RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted September 9, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 9, 2011 (edited) There's always the chance of private viewings if you are ever over in Spain Don't suppose you're within walking distance of Lanzarote?, my holiday booking says that's in Spain too . If it is, I'll see you the first week of October Edited September 9, 2011 by Enterprisingwestern Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Heggs Posted September 9, 2011 Author Share Posted September 9, 2011 Don't suppose you're within walking distance of Lanzarote?, my holiday booking says that's in Spain too . If it is, I'll see you the first week of October If you can walk on water and don't mind the odd wave or two ... but the first week in October we are away on a walking holiday in Northern Spain Ron Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted September 9, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 9, 2011 If you can walk on water and don't mind the odd wave or two ... but the first week in October we are away on a walking holiday in Northern Spain Ron Thanks Ron, I'll not bother then! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Heggs Posted September 9, 2011 Author Share Posted September 9, 2011 Just a couple of pictures of the Train Shed Roof support structure placed on top of the temporary shelving, with the gable ends and a few spans, etc. in place (not fixed yet) - Have now decided that a removable section of the roof for access to the tracks, etc. is not practical, and even if it was I still couldn't reach the tracks/rolling stock, etc. from the edge of the baseboard Instead there will be a separate board with the trackwork only fitted to it, which will be able to be dropped down from under the platforms (via motor operated vertical threaded rods) for emergency/maintenance access ** No Peter Pan flying apparatus suggestions please ** 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jamie92208 Posted September 9, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 9, 2011 How about one of those little radio controlled Helicopters with a hook for re-railing stock. Jamie Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Heggs Posted September 9, 2011 Author Share Posted September 9, 2011 How about one of those little radio controlled Helicopters with a hook for re-railing stock. Jamie Hi, Jamie Don't think I would trust it in the goods yards or the carriage sidings, never mind inside the station roof - and it would never get through the platform canopies and the gable transoms Cheers Ron Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nile_Griffith Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 I had a very entertaining half hour flying a model helicopter around under those arches. That said They where the real arches and my whirly bird of choice was only about 15 inches long...... Me and the boys where wondering if we could hire your model of the roof trusses so that we can explain to potential clients why they cant hang/fly certain thing from the roof, or just so we can help exhibition designers visualise just how rubbish their signage is going to look. Keep up the fab work. Nile Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Heggs Posted September 9, 2011 Author Share Posted September 9, 2011 I had a very entertaining half hour flying a model helicopter around under those arches. That said They where the real arches and my whirly bird of choice was only about 15 inches long...... Me and the boys where wondering if we could hire your model of the roof trusses so that we can explain to potential clients why they cant hang/fly certain thing from the roof, or just so we can help exhibition designers visualise just how rubbish their signage is going to look. Keep up the fab work. Nile Hi, Nile Just measured the internal clear height at 121/2 inches and max. internal width of under 32 inches, so no flips, etc. in there Boys, are you that desparate to ship to & from Spain, just to see it in the flesh so to speak Might be cheaper to build another one Thanks for all you comments Cheers Ron Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Howe Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 Just - WOW! Every so often the scale of your project pops its head up and says Boo! This is one of those times. On top of that, you're planning to embark on what could become the cleverest fiddle yard ever. I can imagine some sort of conveyor mechanism carrying an entire station full of trains away and delivering a whole new fleet straight to the platforms - or is it just me getting carried away? Cheers Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
artizen Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 Why not a complete drop down hatch arrangement so you can fix potential future problems anywhere within the roof area. What if the problem is not on the drop down part of the track? If all the track is level and laid correctly and there is no pointwork to trip up rolling stock, I would expect very little problems to surface anyway. Perhaps a very long stick with a hook to drag errant rolling stock out into the open? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Heggs Posted September 10, 2011 Author Share Posted September 10, 2011 Just - WOW! Every so often the scale of your project pops its head up and says Boo! This is one of those times. On top of that, you're planning to embark on what could become the cleverest fiddle yard ever. I can imagine some sort of conveyor mechanism carrying an entire station full of trains away and delivering a whole new fleet straight to the platforms - or is it just me getting carried away? Cheers Phil Hi Phil Now that's an idea - Things could get really complex and over ambitious though Cheers Ron Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Heggs Posted September 10, 2011 Author Share Posted September 10, 2011 Why not a complete drop down hatch arrangement so you can fix potential future problems anywhere within the roof area. What if the problem is not on the drop down part of the track? If all the track is level and laid correctly and there is no pointwork to trip up rolling stock, I would expect very little problems to surface anyway. Perhaps a very long stick with a hook to drag errant rolling stock out into the open? Hi, Ian The train shed has 6 platforms, each pair of facing platforms has a central service/release road - the double crossovers are approx. 1/3rd of the way from the buffers - roughly midpoint of the roof - uncoupling of loco from coaches will be automated - the loc will then move to to the buffers and then crossover to the release road and away to the Loco Shed There will almost inevitably be an occasion when something goes awry - access for a stick which would have to be at least 2.5m - 3m long through a hole approx 130mm wide and 65mm high would be a problem and an additional problem would be seeing what I was doing - could cause more damage than already existed - the idea to drop the track along with say the four central platforms would be a better option, as I could then get access to the whole of the inside of the train shed Will have to decide on the options nearer the baseboard build time Cheers Ron Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
artizen Posted September 10, 2011 Share Posted September 10, 2011 From the plan the train shed is a long way from the front of the layout so a drop down access hatch arrangement looks like the most feasible option. Could get complicated though. What height are you planning to have the track? Perhaps an adult level like 1.2 metres or more for viewing angles but also for underside access? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Heggs Posted September 10, 2011 Author Share Posted September 10, 2011 From the plan the train shed is a long way from the front of the layout so a drop down access hatch arrangement looks like the most feasible option. Could get complicated though. What height are you planning to have the track? Perhaps an adult level like 1.2 metres or more for viewing angles but also for underside access? Hi, Ian Track height still to be decided, but will be between 1 - 1.2m AFL - the drop down hatch looks like the most feasible uncomplicated way forward Cheers Ron Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold bcnPete Posted September 10, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 10, 2011 the drop down hatch looks like the most feasible uncomplicated way forward If you go this route, be sure to wire in the James Bond theme...sounds schplendid... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nile_Griffith Posted September 10, 2011 Share Posted September 10, 2011 Drop down hatches????? Loco's disappearing into some form of subterranean engine shed below the cobbles of Manchester (though underneath Manchester Central is all arches preseumably for the old railway goods storage) ???? Ron!...... Are you having a bit of a Gerry Anderson moment....... Ha Ha Ha! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Heggs Posted September 10, 2011 Author Share Posted September 10, 2011 If you go this route, be sure to wire in the James Bond theme...sounds schplendid... Do they have a sound decoder for that tune - must be a Class 007 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Heggs Posted September 10, 2011 Author Share Posted September 10, 2011 Drop down hatches????? Loco's disappearing into some form of subterranean engine shed below the cobbles of Manchester (though underneath Manchester Central is all arches preseumably for the old railway goods storage) ???? Ron!...... Are you having a bit of a Gerry Anderson moment....... Ha Ha Ha! Subterranean loco shed - of course that's where the layout is being housed Definitely brick arches for the CLC goods storage, etc. - wagons were lowered/raised via two hydraulic hoists from the goods yard above, and moved around via ropes, capstans and wagon turntables and goods dispatched by cart and trucks via Watson Street, Windmill Street and Great Bridgewater Street access gateways - (none of the undercroft is being modelled - that would definitely be taking it a bit too far) No FAB or Pink Roll-Royce will be found on this layout Cheers Ron 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Heggs Posted September 10, 2011 Author Share Posted September 10, 2011 ... so how do you join the spans together with all those transverse tie beams ? ... do you need three hands, clips or clamps ? NO ! ... just lay the span or span assembly flat on the work surface, and fix the apex tie beam to the upper most span, and then fix the two valley tie beams ... place the next span on top of the three tie beams and fix ... locate and fix the remaining 14 tie beams - fixing bottom ends first ... repeat >> Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Heggs Posted September 10, 2011 Author Share Posted September 10, 2011 Have updated the layout/railway room drawing to show the position of the Train Shed drop-down hatch, and the Carriage Sidings and Loco Shed boards - The track level on the main layout boards is at approx 1 to 1.2m above floor level The Loco Shed board will be some 150mm lower, with the Carriage Sidings board another 150mm lower still, to enable the access tracks to run under the main layout boards from the return loop via the garden The Carriage Sidings board will run under the Loco Shed board to enable 12-15 coach formations to be accommodated/assembled The track plans for both these areas need to be developed Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nile_Griffith Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 Definitely brick arches for the CLC goods storage, etc. - wagons were lowered/raised via two hydraulic hoists from the goods yard above, and moved around via ropes, capstans and wagon turntables and goods dispatched by cart and trucks via Watson Street, Windmill Street and Great Bridgewater Street access gateways - (none of the undercroft is being modelled - that would definitely be taking it a bit too far) Ron I never realised that they actually lowered the wagons down to those areas under the station!!!! I'll never be able to park in that car park again without thinking of how it all must have looked and operated. Will have to dig around and see if I can find any reference material for it. Cheers Nile Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Heggs Posted September 11, 2011 Author Share Posted September 11, 2011 (edited) Ron I never realised that they actually lowered the wagons down to those areas under the station!!!! I'll never be able to park in that car park again without thinking of how it all must have looked and operated. Will have to dig around and see if I can find any reference material for it. Cheers Nile Hi, Nile The two wagon hoists were adjacent to each other, located within the goods yard on the tracks into the southern end of the CLC goods warehouse alongside Watson Street, The warehouse originally comprised four floors, but suffered incendiary bomb damage during WW2, and the damaged top floor walls were removed later rendering it a three storey warehouse. The first floor was the goods yard level, and the ground floor level was at Watson Street road level. Along Watson Street access was provided via four gated openings to the basement/undercroft On Windmill Street access to the undercroft was via cobbled roadway located between the road access up to the goods yard, and the Station Forecourt entrance opposite Mount Street On Great Bridgewater Street at its junction with Lower Moseley Street access to the undercroft was more clearly visible along virtually the whole length of the Station under what was Platform 9. This area is still visible today - Dated 10/08/2004 - Platform 9 demolished 1976 - Metrolink visible above on far right - The wall to the left of the gate actually supported Platform 9, along with the double RSJs which appear cut-off within the arch supporting brickwork A couple of pictures of an early attempt at modelling this area, as it was in the 1950/60's - Dated May 2005 Dated May 2005 Cheers Ron Edited September 11, 2011 by Ron Heggs 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Heggs Posted September 11, 2011 Author Share Posted September 11, 2011 Start of a model of one of the wagon hoists - waiting for completion and decision on whether to make it operational or not - 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nile_Griffith Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 Hello Ron. Thank you for posting the pictures and the information about where the wagon lifts where. GMEX and Bridgewater Hall are fairly regular visits for me. It's interesting to realise just how much the useage of that area has all changed. Like I mentioned earlier, the undercroft of the old station is usually first port of call for parking up while working at GMEX and although I had a good idea that area was probably goods storage I had no idea that wagons where actually lowered down to the various levels. Very impressed with your previous creations by the way! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Heggs Posted September 11, 2011 Author Share Posted September 11, 2011 (edited) Ron, may I suggest a pneumatic or even hydraulic solution instead of fiddling with wires? Lego has some pneumatic cylinders and accessories in their Technics program and the model-car world can offer some hydro-stuff (IIRC!). Just me tuppence Hi, Thanks for tuppenceworth - hadn't considered any particular solution, so your suggestions are most welcome and interesting Cheers Ron Edited September 11, 2011 by Ron Heggs Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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