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The Stobs project


Richard Hall
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I assume that's what it is.  Here's a photo (from Disused Stations) showing the gated walkway leading to the woods on the Up side:

 

stobs(lynn_jl_stevenson1950s)old5.jpg

 

Looking at old OS maps the track seems to run along the edge of the wood above the cutting, and then bears left to join the driveway leading to the castle. It's a fair old walk but I can't think of any purpose for the gate and walkway other than access to the castle.

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I assume that's what it is.  Here's a photo (from Disused Stations) showing the gated walkway leading to the woods on the Up side:

 

stobs(lynn_jl_stevenson1950s)old5.jpg

 

Looking at old OS maps the track seems to run along the edge of the wood above the cutting, and then bears left to join the driveway leading to the castle. It's a fair old walk but I can't think of any purpose for the gate and walkway other than access to the castle.

 

Seems like a decent rationale to me. 

 

I need to retrace those steps now of course!

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Footbridge just about done, etch primed and almost ready for paint.  The railings are a little overscale but I'm not too unhappy with them.  Unfortunately I have now realised that although the smoke deflectors are off-centre as per prototype I have skewed them the wrong way - the Up deflector should be closer to the staircase than the Down.  Oops.  Luckily they are only glued, not soldered.  Stairs were made by glueing together lots of 0.8mm balsa strips.  There are still a few rough bits but from normal N gauge viewing distances I think it will do. I have printed out some of the large "Cross the line by the bridge only" notices and still have to sort out a couple of lamps. Signalbox next...

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

DSCN2448-L.jpg

 

A tiny bit more progress. Working from photos I used a 2D CAD program to create a simple line drawing of Stobs signal box, printed it onto self adhesive paper and then stuck it over a crude foamboard shell, just to see if I had got the size and proportions about right.  I think it looks about OK, maybe 1mm narrow and 1mm tall but that is easy to sort out.  I haven't tried using this technique for building drawings before, and I wish I had done it for the ticket office as the dimensions are slightly out and a 3D mockup would have picked up the error.

 

Richard

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Track plans are all very well but trying to model a railway carving through the landscape I was having trouble picturing whether the sightlines and scenic breaks would work.  So...

 

DSCN2451sm-M.jpg

 

A model of a model, one inch to one foot, knocked together out of card, foamboard, balsa, some Polyfilla that was starting to go off, and a bit of Woodland Scenics material for trees. 

 

DSCN2458sm-M.jpg

 

Comparing this to aerial photos on Canmore I need the trees at the front to extend down to the road (there is a photo on there showing them as young trees in 1945), but otherwise it's not a million miles out.  Hidden sidings are fractionally underscale but give an idea of the general layout. I have put in a fictitious bridge at the right hand end as a scenic break, the other end is well hidden by trees. 

 

Richard

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Track plans are all very well but trying to model a railway carving through the landscape I was having trouble picturing whether the sightlines and scenic breaks would work.  So...

 

DSCN2451sm-M.jpg

 

A model of a model, one inch to one foot, knocked together out of card, foamboard, balsa, some Polyfilla that was starting to go off, and a bit of Woodland Scenics material for trees. 

 

DSCN2458sm-M.jpg

 

Comparing this to aerial photos on Canmore I need the trees at the front to extend down to the road (there is a photo on there showing them as young trees in 1945), but otherwise it's not a million miles out.  Hidden sidings are fractionally underscale but give an idea of the general layout. I have put in a fictitious bridge at the right hand end as a scenic break, the other end is well hidden by trees. 

 

Richard

 

 

Wow - that's gorgeous! I'd love to make something like that but I'm no model maker as my fingers are like Cumberland sausages. 12" to the foot I can just about cope with!  

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  • 1 month later...

Not much progress on Stobs itself but I have another locomotive for it, and an unusual one at that:

 

DSCN2599-L.jpg

 

64499 was one of three ex North British J35s allocated to Carlisle Canal in BR days.  It was the last survivor of the trio, soldiering on until the end of October 1962.  The model started out as a Poole Farish 4F which has acquired a new brass firebox and cab, flared tender tops and a few other bits and pieces.  I wouldn't describe it as a scale model, but I'm happy enough with it, should be ideal for the Carlisle-Hawick goods.  I have another 4F which may become a St Margarets J37, which were known to appear on the Waverley Route from time to time.

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... a St Margarets J37, which were known to appear on the Waverley Route from time to time.

 

They certainly did - see http://www.railuk.info/gallery/notes/getimage.php?id=2514

According to the sleeve notes, that one also featured on that wonderful Argo Transacord LP "The Railway to Riccarton", on a Down goods at Steele Road.

 

HTH.

 

Alasdair

 

Edited by AJCT
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Slow train to Hawick?  It certainly would have been with a J37 up front.  Hawick had a solitary J37 on its books for many years - 64539 - presumably it was there for some good reason. It waddled off to St Margarets at the end of 1959 for the last two years of its life.  That is the one I will probably model.

 

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  • 4 months later...
  • RMweb Gold

Bit late to the party here but some useful info/photos for you Richard.

Chainage of curves running north to south was 24 chain radius onto the viaduct, 27 1/2 radius over the viaduct and through the platforms, transition from left hand to right hand curve, 27 1/2 radius  onto 28 and then you're probably off model.

I have a photo of Matt's gradient board in situ but with no identifying landmarks to pin an exact location down.

I can't see it present in any of my archive photos with the wider railway in view but going from the negative sequence it's near the retaining wall in the cutting. My gradient profile has it between the footbridge and the ramp end on the up but not according to the photos in my archive.

All photos are my own and taken with permission at a site visit.

I sort of knew the owners.

 

Mac.

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Mac, thanks ever so much for that information and photos.  I so much wish I lived in that house.  My project hasn't progressed much further since Christmas for various reasons, but I have been steadily accumulating locomotives, rolling stock and information. I should be able to start work by the end of this year.  

 

Richard

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  • 2 months later...

It's been a while, but the Stobs Project is still alive and well, with baseboard construction due to start after Longframlington's next public appearance on 9th November.  I'm still tweaking the design: I managed to import an OS map image of the station area into Templot and confirmed that it will fit comfortably into my planned 8' x 2'6" scenic boards.  I'm looking at some degree of automation for the storage loops so that I can run the layout single-handed at exhibitions.  Also continuing to accumulate appropriate locomotives: here's one of the two 4MTs which ended up at Hawick.  I really ought to change the tender crest for the later design: in too much of a hurry to get the thing finished, weathered and running in time for a show a couple of weeks ago.  I also picked up an "A1" which will end up as one of the Haymarket allocation.

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  • 2 months later...

Anyone out there?  It's all gone awfully quiet.  The Stobs project continues to inch forward: still no baseboards yet but I have the beginnings of a signalbox.

 

DSCN1421sm-L.jpg

 

Also some outline drawings for the station house, 2D CAD and a lot of guesswork especially around the back.  I would dearly love to know what the outbuildings behind the house looked like.

 

stationcad1-L.jpg

 

It would be nice to have trains running by this time next year but no promises.

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  • RMweb Gold

I have sourced a few images that may be of assistance for main building, outhouses and ancillary buildings and , what I've just realised to be, a Victorian cast iron carsey  on the approach drive by the wooden garage.

They're Tiff images unfortunately so let me have a play around and I'll get them to you shortly.

 

Mac.

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Templot track plan printed out and laid on the railway room floor to get an idea of how the beast will look.  Type 2 diesel providing unusual and rather feeble motive power for the down "Waverley".  I'm definitely getting a tingle here.

 

DSCN1422-L.jpg

 

DSCN1424-L.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • RMweb Gold

Teviot Viaduct has pulled the same trick on me.

You've got to remember it's out of context until you've got the landscape around it. Tends to settle down visually then.

Positive progress should not be underestimated. Great work Richard.

 

It seems to be winning that game of Twister too!

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