Ilkley locomotive shed, 4mm P4 1950s

[Kiwirail]

Hey Pete

 

What's the rail/sleeper/chair system you are using for this build?  Looks great.

 

Thanks

Andrew

[Jub45565]

Hi Andrew,

 

Thanks - I've used C&L rail, Exactoscale chairs, and Timbertracks laser cut plywood turnout bases. The plain track timbers are also laser cut, I think also from C&L.

 

Thanks for the prod too - I've been meaning to post an update for a while. I havent got a lot done recently, as the modelling time I've had has been on a loco chassis test build of which more anon, but that was hampered somewhat by breaking my wrist/arm playing football at the beginning of July! Thankfully I'd just got back from kayaking in Norway, as if they had happened the other way around it would have scuppered plans!

 

Anyway, its gaining strength and I'm being released from my cast next week so should then be able to crack on.  Nothing particularly photo worthy just now, but I am starting to play with some scenic ideas so will have something to report in the not too distant future!

[Jub45565]

I have finally got round to finishing and fitting the internal pits. In the end, these have the flat bottom code 55 rail soldered directly to metal rectangular section brass. On the side of this is a strip of plasticard at the top, with brick plasticard for the side walls and bottom. The top section will be scribed for mortar lines between the vertically placed bricks with a pencil once its all painted. Whether I get all the way into the gloomy depths doing this time will tell...

 

I have also been experimenting with a bit of scenic stuff. I have done the initial run in from the fiddleyard with granite ballast from Javis (which would have probably not got that far from the mainline, but I wanted a bit of actual ballast laid as this is, after all, a test bed for future things! The ash ballast is actual ash. This was put through a coffee grinder, of which there are 2 things to note. Firstly, I have no SWMBO to complain about this use for such appliances. Secondly, this was frivolously purchased specially for the job (less than a tenner from a well known auction site) and has only been near the kitchen for cleaning.

 

This has all been stuck down with Klear.

 

The grass bank is an extra course of cork thick, with teddy bear furr on top. This has been initially trimmed but needs a lot more work yet - the real area looks to have been quite clump.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 21, 2017 by Jub45565

[MartinWales]

Ready for a future EM North then...........

[Jub45565]

Steady wins the race Martin! I am aiming for Q3 next year, & while it doesnt necessarily need to be 100% complete by then as it can be shown as work in progress, I am planning to use the incentive/goal/deadline to get as much done by then as I can.

 

I do have plans as to how to make it more exhibition displayable of which I hope to have visible progress to show in the not too distant future.

 

I get my second (well, primary actually!) hand back on Thursday too which will help.

 

I'll keep in touch! :-)

[Leander]

Ready for a future EM North then...........

Or Expo EM Autumn Martin!

[MartinWales]

Indeed! Delete where applicable!!

[Kiwirail]

Looks super. What sort of ash went into the coffee grinder? Are we talking about coal here, or wood or something else?

 

Did the teddy bear object to the removal of fur?

 

Cheers

Andrew

[Jub45565]

Hi Andrew,

 

Thanks! Yes, it might overall look a bit dark, but there are several areas of greenery in amongst so it should pan out ok.  The ash is coal, though I do have some wood ash to experiment with too.

 

No teddy bear has been harmed in the preparation or carrying out of these experiments... as far as I know. But maybe I'm nieve in thinking I purchased it from a reputable source?

Edited September 5, 2017 by Jub45565

[LMS29]

Hi Pete,

 

Glad to see that you are still making progress with the Engine shed.  A recent visit this area showed that it was a building site and the old Brewery build has gone completely.

 

Since my last contribution, I have been working on developing the operational timetable and that in turn revealed that my one omission from the point work was preventing smooth operation.  Various references quote that trains starting from Ilkley to Leeds or Bradford could depart from Platform 3 and I had omitted the cross over at the end of 3 onto the up main.  To rectify this I decided to insert a double slip rather than a pair of points to save space but achieve the same objective. It all sounds simple but I also needed to change a couple of points in the same area, so I bought the necessary but it would seem that the points of the 1980's are of slightly different dimensions to those sold now. So what started off a simple job got quite complicated, but as the photo shows I have completed the work, just need to re-ballast.

 

 

I also realised that the 1955 timetable I had needed British Railways liveried rolling stock, so I am now in the process of building or repainting stock to suit my choice of timeframe.

 

 

 

Tom

Edited September 30, 2017 by LMS29

[Kiwirail]

Hi Tom

 

Great pictures.  Marvellous to see something actually more or less finished!  Well done.

 

I'm interested in your model of the station itself.  Could you post a couple of shots please?  Particularly the overall roof (if you've got that far).  I've had various thoughts how to tackle it over the years, but I'd be fascinated to see what you've achieved.

 

Cheers

Andrew

[Jub45565]

Looking good Tom!

 

Disappointed to notice that I started this topic over 2 years ago - it doesnt look to be that much progress!  But that said, there has been a lot of research going on with it, and I think I am in a good place for it all to come together in the next few months :-)

 

I'm currently in the process of building the legs - the first part of the plan with making it exhibitable.  I've learned a few things while helping other people exhibit their layouts, and from observing other layouts, so will see how my theories turn out.

[LMS29]

Andrew/Pete,

 

The great thing about this hobby is that you are never quite finished.  As you can see from the attached photographs I still have the station roof to complete as well as the signalling and one or two key items like the kiosk where the taxi men waited (which is now at Embsay). 

 

 

As you can see I still have to tackle the roof but I have contacts who will advise when the time comes and there are plenty of photographs to give the detail.

 

 

 

As you can see I have tried to "finish" the buildings behind the station first that are least accessible which included the Station and Midland pubs and the Town Hall and Winter Gardens.

 

If anyone is at either the Hartlepool or Warley shows, let me know and make contact if you need any more details.  

 

Tom

 

 

 

 

[Kiwirail]

Great stuff Tom.  Really inspiring.

 

Don't get depressed about lack of progress Pete.  All I have to show for my efforts at present is a big empty space.  It may be some years before the first sleeper gets laid down here.  Still, at least half the fun is the planning and research.

 

Cheers

Andrew

[danstercivicman]

Great stuff on this thread

[sir douglas]

the wakefield railway modellers society has detailed scale drawings for the loco shed, water tower, goods shed and 2 bridges for Ilkley, i was looking through them about a week ago and thought of this thread

[LMS29]

Sir Douglas,

 

I am sure that I and some of the other regulars on this thread would love to see copies of the last 4 items. Is it possible to arrange something, please?

 

As you can see from the thread we have had discussions about the materials used to build the water tower and I have modelled the goods shed and footbridge from photographs and memory only.

 

Tom

[sir douglas]

i'll take photos of them tomorrow and go from there

[LMS29]

i'll take photos of them tomorrow and go from there

Thanks, Tom

[sir douglas]

the drawings are;

- loco shed

- water tower

- goods shed

- coal stage

- brooke street bridge

 

there is no scale to them but they do have measurements to scale from, some of them are creased and crumpled so i cant get them flat, the photo size and quality is just enough to able to zoom in and read the measurents

 

i cant post them directly because the images are too big but i can email them to you. could you PM me you email

[Kiwirail]

Sir Douglas

 

I'd really appreciate any drawings/photos you have.  Details of the water tower and goods shed in particular have been impossible to find thus far. 

 

In terms of scale, I've dug out my site plan and here are the metric building footprint dimensions as close as I can make out.

 

Water Tower: 5045 x 3930 excluding the lump on the western end, which I'm picking is some sort of chimney breast maybe?

Goods Shed: 20480 x 9790 (main body of the shed).  Office at western end adds another 7980 x 5200.  Excludes steps.

Coaling stage: 9395 x 1165 (excluding the steps).  I suspect that this structure was actually closer to 4' wide (1220 mm) but we're scraping into areas of high implied precision scaling off my scanned plan!

According to Smith & Binns (1986), Brook St Bridge was 25.9 m long but according to the plan, this dimension is actually the overall length from the back of each of the abutments on the northern side.  The bowstring girders themselves scale at 28.7 m and the true span (front face of abutment to front face of abutment) is 23.9 m on the north side and 25.5 m on the south side.

 

Should be enough info here to enable useful interpretation of the plans.

 

I'll PM my email shortly.

 

Thanks very much

Andrew

[Kiwirail]

Just had a look at Sir Douglas' drawings and indeed the coaling stage is four feet wide, so it's encouraging to know that my plan isn't a million miles off even at gross enlargement and freehand measuring!

 

Some of the drawings are better preserved than others.  I have a full set now and am happy to redistribute via PM.  I've also asked Sir Douglas to see if we can get a set properly scanned which may benefit more than one or two of us.

 

Thanks Sir Douglas for your valuable input.

 

Cheers

Andrew

[Jub45565]

Hi Andrew,

 

I've also got a set of the drawings from Sir Douglas. They are immensely useful, & I am grateful for him sharing.

 

As always though, it's worth checking with what was actually built (or later modified?). The calling stage for example is drawn with a handrail on the steps, & with longitudinal bracing - but neither of these are present in the photo FW Smith took of it. Also the drawing has longitudinal planking on the top, while the photo shows side-side. Still, the dimensions look good & I expect are accurate - shame my track centres don't quite tie up but it will help make a good representation!

 

The loco shed drawing is also interesting. It certainly isn't the 1892 shed, so is it the original structure from the shed next to the station?

 

Cheers,

Pete

[Jub45565]

Merry Christmas all!

 

While there hasn't been a lot of visible activity noted in this thread lately, there has been a bit behind the scenes & several plans will be swinging into action in early 2018 so I hope your patience will be rewarded!

[Jub45565]

I had an enjoyable day out at the Calne exhibition today, managed not to spend too much but had a good look at some good layouts on show, and interesting techniques.

 

Last week I got the delivery of my turned wood turntable well, which has been well worth the wait!

 

 

Since this photo, I have enlarged the cutout in the board for it to sit in, and now need to sort some blocks and mounting points to sit it at the right height.

 

Then the rail will need fitting.  This I am forming to shape with my jim crow fingers to save the chairs having to hold it under tension.

 

 

I have also got my Arduino out, wired up the stepper motor to it, and got some code online to run it.  The code does microstep it, and it moves very smoothly.  I have added in some control functions to work with the switches I intend to use.  As I am planning to have an actual locking bar (solenoid driven) to save the need for the driven mechanism to hold the turntable dead still, I will need to drive an output for that from the Arduino (no doubt via a FET) and sort the code out to check whether the locking bar has been released before moving the turntable. but so far so good...