Wakefield West

[trw1089]

As aardvark has mentioned, it has been confirmed that my layout will be appearing in next month's Hornby Magazine. 

 

 

I was fortunate enough to be contacted by the editor Mike Wild when I posted some layout photos on one of their Facebook threads and asked to submit an article.  Given I live in Aus it was probably a bit far for them to come and photograph it, so ended up doing all the photography myself too which they are putting into the article.

 

I never thought I would see a layout of mine in print and feel enormously priveleged to have it featured in a magazine of any description, but especially the Hornby Magazine as it was one that I first bought when getting back into modelling the UK scene a few years ago.  Will be interesting to see the finished feature and they have asked if I would do another article once the main station scene is completed.

 

Cheers

Tony

[john dew]

Congratulations.........and if I may say so richly deserved. Now I have the challenge of getting the magazine in Western Canada! I hope you are going to post the photos in this thread

 

Best wishes

 

John

[trw1089]

Thanks John, I will definitely post any photos that don’t make it into the magazine on here,as each one took a fair bit of time to put together.

Cheers

Tony

[aardvark]

Congratulations.........and if I may say so richly deserved. Now I have the challenge of getting the magazine in Western Canada! I hope you are going to post the photos in this thread

 

Richly deserved? I'd say so.  In fact, I reckon that Tony is deserving of triple the accolades: not only is he constructing an awe-inspiring layout, he had to write his own article and take his own pictures!

[richard.h]

Wakefield West is one of my favourite layouts (its based on an area I know quite well) and have followed its progress for a while now, the standard of modelling in all areas is excellent, especially when you consider the builder lives in Australia so sourcing local information must be difficult.

So I was very pleased to read the article in this months Hornby Magazine which contained lots of new photos, apparently taken by the author, and other background information. Also there was a nice little tribute to Dave Shakespeare who is someone I certainly admired.

I would just like to say thanks for that, its well deserved and I look forward to seeing further progress on this unique layout.

[trw1089]

Thanks very much Richard, that is very heartening to read. It is such a privilege to see my layout featured and to make a front cover is truly humbling, but your comments are what makes it all worthwhile.

 

For those who haven’t seen it, here is the front cover

 

[trw1089]

To commemorate the layout’s appearance in Hornby Mag I’ve done up a video showing some of the trains that were featured in the article. I realise that videos don’t seem to elicit much comment on here but I know a few followers enjoy them.

 

 

Cheers

Tony

[aardvark]

Well, I thought the video was awesome!  It didn't work for me in my browser (Firefox), but worked just fine when it came through as an attachment to the notification email.

 

Still have to wait a while yet before I see it in print ...

[trw1089]

Thanks Dean

 

Over the neat few posts I will show some of the pics that didn’t make the magazine. Overall I took just over 30 images and they needed up using around 9 plus one more was used on their website. I think this one was my favourite as it really shows the typically life of an engineman, working in the hours of darkness with a non-glamorous loco. One thing that I am trying to give an impression of on the layout is the human aspect of the railway, the grit and dirt and occasional fun that was part of everyday work in the railway profession.

 

 

Cheers

Tony

[john dew]

To commemorate the layout’s appearance in Hornby Mag I’ve done up a video showing some of the trains that were featured in the article. I realise that videos don’t seem to elicit much comment on here but I know a few followers enjoy them.

https://youtu.be/U9x75C0h2lM

Cheers

Tony

.

 

You almost always get a comment from me Tony. I enjoy your videos and invariably learn something from them.

 

A couple of questions.......did I miss the panniers cameo appearance?......you dont have to answer that one!

 

Secondly did you scratch build the pit winding gear or is it a kit.......I thought it looked very realistic

 

The still in your last post is stunning......cant wait to see the mag photos if they reject that

 

Best wishes

 

John

[trw1089]

Thanks John

 

The winding gear is actually a Bachmann ready to plant structure but it seems to really fit well. The colliery scene really sets off the background and I must admit that I wanted a bit of the Granby look of industrial built up area around that location.

 

As to the Pannier appearance, well, when a certain fiery place freezes over then anything might be a possibility...

 

Cheers

Tony

[trw1089]

Here is another that fell on the cutting room floor so to speak.  I did a few from this angle in case they wanted to use them for a cover shot.  I have a thing about B1s, I think I need more of them...

 

[aardvark]

Well, if that's one that didn't make it, I am trembling in anticip...............................................ation to see the ones that did.

Edited May 17, 2018 by aardvark

[trw1089]

Here is one of the "helicopter" shots I took to show the overall scene at Arnthorpe.  In the end they used a landscape one featuring 60122 Curlew which I think was the better shot anyway.  Dave Shakespeare's J50 is sitting over in the background and I made sure that it featured in a few shots so that the link to Tetleys Mills (featured several times in the Hornby Mag, BRM and others) would be documented in pictures as well as the text.  In the end it made it into three of the shots they used, so I was happy that it got into print like that.  I often wonder what Dave would have thought of the layout, I only wish I got to know him more and talk about his interest in Wakefield and the West Ridings. In the mag, I wanted to highlight how the work of iconic layouts like Tetleys Mills, Peterborough North, Longdrem and Pinkhill, Granby and many others helps me along the modelling journey.  Being able to share our work through this forum and print is one of the best things of the hobby for me.

 

[trw1089]

I’m not sure if people are enjoying these pics but from the likes etc I figure I should keep posting some more.

 

One of the things I struggled with a bit for the shots was getting enough variety, but also staying true to the GNR flavour of the layout rather than just featuring flashy pacifics. This pic was to both try a different angle and to show my N1 on a suburban. I have another N1 to build now (an LRM one rather than a 3D print) so this won’t be the only N1 on the layout eventually.

 

 

Cheers

Tony

[31A]

I’m not sure if people are enjoying these pics but from the likes etc I figure I should keep posting some more.

 

Cheers

Tony

 

 

I do - please carry on posting!

[Markeg]

Well Done Tony.  Very pleasing.  DO post some more.

Like the weathering on the stock too.

 

Mark (down south)

[manna]

G'day Folks

 

A wonderful layout, that I enjoy watching, lived in Normanton for a while and worked at Leeds as a Guard, so traveled around the area quite a lot, it brings back memories.

 

Here's a picture of a Gresley coach, well weathered on the Palace Gates branch, probably late 50's early 60's.

 

manna

[St Enodoc]

G'day Folks

 

A wonderful layout, that I enjoy watching, lived in Normanton for a while and worked at Leeds as a Guard, so traveled around the area quite a lot, it brings back memories.

 

Here's a picture of a Gresley coach, well weathered on the Palace Gates branch, probably late 50's early 60's.

 

manna

Nice photo Terry.

 

Two things strike me about that coach:

 

1. Don't worry if you can't get all your T handles exactly horizontal on your model.

 

2. I don't think I've ever seen a model where the ends of the luggage racks showed up like that.

[trw1089]

Great pic manna, really like the weathering on that coach, the dark areas around the handles and the matt blackness of the roof.  Those are the sorts of reference photos I love to get hold of.  I'm glad that the layout is conveying some of the feel of the area for someone like you who would know it so well.  I wasn't all that happy with the compromises on curvature etc that I had to make to fit the layout in the space I had, but then I was watching a video of a cab ride from Leeds to Doncaster and what struck me was how much curvature there was on the climb up to Ardsley tunnel and then on the other side through Ardsley and down to Wrenthorpe.  When the station area is done I hope that will really cement in the location of the layout.

 

Thanks to all the kind comments too, I notice that on here most people will press like but there aren't that many who comment, so I do appreciate it when people take the time to write something.

 

Cheers

Tony

[danstercivicman]

G'day Folks

 

A wonderful layout, that I enjoy watching, lived in Normanton for a while and worked at Leeds as a Guard, so traveled around the area quite a lot, it brings back memories.

 

Here's a picture of a Gresley coach, well weathered on the Palace Gates branch, probably late 50's early 60's.

 

manna

Nice

[trw1089]

One of the things I had to have when building Wakefield West was an engine shed. Now I really would have liked a much bigger shed, because that means I could have more locos, but in the end I could only fit a small shed in. Still, it’s an important part of operating the layout with all the portions at Westgate needing separate engine movements. The shed needs a coal stage, and all locos coming on shed have to be coaled and watered, so it makes for interesting shunting when things get busy.

 

Here J6 64271 and Q6 63429 are being serviced ready for further workings.

 

 

Cheers

Tony

[aardvark]

Truly awesome stuff!

[richard.h]

More stunning pictures you really have captured the Loco Shed atmosphere very well.

As an aside could I just ask how you create the grassed areas, I bought one of the cheaper static applicators but it seems to struggle with 4mm and longer so its difficult to get the variation you would see in lineside situations.

[trw1089]

Hi Richard

 

I have a cheap applicator too and the method I use is to paint down neat PVA where I want the grass, put the ground pin right in the middle of the spot then start out with the applicator about 2 inches above the area. This means that as the fibres fall down they are relatively vertical when they hit the glue. I then come back over the area with the applicator about 1/2 an inch above the fibres just to make sure they are charged. This also provides some variety to their vertical direction and allows you to “sweep” the taller fibres around.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Cheers

Tony