Jump to content
 

Hills of the North - The Last Great Project


LNER4479
 Share

Recommended Posts

Lots of 1967(ish) BR info / photos on this thread

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/52572-why-is-this-so-rarely-modelled/

 

It's the era (but not the area) I also model. Steam mixed with Green & Blue diesels, a mix of Maroon Green & Blue/Grey coaches, dirty tatty locomotives working hard - what a superb layout theme. PLEASE bring it to Wigan next year if you can !!.

 

edited to add - you can even run some Mk 2 Blue/Grey non aircon coaches behind a mucky Brit - see my photos below !!

 

post-6884-0-58590900-1360186674.jpg

 

Looking forward to some more layout photos.

 

Brit15

Edited by APOLLO
  • Like 4
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Keeping this a secret has been very difficult. Not many shows can have a "demo" involving a layout demonstrating history (and this year there were two at Warley).

 

Wonder if we now see some Blue Grey Portholes from Bachmann??

 

Well done team! (and wives to allow us all to get the layout built)

 

Baz

  • Like 6
Link to post
Share on other sites

Well the secret’s out now - welcome to the official start of the ‘Hills of the North’ project! (otherwise known as ‘Carlisle’)

 

attachicon.gifIMG_9913.jpg

It was nearly two years ago now that myself and Barry O of this parish were having one of those fatal ‘chance’ conversations. It went something like this:

 

‘For the 2017 Warley show, we’re thinking of putting together a 1967 themed area to celebrate 50 years of the Warley club. Any ideas, thoughts?’

‘Hmm. What about a layout depicting the railway ‘as it was’ 50 years ago?’

‘Well, I’ve got a few green diesels I could make available’

‘Fascinating time on the big railway 1967 – not too many places left where steam was still active … hang on a minute!’

‘What?’

‘Well, I do actually need to build a section of the line up Shap anyway for the Carlisle project…’

 

Thus was the die cast.

 

attachicon.gifIMG_3682.JPG

This is the concept drawing. We would make use of the Grantham fiddle yard (to save time) and build six scenic boards, the 4 ‘straight’ ones depicting the ‘classic’ spot at Shap Wells that are part of the Carlisle plan, plus two additional curved boards depicting the scene at Shap summit to make it into an exhibition layout. This was duly accepted by an equally enthusiastic show manager (Paul Jones); all we had to do now was to build the thing! Construction started in earnest in March last year (following Grantham’s appearance at the Nottingham show).

 

attachicon.gifIMG_9910.jpg

I was keen to set the thing on a gradient and replicate the banking arrangements. As well as adding to the spectacle, this would add some operational interest over and above being a pure ‘parade’ layout. Some initial calculations showed that a true 1-in-75 would have been just a bit too difficult to make work satisfactorily in roundy-roundy format (too much height to lose round the back, through the fiddle yard) so I eventually settled on 1-in-90 as a reasonable compromise.

 

attachicon.gifIMG_9912.jpg

The arrangements at the summit, although somewhat compressed, allow the basics of the operation here to be replicated, centring around the bankers ‘dropping off’ (whilst the main train continues onwards) and then crossing over to return back down the bank to Tebay. The siding alongside the box where a banking engine can be held pending a path back down the bank is included, as is the up freight loop.

 

attachicon.gifIMG_9895.jpg

To enter the scene at the bottom end, the bridge at Greenholme was far too good a device not too use, particularly as it curves the right way. Thereafter we have just simply chopped out the following three miles of railway to take us on to the Shap Wells scene.

 

attachicon.gifIMG_9921.jpg

Just to prove that we do run the diesels as well! Although my own preference is for pure 1950’s steam.

 

My grateful thanks for others who have contributed so willingly to enable us to put together this madcap scheme. Special mentions therefore to Paul Bolton, Tom Dewdney and Craig Thompson, comprising the scenic team. Also Tony Wright who willingly took on the challenge of creating preserved LNER No.4498 in 1967 guise, as well as making some other locos available, including two ex-Stoke Summit Brush Type 4s(!). Not forgetting Barry ‘the ballastmeister’ himself of course who could be found on ebay acquiring blue/grey Mark 1s like they were going out of fashion as well as subjecting some stock to his weathering prowess.

 

Copious pictures taken of the build, so I’ll gradually post those over the next few months to tell the full story. The layout now goes into storage for six months as we revert to some further work on Grantham but Shap already has its own diary of show bookings beginning to take shape so, if you weren’t able to make it to Warley then hopefully it will be appearing at a show near you in the not too distant future.

 

Welcome aboard!

I totally forgot bout this, I remember you mentioning it when i visited last, I didn't put two and two together! 

 

Looks lovely, the flowing landscape, the railway actually looks like its been pushed through the land. Bloody beautiful. 

 

I do wish I sneaked over for the weekend. 

 

See you all next year! 

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

Brilliant stuff, nice to see the rarely modellers view of blue and grey mk1s with steam!

 

Now regretting missing Warley even more!

 

Lots of 1967(ish) BR info / photos on this thread

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/52572-why-is-this-so-rarely-modelled/

 

It's the era (but not the area) I also model. Steam mixed with Green & Blue diesels, a mix of Maroon Green & Blue/Grey coaches, dirty tatty locomotives working hard - what a superb layout theme. PLEASE bring it to Wigan next year if you can !!.

 

 

Looking forward to some more layout photos.

 

Brit15

Shall I let you into a secret? My own preference is for pure 1950's steam, with the Stanier fleet still going strong, enjoying its Indian summer before the diseasels moved in, yet...

 

The more we got into it, the more I enjoyed researching and trying to recreate the essence of 1967 and the mix of maroon and blue/grey was very much part of that. Why, I even bought a couple of diseasels myself! (the rest were provided by others, principally Barry). So, yes, definitely a very interesting era to model.

 

The thread you refer to was certainly visited, I can assure you! SO tempted to post something but 'mum' was the word!

 

All shows invites considered. I did hand out a layout leaflet to several show managers over the weekend, including Manchester, which isn't too far from you. But wouldn't want to promise or announce anything until we have a definite booking. Only confirmed one so far is Leeds next year (it won't surprise you to know that Barry is involved with the Leeds club!) who are planning an end-of-steam theme. Hopefully there will be some more in due course (Hartlepool 2019 is also a reserved date).

 

Hold on, hold on, hold on!

 

It's all very well showing us the bit of track up Shap, but what is this Carlisle project you speak of?

 

If this is one bit of it then Mostyn will be but a mere plank in comparison

Well, there is an outline plan! And, after 30 years of dreaming, I am fortunate to now have a space to fill which can do justice to it (former Methodist chapel, 35' x 28'. The idea is for a model of Carlisle station and some of the surrounding goods yards and loco depots, fed by three of the iconic routes that converged on the city - the West Coast mainline over Shap (now built!), Settle & Carlisle through Garsdale (started but mothballed for last 10 years) and Riccarton Junction on the Waverley route (still part of the dream but there is space reserved for it). All will be compressed, but to a consistent standard so as to hopefully capture the essence of the place. (what I've done with Shap would still be compressed if I'd built it in N gauge on the same footprint!)

 

That should keep me busy for a few years! God willing and for as long as RMWeb keeps going, it will feature on here under the 'Hills of the North' moniker.

Edited by LNER4479
  • Like 15
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

I enjoyed watching the trains running the couple of times I escaped from the DEMU stand. What was equally entertaining was watching Barry dashing from one end of the fiddle yard to the other every time I looked up from the DEMU stand.

Barry + dashing... seriously?

Link to post
Share on other sites

Somewhere I have the BRM video of the Shipley club's Tebay.

Ooh, me too. Loved that layout. Carlisle was already a well-nurtured dream at that point so I immediately warmed to Tebay. I also think of it as the layout that launched BRM. I remember seeing the mag on the shelves at Schmiffs with the headline 'Banking at Tebay' (something like that); I still have that mag and became a BRM subscriber shortly after. Think I saw the layout at three different shows during its time on the circuit.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

When you exhibit Shap next year will it be in the 1967 Blue / Grey introduction era, or backdated to your favourite 50's / 60's ?. As the infrastructure / scenery changed little over these  time frames do you envisage changing time frames (stock) occasionally ?.

 

Whatever, good luck with your new layout. I like your 'signature' track - Peco on painted foam ballast - this works well for me too !!

 

Brit15

Edited by APOLLO
  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

It would be an ideal commission product for a retailer.

 

Maybe just my impression, but I think most of the blue/grey portholes were brakes.

I think you're right. The railway was perennially short of brakes in LHCS days as you always need disproportionally more to provide cover for 'demics' (I have some experience of this in the late 1980s) so I think I heard that the LM spruced up the best ones (not that they were THAT old, being post war?) to keep things going for another few years in the late 1960s.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

I think you're right. The railway was perennially short of brakes in LHCS days as you always need disproportionally more to provide cover for 'demics' (I have some experience of this in the late 1980s) so I think I heard that the LM spruced up the best ones (not that they were THAT old, being post war?) to keep things going for another few years in the late 1960s.

Hi Grahame

 

The few LMS coaches that did get painted in blue-grey were fitted with Pullman adapters so they could work with Mk1 stock as were some that were never repainted to blue-grey. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

When you exhibit Shap next year will it be in the 1967 Blue / Grey introduction era, or backdated to your favourite 50's / 60's ?. As the infrastructure / scenery changed little over these  time frames do you envisage changing time frames (stock) occasionally ?.

 

Whatever, good luck with your new layout. I like your 'signature' track - Peco on painted foam ballast - this works well for me too !!

 

Brit15

Layout will be exhibited at Leeds next year more or less exactly as it was at Warley, ie Blue/Grey, (dirty) steam/diesel.

 

Thereafter, unless a show manager specifically asks for a set time period, we'll be more flexible. I think we can do three eras, which do overlap to some extent:

  • 1950s all steam, mix of blood/custard and maroon
  • early 1960s steam/diesel, predominantly maroon
  • late 1960s (as per Warley)

I have an idea of continually cycling that round during a show, so that it repeats every hour. We have enough stock between us to do it. To some extent, it's all about what people would like to see, so happy to hear any suggestions.

 

You're right about the infrastructure ... however, one thing that you may - or may not? - have noticed is that the mainline up the bank is actually laid using Peco 75 concrete track. That was a deliberate decision in keeping with the 1967 theme (the real thing was progressively re-laid thus in the late 1960s in preparation for the higher speed running with the electrics) so that is a bit incongruous with 1950s steam! I may therefore eventually relay it with wooden flat bottom - not too onerous to do with the foam.

 

Anyone notice some lengths of the new Pecaboo bullhead in the sidings at the summit?(!)

Edited by LNER4479
  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Hope this one comes to the SECC, a layout that is instantly recognisable without the text, would love to watch this one in action.

 

Jim

Keep your fingers crossed Jim as I did indeed hand out a layout leaflet to the Glasgow show guys who came for a look as we were setting up on the Friday evening. 2020 was talked about...

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

What a marvellous layout.  I can't wait to see it finished, with the knitting in place and banger blue sparklers humming up and down the grade...

 

:)

 

joking, of course! 

 

Reminds my of my first ever railway book, Trains Seventy-One Annual, which my parent bought for me for Christmas 1970...  It had three articles about the last days of steam, including a lovely Shap-based photo essay by Ivo Peters.

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...