Bacup - Mills in the hills

[bluebottle]

Just wondering - when you get as far as putting up the nameboards, what is this station "loosely based on Bacup" to be called?

[Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71]

Very impressive! Great techniques and results with the weathering of the stone inparticular.

 

Dave

[Jason T]

I hadn't really thought about the name much and just tend to refer to it as Bacup, although Andy C had suggested 'Newchurch' a while ago and as a few of the non-railway buildings are based on examples there (it's an area of Bacup) then I might go for it.

 

Saying that, when I was bored ages ago, I did knock up a Bacup sign with Slaters letters although I have no idea where it is now

[Jason T]

I took a break from painting yesterday evening and spent some time finishing off (most of) the baseboards, including a small bolt on section in front of the station building (previously, if you had walked out of the station, you would have fallen off the 'edge of the World'. I also sorted out the turnout into the goods yard, which was proving to be a tad troublesome for one of the Black Fives, unacceptable as it will be used a lot.

 

With that done, I then had a period of 'testing', which basically meant shunting for an hour or so; I'd forgotten how much fun it is to actually operate a layout !

 

Unfortunately, the only photos I took were at the very end, just as I was rushing to go out for a pizza and what turned out to be the worst pint of beer I've had in ages (and boy, did the toilet pay the price for that this morning ).

 

So, here we have two shots of a Jinty arriving with a short engineers train consisting of a Grampus, two Dogfish, a Catfish and an ex MR brake van (of the type to be modelled by Bachmann at some point in the future).

 

 

 

The water tower at the end of the platform needs modifying but that is a job for the future.

[Steve Hewitt]

I hadn't really thought about the name much and just tend to refer to it as Bacup, although Andy C had suggested 'Newchurch' a while ago and as a few of the non-railway buildings are based on examples there (it's an area of Bacup) then I might go for it.

 

Saying that, when I was bored ages ago, I did knock up a Bacup sign with Slaters letters although I have no idea where it is now

 

Newchurch is actually part of Rawtenstall, the adjacent borough to Bacup, and the name was used at Waterfoot station in the earliest days of the line.

Its where I used to get off the train each day when going to school.

 

Steve.

[Jason T]

I blame Andy C

 

I am sure he told me that Newchurch was part of Bacup

[Jason T]

Quick update time: The windows have been added to the new row. I used to dread this but I now find it quite relaxing (although there is one that is a bit scruffy due to a bodged first attempt)

 

 

Close-up

 

[Jason T]

Just noticed, of all the windows I could have photographed in the close up, I had to pick the scratched, bodged one in the shot

[Removed a/c]

Those are awful you should send them to me and I will dispose of them for you

 

:jester:

Edited May 3, 2012 by thebritfarmer

[Andy C]

I blame Andy C

 

I am sure he told me that Newchurch was part of Bacup

 

In my defence I was only throwing names of local areas in the Valley and its environs, IIRC places like Newchurch, Cowpe, Weir, which came off the top of the head. think I even mentioned as far as Deerplay (note no sheep or interbreeding references which is par for the course in that part of the world)

 

Recourse to the OS map shows Stubbylee, Rockcliffe (all close to the station area in bacup) Huttock Top, Greave (in Rochdale thats an estate as rough as sin, so id stay away from that one),Lane Head, Broad Clough, butt (wait for it) the one I really do like is Pasture Bottom, immediately due east of Greave.

 

Of course, a bit nearer Bury and east of Ramsbottom, there is always Nob End. Its just begging for a railway.

[Jason T]

For all the model's inaccuracies, I might just stick with Bacup and if anyone bleats on about the real Bacup not looking like that, I will point out that the real Bacup isn't made of wood, card and plastic and wouldn't fit in my attic in Oxford.

[Andy C]

if anyone bleats on about the real Bacup

 

Yep, you have definately got the measure of the place, call it Bacup

[bluebottle]

Well, it's your alternative universe...

[Jason T]

And now for something completely different....

 

I finally pulled my finger out of my posterior and laid the (main line) track on Board three and as you will notice, the pointwork on this board is Peco code 75, the main reason being that it is out of sight and I didn't fancy building a double slip. The pointwork here is basically the entrance to the fiddle yard and whilst I would have dearly loved to have used a traverser, the proximity of the baseboards to the back wall prohibited it. The curve here is relatively tight, especially as it follows the transition round into Peco's finest, but that is something I couldn't avoid. Which leads us on (or back) to the whole point of the goods shed, which will be angled in towards the double slip and will (hopefully) hide the points from view and also give the impression that the main lines straighten out instead of curving onwards.

 

The real compromise here is that because of the location of the goods yard on the inside, then space is limited for two of the sidings and only two will continue round to where the goods shed is; one of which will give the impression that it continues on beyond and behind the shed itself. Likewise, because of the angle of the shed and the necessary screening of the double slip, the assumption would be that the line through the shed continues through and onwards before joining onto the other siding again (it will stop just outside it). Now obviously this is all going to make the goods yard look slightly strange but as mentioned, I have no choice really.

 

Anyway, hopefully the photos will show what I mean better than I am describing it

 

The newly laid and wired in track - it now means that I can run a train in properly, which is also helping with testing the pointwork, etc. As you can see, space is minimal but a small corner board will be added (wood already cut, just waiting for other jobs to be done)

 

 

With the goods shed in place, from the normal viewing angle

 

 

The shed end of the goods yard. The shortest siding (by quite a bit) will hold six wagons comfortably

 

 

Oh, and even though I have houses to finish and another board to do, whilst I am working, I'm 'busy' adding handrails to this Hornby LMS brake van that was once dawbed in Engineers Olive (picked it up for a bargain from a second hand stall at an exhibition somewhere). I still have the feeling that I am polishing a turd but until Hornby to the honorable thing and bring it into the 21st century, or Parkside / Cambrian realise that they are an infinitely useful brake van and would sell by the bucketload, then what choice is there?

 

[Jason T]

Well, what started out as a normal day at work turned into a real nasty one and I have literally just logged off. However, I did manage to get the handrails fitted on the brake van, still in brass colour at the moment and as such, the below photo doesn't really show you much. I now find myself looking at the lamp irons and door rails (if that is what the bit that goes across the door openings is called) and wondering what I should do about them, never mind that I can't think of any way of glazing it without cutting a huge hole in the floor. Too much effort? Maybe, but doing the handrails has kept me sane on an otherwise awful afternoon.

 

[Jason T]

I didn't get chance to do much over the Bank Holiday weekend as we were away for Saturday and Sunday, and then I was out biking in the rain all day Monday, followed by cleaning my bike with a bucket and various brushes (hose pipe ban !!!).

 

However, I have managed to get some modelling done, namely moving forward with the houses that sit next to the station building, and adding the nets & curtains to the new row, as well as applying the first coat of paint to the doors (which I also fitted, come to think of it - so not so un-productive after all)

 

Anyway, first we have the houses by the station. These have now been weathered, had the skylight added, the lead flashing painted in a (hopefully) appropriate colour and the gutters added; unpainted as of now (apart from the insides, for the obvious reason that it would be a ###### to paint them after they are attached).

 

The front. The real houses have the non-matching windows, so I copied them

 

The rear. The brick section is supposed to represent where the owners have converted the outhouse into a proper bathroom and hence bricked up the door and added a 'modern' window. Totally freelance as I couldn't get a good shot of the backs of the houses.

 

The roof

 

Progress on the new row of houses. You'd be hard pushed to spot the curtains, etc.

 

Oh, and I painted the handrails white on the LMS Brake Van. how white?

Edited May 9, 2012 by Sandside

[Dave Holt]

Hi, Sandside.

 

Just love those houses (by the station) shown above. In the past, I've made one or two observations about the colour/degree of blackening of stone buildings in the North West, and I think you've got it absolutely spot on with this pair.

Keep up the good work!

 

Dave.

[devondynosoar118]

Great buildings, as a terraced house owner the random treatment of the back of each house by generations of occupants is spot on.

[Jason T]

Rather than watching paint dry, I thought I would make a start at the scenery in an area that is pretty much out of view, the road that fronts onto the station building and the house. Now it may look like all I have done is to cut out a bit of mounting board but I had to do a bit of surgery to the station beforehand. Basically, there was a gap of about 6mm from the building to the edge of the foamboard 'platform' it rests on. Additionally, when I placed the mounting board up to it and worked out the angle of the road to get it down to baseboard level, then it all looked a bit short, steep and unnatural.

 

 

So, I trimmed it back and have added a suitable length of brick along the front (e.g. below building level), which also doubles up as a wall around the edge of the platform itself. As such, the road can begin it's descent earlier and more fluidly. A LOT of work and tidying up to do here (not least being that the 'road' is currently sat on a scrap of wood that is too thick, rather than any formers) but hopefully it'll work out fine. I'll need to build an angled set of steps up to the far building entrance at some point.

 

 

 

 

And yes, before you say it, I know that the end of the wall is scruffy; it will be tidied up.

[Jason T]

The new row of terraces are now glued together and free-standing; in need of roofs but that's an easy enough task (if time consuming). To celebrate the topping out, some gratuitous photos.

 

In place, but let's hope it doesn't rain. What this means is that I can now start forming the scenery at the front of the layout to bed them all in

 

Looking down the hill. I forgot to move the lamp; that's not my representation of a modern church

 

And now, we watch (sometimes with blurry eyes) as the half-hourly DMU leaves Bacup and heads down the valley for Bury

 

Rasping out of the station

 

Crossing the road bridge, past the signal box (which appears to be on loan from the Great Northern.......)

 

Past the goods yard with the 'wasteland' behind

 

And finally, out of sight as it disappears behind the goods shed

 

Well I enjoyed it, anyway

[Jon Fitness]

Love the stone-work; that colour looks bob-on!

Jon F.

[Removed a/c]

Brilliant can't wait to see them bedded in with the street, people, cars etc..

[Steve Hewitt]

And now, we watch (sometimes with blurry eyes) as the half-hourly DMU leaves Bacup and heads down the valley for Bury

 

Rasping out of the station

 

Crossing the road bridge, past the signal box (which appears to be on loan from the Great Northern.......)

 

Past the goods yard with the 'wasteland' behind

 

And finally, out of sight as it disappears behind the goods shed

 

Well I enjoyed it, anyway

 

Brings back great memories!

My friends and I used to enjoy the real thing when those diesels were first introduced.

Standing right on the driver's shoulder we watched his every move, and were sure we could have driven one very well.

 

Half hourly service with a half hour journey time to Bury.

 

Great station names en-route:

Bacup; Stacksteads; Waterfoot; Cloughfold; Rawtenstall; Ewood Bridge; Stubbins Junction; Ramsbottom; Summerseat; Bury Bolton Street

 

You're really getting it right!

 

Steve.

[Physicsman]

Hi Sandside,

 

Rather than hijack Alan's S&C N gauge thread, I thought I'd reply here...

 

Thanks for the info on Milliput. I'd never heard of it - yes, I'm a Neanderthal!! - but will now investigate further.

 

Jeff

[60091]

Hi Sandside

I'm here too to reply to your S+C 79-83 post.!

 

Agree entirely about relative merits of the Lakes and Northern Dales. I,ve walked and climbed in the Lakes for 35 years, although I do enjoy the peace and quiet of the hills around the S+C. A few weeks ago there were over 50 people on top of Place Fell above Ullswater.

Unfortunately when it comes to my other interest, all that's left is a branch line to Windermere. The S+C is the perfect combination of mainline railway and hills. I've little interest in the modern rail network and the S+C is the only location where I still photograph trains. I'd still be photographing the WCML if it was running up Longsleddale, through Gatesgarth Tunnel and into Mardale...one of the proposed routes before the line was built over Shap.

 

While planning a new 00 layout , it's been very interesting to follow your work on Bacup. I'm finding a lot of information and inspiration here...especially your setting of the railway in its' urban enviroment. The new layout may be located in L+Y territory so your work on the buildings has been particularly informative..