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Selby ECML 1979 (brief moments in time)


Woody100
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Hi everyone,

 

Following on from my successful building of Selby swingbridge in 2mm scale as here:

 

post-10208-0-29549200-1540832097.jpg

 

I've decided to embark upon a long term project to recreate Selby on the ECML as it stood in the summer of 1979. Research suggests the real location infrastructure and landscape has changed almost year on year in one place or another and so I've plumped for the concept of capturing just a few brief weeks in a long history.

 

Penmanshiel tunnel collapsed in the March of that year and ECML services were disrupted until late August. However, Selby timings appeared largely unaffected. My plan is to run, as near as I can, the exact timetable along with correct consists. The period holds particular interest with a full blown HST timetable with York - KX class 55 aircon trains alongside the 'night-time' economy of news, mail, sleeper and Motor Rail trains with an immense variety of stock still extant. Trans-Pennine routes were run with Class 124/123 DMU's and enough freight was allowed through the bottleneck to allow almost a constant flow of trains. Actually, I've counted about 180 odd timetabled/conditional over the 24 hour period Tuesday to Friday. 

 

The plan as per below (minus the little used up station yard shown) has been drawn up on AnyRail and will be housed in a 5m X 3.6m out-building. The actual size of the layout is 4.6m long by 2.5m wide. The 'theatrical' section will be modelled from Bawtry Road Bridge to the West/South to Barlby level crossing box to the North/East. This incorporates Selby station, swingbridge, Barlby loops and the crossing. I'm just short by about 2m to model the ECML/Hull lines junction and just cannot fit in the Selby West triangle without severe compromises on station length and track direction. This is the biggest loss as the WTT shows a regular (about a dozen) flow of oil trains from the Humber and Lindsey refineries to Leeds ShellMex in Hunslet.

 

post-10208-0-51627000-1540833565_thumb.jpg

 

The curves to the top are an off-scene access to 20 x 3.3m long storage roads (in 1979, Freightliners ran through Selby conveying 20 vehicles). At the opposite end is the scenic cut-off at Bawtry Road. The lines simply curve around to storage roads from this point giving an operating well around 1.2 to 1.5 m wide. The storage lines will be on a large draw slider.

 

Regards 

 

(edited for grammar!)

Edited by Woody100
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Lovely model of an area that I know well. My parents lived there for a while and I sang in the Abbey for some time.

 

Will the tide go up and down? That would be impressive!

 

Or alternately do you intend to ram the bridge with a barge, as often happened!

 

Great modelling.

 

Ian T

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Will the tide go up and down? That would be impressive!

 

 

 

Ian T

 

Thanks Ian. Tidal flow would be very good. I would imagine it would be fairly straightforward using real water and something like a peristaltic pump. But water doesn't scale well or mix well with N gauge (apparently).

 

Here's another couple of views of the bridge. I've considered making it swing open but decided it wouldn't be worth the faff. The timetable I want to mirror is pretty intense and it makes you wonder when it actually opened without causing delays during that period! There's a Network Rail video online showing the operation of the bridge from the control room. It moves so slowly I would imagine at least 20 minutes would be needed between trains for a swing. The summer 79 timings show only 3 windows of more than 20 minutes all between 0200 and 0600.

 

post-10208-0-76176000-1540917093.jpg

 

post-10208-0-96749700-1540917124.jpg

 

post-10208-0-10994400-1540917149.jpg

 

The third image shows the hydraulic actuating tower beyond the bridge. This has been finished and has been placed in its approximate location.

 

post-10208-0-95050000-1540917413.jpeg

 

post-10208-0-12272100-1540917423.jpeg

 

The tower is a simple box from plastic sheet with overlaid brick paper and added detail from plastic strip. The whole thing is weather/coloured with acrylic shades.

 

To give some idea of scale in 2mm the bridge is 480mm long and the support base will be the lowest contour level on the layout. A DMU is shown 'trundling' over on its way to York.

 

post-10208-0-70631100-1540917671.jpeg

 

post-10208-0-31293000-1540917681.jpeg

 

I drew the bridge up onto paper based on plans available online and then used various thicknesses of plastic sheet and card to build up the structure. The curves of the two sections are have variable radii and were the trickiest to get right. I opted for measuring the height of the curve at multiple, equidistant points to form an accurate arc. The rail is Peco code 60 that has dropper wires soldered up and sits upon copper clad strip placed long ways. I made the mistake of soldering the whole length of the rail onto the copperclad. I quickly realised the differing expansion rates of copper and nickel-silver cause a curling of the rail (the classic bi-metallic strip thermostat switch). The whole was redone with just 4 solder points.

 

 

 

Regards

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I saw it swing a couple of years ago.

It only seemed to take a couple of minutes and then it was back in place for rail traffic. 

 

I am not sure how it was being operated at this juncture.

 

The tongue in cheek comment about the tide was a reference to the deep mudbanks that surround the Ouse at low tide.

I believed that the river drops somewhere in the region of 4 or 5 metres between high and low tide.

 

Ian T

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The tongue in cheek comment about the tide was a reference to the deep mudbanks that surround the Ouse at low tide.

I believed that the river drops somewhere in the region of 4 or 5 metres between high and low tide.

 

Ian T

 

Hi Ian,

 

The tidal swing and strength of current in the Ouse through Selby has always been 'impressive' (apart from when the high tide meets a heavy outflow of course!). I've given the mud banks some thought and will probably model around mid-tide with plenty of exposed mud and reeds. I thought of possibly using modelling clay and gloss varnish with a poured in epoxy resin for the river. Kathy Millatt has some excellent instructional videos on You Tube that covers an wide variety of landscaping techniques. I hope the clay is safe with the resin.

 

Regards

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Hi all,

 

I'm also well advanced in the construction of the original Station Master's house and booking office from the original terminus station. The building is distinctive one with the high level bay window on the upside at the York end of the station. From images, the building has been repeatedly extended and altered over the years. In 1979, some railway facing windows were boarded up and the frames were painted a shade of emerald green. The building shows the 'scars' of previous alterations in the varied brickwork shades and I've tried to replicate these on the model.

 

post-10208-0-99473600-1541003136.jpg

 

post-10208-0-36257100-1541003148.jpg

 

This is the view from across the river showing the frontage of the building.

 

post-10208-0-21084000-1541003177.jpg

 

This aspect shows the view normally seen from the down platform. The track level is around the level of just below the bay window. The gable end rendering was created by tearing a lamination layer from mounting card for the texture. Soft pencil was used for weathering. 

 

Here's the image I worked from dated 1970:

 

post-10208-0-69288100-1541003485_thumb.jpg

Photographer/image owner unknown.

 

Regards

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Hi all,

 

As (real) modelling is on hold pending a house move, I'm currently concentrating on researching the consists of workings through Selby in May-Oct 79. The WTT's throw up a few interesting workings from the period and it's fascinating to see the railway divided almost into two types: the day railway of restricted pathways of expresses interspersed with locals and the night railway of sleepers, van trains and fast freights. As an example the first HST didn't pass through Selby until 0809 as 1A05 0650 ex Newcastle to KX; the last HST passed through at 2200 as 1N10 1955 ex KX to Newcastle. 

 

I have the BR carriage workings (passenger) for the period and the consists of class 1 and 2 trains are pretty much complete. I need the traction booked onto various loco hauled workings. I assume most (even all) would be designated for type 4 or Deltic traction. There are some heavy trains. As an example 1S70, the 2215 KX to Aberdeen, has a booked consist of GUV x3, BG, SLSTP x2, SLF, SLSTP, SLF, SLSTP, SLF, SLSTP, BG - a total of 13 vehicles loaded to D560. I assume such a train would be booked a 47 or at least a 45?

 

Any help on the consists of class 3 NPCCS would be gratefully received too!

 

Thanks and regards 

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Wow, agreed about that oval bug. Halifax registration too.

 

Perhaps thinking outside the box here, regarding rising/falling river levels.

Would it be possible to depict the water surface on a flat plate, and have it motorised somehow so that it can rise or fall an inch or so? That's something I've never seen modelled, although I bet someone has done it.

 

Maybe you could use compressed air as an alternative, using inflatable bags similar to how the devices they use for blood pressure work.

Or would in raise your blood pressure while trying to get the thing to work?!

Just an idea, looking forward to seeing this develop. So far you've got it spot on.

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  • 2 months later...

This is fantastic I’ve been planning the same in 4mm for years, I’ve been collecting photographs and drawings. We must live in a parallel universe! The bridge stumped me for a while then I found an original civil engineering journal that showed the correct radius dims. I live near Selby and spent hours there in the late 70s and the Riccall area, the area holds a strange fascination made more so by the fact the York line disappeared. Keep it going mate!

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