Lancaster Green Ayre - The Barn Owls have returned.

[hammer73]

Well after the excursion to Nottingham it was time to get pole planting.  Last night I braved the winds and went to the clubrooms with Paul.  He spent the evening working on Skerton Bridge where the parapet wall needs to be thickened before we out the stone effect on.

 

I spent the evening surveying and planting double track portals at the Ladies Walk end.  The first was to be a double one which is the terminal gantry.  I had to move this a but as some fool has decided to put a footbridge stairway where it was supposed to go.  However I managed to find a space where people wouldn't get electrocuted walking upstairs.  I then soldered the bracing struts on them to tie them together.

140212 OHL 1.jpg

The others that i've got then got planted and this is the result.

140212 OHL 2.jpg

140212 OHL3.jpg

I need to paint them and fit the insulator pots and registration arms but I'm very happy with the effect.

 

Jamie

 

PS I hadn't noticed until I re read the post that I'd caught the headlight of a train on the embankment leaving Westgate in the picture.

Starting to take shape no Jamie  - the extra space should help. lol.

[pwr]

There is quite a bit of evidence left of the LBSCR overheads if you know where to look too!

 

Having helped build and instal OHLE on a Dutch layout I wonder if you are going to deal with the baseboard joins in the same way we did. We had an anchor mast and tensioned the catenary from that. Each board end had a 90 degree upwards fold in the wire which pulled against the section on the next board. More difficult to explain than it was to build. I have some photos somewhere and I will see if there is anything suitable to post. We made the catenary from piano wire which was where it's strength came from. Difficult to solder though but made slightly easier because of the twin contact wires.

 

Paul R

[jamie92208]

There is quite a bit of evidence left of the LBSCR overheads if you know where to look too!

 

Having helped build and instal OHLE on a Dutch layout I wonder if you are going to deal with the baseboard joins in the same way we did. We had an anchor mast and tensioned the catenary from that. Each board end had a 90 degree upwards fold in the wire which pulled against the section on the next board. More difficult to explain than it was to build. I have some photos somewhere and I will see if there is anything suitable to post. We made the catenary from piano wire which was where it's strength came from. Difficult to solder though but made slightly easier because of the twin contact wires.

 

Paul R

Thanks for the advice.  That sounds like the system we're going to adopt. We had similar advice from the Nottingham Club with their experience of Deepcar, Carstairs and Netherwood.  For wire I've got a reel of spark erosion wire which is brass coated steel wire that solders easily, as reccommended by Jim Smith-Wright of Birmingham New Street.    I'm gradually getting to the point where I'm going to erect my test section which will be on the removable viaduct section at the west end of the layout.  This has three masts on it but is complicated by the fact that one of them goes through the roof of the goods shed extension (aka the banana building) as per the prototype.  Hopefully by the end of this week I'll have the two pieces joined together and can get on with the viaduct section which needs coating with DAS stonework before I attach the masts as per the photo above.

 

Jamie

[pwr]

These are some of the photos we took of the layout which is sadly no more.

 

They are not as detailed as I would have liked but you see how it was possible to create some very complex OHLE

 

 

 

 

 

 

If anyone wants to see more you can go to the BRS website

 

Hope this are at least of some use

 

Paul R

 

 

 

 

[jamie92208]

Well into day 2 of the current work session and things are going well.  I got the boards put up on Tuesday evening then spent Wednesday out riding freight only lines in the West Mids on diversions and had a good day putting the world to rights with my mate. Yesterday evening I managed to get the banana building glued to the viaduct section then placed all the Ovehead gantries and painted them as well as some track painting and ballasting.   Today I carried on with various jobs and placed a signal that controls the exit from the loco shed/goods yard.  This evening Dave (Supersonic) turned up and carried on ballasting while I started planking the exterior of the banana building with strips of 1/64" ply to look like planking.  The whole effect of the overhead gantries on the Castle branch as they climb up the bank is starting to look rather nice.

Here'sa view looking towards the station showing the loco shed exit signal.  There are two other signals to go into this area. The up home and the Castle branch home.

At the top of the branch is the bridge over Wharfe Street (the real one recently converted a bus to an open topper (See previous pages).  I've made up one side girder and nearly made up the other but now realised that as the bridge is part of the curve the inner side needs to be quarter of an inch shorter with adjusted reinforcing.

Yes here is the 'banana building' in reality an extension goods shed with the pole through the roof.   It really was like that.

Poles only held on by blue tack so still need truing up but this gives the general effect,

Finally after advice from the Nottingham Lads I tested the height for the pantograph.

Now it's time to listen to some good music and have some Scottish Medecine as it's my last evening of peace and quiet as SWMBO returns from a week away tomorrow. Currently its' Willie Nelson playing the City of New Orleans on You Tube as I type.

 

Jamie

Edited February 21, 2014 by jamie92208

[ozzyo]

Hello Jamie,

 

what is the hight like when you try the pan on the top of a coach?

 

The layout is starting to come together.

 

OzzyO.

[Ohmisterporter]

Coming along nicely Jamie. On a pedantic note, where did you get the name Wharfe Street from? All the maps I have seen show St. George's Quay running under the bridge into Lune Square.

[MarkC]

Jamie & the team, you're really progressing this now. Stunning work.

 

Jamie, have you got your definitive answers about the interior of the electric sets yet? I'm sure I have at least one book at home with some shots of the inside; I'm away at sea at present, but would look it up for you when I get home, if you like?

 

Cheers

Mark

[jamie92208]

Jamie & the team, you're really progressing this now. Stunning work.

 

Jamie, have you got your definitive answers about the interior of the electric sets yet? I'm sure I have at least one book at home with some shots of the inside; I'm away at sea at present, but would look it up for you when I get home, if you like?

 

Cheers

Mark

Thanks for the comments Mark.  Yes I have got photos of the interior but in black and white.  I've now spoken to two people who remember them and they both say a sort of light varnished oak for the colour.

 

Jamie.

[jamie92208]

Coming along nicely Jamie. On a pedantic note, where did you get the name Wharfe Street from? All the maps I have seen show St. George's Quay running under the bridge into Lune Square.

I think I;ve got a photo somewhere that shows a road sign fastened to one of the houses that call it Wharf Street.  I think it becomes St Georges Quay when it turns the corner onto the riverside. I'd be happy to eb corrected.  It may be an old name that's gone out of use.

 

Jamie

[jamie92208]

Hello Jamie,

 

what is the hight like when you try the pan on the top of a coach?

 

The layout is starting to come together.

 

OzzyO.

That's the next test I've got to do.  I'm going to take some coaches up today and do some more tests.  At the moment the gantires are set at the height shown on the plans which show the underside of the grders at 17' 9" on average.  The lowest wire height was just over 13' and the highests about 18'.

 

Jamie

[MarkC]

Thanks for the comments Mark.  Yes I have got photos of the interior but in black and white.  I've now spoken to two people who remember them and they both say a sort of light varnished oak for the colour.

 

Jamie.

That gels with the description accompanying the photos I have, iirc. Will look forward to your further progress.

 

Mark

[jamie92208]

I took two more vehicles up today for clearance testing.  The bogie clerestory passed with flying colours.  The contact wire isn't very far below the cross beams.  I then tried a low roofed van with the pantograph on top and the only one I could find quickly was a Gunpoder van.  Even though H & S was more relaxed in 1907, I'm not sure that they would have liked to put 6,600 volts thorugh an iron gunpoder van.   However the heights were about correct so I'm happy for the time being.

 

Jamie

Edited February 22, 2014 by jamie92208

[pwr]

In the march issue of Steam world there is a photo feature on Lancaster - mostly Castle. However there are so.me glimpses of the OHLE in some of the photos including one that shows the link to Green Ayre curving off from the main station. Might be worth a flick through on the news stand before you buy however

 

Paul R

[jamie92208]

I think I;ve got a photo somewhere that shows a road sign fastened to one of the houses that call it Wharf Street.  I think it becomes St Georges Quay when it turns the corner onto the riverside. I'd be happy to eb corrected.  It may be an old name that's gone out of use.

 

Jamie

Looks like my memory may be at fault.  Accoring to Steetmap.co.uk the road is callled Damside Street at that point though there is a block of flats with the adress of Wharf St, St georges Quay advertised for sale.

 

Jamie

[Ohmisterporter]

Looks like my memory may be at fault.  Accoring to Steetmap.co.uk the road is callled Damside Street at that point though there is a block of flats with the adress of Wharf St, St georges Quay advertised for sale.

 

Jamie

 

Not a big deal Jamie, the important thing is to crack on with the layout and leave the trivia stuff to us with no building talent whatsoever. 

[jamie92208]

Not a big deal Jamie, the important thing is to crack on with the layout and leave the trivia stuff to us with no building talent whatsoever. 

Thanks for the supportive comment.  At times it seems to be coming along at a snails pace especially with the first outing for all of the layout top Warley looming in November.  Work weeks at the chapel are always good for the soul though as it's great to see all the bits that people are working on put in place and it starting to look like a proper layout.  The great thing this week was getting all the Castle Branch gantries up.  When we walked through the door to the back room on Thursday evening and saw the line of gantires on the rising curve of the gradient over the viaduct it really did make it all worthwhile.   

 

The interesting thing is that we seem to be getting the knitting up rather quicker than the real railway.  The Midland gave board approval for the scheme in June 1906 and had electric trains running from scratch by January 1908 having selected a system and then designed and built it all.  In some cases it only took 2 weeks from the survey to the completed drawings being sent to the Butterley iron Company for manufacture.

 

Jamie

Edited February 23, 2014 by jamie92208

[edward66]

I believe the road was called St Georges Quay all the way to its junction with Damside Street. There are a lot of new apartment buildings there now and there may well be a Wharf Street among them. If there is it must only be a short bit of road.

 

Edward

[jamie92208]

I believe the road was called St Georges Quay all the way to its junction with Damside Street. There are a lot of new apartment buildings there now and there may well be a Wharf Street among them. If there is it must only be a short bit of road.

 

Edward

Thanks Edward

 

I found this photo last night when i was looking for another one.  We took it on on of our recce trips It shows what I think is the start of St georges quay just on the river side of the bridge.

It's one of a series that we took and these first three house have now been modelled in half relief as part of the scenic break for the Castle Branch.  When I blow up the original it's no 1 with the blue door is No 2.    I'll have to compromise and just call the bridge by it's number which I've got somewhere.

 

Jamie

[trustytrev]

Thanks Edward

 

I found this photo last night when i was looking for another one.  We took it on on of our recce trips It shows what I think is the start of St georges quay just on the river side of the bridge.

St Georges.jpg

It's one of a series that we took and these first three house have now been modelled in half relief as part of the scenic break for the Castle Branch.  When I blow up the original it's no 1 with the blue door is No 2.    I'll have to compromise and just call the bridge by it's number which I've got somewhere.

 

Jamie

Hello Jamie,

                  I always wonder when I look at the old railway route if the house by it had to be modified for it to pass or was the house originally built with the angled end wall?

trustytrev.

[jamie92208]

Hello Jamie,

                  I always wonder when I look at the old railway route if the house by it had to be modified for it to pass or was the house originally built with the angled end wall?

trustytrev.

I think the only answer would be to look at the deposited plans from when the line was built which will be in the county archives.  I suspect that they would be at Preston in the County record office.

 

Jamie

[andyr1426]

Hi folks, I don't know if these photos will be any use to you but I run a Lancaster Facebook group, Lancaster Past and Present and have an album of Green Ayre photos. Here is the link - https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?upload_flow=&__av=1055472479&id=1055472479&tid=336409379770446&skipClustering=true&qn=f4a9cfe62cd57a29314b8226806e1a3e&uploader=flash_pro&success=2&failure=0&photo_order%5B0%5D=10202549474472177&photo_order%5B1%5D=10202549475712208&waterfallStats%5BuploadTime%5D=11210&waterfallStats%5BuploadNumTotal%5D=2&waterfallStats%5BuploadBytes%5D=530777&waterfallStats%5BuploadBandwidth%5D=47.348528099910794&ref=album&set=oa.336414523103265  Cheers, Andy

[jamie92208]

Hi folks, I don't know if these photos will be any use to you but I run a Lancaster Facebook group, Lancaster Past and Present and have an album of Green Ayre photos. Here is the link - https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?upload_flow=&__av=1055472479&id=1055472479&tid=336409379770446&skipClustering=true&qn=f4a9cfe62cd57a29314b8226806e1a3e&uploader=flash_pro&success=2&failure=0&photo_order%5B0%5D=10202549474472177&photo_order%5B1%5D=10202549475712208&waterfallStats%5BuploadTime%5D=11210&waterfallStats%5BuploadNumTotal%5D=2&waterfallStats%5BuploadBytes%5D=530777&waterfallStats%5BuploadBandwidth%5D=47.348528099910794&ref=album&set=oa.336414523103265  Cheers, Andy

That's a great link Andy.  I've had a very quick look through the Green Album and there are a lot of photos that are new to me and help with the model.  I might try posting a few photos of the layout in an album and ask for contributions.

 

Jamie

[lmsforever]

Whats going on at the quayside were the WCML departs Lancaster in 2013 noticed all the buildings knocked down and this year no progress whats so ever?

[jamie92208]

Not a huge amount to report on the layout visually but a ,lot is being done.   I've spent the last couple of weeks trying to commision the first signal, a ground signal in the Ladies Walk area that controls access to the crossover and the Coal yard.   I installed it and wired it up to the MERG board but got no joy.  Consulting the circuit diagram I realised that I'd made a logic error in the wiring.  As a result I've got to modify the wiring under the lever frame and run extra wires from the Main Control Panel to each baseboard that's got a MERG sig4 on it.   After much puzzling through the book of words I worked out the necessary routes and last night set to work to do the actual wiring.  Most of the paths were available as spare channels on existing plugs but one needed a 12 way plug to be replaced by a 15 way.  The bulk of it was done and hopefully this week I might actually be able to operate a signal from the panel.   Elsewhere more rails ahve been painted and quite  abit of scenic work has been done.    Yesterday the next set of etches arrived.  These include the frames for the EMU motor bogies and the final parts for Greyhound Bridge (The caps for the caisions).   Also Paul Brearley ahs done some good work producing square tapered wooden masts for the overhead supports in the platform area.  All the others are either lattice or round.   Not much to show picture wise but plenty of work ongoing.

 

Jamie

 

PS,  'The Book of Words' contains all the wiring diagrams and what I call the pin charts that allow me to keep track of the inter baseboard wires.  It started as a joking title with Long Preston and has been carried over.  It also contains the train diagrams showing what stock makes up each train and which siding it belongs in, along with who owns each vehicle.  Thus when we are at a show someone can pick up a sheet and go and asemble a train.

Edited March 25, 2014 by jamie92208