Grantham - the Streamliner years

[LNERGE]

 

...Fred & Jim are puzzling over the new-fangled technology (wanted - a decent picture of the inside of a relay cabinet. I can hear LNERGE & co howling with derision already)

 

 

This was the location cabinet for the junction between Trimley and Felixstowe town where the line to Felixstowe Beach branched off..

 

 

Top left to right.. Relay to control signal from red to yellow, relay to prove position light junction indicator is alight, relay to control signal from yellow to green, main filament light proving, and auxiliary filament light proving. Next shelf down from left to right DC neural polar for control of points, then unknown but i could find out if needed.

 

A charger and fuses below. Cabinet to the left houses batteries, locations to the right cable termination.

 

My only observation is for the date i'd expect to see the signal being trickle charged battery fed. The wet cells would not be in the same place as the relays (hydrogen + spark = no relay cupboard) so i'd expect to see two wooden cabinets side by side.

 

 

Edit to add..  reduce the picture in size, print it and stick inside and see how many people say you've got the wrong relays to control that signal <G>

Edited August 25, 2015 by LNERGE

[gr.king]

Do you think some small holes in the baseboard plus loops of wire through the wheels (or transparent base) of that front-of-house and very attractive horse and cart might be a sensible security measure?

Edited August 26, 2015 by gr.king

[LNER4479]

...some small holes in the baseboard plus loops of wire through the wheels...

 

...or superglue!

 

It was my intention to make it a permanent fixture actually - there's enough stuff to remove and pack away at the end of a show as it is

[Classsix T]

I've got one of the laser cut wood kits for a coal-mans cart for "Akenfield". Horse drawn commodities still being a familiar sight in rural areas in the '50s.

 

Would Tom be kind enough to inform us the source of the horses he has used. If there's a Suffolk Punch available, I'll be made up!

 

Thanx Graham, C6T.

[Tony Wright]

...or superglue!

 

It was my intention to make it a permanent fixture actually - there's enough stuff to remove and pack away at the end of a show as it is

What's the model made of?

 

If it's cast metal, I'd be tempted to drill holes in the horse's hoofs, solder wires in place in them, then drill four corresponding holes in the road-bed. In case you'd ever want to remove the lovely model in future, I'd merely screw some chocolate-box connectors to the ends of the wires, tight up against the bottom of the baseboard - perhaps doing the same with the cart's wheels. Too tempting otherwise. 

 

If it's plastic, then glue the wires in the hoofs and wheels. 

 

I have to say, during my time exhibiting layouts with WMRC we never suffered from pilfering. Whether it was attempted on the likes of Moretonhampstead, I don't know but most of what was potentially pinch-worthy was securely fixed. Though Stoke only had a tractor and trainspotter on the bridge, these too were fixed very well. And, on Charwelton, anything within reach was fixed well down. 

 

But, you never can be sure. At one show (years ago), an audacious thief lifted a Restaurant Car out of a rake in the middle of the fiddle yard while the operators were looking elsewhere. How? It had Hornby-Dublo/Peco couplings. One can't be too careful!

Edited August 26, 2015 by Tony Wright

[LNER4479]

The horse n cart are nothing more complex than the Slaters (plastic) kit (4A23 - Goods Delivery Dray Kit). Shh! - don't tell anyone but it's actually a Midland Railway cart (can't comment on the breed of horse!). However, I'm reliably informed that they were virtually indistinguishable from any other typical horse drawn delivery cart of the era.

 

Yes, sadly, the possibility of pilfering is something that one has to live with (gauling though it is to suspect of one's fellow (wo)man). Sensible precautions have and will be taken but I guess if you worried about it too much then you would end up not taking a layout to a show at all.

Edited August 26, 2015 by LNER4479

[Classsix T]

I'm unfamiliar with that kit, 'Orse included is it?

I dare say the cart can be used (light bulb - ping moment!) as chassis for the road works steam roller caravan I require for my road ganger cameo.

 

Ta Graham, you've killed two birds, one post.

C6T.

[LNER4479]

Yep - 'orse included.

 

I better get on the blower to Matlock and tell them to expect a surge in orders

[JCL]

I swear you lot can't be getting any sleep. This is worlds away from the layout I saw, and I'm very sorry I'll not be able to get to the show to see it again.

Edited August 29, 2015 by JCL

[gr.king]

I reckon he sleeps at work, leaving leisure time free for modelling.

[Mallard60022]

I am so hoping to get to Grantham to catch up with this lovely layout.....health permitting I should be there on the Sunday. I shall be asking how that lovely Peascliffe Tunnel 'mouth' shape was achieved. Amazing amount of work completed from you guys.

Phil

Edited August 29, 2015 by Mallard60022

[Barry O]

I reckon he sleeps at work, leaving leisure time free for modelling.

Unless he works with his eyes shut he stays awake while I do wire strangling...occasionally he even asks for help with his process maps...

[LNER4479]

I reckon he sleeps at work, leaving leisure time free for modelling.

Aarghh! My secret's out...   (don't tell the boss!)

[LNER4479]

I am so hoping to get to Grantham to catch up with this lovely layout.....health permitting I should be there on the Sunday. I shall be asking how that lovely Peascliffe Tunnel 'mouth' shape was achieved. Amazing amount of work completed from you guys.

Phil

Be great to see you - but do make sure you're the right side of your 'light casual' repair

[JCL]

I reckon he sleeps at work, leaving leisure time free for modelling.

Hmm, that would make sense

[unclebobkt]

Just been in to the chapel model railway room with the camera - blimey, I'm getting a bit behind with updating you guys, so here we go:

 

IMG_5169.JPG

We start with these gorgeous bits of detail. Aren't they lovely? The work of Tom (Dewdney) again; he and Paul were here at the weekend for some more scenery work.

 

IMG_5171.JPG

This one's my favourite and will have pride of place right at the front of the layout where there's a nice spot for it. The inspiration for this model is a picture in the Cossey book showing a delivery cart almost impossibly loaded up with nothing more fancy than tables and chairs; the Grantham horse n cart is therefore off to find a 'four candles' ironmongers...

 

IMG_5172.JPG

My job was to work on the cattle market fencing, using some silhouette cutter parts prepared by Paul.

 

IMG_5174.JPG

There's scope to add a few more but this'll have to do for the Grantham show for now

 

IMG_5178.JPG

I've been plugging away at some more depot details and have to say I quite like this cluster of buildings, etc that's now starting to form up.

 

IMG_5176.JPG

Yes - the bike shed is complete with bicycles!

 

IMG_5180.JPG

And I just couldn't resist this! In truth, this was probably not there in the 1930's but it appears in some 1960's views - a makeshift bothy fashioned from an old van body. So typical of the 'make do and mend' philosophy of depots.

 

IMG_5182.JPG

Not to be outdone, Paul has made up the cattle dock for the Up Goods Yard. Although there's plenty of work still to do here, this and the adjacent cattle being herded down to the market tells the complete story of the railway's transportation of livestock.

 

IMG_5183.JPG

Also, the first of two buildings depicting the maltings industry in the yard is now complete (the much larger warehouse building already complete is indeed 'just' the warehouse!)

 

IMG_5184a.jpg

Meanwhile, down at Peascliffe Tunnel...

 

IMG_5185.JPG

...Fred & Jim are puzzling over the new-fangled technology (wanted - a decent picture of the inside of a relay cabinet. I can hear LNERGE & co howling with derision already)

 

IMG_5186 (crop).jpg

 

IMG_5188.JPG

Finally, a 'shot for nothing' showing the view from the top of the tunnel, looking through Craig's splendid developing arboreal creation.

 

Right - back to work...

 

(Do you think there should now be some sort of embargo to ensure exclusivity for the show?)

 

      A small suggestion for your two draught horses - Horse Brasses on the horse's foreheads and martingales,  and possibly the two horns of the horse's collars would be polished brass;  grooms & drivers in those more leisurely days took a certain pride in the turnout of their steeds.

 

     

Edited August 30, 2015 by unclebobkt

[Barry O]

Nice info but perhaps not really a priority before the Grantham Show?

[LNER4479]

Well, the dress rehearsal has come and gone so we're as ready as we'll ever be for Grantham's full show debut. As usual, comprehensive photography was next to impossible, so what follows is a little pot pourri, mainly based around what was sat around at 0930 this morning, before we recommenced running.

 

As promised, the 'squadron' of J6s touched down and were put through their paces. A nice full goods yard forms an appropriate backdrop.

 

Mr King's NRM Atlantic waits to go off shed for its next working.

 

A rather attractive load on a Lowmac awaiting onward distribution.

 

Thought I'd turn the camera on the back of house area as it doesn't often feature and focus on some of the wonderful coaching stock sets being put together by the indefatigable Mr Wealleans. This is what we refer to as 'Teak Set 3', based around the Leeds Quint diner set. We can only offer a mere representation of the through portions / vehicles that were actually attached either side of the real thing (which could easily load to 17 vehicles leaving King's Cross). But what a GN delight this is - ahead of the dining set is a 3 + 3 GN Brake composite, with a GN BFK at the other end, the Atlantic only adding to the overall pre-1923 feel of this train, some 15 years after the grouping.

 

In the other direction, this is Teak Set 5 (with yet another Atlantic - Mr King's idiosyncratic 6-wheel drive machine). Another glorious mix of vehicles.

 

So glorious in fact that it's worth zooming in to the rear section of the train. From right to left: A third open diner; the Restaurant First Kitchen car; a lovely Semi-First Open, offering additional dining accomodation for the well-heeled (this was a tea time departure from King's Cross); a clerestory Brake First (part of a through portion but purposely marshalled this way round to allow the first class diners an easy walk through to their seat; all third and brake third making up the rest of the through portion.

 

When so much attention is on the loco at the head of train, it's been a delight (and not a little humbling) to see others give this level of detail to train formations.

 

And this is bordering on the bizarre - and yet is far from some sort of ECS jumble. This again is another prototypical train, so typical of the secondary services on the GN mainline, which tended to attract the other odds and sods of through traffic. The main actual train is the second, third and fourth vehicles. The cavalcade is then strengthened by a variety of through vans, a buffet car (though a Gresley one is somewhat unlikely!) and a through Brake Composite. The rear bogie van has just been attached at Grantham - a through working from Nottingham.

 

 

I hope that gives a little insight as to what will be on view at Grantham in under two weeks' time. Strip down has already started!

Edited September 1, 2015 by LNER4479

[Market65]

It is all looking very good, and being able to have the correct train formations only adds to the believability of the model. I hope that the layout will be safely transported to Grantham for the Show

 

With best regards,

 

Market65.

[Barry O]

Looks like you all had fun.

 

That brown weathering on the J6s looks a bit OTT....

 

OK, hat, coat, gone....:-)

[Mallard60022]

The Brake Van Convention looks fun as well. Seriously though....lovely stuff, especially the teaks.

P

[CUTLER2579]

Well, the dress rehearsal has come and gone so we're as ready as we'll ever be for Grantham's full show debut. As usual, comprehensive photography was next to impossible, so what follows is a little pot pourri, mainly based around what was sat around at 0930 this morning, before we recommenced running.

 

IMG_5212.JPG

As promised, the 'squadron' of J6s touched down and were put through their paces. A nice full goods yard forms an appropriate backdrop.

 

IMG_5214.JPG

Mr King's NRM Atlantic waits to go off shed for its next working.

 

IMG_5215.JPG

A rather attractive load on a Lowmac awaiting onward distribution.

 

IMG_5216.JPG

Thought I'd turn the camera on the back of house area as it doesn't often feature and focus on some of the wonderful coaching stock sets being put together by the indefatigable Mr Wealleans. This is what we refer to as 'Teak Set 3', based around the Leeds Quint diner set. We can only offer a mere representation of the through portions / vehicles that were actually attached either side of the real thing (which could easily load to 17 vehicles leaving King's Cross). But what a GN delight this is - ahead of the dining set is a 3 + 3 GN Brake composite, with a GN BFK at the other end, the Atlantic only adding to the overall pre-1923 feel of this train, some 15 years after the grouping.

 

IMG_5217.JPG

In the other direction, this is Teak Set 5 (with yet another Atlantic - Mr King's idiosyncratic 6-wheel drive machine). Another glorious mix of vehicles.

 

IMG_5218.JPG

So glorious in fact that it's worth zooming in to the rear section of the train. From right to left: A third open diner; the Restaurant First Kitchen car; a lovely Semi-First Open, offering additional dining accomodation for the well-heeled (this was a tea time departure from King's Cross); a clerestory Brake First (part of a through portion but purposely marshalled this way round to allow the first class diners an easy walk through to their seat; all third and brake third making up the rest of the through portion.

 

When so much attention is on the loco at the head of train, it's been a delight (and not a little humbling) to see others give this level of detail to train formations.

 

IMG_5219.JPG

And this is bordering on the bizarre - and yet is far from some sort of ECS jumble. This again is another prototypical train, so typical of the secondary services on the GN mainline, which tended to attract the other odds and sods of through traffic. The main actual train is the second, third and fourth vehicles. The cavalcade is then strengthened by a variety of through vans, a buffet car (though a Gresley one is somewhat unlikely!) and a through Brake Composite. The rear bogie van has just been attached at Grantham - a through working from Nottingham.

 

 

I hope that gives a little insight as to what will be on view at Grantham in under two weeks' time. Strip down has already started!

 

 

 

 

Forgive me but I was of the opinion that MK1 Crimson & Cream coaching stock was a 1950's introduction,yet next to South 9 in the photographs are coaches that I am not familar with as 1930's LNER Coaching stock. I assume one of your knowledgeable team will educate me in the errors of my ways.

Looking forward to the !2th &13th of THIS month.

 

Regards,Del.

Edited September 1, 2015 by CUTLER2579

[LNER4479]

The Brake Van Convention looks fun as well.

Yes, I spotted that as well! Nowt to do with me - you'll have to talk to the fiddle yard operator...

 

Forgive me but I was of the opinion that MK1 Crimson & Cream coaching stock was a 1950's introduction,yet next to South 9 in the photographs are coaches that I am not familar with as 1930's LNER Coaching stock. I assume one of your knowledgeable team will educate me in the errors of my ways.

Looking forward to the !2th &13th of THIS month.

Ahem... ALMOST a dress rehearsal, but without some of the leading acts. For the record, a couple of MkI rakes were understudies for the Silver Jubilee and the Flying Scotsman sets (and you should have seen the Coronation on Saturday!) Barring flood, famine or civil unrest, the correct rakes will be present at the show.

 

Look forward to seeing on the 12th / 13th then Derek (well that's a least one person coming to the show...)

Edited September 1, 2015 by LNER4479

[Mike Bellamy]

that's a least one person coming to the show...

Make that two - or possibly three as my Dad (88) wants to come and see the area where he grew up . . . .

 

Make a change to have a different (and happier) reason to visit the old home town as we made the journey far too may times over the summer as mother-in-law was seriously ill and passed away in July.

 

Mike

 

.

[LNER4479]

Be good to see / meet you; glad you're coming over for happier reasons.

 

I'll try to be 'available' but do bear with us if we're in the middle of a gremlin strike. For all our practising and rehearsal I think we'll know a whole lot more about the layout in two weeks' time...