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


roundhouse
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The weekend after restrictions are due to end is the planned date for the Lymm Historic Transport Festival (https://www.lymmtransport.org.uk/).  Part of this event's regular offerings is a small model railway exhibition in the village hall.  Subject to any COVID restrictions that might still apply in the end of course, there will be probably about three or four layouts on show.  I'll be there giving Mike and Roundhouse a hand with Star Lane, which is coming up all the way from Sussex.  It's only a small show, but is just part of a massive event well worth a visit. 
Two tips; firstly, use the park and ride to get there (with lovely classic busses) do not try and drive into the village! 
Secondly, please purchase your entry wristband in advance as they're keen to minimise any queues.

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  • 4 weeks later...
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Mike brought Star Lane to my Mums last weekend where we set it up under the car port. Its the first time that it has been set up in around two years so it was good to make sure it still works and to dust it down after Mike's house move. It was also to make sure that it would all be alright on the day in just over a weeks time at the Lymm Festival near Warrington but unfortunately it's now cancelled.

 

Anyway Mike is now happy to have tested it and also to run some new rolling stock.Mike's conversion of a 4CEP to a 4BEP has saved him a fortune on the new Bachmann one.

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  • 3 months later...
38 minutes ago, roundhouse said:

The layout is set up at the Warrington show.

Whilst we have tested the EMU's last night, this is the first item to run this morning.

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Is that a "Battle Space turbo Car"? I do hope that you have added DCC Sound and jet flame at the back ..................... just thinking about the sound, perhaps it's not necessary because .... in space no one can hear you scream!

 

Have a good show.

 

Ian

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13 hours ago, Ian_H said:

Is that a "Battle Space turbo Car"? I do hope that you have added DCC Sound and jet flame at the back ..................... just thinking about the sound, perhaps it's not necessary because .... in space no one can hear you scream!

 

Have a good show.

 

Ian

Mikes layout isnt DCC so I doubt that he will add DCC to it but like the idea.

 

Had a good first day despite the usual gremlins running some new stock but it settled down nicely.

 

Tomorrow will be blue / blue grey and a few newer items. I hope to give my RHTT train a run. It has two GBRf class 73's

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  • 1 year later...
  • RMweb Gold

It's over a year since the layout was last set up and with no confirmed shows at present the layout has Bern in storage at Mike's place apart from a couple of boards.

 

These have been sitting in my shed for some weeks till I had some spare time to start modifying the spot where my model of Star Bridge signal box sits.

 

So yesterday the board was unboxed and set up. The old ground area wasn't really up to a suitable standard and after finding a really nice shot of the box in The Brighton Line by Chris Durrant I have borrowed the book off Mike and will add more detail.

 

One interesting fact is that the box bane board was blue background and left resting on the walkway so I will redo the name board on thr model.

 

The recess on the layout has now been cleared and a bit more support added to the baseboard ready to start redoing the ground.

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A bit more progress  with a new styrene base constructed with locating lugs for the box that was painted and installed yesterday.  Today the telegraph pole was formed together with the electrical cabinet next to the steps.

Also timber walkways infront of the box have been added.

 

Since the photos were taken these have been painted.

 

 

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Thanks Ian.

 

Early this morning I printed out the replacement nameboard that sits resting on the walkway. It was actually in the old blue background of the SER.

The frame fixed the wall of the box had what looks like a bird box attached to it so this morning I fabricated the frame and the bird box from styrene and it is mow drying after a coat of primer was applied.

 

Hopefully it will be completed tomorrow morning ready for Mike to take the board back home this week end.

 

I do need to carry on inspecting Santa Barbara before loading that layout for the trip to the NMRABR convention in Crewe this weekend.

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  • roundhouse changed the title to Star Lane, Hooley - next show is Macclesfield in April 2024.
  • RMweb Gold

Star Lane was at the last Warley show back in November 2023. The first morning Mike had a few issues but it was running smoothly once it settled down. He has a few tasks to do on the layout before its next outing to Macclesfield in April.

 

Meanwhile I have been working on quite a few old Lima class 33's that I pulled out of the loft. Man y years ago I had done quite a few modifications to them long before Heljan released theirs, so i would be a shame just to forget about these Lima locos. They have all been serviced and decoder sockets fitted etc. 

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Some have had replacement wheels from Peters Spares and a few new motors but I am mindful that these all mount up he cost.

 

So with a part finished green 33 sitting around for many years just collecting dust I decided to complete he repaint and number it. I did consider replacing the wheels but as Star Lane tracks are on a gradient I decided that traction tyres would be needed so I dug out my Unimat lathe and made use of it for he first time since buying it 2nd hand some years ago.

 

The Lima wheels have been turned down albeit fairly crudely using a file and new traction tyres fitted. Its also one of the locos to have a replacement motor.

 

The final task was to replace the moulded tension lock couplers . I have used Golden Valley Hobbies NEM converters ,trimmed down and fitted in place using a small piece of styrene. Kadee number 17's are now fitted into these but allow them to be swapped to tension lock couplers if need be.

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Hopefully this loco will be seen on parcels trains at Macclesfield in a few weeks time along with other new rolling stock that Mike and others have obtained more recently. I suspect a few Booster locos will also be seen.

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