LNER4479 Posted October 1, 2014 Author Share Posted October 1, 2014 (edited) Remember this? Yes, Grantham's first public appearance as a full (though incomplete) layout at February's 'East Coast Giants' event at Barrow Hill. Photographer Chris Nervard called in (with Ben Jones) on the Friday afternoon for a 'shoot' as we were completing set up. Well, it's been sat in the queue for a little while but there's now an article (covering the build up to and attendance at the Barrow Hill event, 35 A4s et al) scheduled to appear in Model Rail issue 202 (issue 201 has just come out). I'll pop up another a post once it's confirmed for sure Edited October 2, 2014 by LNER4479 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JCL Posted October 1, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 1, 2014 Talking of books, hi 'Robert', I've managed to bag a copy of Locomotives Illustrated 126 - GNR 4-4-0s. Thanks so much for introducing me to your copy. Cheers Jason 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNER4479 Posted October 3, 2014 Author Share Posted October 3, 2014 DEBUT SHOW ANNOUNCEMENT OK folks. Been 'sitting on' this information for some little while now but I'm delighted to announce that Grantham's debut appearance on the model railway exhibition circuit will be at - most appropriately - the Grantham Rail Show, September 12th/13th 2015. We visited the show this year (JW and 3279 were both there as part of layout operating teams) and as a local / friendly venue it couldn't be better for a first appearance. We are all looking forward to it tremendously and there is a full programme of work on the layout over the next 11-and-a-bit months to support this first appearance. If you feel so moved, be delighted to see any RMWebbers there. We do have some more dates in the pipeline, with up to four possible show appearances in 2016 so - god-willing - there should be further opportunities to come and lean on the barriers and say 'hi' as the layout develops further. 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwealleans Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 If this year's show was anything to go by, we won't be modelling the fetching assortment of winter knitwear visible above either. Maybe that's a good thing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gr.king Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 Whilst at Caistor exhibition today, as well as meeting up with friends, I spotted a relatively inexpensive Bachmann fixed-ends 7 plank mineral wagon - just the thing I was looking for as one possible basis for a quick project. I wanted it for conversion (you'd never guess, would you....) to an approximate model of the 7 plank version of the WW1 Ministry of Munitions Ire Ore hopper design. I've scraped off the representations of the side doors, pulled off the drop-door springs, and made up a totally conjectural (but I believe fairly typical) hopper interior for the wagon using planked Plastikard. My cunning plan is to replicate the modified body in resin and fit Parkside RCH underframe parts to the clones. Grantham shall not want for plausible 1930s ironstone wagons! 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNER4479 Posted October 6, 2014 Author Share Posted October 6, 2014 (edited) Thanks, Graeme - more ingenuity on its way methinks... Meanwhile, back to the grindstone this end. Having cleared Peascliffe tunnel from the workbench, time for some more signal construction - and a batch build this time: It starts with some main posts. All three are wooden post signals so these are MSE whitemetal parts, with the bottom ends shaped to fit a short piece of brass square tube. This is so they can be set up with a strong, square and true base. Out with the low melt iron to attach the bracketry, the brass etchings having firstly being tinned with ordinary solder to give the low melt something to hang on to. And with the first phases complete, they begin to reveal their identity. On the left we have the 'gallows' single arm signal protecting the down line entrance to Peascliffe tunnel; in the centre is the junction signal controlling trains approaching Grantham from the Nottingham direction and on the right... aha... a 'mystery' signal just for the moment Two of them require landings, being bracket junction signals. Aarghh - a severe outbreak of little bits Phew, that's a bit better (actually, I quite like the close up stuff. Don't ask me why ) Suitably attached - only for some more little bits to appear. A word or two about the Nottingham signal (on the left). This is a little bit of a 'fantasy' signal as I know that the real one didn't quite look like this. The reason for this is that my layout deviates from the pre-war track alignment in this area as I have included the facing crossover to allow Nottingham trains to arrive in platform 5 (clear of the ECML). I 'found out' the truth too late as it were although it actually makes the layout more pragmatic from an exhibition 'keeping trains running' point of view. The actual signal had the importance of the arms reversed (ie the right hand post should be the taller) so I've used this as licence to deviate and make this an 'interesting' signal to add to the variety. Note therefore (we got there in the end!) that the arm and the spectacle plate of the somersault mechanism are separated, with the latter lower down the post. This was the earlier, 19th century GNR configuration. Some signals of this style can still be seen in early 1930's pictures of Grantham - so I'm having one Some of these parts are really small. The bottom ones are actually scratchbuilt (if you can call soldering two tiny bits of metal together 'scratchbuilding'?); they're the support brackets for the lamps on the 'mystery' signal. With these parts fitted (mainly the whitemetal details: finials and lamps) that completes the basic construction. The paintshop now beckons. Couldn't resist placing the Nottingham arrival signal in situ to give an idea of how it will look. Even though it has an element of fantasy about it, it is correctly positioned on the 'wrong' side of the line (ie it doesn't apply to the line it is adjacent to). This was presumably to minimise the possibility of drivers (mis)reading the wrong signal as they approached Grantham round the curve. And the 'mystery' signal? Why this is part of my part in the horse-trading with Mr Wright - the signal is destined to be 'planted' a few miles further south (and 20 years later on in time!) at Little Bytham. More soon... Edited October 6, 2014 by LNER4479 13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donington Road Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 IMG_2073.JPG Some of these parts are really small. The bottom ones are actually scratchbuilt (if you can call soldering two tiny bits of metal together 'scratchbuilding'?); they're the support brackets for the lamps on the 'mystery' signal. How do you manage to breathe when you are near those parts 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JCL Posted October 7, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 7, 2014 How do you manage to breathe when you are near those parts I was holding my breath just reading the post! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gr.king Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 Is the cover name "Robert THE DEVIL" a clue that we've missed? Does he need to breathe? Shall I take a small mirror next time I go to see him, in order to check for evidence of both respiration and the casting of a reflection? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNER4479 Posted October 7, 2014 Author Share Posted October 7, 2014 Is the cover name "Robert THE DEVIL" a clue that we've missed? It's all true. Mwwahahahahaaaaa Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Alister_G Posted October 7, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 7, 2014 It's all true. Mwwahahahahaaaaa Careful! Laughing like that could blow all your brass bits away... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium great northern Posted October 7, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 7, 2014 I think I might cope with the posts. I might even cope with the landings. The little bits though would doubtless ping off into oblivion, and the really small bits.... well I can't imagine the manual dexterity, and patience, needed to attach those. Wonderful stuff! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JCL Posted October 21, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 21, 2014 Knock, knock. Helloo, it's mighty quiet, are you all still beavering away on lattices and hoppers? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwealleans Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 (edited) and C1s. Edited October 21, 2014 by jwealleans Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNER4479 Posted October 21, 2014 Author Share Posted October 21, 2014 Knock, knock. Helloo, it's mighty quiet, are you all still beavering away on lattices and hoppers? Yup... In other news, am looking forward to the inaugural visit of the scenic guru this weekend so there may be a whole new set of fresh photos this time next week. Courage, mon brave... (Ooh - and it appears that the sub copies of MR202 have gone out, featuring the visit of Grantham to Barrow Hill. Should be on the magazine shelves by the end of the week.) 13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted October 21, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 21, 2014 (Ooh - and it appears that the sub copies of MR202 have gone out, featuring the visit of Grantham to Barrow Hill. Should be on the magazine shelves by the end of the week.) And arrived with some of us a couple of days ago - 7 very nice pages with some excellent pics of a rather nice bit of railway. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classsix T Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 And arrived with some of us a couple of days ago - 7 very nice pages with some excellent pics of a rather nice bit of railway. We'll learn yer Mike, and yer copper capped brethren..! C6T. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted October 21, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 21, 2014 We'll learn yer Mike, and yer copper capped brethren..! C6T. Of course what you chaps don't realise is that the main part of my family heritage is NER/LNER - I had more relatives who worked for that side of things than worked on the GWR (although two of them started back in broad gauge days), and my little stock of ECML pacifics shall remain secret. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JCL Posted October 21, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 21, 2014 (Ooh - and it appears that the sub copies of MR202 have gone out, featuring the visit of Grantham to Barrow Hill. Should be on the magazine shelves by the end of the week.) Marvellous, by the time I get to Vancouver Island it should be on sale there as well. re: Scenery - carefull! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gr.king Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 Knock, knock. Helloo, it's mighty quiet, are you all still beavering away on lattices and hoppers? ...and P2s likely to be seen on running in turns from the plant or test trains from KX. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gr.king Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 (edited) Yup... IMG_2349.JPG Luvverly siggernals. Edited October 22, 2014 by gr.king Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted October 22, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 22, 2014 Luvverly siggernals. The signals are one of the things which helps to make 'Grantham' something special - right signals in the right places doing the right things, not often you see that on a model of a railway let alone on a model railway. And then another interesting thing is that it repeats on all the 'premier' ECML layouts which feature on RMweb - must be something about you ECML modelling sorts 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JCL Posted October 22, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 22, 2014 Luvverly siggernals. Careful, you'll be doing somersaults. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNER4479 Posted October 24, 2014 Author Share Posted October 24, 2014 The signals are one of the things which helps to make 'Grantham' something special - right signals in the right places doing the right things, not often you see that on a model of a railway let alone on a model railway. And then another interesting thing is that it repeats on all the 'premier' ECML layouts which feature on RMweb - must be something about you ECML modelling sorts Thanks Mike. So far as Grantham is concerned, it was always the intention to 'build in' the signals during the construction of the layout (rather than add them as an afterthought). By 'build in', I am referring to the layout's interlocking and control system, ie the points and signals are interlocked and - in 'auto' mode - the power is only fed to the track when the correct signal is 'off'. Not only does that mimic aspects of the prototype but also promotes 'safe' running of the model trains. We intend to run the expresses (and the streamliners in particular) fast through Grantham and they (the trains) are, by and large, other peoples' pride n joys. I don't want to be responsible for them crashing into each other! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cornish trains jez Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 Enjoyed reading the article in this months Model Rail! Keep up the good work! Hopefully I'll get to see the layout in the flesh one day! Best regards, Jeremy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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