Hills of the North - The Last Great Project

[Barry O]

Erm.. a red one, a bit,ood and custard one or two and another to build

 

Baz

[LNER4479]

Well, with a little less than 5 weeks to go until Manchester and with quite a list of repairs n improvements logged following Taunton, time to get cracking.

 

Here's a small project that is a very definite labour of love:

 

What more iconic loco could you have on Shap? Features on Dad's 1964 video and of course - famously - was BR's last ever Duchess in service, having a stay of execution of a fortnight to haul the 'Scottish Lowlander' railtour in late Sept 1964. However, with the overhead electrification warning flashes removed, she (he!) is, ready for service on the down 1957 'Caledonian', which is her rostered turn in the absence of a visting red Duchess.

 

Whereas, on this side, I've added the yellow cabside stripe (only carried for 4 weeks!), and now she's ready for the Maiden Lane, as per the 1964 Derek Cross photo! Note altered lamp code

 

In more detail:

- Bogie front coupling socket removed and finer, Gibson replacement wheels fitted

- Front coupling, AWS 'bang' plate and vac pipe added - perhaps I should fit the AWS magnet accordingly, given that loco as supplied already has battery box and vac cylinder?

- Front steps made and fitted (including support bracket) - I lost the detailing pack for the loco following initial purchase

 

- Cylinder drain cocks made and fitted

- Etched nameplate fitted (some old LFC ones I had in stock!)

- Return crank set to a more convincing angle and selective parts of the motion painted black, as well as wheel rims

Looks a bit 'gappy' in places from this angle ... you should really be seeing the inside cylinder slide bars through the lightening holes ahead of the outside cyclinders. And I know that the front brakes are deliberately omitted to help it go round 'trainset' corners but that's not really necessary for my purposes. Hmm ...

 

Finally, engine-to-tender coupling bar bent to reduce its length. Stupidly, although the bar has two holes at one end, it is impossible to fit it on the shorter setting as it fouls the adjacent plastic moulding on either the underside of the tender front or cab! (unless I'm missing something). Anyhow, its done the trick, so that's what matters.

Before anyone mentions it, I have noticed the dislodged Delta truck casting and have since popped it back into its rightful place.

 

That'll do for now. With a modicum of weathering and some coal in the tender, she's ready for the road at Manchester.

 

More to follow, shortly.

 

 

Edited November 7, 2022 by LNER4479

[LNER4479]

Next up - some half-finished coaches to attend to...

 

The 'cut n shut' LMS Dia.1720 had a lot left to do to it in truth. First of all, the glazing. As it's thick plastic RTR sides, then I'm cutting up some 1mm perspex and fitting them individually. Fortunately, LMS PdII windows were plain glass with no quarter lights, sliding vents, etc.

 

I had the interior partly done but now finished off and fastened down. In the foreground is the Dia.1791 Comet build, which is also now glazed and has 'Smoking' labels on the relevant compartment windows (pictures seem to show that 'No Smoking' labels came along later!)

 

The donor Hornby coach has now given up it's under gubbins parts - the central trussing handily removes as one clean unit. Meanwhile, within the body, the corridor handrail has been fitted.

 

And here's how she now looks, with the addition of door handles, grab rails and footsteps. Ventilators above the windows are the original Dapol restaurant car ones, refitted.

 

The under gubbins shows up quite well here. Someone once said 'there's a lot of work in a coach!' They're not wrong. And the sad thing is that, in truth, this coach will slip down the bank (behind No.6201) with barely a second glance from 95% of the folks watching. Hey ho ...

 

I still haven't lined the other side(!) but it'll do for now. Need to move on to other stuff.

 

[Tortuga]

2 hours ago, LNER4479 said:

..,And the sad thing is that, in truth, this coach will slip down the bank (behind No.6201) with barely a second glance from 95% of the folks watching...

But if it wasn’t there, someone would notice and you know it’s there, so…

[St Enodoc]

7 hours ago, LNER4479 said:

I still haven't lined the other side

Can you actually see the other side (on the exhibition layout I mean, not the home version)?

[jwealleans]

14 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

Can you actually see the other side

 

I could.

[St Enodoc]

Just now, jwealleans said:

 

I could.

Ah, but could you see the other other side?????

[jwealleans]

7 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

could you see the other other side?

 

No, because Red Leader had forgotten to bring the mirror.

[LNER4479]

3 hours ago, jwealleans said:

 

No, because Red Leader had forgotten to bring the mirror.

... amongst other things 

[Chris M]

I hope the traffic isn't so bad for your trip to Manchester. Can't be any worse than the trip to Taunton. 

 

I see that Moors View will also be at Manchester so we already know who will win the public vote for favourite layout. 

[LNER4479]

Well, this time next week ....

 

More oil of the bewitching hour being consumed:

 

Take a piece of square brass section tube, drill holes through and pare off ...

 

Solder on some pieces of channel ...

 

Shape some brass strip and attach thus. Can you tell what they is yet? 🤔

 

Solder on some 0.8mm bore tubing. Becoming clearer? 🤨

 

Bit of a giveaway now, eh? 🤗

 

There you go. Had the disc faces in stock but nowt else so a little bit of scratch-building was in order. Think they're a passable representation of BR (LMR) ground signals?

 

Having painted what I've made so far, some more gubbins to get them working.

 

And now ready for installation.

 

There we go. Addition of these three allows the full banker drop off and return sequence to be correctly signalled. Bottom centre (which is a tight fit in the 'six foot'!) to cross from down to up line (Lever 5); by the base of the Up Starter in the distance to set back into the banker siding (optional) (Lever 8); the remaining one, dead centre, to drop back out of the siding (Lever 10), as far as the starter signal.

 

A close up of signal 8, as it's got its back to us in the photo above. Beginning to look nice n cluttered in this area now. That LNWR signal arm stubbornly refuses to stay horizontal - needs a stern talking to.

 

Currently in the process of motorising these and adding the necessary levers to the panel ... but that's not very phoptogenic(!)

 

Meanwhile, bits n pieces of stock work continues. Several coaches required glazing from last time out, including this Gresley TK, which runs in the midday Carlisle-Oxenholme set (nicked from the NER off a Newcastle working that otherwise stays over in Carlisle between morning and evening peaks. Also now got an interior and door 'andles.

 

Finally (for now), roof boards. Excellent service from Sankey Scenics who did me a bespoke order for the principal trains on the sequence not otherwise covered by their standard packs.

 

Affixed in place with tacky wax so they can easily be removed in the future.

 

That might be it now until show report. Hope to see you there (Manchester), if you're coming along 😉

 

Edited December 3, 2022 by LNER4479

[Tortuga]

Those ground signals really look the part. Excellent scratch-building to make use of some parts you already had.

Right. I’ve probably asked before and I’ve searched and I’ve re-read this thread and I’ve re-read the Leeds London Road and the Monsal Dale threads and I still can’t find it - I’m sure you posted a brief ‘tutorial’ on exactly how you curve standard PECO points somewhere on the Forum, but… Any chance you can point me in the right direction?

[John76]

Does this help? No pictures though any more.

 

John

[LNER4479]

I'll try and find the pictures that went with that post - I should still have them (hopefully!)

[Tortuga]

Thanks both @John76 and @LNER4479. I’ll be bookmarking that directly so I don’t lose it again!

 

If you can find the pictures@LNER4479, that would be extremely helpful (apparently a picture speaks a thousand words), but I’m in no rush!

 

I started following ‘Hills of the North’ after I’d started building ‘Rylstone’. I never considered trying to curve PECO points and since ‘Rylstone’ was one long curve, I thought hand building the track was my only option. By the time I abandoned ‘Rylstone’, I’d already bought kits for the pointwork and, being from Yorkshire, couldn’t bear the thought I might’ve spent money unnecessarily, so the continued down the hand built track route!

How things might’ve turned out, eh?

Edited December 8, 2022 by Tortuga
Reasons

[thegreenhowards]

40 minutes ago, Tortuga said:

Thanks both @John76 and @LNER4479. I’ll be bookmarking that directly so I don’t lose it again!

 

If you can find the pictures@LNER4479, that would be extremely helpful (apparently a picture speaks a thousand words), but I’m in no rush!

 

I started following ‘Hills of the North’ after I’d started building ‘Rylstone’. I never considered trying to curve PECO points and since ‘Rylstone’ was one long curve, I thought hand building the track was my only option. By the time I abandoned ‘Rylstone’, I’d already bought kits for the pointwork and, being from Yorkshire, couldn’t bear the thought I might’ve spent money unnecessarily, so the continued down the hand built track route!

How things might’ve turned out, eh?

I think the best write up of the point bending was an article by Graham in Railway Modeller spread over three editions. I can’t remember when but they were Summer editions 5ish years ago.

[Tortuga]

1 hour ago, thegreenhowards said:

I think the best write up of the point bending was an article by Graham in Railway Modeller spread over three editions. I can’t remember when but they were Summer editions 5ish years ago.

Hmm. I don’t regularly pick up any of the railway magazines. My loss in this case I guess.

 

Unless there’s an online index I could use to check which editions to look out for?

[LNER4479]

T - minus two days (as of when photos were taken). Bits of Shap fiddle yard set out for final (ha!) wiring in amongst the organised chaos of the chapel. Situation normal.

 

(Now at M62 service station en route to show with - hopefully - all of the layout in the back of the van this time ... )

[Enterprisingwestern]

22 minutes ago, LNER4479 said:

T - minus two days (as of when photos were taken). Bits of Shap fiddle yard set out for final (ha!) wiring in amongst the organised chaos of the chapel. Situation normal.

 

(Now at M62 service station en route to show with - hopefully - all of the layout in the back of the van this time ... )

 

If you had two chapels you'd be no better off!

 

Mike.

[KeithMacdonald]

On 28/01/2019 at 21:39, Ramblin Rich said:

The Crimson Rambler - sounds like a more pedestrian version of the Scarlet Pimpernel!

 

You are correct.

The Crimson Rambler: A Crime Novel

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Crimson-Rambler-Crime-Novel/dp/143443527X

[5BarVT]

4 hours ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

If you had two chapels you'd be no better off!

 

Mike.

Worse off.  Twice as much to keep tidy!

Paul.

[LNER4479]

No pix I'm afraid but can report that layout is all safely set up, ready to go at the Manchester show. We appear not to have forgotten anything crucial this time round(!) Meanwhile the (re)wiring continued until 8pm booting out time. Inevitably, once set up as a complete layout, several electrical quirks revealed themselves that Andrew hadn't anticipated. Situation normal.

 

See you there if you're coming. The more folks in the hall, the warmer it'll be...

🥶🥶🥶 ... 🥵🥵🥵

[St Enodoc]

16 hours ago, LNER4479 said:

all of the layout in the back of the van this time

Did you make a list?????

 

"Protector needed" - I should cocoa.

 

Have a great weekend.

[Barry O]

On my way in by yram.. got a bit warmer today but its snowing..ideal weather for Shap!

 

Baz

[MarkC]

Thoroughly enjoyed viewing the layout today - particularly the way that the banker dropped off at the summit & the (formerly) banked train pulled away. Superb operation.

 

Lovely variety of stock to be seen too.

 

Well done all 👍

 

Mark.