North End Road - WCML in N

[DavidMcKenzie]

Jumping around a little with the modelling unfortunately. I just got stuck into the mk2 coaches before realising that I am missing the correct transfers for the 1 on the side of the first opens. 

 

I decided to switch to attacking the RES class 90. I am still undecided if this or intercity is my favourite livery on the 90s, they both suited the loco very well in my opinion. 

 

 

 

As for the layout, when I've had time to tinker it has been mainly wiring in the last few weeks. I am trying my best not to build a birds nest out if it all.......🤭.

 

All the best,

Dave 

Edited April 19, 2023 by DavidMcKenzie

[Duncan.]

Hi Dave,

I've just been catching up on your thead. You have done some excellent work. I really like the weathering of the stock.

Cheers

Duncan

[DavidMcKenzie]

16 hours ago, Duncan. said:

Hi Dave,

I've just been catching up on your thead. You have done some excellent work. I really like the weathering of the stock.

Cheers

Duncan

Hi Duncan,

I hope you are well.

Thanks for your kind comments, all credit to yourself and others in the community who have given me many tips and support along the way. Not to mention all the motivation from seeing cracking layouts such as your shirebrook👍. 

All the best,

Dave 

[porkie]

On 19/04/2023 at 21:38, DavidMcKenzie said:

Jumping around a little with the modelling unfortunately. I just got stuck into the mk2 coaches before realising that I am missing the correct transfers for the 1 on the side of the first opens. 

 

I decided to switch to attacking the RES class 90. I am still undecided if this or intercity is my favourite livery on the 90s, they both suited the loco very well in my opinion. 

 

 

 

As for the layout, when I've had time to tinker it has been mainly wiring in the last few weeks. I am trying my best not to build a birds nest out if it all.......🤭.

 

All the best,

Dave 

Hell's Bell's David.

 

She's a stunner, hat's off you have done a awesome job.

[DavidMcKenzie]

On 28/04/2023 at 21:30, porkie said:

Hell's Bell's David.

 

She's a stunner, hat's off you have done a awesome job.

 

Thanks Phil, life's been a bit busy this end and wiring seems to have taken most of the modelling time over the last few weeks, but I am looking forward to a running session at some point to get it out on the layout. 

[DavidMcKenzie]

The rebranding of the MK2 coaches to swallow has gone on the back burner after the recent farish news. Luckily only one side was done, so I might keep the rake in the old style Intercity type face as an early 90s XC rake (on the side that can be seen at least).  

 

Whilst having a think about what to do with the MK2s, the EWS 31 below had some detailing and weathering added, based on photos from around 99. I need to have a running session at some point, I'm looking forward to getting this one and the RES 90 out on the layout before too long (hopefully 🙂).

 

 

 

 

All the best,

Dave 

Edited May 11, 2023 by DavidMcKenzie

[Padishar Creel]

7 hours ago, DavidMcKenzie said:

 

Whilst having a think about what to do with the MK2s

 

 

 

Many ran without the InterCity branding late 80s early 90s, so maybe simply remove it?

 

es grüßt

pc 

[DavidMcKenzie]

On 11/05/2023 at 05:49, Padishar Creel said:

 

Many ran without the InterCity branding late 80s early 90s, so maybe simply remove it?

 

es grüßt

pc 

 

Now that is a brilliant idea 👍. I've just looked back at some old photos online, I didn't realise how common that was. Thanks for the idea.

I hope you are keeping well,

Dave 

 

[DavidMcKenzie]

The newest addition was again a lot of fun to weather and a cracking little model. I know prices have gone up since Bachmann have taken over, but the level of quality and detail in RTR models is very impressive. 

 

 

 

 

Aiming for roughly 1997......I didn't brave it and go for the blue door option like the second photo though 😆. (photos linked from Flickr). 

 

 

 

I still haven't managed a running session to get the latest locos out on the layout. With all the good weather and long days, the last thing I've wanted to do is head down to the cellar, but it's nice to have something to look forward to during the next bad weather spell. 

 

All the best,

Dave 

[Padishar Creel]

On 12/05/2023 at 21:25, DavidMcKenzie said:

 

Now that is a brilliant idea 👍. I've just looked back at some old photos online, I didn't realise how common that was. Thanks for the idea.

I hope you are keeping well,

Dave 

 

All good here in BaWü. I hope for you and yours as well.

Will you make it to Stuttgart this year? Pauline will bring New Millfields again, and I will be helping her operate the layout.

es grüßt

pc 

[DavidMcKenzie]

On 08/06/2023 at 16:20, Padishar Creel said:

All good here in BaWü. I hope for you and yours as well.

Will you make it to Stuttgart this year? Pauline will bring New Millfields again, and I will be helping her operate the layout.

es grüßt

pc 

 

Hi PC,

I hope all is well, I will pm you, but Stuttgart is looking unlikely. New Millfields being there is great news though. 

Al the best,

Dave. 

[DavidMcKenzie]

Modeling time has been hard to come by over the last month, but a quick running session yesterday got the RES 90 out on the layout for the first time. 

 

 

 

All the best,

Dave

[Duncan.]

Loving the inky blackness of the tunnels Dave

[DavidMcKenzie]

On 04/07/2023 at 08:28, Duncan. said:

Loving the inky blackness of the tunnels Dave

 

Hi Duncan,

 

Sorry for the delay in replying, the little one is keeping me busy at the moment (in the best possible way). 

 

I hope you are well, I have seen a number of YouTube videos of Shirebrook looking absolutely outstanding at the demu showcase. I hope you enjoyed it.

 

You've got a brilliant eye for noticing the details. One of the things which I wasn't so happy about with Maids Morten was the tunnels not being completely dark. Very crude solution, but off scene the first section of track is covered by a removable cardboard 'tunnel' painted black on the inside. It seems to do the job. The single track slow line has no fiddle yard connected yet, so a rag covering the tunnel mouth off scene is the solution there for now.

 

Photo with and without below:

 

 

 

All the best,

Dave 

[Duncan.]

Hi Dave,

Yes, DEMU showcase was a great show, we enjoyed operating Shirebrook  there. There were many great comments from the visitors. 

Your layout is looking really good, your weathered 90s are especially  good. 

Cheers  Duncan 

[DavidMcKenzie]

After seeing class 08s looking very good on other wcml layouts such as Graham's Stanley Bridge and Simon's Dallam, I am glad I finally gave into temptation . 

 

 

 

 

It's a lovely model and it looks more at home than I feared shunting and moving around at the back of the station on the slow line and stabling point. 

 

All the best,

Dave 

 

Edited July 22, 2023 by DavidMcKenzie

[DavidMcKenzie]

Back to the MK2 rake which is clogging up the workbench. At least one of the rake has been rebranded and weathered before I could of simply purchased a swallow rake 🤪. I like PC's idea of the unbranded intercity MK2 which was a common sight towards the end of the 90s, so when I get around to it the other side will have the swallow branding removed to allow a rake of either livery variation to be run.

 

 

All the best,

Dave 

 

Edited July 24, 2023 by DavidMcKenzie

[DavidMcKenzie]

The MK2 rake is finished and got a run out on the layout. It looks really good with the closest coupling option to entirely remove the gap between carriages, unfortunately even with the 'inside' buffer removed it is too close to make it around the loop off scene. So I've compromised and gone for one long and one short coupling. 

 

 

 

 

The layout is far from finished, but I am already thinking about an extension now space allows. I have only ever modelled the southern section of the WCML, but I love the Cumbrian country side and the nice canted curves with lovely backdrops. So over the winter I have a twin track Cumbrian extension planned. Track plan will follow, but the first addition was a BSO to allow the XC service I've seen on plenty of you tube videos and Flickr photos in Cumbria during the late 90s to be modelled (Edinburgh to Portsmouth via WCML and Birmingham if I am not mistaken, but I might be wrong). 

 

 

 

All the best,

Dave

[lmsforever]

The extension sounds a good idea the scenic ideas are great and seeing your stock running through will be great.

[cornish trains jez]

Hi Dave,

 

The layout is looking fabulous and I love the intercity liveried stock that you are running. I think the extension will add a nice contrast to your more built up city scene, lol forward to seeing the plan and the extension progress. Will this be on the other side of the layout or to one side?

 

Best regards,

 

Jeremy

 

[acg5324]

The MK2 rake looks great, Hunt Couplings I assume?

 

Edinburgh / Glasgow to Brighton…the Sussex Scot …..http://www.1S76.com will give you details. there were also XC services to Bournemouth….Wessex Scot, Devon Scot, Plymouth and the Cornish Scot, Penzance.

[DavidMcKenzie]

On 14/08/2023 at 21:48, cornish trains jez said:

Hi Dave,

 

The layout is looking fabulous and I love the intercity liveried stock that you are running. I think the extension will add a nice contrast to your more built up city scene, lol forward to seeing the plan and the extension progress. Will this be on the other side of the layout or to one side?

 

Best regards,

 

Jeremy

 

 

Hi Jeremy,

 

Strange answer I know....but it will be above the existing layout. I have plenty of height to play with and I've tested some spirals and they seem to work without issue. 

 

The track plan will be very simple.

 

 

It is not an exact location, but motivation has been taken from these two spots at Greenholme and Beck Foot.

 

 

 

 

 

Hopefully this will allow a few different views of trains tilting in a curve like below. 

 

 

 

On 15/08/2023 at 08:52, acg5324 said:

The MK2 rake looks great, Hunt Couplings I assume?

 

Edinburgh / Glasgow to Brighton…the Sussex Scot …..http://www.1S76.com will give you details. there were also XC services to Bournemouth….Wessex Scot, Devon Scot, Plymouth and the Cornish Scot, Penzance.

 

@acg5324 that's a brilliant link thanks, I have only skimmed it so far. I didn't realise D9000 was a regular on Saturdays during summer at the end of the century. Interesting stuff. 

 

As for the coupling, I have ordered some hunt couplers to try as well as a batch of Kuppelstange from DM toys, but for now both are still unopened and the MK2s come with shorter and longer 'standard' Ngauge couplers which is all I've had time to play with so far. 

 

All the best,

 

Dave

 

[acg5324]

10 hours ago, DavidMcKenzie said:

 

Hi Jeremy,

 

Strange answer I know....but it will be above the existing layout. I have plenty of height to play with and I've tested some spirals and they seem to work without issue. 

 

The track plan will be very simple.

 

 

It is not an exact location, but motivation has been taken from these two spots at Greenholme and Beck Foot.

 

 

 

 

 

Hopefully this will allow a few different views of trains tilting in a curve like below. 

 

 

 

 

@acg5324 that's a brilliant link thanks, I have only skimmed it so far. I didn't realise D9000 was a regular on Saturdays during summer at the end of the century. Interesting stuff. 

 

As for the coupling, I have ordered some hunt couplers to try as well as a batch of Kuppelstange from DM toys, but for now both are still unopened and the MK2s come with shorter and longer 'standard' Ngauge couplers which is all I've had time to play with so far. 

 

All the best,

 

Dave

 

Thank you….you may have spotted www.1S76.com is my pet project.

[DavidMcKenzie]

The split code engineers 37046 was a fun little project to turn it into 37098 as it was ~1998. 

 

 

 

Cutting and glueing the boggies was easier than the approach I've taken previously on other 37s with lowering the body by sanding away at the mounts. The left boggie is modified one and the right was only modified after the photo was taken. 

 

 

Close to finished now and I'm looking forward to giving it a run.

 

 

All the best,

Dave 

[DavidMcKenzie]

It's been slow and steady on the modelling front here, mainly because the family has expanded which has been another wonderful experience. 

 

When I have managed the odd 20mins in the modelling room it has mainly been on the fiddle yards, wiring, or general 'off scene' stuff. The lower (slow lines) fiddle yard will be ripped up and re layed over the winter. I did it in too much of a rush and I've made too many mistakes like not enough space between lines for fingers, 'S' curves through back to back points etc. It all takes away from the joy of operating, so I will try to relay it with reliability and usability as the main goal, rather than the current approach of trying to cram as much as possible into the space. 

 

All a bit messy, but hopefully the photos below are worth a look for anyone interested in the development of the 'off scene' section of the layout. 

 

 

 

All the best,

Dave