RMweb Gold simon b Posted November 16, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 16, 2015 Hi all, after a lot of false starts I've finally got around to starting a proper layout. I've had an interest in the city widened lines for sometime now, so basing the layout as a fictitious extension somewhere to the east of Moorgate station, I've yet to come up with a name for this, but thinking of something like "St Mary's street" or "Whitecross gate". Something that sounds like it belongs in central London anyway! I'm planning to build this as a run through design with a fiddle yard at either end, but also so that I can operate it as terminus with only one fiddle yard should I need to. All the scenic section will be on one central board to keep thing's nice and simple. The baseboard I'm using was built for an earlier idea I had, but changed my mind and never continued. I'd been playing about with various track plans on this for a few weeks, so when I finally laid out one that worked I pinned it down before I change it again! Please excuse the bad pics, these were taken with a mobile phone late in the evening... This is an overview of the scenic section, trains will enter and leave from a double track tunnel at the left end of the board. Then the 2 center tracks will form two through platforms, with a third bay platform nearest to the camera at the front of the board, the bay also has a loco kick back siding. The spur heading off at the back of the pic I'm not sure what to do with, I had an idea of making it disappear into a tunnel as a link to another station (similar idea to the hotel curve) or cutting it short as another loco stabling siding. The track is peco code 100, with a mix of large and medium radius points. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
roythebus Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 The odd siding at the back could be to the meat market. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold simon b Posted November 16, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted November 16, 2015 (edited) Here's a couple of pic's from the planning stage.... A class 31 wait's in the loco spur to couple onto the rear of the next terminating loco hauled service, brick retaining walls at the rear. Another 31 with 57ft suburbans in tow emerges from under the office block above the station, another service has terminated in the bay. The signal box will be a low level wooden structure, I've taken inspiration from Liverpool street metropolitain station here. I'd welcome your thought's on this guy's! Edited November 16, 2015 by simon b 15 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold simon b Posted November 16, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted November 16, 2015 (edited) The odd siding at the back could be to the meat market. Thanks. Could be, maybe a mini smithfeilds on top of the retaining walls? Edited November 16, 2015 by simon b Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 40-something Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 Very interesting thread. My own layout in gestation, Coldblow Lane SE14, is based on the East London Railway in New Cross. The fiction behind it is that the lines which terminated at Moorgate were extended to Liverpool Street thus completing another link from North to South London. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold simon b Posted November 17, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted November 17, 2015 Very interesting thread. My own layout in gestation, Coldblow Lane SE14, is based on the East London Railway in New Cross. The fiction behind it is that the lines which terminated at Moorgate were extended to Liverpool Street thus completing another link from North to South London. I like the sound of that, do you have a link to your layout per chance? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 40-something Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 I like the sound of that, do you have a link to your layout per chance? Hi Simon Here is a link here... http://www.12admrg.co.uk/coldblow-lane-se14.html Not much progress of photos yet but progress will step up after Warley Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivercider Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 That is a nice idea. Compact enclosed urban railways have a special different feeling and lend themselves to recreation in miniature. Even your planning stage pictures capture some of that atmosphere, if you had just posted the pictures without captions I would still have guessed where it was meant to be. Good luck with the project cheers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 Totally agree. A fantastic subject just crying out to be modelled. Good luck. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leopardml2341 Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 Hi Simon, The arches, made of what and by whom? Looking good and added to my follow list. Keep up the good work. Rgds Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammyboy Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 It's another Minories! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37114 Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 Looks really good, when I saw the Rail Express article earlier this year I thought the widened lines are a good prototype for a compact layout Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve1 Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 You might like a look at this thread from another Forum --> http://scalerail.phpbbhosts.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=1138 steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold simon b Posted November 17, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted November 17, 2015 Hi Simon Here is a link here... http://www.12admrg.co.uk/coldblow-lane-se14.html Not much progress of photos yet but progress will step up after Warley Bookmarked! "run-down urban railway facility" sounds like just my cup of tee, I'll keep an eye out for progress with this. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold simon b Posted November 18, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted November 18, 2015 I'm glad you like the pic's guy's, doesn't look too bad for a few bit's of propped up plastic wall! And thank's for the link to the Margery street thread, I read about the layout in the Rail Express mag but didn't know there was a build thread. Leopardml2341- I'm not really sure who make's those arches, I bought some at a swapmeet and some from ebay. I cant find any names or numbers on them, but they are made of vacuum molded plastic. It's really thin stuff, but does have a nice embossed brick finish. I'll grab some better pics of them this week for you. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
class"66" Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Wil follow this now.. cheers neil.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dava Posted November 18, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 18, 2015 I recall the last week of the GN Widened Lines trains to/from Moorgate in 1976 (about this time of year or was it late October in half term week?), riding into Moorgate on empty stock compartment trains behind 31's in the evening peak. It had to be the most atmospheric ride you could have on BR at the time. So I like the idea and design of this project. Greater width would allow LT Met/Circle trains on separate tracks if you wanted. I dont think anyone has modelled Hotel Curve tunnel and platform at KX suburban yet! Dava Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 I dont think anyone has modelled Hotel Curve tunnel and platform at KX suburban yet! Although I'm not aware of it, I wouldn't mind betting someone has. It oozes too much atmosphere not to at least have been inspiration for someone. Stuff your green fields. Urban grime... bring it on. https://www.flickr.com/photos/loose_grip_99/353965421 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold simon b Posted November 21, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted November 21, 2015 Hi Simon, The arches, made of what and by whom? Looking good and added to my follow list. Keep up the good work. Rgds Leopardml2341- I'm not really sure who make's those arches, I bought some at a swapmeet and some from ebay. I cant find any names or numbers on them, but they are made of vacuum molded plastic. It's really thin stuff, but does have a nice embossed brick finish. I'll grab some better pics of them this week for you. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold simon b Posted November 22, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted November 22, 2015 I recall the last week of the GN Widened Lines trains to/from Moorgate in 1976 (about this time of year or was it late October in half term week?), riding into Moorgate on empty stock compartment trains behind 31's in the evening peak. It had to be the most atmospheric ride you could have on BR at the time. So I like the idea and design of this project. Greater width would allow LT Met/Circle trains on separate tracks if you wanted. I dont think anyone has modelled Hotel Curve tunnel and platform at KX suburban yet! Dava The Hotel curve tunnel and the suburban platforms would make a great model on their own, plenty of urban grime there. Perhaps that's a project for the future? Width is the only issue. I originally considered a model of Barbican staion with both set's of tracks, but it was lacking in operational interest for me. I thought about possibly laying 4th rail along the center through platform roads of this layout, then I can run some A60 stock really set the scene! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baby Deltic Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 (edited) If you're going to model a prototype, model it right. Is the architecture of the buildings surrounding the railway correct on the model. Do the retaining wall arches have keystones or are they plain bricks on end? Is the brickwork English or Flemish bond. What colour is the brickwork? Bear in mind that most of London's railway infrastructure was yellow brick which has turned a dirty brown over the years. Stuff like that. Edited November 22, 2015 by Baby Deltic Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 If you're going to model a prototype, model it right. Is the architecture of the buildings surrounding the railway correct on the model. Do the retaining wall arches have keystones or are they plain bricks on end? Is the brickwork English or Flemish bond. What colour is the brickwork? Bear in mind that most of London's railway infrastructure was yellow brick which has turned a dirty brown over the years. Stuff like that. Absolutely spot-on advice, BUT... personally I'm always fearful of trying to model a prototype because no matter how hard you try and how much research you do... someone will always come along and say you have got something wrong. I'm all for constructive criticism... I believe it's how we learn and strive to get better. Having said that, there's nothing more soul-destroying than (say, at a show) to hear someone say to his mate "he's got THAT all wrong" which is more destructive than constructive. Maybe I need a thicker skin. And some rivet-counter repellant. Simon, I think you've got it right by "basing" your model on the Widened Lines. If anyone can look at the end result and think "Moorgate", "Farringdon" or whatever, you're on to a winner. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baby Deltic Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 Absolutely spot-on advice, BUT... personally I'm always fearful of trying to model a prototype because no matter how hard you try and how much research you do... someone will always come along and say you have got something wrong. I'm all for constructive criticism... I believe it's how we learn and strive to get better. Having said that, there's nothing more soul-destroying than (say, at a show) to hear someone say to his mate "he's got THAT all wrong" which is more destructive than constructive. Maybe I need a thicker skin. And some rivet-counter repellant. Simon, I think you've got it right by "basing" your model on the Widened Lines. If anyone can look at the end result and think "Moorgate", "Farringdon" or whatever, you're on to a winner. If it captures the image of what it is, that is what counts, but there's no harm in going the extra mile just to get features of the area right. I personally would not give it the name of a real location because, as you say, Johnny Armchair and his experts will come along and offer their 'critique'. Maybe a name like Mount pleasant or something like that, on the route, but not a station. Even my layout 'Sumatra Road' isn't based on a true location' although the buildings are all prototypical of structures on the North London line or London in general. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phatbob Posted November 23, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 23, 2015 They look like the old 00 scale Graham Farish ones to me. Which means they must be VERY old! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leopardml2341 Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 ^^^^^^ slim to fat chance of me finding some then? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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