Hest Bank in 4mm scale

[TerryD1471]

Thank you, gentlemen for you kind comments.

 

Yes, Edward, I realise I may have been presuming too much about the L & Y 2-4-2T and the likelihood of its appearance at Hest. The only justification (and it's pretty thin!) is that Barrow had one on its books in the 50s (and that it might therefore JUST have got as far as Hest), but I think it's far more likely that it was used on branch and local work nearer to its home shed. The truth is that I liked it and it makes a contrast with all the Stanier locos which predominate. Having said that, I have just acquired a fourth Super D, because I like them too and I have kits for 2 more to do sometime.

 

Cheers

 

Terry

[TerryD1471]

At last; a post with some pics. I confess to boundless ineptitude with Irfanview as a means of reducing pictures to a workable size. The program is fine; it's just that I had forgotten how to make it work and it took another self-administered kick up the a**e to try again.

 

These shots were actually taken quite a long time ago, so now that I have my act together, I shall be taking more pics and posting these too. Progress has been quite slow because of external reasons which I won't bore anyone with.

 

Clan heading north about to pass through Hest Bank station with a Liverpool-Glasgow working.

 

 

Grubby WD clanking through off the Morecambe branch with a freight working consisting of loaded tube and pipe wagons, just about to join the down main line. A milk train, with a Stove R bringing up the rear has just passed on the up main. (Oops, just noticed that the WD isn't clanking anywhere; it's at rest awaiting the "peg" to give it the road.

 

 

Jubilee heading south with a sizeable milk train from the Eden valley bound for London. The tanks are almost all proprietary (mostly Lima and hence GWR prototypes) and a fair bit of work is required to make them more acceptable. Like removing clunky couplings, weathering, detail improvements etc.)

 

 

One of the projects that has been forced to take a bit of a back seat. A sadly deceased member of Wolverhampton MRC had part built a Comet chassis and I am utilising this to go under "British Legion", the origins of which are obscured in the mists of time, but I think may be partly a Bristol models kit and partly a McGowan. Now I HAVE to get on with it!

Edited February 24, 2016 by TerryD1471

[TerryD1471]

Just a few more; I'm showing off now I have mastered (again) Irfanview.

 

 

An up express has just passed beneath the signal gantry and is just about to cross under the A5105 Coastal Road as it heads toward Lancaster and the south.

 

 

Another up express, Princess hauled, heads south. The Hornby Princess may have its detractors, but it still does the job and is of a standard that, a couple of decades ago, would have received paeans of praise.

 

 

The same train,only seconds earlier, passing under the signal gantry south of Hest. The houses on the right must have had an enviable view over the railway (if you were an enthusiast!)

Edited February 23, 2016 by TerryD1471

[ColinK]

Nice to see the layout.

 

There are lots of trees now, so many houses don't have a good view of the railway. However, following a tree blowing onto the overhead, Network Rail have told us they are going to cut the vegetation back.

[richard i]

Terry

Looking good, it is nice to see long trains running in landscape.

British legion will look nicer am sure, but would not fury look better? Red, pipes, cutout smoke box.

Richard

[92220]

Always good to see updates and photos from Hest Bank, Terry.

 

I'll be very interested to see how 46170 progresses. Do keep us updated. I'm planning on a rebuild of a Hornby Patriot and Scot with a new boiler section. Scot chassis, smokebox and running plate, Patriot cab and firebox, scratch built boiler with the extra foot or whatever it was in length. Scratchbuilding the taper boiler section will be a challenge, but made easier by not needing it to form a perfect join at the bottom because of the motor and chassis.

 

All the best,

 

Iain

[Londontram]

How is it that you can miss a thread like this. Out standing work, much enjoyed the whole thread Steve

[edward66]

Hi Terry,

I love Super Ds, they certainly weren't strangers to the WCML and very impressive when working hard on an upgrade. I knew a guy who fired them regularly, always said they needed a dancing fire then they would steam really well but they were somewhat rough riding, he said they tried to throw him off the footplate!

 

Edward

[TerryD1471]

How is it that you can miss a thread like this. Out standing work, much enjoyed the whole thread Steve

Very kind of you, Steve (and Colin, Richard, Iain and Edward). I am still only too painfully aware of the many deficiencies both in layout and stock and I don't seem to be able to progress half as quickly as I would like, but at least I've always got something to do when I get into the shed. (As if I need something to fill my time!).

 

Your comments on Super Ds, Edward, I concur with absolutely. I think the crew were actually quite lucky if there was enough of the footplate to stand on! User friendly they weren't, but by all accounts they were prodigious haulers. I am actually old enough to have seen them in service. Happy memories of seeing one shunting the yard in the maltings just to the north east of Lichfield Trent Valley Station (1959), a pleasant interlude between all the big stuff roaring through on the main line. Ah, nostalgia isn't what it was!

 

Terry

[TerryD1471]

Terry

Looking good, it is nice to see long trains running in landscape.

British legion will look nicer am sure, but would not fury look better? Red, pipes, cutout smoke box.

Richard

Silly boy, Richard! Interesting it might have been, but abject failure it certainly was, so I think that the use that W A Stanier put its chassis to was best. It depends on whom you believe, but differing accounts have it that 46170 was either one coach better, or one coach worse than a normal Royal Scot. What is undeniable is that the rebuilt Scot was the most powerful loco of its weight to run in this country and it was the mainstay of WCML operations throughout the 40s and 50s.

 

Terry

[richard i]

Silly boy, Richard! Interesting it might have been, but abject failure it certainly was, so I think that the use that W A Stanier put its chassis to was best. It depends on whom you believe, but differing accounts have it that 46170 was either one coach better, or one coach worse than a normal Royal Scot. What is undeniable is that the rebuilt Scot was the most powerful loco of its weight to run in this country and it was the mainstay of WCML operations throughout the 40s and 50s.

 

Terry

Terry,

I model, looks are everything. I know how shallow is that, performance of the real thing counts for nowt.

Richard

[TerryD1471]

After a prolonged spell in the posting doldrums, here are a few more pics:-

 

 

City of London wheels a down Anglo-Scottish express along the 400 yards or so of the West Coast main line where you can actually see the coast. Well you would be able to if only the model extended that far! It's one of 4 DJH Duchesses on the layout, 3 of which were my own build with Anchoridge motors and are speedy and quite powerful enough to manage the 14 coach trains that are the longest that the fiddle yard can accommodate. The 4th is the nicest looking, being built by my old friend Tony Wright and professionally painted by Ian Rathbone.

 

 

A view behind the scenes looking at the "Up loops" section of the fiddle yard. It's all a bit messy, but it can be seen that the there are 16 loops in each direction and that they are staggered, so that the exit road from the down loops (on the left) runs alongside the main body of the up loops and vice versa. This has the disadvantage of requiring twice as many points as a set of "tandem" storage roads (trains stored one behind the other), but the advantage that each train has its own loop and there is no need to "shuffle up" the second train when the first one has left the yard.

 

 

London again, viewed from the other side of the tracks, just a few seconds before the first shot.

 

 

Minotaur, a Low Moor Jubilee, bringing an up Manchester working consisting of Gresley coaching stock. It's one of several "Mainline" Jubilees which have been re-chassised, in this case with brass 1/16" slab chassis members, Romford wheels, Comet valve gear and an XO4 motor. (No new-fangled technology for me!) It tows a small Fowler tender and can manage trains of the same length as the prototypes were used to hauling, in this case 11.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TerryD1471]

Just one or two more:-

 

 

Minotaur heading south from a different viewpoint.

 

 

Same train, but viewed from a spot further north. The "hole in the sky" where the main line is supposed to carry on in a straight line across the water troughs and on towards Bolton-le-Sands and Carnforth is all too painfully obvious from this standpoint. Such are the limitations of the model! In practice, this is less obvious.

 

Also the area of the townscape where there is a "village green" fronted by a substantial structure which is presently mocked up by having a "sawn up" set of Hornby buildings which try and represent (very inadequately) this distinctive row of buildings. All of these are to be improved/replaced over time, just as many other buildings on the skyline at the back of the layout will be dealt with.

 

 

A work-in-progress picture of coaching stock. The Period 1 brake corridor 1st at the left rear is from a Comet set of sides stuck onto the shell of an old Airfix 57' coach hacked about; the 62' Period 3 corridor brake composite alongside is an almost complete Comet kit, while the articulated set of Period 3 excursion stock at the front is similarly also pure Comet, except for the Bachmann bogies. I adopt a completely catholic approach to model building, with bits taken from so many different sources that I forget where they've all come from. All I have to do now is finish the paint work, line with a bow-pen and fit the interiors.

 

 

The 57' full brake (Period 3ish) behind is from a set of etched sides by Southern Pride, soldered onto a 57' Comet underframe, ends and roof, while the Period 1 60' corridor 3rd/sleeper is almost completely Comet sitting on Bachmann bogies. Same caveat as above applies to the unfinished paintwork and missing interiors.

 

 

[Taz]

Nice coaches. May I ask what paints you have used? I particularly like the shade of crimson.

[TerryD1471]

Nice coaches. May I ask what paints you have used? I particularly like the shade of crimson.

Thanks Brian

 

I usually prime with Halfords grey car spray primer, followed by Ford Sahara Beige (spray can), which seems to be the best match for BR cream (should that be "custard?"). The carmine is Revell SM 331 which I bought some time ago and is brush painted on, having been thinned a little (very little, about 1:10). Hope the Revell paint is still available (and the Ford Sahara beige; when did you last see a beige Ford?).

 

Cheers, Terry

[TerryD1471]

Another slight progress report. It's also a bit of a self-guilt trip too, because all of these projects have been under way for longer than I care to admit. They have taken a bit of a back seat because I go up to the shed, decide to run a train; decide to run another train; let's change a loco; let's do a bit of lubrication on a squeaky item of stock. Before I know it, an hour has gone by and I've done no building work. Does this sound a familiar story to any of you?

 

 

A pair of part built Comet Period 3 catering vehicles. The 65 ft RFO in front actually looks longer than the 68 ft 12 wheel diner behind. Both still require interiors, completion of paint etc, etc.

 

 

The 50 ft kitchen car in front is only just started, while the 62 ft corridor brake composite behind is at the first stage of lining out. The kitchen car has Comet sides stuck on a hacked about Mainline full brake, while the brake compo is almost pure Comet. Finishing needed as above.

 

 

A Britannia in progress; it uses a very old Triang body shell (dimensionally accurate, but in need of a lot of pipework), which is sitting on a scratch brass chassis (1.6 mm slab sides) designed to take an X04 motor. It has Romford wheels and will be fitted with Comet cylinders and motion. The cab needs modifying to match the BR1B tender (which is from a Dave Alexander kit).

[TerryD1471]

Last pictures from an old batch taken a while back. These are intended to encourage those who don't feel too happy about their modelling skills and just go to prove that "there's always someone worse than you - me!" I get a lot of pleasure from making things; sometimes the results are a bit suspect - dodgy lining, iffy paint job...........

As long as they work and work well, then I'm prepared to forgive myself minor faults and put it down to senior skills (or lack of).

 

 

A case in point; two vehicles which were made from Comet sides prepainted (but not lined) stuck to the clear plastic sides of old MAJ coach kits. Does anyone remember them? I have found that they are quite a useful basis for a 57 ft vehicle, consisting as they do of a black styrene floor with reasonable underframe detail, clear sides, and styrene moulded ends and roof. (They were originally intended to have self-adhesive pre-printed sides stuck to them, but they tended to become unstuck after a while.) I have a number of vehicles which are to this format. These two are a Period 1 brake first and a period 3 corridor 3rd. You certainly can't have too many of the latter!

 

 

Finally two work-in-progress "Semis", as we spotters used to refer to them (however inaccurately). In front is an early Hornby Dublo body shell atop a scratch chassis with a large Pittman motor and 30:1 gears. Should pull quite well! The one behind is a later Hornby Dublo shell modified to represent City of Salford, also on top of a scratch brass chassis, this time with an Anchoridge D13 with 40:1 gears. This latter I find a very good combination to achieve speed, power and smoothness. Comet tenders are being built to go behind each, and Comet bogies, trailing trucks, motion etc should complete them.

 

 

[runs as required]

Good Grief! First time I've seen Hest Bank in 4mm.

I reckon you've modelled my sister's house. Its next to the 2 storey white art deco one above the cutting (by the overbridge).  I understand that two story one belonged to the Doctor who was one of the founders of the East Lancs preserved line thru Summerseat.

 

May I ask how you access the stock on the wall shelves at the back of the layout?

 

dh

[ColinK]

There is also a bungallow currently for sale in Hest Bank which has a model of Glenfinnan Viaduct in the garden. My parents looked at it when they were looking to move, gave us quite a suprise.

[TerryD1471]

Good Grief! First time I've seen Hest Bank in 4mm.

I reckon you've modelled my sister's house. Its next to the 2 storey white art deco one above the cutting (by the overbridge).  I understand that two story one belonged to the Doctor who was one of the founders of the East Lancs preserved line thru Summerseat.

 

May I ask how you access the stock on the wall shelves at the back of the layout?

 

dh

I have to confess that I have adopted the lazy man's approach to the buildings.They are "generic". I think that means that they are approximately the right kind of building in the right place. To have scratch built the 26 structures between the A5105 overbridge and the station building would have taken more time than I was prepared to put in (or even got left!), so I took the line that if there was a bungalow there in reality, there was one on the model, and it was most probably a Dapol/Airfix one. The idea was to give the right impression, even if not actually correct, of the overall area. I am encouraged that a resident of the area told me (a few posts back), that he thought the whole model gave him the right feel for the area.

 

As to the access to the stock shelves at the back, I am 6 ft tall, the base boards are 2' 9" wide (gets 17 roads in) and 40" off the floor and that just about allows me to reach the locos that I need to get at. The inappropriate ones (A3s, A4s, V2s, Castle, County, MNs, WCs etc) are stored higher up. They get a run occasionally, even if they're not right. It is my train set, after all!

 

Terry D

[Alan Higgi]

Hi Terry

 

Hest part Brit irf.jpg

 

A Britannia in progress; it uses a very old Triang body shell (dimensionally accurate, but in need of a lot of pipework), which is sitting on a scratch brass chassis (1.6 mm slab sides) designed to take an X04 motor. It has Romford wheels and will be fitted with Comet cylinders and motion. The cab needs modifying to match the BR1B tender (which is from a Dave Alexander kit).

 

I was thinking about a Hornby Brit/Bachmann BR1c to achieve 70052 but didn't realise there was a cab mod needed. Any advice

[TerryD1471]

Hi Terry

 

Hest part Brit irf.jpg

 

A Britannia in progress; it uses a very old Triang body shell (dimensionally accurate, but in need of a lot of pipework), which is sitting on a scratch brass chassis (1.6 mm slab sides) designed to take an X04 motor. It has Romford wheels and will be fitted with Comet cylinders and motion. The cab needs modifying to match the BR1B tender (which is from a Dave Alexander kit).

 

I was thinking about a Hornby Brit/Bachmann BR1c to achieve 70052 but didn't realise there was a cab mod needed. Any advice

Hi Alan

 

The early Britannias, on which the old Triang body shell is based, had a handrail running down from the back of the cab roof to behind the cab doors. Photos of the last batch of Brits will show you that this is absent and all you have is a set of cab doors which finish normally. I think I've explained this badly, so will try to show you a pic after I've done the work. The BR1B and BR1C tenders were identical apart from the placing of the partition in the coal space.

 

Best wishes

 

Terry

[Merlin242]

There is also a bungallow currently for sale in Hest Bank which has a model of Glenfinnan Viaduct in the garden. My parents looked at it when they were looking to move, gave us quite a suprise.

 

This was the home of George Hinchcliffe ( Flying Scotsman, Gainsborough, Steamtown) who built a very large 0 Gauge layout which ran right round the garden. The viaduct was cast in one piece and is full scale. I helped build and operate it which was done in the traditional manner with block bells.

[TerryD1471]

This was the home of George Hinchcliffe ( Flying Scotsman, Gainsborough, Steamtown) who built a very large 0 Gauge layout which ran right round the garden. The viaduct was cast in one piece and is full scale. I helped build and operate it which was done in the traditional manner with block bells.

George H was quite a hero in the preservation field. Did the layout in the garden survive? I imagine the viaduct would have been hard to shift, but I wonder if any of the rest of the layout still exists.

 

Terry D

[ColinK]

It's a couple of years since I viewed the house (looking for somewhere for my parents) and most of the viaduct was intact. It was also possible to trace most of the trackbed of the garden railway. However, a conservatory seemed to be a fairly recent addition and that had severed part of the trackbed and one end of the viaduct., a great shame really.

 

The property is still for sale on Rightmove, here is the link,

 

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-39982899.html

 

Look at picture 6 and you can see the viaduct.