Hills of the North - The Last Great Project

[St Enodoc]

6 hours ago, LNER4479 said:

I believe you get lights.

 

A reminder of Barry's work to create the vehicles for this Euston-Glasgow relief train that we originally put together for Shap 1967 at the 2017 Warley show. Photo by Tony Wright, taken at said show.

 

 

 

Oi Mister! Your BSK's back-to-front! You'd NEVER see that on the prototype!

 

Etc., etc.

[Enterprisingwestern]

13 hours ago, Barry O said:

and the bits that were added on for ETH on the ends of the coaches as well.. mind you I didn't add them as I didn't have a decent drawing of them.. 

 

Baz

 

That's why the Bachmann model is so cheap, if you want extra detail you're gonna have to pay for it!

 

Mike.

[LNER4479]

Caption contest:

 

'If he had brains, he'd be dangerous'

 

What idiot doesn't pack away his locos whilst he's wielding the soldering iron?

 

Anyway, wiring up is boring. Thought you'd rather see what follows ...

 

That goods train made its journey up the bank. Interestingly for a goods train it did actually need banking (normally it's the longer passenger trains that are heavier - contrary to the prototype). Some of these wagons haven't run in years - I think there's one or two with dragging brakes!

 

As the banker disappears into the cutting, look who's coming the other way? This loco belongs to Roy Mears who put her on loan for Glasgow show last year and is thus on a prolonged visit due to circumstances beyond all our control. Hasn't actually been out of the box since Glasgow ... until now.

 

Did you notice from the earlier shot? Seeing as it's yerselves, I've dug out the backscene sheets to blank out more of the background clutter and make it easier to photo-edit out the remaining areas to produce what is hopefully a more pleasing shot.

 

Broadside, to show the full train. As mentioned previously, nine coaches is the limit for the time being.

 

Slightly cruder blanking out at Bog Junction - but it is a cluttered background at the moment. Is it worth me doing this?

 

Running into Central, the 8F from the coal train that arrived in the last session has made it to the loco sidings, with the Crapotty 5 shuffled forward to the turntable. For anyone who's really interested, the Ivatt station pilot is showing off his new rear coupling/pusher bar, reasonably discrete at the moment.

Another 'at rest at the buffer stops' photo. I think there'll only be so many variations of this view!

 

More soon - it's fun running trains. Much more fun than wiring up.

[92220]

Great stuff Graham!

 

I have so much that ought to have a run round your chapel....

 

Best wishes,

 

Iain

[St Enodoc]

3 hours ago, LNER4479 said:

What idiot doesn't pack away his locos whilst he's wielding the soldering iron?

I can think of one...

 

Anyway, those milkman gloves and the soldering iron remind me of Leeds shows in the Corn Exchange when, as @Barry O and others will remember, soldering irons were left on permanently to provide a source of warmth.

[LNER4479]

Sometimes. you just have to bite the bullet and take one step backwards ...

 

This has turned out to be a bit of a schoolboy error. I built a wiggle into the WCML half way up Shap Bank where the running lines are due to emerge from the cover of the Carlisle Canal area. Due to the rising gradient involved, the earlier it can emerge from beneath the board, the better for clearances. Well, that was the logic ... however, it involved the introduction of a double reverse curve - on a 1-in-75 gradient. Asking for trouble.

 

Early trials weren't that promising and now we've started running a few more trains, it's become abundantly obvious that this threatens to be a pain in the proverbial for ... well ... as long as trains continue to run, made even worse by them being hidden on the approach to this point in the fullness of time. I don't mind some trains being banked, but not all of them. So ...

 

It's gone! All trains diverted via Settle & Carlisle (ha!)

 

Well, only gone as far as the nearby workbench. Fortunately, the naughty additional reverse curve is all on one board so a quick bit of jigsaw work has reduced it to this.

 

And a little bit of trimming further means they can be re-joined like this, thus preserving the fixing points at either end.

 

Back in situ. Phew. This bit of work took about two hours. Worth it, methinks, if it improves running for the future. I'll just have to build the rest of the railway around it; WCML is the prime route, after all.

 

Normal service has been resumed as soon as possible. Not apparent, but I also managed to effect a slight lowering of the boards here as well, in order to ease to the grade at this point. 46256 had no trouble with 9 bogies, the Britannia raced up with 8 in tow and - most notably - is that the Bachmann Patriot also took 8 up. Not comfortably, but competently enough with just a hint of slipping. Previously, it expired as soon as it hit the old alignment.

 

Meanwhile, the wiring up is complete for the loco stabling sidings down at Central station, courtesy of this little push button board. I've also been cleaning some locos in anticipation of further running, including this little trio of Stanier heavy haulers. Let's take a closer look ...

 

My original Wrenn 8F. I still have its box, complete with £33.20 price tag. That Heaton Mersey number will have to go but, otherwise, after a thorough strip down and clean of the Ringfield motor, goes just fine.

 

Another one? But spot the difference - this one has a replacement Comet chassis. Rather remarkably, I bought this exactly as so from the old model shop in Morecambe, probably about 25 years ago, I should think. A nice, steady runner.

 

And this is a real mongrel. Scratchbuilt body (not by me); Comet chassis (me!); RTR tender (Bachmann Jubilee). Also from about 25 years ago. I do like depicting Walschaerts in forward gear, whenever I get the chance.

All very much layout locos but there'll be plenty of work for them.

 

Two more, straight RTRs. The J72 is an original mainline one from over 40 years ago, one of my first locos. Again another thorough clean has brought it back to life. Bit noisy but it can potter about in the goods yard to its heart's comment.

 

Right - time to run a few more trains ...

 

Edited February 15, 2021 by LNER4479

[92220]

I had assumed the approach to Shap was to accommodate the rest of the railway in some way, Graham. It looks so much better like that.  I hope you can redesign around it.

 

Those switches on the control panel for the loco stabling?  I assume push for on and they don’t look as if they are illuminated?  Recommended?  

 

I think I am going to build the control panel for the rest of the world for Camden next.   

Iain

[LNER4479]

Hi Iain,

 

Well, that little panel is about as simple as it gets (for DC). Yes, they are push-to-make buttons so you have to keep it pressed while you move the loco. I always do that for loco stabling to avoid locos churning away trying to push buffer stops over whilst you're looking the other way. It's also a (semi) fiddle yard situation, with the operator two feet away from what he's doing so no need for any indicator lights to show where locos are or which way points are set. All points are manual apart from the first / last point in the small yard.

 

So ... probably of no use to you whatsoever in terms of what you might need for your fiddle yard control panel! You probably need something more like this:

 

Most of the push buttons activate relays that then do lots of clever things like route setting, etc. Plenty of indicator lights here!

 

Edited February 15, 2021 by LNER4479
Add picture

[92220]

Thanks, Graham.  

For the “rest of the world” i.e. Euston on the up lines and oop north on the down, I have studs and probe to operate the Peco point motors, and simple lever on-off switches for the roads and sections.  I think it will be clear enough from whether each lever switch is up or down, whether a road or section is live or not.  But I may be wrong.

 

The scenic area control panel is a bit further away but all turnouts will be switched using tortoises, which use a lever switch, so I will likely use push button switches (the sort that stay on until you push them again) and indicator LEDs for the sections.  
 

Anyway, enough of me derailing your thread with my own gibberish.  
 

How about these instead, to brighten a dull day?

 

 

 

 

 

Iain

 

[LNER4479]

Ooh, my goodness. I've come over all feint. Nurse! The smelling salts ...

 

One day we'll see them scamper up Shap, I'm sure.

[LNER4479]

And now for some more running (yippee!). Time to check out what's happening on the S&C section.

 

We got there just in time. Racing southbound through Garsdale is none other than the Thames Clyde Express, with Holbeck's long time resident Royal Scot 46109 'Royal Engineer' in charge.

 

As it crosses the 'Old Coal Road' (to Dent), we catch a closer glimpse of one of my oldest - and much cherished - locos. It's probably a full 40 years since I got this as a Xmas or birthday pressie (can't exactly remember!) - and it started out as preserved 6100 in LMS red! However, in time I acquired a loco and tender body (also 'The Royal Scot') in a rather pasty, far too light BR green. So, after suitable detailing, I subjected it to a rather heavy weathering job.

 

Despite being an old Mainline split chassis, it's always been a good 'un and, true to form, after a thorough clean up and oil round last night, she's raring to go so it's quite a special moment to have her (him?) take her turn on the new layout.

 

As she takes her train through Grand Junction to join the run in to Central, we can take a broader look at the train. I say 'Thames Clyde Express' but it's really only a rough approximation at the moment; I can work on honing the formation in due course. I've had to press a couple of old Lima MkIs into service for now; I think, however, I might have found a use for my Stanier porthole BFK (rear vehicle).

 

Meanwhile(!), at Central, a loaded coal train sets out with one of them 8Fs we saw yesterday.

 

And - fancy that - the two trains meet perfectly at Bog Junction.

 

The 8F clears Bog Junction, bound for the S&C route. Didn't tend to see coal trains like this over Shap.

 

Quick work by the signalman at Central has reset the road for a straight arrival into platform 2.

 

46109 rolls gently into the main trainshed, just as she used to do for many years in the station's previous incarnation.

 

Journey's end. That Lima BTK will have to go.

 

The station pilot springs to life, drawing the stock out into the carriage headshunt, whilst the 'Scot' has followed the stock out at a respectful distance and awaits clearance to make her way to the loco sidings.

 

With stock now shunted into platform 3, 46109 reacquaints herself with the loco yard. 'Blimey - this has been tarted up a bit!'.

 

Welcome home!

 

Edited February 15, 2021 by LNER4479

[LNER4479]

Some more running, partly to celebrate being shortlisted in the 2020 BRM poll - thanks to all who nominated. Feel a bit of a fraud at this stage with so much bare baseboards ... but maybe some folks like to see bare baseboards, or at least work in progress?

 

Anyway, if you've been paying attention, you might recall that the Thames-Clyde express passed a coal train at Bog Junction and now said coal train has made it's way to Garsdale, just crossing over the old coal road to/from Dent, the only part of the Garsdale scene that actually has any scenery structure at the moment.

 

Coming the other way is ... er ... well a bit of a hotch-potch, non-specific set of 'layout' coaches. Could be a relief train or maybe the Glasgow-Leeds service, the only other day time express to traverse the route other than the two named trains.

 

This is hauled by a scratchbuilt Black5. Not built by me, although I motorised it and painted / lined it to be a Kingmoor loco. It's a bit 'from a different age' but I quite like it and perfectly adequate as a 'layout loco'. We'll be needing a fair few of Stanier's mixed traffic masterpiece so it's all grist to the mill.

 

And running into Platform 2 at Central, vacated following the previous shunt across of the Thames Clyde set.

 

Station getting a bit full now! Time for something to depart, methinks?

 

 

Edited February 20, 2021 by LNER4479

[Gibbo675]

5 minutes ago, LNER4479 said:

 

Station getting a bit full now! Time for something to depart, methinks?

 

 

Hi There,

 

That's easy sorted, get rid of all that pesky track and level off those platform faces and have yourself a knitting, or bridal wear exhibition in that huge covered area.

 

Hang on wrong century, just shunt the stock !

 

Gibbo.

[LNER4479]

I did once go and hear the Quo perform inside the train shed. But I much prefer it with trains in it.

[Chamby]

1 hour ago, LNER4479 said:

Some more running, partly to celebrate being shortlisted in the 2020 BRM poll - thanks to all who nominated. Feel a bit of a fraud at this stage with so much bare baseboards ... but maybe some folks like to see bare baseboards, or at least work in progress?

...

 

Congrats on the nomination.  I think your layout is at a most interesting stage that captures a following audience... you've got things up and running, people can see much of the grand plan (part realised, part in progress), there's significant development still ongoing and it is proceeding at a good pace to keep up the interest level.  

 

Good job!   One of the more consistently interesting threads on the forum, for sure...

[LNER4479]

Time for a royal departure.

 

Tasty line up at Central stabling sidings: a Duke, a Sir and a Princess.

 

'Tis the latter we're interested in. 46206 is being prepared to work the northbound Royal Scot over Shap.

 

Backing on to her train in Plat.2. No headboard today, although the coach end board and roof boards identify the train.

 

Ready for departure. Even at a reduced nine coaches long, folks for the coach nearest the loco will have to walk through from the adjacent vehicle.

 

Again, due to the length of the train, she has to use crossover No.11 in order to gain access to the departure line. But the trackplan is at least flexible enough to take account of this.

 

Accelerating through Bog Junction, building up momentum for the climb ahead.

 

Thought this was worth showing, following recent rework. This is the lower stretch of Shap Bank and will in time be hidden from view. You can - I think - clearly see the gradient here. Up till the second coach it really is at 1-in-75 but thereafter there is now a slight easing, which seems to be making all the difference. The loco had no undue trouble getting to this point, just a moderate amount of slipping. I can live with that.

 

The much improved single S-bend actually looks quite graceful - pity half of it will be hidden from view!

 

A couple of closer studies out on Shap Wells embankment.

 

Camera carefully positioned so as to emphasise the culvert that is normally invisible at this point - but so important for drainage off the fell.

 

The 'classic' viewpoint.

 

... before Princess Marie Louise takes her leave of us, entering the cutting at the summit of the climb.

 

Hope you enjoyed those as much as I enjoyed taking them. It's good fun running trains; but must keep up progress with the actual build at the same time!

 

Edited February 24, 2021 by LNER4479

[LMS29]

Looks great! Like the culvert shot.

 

Tom

[LNER4479]

Thought you might! That was taken very much with the scenic team in mind 

[St Enodoc]

6 hours ago, LNER4479 said:

Accelerating through Bog Junction

You can't fool us! That's Heaton Mersey East!

[LNER4479]

Yes ... the Royal Scot has got rather lost, hasn't it? Another one for the 'to do' list ...

[St Enodoc]

1 minute ago, LNER4479 said:

Yes ... the Royal Scot has got rather lost, hasn't it? Another one for the 'to do' list ...

Well, Heaton Mersey's a bit nearer to Central than Bog Junction is...

[LNER4479]

7 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

Well, Heaton Mersey's a bit nearer to Central than Bog Junction is...

That is no coincidence, given my former loft project.

 

But of course for 'Hills of the North', the reference to 'Central' is deliberately neutral. One place it represents is Glasgow Central, for example

Edited February 24, 2021 by LNER4479

[St Enodoc]

1 hour ago, LNER4479 said:

That is no coincidence, given my former loft project.

 

But of course for 'Hills of the North', the reference to 'Central' is deliberately neutral. One place it represents is Glasgow Central, for example

Of course! By the way, I've just visited Gowhole for the first and probably last time - very nice.

[Barry O]

But it is definitely not Liverpool Central.. you have to go via Herculaneum  Dock to get there!

Baz

Edited February 25, 2021 by Barry O

[Mallard60022]

Sad news chaps if you knew Peter Smith, Bigwordsmith:

Hi everyone, this is Peter's daughter Gemma. I just wanted to inform everyone that Peter caught covid over Christmas, and after a short battle passed away on the 6th Jan.

He was so keen on the Waverley route.

RIP Smiffy.

Phil