Lime Street Station

[ianLMS]

Cant wait to see it at Warley (if I can get close enough or see through the crowd that is). I know this will be one of, if not the highlight of the exhibition!

[Steve Hewitt]

I'm pretty sure the Tyneside exhibition is November 10th / 11th (it had better be - I've reserved a room at my folks for the weekend).

 

Well spotted  

 

I've edited the original post.

 

Steve.

[BobM]

Awesome....will look forwards to seeing this at Warley (Saturday) at the NEC in November....advanced tickets arrived today...

 

Regards always,

Bob

[Steve Hewitt]

And now for something a little different........

 

A few weeks ago some of us enjoyed a visit to the recently de-commissioned Signal Box at Lime Street.

Among the group was Gordon who makes Video Blogs "VLOGS" of transport subjects in our area.

We told him about the railway, and invited him to make a Vlog of it.

 

"Nodrog" is Gordon's Vlogging name, and his Vlogs can be found on YouTube.

 

Here is the Vlog he made when he visited John recently:

 

 

Hope you enjoy it.

 

Steve.

[dj_crisp]

An excellent watch

 

Thanks!

[Brocp]

Great video. Love seeing the layout. What will the next big project be? Ballasting?

[Steve Hewitt]

Great video. Love seeing the layout. What will the next big project be? Ballasting?

Thanks,

 

Yes, John is planning to use the time between our visits to Warley in November and the Wigan show next autumn to complete the detailing of the boards at the front of the layout.

The "Spine Boards" which carry the rear platforms and main running lines up the cutting are already ballasted and have point rodding installed etc.

There's a lot more to it than Ballasting and Rodding though  

 

Steve.

[Brocp]

Thanks,

 

Yes, John is planning to use the time between our visits to Warley in November and the Wigan show next autumn to complete the detailing of the boards at the front of the layout.

The "Spine Boards" which carry the rear platforms and main running lines up the cutting are already ballasted and have point rodding installed etc.

There's a lot more to it than Ballasting and Rodding though

 

Steve.

I can only imagine Steve. What are some of the larger projects that need doing?

[Steve Hewitt]

I can only imagine Steve. What are some of the larger projects that need doing?

Along with ballasting etc., platform surfaces Top and Edges require detailing, weathering and populating.

 

At present the baseplates for the semaphore signals are all plain.

They need camouflaging into their surroundings, timber covers for platform pits etc.

 

The road system has a number of refinements "on the drawing board".

Possibly DCC for the trams to improve Start/Stop performance etc., and introduce on board sound.

 

As the quantity of stock increases, we will be able to extend the operating sequence.

At present all our London trains are departures, starting with empty stock movements followed by the train engine coming light from Edge Hill.

With more stock we will extend the system into the afternoon, and have the balance workings from London.

We intend to have a completely new operating sequence in time for Wigan next year, hopefully based more closely on the prototype timetable for 1947.

 

I think that's enough to keep us busy    

 

Steve.

[Steve Hewitt]

Preparing for the Newcastle show....................

 

Yesterday Rob and I helped John to dismantle the layout boards ready for loading into the vans next Thursday.

 

John and Brian had already removed all the "loose" items earlier in the week, so I had the opportunity to take this shot of the "bare" baseboards:

 

This view is never available once the Buttresses, Roof etc. are in place, and allows an appreciation of the complex trackwork which is negotiated by every arriving and departing train.

The extremely confined space available between the platform ends and the start of the cutting is particularly clear.

 

Why not come along to the Newcastle (Nov 10/11) or Warley (Nov 24/25) shows, and do make yourself known.

 

Although the three operators do have to concentrate, and have their backs to you, we try to ensure one or more of the team is available to answer questions and explain how it all works.

 

Looking forward to seeing many of you soon,

 

Steve.

Edited November 2, 2018 by Steve Hewitt

[Siberian Snooper]

Wow, that S & C is seriously impressive!

[GordonC]

Preparing for the Newcastle show....................

 

Yesterday Rob and I helped John to dismantle the layout boards ready for loading into the vans next Thursday.

 

John and Brian had already removed all the "loose" items earlier in the week, so I had the opportunity to take this shot of the "bare" baseboards:

 

Bare boards.jpg

This view is never available once the Buttresses, Roof etc. are in place, and allows an appreciation of the complex trackwork which is negotiated by every arriving and departing train.

The extremely confined space available between the platform ends and the start of the cutting is particularly clear.

 

Why not come along to the Newcastle (Nov 10/11) or Warley (Nov 17/18) shows, and do make yourself known.

 

Although the three operators do have to concentrate, and have their backs to you, we try to ensure one or more of the team is available to answer questions and explain how it all works.

 

Looking forward to seeing many of you soon,

 

Steve.

 

have you got the right dates for Warley there - is it not the 24th/25th November?

 

Wouldn't want you turning up for the wrong weekend! ...

[Steve Hewitt]

I wondered when you'd spot that Wilson......

 

 

Edited.

Many thanks for reminding me to check before I post.

 

Steve.

[LMS2968]

A bit late, I know, but this is the best photo I've (just) found showing the Lord Nelson Street building. From the Liverpool echo.

 

 

Edit: https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/nostalgia/gallery/pictures-merseyside-air-part-two-8369088

30th July 1969.

Edited November 5, 2018 by LMS2968

[LMS2968]

Another from the same source, October 1953.

 

[Steve Hewitt]

Those are fantastic photos.

 

I'll try to get a similar view of the layout as in the 1953 shot when we erect the layout in Newcastle this weekend.

 

Steve.

[Les Green]

 

The Lime Street operating team head towards the Tyneside Model Railway Exhibition in Newcastle!

[Steve Hewitt]

Another from the same source, October 1953.

 

Our representation of a small section of the above picture........

 

 

I managed to get this shot on my phone during set up at the Tyneside exhibition last Friday.

 

The hotel is built to scale at 4mm per foot, but some compression of the buildings to the right has been necessary to fit the space available.

The Theatre to the left of the hotel is an excellent perspective model built by Chris Hewitt, which can only be viewed at an acute angle once the assembly of the layout is complete.

 

Steve.

Edited November 14, 2018 by Steve Hewitt

[Steve Hewitt]

Deleted second posting.

Edited November 14, 2018 by Steve Hewitt

[Steve Hewitt]

Off we go again.......

 

Only two weeks since we were at the Tyneside show and tomorrow we're off to the Warley National at the NEC.

The layout is all loaded into the two vans, ready for a 9:00-ish start.

We've never done two shows so close together.

The layout hadn't moved since it was unloaded ten days ago.

 

If you get to the NEC please come round and introduce yourself.

We have so many contacts on RMweb, its nice to be able to put a face to a name.

 

Steve.

[ianLMS]

Really looking forward to seeing this exquisite layout tomorrow. I am sure the crowd will be several deep at the barriers!!

[ianLMS]

I saw the layout first thing on Sat morning before the crowds were three deep at the barriers. What a stunning model and the engineering, electronics and build quality were just amazing. Thank you for taking time to chat with me in the morning, especially considering you had issues with power etc before the show started.

 

The hotel is a work of art and the street scene is so realistic. This was the highlight of Warley for me this year and good luck with future exhibitions!

 

Ian

[Steve Hewitt]

Home again, safe & well........

 

The layout arrived home about 12.00 Monday and the various operators by about 16:00.

We think we are OK, and hope that goes for the layout as well.

 

Many thanks to all who came to see us, you were up to four deep most of the time, we very much appreciate your interest.

 

 

We hope we were able to answer your questions both about the prototype and the model.

As usual, we picked up a few more "memories" from those who have known the location themselves, and we try to incorporate suitable details into the model as it is developed.

 

There have been a few adverse comments elsewhere on RMweb about a lack of movement on the layout.

I can assure you there is almost always something moving, but it can't always be seen from any particular location.

Indeed, as operators, we can't see much of the action either, which is why we need 22 CCTV cameras to enable us to maintain control.

 

The very nature of the prototype precludes a continuous flow of inbound and outbound trains.

There are no engine release facilities on any of the eleven platforms, meaning each arrival requires some sort of shunting movement before it can depart. (How easy  for the driver to just walk along the platform to the other end, and the "Arrival" becomes a "Departure".)

The need to perform this shunting is then handicapped by there being only one "Shunting Neck" up into the cutting.

This entails plenty of movement, but most is difficult to see.

Should we being leaving the wonderful station roof at home, so a view from above is more possible?

 

Once a train has departed to Edge Hill and beyond, it has to be shunted away into the Fiddle Yard of ten roads, each two full trains long.

This itself involves plenty of "movement", but only visible to those at that end of the layout.

Our operating sequence tries to balance the work at each end of the layout, to minimise the "no movement visible" problem, but inevitably there are occasions when this is unavoidable.

 

There was some professional interest as well. Not sure who this was for.

 

Looking ahead, there is a lot of detail cosmetic work for John to get on with - Ballasting, Point Rodding, etc. on the front half of the station. He managed to do the rear platforms some time ago.

 

Our next show is Wigan 2019 - the only booking  currently for next year.

By then we hope to have developed a completely new operating sequence based more closely on the Working Timetable for winter 1947 - immediately prior to the creation of British Railways.

Our ultimate aim is to be able to represent a full weekday working, but that is some time off as yet.

 

Many thanks once again for all your interest, comments and encouragement and particularly to Warley MRC for their invitation and hospitality.

 

Steve.

 

[1BCamden]

Hi Lime Street Station Team, well done again guys. Regarding the lack of movement “comments” I would say based on the attendance, and interest shown by the viewing public, it is not an issue, keep up the great effort.

Edited November 28, 2018 by 1BCamden

[Tony Teague]

Notwithstanding the "adverse comments" that you may have received, I consider Lime Street to have been the best layout in the Show by a country mile.

As to "lack of movement", which is a pet hate of mine for exhibition layouts, one key difference with Lime Street for me is that there is just so much amazing detail to take in that even if there were a gap - which I did not witness - then it would be easily filled by noticing and admiring some new detail.

 

Tony