Peterborough North

[gordon s]

Thanks Gilbert, but I suspect it was glue track and ballast at the same time. Nothing wrong with it, far from it and indeed that's the way I do (did do) my pointwork on Eastwood. I'm seriously considering doing it that way on plain track as well after seeing PN close ups.

[great northern]

Bit of a hiatus the last couple of days- work intervened . That came as a nasty shock, as not much comes my way now, and I not only got used to that, but enjoyed it as well. Never mind, it helps pay the bills. Anyway, as promised I had another go at the N5 shot, and here's the result using such natural light as there is today, which is not a lot.

 

That fogman's hut needs toning down more, and I don't know how TW managed not to include those numbers on the back wall, as no photoshopping was involved. Anyway, now for something completely different. I have a lot of 1950's photos which were obviously taken from Spital Bridge, and I have previously thought about trying to recreate something similar. As that involves not only squeezing into the narrow space between the back of the baseboards and the window, but also remembering to crouch down and not hit my head a shattering crash on the underside of the bookshelves above,or destroy one or more of Ken Gibbons' lovely signals, I decided against such contortions. However, today for some reason I decided to give it a go, and here's the result. First an overall shot without many trains.It must represent either dawn or dusk I think, given the strange sort of half light effect which I unintentionally achieved.

 

 

I then remembered to close the blinds, and added some trains.

 

 

So now we have an 02 waiting to take yet another load of coal empties into New England yard, while an A3 rolls in with a Newcastle- Kings Cross train. It'll be good when the correct Crescent Bridge arrives, rather than see this one hovering over thin air, but overall not a bad effect I think? Or does a different exposure look better?

 

 

Your views would be gratefully received. One last thought. 00 gauge is I think most cruelly exposed when seen head on like this- it really does look narrow gauge to me normally. This I think doesn't look anywhere near as bad. Is that down to Norman Saunders' superb hand built track?

[mikemeg]

This layout really is capturing that 'essence' of those halcyon days of the late 1950's and the last shot, in the posting above, really does tell it like it was. Lovely to see those sweeping curves and the intricacy of the trackwork before the rationalisations of later years.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about the gauge being 'OO', after all it's the overall effect which you have sought and which you have achieved.

 

Just wonderful to watch this layout coming together and it is a fitting tribute to a time which, for those of us who saw it, remains an unforgetable experience.

 

Cheers

 

Mike

[LNERGE]

 

 

That fogman's hut needs toning down more,

 

There can't have been too many colourlights that were fogged..

[great northern]

 

There can't have been too many colourlights that were fogged..

 

Yes, it does seem strange, as surely a fogman wasn't needed for the semaphore in the yard behind the engine? The more I look at photos, the more of these huts I find. So far I have definitely found four, and I think there was a fifth on the approach to Platform 3, the Down main, which was within a few yards of the one shown on these photos. That colourlight was installed some time in 1957 or 1958. Could it be that no-one had got round to removing the hut yet?

[LNERGE]

It is most likely it had not been recovered. I found the remains of a semaphore fog repeater next to a running line around two years ago having survived resignalling in 1992.

[davidw]

Bit of a hiatus the last couple of days- work intervened . That came as a nasty shock, as not much comes my way now, and I not only got used to that, but enjoyed it as well. Never mind, it helps pay the bills. Anyway, as promised I had another go at the N5 shot, and here's the result using such natural light as there is today, which is not a lot.

 

That fogman's hut needs toning down more, and I don't know how TW managed not to include those numbers on the back wall, as no photoshopping was involved. Anyway, now for something completely different. I have a lot of 1950's photos which were obviously taken from Spital Bridge, and I have previously thought about trying to recreate something similar. As that involves not only squeezing into the narrow space between the back of the baseboards and the window, but also remembering to crouch down and not hit my head a shattering crash on the underside of the bookshelves above,or destroy one or more of Ken Gibbons' lovely signals, I decided against such contortions. However, today for some reason I decided to give it a go, and here's the result. First an overall shot without many trains.It must represent either dawn or dusk I think, given the strange sort of half light effect which I unintentionally achieved.

 

 

I then remembered to close the blinds, and added some trains.

 

 

So now we have an 02 waiting to take yet another load of coal empties into New England yard, while an A3 rolls in with a Newcastle- Kings Cross train. It'll be good when the correct Crescent Bridge arrives, rather than see this one hovering over thin air, but overall not a bad effect I think? Or does a different exposure look better?

 

 

Your views would be gratefully received. One last thought. 00 gauge is I think most cruelly exposed when seen head on like this- it really does look narrow gauge to me normally. This I think doesn't look anywhere near as bad. Is that down to Norman Saunders' superb hand built track?

 

 

From that angle the layout looks quite magnificent. The lower picture I think has the edge. 00 well we persist with compromise..

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Gilbert,

OO, EM, P4, XYZ... doesn't really matter in one respect because we look at models generally from a much higher viewpoint than the prototype.

 

Your model looks like Peterborough North and is run in a similar manner to P'boro.

 

That's what matters.

 

Regards,

Peter

 

PS Got any 9Fs to show us.....

[S.A.C Martin]

I would say the supposed handicap of 00 for accuracy to be an irrelevance here.

 

It always saddens me that it always turns to the gauge, instead of the most important thing about model railways - does it suspend disbelief and turn into a reality? If you squint along the layout at platform height, and look towards the bridge, is it Peterborough or a model railway?

 

Only two layouts do that for me. One is 00 (this one), one is P4. In equal measure, they suspend the reality of scale. You can have the most perfect track, to exact gauge, in the world, and still build a model railway which fails to push the illusion.

 

 

Gilbert, you carry on Sir. Your work in this gauge gives hope to others seeking to emulate the success of your vision.

Edited November 29, 2011 by S.A.C Martin

[Loxborough]

They're just cracking photos, well worth the contorsions (especially as I wasn't the one being contorted!).

 

Gauge? Really, if the sleepers are trimmed to the appropriate length and their spacing is correct, there is virtually nothing to tell whether it is OO or P4, which is one of the reasons why I was happy to go from P4 back to 00 (SF). TBH I find that it is only the wheel flanges which shout OO, if the trackwork is properly done, and that is a compromise that I am more than happy to make if it means trains diving for the ballast less frequently! (None of which alters my admiration for people who have the time/patience/skill to make P4 work)

 

Overall, though, I am with SAC Martin; it's got to look something like a real railway, which this does. Well done!

 

George

[great northern]

Thanks everybody for confirming my views. The deficiencies of Peco track have been well documented, and that I reckon is the great drawback to realism in 00. Norman' s lovely track gives me an opportunity to aim for a realistic portrayal of Peterborough North, and it's great to know that a number of you think I'm getting there. It's a spur to getting on with it, and trying to make it look just that bit better still. Having said that, I just got sidetracked again, as yesterday's exercise got me thinking what other vantage points I haven't explored yet, so out came the camera again. The first thing I did was to move a bit further along Spital Bridge on the Midland side, which seems to be where most shots were taken from.

 

 

We can now see the District Engineer's sidings, greatly curtailed I'm afraid, but there's room for a particularly distinctive building to slot in between the siding where the Sentinel is standing and the one where the coach and BG are. I'm surprised and pleased that this does look very "busy" despite the fact that so much had to be left out.

 

 

Next though we are back to the familiar view from the end of platform 3. Top shed is clearly on its uppers again, and had nothing more suitable than a 9F for the lunchtime all stations stopper to Grantham. The return leg of the diagram though is on a Class A working, and it seems Grantham had nothing more suitable either, so this is the power for the 1345 Harrogate- Kings Cross today.

 

 

The train has drawn to a halt at Platform 2, and this is a view from the other side of Crescent Bridge. The front of a 9F looks quite imposing doesn't it?, and it really wouldn't be that out of place on express work if it weren't for the 5ft drivers,

 

 

Last one, and particularly for Western Sunset, just a nice side view of a 9F.

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Thanks Gilbert.

I always think a 9F looks better with one of those high-sided tenders.

 

Peter

[Coldgunner]

nar, I've always preferred the BR1G tender myself, I always thought the high sided tender made it disproportionately bulky at the back.

[JeffP]

That 9F looks MASSIVE..........and I don't just mean big, I mean it looks somehow, heavy.

 

No wonder we called them "spaceships" mind.

[trw1089]

Hi Gilbert

 

I've been a lurker on this thread for a long time and always admire your great modelling in recreating Peterborough. Your attention to detail both in modelling and operations leave me awestruck and I just hope that when I finally get my layout underway I can start to aspire to standards you have. I particularly enjoy all the pacifics, but mostly it is the correct train formations and wonderful variety of coaching stock. Please keep the photos coming!

 

Cheers

Tony

[landscapes]

Hi Gilbert

 

I've been a lurker on this thread for a long time and always admire your great modelling in recreating Peterborough. Your attention to detail both in modelling and operations leave me awestruck and I just hope that when I finally get my layout underway I can start to aspire to standards you have. I particularly enjoy all the pacifics, but mostly it is the correct train formations and wonderful variety of coaching stock. Please keep the photos coming!

 

Cheers

Tony

Hi Gilbert

 

I fully agree with Tony's comments, and the more Peterborough North develops on this thread the more I can see what a master piece it is becoming and yes please keep the photos coming.

 

I do admire the variations in coaching stock you are using, may I ask is all of your coaching stock hand built or do you use any RTR coaches from the main suppliers such as either Hornby or Bachmann.

 

Regards

 

David

[great northern]

Hi Gilbert

 

I fully agree with Tony's comments, and the more Peterborough North develops on this thread the more I can see what a master piece it is becoming and yes please keep the photos coming.

 

I do admire the variations in coaching stock you are using, may I ask is all of your coaching stock hand built or do you use any RTR coaches from the main suppliers such as either Hornby or Bachmann.

 

Regards

 

David

 

 

It couldn't be done without RTR David- there are 118 Bachmann Mk1's for a start. I've gradually acquired them over many years, and they are, correctly, the mainstay of the passenger stock. By 1958 most express formations were mainly MK1, but as Bachmann don't do a BSO they have to be sourced from kits. There are a few Replica Mk1 FO's, which will do until I can afford to replace them, and just a few Hornby Gresleys, which unfortunately I regard as so far from right that I can't bring myself to get more. Had they been correct then Hornby might well have done nearly as well out of me as Bachmann have. Catering vehicles are almost all from kits, as is most of the secondary stock.

[great northern]

 

Hi folks. Here's another image, this time an A5 tank waiting to set off for Grimsby. This is different though, as it's my first attempt at a RAW image, using Digital photo professional. Frankly I'm amazed that I even managed to save it somewhere I could find it again, let alone resize it. How to crop it was beyond me though. What do you think? I've got a lousy cold , so please be gentle.

[Timara]

Looks mighty fine to me Gilbert. I take it the cold hasn't got any more bearable/better over the weekend?

 

Not having used DPP, I can't say how I'd do the cropping (Photoshop user here....), but I dare say it can be done. I'd use whatever you use to crop images in as per normal, if you can find the files!

 

Cheers,

[D1059]

 

Hi folks. Here's another image, this time an A5 tank waiting to set off for Grimsby. This is different though, as it's my first attempt at a RAW image, using Digital photo professional. Frankly I'm amazed that I even managed to save it somewhere I could find it again, let alone resize it. How to crop it was beyond me though. What do you think? I've got a lousy cold , so please be gentle.

 

Well done for trying out RAW mode. Although your posted shot (being relatively evenly lit and much reduced in size for display on the forum) probably doesn't look much different than a JPG straight from the camera, stick with it, especially if you will use the camera in more challenging lighting conditions.

 

RAW files contain everything the camera recorded while the shutter was open, whereas a JPG has had a large proportion of that data discarded along the way. Once saved from DPP in an uncompressed format such as TIFF it can be opened in something like Photoshop and edited and that is where using RAW pays dividends as there will be detail hidden in the shadows that can revealed and overexposed portions of the shot can be adjusted (as long as all detail hasn't been burnt out by massive overexposure).

 

Thoroughly enjoying seeing your layout, even though my first memories of Peterborough are of Deltics at full bore through the rebuilt station.

 

Have fun

STEVE

[great northern]

 

Well done for trying out RAW mode. Although your posted shot (being relatively evenly lit and much reduced in size for display on the forum) probably doesn't look much different than a JPG straight from the camera, stick with it, especially if you will use the camera in more challenging lighting conditions.

 

RAW files contain everything the camera recorded while the shutter was open, whereas a JPG has had a large proportion of that data discarded along the way. Once saved from DPP in an uncompressed format such as TIFF it can be opened in something like Photoshop and edited and that is where using RAW pays dividends as there will be detail hidden in the shadows that can revealed and overexposed portions of the shot can be adjusted (as long as all detail hasn't been burnt out by massive overexposure).

 

Thoroughly enjoying seeing your layout, even though my first memories of Peterborough are of Deltics at full bore through the rebuilt station.

 

Have fun

STEVE

 

Hey, thanks Steve - just what I need when I'm feeling a bit miserable, really helpful and positive. Actually I had another go earlier in really challenging conditions, low sun shining in through three big windows, but artificial light still necessary as well. This time the altered images are much different- the originals, particularly white balance, were pretty hopeless.

 

It's tea time now, and the procession of Down expresses is beginning. Here's the West Riding, behind its Copley Hill A1.

 

 

And again, this time in glorious monochrome, much more likely in 1958.

 

 

I thought this one showed up the sweep of the trackwork really well. These are both taken from Spital Bridge again.

[S.A.C Martin]

It's strange to think I am looking at a recreation of something my late grandfather would have experienced in his short time on BR between 1948 and 52, and, if I squint a little, I wonder if I see him leaning out of the cab...!

 

Thanks Gilbert for a shot which really tugged at the heart strings today, in a good way.

[JeffP]

Would that A5 tank have got as far as Grimsby? Wouldn't it have been more likely to have been an Immingham B1?

 

Here's a chance to own 61379, "Mayflower".........although by all accounts she was a bit of a clunker.

[great northern]

Would that A5 tank have got as far as Grimsby? Wouldn't it have been more likely to have been an Immingham B1?

 

Here's a chance to own 61379, "Mayflower".........although by all accounts she was a bit of a clunker.

 

Actually, the train was rostered to a Boston K2, but it failed on shed. I do have Mayflower- she'll be coming back from London fairly soon with one of the afternoon Cleethorpes expresses. Those E. Lincs line all station stoppers were so slow I doubt they would have taxed any engine very much.

[great northern]

It's strange to think I am looking at a recreation of something my late grandfather would have experienced in his short time on BR between 1948 and 52, and, if I squint a little, I wonder if I see him leaning out of the cab...!

 

Thanks Gilbert for a shot which really tugged at the heart strings today, in a good way.

 

Well Simon, my late Uncle could have been at the controls of the A5 in the bay during that time span, so they might even have exchanged greetings. Nice thought eh?