Today's "METRO" free newspaper

[Horsetan]

---->You've got to read this!! B) B) B)

 

This is probably the first time I've read a news report that wasn't sneering or dismissive of a model railway layout. In fact, Metro even seems to celebrate the distinctive "London" features of Abbey Road.

 

In the paper version of this, the report got a 2-page spread. An achievement almost unheard of in media terms.

 

Kudos to the layout's creator (it says he was a former Tube driver).

[Oldddudders]

Smashing modelling - well worth a look or several. Loads of the sort of detail that an insider would know about, most of us less so. Agree the usual belittling remarks are conspicuously absent in the report.

 

Weird to read a page of Metro online - with French adverts in the margins here!

[Chris116]

I have seen the layout at two exhibitions and it is every bit as good in the flesh as it is in the photos. If you ever get a chance to see it then take it.

 

Chris

[Karhedron]

I agree, Abbey Road is a real treat to see in the flesh. The constant movement means it appeals to youngsters as well as those who love studying the detail. Last time we saw it my boys watched it solidly for 45 minutes and then insisted we go back and see it again before we left the exhibition.

[Horsetan]

Wonder if he'll starting building sets with working sliding doors..... That would really pull the crowds in.

[pete_mcfarlane]

Wonder if he'll starting building sets with working sliding doors..... That would really pull the crowds in.

 

Hasn't this been done before in 4mm with a class 507 or 508?

[halfwit]

Full marks to both the paper for a decent feature on the hobby and for the creater both for the standard of modelling and for allowing his layout to be featured in a newspaper. After all it could have gone horribly wrong for him knowing the standard of 'journalism' in this country...

And thanks to Horsetan for the link.

[Horsetan]

Hasn't this been done before in 4mm with a class 507 or 508?

 

It has, but would be quite stunning on Underground models. Surely worth exploring?

[AndrewC]

---->You've got to read this!! B) B) B)

 

Kudos to the layout's creator (it says he was a former Tube driver).

John Polley aka Metro Models

[John M Upton]

I have somewhere one of his earliest 1992 TS models that he produced back in the day when you had to do the assembly and painting yourself! Prior to Abbey Road, he had another layout and I was well chuffed when I was invited to run my completed four car train on it at an exhibition (must be more than twelve years ago now.

 

It has been sitting in a box for over then years now though. Didn't know he had given up the driving mind.

[Mucky Duck]

It is possible that some folks' initial reaction would be to sneer but I would imagine few not being compelled to read that article with genuine fascination. It always helps when the creation is obviously a labour of love. Thanks for sharing, Horsetan… and nice one Mr Polley!

[tetsudofan]

Have seen the layout at one of the LT Museum Acton open days - I'm normally a roundy-roundy layout guy but this layout had me transfixed.....and I kept on returning to it during the course of the day. It looked right, sounded right.....and was just fantastic.

 

Keith

[Oldddudders]

John Polley aka Metro Models

Oh, dear! I DO wish you hadn't posted that link! While I'd been aware of the EFE products, and have a 1938 Driving Motor Car somewhere, his card station kits include one that is off any known scale of likelihood - Elstree South! This appears to be based upon the revised (December 1944) design, which expected Elstree Hill to be a dual carriageway. How many layouts - each suitably unfinished, of course - can one chap have?

[BaNkStOnEbRoAdWaY]

Was quite suprised to see this when I was flicking through the paper earlier.

I got a Northern Line tube set from Metro Models and a few of their LU lineside accessories - nice chap Mr Polley - (and great models!).

 

(The article as it is in the actual paper can be seen on emetro - http://e-edition.metro.co.uk/2010/12/06/ page 40 & 41 - might have to have signed up with an email address to see this though can't remember)

 

 

 

[Horsetan]

Oh, dear! I DO wish you hadn't posted that link! While I'd been aware of the EFE products, and have a 1938 Driving Motor Car somewhere, his card station kits include one that is off any known scale of likelihood - Elstree South! This appears to be based upon the revised (December 1944) design, which expected Elstree Hill to be a dual carriageway. How many layouts - each suitably unfinished, of course - can one chap have?

 

I used to go riding near to the site of Elstree South, and there are still the stubby remains of the viaduct alongside the A41 which would have formed the approach to the site....

[Oldddudders]

I used to go riding near to the site of Elstree South, and there are still the stubby remains of the viaduct alongside the A41 which would have formed the approach to the site....

Yes, right back in the '60s I can recall taking the 107 bus specifically to get a butcher's at the arches. The Bushey Heath extension quite captured my teenage imagination, even though it was a part of London I had no reason to know. Much more recently, a friend had a horse in the area - she lived in Windmill Lane, Bushey Heath - and would ride off to Letchmore Heath. A number of years ago, I visited a "museum" somewhere off the A21 in East Sussex, and among the items on show was a tube-car map showing the Northern Line running through to BH. Quite an eerie thing to find!

 

My recollection is that the tunnelling for the route into Elstree South is now buried under the M1. The M1 route there also affected one of my other interests - the gentleman racing driver David Piper was able to pursue his hobby into a career because the family farm was riven in two by the M1, and there was some compensation.

[Horsetan]

....Much more recently, a friend had a horse in the area - she lived in Windmill Lane, Bushey Heath - and would ride off to Letchmore Heath. ...

 

Small world. First horse I shared I used to hack from Aldenham (High Cross) all over - into Radlett, Letchmore Heath, and as far as Elstree. He was a proper fit Irish Draught-cross-Thoroughbred, and would go almost anywhere. I even tried to get him entry into the grounds of Haberdashers' School

 

Second and third horses also ventured into Letchmore Heath.

 

Current one does what I term "suburban tours" - mainly into residential areas, e.g. Garston, the Handley-Page Estate at Bricket Wood, etc.

[Engineer_London]

Buried deep at home, somewhere, I have an original brochure [with track layouts] for Bushey Heath-Elstree South and the rest of the Northern Heights scheme...I, too, had plans to build models of the Underground, long ago.

[Edwin_m]

My recollection is that the tunnelling for the route into Elstree South is now buried under the M1.

 

According to Wikipedia (usual health warning) the M1 cut into the tunnel but did not destroy it completely. I think I can see the site of the south portal on aerial mapping, the group of trees to the east of the A41. Can't see the north portal though, I think it should be near the junction of Elstree Hill South and Centennial Way.

[Engineer_London]

After a bit of domestic archaeology, I can show a snippet from a map in the 1938 North London Electrification brochure, to give a rough idea of the alignment from Edgware to Bushey Heath.

To ensure the original topic isn't forgotten, I'm glad John Polley has had such a positive coverage in the press. I've crossed paths with him a few times and I'm sure his energy and dedication has contributed to the gradual increase of quality Underground modelling in recent years - hope the trend continues.

[AndrewC]

According to Wikipedia (usual health warning) the M1 cut into the tunnel but did not destroy it completely. I think I can see the site of the south portal on aerial mapping, the group of trees to the east of the A41. Can't see the north portal though, I think it should be near the junction of Elstree Hill South and Centennial Way.

 

This is an excellent bit of documentry on the extension.

[Horsetan]

This is an excellent bit of documentry on the extension.

 

Excellent bit of film-making - just right for the very short attention spans of today.

 

One thing: did that fella have permission to run down the central reservation of the M1?

[Edwin_m]

One thing: did that fella have permission to run down the central reservation of the M1?

 

Somehow I doubt it. I also liked the householder opening the door while they were filming on his drive, probably about to ask "what the **** are you up to".

[Oldddudders]

According to Wikipedia (usual health warning) the M1 cut into the tunnel but did not destroy it completely. I think I can see the site of the south portal on aerial mapping, the group of trees to the east of the A41. Can't see the north portal though, I think it should be near the junction of Elstree Hill South and Centennial Way.

According to Tony Beard in "By Tube Beyond Edgware" (Capital Transport 2002 & well up to their usual standard!) the tunnels were 160ft (northbound) and 70ft (southbound) long when work stopped in 1939. In 1949, Kinnear, Moodie & Co were required to remove the Greathead shields still inside, construct two concrete headwalls and build timber hoardings with lockable doors. He further says "Spoil from the construction work at Aldenham was deposited in the area, all traces of their existence disappearing as a result of the M1 motorway extension". There is a photo of what appears to be the top of the tunnelmouths taken "in 1965 shortly before being covered over". Given the extremely scholarly nature of the book as a whole, this is pretty convincing.

[jonhall]

It appeared on London tonight as well http://www.itv.com/london/model-tube80376/ as an occasional operator, I'm glkad you like it, but my god is it dull to operate

 

Jon