Jump to content
 

Star Lane, Hooley - next show is Macclesfield in April 2024.


roundhouse
 Share

Recommended Posts

  • RMweb Gold

Yep, I'm looking forward to Stafford this weekend.  I've been busy this last weekend fettling rolling stock for it.  I'm hoping to get some more of it weathered in the evenings this week.
Do come on down and say hello everybody.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

We had a good weekend with Star alone.

 

Mike and co had the layout set up and running fine Friday night. However the first hour on Swtturday morning was not good. It's amazing that even after testing the previous night just how many problems can occur as soon as the show opened.

 

After that first hour though, the layout settled down and it worked well the rest of the weekend.

 

The only real problems were us operators. I even had two collisions in the fiddle yard after incorrectly setting the turnouts!

 

Quite a lot of interest aswell in the layout. It's not a fine scale shunting layout with lots of detail to see by its nature of being a mainline in cuttings but many enjoyed the long EMU sets. Which is exactly why mike came up with the track plan. Quite a few potential show invites aswell - we just have to slot them in between shows with the other layouts!!!

 

Next show eith this layout is Ally Pally in March.

 

A few photos from the weekend including Phatbobs newly acquired Golden Arrow class 71. It ran in the wrong direction and pretty rough but after a little tinkering it then ran fine.

post-1557-0-97352400-1422863466_thumb.jpg

post-1557-0-82045900-1422863475_thumb.jpg

post-1557-0-34540000-1422863494_thumb.jpg

post-1557-0-58960100-1422863506_thumb.jpg

Edited by roundhouse
  • Like 14
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
  • RMweb Gold

Its now under two weeks to go before the Ally Pally show. I am sure Mike will be working on various items of rolling stock and the layout.

 

I certainly have a list of things that  I would like to get done such as putting drivers and maybe passengers in the DEMU's and EMU's of mine.

 

A little more work is required on the Star Bridge signal box plus the outside loo needs building.

 

We should have more stock than we have ever had at a show with  this layout as four of us are bringing our own stock. Could have been five if one of our friends who has quite a bit of EMU stock was well enough to come along.

  • Like 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • RMweb Gold

To day we set Star Lane up at Ally Pally.

 

Whilst Mike and another friend are travelling in the car with the layout from Sussex, the rest of us are making our own way by train. I have a few more items of rolling stock with me and some stock is already there, we are going to have a much larger variety of stock than we have ever had before on the layout. Even I don't know what will be running today but we will mainly be running green EMUs with some steam and diesel, then at some point we will run blue / blue and grey stock whether that will be today or just Tomorrow we shall see.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

The layout performed well but not so sure about some of us.

 

We were down one operator as he forgot about the weekend so none of his different stock we were expecting.

 

We still had plenty though and I couldn't resist the new E4. Can't wait to weather it!!

 

By the time we got into the venue to set up, plus Mike was given the runaround to different parking spots where he lost 20 minutes meant we were struggling to set up in tine it we were running by just after 09.30.

 

I have to admit to a number of major crunches today even ending up with most of a 14 car set off the tracks.

 

However I think we ended up entertaining quite a large crowd.

 

Good to have a chat with quite a few faces on rmweb. sorry if I couldn't give full attention with trying to operate at the same time but don't hold off saying hello tomorrow,

 

Photos to follow.

  • Like 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

It was good to finally meet so I could put a face to the name.

 

Every time I came past, there was quite a large crowd gathered. I'm going through my photos at the moment and any decent ones will be posted.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Good to meet you Duncan. Look forward to your photos.

 

Yes the layout proved very popular. I suppose that not many layouts of this size (which can be transported in just one estate car) can run 12 car EMUs.

 

It was very hot in that hall so we were all a little exhausted. This morning I have a couple of clip on fans with me to help cool us down today.

 

It was hectic yesterday so I only had chance to take a photo at the end of the show.

 

We did have a visiting 4SUB running late on in the day.

 

I will try to take dome more photos today.

post-1557-0-75040400-1427612203_thumb.jpg

Edited by roundhouse
  • Like 12
Link to post
Share on other sites

I suppose that not many layouts of this size (which can be transported in just one estate car) can run 12 car EMUs.

 

That reminds me that I don't know how big Star Lane is. Must go back through the thread. I can't think of a better showcase for SR EMUs running in multiple though.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Thanks Spete

It's 12 feet in diameter.

 

Another great weekend.

 

Quite a few potential show invites in the South a East for the next year or do.

 

Layout was done in 30 minutes but had yo wait another 30 before Mike was allowed in with the car. Now on the A40.

 

A few more photos taken today.

 

The new E4 now with crew added. Just needs a good weathering

post-1557-0-00832600-1427650274_thumb.jpg

post-1557-0-93181300-1427650286_thumb.jpg

 

A dirty mogul N has replaced the E4 on the coal train

post-1557-0-41989400-1427650351_thumb.jpg

 

And we had to run a Southern loco on a Southern layoit but it didn't get very far as wouldn't fit through the arch of the bridge!!!

post-1557-0-66760300-1427650433_thumb.jpg

  • Like 13
  • Funny 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Just wanted to say I throroughly enjoyed seeing Star Lane on Sunday at Ally Pally.  For me it was easily the highlight of the show - a really ingenious and highly engaing layout.  It was good to see so many young kids avidly following it too - there's clearly a bright future for 3rd rail BR (S) layouts.   Thought the standard of operating was really high too - not a second went by without something happening.

 

Thanks for all your efforts to bring it to London, which I hope you feel were worthwhile.

 

Hope to see you again at another exhibition (in South East / East Anglia).

 

Mark

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

- not a second went by without something happening.

Too right there. We certainly had quite a few operator errors :sungum:

 

Its quite an intensive layout to operate trying ot shuffle up trains whilst keeping something moving (add to that trying to swap stock to vary the trains) but you really can keep up to 4 trains going round now and again but more usually 2.

 

I will pass on your kind comments to Mike the layout owner. Despite it not being a 'finescale' layout, it certainly did prove very  popular which pleased Mike and made him feel the effort building his first exhibition layout worth while. There was some one with her kids who was there for a long time, possibly betwen 30 - 60 minutes.

 

Still plenty more tweaks here and there to improve the basboard joints which Mike hopes to do this Summer, inlcuding improving the third rail fixings as the Peco plastic insulators tend to break with moving and setting up the boards.

 

There were quite a few tentative invites in the South East for 2016 onward but wont mention them till they are firmed up when I will list them on here.

 

There is one possible show for later this year in Sussex but its yet to be confirmed.

 

UPDATE

 

And another tenatative booking for further West just come in. Looks like Mike and the rest of us are going to be busy!!!

Edited by roundhouse
  • Like 5
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 9 months later...
  • RMweb Gold

Where did you get your Boaseboards made ?

 

what is the size of a single Board in the whole set up

In Miles Mikes garden. They vary in size but are about 3 - 4 feet and about 15 inches wide. The 12 boards form a 12 ft doing enter diameter layout

 

Edited for autocorrect

Edited by roundhouse
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

In Miles garden. They vary in size but are about 3 - 4 feet and about 15 inches wide. The 12 boards form a 12 ft doing enter layout

I'll repeat Roudhouse's response, without the iPad autoincorrect. :devil:

 

"(The baseboards were built) In Mikes garden.  They vary in size but are between 3 and 4 feet long by 15 inches wide.  The 12 boards form a 12 ft diameter (circular) layout."

 

The layout was built by our friend Mike who's not on RMweb, with some assistance from Roundhouse and other mutual friends, who also provide the crew to operate the layout at exhibition.

We all provide suitable rolling stock and since as individuals we model slightly different eras, we change the rolling stock during the show, from early BR green through to BR corporate blue/grey.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

A busy show today in Guildford. Layout worked fairly well with one or two small issues but mainly us operators making mistakes.

My Okehampton failed again today as it wouldn't run at all.

So Crewkerne has substituted this afternoon.

A photo of it running at speed on a parcels heading towards London

post-1557-0-08408100-1452960617_thumb.jpeg

Edited by roundhouse
  • Like 7
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...