Ron Heggs

Hi, Phil Still a few minor additions to construct - two kiosks, bathroom product display, and the main departure display board. There were also small machines for platform tickets, cigarettes, etc. Miscellaneous bench seats, Left luggage office, Ticket Collectors stations at the entrance to each platform, and gates at platforms 2/3 and 6. Then there all the people and luggage items, and the multiplicity of signs The concourse did receive a small modernisation (mainly a lick of paint) during the early sixties with the introduction of the Midland Pullman services. This followed revised approach track and signalling during 1958, re-roofing of the train shed in 1952, and removal of the majority of goods yard glazed/covered areas during the 1950's Ron PS - Still not decided which year/s to portray various parts of the station environs - probably not a specific date, just a mix between 1955 and 1969

Refreshment/Buffet Room painted, glazed, and signage added - The Telegram Office block has been painted, glazed and adverts & signs added, but awaits the roof being painted matt black to complete

Found a couple of colour pictures of the Concourse during 1965 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/mmuvisualresources/16526534590/in/photostream/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/mmuvisualresources/16712644011/in/photostream/ These will help with confirming the building finish colours

The Telegram Office block is complete, and ready for dismantling, painting, glazing, and the addition of advertisements and signs -

Further progress Windows and doors completed - Doors temporarily positioned - to be fixed after painting along with glazing Roof/ceiling 50% complete, placed but not fixed, awaiting peripheral upstanding

Hi, Phil Thanks for your much appreciated comments The stress test was part of my annual heart check-up following an op. 2 years ago, to my coronary artery requiring 3 stents (probably poor diet over 70 years) - 'the pump is ok but the plumbing required a bit of work' - The two curved corners are peculiar to just this timber building on the station concourse Luckily the timbers run horizontally which makes the curving of the Evergreen 2067 Car Siding easier than if it had to be curved with the timbers running vertically. The depressions would inevitable cause the plasticard to curve threepenny bit fashion The 90 deg curves have a radius of 16.5 mm and an arc length of 26mm. A piece of the plasticard 305mm long and 68mm high was marked up with two lines 26mm apart in the relevant positions on the reverse side. Used an 10mm steel rod, and hand rolled the plasticard gently around the rod until the curvature was stable at approx 24mm radius. Two pieces of 1mm (40 thou) plasticard were cut - one 16.5mm wide and a second piece approx. 18.5mm wide, both 66mm high - these two pieces were fixed to each other to form a right angle with both legs 16.5mm wide. The angled form was then fixed one edge at a time to the 26mm lines on the reverse of curved plasticard Yes, the window/door openings were cut after the above construction work, to ensure that any mishandling didn't cause inadvertant ripping/cracking at the corners of the openings I don't have any pictures of the internals of the Telegram Office, but I'm sure that these corner constructions didn't exist in the prototype Present status - The windows are 80% complete - the two doors are still to do, and the basic roof/ceiling structure is approx. 50% complete. Hopefully, pictures will be on the thread tonight Cheers Ron

Hi, John After the latest treadmill tests at Denia Hospital, when they pronounced that my heart was working well, and I felt absolutely knackered that was a real stress test All the recent plasticard builds are too small to balance more than one can of beer. The telegram office block could be a candidate for a load test to prove the stability of construction and load bearing capability of the roof There are still a number of large constructions to be completed which will be ideal for future load tests Will have to start getting the beer in not just for Xmas and New Year Cheers Ron

Vertical and horizontal timbers added - 17 sets of windows and 2 doors to construct and add next

Telegram Office basic walls cut, formed and fixed - This side faces the Tracks between platforms 1 & 2 Vertical panel timbers next, followed by windows and doors

The Refreshment Room/Buffet is finished, and ready for dismantling, painting, glazing and lettering - Needs a bit of clean before it receives the first coat of paint (off-white with light brown doors) The rear face of this building is sited overlooking the end of tracks buffer beams between platforms 3 & 4 Next the Telegram Office block at the terminal ends of platforms 1 & 2

Further progress - Roof - temporary fitment note: ceiling beams under opening to glazing Glazed rooflight in place View from below Stripping to Roof bargeboarding, and the Buffet Vestibule still to be fitted

Thanks Tony I really do enjoy modelling, especially attempting to construct what may now only exist in photographs and drawings. Of course some details no longer exist in any form, and I will not attempt to put my interpretation on the past, unless I witnessed it myself and can recall it reasonably well Such missing details on this layout include the internals of railway offices, parcels office, left luggage, telegrams, waiting rooms, restaurants, refreshments, buffets, etc., as there are no pictures available True they may never be seen, but it would be detail of interest, and to me a bit of added atmosphere Ron

Views of progress on the Refreshment Room/Buffet block -

Hi, Gary Downloaded a number of web images of magazines and newspapers from 1950s and 1960s. Mainly women's and 'practical' magazines Cheers Ron

Added media complete - Rear facing tracks always painted cream Could do with a bit of added grime and matt varnish This could be the last time that the front face will be seen in detail, as it will be facing the offices at the front of the concourse Now continuing with the Refreshment Room/Buffet sides

Painted and a part way through the addition of media - Counter and Newspaper hangers still to be added

Whilst waiting for paint to dry - knocked up the front and rear faces of the Concourse Restaurant/Buffet block - The distortion is a close-up camera issue

Been having problems with file transfers from the camera to laptop - finally nailed it down to the USB cable. But it has meant that a few pictures never made it from the camera uncorrupted Carried on modelling the news-stand, and left it in an unpainted state whilst sorting the 'camera' problem Now all is ok again, here are the pictures of the finished news-stand ready for painting and application of the 'news media', etc. - Rear face and side looking as from Platform 6 Front face and left side looking from Concourse Front face and right side looking from Concourse Rear face and side looking as from Platform 5 The roof assembly is a separate part to enable the fitment of the counter, window glazing, etc. after painting .. the Concourse Restaurant/Buffet block is next, whilst the lighting system continues

Mike Found some information on one of the pictures, which has been eluding me in searches, i.e. no plans or pictures found in archives, etc. The garage area sandwiched between Great Bridgewater Street and Trafford Street is shown in plan with notes as to its basic structure, and a handwritten note as to its previous occupier i.e. Thornycroft, of diesel engine and vehicle fame. Further searching online with this snippet of info. has elicited a photo of a Thornycroft truck standing outside the garage with a part view of the garage frontage on Great Bridgewater Street This information will allow the production of a reasonably accurate model of this building Thanks Mike Ron

Thanks Mike Now have 21 close-up pictures of this historic plan and a further 11 pictures of the viaducts close by The Wharf pub Have to view each picture looking for any extra details which will aid me in achieving a more accurate model Cheers Ron

Thanks. This is the one plan that I couldn't find in the Manchester Archives, which holds plans of all the railway warehouses in the Greater Manchester Area This particular plan is from page 201 of the plan album, of which only this portion is available in the on-line archive - https://www.flickr.com/photos/manchesterarchiveplus/9071786756/in/photostream/lightbox/ Page 202 shows the warehouses around Castlefield - https://www.flickr.com/photos/manchesterarchiveplus/9071780850/in/photostream/lightbox/ I would be grateful if you could get better pictures of this plan in The Wharf Ron

Built the rear wall of WH Smith Bookstall tonight - .. side walls next Train Shed Lighting System - All the brass wire Catenary and Light Unit supports have been soldered into individual assemblies, and need the catenary/power supply wire fixings adding prior to the LEDs and wires being fixed

Copies of the CAD drawings for the WH Smith Bookstall and the Concourse Restaurant - The WH Smith Bookstall - the top elevation is of the rear face and two sides - middle elevation is the upper front face - the lower elevation is of the built-out front and two narrow sides The Restaurant was really a Buffet - again the upper elevation is the rear face and two sides - the middle elevations are the front face and buffet entrance - the lower elevations, etc. are the glazed raised roof (this will also be used for the WH Smith Bookstall, where it is hidden by the upper hoarding boards) As usual, construction will be in styrene The builds will be evening projects whilst the lighting system is the daytime job

A quick diagram - Ron

Thanks Andy. I had noticed the same thing I had been working from an overhead shot of the platforms where the difference between the support and power cables is not as apparent Will have to experiment with some thickening agent mixed with black paint brushed on to the power wire, to see if the visual difference can be reduced Ron