Bradford Interchange (circa 1987-91) in N

[Russ (mines a pint)]

This is a fantastic layout and well observed, it my local station in the time period mentioned. 

So just a quick start on the passenger DMU movements, the Calder Valley workings were almost nearly always 110's they would survive on other 'metrotrain' Neville Hill routes well after the sprinters took over longer distance workings - the 120's 104's etc would come to Bradford particularly after the copy pit reopening for the 'direct to' Blackpool route.  Two distinct types of class 108 as one with just the destination blinds would operate amongst class 101/111 on the short Bradford/Leeds shuttles whilst the ones with headcode rooflines could also turn up on the Blackpool services . 


Presumably the same units which would work north out of Manchester towards Blackpool  I would guess they would be allocated to Newton Heath not Derby ? though by the end of the 1st generations DMU's it was very much a case of using whatever would run! 

[jonhinds]

Blimey, has it really been a year since I last posted?

 

Dusted off the layout after a big move, and the sudden appearance through the letterbox of the excellent Revolution Class 128.

 

Still plenty of scenic detailing to do!

 

 

 

Edited October 14, 2023 by jonhinds

[jonhinds]

What a beaut, and a smooth runner out of the box. Planning to run this in consists with a Parcels 101 as a stand-in for the 114s that it was commonly paired with at the time (1988-90).

 

If Revolution sees fit to produce a 104/110 I’ll be throwing money at them!

 

[jonhinds]

I’m planning on eventually having running sessions broadly themed around three years: 1987, 1989 and 1991. Need to do a bit of digging into timetabling and diagrams.

 

[Square brackets not available RTR]

 

1987:

Class 45, 47 on limited summer services

HST Executive livery

Class 101, [104], 108, [110] Metrotrain

Class 142, [144], 150/2, 156

Parcels: 31/4 and 47/x in BR Blue small logo, Class 101 parcels sector, [105 parcels sector]

 

1989:

Class 101+108 hybrid, [104, 110]

Class 142, [144], 150/2, [155], 156

Parcels: 31/4 and 47/x in BR Blue small logo, Class 101 parcels sector, Class 128 Royal Mail ‘Duplex’ red

 

1991:

Class 142, [144], 150/2, [155], 156, 158

Parcels: 31/4 in BR Blue small logo, 47/4 in parcels sector livery

 

There might also be an occasional scrap working using the loop to run around. Railtours with double headed 31s and other loco classes also possible.

 

Edited October 17, 2023 by jonhinds

[JBM37404]

17 hours ago, jonhinds said:

I’m planning on eventually having running sessions broadly themed around three years: 1987, 1989 and 1991. Need to do a bit of digging into timetabling and diagrams.

 

[Square brackets not available RTR]

 

1987:

Class 45, 47 on limited summer services

HST Executive livery

Class 101, [104], 108, [110] Metrotrain

Class 142, [144], 150/2, 156

Parcels: 31/4 and 47/x in BR Blue small logo, Class 101 parcels sector, [105 parcels sector]

 

1989:

Class 101+108 hybrid, [104, 110]

Class 142, [144], 150/2, [155], 156

Parcels: 31/4 and 47/x in BR Blue small logo, Class 101 parcels sector, Class 128 Royal Mail ‘Duplex’ red

 

1991:

Class 142, [144], 150/2, [155], 156, 158

Parcels: 31/4 in BR Blue small logo, 47/4 in parcels sector livery

 

There might also be an occasional scrap working using the loop to run around. Railtours with double headed 31s and other loco classes also possible.

 

Retro work a pair of 153s into a 155, would be a good project.

[jonhinds]

47 minutes ago, JBM37404 said:

Retro work a pair of 153s into a 155, would be a good project.

Looking to do this very thing!

[jonhinds]

Finished the structure of the Red Star parcels building. Just need to add in some detailing & weathering, as well as darkening the roof. I’ll post a breakdown of the method later this week (mainly so I don’t forget myself). Happy with it so far and feel it captures the real building fairly well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lacathedrale]

I love it when the buildings on a layout look properly substantial and you've done a great job, nice one!

[jonhinds]

Thanks! Although I’ve just noticed it’s missing some windows, so I will have to wield the scalpel again. The brick tone also feels slightly ‘off’, although the real thing looks different in each photo so perhaps it’s near enough.

[Lacathedrale]

Maybe (!) worth running a very thinned brown enamel wash over it to add some depth to the bricks, maybe?

[jonhinds]

39 minutes ago, Lacathedrale said:

Maybe (!) worth running a very thinned brown enamel wash over it to add some depth to the bricks, maybe?

That’s EXACTLY what I was thinking.

[jonhinds]

Just a quick run through of the Red Star building’s construction. I was first able to get a measurement of an individual tile on-site, and then counted the tiles on each building face horizontally and vertically from reference photos to get overall dimensions. I then cross-checked these dimensions against an original site plan from a 1977 promotional brochure.

 

     
 

Each building face was cut from 30 thou plasticard and then tiles scribed using a Tamiya scriber. This is really where a cutting machine would’ve come in handy, as this took a stupidly long time!

 

The paint is a 4:1 mix of Tamiya wooden deck tan XF78 to deck tan XF55, airbrushed in multiple thin layers to keep the tile detail intact. Some rough edges are visible in closeup but were tidied up later.

 

 

Windows were cut from label paper with a fresh Swan Morton blade then carefully attached to acetate sheet. The structure was mounted to 1mm cardboard with the inner side painted black to minimise light bleed, then edges mitred 45 degrees with a sanding block. The structure was glued with Roket card glue, then a thin seam of Glue ‘n’ Glaze piped into any visible joins to be painted over later (still to do). The structure isn’t fully glued together at this point, hence any wonkiness.

 

 

I found a good way to create the effect of a metal vent using A4 metallic stretch paper. The vent lines were simply printed onto the metallic sheet on an inkjet printer. When it catches the light it looks suitably shiny!

 

 
 

Hope this wasn’t dull for the casual reader. This was fun (at times) to build and I look forward to completing the final details, along with a dose of weathering.

 

Next up, the station canopy. A Blu Tack test fit of the underlying structure looks pretty good.

 

[grahame]

Only just discovered this thread and very impressed. There's certainly some fine modelling and attention to detail in getting things looking spot on.

 

 

[jonhinds]

3 minutes ago, grahame said:

Only just discovered this thread and very impressed. There's certainly some fine modelling and attention to detail in getting things looking spot on.

 

 

Thanks! I’ve been delving into your scratch builds and there’s so much inspiration there. I love modelling that really feels ‘on the nose’ to a specific location.

[jonhinds]

I’ve been selectively retrofitting British Finescale rail joiners where adjoining track is slightly warped out of alignment. One largely does the trick at keeping both sets of rails aligned. Two would be better, but in many cases there wasn’t sufficient clearance to fit without yanking up track. In any case, it still results in smoother running.

 

 

The process has reminded me that hand-assembled track was probably not the wisest first build. I think the order I would recommend approaching code 40 for railway modelling first-timers would now go as follows:

 

1. DON’T. Work with code 55 or 80 streamline track for your first layout.

2. Build a section of plain line code 40 rail. Practice, practice, practice basic soldering.

3. Build and wire a turnout. The new-style bullhead kits are easier to work on as you don’t have to manually fit each plastic rail chair. Read relevant threads on British Finescale here and over on the N Gauge Forum. Ask lots of questions. Watch lots of tutorials.

4. Work slowly. Be prepared for your first turnout not to work properly. Or three.

5. Create a simple first layout, perhaps using a single turnout. Use rail joiners for each section and 1mm spacing to account for track expansion. The underlying surface needs to be ruler-flat and track glue should also be applied very thinly.

 

All said, I don’t have any track-building regrets on my layout as the results are great. So maybe ignore me completely.

 

[jonhinds]

T’other side of the building.

 

 

Picked up some 3D printed vehicles from eBay (redandy767) and Osborn’s Models. L-R: Ford Escort Mk3 Cabriolet, Austin Montego, Bedford TK road sweeper.

 

 

More 3D printed goodies yet to be painted. Luckily my local branch of Boyes is stocked with Vallejo acrylics in every shade under the sun.

 

[Lacathedrale]

How the heck did you get that rail joiner soldered in with the plastic easitrack chair so close to it?!

 

 

[jonhinds]

5 hours ago, Lacathedrale said:

How the heck did you get that rail joiner soldered in with the plastic easitrack chair so close to it?!

 

 

Ah, they’re actually push-fit so it just takes a bit of easing on. The British Finescale website has a helpful guide to installation (although looks like Wayne’s on holiday at the moment so it’s currently down).

 

I had to pull the rails apart to slot in the joiners as the track is glued down, however a person with more foresight would do the joining before the gluing!

[spenc]

Just finished reading about your layout, it looks like it going be a great layout when it's all finished plus I like blue/grey livery but I was just thinking what my northern and TPE livery units would look like on there think they would look nice.look forward to seeing more progress.

[jonhinds]

2 minutes ago, spenc said:

Just finished reading about your layout, it looks like it going be a great layout when it's all finished plus I like blue/grey livery but I was just thinking what my northern and TPE livery units would look like on there think they would look nice.look forward to seeing more progress.

 

Thanks! With a few minor cosmetic tweaks it could work modern day as the station hasn’t changed that much since sectorisation.

 

Are your TPE units 3D printed? These days it’s mostly Northern 150, 155, 158, 195 and Grand Central 180s at the Interchange.

 

 

[spenc]

9 minutes ago, jonhinds said:

 

Thanks! With a few minor cosmetic tweaks it could work modern day as the station hasn’t changed that much since sectorisation.

 

Are your TPE units 3D printed? These days it’s mostly Northern 150, 155, 158, 195 and Grand Central 180s at the Interchange.

 

 

The 185 TPE is 3D printed, the 150 farish northern,153 Dapol repainted northern,158 farish electra vinyls,156s Dapol will be repainted northern,350 farish repainted northern,800 kato will be electra vinyls TPE not painting that one,800 kato LNER,nova 3 TPE when it comes plus 2 68s hopefully be getting 180 when made thats it for now.

[jonhinds]

'Tis the season for the rail head treatment train should I decide to go modern image. Maybe one day?

 

 

[jonhinds]

I’m trying to work out the parking arrangement based on very limited images of the car park in the mid/late 80s.

 

 

Colour photos show that the solid bays on the right were yellow lined, possibly indicating that they were allocated for specific vehicles. There are also two double yellow bays further up in the above pic.

 

I’m not sure what the right-hand dashed bays closer to camera indicate, although I suspect it’s limited stay parking. The bays to the left are possibly white lined so standard parking?

 

There also seem to be markings closer to the Red Star building but it’s impossible to make them out. Maybe loading/unloading of vehicles?

 

The parking bays are different nowadays so current photos don’t help.

 

Edited November 14, 2023 by jonhinds

[kryten65]

20 hours ago, jonhinds said:

I’m trying to work out the parking arrangement based on very limited images of the car park in the mid/late 80s.

 

 

Colour photos show that the solid bays on the right were yellow lined, possibly indicating that they were allocated for specific vehicles. There are also two double yellow bays further up in the above pic.

 

I’m not sure what the right-hand dashed bays closer to camera indicate, although I suspect it’s limited stay parking. The bays to the left are possibly white lined so standard parking?

 

There also seem to be markings closer to the Red Star building but it’s impossible to make them out. Maybe loading/unloading of vehicles?

 

The parking bays are different nowadays so current photos don’t help.

 

IIRC... and it is seriously dredging the memories, those right hand side bays were used for various maintenance vans, the station cleaning team vans liveired in wypte red and cream are ones i remember being there, the space right in front of the skip was usually kept clear to let the biffa wagon in, next to the three cabinets next to the catch point for the loop was the station managers spot.

 

then the rest of the spaces down either side were used by the station staff, I think Red star had a marked space next to the stairs on the left but I cant remember any other specific markings for offloading as the remainder of the space was usually used either by the post office at various times through the day or bus/coach replacements

 

and the ramp at the side of the redstar was used for supplying the bakers and the bar downstairs

Hope this helps 

[Ben B]

Judging by how it looked last night, it was the typical Bradford Standard of put a car anywhere you liked, regardless of restrictions or if it would fit ;)

 

Still, looked quite nice in the evening as we walked back.