GRANBY JUNCTION - Shunting Siphons for the Up Parcels with a Manor!

[gwrrob]

Congratulations on your 1000th post John.

[brianusa]

Hi John, I have finally worked my way through most of your pictures.  As you know, my attempts at super scale scenery are non existent, mostly featuring volcano like mountains popping up in the backscene but in tinplate, anything goes!  But I am duly impressed with your layout and its scenery; one feels one recognises it although its probably straight out of your imagination.  Although both LMS and GW, its Great Westernish enough for me!

 

Brian.

[M.I.B]

Congratulations on the 1000th post John, and love the finished Dean.

 

I agree on the coal heap - I think this "ideal" of almost flat tender coal comes form 80s Hornby - now that we have access to excellent sites like the Warwickshire site, we can see that mountains of huge lumps were not rare.

 

Hope the running on the Dean improves.

[john dew]

Thanks for the good wishes, likes and replies guys

 

 

Hi John, I have finally worked my way through most of your pictures.  As you know, my attempts at super scale scenery are non existent, mostly featuring volcano like mountains popping up in the backscene but in tinplate, anything goes!  But I am duly impressed with your layout and its scenery; one feels one recognises it although its probably straight out of your imagination.  Although both LMS and GW, its Great Westernish enough for me!

 

Brian.

 

You must have a lot of stamina to wade through all those posts Brian.......I am both impressed and flattered!.

 

You are quite correct that Granby is, in broad terms, imaginary. Its certainly not based on Wrexham its loose geographic location.  I did from, the outset decide that I wanted it to be in a Northern industrial setting rather then the eponymous GWR countryside of the South West. I have drawn heavily from my memories of working in Oldham, Manchester and Leeds rather than the not infrequent trips I made to North Wales. The fact that you feel that you recognise but cant quite place it is a wonderful compliment........thank you

 

Despite the fiction I do try and inroduce loose links with the prototype. The Chester- Birkenhead line was jointly operated by the GWR and LMS and at Birkenhead.there were separate company engine sheds on adjacent sites.......I just shifted them gently to North Wales!

 

Best wishes

 

John 

[john dew]

Slightly off topic but its not unknown elsewhere

 

In June, after I inadvertently poured half a jar of ballast on to the brand new turntable I wrote:

 

 

"All in all, a less than perfect week. On the other hand we are both fit and healthy and the weather is gorgeous...we will have a bumper crop of apples and plums......."

 

 

Indeed we do:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Harvest time once it stops raining

Edited September 6, 2022 by john dew
photos 6/9/22

[BWsTrains]

Slightly off topic but its not unknown elsewhere

 

In June, after I inadvertently poured half a jar of ballast on to the brand new turntable I wrote:

 

 

"All in all, a less than perfect week. On the other hand we are both fit and healthy and the weather is gorgeous...we will have a bumper crop of apples and plums......."

 

 

Indeed we do:

Looks like it's a good job that Rainbow Lorikeets, possums and fruit bats don't live around your parts John,

 

My summer is a season long battle against them

 

Colin

Edited September 14, 2018 by BWsTrains

[john dew]

Nope .....we have squirrels,racoons,deer and bears......fortunately the latter havent discovered our road yet but they are in the area.....a lot of bear warnings up

 

Cheers

[M.I.B]

Envious of your fruit too now Jon!

 

I live in (very) sunny East Anglia where decent rain has been unseen for longer than I can remember.  My apple trees shed half their fruit early (a natural self survival instinct) and the blackberries are the size of peas.

 

I have 2 x 2500 litre water buts to go up against the new structures, and this will help next year.  The 4 large domestic sized butts kept the green house going.  Just.

[john dew]

Its the best fruit crop ever. We pruned savagely and inexpertly in 2016 and had virtually no crop in 2017, this year we had a warm spring and the bees were out early.

 

We are lucky in the rain forest......there are some lawn sprinkler restrictions but none for fruit and veg. This year we had quite an extensive irrigation set up....virtually no hand watering.......gave me lots more time for modelling.....there...back on topic ...sort of

 

Cheers

 

John

[john dew]

Well all that bounty had to be harvested and cooked/stored. Wrapping apples in newspaper reminds me of my childhood in Formby where we used to store them between the joists in the attic........but we didnt call it an attic......it was known as the cock loft!  Why would it be called that in an Edwardian semi? Is the term still used I wonder.

 

So not a lot of time for modelling, but I did manage to replace the spice mixture round the sand house with finely sieved real sand. Not sure why I didnt think of that in the first place!

 

 

 

 

Not quite so colourful but definitely more realistic.

 

 

 

 

I have finally replaced the water columns and lamps to the front of the GWR shed which still needs the doors replacing

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lamp close up.....apologies for quality

 

 

 

 

 

The photographs I have seen of GWR Engine Shed lighting are rather more utilitarian. I suspect these lamps may be more appropriate for branch goods yards but I am rather fond of them.

 

 

Closeup of one of the Water Columns. Like the lamps they are another excellent example of Mikes models. I am so glad I stocked up when they were more readily available.

 

The steps are from a collection of shed detail made by Gem that I bought 20 years ago ......I think they are equally difficult to find today

 

 

 

 

The fine detail on the columns and lamps is very vulnerable to the hand from the sky descending to clean track or re-rail a loco. I have lost count of the number of times I have had to repair them. I delayed putting them in place until I was totally satisfied with the track. Next job is to bed them in with ballast. Time to find the wok lid

 

 

This is the view that visitors have when they enter the room

 

 

 

 

From left to right 6 road GWR shed, single road GWR workshop and two road LMS shed. The workshop can be set in permanently but the engine sheds have to be removable.....just in case. Their actual positioning has to be very precise because the track entry tolerances are so fine. This weeks project is to create "concrete" surrounds that will allow the buildings to be easily lifted off and always put back in the same place..........always assuming I can creep in from the garden!

 

Regards from a sunny Vancouver

 

John

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Edited September 6, 2022 by john dew
photos 6/9/22

[M.I.B]

Fantastic as ever John.  Thank you for the inspiration.

 

I like the yard lamps - it's something I haven't bought yet.  I will take a browse through the GWR sheds book.  There is an excellent shot of one of the bigger yards "as built" with no "clutter" or engines in shot, so that should show the type.  If not, I will just go with something similar to yours I think.  They "look" right.

 

Steps and ladders is something else I need to stock up on.

 

Enjoy the apples - I managed to bring some back from West Devon the other weekend.  MIB Snr's trees fared way better then mine, but West Devon is always damper than North Essex.

 

Don't forget to test run your snow blower before you put the deck chairs away....................

[john dew]

 

Don't forget to test run your snow blower before you put the deck chairs away....................

Very droll.......this is the rain forest not Toronto! We are a few 100 feet below the regular snow line on the North Shore mountains so I only have to clear the (thankfully short) drive with a shovel a couple of times each winter.

 

The GWR shed book sounds interesting......is it still available?

 

Regards

 

John

[M.I.B]

Not sure on the book John.  I got mine at the Calne show a few years ago - and it was used then.

 

Amazon may have a copy.  Want me to look for a copy and post it rather than you being skinned by Amazon.CA?

[M.I.B]

 

This is the one I have.

 

It says "1947" in the title which hints that it was an annual publication perhaps - it's actually a one-off written with 1947 data, but photos going back to the days when some  sheds were built, and track plans before and after rebuilds in some cases.

Edited September 28, 2018 by M.I.B

[john dew]

Thanks Tinker

 

If you can find one that would be great.....it looks as though it is a useful resource.

 

Cheers

 

John

[john dew]

Thanks for all the likes guys as always much appreciated.

 

Received a couple of parcels from Dart and Modelu last week so I am about to start a painting session.

 

I need some help with Oil Drum colours in 1947.

 

Currently I have a rather simplistic approach........oil (or was it paraffin?) for burning: lamps,lighting,fire devils etc comes in black drums

 

                                                                              oil for lubrication at engine sheds comes in Red Drums with Yellow ends (Shell) for the GWR and as a contrast Green (BP ?) for LMS .

 

I have vague memory of Mike (Stationmaster) answering a similar query years ago and I think that is where I got the idea that the drums came in proprietary livery........but I could be quite wrong!

 

Any help would be great 

 

Regards from Vancouver

 

John

[rovex]

 

This is the one I have.

 

It says "1947" in the title which hints that it was an annual publication perhaps - it's actually a one-off written with 1947 data, but photos going back to the days when some sheds were built, and track plans before and after rebuilds in some cases.

I think there are two publications. This one which deals with all sheds open in 1947. The date presumably tying in with nationalisation the following year. And another which deals with all sheds that were closed before 1947.

[M.I.B]

Thanks Tinker

 

If you can find one that would be great.....it looks as though it is a useful resource.

 

Cheers

 

John

 

Leave it to me.

 

Oil drums - you will not go far wrong with black or red oxide, and yes ends were coloured by some oil companies - BP and Shell as you say. No idea what Pratts and National Benzole were.

[john dew]

Thanks for all the likes guys as always much appreciated.

 

Received a couple of parcels from Dart and Modelu last week so I am about to start a painting session.

 

I need some help with Oil Drum colours in 1947.

 

Currently I have a rather simplistic approach........oil (or was it paraffin?) for burning: lamps,lighting,fire devils etc comes in black drums

 

                                                                              oil for lubrication at engine sheds comes in Red Drums with Yellow ends (Shell) for the GWR and as a contrast Green (BP ?) for LMS .

 

I have vague memory of Mike (Stationmaster) answering a similar query years ago and I think that is where I got the idea that the drums came in proprietary livery........but I could be quite wrong!

 

Any help would be great 

 

Regards from Vancouver

 

John

 

 

I should trust my memory

 

Mike (Stationmaster) replies to a similar question August 2010:

 

 

"I can't go pre 1960s and I'm fairly sure that then red with yellow ends was Lube Oil and I can't recall red with white ends offhand. In the 1970s I'm fairly sure our lamp oil always came in black painted barrels in the various places I worked on the Western in England and Wales."

 

 

Problem solved!

[john dew]

Its a day late but nevertheless I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving from Canada.
We have lived here almost 40 years now and I am still not quite used to having Roast Turkey and all the trimmings (including yams) for dinner in early October!

Change of plan.....instead of bedding in the GWR shed, this weeks focus has been the turntable and its immediate surroundings.

By way of reminder here is how the Fleischmann turntable looked, straight out of the box last May

The green house was quickly removed and I put on a coat of grey undercoat to hide the wasp stripes but then got on with other things while contemplating the best way to make the turntable look more like a GWR prototype.

The standard GWR turntable seems to have had a narrower bridge supported by above ground girders. I did think about drastic surgery and adding Dapol girders. This would have involved cutting away the two side platforms and support wheels built in.  

Fortunately, and with some relief,  I found a number of photos showing GWR did have some well turntables with side rails on the bridge.

 

The bridge had to be removed for some soldering**....... So  I took the opportunity to do some detailing,painting and weathering

**Fleischmann have the bridge wired so that only one end is ever live. The turncontrol unit has a neat little direction indicator and switch. Fine for manual operation not great for automatic!  Melmerby, of this parish, posted some very helpful photos showing how to modify the arrangement by soldering jumpers accross the switch contacts.

 

 

 

 

The observant will note that the lineside hut now has a new location. It was previously on the "concrete" pad next to the turntable but on reflection I felt it made the area too crowded.

I think this is better

 

 

 

The stop blocks are soldered up from spare bits of rail......the curved rail was stripped off  #2 radius set track.

 

Ideally the vertical supports should have lined up with the tracks but that created clearance problems with some locos

Not sure how proto-typical this. The prototype didnt often have rail stubs on the perimeter. This is an intrinsic part of Fleischmann's design. Every exit must have either a facing exit or a stub. As a result of the electical mod these stubs can be live so the stop blocks are not solely decorative.

 

 

The bright yellow machinery under the green house has been suitably darkened and greased. The slots that held the House have been covered by a riveted plate from the Wills Vari Girder pack ........super useful pack to have handy

The bridge rails are  supposed to look as though they havent been painted since before the war. Multiple washes added in an attempt to get them looking streaked with rust and grime.

 

 

It seems self evident to me that locos must stop on the bridge but many of the photos I checked out showed a board like this at each end of the bridge. Easy to reproduce with Libre Office, Card and a bit of rail for the post

With the bridge removed I was able to weather the Bridge boards and add oil stains next to the tracks. The Wills plate can be seen top left .

So thats it.....job done......back to the sheds

 

 

 

I have to say from an operating aspect the turntable is an absolute delight. The indexing is totally reliable and the locos roll on off extremely smoothly. It may not look quite the part but I will sacrifice that for consistent operation.

Probably time for a video! 
 

[M.I.B]

John

 

Your work continues to be an inspiration.

 

As you freely admit ( which is a good thing) one or two things aren't 100% GWR  but they look "right" and provide pleasure to the user/owner and many more fans all over the world online.   So to those who would die on their sword because it is't a perfect GWR example: "would you rather see a large layout such as this operating at 95% accuracy or have a single siding which was perfect in every way?"

 

I know what I want and yours and Robin's examples are huge sources of inspiration in achieving this.

 

Once more many thanks.

 

And happy Thanksgiving from the desert!

[john dew]

What a charming post Tinker.......thank you so much. As I have said before, modelling alone, in the rain forest, it is very gratifying to know that Granby is of interest and even use to other modellers living thousands of miles away.

 

Again many thanks for your continued support

 

John

[trw1089]

Hi John

 

Cracking work on the turntable and surrounds, it really does fit in perfectly now. Your layout and work has always been an inspiration for me and I always look forward to updates on the World According to Granby!

 

Cheers

Tony

[john dew]

Thanks Tony. I guess its two way traffic then. I always look forward to Wakefield West updates.....even if Pannier shots are a rarity!

 

I do like the description “The world according to Granby”............gives me lots of licence!

 

Best wishes

 

John

[john dew]

It was make and mend last week......or more accurately make, test,test again and mend. 

I have been muttering about bedding in the shed for a few weeks now

Here are the rear foundations and partially installed edge trim which will hopefully prevent damage to rather fragile paper vents

 

 

The unsightly gaps between buildings and base result from not being able to properly support the ply extension I had to add when I changed turntables.

Its unrealistic to bed the shed in permanently......inevitably there will be the occasional loco that will fall asleep in the shed.

The change in exit track geometry resulted in very tight clearances on some entrances. So the primary challenge was not so much cosmetic, but rather to ensure that when the shed has to be lifted clear it can be replaced very accurately.

 

 

I cut out, as best I could, 1mm card to precisely reflect the complex shape of the shed
The previous shed was completely floored. With a 3' foot viewing distance and narrow entrances it was barely, if at all, visible.  The continuous track infill created an additional and unnecessary operating hazard.

This time I adopted the philosophy of "what the eye cant see, the heart wont grieve about"

 

 

 

 

The rear edge of the narrow front foundations were laid to match up exactly with the rear of the front walls and have proved to be a very reliable placement guide

I sacrificed some track length to ensure I had reliable stop blocks

 

 

 

 

Using my Scalescene skills (and residual off cuts) the blocks are each made from 3 squares of 2mm card laminated together
 

 

 

 

Two pieces of foam line up with the buffers leaving enough clear space in between for the kadee coupler on the tender.

Not quite model of the year standard........but quick to make and very robust.

The last job was to build the ballast up around the water columns and foundation edges.

! can now lift the building for maintenance and replace it with a great degree of certainty.However, I would much prefer not having to lift it ever! So lots of track cleaning and testing.

When operating, the locos leave the bridge at a scale 7mph and slow to 5 mph on entering the shed. The stop markers inside the shed are set so the loco just touches the buffers and then stops. I dont want them driving into the buffers but nor do I want them to stop short because I need the next loco to stop close to the shed entrance to avoid any possibilty of fouling near the turntable

Lots and lots of testing.  Which at least gives me the opportunity to show a more interesting photo

 

 

 

One each of my GWR 4-6-0 classes Star,Castle,Hall,Grange and Manor.......with a Dukedog hiding at the back 

I spent the best part of a morning running these guys back and forth until I was satisfied

 

 

 

 

 

Apart from admiring this shot of Broughton Castle, one of my favourite locos and one of Hornby's best, the sharp eyed will notice the absence of a water column in the left foreground

Missing in action I am afraid. During the course of the morning I became an unwilling expert in stripping and assembling Mike's Models Water Columns.

I did mention previously that these delicate models were hostages to fortune:

 

 

 

This hobby sure teaches one patience!

Still struggling with the Water Column otherwise the only major thing that still needs to be done on the GWR shed is to refit the doors....all 12 of them

Best wishes to all from Vancouver