kirtleypete

The box is just a joke - the roof will look as it did in the 50's. The buildings I delivered this morning are now in position, although the water tank needs bedding in: The L shaped building that stood in front of the retaining wall had gone by 1947, presumably a casualty of the bombing raid. Peter

I delivered the waterworks and coal depot models this morning and picked up the first of the parts for the overall roof: The detail is incredible, and it's all been designed to slot together. I claim no credit at all for any of this, all I'm going to do is assemble it. My customer stuck on an overlay to see how it would look. I think the pictures speak for themselves. These parts will anchor the ends of the girders to the brick walls. There was one thing I thought was a bit lacking, the plain wrapping, so I've designed a better box lid: Peter

The coal drops are about finished: The coal is Woodland Scenics. Peter

We have received the first drawing for the roof parts: It should look spectacular! Peter

Yes, there were coal drops on each side each with two tracks. We've only got room for one on the model though. Peter

I have had the misfortune to deal with them over the last couple of weeks, and this morning have been issued with a full refund by Paypal. I am posting because not many 0 Gauge modellers seem to know about them so I have put all the information on the GOG forum to warn people not to use them. The fact that I sent my complaint to Paypal at 5.15 last night and this morning it has been fully resolved in my favour says to me that it didn't need much investigating! Peter

It's got a complicated history, which I think I've finally pieced together. Until 1904 there was subway, and in 1904 a footbridge was built that was to the side of the signal box. The was replaced in the 1930's by the present bridge (which explains the art deco flourishes that I'd been puzzling over), and this was modified as you say when the lines were electrified. The new bridge was built in a slightly different position to allow the 1904 one to remain in use until the new one was ready. Peter

I know the feeling! Apart from the missing tank panels the water tower is about finished. My customer and I had a discussion about the water; he asked me to give it a green tinge, which I did by painting a thin wash onto the back of the sheet of clear plastic. I wanted to make sure that the detail inside the tank could still be seen: It's difficult to photograph, but looking at it you can see the strengthening ribs. I have to admit that I think the water would be clear, it empties and fills so often there wouldn't be time for it to grow algae or whatever. At the end of the day, though, it's not my model. Peter

I've just found these two pictures on Youtube - Both date from the 1970's; there are some classic vehicles! Peter

I've been able to fit the windows to the water tower - just a few panels still to come and then I can weather it. The 'water' just rests in place, it's not fixed. Peter

I've got the loco running with sound, but the lights will have to wait for another day. Peter

I am fitting a Zimo MX699KS decoder to an 0 gauge Heljan class 45; The motor and pick up wires use the conventional colours, but I have no idea where to attach the wires to the lights or the fan. The lights have three sets of wires, one with six blue wires twisted together, on with two white and a purple and one with two yellows and a green. Can anyone tell me where on the decoder these should go please? They will need to be extended to reach the decoder. I also need to know where to attach the two wires to the fan, Thanks, Peter

That's the picture I wish I'd taken in August! Thanks, Peter

That's interesting - it looks as though only two tracks actually run over the coal calls, the others are on solid ground to the side. I thought four seemed a lot. Peter

I thought there must be one; space is pretty tight on that part of the layout so we'll have to see, but it looks like we will have room for the gates and some buildings. Are these the gateposts? Pretty solid, aren't they! Peter

I'd love to be able to include those on the model but I don't think there will be room. The same applies to the various small buildings by the entrance, which were presumably coal merchant's offices and the like. Peter

Yes, that's right; if you didn't know what had been there you'd never guess. Peter

Following a frustrating couple of days waiting for the parts to arrive for the water tank I have made a start on the coal drops. They are 34" long and double tracked on the model although the real thing had four tracks which was unusual. The NER coal drops were open fronted, without the boarding and doors used on some lines, and boarded between the tracks to give a walkway. The wagons had bottom doors and the coal simply fell between the rails straight into the cell below. Although the coal yard at York is long gone the brick walls of the coal cells are still there, cut back and forming the boundary of a car park, so it was possible to work out the dimensions. Each cell is 20' wide and the rear wall is 15' high, very conveniently giving us ten cells. The drops in this picture have special rail called 'girder rails' but this wasn't universal so we are going to use chaired rail laid onto the wooden beams which seems to have been commonly used. When the model is finished it will be sprayed black all over before the brick is added and then the coal itself. I need to wait for a delivery of Plastruct now, though. Peter

The parts I need for the water tower didn't arrive, but I've made a start on the base: Ground level is at the top of the wall surrounding the base. Peter

While I'm waiting for the windows and tank panels for the water tower to arrive I've completed the three smaller buildings, based on what little information is available. I used this picture to create an A4 sheet of brick paper: On the buildings it is actually a very light grey which looks just right. Peter

That's what we thought John; it seems an odd colour to paint them but they look pretty clean in the pictures. Peter

It looks like I'll have to go with the information I've got; these are the shells of the buildings on the paper template. The biggest difference is the reduced width of the water tank but there's no way around that. The tank house looks taller than it should because it will be sunk into the ground; ground level was on the line of the window sills making it look very squat. Peter

While we wait for the parts for the overall roof to arrive I'm going to build the group of buildings around the water tank. Despite the proximity to the platform ends pictures have been hard to find: If anyone knows of any others please post them on here. We think the buildings were painted white but they could have been cream - does anyone know? Thanks, Peter

My customer and I met at Cherwell services car park this afternoon so that I could pass on the models, and here they are in place on the layout: Peter

A book arrived in the post today, all about the railways of York...I thought it might be useful for the model. Having seen the bottom caption on this page, I've got my doubts! Peter