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Camden Shed


92220
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A quick bit of background by way of preamble:

 

I wanted to build a proper layout as a young teenager, but cricket, golf and girls won the battle for my attention, probably in that order at the time if I'm honest.

 

 

I didn't look much at model railways for some time. I built a 6x4 Thomas layout for our older son in about 2000, and it was about then that I first thought about building a steam shed. Again, that idea went firmly to the background and only when a shoulder injury prevented me from playing golf in late 2009 did I find myself at enough of a loose end to rediscover.

 

I had 2 attempts to build a design of my own in the loft. Steam MPD so I could have an excuse to have, detail, convert and weather plenty of locos, plus a mainline because I like big trains. The second of those attempts is pictured: Peco code 75 on the scenic side, which was only 8'x3'. Scenic is a misnomer really as it never got that far. Code 100 for the 20' runs down each side and the 11 road storage yard. 11 roads? Don't ask.....

 

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Storage yard showing how dark it is up there (apologies for the photo quality)

 

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2 separate and far too small control panels. At least they worked.

 

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I learnt a lot:

Wiring and control panels

Electrofrog points

Laying track in alignment

Soldering

 

But mainly

That if I was going to do it at all, I would (try to) do it properly

That I didn't want to do so in an unconverted loft, with the storage yard the other side of the water tank, and all the other loft-related problems.

 

So here we are..... It's going to be a big project but I'm expecting that.

 

It's called Camden Shed as it's in a shed, and based on Camden. "Based on", rather than a truly representative model. I wanted it to be recognisable, so I hope I'll manage that. I will use a bit of modeller's licence to run a few locos and services that won't have been prototypical. The shed layout is simplified and about 40% smaller, even than the cramped site that Camden sat on. It has a curved 4 track mainline running past it, although the curve is, unusually, perhaps somewhat straighter on the model than the prototype. The massive expanse of Camden goods yard on the opposite side of the running lines has to go, and I don't see a way to represent it so the plan is to pretend that the retaining wall, which is present further down on the east side of Camden Bank, extended past the loco shed all the way to what I think is the Regents Park Road Bridge (which is the one on the left, now pedestrian only ).

 

Here is the plan as it stands after some help from various people. I still can't quite get the crossings right on Templot, and there are no trap points as they would be off scene.

 

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I spent as much as I could afford or justify to get a high quality 20' x10' shed on a purpose-built reinforced concrete base. It was insulated throughout with 50mm Celotex and lined with plywood. It has decent security features added too. The electrics were done by a highly reputable professional, so hopefully it will be a decent place to build and run the layout. It has certainly been fine in the recent cold weather.

 

 

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Layout

 

Baseboards are 12mm ply, using one of the many familiar methods.

Almost all of the track is/will be C&L. Flexi track and chaired pointwork on the scenic side (now 12' x 3'6" at its widest), and copperclad pointwork elsewhere. I'll use Peco code 75 plain track in the storage sidings.

I'm building the track in modules using templot printouts. More to follow as and when I can. Many thanks to all who have helped so far, and hopefully in the future.

 

 

Iain

 

Edited to remove all the ridiculous conversions of ' and " to €@TM etc........

Edited by 92220
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  • 1 month later...

Hi Iain

 

Just found this thread and I will certainly be following your progress as I also model WCML in the 50's although further north.

 

That shed really looks the business!

 

John

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Passed me by as well- one of the perils of the size of the site, I'm afraid. I'll certainly be following progress though- please keep posting upgrades; The purpose built shed sounds great and will give a far greater modelling window than an attic does although I found I was sharing my old space with far too much insect life for comfort, but yours looks a lot better sealed than my old lean-to was.

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Gosh, Camden Shed. That takes me back to when I was in my late teams and bought the LMS sheds books. Camden (and Holyhead) were always firm favourites and got drawn up loads of times. 20+ years later and I recognise the track plan straight away. Love the shed and the concept.

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Camden was the first shed I ever went round, in 1961, I think, on a skool MRS visit. If I'm honest, I can't remember jack about it, but know it took place! The MRS was headed up by a chap who became a barrister and railway author.

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Camden was the first shed I ever went round, in 1961, I think, on a skool MRS visit. If I'm honest, I can't remember jack about it, but know it took place! The MRS was headed up by a chap who became a barrister and railway author.

David Fereday-Glenn ??

Cheers, Peter C.

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Camden was the first shed I ever went round, in 1961, I think, on a skool MRS visit. If I'm honest, I can't remember jack about it, but know it took place! The MRS was headed up by a chap who became a barrister and railway author.

Smashing shed Camden but reputedly one of the most difficult in London to 'bunk' although I managed it several times and was only chucked out once. I think they must have reckoned that as it was so difficult to get in - unless the street level door in the wall was open - if you were seen you must be legit! I caught it just at the end of its life as a steam shed and on later visits it was almost wall-to-wall EE Type 4s and a few Type 2 Sulzers - but when the 'Duchesses' were still about it was a tremendous place.

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Gordon - thanks, praise indeed from the maestro. I hope you're right: you should be present to witness the momentous first powered movement of a loco...

 

Ben - thanks. Duette makes a great testing controller. I've almost decided to go DCC in fact. Struck me that wiring it conventionally would have about 40 separate sections.

 

Sean - likewise, hope you enjoy what is likely to be a slow journey with many obstacles caused by poor planning and epic incompetence.

 

Iain

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  • 3 weeks later...

Thanks Gordon, you're too kind. I was pleased with how the jig worked out as I had pondered for a long time how best to make the right shape and without leaving it under stress.

 

LNWR modeller - thank you, my copy of MRJ 172 is very well thumbed now. Mr W has created an epic and I can only begin to approach his standards, and then only on a small portion of it. I've wondered whether I've bitten off more than I can chew on a number of occasions, but hopefully I will get somewhere with it. It would be great to know how things have gone since issue 172 - does anyone know?

 

I have 2 questions that members might be able to help with:

 

The bridge is painted a blue grey colour now, and all pics of it in the early 60's are filthy. Does anyone know what colour it would have been under the grime? Or should I just paint it as filthy?!

 

I need to weather the mainline. The ballast is too clean and grey really, and since I didn't dye/colour it beforehand, I need to now.

Any suggestions for that urban mainline look?

 

Thanks

 

Iain

 

 

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LNWR modeller - thank you, my copy of MRJ 172 is very well thumbed now. Mr W has created an epic and I can only begin to approach his standards, and then only on a small portion of it. I've wondered whether I've bitten off more than I can chew on a number of occasions, but hopefully I will get somewhere with it. It would be great to know how things have gone since issue 172 - does anyone know?

 

I have 2 questions that members might be able to help with:

 

The bridge is painted a blue grey colour now, and all pics of it in the early 60's are filthy. Does anyone know what colour it would have been under the grime? Or should I just paint it as filthy?!

 

I need to weather the mainline. The ballast is too clean and grey really, and since I didn't dye/colour it beforehand, I need to now.

Any suggestions for that urban mainline look?

 

Thanks

 

Iain

quote name='92220' timestamp='1336066375' post='680974']

 

Hi Iain,

 

I last visited Vincent's layout about 18 months ago when he had just converted the wiring to DCC, a fairly major task as the layout is in his attic and working on it isn't always too easy. I hope to get another visit in later this year. I thought the layout was pretty well advanced and it's delightful to see a long rake of carriages behind a large loco in such evocative surroundings. It would be even better if he had modelled it in the LNWR period.

 

Nice work on the bridge, in LNWR days it would probably have been dark grey (and smoke blackened underneath). I would think it would only be repainted very occasionally, so would go for the filthy look.

 

I don't know about the ballast, the only colour photos I have are in A History of the London and BirminghamRailway Vol. 1 which don't show a lot of track detail, although there is a fair amount of red/brown in a couple of pictures, probably from brake dust. I expect that the lines into a large terminus in the late steam hauled period would be pretty much the same, so a colour photo of any one of them would give some idea.

 

 

Jol

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Hi Jol,

That's very helpful, many thanks indeed. I have several colour pictures with the bridge in the background and it seems so filthy that whatever it was underneath is close to irrelevant.....

Glad that Vincent has continued to make progress. Mind you, he sounds like the sort who would persevere! Although I have only seen pictures, it remains a source of inspiration to me - despite what some say about this being wrong. Do pass on my thanks for that.

All the best,

Iain

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Only just found your layout thread Iain and, although it really is not my era at all, it has been an interesting read. I love your big shed. That's given me ideas for future years! Your track building looks great and your ballasting is spot on. Then to top it off you scratch build that girder bridge in just an hour and a half? That would take me a year and a half!

Great work and I am looking forward to your updates.

 

Dave

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Hi

 

As Rammy above only just found this thread ,but I looked as my daughter used to live in Camden.

 

That BRIDGE .......All I can say is.....CRUMBS......Superb

 

Will watch with interest even though not my region or time.

 

Keep up the good work

 

Cheers Bill

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Thanks Dave. To be fair, it's an hour and a half to build one side of it. The other side, the road bed, pavements, cross beams underneath and brick piers either end plus painting and so on....might take me a bit longer! Especially as I need to wait to get hold of some more plastruct truss section.

 

I also had a brainwave and consulted the first photo I saw that sparked the idea of basing a model on Camden, in Stanier Pacifics by Derek Huntriss. In the background of a photo of City of Carlisle on the turntable in 1962, is Regents Park Road bridge with what looks like a reasonably recent coat of dark grey paint. Unless the LM region failed to put a coat of matt varnish on after they weathered the bridge... So that at least answers that one.

 

A bit more ballasting today.... the last bits seem to take forever

 

Iain

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Yes, Camden originally 2 sheds, roundhouse to the north of the main line, straight shed to the south (modified a few times over the years), the roundhouse went out of use in the 1870's. '92220' planned track layout as in post #10 is a very good representation of a shed I got thrown out of many times in the early 1960's.

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