East Lancashire Railway in N-Gauge.

[lilchris]

I have been working on my viaduct project, it is a slow process but I am getting there. I have completed the six outer frames I need for three spans. I have decided to make three inner frames for each span. The real viaduct has four inners but you will hardly be able to see then anyway, the inners will be simpler affairs cut out of 40 thou styrene sheet, still a failrly slow process to make. Each set of frames will be fixed to a 60 thou piece of styrene which will fit between the pillars under the track bed. I will fix the frames, paint them and trim where required then fit them under the track bed. Here is a few pics with a mock up of two spans in position, I need to make more inner frames yet. The fist pic shows some inner frames awaiting cutting out. No idea why the images are posting upside down, I even swapped one round in paint and it still posted the same.

 

Edited April 22, 2023 by lilchris
pic corrected.

[lilchris]

If a mod can turn the last pic around it would be appreciated. I turned it round in the paint app but it still posted upside down. Thanks in advance. 

[AY Mod]

1 hour ago, lilchris said:

If a mod can turn the last pic around it would be appreciated. I turned it round in the paint app but it still posted upside down. Thanks in advance. 

 

It can't be changed at this end, it's down to Apple. When you take pictures take them with the shutter button to your right.

[lilchris]

Thanks AY but I posted the pics on a Windows 11 computer not my I pad. They have posted ok before so no idea why it has happened this time, they were taken with my mobile phone, Android by the way. I will try again later. 
managed it, I took the pic again with my phone but this time with the phone verticle not horizontal.

Chris.

Edited April 23, 2023 by lilchris

[lilchris]

This is where I am up to with the viaduct. I now have two units in position, only the left has the rear fitted too. so slowly getting there. I have also made a start on the stonework for the left end, including where it goes between the girder frames.

[lilchris]

Here is another view, I have placed the stonework in position, it needs painting before fixing.

[MattR]

This is coming along great! I especially love your recreation of the station at Helmshore. I'm trying to do a scratchbuild of the station at Summerseat, which has those same double-arched windows (same architect, if I recall). I've got some lasercut arched window surrounds coming in the mail soon that I hope I can make work.

Edited April 27, 2023 by MattR

[lilchris]

Well I added some H shaped styrene strip to the top of the viaduct, this is a girder for the mounting of the railings. It needed painting so I masked the viaduct up and painted the girder Badger Stynylrez grey primer, this comes pre thinned but it is recommended to use with a .5mm nozzle size which I do not have so I thinned it with a bit of distilled water. Once dry I removed the masking from the girder frames just leaving the track covered then painted the top with Tamiya Dark Iron. The viaduct is now ready for fitting the railings, I might leave that till I have built the walls and brick pillars.

Chris H.

[lilchris]

I have now fitted railings to one side of the viaduct, I bought these from a site last year. Unfortunately I did not buy enough lengths for the viaduct. I have tried to get some more but they are out of stock at two sites. At least now I have fitted them I know how high to build the stone end walls, I have made the two brick pillars in the center spans.

Chris H.

[lilchris]

You will be pleased to know the viaduct is nearly finished, I have been finishing the rear walls and have now started on the valley. Once I have done most of the work on that I will fit the rear railings, hopefully I will not damage them then. I have made the valley floor using cut off pieces of shaper sheet formed into shapes and plastered and painted. I have now made a start on laying flock, the usual way with pva, I might add some static grass later.

[lilchris]

The viaduct is more or less finished now and I have done work on the valley below. I have finished the scratch built signal box which is based on the one that was Bury North. Fitting the fire bucket to the signal box was the hardest thing I have ever done. I have also added lighting using the Just plug system, a bit expensive but it works. I have also fitted lights in the two station buildings and have now fixed them in position. I partly destroyed some of the trees behind the station waiting room drilling a hole for the lights. So I have now done more work on that area, I was not happy with how they looked anyway. I have a row of Woodland Scenics trees and had painted behind them to simulate more trees, the station is in a cutting in the real world. I have simply glued more clump foliage above the trees using contact adhesive, I think it works. Chris H.

[lilchris]

I realised after the last post I had not posted a picture of the finished viaduct so here it is. I have scratch built this viaduct, it is based on the Outwood viaduct in Radcliffe Manchester which is now part of the Outwood sculpture trail. 

Chris H.

[lilchris]

I have not posted for ages on this thread here is a update. I have been ill and diagnosed with cancer in November last year, so spent a week in hospital and had surgery. I started chemo this month and I am now on the second cycle.

Re the layout, I have made a lighting rig for the layout out of plywood and fitted led lights inside it. I should be able to get some better lit pictures in future and possibly video too.

 

[lilchris]

The two left lighting rigs are fitted into tubes fitted to the front of the layout, so I can remove those for access to the layout for track cleaning etc. I have bought a couple on new loco's the 4f in one of the pictures is one of them. I have also bought the Bachmann collectors edition 2MT 46441 which is a lovely little engine.

[lilchris]

I have been experimenting with stacking a technique for using multiple images joined together, here is the 4f 43

931 just about to go over Outwood viaduct on my layout.

[lilchris]

Here is another pic using the stacking technique. A station scene with my 3f 43931 and 8f 48773 with goods trains passing through the Ringley rd station. Note the old passenger with the walking stick who has just come down the ramp from the road.

Chris H.

[MattR]

Looks fantastic! I have some ancestors who lived in Radcliffe and Whitefield, so it's very interesting to see what the railway looked like in this general area. The moss/weathering on the buildings is excellent!