Hills of the North - The Last Great Project

[TerryD1471]

David Johnson' model of Carlisle is in EM,  Many years ago Alistair Wright had a model (in EM) of part of the WCML- not sure what happened to it, biggest problem with the WCML is the size of the stations.

 

Baz

 

 

 

I agree, most of the major stations are (were) huge, so choice of prototype is tricky. We are stuck with choosing betweem somewhere the size of Preston, Lancaster, Carnforth etc. or a small wayside station with little operational interest apart from watching the trains go by.

 

Having said that, a memory chord has just struck me; didn't a club model Oxenholme recently? Does anyone recall it? It's a prototype which has a junction and a fair bit of stopping traffic.

 

.

 

The brain cell has just kicked in. I remember now that it was the Blackburn Model Railway Society which modelled Oxenholme and although I've never seen it, I understand it's a nice model. I found their website on Google and it refers to the layout there. My old friend Tony Wright visited their exhibition a few years back and took photos. He also took my model of 46251 (which he built) and it made a guest appearance on the layout.

 

So there's another WCML model layout.

[LNER4479]

the LMS was plagued throughout with insufficient top end motive power. The Scots were magnificent but at times were thrashed doing jobs that in reality only suited to the class 8 pacifics.

... and by the same token, the Jubilees were often seen on the WCML tackling large trains that were more suited to a larger boilered Class 7. A 6P taking on Shap unaided with 13 on is high spirited on the part of the crew and great entertainment for a railway enthusiast but in truth no way to run a railway.

 

To be fair, the 'grand plan' was to eventually rebuild ALL the Jubilees and Patriots with the magnificent 2A boiler but - alas - only two Jubilees and 18 Patriots were ever converted, leaving the rest to soldier on as best they could.

[LNER4479]

The brain cell has just kicked in. I remember now that it was the Blackburn Model Railway Society which modelled Oxenholme and although I've never seen it, I understand it's a nice model. I found their website on Google and it refers to the layout there. My old friend Tony Wright visited their exhibition a few years back and took photos. He also took my model of 46251 (which he built) and it made a guest appearance on the layout.

 

So there's another WCML model layout.

Yes, did see Oxenholme at an exhibition once (can't remember which - probably Manchester or Wigan). Lovely layout but not sure if it was ever widely seen on the exhibition circuit? (happy to be corrected on that)

[Clive Mortimore]

... and by the same token, the Jubilees were often seen on the WCML tackling large trains that were more suited to a larger boilered Class 7. A 6P taking on Shap unaided with 13 on is high spirited on the part of the crew and great entertainment for a railway enthusiast but in truth no way to run a railway.

 

To be fair, the 'grand plan' was to eventually rebuild ALL the Jubilees and Patriots with the magnificent 2A boiler but - alas - only two Jubilees and 18 Patriots were ever converted, leaving the rest to soldier on as best they could.

And it carried on in diesel days. D200s having to pretend they had another thousand horsepower when they took over from the "Semis".

[jamie92208]

And it carried on in diesel days. D200s having to pretend they had another thousand horsepower when they took over from the "Semis".

Many years ago I went on the Cumbrian Mountain Express, diesel hauled from Crewe to Carlisle by a class 40. Certain enthusiasts in my coach were enthusing over the class 40's performance up Grayrigg and Shap (There red leader back on topic) but I was thinking how pathetic it was as it crawled over the summits at what left like about 20 mph. Just for info. we had IIRC Sir Lamiel from Carlisle to Hellifield then Sir Nigel from Hellifield to Carnforth and an AC Electric (Possibly an 85, from Carnforth to Preston where I had to get off to get home.

 

The 40's were not up to the performance of a pacific in good nick,from either side of the country. However I quite like them even though they did displace my beloved 9F's on the Long Meg anhydrite trains.

 

Jamie

[coachmann]

... and by the same token, the Jubilees were often seen on the WCML tackling large trains that were more suited to a larger boilered Class 7. A 6P taking on Shap unaided with 13 on is high spirited on the part of the crew and great entertainment for a railway enthusiast but in truth no way to run a railway.

 

To be fair, the 'grand plan' was to eventually rebuild ALL the Jubilees and Patriots with the magnificent 2A boiler but - alas - only two Jubilees and 18 Patriots were ever converted, leaving the rest to soldier on as best they could.

The Jubilee's provided a valuable second division and being quite new, there was no real advantage in rebuilding any more with 7P boilers after the first two. The Patriots on the other hand, showed all the problems of the ageing Royal Scots and so it was decided to rebuild a specific number of them as 7P's (actually new locos). There was some urgency and as the original parallel boiler Scots were still able to do the work for which they were designed, their rebuilding with taper boilers slipped back somewhat. If there was a shortage of 7P and 8P power at a later date because of changed circumstances, it fell to BR to sort that out.

 

The LMS Pacfics were designed for a specific task. Once that job began to be taken over by other forms of motive power, the first casualties were the Princess Royals followed by the autumn of 1964 by the Duchesses. They were simply too big and powerful for other jobs such as on the north Wales coast route working trains that a Black Five could handle with ease. Similarly, the Scots were often reduced to working fast fright and meat trains from the port of Holyhead.

 

As for working prodigious trains, it was an LNWR tradition and typical of the LMS. If one looks at the LNER Pacifics were hauling, the LMS would have probably assigned a black Five.

Edited April 28, 2018 by coachmann

[Joseph_Pestell]

On the subject of "other" WCML layouts, I recall a nice model (1970s?) of Berkhamsted.

 

Not massive operating potential, but Castlethorpe looks good and handily placed between road bridges for scenic breaks.

[TerryD1471]

And it carried on in diesel days. D200s having to pretend they had another thousand horsepower when they took over from the "Semis".

I have seen film footage taken some time during the transition period from steam to diesel. Most notable for me was the clip of a Duchess romping up the lower slopes at Greenholme with a typical load and then a D2xx labouring up the same slope with a similar load, but noticeably more slowly. Not good!

[TerryD1471]

On the subject of "other" WCML layouts, I recall a nice model (1970s?) of Berkhamsted.

 

Not massive operating potential, but Castlethorpe looks good and handily placed between road bridges for scenic breaks.

I recall this layout of Berkhamsted being in the Railway Modeller sometime in the late 1970s. I seem to remember that it was situated in a venue in Windermere for the benefit of the paying public. Pretty good layout as I recollect.

[LNER4479]

Talking of Jubilees (Coachmann) ...

 

Here is the Jubilee seen on Shap 1967, none other than the last one running,45562 'Alberta'. I acquired this as a Bachmann 45611 Hong Kong at a 'it would be rude not to' bargain price. Apart from renumbering and re-badging (it was an early emblem model), not a massive amount done. Front steps (with angle support), total cut-back of front coupling and associated NEM pocket, reset eccentric crank to be leaning forward the correct way (bit of a bug bear of mine, that!), cabside stripe and electrification flashes.

 

One thing not apparent but which has made quite a difference was adding some weight. It wouldn't pull the skin of the proverbial when first acquired. Upon separating body from chassis, a possible reason became apparent. The front section of the boiler and the smokebox is crammed full of adhesive weight as manufactured but this makes it very front heavy, appearing to be tipping about the front driving wheelset. There was about 5mm to spare right at the back of the firebox, behind the motor so I folded and shaped a piece of lead and blu-tack'd it in there. Surprising the difference that has made - instead of slipping with six coaches up the bank she'll now haul eight without difficulty.

 

Of course, 45562 was famously one of the remaining Holbeck contingent so not normally seen over Shap. However, she did work a couple of railtours over Shap in 1967 so that is the excuse, although her tender was unlined by that date. At Warley, she was actually rostered to the fitted van train which suited her quite well.

 

Whilst we're in loco mood, here are some more of the 'cast':

 

The 'Brit' has already been seen in a few posts so here is a bit more about this loco. I acquired it at a local swap-meet for £35 - the reason why so cheap is that it is a tender drive version, but of the newer China made body and chassis. I wasn't over-bothered about the tender drive as I intended it to be doubled headed with a Black 5 on the heavy parcels train. Here, as well as front steps with angled support brackets (having removed the hideous ones moulded to the front bogie), I have re-positioned the top and centre lamp brackets - a very noticeable 'end of steam' LMR modification (to reduce risk of staff encountering the overhead power wires). My old Margate 9F has also had the same treatment.

 

Here, they are joined on the weathering table by the essential Standard 4MT. It's an old Mainline one but still running reasonable sweetly, renumbered as 75039, the choice of number inspired by this wonderful (in a macabre sort of way) photo on the Internet https://www.flickr.com/photos/david_christie/5345863910

My old 9F has had a Crownline whitemetal large tender body (originally acquired over 20 years ago) added.

 

And after a heavy dose of weathering (wet wash of M70 and dirty black with dirty thinners) - no mercy spared! In the end, my old 9F didn't make it. Needs more time spent on getting it to be a reliable runner...

 

Another threesome, these were the last done before the show. The Ivatt 4 'Mucky Duck' was acquired in true swap-meet manner as I traded in a coupled of old RTR diseasels I didn't want any more; the Hornby 5 I already had in stock. You can see some of the mods on No. 43029 (as she became), including the moved lamp brackets. The Crosti...

 

...was a bit of an indulgence as I bought it new (albeit the Railroad version), although there are quite a few pictures of them over Shap in the last few years. They congregated at Birkenhead at the end and, judging by the pictures, the reason they appeared over Shap seemed to be steel traffic (loaded southbound from Ravenscraig for the Mersey shipyards?). Anybody know? Be interested to confirm that (or otherwise). I've also come across a picture of one on the Halewood car transporter service. Watch this space for the Leeds show on that one!

 

ANYHOW - the model is of course of the locos in Crosti mode so these are my relatively simple efforts to de-Crosti it. I felt it was important to get rid of the lower smokebox door but I haven't removed the pre-heating boiler (can you see it?). It still hasn't got any brakes either!

 

Finally, here is Tony Wright ('Sir'!)'s magnificent contribution. The A4 Locomotive Preservation Society purchased 60007 out of BR service at the end of the famous period of running on the 3 hour Glasgow-Aberdeen expresses in 1966. Together with at least 60024, she was taken to Crewe works and, using some parts from the latter, transformed into LNER 4498 (a historically incorrect livery as it would only have been seen in this livery with the full valancing). Emerging at the beginning of 1967, she worked some running in turns before her first railtour on April 1st 1967 where she ran over Shap in fine style, adding a splash of colour to what must have been a very drab and dreary scene by that date. She repeated the feat in October 1967 and it is the latter train that we sought to replicate on the layout.

 

Eschewing the easy route of re-working a Hornby A4, she is constructed from the SE Finecast kit and will, naturally, haul any train required of her unaided up the bank! The railtour rake concerned loads to 10 bogies.

Edited April 28, 2018 by LNER4479

[coachmann]

45562 Alberta was rather special to me. I was trackside in 1966 when something was approaching Abergele very slowly on the Down Slow. It was 'Alberta' working one of the Eastern Region to Llandudno turns so I captured it side-on on a box Brownie. The sound of it's 3-cylinder beat leaving Abergele could be heard halfway to Llanddulas. It was many weeks before I saw my prints as I was on the dole for the only time in my life and couldn't afford to get the prints from the chemist!

 

I would agree about the Corsti's congregating at Birkenhead....They got all over the place with stuff out of the docks. One was probably the last steam loco on the north Wales line in 1967. As for weathering, after brushing on the major bits, an airbrush is useful for adding an overall coat of much diluted fawn-ish-grey to merge everything. Finally, I do like the blue A4. It has a solid look about it that is somehow missing from the Hornby models.

Edited April 28, 2018 by coachmann

[Barry O]

a few more locos for Shap..

 

 

9F from a DJH kit - need to finish the weathering on this one

 

 

Std 4MT again from a DJH kit

 

more to come... and the 9F needs a lot more grot... new photo required!

 

[pH]

The Crosti was a bit of an indulgence as I bought it new (albeit the Railroad version), although there are quite a few pictures of them over Shap in the last few years. They congregated at Birkenhead at the end and, judging by the pictures, the reason they appeared over Shap seemed to be steel traffic (loaded southbound from Ravenscraig for the Mersey shipyards?). Anybody know? Be interested to confirm that (or otherwise). I've also come across a picture of one on the Halewood car transporter service. Watch this space for the Leeds show on that one!

 

ANYHOW - the model is of course of the locos in Crosti mode so these are my relatively simple efforts to de-Crosti it. I felt it was important to get rid of the lower smokebox door but I haven't removed the pre-heating boiler (can you see it?). It still hasn't got any brakes either!

 

Though not as many as Birkenhead, Kingmoor had quite a few 9Fs in the last few years of steam. The BR Database site http://www.brdatabase.info/ shows 13 in January 1965, 15 in January 1966 and 23 in January 1967. 3 of those there in January 1965 were ex-Crostis, though they were transferred away later.

 

"Locomotives Illustrated #5 - 9F 2-10-0s" has pictures of 9Fs between Carlisle and Oxenholme:

 

92077 northbound on Dillicar troughs with a general freight in March 1967  

92009 northbound at Upperby with a train of vans in May 1965

92249 southbound in the Lune Gorge with empty passenger stock in August 1964

92208 southbound passing Shap Quarry with a general freight in March 1967 (2 photos, one being the cover picture)

 

There are also pictures taken north of the border of 9Fs (including one of the Kingmoor Crostis) on Shap Quarry to Ravenscraig limestone trains.

[St Enodoc]

I wasn't over-bothered about the tender drive as I intended it to be doubled headed with a Black 5 on the heavy parcels train.

Tender drives are fine as long as the loco driving wheels still go round.

 

Don't ask me how I know this...

[jamie92208]

 

I agree. Here's 632 that normally hauls the Inspection saloon on Green Ayre

Not the best photo but the only one I've got at the moment. Built from a Janick kit with a lot of tlc and modification by my late friend Tony Bond. How should it be motorized was the question. The solution was two motors driving the outer wheels on the tender and 3 lbs of lead in the tender as well. The loco has working inside valve gear but acts as a second set of pick ups for the tender. On Sunday afternoons the tender has been known to set off round the layout hauling a rake of PC and Janick brass Clerestories.

 

Jamie

Edited April 29, 2018 by jamie92208

[Adrock]

Hi,

 

I know you haven’t got to describing the track laying yet, but I really enjoyed the RM article and it got me thinking about your use of foam ballast. Do you have to buy the matching foam pieces for each of the points as well as the plain track - as I assume there is some kind of indentation in the foam to accept the sleepers? I ask as I want to use the new PECO bullhead track as well as the foam ballast technique, but I’m not sure there is a matching foam for the bullhead track and points sleeper spacing?

 

Thanks.

[LNER4479]

Hi,

 

'Yes' is the answer to the question re the foam ballast inlays for the points and I have used them for the relatively small number of points on the mainline for Shap.

 

The bad news (for you and me at least), is that Peco appear to have stopped manufacturing the foam inlay for their point range and I strongly suspect that they will not produce any foam ballast for the new Bullhead track. So it is looking like the end of an era in that respect. Probably the case that it has gradually fallen out of favour in these more scenically-biased times and there simply isn't the volume of sales any more. I also heard something about EU regulations and the use of foam but don't know how true that is? There is also the perennial shelf life issue for those whose layouts are going to be about for more than ten years.

[Clive Mortimore]

Hi,

 

'Yes' is the answer to the question re the foam ballast inlays for the points and I have used them for the relatively small number of points on the mainline for Shap.

 

The bad news (for you and me at least), is that Peco appear to have stopped manufacturing the foam inlay for their point range and I strongly suspect that they will not produce any foam ballast for the new Bullhead track. So it is looking like the end of an era in that respect. Probably the case that it has gradually fallen out of favour in these more scenically-biased times and there simply isn't the volume of sales any more. I also heard something about EU regulations and the use of foam but don't know how true that is? There is also the perennial shelf life issue for those whose layouts are going to be about for more than ten years.

Hi Grahame

 

So you are the person who brought them.

 

When I worked for Engine Shed/Gaugemaster I dusted the packaging, rearranged them, repriced them, moved the stand but never sold them. Some one did one day and I wasn't in the shop.

 

They are not one of Peco's best sellers.

[Barry O]

looks like some more ballasting in the future then 

 

Baz

 

aka Ballastmeister...

[Adrock]

Hi,

 

'Yes' is the answer to the question re the foam ballast inlays for the points and I have used them for the relatively small number of points on the mainline for Shap.

 

The bad news (for you and me at least), is that Peco appear to have stopped manufacturing the foam inlay for their point range and I strongly suspect that they will not produce any foam ballast for the new Bullhead track. So it is looking like the end of an era in that respect. Probably the case that it has gradually fallen out of favour in these more scenically-biased times and there simply isn't the volume of sales any more. I also heard something about EU regulations and the use of foam but don't know how true that is? There is also the perennial shelf life issue for those whose layouts are going to be about for more than ten years.

This news is a shame. I’ve just done a very quick search and I notice that both Woodland Scenics and DCC concepts do a foam underlay. Whilst neither have the sleeper indentations so could be suitable to use with the bullhead, I’ve no idea whether it would look quite as realistic as your current solution with the full thickness of the bullhead sleeper being on top of the trackbed. See below - probably one I’ll need to do a PoC on (annoyingly the trackbed only seems to be available in very long rolls!).

 

https://www.dccconcepts.com/product/trackbed-ooho-scale-5mm-31m100ft/

Edited May 3, 2018 by Adrock

[LNER4479]

Continuing with the construction story, this evening we concentrate on the bottom end of the scenic section, before the trains make their way on to the 'classic' Shap Wells embankment.

 

This is the basic scenery structure. The requirement here is for the railway to enter scene right on a three foot radius curve from the fiddle yard area. Never the easiest of things to disguise; however, help was at hand in the shape of the well-known Greenholme road bridge which does indeed sit towards the end of a lengthy right hand curve. Many a shot taken from that bridge of trains on the first stage of the climb to Shap - another 'classic' scene. No room to depict said curve but I felt I could make use of the curve gradually transitioning to the straight once under the bridge. At the back of the board here you can see a cardboard cut out of the bridge shape.

 

That cardboard mock up was soon used to mark out the shape for the ply pieces for the bridge itself. Fortunately there are plenty of pictures of the bridge in the Ivo Peters book (yes, I know the bridge still exists today but access is not so free n easy as it was in the 1960s!). One noticeable thing is how the road gradually falls as it crosses; the bridge is also slightly on the skew.

 

Here is the bridge structure complete. Deliberately sturdy (read on), it should withstand a few knocks!

 

Adding the detail with Wills dressed stone and an arch piece cut and scribed to shape.

 

Placed back on the layout with a first coat of stone colour. Meanwhile, the front of the board has been chicken wired and the rear has had some polystyrene pieces strategically positioned for the rock faces evident from photographs.

 

This is the reason for the sturdy structure of the thing. The bridge actually crosses the baseboard joint from the fiddle yard to the first scenic board so it is integrated into a removable scenery quadrant, including the first length of backscene (with a suitable 'ole cut in for the trains to get through!)

 

Popped back into position, this should explain how it is configured much better than I can describe. This has allowed the chicken wire to encroach further and join up with the road base.

 

Now with first covering of mod roc around the drystone wall formers on the near side

 

Some months further on - and, in fact, now only a few weeks before Warley(!) - there was a last burst of work down this end of the layout. The front portion is  largely complete and rear scenery progressing steadily (rapidly!), with cliff faces and drystone walling ready for surrounding greenery.

 

Two weeks later, and the scenic work was complete but for backscene painting.

 

And finally, now that the RM 'embargo' is over, we can conclude with one of Tony's pictures that didn't make the cut for the magazine article. And just to prove that I do occasionally deign to show diseasels on this thread, one of 'Sir's ex-Stoke Summit Brush Type 4s has a new home on Shap as it growls its way up the incline. Must do something about that headcode, though...

Edited May 12, 2018 by LNER4479

[St Enodoc]

Continuing with the construction story, this evening we concentrate on the bottom end of the scenic section, before the trains make their way on to the 'classic' Shap Wells embankment.

 

IMG_8120.JPG

This is the basic scenery structure. The requirement here is for the railway to enter scene right on a three foot radius curve from the fiddle yard area. Never the easiest of things to disguise; however, help was at hand in the shape of the well-known Greenholme road bridge which does indeed sit towards the end of a lengthy right hand curve. Many a shot taken from that bridge of trains on the first stage of the climb to Shap - another 'classic' scene. No room to depict said curve but I felt I could make use of the curve gradually transitioning to the straight once under the bridge. At the back of the board here you can see a cardboard cut out of the bridge shape.

 

IMG_8387.JPG

That cardboard mock up was soon used to mark out the shape for the ply pieces for the bridge itself. Fortunately there are plenty of pictures of the bridge in the Ivo Peters book (yes, I know the bridge still exists today but access is not so free n easy as it was in the 1960s!). One noticeable thing is how the road gradually falls as it crosses; the bridge is also slightly on the skew.

 

IMG_8585.JPG

Here is the bridge structure complete. Deliberately sturdy (read on), it should withstand a few knocks!

 

IMG_8602.JPG

Adding the detail with Wills dressed stone and an arch piece cut and scribed to shape.

 

IMG_8743.JPG

Placed back on the layout with a first coat of stone colour. Meanwhile, the front of the board has been chicken wired and the rear has had some polystyrene pieces strategically positioned for the rock faces evident from photographs.

 

IMG_8753.JPG

This is the reason for the sturdy structure of the thing. The bridge actually crosses the baseboard joint from the fiddle yard to the first scenic board so it is integrated into a removable scenery quadrant, including the first length of backscene (with a suitable 'ole cut in for the trains to get through!)

 

IMG_8754.JPG

Popped back into position, this should explain how it is configured much better than I can describe. This has allowed the chicken wire to encroach further and join up with the road base.

 

IMG_8758.JPG

Now with first covering of mod roc around the drystone wall formers on the near side

 

IMG_9870.jpg

Some months further on - and, in fact, now only a few weeks before Warley(!) - there was a last burst of work down this end of the layout. The front portion is  largely complete and rear scenery progressing steadily (rapidly!), with cliff faces and drystone walling ready for surrounding greenery.

 

IMG_9896.jpg

Two weeks later, and the scenic work was complete but for backscene painting.

 

Shap 06.jpg

And finally, now that the RM 'embargo' is over, we can conclude with one of Tony's pictures that didn't make the cut for the magazine article. And just to prove that I do occasionally deign to show diseasels on this thread, one of 'Sir's ex-Stoke Summit Brush Type 4s has a new home on Shap as it growls its way up the incline. Must do something about that headcode, though...

Headcode looks fine - that's the year I was born (in 56).

[Joseph_Pestell]

Very clever, building that bridge so that it can straddle the baseboard joint so freeing up some more space to be scenic.

[LNER4479]

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).

 

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.

 

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

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

 

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!

 

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

 

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

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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

 

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...

Edited June 2, 2018 by LNER4479

[Mallard60022]

Just 'comes to life'  before our very eyes. Quite inspiring G. thank you.

Phil