomes available. Does that seem right? What about shunt signals? How to they work? I feel that this would be a place that they would be used, but is it? 

 

I'm thinking of positioning signals where these two pencils are. Does that fit? The signal box is mocked up in the second picture.

 

[hayfield]

The model is coming along very nicely, the curved brickwork in the doorway is superb