Lime Street Station

[Andy Y]

Thank you to John and his merry band who allowed me to get some snaps back in February of Lime Street; these feature in the MI section of this month's BRM including this favourite shot of mine.

 

[LMS2968]

You know, I could be standing there in the six foot seventy years ago(I hadn't actually been born then, but you know what I mean!); it's only the model railway coupling which gives the game away.

 

You need to look to your train lamps though: one on the stock but none on the loco. The bobby would be most unimpressed!

[Steve Hewitt]

You know, I could be standing there in the six foot seventy years ago(I hadn't actually been born then, but you know what I mean!); it's only the model railway coupling which gives the game away.

 

You need to look to your train lamps though: one on the stock but none on the loco. The bobby would be most unimpressed!

 

As Andy said in the caption to the picture, it was taken back in February.

Since then John has added lamps to all or almost all the locos.

 

One or two other details which show up on such excellent photos have also prompted attention.

 

Steve.

[7APT7]

Thank you to John and his merry band who allowed me to get some snaps back in February of Lime Street; these feature in the MI section of this month's BRM including this favourite shot of mine.

 

 

Wow, That's a Quality Photos shot...

 

But then, so are all the others to, keep up with the excellent work boys...

 

Jamie

Edited October 15, 2012 by 7APT7

[Steve Hewitt]

Next step is to print out the instructions on the correct index cards.

This will then allow two operators to control the station at the same time, and we'll see how well balanced the workload is for the operators.

Fingers crossed we don't have to make too many alterations before we can "freeze" the schedule and start proper training sessions for the Warley show.

 

Steve.

 

John, Rob and I have today spent our third session checking and refining the operation sequence.

We think it is now ready for use at the Warley show in just over three weeks time.

 

The rest of the operating team will be starting their training sessions on Friday this week, and in two weeks time, everyone should have had at least two full days practice.

 

At the show we will be organised into two teams, doing alternate shifts of one hour.

This should ensure there are team members available to talk to anyone who wishes to discuss any aspects of this great project.

Just come along and make yourself known to one of us and we'll do our very best to answer your questions.

 

Steve.

[Michael Delamar]

had a nice day yesterday playing trains with new timetable in readiness for Warley

I brought along something from the other side of Liverpool to have a run, John is a fan of these units as he used to to travel to school on them.

Edited November 5, 2012 by michael delamar

[Michael Delamar]

now to something that later became very common at Lime street...

 

[Steve Hewitt]

On Monday we had another great operating session in preparation for our visit to the Warlley show at the NEC.

I managed to grab a few video clips during the afternoon, and I'll post some of the them on YouTube as I get time.

 

Here is the first, showing a light engine moving out from Platform 1 to return to Platform 2 to couple to its train.

In the background, the station pilot comes down from the shunting Neck to collect a set of coaches which need re-marshalling.

Waiting patiently in Platform 7 is the Turbomotive at the head of a London Express.

 

http://youtu.be/V8mM_ZhRkVI

 

I'll post some more as and when I get the time to set them up on YouTube.

 

Steve

[Michael Delamar]

shot of the old platform 10 and 11 with the trackwork lifted

http://www.colour-ra...x?ImgRef=105673

Edited November 15, 2012 by michael delamar

[Steve Hewitt]

Here's another short video from Monday's training session:

 

 

This time we watch a suburban service leave Plaform 1, take the Up Slow line through the tunnel, emerge briefly before passing out of our modelled area onto the sector plate.

From here we see it disposed of into the Fiddle Yard, Road 1 and its original engine move to a Head Shunt to await its next duty.

 

Please note that these training sessions are principally to prove the accuracy of the instructions and the reliability of the stock, and therefore the speed of the trains might often seem excessive.

 

Steve.

[Steve Hewitt]

This is the third (and final) short video from Monday's training session:

http://youtu.be/xPdplvNEGq8

 

One of the major trains to depart from Lime Street is "The Manxman".

Here we see preparations for it being made.

Off stage, the train draws onto the sector plate, and the engine uncouples.

The Edge Hill Pilot moves off the head-shunt and couples up to the empty stock.

We then see this empty stock movement approaching the station in the cutting, passing under the colour light signals, with the route to Platform 7 having been set.

A little later, the train engine - the Turbomotive - trundles down to the signal where it waits its turn to back down onto its train........

 

 

We are shortly starting the breakdown and track/stock cleaning of Lime Street ready for our trip to the NEC for the Warley show in a weeks time, so no more running sessions until its all set-up again JUST FOR YOU TO COME AND SEE.

If you been following us on RMWeb and get to Warley, do come and say hello and put a name and face to your username.

 

Steve.

[RAY NORWOOD]

Hi

I have seen this twice now looking forward seing at Warley. I have all the weekend to see it as I am on DLT layout (Charmouth)

 

RAY70B

[mudmagnet]

Hi

I have seen this twice now looking forward seing at Warley. I have all the weekend to see it as I am on DLT layout (Charmouth)

 

RAY70B

 

Me too, looking forward to seeing Lime Street again!

 

I did enjoy reading the article in MRJ on the ground signals as well.

[5 C]

Seeing Lime Street on the list is what persuaded me and my wallet to brave Warley this year. If I can get close enough, I'll be sure to introduce myself.

 

Andy

[Steve Hewitt]

John Rocca, Brian Pickersgill and I have spent today helping John Holden to dismantle and pack the layout ready for its visit to the NEC at weekend.

 

John had already cleaned all the rolling stock and got it safely stowed in its cases. Each item has its designated place within the cassette system in which it all travels.

This means that once the layout is assembled at the NEC, getting all the stock into position is a very rapid process, taking about twenty minutes.

When each item used to be packed individually, and had to be railed by hand, it used to take about two hours!

 

During the dismantling all the track was cleaned for the first time in months!!!!!

 

I managed to get a few snaps during the day:

 

 

First the underside of the turntable, showing the mechanism a bit better than I managed previously when I tried to answer someone's query. You can hopefully see the two stage belt drive from the stepper motor to the turntable in this shot.

 

There are four custom built trolleys for transporting the layout sections. This is an empty one:

 

 

And a full one:

 

 

The roof also requires special consideration:

 

The larger North Roof:

 

 

And the slightly smaller South roof:

 

 

When loaded, the two boxes stack and lock together and lock onto their custom wheeled frame:

 

 

By the end of the day all the main packing had been completed, and the trolleys just await their blue protective covers, which will be added before loading into the van:

 

 

 

Once we set up at the show, the trollies convert into display stands behind the sector plate, carrying information about the prototype and our model.

 

 

Hope you can come along to see it, and us.

 

Steve.

[jamie92208]

Looking forward to having a look at the layout at Warley, I'm there for the weekend.

 

Jamie

[clecklewyke]

I cannot see Lime Street listed on the official Warley site. I would hate to go to the wrong show.

 

Any ideas why it's omitted?

 

Puzzled of Askrigg

Edited November 21, 2012 by clecklewyke

[Michael Delamar]

it is going, its on this list..

 

http://www.thewarleyshow.co.uk/exhibitors/

[Steve Hewitt]

I cannot see Lime Street listed on the official Warley site. I would hate to go to the wrong show.

 

Any ideas why it's omitted?

 

Puzzled of Askrigg

 

I think you were looking at the "View Layouts" part of the Warley website.

This is only a sub-set of the layouts at the show, for which they've chosen to publish photographs.

 

The "Exhibitors", tab on the top of their Home Page gives you the complete list.

 

Steve.

 

p.s. We had better be going, the van is paid for, and I'll be delivering it to John's place tomorrow afternoon, ready for an early start on Friday.

[D1030western musketeer]

Top marks here,a truly breathtaking layout.

 

richard.

[Michael Delamar]

had a great weekend,ran well, a few bumps from the operators but nothing like what happened in 1949..

 

http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/documents/MoT_LimeStreet1949.pdf

Edited November 26, 2012 by Michael Delamar

[RAY NORWOOD]

Hi

Saw this at Warley over the weekend. WHAT A FANTASTIC LAYOUT.

Keep up the good work lads.

 

Happy Modelling

 

RAY70B

[lmsforever]

Had a quick chat with you about how you etch the buildings ,particularily the hotel front ,thank you for enlignting me ,the layout is fantastic and good luck in Germany next year.

[5 C]

I'd just like to thank John, Steve and the Lime Street team for a great display yesterday and my exclusive behind the scenes tour. Something which rivalled my "Strictly" audience experience earlier this year!

 

There's even more to this layout than what's in the wealth of coverage to date and the team is justifiably proud of what they've achieved.

 

Looking forward to seeing you again in Watford early next year.

 

Andy

[Steve Hewitt]

All the Lime Street team are home again after a really good weekend at Warley.

 

The layout was unloaded in the pouring rain at 10:30 pm and put safely away in the shed.

Thank goodness for those trolleys and boxes etc.

Unloading the van with just three people takes only about 20 mins.

(Loading took about half an hour).

 

Thanks to all who came to see us and the great number of complements you paid us.

We do appreciate your interest in what we do.

 

It was great to meet one or two RMwebbers in person.

Thanks for making yourselves known.

 

I hope we managed to entertain you and to answer your questions fully and clearly.

 

I'm hoping to post some photos and video from the show as soon as I can get my hands on them.

I didn't get chance to take any myself during the weekend.

 

 

The next major change to the layout concerns the way we operate Arrivals in the cutting.

 

At present, the handover point between the Sector Plate and the Station is in the short tunnel, just prior to the train entering public view.

This limits us to only having one Arrival or Departure at any one time, and the waiting arrival also locks up the sector plate, preventing the operator there preparing for any subsequent Arrival or Departure.

This is a major handicap to operating a more frequent service.

 

The change will extend the handover section all the way to the Sgnal Gantry in the cutting.

This will allow the sector plate operator to drive a train up to the Home signal where he can leave it to be driven forward by the Station operator when he is ready for it.

This will be possible on both the Slow and Fast lines simultanuously.

All bar the very longest trains will occupy the new handover sections without fouling the Sector Plate, allowing the operator to get on with other tasks.

 

This will allow simultaneous Arrivals or Arrival and Departures.

 

I spoke with John a short while ago, and he already has the soldering iron out and is starting to make the changes necessary.

Geoff will be collecting the two control computers - the "X" and "Y" boxes - to install the modified software necessary to implement the changes.

The intention is to have the changes completed and the Operators trained in the new system in time for our next show, which is Watford Finescale in February.

 

Steve.