Hills of the North - The Last Great Project

[LNER4479]

3 minutes ago, Gibbo675 said:

Hi There,

 

Do you have a plastic model of Mc Caigs tower, Oban ready for a West Highland extension or is it just a grey laundry basket that I can see ?

 

Gibbo.

That's one of those little round, grey filing cabinet thingys. Only the bottom third of it is useful for its intended purpose.

[New Haven Neil]

I'll bring a cardboard box to keep my feet in!  Need to keep the extremities warm, diabetic.  I'll bring one for Baz too.

 

Edit:  I've heard Reedsmouth Junction box can be cold and draughty.

Edited January 10, 2021 by New Haven Neil

[Barry O]

56 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

I'll bring a cardboard box to keep my feet in!  Need to keep the extremities warm, diabetic.  I'll bring one for Baz too.

 

Edit:  I've heard Reedsmouth Junction box can be cold and draughty.

multiple layers of clothes required, fingerless gloves, thick marino woolly socks and a dut are required in winter.. 

 

Baz 

[Flying Fox 34F]

Old fashioned foot warmers were good enough for the Victorians, try them?!!!!!!

I know installing a second floor can be expensive, but I wonder if the chapel originally had a first floor around the edge in the style of many chapels? Considering your wood working skills it is possible to do, especially with some help.  You could have two floors of railway!

 

I know, I’m going

 

Paul

[LNER4479]

1 hour ago, LNER4479 said:

One of many options [a woodburner] that have been considered.

 

Still a helluva space for it to heat ... and I just have this innate fear of it burning wood I'd rather it didn't burn ...

 

Don't worry chaps. As I've already said, the plan is that full layout operating sessions will be April-October (say) events only. The layout will be part un-mantled during the winter for so long as bits of it are requested for shows, so full-blown winter operating sessions simply won't be possible.

Repeating my post which turned out to be the last one on the previous page and therefore can easily get missed.

 

News today is that the goods yard has been reinstalled alongside the station. Pictures later (if you're good)

[Enterprisingwestern]

6 minutes ago, Flying Fox 34F said:

Old fashioned foot warmers were good enough for the Victorians, try them?!!!!!!

I know installing a second floor can be expensive, but I wonder if the chapel originally had a first floor around the edge in the style of many chapels? Considering your wood working skills it is possible to do, especially with some help.  You could have two floors of railway!

 

I know, I’m going

 

Paul

 

That will need one hell of a helix or two!

 

Mike.

[drmditch]

Re: Temperature for model railways.

The first time I saw 'Grantham' it was at Barrow Hill Roundhouse.

It was difficult to stay watching for too long it was so cold.

I think I came down with 'flu afterwards.

 

 

[Mallard60022]

https://www.wayfair.co.uk/garden/pdp/belfry-heating-madeleine-1500w-ceiling-mounted-electric-patio-heater-with-remote-control-osnn1228.html?piid=

 

If you don't mind some increase in leccy bills, some of  these maybe helpful? 

[Chamby]

With a roof that high, you could have modelled an alpine layout.  Then the temperature would be prototypical as well...

[LNER4479]

1 hour ago, drmditch said:

Re: Temperature for model railways.

The first time I saw 'Grantham' it was at Barrow Hill Roundhouse.

It was difficult to stay watching for too long it was so cold.

I think I came down with 'flu afterwards.

 

 

Remember it well! Hats n gloves and thick coats were somewhat 'order of the day'.

 

Cripes - that's nearly seven years ago now

 

[simontaylor484]

You could try rubber mats for the floor where you stand most often to stop the cold striking up. I could supply a priest for a reasonable fee to fill the place with hot air (my dad).

 It is a wonderful space you have to play with it just needs articification. 

[St Enodoc]

5 hours ago, Barry O said:

a dut

?

[St Enodoc]

4 hours ago, drmditch said:

Re: Temperature for model railways.

The first time I saw 'Grantham' it was at Barrow Hill Roundhouse.

It was difficult to stay watching for too long it was so cold.

I think I came down with 'flu afterwards.

 

 

You want cold? Leeds MRS exhibitions at the Corn Exchange were cold. Even the gas was too cold to come out of the pipes to work the heaters.

[LNER4479]

Cue Four Yorkshireman sketch:

 

'Gas? We used to dream of 'avin gas ...'

[Barry O]

9 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

?

Hat boble sans bobble usually wool but now available in a variety of insulating materials to keep your head warm..

 

Baz

[Dr Gerbil-Fritters]

13 hours ago, LNER4479 said:

Cue Four Yorkshireman sketch:

 

Four Yorkshireman?  We used to dream of 'aving four Yorkshireman.  We could only afford two and had to mek do with a bunch of Lancashire chaps to make up the difference.

 

What ho jeeves, pop another prole on the fire, there's a good chap.

[Gibbo675]

4 hours ago, Dr Gerbil-Fritters said:

 

Four Yorkshireman?  We used to dream of 'aving four Yorkshireman.  We could only afford two and had to mek do with a bunch of Lancashire chaps to make up the difference.

 

What ho jeeves, pop another prole on the fire, there's a good chap.

Hi Fritters,

 

Your maths is all wrong.

 

Two Lancashire chaps plus two Yorkshiremen equals six Yorkshiremen in my book.

 

Gibbo.

[Dr Gerbil-Fritters]

10 minutes ago, Gibbo675 said:

Two Lancashire chaps plus two Yorkshiremen equals 

 

ear ache in my view

[LNER4479]

You can always tell a Yorkshireman ... but you can't tell 'im very much.

[Enterprisingwestern]

20 minutes ago, LNER4479 said:

You can always tell a Yorkshireman ... but not you can't tell 'im very much.

 

Very wasteful of words, very unYorkshirelike!

 

Mike.

Edited January 11, 2021 by Enterprisingwestern

[DaveArkley]

5 hours ago, Gibbo675 said:

Hi Fritters,

 

Your maths is all wrong.

 

Two Lancashire chaps plus two Yorkshiremen equals six Yorkshiremen in my book.

 

Gibbo.

War of the Roses said different

[Merlin242]

I am watching this impressive project with interest and look forward to the next instalments.

With trepidation that this is probably a silly question I wonder if you are a member of the Cumbria Railways Association chat group?

I find it an invaluable resource for my poor efforts with Windermere and the West Coast mainline. The friendly and helpful response to information requests obscure or downright foolish has been really great and the level of knowledge & historic  source documents second to none.

I had never heard of Bog Junction until your thread and this week it helped me understand the CRA discussion on freight timetables to its adjacent coal yard.  My only problem is keeping up with the information flow.

Apologies again if this is of no interest

 

Mike Hanson

Windermere & Hincaster Junction

[LNER4479]

Hi Mike,

 

No need to apologise for suggesting things. I am aware of the Cumbrian Railway Association and it has not escaped my notice that we might have a few things in common! There's a few ex-railwaymen involved (eg Ron Herbert) so they usually know what they're talking about.

 

Your project sounds interesting; have you posted anything about it anywhere? (apologies if I've missed it on here).

[LNER4479]

And now, standby for a bumper photo-fest ... all to do with goods yards and goods wagons.

 

You may - or may not - remember this: Central station's revamped goods yard being worked on. This was the new rear extension board, with tracked prepared but not yet fixed down.

 

Just the three points on the new board. Can be with motors fixed directly beneath, with card cover piece. No standing on ceremony here.

 

Time to wield the soldering iron. This is pretty awkward to get at once placed back in position so it's all being pre-wired, complete with connectors.

 

And now put back in place. Ah - that looks better! I have to say, I'm pleasantly surprised at quite what a difference that makes. It suddenly looks quite expansive on the left hand side there and puts the station into context. Time to fill it with wagons now ...

 

The 'Crab' thus toddles off with two converter wagons and a guard's van in tow to go and find some wagons.

 

Ah, here they are! Round at 'Grand Junction', I've hitherto been using the Carlisle north running lines for storage - but no need to now.

 

Here's the first raft, clattering through Bog Junction. No turntable at Grand Junction, so it's tender first back to Central.

 

Bit of a random mix at the moment. Will need a bit of a shunt upon arrival.

 

But there's a problem (as every documentary tends to annoyingly say these days).

The train is just a touch too long to clear the headshunt point. Or perhaps I should say that the reception road is too short to accept a decent length train! A legacy of the station's past use; t'will be rectified in due course by the simple expedient of extending said roads beyond their present buffer stops and round the planned 90 deg corner.

 

Anyhow, a quick shuffle back n forth and now the newly installed goods yard headshunt can be accessed.

 

And now the other half of the train is propelled into the goods shed road which is just ... er ... awaiting its goods shed. The nearest nine wagons are the new (2020) output for use on the layout.

 

Thus released from the arrival road, the 'Crab' heads back out for the second batch.

(and repeat ...)

 

So here we are, with all the 'layout' wagons that I've got out so far now occupying the yard.

 

Seen from the rear of the yard, to give an alternative viewpoint. Seven roads in total, as follows (from left to right):

Two arrival roads (principally, although can also be used for departure)

Main departure road, especially for freshly made up trains, formed of rafts shunted out of the goods yard itself.

Short road (in the mid-distance), for operational convenience, guards vans, cripples, etc - the principal reason for ending it short is to allow vehicular access on the left hand side of the next road

Two main outside loading roads, in the classic style, with road vehicle access either side

The goods shed road. The goods shed itself is at the top end. Once unloaded / loaded, the idea is for the wagons to be pushed up this end (by the next raft going into the goods shed) and can then be shunted past using the point work seen earlier. So a one way system if you like. There's also an 'alongside' unloading / loading berth at the top end of Road 6.

 

Not based on any goods yard in particular but I think it captures the essence of a steam age good yard. Reassuringly, there's some 50 wagons but room yet for plenty more.

 

Next - the turntable and loco yard (save the best till last!)

 

Edited January 14, 2021 by LNER4479

[Dr Gerbil-Fritters]

Magnificent.  I am looking forward to hiding out here, posting trains out as fast as I can while Clive M keeps me topped up with tea.