Horton

[mac1960]

Well as you can see from the attached photos the Grass Flock in the various sizes has arrived with Richard from Germany via Peterborough and he has crashed on while I am away in Africa.

 

There is still more lairing of the upper field to do, to give it that depth of feel and distance ie Richard is not happy with it yet !! However the delay has allowed for these extra land features, lateral moraine to give it its correct term, which feature on all of the Dales valleys to some extent. We still have the barns to complete and off course another slew bridge but I have to say the model is looking very good in the photos at least.

 

I hope to be able to be back for the coming weekend and to see it in person, and of course will get further photos.

 

Also there has been a further addition to the Yellow Stripe locomotive stock, with the addition of Bolton sheds celebrity, and preserved 8F 48773, which sported said stripe post Sept 64 and was pictured a number of times on the S&C in our time frame. It is a renumbering and branding of a new LMS liveried 8F, which has been suitably treated to look like the photos of the time with warning flashes and new BR Crest, and heavy weathering this being undertaken by TMC near Whitby.     

 

I will send further photos when I have actually seen  the layout in the flesh. 

 

 

 

 

[mac1960]

Well I have returned from Africa and managed to call down to see Horton and indeed Richard yesterday. He has made further progress with the laying of grass on the upper fields as you can see from the sectional photos shown in the pictures below. Also the track has had a further coat of weathering . There is a possibility that we may need another pack of Mininature Grass unfortunately which will mean a further order from Germany, but we will see how we get on. I dropped down some buffers and AWAS Magnets as well as the iconic Horton railway sign board done for us by Sankey Signs, so we will see how this looks. You will be looking at this from a scale 1/4mile so dont expect to be able to read it !!

 

My 8F 48773 from TMC has yet to show up, but work has apparently been completed in the renumbering / Yellow stripe etc  and weathering, so it maybe with us pre Christmas's, but we will see.   

We now are approaching Christmas, and looking back over this blog over the years, it is rather nice to report on some quite extensive progress, rather than have to type further apologies in connection with progress on Horton and or a line of excuse's. So at the risk of jinxing things, Horton, Work, Health and indeed life are all going pretty well, so fingers crossed for 2024 when Horton might just becoming home  !  

 

 

 

While writing this may I take this opportunity to wish all of you who have taken the time to pop in and read my ramblings, or even just look at the photos, a very Merry Christmas, and the compliments of the Season to you and yours.

 

Cheers

Mac

 

 

 

 

Edited December 18, 2023 by mac1960

[Reorte]

Those subtle variations in the grass really capture the look and feel well.

[mac1960]

Reorte

Thank you for the observation and indeed kind comments.

 

It’s a bit of a supply chain issue ( I am very used to this in 1 to 1 scale and getting worse) , but that product from Germany is really excellent, and we both have said we will wait, what ever time is required.
 

I have to say as well it is cheaper in real terms as a far better product in qty and quality, just get your qty, and indeed description correct. There are big differences between late , early fall and indeed winter grasses, and Miniature do this season wise . They do Spring In the same way and indeed Summer and the ability to do this is wonderful for modelling it does make a difference.

 

Cheers

Mac

 

[CWJ]

I grew up on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales and the area is immediately recognisable from your model. I don't think I've ever seen something as mundane as a field modelled so convincingly before, and when combined with the fact that the railway is just a thin line in a huge landscape, it looks just like the real thing. Very well done!

 

Cheers,

 

Will

[mac1960]

Will

Thank you for your kind comments with regards Horton, and indeed those with regards to the railway in the landscape, which is what we are trying to achieve and emphasis when using the different scales to give the model greater perspective. It was a bit of a gamble, but we do feel that it has worked up to press anyway. Interestingly we did think of going up the line a little at one stage and modelling the line around Selside with just the signal box and surrounding farm and houses, which would have more fields and even less track and electronics but decided to stay with Horton.

I know Richard, who does the scenic work has a sneaking aspiration to do part of the Waverly route again with just double track or maybe just a loop, although the next club layout he is going to be involved in which will be on the Model Railway show circuit will be Canernarfon on the North Wales line.  They currently have Millsbridge on the circuit, and it is worth a look if it comes to a show in your area, or have a look on U Tube. 

 

Thanks once again for the comments.

Cheers

Mac

[mac1960]

Well as you can see below a little more progress on Horton with construction underway on the last slew bridge. We are awaiting a cold snap to complete the last buildings and bridges as the room in which the model is in gets a little cool during frosty weather. The grass required is on route from Germany as well.

 

We have also started to look at how we do the back scene, and to this end we had a prolonged discussion and experimentation with hill profiles of the surrounding hills chiefly this being Pen-y- Gent, and have decided to reduce the height of the back scene boards as we have realized we do not need the height we currently, have which will aid in a number of ways in the installation and indeed construction of the layout when in the room it is to reside in. Also we are looking at reducing the height by around 15cm or 6inches of the whole layout, as this will aid in track cleaning and the inevitable derailments.

 

You can see what we have been doing with the back scene hill profiles below. This really where Richards fine Art degree comes to the fore, as his use of tone and perspective are truly excellent, which those who have seen the back scene on Millsbridge and Staly Vegas can testify to, as you can see on the photos of those layouts back up this thread away.   

 

Anyway its New Years Eve so jobs to do as dinner party to cook for, but may I wish all of you a Happy and Healthy and Prosperous New Year , and Horton should be "home" by the summer at least.👍

 

Cheers

Mac

 

 

[mac1960]

Well a little update as we have started playing around with signals although these will not be fitted until the model is being erected at my home as they are too delicate to fit before hand. We will fit the ground signals as they ae more robust however we have a question to ask. Neither myself or Richard are signal experts and are a little confused with the attached plan for the signals that were at Horton. The one causing most confusion is the second one on the way towards Blea Moor. There is a distant off the plan, then we have the signal adjacent to the sidings which from observation of old video evidence appears to be a Red starter signal. What signal would be the next one after this beyond the station platform as that would also be a starter we believe ?

 

Going towards Settle we have a Distant off the plan then what we assume to be another Starter which we can not fit in and then we assume another starter. If anybody knows or even has old photos or can tell me what these would be it would be most helpful. 

 

Cheers

Mac

 

 

 

[5BarVT]

Saw your question over on the signalling forum so came here to have a look.  The SRS Swift publication isn’t going to help much as it shows signals in the same places as in the photo above.

Answering your question, in each direction you have a distant signal, home signal and starting signal.  The home and starting signals are the same bit of kit as you suspected, the naming is just to differentiate which side of the signal box they are.

Out of interest, the Swift publication shows miniature semaphore arms for the shunt signals, so I’d guess that your diagram is from a later date.  Personally, I wouldn’t worry about it unless you’re modelling a specific year and you want it to be ‘absolutely accurate’.

Paul.

[mac1960]

5BarVT

Thank you for coming back to me and explaining the signalling, much appreciated.

 

Cheers

Mac

 

 

[mac1960]

Well I checked with the gentleman who made the signals who has a collection of BR track and signal plans which included Horton fortunately so I have the correct 4nr Red Home / Starting signals and I already had the ground signals required so all is good. Thank you all for the help with this. Back to chasing German Grass and painting Sheep!!

 

Cheers

Mac

[mac1960]

Well another little update.

 

The barns as you can see below are nearly completed with two down and  with one other to do. The first Barn photo is N gauge and a Skaledale one, but is off to the right, and slightly down slope and adds to the perspective view we are trying to achieve. We both think this, along with the Goods Shed, are probably the best of the Dales looking buildings from that range and are ready made, they just need careful weathering down to blend in. In comparison with Mills Bridge and Staly Vegas, Richard said he he has had to come a little lighter in the paint pallet as this is, and was a rural area, and even with 100ton steam engines and indeed coal fired houses in it, it was still relatively clean in comparison with East Lancashire / West Ridding depicted in the other two models.   The other barn with the Grass roller is front and center, and is a Ho scale scratch build, and has a different orientation. We were both concerned we may go over board with Barns, and indeed symmetry with skew bridges etc, and the threat of looking bookends if you know what I mean, but having looked at satellite photos, as well as walking up there, you could argue there is always room for one more barn !   

 

The German Noch Ho sheep which come a funny Yellow tint have been converted to Swaledales, though they look as though they have been on the Black Sheep beer in the photo, as not yet placed in upright position, but they are good models just wrong White !

 

On another front the Flock from Germany arrived in Peterborough yesterday, and was here this evening, which is a big tick. Unfortunately we have a bit of the White cold stuff around, and its -7c outside so it will be the weekend before I drop it down to Richard.  However I should not complain as a colleague was in Sweden at -40c the other week !

 

The Yellow stripe 8F 48773 has yet to arrive from TMC but is imminent, so that will complete the steam locomotive fleet. However if a Crab came out that would also be added, and indeed overtime there maybe an odd A4 and indeed GWR class and Deltic, but they were the rarity, so it will be more of the mundane in reality, which to be honest is what I remember, so do not expect to see any Pullman carriages here !  

  

Stay safe and indeed warm.

 

 

[Reorte]

This is really demonstrating the benefits of observation, the little details that could so easily end up generic but instead beautifully capture the location.

[mac1960]

Reorte

Thank you for the kind words and your observations. It is the detailing that I really enjoy, even at these small scales. Indeed in some ways it is easier in N Gauge / 2mm than OO/ Ho, or even more of a problem in O Gauge . The latter is I feel getting onto my day job scale 😉ie building in 1to1. Anyway I hope to get a further update this weekend.

 

 

[mac1960]

Just a quick up date as the first slew bridge on the occupation lane has been completed and now just requires weathering. This one was based on the one at Waitby the other one is based on  the one Kirby Stephen.  So one more bridge to go, and some further grass works (Richard still thinks he can make it better !!) then down to the finer detailing and  the back scene.

 

The latter has been the cause of much debate as Richard does not want to have breaks in it it and would like t do it on one roll but there is the problem of placing into place when built in the room it which it will live.

However we have note in the N Gauge Magazine this month that Copenhagen Fields has a painted back scene with visible joints and we greatly admire that model so if good enough for Kings Cross its good enough for Horton  ! 

 

Edited January 28 by mac1960

[mac1960]

Well another day and another bridge, this being a slew version of the one at Kirkby Stephen, and is a road bridge and has that Midland Red / Blue brick feel. Apparently quite a bit of swearing involved getting the brickwork right, it may have nearly been a bridge too far apparently. Both this and the occupation bridge now need weathering, and those are the last of the large structures to be done, so now back to the Grass again !!

 

After this there is the fencing around the station and the smaller stuff like signs / people / sheeps / benches / AWS / Signals etc and of course the critical back scene. As I said earlier we were both concerned about the two slew bridges being a bit twee / bookend like but doing one in stone and the other in brick really makes them different, and as the back scene is curved we really feel it should work well, but we will see. You can tell we are growing in confidence with what we are about on this now , its only taken a few years, but we both are now saying we are getting there !!     

 

 

[mac1960]

Thanks Figworthy I will mention to  Richard as he is doing this end of the build and I am sure he will appreciate it.

 

Mac

[drduncan]

This is fantastic work. Will it be out on the exhibition circuit?

Duncan

[mac1960]

Duncan

Thank you for the kind comments.
 

As for the exhibition circuit we will have to see, as I, and indeed Richard, have quite an intensive and distant work schedule, and indeed our location in the UK and height would limit safe exhibitions at certain times of the year ( we live at the same height as Ais Gill). So can I say watch this space, but it maybe awhile, however it may possibly be in print earlier if you know what I mean, which will give greater details.
 

The other thing is it is designed as you will have seen, for the fiddle yard to be in the front of the model so under the hill you look over, which means at an exhibition you need an operator in that space which would push the viewing public back a little. However as I said we will see. 
 

Richard would like to take this up as a sideline, but I have quite enough building 1 to 1 in real life, but I am getting older and will retire, so we will have to see about this and future models.

 

I know we will not do one this size though, or do the Ho to N Gauge perspective as it really extends the build  having to look at various times in two perspectives though looks great.  When we have finished, and everyone or even a majority say wow, then I dare say we may reconsider that, but neither of us are getting any younger! 
 

Thanks again and keep dropping in.

 

Cheers

Mac

 

 

[mac1960]

A short update, as its late, and an early flight beckons for me.

 

Well courtesy of Sankey Signs, Horton now has her official name, and the fine detailing is coming along well, and our grass fields are finally completed, and fences are also appearing around the run down station, as that is how it was back then, rather then the brightly painted pastiche we have now . That by the way is not a dig at all the friend's of the S&C  who do wonderful work keeping the station and line very pretty. However unless you go back to the pre WW1 or just post WW2 (on Mr Taylors watch ) things were not so bright, and I hope we have captured that with the use of autumn hues, and the run down feel, as if you look at the various photos and indeed 8mm film of the line and location , that is what you had in the mid 60,s.

 

Anyway the back scene has been tried for size and works, and now it is most definitely with Richard to work his magic for the last time on this model / canvas and I could not be happier having worked with him, and all the other suppliers who have contributed with their skills and or materials on this build. We are just now building, if you forget the pun, to the finale, though there will be more little detailed cameos before that, but the back scene is the last large job, which has just been started, though it may take sometime as we don't want to rush it. 

 

Cheers

Mac  

 

 

[Physicsman]

Mac, thanks for your comment on the Gill Head thread.

 

And many congrats for the progress you are making on this excellent layout. I've always modelled 00, then EM, but your work here is a very good advertisement for the benefits of N. Really good work.

[mac1960]

Jeff
Thank you for the kind comments about Horton, and we consider it high praise indeed from yourself, given the excellent nature and quality of your own modelling. 
 

The reason for the use of N gauge was that we wanted to place the railway in the landscape so to speak and as I am not blessed with a space large enough to do Horton in OO or EM it was N gauge or 2mm. Years ago we both had seen Luton Hoe which was a Bedfordshire Midland mainline and branch layout, which perfectly showed what you could do in that scale.

 

The later 2mm in my admittedly limited observation does seem to sometimes be a little troublesome. Richard has more experience due to work on Millsbridge where  it is a bit “intermittent “shall we say.
 

Also given the distance that you view Horton at, we think we can getaway with it, but we will leave that for others to say. 
 

Anyway I am away for a little this week so it’s Richard’s baby so to speak. I look forward to seeing further progress in time on Gill Head when the Mojo comes back 👍

 

All the best 

Mac

Edited February 13 by mac1960

[mac1960]

Just found out that Horton Quarry is being resurrected ,hopefully this summer. They say on Wiki that  rail link stopped mid 60,s I thought it was early to mid 70,s anybody know?  Don’t worry there will not be any 66,s on Horton, though given the lack of change up there you could go to Blue Diesel and Tarmac / Tilcon wagons easily.

 

Cheers

Mr Mac

[mac1960]

A quick update, the sheep, or to be more precise the Ho Sheep have arrived, and have been planted so to speak. Also in the background the more Eagle eyed will have noted the arrival of telegraph poles , Phone Box, Planters on the platform, the later a legacy of the Station Master Mr Taylor, who had moved onto Settle by our time period, where he continued his winning streak for station gardens. His replacement alas did not have his Green fingers, and the boarders were by now a shadow of there former selves. However they have now been reinvigorated by the Friend's of the S&C and I am sure Mr Taylor would heartily approve of their efforts.

 

I will try and get some better pictures upon my return, though Richard is on a charge it seems, so more may arrive before then. Anyway more Lamb this evening but hopefully not so plasticky 😀    

Edited February 14 by mac1960

[scottystitch]

This is excellent modelling, in any scale.  Really talented modellers at work.  

 

Thanks for sharing.

 

Best

 

Scott.