Ron Heggs

The whole roof is being modelled, overall length including frontage canopy will be 2200mm long and 850mm wide. Still deliberating on whether to complete clad and glaze the roof and have webcams installed for viewing interior on computer screen or leave completely unclad/glazed. In either case will probably have 2 bays over loco release area removable just in case of a problem. Will arrange for auto-uncoupling of loco from lead coach under normal operations The roof of Lverpool Central was smaller in length and width, but did have a similar basic steel design above eaves level, but of a much lighter construction The following web link has a number photos of the roof of Liverpool Central http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/l/liverpool_central_hl/index.shtml

Although I have an engineering degree, and was chief engineer for almost 30 of my 38 years in one the largest construction companies in Europe, and also wrote engineering design software during 25 of those years, my passions have always been mathematics, painting and drawing I had never attempted modelling until this project, that is why I built a trial model of part of the station. Just to see if it modelling was within my abilities, and was up to a standard acceptable to myself I suppose my whole background has brought me to this most enjoyable pastime

Thanks for all your enthusiastic comments. Hopefully, this post will answer all your queries I retired in Jan 2003, and started research and trial builds in Feb 2004. Modelling all the various station structures, such as the roof, platform canopies, signal box, bridges, viaducts, pubs, shops, canal locks, etc. and some trackwork has taken so far about 6 years. This last year has been taken up by our move to Spain and getting a good architect to remodel our villa underbuild into one open area without pillars or internal walls for use as a railway room. Hopefully by the end of summer this year I can start to build the open frame baseboards, and really start to build the railway The gables are reasonably rigid, they resist twisting and will take a good load, including an inadvertent fall without damage. The spans when tied together with the transverse beams are also reasonably rigid. I think this says a lot for the prototype structural design The past few years has put a squeeze on plastic strip and extrusion supplies, as most model shops only carry small stocks, and re-ordering is a two to four week cycle. But regular bulk orders usually spur the suppliers to deliver Statistics - On the station roof structure alone there is in excess of 35,000 individual pieces of plastic strip/extrusion. That has taken some cutting, and a large number of replacement knife blades. Although the roof is not yet complete, all the individual pieces have been cut and stored in separate containers awaiting the final push A typical span use to take about 8 hours, including the individual cutting of strip. But after the bulk cutting project, a span now takes under 3 hours The gables each took about a week, plus 2 days for the glazing bars and glazing Usually, I shuffle between building tasks on different individual structures. This keeps the mind alert and stops the feeling of lack of progress from building up The Deansgate Bridge with the electric signalling gantry which is a mixture of foamboard, mount board and printed card brickwork, with plastic for the ornamental bridge steelwork and the gantry, and re-modelling the Eckon LED signal with hidden wiring, took in total about 10 days. That includes the CAD drawing and total build time. Some of the incidental buildings, such as the Crown Hotel on Deansgate also took about 10 days, whereas the Castlefield Viaduct took in excess of two weeks, and is an ongoing project I have started a trial build of the original Castlefield Viaduct, which spans the MSJ&R into Salford, and is far more detailed, but it is only a single span But today, I am re-building the Station Restaurant block, which was part of the trial build, and will incorporate correct dimensions and detailing, and plastic strip built windows (there is only 20, so not worth going for etched brass)

The general period is 1953 thro' 1965 The original station roof cladding/glazing was replaced in 1952 Station approach trackwork was remodelled and re-signalled in 1958 I do have a few locos outside that time frame, such as LMS 10000, LMS Black 5, Prototype Deltic, etc. I hope to add a Midland Pullman to the collection when Bachmann delivers late this year

Further work on the station structure has been suspended since last January when I moved to Spain. Until the Railway Room is completed I am not able to build the baseboard to support the complete station Work continues on the Station Walls internal/external faces and buttresses. Building of the Castlefield viaducts also continues with additional structural detail being added. Some of the under bridge support steelwork is being modified to match new photograghic details A number buildings adjacent to station and the approaches are still in boxes, and must wait for future exposure and photographs Will continue to add images to the gallery and the main topic

Index to builds Train Shed - Post #1 > Cornbrook Viaduct Bridge #1 - Post 40 > http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/28293-manchester-central-castlefield-viaducts/?p=302385 Cornbrook Viaduct Bridge #2 - Post 61 > http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/28293-manchester-central-castlefield-viaducts/?p=329312 Castlefield Viaduct - Post 357 > http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/28293-manchester-central-castlefield-viaducts/?p=392832 GNR Goods Warehouse - Post 1353 > http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/28293-manchester-central-clc-gn-warehouses-castlefield-viaducts/page-55&do=findComment&comment=1011150 GNR Deansgate Bridge - Post 1819 > http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/28293-manchester-central-clc-gn-warehouses-castlefield-viaducts/page-73&do=findComment&comment=1267161 CLC Deansgate Bridge - Post 2024 > http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/28293-manchester-central-clc-gn-warehouses-castlefield-viaducts/page-81&do=findComment&comment=1381053 MSJ&AR Viaduct Bridge - Post 2047 > http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/28293-manchester-central-clc-gn-warehouses-castlefield-viaducts/page-82&do=findComment&comment=1395821 Modelling Complex Steelwork Structures in Plastic All structural steelwork is modelled in plastic The dimensions were obtained by reference to historical engineering drawings [The Engineer, February 13, 1880], or scaled from photographs with random survey checks Each individual structure was drawn on CAD, and checked to confirm dimensional accuracy and buildability, by producing 3D models The 3D model allowed individual components to be identified and sizes extracted Examination of the 3D model also enabled a decision to be made as to the probable order of assemble of complex structures Prints of the 2D drawings were produced to be used as templates The train shed structure comprises 15 bays at 140mm wide i.e. 2100mm plus 100mm for the glazing and canopies with a span of 840mm The span structures were produced using 60th x 80th strip, curved by pulling between finger and thumb repeatedly until it had a slightly tighter radii than required. This was placed on the template held in position by veneer pins. Additional strips were fixed in place using Mek-Pak The upper and lower strips were separated by 60th x 80th strip. This completed the core structure Next the diagonal strips 20th x 100th were fixed on top of the core layer. Removing, turning over and re-placing the present layers on the template, the diagonal strips were fitted to the top face of the layers. 125th Channel extrusions were curved and fixed in the same manner as the top and bottom core strips. The bottom of the top channel was at the same level as the bottom of the top core strip, and top of the bottom channel being fixed at the level of the top of the bottom core strip The side, underside and top of the span sections below the lowest diagonal strips were clad internally with 20th plastic card This completed one span structure. Seventeen of these were required The front and rear gable ends both required two span structures fitted with horizontal and vertical trussing, again using templates These were then separated by spacers at the A - G levels, and spacers and braces at D & G levels, and also at the transom level on the rear gable Front and Rear gable trussing detail - The trial build did not use a template, so some truss members were a bit skew Bracing detail and cantilevered walkway supports - The trial build did not use a template, so some truss members were a bit skew Original trial assembly - Front gable with high level glazing steelwork Original trial assembly - Internal view of Front gable Rear gable and transom assembly Rear gable showing spacers and bracing Rear gable glazing bars structure The gable glazing was a separate structure produced by overlaying a template. The glazed canopies on the front gable were produced in a similar fashion using 20th microstrip The structures were spray painted before fixing the glazing sheet to the glazing bars structures, then fixing this to the gable structure The transverse beam structures 137mm long, were made in a similar fashion using the relevant template. There are 17 transverse beams in each of the 15 bays. The two gable end bays being shorter by the width of the gable end structures Original trial assembly - Overlaying the transverse beams in each bay are 4 I-beams 125th deep curved and spaced at 28mm centres Original trial assembly - The front gable has a high level glazed canopy with a timber on steel frame down to the timbered booking & waiting rooms and glazed covered walkway Original trial assembly - used to develop material usage and assembly methods