Gateside and Northbridge

[luckymucklebackit]

Hi all - I opened my latest acquisition tonight for a trial run, couple of immediate faults were apparent as a tender buffer plus another bit of metal dropped out.  Spot of superglue gel sorted the buffer and I eventually traced the metal piece to be the block that sits between the reversing rod and the cab, another spot of glue and that was back in place.  Put all the brake gear into place but I have one component that I cannot place, anyone help?

 

 

Couple of views of the loco at Northbridge

 

 

 

The loco comes DCC ready, including a chip.  Since I am a DC man the chip will be no use to me, is this chip worth anything?

 

Jim

[45568]

Bachmann 21-pin chip, 36-554. worth about 10-12 quid on Ebay, I sold mine here in Oz for $A24.

cheers from Oz,

Peter C.

[luckymucklebackit]

Thanks for that - I will add selling that off to my to-do list!

 

Cheers

 

Jim

[luckymucklebackit]

I have finished off a cutting blank/brick paper for a Glasgow Tenement. This will become a building which will sit opposite Gateside Buchanan Street Station as a scenic break, in place of the current area of scrub. In the absence of a suitable card kit or even a currently available brick paper, the building is based on an actual scale drawing of a Glasgow Tenement, with the stonework pattern copied from Streetview and the brick colours sampled from the same source, although I then washed the colours through an editor to darken the brick up as 99% of modern tenements have been sand blasted to remove the years of soot and dirt and they now look distinctly "redder" than the 1960s period in which the layout is based. One thing that I have discovered during my research is that there is no such thing as a "standard" Glasgow Tenement, there are many variations in window layout, sandstone colour and general finishing features so this is once again a bit of a compromise

I then added features like the old shop sign and doors harvested from photographs on "Urban Glasgow" and "Hidden Glasgow". Lot of work to do as I want to try and capture a run-down "distressed" building with a grotty Glasgow Pub typical of the period. The windows that are surrounded by a rather neutral beige will have bay windows added in front which will have their own stonework, the grey areas will have ledges and cornices added as overlays

 

.

 

Jim

[Jock67B]

Evening Jim,

Look forward to watching this develop as I'm old enough to remember these tenements before they started knocking them down!

Kind regards,

Jock.

[Removed a/c]

Don't confuse a blanking chip with a DCC chip, all locos nowadays are DCC ready most are  just not fitted. 

[luckymucklebackit]

I have been building an island platform building for Mavisbank, originally it was going to be based on a Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire style building, but it has morphed into a more generic Caledonian building with no fixed prototype. So far, both end pieces were completed at the weekend so I managed to build the station up tonight.  I forgot about the small windows in the Gents toilet so I need to finish that off.  Need to start on the roof now.

 

 

 

 

 

Jim

Edited November 23, 2015 by luckymucklebackit

[luckymucklebackit]

Hi all

 

And we have completion of this little station building project, well as close as I am going to get this side of Xmas, some signs needed to be added and other minor detail, but with my Mother very ill in hospital, visiting times are filling up the evenings otherwise spent modelling!!!

 

General View of the building from "ground level"

 

Gents Toilet end, with the camera showing up the horrible bits that look bad

 

Side view of the Gents Toilet end, showing the Gem drinking fountain and barred windows

 

From above

 

Ladies waiting room end, the bay windows were quite a challenge, a lot of thin sections of card that easily distort.

 

Side Bay window

 

 

Jim

[luckymucklebackit]

Since completing the station building the last few months have not been the most productive due to a combination of external factors and general frustration at not getting the tenement project moving to my liking.  The windows were the real sticking point, I had wanted to use my tried and tested method of building the frames up using microstrip but the amount of windows just became daunting so I experimented with card, initially not a success but I have managed to get something reasonable now.  I then had what initially looked like a disaster when I did something I had not done before and followed the general card and brick paper instruction to give the brick paper a spray coat of matt varnish.

 

 

Don't know if it was the cold in the loft but the matt varnish dried white and initially I thought I would have to start again, but giving it a second look I thought, "well it is the grotty run-down" look I am looking for so I am going to push on and try and weather over the top of that and see what happens.

 

 

 

The bits painted matt black are now cut out and recessed as this is where the bay windows go, (another headache), these are the bits that gave be the most grief on the station build so I need to have a think how to approach them so that they do not warp.

 

 

The general view shows that apart from the bare patch to the right of the shop and the bit that has pooled at the bottom right the general appearance is not bad, these can be rectified so onwards and upwards, at least I am getting something done!!

 

 

Jim

[luckymucklebackit]

The Tenement Saga Continues.......

 

Some day I will look back on this build and laugh, it will take a while though

 

So the progress, the bay windows took a bit of time and trial and error to get something that looks respectable.  In the end I had to make them from multiple layers of thick and thin card, as the thick card alone had score lines that were too heavy.  Took ages to cut out the apertures from each layer

 

 

 

Still got the sills and ridges to stick on, they will cover the grey strips, should get that done tomorrow night.

The rest of the structure is now taking shape

 

 

 

I really will be glad to see this one finished, some folk have built a full layout in the tine it has taken me to build this!!

 

Jim

[luckymucklebackit]

At last the front of the building is complete, need to move onto the chimneys, roof and ends.  I would love to do one of those tenement ends where the wallpaper and fireplaces are left exposed from the demolished part of the building, but that would take too long so I will do an overlay, painted and textured to look like the pebbledashed finish that is common on tenement gable ends.

 

 

 

 

Onwards and upwards

 

Jim

[luckymucklebackit]

The tenement building is still edging towards completion. I have done the end that will be most visible using card coated with PVA then genuine Troon beach sand sprinkled on. Once dry the loose stuff was brushed off and some weathering powder and grey primer spray paint. The chimneys still need their pots made and I need to add guttering and down pipes, also the roof and chimneys needs a coat of matt varnish to tone down the glossy paper finish. Also need to darken the chimneys as they stand out as being lighter than the rest of the stonework.

 

 

 

 

Jim

[luckymucklebackit]

It is with great relief that I can announce that the tenement building is finished, I took it down to the garden yesterday evening to take some shots of it in natural light, as the flash sometimes makes it look unnatural.

 

 

 

The back is a total fudge, I took some screenshots from the rear of a tenement that overlooks one of the stations on the Cathcart Circle and printed it off on a sheet of A3, it is all that it needs as it will be very difficult to see once the building is on the layout.

 

 

Jim

[m0h]

Very nice layout, I particularly like all the Eastern Region pacifics popping up in various photos

Impressive working signalling as well as that tennament building.

 - Lewis

[luckymucklebackit]

The invasion of the Pugs - I have been fortunate recently to pick up four steam Shunting Locomotives at Car Boot sales, a Dapol 0-4-0 L&Y Pug, a J72, a Jinty and a J94, this led to a bit of chin scratching, as Gateside and Northbridge is not exactly a shunting layout, being designed predominately as a layout for passenger operation.

 

The solution.....

The Mighty Morphin Micro Add-on!!!!!

 

 

This is planned as a removable inglenook with a two track small shed for the pugs, which will sit at the Mavisbank end of the layout.  The "Morphin" bit is that I want to have the option of using it as an Inglenook when it is separate from the main layout, and an overflow depot when it is attached.  The sidings will run the full length of the board into a dummy shed when atttached, and an overlay will sit above the tracks in Inglenook mode to shorted the length of each siding to comply with the rules of the puzzle.

 

This add on will differ from the rest of the layout, I plan to have code 75 track and electrofrog points.

 

I Will need to wait a couple of months to get the cash for this as I have been splashing out a bit on stock

 

A couple of nice Bachmann TPOs

And the Pugs lined up at Mavisbank

Jim

Edited February 28, 2017 by luckymucklebackit

[luckymucklebackit]

So everything has been on hold once again due to continuing problems with my left eye, ended up in Gartnavel Hospital two weeks ago, (first ever overnight in a hospital bed) and had to have surgery on my problematic left eye due to a retinal detachment, thought at one point it was a goner. Thankfully due to the skill of the surgeon it is on the mend and I have some sight back. I have a gas bubble in the eye which makes close work very difficult and I have just returned to work this week. Really annoyed as I have the house to myself this weekend and was hoping to get a lot of work done on the layout, just need to see how I get on!

 

I did complete one job this evening, I had a stock of hydrangea flower heads from last year which I had cropped off at the end of the season. They make very convincing trees when you apply hanging basket material and scenic scatter. I felt the embankment behind Mavisbank was too pristine, so this is the result

 

Before

 

After

 

Jim

[Tangoman69]

Jim,

 

I have just come across this thread and you have captured the Glasgow 'feel' superbly!

The tenement block, although you said took a while is fantastic, and how you get your head round all the electricary is amazing.

 

I am just about to start on my next venture, if I can get it half as good as this,I will be happy.

 

Hope the eye heals and enables you to get back to some serious modelling

 

Karl

[luckymucklebackit]

If anyone is wondering about my method for making the trees they could not be simpler or cheaper to make.  The "trunk and branches" started live as last years Hydrangea flowers, once the flowers die the structure remains and it is actually good gardening practise to remove these.  I had some from the year below so I had not pruned all of the old flowers off.

 

 

Once the old flowers are pruned off you can see the similarity to the structure of a tree

 

 

First I apply some carefully teased hanging basket material, make sure it is over all the "branches" but take care as the thinnest parts of the old flower are quite brittle and easily broken.

 

 

Spray the hanging basket material with a liberal amount of cheap hairspray, (I used Morrison's own brand), then scatter your scenic materials on.  The broad leaf material I bought last year at the Glasgow show from a stand specialising in model trees, this bag was on offer and only cost £2.99 and will probably last me a lifetime.

 

 

 

To tone down the broader leaves I sprayed more hairspray on and dusted with a fine dark green scatter

 

 

Leave to dry , drill a hole in the layout and plant.  Total time to make about 15mins, cost - less than £5 for the bought materials and there will be enough for a forest full of trees.

Hope this is of interest

 

Jim

[luckymucklebackit]

The main progress today was finishing off the carriage inspection platform and overhead lights at Northbridge.  The base was made from card, supports were plasticard and a butchered old Hornby signal gantry, surface of the platform was painted coffee stirrers

 

 

H&S have been informed about the state of the access steps and remedial action taken!!

 

 

Taking these photos highlights the defects that you would not normally spot, such as the horrible gap between the bottom of the retaining wall and the baseboard, need to pack in some ballast to hide that!!

 

 

General view of the area, the bit of white card was holding the post vertical while the glue dried.

 

Jim

[luckymucklebackit]

One last job completed over the weekend was the installation of a cable run, there was one at the east end of Edinburgh Waverley, although on the prototype it was on the goods station side of the running lines.  To build this I used Radley Models LU cable hangers filed down a bit to be wall mounted (I bought these two years ago),  For the wire I tried the thin solder and it didn't work out for me, but I found hanks of embroidery thread in a pound shop which looked about the right diameter, I soaked cut lengths in PVA and allowed them to dry, they worked well and look OK once weathered down a bit.

.

 

 

Another wee task completed!!!

 

Jim

[Lowlander]

Hi Jim

 

I've just came across this thread. It has been an excellent and informative read. The tenement looks fantastic. It just needs a corporation bus and a dust cart to look like one of those black and white photos of old Glasgow. I like your ideas for trees and cabling and will use them for our own club layout. Hope your eye problem gets better soon. I look forward to reading more updates.

 

Stephen

[luckymucklebackit]

Hi Stephen - Thanks for your kind comments, I don't post that often and with the volume of traffic on this forum it doesn't take long for the topic to get buried,  I take it from your user name that you are a member of Ayr Model Railway Club, I used to be good friends with the late Bill Petrie when I was at Cumbernauld MRG, he was also a member at Ayr a good few years back.  I will be going to the show in September as I have a caravan at Prestwick so it is just down the road.

 

Jim

[Alex TM]

Hi Stephen - Thanks for your kind comments, I don't post that often and with the volume of traffic on this forum it doesn't take long for the topic to get buried,  I take it from your user name that you are a member of Ayr Model Railway Club, I used to be good friends with the late Bill Petrie when I was at Cumbernauld MRG, he was also a member at Ayr a good few years back.  I will be going to the show in September as I have a caravan at Prestwick so it is just down the road.

 

Jim

Hi folks,

 

Bill Petrie - great man, and great modeller.  Sadly missed.

 

Regards,

 

Alex.

[Lowlander]

Hi Stephen - Thanks for your kind comments, I don't post that often and with the volume of traffic on this forum it doesn't take long for the topic to get buried, I take it from your user name that you are a member of Ayr Model Railway Club, I used to be good friends with the late Bill Petrie when I was at Cumbernauld MRG, he was also a member at Ayr a good few years back. I will be going to the show in September as I have a caravan at Prestwick so it is just down the road.

 

Jim

Hi Jim

 

Yes you are correct. I am a member of Ayr mrg and have been for nearly thirty years.

 

I remember Bill Petrie very well. A big fun character who was always up for a "Cairey oan". Some of the stories he used to tell us about his various clubs and and where he worked were always a laugh. If I remember correctly he was an excellent scratch builder in N'gauge and smaller scales. As Alex said "much missed"

 

See you in September.

 

Stephen

Edited May 30, 2017 by ayrmrg

[Signaller69]

Hi Jim,

 

Not sure how I managed to miss your layout until now! Just spent an enjoyable half hour reading through, very impressed and inspired by your signalling and buildings in particular, some real "labours of love" there! The Glasgow area railway network has fascinated me since visits (from Wales) in the 80s and many a book and website studied since then so I will certainly be following progress!

 

Martyn.