York station in the 1950's.

[coronach]

On 13/01/2023 at 16:26, iands said:

Howsham - another enjoyable spot in the middle of nowhere. I don't remember Jim Gibb, obviously he came after me. Wes Dodds of course and John Maw I remember very well. The supervisor at my time was George Duffield (George was also the supervisor for the York-Harrogate line). When he retired Bill Fox took over the supervisor role.

Bill Fox - that was him. 

[Harry Lund]

Bootham (Lane) Junction is progressing.     

 

York is of necessity like a jigsaw.   Most boards are modular.  In this section the boards are generally fixed, but the upper levels are removeable firstly to make them easier to work on, and secondly to allow access to the fiddle yard under.   

 

 

 

Above we can see the cradle onto which the junction board sits.   B16 61441 with a York - Hull stopped just in time ....

 

And below the junction board on the workbench.  Track down and ballasted, electrics being fitted under.

 

 

 

View under, electrics in progress

 

 

And back in position in the cradle.   The train is taking the Hull line (Hull and Scarborough lines are reversed on the model).  Signal box to a GNR design from a previous layout, just for size.

 

[john new]

Were that the junction for the Foss Islands Branch my old house was to the right of the loco, roughly where the mark is on the board against the wall.

 

Edited January 17, 2023 by john new
Typo

[Harry Lund]

Hope this is bringing back good memories

[Harry Lund]

There is a very nice letter in this month's BRM, entitled 'Memories of York' and written by 'Brian M'.   If anyone knows Brian, would you pass on my thanks, and those of Peter and William too.   Thanks so much.   Giles

[Harry Lund]

Slow by steady progress on the Scarborough lines.

 

Overview of the section running east from Bootham Lane junction (as it is now known in the model version).   Some jiggery pokery required to fit the alignment around a staircase.   That section slides out easily for access to the upper floor.

Looking east towards Scarborough

 

Looking back up the line.    The junction, not real, is to access the reverse loop and 3 road fiddle yard.   The signals are from a dismantled layout.    The junction signal dolls are the wrong way round, so will need rebuilding in due course.   Another thing to add to a very long list!   I'm getting practiced at building points and slips on a curve .... !

 

 

A view of the junction looking East.

 

 

 

With apologies as always for the poor photography.

 

Giles

[Harry Lund]

By east, I mean north north east!

[Rowsley17D]

How are you going to disguise those stairs? 😉

Edited March 9, 2023 by Rowsley17D

[Chamby]

That’s a nice length of flowing trackwork.  It should be a real pleasure to watch the trains running over that section…

[Harry Lund]

David.  As best I can by flowing the backscene all the way through to the stairs and beyond.   At the moment it stops by the signal box.   Everything behind the backscene is then 'working area', eg fiddle yards, reverse loop, dumping area etc.

 

[Rowsley17D]

22 minutes ago, Harry Lund said:

David.  As best I can by flowing the backscene all the way through to the stairs and beyond.   At the moment it stops by the signal box.   Everything behind the backscene is then 'working area', eg fiddle yards, reverse loop, dumping area etc.

 

 

Jonathan

[Harry Lund]

Just taken delivery of the first batch of signals from Absolute Aspects.  Works of Art.   I didn't think I was going to get round to signalling for months, if not years.   But I met this firm at Warley and was very impressed, so took the plunge.   The York team is joined by Roger, a retired work colleague, who knows little about trains but a whizz with electronics and programming, so hopefully this massive job on the to do list will progress in parallel with completing the baseboards and trackwork

 

Here are the first two, 160 and 161 just placed on location.   They will be weathered, and set down into the board in due course.

 

They are handmade to the specification set out in the 1951-3905 signalling record,  and from photos.    Eventually they will be controlled from a PC so an operator can set routes and interlock signals showing correct aspects.   Plus train occupancy detection to enable the PC to manage block signalling as trains progress down a route.   Trains will still be controlled manually.    I am not intending to attempt any form of automation, except possibly a shuttle running from the Scarborough fiddle yard line into platforms 6 and 7.

 

Giles

[AdeMoore]

They look the business Giles.

Good luck getting them in.

[Harry Lund]

The Scarborough reverse line and 3 road storage loops complete and operational for a few weeks now.  I've not tried to photograph as the light is poor and my photography is rubbish.       In the meantime  I have salvaged some signals from a my first large layout (1975-2008) and set track from a layout built for my children 15 years ago (never took hold) to create a test bed for Roger to develop the hardware and software solution for route setting and signalling.  

 

 

Just need to install point motors before delivering to Roger in May.

 

Next tasks are 1. completing the backscenes, the ash pits and carriage washing plant, and then 2. to the expansion of the housing terraces along the Scarborough line beyond the Ouse bridge, 3. the road bridge near Bootham Lane junction which serves as a scenic break, and 4. associated landform. 

 

Giles

[Harry Lund]

Signalling test bed safely delivered last week.

 

I've turned my attention back to the Scarborough branch, and the Crichton Avenue bridge which is to be 'borrowed' to disguise a scenic break.   There are a few photos of the real one, which looks to be in the Art Deco style,  on Page 33 of this thread.  

 

After some trial and error, I've settled on the span over the Scarborough lines to be square on, and the (reversed) Hull lines at an angle.   Two photos of the embryonic structure below

 

 

Giles

 

[Rowsley17D]

Good to see a bit more progress, Giles

[Harry Lund]

Thank you Jonathan (also known as David - by me in a muddled moment!    Oops).     Giles

[Michael Hodgson]

That's a pretty impressive amount of progress, the Scaboro branch is looking very good.  It will be interestimg to see how the signalling goes, and the way the control is set up.

[Harry Lund]

Spent the day working on the wet ash pits.   Last components are the removeable gratings with safety railings that sat between the tracks.  I believe they were moved nightly to allow a 15t steam crane with grab to dig out the ash.   Does anyone know of a suitable product or kit that might be adapted?   

 

 

Giles

[Harry Lund]

Like these

 

[Harry Lund]

Spent the last few days finishing off the Crichton Avenue bridge.  Hopefully I've capture the art deco style of the real thing.    Just needs kerbstones, drain covers and painting.   I'll do the wing walls when I do the scenery to the foreground, with the road embankment.

 

Giles  

[john new]

Looks good.

 

[Rowsley17D]

Always like to see progress, keep it up.

[Harry Lund]

This evenings project has been to prototype the removable covers from the wet ash pits.   Scratch built from brass shapes and Ambis Engineering point rodding for the walkways.

 

 

 

 

I've been trying to work out the system for washing the ash into the central sump, having been dropped from the fireboxes.   Just spotted the answer in my post of 20 May - water jets from pipes laid across the pits.   Also made out what looks like pressure gauges on supply pipes.   Anybody got any other ideas?

 

Giles

 

 

 

[Rowsley17D]

Very neat and tidy.