Latest LUL Layout news

[LULFAN]

Hi All,

 

Hope you all had a good Holiday

 

Work on our layout continues - here's a brief video showing our Holden style platform building with an EFE classic liveried 1938 tube stock set

 

 

Shameless plug here - we got it from Metro Models, they really do know their stuff. It runs very well

 

The station building is actually the CDC design kit, but has been modified to be thinner

 

Hope you enjoy the video

[L49]

Thanks for posting the video. Seeing Highgate built up has made my day! Looking forward to seeing the layout progress...

[stewartingram]

I took some shots around the Highgate platforms last summer if you are interested?

 

Stewart

[LULFAN]

I took some shots around the Highgate platforms last summer if you are interested?

 

Stewart

Yes please, you are very kind

 

I am doing the footbridge for the station now, again it is the CDC kit but I have had to reduce the width of each staircase 5mm and the over-bridge to make it a better fit for our station and as the LUL platform is 3/32 in lower than the BR one the LUL stairway has to be that much higher than the BR one.... not easy but it does not look to bad so far

 

When I have done it I will post another vid

[stewartingram]

Ok for what they are worth, some shots taken at the never-used Highgate high level platforms, with my phone camera. I have reduced them in size to be able to post them here; if you need a larger copy let me know & I'll email them over.

 

1. NB platform looking N

2. SB from platform end

3. SB platform looking N

4. centre of platforms

5. old station building from SB platform

6. staircase entrance

7. SB platform looking S

8. tunnels at N end

9. NB platform looking S

10. NB platform looking N

11. NB platform looking S

12. NB platform looking N

13. NB platform, buildings on street side

14. centre of platforms

15. SB platform looking N

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[LULFAN]

Ok for what they are worth, some shots taken at the never-used Highgate high level platforms, with my phone camera. I have reduced them in size to be able to post them here; if you need a larger copy let me know & I'll email them over.

 

 

FANTASTIC PICS.....

 

Great really nice to see them

 

I walked the line from the palace down to Finsbury Park a good few times in the 70's so your pics bring back memories for me

 

There was a group around a few years ago that wanted the line opened again as a tram link. I don't know what they was going to do with the school at muswell hill and the OAP home at cranley gardens both were built on the track bed

 

Thanks again for the pics

[sammyboy]

What tube line was the old station photographed above on?

[stewartingram]

The old BR line from Finsbury Park to Finchley. Its actually Highgate, the platforms are above ground, with the Northern line underneath, then through the tunnels is Highgate dSidings on the Northern Line.

 

Stewart

[GoingUnderground]

Your video really captures the spirit of what might have been.

 

Both Wembley and the O₂ have direct access to the Tube/Underground. I can't help thinking that Ally Pally would be a more popular venue if it too had direct Tube access, as it would have had if the Northern Line "Northern Heights" extensions had been completed.

 

Bushey Heath station would have been such a natural for a Park & Ride scheme, and with the Northern Line Depot moved to Aldenham, the Golders Green site could have been released for housing. You might have even seen the Bakerloo line being extended beyond Stanmore to Bushey Heath so that Aldenham could have become a joint Northern/Bakerloo depot handling Tube Stock.

 

Highgate Station was on the LNER line that ran from Finsbury Park to Ally Pally and Finchley. Under the 1935-40 New Works Programme it was due to become part of the Northern line, with services running from Bushey Heath or Ally Pally via Highgate to Moorgate. Electrification work was well underway but a little local difficulty with the neighbours in 1939 resulted in the work being suspended, with only the electrification to High Barnet and Mill Hill East being completed by 1940. The Green Belt legislation was passed and with the shortage of materials and cash after WW2 the uncompleted sections were first postponed then cancelled. A terrible waste of money in my view. EDIT: The Northern Heights works should have been completed as planned.

[LULFAN]

Hi

 

Thanks for your kind words

 

If anyone's interested in the Northern Heights, On-Line Video have recently released a DVD called "Tube Trains - But Not To The Palace".

 

I bought a copy from their main outlet - Signalbox. It contains all of the film they have of the extensions. It runs for 45 minutes, but there is a fair bit of filler material, like the new sidings at Edgeware. Quite interesting, none the less. It costs £16.99

[TravisM]

Great shots and great pics.  I agree with GoingUnderground that had this extension been finished, Morgate to Bushey Heath service would have been great.  The LNER even paid for several sets of 1938 tube stock though not sure how many.

 

Julian Sprott

[DIW]

Smashing model LULFan! Looking forward to seeing more as it progresses.

 

Stewart, I've never seen Highgate looking so clear of vegetation - and the graffiti has been covered over since I was last there (several years ago now). It looks like a station in storage now, as opposed to the abandoned look I had become familiar with.

 

Dave

[LULFAN]

Hi all

 

Well the footbridge is well on the way

 

LT Side

 

 

BR side

 

 

 

so next up to do...

 

Booking office on a bridge

 

BR Platform building

 

We have moved Highgate from BR(E) to BR(LMR) so we can have some nice maroon BR signs

 

On the BR side of the footbridge you can just see a toten and running in board

 

hope you like it

[stewartingram]

Smashing model LULFan! Looking forward to seeing more as it progresses.

 

Stewart, I've never seen Highgate looking so clear of vegetation - and the graffiti has been covered over since I was last there (several years ago now). It looks like a station in storage now, as opposed to the abandoned look I had become familiar with.

 

Dave

 

Platforms are actually in use - I was up there maintaing comms equipment.

 

Stewart

[GoingUnderground]

I think "Use" was intended to refer to "passenger use", not access for engineering staff.

 

Looking at the latest pictures of your Highgate model the only comments that I would make are that:

• the platform width next to the staircase wall is too narrow, and 
• the platform canopy should extend back to the stairs, see Harrow-On-The-Hill, Rayners Lane or Eastcote for examples of Holden style stations with steps down to the platform., Wembley Park doesn't count as that is a mixed Clarke/Holden design. You don't get wet in the rain when you get to the bottom of the stairs. The canopy should probably extend all the way to the stairs, and actually round the stairs as the area round the foot of the stairs is where passengers are most likely to congregate.

However it does look good for all that.

[LULFAN]

Hi

 

Yes, the platforms are too narrow. I guess it's the sign of inexperience. I wanted them 75mm wide, but forgot I needed to allow a gap, so when I laid the track I only left 75mm. I can't face ripping all the track up again but the trains do run quite nicely

 

I have made the stairways a little narrower than the original kit, but if I made them smaller still, they'd look out of proportion

 

That's a good idea about moving the canopy. I'll try that 'cos nothing stuck down to the platform yet

 

Looks like this weekends project is the BR buildings.

 

If anyone reading this makes kits that need paper stuck to card, they may be interested in Tesco's Direct - they sell Blu Tak Fast Tak spray on glue, a big tin for £5.80, and you can ask for it to be delivered to your local store, no charge for delivery. Quick too, I ordered some yesterday lunchtime, it'll be in my local Express store at 4 o'clock this afternoon

[stewartingram]

Re card buildings and sticking printed paper?

I've mentioned this a few times in the past, in particular on the Scalescenes subjects. I actually download Scalescenes, then print on to A4 size sticky labels. Instead of card, I then use Plasticard, there is some minor adjustment to the building process due to the kit being designed around different card thickness, but nothing dramatic. The Plasticard can be cut and glued just like a normal plastic kit, & doesn't absorb moisture so is fine in my garage. I do coat it in matt varnish though, usually household brands from B&Q. Can be used the same way with the likes of Metcalf sheets, though I'm not cheating as I haven't actually done any! (Copyright would be infringed if you scanned them and did multiple copies).

 

Stewart

[LULFAN]

Here is another youtube video of our layout progress

 

At last I have fitted DCC chips to our EFE trains it shows them running in DCC

 

I used one chip per train both teshendo bogies are in the NDM car in each train and it looks like it works. I used the Lenz chips in each train the chips can output 1A cont 1.8 peak I think 1A should be enough to run 2 chips

 

I found the trains ran better under DCC but that might be 'cos I put a drop of oil on each gear set as I had the motors open to fit the chips

 

Hope you like it

 

 

As i write this the video is still uploading so the link might not work for a while

[TravisM]

Awesome!!!!!!

 

Julian Sprott

[LULFAN]

Well we have got a bit more done

 

 

Here is a video that Lyn and I hope you will enjoy

 

 

 

 

All the stock is now DCC apart from our 108 DMU that is one for a pro to fit the chips it looks to hard for me to do. Look out for the Deltic I bought Lyn got for christmas and the streetlight in the high street that was bent when our Devon Rex girl cat got in the room and went for a stroll over the layout. LT have got a works train running into Gilwell Park siding and our Class 105 is running at last looking just like they did running on the GOBLIN line in the 1960's only back then they came from Kentish Town or St Pancres Gospell Oak came much later

 

Hope some of you enjoy it

 

hopfully next up is the Highgate Holden booking office and a class 47 with some trucks

[LULFAN]

Hi all

 

Here is a video showing our latest rolling stock

 

 

Hope you like it

 

Now it is time to get building

[LULFAN]

Hi All

 

Here's our latest video. This time it's a 3 in 1

 

 

Have you ever noticed that LEDs are often far too bright ? We found this with our point control board, they were so bright, they hurt. We found an inexpensive solution though - an in-line dimmer. Including postage, less than £10, fitted in 5 minutes

 

Shameless plug here. I got it from http://www.microminiatures.co.uk/acatalog/led.html. It's called a LED and Filament Bulb Slide Dimmer

 

We've been looking at layouts on YouTube and a lot of them seem to have LEDs which are way too bright in the buildings. We saw a station entrance and platform which so dazzling it could have been a stage at a Pink Floyd concert. And signal boxes so bright, the poor signalman would need to wear dark glasses to do his work

Now that it's not so cold, Lyn's been working on her country scene. The church bit's obviously not finished yet but you can get an idea of what she's done in the 'Green Rover Day Out' section

Lastly I've been working on the Scalescenes north light engine shed. You can see the side walls of it on the last section of this video

 

Hope you enjoy it

[LULFAN]

hi

 

Well it's been a year since we started building our layout

 

here is a video of some of our sound loco's

 

Look out for our take on steam on the met

 

Hope you like it

 

 

 

All we need now are sound driving lessons ! !

 

Look out for some more sound loco's soon

[LULFAN]

The latest video showing our 105 with sound