RMweb Premium Popular Post 31A Posted January 15, 2018 Author RMweb Premium Popular Post Share Posted January 15, 2018 Thanks again for all the 'likes', etc. A quick look at the beginning of the evening rush hour. It's unusual for long distance trains to arrive at Platform 2 as it is appreciably shorter than Platform 1; however the afternoon Peterborough train is only 5 coaches long and is so routed. Here it arrives behind Colwick's 61873, which has a slightly unusual tender for a K3: This picture was taken looking in the opposite direction for a change, but shows why I don't often use it - the front (right hand side) of the layout is unfinished scenically. The signal box is a Heljan (now Knightwing) plastic kit which is quite a good model of a GN box, but I intend to replace it with a bigger one in due course. Anyway, slightly later in the evening and after some shunting, the station is just about full! The main line set berthed in Platform 1 is the reason why the Peterborough train had to arrive at Platform 2; the stock of this has now been placed in the middle siding, and an outer suburban train has arrived in its place. This is a six coach set and still has the inwards loco at the buffer stops, so D5309 is stood well forward. In Platform 3, N2 69535 is at the head of a short inner suburban set (which also still has a loco at the other end), while another N2, 69543, is now on the head of the set in Platform 4 that the pilot put there earlier (see post above) - this N2 arrived earlier at the head of the ECS which is now in Platform 1. 29 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
danstercivicman Posted January 15, 2018 Share Posted January 15, 2018 Perfection! It really is a very good layout! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 31A Posted January 15, 2018 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted January 15, 2018 Perfection! It really is a very good layout! I wouldn't go quite as far as that, Dan, there's quite a lot still to do - but thank you anyway! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
manna Posted January 15, 2018 Share Posted January 15, 2018 G'Day Folks Always enjoy this layout, it's got all the moves, same as the real thing. manna Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Popular Post 31A Posted January 16, 2018 Author RMweb Premium Popular Post Share Posted January 16, 2018 Later in the evening rush hour, and another scene of activity. Both station pilots are propelling rakes of stock into the platforms simultaneously! This is the only time that the West (Goods) Pilot gets involved with shunting passenger stock, but it needs to be a vacuum braked loco in order to do so. It has shunt released the Baby Deltic (D5901) from Platform 3, and is propelling the stock into Platform 4. At the same time, the East Pilot has removed the set of coaches from the Middle Road and is propelling them into Platform 3 to make a Peterborough line train. The Baby Deltic looks somewhat marooned on the Down Main! In the background, the set of coaches which were berthed in Platform 1 have already been shunted into Platform 2, and an A1 has come off shed and coupled to them. D5054 in the foreground is in the Loco Spur, awaiting its next turn. After all that everyone needs a brew, and another procession of departures has been made up, this time all faster services. The A1, 60156, is at the head of a long distance train, and another K3 (61932) has backed on to the Peterborough train in Platform 3. This illustrates the point about how the rostering system works; today the afternoon Peterborough trains are both K3s, whereas in reality these would have been quite rare on these trains. In Platform 4, D5901 has now backed down onto the coaches forming a Cambridge line semi fast. The 204hp Diesel has returned to its usual position, but is hidden behind the signal! These pictures show that I need to get some ground signals made! 21 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
danstercivicman Posted January 16, 2018 Share Posted January 16, 2018 Later in the evening rush hour, and another scene of activity. Both station pilots are propelling rakes of stock into the platforms simultaneously! This is the only time that the West (Goods) Pilot gets involved with shunting passenger stock, but it needs to be a vacuum braked loco in order to do so. It has shunt released the Baby Deltic (D5901) from Platform 3, and is propelling the stock into Platform 4. At the same time, the East Pilot has removed the set of coaches from the Middle Road and is propelling them into Platform 3 to make a Peterborough line train. The Baby Deltic looks somewhat marooned on the Down Main! In the background, the set of coaches which were berthed in Platform 1 have already been shunted into Platform 2, and an A1 has come off shed and coupled to them. D5054 in the foreground is in the Loco Spur, awaiting its next turn. P1020649.jpg After all that everyone needs a brew, and another procession of departures has been made up, this time all faster services. The A1, 60156, is at the head of a long distance train, and another K3 (61932) has backed on to the Peterborough train in Platform 3. This illustrates the point about how the rostering system works; today the afternoon Peterborough trains are both K3s, whereas in reality these would have been quite rare on these trains. In Platform 4, D5901 has now backed down onto the coaches forming a Cambridge line semi fast. The 204hp Diesel has returned to its usual position, but is hidden behind the signal! P1020650.jpg These pictures show that I need to get some ground signals made! Hours of fun that's the best bit about inner city terminus layouts Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Popular Post 31A Posted January 25, 2018 Author RMweb Premium Popular Post Share Posted January 25, 2018 Thanks for all the 'likes' etc. and appreciative comments, folk! This morning a look at some of the other trains the spotters might see at Finsbury Square. There are two 'outer suburban' six coach sets, with First Class accommodation and lavatories (for some). The first set is quite a prototypical formation, being mainly made up of BR Standard stock. Some of the coaches can be seen as it leaves behind a Brush Type 2: The BR Standard CL was made by grafting Comet sides onto a Bachmann BR Suburban coach; the SLO next to the loco was also made from a Bachmann BR Suburban coach (SO) by inserting lavatory compartment side mouldings from DC Kits. The BS in between is a pretty standard Bachmann vehicle repainted and glazed with Lazerglaze. The other six coach set is less authentic being made up mostly of Hornby ex LNER coaches; here it leaves behind 67772: Some suburban workings are in the hands of DMUs. The Accountants like these, although they can't do the Times crossword on their way to work any longer. Most are Cravens 2-car sets, either singly or as 4-car trains. This one is leaving under the home signals gantry; it isn't properly planted as I haven't made it work yet! There's also a Metro Cammell 2-car set which is rather anachronistic for this place and time, but I run it as I'd done quite a bit of work to make it out of a Limby 3-car, and was quite pleased with it: 24 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted January 25, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 25, 2018 Damn fine pictures there Steve. As soon as I saw that Brush on those Subs I was suddenly at the X in 1963/4 (or later if my memory is a bit duff; I think steam had finished on many of those in '62). Also, that Signal Gantry in close up shows a fine bit of work too. Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 5BarVT Posted January 25, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 25, 2018 Hadn’t noticed the gantry before. Looks good. Paul. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 31A Posted January 25, 2018 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted January 25, 2018 Damn fine pictures there Steve. As soon as I saw that Brush on those Subs I was suddenly at the X in 1963/4 (or later if my memory is a bit duff; I think steam had finished on many of those in '62). Also, that Signal Gantry in close up shows a fine bit of work too. Phil Also, that Signal Gantry in close up shows a fine bit of work too. Hadn’t noticed the gantry before. Looks good. Paul. Thanks both - if only I could make it work! Really I need to make some more levers first (see post 138) but then I'll have to un plant the gantry and sort out its linkages - aarghh! I think steam officially finished on the GN suburban lines in 1959, although some workings remained steam, mainly the longer distance trains to on the main line towards Peterborough (which weren't officially 'suburban' in those days!), and of course the early diesels weren't too reliable at first! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold chris p bacon Posted January 25, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 25, 2018 I think steam officially finished on the GN suburban lines in 1959, although some workings remained steam, mainly the longer distance trains to on the main line towards Peterborough (which weren't officially 'suburban' in those days!), and of course the early diesels weren't too reliable at first! Anywhere beyond Hitchin on the main line was considered to be 'in the country' 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
danstercivicman Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 Lovely pictures The suburban stock looks great and a lovely loco to haul it! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 31A Posted January 25, 2018 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted January 25, 2018 I put some stuff about the signal gantry up over here at the time I built it, which people may not have seen: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/115667-31a-st/page-2 I don't tend to include it in layout pictures at the moment though as the calling on arm on the left hand doll won't stay at 'on', despite the fact that it all worked perfectly well on the bench before I planted it! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
manna Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 G'Day Folks As a kid I used to buy half day return ticket, from Wood Green to Hornsey, just to ride on the steam trains, so if a DMU turned up, I'd wait for the next train, hoping it was a steamer, sometimes I'd wait an hour or more, but eventually, no more steam.......... good enough reason to have a model railway. And Finsbury Sq. is looking better every-time i see it. manna 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium great northern Posted January 26, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 26, 2018 Thanks both - if only I could make it work! Really I need to make some more levers first (see post 138) but then I'll have to un plant the gantry and sort out its linkages - aarghh! I think steam officially finished on the GN suburban lines in 1959, although some workings remained steam, mainly the longer distance trains to on the main line towards Peterborough (which weren't officially 'suburban' in those days!), and of course the early diesels weren't too reliable at first! Another quote from Eric Neve in East Coast from Kings Cross states that although Hornsey had 46 diesels to cover 34 diagrams, it was necessary to prepare a steam loco for every duty because of the rate of diesel failures in 1959. When you consider that the three available classes were the BRCW type 2s, the North British D6100-9 series, which spent a lot of time at New England sheeted down under tarpaulins, and the original Baby Deltics, that isn't surprising. I went down to the Cross several times in 1959, and steam was still very much in evidence. It was only when the Brush type 2s started to appear that things changed, and even then quite slowly, as for every two that arrived, two D53XX were sent off to Scotland. Still a fair bit of steam even in 1960, but by 1961 Brush 2s everywhere. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 31A Posted January 26, 2018 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted January 26, 2018 Thanks Gilbert! That gives me licence to do what I do. The duties are split roughly 50:50 steam / diesel on my layout but as I mentioned, there are also some quite blatant anachronisms. I remember a former Cambridge loco man friend of mine telling me how he was 'put back' (i.e. lost his seniority) in 1959 when the diesels came in; I can't remember the details but I think he probably went back from 'Passed Fireman' to 'Fireman' (i.e. Second Man). Anyway, he got to drive Pacifics on the main line about 40 years later when WAGN held their Steam Galas! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Popular Post 31A Posted January 26, 2018 Author RMweb Premium Popular Post Share Posted January 26, 2018 Following on the Suburban theme, towards the end of the day the Finsbury Square 'turn over' locos are dispensed with and two engines make their way back to the depot coupled together. The Accountants don't like this kind of thing, and call it 'Unproductive Mileage', but since they all went home hours ago they don't get to see it. This can throw up some interesting pairings. 69531 is one of the earliest Mainline N2s, rebuilt with Comet frames, a Mashima 1024 open frame motor and Branchlines 80:1 gearbox. It seems quite happy coupled to the Heljan Baby Deltic, but sometimes the two locos just won't work together and have to run separately. After that (and before the turn over locos arrive in the morning), loco hauled workings have to be run round using the engine release crossover between platforms 3 and 4. This happens twice in the morning, and once in the evening. Here D5054 uses the crossover to get round its coaches: This picture's a bit of a cheat really, I had to move the coaches out of the way to get the camera in position. Strange that all the buses seem to have the same adverts on the side. 20 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted January 27, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 27, 2018 Following on the Suburban theme, towards the end of the day the Finsbury Square 'turn over' locos are dispensed with and two engines make their way back to the depot coupled together. The Accountants don't like this kind of thing, and call it 'Unproductive Mileage', but since they all went home hours ago they don't get to see it. I love your little asides. And the real railway was just like this! Mind you, the operators often got their own back. At one time the DTp mandarins were hot on ECS mileage, and so the Board had targets for reduction. Easy - turn some of the ECS trains into advertised passenger trains! The fact that not many punters actually wanted an 08.34 Charing Cross to New Beckenham with very limited stopping patterns was immaterial - the stock went round the corner to berth at Beckenham Junction just the same! 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Popular Post 31A Posted January 27, 2018 Author RMweb Premium Popular Post Share Posted January 27, 2018 Thank you, Ian! Picking up on that theme, here is 68987 making it's way back to shed in an economical fashion, at the head of a string of empty vans, having been relieved of the previous day's station pilot duties. Whereas the stock from the 'long distance' trains is worked to and from carriage sidings for servicing, the Peterborough sets are turned round in the station. Here 60862 has backed down onto the morning northbound train in Platform 2, whilst the B1 61138 which brought the train in has been shunted to 4 to await its move back to shed. On the left, a 'Main Line' set has been worked in empty by the 'new' station pilot and is berthed in Platform 1. In contrast to 60862, 61138 doesn't seem to be the smartest loco in the fleet as she runs out tender first: 23 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
danstercivicman Posted January 27, 2018 Share Posted January 27, 2018 Nice pictures Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerburnie Posted January 27, 2018 Share Posted January 27, 2018 Only just found this, great layout Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Popular Post 31A Posted January 29, 2018 Author RMweb Premium Popular Post Share Posted January 29, 2018 The last couple of photos for now, and a look at the Great Eastern section trains. There are two train pairs (as the Continentals would say) to and from the Great Eastern section - not quite sure how they get there (either via Tottenham Hale or Royston!), one in the morning and one in the evening. 62599 stands at the head of the morning train; even without lining and looking rather dowdy, its elegant lines contrast favourably with the 'modern traction' behind. For the evening train, the six coach set is split and the train is formed of three of the coaches, plus one or two parcels vans. There may not be many passengers for it, but at least they can all board from the shelter of the canopy! At this point, the remaining three coaches are in Platform 1 but will later be berthed overnight in the middle road, once the carriage cleaners have finished with them. 23 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CUTLER2579 Posted January 29, 2018 Share Posted January 29, 2018 Steve, surely now ready to appear in one of the magazines. Regards,Derek. I tell you what fellow "Finsbury Square" spotters give my post an agree and see if we can persuade this modest guy to agree with my sentiments. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
danstercivicman Posted January 29, 2018 Share Posted January 29, 2018 I'd agree but sometimes magazine fail to do justice to layouts Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 31A Posted January 29, 2018 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted January 29, 2018 Steve, surely now ready to appear in one of the magazines. Regards,Derek. I tell you what fellow "Finsbury Square" spotters give my post an agree and see if we can persuade this modest guy to agree with my sentiments. Thanks for all the kind comments, suggestions, "likes", etc. One day I'd like to think Finsbury Square might appear in a magazine, bit there's quite a lot I'd like to do before it's ready. I've been building it for about 20 years - better pull my finger out I suppose! 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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