1977joey Posted December 14, 2011 Author Share Posted December 14, 2011 Hi Chaps. Well i've been having a bit of a think about my layout of late, & since its completion, i havn't felt overall satisfied with it & the area i've chosen, no matter how much i've played about with altering the current station plan & also because i'm a very indecisive chap at the best of times . I think I mentioned earlier in the thread i'd thought about basing it either Shrewsbury area or Chester area. Further to this, i've been finding the Chester area more & more appealing. I have sufficiant stock to make this work & base it in the late 80's/early 90's. I've also been looking up Chester Northgate, which was a terminus nearer to Chester city centre & was used for local services to the wirral. With this in mind, i've been thinking of ripping up my current station (not touching the rest of the layout, just the station area) & rebuilding a 4 platformed terminus, with holding sidings to the one side of it & better run round facilities for loco hauled trains. I currently use set track points between Platform 4 & centre road & these are not very reliable & gives a large bap between the the running lines. My version of Chester Northgate, I would imagine this to be the main station for all North wales coast through services, all reversing here of course, the terminus for Manchester via Northwich local services & the services to Shrewsbury via Wrexham. I'm then imagining Chester General to be the station for all the wirral line services (which northgate wouldn't see). For me this will forfill what i want to see, more InterCity services (in hope Farish do some 'InterCity exec' mark 2's), including some Loco hauled Transpennine services supplemented by Sprinter's, DMU's on local services & also parcels & the occasional freight. I'll commence the changeabout over christmas after drawing up some plans, so watch this space. For all of you that have followed Shawbury in its current state, thankyou for your feedback & inspiration All the best, mark. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium MrSimon Posted December 14, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 14, 2011 Good luck with the changeover! Are you staying on this thread or starting a new one? Will keep following Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloucester Road Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 Keep us uptodate with the changes. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
1977joey Posted December 15, 2011 Author Share Posted December 15, 2011 Good luck with the changeover! Are you staying on this thread or starting a new one? Will keep following Simon Keep us uptodate with the changes. Cheers Guys I'll probably be starting a new thread Simon as the station will be renamed, so look out for 'Chester Northgate' once I start demolition work on Shawbury station & the dreaded track ripping/laying All the best Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium MrSimon Posted December 15, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 15, 2011 Use hot water and it should be fine (I'm assuming you used track pins) Kris reccommended it to me the other week and I could re-use every bit of track I took up off Gresby Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
1977joey Posted December 16, 2011 Author Share Posted December 16, 2011 Use hot water and it should be fine (I'm assuming you used track pins) Kris reccommended it to me the other week and I could re-use every bit of track I took up off Gresby Cheers Simon, thats a great idea. My track is track pinned down so I'll definatly try that All the best, Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNCF stephen Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 Good luck with the new station. For what its worth I think that your station really captured the essence of a mainline station in a place like Shrewsbury or Chester. I look forward to seeing your new endeavour! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
1977joey Posted December 16, 2011 Author Share Posted December 16, 2011 Good luck with the new station. For what its worth I think that your station really captured the essence of a mainline station in a place like Shrewsbury or Chester. I look forward to seeing your new endeavour! Thanks Steven . Sadly it just wasn't doing it for me, or the area i'd based it on. I think mainly each time i've done a layout, Shawbury is actually my 5th N guage layout, I have always based them on Shrewsbury. The more i've thought about Chester, the more appealing it has felt. The new station should look better than the one i have now hopefully. It'll still be a terminus as I don't have the room for anything else, though this time i'll go for 2 island platforms, instead of bays like the current plan. All platforms will have isolated sections & will accomodate more than one unit/loco. Then to the one side, there will be a couple of carriage sidings, its a bit difficult to put coaches in the one's I have at present, as they are on a gradient. Both the island Platforms will have decent length canopies & facilities below, but I felt the current plan lacked a waiting room & buffet on Platforms 1 to 4. This is what i'm thinking about...obviously the rest of the layout isn't changing. All the best, Mark. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanks522 Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 Looking good Mark, can't wait to see the new station evolve. Graham. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
1977joey Posted December 17, 2011 Author Share Posted December 17, 2011 Hi Guys, These are the last pics I took of the station this morning before it was no more. Big thanks to Simon for his helpfull advice on hot water over the ballast, i used a dropper & the track came up a treat . Last look at the platforms all intact, people all now removed & put away ready for the new station. The station building.....which will be used again as the frontage of Chester Northgate. All the screens under the old canopies & small details will be carefully broke off for re-use on the new station where possible. Platforms now ripped up & finally the track gone apart from the track that served Platform 1, which i'm keeping. This is as far as i'm going regarding ripping up the track, everything else will remain. The signal box will also remain a feature, tho I may move it a little further down.....i'll see how I feel once I start the new plan. Cheers, Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
devondynosoar118 Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 That was fast work. Will the new one go up as quickly? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
1977joey Posted December 17, 2011 Author Share Posted December 17, 2011 That was fast work. Will the new one go up as quickly? Hi Devondynosoar, Be great if it could...but then it would take away all the fun of building it. I think each layout i've built.....you learn from your mistakes. The new station I'm going to take my time with as I want it to be longer than a year before I get fed up with it again . I admit, Shawbury station was a little rushed. It just depends on time I have really, ....you don't get a lot with shift work sadly Luckily the advantage I have is I can re-use a lot of the features I built for the old station Cheers Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.C.M Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 Blimey Mark, you don't hang around do you, I liked thev old station but I can see why you have changed. The new plan looks good, I will come and check out the thread next weekend, as by then I am sure you will have it pretty much done. Will Chester Northgate see some class 45 and class 33 action. Merry Christmas, Peter. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
1977joey Posted December 18, 2011 Author Share Posted December 18, 2011 Blimey Mark, you don't hang around do you, I liked thev old station but I can see why you have changed. The new plan looks good, I will come and check out the thread next weekend, as by then I am sure you will have it pretty much done. Will Chester Northgate see some class 45 and class 33 action. Merry Christmas, Peter. Hi Peter, Glad you like the new plan . At the moment, there are no 45's available by farish, they were dicontinued a couple of years ago. I know there's class's 44 & 46 available in the shops. Also I know there's hope we may see a re-tooled Class 33 at some point by either Dapol or Farish , so if these become available, i'd love to get a couple. So untill we get those, the Transpennine services will be a mix of 31/47 hauled supplemented by Sprinter's. I'm still basing my layout between say 1987 to 1992 so can run a variety of stuff including my HST on the 'Eustons' the platform kit & some medium points should be with me next week, so will hopefully get at least the track down before the end of the month. Have a great Christmas down in Oz & I look forward to more updates & Pictures of Llanbourne All the best, Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
1977joey Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 OK guys.....i'm getting ready for you all to shout "what the hell" (or words to that effect) !! I have tried & tested the Chester Northgate idea, & its not biting with me. The thought of an InterCity train from London Euston to Holyhead having to reverse in the station with the loco running round, after already changing from electric to diesel traction at Crewe, (Chester only being a short distance from Crewe) felt a bit far fetched to me the more I thought about it. As i'm already over familiar with the Shrewsbury concept....wait for it.... I've decided to call my station when complete SHAWBURY! Better the devil you know as they say!, so the Chester Northgate thread I started will hopefully slide to the depths of the forum archives without too many people noticing (he sais ) So Back to Shawbury the 2nd....or is it the 3rd.... The platforms are constructed, the plan is as per Chester Northgate, 4 good length platforms, each long enough for a loco + 7 Coaches. I've been constructing bits for the platforms such as a waiting room, buffet, staff accomodation & Phone boxes. Here are the pictures.... i will complete the phone boxes with black & yellow trim to represent the original British Telecom 80's phone boxes Cheers for now guys, Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisWV10 Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Hmmm....Here's a suggestion for you...Howabout 'Shawbury North(gate)' then? Look forward to seeing more. C. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
1977joey Posted February 4, 2012 Author Share Posted February 4, 2012 Hmmm....Here's a suggestion for you...Howabout 'Shawbury North(gate)' then? Look forward to seeing more. C. You might have something there Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomJ Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 I like both the old and new Shawbury!! The plan looks good and lots of scope for interest. It really shows off the benefit of N gauge, full length trains in a reasonable space. The HST looks very impressive What I really liked on the old one was all the detailing on the platforms, really brought it to life. I look forward to seeing more of this as it developes. Also a very good choice of time period! It's what I remember as a teenager, the mix of blue/grey locos and coaches with steam era infrastructure lije semaphores and new brighter liveries creeping in. And a chance to still model proper trains with an engine on the front. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
1977joey Posted February 4, 2012 Author Share Posted February 4, 2012 I like both the old and new Shawbury!! The plan looks good and lots of scope for interest. It really shows off the benefit of N gauge, full length trains in a reasonable space. The HST looks very impressive What I really liked on the old one was all the detailing on the platforms, really brought it to life. I look forward to seeing more of this as it developes. Also a very good choice of time period! It's what I remember as a teenager, the mix of blue/grey locos and coaches with steam era infrastructure lije semaphores and new brighter liveries creeping in. And a chance to still model proper trains with an engine on the front. Hi Tom Thanks very much, & glad you like it . I will be doing much the same regarding platform fixtures as I've kept most of it from the old station. Have managed to get hold of some proper GWR valance for the canopies i'm going to build for the new station to give it more character, so am pleased with that. Construction of the canopies is the next job as well as altering the rear of the main building to suit the new station, so watch this space I've always favoured the late 80's/early 90's for the variety of traction, and as you say the old blue/grey & newer liveries Cheers, Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
1977joey Posted February 11, 2012 Author Share Posted February 11, 2012 Hi chaps, the latest progress of the Shawbury rebuild.....the platform canopies. This I tell you I was dreading ....as its a design I havn't tried before.....& thats the traditional GWR style of canopy. But the first one has turned out great ....made from clear Plasticard, card and slaters canopy vanlance. 1st up is the clear plasticard cut to size, & I used vlack marker pen to mark out the individual panes of glass, then stuck on metcalf stone platform side to give the impression of slates. I then bent it to shape & cut out spacers from card to strenthen the structure which i placed about every 10 centimetres The 1st attempt of putting the canopy on its supports On this picture I began gluing on the slaters canopy valance The completed canopy with valance in place... A picture with a couple of trains to show the scale. next is to build the 2nd canopy & get them glued down. Cheers for now guys Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
devondynosoar118 Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 Excellent stuff, I did notice that at least one of your spacers was glued across a pane of glass, which would be a structural failure! Don't forget to colour the white edges of the card. You have come up with a number of simple solutions for this layout which have looked great and it looks like the canopies are another, I loved the last two shots. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
1977joey Posted February 12, 2012 Author Share Posted February 12, 2012 Excellent stuff, I did notice that at least one of your spacers was glued across a pane of glass, which would be a structural failure! Don't forget to colour the white edges of the card. You have come up with a number of simple solutions for this layout which have looked great and it looks like the canopies are another, I loved the last two shots. Hi & thankyou for that. Well as you can see from the pictures, the canopy is not altogether finished, I'm yet to complete the valancing on the otherside & regarding where the spacers are located, I will find something to tidy up these area's once both canopy's are constructed. Glad you like it Cheers, Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
1977joey Posted February 13, 2012 Author Share Posted February 13, 2012 Evening guys, more progress on the canopies for Shawbury station Mk2. I have completed the 2nd canopy, and have added more detail to hide the glue on the spacers underneath with metcalf stone edging, it really has neatened it all off. This is how the station looks as of this evening, the canopy's are only 'in place' & won't be glued until passangers, benches, signs & screens are added. A close up of the canopies The view underneath..... & finally an overall view of the station Cheers for now guys , Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee m22 Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 Hey , Really liking the new station and canopies! Brilliant work Regards Lee Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
1977joey Posted February 14, 2012 Author Share Posted February 14, 2012 Hey , Really liking the new station and canopies! Brilliant work Regards Lee Hi Lee, Thankyou very much, glad you like them , I honestly didn't think my idea for them would work, but thankfully it has. I have a couple of days off work now, so can get more done to the station. Hare's Run is also coming along a treat All the best, Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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