Aldersgate

[trisonic]

Yeah, that's what they should have done, maybe?

 

Best, Pete.

[jwealleans]

In passing, the connection to the Metropolitan did briefly exist. It was an extension of platform one, the line right against the western wall

 

I thought that rang a bell - pictures in Great Eastern in Town and Country Vol 2, which I assume Andrew has.

[Katier]

Regarding using plastic card for the roof girders, don't be so hasty to under estimate their strength. Elsewhere on this site there is a thread of someone who's build a bridge in Manchester out of the stuff.. he then stress tested it.. with about 15 cans of beer!!! The rough calculations showed it was actually as strong (in scale terms) as the original bridge was estimated to be, possibly stronger because he didn't have the final cross members in place when he did the test.

[George Hudson]

Regarding using plastic card for the roof girders, don't be so hasty to under estimate their strength. Elsewhere on this site there is a thread of someone who's build a bridge in Manchester out of the stuff.. he then stress tested it.. with about 15 cans of beer!!! The rough calculations showed it was actually as strong (in scale terms) as the original bridge was estimated to be, possibly stronger because he didn't have the final cross members in place when he did the test.

 

Yes, I think you are right, properly done they could be strong and I will not in any case use them for fully supporting the roof. The thread you mention is Ron in Spain and his work is very inspiring but to aspire to his standards is a little daunting. Notwithstanding this, I am thinking of making up some form of jig based on the drawings which I have put together for the foam board attempts. I would use this jig to assemble the trusses from plasticard and "L" or girder section plastic.

 

Andrew

[Katier]

Yeah, his work is mindbogglingly good, but then your stuff it pretty top draw too and close to, if not up with his standard.

 

 

[Pacific231G]

Apropos of Liverpool Street Station, a friend invited me to go on the Globe Theatre's "Sonnet Walk" on Saturday- a walk through the City interrupted by actors posing as as passers by who break into Shakespeare's sonnets- and the route took us through Exchange House Square which is built over Liverpool Street's approach tracks . On the south side of the square there is a glass screen that provides an excellent view looking down on and into the train shed from the opposite end to the concourse. I'm sure everyone who knows the station well knows all about this vantage point but I've been there often and had no idea that this existed. From the concouse it's most easily accessible by walking up the western side of the station.

 

Andrew, will your layout be exhibited when it's completed? It's looking great.

 

David

[George Hudson]

David,

 

I think this is where you mean. It's a great vantage point and an interesting space.

 

I don't have any plans to exhibit the layout. My woodworking isn't up to transportation but when I return to the UK in a couple of years I would like to locate it to be used and extended by a club perhaps.

 

We will see.

 

Regards

 

Andrew

[George Hudson]

Hello all,

 

I have revised my plan(any comments most welcome)

 

I have also been playing around with the overall feel of the station throat which I find impossible to visualise except by actually laying track pieces on the board! Although I would have liked more of a curve to the right, (the minimal board widths won’t allow this) I am reasonably satisfied with the overall feel of the track position. I intend to lay the main up running line (i.e. the furthest loop track from the inside of the layout) and progress this around the whole layout thus having one full loop to run. I will then work inwards matching tack distances and curves to fit.

 

Andrew

 

[pwr]

Looks great - good cluttered feel to a London terminus. Very atmospheric

 

Paul R

[Shadow]

Andrew,

 

Just looking at the layout of the throat that you've got there. Looking good, but think that the pair of points on the Up Main (Right most in photo?)

should be a trailing pair, not a leading pair. (Red line)

 

Also, can't work out whats not looking correct (read this as "pleasing to the eye" ) with the arrangement on the left (yellow circle)

 

Have I got the two running lines correct on left?

 

What's the third line for?

 

Dave

 

[George Hudson]

Hi Dave

 

Thanks for taking the time to think about this.

 

Your comments on the facing/trailing points on the right are correct of course. Murphy’sLaw dictates that this would be the only part of the layout in the throat that I have put down (including drilling out for point motors etc!!). It would have been ok I guess if Aldersgate were a terminus but since I have reinstated the fabled link to the Metropolitan which existed for a time at Liverpool street and turned it into a (sometimes) through station then it needs a set of trailing points. I will have to think about whether I lift it or leave it. Mmm

 

I think the left is ok since I have marked the running lines as you can see in the photo. They are actually the second and third lines from the left. The extreme left hand line is a sanctuary for tank engines on suburban works. When Liverpool Street was the busiest suburban station in the UK, the platform ends were peppered with spurs and refuges with water, ash pits and rather makeshift coaling stages. I am making the refuges on the extreme right and left pretty long partly because in I have seen pictures where several engines are lined up ready for service and also, frankly to give the impression of “lots of track†at the station mouth to add to the main line flavour.

 

Thanks again for your input!

 

I have completed one circuit of track laying and so Aldersgate lives at least. The mighty Britannia has already made several circuits pulling a rake of blood and custard stock.

 

Andrew

[Peter Kazmierczak]

I like the look of this layout; it has a lot of potential.

 

I'd be inclined to leave the points as they are and make the line another running line, loop or carriage line.

 

See below.....

[George Hudson]

Thanks.

 

Yes, and one of the two inspection pit roads will actually go further for a cameo reproducing a spur to the Norton Folgate power station which was at street level at Liverpool Street. The power station had a chute which routed clinker and waste from street level down to open wagons. I have the front of the station partially modelled already.

 

Andrew

[George Hudson]

Oh dear, my Britannia seems to have conked out after several successful circuits. It's DCC and I have been running it on a Fleischmann analogue controller mmmm perhaps I shouldn't have. The B17 (not DCC) seems to be running ok still. Not happy. Anyone out here have any ideas?

[trisonic]

Andrew, You'll probably get a better response if you put your question in the "DCC Questions" section.

 

Best, Pete.

[Gilwell Park]

Hi. The thing to remember about Liverpool St is that in addition to the loco yard, turntable & coaling plant between the East & West sides each West side, ie steam, terminal platform had its' own engine dock. As a train entered the platform the trailing point would change and the new loco would follow the train into the platform and couple up. The original loco would uncouple, fill the tank with water and be ready to follow its' train down the platform, wait for the facing point to change and go into the loco dock ready to repeat the performance on the next arrival. A very slick operation. The sound of several Westinghouse pumps at the same time is never forgotten.

 

Roger.

[George Hudson]

Hi Roger,

Thanks for the comments. In my plan I am trying to do this operationally by having the two outer sidings and the inner 3 way point arrangement. Although not exactly the same, the arrangement will give space for tank engines to be hanging about waiting for their next duties (I have seen a photo showing three waiting on one spur) and also by extending the outermost sidings along the throat, hopefully giving the impression of more running rails than actually exist in my limited space. Perhaps when Aldersgate reaches its final resting place there might be space for an add on board and a GER style covered turntable. I don't know when it was scraped but I am sure someone on the RM site or at GERSoc will have a date on that.

Regards

Andrew

[George Hudson]

Hello all,

 

A quick update for those following Aldersgate. I have spent the afternoon cutting about 80% of the track for the station throat. Although there are a few pressure points which need to be squared up, I am reasonably satisfied with the result given the limitations of using proprietary pointwork. The Peco 75 range is an excellent product but I always envy those modelers able to build their own and generate beautiful sweeping pointwork. Anyway, my modeling is like politics: the art of the possible!

 

Apart from one loop of the mainline, all the pointwork is simply resting under its own weight and is not fixed in place. The next stage will be to make sure it all works electrically with the flexi track pinned in place lightly and then take it all up again to drill out the holes for point motors. Thereafter I will check that everything works with point motors also and when this is confirmed lightly tack the track with small drops of woodwork adhesive between or at the edge of sleepers. This is my preferred method of keeping the track in place before conventional ballasting.

 

Phew 4 hours seem to have one by in about 15 mins.

 

Regards

 

Andrew

[Worsdell forever]

I think you've managed to create some nice sweeping curves . Keep up the good work.

[McRuss]

Andrew,

 

your station throat looks very good.

 

Markus

[George Hudson]

A small update for those following developments.

 

Hopefully without sounding too smug or tempting fate, I can report that the station throat is now fixed down and operating fully. All droppers, electro frog feeds etc have been left unsoldered underneath as yet but this will be the next session.

 

There is only one area of track near the crossing which had slightly questionable geometry with hindsight and it may be that I purchase a dremmel and replace the offending 15 cm. (I won't say where it is exactly!).

 

I am posting a shot across the tracks which I believe will look like a plausible Liverpool Street type approach when I have it ballasted, painted, backed by some high retaining walls/warehouses and covered with a suitable road bridge or two.

 

Regards

 

Andrew

[L49]

Looking Good Andrew. It's a fantastic feeling when the trackwork is finished and you can actually run some trains. Reminds you what the hobby is all about! I don't envy you the task of building all those retaining wall arches. Are you planning on having the little siding in the corner below 'the light'? I thought mention had been made on this thread of it before but I'll just had a look back through and I can't find it.

 

I think that little corner at the end of the west side just before the mouth of the covered way is one of the most modellable corners on any mainline terminus in London. The rubbish chute directed straight into a waiting wagon, and the little bits of 2' gauge track with push hoopers on it would make a brilliant still life cameo amidst the busyness of the station trhoat.

[George Hudson]

Thanks.

 

I intend to have the siding which you mentioned to collect the clinker from Norton Folgate power station (perhaps I will call it Triumph Folgate). That is the intention for the little spur at the top of the board and I have picture of the siding in use in my "Aldersgate scrapbook" of inspirational photos.

 

I wll probably soon start on the low relief buildings and retaining wall at the back of the station as an antidote to the marathon electrics session. The good thing is that I can do these before I have painted and ballasted the track since they will not be in the way. This means I can switch between the trackwork and scenery so that neither becomes boring. The buildings are in fact my favourite part, oh yes, that and also standing in the middle of the whole thing watching the trains go by with a silly grin on my face!

 

Andrew

[L49]

Thanks.

 

I intend to have the siding which you mentioned to collect the clinker from Norton Folgate power station (perhaps I will call it Triumph Folgate).

 

On the same tack, you could try Vincent Folgate, although that could sound rather more like and East End wide boy

[trisonic]

Great progress, Andrew!

 

Now, Vinnie Folgate I like! Meet him down "The Blind Beggar"................

 

Best, Pete.