Kensington Olympia in n scale

[acg5324]

Some progress with the RML. more details on the main thread.....see above......

[acg5324]

The RML conversion has progressed nicely. It’s now painted, loosely assembled and awaiting detailing, adverts, logos etc.

[acg5324]

The RML has now had adverts and decals added and the detail picked out in appropriate colours. Once Christmas is out of the way I’ll get down to some proper work on the layout.

[St Enodoc]

5 hours ago, acg5324 said:

Once Christmas is out of the way I’ll get down to some proper work on the layout.

Look forward to seeing that!

 

All the best.

[acg5324]

From an earlier post I missed Johns question does the Solari work? Yes it does,  the motor was seized solid so it and the 30 years of dust and pigeon debris from Victoria were removed. A set of Meccano gears and handle were fitted to turn the flaps.

[acg5324]

This is the cover of the Scottish book, the rear cover photo has been changed as I had already included it inside the book! Due out in March.

[acg5324]

I hope everyone was good and got what they had asked Father Christmas for?  

A Digitrax UT4 throttle and panel arrived in Haxby. This will nominally control the inner loop on Olympia. Just need to work out where it’s going to go and get a suitable length of cable.

[St Enodoc]

49 minutes ago, acg5324 said:

This is the cover of the Scottish book, the rear cover photo has been changed as I had already included it inside the book! Due out in March.

I probably ought to buy this one, seeing as I was based in Scotland from 1978 - 1983...

[acg5324]

Two deliveries this week, one I had completely forgotten about. Firstly 2 three packs of the Realtrack PCA cement wagons and today a three pack of Revolution Sturgeons with sides and a single without. All great looking models.

Edited January 10, 2020 by acg5324

[acg5324]

The baseboards have finally been correctly bolted together and the G clamps removed. Now to plan out the revised approach to the fiddle Yard. This is the Willesden end of the layout and the southbound side of the yard plus the revised crossovers and access to the Motorail loading platforms. Points laid out to see if it fits.

[acg5324]

Nearly two months since my last post.............some free time this week saw the north end of Olympia cleared of track and today I’ve started to relay it. For a change I’ve used hardboard nails as a baseboard edge anchor for the rails. Seems to work very nicely. 

 

 

Edited March 7, 2020 by acg5324

[acg5324]

Managed an afternoon of track laying today...two days on the trot...what next!

The crossover and access into the Motorail Sidings at the north end of Olympia is now all laid. Holes drilled for point motors too.

Track laying has extended on to the next board....just. The plan is a minimum of five fiddle Yard roads in each direction.

[acg5324]

With apologies to Chris Kamara.........unbelievable Jeff!!!!!!! A third day of track laying. One siding laid right through. This will be the datum for the others. It’s about 190cm long, about 6ft 6 in old money.

[St Enodoc]

4 hours ago, acg5324 said:

With apologies to Chris Kamara.........unbelievable Jeff!!!!!!! A third day of track laying. One siding laid right through. This will be the datum for the others. It’s about 190cm long, about 6ft 6 in old money.

Nice work Andy.

 

I used Proses spacers to help get my storage track straight and parallel. You can get them for N gauge too:

 

https://proses.com/prestashop/track-laying-tools/26-n-scale-adjustable-parallel-track-tool-8680979260463.html

 

Usual disclaimer.

[acg5324]

Cheers John. We stock Proses at Monk Bar, don’t think we have these but I can check them out. 

[acg5324]

23 hours ago, acg5324 said:

Cheers John. We stock Proses at Monk Bar, don’t think we have these but I can check them out. 

Well we had them in stock so I have bought a set, along with three more curved points and some insulated rail joiners.

[stevea]

Hi, Andy

    My copy of the last of your excellent series of books 'The Scottish Region in the 1970s and 1980s' landed on the doormat earlier (well, actually, it just missed the mat!). Full of lots of lovely pics of BR locos and units in a very interesting era, with plenty of variety and detail. I'm sure it will give as many hours of pleasure as the other volumes. Thank you for your hard work

Regards

Steve

[acg5324]

Thanks Steve., glad you like it. The Brighton and Sussex book was sent in to the publishers last week, got the proof back yesterday for me to check. 

 

Just started on the next one which will be the NE-SW route, well all of what became Intercity cross country and more.

[acg5324]

Yorkshire area NGS meeting today.

 

I’ve made a start on the next building for Olympia.....can you guess what it is yet!

[grahame]

Interesting looking floor plan and appears to be quite a big building.

 

I'm keen to see progress.

 

 

[acg5324]

1 hour ago, grahame said:

Interesting looking floor plan and appears to be quite a big building.

 

I'm keen to see progress.

 

 

........me too....

It’s going to be Charles House. I hope I make it half as good as your buildings. 

 

Charles House should be shaped like a pair of capital E,s back to back. It was a huge building that housed Post office departments and possibly some Intelligence agencies.  My version will be more like an H losing length and several floors.

 

[grahame]

Impressive and big.

 

Looks like it was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott; architect and designer of Liverpool cathedral, Battersea power station, the Park Royal Guinness brewery and the famous red telephone box.

 

 

[grahame]

Just looked it up. Apparently it wasn't GGS.

 

It was built as offices 1948-50 and designed by Arthur S Ash. [I thought he was a tennis player - the first black man to win Wimbledon ;-)]

 

 

[acg5324]

The building has ( like a lot of your London Bridge buildings Grahame ) been demolished and replaced by flats...still called Charles House.

 

The rear of the building will involve a lot of guesswork especially at ground floor level. I suspect there would have been loading bay(s).

Edited March 14, 2020 by acg5324

[grahame]

13 hours ago, acg5324 said:

 

The rear of the building will involve a lot of guesswork especially at ground floor level. I suspect there would have been loading bay(s).

 

I find that a lot: that pics and info on the backs of buildings, that have been demolished, is very difficult to source (and if it does surface it is not until the model has been made). And, yep, consequently there is a need for considered guesswork.

 

One essential point is to ensure any self designed guesswork is in keeping with the architectural style. Charles House looks very reminiscent of Sir GGS's cathedral of power style (Battersea and Bankside power stations and the Guinness Brewery) with swathes of brickwork.

 

Here's a pic I took of the Guinness brewery (I think it has since been demolished) that might give some clues and ideas about the back. You can see loading bays in one of the gaps between blocks:

 

Edited March 15, 2020 by grahame