Grim-up-North; Goathland, Queensbury & Bradford.

[manna]

G'Day Folks

 

Thank You for the pics of Bradford. Beer when it's a 105f, why not !

 

manna

[St Enodoc]

1 hour ago, Sasquatch said:

Can you think of a better one?

Nope. Who needs one anyway?

[Sasquatch]

How about a mid-week progress report? (Things must be looking up!)

Wooded fencing along Queensbury's wooden Platforms is now in place. Each section was individually cut to fit and weathered, it's Ratio GWR station fencing with the tops and bottoms of all the pickets trimmed off. The diagonal bracing is wooden and the top rail .030 x .060 plastic strip also individually cut and fitted. The fencing was given a quick brush coat of acrylic old parchment colour before a dirty wash was applied. It certainly looks the part, adding much to the scene.

 

 

 

While I had a fresh pot of dirty wash ready, I also had a go applying it to the platform buildings. Apprehensive at first I plodded on with the task. However, two evenings later I'm pleased with the result which gives the appearance that things are beginning to look run down. 

 

 

Thanks for checking in...

Squatch.

[Sasquatch]

The back end of last week there was much crawling about on the floor under the layout. I'm definitely not getting any younger! When finished the project on which I've been working should pay off. Uncoupler devices!

 

The main obstacle to overcome was the nature of the layout. Curved baseboard edges, many ribs and much topography etc.

 

After hashing up the lifting ramps I added strips of hardwood which leveled the tops of the ramps with the trackwork.

 

The pits were cut out and drilled to accept the guide tubing using a small jig.

 

The mk2 mechanisms utilize the springs that come in the old Ratio point control kits. I had one mk1 left over  for some reason when I did this on Goathland several years hence. (circled)

 

 

Next the lever frame was built up and installed.

 

Believe it or not, it took over an hour crawling about hooking each one up. Even longer in some cases, as all manner of snags and problems had to be solved. It turned out quite well, the mk2 version are more positive but might turn out to be a bit tough on the levers which are prone to breaking, (well mine are because the plastic is quite old!) I did already break one. Replacing it was an easy job, then I found a softer spring which was easy to replace also.

 

Some sort of markers will be required as the ramps blend in rather well. (bottom right!). The other one is between the J39's tender and the high-fit!

 

Installation of the system has been limited to the North end of Queensbury. If I need to uncouple anything elsewhere on this section of Grim-up-North, I'll have to resort to the handheld hook.

 

Lastly a couple of views, firstly looking down the rope worked colliery cutting...

 

...and a nicely tweaked image of a passenger train about to depart, bound for Halifax.

 

 

Hope you're having as much fun as I am with your hobby.

Squatch.

Edited July 25, 2023 by Sasquatch
Awful punctuation first thing in the morning!

[westerhamstation]

Hi Shaun, good to see a craftsman at work and to provide us all with a clear explanation of how it should be done thanks. All the best Adrian.

[Sasquatch]

6 hours ago, westerhamstation said:

Hi Shaun, good to see a craftsman at work and to provide us all with a clear explanation of how it should be done thanks. All the best Adrian.

In no way should you call that craftsmanship Adrian. It's all very cheap and simple which is something I'm a fan of. Six noisy Gaugemaster TLUs would set you back about a 100 quid, such funds when they become available are better spent on locos and stock! Apart from the time involved my system only cost about $5. I first built the system for Dunster 15 years ago,  it's never failed and I've been having fun with it ever since! Come to think of it, there might be a blog knocking around on here somewhere...

 

Are yes  

 

Regards Shaun.

Edited July 25, 2023 by Sasquatch
Typo.

[westerhamstation]

Hi Shaun , thanks for finding the link it will be useful. All the best Adrian.

[Sasquatch]

Not usually one for big words but this morning I had an epiphany. Regarding this missing staircase situation between the Bradford-Halifax platforms at Queensbury, there's a very simple explanation as to why they were never built, and a subway wasn't dug which up until now I've overlooked.

These two platforms already had a foot bridge provided at the other end! So, I doubt very much that the LNER would have gone to the expense of providing a second means of crossing from one platform to the other especially at Queensbury where trams and road transport was already making a huge dent in the revenue over this line. Thats it, settled! Later I'll brick up the subway and stop all the procrastinating. (Flippin eck, another big word).

 

Squatch.

Edited July 29, 2023 by Sasquatch
Funktuation

[Sasquatch]

After hooking up all the uncouplers and testing them (which involved playing at being a shunter all evening).  Attention was turned to cleaning the rails in the passing loops under the scenery at the back of Queensbury. Trains from Goathland have not been behaving under there. Having lifted the scenic sections off, I realised that after removing the big window, access was no longer possible. (I used to be able to go outside, open the window and reach in to clean the rails).

 

The solution was a whole day spent crawling about under the layout (yet again) to build an access hole. This involved cutting away a section of one of the main ribs (B3 in the photo) and installing two new ones at 90 degrees.  The near one is a funky sort of rifle butt shape. I made the far one a full 6 Inches deep. A cautionary measure as I'm not sure what the surgery will do to the overall strength of the baseboard structure.

 

  Sasquatch can just about squeeze up through there and needs to lay off of rich food in the future. 

With the track now thoroughly cleaned I ran a few locos to test it.

 

While cleaning up, I found another problem. The track work across the baseboard join here has been expanding in the rather warm weather, no longer aligns and has been causing shorts.  Expansion here is what has been causing trains to move when they're not supposed to! A simple fix of loosening the bolts a tad and slipping in a tiny shim.

 

 

Each passing loop can hold 2 trains (8 in total, 4 up & 4 down!) Current is fed to the loops by the switch blades. Old school but it works. Another thing I should do is wire in the SEEP built in switches as a failsafe. The droppers have already been soldered on.  (Yet more crawling about will ensue). 

Trains will exit here at right into a lower mill town suburban station and the single line at left will head further down a steep gradient before emerging under the viaduct after the station and into some sort of lower canal basin goods dept. 

 

Squatch.

Edited July 30, 2023 by Sasquatch
I do wish Mrs. Squatch would refrain from talking to me while I'm trying to type!

[manna]

G'Day Folks

 

That's looking good, great overview of the station.

 

manna

[Sasquatch]

1 hour ago, manna said:

G'Day Folks

 

That's looking good, great overview of the station.

 

manna

Thanks. I've really been getting on with it this week so I'll have to remember to do a few overview images when it's all back together!

I'm putting an order in for MSE great Northern signal arms now that I have gotten to grips with how they work.

 

Regards Shaun. 

[Sasquatch]

Talking of signals...

...and again, I'm faced with a bit of a challenge. Not that they're going to be too difficult to build and install but because getting them correct for my chosen period is a nightmare.

 

After a day studying, I have deduced the following.

 

During construction under the Great Northern all would have been the somersault type, older photographs confirm this.

A gantry was provided at the South Junction to display the junction arms which also had 2 low slung distant arms provided thus visually for drivers approaching from within Queensbury tunnel. This would make a nice model would it not have been for my choice of time period as we shall see.

 

There were 17 signals at the site.  (21 if you include the 4 shunting ground dolls).

8 of those 17 would be off scene as far as my model is concerned. Nos. 10,11,17,32 at the North junction. 14,19,20 &30 at the East junction.

 

Later day photos reveal some upper quadrant signals. Don't quote me but I suspect the changes came about in 1935 when the South and North signal boxes were removed. (Of course, any photos from the second world war period are nonexistent.)

That leaves me with 5 GNR somersault types of varying height and 4 upper quadrant types to build. 7 single arm posts and 1 junction bracket with two arms that replaced the gantry mentioned above.  

 

 

 Early photographs are of excellent quality, probably because the photographers of the period had to take their time and much care seems to be the order of the day. Later snap shots taken during the 1960s are a different story. The image of the junction bracket signal at the South junction from the mid 50s I have isn't detail enough. In one other image online, I can just make out that despite my assumptions about upper quadrant types being employed as replacements, this bracket had two somersault arms.  

 

 

These are poor quality images taken of images displayed on my old laptop.

 

Number 23 on the lever frame.

The Thornton starter at the northern end of the Halifax-Keighley platform. Regular height, original slotted post somersault type.

   

 

Number 18. Thornton down starter at the end of the viaduct on the Bradford-Keighley line.

Looks like a tall upper quadrant on solid wooden post. 

 

Number 12. Clayton starter on the up Keighley-Bradford line.

Lots of clear pictures of this one. Short somersault on a solid wooden post, interestingly erected in the wall on the Bradford-Keighley platform opposite! 

 

 

 

Number 12. Clayton up starting signal.

Short wooden post with upper quadrant arm adjacent to the main station building.

 

Holmfield Down starter Number29.  

Regular wooden post with upper quadrant arm.

 

 

 

Rear view of 29 and number 31 (right), Keighley-Halifax Holmfield starter.

Upper quadrant on what looks like a tall round post. (Don't quote me either).

 

 

 

The junction bracket at the south junction. 

Numbers 6 and 22 on Queensbury boxes lever frame. Holmfield to Clayton and Thornton somersault home signals.

 

Lastly number 28. 

Holmfield upper quadrant advance signal. Mounted two thirds of the way up the post with a white sighting panel painted on Queenbury tunnel portal.  Looks like slotted post.

 

 

Now I've got my work cut huh? I'm gonna do the tunnel mouth first while all the bits are in the post (no pun intended).

Hope you found that interesting for all the time it took. Gotta be worth a round of applause.

 

Squatch.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 1, 2023 by Sasquatch
Technical error.

[St Enodoc]

21 minutes ago, Sasquatch said:

Gotta be worth a round of applause.

Indeed. I'll give you another when you've made 'em (which should be a cinch after your experience with the ground discs).

[Sasquatch]

40 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

Indeed. I'll give you another when you've made 'em (which should be a cinch after your experience with the ground discs).

Yeah! All pretty straight forward. Only difficult part is where to locate all the operating levers!!

 

Regards Shaun.

[ChrisN]

That makes an interesting set of signals, almost no two the same.  At least you wil not get bored either making them or operating them afterwards.

 

[aardvark]

I think you're fortunate to have photos of all your signals, graininess not withstanding.

 

[Sasquatch]

19 hours ago, ChrisN said:

That makes an interesting set of signals, almost no two the same.  At least you wil not get bored either making them or operating them afterwards.

 

Yes, I'm looking forward to it. One thing I did think of was keep the original signal numbers and not calling them 1,2,3 etc. That way as I build them I'll get to know them as well! 

Already had fun ordering the parts and digging through boxes of stuff and bits. So far there's 6 grain of sand size 12V bulbs for the lamp and 9 Ratio remote control sets!

 

Regards Shaun.

[Sasquatch]

18 hours ago, aardvark said:

I think you're fortunate to have photos of all your signals, graininess not withstanding.

 

Agree! If I was modeling the GNR era, even more so! 

The Holmfield advance signal in front of the tunnel mouth is most interesting. I suspect It's mounted low on the post because the post is a replacement of the slotted concrete type. Simpler to leave the post long rather than risk damaging it by cutting it shorter. (Edit. That signal wasn't a replacement as studying the gantry photo proves it's absence).

 

Regards Shaun.

Edited August 2, 2023 by Sasquatch
Facts

[Sasquatch]

Had a go at the tunnel mouth in my spare time today.

 

Just 4 bits of foam, filed and sanded down to shape...

 

 

...with the stone courses pressed in with a fine steel rule and a pair of wide tipped tweezers. 

It's had a generous coat of Gesso and been left to dry. Which shouldn't take long in this weather!

 

That was fun!

Squatch.

[Sasquatch]

The acrylics make all the difference!

 

 

Edited August 5, 2023 by Sasquatch

[St Enodoc]

1 hour ago, Sasquatch said:

The acrylics make all the difference!

That looks excellent - please tell us more about the type of foamboard you use, as I'll have to build a portal for Tremewan Tunnel one day.

[Sasquatch]

9 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

That looks excellent - please tell us more about the type of foamboard you use, as I'll have to build a portal for Tremewan Tunnel one day.

You know I'm not sure. It was rescued from a skip on a building site! It's insulation foam! The secret was using a large flat file to bring the face down flat below the level of the half round portal stones. One day I'll have a go at doing a big derelict mill!

 

Regards Shaun.

[Sasquatch]

Anyone else having problems with images disappearing off of their posts?

[ChrisN]

40 minutes ago, Sasquatch said:

Anyone else having problems with images disappearing off of their posts?

 

Not that I know of.

[Sasquatch]

On 05/08/2023 at 08:13, ChrisN said:

 

Not that I know of.

The missing pictures have reappeared now. Strange!