LNER4479

Layout set back up again (for now). Given cancellation of Newcastle show (Grantham was due to attend), could run a special train ... Viewed from the opposite side to normal (due to the sun), a 9F hauled goods train steadily climbs Shap. Doesn't look that special, does it? But this train now runs straight down the opposite descent towards Carlisle, slowing for Carlisle No.13 junctions ... ... where it makes its way across to access the Upperby goods reception line. From there, it moves cautiously forward into the roads leading towards Crown St goods yard, but just far enough to clear the junctions at Upperby No.12 box. The yard pilot then springs into life, transferring cuts of wagons at a time into the main Upperby yard. The train thus stabled, the train loco is free to reverse out to the loco depot. And obviously gets to use the turntable (!)

Sorry Mike - if that's a question for me to ask then I don't fully understand the question? (my bad)

Yes, but ... Practicalities come into play with my Upperby roundhouse. It is in the corner of the room and will not be easily accessible. Exact positioning of a largely wheelbase loco on the 'table will not be easy, so some latitude is essential if we are not going to forever be stopping the layout to retrieve locos that have been derailed by the movement of the table, caught other locos stabled as they spin round, etc. In contrast, the lengths of the stalls will be as shorter - basically, the instruction will be to buffer up a large loco against the shed wall - so the overall footprint will actually be smaller that the real thing. An overhead camera / screen is envisaged to aid use. It's (allegedly) 90ft in HO which is 79(-ish) ft in OO so not too bad. Other turntables on the layout, that are more accessible will be to scale length.

There's hope for you yet, Clive😉

Dave (k22009) seemed to make a reasonable fist of it ...

Back at the layout ... more excitement 😃

Meanwhile, down at the other end of the modelling evolutionary scale... From this: (and they said it couldn't be done ...)

Anyhow, you were saying ... Picked this up again a few weeks ago. Doors thickened by soldering scrap etch on the back. Side detail added; end detail prepared. Roof was just a thin piece of plasticard - no way of actually attaching it! I soldered on some tabs from scrap etch and reinforced the plasticard from below And there we have it. If I'm allowed to say, I don't think it looks too bad? According to Jenkinson, they lasted till at least the late 1950s so it's going in the 🐠 train. So there. A nice simple Parkside kit next up!

And so the current bout of wire strangling on the new Upperby running lines is complete. By way of demonstration... The Upperby operator gets control of a train from a handover length of track just before Carlisle No.13. Here, the demonstration train turns off the mainline and accesses the down goods reception line (despite it being a rake of coaches in this instance!). Independent goods lines immediately behind the train. Train comes to a stand at Upperby Junction (Carlisle No.12). Direct access in to the main Upperby goods yard was not possible, so far as I can make out, so ... Train then moves forward straight across the junctions to access the lines that eventually led to Crown Street Goods Depot. This is a somewhat simplified arrangement compared to the prototype (believe it or not) but is the only way I can figure out how to get the train into the yard. It's a single track arrangement on the model but it'll open out into a double track formation. A second loco then hauls the vehicles across into the main yard area, accessed from the so called 'third line' which on my scheme serves as the headshunt. With the train set back into the yard, the released loco can reverse out, in this case using an alternative route into the yard area. And makes its way on to the shed ... except at this point it grinds to a halt. For now. Depot wiring to follow shortly.

All done now chaps - ain't gonna change. The length of the headshunt is critical. The first associated point leads into the carriage shed - the headshunt as laid will take a smallish tender loco (a 4F was used to size up) plus 4 local coaches (57/60ft) which is practical for ECS workings to / from Citadel. (my Upperby carriage shed will be two-road, approx 6 coaches in each round. Used for stabling local sets only).

Meanwhile More work required at Carlisle No.13 to complete the installation down that end. Here's the little problem. Installation of the headshunt gets in the way of the rodding to the pointwork. And the rodding is required because some fool planned all this to be located on a bridge (meaning that point motors mounted directly underneath is not an option 🙄) One can be operated using one of those handy 'side on' Peco motors; the other works as part of a crossover so is being rodded from the other point. A rather satisfying, albeit time-consuming and fiddly, way of doing it, using the tried and trusted GEM cranks. As this is all somewhat remote from the operating position then I've set up this interim lever frame installation. It can't go there ultimately as that's where the M&C trackbed goes(!) but most of the wiring at the other end is permanent. Long loops left at this end for now pending final installation. And there we have it (for now). Carlisle No.13 pretty much as it will be. The motors for the two trap points can wait for now - their absence does not hinder immediate operations. You can see from this pic how the two points concerned are unwittingly plumb dead centre on the bridge over the M&C tracks. A close up of the rodding arrangement. And another, to prove it works! Which - dare I say it myself - it does, rather well. More soon - most of this new trackwork is now live. I'll do a demo post once it's completed.

Now then, forgive me for getting just a tad excited ... Apologies for poor lighting. Just a quick snap from 1am this morning (!) Yes - we have one quarter of a roundhouse! Set desired road ... Loco moves on to 'table Turns to line up with exit track. And moves off to pick up southbound working (or at least it will once the track beyond is connected up!) In truth, only the tracks on the turntable are energised at the moment. I'm going to wire up these six roads first as a bit of a test to try and identify any pitfalls [sic]. More soon

Last of the running photos 'in the can' whilst we anticipate resumption of further running. Fitted goods gets away from Central, passing beneath the WCML approaching Carlisle. A Fowler moment at Bog Junc. Duchess-hauled fish train coming the other way. And tackling Shap unaided. Meanwhile ... Skin n hair flying in all directions at Upperby as the electrical work tries to keep pace with the tracklaying.

Well, here we go again. Another layout construction topic by Yours Truly. This one's a little different though as it is a commission. It's not in any way intended as a replacment or rival for Grantham (the Streamliner Years) although you may detect some similarity in the title. The common theme is Mark Allatt; for those who don't know, a big fan of all things LNER and Gresley in particular (this thread will be a Thompson-free zone). It was some initial conversations with Mark over 15 years ago which sparked off the Grantham project and my LNER sabbatical and there have been occasional musings since as to whether Mark might have become the ultimate custodian of Grantham at the end of its exhibition career. In the end, circumstances have led to Mark commissioning his own layout from me and so we have Doncaster in the LNER era, where the stock that Mark contributes to Grantham exhibitions will get to run into the future - and a lot more besides. Firstly, the all important trackplan: As originally drawn up a couple of years ago, whilst the room was being prepared. It's long and reasonably wide, much better for a project like this compared to a square room. The two constricting factors are the entrance (double, inward opening doors, top right) and a rather unfortunate pillar, a third of the way along the bottom wall. Working around those, there's a reasonable representation of the station, handily bookended by a bridge at each end. The longest platforms should take a 10-coach train. However, it's seeing the streamliners and other 'crack expresses' passing through the centre roads at speed that is the real attraction for Mark and so shunting operations around the station area are likely to play second fiddle. The main running loops have been planned such that the longest will take a 14 coach train. It's simply six in each direction. Minimum radius is 3 feet and you'll see how the orientation of the station and the configuration of the fiddle yard is such that a fairly constant gap is maintained in between, so there should be ample space to move around and watch the trains. Following further discussion and thoughts, the upper level details have been firmed up and this is the slightly revised full plan. The chief thing to note here is the ability to swap levels in both directions. The Sheffield lines curving away from the south end of the station are used to form one of the links; a hidden, single track connecting line at the back of the fiddle yard provides the other link. As well as seeing train charge through the centre roads(!), Mark also fancied a piece of fairly plain open countryside for the trains to run through so that's the idea at the top. There's a grade separation arrangement to hopefully make the gradients between the two manageable. Three more sets of loops in each direction on the upper level, so that's 18 trains stored 'ready to go' on the whole scheme. The upper loop is also used to host the loco depot, bottom right, and that's where the otherwise annoying pillar is put to good use. There'll be a duck-under to a separate operating position, where locos can be shunted around the depot in gay abandon. A final update (not shown) is that we will be including the east side through platform (today's plat 1), which was installed at the time of completion of the new 'Art Deco' station building. This wasn't until c.1940 so there is a little fluidity in the timeframe but it is otherwise late 1930s, at the zenith of the Gresley era. OK - so are you really going to build all that? Well ... A start has been made! The room is full of a lot of boxes (mainly containing stock), so maximising storage space is a prime concern. Here some kitchen base units have been obtained and assembled, as the basis for the fiddle yard support, with space in between designed for the plastic storage boxes. Baseboard supporting frames then built up from these. And now with the main fiddle yard board tops in place. You can see the reducing width effect heading towards the camera - just out of sight on the right is the double doorway. May not be immediately obvious, but the baseboard height is set quite high (4 feet) - Mark's a tall chap! Stock display shelves, which were being stored, now on the wall - a much better place for them! The alcoves now also have shelves. Here's the base for the aforementioned single track connecting line. The grade separation at this end starts here. The fiddle yard board rises away from the camera a mere 10mm (1-in-250), the ascending link line grade is 1-in-100. And now the tracklaying has started! As you can see, my usual Peco approach. This is Code 75; round the front, on the scenic part, we plan to use the new Bullhead track. That'll be a first for me; quite looking forward to that. Current commission extends to building baseboards, laying track and getting the basic layout up and running. Estimate 2-3 years. Control system yet to be decided but will be DCC for controlling the trains. But I'll make it switchable to DC as some of Mark's older kit built locos don't readily lend themselves to chip conversion or at least will be way down the shopping list. Welcome along, especially lovers of all things LNER and Gresley!

Thanks Tony (and others) for the mention - you beat me to it (been out all day). Now with full length balcony (currently being fitted out) ... ... affording aerial views of layout. Just needs a bridge I can put a bus on ...

Don't know what yer worried about. There'll be another one along in a minute ... Looking forward to renewing an acquaintance first made in Singapore (oddly enough!) ...

Meanwhile ... Whilst tracklaying proceeds at the southern end of the complex, some further baseboard structure at the opposite end. These boards host the rest of the goods yard sidings, as well as the end of the loco depot. The running lines towards Carlisle will curve round in front of them. This might give a better idea. The two longest roads in the goods yard should host approx 30 wagon length trains which is about the maximum for the layout. No time to waste - now all corked up and out with the dark grey paint.

Hi Tony, I think the best answer to that is that I have managed to make them reliable. I use them extensively on Grantham, in conjunction with Heathcote Electronics relay boards and they have worked successfully in a show environment over the last 8 years or so. What I do is to actually strip down the switch before use and check the inside (they simply clip together and can easily be unclipped). What I found was that the metal slider could have sharp edges which tended to dig into the surrounding plastic a little, hindering movement. So I file off the edges a little and check for free movement. I also check the adjustment of the contact arms, as they can be a bit variable. With these checks and improvements done, they work reliably. Having said that, I'm interested to hear about your parallel relays. Presumably there's some sort of latching arrangement - is that your own design?

I think that very neatly summarises my approach. I don't own a B2B gauge - never have. I put a loco / coach / wagon on the track and if it goes, it goes! If it doesn't, then I investigate and find out why. If I suspect that the wheels aren't the right distance apart then I compare it with a known 'good' vehicle (touch them flange to flange) and adjust if necessary. There are many other reasons why a vehicle might not run properly (eg a wagon not sitting square on its wheels, insufficient movement in a bogie suspension, etc) At Milton Keynes, there must have been hundreds of wheelsets running around the layout; one vehicle (kit built; not mine) was suspected of B2B problems. Someone did have a B2B gauge and it did appear slightly tight. But I also checked the one point on the layout where it was occasionally derailing - and made a small adjustment. A wagon with a marginally tight B2B had actually found a minor track defect that all other vehicles seemed to be coping with. I appreciate the above only really applies to 'sloppy' OO gauge.

Though there are limits (especially when tried out on a man's railway): Same train, with an original Hornby-Dublo Duchess (63 years young):

Very impressive. I certainly can't compete with folks building their own track - I've got enough to cope with just laying Peco track... Most points need a motor. Most reliable operation is for said (Peco) motor to be affixed directly beneath. Ergo, a dirty big hole needs making in the baseboard below ... where I haven't inadvertently positioned a supporting batten(!) Motor then needs wires attached (to avoid the near impossibility of soldering upwards in an awkward space. And some motors need a switch to give functionality for (black) section switching, interlocking, light indication, etc. Plain tracks needs dropper wires ... But, eventually, it all comes together. You can (hopefully) see where I've got to thus far. Heading away from the camera, left-to-right, we have: Up goods relief cum shunt neck (referred to on the signal diagram as the 'third line') Up independent goods line Down independent goods line Down goods reception Up (WCML) main Down main You can see how 6 tracks become 2 at Carlisle No.13 top right. New supply of points just received, so more tracklaying to come 🙂

Hi there, Just painted cork (at this stage). What might possibly be deceiving is that this current 3mm roll turned out to be coarser than I would have liked so it might appear to have some texture?

There are some well-known prints based on contemporary drawings / sketches of the new L&M when it first opened (the wonder of the age). Those new wagons look suspiciously like one of the vehicles in the third train below. Clearly, carriage of livestock dates from the earliest days of railways (cattle to market in Manchester?)

My favourite subject, tracklaying ... The through goods line will be laid at 45mm centres, requiring the usual surgery. This is a large Y; curved left combo. And here it is in position - but not yet fixed in place for keeps - with proof (if proof were needed) of the closer track centres. And zooming back a bit to put it all into context. As you can see, it is a trailing crossover; its main function will be to get light locos away towards Citadel and also some stock moves from the carriage shed. The facing crossover above it is a relatively late addition but it is as per prototype and will be the main way for locos making their way TO the depot. As well as plenty of goods wagon movements into the yard. (Note that the Code 100 3-way point is just for illustration purposes; I have the Code 75 equivalent waiting for me in the latest Peco consignment!)

Trains no longer display train classification headcodes when running on the mainline. The contemporary requirement is to display the UIC 'triangle' of lights - marker lights top and bottom corners, with a headlamp also displayed on one of the bottom positions. Heritage locomotives have a dispensation just to carry one (portable) headlamp, placed in the bottom centre position. There was no absolute requirement for Tornado to do anything different (even though 'new', it's still classed as a 'heritage' loco); however, original electric lamps cases were obtained and fitted with LED clusters as you observed. There is one in each of the traditional four positions, as per the original A1s as first built. There are additional two headlamps fitted, made in the replica LNER style, and positioned in Class A / Class 1 position. These can be removed (for maintenance) but are otherwise permanently fitted, wired to a control panel in the cab so the driver can change the light codes if required, as you observed. With the wonders of modern LED technology, the marker lamps can be changed from white to red as desired - there is a similar set on the back of the tender. The loco can therefore in fact display the correct UIC 'triangle' pattern of lights when running on the mainline; on a heritage line, the traditional train classification codes can alternatively be displayed.