Christleton Junction - 1986 - Gateway to North Wales

[lmsforever]

That looks good like the walkway connection  very realistic addition are you going to weather the buildings ,this will be interesting to see.

[61656]

21 minutes ago, lmsforever said:

That looks good like the walkway connection  very realistic addition are you going to weather the buildings ,this will be interesting to see.

Thanks. They’ll be weathered in what you might refer to as the fullness of time! I may do a quick and light job just to tone things down a bit. But there’s about 20m if Slater’s brickwork needs doing…

 

I’ve had a real push on scenery this year. I want to get basics done which means viaduct, station and canopies, then we can get the S&T and OHL chaps in. And I can’t wait for that!

[61656]

One of those nights where you do something fairly small that has a big impact. I’ve been talking about the viaduct coming into Christleton for what seems like forever, and tonight it took a big step closer. Cutting out the SE Finecast arches is a fairly laborious task, but just leaning the seven sections, for 13 arches makes quite an impact. 
 

A couple of general views to show how much of the layout they take up. 
 

 

 

There’s a lot to do, but their first impression is very pleasing. They put the railway in the landscape rather than just on the board. Most of them will be just brick infill, much like the viaduct of the Castlefield Corridor between Manchester Piccadilly and Oxford Road. 
 

Some of the arches are quite critical in terms of spacing for the canal and road passing underneath the railway. Luckily my measurements are about right and they are spaced the right distance apart. 
 

The two arches nearest the station will have shops cut into them, alongside the lower entrance to the station. This entrance will be similar to the one at Leeds (from Victoria St?), locally known as the Dark Arches. The shops will be a chippy and a TV rental shop; reminiscent of my 1980’s trainspotting days to take a quick break for tea and to check the football results. 
 

For the moment though, it’s nice to play around with the photographic opportunities the viaduct will offer. 
 

 

 

Edited December 19, 2022 by 61656
Duplicate pictures

[5BarVT]

Hopefully you have a lean-to for the front of the fourth one in,

If not, you’ll need some mighty strong 4mm people to operate the over centre latch!

Paul.

[61656]

Just now, 5BarVT said:

Hopefully you have a lean-to for the front of the fourth one in,

If not, you’ll need some mighty strong 4mm people to operate the over centre latch!

Paul.

I do have something in mind! I did wonder about removing the catch, but this house moves like it’s on a tectonic fault line. 

[61656]

Today saw a 50% increase in the DMU fleet. The timetable needs 5 units, one of which will eventually be an EMU. I really like the Bachmann 108 and wanted to get a non-headcode box variant, so was quite happy to pick up a relatively cheap second hand one. These always bring a challenge to fit sound to and get all the lights working, in this case a few hours of faffing and messing to get it all working. The end result is very pleasing and the Legomanbiffo sound unit with mini bass speaker is first class. 
 

 

I haven’t done much rolling stock work for a while, but the unit fleet would be a good place to start. Not least with the destination blinds; Doncaster, Exeter and Cambridge aren’t quite right!

 

 

[5BarVT]

9 hours ago, 61656 said:

I haven’t done much rolling stock work for a while, but the unit fleet would be a good place to start. Not least with the destination blinds; Doncaster, Exeter and Cambridge aren’t quite right!

Be interested to see how you get on - particularly with the illuminated blinds.  I have a similarly eclectic and inappropriate mix of destinations.

Though as far as I am aware, there is no commercial product showing Heath Town or Christleton.

Paul.

[61656]

56 minutes ago, 5BarVT said:

Be interested to see how you get on - particularly with the illuminated blinds.  I have a similarly eclectic and inappropriate mix of destinations.

Though as far as I am aware, there is no commercial product showing Heath Town or Christleton.

Paul.

I’m fairly hopeful a normal inkjet printer will make a reasonable job of it!

 

I need to research the types of paper and material that my printer can work with. Destination blinds are the kind of thing that you look at intensely whilst fitting and then never notice again. 
 

I’m sure I recall an article in the Railway Modeller or Constructor (age check!) in the 80’s where someone had made a revolving destination blind. It was hexagonal but I can’t recall how he made it move. I quite like the idea of having one with all my favourite model railway destinations on it!

[St Enodoc]

1 minute ago, 61656 said:

I’m fairly hopeful a normal inkjet printer will make a reasonable job of it!

 

I need to research the types of paper and material that my printer can work with. Destination blinds are the kind of thing that you look at intensely whilst fitting and then never notice again. 
 

I’m sure I recall an article in the Railway Modeller or Constructor (age check!) in the 80’s where someone had made a revolving destination blind. It was hexagonal but I can’t recall how he made it move. I quite like the idea of having one with all my favourite model railway destinations on it!

I think I remember that but using a pencil so it must have been 0 gauge. IIRC it was on a wire pivot that replaced the lead and projected through the sides. He just turned the wire to change the destination.

 

Regarding the blinds themselves, I use ordinary printer paper. I use Gill Sans MT Condensed 6pt (or 5pt for longer names) but for your period I guess Arial would be the closest match.

 

 

 

[61656]

53 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

I think I remember that but using a pencil so it must have been 0 gauge. IIRC it was on a wire pivot that replaced the lead and projected through the sides. He just turned the wire to change the destination.

 

Regarding the blinds themselves, I use ordinary printer paper. I use Gill Sans MT Condensed 6pt (or 5pt for longer names) but for your period I guess Arial would be the closest match.

 

 

 

They look excellent. I was thinking gill sans but lower case, but you could be right with arial. I wonder if you can get a copy of the rail alphabet font? It would be handy for the station signs too!

[St Enodoc]

51 minutes ago, 61656 said:

They look excellent. I was thinking gill sans but lower case, but you could be right with arial. I wonder if you can get a copy of the rail alphabet font? It would be handy for the station signs too!

A quick Google suggests:

 

https://www.strathpefferjunction.com/download/british-rail-fonts-rail-alphabet/

 

Caveat - I haven't tried it!

 

This is a very interesting supporting article:

 

https://thebeautyoftransport.com/2015/05/13/on-line-typeface-rail-alphabet-typeface-uk/

[61656]

4 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

A quick Google suggests:

 

https://www.strathpefferjunction.com/download/british-rail-fonts-rail-alphabet/

 

Caveat - I haven't tried it!

 

This is a very interesting supporting article:

 

https://thebeautyoftransport.com/2015/05/13/on-line-typeface-rail-alphabet-typeface-uk/

That’s the kind of link you could lose yourself in for days! Seeing all the different signage is brilliant, really inspiring. 
 

I remember being a young BR trainee in 93 and going on a course at the Management Development Centre at the Grove in Watford. I can’t recall anything about the course other than it  involved a lot of football and hangovers, and that all the signage was in the railway alphabet. 

[St Enodoc]

9 hours ago, 61656 said:

I can’t recall anything about the course other than it  involved a lot of football and hangovers

Most Grove courses that I went on were like that.

[P.C.M]

For my 108 and 101 headcodes I used modelmaster transfers they do a set for midland DMUs.  It's been a while since I bought some so hopefully they are still available. 

 

Cheers Peter.

[St Enodoc]

6 hours ago, P.C.M said:

For my 108 and 101 headcodes I used modelmaster transfers they do a set for midland DMUs.  It's been a while since I bought some so hopefully they are still available. 

 

Cheers Peter.

Unfortunately, probably not a viable option any more, Peter:

 

 

[P.C.M]

Yeah just had a look for them. That's a Shame it was a  useful set of transfers.

I did have a look at Railtec and it doesn't look they do any. But it could be worth getting in touch. 

Cheers Peter.

Edited December 21, 2022 by P.C.M

[railtec-models]

4 hours ago, P.C.M said:

Yeah just had a look for them. That's a Shane it was a  useful set of transfers.

I did have a look at Railtec and it doesn't look they do any. But it could be worth getting in touch. 

Cheers Peter.

 

If I've understood the thread correctly (I've only just had time to quickly skim it), there's already an offering for custom destination blinds. Your choice of colour(s) and typeface:

 

Item 9089 in the relevant scale will do the job:

https://www.railtec-models.com/catalog.php?search_str=9089

 

 

[61656]

I’ve been browsing Flickr looking at DMU destination blinds (and inevitably getting side tracked to look at the traction used on MGR trains etc.). 
 

My fleet of currently 3 multiple units but eventually around 5 or 6 will all say Christleton on one end. On the other I’ll try to replicate the most common destinations, which I think are Helsby, Hooton, Bangor, Llandudno, Manchester Victoria and Manchester Oxford Road. The less common destinations of Holyhead, Crewe, Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton probably won’t make it. 
 

The destination blinds do seem to vary a little between classes, but all are upper case white letters on a black background. There seems to be some differences in how Manchester is displayed, sometimes just Manchester or Man Victoria. I haven’t yet found an Oxford Road.
 

Here are some links:

 

 

 

It’s interesting that so many of the sets are mixed. Not quite so easy to do with the Bachmann models because the trailer cars have different pickup methods. But an interesting challenge!

[5BarVT]

How about Rock Ferry?!  Though that would predate the change to Hooton.  1985 was the extension of Merseyrail to Hooton.

Paul.

Edited December 21, 2022 by 5BarVT
Furtherbthoughts

[61656]

3 hours ago, 5BarVT said:

How about Rock Ferry?!  Though that would predate the change to Hooton.  1985 was the extension of Merseyrail to Hooton.

Paul.

Rock Ferry doesn’t appear in the timetable for Chester at all. I assume the DC lines were in a separate table, being effectively a completely separate railway. 
 

I think modelling AC electrics is enough for now!

[Banger Blue]

In my collection, BR (LM) WTT book (section ‘CH’) dated 14 May 1984 - 12 May 1985 includes Rock Ferry but the next one I have 30 September 1985 - 11 May 1986 shows ‘CH’ now ends at Hooton, onwards towards Rock Ferry is now in WTT section ‘CF’.

[61656]

57 minutes ago, Banger Blue said:

In my collection, BR (LM) WTT book (section ‘CH’) dated 14 May 1984 - 12 May 1985 includes Rock Ferry but the next one I have 30 September 1985 - 11 May 1986 shows ‘CH’ now ends at Hooton, onwards towards Rock Ferry is now in WTT section ‘CF’.

That’s the kind of excellent, unique and niche knowledge that we need. Try using that fact anywhere else! If you win a pub quiz with it I’ll eat my hat.

 

I assume that it’s pronounced who-ton and not hu-ton?

[Banger Blue]

45 minutes ago, 61656 said:

I assume that it’s pronounced who-ton and not hu-ton?

I would say it’s closer to hoot that rhymes with toot.

 

Hoot-on 😀

Edited December 21, 2022 by Banger Blue

[61656]

Intercity liveried 47612 has backed on and been coupled up to the 11.00, 1D48 ex Euston to Holyhead. This is booked for 100mph air con stock, but there’s not much evidence of any air con today!

 

 

A little later in the afternoon and a 45 waits on the holding road to takeover the 14.28 service, originating at Bangor and destined for York. This is booked for 47 haulage throughout, so a real win for peak fans today. The booked 47 had worked a Euston service southbound owing to the current absence of an 86. A request has been made to Santa (c/o Crewe Electric). 
 

[P.C.M]

On 21/12/2022 at 03:36, railtec-models said:

 

If I've understood the thread correctly (I've only just had time to quickly skim it), there's already an offering for custom destination blinds. Your choice of colour(s) and typeface:

 

Item 9089 in the relevant scale will do the job:

https://www.railtec-models.com/catalog.php?search_str=9089

 

 

Thanks Steve, I didn't see them. they would be ideal. 

Might add some to my next order.

 

Cheers Peter.