Peterborough North

[great northern]

What about parcels barrows Gilbert?

All the photos show them either congregated down by the South bay, which is where I've put them, or under the overall roof, so when they did stray elsewhere it seems that someone made sure they were put back where they should be.

[great northern]

David, in my experience the best baseboard height depends on how you intend to operate and/or view the layout as well as on factors such as ducking under.

 

On my previous St Enodoc layout the top of the boards was about 1300 mm above floor level to make ducking under easier, but that was too high to reach across easily as it was about armpit height for me. The new Mid-Cornwall Lines layout doesn't need a duck-under so the boards are about 100 mm lower which means I can reach across with my arm horizontal and still not knock over everything at the front. At this height too when I sit on a kitchen-style stool to operate the trains are roughly at eye level.

 

I do need to stand on low steps to lay and wire track though.

I forgot about the duck under, which was a consideration for me. Your experience shows once again that there is always a trade off, isn't there? I suppose we just have to decide what we want most.

[CUTLER2579]

 I think those insulated rail joiners get to most of us Derek. I had trouble with them when I was considerably younger. And there are few if any good ideas that don't turn out to have some kind of downside when you get started on them.

 

Thanks,  Gilbert,

for those kind words.I have to admit I only have one major problem to resolve now after redoing several due to my dissatisfaction with the result.I have always been a bit of a perfectionist for things, however with the eye issue's I can't easily meet my own standars.Must learn to not be quite so hard on myself,however if I get constant derailments that will be the end of it.

Regards,Derek.

[great northern]

Please allow me to share with you a minor triumph. Next up on the sequence was the 1200 (FO) KX - Newcastle, another of those interesting trains with a mixture of stock. I decided to see if it could be accurately done, using the loose stock I now have, and with one very minor change I found that it could. So here is 34A allocated A1 60128.

and this is what is behind the tender.

4 compartment brake 2nd and end door 2nd.

another end door 2nd, and a MK1 second, this one being the only compromise. It should be Gresley or Thompson, but though I have the vehicles there was a coupling compatibility problem, which will soon be sorted.

Thompson composite (specified three first and three second, so it must be) and another four compartment brake 2nd.

dining open second and restaurant first.

MK1 first corridor and all door second.

and bringing up the rear another all door second, and yet another four compartment brake second.

 

 The other nice thing is that although this is a 12 coach rake, one more than my usual permitted maximum, the A1 handled it without any difficulty. It is a Bachmann loco, but has had added weight. Even so this load is a challenge, given the continuous curves at either end to get to and from the fiddle yard.

 

Isn't it a nice feeling when something you've planned really comes off as intended?

[great northern]

I keep trying to find a way to show you the complete length of a train, but there seems to be no way I can. Here is that Newcastle rake, split into only two parts.

We can get seven and a bit coaches in view, with the loco, and the first coach,already passing under Spital Bridge.

And here are the last four.

no locos so far, so here is that WD now down the other end.

[Grafarman]

Please allow me to share with you a minor triumph. Next up on the sequence was the 1200 (FO) KX - Newcastle, another of those interesting trains with a mixture of stock. I decided to see if it could be accurately done, using the loose stock I now have, and with one very minor change I found that it could. So here is 34A allocated A1 60128.

128 1.jpg

and this is what is behind the tender.

rake 1.jpg

4 compartment brake 2nd and end door 2nd.

rake 2.jpg

another end door 2nd, and a MK1 second, this one being the only compromise. It should be Gresley or Thompson, but though I have the vehicles there was a coupling compatibility problem, which will soon be sorted.

rake 3 correct.jpg

Thompson composite (specified three first and three second, so it must be) and another four compartment brake 2nd.

rake 5.jpg

dining open second and restaurant first.

rake 6.jpg

MK1 first corridor and all door second.

rake 7.jpg

and bringing up the rear another all door second, and yet another four compartment brake second.

 

 The other nice thing is that although this is a 12 coach rake, one more than my usual permitted maximum, the A1 handled it without any difficulty. It is a Bachmann loco, but has had added weight. Even so this load is a challenge, given the continuous curves at either end to get to and from the fiddle yard.

 

Isn't it a nice feeling when something you've planned really comes off as intended?

 

That's a superb rake GB and very satisfying for you I'm sure; I really like the brake 2nd's - so prosaic and yet pleasing to the eye...

 

David

[great northern]

That's a superb rake GB and very satisfying for you I'm sure; I really like the brake 2nd's - so prosaic and yet pleasing to the eye...

 

David

 Gresley brakes are among my most favourite things, especially in fading and peeling crimson and cream livery.

[great northern]

One more helicopter shot which is as near as I can get to including the whole of the station side of the layout.

and back to trains, specifically the 9.47 Newcastle - KX. I really can't make this up from loose stock, as on most days it included a triplet set, and on the days when it didn't it had a kitchen car in the formation. I don't have a loose kitchen car...yet. For now, my standard Up Newcastle set must suffice, and is here headed by another Grantham A3.

Rather too much sky in this, I think.

[great northern]

This morning I shall return to a safe option, rear three quarter views of an A3.

An extension to the left of the bridge becomes an increasingly attractive idea.

 

Anyone interested in photos of the fiddle yard area, and what is stored in which roads?

[The Blue Streak]

This morning I shall return to a safe option, rear three quarter views of an A3.

 

And a very nice back end it is too.

 

Anyone interested in photos of the fiddle yard area, and what is stored in which roads?

 

Yes Please.

[St Enodoc]

Anyone interested in photos of the fiddle yard area, and what is stored in which roads?

Yes please!

And a very nice back end it is too.

Oo-er missus...

[trw1089]

 Anyone interested in photos of the fiddle yard area, and what is stored in which roads?

Very much, it was very drooliscious when I was there nearly two years ago, so I need another fix!

[CUTLER2579]

 

 

and back to trains, specifically the 9.47 Newcastle - KX. I really can't make this up from loose stock, as on most days it included a triplet set, and on the days when it didn't it had a kitchen car in the formation. I don't have a loose kitchen car...yet. For now, my standard Up Newcastle set must suffice, and is here headed by another Grantham A3.

.

 

 Although this is nothing to do with the "Who" ,a song springs to mind "When you need a friend" (preferably one who can build a nice triplet set) and is slightly quackers.

Then you might catch him in a "Daffy" moment when he will agree.

 

Regards,Derek.

Edited July 11, 2016 by CUTLER2579

[great northern]

 Although this is nothing to do with the "Who" ,a song springs to mind "When you need a friend" (preferably one who can build a nice triplet set) and is slightly quackers.

Then you might catch him in a "Daffy" moment when he will agree.

 

Regards,Derek.

 Not that daffy I think Derek, I'm sure he's had enough of building them. Did I hear an indignant squawk of agreement  from the direction of 36E?

[great northern]

Oh,all right then. I thought it might be fairly boring, but apparently not, so here goes.

Taken from the North end. We shall start with:-

 

Road 1. Always kept empty to allow formation of trains from cassettes, from spurs, and from loose stock kept in a drawer beneath the layout.

 

Road 2. Up Newcastle rake, 11 coaches.

 

Road 3. loaded coal. Holds 33 wagons plus brake.

 

Road 4. Yorkshire Pullman, 11 cars, when complete.

 

Road 5. Gresley all door stock. 8 coaches, topped and tailed by loose brakes, and can also have composite(s) and an additional central brake as required.

 

Road 6. York/Hull/ Doncaster rake 9 coaches inc buffet car.

 

Road 7. Grimsby/Cleethorpes express rake. 9 coaches, which may be increased to 11.

 

Road 8. The West Riding rake, 11 coaches, plus the Afternoon Talisman, 8 coaches.

 

Road 9. Up Leeds rake, 11 coaches

 

Road 10. Kept empty for through running, which almost never happens, and a small amount of stock formation from goods rakes held in spurs.

 

Road 11. Queen of Scots pullman. 8 cars, to be increased to 10.

 

Road 12. Glasgow express rake, 11 coaches.

 

Road 13. Down Newcastle rake. 11 coaches

 

Road 14. Rake of coal empties. 42 wagons plus brake.

 

Road 15. Down Leeds rake. 11 coaches.

 

Road 16. The Flying Scotsman. 11 coaches.

 

Road 17. The Heart of Midlothian. 10 coaches, plus the Northumbrian, 10 coaches.

 

Road 18. The White Rose 11 coaches, plus the Elizabethan, 10 coaches.

 

Basically, if it would need more than two cassettes to put together, a train will occupy its own dedicated road, from which both Up and Down lines can be reached.

 

I can supply a couple more pictures if there is interest, and of course will welcome and try to answer any queries.

Edited July 11, 2016 by great northern

[Chimer]

As you offered answers .....

 

Why are separate "up" and "down" rakes required for Leeds and Newcastle services (when you don't do the same thing for all the named top link services)?  Is it just that you sometimes need "up" and "down" in the station simultaneously?

 

I would also be interested in seeing pictures of the pointwork in the FY throats ...... I'm sure they exist somewhere in the 474 pages but .......

 

Cheers

 

Chris

[Mallard60022]

Gilbert, have a shufty at my Post #4365 on SOSJ. Identification of the 'split' Quints. There is an interesting 'excursion set' but probably 1958 is too early for this 'split' so you couldn't justify it on PN?

Phil

Edited July 11, 2016 by Mallard60022

[great northern]

As you offered answers .....

 

Why are separate "up" and "down" rakes required for Leeds and Newcastle services (when you don't do the same thing for all the named top link services)?  Is it just that you sometimes need "up" and "down" in the station simultaneously?

 

I would also be interested in seeing pictures of the pointwork in the FY throats ...... I'm sure they exist somewhere in the 474 pages but .......

 

Cheers

 

Chris

Hi Chris,

 

The named trains only run twice during the complete sequence, but there were several unnamed Leeds and Newcastle services in both directions which I need to represent, so I had to work out the best way to do that. There were no "standard" rakes as we have nowadays - all were tailored to a specific need, so I decided to model one rake to represent all of them. I ddi that on the old loft layout, but found that seeing the same rake every time, both Up and Down, got rather boring, so I decided to have both an Up and a Down train for each. It also made sense operationally, as they run about 26 times between the four of them, and on the old layout were stored in a section of fiddle yard I couldn't reach without very painful contortions, so I needed to make the paths as simple as possible. That's not anywhere near such a problem now, but as I had the rakes, it seemed sensible to do the same.

[great northern]

Gilbert, have a shufty at my Post #4365 on SOSJ. Identification of the 'split' Quints. There is an interesting 'excursion set' but probably 1958 is too early for this 'split' so you couldn't justify it on PN?

Phil

I reckon the majority of the splitting would have taken place after 1959 Phil, after the dieselisation of the outer suburban trains from KX, and when DMUs were increasingly used on the E.Lincs line. That would leave redundant stock which was not quite life expired, and the time hallowed way of solving that was to shove them into sidings from which they would emerge for only a few weeks of the year,if that to cover holiday services.

 

I have found a few in the 1958 formations book though, so some must have been split earlier. I wouldn't mind having another pair, but it really isn't feasible to split the two sets I have, owing to the way they were constructed.

[thegreenhowards]

Gilbert, have a shufty at my Post #4365 on SOSJ. Identification of the 'split' Quints. There is an interesting 'excursion set' but probably 1958 is too early for this 'split' so you couldn't justify it on PN?

Phil

Phil,

 

That sounds interesting...but what is SOSJ?! Excuse my ignorance!

 

Andy

[great northern]

Phil,

 

That sounds interesting...but what is SOSJ?! Excuse my ignorance!

 

Andy

SOS junction Andy. Phil's layout thread. A source of much laughter and merriment, and increasingly an account of his new layout.

[New Haven Neil]

Other people's fiddleyards are ALWAYS interesting, Gilbert!

[Mallard60022]

Split Quints are also interesting...................................and are far more comfortable than split quads!

P

[great northern]

Other people's fiddleyards are ALWAYS interesting, Gilbert!

Here is another bit then, more of a close up of the South end.

On the right, five spurs, all of which connect in to Road 1 for making up trains. Then the Up main comes in, and begins to split into the nine Up roads. The mineral wagons and vans are on two spurs which nicely filled in the gap between Up and Down lines. They can be brought out into Road 10 to form trains, or part of trains. Behind the vans is the Down main, and as you can see I filled the corner with yet more spurs. The furthest two run into a little alcove which I thought was very useful, but which in fact gives two spurs which are just out of arm's reach, and so are empty until I figure out a way to use them. The all important crossovers to give access to all roads are on the board to the far right. I'll try to remember to take a photo of that bit.

 

I'm sure that there must be some people who are not too fascinated by fiddle yards, so here is a locomotive to look at as well, or instead.

64247 is in fact reversing along the Up main, and is on its way to collect the afternoon goods from the Ramsey branch. I thought the crew would probably prefer the relative comfort of being engine first on the return journey, closer to the end of their shift.

[trw1089]

Interesting counterweights on the J6 drivers. I've just put the ones on mine and it seems nearly every one was different going by the Yeadons. That's why I enjoy modelling BR NE so much, there is so much to learn and understand that there is always something new popping up.

 

Cheers

Tony