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

[john dew]

15 hours ago, 7APT7 said:

 

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

 

 

Thanks Jamie, glad you like it The station roof is also a (modified) Scalescene kit. The arches are made from laminated card! Its a very ingenious design whereby quite slender arches create a very robust structure

 

Regards

 

John

[john dew]

8 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

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.

 

Hi Neal

 

Thank you for those helpful comments.......you have actually covered many of the design elements on my list. The side facing the GPO will, indeed be very basic. The other side, however, faces right into the room and is very obvious....I am hoping two replicate the front but without the entrance door and columns etc....ie the two lower windows side by side which will be linked to the front by the corner assembly you can see in the first shot

 

The rear will be pretty much as you describe it.......the Scalescene High St backs has some interesting bits and pieces including some ventilation units........another idea would be an emergency staircase but I think that might prove too difficult to match with the floors.......its also expensive.

I think the big challenge will be the roof....but thats a few weeks away

 

Best wishes

 

John

 

[rovex]

Might I suggest that the elevation to the rear is lower. Perhaps two floors lower. Also this might include the dining room or ballroom which might have larger windows perhaps across two floors. Also a change in levels would create more interesting roof line perhaps with skylights over a central staircase or the dining room/ballroom.

Keep up the good work

[FoxUnpopuli]

It's great to see a big, busy town/city centre coming to fruition.  I'm especially interested in areas like this as I'm both planning a 'London-based' station, and also one of the layouts (Bournville) is a shed, a station and the industrial area (Cadbury's) so there will be large buildings amongst them.

 

The London scene is coming together in my head.  Part of something that became known as 'the Abercrombie Plans' included the redevelopment of the South Bank and the rearrangement of the major railway stations in the south-west part of the city.  Victoria was very well established, but Waterloo & Waterloo East, Cannon Street, Charing Cross, and Blackfriars/St. Pauls and their various lines and viaducts all (still) take valuable real estate in that area.  Abercrombie suggested they be combined into a single larger station, and his team's ideas for a total redevelopment of The South Bank pretty much flattened (or substantially relocated) Waterloo.  I'd love to model a new Waterloo station and surrounding area in 1947, which would remove Charing Cross and Cannon Street, probably retaining Blackfriars, as the link north-south through Farringdon to St Pancras would have been much more relevant.  The challenge will be the massive proposed architectural redevelopment of the South Bank  - and showing a bit of river too.  It's a huge expanse of model - about a square mile, or roughly a 20 metre square - thus it would have to be 'focussed' somewhat.  Practicality means it would be 5.6/6m square double garage sized building, with routes in and out through the walls, but access means the model would be a 2-2.5m wide 'curve' through the centre of the room, allowing access from...  well, the North-East (riverside) and South-West (say... 'The Old Vic'!)

 

Operationally, this gives me the chance to run all four carriers in the station, with LMS and LNER travelling East (then north) through Blackfriars, and GWR moving off to the South West (with the occasional north for Paddington) and SR going both ways.  I thought it might be fun to have London Transport run the overground local trains and station piloting too, so some 'modern' locos from the big 4 could be liveried up in the lovely red and gold LT colours that they never really wore - Fairburn tanks for passenger trains, maybe some Q1s for goods!

 

But to bring it back - nice buildings, very interesting construction and tip-top kitbashing to make them 'yours'.  Big thumbs-up.

 

[john dew]

20 hours ago, rovex said:

Might I suggest that the elevation to the rear is lower. Perhaps two floors lower. Also this might include the dining room or ballroom which might have larger windows perhaps across two floors. Also a change in levels would create more interesting roof line perhaps with skylights over a central staircase or the dining room/ballroom.

Keep up the good work

 

Thats a very interesting idea......thank you.......I hadnt thought of changing the levels. I havent got a lot of depth to play with before I am on the tracks but I will have a much clearer idea once I have completed the corner module. I llike the idea of a skylight!

 

Thanks again for the suggestions

 

Kind Regards

 

John

 

[john dew]

4 hours ago, FoxUnpopuli said:

It's great to see a big, busy town/city centre coming to fruition.  I'm especially interested in areas like this as I'm both planning a 'London-based' station, and also one of the layouts (Bournville) is a shed, a station and the industrial area (Cadbury's) so there will be large buildings amongst them.

 

 

 

 

 

Hi Mark

 

Thanks for the comments. Thats a monster layout you are planning. I hope you start a layout thread it will be interesting to follow its development

 

Regards

 

John

 

[FoxUnpopuli]

Yes John - it would be a monster, the whole thing is a very long term project.  Unfortunately the home and garden where it is going needs a bit of work first.  I may put some of that progress on RMWeb.

 

As for the layouts, because all them are quite a way off starting, I'm a little wary of a public thread.  Stock collection/creation is under way; my LMS and LNER fleets are getting somewhere, with the odd GWR loco creeping in.  I'm looking forward to finding some Bulleid and Maunsell locos.  There are a good few wagons to run...  but coaches, well, I might need a bit of help finding sensible stock and rake organisation thereof.

 

Next is kitbuilding and some 3D printing work, for wagons, locos, buildings and other items.  I'm looking forward to some brass construction and airbrush use.

 

But for the beginning of this year, this is more the dilemma: re-plaster this lath with lime, or strip it all and apply plastrboard to the stud and skim that instead...

 

[john dew]

 

 

A fortnight ago I left you with this photo of my new Dapol Railcar and the promise of a video once the decoder had arrived.
 

In truth I also needed time to pluck up courage before spoiling the pristine finish.

I have long since given up having any qualms about attacking brand new shiny locomotives but, for some reason, I always get rather nervous about applying a few coats of grimy black to immaculate white coach roofs.

Anyway the deed is done:

 

Not the best paint job I have ever done but in the interests of realism......essential. The Railcar was built in 1937.....Granby is based in early 1948......not too many white roofs about then

In addition to the roof the body had a few washes of diluted dirty brown......rather more coats on the lower body along a light dusting of weathering powders. The valances or skirts were almost all removed from 1939 so they have gone and the bogies painted with gunge, grease and a touch of rust.

The Zimo Budget 21 pin decoder was a straightforward plug in. You will be able to judge the performance from the video. There is perhaps the slightest suggestion of "hunting" but generally its silky smooth.
 
With pick ups on both bogies, I didnt bother with stay alives but I did find that it could be sensitive to track imperfections! The unpowered bogie didnt like being pushed through a couple of my facing points although had no objection when pulled, so a little care had to be exercised with speed limits and orientation.

I do like the lights:

 

Never had a loco with lights before so I am like a kid with a new toy!

Testing concluded, the railcar has been incorporated into Granby's RR&Co schedules. There is now a regular routine where the car leaves Chester (storage) for King Street Parcels Depot at Granby then heads back to the lower level branch. Stopping briefly at Cynwyd it continues over the canal to Corwen (Storage under main station!).  
The video shows the second part of this routine......from King St to Corwen


Here are a few stills by way of a trailer......


 

The railcar leaves King Street




And enters Bay Platform 1

 

 

 

 

Note the rear light  (but try and ignore the driver and absence of a Rear Loco Lamp

 

 

The car prepares to depart and the lights automatically change......the child in me thinks....cool!  You can see all this and the facing point being thrown on the video

 

 

The car arrives at Cynwyd

 

and crosses the Canal for Corwen


 

Hope you enjoy the video......its kind of rough and ready. I just started the routine and pointed the Ipad. The only editing was cutting out the ceiling shots when I changed position

 

 

 

 

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

[Edward]

May I just say what a marvellous thread this is!  I have read through over the past few weeks and found it a calming influence over all the cares of the  world.   I was greatly impressed by the video that showed how the locos were moved by the automatic system in sequence. 

Anyway looking foward to the next postings!

 

Best regards

Edward

[St Enodoc]

3 hours ago, john dew said:

Here are a few stills by way of a trailer......

I thought it was a powered car not a trailer...

[Neal Ball]

Great shots of the railcar @john dew, lovely to see the video and be able to see the layout in context.

 

Have you tackled the interior lights yet? Removing F2. The black roof is much better than a pristine white.

[M.I.B]

The black roof and dirt looks excellent .  I am still very envious of the corner warehouse, and your ability to get some many excellent buildings onto the layout without it being crowded.

[john dew]

20 hours ago, Edward said:

May I just say what a marvellous thread this is!  I have read through over the past few weeks and found it a calming influence over all the cares of the  world.   I was greatly impressed by the video that showed how the locos were moved by the automatic system in sequence. 

Anyway looking foward to the next postings!

 

Best regards

Edward

Thanks Edward.....that is very kind of you. I am glad you liked the engine shed video......virtually all my videos are operated automatically by RR&Co but I have got in the habit of keeping it in the background......I keep meaning to make another one that features it a bit more.

 

Best wishes

 

John
 

 

[john dew]

8 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

Great shots of the railcar @john dew, lovely to see the video and be able to see the layout in context.

 

Have you tackled the interior lights yet? Removing F2. The black roof is much better than a pristine white.

Thanks Neal........I can control the interior lights from both the DCC throttles and RR&Co although I am still working on the automated side. I am a bit of a novice with functions but I think the Zimo chip controls the  interior light with F1......I have been leaving them on for now!

 

Best wishes

 

John

[john dew]

7 hours ago, M.I.B said:

The black roof and dirt looks excellent .  I am still very envious of the corner warehouse, and your ability to get some many excellent buildings onto the layout without it being crowded.

Thanks Tinker

 

The roof was a bit of a nightmare.....the dog doesnt venture into the train room but his hair sure does....it gets everywhere and is particularly attracted to drying paint.

 

Best wishes

 

John

[Neal Ball]

54 minutes ago, john dew said:

Thanks Neal........I can control the interior lights from both the DCC throttles and RR&Co although I am still working on the automated side. I am a bit of a novice with functions but I think the Zimo chip controls the  interior light with F1......I have been leaving them on for now!

 

Best wishes

 

John

 

Thanks @john dew F1 controls the cab lights; with F2 controlling the parcels interior lights!

 

Usually F2 is reserved for a non latching function like a whistle, rather than needing a continuous circuit like a light.

[vulcanbomber]

May I ask where you got the driver for the Railcar from?

Yes I bit the bullet as well and painted the roof black grey look so much better.

[john dew]

1 hour ago, vulcanbomber said:

May I ask where you got the driver for the Railcar from?

Yes I bit the bullet as well and painted the roof black grey look so much better.

They are from a Bachmann set of 40’s/50’s loco crew.They came ready painted and I touched them up a bit.

 

Best wishes

[St Enodoc]

3 hours ago, john dew said:

They are from a Bachmann set of 40’s/50’s loco crew.They came ready painted and I touched them up a bit.

 

Best wishes

They make very good diesel crew. I've used them in my Kernow Warship to good effect.

[M.I.B]

How do you cope with general dust John?   Stock is not so bad as it can be lifted up for leaning with the pink 5 branch crane, but building roofs etc?

 

I did have ideas about dust covers or thin boards to lay over the layout, propped up with suitable stands which were inserted into pockets.  These pockets would be covered by removable buildings like a plate layer hut or lamp hut, placed at strategic points.

 

 

[john dew]

5 hours ago, M.I.B said:

How do you cope with general dust John?   Stock is not so bad as it can be lifted up for leaning with the pink 5 branch crane, but building roofs etc?

 

I did have ideas about dust covers or thin boards to lay over the layout, propped up with suitable stands which were inserted into pockets.  These pockets would be covered by removable buildings like a plate layer hut or lamp hut, placed at strategic points.

 

 

 

The dust kind of accumulates and adds to the general grime........it certainly adds to the weathering patina on the locos! The canal is an issue and I dust that fairly regularly. I am not in the railway every day but holidays apart it is very rare for a week to go by without some trains running which keeps the tracks clean

 

With your travel itinerary and other interests I think easily removeable dust covers would be a good idea for North Cranford

 

Cheers

 

John

[M.I.B]

By the time NC gets the full scenic treatment I won't be travelling any more.

 

Regards from a chilly Baghdad.

[john dew]

I spent most of my time last week wrestling with RR&Co. I suspect few of the followers of this thread share my fascination with computor control but an account of day to day life on Granby would be incomplete without the occasional passing reference.

 

One of the essential elements of computor control is that every train on the layout is shown in the same block ( and facing the same way !) on the computor screen. In an ideal world the shortest block will accommodate the longest train but in practice this is not always the case. There are protocols for dealing with a train that overhangs into the previous block but I managed to confuse RR&Co with this scenario: 

 

Dean Goods backs branch goods into short siding, uncouples brake van and leaves in the opposite direction to shunt the yard.

 

 

 

This is normally a straightforward procedure . The fact that the train occupied two blocks and was then separated into two separate units one of which reversed direction produced some very "unexpected results".

 

Typically the train was located in the short block and the brake van in front of it in the previous block ! This was not helpful.

 

I lost count of the number of times I ran that schedule back and forth. If nothing else I proved that not only is patience a virtue but adding a Zimo decoder +stay alive to an Oxford Dean Goods transforms its performance. It literally didnt miss a beat.......not a moments hesitation as it pushed a 7 car train over dodgy track at scale 10 mph

 

 

 

After much trial and tribulation I finally devised a means of convincing the computor to believe me. It could not be described as an elegant solution.....in fact Heath Robinson verges on flattery.......but it works:

 

Computor screen and reality are as one again

 

The brake van is uncoupled

 

 

 

 

The rest of the train heads back to start shunting

 

 

 

For those few of you who found the RR&Co stuff interesting  you can find a more detailed explanation of the problem and solution here

 

https://www.freiwald.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=34766

 

I hope that everyone else did not find it too boring. If nothing else it gave me the opportunity to post more photos of what is rapidly becoming one of my favourite locos

 

 

 

Regards from Vancouver where we are in holiday mode....next week we will be flying to Mexico for a short break

 

John

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

[St Enodoc]

2 hours ago, john dew said:

I suspect few of the followers of this thread share my fascination with computor control

I find it fascinating, John, but I definitely have no desire to go down that path! For a lone wolf like you I do understand the attraction though.

[john dew]

2 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

I find it fascinating, John, but I definitely have no desire to go down that path! For a lone wolf like you I do understand the attraction though.

Delighted you found it interesting......I wouldnt dream of attempting to convert you. Its not for everybody and certainly not for someone like you with a well established group of operators. 

It undoubtedly keeps my ancient grey cells ticking over!

 

 

Cheers

 

John