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Cadley Hill (Now owned by Peter BB) see Page 5


Andrew P
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Well guys, layout now in my Engine Shed as a friend called it and the name has stuck.  Andy wants to do another 'Cadley Hill' so the name will change unless he has given a new name to his.  Thanks to Gaugemaster, who sorted my Prodigy out f.o.c., I have, using two former Swad Lane trestles, had a welcome running session.  How I progress is at yet unknown and having made space for it whatever track was left down of Rothleigh is now covered in plywood for the foreseeable future.  

Many many years ago I was fortunate enough to visit the pit at Cadley Hill and the low ceiling level of the seam is a permanent memory but also remember that you could see the now dismantled cooling towers so the background may sort itself.  If I like what happens I will keep you posted then hopefully will show it.   Cheers, Peter

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Had a brainwave the other night so found a couple of lengths from a former layout, tacked them to the back and then modified the track so that the 5th line looked as if it might belong (see Andy's original track plan - in practice it changed and now changed again).

 

Added a point and a bit of a curve so potentially can place an 08 in the shunt.  The difficult bit will be sorting out the scenery as the wiring, track and points all work (slight hitch as the concrete track is not Peco 100 and mine is).  Had to cut some of the hinge support away to allow a larger locomotive to run through.

 

Please do not look at the background although I have now indexed (took a few days) 200 Chinese take away plastic boxes there is still a lot to be tidied up.  The indexing has paid off already - in earlier times I had to go through all the boxes to find the 'correct' one now they all have numbers so look up, locate, use, or at present add something else fitting the description into the box.  May also add the Gunbox N-gauge layout also recently built now I have been able to access (famous last words?).

 

Cadley_Hill_Modified_TP_200618.jpg.4dcfb319b9ba26dedc9f4ae580c25e50.jpg

Edited by PeterBB
Correcting typos
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Hi Guys,

Fooled myself looking at the above picture as the new photographs ar taken from the other end.  Right well, not happy with the space available for the scenery at the back so replaced the 'added' bit with 3" but with no 12 mm had to use two X 6mm - a bit of wood and the rest from MDF - as I have made it a 'rule' that everything that goes into making this layout must come from stuff already available. I had thoughts on renaming as it would not look anything like  Cadley Hill and had painted some wood blue last night as this was going to be the background ... You will therefore notice the 'hotch patch' on the left.  Looking around I found some Celotex and decided to try it out.  It will work but will need a support.

 

I found a bridge and looked to see if it would fit - yes but not where it was actually wanted viz. at the hinge - so planned it in.  Scenery will have to adjust to allow for the hinge. While it will be fictitious it will remind me of CAdley Hill as I then added the hilly land around and the bridge could just be the A444 that actually does go over the top of part of the former mine working area. So the second picture is where these two items will be.

 

That means the hinges are visible so now to find a way to hide them ... tomorrow?

 

The pictures have come out in the wrong order!

 

 

 

 

IMG_0541.jpg

IMG_0542.jpg

Edited by PeterBB
Picture order is the reverse of blog entry.
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Lots of cleaver work going on here Peter, I only called it CH as it was local to home in a previous life, and I liked the name. It never had a Station to my knowledge so all was Rule#1 Modellers Licence.

 

Keep up the good work and stay safe my friend.:good:

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I have had ideas of a name change  e.g. Neverhill.

 

Today I concentrated on 'doing something' to hide the hinges ... and of course had to account for the bit of hinge support that had to be removed to allow longer locomotives to pass in the fiddle yard  that will likely always be seen. Modifications are necessary to make them look good but a bit of luck with some 'weathered wood' has helped.  An old gatepost top - it is surprising what can be hoarded although to be fair it was to be used as a template for a replacement.

 

The hills need support so that was the secondary function and the 'added' bit now has 6mm wood 6mm MDF bits a bit if square wood to hold the initial addition and now a space piece of wood and then a block screwed into it X 5 to enable a piece of hardboard kept from a pre 1975 N-gauge layout the was run on a coffee table to be at last reutilised (the modern word is recycled).  The good news is that it is fun trying to work it all out.

 

The hinge coverers:

 

 

Now to look up topics that I follow before yet again it suddenly stops me 'ticking' or adding comments.

IMG_0543.jpg

Edited by PeterBB
To avoid losing the above.
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No photographs todaytgrying to put the fixed part of the back scene support up and glue the foam to it.  The intension was to use foam to stick it in and fill-in all the gaps ... the foam did not work so half a tin wasted.  (Just a query - if it is solid in the tube u=into the can is it practical to drill down to clear it or in reality are these things once used impossible to really use gain even after the acetone clean-up when last used).

 

Also managed to get a big splinter in my thumb that slowed things up a bit plus bit of plaster was used to help seal the gaps.  We will see if anything comes of it tomorrow morning ... wish I had not decided to only use what is available - my 5L can of PVA is at the club.  Thanks to those of you currently looking in.

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On 24/06/2020 at 20:59, Andrew P said:

Can you not go to the Club and collect the PVA Peter? I'm sure it needs a quick security check mate.:good:

Sorted by other means.

Frustrating day otherwise foam would have done the job in 'seconds' (we do speed up time in model railway terms), while the plaster has still not hardened probably because it was too wet.

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Hi Guys,

 

Update from a better day.  Have completed the 'hinge covers'  and SWMBO said that she couldn't see them ... I had also painted the cable clips black to visually help the 'deception'.  The front one took a lot longer to work out than the far one with the cut off corner - looking for old window pictures on the web and even then modifying it to become a double window.  There are doors on the other sides.

 

The second picture is how it is this evening.  The plaster dried and hardened overnight so today tried to cut out 'the join and bits of plaster fell off so before redoing inserted a folded sheet of PVC in the gap and remastered the area to the bridge.  It would have been nice if the bridge had been possible to place beyond the folding 'arc' but there was not enough room so it plus bit of hill scenery will have to be come and added item on set-up.

 

Later sanded and painted the far hills with forest green fence paint as a basis and to show up irregularities ... some more work on it will be required tomorrow plus, hopefully, to be able to separate the bridge area cleanly.

 

NB The U-area in the background is part of the Rothleigh and Swithmore layout  ... well will be worked on again sometime.

 

 

Edited by PeterBB
Removed flashing images
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Today fixed the near end scenic hills onto the backboard.  Compared to the bridge that was completed satisfactorily this morning it was easy.

Also discovered a Metcalfe signal box and loco shed hidden away and have temporarily put them on the layout.  While not 'modern quality' they do not really look out of place so may well stay.

IMG_0561.jpg.4306abae5aef91fdb6611e04c075739a.jpgThats it today folks - thanks for reading.

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Still wanted the 5th line to 'go somewhere' so ripped it upend made a tunnel by extending the hills at the 'fiddle' end.  The plaster is still not dry so the tunnel mouth will be another day.

 

In the meantime I was happy with the signal box so have put some stays on the board for it to fit - it cannot be 'permanent' because of the hinge fold.  Liked the engine shed too but the entrance was on the 'wrong' side, modified the scenery to take it as is and then readjusted the track to 'fit' in the middle of the shed and used a bit of brick paper to provide access to the side door.

IMG_0563.jpg.6e93c80ae8ceccff30a953df1ff783ea.jpgIMG_0562.jpg.017abd8c3716db2c48124a9e46fda458.jpgIMG_0564.jpg.ea744c5656412064ec265e8b7707e13c.jpg

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33 minutes ago, PeterBB said:

Still wanted the 5th line to 'go somewhere' so ripped it upend made a tunnel by extending the hills at the 'fiddle' end.  The plaster is still not dry so the tunnel mouth will be another day.

 

In the meantime I was happy with the signal box so have put some stays on the board for it to fit - it cannot be 'permanent' because of the hinge fold.  Liked the engine shed too but the entrance was on the 'wrong' side, modified the scenery to take it as is and then readjusted the track to 'fit' in the middle of the shed and used a bit of brick paper to provide access to the side door.

IMG_0563.jpg.6e93c80ae8ceccff30a953df1ff783ea.jpgIMG_0562.jpg.017abd8c3716db2c48124a9e46fda458.jpgIMG_0564.jpg.ea744c5656412064ec265e8b7707e13c.jpg

Looking at that last pic Peter, how will that fold now, or is it now fixed permanently?

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Good question.  The tunnel part of the back scene, the bridge and the signal box get in the way of the hinge so are removable and added in set-up ... at least that is the current idea.  As your experience on RM posts demonstrate things change when something does not seem quite right.

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Tunnel now modified (will still need a baseboard 'placer' because the free side twists in.  Bridge upgraded to entirely fit across the baseboard and the road added together with the blue brick paper (running short of glue now so used PVA for the paper - must have got it right no problems).  Odd bits of plaster applied as needed and then the base coat of fence paint so it begins to look like a railway (Rule 1).

 

Picture 1 - the whole layout and Picture 2 the tunnel - the embedded scatching not showing up too well. and Picture 2 - Most of it

 

Edited by PeterBB
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You may have noticed that the 5th line was missing ... not happy with it so after doing lots of little but time consuming necessities decided to relay that track.  Tried many combinations before deciding to use a new code 100 length ... then decided that the point  (thought it might be an old Hornby) needed replacing but it was Peco as is the same  Thanks for looking.replacement although different, the date on the first was 1998.  This still did not tie in happily with the concrete track that originally I decided was fine scale so I ripped that out as well and replaced with code 100 concrete.  Track runs much better and of course into the tunnel.  Wiring will of course need replacing after which I will have a running session to check before doing anything else.

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Actually reached this page on second access today.

 

Much has changed and a number of alterations have been made/added.  The next thing will be to thoroughly clean the track and see if it still runs.  In looking at the photographs - there is now a complete set of 'background/border' three of which are permanent ( the area covered by the hinge has to be separate and the hinge end is now 10cm high so that one or two other bits are not crushed when the end is folded over.

 

Road bridge basically completed- not sure how to make it into the back scene or whether I should leave it totally sky.

Extended hill tunnel on left end (no fiddle yard in reality completed apart from some scatter.

 

Ballasting - did not have enough so had to scratch around and came up with fine gravel that I sifted through a tea strainer plus what I did have at the time - completed but does not look's good as' the 'grey' frequently seen on layouts but on n'old' railway it would probably be much darker and on the 'old' status plenty of green stuff around although in running there will be a 153 on the 5th line.

 

Engine shed - scanned toolboxes and door units and stuck them on plywood for depth on the left ... the yellow dressed woman seems a bit small against one of them, the lathe picture transparency on the window did not show through - not sur yet whether to gnus it down ... it would mean one less item to add on set-up.

 

Far tunnels - cobbled two and filled one in with stone and one (both ends of the line) scanned some track and tried perspective picture to make it look like a through line.  Buffers are still needed on other lines.

 

Signal box - tried to look as if rodding is leaving it and have put a man on the steps - will add more people to the layout when I come across them!

 

Station needs a building but it will only have t be a part so will need to be scratch built - thinking of access from the road behind aka Great Central Railway.

 

Not quite sure how to complete the hilly scenery but thinking of rock strata with the odd fault line.

 

Pictures give some idea of the mess.  Order is 1, 3, 4 far end, 2 near end - do not seem to be able to make the pictures smaller.

 

IMG_0592A.jpg.de633db892391f231138f823d67dc14e.jpgIMG_0615A.jpg.57f9b5b12892cb7cbda85937af03ef90.jpg497848585_IMG_0596-1(1).jpg.fb3b7622c43c52e4956faecfd17d2cb6.jpgIMG_0616A.jpg.9c924c2ac24a82cb332b64d476cc0538.jpg

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Thought I'd better put something on here before 'the message' comes through.

 

Much has changed since the above.

 

While the original was to make a layout that worked it needed more interest and as you may know I like cameos ... not much space here for that although I've managed a Michael Portillo climbing the signal box steps.  Came to mind that the hills needed a change so:  We now have a rock face on which the intension is to have a couple of climbers.  4 variations were tied out until I was happy.  Then to check that I could make a spray foam 'work' for the backfill I drilled it out ... you've guessed too far and I heard the air ... it pushed the rock out off the cliff ( it was going to be later) and continued so I went to the garden so I now have a block of foam for future scenic carving.

 

The 4 th rock face was in tatters so you see the replacement.  A mould was used a few times to obtain the rocks that now were glued to the cut out rock face (see previous pictures) and then 'painted' with plaster to fill the gaps, allowed to try and then carved.  Carpet glue was sprayed from above and various types of foliage and grasses floated down onto the exposed surfaces followed by strong hold hair spray.  IT still did not look 'authentic' until the idea of fences ... I am happy that it will work.

 

How do you get photographs in the right place?  Tis one is OK but the next needed to be after more words.IMG_0680.jpg.3ddeca77edc8a6317da18758bfdef8b5.jpg

 

Might have managed it.  The came the far end hills next to the disused line.  Buildings in the distance - Peco  cut down and a photograph representing 'Drakelow' but not also cut out and stuck on the backboard together with a factory photograph.  The bridge was cobbled by cutting up a  couple from previous layout and modifying them to fit hopefully hiding the 'joins'.  The 'distant' buildings were then lightly sprayed with white paint to dim them.  It still did not look right so a wall from a previous layout was added to a slight modified hill and an additional bit added to the bridge - seems fine.  Two fences were made from the tape builders use on corners for plastering - a very small one for the distant and one for near (still needs some paint) and vegetation added.  Cars were added on the bridge and to the right of the engine shed Peco scenic again.  Clouds were then sprayed onto the back scene.  (Should have edited the photograph before putting on here as the signal box is not in place and you can see the mess behind -Rothleigh in under that lot).  The pond needs to be made but I cannot find the perspex (as per Andy Ps idea of painting the bottom black) at present.

 

Andy had left the points as manual when it came to me And I did not want to take them up ... do I add point motors and a control board? or concentrate on adding seats people etc. to the layout.  Time will tell but it is still fun working it out and so far everything added was readily available when located.

 

 

 

Thanks for reading.  Cheers. Peter

IMG_0679.jpg

Edited by PeterBB
It threw me off last night so pleased to be able to add it now.
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1645745501_CadleyHillImgMod200802.jpg.f4d05bb9ecf7e85c0c3e88753e78dae2.jpg

Well, cut out the mess on the picture and reasonably pleased.  This picture was meant to be an edit for the above second one but lets be thankful that it has stayed.

The only change is that fencing has been added to the 'rocks' end and a fence on the road bridge to help hide 'the join' on the far side.  Still thinking of points but having them as surface rather thenrosk ruing the points by either removing them now or drilling up under them.  We shall see because a control board would have to be added for them. Michael P is in yellow trousers and blue shirt but not really visible in the photographs.

Edited by PeterBB
Picture was meant to be above and added text.
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Hi Guys,

 

Work continues - spending so much time on the web and get cut off before I add so below is the latest.  The rock face was an idea suggested by young son and the P.Black and Co. unit (early kits probably remembered by more than a few on the web) as the real Cadley Hill was a mining area.  There are 40 plus people on it, including 'Michael Portilo' climbing the signal box steps, the station platform has grain of wheat lighting- with a resister in tow-  and the engine shed has two LEDS with half a coach (cut not to take up too much of the track)  with two men working on it and a lady leaning on the benches.  Had to use a bit of Midland fencing to complete the 'security' at the side of it.  Currently all track working and the 08, 20 and 47 take all the bends although when testing my granddaughter pointed out that the latter scraped a bush - so then cut down. Not often do I have a running session with three locomotives running simultaneously and not crashing into each other.

 

Thanks for reading, cheers.

 

Cadley Hill - 4 RMweb.jpg

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Added a van to the bridge - an old one - still have a mint one in its original box from Abbott Diagnostics when they were advertising their move to Maidenhead.

Storage is a problem so I have made two wooden boxes to store the bridge, scenic tunnel and station light lead that cannot remain on the layout.  My stock of very old timber is now considerable depleted but Cadley Hill can now be stored on top of them.

 

The bridge has plenty of room to store other 'bits' under and around it.

The scenic area has plenty of room around it to store stock and that is increased with the shelf that has two small 'stops' on the bottom of the box to stop (pun not intended) it moving up to the scenery.  The idea was that the removable items would not get squashed.  The hinged unit does not go right down to the rails so that the coal shed and reception can be permanently fixed to the main layout as are the cars, moped and van .  Incidentally there are 19 people 'on' the bridge.58198621_CadleyHBridgeBox.jpg.a2b21974e4f803867837c6af87c427dc.jpg1023522172_CadleyHSceneryBoxBase.jpg.1545bb5d9973fd5297c7b503ea0284a2.jpg1592824015_CadleyHSceneryBoxInsert.jpg.434b3457fdaf9ae919c474a51e753413.jpg

Edited by PeterBB
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