Lime Street Station

[Steve Hewitt]

Hello Steve45,

 

Thanks for your comment and question.

 

The situation around exhibitions is as follows:

We have discussed the way forward for the layout and decided reluctantly that we will not be taking it out to any more exhibitions.

 

The reasons behind this decision are

1.  The Lime Street Crew, currently some seven strong are beginning to feel the passage of time. Three of our team are already in their eighties, and only one is not a pensioner.

2.  Consequently we have decided that it will always be necessary to have extra accommodation both before and after an event.

3.  The size and weight of the layout now demands the use of two vans - a Luton box van with tail-lift and a long wheelbase Hi-Top.  We also need to take a car.

4.  The usual drivers are now past the age at which it is possible to hire the necessary vans.

5.  The financial consequences of the above mean that very few if any Exhibition managers can afford to invite us even though we usually take some of the cost ourselves.

 

We now see the future of Lime street involving regular and frequent operating sessions in its home location.

 

In this situation we envisage hosting small groups for one-day visits where they will have the opportunity to "get under the skin" of the railway and have hands on operating experience if they so desire.

The maximum size of a visiting group would be six persons.

Such visits would be strictly by invitation. There will definitely not be any "Open Days".

 

There are still one or two technical developments to be completed before the whole layout will be fully operational, but we are anticipating have "proper" running sessions by the summer, hopefully 2024!

 

I hope all this is clear and we await reaction with interest.

 

Steve

 

 

 

 

 

[AY Mod]

18 minutes ago, Steve Hewitt said:

In this situation we envisage hosting small groups for one-day visits where they will have the opportunity to "get under the skin" of the railway and have hands on operating experience if they so desire.

 

I think it's a grand approach having enjoyed sessions on several large layouts.

[51235]

Hi Steve and the team

Whilst we are disappointed that many of us will no be able to see they layout in the flesh at exhibitions, we have to understand, accept and respect the logic behind this decision.

At least we can see the new developments on RMWeb and look forward to seeing and hearing the movement in videos. 

Looking foward to your posts 😁

 

Andy

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

Youngsters today, no commitment!!

 

Mike.

[Simond]

Having been part of a group visit a wee while back, I can only say, get yourselves organised, speak to the guys, and hope you can make it happen.  
 

It was a brilliant weekend, and a thoroughly lovely day courtesy of John, Steve and the Lime Street crew.

 

I do hope a repeat will be possible one day.

[hayfield]

Steve

 

This is totally understandable and something which is going on in many clubs all over the country where members are getting on in age and having heavy large layouts.

 

Perhaps in the future the North West will have their own Pendon where enthusiasts can just come and admire and enjoy this very special layout, with another or two equally ground breaking layouts.

 

I feel privileged to have seen it at least twice and was looking forward to seeing the sound version, please thank all involved for giving so much inspiration and just shear pleasure over the years

 

Good luck on the next phase in the layouts journey

 

ps

 

So glad the stolen locos found their way home. 

[Tony Teague]

Having visited the layout in the past, I have to say that this is absoultely the best way to see it - without crowds and with the opportunity to talk with the modellers and operators.

Whilst it moves most of the cost of a visit to the visitor, John and his team still have to put themselves out to host each visit and deal withour inane questions - for which we must all be hugely grateful.

I for one will want to make a re-visit just as soon as the gates re-open!

Tony

[Michael Edge]

It's a shame you're not taking Lime Street out anymore but just to dispel one very common myth about van hire, Enterprise have no age limit for drivers - and the service is excellent.

[The Pilotman]

I consider myself very lucky then when you lugged it (and yourselves) all the way to Utrecht!

[Steve Hewitt]

3 hours ago, The Pilotman said:

I consider myself very lucky then when you lugged it (and yourselves) all the way to Utrecht!

We considered ourselves lucky to be invited to Utrecht for our first overseas exhibition.

We all have very fond memories of our two trips to Utrecht.

These led in turn to visits to Cologne and the enormous Dortmund show.

 

Many thanks to all our Continental hosts who made us so very welcome on our trips abroad.

 

Steve and the Lime Street Crew.

[Dragonboy]

I always spent a lot of time watching Lime St whenever it was at a show where I was, and I have been in awe ever since I first saw it when it was in its infancy at the East of England Showground. My last viewing was at Warley before lockdown and having worked out where it was in the Hall I made a beeline for it and had quite a bit of time in front of it before the crowds built up. 
 

Gentlemen. Thank you for sharing this masterpiece and for your heroics with taking this on the road. It has been much appreciated. 
 

I wish you and the layout all the best for the next chapter and wait with bated breath for the videos to keep us up to date with developments.

 

Brian

[Izzy]

As one of those many souls who for various reasons is unable to get to exhibitions these days and has never seen Lime Street in action the prospect of videos of it to watch is most welcome. 
 

Bob

[Dragonboy]

3 hours ago, Izzy said:

As one of those many souls who for various reasons is unable to get to exhibitions these days and has never seen Lime Street in action the prospect of videos of it to watch is most welcome. 
 

Bob

There are several videos available on You Tube Bob. Just put Liverpool Lime St Model Railway into search.

[gz3xzf]

Steve et al

 

I can understand your decision, long days carting stuff about and standing take their toll on us older folk (& I haven't reached 70 yet!!😁🤣).
I have not had the pleasure of seeing your wonderful layout in "the flesh"; living on the south coast means travelling North of the Watford Gap is becoming less desirable than is used be.

Keep up the good works and I am looking forward to the videos to enjoy.

[t-b-g]

I had the great pleasure of visiting Lime Street at its home base a while ago, with a couple of friends.

 

I many respects, I got much more out of that visit than I did seeing the layout in that environment than I did seeing it at shows. There is so much superb modelling that I was able to appreciate and enjoy "close up" that you just can't see at normal exhibition viewing distances.

 

We were there for a few hours and the layout wasn't even fired up and running but it didn't matter. There is just so much to enjoy just looking at it as a static model and chatting about the techniques and methods used to create it.

[lmsforever]

Time has caught up with you all unfortunately like it is everyone hope you enjoy  running it at home the invites to groups is a great idea this will give peolple ideas for the future .Thanks for the layout it is truly a brilliant piece of work and will give you all a great deal of pleasure for a long time.

[Fishplate]

It is a shame it won't be at exhibitions anymore, but the idea of  'at home' days is a great idea. 

 

As someone who has not exhibited a layout, I admire all the effort that goes into building, transporting maintaining and manning a large exhibition layout. It is really appreciated that others can see, and get inspiration from, those modellers who make that commitment.

 

I've been fortunate to see Lime Street at least twice when you've brought it across to the Northeast.

 

Good luck with your new arrangement 👍

[Steve Hewitt]

Second training day completed successfully.........................

 

Another great day with John getting used to the new ways of working.

It's quite noticeable how the superb control which DCC affords, together with the synchronised sound effects, encourages much better driving by the operators. There used to be a temptation to drive too quickly and rush through the operating sequence. This seems to be replaced by efforts to simulate prototypical practice, as best we can remember it!

By lunch time I felt confident with the Station control panel, so I moved to the Sector Plate controls for the afternoon.

With only one operator on the Station panel this gives the Sector Plate operator an opportunity for a stroll around the whole layout.

I took advantage of these little breaks in activity to capture a few shots on my phone:

John, busy on the Station control panel, with my empty chair beyond!

 

A view over the station roof looking towards the hotel.

 

Lime Street and the Station Hotel.

 

The old carriage drive entrance to the station with the main platforms beyond.

 

Quite busy on Lime Street!

 

Looking across the station throat to a London express waiting the "Right Away".

 

Locos waiting their next turn of duty.

 

A little video clip as the station pilot takes the mail train up the shunting neck. 

 

This is the sector plate and fiddle yard, which I am supposed to be operating!

 

More when we can..........

 

Steve

 

[LMS2968]

7 hours ago, Steve Hewitt said:

The old carriage drive entrance to the station with the main platforms beyond.

 

 

 

Gloucester Street, which used to run a long way east until someone dropped a great big station on top of it!

Edited April 23 by LMS2968

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

 

Apologies, but I can't get this image out of my head!

 

 

Mike.

[Jack P]

Fantastic update @Steve Hewitt!

 

Had you considered more videos of the layout in operation? the slow running and endless detail makes for a great watch. 

[Steve Hewitt]

13 minutes ago, Jack P said:

Fantastic update @Steve Hewitt!

 

Had you considered more videos of the layout in operation? the slow running and endless detail makes for a great watch. 

Hi Jack, 

Yes we hope to publish many more videos now that we are starting regular running again. 

Steve.