New LT Layout started - Hillingdon Hill

[TravisM]

I finally started movement on building my LT layout called "Hillingdon Hill" and I have based it on the idea that there was a branch to West Drayton. This left the Uxbridge branch after Hillingdon station and headed up to Hillingdon Hill, Hillingdon Hospital, Yiewsley and finally West Drayton. I am keeping it modern and be the idea that it will be possibly extended to Heathrow and there was a station built at Brunel University.

 

I have used the idea that LT took over the track from BR of the West Drayton - Uxbridge branch before it closed and developed it. It would also give me a BR connection which would allow engineering or stock trains direct access to the LT network.

 

Because of my MS, I am using off the shelf models where I can or having to build kits, so progress maybe slow at times. My main stock is a set of EFE 38 tube stock from the LT museum, the recent Bachmann Pannier Tank in LT livery, a Hornby 4-VEP in NSE and the Kernow Model's Beattie Well Tank

 

The layout will be 8ft x 1ft and based on CJ Freezer's "Minories" track plan, which in turn was based on LT's Met line Liverpool Street station. I have just stated the measuring up and took some pics of the station building with a few rte 207 buses posed outside.

 

I will be adding pictures as I go along but please feel free to offer constructive critism.

 

Julian Sprott

[noiseboy72]

All the very best with this.

How are you going to motorise the EFE stock? I would reccomend John Polley at Metro Models, as his bogies give a very free running model.

 

I do like the station model. I gave consideration to it on my layout, but wanted one to sit on a bridge over the tracks and the back of this model does not lend itself to this.

 

Its worth setting up a search on Ebay for the Harrow Model Shop / Radley Models, as this come up ready built from time to time. A nice set of R stock would fit nicely!

[Unicorn1]

Well, as a native of Hillingdon I shall be watching this with much interest!

 

I love the station building - I can visulise it standing at the top of Hillingdon Hill - would need lifts to the platforms there I imagine!

 

All the best,

 

Les

[TravisM]

I plan to use Metro Models to motorise the 38 stock, put lights in it and DCC it as well but I have to wait until I have a few more pennies first.

 

I liked the Bachmann Art Deco station as it looked like a Holden station but I will have steps going down to the platforms. I expect I will have to kit bash or find something that looks "right". Shame the Bachmann Art Deco buildings are designed for a island platform or I would have gone with those.

 

The Uxbridge Road and station buildings will form a bridge over the entrance to the fiddle yard and there will be another road bridge at the other (North) end of the layout.

 

Julian Sprott

[Metr0Land]

Those buildings say 'Underground' even without trains, track or nameboards!

[DIW]

That's a nice station building. Is it based on Sudbury Town?

[TravisM]

I'm not sure where it's based on to be honest. It's a Bachmann Scalescene Art Deco station and I believe it's meant to resemble a Southern Railway/ BR Southern Region station. It looks the part anyway.

 

I plan to put a LT Underground Bullseye with the flag pole through the middle, the sort that was on a lot of underground stations. That, some posters and few Oyster Card machines, it will look the part.

 

Julian Sprott

[Charlie the Cat]

That's a nice station building. Is it based on Sudbury Town?

 

Yes, the Bachmann station building is based on Sudbury Town and the island platform buildings are based on Harrow-on-the-Hill.

 

They are nice models, nice enough for me to use on a present day Southern Region themed layout set in Dorset!

 

Charlie.

[Pete2210]

I would have been quite chuffed to have had a LT station at Hillingdon Hospital as I live 50 yards from It ! however I think that a station at Hillingdon Hill would have been a underground station, that's to say a station with platforms etc underground as Hillingdon Hill is on a ridge dividing Hillingdon (Swakeleys) from Hillingdon Hospital, but to join up with the ex GWR Uxbridge line would take it quite a way from Hillingdon Hospital, however Julian if you ever need "Local Knowledge" feel free to PM me.

 

Best wishes

 

Pete

[TravisM]

I used have quite a bit of local knowledge as my mum was born in Hillingdon and we used to live off Long Lane in the mid 60's. In the early 80's, I lived in a flat above the laundrette in the parade of shops on Hillingdon Hill. I still remember walking to Uxbridge Station at 5am in the rain for 6.20 start at Neasden lol.

 

I plan to go there soon to take loads of pictures so I use some for backdrops. As to taking over the ex GWR/BR branchline, my idea, my railway, my last word on the matter lol.

 

Julian Sprott

[TravisM]

Got some track yesterday and I was going to get some timber to start the wood butchery, but I got a bill this morning from Parcelforce for £74 for a customs charge!!!!!!!! So that will have to wait at least two more weeks before that can start.

 

Going to my local Model Railway Club and taking some paper, ruler, sticky tape and start drawing out the layout, so I can transfer it onto wood at a later date.

 

Julian Sprott

[metmangraham]

Nice one! As a youngster I lived in that part of London (is it really still called Middlesex?!) and I have been constructing 'Uxbridge Central' over the past 3 years. The semi-fictional model assumes that both the old GWR termini in Uxbridge were combined with a new art deco (Holden) station in the 1930s, the time when the present Uxbridge LT station dates from. So, in my alternative universe the BR (W) Uxbridge branch still exists! Sorry! I adapted the Arnos Grove card model available from Metro Models for the terminus building and use the Bachmann art deco signal box. The Bachmann station building would be a great improvement in the model's next incarnation, if that ever happens!

 

I have dated it around 1962, to utilise the EFE tube trains, 2 1938 stock plus the 1959/62 'silver' stock. I am currently struggling to assemble a Radley F stock train to give the Metropolitan Line a look in. All these I remember as a school kid commuting from Ruislip Manor to Ravenscourt Park. The layout also enables me to use a BR bubble car, plus steam. I also indulge myself in railcars! Of course there is also an LT pannier (L99)! The EFE trains run really well, even if you do not fit new bogies/wheels, although the motorised car needs quite a lot of lead to give it grip.

 

Perhaps one day I'll get around to putting up a few pics myself.

[TravisM]

Started putting some trackwork down to get "ideas" but unfortunatly, ran out of money to buy the wood to make a real start.

 

Apart from the Bachmann Art Deco station, I have to use and adapt where I can, a Metcalfe footbridge and probably the platforms as well. To a length that will hold a 8 car A Stock or the new S Stock. The total length of this section is 8ft x 1ft, though hard to shown on the dining room table.

 

I have added my LT Museum 1938 stock to give a comparison, plus my Bachmann LT Pannier, Kernow Models Beattie Well Tank and assorted BR Brake vans.

 

Julian Sprott

[LU_fan]

Well, Jools, you are off to a very nice start. Can't wait to see this project finished.

[Xerces Fobe2]

For motorising EFE stock use Black Beetle or Endo motor bogies and avoid Tenshodos - You will need 2 motor bogies per 4 car unit and also to add some weight to both power cars. Metromodels supply Endo motor bogies and trailing bogies - a very good soilution. Quite a bit of work to do but well worth it

 

XF

[TravisM]

Hi gang, just thought I would let you all know that I have ordered a Shinohara scissors crossing but unfortunatly, it is only available in the US Code 70 standard, so a little shimmying will be needed.

 

Hopefully the benchwork will start next week, so I will have more to show you.

 

Julian Sprott

[TravisM]

Hi Gang, sorry that I have not been online but I had huge computer problems. The double crossover arrives next week from the US and I will get the timber sorted, so construction on the baseboards will soon commence.

 

I plan to send my LT Museum 38 Stock set to Metromodels so they can motorise and DCC it.

 

Julian Sprott

[noiseboy72]

I had one of those for a while, but sold it as I could not fit it in to the available space. It is very fragile - my first one arrived damaged and does not have any centre spring, so you will need a point motor or mechanical lock for them.

 

The code 70 rail will not like any coarse scale wheels, so you may need to re-wheel any RTR stock more than a few years old. The Metromodels bogies will be fine.

[TravisM]

I have used Shinohara pointwork before as I model US prototype as well and plan to use four Tortoise point motors wired to a single DCC point decoder. The length is a problem but as LU use a lot double crossovers, I think you need one to make the layout look "right".

 

As my layout is being but on 1ftx4ft boards, a lot of planning has gone into drawing out the layout so the cuts can be done where there is no pointwork or pointmotors to get damaged.

 

Julian Sprott

[TravisM]

I bought four 4ft x 1ft 6mm of MDF and enough 2x1 to batton the boards. I think I only need three boards to start with but you never know when that extra board with come in handy. I am assembling at my local model railway club (St Neots MRC), so everything should go together perfectly.

 

I will show you the result and start of the trackwork over the next few days.

 

Julian Sprott

[MattWallace]

Hate to be late to the party on this one, however you can get a Code 100 double crossover from http://www.scalelink.co.uk/acatalog/Shinohara_Track___Pointwork__HO____Aiguillages.html

 

Just Scroll down the page, it's approx £40

[TravisM]

Hi Matt, i'm using Peco Code 75, so the Shinohara is the closest and more or less the same price.

 

Julian Sprott

[TravisM]

Really struggling with the station plan as I have decided to make this a terminus rather than the through station. I was going to say that money ran out and rather than carry on using the old BR West Drayton to Uxbridge branch, they stopped at Hillingdon Hill.

 

Now, do I use the station plan for Uxbridge and Cockfosters or something very similar to Chesham? I could have a single long platform with a bay, plus a siding to hold extra stock and the double cross-over for leads into the station and double track main line.

 

I took some pictures of "Uxbridge" plan I laid out and where the single slip is, just use a left handed point. I am not really happy with that and keep coming back to the Chesham branch.

 

Ideas please.

 

Julian Sprott

[Katier]

Not sure you need the slip. Few options but the fact you have a scissors crossover means you've got access to all tracks. As a result you can keep the trackwork insanely simpe, just the scissors and a single point will access all 3 platforms quite happily. If, however, you want to be able to parallel arrive/depart simultaneously from Platforms 1 and 2 ( assuming 1 is left facing the platform building) it does get slightly more complex.

 

I THINK you need the two points off the scissors next to each other. The Single slip then comes next, but 180 degree's from where you have it, then a third point connects platform 1 with the slip and the arrivals side point.

 

So you can now arrive in Platform 1 and depart from 2 at the same time. You can't depart from 1 and arrive in 2 as the departure has to cross onto the departure line, but can arrive in 2 and depart from 3 at the same time.

[TravisM]

Thank you for the input and I think using the slip as suggested would give great operational value and one to seriously consider. I have experimented again and based the station on Stanmore as best I can remember.

 

It will have just a single platform and two sidings to the north. I will need five more right hand points, one for the lead into the sidings and the other two to take a train direct from the sidings onto the main without reversing into the main station. Also the reverse can happen with a train terminating at the before last station and running direct into the yard, so I need another set to run direct from one running line to another, and then into the sidings.

 

I can remember doing this on several occassions when I was a driver on the Jubilee Line in the early 80's. I have a extra board which will give me a total length of 16ft, which will be 12ft of viewable layout and 4ft of fiddle yard.

 

Julian Sprott