Eastwood Town - A tribute to Gordon's modelling.

[The Stationmaster]

Welcome to a taste of Belle Isle Gordon - captures that ECML London area feeling to a T (and don't take that as hint to head for the links please ).

[trustytrev]

Hello Gordon,

 I guess if you've seen one turnout you've seen them all, but at least something has been put together.  Somehow seeing and feeling a test chassis running smoothly across complex formations does it for me.  One of life's simple pleasures.

 

 

Seeing someone recreate something that shows the flair style and confidence of those engineers of yeterday never fails to impress and interest me.

trustytrev.

Edited August 30, 2013 by trustytrev

[PhilH]

Looking good Gordon! 

 

 

 I really take my hat off to those who seem able able to turn out masterpiece layouts in next to no time.  Gentlemen, I salute you....

 

 

They visit tips less often....   

[eldavo]

...and probably don't have wood burning stoves!

 

Good progress buddy.

 

Cheers

Dave

[Brian D]

Great work.  Can't wait to see the overbridge completed.

Edited August 23, 2013 by Brian D

[The Evil Bus Driver]

That's some seriously good ballasting Gordon. I though mine was good but compared to that...wow! I think i'll give it a try with some spare SMP track at some point.

[trisonic]

Progressing nicely with your usual attention and skill. Btw I agree with you about South Pimlico - really grabbed my attention (thanks to RMWeb) when my interest in models was at a low ebb...

 

I've forgotten, do you have "London's East End Railways" Part 1 by D Brennand? If not I thoroughly recommend it.

 

Best, Pete.

[gordon s]

I don't have Pete, but it looks right up my street, so ordered a copy off Amazon this morning.  

 

Here's a few more pics of SP.  Sadly it is no more, but it will certainly hold a place in my head for years to come.

 

Thanks Colin.  Operating on SP left a lasting impression...

 

Don't you just love urban grot..

 

 

 

 

 

[coachmann]

Doh....Wots a Midland warehouse doin' in the middle of Southern territory....?

[The Stationmaster]

Doh....Wots a Midland warehouse doin' in the middle of Southern territory....?

Well there was a Midland coal yard in Kensington, and  GWR goods station in Lambeth so perhaps not so odd as it might sound?

[Oldddudders]

Well there was a Midland coal yard in Kensington, and  GWR goods station in Lambeth so perhaps not so odd as it might sound?

Not to mention L&NW coal yards at Clapham Junction and Tulse Hill

[trisonic]

Well there was a Midland coal yard in Kensington, and  GWR goods station in Lambeth so perhaps not so odd as it might sound?

Another GWR Goods Station in the East End in GER territory......I've got a photo somewhere...

 

Best, Pete.

[The Stationmaster]

Another GWR Goods Station in the East End in GER territory......I've got a photo somewhere...

 

Best, Pete.

And going way north of London there was also a GWR goods depot in Manchester.

[coachmann]

And going way north of London there was also a GWR goods depot in Manchester.

Small wonder seeing a there was a joint line into Manchester and 'Dukedogs' were seen before the war. I now suspect no one can address my question...

[The Stationmaster]

Small wonder seeing a there was a joint line into Manchester and 'Dukedogs' were seen before the war. I now suspect no one can address my question...

I thought we had Larry but I'll try again.  Various Companies had goods or coal depots in sarf Lundun in the area which 'South Pimlico' represents, as follows -

 

GWR South Lambeth Goods - which remained a WR controlled depot well into the 1960s, originally accessed via GWR running powers into Victoria (one side of which was in any case jointly leased by the GWR and SE&CR).

GNR Elephant & Castle coal depot - accessed via the Widened Lines and SE&CR.

Midland (albeit north of the river in this case) coal depot at High St Kensington accessed from the West London Line (WLL) by running powers over the District Railway.

Midland Battersea goods & coal depot - via WLL and Pouparts Jcn.

LNWR Knights Hill goods depot, just north of Tulse Hill and probably reached via the WLL and various running powers?

Midland Walworth coal depot - again not sure of the route but one source suggests via the Widened Lines.

Midland & LNW Jt Peckham Rye depot (seems to have been mainly coal but might also have been goods) - accessed by running powers over the LB&SCR probably over the Widened Lines.

 

There were a number of GNR depots further east in south London all accessed via the Widened Lines and running powers.

 

So finding one of the 'northern' companies with a goods or coal depot in 3rd rail (or 3rd &4th rail) territory was not unusual and some of them lasted for many years - I can recall, from outside the fence I hasten to add, LMR 'jinties' shunting at High St Kensington coal yard in the mid-late 1950s while as I've already mentioned South Lambeth was still worked by the WR well into the '60s

 

Edit to update the entry regarding Battersea Midland Rly depot as the RCH Running Powers list notes it as 'Goods and Coal' plus route confirmed.

Edited August 25, 2013 by The Stationmaster

[gordon s]

Thanks Mike as always.  Some fascinating stuff, all of which will allow me to run a Q1 when the mood takes me..

 

Had a good day one way or the other.  The GP from Spa and then the cricket which went from something really exciting to become something of a damp squib at the end.  I know rules are rules, but just a shame England weren't allowed to bat out the last four overs.

 

In between the TV, I managed to get some 4mm MDF cut to size to form the back walls for the cuttings.  I have found 4mm perfect in this respect.  Strong enough to hold its shape, yet light enough to move about when finished.  The walls themselves will be cut from 2mm MDF and then covered in the Wills plastic sheet.  Managed to get two more turnouts down and ballasted, so all in all a reasonable outcome with no howlers.

 

Perhaps that tip run will be some way off yet...

 

 

 

 

 

 

[PhilH]

 

Perhaps that tip run will be some way off yet... 

 

 

You are officially hereafter, and for all time, banned from going within 100 yards of any tip in the land.

 

You have been warned.

Edited August 25, 2013 by PhilH

[Dr Gerbil-Fritters]

You are, however, allowed to tip any unwanted bits of Eastwood in my driveway....

[LNER4479]

That is a seriously gorgeous looking piece of railway taking shape there Gordon. No wonder you're feeling pleased with it...  that proves it must be good! (if proof were needed...)

[gordon s]

Hi guys.  Taken a break from ballasting as it was getting really monotonous, but accept if you do any job long enough it becomes just the same.  This week has been wall and pillar production and I'm beginning to realise just how many walls and pillars will be required for this urban setting.  Having used Slaters dressed stone before, it has taken me a while to adjust to the Wills stone product, but now I'm a convert.  It's so much easier to use, particularly when it comes to edges/corners and now looks something more akin to 4mm scale rather than 7mm in a 4mm setting.

 

I try to run these things as a production line as it saves time in the long run and batches of 10 walls or 10 pillars seems about right.  There are several pieces of plastic and wood needed to produce a wall or pillar so some years ago I invested in a Proxxon table saw which has proved invaluable for cutting sheets of plastic down to specific sizes on a consistent basis.  When I bought this one it was less than a £100 but I guess exchange rates have taken the price up £10 or so.

 

http://www.axminster.co.uk/proxxon-proxxon-ks-230-saw-prod19999/

 

 

The pillars are made from 12mm ply cut to size and then clad in the Wills sheet.  There are 10 pieces to each pillar.  The walls are cut from 2mm MDF and then clad in two sheets of stone.  It's a shame they don't make the sheets larger and I'm still working on how to butt the sheets together and hide the join easily.  I dare say there are ways, but it's back to time v result and as these walls are buried in a cutting, some not even facing you, the compromise may be acceptable.

 

 

 

 

 

Overall, it's starting to take shape and you'll be pleased to know there are no thoughts about the skip as yet.....

 

[Pete Harvey]

Looking very good Gordon now that does look familiar.

[vulcanbomber]

To hide the butt joints trying running down the joints with a warm soldering iron

[Rowsley17D]

Coach (Larry G) uses plenty of solvent and melts the butt joint together. Do you think Wills would make bigger sheets (and not as thick) if enough of us contacted them?

[coachmann]

I wouldn't have though thickness was a problem. At least the material is free standing if one wants to make buildings sans backing. Bigger sheets is another matter and they would be handy, but we have to bear in mind Wills packaging, which is a standard size handy for display in retail outlets. I built 11 feet of retaining wall with the stuff and I cannot say it was a bind.

[gordon s]

Morning gang, another week gone and work has continued.  On the bright side three days of golfing saw some good scores with my lowest of 83/64 setting a new low score for me so a combination of sunshine, modelling and golf must be doing me some good.  B)

 

This board is just about 7' x 3' but I'm already well into the third delivery from Hattons of 10 packs of the Wills stone sheet.  With four sheets per pack, that's the best part of 120 sheets and £90 on the walls alone and little has gone to waste.  Still loads of gap filling to do, but overall it's starting to take shape.  Apologies for the lack of stock in the pics.  Apart from a couple of loco's and some old Mk1's with the windows falling out, most of my stuff is packed away, waiting for their day to run, so I'd better get my skates on and get this one done.

 

I have to own up to some short cuts here.  The main bridge supports do have mitred corners and they are fine, but the smaller pillars that support the retaining walls have butt joins that have been sanded to disguise the join.  With so many to do, it was a compromise I had to make and hopefully only the most observant of visitors will notice.  It's also virtually impossible to align the stone courses around the wall pillars, but again you have to look very closely to see the short cuts that have been taken.

 

There has been on piece of this jigsaw that been there in the back of my mind for weeks now.  Creating something two dimensional in Templot is fairly straightforward, but then taking a flat plan and superimposing it over a three dimensional object is when the challenges arrive.  The curve of the bridge was one of those and it was rapidly becoming a potential stumbling block.  The angles are all pretty critical and the curve has to be in the right place to avoid stair finials and ensure the storage facilities emerge at right angles to the room.  This was one of those jobs that needed far more hands than I was blessed with and it highlighted the shortcomings of modelling on your own.  Eventually with some help from my dear lady, I managed to tack nail the bridge in the correct position and then start the task of creating the bridge deck.  

 

The only way to do this was very much by trial and error with small sheets of 2mm mdf slid under the lower deck and the straight edges created between the supports.  Every span is going to be different with the longest twice the length of the shortest.  Of course the next hurdle to get over will be the spans themselves and I've yet to attack those.  With the house to myself today, it may be the perfect opportunity to try and sketch these out and see if they can be created by cutting and shutting Peco or Wills RTR product.  It's still in my head right now, but if the height of the support is to remain constant then the parabolic curves will all be different, which will probably rule out any proprietary product and mean scratch building.  That could be fun.... 

 

Here's a few pics..