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The appearance at the Crawley show was meant to have the viaduct side of the layout and some of the scenic curved section finished and the Balcombe side just with plain line trackwork pending completion later.  But due to a number of issues John and I were getting further and further behind schedule to the extent that a month or so ago we almost considered pulling out. We had three days of 'practice' at various stages of completion in our local village hall, none of which enabled the full circuit to be completed and tested.  So it was a with a bit of uncertainty that we travelled up from Devon on Friday, with John still threading rail onto trackbases in the van (!) and initial set-up in the evening didn't boost our confidence.  But we were tired and called it a night at 9:30.

 

Next morning before opening was much better and trains were running, if not on the full circuit.  John was still laying the temporary plain track to complete the circuit, using fishplates to distribute the current, Mike sorted out what stock was operational, and I set out the mock-up buildings and display material on the Balcombe side so there was at least something for visitors to look at over there.  Until mid-afternoon we ran a shuttle service over the viaduct while John demonstrated rapid tracklaying, until around 3 pm we ran a train around the whole circuit for the first time.  I wouldn't normally advocate such a mode of exhibiting, but the visitors actually seemed to like observing the process.

 

The Sunday was much more relaxing, we had two more assistants, but the temporary track expanded in the higher temperatures and so ongoing repairs were needed through most of the day.  But we made it, and here are some photos and YouTube links to prove it!

 

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We are indebted to members of the Kent Area Group, particularly to Mike Ainsworth who stuck with it all weekend and who provided much of the stock, especially in the steam-hauled department.

 

In answer to Rich, next appearance is at Scaleforum in September, when we will be quite a bit further advanced.

 

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Clicking on 'Like' or 'Craftmanship' seems inadequate. That is a huge task to complete - even the viaduct on its own would be an impressive layout.

 

Well done!

Edited by ian
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We were a bit concerned at the Crawley show about running multiple EMUs, but that was all down to the nature of the temporary track put down.  Back at base in Devon on Monday night there was no problem with a BIL/HAL/BIL formation, nor with the Belle at high speed (in either direction).  Both were also on superelevated track, which we won't be doing on Balcombe.  I may still add a bit of weight to the BIL/HAL trailers, which are very light.

 

 

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Delighted to see this as a 'going' concern, having been privileged to see parts of the viaduct chez Re6/6 a year or two ago. It is a truly remarkable piece of endeavour, modelling an iconic Brighton structure, and seeing trains rattling over the top is surely the icing on a very rich cake. Well done, chaps!. 

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Clicking on 'Like' or 'Craftmanship' seems inadequate. That is a huge task to complete - even the viaduct on its own would be an impressive layout.

 

Well done!

My thoughts exactly!!!

I would like love to come and see this sometime and can't wait.

My thoughts are also that this could become the standard bearer for "Large main-line P4 layout with continuous running" - it's certainly got the interest, size and scope.

Cheers,

John.

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My thoughts exactly!!!

I would like love to come and see this sometime and can't wait.

My thoughts are also that this could become the standard bearer for "Large main-line P4 layout with continuous running" - it's certainly got the interest, size and scope.

Cheers,

John.

 

Very nice of you to say so, there is also Calcutta Sidings on the circuit as a large P4 roundy-roundy.  Once we get this finished we still have designs on coming off at a tangent at the Brighton end of the viaduct and heading for Lewes via an intermediate through fiddle yard!  I'd probably like to show Lewes on its own first - in some form or other - before we try and hook it all together though!

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  • 2 weeks later...
OK boys and girls, we don't let the grass grow under our feet down 'ere in Devon, so now that the viaduct and Balcombe are finished - no that's not quite true but we can see the end of the tunnel! - we're looking again at the next phase of the plan, Lewes - as alluded to above.

 

So you start with Templot usually, and this is a draft plan laid out on the floor of the clubroom last night (inside TT2, so it's quite compact and bijoux by our standards). This is looking back towards the station, with the Brighton platforms to the left and London to the right. The train is a down excursion to Eastbourne from the LMR, and to its right is the line to the Bluebell line, Uckfield and Eridge. Yes Eridge, please keep up at the back.

 

They all said we were mad with just the viaduct, but that is structurally complete. Balcombe is a mere stopping station. So who still thinks we're bonkers (form an orderly queue please)?

 

Seriously, nothing much more will happen on Lewes until after Scaleforum in September, but the overall plans are still intact even if still on the back burner. We will keep you informed.

 

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Edited by 10800
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Living in Brighton, I spend a lot of travelling through all these places so this is most interesting to follow. looking forward to even more progress!

 

Nestor

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Congratulations on completing a magnificently heroic project; shamefacedly I have to admit it is the first time I have clicked on this thread.

 

I'd like to ask you why some of the original structure appears to be blue?

Is it, as you imply, due to weathering? For you have clearly modelled red (pressed?) brick with large parts skilfully weathered down to blue.

 

My daughter lived for a time close to the Welland viaduct at Harringworth which has a similar red/blue finish. I'd previously made the assumtion that it was because the Resident Engineer at the time of its construction had been obliged to use what he could procure for such a vast project (reputedly Britain's largest masonry structure) to be completed within a reasonable time frame.

Also when viewed in closeup, it seems the railway's DEs were never too fastidious over the years about how they made repairs to and repointed.the Midland viaduct.

 

The Brighton's structure, rather like Box Tunnel on the GW, was always a more significant engineering event in the course of the journey.

 

dh

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Hi chaps,

 

A long term "lurker" on this topic, I thought it high time I added my awe and admiration at the whole project. Such scale but such detail too!

 

I'm also having a go at modelling Lewes, although I've plumped for the markedly easier option of the post-rationalisation, and indeed current, track plan. So it's with yet more awe and admiration I'll follow your progress. As an aside, I've been around Lewes with the camera and tape measure as I continue to scratchbuild some of the station structures - if any of that might be of use, let me know

 

All the best, Phillip

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Congratulations on completing a magnificently heroic project; shamefacedly I have to admit it is the first time I have clicked on this thread.

 

I'd like to ask you why some of the original structure appears to be blue?

Is it, as you imply, due to weathering? For you have clearly modelled red (pressed?) brick with large parts skilfully weathered down to blue.

 

 

 

Hi, many thanks for your comments and interesting question.  There is some use of engineers' blue brick on the original, partly decorative and possibly partly for strength although I suspect the former mainly.  But as you say over the years it has been subject to repairs where they seem to have used virtually anything, so that now (and even 50 years ago) it had a fairly random patchwork appearance close up.  John and I have had this conversation many times, and we always conclude that irrespective of the variation that is actually there, to model it like that in 4mm scale would make it look ludicrous - it's just one of those oddities when scaling down.  At the moment it is in essentially undercoat, but we will be returning it to an all-over slightly greyer and more generally 'weather-washed' appearance so that it looks both weathered and uniform if you see what I mean.  Some blue brick areas will be picked out, but essentially the deliberate decorative bits that enhance the elegance of the structure.

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Hi chaps,

 

A long term "lurker" on this topic, I thought it high time I added my awe and admiration at the whole project. Such scale but such detail too!

 

I'm also having a go at modelling Lewes, although I've plumped for the markedly easier option of the post-rationalisation, and indeed current, track plan. So it's with yet more awe and admiration I'll follow your progress. As an aside, I've been around Lewes with the camera and tape measure as I continue to scratchbuild some of the station structures - if any of that might be of use, let me know

 

All the best, Phillip

 

PM sent Phillip  :)

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Thank you 10800 Rod for your answer to my question about brick colouring and types.

Use of my PrtSc key on martin_wynne's beautiful video above seems to me to demonstrate that the general run of bricks seems to be red/blue russets with the blue tending to predominate on the headers in the English bond.

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As I recall from my grandfather living down in Sussex after retirement, that colouring is characteristic of those Wealden clays.

Looking back at your original posted brickwork pics I can see clearly where you say the engineering blues have been used.

Most interesting!

dh

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  • 2 weeks later...

Some excellent drawings for Lewes (and elsewhere) available on this site http://nr.mediastorehouse.com/

 

In particular, the layout of the overall roof and details of island platform buildings which can be extrapolated elsewhere in the station.

 

Meanwhile, improvement to the track and board joints has been carried out for the fiddle yard loops on Balcombe.

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  • 2 years later...
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It is quite impressive, when you stand at one end, the trains seem quite far away! 

 

I must admit, I was praying when we shunted the wagons over the cross-over! I must have got something right when I built them.  :lol:

 

Kind regards,

Nick.

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