Copenhagen Fields

[CF MRC]

Thanks for that David. They probably would have remained in GNR condition as the gantry was taken out of service in 1932 with the KX re-signalling. There is another signal in the vicinity which is rather fun. 

The image also shows step pegs on the nearer dolls and only partial railing on the gantry at high level. The more you look the more you see…

 

Tim
 

 

[bécasse]

8 hours ago, CF MRC said:

The more you look the more you see…
 

 

When we were building Bembridge half-a-century-plus ago we had full-plate prints of three more or less contemporary Aerofilms aerial photographs which showed the station (and a limited amount of its surrounds). I used to sellotape them up on a window so that they were effectively back-lit and then carefully worked my way around them using a botanist's magnifying eyeglass. It was astounding just how much information could be picked up with this technique and it contributed greatly to the accuracy of the final model. Those prints came from full-plate glass negatives loaded in a camera with a top-notch professional camera but even with much more mundane photography it is often surprising how much extra one can learn if only one looks carefully - and the more one does it, the more one learns to avoid the pitfalls.

[Caley Jim]

Can I ask why the gantry was so high and the signals suspended so far down from it?

 

Jim

[CF MRC]

1 hour ago, Caley Jim said:

Can I ask why the gantry was so high and the signals suspended so far down from it?

 

Jim

It’s presumably to give sighting from the tunnel, Jim. They do seem quite extreme though.  Maintaining  them would have been a bit of a game. 
 

Replying to David, we always use aerial photographs - originally ‘proper’ images in the 1980s. There are none of this area with decent resolution at this period. (1920s). There is nowadays a massive resource on-line which can be usefully image manipulated to yield lots of information. 
 

Tim

Edited April 26 by CF MRC

[CF MRC]

Some more progress on the signal gantry at Gasworks Tunnel. 

The dolls were filed up very quickly from some 2mm square brass. I use very sharp, coarse, Vallorbe files to shift metal and then dress with finer grades. 

The bridge is only partly planked, with over half open at the top. This was not catered for in the etch and so it required the herringbone bracing to be made. This was bent up from brass wire. 

 

After bending, the wire was flattened in a vice and soldered in place one node at a time. It has strengthened the structure rather well, as have the lower footboards for the signal dolls. 

Should add a bit of interest in the ‘trough’. 

 

Tim
 

 

[bécasse]

This photo "popped up" on Facebook. Doubtless Tim has seen it before and, of course, it was taken perhaps a couple of decades before the supposed era of CF (although the world moved at a slower pace then), but it's a nice reminder of the goods area north of Kings Cross itself. Next extension to CF the canal perhaps?

[manna]

G'Day Folks

 

Not sure it's as old as you may think. To the right of the Great Northern sign on the building, there is another sign that says 'LNER BRO' or some such ???

 

manna

[Krusty]

Quote

Not sure it's as old as you may think. To the right of the Great Northern sign on the building, there is another sign that says 'LNER BRO' or some such ???

 

R something INER BROS LTD

[St Enodoc]

3 minutes ago, manna said:

G'Day Folks

 

Not sure it's as old as you may think. To the right of the Great Northern sign on the building, there is another sign that says 'LNER BRO' or some such ???

 

manna

I think it's Kilner Bros Ltd, who were glass bottle manufacturers (think Kilner jars) originally based near Dewsbury but also with a warehouse at 14 Great Northern Goods Station, King's Cross.

 

https://www.conisbroughheritage.com/kilner-s-glassworks

 

https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Kilner_Brothers

[bécasse]

The photo is pre-1913 at least. Horse tram tracks can be seen crossing Maiden Lane bridge over the Regent's Canal in the foreground and they had been removed by the time that Ordnance Survey resurveyed the area in 1913. 

The clothing being worn is reasonably typical for working class folks in the Edwardian era so the photo will probably have been taken during the decade prior to 1913.

[Darryl Tooley]

5 hours ago, bécasse said:

The photo is pre-1913 at least

But perhaps not that much earlier.  I think that these might well be the events advertised to the immediate left of the entrance:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan–British_Exhibition#/media/File:Japan-British-Exhibition-1910-Guidebook.png

 

http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/DruryLane/Prog1.htm

 

D

[CF MRC]

We stopped at the Kilner Co offices, which received a third storey by the time we modelled them. The model was made by Tom Knapp in Hawaii. 

The south end operator is effectively sitting in the Regents canal. 
 

Tim 

[Caley Jim]

1 hour ago, CF MRC said:

The south end operator is effectively sitting in the Regents canal. 

Wet suit provided? Hopefully at least a life jacket! 🤔

 

Jim (windae picked) 

[Michael Hodgson]

On 04/05/2024 at 19:34, bécasse said:

 

 

What strikes me about this photo is the extremely tall telegraph pole in the centre, although we can't see the wires.   I really wouldn't fancy climbing that one to do the wiring!.

There seem to be too many arms/insulators for them to run to the other poles in in the photo.  Such height would usually be used where it was needed to clear a very tall obstacle or cross a longer gap than usual (such as to the other side of the canal but the arm are not correctly oriented for that).  Presmably there is another pole out of view just to the right of the photo, and lines cross the road in the foreground.

[Orion]

1 hour ago, Michael Hodgson said:

 

  Presmably there is another pole out of view just to the right of the photo, and lines cross the road in the foreground.

You can see the shadow of one on the road in the left foreground

[St Enodoc]

4 hours ago, Michael Hodgson said:

we can't see the wires

Modellers (in all scales) should heed this!

[MarshLane]

On 04/05/2024 at 19:34, bécasse said:

This photo "popped up" on Facebook. Doubtless Tim has seen it before and, of course, it was taken perhaps a couple of decades before the supposed era of CF (although the world moved at a slower pace then), but it's a nice reminder of the goods area north of Kings Cross itself. Next extension to CF the canal perhaps?

 

The whole area around King's Cross, KX Goods and Regents Canal is a fascinating one as this image shows.  Thanks for reposting it.  Great to see.

[CF MRC]

13 hours ago, MarshLane said:

 

The whole area around King's Cross, KX Goods and Regents Canal is a fascinating one as this image shows.  Thanks for reposting it.  Great to see.

Well worth  visit if you’re in the area. 
https://www.canalmuseum.org.uk

 

The ice wells were the source of information for our cart. 

 

Tim

[Phil Parker]

7 minutes ago, CF MRC said:

Well worth  visit if you’re in the area. 
https://www.canalmuseum.org.uk

 

Worth a visit for the lovely Bantam tugboat. http://philsworkbench.blogspot.com/search/label/Bantam Tug

[CF MRC]

After a bit of fiddling there is now a working somersault signal on the Belle Isle Down signal bridge on CF. There will be another arm working (these two signal a conflicting route)  and the other 6-8 can be in fixed positions. I’ll try and take construction photos when the next one is being made. 

The signal arm was chemically blackened to prevent it being soldered solid. 

The video shows it simply being pulled on its connecting rodding. There will need to be some cranks and linkages across the bridge to activate it. 

Tim

Edited May 8 by CF MRC

[CF MRC]

Mick Nicholson has sent me this fascinating MRN article from 1935. 

For our younger readers, here is a comparison picture of a current £1 coin compared to the half-crown (12.5p in ‘new’ money). 

A little bit bigger than T gauge, but a very, very small prototype. 
 

Tim

Edited May 9 by CF MRC

[bbishop]

The gentleman was a member of the Wimbledon club.

[queensquare]

6 hours ago, CF MRC said:

Mick Nicholson has sent me this fascinating MRN article from 1935. 

For our younger readers, here is a comparison picture of a current £1 coin compared to the half-crown (12.5p in ‘new’ money). 

A little bit bigger than T gauge, but a very, very small prototype. 
 

Tim

Amazing stuff. The reference to ‘German silver’ is interesting. I suspected it to be Nickel Silver but had never come across  that reference - I had to Google it!

 

Jerry

[t-b-g]

3 minutes ago, queensquare said:

Amazing stuff. The reference to ‘German silver’ is interesting. I suspected it to be Nickel Silver but had never come across  that reference - I had to Google it!

 

Jerry

 

I wonder if the name was changed due to certain unpleasantness that occurred between 1939 and 1945.

 

I also wonder if that little masterpiece still exists somewhere? It is so special that I wouldn't like think of anybody getting rid of it.

[queensquare]

1 hour ago, t-b-g said:

 

I wonder if the name was changed due to certain unpleasantness that occurred between 1939 and 1945.

 

If that was the case you’d have the falling out in 1914 -18 might have been enough to drop the name! 
 

Agree, would be wonderful to think it still exists somewhere. There are a number of 2mm models of similar vintage that do survive.

 

Jerry