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Standedge Tunnel in n-gauge


philiprporter
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I hope this isn't an inappropriate post but for anyone who may be interested, the finished layout features in next month's Model Rail magazine on sale 13th June according to the advert in this month's issue. I haven't seen the article (apart from the text) but Chris Nevard took some amazing shots so I'm looking forward to seeing these in print! Cheers, Phil.

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  • 3 weeks later...
13 hours ago, Ben A said:

Hi Philip,

 

Just seen the article - the layout looks fantastic.  Great work!

 

Cheers

 

Ben A.

Thank you so much Ben and also for your kind words of encouragement throughout which have helped me get the layout over the line and more or less finished. 

Best wishes, Phil 

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13 hours ago, clogger said:

Having also just seen this in the magazine, I had to write and say that the layout ticked all the boxes for me.

Thank you so much for these kind words. Chris Nevard and the team at Model Rail did an amazing job and I'm blown away by the quality of the photos and the article in general!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi Philip,

 

I saw your layout in Model Rail and was prompted to look on here for the 'in progress' shots. Agree with others that it's a wonderful layout - really inspirational stuff and encouragement for me to get back into the loft and working on my n gauge piece of Scotland.

 

Out of interest, can you recall where you sourced your plate girder bridge sides when you were building the layout? I recognise the curved-top Peco ones you have used between the tracks, but what about the 'straight' versions seen here in the foreground and on the overflow as it crosses the railway? I've been searching unsuccessfully for something similar...

 

Thanks

 

Andrew

 

On 19/04/2016 at 10:17, philiprporter said:

 

post-521-0-61967300-1461057382_thumb.jpg

 

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4 minutes ago, corkscorpion said:

Hi Philip,

 

I saw your layout in Model Rail and was prompted to look on here for the 'in progress' shots. Agree with others that it's a wonderful layout - really inspirational stuff and encouragement for me to get back into the loft and working on my n gauge piece of Scotland.

 

Out of interest, can you recall where you sourced your plate girder bridge sides when you were building the layout? I recognise the curved-top Peco ones you have used between the tracks, but what about the 'straight' versions seen here in the foreground and on the overflow as it crosses the railway? I've been searching unsuccessfully for something similar...

 

Thanks

 

Andrew

 

Hi Andrew thank you so much for your kind comments and I'm really glad that the layout has provided encouragement to a fellow modeller, as it was seeing the work of Graham Hedges that inspired me to build my first complete layout (I'd dabbled in OO previously with limited progress!).

 

I'm 99.9% sure the bridge plates on the overflow and the canal bridge are from Wills vari-girder packs. The overflow plates were cut down and hacked about and I think the canal bridge ones may have been trimmed too, but unfortunately the layout is in storage at the moment as I'm moving house so can't check to be 100% sure, but I hope this helps in the meantime?

 

Best wishes, Phil

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Having said all that Andrew now I'm wracking my brain and poor memory, I'm wondering if I cut down the Peco curved girder sections to make them flat topped. I say this because I don't think the Wills vari-girder is available in n-gauge, but I did also make use of OO gauge bits as they just looked right (the embossed Plasticard on all the stone walls is OO gauge as the n-gauge sheets just didn't look right).

 

I'll get the layout set up again in a couple of weeks once I've moved and hopefully report back with a definitive answer!

Thanks, Phil.

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Thanks Phil - I'd arrived at a similar conclusion. I had a go with the Wills OO versions, but they're clearly over-scale where I need them. I'd come to the conclusion that some careful butchering of the curved versions may be in order! Good luck with the house move!

 

Andrew

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I also saw this in MR and came on here to see if I could see a bit more of the layout - absolutely brilliant, really inspirational work in the space and further encourages me to try something similar where I can run trains in a Pennine/Peaks landscape. So much so that I built a basic baseboard last night after work! I'll be very happy if I get anywhere close to this. 

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1 hour ago, 9FEd said:

I also saw this in MR and came on here to see if I could see a bit more of the layout - absolutely brilliant, really inspirational work in the space and further encourages me to try something similar where I can run trains in a Pennine/Peaks landscape. So much so that I built a basic baseboard last night after work! I'll be very happy if I get anywhere close to this. 

Thank you so much for your kind comments which are much appreciated. I started with chopping up foamboard on the kitchen floor (the only flat surface big enough!) and never thought I would get anywhere close to a finished layout so I really hope you can do the same and end up with a Pennine layout to enjoy! Do keep us updated how you get on and best of luck!

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  • 5 months later...
1 hour ago, Pandora said:

Just out of interest,  the other end of the Tunnel at Diggle,    worth  visiting?

Here's some shots from a rainy day in 2016.

The rail tunnel:

757212931_Diggletunnel.jpg.33441b21e71b25c88062c0b79d8a106f.jpg

 

The canal tunnel, with fancy gates showing the method of "legging it" through without a towpath:

1058309998_Digglecanaltunnel.jpg.0e4d323ad324b4608b36e66b343539b2.jpg

 

Approaching the tunnel from the west:

1311977203_Diggle1.jpg.de9b6890cf421de3687f86198bbb8dce.jpg

 

And a bit further down the hill, mill, canal and railway together:

104228731_Diggle2.jpg.fbf83f963c4d6fc2e574ec2ee471fbe0.jpg 

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11 hours ago, DavidMcKenzie said:

Hi Phil, 

Cracking layout and a very interesting spot with both the railway and canal. Just stumbled across this and very much enjoyed reading from the start.  

All the best

Dave

Thanks so much Dave that's really kind of you. Yes it's a lovely spot (the cafe at Tunnel End always a high point!) with some great hill walking and great pubs in the vicinity-may retire there if I'm ever flush enough to stop working-which is probably unlikely if I keep buying so much model railway kit!

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  • 4 months later...

Phil

I just came to this and have to say that is an excellent job you have done and truly catches the feel of the place as I know it quite well as I live 4 miles away above Slaithwaite . If there was little thing which is wrong for the time frame you appear to be modelling ie BR Blue, it is that the canal and tunnel  did not open again until 2001 and the restoration from Slaithwaite did not start until 1987. This would be long after BR Blue. The tunnel had collapsed internally in parts and was drained and re built . There were Blue wrought iron gates to the canal tunnel and the water looked like the colour of coffee. I know this as I work in the construction industry and got a tour of the site by the contractor who I was working with at the time. However still an excellent  representation of an iconic location. Do you have any exhibition dates planned post Covid 19 obviously ?  

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Phil

I noticed you ran a Blue Pullman saying you like the model but that it was unlikely to have run in the area. I have just been reading a book about the LNWR Lines in Yorkshire of which Standedge is the main one. You may like to know that a Blue Pullman did indeed run over Stanedge from Reddish to Leeds for some promotional work in 1967 but did not return this way. So a little before your modelling period but surprisingly it did happen. 

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26 minutes ago, mac1960 said:

Phil

I noticed you ran a Blue Pullman saying you like the model but that it was unlikely to have run in the area. I have just been reading a book about the LNWR Lines in Yorkshire of which Standedge is the main one. You may like to know that a Blue Pullman did indeed run over Stanedge from Reddish to Leeds for some promotional work in 1967 but did not return this way. So a little before your modelling period but surprisingly it did happen. 

Hi Mac1960 thanks so much for your messages and kind words! This is actually good news, as I was never happy with the canal boat emerging from the tunnel (it was the first scenic work I did when building the layout) so if I can legitimately close off the tunnel and remove the boats then that's a job that will make me feel a whole lot better about the front of the layout! Because the resin for the water is poured into a self contained sealed 'unit' this is less drastic than it may seem. If you have any photos of the gates that closed the tunnel off and any images of that area in the BR blue era I would be very grateful as it would be good to get it as close to period correct as possible and thanks so much for that really useful info. Great news about the Blue Pullman too! Its such a cracking model that I cant bear to part with it and now I can run it knowing that its not just modeller's licence at work - provided I run it in the right direction! One day I may move to the Slaithwaite/Marsden area - that's a bit of a long held dream for me, but alas not one that is going to come true any time soon, so I'm envious that you live in such a beautiful location!

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Phil

I do not have any photos of the canal tunnel unfortunately, but the gates were a darkish Blue from memory and did not extend into the apex of the tunnel, so straight topped if you get my drift, from the point where the roof starts to curve. They were obviously locked by padlock and chain and sat level with the towpath. There may be some photos on Google if you look for Huddersfield Narrow Canal restoration. I am so glad that you did not mind me pointing out about the date of the restoration vis a vie your operating period, as the model is so good it felt like being a little churlish when pointing it out. Also the Pullman was in 1967 when steam was still coming up the valley with about 53 freight trains a day but this dropped to 16 by 1971,and all diesel usually 37 and 40 from Healy Mills, with Class 46 and occasionally 47 on passenger and parcels. In the late 1970,s and early 80,s there were also Deltics (Tulyar being one I travelled back from Uni on a few times) and also TPO for Shrewsbury and Whitehaven of all places.

As for living here, its great on a day like today with a glorious sunny day in prospect, but as we live at 1100ft contour height the winters can be pretty brutal. The local Colne Valley joke about the summer is it starts 1st July and ends on August Bank Holiday, outside of that you can expect anything from Snow to heatwave often on same weekend !! Let me know re exhibitions as I would love to see your work.

Cheers

Mac     

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Phil

Just remembered there was a British Waterways work barge tied up just inside the tunnel gates, within the tunnel. It was open topped with no cabin or engine and was about a foot high above the water level. I guess it was for inspections as all the other locks were cascaded at the time. Not sure you will even want to model it, and the gates you have on the model looking at the photos look ok to me as they are, just need closing.

All the best.

Mac

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40 minutes ago, mac1960 said:

Phil

Just remembered there was a British Waterways work barge tied up just inside the tunnel gates, within the tunnel. It was open topped with no cabin or engine and was about a foot high above the water level. I guess it was for inspections as all the other locks were cascaded at the time. Not sure you will even want to model it, and the gates you have on the model looking at the photos look ok to me as they are, just need closing.

All the best.

Mac

Thanks very much indeed Mac this is really useful info (along with your previous post) - I will do some digging to see if I can find any images for the period in question and will update here when the rebuild of that part of the layout starts - the layout is in the garage at present after a house move but I'm hoping in the next few months I can dust it down and crack on! 

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  • 3 months later...

I've decided that the time has come to say farewell to Standedge Tunnel and I would like to offer it for sale. I hope its OK to post this here - but I'm looking for about £500 and the only 'condition' of sale is that, should the layout be exhibited in the future or appear in magazines, credit is given to myself as the original builder. It would also be courteous to confirm with David Heys that he is still happy for his images to appear on the front facia. I will try and upload some images of the layout 'set up' in the next few days, but the best source of images remains Model Rail July 2019 which shows everything except for the black curtain around the base of the layout. Layout would need to be collected from Bedfordshire.

 

If you are interested or have any questions, please PM me

Thanks, Phil. 

 

Also please note the following:

  • Layout has full lighting rig/pelmet and black curtain to hide the legs front and sides.
  • I will supply spare trees, scatter etc. to allow any touching in or development of the scenic areas. 
  • Legs are attached with coach bolts (supplied). Boards are joined with coach bolts and have alignment dowels fitted. 
  • The layout boards are built partly from foamboard and partly from styrofoam.
  • Wire handrails from the bridge over the canal will need re-fitting and are supplied separately.  
  • The electrics will need completing - track feeds are present, but I never got round to wiring up to a control panel. Electrical connections between boards are all wired in and connection is made with multi-pin connectors. 
  • Only the scenic point has a point motor installed. Fiddle yard points do not have motors installed. 
  • New mounts for supporting the backscene will need to be built - I rigged up temporary Velcro equipped mounts from foamboard, but these had to be removed to allow the layout to be transported in my car when I moved house. 
  • The Dapol working signal will need replacing - this got damaged during the aforementioned house move. 
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