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Hunters Lane WCML in N


bmthtrains - David
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Well it’s now seven years later, but time to resurrect this thread as Hunters Lane is finally going to be built. Assuming the solicitors ever start moving at a pace faster than continental drift, in the new year I will have moved, and the new house is coming with a dedicated hobbies room already assigned. This means space for a new layout, and one permanently set up, which will be a first for me.

 

With space, time, and more money available, my plan is to start construction in the spring, with a 2 year build planned.

 

The design of the layout has shifted slightly, and is now more firmly inspired by Rugby (see inspiration photo from NR press archive below). 4 track, reception road and some rationalised sidings with the hint of more sidings and a station the other side of the bridge. 

 

The layout will be roughly 9 feet long, with plenty of modern infrastructure such as OHLE, signal gantries, and a representation of the colourful Rugby ROC as a statement building.

 

Plans are fairly set now, and I’m just working on building placements to facilitate interesting views.

 

I wont have much to report until the move, though I hope to press on with the signal gantry experiment soon.

 

David

 

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Hi Ben,

 

The actual sidings seem to be used for all sorts of things, with a lot of driver changes/loco changes it seems. I’ll keep the same feel, with maintenance trains parked up or odd bits of freight waiting to go somewhere. I will take a trip to Rugby for proper research in the new year.

 

Today I’ve been looking at clearances and track spacing, and the N Brass portals may cause a few problems. There seem to be different etches, possibly different ages, of the same supports. All have marks for suggested platform heights, but one lot is just cut to suggested rail height while the other has an excess with rail height marked. The issue is that rail height is actually quite low. On this stretch of the WCML I’m going to need them higher than shown in the mock up below, so getting the etches with an excess will be vital.

 

As I intend to produce my own etched parts for new support arms and pulleys (Nick doesn’t produce the type for this stretch of line), I may end up doing new portals as well. That way I could do the more modern types as well, but this will be expensive!

 

David 

 

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Measuring a few things out in CAD, I think raising the 48mm high portals on 3mm high bases rather than 1mm as I’ve used before, and putting the register arm 3mm higher, the effect is pretty good.

 

I will also use 60mm high portals in a few places with the lower combined arms, and if I use a mix of N Brass light and heavy portals, I think I can capture the feeling I’m after.

 

David

 

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I've been working on CAD drawings for the ROC, based on Rugby even though this *isn't* a model of Rugby itself - inspired by it is probably a better term. The ROC will be a big structure, about the size of a shoebox cut down the middle - and I will need to get the colours right as if they are too flat or too bright, it will look rather hideous. 

 

David

 

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I'm a bit gutted by this, as I'm planning to build Rugby in N in the next couple of years once I get the space ready, but your efforts are going to make mine look utterly woeful!

 

I will throughly enjoy watching this develop though, even if it'll put mine to shame! :D

 

And surely if you the ROC doesn't look hideous you've got the colours wrong!

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There’s plenty around Rugby worth modelling! A stab at the station itself would be fascinating to see.

 

Today an actual bit of modelmaking - I had time to laser cut the parts for my signal gantry prototype. If this works, it will be a major feature on the layout. There are about 40 separate parts that I’ve designed, and I have some N Scenic railings, a Peedie Models ladder, and some dummy CR signals as well.

 

A bit of spray painting this evening and the main gantry structure and the first cage are ready.

 

David

 

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Awesome! That's a great effort.

 

Yes, I'm planning to do the southern flying junction and the station itself, ending just north of the station, so perhaps we should join our layouts one day...! Usual problem when you start looking though; stations are huge when you scale them!

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14 hours ago, Ben A said:

Hi all,

 

Probably an unfashionable view but I much prefer modern design styling like the ROC being modelled here to many "fussy" older buildings!

 

cheers

 

Ben A.

 

I like both. What I really detest is sham "old" designs such as we see from most housebuilders.

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Hi Ben,

 

From what I can gather they are to raise and lower the pole that holds the signal. For maintenance purposes these gantries are obviously much safer as you can work on the signals once raised into the safety cage. I imagine it also means signals can be worked on without closing the line as trains can run safely underneath, if rules allow.

 

David

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Thanks guys,

 

A little further now, need to do more painting of parts over the weekend before I can assemble any more. The bottom image is the prototype from a NR media image. They really are huge structures. In reality they have glass panels instead of railings but Perspex looks too reflective so I changed to railings as more subtle.

 

David 

 

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A little further now, the railings are fully in place, and I’ve added the counterweights (if that is what they are - or possibly baffles?) that sit behind the signal poles. The corner struts and the rear pole anchor struts are also on, and the signal identification plates. Still to add are the white diamond communication plates to go above the central signals.

 

This was primarily an experiment to see if laser cut parts would suffice or if an etch was needed, but I’m happy enough with the quality for this to go on the layout. There’s a couple of cantilevered signal gantries I want to have a go at next as well.

 

David

 

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To get a feel for the layout, I’ve laid out the reception road and the three sidings behind the gantry and placed an incorrect 3 track OHLE portal. With big grey warehouses and the colourful ROC building in the background, and plenty of line side detailing, I think this will capture the WCML atmosphere I’m after.

 

David

 

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Brilliant work , and to capture it perfectly cover in a mat of woodland scenics over grown  weed growth - jap knot weed and Budlia with forests of silver birch to block views and spread autumnal leaf fall.  cutting just not  quite enough  of the mat for trains to run past with out striking here and there. Lineside of course to include   masses of white vans and orange army on phones ( modern version of leaning on shovels) .       

 

The gantries are fantastic in real and model form- no wonder everything costs so much ! 

I look forward to progress  and thanks for showing- inspirational  

Robert 

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I’m going to investigate making some buddleia from scratch. I’ll need tons of it as you say, the stuff absolutely gets everywhere in high summer. There’s some commercially available plants in N but they don’t really look right to my eyes. To not look like clumps of brightly coloured Woodland Scenics is important or they’ll really jar with the accuracy of the manmade elements of the layout. 

 

David

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I like the idea of your new project David, for me it does have a passing resemblance to your Ring Road layout (which I thoroughly enjoyed seeing all those years ago).  
 

The signal gantry looks epic, well done.  Certainly setting the tone for the rest of the layout.

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On 23/11/2020 at 13:54, bmthtrains - David said:

I’m going to investigate making some buddleia from scratch. I’ll need tons of it as you say, the stuff absolutely gets everywhere in high summer. There’s some commercially available plants in N but they don’t really look right to my eyes. To not look like clumps of brightly coloured Woodland Scenics is important or they’ll really jar with the accuracy of the manmade elements of the layout. 

 

David

 

I know what you mean on this - it’s the element of my layout I’ve really struggled with: stuff that’s not man-made!  Can’t wait to see how you get on (and can’t wait to copy your techniques :D:D)
 

The gantries above look amazing!

 

Cheers

Simon

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