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Hills of the North - The Last Great Project


LNER4479
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Do bear in mind John that 41 figure is spread over both down (uphill) and up (downhill trains) so every two minutes in each direction. For an exhibition crowd that feels about right to me, particularly considering that, unlike Grantham, it's just one movement on one part of the layout.

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9 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Give them a bit more breathing space Graham! I never saw Shap in steam days but my Peter Handford LP captures the sheer solitude of the fells between trains. I'd be inclined to try to replicate that by leaving at least a real minute or two between any two trains in the same direction.

Unfortunately, most of the viewing public want to see trains moving, and a minute is a surprisingly long time for to wait.  If nothing is moving on a layout many people will simply move on to the next one.

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6 minutes ago, D9003 said:

Unfortunately, most of the viewing public want to see trains moving, and a minute is a surprisingly long time for to wait.  If nothing is moving on a layout many people will simply move on to the next one.

Then let them! That will leave more room for those who would like to stand and take it all in.

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10 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Give them a bit more breathing space Graham! I never saw Shap in steam days but my Peter Handford LP captures the sheer solitude of the fells between trains. I'd be inclined to try to replicate that by leaving at least a real minute or two between any two trains in the same direction.

Us as Railway enthusiasts would love that, but I’m sure there would be some mother who would complain about “no trains actually running around the layout” 

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By the way, excellent stuff Graham, any pictures of the new fiddleyard in action? 
that big boy does look good, not ganna lie I’d happily have one of them running around the layout.....I hope my friends at the local hobby shop don’t see that, they’ll never let me forget that! 
 

 

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41 minutes ago, LNER4479 said:

Do bear in mind John that 41 figure is spread over both down (uphill) and up (downhill trains) so every two minutes in each direction. For an exhibition crowd that feels about right to me, particularly considering that, unlike Grantham, it's just one movement on one part of the layout.

 

Having watched the layout for 20 minutes yesterday, it certainly didn't feel like 2 minutes between each train in each direction.

 

I did notice that you appear to 'queue up' the next train just outside of the scenic section which was interesting...

 

John

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34 minutes ago, johndon said:

 

Having watched the layout for 20 minutes yesterday, it certainly didn't feel like 2 minutes between each train in each direction.

 

I did notice that you appear to 'queue up' the next train just outside of the scenic section which was interesting...

 

John

Yes indeed John - there are two departure roads that the FY operator pulls forward the next trains from their fiddle yard berths into. Not only does this ensure that there should always be a train awaiting entrance 'on stage', it also reduces the length of run that the front operator has to drive a train when it is NOT in the scenic section. One of the things I've come to learn with a large layout that there can be an awful lot of time taken up simply driving a train out of and back into the fiddle yard, all of which contributes to the 'nothing moving on this layout!' syndrome. Not only that, but said operator(s) can spend half the show with their back turned away from the audience which isn't good from a presentation point of view. Lively / friendly banter twixt operator(s) and those spectactors who like to converse thus is all part of putting on an enjoyable presentation (I think?!)

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6 minutes ago, LNER4479 said:

Yes indeed John - there are two departure roads that the FY operator pulls forward the next trains from their fiddle yard berths into. Not only does this ensure that there should always be a train awaiting entrance 'on stage', it also reduces the length of run that the front operator has to drive a train when it is NOT in the scenic section. One of the things I've come to learn with a large layout that there can be an awful lot of time taken up simply driving a train out of and back into the fiddle yard, all of which contributes to the 'nothing moving on this layout!' syndrome. Not only that, but said operator(s) can spend half the show with their back turned away from the audience which isn't good from a presentation point of view. Lively / friendly banter twixt operator(s) and those spectactors who like to converse thus is all part of putting on an enjoyable presentation (I think?!)

 

Fiddleyard design is a much neglected aspect of layout design.

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2 hours ago, Bazza said:

Hi, great to see the Big Boy in action. Have you fitted the cab handrails? Hornby has not been able to advise me on how to fit them. 

Bazza.

sorry to be way off subject. The layout looks great!

Not mine! (sadly). It is a Genesis model from some years ago (#4009); was a guest star appearance. Don't know a lot more about it than that other than it made it round the layout without incident. Mind you, I thought Tom was a bit brave running a train on the opposite line at the same time, given that the tracks are laid to the prototypical UK 11' 2" centre-to-centre spacings...

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15 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Give them a bit more breathing space Graham! I never saw Shap in steam days but my Peter Handford LP captures the sheer solitude of the fells between trains. I'd be inclined to try to replicate that by leaving at least a real minute or two between any two trains in the same direction.

 

I can see it being difficult to simulate the "solitude of the fells" in the average exhibition hall, no matter how long there might be between trains! :)

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1 hour ago, croydon junction said:

Is it air braked?

 

Matthew

No it's made of plastic !!!

 

Hi Matthew,

 

Couldn't resist that.

 

In true British under investment style it has only the vacuum brake, I could make a pump to make it look the part but then where would the trucks to go behind have come from until the late 1970's at least ?

 

What it does have is a Giesel ejector and a mechanical stoker though.

 

Gibbo.

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47 minutes ago, Gibbo675 said:

No it's made of plastic !!!

 

Hi Matthew,

 

Couldn't resist that.

 

In true British under investment style it has only the vacuum brake, I could make a pump to make it look the part but then where would the trucks to go behind have come from until the late 1970's at least ?

 

What it does have is a Giesel ejector and a mechanical stoker though.

 

Gibbo.

When was it built? Surely BR wouldn't build a loco to only last 8 years.... 

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10 minutes ago, croydon junction said:

When was it built? Surely BR wouldn't build a loco to only last 8 years.... 

Hi Corydon,

 

All I can say to that is that 92220 didn't last very long ! My imaginary locomotive is just that, imaginary. I am building BR Non Standard Kitson-Meyer and Beyer-Garratt types just for the fun of it also, they are to be found on the Imaginary locomotives thread.

 

Apologies to those if I have brought the thread off topic but the picture of the UP Mallet reminded me of my own contraption.

 

Gibbo.

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9 hours ago, LNER4479 said:

Yes indeed John - there are two departure roads that the FY operator pulls forward the next trains from their fiddle yard berths into. Not only does this ensure that there should always be a train awaiting entrance 'on stage', it also reduces the length of run that the front operator has to drive a train when it is NOT in the scenic section. One of the things I've come to learn with a large layout that there can be an awful lot of time taken up simply driving a train out of and back into the fiddle yard, all of which contributes to the 'nothing moving on this layout!' syndrome. Not only that, but said operator(s) can spend half the show with their back turned away from the audience which isn't good from a presentation point of view. Lively / friendly banter twixt operator(s) and those spectactors who like to converse thus is all part of putting on an enjoyable presentation (I think?!)

 

And also has the advantage that any vehicles off the road are discovered in the move up to the departure road rather than as a train emerges on to the scenic section!

Something I was planning to include in Abbotswood Mk2....

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15 hours ago, Phil Bullock said:

 

And also has the advantage that any vehicles off the road are discovered in the move up to the departure road rather than as a train emerges on to the scenic section!

Something I was planning to include in Abbotswood Mk2....

I use a similar system. Trains are pulled out of the fiddle yard to a handover section by the FY operator then left for the main line operator to pick up when ready.  They can then be driven right back into the FY by the main line operator which clears the train from the scenic area.  However they can be stopped at any time by the FY operator in case of difficulties.   As long as the FY operator has switched to another track for the next departure the incoming train stops automatically just before it reaches the fouling point.   This arrangement was done to take workload off the FY operator so that it could be single manned.  The mainline tends to be double manned with an Up and a Down operator.

 

Jamie

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Another shot of my 'Semi' running on Shap over the weekend (sorry, couldn't resist it!).

 

1167627121_Shap21646245atSummit01.jpg.32ee2c4e0016ed3f3ffea0fb0e6c04ad.jpg

 

What you and your helpers have created, Graham, is one of the finest layouts currently on the circuit. It's entertaining, exciting and realistic. It's a privilege to be just a tiny, tiny part of it.

 

My grateful thanks to Baz on the Sunday morning for moving trains into position for photography. 

Edited by Tony Wright
to include a thank you
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On 22 October 2019 at 16:27, Barry O said:

Finished a special van in the run up to Hartlepool Show,

 

1305234690_MAJexlYVan.JPG.410ee7936a5edefda26d7784684e3d92.JPG

 

Just need to weather it,,,

 

Baz

 

 

Barry,

 

I have watched  the wagon all weekend, but forgot to ask for some more detail,

 

Tom

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4 hours ago, LMS29 said:

Barry,

 

i watched he'd the wagon all weekend, but forgot to ask for some more detail,

 

Tom

Tom

It is a very old MAJ plastic kit of an Lancashire and Yorkshire long wheelbase van.

Fitted with Gibson wheels.

Baz

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4 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Another shot of my 'Semi' running on Shap over the weekend (sorry, couldn't resist it!).

 

1167627121_Shap21646245atSummit01.jpg.32ee2c4e0016ed3f3ffea0fb0e6c04ad.jpg

 

What you and your helpers have created, Graham, is one of the finest layouts currently on the circuit. It's entertaining, exciting and realistic. It's a privilege to be just a tiny, tiny part of it.

 

My grateful thanks to Baz on the Sunday morning for moving trains into position for photography. 

Thanks Tony - that's a lovely picture. Possibly a bit more toning down of the ballast required but otherwise Hartlepool was a great shakedown for the shows to come. Looking forward to presenting the layout with its much expanded cast list over the next few months. Hope you can make it to one of the shows - we're pretty spread around the country: Peterborough, Glasgow and York.

 

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8 hours ago, LNER4479 said:

Thanks Tony - that's a lovely picture. Possibly a bit more toning down of the ballast required but otherwise Hartlepool was a great shakedown for the shows to come. Looking forward to presenting the layout with its much expanded cast list over the next few months. Hope you can make it to one of the shows - we're pretty spread around the country: Peterborough, Glasgow and York.

 

Thanks Graham,

 

I like the picture, too; though cutting out all those apertures in the bridge took me well over an hour!

 

I assume you're still coming over here today? If so, what time at Grantham?

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

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27 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

 

I assume you're still coming over here today? If so, what time at Grantham?

 

Just set off - stand by for a message once I have a confirmed ETA (subject to any last minute ECML disruption...)

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