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Lancaster Green Ayre - The Barn Owls have returned.


jamie92208
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Jamie,

 

Your station buildings are magnificent - wish they were mine!

 

Regards,

 

Dave

 

 

Thanks for that Dave, they were designed and built from photgraphs and various ground plans by John Patrick a retired surgeon who at the age of 82 taught himself resin casting. He made the masters for the corbelling and the ridge tiles. He made the masters from plasticard and then produced the moulds and cast the pieces. He also cast the pillars for the awnings after another friend made a master out of various pieces of hexagonal brass. I came up with the idea of the 2mm threaded rod (from model aircraft shops) through the centre so that they can be bolted securely to the baseboard.

 

 

Jamie

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Well another day and some more work. After a day working on the Horse Tram it was a couple of hours work on the layout. I carried on with the backscenes and now have the boards that will carry the main backscenes down the front of the layout constructed. Tomorrow they will be drilled and hung on the layout and horpefully some of the toggle catches will be installed to hold them together. Not much to show picture wise but hopefully tomorrow there should be more to report.

 

Jamie

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Well this week is turning into a blog. Posts are like London buses, none for a while then several at once. John Patrick (Who made the station) and Tony Bond came to help today and we made great progress. We got nearly all the backscenes made and John got a coat of paint on most of them. I actually ran out of M10 bolts for holding them on so will have to buy some more in the morning. As a result we never got all the backscenes fastened up at the same time. Tomorrow we should get that done and I'll take some more photos. There were several visitors today including Eileen and Jim Pitchforth who set up Eileen's emporium, they live in the village and it was good to see them. getting the backscenes so far on ahs helped us to sort out a lot of minor things such as how each part will interface with the scenic breaks. We only get to see the whole layout twice a year when i can use the church so it's great. Hopefully another report tomorrow.

 

Jamie

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Another good days work. With a lot of help from various visitors during the day we got the back scenes finished and also jury rigged the last one where I had run out of plywood.

P8108886.JPG.6bc6e8d7a89d5244b10a8aa190fbf4ef.JPG

This is what the station looks like now with the undercoated backscene behind it.

The main area that we wanted to see was how greyhound bridge looks with the backscenes,

P8108882.JPG.89b51c4bee4191b13f19ca2e603eca8f.JPG

This shows it with a very freehand sketch of an EMU going under the WCML. There is no natural scenic break at that point so with a bit of modellers licence we have moved the LNWR Lancaster to Carlisle line a bit nearer to Green Ayre. The bridge still exists and I have a plan for it so that will become another removable scenic break. The bridge will be full depth and we might even lay some track on top of it to pose an LNWR loco on it.

Later as it got a little darker we put up a few pieces of the old Long Preston Lighting rig to see how the buildings look under the lights. We found that with one row of lights 4' from the backscene we got strong shadows on the front of the station building so worked out how to put a second row of lights in that area about 4'6" out. The plan is that this outer row will be only 5 or 10' long and the main row will run the length of the layout.

 

Anyway the result was this.

P8108925.JPG.dbb47ab74dad86a7066ccc53a6785c41.JPG

 

By this time we were all getting tired so we just took the backscenes and fiddle yard down and will turn the hall back into a church tomorrow. It's been a hard week and SWMBO now has a list of jobs that must be done in the morning but it has been very worthwhile and there are many fewer unknowns.

 

Jamie

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Did you play trains? Did the electrical system work? I am working on the finials for the canopies at the moment; full hard brass is fine to turn, BUT, half hard (which Jamie supplied me with) is like trying to machine chewing gum!!!! I am getting there, however, had to modify the drawn up version to make it look a bit better, get the angles just right etc. Hopefully will have some for you by next week (Fri) Jamie. I see from the pictures that the awnings throw a strong shadow along the platforms, that looks fantastic. I will try to put some images of the footbridge on this discussion in due course.

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Did you play trains? Did the electrical system work? I am working on the finials for the canopies at the moment; full hard brass is fine to turn, BUT, half hard (which Jamie supplied me with) is like trying to machine chewing gum!!!! I am getting there, however, had to modify the drawn up version to make it look a bit better, get the angles just right etc. Hopefully will have some for you by next week (Fri) Jamie. I see from the pictures that the awnings throw a strong shadow along the platforms, that looks fantastic. I will try to put some images of the footbridge on this discussion in due course.

 

Thanks for that Dave. The shadows under the canopies look good though some of it is the dark from the flagstones. I'm looking forward to seeing the finials. No we didn't get chance to do any electrical work and concentrated on the carpentry for teh backscenes. It's mainly taken down now but on Monday it's back to wiring with the three loco shed boards to do.

 

Jamie

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Well as the sign on the loo wall says, no jobs over till the paperwork is done, in the case of a test session at the church the job isn't finished till I get the layout home. After watching the weather forecast I spent the morning trolleying the boards back home 2 at a time on the sack cart. (It's only 100 yards) and then packed them back in the shed. The shed isn't very big 10' by 6' but had an extra foot of height built in when I had it made. This is what it looks like with 19 boards in it.

P8138926.JPG.3043ddc9b0c31921ed9f74ff5031c34a.JPG

As I've spent the last week making backscenes and the supports for them I've got to fit them in but that's tomorrows job. I've got a collection of slightly odd shaped pieces of carpentry that support the curved backscenes but have a 'cunning plan' as to how to transport them all in one lot rather than throwing them in the lorry after the boards have been loaded. Watch this space the plan may be worthy of one of Baldrick's.

 

Jamie

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've got to say, this is fantastic. I've read this with great interest. Sadly I'm fat too young to remember Green Ayre. I barely remember loco hauled stock on the WCML. But I still find with Lancaster being my home that Green Ayre is close to my heart, stories from family and the likes has given me a love and fascination with the lines that were once in the area. Your buildings are fantastic. I'm looking forward to hearing your progress.

 

Clayton.

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Hello Jamie, all,

 

the build looks to be coming along nicely.

 

I have always thought that this would have been the better line to have kept to Morecambe, I say this for a few reasons.

1], no slow units on the W.C.M.L. between Lancaster and Morecambe south junction and Carnforth to Lancaster on the Leeds - Morecambe's.

2], no reversal needed at Lancaster (OK. you can go via Hest Bank Junction on the W.C.M.L.).

3]. already electrified at 25Kv.

 

Reasons to close it.

1]. the council wanted Greyhound bridge and some of the track bed for roads.

2]. goods traffic for the main line would have the reversal at Green Ayre and the climb up to Castle station and another reversal if going north. Goods for Leeds would have the climb up to Wennington Junction.

3]. the line between F&M Junction (Carnforth) would still be needed for goods traffic from "Leeds" to the Furness area. So this could also be used for any goods traffic to/from "Leeds" for the W.C.M.L. So you can also go to Morecambe as well.

4]. the stock was in need of replacement.

5]. it was out on a limb as far as the electric was concerned. At least another 10 -15 years (after it was closed) before the W.C.M.L. would get electrics to Lancaster.

 

So looking at the above the reasons to close look to win. But to my mind the number one reason was the number one mentioned above.

 

Please feel free to add to this as long as Jamie does not object.

 

OzzyO.

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Thanks for the above OzzyO. I would agree with reason number 1. There was a very intereting documentary on BBC4 afew weeks ago called the secret life of the motorway. It went into some of the politics as to how Lancashire got the first two pieces of motorway in the Preston and Lancaster bypasses. The main charater was a very forceful head of highways. I have heard from a few sources that the county council were desparate for greyhound Bridge so that they didn't ahve to double Skerton bridge under fromssure for the M of T. With the Beeching cutrs due It would be entirely possible that some back door lobbying took place to do the dirty deed. Certainly the ex Midland Route would be a lot eaier to work today as there are som many flat crossings of the WCML needed at Carnforth Bare Lane and Lancaster. However I have never seen any conclusinve evidence.

 

Jamie

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Back from Telford where I assisted Nigel and his team in the running of the Bring and Buy stall; I am refreshed and ready to go. May I pass on my thanks to Lawrie (LHL), and Rupert Brown for their invaluable advice on subjects various; to Billy (of Premier Components) who always produces the goods and never ceases to amaze me with the quality of his work. Good eggs all. Telford was a good 'melting pot'. Now, I return to the job in hand. I have drilled and countersunk an awful lot of solid oak noggins to line the 'blind' side of one of the l-o-n-g platforms where we are unable to gain access underneath the baseboard due to all manner of impedimenta, such as stregthening ribs, the basboard edge et-al, so, now they will be affixed from above with the screws going down rather than the other way. I have sourced the material for the pillars of the footbridge and Jamie has, just about, finished the artwork for the etches of the f/b metalwork, including the strange but large windows. Yes, just as soon as I have something to show I shall post some pictures. As an aside to any of you starting to produce a portable/exhibition layout, think about end protection for the b/boards, Jamie has made crating ends to do the job when the l/out is finished, BUT, we have a number of damaged rail ends, and some rails to replace after suffering damage in just moving them around the club rooms or off to Jamies shed and back. The boys, (JP and Tony) are carring on now with the seemingly endless job of sticking down the 'stone' paving on the platform surfaces already built. It IS moving along I promise.

Edited by supersonic
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Well we haven't burnt the layout but work has been progressing. The main reason for no updates has been that I was doing a road trip across the USA for over three weeks alongside the Union Pacific and then looking at ancient trams but that is another story. Anyway work has prgressed on the next set of etchings which will include the loco shed windows, the station footbridge and various pieces for the overhead, as well as a test of some etches for a compex gantry in lattice work. If that goes together then the final ones will be drawn. The etchers changed over from film to fully digital processing just as I finished the next etch so I had to go back and alter all the artwork. A long process but worthwhile. The alterations have now been done and I have just emailed the artwork to the etchers. If all goes well the results will be on display at Warley (stand E25).

Here's a jpeg of the latest artwork a bit dumbed down to let me upload it.

207451992_Productionetch2b2.JPG.64a2dfa77604cb368aace3a7f30b49fb.JPG

It's distorted slightly in the editing as I don't have access to a full editor on the laptop but it gives the general idea.

 

While I've been away the never ending task of sticking down platform tiles has continued and another board has nearly been wired. Hopefully I should have some photos soon.

 

Jamie

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Just an update about Warley. Myslef and Supersonic will be there with the four station boards plus the station buildings and the platform awnings as mentioned above on stand E25. As long as the etches have arrived we will be working on the footbridge and the first of the special OLE gantries. The first of these, gantry 19 has lattice work supports and channel section portals. The next one,(Gantry 20) that I'm doing the artwork for now is 520mm long across 4 tracks at the west end of the station. If the Gantry 19 works out OK then that will be next along with another footbridge at the east end that is going to be a scenic break. We will have some of the original contract drawings with us as well as the artwork, two of the etching tools and a smaple etch to explain the process to anyone who is interested. It has been a steep learning curve at times but the results are worthwhile. We also hope to have the first batch of OLE portals erected and possibly even a test piece of catenary along with the fitst parts of the main river bridge. Please come and make yourselves known.

 

Jamie

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yes we are still carrying on and wired another board last night, albeit one of the simplest B5 that's only got 3 plain tracks and is only 800mm long. However earlier in the week the next set of etching arrived. These contain the parts for teh footbridge that are now with supersonic for him the sort out and assemble. It's a bit daunting seeing someone else cursing the kit designer. I've got no one to blame but myself.

My next task BW (Before Warley) is to try and assemble gantry 19. This is the first of the 2 lattice work overhead structures and I worked out a method and used this set of etches as a test of my methods.

 

Here you can see the gantry that I'm trying to create. The square tapered lattice was a bit of a challenge to reduce to 2 dimensions.

969218340_Gantry19.JPG.2068ce11ff623ac57e60a47a48ec467c.JPG

However I gave it some thought and this is the result.

(Note, in reloading the file I can only upload a pdf)

Gantry 19.PDF

You can see what i call the 'wiggles' which will overlay each other and the four L girders that will form the corners. The three small folded items are the internal bracing that goes across at three points in the column.

 

If this works then I've got the big one to do which is gantry 20 which has to cross 4 tracks. Due to some wider than prototype track spacings it will work out at 520 mm long rather than the prototypical 420. I 'm having some fun doing the drawings but have got the central part of the main cross girder done.

1436225978_Gantry20.jpg.153615fd264f56aa0997137a404c5c12.jpg

 

Railway modelling is supposed to be fun!! Hopefully there will be something to see at Warley on stand E25. Supersonic will have the footbridge and I will have the gantries.

 

 

Jamie

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It is fun jamie, however, there are some truly boring bits and if you will forgive me the wiring is one! We have got a major part of the layout wired now, it will be nice to get back to the rinkydinkydoo of modelling proper; in which discipline I am involved in a substantial bit of 12 inches to the foot stuff on a Sea Vampire T22. I may have the footbridge in bits probably, but the components will certainly be present. Jamies etches are proving to be outstanding, much easier to detach from the 'fret' than commercial products, however trying to reproduce rivets in the very very narrow sections with the rivet 'bonker' without distortion is problematic at best and that is with half etch rivet marks, so ............. BUT, it is all starting to look good, we endeavour to post some pics when one of us remember s camera!!

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After a very good day playing with big American Trains at the Morecambe and Heysham club it was time to settle down to some serious soldering and have a go at gantry 19. One and a half hours later this was the result.

PB120460.JPG.e4aec64369d954147cf1843bab5db057.JPG

 

 

The first one shows one of the sides that's parallel to the tracks. (Call it A) The second one shows how I'm going to make the rest of it. I've soldered the first two 'wiggles' onto the side I've made, the start of side B which is parallel not tapered like A.. After taking the photos I started with the otherPB110459.JPG.ff3986aea0495e0533052e5b03223b42.JPG

 

 

Jamie

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Another hour of soldering and the plan came together.

 

First job was to finish putting all the wiggles on the 'U shape', after half an hour the result was this.

PB120461.JPG.993ed405bd267961d1b734bd5caac04f.JPG

All ready to join together with the L girders still left overlength.

The it was put together and soldered up using plenty of phosphoric acid flux to make sure the solder flowed into the joints where the wiggles went under the L girders. The L's were cut to length and cleaned up then the flitch plates were out on ready for the channel girders that will span the tracks.

PB120463.JPG.e7679e768db69394e70b0929b36a2ef9.JPG

All very satisfying to see and to prove that the design works. Now I've only got it's mate to do for the other side near the signal box. I hope that that will take less than 3 hours with the lessons learnt on the first one. I'm hoping to have the other one done before Warley so may well get it erected there.

 

 

Jamie

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There is an old print of the bridge in the 19th century on ebay at the moment. Before your modelling period but interesting non the less. Keep up the good work I am looking forward to seeing the layout again.

 

http://www.ebay.co.u...=item2a20fb1313

 

Thanks for that Geoff, that's the original bridge. I've got a photo from a book of it from a different angle. It would make a good model but I'd have to build all the new stock including the NWR Fairburn locos so I'll stick to 1923'ish.

 

Jamie

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Well we managed to get 6 boards into the two cars and Supersonic and I had a great day demonstrating yesterday and met a lot of RMWebers. Hope to see some more of you today. We both even managed to get some soldering done and the station footbridge is coming on a treat.

 

Jamie

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As well as chatting to lots of people about the layout Dave and I managed to get quite a bit of work done while demonstrating. I was particularly pleased to be able to get the first Overhead gantry up on Geryhound Bridge. Albeit only held on with Blutak Dave worked on the footbridge etches and they are coming on a treat. Later on on Sunday I managed to finish the second gantry leg for Gantry 19 and then put the channel girders across to complete the portal. It looked fine and was a good thing to see.

PB250493.JPG.0573625af95f8e0a77ab0187463cf2fc.JPG

 

PB250491.JPG.74d92413d8c86a6d3693a55f6225569c.JPG

 

PB250492.JPG.17fa037d9568fb1acb563a39b59733c8.JPG

Russell Whitwam had finished 4 of the timber portals but they were too long but they made that end of the layout look quite good.

Only trouble was that the lighting is poor so apologies for the quality of the photos..

 

Jamie

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After two weekends of soldering bits of bridges and overhead structures it was back to the grindstone with more wiring last night. 12 boards have been done out of 27 so I made a start on no 13. Hopefully the remaining ones won't take too long and hopefully we may even be able to run some trainis in February. However I need to get moving with the main control panel over Christmas. This is the old Long Preston one but being totally rebuilt. There should be something more to show in the next few weeks.

 

Jamie

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