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Stephen Fay’s diorama builds. GCR Kirton Lindsey tunnel


steve fay
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IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST VISIT TO THIS THREAD YOU WILL FIND ALL OF MY CUSTOMER COMMISSION PROJECTS PLUS THE ONES I BUILD FOR FUN AND THEN SELL ON. A few of these layouts have been featured in various publications. I hope you enjoy my work so far.  Quite a lot has changed over the years since I started this thread.  

 

As Ranelagh Bridge is going to be my home based layout. The shed is currently an in door out door bar area in my garden for use in the summer. Summer whats that? Exactly! I have to tongue and groove the last two walls, insulate and Plaster board to finish. This along with the wait for some of the main buildings means work will not start for a good 6 to 8 months.

So to fill the time Im going to build a diorama that will eventually evolve in to my exhibition layout.

Severn Tunnel,

The layout will be very basic in that it will be two tracks from the western Welsh portal of the Severn Tunnel to the Caldicot road bridge

There is a scissors cross over under the Caldicot road Bridge and a trap point on the exit of the down main right by the tunnel entrance.

A few years ago a good friend supplied me with the signalling diagram and a picture of Severn Tunnel West signal Box so I have commissioned Laser Craft to do the Signal box & the Tunnel entrance.

Jon Fitness of this parish is going to build the main signal closest to the box.

Apart from a fog mans hut a few small stores buildings and relay boxes thats the only buildings on the project.

Im going to use Peco Flat Bottom track through out except for the points. All my pictures from my time period late 50s early 60s this was the track used. Its funny but you dont see many steam era layouts that use flat bottom track!

Grass is going to be done with Teddy Bear fur like on Pete Watermans Hatton bank. Oh and I need one two aspect Colour light signal.

It should be around 20 foot long once complete.

I would like to add in the correct 1 in 90 gradient so can some one work that out over 20 foot? http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/crazy.gif

I havent got many picture I can publish but heres one.

post-5983-0-99772400-1354723816_thumb.jpg

Edited by steve fay
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Ooh, ooh, flat bottom track, interested to see how it comes out.

Building your own or ready to lay?

And why not use their parts to make points too?

 

For the gradient, I nmake it a rise of 2.66' inches over 20 feet.

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Hi Jeff

Im going to use Peco Flat Bottom. I have a few lengths of it and it looks nice its better than there bull head stuff. On Ranelagh I will be using C & L.

2.66" sounds good.

It should be a nice spot for photographing my locos.

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Yes they do timber sleeper flat bottom and make your own with concrete sleeper.

The points will be bullhead rail, Im not to sure but Flat bottom points came in a lot later than in my period of modelling. All the pictures I have show bull head on the points.

Peco do a Flat bottom Point though.

Once weathered and ballasted so it covers the webbing between the sleepers. ( I dont like that on layouts. ) It should look the part.

I do intend on cutting the yard lengths to roughly 60 foot panels and using exactoscale dummy fish plates for the joins as the peco flat bottom of the peg fish plates are very noticeable.

Ive got a few pieces of flat bottom I will photograph it tomorrow and post up

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Ive had a quote back from the good folk at Absolute aspects for the colour light signal on the approach to the tunnel. Another Christmas gift hopefully!

Last night I decided to watch Along GWR lines part three and there some great footage filmed from the foot plate of the approach to the tunnel. On the approach to the English side I was freeze framing and its actually the welsh side You can tell by the high sided cutting as the English side the cutting was much wider.

So all this has shown me I need another colour light signal. I have the signal box diagram and originally there was a bracket signal there. almost right out side the tunnel. I was wondering what replaced it as in all my pictures from the late 50s on its clearly not there. Was the signal in side the tunnel? but this has now cleared it up.

Any one have any pictures of Severn Tunnel East signal box on the English side?

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Ive had a quote back from the good folk at Absolute aspects for the colour light signal on the approach to the tunnel. Another Christmas gift hopefully!

Last night I decided to watch Along GWR lines part three and there some great footage filmed from the foot plate of the approach to the tunnel. On the approach to the English side I was freeze framing and its actually the welsh side You can tell by the high sided cutting as the English side the cutting was much wider.

So all this has shown me I need another colour light signal. I have the signal box diagram and originally there was a bracket signal there. almost right out side the tunnel. I was wondering what replaced it as in all my pictures from the late 50s on its clearly not there. Was the signal in side the tunnel? but this has now cleared it up.

Any one have any pictures of Severn Tunnel East signal box on the English side?

 

According to SRS information the Up Main Starting Signal was altered to a colour light from November 1954 and I presume that it was a 2 aspect signal as the signal inside the tunnel had been removed in 1947. The Down Main Home Signal was converted to a 3 aspect colour light in March 1966.

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Thanks Mike,

Heres another you might be able to help with, There was a trap point out side of the tunnel on the down line. I have a few pictures but these are early on showing a full point but on my signalling diagram which is much later on it states its a trap point.

Now my logic would suggest that if there was a run away then at least a full point would divert any loose wagon or coach into the side of the cutting where as a simple trap point could derail the offending runaway but it could still descend deep under the Severn ripping up the track along the way.

So full point or trap point?

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Thanks Mike,

Heres another you might be able to help with, There was a trap point out side of the tunnel on the down line. I have a few pictures but these are early on showing a full point but on my signalling diagram which is much later on it states its a trap point.

Now my logic would suggest that if there was a run away then at least a full point would divert any loose wagon or coach into the side of the cutting where as a simple trap point could derail the offending runaway but it could still descend deep under the Severn ripping up the track along the way.

So full point or trap point?

 

The one at the English end appears to have survived into the HST age in a similar form to that shown in Post No.12 above (although the pic I have found doesn't clearly show the crossing vee) so it is quite likely the one at the Welsh end also lasted in that form (and I went past it once a week every week for the best part of three years without taking much notice out of the train window of course :mad: ).

 

As far as the nomenclature is concerned it makes no difference to the form of the track itself. It was there as a catch point and it would have taken the best form to safely fulfill that function - and avoid vehicles running back into the tunnel.

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Thanks again Mike. Any chance you can post up the picture of the English side or PM it to me.

The good folk at Yorkshire model makers are going to do the tunnel Mouth for me in the new year. Laser craft were fully booked up for the foreseeable future. I didn't know about them until I seen the advertisement at the top of the page so ta Rmweb.

I'm thinking about doing the English side now aswell. Because there was such a contrast.

No idea where I'm going to keep it all.!!!

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  • 1 year later...

Bump!!!!

I might just resurrect this project but the English side from the tunnel mouth to Ableton lane tunnel mouth.

OOA is done now it's just waiting the laser cut wall and it will be up for sale.

This will be a similar thing il build it then sell it on, As it's mainly grass it's something I can do faily quickly and I can raise some money for Ranelagh Bridge

Here's a more modern view,

 

I will be building it with the semaphore signals ( Jon Fitness!!!! ;-) )

I've found a nice picture with concrete FB on one rail and Timber sleeper FB on the other so that might be interesting.post-5983-0-51114500-1412698406_thumb.jpg

Edited by steve fay
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