GRANBY JUNCTION - Shunting Siphons for the Up Parcels with a Manor!

[mullie]

Don't think I've seen this part of the layout before, certainly not in this detail. Looks great, thanks for sharing.

 

Martyn

[john dew]

6 minutes ago, mullie said:

Don't think I've seen this part of the layout before, certainly not in this detail. Looks great, thanks for sharing.

 

Martyn

 

Thanks Martyn.....glad you like it

 

Its usually background from the other side or cropped out......there was quite a bit when I first built it but I guess that was almost 10 years ago!

 

Cheers

 

John

[brianusa]

Hi John, a lot of energy expended clearing the driveway but it hasn't stopped work on the layout.  Like the new buildings and I noticed the green Anglia in the foreground; learn't to drive on one.  Incidentally, the headlamps were painted body colour with just the rims chromed.

      Brian.

[Neal Ball]

Evening John,

Love that bridges / canal / grimy industrial setting, it’s just great.

 

Thanks for sharing. Neal.

[M.I.B]

Wanted to rate that post with just about all the buttons.

 

You will have to explain how you build so may scenes or parts of the layout.  I guess you build in chunks like the Post office followed by hotel all on little bases  yet they all look seamless.

[john dew]

21 hours ago, brianusa said:

Hi John, a lot of energy expended clearing the driveway but it hasn't stopped work on the layout.  Like the new buildings and I noticed the green Anglia in the foreground; learn't to drive on one.  Incidentally, the headlamps were painted body colour with just the rims chromed.

      Brian.

 

Hi Brian

 

How are you doing with the snow? Its virtually a daily job now keeping the drive clear.

 

Well spotted with the car.......its actually a Ford Popular and therefore outside my era but the original Popular used the Anglia body so I believe I am safe. I learned to drive in Germany in a Ford Taunus (ugliest car known to man) but my first car in the UK was a 1947 Prefect.....the four door version. I have a few other models that were bought for nostalgia reasons.....a Walls Ice Cream Austin 3 way being one of the more obvious Rule#1s.

 

You are right about the headlamps of course.......in fact almost all my road vehicles are far too bright and shiny......one of these jobs I keep putting off. Bizarre when I am now so insistent that all locos must be weathered before appearing on the layout!

 

Best wishes

 

John

[john dew]

21 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

Evening John,

Love that bridges / canal / grimy industrial setting, it’s just great.

 

Thanks for sharing. Neal.

 

Thanks Neal

 

Its a far cry from the charms of Oxfordshire ( I mistakenly thought it was Berkshire) but I am glad you like it.

 

Cheers

 

John

[john dew]

9 hours ago, M.I.B said:

Wanted to rate that post with just about all the buttons.

 

You will have to explain how you build so may scenes or parts of the layout.  I guess you build in chunks like the Post office followed by hotel all on little bases  yet they all look seamless.

 

Thanks Tinker thats very kind of you.

 

I do tend to build the scenes in discreet sections. Partly for variety, partly for the dreaded maintenance and partly because I have learned that the more frequently you run DCC trains the more reliable they become.

 

Trying to make sure "you cant see the join" between the various scenes can be challenging. One of the reasons the space in front of the station has stayed empty for so long was not just the awkward shape, it was also the challenge of linking the Station area with the Canal/Warehouse. Different levels, different purposes and different materials....Brick and Stone, Paper and Plastic. 

 

 If I may I will finish the Canal photos and then post some other photos which will help explain how I hope to solve the problem

 

Best Wishes

 

John

 

ps I will do some research and answer you PM at the week end

 

[john dew]

Thanks again for all the ticks guys. I am glad you share my enthusiasm  for mucky canals and dark satanic mills!

 

I left you with this keyhole shot of the upstream lock........the gap between the fascia boards is even narrower than I thought .........its only 1 1/4" !

 

 

 

Here are a couple of shots from this side of the room to help put  the canal scene and duck under in context

 

 

 

 

 

I dont often shoot from this angle and I was mildly surprised at the number of buildings I have managed to model over the years 

 

A bit of cropping and filtering:

 

 

 

If only I had moved the multimaus I could be back in Oldham in the early sixties. I have always admitted that Granby owes far more to my time in Oldham than childhood holidays and cadet camps in North Wales.........I sometimes think that I should have modelled the L&Y

 

 

Back to the canal......upstream lock detail

 

 

 

Star and Dragon Pub

 

 

 

 

I almost binned this shot because of the dust.......then I remembered the Leeds and Liverpool Canal looked just like this

 

 

Autotrain trundles over Bridge #4

 

 

 

 

Underneath the Arches

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The level crossing and bulk milk carrier are an attempt to link with the dairy on the other side of the viaduct.

 

End of the line....Canal Street Halt

 

 

Hard to establish any link with the halt and the loco sidings which, in my imagination, represent Barmouth, Crewe, Oswestry and Ellesmere!

 

Hope you enjoyed the photos.

 

Lots to do this week.......I am struggling to finish a 10 schedule routine where the Dean Goods shunts the branch goods yard.......that iconic GWR scene......unfortunately RR&Co keeps coming up with objections and when those are overcome my ancient rolling stock objects to my uneven track.......patience is undoubtedly a virtue.

 

Despite this all I hope to do a mock up of the hotel and post a few pictures...........and ,of course, do some long overdue street cleaning under the arches!

 

Regards from Vancouver where four days of incessant rain has cleared virtually all the snow.

 

John

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[richard.h]

A great set of photos but dark satanic mills and grimy canals, all very familiar to me, you are revealing your roots.

I always thought GWR was rolling countryside,cream teas and pasties

[Mikkel]

I'm really enjoying these 'new' angles on Granby Jct, John. They highlight what a complete townscape it is, not just horisontally but also vertically. Nice use of cobbles/setts too.  

[St Enodoc]

2 hours ago, john dew said:

I left you with this keyhole shot of the upstream lock........the gap between the fascia boards is even narrower than I thought .........its only 1 1/4" !

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you actually need the upper fascia board there John? It doesn't look as though it is structural. Removing it (and, if you feel the need to protect the bridge and canal, replacing it by some Perspex) would really open up the view of the canal.

[john dew]

6 hours ago, richard.h said:

A great set of photos but dark satanic mills and grimy canals, all very familiar to me, you are revealing your roots.

I always thought GWR was rolling countryside,cream teas and pasties

 

Thanks Richard.

 

I do agree that is the commonly accepted view but they did operate in a lot of industrial areas........the valleys of South Wales, Birmingham or Birkenhead are hardly bucolic. They just dont get modelled that often .

 

Not sure that I originally intended Granby to be quite so grimy.....it just sort of happened!

 

Best Wishes

 

John

[john dew]

6 hours ago, Mikkel said:

I'm really enjoying these 'new' angles on Granby Jct, John. They highlight what a complete townscape it is, not just horisontally but also vertically. Nice use of cobbles/setts too.  

 

Thanks Mikkel.......I am so glad you like them.

 

The setts took forever to lay but they (Wills) look so much more convincing than Metcalfe or Scalescenes. I am quite comfortable using printed paper for buildings but whenever I have tried using printed cobbles I have been disappointed.

 

Best Wishes

 

John

[john dew]

5 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Do you actually need the upper fascia board there John? It doesn't look as though it is structural. Removing it (and, if you feel the need to protect the bridge and canal, replacing it by some Perspex) would really open up the view of the canal.

 

Hi John

 

Thats a good idea.......wish I had thought of it at the time.

 

I do need some protection.......its where visitors, who are not prepared/able to duck, congregate with glass in hand....... it also, if memory serves, conceals some wiring and grotty carpentry.  Nevertheless I think I may attempt to prise it off to see whats there

 

I guess despite the Saracen scandal you are looking forward to the Six Nations? I am just about to renew my DAZN subscription for the next couple of months .

 

Best wishes

 

John

 

 

 

[St Enodoc]

1 hour ago, john dew said:

 

Hi John

 

Thats a good idea.......wish I had thought of it at the time.

 

I do need some protection.......its where visitors, who are not prepared/able to duck, congregate with glass in hand....... it also, if memory serves, conceals some wiring and grotty carpentry.  Nevertheless I think I may attempt to prise it off to see whats there

 

I guess despite the Saracen scandal you are looking forward to the Six Nations? I am just about to renew my DAZN subscription for the next couple of months .

 

Best wishes

 

John

 

 

 

Yes, Sarries broke the 11th commandment - "thou shalt not get caught". I suspect that some other clubs are looking, worriedly, over their shoulders too...

 

Haven't checked yet which cable channel is showing 6N here. Thanks for the reminder!

[St Enodoc]

3 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Haven't checked yet which cable channel is showing 6N here. Thanks for the reminder!

Looks like beIN Sports, which should be part of my existing cable package if everything's the same as last year.

[Neal Ball]

That new perspective is great a John, thanks for sharing it.

 

Is your only access a duck under? Since moving here, I’ve had issues with the track on my lifting flap, but I just don’t fancy having to duck under all the time. Although the railway is 1m off the ground. It’s currently all being rebuilt!

[john dew]

7 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

That new perspective is great a John, thanks for sharing it.

 

Is your only access a duck under? Since moving here, I’ve had issues with the track on my lifting flap, but I just don’t fancy having to duck under all the time. Although the railway is 1m off the ground. It’s currently all being rebuilt!

Hi Neal

 

Its a fixed duck under , a little over a metre off the ground. Despite my age and height I dont have any problems.....perhaps the frequent Knees bends keep me fit! However I wouldnt do it again. I find its a deterrent to visitors. Other than the real enthusiast, and not too many of them, they prefer to stay on the other side rather than duck under. Most of the cameos are only seen on the forum!

 

I hope you can get your flap sorted....I think that is the best solution

 

Best wishes

 

John

 

 

[Neal Ball]

Thanks John.

I'm going for broke in replacing a larger section.... and maybe the whole of the fiddle yard!

 

 

[john dew]

Change of direction this week.

Something  new and rather different on Granby.......

 

 

The Dapol Parcels Railcar.
 

 

 

I know this will not be news to many.........but two weeks from Liverpool to Vancouver must be a record......normally its 4-6 weeks

 

This is something of a "could have" purchase rather than a "should have" or "must have" like a Prairie or Mogul (" must have" in the context of a model railway of course)

 

They were used in the Birminham area in my era so its only a slight stretch to get to North Wales........not like the huge leap if I pre-order the Kernow Steam Car!

No worries I am not going to give you the entire mind numbing unboxing routine! This is the first time I have bought a loco from Dapol and I have to say I am very impressed with the packaging. In addition to the thick foam surrounds the outer box had a rather pleasing feeling of quality......made me feel better about parting with over a hundred quid.

The box did not belie the contents........its a very impressive model



The body is very easy to remove from the chassis....no screws.....just gently press to release two clips on the sides

The wiring mounted on the internal ceiling is for the internal and external lighting which will be a first for Granby

 

The valances or skirts which hide the bogies are easily detachable. .........just like the prototype!  They complement the streamlined design but were fairly quickly removed in service for ease of maintenance. They certainly would not have been on in 1948......so off they will come.The accessory pack has a mock drive mechanism for the rear (?) bogies

 

 

Side view showing the nicely detailed parcel racking. The slot in the chassis is for the DCC decoder





Two easily accessed screws release the floor exposing the 5 pole motor and 21 pin PCB assembly.

The model ran perfectly, straight from the box, on my DC test track.

 

Fitting the DCC decoder was a breeze and I had hoped to finish this post with a quick video. Unfortunately the 21 pin decoder I found unused in the drawer was not the Lenz Silver I imagined. After struggling in vain to get the the top speed to a realistic level it slowly dawned on me that it was a Bachmann decoder that I had bought some years ago and quickly discarded as not fit for purpose.

 

I should have known I wouldnt leave a Lenz chip lying around. Rather felt like finding a hundred dollar bill that turned out to be monopoly money.

 

A Zimo chip is on its way as I write......and eventually a video will appear

For now I will have to finish with a few quick shots......not very crisp I am afraid. No tripod just point and shoot

At the KIng Street Parcels Depot looking rather incongruous among the Victorian buildings particularly with that pristine roof!



 

 

 

And in the siding alongside the yet to be built Warehouse adjacent to the GPO

 

 

 

Note the new posters on the Post Office.



Next week .....the hotel.....well at least a mock up

Six Nations time again. Not sure if its the aftermath of the World Cup or the Saracens scandal but this year I dont have quite the same sense of enthusiasm. Hopefully it will all change on Saturday when England play France

Regards from a very wet Vancouver

 

 

John

[gwrrob]

Now who’s teasing who.......

[john dew]

Thanks for all the ticks guys and a warm welcome to two new followers

 

I missed posting last week......domestic events intervened. We have a family tradition where my daughters specify the theme/menu for a family lunch to celebrate their respective birthday. You would be amazed how long it takes to source and prepare the ingredients for Cassoulet!

 

I did, however, find find time to start the hotel build. I am not proposing to do a step by step  " how I did it" . I try and remember to take photos during the build and a small selection should give an idea of the construction sequence along with some of the potential hazards!

The plan is to modify the Scalescenes Low Relief Kit to create a complete building that will then become part of Saint Asaph's square, outside the station

Here is a clip of the low relief building from the Scalescene website.






Its pretty tall.....10" high but only 1 1/2" deep.

The plan is to build the frontage direct from the kit and then scratch build longer sides with a detailed back and a roof.

I dont want to create a random collection of buildings that have been plonked in place. The square should look as though it has developed gradually over many years (which in model terms I guess it has!). I was a bit worried that the hotel will be too tall and dominant in relation to the station and GPO. To help make up my mind I set up the front base layer as a mock up in the hotels intended location 




I left it there for about a week before cutting anything. Finally decided it would work but the jury is still out on the roof line.

I originally intended to build the hotel in the same simplified manner as the GPO.....ie no interior detail relying solely on internal beams and buttresses to support a single structural floor.

Having read the instructions more than once.....always a good idea......I changed my mind and decided it would be prudent to build the frontage exactly as specified ie low relief and use that structure as the foundation to which I would subsequently add sides and rear.

So lots of cutting.....5 floors,10 internal walls and 2  (4 ply) external walls just for starters

 

Classic John Wiffen design.........this will not be a flimsy structure!

One of the issues with a multi floor construction such as this is "measurement creep".

If one side walls is 1mm over size its not a problem......but if the overcut  (or overprint) is consistent over all 5 floors then you have a 5mm discrepancy which is significant.

There is a similar effect with the horizontal members. The "heavy" card I use is a little (0.25 +- mm) thicker than the specified 2mm. The 5 floors use 14 pieces of card.....bingo thats another 3 or 4 mm out! Fortunately I have run into this issue before so there was a lot of dry fitting and testing

I used the skirting board and architrave on each floor as a guide and had to carefully trim almost every side wall and, as you will see,  I still didnt get it exactly right
   

 Next job was to cut out and trim the window apertures for the face layers
 

Once the face layers are complete they are presented to the base structure

 

As you can see, despite my best efforts, measurement creep created a 1-2mm overhang on both sheets which had to be trimmed off.

This has been a challenging kit......not recommended for the beginner. There is a lot of very delicate cutting....see the entrance windows above

There was an astonishing amount of intricate finishing detail to cut and fit.......this shot is mainly just pediments and casings for the first floor windows

 

 

I think the end result makes all the faff worthwhile. The depth of the detail and the multi layering make it hard to believe it is just made from paper and card. John is a very talented designer

Here is a close up of the finished frontage.......sadly exposing assorted cutting errors which I hope some discreet weathering will conceal.

 

And now roughly in place alongside the Post Office




The roof is unfinished.....the design calls for gables and a plant room. I am going to wait until the other three sides are in place before deciding the best layout

With only the front semi completed, the rear doesnt look too exciting but I want to show it so you can visualise how all the buildings will eventually coalesce

 

 

 

 

Very much a work in progress but showing some potential..... I think the varied roof lines will look rather well........particularly when I get round to the Castle right at the back.

The hotel back wall will have a semi industrial look.....kitchens and ventilation which will link in with the third and final building .....a warehouse extension of the canal warehouse.


I am going to take a break from cutting card for a few days and run some trains........there may well be pictures of a loco or two next week

The weather in the UK sounds horrendous (it certainly looked wild at Murrayfield)...... I hope you are all safe and well

Best wishes

John

Edited August 25, 2022 by john dew
25/8/22 Photos

[7APT7]

6 hours ago, john dew said:

Thanks for all the ticks guys and a warm welcome to two new followers

 

I missed posting last week......domestic events intervened. We have a family tradition where my daughters specify the theme/menu for a family lunch to celebrate their respective birthday. You would be amazed how long it takes to source and prepare the ingredients for Cassoulet!

 

I did, however, find find time to start the hotel build. I am not proposing to do a step by step  " how I did it" . I try and remember to take photos during the build and a small selection should give an idea of the construction sequence along with some of the potential hazards!

The plan is to modify the Scalescenes Low Relief Kit to create a complete building that will then become part of Saint Asaph's square, outside the station

Here is a clip of the low relief building from the Scalescene website.






Its pretty tall.....10" high but only 1 1/2" deep.

The plan is to build the frontage direct from the kit and then scratch build longer sides with a detailed back and a roof.

I dont want to create a random collection of buildings that have been plonked in place. The square should look as though it has developed gradually over many years (which in model terms I guess it has!). I was a bit worried that the hotel will be too tall and dominant in relation to the station and GPO. To help make up my mind I set up the front base layer as a mock up in the hotels intended location 




I left it there for about a week before cutting anything. Finally decided it would work but the jury is still out on the roof line.

I originally intended to build the hotel in the same simplified manner as the GPO.....ie no interior detail relying solely on internal beams and buttresses to support a single structural floor.

Having read the instructions more than once.....always a good idea......I changed my mind and decided it would be prudent to build the frontage exactly as specified ie low relief and use that structure as the foundation to which I would subsequently add sides and rear.

So lots of cutting.....5 floors,10 internal walls and 2  (4 ply) external walls just for starters


 

 

Classic John Wiffen design.........this will not be a flimsy structure!

One of the issues with a multi floor construction such as this is "measurement creep".

If one side walls is 1mm over size its not a problem......but if the overcut  (or overprint) is consistent over all 5 floors then you have a 5mm discrepancy which is significant.

There is a similar effect with the horizontal members. The "heavy" card I use is a little (0.25 +- mm) thicker than the specified 2mm. The 5 floors use 14 pieces of card.....bingo thats another 3 or 4 mm out! Fortunately I have run into this issue before so there was a lot of dry fitting and testing

I used the skirting board and architrave on each floor as a guide and had to carefully trim almost every side wall and, as you will see,  I still didnt get it exactly right
   

 Next job was to cut out and trim the window apertures for the face layers

 

Once the face layers are complete they are presented to the base structure



As you can see, despite my best efforts, measurement creep created a 1-2mm overhang on both sheets which had to be trimmed off.

This has been a challenging kit......not recommended for the beginner. There is a lot of very delicate cutting....see the entrance windows above

There was an astonishing amount of intricate finishing detail to cut and fit.......this shot is mainly just pediments and casings for the first floor windows


 

 

I think the end result makes all the faff worthwhile. The depth of the detail and the multi layering make it hard to believe it is just made from paper and card. John is a very talented designer

Here is a close up of the finished frontage.......sadly exposing assorted cutting errors which I hope some discreet weathering will conceal.



And now roughly in place alongside the Post Office




The roof is unfinished.....the design calls for gables and a plant room. I am going to wait until the other three sides are in place before deciding the best layout

With only the front semi completed, the rear doesnt look too exciting but I want to show it so you can visualise how all the buildings will eventually coalesce

 

 

Very much a work in progress but showing some potential..... I think the varied roof lines will look rather well........particularly when I get round to the Castle right at the back.

The hotel back wall will have a semi industrial look.....kitchens and ventilation which will link in with the third and final building .....a warehouse extension of the canal warehouse.

Finally a shot which, hopefully, conveys some idea of the overall scene I am trying to create





I am going to take a break from cutting card for a few days and run some trains........there may well be pictures of a loco or two next week

The weather in the UK sounds horrendous (it certainly looked wild at Murrayfield)...... I hope you are all safe and well

Best wishes

John

 

Hi John

 

Superb modelling mate, love the details, the close up of the PO look almost real

How did you make the station canopy...? out of what bits to create the Arch from one side to the other...?

 

Regards

Jamie

[Neal Ball]

The hotel looks great @john dew another fine looking model.

 

For the rear, could you simply replicate the top two floors down to ground level, ie. plain windows and then gave both the sides plain brick, with maybe 1 window in the middle of each floor to replicate a bathroom at the end of the corridor. Associated pipes running down the centre then would be straightforward...... (Obviously there were no en suites when the hotel was built)

 

I can’t suggest anything for the kitchens on the ground floor, other than a high wall running round the back that would stop you seeing in. Don’t forget access for deliveries at the back.

 

Hope that helps, it will be good to see it develop.