Kensington Olympia in n scale

[acg5324]

Not much progress this weekend, popped over to Seaford to watch the Red Arrows perform at Eastbourne Airbourne on Saturday followed by a detour to the Arlington Tearooms for cake.....they don't scrimp with the portions either. Mrs G had a piece of Restricted clearance cake and I had strawberry...bloomin' good.
Back to a bit of modelling today. The staircase for the North Main signal box is odd in as much as it is T shaped. As a result the staircase from York Modelmaking was too short so I ordered a second one of Friday which arrived Saturday, great service and the Royal Mail excelled too. The staircase went together very well but I would recommend certainly for the n gauge one to fit both sides the platform and a couple of steps to square everything up instead of fixing all the steps and then trying to fit the other side of the staircase. Two staircases has also proved to be not enough, really need three because the staircase on the real signal box is very steep, the laser cut kit is much shallower. I have made the two sets of stairs as an L and these are now fitted to the signal box....pictures to follow.

Edited August 27, 2014 by acg5324

[acg5324]

The staircase consists of two sides and two inners which have slots for each tread, plus more than enough treads, all lazer cut from a plastic material....which Mek-Pak wouldn't touch but the Plastruct solvent did work.

 

Tin of Evostik came in useful as a weight to hold the signal box down. The signal box and staircase are glued to a sheet of black plasticard to get the staircase some support. This will disappear under ballast etc.

 

 

 

The staircase should be T shaped with stairs off on both sides, if I put a LH staircase in it will take up too much room, so this will have to be a compromise. I do have a photo taken in 1956 that shows a straight staircase.

Edited August 17, 2014 by acg5324

[cornish trains jez]

Lovely modelling there Andy. Can't wait to see this in position on the layout.

 

Best regards,

 

Jeremy

[Horizontal]

These stairs were a replacement for a plain set, and were constructed after I left in 1974, probably more towards 1980

 

Well spotted Andy!

 

:-)

 

 

[acg5324]

These stairs were a replacement for a plain set, and were constructed after I left in 1974, probably more towards 1980

 

Well spotted Andy!

 

:-)

Thanks Ian the straight set look very steep, hence the reason for splitting it I guess.

[Horizontal]

Yes, I think that many a poor man went 'a**e-over-t*t' down them - Even I thought that they were quite dangerous!

 

I remember one poor Signalman who went down the steps down at Chelsea Box in 1974 - He was never the same jovial person again - Very sad!

 

:-)

Edited August 18, 2014 by Horizontal

[acg5324]

Trawling the internet for some stand ins I've come across this https://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3243 which hopefully will act as a Olympia service station which was on the corner of Russell Road and Kensington High Street. I've found no photos of this from the street but the rear does appear on several photos looking south from kensington Olympia. wonder if anyone can remember what brand BP, Esso etc it might have been.

 

The other stand in will be for the Motorail platform canopies https://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3258 This looks like an almost perfect match.

[Horizontal]

wonder if anyone can remember what brand BP, Esso etc it might have been.

I have a hunch that it was a 'SHELL' garage - However, it was a long time ago for me!

 

:-)

Edited August 20, 2014 by Horizontal

[acg5324]

I have a hunch that it was a 'SHELL' garage - However, it was a long time ago for me!

 

:-)

Thought you might have a inkling about it, thank you. Shell will be good enough for me......its a garden now to this block of flats

[Horizontal]

......its a garden now to this block of flats

 

CRUMBS! - What a difference 40yrs makes..........

 

:-)

Edited August 20, 2014 by Horizontal

[Horizontal]

All this has taken me back inside North Main Box

 

The signalman there was not allowed to pull his Up Distant Signals until the South Main Signalman had pulled his Up Distant (No.56), which was situated under the Up Starting Signal on the gantry outside the Box - Instead of an electric repeater being provided on the block shelf to show the position of this signal, a white metal disc inscribed with the words 'UP DISTANT OFF' was situated behind the frame - This was directly mechanically linked to the South's Distant Signal, with the normal position of the disc being face-down in the horizontal position - But, when the South Signalman pulled his Up Distant Signal, the disc would turn upward and face towards the Signalman in the North Box with quite some crash, which sometimes shook the entire structure - The intensity of this crash would give some idea to the North Signalman as to who was on duty in the South Box, as some of the Signalmen in the South Box were more zealous with their lever-pulling than others.......

 

Ahhhh, happy memories!

 

:-)

Edited August 20, 2014 by Horizontal

[Horizontal]

Both Kensington boxes, although of LNW parentage, had WR 5"VT frames in them

 

The North Main Box had a frame fitted in it that was originally destined for South Wales, but it was diverted by the S&T workshops at Reading, to Kensington North to replace its old Webb Frame in 1956

 

The South Box had its frame fitted in 1958, when the Middle box was abolished and the South end of the station remodelled in conection with the separation of the LT line in the SW Bay.

 

The North Box had 65 levers, with an extra lever (66) added to release the new ground frame into the Wood Lane Milk Depot when Viaduct Jcn Box was abolished in 1976. A self-restoring catch point was provided ahead of the 3 Aspect Down Starting Signal (No.63) at the former Uxbridge Rd station site, and bi-directional working was then introduced over the Down Line between North Main and Viaduct Jcn - At this time, the twin Up Line GW home signals which were mounted on a bracket that was offset to the right on the north side of Addison Gardens Bridge were replaced by a 4 aspect colour light signal with cat's eyes and position 4 route indicator, and also, North Pole Jcn's Up Starting Signal, which was slotted with Viaduct Jcn's Up Distant signal was replaced with a plain 4 aspect colour light signal.

 

In 1958, the 72 lever South frame took on a new format for its day, in that the levers that were most used were located in the centre of the frame, with the Down Distant Signals being at No.29, and the Up Distant being at No.56. All the main stop signals were in between these two levers. Unlike at North Main, this saved the Signalman many miles of walking from one end of the box within his shift

 

'Hope this is of some interest or help!

 

:-)

Edited August 21, 2014 by Horizontal

[The Stationmaster]

Both Kensington boxes, although of LNW parentage, had WR 5"VT frames in them

 

 

In 1958, the 72 lever South frame took on a new format for its day, in that the levers that were most used were located in the centre of the frame, with the Down Distant Signals being at No.29, and the Up Distant being at No.56. All the main stop signals were in between these two levers. Unlike at North Main, this saved the Signalman many miles of walking from one end of the box within his shift

 

'Hope this is of some interest or help!

 

:-)

A consequence of Reading's interest in applying work study techniques to the way in which lever frames were used - similar things happened in other places when frames were renewed or major re-locking jobs took place.

 

And here's a 1964 view from a window of South 'box should anyone be interested (far better than going off to some exhibition with my mum & dad) -

 

Edited August 21, 2014 by The Stationmaster

[Horizontal]

The principle was used on the LM as well in later installations!

 

:-)

[Horizontal]

A consequence of Reading's interest in applying work study techniques to the way in which lever frames were used - similar things happened in other places when frames were renewed or major re-locking jobs took place.

 

And here's a 1964 view from a window of South 'box should anyone be interested (far better than going off to some exhibition with my mum & dad) -

 

92220 Kensington (O) 190964.jpg

Note the lamp-heads had not yet been placed on top of the posts at the time that shot was taken!

 

:-)

Edited August 21, 2014 by Horizontal

[acg5324]

Looks like no one in the UK has either the garage or canopies in stock. From my own photo collection I spotted this view in which you can just make out the petrol brand of the Olympia. Service station.

http://andygibbs.zenfolio.com/p488229174/h2C5ACF1A

Edited August 21, 2014 by acg5324

[Horizontal]

Well there you go - mind you, it has probably had a change of supplier/franchise since my days

 

:-)

[The Stationmaster]

Looks like no one in the UK has either the garage or canopies in stock. From my own photo collection I spotted this view in which you can just make out the petrol brand of the Olympia. Service station.

http://andygibbs.zenfolio.com/p488229174/h2C5ACF1A

Esso rang a bell with me for that one - probably went in there with an agency card at some time!

[Joseph_Pestell]

I have certainly used that service station in the distant past. I seem to recall it being rather larger than the building portrayed in the Walthers kit and also rather more boxy (which seems to be confirmed by your photo).

 

Next door to it, I believe, was the London showrooms of Bristol Cars. I don't think any of those are available as a 1:148 model yet.

[nest]

Just doing a bit of catching up Andy and the buildings are looking great. Just hope the knees are doing as well....

 

Nestor

[acg5324]

I have certainly used that service station in the distant past. I seem to recall it being rather larger than the building portrayed in the Walthers kit and also rather more boxy (which seems to be confirmed by your photo).

 

Next door to it, I believe, was the London showrooms of Bristol Cars. I don't think any of those are available as a 1:148 model yet.

The garage does indeed look bigger than the Walthers kit but lack of any photos ( so far ) would mean complete guesswork scratch building it.......or just use the kit as a stand in

The Bristol cars showroom was next door but one further up Kensington High Street, next to the Royal Kensington Hotel ( now the Hilton Olympia ) which I will probably have to build partially in low relief. Amazingly the showrooms are still there... http://www.aronline.co.uk/blogs/news/new-owner-spells-out-bristols-future/

Edited August 22, 2014 by acg5324

[acg5324]

No progress over the weekend as we were away with friends on the IOW, once gain stayed at Ocean View House, Ventnor with some great meals at the Boathouse, Steephill Cove ( table booked for 2015! ) and at the Little Gloster in Gurnard. No railway interest over the weekend apart from the former Sealink car ferries from Pompey!

I got on with some track laying today and should get a bit more completed tomorrow. Photos to follow later.

I also dug out my RCTS coaching stock books and found in the 1978 book around two dozen Mk1 GUV,s marked up as NXV for Motorail traffic, which is good news.
I'm going to order a Ultima Models TCV kit to try that out too.

Edited August 27, 2014 by acg5324

[St Enodoc]

I bet Steephill Cove has changed a bit since I went there over 40 years ago on a school journey. We stayed at a hotel in St Lawrence very close to the trackbed of the old IWCR line. I lost an OS 1" map of the Solent at Steephill - you didn't happen to find it by any chance did you? :-)

[acg5324]

I bet Steephill Cove has changed a bit since I went there over 40 years ago on a school journey. We stayed at a hotel in St Lawrence very close to the trackbed of the old IWCR line. I lost an OS 1" map of the Solent at Steephill - you didn't happen to find it by any chance did you? :-)

Sorry John no OS map.......no wonder you lost it the Solent is the other side of the island !!! 

 

Don't think the cove has changed very much most of the old cottages are still there....the beach got washed away in the winter storms!

 

Few photos of track laying etc from yesterday and this morning.

 

Firstly looking north towards Mitre Bridge Jct. The PECO paper templates are for positioning the headshunt and Motorail bays. Minimum radius on the curve is 18 inches.

 

Second up apart from the cuppa is where the north end of the platforms for Olympia will be, curved points to save on space a bit.

 

The scissors and crossovers in the centre of the platforms.

 

 

Kensington North Main and some track positioned to see how much room for the carflats I have.......4 finished, 2 unpainted 1 nearly complete and 3 more part constructed.

 

 

Kensington North Main and some track positioned to see how much room for the carflats I have.......4 finished, 2 unpainted 1 nearly complete and 3 more part constructed.

The station buildings look like they will come right up to the baseboard edge ( top RH corner ) not so good so they will not be fixed down.

 

 

Lastly the view from the operating side...............now playing Flood II by the Sisters of Mercy.....next Up is it any wonder by Keane.....bit of an eclectic taste in music me.

Edited August 27, 2014 by acg5324

[Revolution Mike]

Very nice work (and excellent choice of music on the Ipad!).

 

Cheers, Mike