Christleton Junction - 1986 - Gateway to North Wales

[5BarVT]

On 02/05/2023 at 22:47, 61656 said:

an 85 stabled on the middle road,

Hmm . . .

Not sure you can do that without imaginary traps.  Which would then make it much less useful for through freight and not available for through passenger.  If you could be a little looser in terminology e.g. “waiting” then you would be ok as there could be train crew on board.

But that ties up a crew for the length of time it’s sitting there!

Reading stabled their pilot in the middle siding between the Relief Lines but it was trapped at both ends by crossovers with buffers beyond so a run away wouldn’t have got anywhere.  Never saw anything stabled on the Up Main, mind you it was 50mph  with plenty of booked traffic.

I’m avoiding modelling by researching L Frames for Rule 1 application to Heath Town.  Great fun.
Paul.

[61656]

16 hours ago, 5BarVT said:

Hmm . . .

Not sure you can do that without imaginary traps.  Which would then make it much less useful for through freight and not available for through passenger.  If you could be a little looser in terminology e.g. “waiting” then you would be ok as there could be train crew on board.

But that ties up a crew for the length of time it’s sitting there!

Reading stabled their pilot in the middle siding between the Relief Lines but it was trapped at both ends by crossovers with buffers beyond so a run away wouldn’t have got anywhere.  Never saw anything stabled on the Up Main, mind you it was 50mph  with plenty of booked traffic.

I’m avoiding modelling by researching L Frames for Rule 1 application to Heath Town.  Great fun.
Paul.

It’s a good point. The 85 arrived on 6.50 steel service from Mossend. The next electric loco is booked as an 86 to pick up the 7.17 Holyhead to Euston, so it’s less than 30 minutes until a stabling road becomes free. 
 

This is the first full run through of the timetable with sufficient electric locos, so I’m not sure how much of an issue third loco stabling is going to be. I recall seeing locos stabled on the middle road at New Street, but they probably have traps (I will be able to check a scheme plan if I try hard enough). I’m still a little way off overhead wires, an embankment and a station at least, but potentially two of the shed roads could be wired. 

[5BarVT]

7 hours ago, 61656 said:

It’s a good point. The 85 arrived on 6.50 steel service from Mossend. The next electric loco is booked as an 86 to pick up the 7.17 Holyhead to Euston, so it’s less than 30 minutes until a stabling road becomes free. 

Sounds like a plan.  Now the crew on the 85 will be hoping that the crew for the 86 are ready to come out early so they can’t get onto the stabling point and away (or into the mess room).

7 hours ago, 61656 said:

I recall seeing locos stabled on the middle road at New Street

Yes middle sidings were (still are) trapped.

Paul.

[St Enodoc]

8 hours ago, 61656 said:

overhead wires

A dear late friend had a model of Stafford, which included all the masts and gantries but no wires. Their absence wasn't obvious at all and made life far simpler.

[61656]

A little more progress and a very minor milestone - there’s now some kind of scenery on the outside of the whole layout. That’s about 9m of mainly brickwork. I have gone a little crazy in the last 50cm and introduced a small outbreak of stone work. I do like working with the Wills sheets. They take a bit more time but they do have a nice depth. I’ll be using more of it eventually, the first couple of passes of scenery are just to get rid of the bare board look. 
 

 

The next job (probably), is to build the embankment along the front. 
 

 

The 108 is sitting where a signal will be, although only short trains will ever stop here; anything longer than 4 coaches will hang back over the station. Eventually the signal will indicate to drivers that they have a road set into the fiddle yard. 

[61656]

Having done the backscene, I guess we have to call this the frontscene?

 

 

I realised that I would need something at the front of the layout for the banking to end against, otherwise I’d be doing grasswork for infinity. I curved a piece of hardboard round and cut the profile to match how I envisage the banking will go. I painted it in blackboard paint as it was quite a varied set of colours. I was so happy with how the black makes the baseboard disappear that I carried on all the way round. 
 

 

It makes quite a difference, probably more so in real life than in the photos. Once the banking is done, the station is the next bit of scenery on my list. (Note my programming track diagonally in the air whilst the paint dries!)
 

[61656]

Probably the messiest part of any model railway is building embankments with polystyrene! I never feel qualified to pass on modelling advice, but I can say that having the vacuum cleaner to hand and sucking up everything as you go is a solid idea. Vacuuming each piece as it’s cut will save you a whole world of pain later on. 
 

I carved the polystyrene with a fine saw (11 tpi) and glued it into place with a builder’s solvent free adhesive (no more nails type). This glues well and can be used to fill gaps to make it even. 
 

 

The banking starts as a cutting as the railway curves in from Warrington and slowly reduces to be an embankment, eventually ending under the viaduct. Railway bankings are usually very uniform, being mad made, but then randomly altered as the years pass. Undergrowth in the 80’s will be much less than today’s jungles, I’ll try to represent brambles and some small bushes. 
 

 

I’ve got some stretchy fabric to put over the top before a thin layer of plaster. I think I have some long out of date undercoat plaster that will be just the job. 

[ISW]

3 hours ago, 61656 said:

Probably the messiest part of any model railway is building embankments with polystyrene

I have a 'stash' of polystyrene ready for such a purpose in the attic of the garage, sometime in the future.

 

However, I've also been collecting old egg cartons over the years although, at current prices (for the eggs ...) and lack of availability, such a 'stash' is probably now worth quite a lot. Anyway, I was thinking of using the egg cartons dipped in water (until they are soft/pliable) and building them up with cheap PVA. For large thicknesses, I'd probably use the polystyrene for the 'bulk' and the egg cartons for the 'skin'. A bit like a DIY version of ModRoc. The theory being that it cuts down on the polystyrene cutting, and resultant hoovering (why don't we call it Dysoning?).

 

Ian

[61656]

1 hour ago, ISW said:

. For large thicknesses, I'd probably use the polystyrene for the 'bulk' and the egg cartons for the 'skin'. A bit like a DIY version of ModRoc. The theory being that it cuts down on the polystyrene cutting, and resultant hoovering (why don't we call it Dysoning?).

 

Ian

In my case it’s Henrying. I wouldn’t touch a Dyson for the same reason I don’t go in Wetherspoons, but such subjects are best avoided!

 

Polystyrene is the ideal material, and if you have Henry on hand, the mess is negligible. Ultimately it’s just a model railway, the building inspector is probably unlikely to pay a visit*, so use whatever is to hand. 

*my local building inspector has been round and he likes trains!

[61656]

Chaos at Christleton South…

 

 

Regular readers, particularly those that prefer their interlocking vertical and mechanical, will recall the 85 being stabled on the middle road. After much discussion it was agreed that this was still staffed, awaiting the 07:16 to Euston. Unfortunately before the Euston came in, a 45/0 pitched up on a freightliner to Lawley Street. Luckily the Up Down Through is permissive, so it edged up close to the waiting roarer. When the 47 rolled in from Holyhead on the intercity, the 85 went out first and both locos shared the Up section to switch tracks. The 47 will then shuffle across further into platform 2 and wait behind the soon to depart 101 on a Wolverhampton via Shrewsbury turn, allowing the ‘liner to continue south (although it has a 35 minute lay over, presumably for bacon and coffee). Over in the bays, 3 units await trips to Man Vic, Helsby and Bangor. The 128 is substituting for a unit which we don’t yet have in capital stock!

 

There is much fun in running to timetable, but it does nothing for the nerves. 

[61656]

The plaster is on at the North West end  cutting and embankment. A lot fiddlier than coating a wall, but the finish isn’t so critical. The plaster is still wet in these shots, so it will be interesting to see how it dries. I’m expecting a few cracks, but it should be ok. I was going to run a slight bank up to the retaining wall, but the mix was getting a bit unworkable, so that can wait. I’d like a gentle slope up from the ballast to remove the right angle. 
 

 

The embankment curves nicely down to meet the brick arches, and I’ve finally filled the triangle between the Chester and Warrington lines. It shouldn’t be too long before we can get back to talking about tow paths!

 

Whilst various bits have been drying at the West end, I’ve made a start on the platform faces. These suffered minor damage just over a year ago when I split the boards to sort the backscene out. I knew they’d need some work as the previous tops were far too flimsy. With the platforms now solid, I can start the faces and coping stones. Many stations in the North West have platforms of differing styles, which I want to represent here. It’s also amazing how much stuff is attached to the faces, so I’ll be adding random clutter. 

 

 

Whilst searching for something else entirely, I also found this picture from just about 4 years ago. Nice to remind yourself not only how much there is to do, but also how much you’ve done! These two pictures are pretty much the same place, just different angles. The track layout changed quite a bit too!

 

[61656]

The plasterwork seems to be drying agreeably - a lot more so than if it was on a living room wall! With the brickwork given a thin coat of brick red to remove the harshness of the Slater’s orange, it’s beginning to look the part. 
 

 

Tucking down to ground level makes me believe I might be able to get a half decent shot or two from here. The inner track has an annoying kink in it, but otherwise it’s very pleasing, especially the meandering troughing route. 
 

[ISW]

16 minutes ago, 61656 said:

especially the meandering troughing route. 

Yes, I do like that. Very prototypical.

 

Ian

[61656]

The plaster has started to be painted matt brown and I’ve also done the first coats on the bridge’s woodwork. I’ve touched up a couple of areas of the plaster with polyfilla, which will need painting when it’s dry. Next step is to finish off the ballasting, there are numerous gaps to fill and it needs to go a little wider. I’ll then turn my attention to the grass. 
 

Meanwhile, who doesn’t love a 40?

 

[St Enodoc]

5 hours ago, 61656 said:

Meanwhile, who doesn’t love a 40?

Me. Anyone who's had to set up the load regulator fingers will understand.

[61656]

6 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Me. Anyone who's had to set up the load regulator fingers will understand.

I don’t even know which function key that is!

[coronach]

On 03/05/2023 at 23:02, 5BarVT said:

Hmm . . .

Not sure you can do that without imaginary traps.  Which would then make it much less useful for through freight and not available for through passenger.  If you could be a little looser in terminology e.g. “waiting” then you would be ok as there could be train crew on board.

But that ties up a crew for the length of time it’s sitting there!

Reading stabled their pilot in the middle siding between the Relief Lines but it was trapped at both ends by crossovers with buffers beyond so a run away wouldn’t have got anywhere.  Never saw anything stabled on the Up Main, mind you it was 50mph  with plenty of booked traffic.

I’m avoiding modelling by researching L Frames for Rule 1 application to Heath Town.  Great fun.
Paul.

A set of cosmetic derailers would be easy to install.  There was at least one derailer at Wolverhampton High Level, presumably to overcome constraints in the length of the stabling siding that precluded the provision of a trap point.

[61656]

The layout has had quite a bit of viewing and operation over the last few days, with the Severn Valley’s massive diesel gala on over the weekend, quite a few friends have been over to see it. I’m pleased to say that both layout and rolling stock were all well behaved. The timetable is holding up well too; so far no express trains have been sent hurtling into occupied fiddle yard roads.
 

I’ve also managed to grab an hour or so to progress the scenery. Tonight I filled in various areas lacking ballast, mainly around the new cutting and bridge, but also around the station platforms where they were altered. 
 

The first picture shows the 07.46 7P23 (I think) Tue Brook to Penmaenmawr ballast empties. The 25 has just run round ready for departure. This is an odd move in the middle of a lot of DMU work. All 3 platform ends have new (and not yet dry) ballast work. 
 

 

Further down and a view from the holding road. The ballast has been extended out to the bridge parapet on the right. On the left the cess is a bit wider, so that will be vegetation. 
 

You can’t really see this view when operating, but you can see quite clearly into White Lane sidings and the roads curving round to the Holyhead yard. The tracks are all level, it’s just a photographic effect that makes the GUVs look to be on a slope. 

 

 

Finally, the curves round to the Warrington exit. The ballast has been replaced widened, particularly on the right. On the left is an experimental area of ‘soil’, a mix of dry sand and dry coffee grounds. On the near left you can just see that a slight slope has been added from the track up to the retaining wall. Oddly the matt brown has dried matt on the left, but not the right!

The ballast dirtying train is due out soon. 

 

Finally, for those with too much time on their hands, I did forget to take the adjustable spanner, being used as a gluing weight, out of the shot in one of the photos. 

[61656]

On 18/05/2023 at 15:16, coronach said:

A set of cosmetic derailers would be easy to install.  There was at least one derailer at Wolverhampton High Level, presumably to overcome constraints in the length of the stabling siding that precluded the provision of a trap point.

I considered either derailers or wide to gauge traps. I couldn’t think of a prototype for derailers, they tend to be in obscure places!

 

Having spent a lifetime inadvertently annoying operators, I will list to reason and allow locos to stable on the shed that’s 50 yards away.

[mallaig1983]

Looking very nice and good to hear that the timetable is running as hoped.

Took me a while to find the spanner though 😀

[37Oban]

Hi,

 

I love the way this is developing!  I'm a big fan of dmu's an diesel traction!

 

However, there is one thing I must say, and it's to sort that nasty wee kink out that you noticed.  Better to sort it out before you go any further with weathering and detail work, earlier would have been better.  Now you know it's there, and even though stock runs over it, you'll find it starts to annoy you more and more as time goes on and you'll wish you'd sorted it out earlier!  Happened to me.  I thought I could live with it but I found that, in the end I just couldn't live, so fixed it, and regreted not doing so before doing the ballasting etc!  

 

Roja

[ISW]

21 hours ago, 61656 said:

On the left is an experimental area of ‘soil’, a mix of dry sand and dry coffee grounds.

How successful was this experiment? I've a continuous supply of coffee grounds from my bean-to-cup coffee maker [1] and if they can be 'usefully' used on the layout then great.

 

[1] - I've had the machine since 2013, and has over 10,000 cycles on it so far. My last 'maths' indicated that meant >3 cups of coffee a day for 10-years

 

Ian

[61656]

9 hours ago, 37Oban said:

However, there is one thing I must say, and it's to sort that nasty wee kink out that you noticed.  

 

Roja

In a game of ‘how long can I ignore that for’, I crashed out spectacularly after about 6 hours…

 

Before:

 

After:

 

The kink was pretty small, but quite noticeable in low angle photos. Two nails are temporarily holding the track in place in the lower photo.

[61656]

Scenic work continues. A very light touch round with some very thin matt black paint to tone the very new looking ballast. The holding pins mentioned above are more evident here. The coffee and sand mix looks ok here. I’ll use this where I want the vegetation to be thinner. 
 

 

Round at Chester Junction some grass has been added. This is the first pass, with some static grass to follow. The canal towpath has Miliput edging stones (the real ones are staggeringly big - must have been some effort to move). The towpath is sand and coffee, awaiting a lot of weeds either side of a lightly used towpath (it’s 1986). There’s a little grass added in the vee of the junction too. 

 

 

The station pilot runs past the new undergrowth with an oil wagon. There’s a hint of a model railway here! I need to build some kind of structure to reduce the light in the fiddle yard. 

 

[5BarVT]

On 21/05/2023 at 22:30, 61656 said:

Finally, for those with too much time on their hands, I did forget to take the adjustable spanner, being used as a gluing weight, out of the shot in one of the photos. 

I think you did that deliberately. :-)

Took me a while to find it too.

Paul.