Chesterfield 1977

[Lurch]

14 minutes ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

I actually thought it meant In My Humble Opinion, oh well!

 

Just use IMO, forget being honest or humble.

[Enterprisingwestern]

1 minute ago, Lurch said:

 

Just use IMO, forget being honest or humble.

 

That's my alter ego blown!

 

Mike.

[Lurch]

7 minutes ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

That's my alter ego blown!

 

Can't seem to find the "I don't think you were fooling anyone" reaction button...

[Andy_C]

On 17/02/2022 at 06:23, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Rather than marking the track centre line, which IMHO is pretty difficult to follow accurately, mark the radius under a rail, inner or outer, doesn't matter, then you've got something more tangible to work to.

I made a sliding trammel from aluminium square tube which makes it easier to plot a smooth even curve.

 

 

Mike.

Hi,

 

Im watching with interest, but will be quite brazen in pinching this idea! I also love the blutac on the coach to mark the track out. Also pinched!

[Mophead45143]

Evening all,

 

Been a very long time since I posted on here, but that doesn't mean that nothing has been happening on the layout. Progress has been slow the past coupe of months though, as other commitments have gotten in the way as usual. 

 

I'll start with a couple of photos from late February, where I start placing the track lengths out on the scenic section to get a feel for what lengths of flexi I would need, and mark out the points for the crossovers.

 

 

 

 

The next step was to start the TEDIOUS process of cutting out the sleeper webbing to allow for a more realistic sleeper spacing. This took some time as can be imagined, and was done in between other jobs so that I didn't lose interest! The end result will be well worth it, although in future I will definitely look into more fine scale 16.5mm suppliers which come well spaced to begin with!

 

 

 

[Mophead45143]

Eventually the sleepers were all cut for the scenic section trackwork, and it was then time to lay some track!!! After a reasonable amount was laid, I couldn't resist wiring it up and having a play! After all, engineers trains are part of the track laying process!

 

 

45144 'Royal Signals' has ended up on rather mundane duties as appose to the usual St Pancras Sheffield services! This local will have to enter the works at some point to finish its conversion to a proper 45/1, as it was modelled some years ago before my appreciation of such details!

 

 

Immingham's 47181 actually spent much of 1977 based at Tinsley before returning East later that year. It must be a Sunday, as the loco has ended up on an empty spoil train, as appose to the usual MGR. The loco is also testing out some newly laid fiddle yard roads.

Edited July 4, 2022 by Mophead45143

[Mophead45143]

To date, the down fast is the only scenic track that has been laid, and this now does nearly a whole circuit (save for the lift out section). The fiddle yard is now over 60% complete.

 

 

This photo illustrates the long gentle curve which I have attempted to recreate. I have given it a very subtle cant, as the prototype was very subtle indeed.

 

 

The fist crossover has also been laid between the fast lines, the next job will be to lay the up fast, as the down fast is the datum. This photo also shows the long gentle curve, perhaps a bit cruelly. Running a couple of coaches along it, it certainly looks fine, but I should be able to make minor adjustments if required before ballasting.

 

 

On to the fiddle yard now, which as can be seen is well over half complete. Just another 7 through roads to lay now (19 in total), then the short dead end sidings, and eventually the upper level sidings that will hold a few extra trains.

 

 

This is the curve into the fiddle yard at the north end of the layout. Some dead end sidings will be located on the left, primarily for DMU's from Sheffield. The double-slip on the right will give access to the incline leading to the upper level fiddle yard sidings. 

 

 

Finally, the crossovers at the south end entrance to the fiddle yard. These will provide freights which use the scenic crossovers a means of access between the slow line storage sidings and the fast lines. 

 

Regards,

 

Cameron

Edited July 4, 2022 by Mophead45143

[Mophead45143]

Morning all,

 

Another milestone has now passed, that being the completion of the scenic track work. It's not perfect, but I'm quite pleased with how it looks, bearing in mind the challenges involved that made it not quite as simple as just slapping track down.

 

Specifically:

- The ladder junction has been built into the start of a gentle curve

- Crossovers have been trimmed where applicable to bring running lines closer together

- Sleepers have all been individually spaced except for on points

- Card has been carefully positioned where applicable to induce cant on curves, including transition on slow line reverse curves

- Dropper wires have been soldered t the underside of the rail before laying track, and holes had to measured and be drilled to accommodate these

 

It was always going to be a compromised using Peco streamline track (as is 00 gauge in general), but I think you can get away with it on a simplistic track layout such as Chesterfield. Needless to say, I'm glad this bit is done, as it has taken months to get to this point from when I first started cutting sleeper webbing!

 

Note that as per the time period, track work within the station area is still flat bottom 60' sections on wooden sleepers.

 

 

This photo is taken at the north end of the layout looking south towards the station, about where the scenic break will be. The cant on the tracks here was so slight in real life, and therefore a maximum of 1mm card was used on the fast lines for this. I've not actually bothered with the slow lines on this part of the layout as photo and video evidence shows these to be even less discernable at this point, and given the lower line speed and approach to the junction it wasn't really needed. 

 

 

Looking north at the south end of the crossovers.

 

 

Looking north from the end of platform 2.

 

 

Looking north from the end of platform 1.

 

 

A high view above the station and road / river bridges.

 

 

A low view looking north of the freight lines sweeping around the back of the station and over the road / river. These have been canted, again to a maximum of 1mm.

 

 

Looking south as the freight lines swing in parallel to the fast lines.

 

 

Looking south above the station area.

 

 

Looking south from the footbridge above the slow lines.

 

 

Looking south from the footbridge above the down fast.

 

 

A close up view showing how I have placed sleepers to smoothly transition from point to standard track. I have trimmed and positioned four wooden sleepers on each piece of flexi that mates to the side of the adjacent point, this giving the illusion that the sleepers are longer and part of the crossover. I'm not saying it's accurate, but it looks far more convincing than just trimming concrete sleepers so they don't foul, which I've seen on some layouts.

 

Edited August 3, 2022 by Mophead45143

[Mophead45143]

Finally, a close up of the catch point which was located on the up slow which I have scratch built. Again, no points for accuracy here, this is just a practical representation, and to avoid derailment risk, it is always in the position seen here, rather than actually protecting the junction. That said, any feedback is certainly welcome!

 

For this I used the blades of a surplus Code 75 'Y' point', and the rest was made up of parts from some flexi track. One copper clad sleeper was used to solder the end of the point blades to give rigidity.

 

 

 

Regards,

 

Cameron

[Mophead45143]

Well, time certainly does fly and I can't believe how long it's been since I posted on this thread! With the exception of the as yet to be constructed upper level storage sidings, I completed the track laying in about October 2022. Since then progress has been made, albeit very slowly! Having been very busy outside of the layout and with nothing particular exciting to share (predominantly wiring), I just lost interest in updating the thread.   

 

However, things have changed now - TRAINS ARE RUNNING!

 

 

[Mophead45143]

I'll start with a quick catch up from where we left off a while back. The below photos show some pictures after completion of the track laying and prior to wiring the layout.

 

 

One of the joins for the lifting section prior to wiring up, showing the securing bolts and copper clad sleepers soldered to the rails. Since this photo was taken I have wired up each rail to a 'D' plug / socket connector to bridge the electrical gap. This can be easily unplugged when the layout is not in use.

 

 

Above view showing the empty main fiddle yard sidings. As well as wiring the layout, I have also since constructed a fascia around the non-scenic sections to protect trains from being knocked over, and to tidy up the edge of the boards. The scenic section will in time get its own fascia, once the lighting frame is installed above that side of the layout. 

Edited April 14 by Mophead45143

[Mophead45143]

A few months back I installed backscenes made from 3mm thin hardboard. These have been screwed in position in a curved fashion to try and hide corners. I adopted the Windex method (cheers Pride Parkway!) for helping maintain the tight curve at either end. I am not yet certain which way I will go with doing the backscenes, i.e. paint them or using printed images, but as this is now the next job I need to get thinking! 

 

This was an exciting moment, as it really started to look like a proper layout with the scenic area framed by the backscenes.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 14 by Mophead45143

[Mophead45143]

Now then, time for some pictures of the trains running! As usual, please excuse the photo quality as these are all just taken off my phone which isn't the best. Also, as the lighting for scenic section has not yet been installed, I only have the ambient light of the garage to work with. Also, some have the models shown are yet to be detailed / weathered, and some of those that have were done so long ago that they no longer meet my current standards. Plenty to keep myself busy with as and when time allows!

 

 

47143 of Laira has somehow managed to find itself on the 6M60 Lackenby - Brierley Hill steel coils, which in time will see the BAA's weathered and the loads fitted with sheets. 

 

 

A brand new 56008 (Cavelex) leads an empty MGR train (Accurascale) north on the goods lines around the back of the station.

 

 

44004, now nameless, works a loaded coal train formed of a mixture of 21t and 24.5t minerals and hoppers south pass the ladder junction on the up goods line.

 

 

[Mophead45143]

 

Panning around, 44004 leads its train around the back of the station heading south.

 

 

As 44004 heads south, ex-works 46046 (GD) heads north with a parcels train towards Sheffield. All my peaks, with the exception of the latest Bachmann models, will need some fettling to correct some details which don't suit the era, nose end grilles for example. 

 

 

Following behind the 44, another loaded coal train heads south behind a pair of the latest Bachmann 20's, the train being made up of a varied rake of 16t, 21t, 24.5t minerals and hoppers.

 

 

47328 (TO) leads another empty MGR train north pass another steel coil train.

 

 

[Mophead45143]

 

45135 '3rd Carabineer' slows for the first stop of it's journey with a Sheffield - St Pancras MML express. This is one of eight 45/1's that will make up the bulk of the St Pancras - Sheffield workings on 'Chesterfield', and like the others, is in need of a visit to the modeling bench to make a proper representation of the 45/1 sub class. 

 

 

56008 is seen with an empty MGR again, this time crossing from the down fast to the down slow, in order to take the old road via Barrow Hill.

 

 

45051 (TO) runs light engine northbound on the goods lines.

 

 

An 08 from Barrow Hill trundles across the ladder junction with a brakevan, ready to do a spot of shunting in Chesterfield goods yard south of the station, before tripping wagons back to Barrow Hill.

 

[Mophead45143]

 

A pair of veteran Lima 20's work another unfitted coal train south on the goods lines. These models are one of three pairs that my father through-wired together about 25 years ago when he was hoping to build his own layout based on the same area / era. The electrical pairing up of the two locos, just like the real thing, makes for a very reliable performance with good tractive effort. They run very smoothly and will pull a house down! As such, they are definitely worth revisiting on the model bench to bring them up to detailing / weathering standards so that they can form part of the main loco fleet.

 

 

The Lima 20's are seen again. Whilst the cabs aren't perfect (flush glazing will help), it can be argued that the curved profile of the bonnet / nose ends on the Lima models is better than that of Bachmann's first attempt at the class 20. Bachmann's latest model however is excellent, and really captures the feel for these locos, which is why they will make up the core of the fleet of Toton and Tinsley based machines.

 

 

The brakevan at the rear end of a southbound unfitted coal train is about to pass under where the footbridge will be positioned once scenic work is well underway.

Edited April 14 by Mophead45143

[vulcan product fan]

Nice one loving the trains . Am looking forward to see the scenic work start .

[younGGuns7]

13 minutes ago, vulcan product fan said:

Nice one loving the trains . Am looking forward to see the scenic work start .

Me too 👍

[Bri.dolan]

Excellent stuff, love the trains 

 

Brian 

[Enterprisingwestern]

18 hours ago, Mophead45143 said:

An 08 from Barrow Hill trundles across the ladder junction with a brakevan, ready to do a spot of shunting in Chesterfield goods yard south of the station, before tripping wagons back to Barrow Hill.

 

I don't whether it was the same in your period depending on which facilities were still open, but in my 60's/70's era the 08 had already done Armytages scrapyard and Central Wagon works and would sometimes have wagons in tow, and would go on to do the Brampton branch.

 

Mike.

[NeilHumps]

Thanks for the update Cameron - really good to see the progress and trains running.

[Mophead45143]

8 hours ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

I don't whether it was the same in your period depending on which facilities were still open, but in my 60's/70's era the 08 had already done Armytages scrapyard and Central Wagon works and would sometimes have wagons in tow, and would go on to do the Brampton branch.

 

Mike.

 

I'm not sure about Armytages or Central Wagon works, but there was certainly activity at Lockoford and on the Brampton branch from photos I've seen in the late 70's.

 

Cameron