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Bradford Interchange (circa 1987-91) in N


jonhinds
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This layout came about from a desire to model a real location in a very tight space. Some time ago, I posted an idea for a simple N gauge track plan vaguely based on Bradford Interchange. @Flying Pig sensibly pointed out I could fit part of the actual prototype into the space I had available, with an overpass providing the scenic break.

 

The layout is my first go at proper railway modelling. It’s partly inspired by my childhood train spotting at Leeds in the early ‘90s, and covers the period 1987-1991 (with the anachronistic presence of an 03 station pilot, which in reality had been retired several years earlier). There was a surprisingly broad range of trains running through the Interchange during this transition period, including the last hurrah of the Peaks during the early 1987 timetable, Red Star parcels trains, a range of 1st generation DMUs including 101/105/108/110/114/120/128 (often in parcels service) and the newfangled Pacers and Sprinters. Many of these are available either as RTR models or Worsley Works etches.
 

The scenic area measures around 93x40cm at its widest point, and trains are fed from the traverser at right, just over 59cm long. The traverser can accommodate a CL 47 / 31 plus 3 vans, or a Sprinter / Pacer pairing. Embedded magnets provide hands-off shunting. Track is code 40 Finetrax, and turnouts are operated by Cobalt iP Digital point motors. The FY track is Peco code 55, with its own crossover to allow locos to run around 3 car parcels trains. Operation is DCC using NCE Powercab. 
 

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To date I’ve completed the baseboard construction, tracklaying and wiring in the scenic area. I’ve made my fair share of beginner foul-ups with the track laying and wiring, but managed to get everything to work (after a great deal of grumbling). The track isn’t fully prototypical; the crossover doesn’t have shared timbers and the passing loop should be FB rail on wooden sleepers rather than concrete. But it’s good enough for me!

 

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Edited by jonhinds
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1 minute ago, JBM37404 said:

Looking at finetrax too for my next project,  this your first handbuilt track layout? How did you find it if so?


Yep, first project full stop. Building the track is very straightforward, but I found the turnouts a lot trickier as the components need to be assembled in a particular order. I found the Finetrax thread over on the N Gauge forum to be useful, as well as a bit of careful trial and error.

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13 minutes ago, jonhinds said:


Yep, first project full stop. Building the track is very straightforward, but I found the turnouts a lot trickier as the components need to be assembled in a particular order. I found the Finetrax thread over on the N Gauge forum to be useful, as well as a bit of careful trial and error.

Cheers, will have a look at that!

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That looks very good for a “first timer”.

I’m on my fifth (in as many decades) and I’m still “learning from my mistakes”.  (The standard is higher now!)

Paul.

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18 minutes ago, 5BarVT said:

That looks very good for a “first timer”.

I’m on my fifth (in as many decades) and I’m still “learning from my mistakes”.  (The standard is higher now!)

Paul.


Thanks! I’ve found RMWeb an invaluable source of technical information and expertise, as well as Google Earth, Flickr and a host of other sites great for location research. There are some fantastic books out there for beginner modellers as well (‘Making a Start in N Gauge Modelling’ worked for me).

 

I’m also working on this very slowly, so I have plenty of time to spot mistakes. Even so, I’ve had my fair share of minor disasters, including locos initially derailing on every point and a poorly constructed traverser that sagged in the middle! All since fixed (phew).

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I don't see why not! Unlike with Peco you're not relying on the closure rails to conduct power, so as long as you give the rails a good wipe afterward you should be ok*

 

 

*you may not be, and don't hold me responsible if not!

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3 hours ago, njee20 said:

I don't see why not! Unlike with Peco you're not relying on the closure rails to conduct power, so as long as you give the rails a good wipe afterward you should be ok*

 

 

*you may not be, and don't hold me responsible if not!


I shoulder all responsibility for any experimental paint jobs ;)

 

The main problem I have is that both the turnout and plain track in the passing loop are FB rail on wooden sleepers. I think the distinct shape of the plain line concrete sleepers would be hard to disguise (along with the Dow-Mac branding), and there’s no Finetrax FB/wooden plain track combination. I’ll probably paint the turnouts and leave the plain track as-is. TBH I’m not too fussed; it still looks heaps better than Peco track!

 

I remember you mentioned over on the N Gauge forum that 2mm Easitrac can be used with Finetrax turnouts. I’ve just noticed that there is in fact an Easitrac plain line FB rail/wooden sleeper combo! Hindsight 20/20 and all that.

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Yep, indeed there is, I didn't want to mention...!

 

As you say, it looks days and nights better than Peco, even if the turnouts aren't entirely era appropriate. Repainting those would be more than enough I'd say.

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  • 3 weeks later...

One corner of the layout is shaping up :lol:

 

The retaining wall is 1mm card faced with Scalescenes ‘random ashlar’ texture, and weathered with DCC Concepts powders (a bit pricey but worth the money IMHO). Buildings use brick texture (from my own pics) on 1mm card, roofs are plasticard sprayed with Humbrol primer then weathered.

 

Quite a few details left to add before everything gets glued down (e.g. there’s a big gap under the arch and at the end of the wall!)

 

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Took me a few tries to solder the 2mm FS buffer etch to a standard I was happy with. The cross beam is off cuts of bullhead rail & rivets glued with Slo-Zap. Gluing the assembly to card allows for proper(ish) sleeper spacing.

 

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The hydraulic buffer stop is the front part of a white metal kit glued to styrene tube, painted with Humbrol rattle cans. First attempt at masking and there’s a bit of paint bleed between the two layers, but overall I’m happy. Base yet to be painted, and lots of detail (pipes etc.) still to add.

 

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Quite chuffed with how everything compares to the prototype so far (top view courtesy of Google Earth):

 

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Edited by jonhinds
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18 minutes ago, kryten65 said:

That is spot on, I spent 8 years there in early 90's as shunter and station supervisor, 

 

That little shed on the left was where the Royal Mail kept the little tow tractor and the shed in the arch way was ours for storage of various nasties.

 

 


Thanks! I’m interested in the tow tractor. Was it used to transport parcel trolleys? From what I gather, it seems that parcel trains often used platform 4, so there was a bit of distance over to the parcels facility.

 

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Yep, over the years we used platforms 3 & 4 for the parcel trains, with a brace of those red solid tyred trailers lying around, iirc it would drag them over in batches of three to load the train

 

The Royal Mail trucks would come across through the day with in increase in the early evening for the 21:34 departure

 

The tractor was a little modern 4 wheel affair, with a cracking little sports steering wheel but it seems a very elusive little thing in pictures

 

 

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2 hours ago, kryten65 said:

The tractor was a little modern 4 wheel affair, with a cracking little sports steering wheel but it seems a very elusive little thing in pictures


Yep, several hours of trawling through Flickr has sadly not produced any pics (seems people were more interested in snapping the Duffs and Peds). Sounds like it would make for a fun little cameo!

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it was very rarely left out, just as and when it needed

 

when i started we had 2 x parcel trains a day, 3D30 that arrived before the days passenger activity, and the reason we kept a night shift, that left before lunch if i remember and 1a41 that arrived just before the evening peak, and left at at 21:34, 

 

So from about 10am until 22:00 there was always a post office presence, red star by then wasn't offering a lot of traffic

 

periodically the scrap service would come and run round in the loop but only on the empty portion, the loaded portion could leave directly back to leeds without needing to run round

 

 

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13 minutes ago, kryten65 said:

periodically the scrap service would come and run round in the loop but only on the empty portion, the loaded portion could leave directly back to leeds without needing to run round


Final question(s), promise! Do you happen to know the type of scrap wagon that would have been used, and where the train originated? I’m guessing it would have been hauled by a 47 around 1990.

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at the time they were POA (later recoded SSA) and the times i remember it was a metals 37 and i think it was from Tinsley

 

and don't worry about asking questions, I always thought Bradford would make an interesting model.

 

as there was a regular XC service and a daily HST service too in the late 80's

 

 

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Yep, apparently the HST ran into the Interchange until ‘88 (then Forster Square thereafter).

 

I posted a question about loco-hauled services on the prototype questions forum a while back. There were seasonal trains to Poole (1O04) and Paignton (1V27) until summer ‘87, usually pulled by a Peak or 47 with Mk2 stock. I’d be interested to know about other services.
 

All in all, a lot more interesting than the endless parade of Northern DMUs at the Interchange these days! 

 

 

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2 hours ago, jonhinds said:


Final question(s), promise! Do you happen to know the type of scrap wagon that would have been used, and where the train originated? I’m guessing it would have been hauled by a 47 around 1990.

The scrap yard was Crossley at Shipley, fortunately there are lots of photos on Flickr of the scrap yard, and trains in and out taken over the years. The train service varied over the years, in 1986 it was a local trip worked out of Leeds Hunslet sidings for example. 

 

Edit - ignore the above info, I have the wrong scrap yard!

 

Nice work on the layout so far too.

 

cheers

 

Edited by Rivercider
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Thanks for the info chaps! These wagons don’t seem to be available in N (The Chivers Finelines kit appears to be the EWS rebodied SSA on a generic Peco chassis), so it looks like I’d have to kitbash something. A future project, perhaps.

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