Hills of the North - The Last Great Project

[Jesse Sim]

Turning our attention now to the top end of the climb ...

 

Practicalities meant that this end needed to be a 90 degree right hand curve. In Grantham-esque style, this would be a six foot radius curve but there the similarities end. The curve actually splits into two convenient sections (45 degrees each) which stack together for transportation. The first of these is the final cutting before the summit and the second is the actual summit itself with attendant sidings, signals and signal box. The former serves as a partial scenic break to split the Shap Wells scene from the summit (as they are some half mile apart in truth).

 

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Here I'm marking out the trackbed pieces, trying to get a slightly dodgy datum from the existing end board. The two 45 degree segments can immediately be seen from this view.

 

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Temporarily propped and clamped in place, this shows the intended track configuration which has been stuck to as shown.

 

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Here is the cutting board (which we'll concentrate on for the rest of this episode), constructed as the other scenic boards. Despite the curve, the longitudinal 9mm ply beam concept still works across a 45 degree segment.

 

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Now on its legs, the alignment survey is in progress here. If you look closely you can see the panel pins in the centre of the trackbed. The piece of ply on the left hand side will support the summit siding; the step between it and the adjacent mainline trackbed emphasises the incline (the siding being level), the actual summit point is on the next board.

 

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Even with just a small amount of scenery mock up added, the intended 'massive-ness' of the cutting in relation to the trains that run through it is already apparent. The ruler and blocks of wood are being used to weigh up the final height of the high level footbridge.

 

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Now the outer scenery formers have been added - the holes cut in them are simply for weight saving - taking care to ensure that the height difference between each is not impossibly steep. The May 2016 site visit was invaluable in getting a detailed idea of the lie and fall of the land.

 

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With the profiled front fascia piece attached, here I've attached supporting pieces for the cutting rock faces.

 

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Polystyrene off-cuts were stuck to the ply supporting pieces to create the base for the rock face surface treatment, following which the chicken wire for the surrounding slopes was added. The balsa former for the dry stone wall has also been added. Note how the cutting nearly - but not quite - envelops the support for the footbridge. There was an ever-present need to constantly refer to pictures and think in 3D to try and avoid improbable drops and steps in the scenery profile.

 

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The rock face surface is coloured plaster, shaped as it sets to try and introduce the innumerable crevices and ledges that usually typify such a feature. The green blodges are a somewhat crude attempt to indicate ground cover on the more horizontal areas. Subsequent scenic treatment rendered this unnecessary. The dry stone walling team have carried on with the run up from the field at Shap Wells.

 

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With the rest of the surrounding structure added, this photo shows the process of carving into the polystyrene to try and create the seemingly uneven but angled surface prior to the plaster treatment. The set-square is being used to check that overall the rock face is leaning back slightly from the horizontal. The dry stone walling work now includes the approach to the footbridge, the base for which has had its brick plasticard surface added.

 

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This shows the entire cutting face now treated and drystone walling dropping down towards the summit. A short length of stone retaining wall has been included, as per the prototype.

 

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Amazing what a touch of scenic treatment can do! Of more significance is that the track that the '5' is standing on has now been laid for keeps - I had held off tracklaying until this point but felt that to attempt tracklaying with both sides of the cutting constructed would have been a touch awkward!

 

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With both tracks now laid, the scenery support for the far side of the cutting can be added.

 

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And repeat! Rock face and surrounding scenery structure added in a similar manner.

 

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With the running lines laid, any subsequent scenic work has to proceed with caution! This is the process of applying the plaster coating to the rock face - you can just about make out the undulations, some of which is an attempt to replicate actual lumps and bumps as observed from the photos of our field trip.

 

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This shows the sizeable hillside beyond the cutting, the top end of which will blend into the backscene. The footbridge has now also been constructed and a first signal has appeared.

 

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A closer view of the footbridge. This is all soldered up from brass strip. Notwithstanding the floor still needing to be added, I am quite pleased with how this all worked out and the feeling of the railway being surrounded by the landscape.

 

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The scenery team hard at work with Warley only weeks away.

 

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And the completed scene as a Class 5 scrambles over the summit with a typical 1967 train, observed by the enthusiasts of 50 years ago.

 

More soon...

I swear there was an LNER layout there, never the less, the layout looks 'okay'.

 

Nah, beautiful work Graham and the rest of the team, looks wonderful.

 

Amazing watching it come together in the photos. 

[LNER4479]

Had visitors in the week.

 

Prior to their arrival, been working through the post-Warley 'to do' list. Here, we're planting the telegraph poles 'for keeps' (with a fair stock of spares for the inevitable casualties to come). Telegraph poles are a lot further apart than you think - these are about 70% of the spacing they should be. Compromise?Compression? More a case of what looked and felt right.

 

And here is one of the hobby's top photters in action.

 

Bloomin' hot under those lights!

 

A chance to feature a couple of trains that went in front of the cameras. This is based on a picture in the Ivo Peters book of a block cement train at Shap Wells. Perhaps the liveries are a touch too varied but a distinctive train nonetheless.

 

Another block train, this time featuring Tom Dewdney's recreated Ammonia tank wagon train - again, a train featured in the Ivo Peters book. My old Margate 9F makes an appearance.

 

Here, our intrepid photographer has taken up a highly hazardous viewpoint to capture 45562 'Alberta' at the summit with the 'Border Countryman' railtour of 25th Feb 1967. Not readily apparent but the left hand-most signal (just below Barry's nose!) is the new, LNWR-style, one controlling exit from the up loop.

 

So all this burst of excitement was to host the Model Rail team who are planning to run a 1968 end of steam theme in a forthcoming issue. It's been good to have the layout up and running again and it'll be interesting to see another photographer's take on the layout.

 

[Clearwater]

Hi Graham

 

Am I misrembering, or did you do a RM article on curves and versines? If so, could you advise which issue?

 

Thanks

 

DAvid

[LNER4479]

Certainly did David.

 

'Twas a while ago mind - Feb 2005 issue (Vol.56, issue 652).

 

Happy to post a brief resume on here if it is of interest.

 

[Clearwater]

Certainly did David.

 

'Twas a while ago mind - Feb 2005 issue (Vol.56, issue 652).

 

Happy to post a brief resume on here if it is of interest.

Thanks Graham - much appreciated. I remember reading it.. time flies eh! I’ll reread it and shout if it’s not clear. Am thinking of trying on a small section to see how it works.

 

David

[Mallard60022]

Certainly did David.

 

'Twas a while ago mind - Feb 2005 issue (Vol.56, issue 652).

 

Happy to post a brief resume on here if it is of interest.

Blimey, was that part of your 6th Form Final Project Portfolio?

R. Hem 

[stock_2007]

I think the only word for it is inspiring, thank you for sharing.

[jamie92208]

Had visitors in the week.

 

DSC02115.JPG

Prior to their arrival, been working through the post-Warley 'to do' list. Here, we're planting the telegraph poles 'for keeps' (with a fair stock of spares for the inevitable casualties to come). Telegraph poles are a lot further apart than you think - these are about 70% of the spacing they should be. Compromise?Compression? More a case of what looked and felt right.

 

DSC02858.JPG

And here is one of the hobby's top photters in action.

 

DSC02859.JPG

Bloomin' hot under those lights!

 

DSC02860.JPG

A chance to feature a couple of trains that went in front of the cameras. This is based on a picture in the Ivo Peters book of a block cement train at Shap Wells. Perhaps the liveries are a touch too varied but a distinctive train nonetheless.

 

DSC02862.JPG

Another block train, this time featuring Tom Dewdney's recreated Ammonia tank wagon train - again, a train featured in the Ivo Peters book. My old Margate 9F makes an appearance.

 

DSC02866.JPG

Here, our intrepid photographer has taken up a highly hazardous viewpoint to capture 45562 'Alberta' at the summit with the 'Border Countryman' railtour of 25th Feb 1967. Not readily apparent but the left hand-most signal (just below Barry's nose!) is the new, LNWR-style, one controlling exit from the up loop.

 

So all this burst of excitement was to host the Model Rail team who are planning to run a 1968 end of steam theme in a forthcoming issue. It's been good to have the layout up and running again and it'll be interesting to see another photographer's take on the layout.

Is that the same Ammonia working that used to come via Otley, Ilkley, Skipton and Green Ayre to, I think, Heysham from Haverton Hill. I've got a photo of a very similar train running through Green Ayre somewhere.

 

Presumably it was re routed via Newcastle and Carlisle when the above routes were closed.

 

 

Jamie

[Enterprisingwestern]

I'm at the telegraph pole time on the layout, which ones did you use please?

 

Mike.

[LNER4479]

I'm at the telegraph pole time on the layout, which ones did you use please?

 

Mike.

Oo-er - I'm going to have to ask the scenery consultant on that one! I think they might be the Ratio ones, with a few modifications. I'll get back to you.

[LNER4479]

Is that the same Ammonia working that used to come via Otley, Ilkley, Skipton and Green Ayre to, I think, Heysham from Haverton Hill.

Second question I'm stumped on! All I know is that it is based on a photo in the Ivo Peters book of such a train at Shap Wells.

 

The vehicles themselves are the work of Tom Dewdney (LMS29 on here). His models are based on traffic in the Ilkley area so it may well actually be the train you describe.

[LMS29]

Jamie,

 

The Ammonia wagons were built for my layout Ilkley and based on photographs taken around Wharfedale of the trains running between ICI at Billingham (Haverton Hill) and Heysham. Like Graham I am not sure of the of the destination of the train in the Ivo Peter's photograph but I do know that ICI sites at Grangemouth and Ardeer could have been possible recipients.

 

Tom

[jamie92208]

Jamie,

 

The Ammonia wagons were built for my layout Ilkley and based on photographs taken around Wharfedale of the trains running between ICI at Billingham (Haverton Hill) and Heysham. Like Graham I am not sure of the of the destination of the train in the Ivo Peter's photograph but I do know that ICI sites at Grangemouth and Ardeer could have been possible recipients.

 

Tom

If the date of the Ivo Peters photo is after the closure of the Otley to Skipton Line then it may well be the same working diverted.

 

 

Jamie

[apbolton]

Oo-er - I'm going to have to ask the scenery consultant on that one! I think they might be the Ratio ones, with a few modifications. I'll get back to you.

 

the telegraph poles are actually the Dapol (ex Airfix) ones, with the top arms extended on the ones leading up to the colour light signal, these were painted red and were used to supply the power to the signal.

 

paul

[Enterprisingwestern]

the telegraph poles are actually the Dapol (ex Airfix) ones, with the top arms extended on the ones leading up to the colour light signal, these were painted red and were used to supply the power to the signal.

 

paul

 

Thank you.

I was looking for realistic railway style poles and despite having searched through a few manufacturers hadn't even though of good old Airfix.

I've got the ezee line at the ready, are you stringing yours?

 

Mike.

[LNER4479]

Thank you.

I was looking for realistic railway style poles and despite having searched through a few manufacturers hadn't even though of good old Airfix.

I've got the ezee line at the ready, are you stringing yours?

 

Mike.

Stringing not very practical for an exhibition layout without installing and removing the entire run on each occasion.

 

Another aspect that you may not have spotted (cos it hasn't really been photographed yet!) is that we have used some N gauge poles in places to fit in with the forced perspective idea. This shows up quite well on a couple of the Chris Nervard pictures recently taken. His photos are of course embargoed until the mag gets published; however I don't think I'm giving too much away by posting this crop of one of them as it otherwise shows the effect quite well - the rear three poles are the N gauge ones!

[St Enodoc]

Stringing not very practical for an exhibition layout without installing and removing the entire run on each occasion.

 

Another aspect that you may not have spotted (cos it hasn't really been photographed yet!) is that we have used some N gauge poles in places to fit in with the forced perspective idea. This shows up quite well on a couple of the Chris Nervard pictures recently taken. His photos are of course embargoed until the mag gets published; however I don't think I'm giving too much away by posting this crop of one of them as it otherwise shows the effect quite well - the rear three poles are the N gauge ones!

Another challenge with "stringing" is getting the characteristic catenary curve (or droop, as we engineers say) between the poles. I've only seen this attempted a couple of times and it looked very unrealistic as the droop was totally inconsistent - both between any given pair of poles and over the course of a run.

 

Most uses of Ezy-Line that I have seen have the line strung taut between poles, which looks even worse.

 

Given that the real wires themselves are of very small diameter the Ezy-Line looks overscale to me as well.

 

In short, I prefer to leave the wires out altogether.

 

Interestingly, a friend's former layout of Stafford in the 1960s had all the OHLE support structures, gantries and so on but no wires. It looked excellent.

[Enterprisingwestern]

Apologies for the complete lack of facts in the following, but, ISTR reading an article in a magazine where the pre-strung poles and wires were wrapped around a large diameter (cardboard?) drum when removed from the layout. Not of course suggesting it's the way to go for you, but once my train set is up it ain't coming down, so I don't have the same difficulties.

 

Mike.

[jamie92208]

I managed removable poles on Long Preston and somewhere have some photos of how we did it. The main thing was that all the wires were anchored at one end of the layout and at the other end there was a removeable piece of sky in the backscene.   I only strung 30 of the 40 possible wires and no one ever noticed. At the end of a show two of us, always the same two, went along removing the poles and putting them into a keeper board which had old pill containers for the wires to drop into.   The keeper board was then bolted down through the track at one end.   Again no one ever commented on the two 6mm holes for the bolts in the 6'.   I seem to remember that I wrote this up in the RM.   We did get a nice droop on the wires. The total length was about 45' and I'd actually plotted the position of the poles as I had found all the stumps in the undergrowth.

 

Jamie

Edited June 18, 2018 by jamie92208

[LNER4479]

And, now for something on a slightly different tack...

 

Eh? Where's the railway! Well, no-one would have been quite daft enough to build a railway here. This is High Cup Nick, one of the Pennine Way's most dramatic viewpoints, located way up in the High Pennines. But, there is a connection here.

 

You'll have to trust me but we are looking almost directly down the barrel towards Shap Fell, away on the far distant skyline. In the mid-distance is the river Eden, with Appleby nestling in its valley. Just out of sight to the left is the distinctive outline of Wild Boar Fell. Yes, close by is Settle & Carlisle country, where the Midland Railway was - famously - daft enough to build a railway.

 

Another part of the Carlisle master plan features a section of the Midland Railway's mountain masterpiece and, although it's been done to death, I have no qualms to present to you my version of Garsdale. As you can see, the basic baseboard structures have already been assembled; this was the result of some work I did about 12 years ago but has been mothballed since. But it is now time for it to emerge, chrysalis-like from its slumbers.

 

Much careful measurement and marking out was the order of the day, checking and re-checking that I had got both location and height correct.

 

And now the first bits of structure start to grow outwards from the datum points. The idea here is that the boards will sit on a permanent structure, whilst having their own legs folded away - this has also been designed as a portable exhibition layout.

 

More structure building up, getting more solid with each part added.

 

First two (out of four) boards supported.

 

And now the full structure, supporting the full scene. This end has actually got as far as some mod-roc'ing. Those familiar with the location will recognise the road underbridge and the approach road up to the station.

 

From the north end, this gives an idea of the reverse sweep through the site, with the trackbed of the Hawes branch and the 'ole for the 50ft turntable prominent. The best description I've ever read of this section of the route is 'riding the backbone of England' (a reference to my beloved Pennines). A drop of rain falling at Garsdale Head can potentially go three different ways - to the Humber, Solway Firth or the Lune estuary.

 

We're now into serious brownie point territory here. Certain members of the household tend to like things all neat n organised.

 

And inside the doors? Why, stock storage of course! As you can see, some stock goes back 30 years but it will all have some sort of role to play in the years to come. Gonna take a lot of stock to fill this layout

Edited July 22, 2018 by LNER4479

[St Enodoc]

And, now for something on a slightly different tack...

 

DSC03244_LR.jpg

Eh? Where's the railway! Well, no-one would have been quite daft enough to build a railway here. This is High Cup Nick, one of the Pennine Way's most dramatic viewpoints, located way up in the High Pennines. But, there is a connection here.

 

You'll have to trust me but we are looking almost directly down the barrel towards Shap Fell, away on the far distant skyline. In the mid-distance is the river Eden, with Appleby nestling in its valley. Just out of sight to the left is the distinctive outline of Wild Boar Fell. Yes, close by is Settle & Carlisle country, where the Midland Railway was - famously - daft enough to build a railway.

 

DSC03074.JPG

Another part of the Carlisle master plan features a section of the Midland Railway's mountain masterpiece and, although it's been done to death, I have no qualms to present to you my version of Garsdale. As you can see, the basic baseboard structures have already been assembled; this was the result of some work I did about 12 years ago but has been mothballed since. But it is now time for it to emerge, chrysalis-like from its slumbers.

 

DSC03078.JPG

Much careful measurement and marking out was the order of the day, checking and re-checking that I had got both location and height correct.

 

DSC03081.JPG

And now the first bits of structure start to grow outwards from the datum points. The idea here is that the boards will sit on a permanent structure, whilst having their own legs folded away - this has also been designed as a portable exhibition layout.

 

DSC03094.JPG

More structure building up, getting more solid with each part added.

 

DSC03097.JPG

First two (out of four) boards supported.

 

DSC03135.JPG

And now the full structure, supporting the full scene. This end has actually got as far as some mod-roc'ing. Those familiar with the location will recognise the road underbridge and the approach road up to the station.

 

DSC03136.JPG

From the north end, this gives an idea of the reverse sweep through the site, with the trackbed of the Hawes branch and the 'ole for the 50ft turntable prominent. The best description I've ever read of this section of the route is 'riding the backbone of England' (a reference to my beloved Pennines). A drop of rain falling at Garsdale Head can potentially go three different ways - to the Humber, Solway Firth or the Lune estuary.

 

DSC03464.JPG

We're now into serious brownie point territory here. Certain members of the household tend to like things all neat n organised.

 

DSC03466.JPG

And inside the doors? Why, stock storage of course! As you can see, some stock goes back 30 years but it will all have some sort of role to play in the years to come. Gonna take a lot of stock to fill this layout

Super stuff, Graham. I look forward to having a play one fine day.

[LNER4479]

Super stuff, Graham. I look forward to having a play one fine day.

Sounds like a date! (In about 10 years time - ha!)

 

You'll have one of at least eight different control positions to choose from when it all comes to fruition

[St Enodoc]

Sounds like a date! (In about 10 years time - ha!)

 

You'll have one of at least eight different control positions to choose from when it all comes to fruition

Thanks Graham. Just give me a nice interlocked Modratec lever frame and I'll be happy...

[Black Marlin]

My copy of Model Rail arrived yesterday. By 'eck Shap looks good. (As it happens, it's a layout I've been following most carefully for some time now - my own big trainset will also feature open plan baseboards, constructed very similarly to yours; while one of the 'short' ends [20 feet!] will be based - scenically, at least - on the Lune Gorge, albeit broadened to take 4 main lines).

Cracking stuff, Graham.

Regards,
Gavin

[Gibbo675]

Hi Graham

 

Am I misrembering, or did you do a RM article on curves and versines? If so, could you advise which issue?

 

Thanks

 

DAvid

This is the book you need for laying out railway track. My copy was borrowed permanently, much missed.

 

https://pwayblog.com/2016/03/24/british-railway-track/