LNER4479

46248 'City of Leeds', in the last year of its life (1964), free wheels down Shap bank with the fast (perishables) fully fitted freight to London's Maiden Lane goods depot. My layout - but not my picture. Courtesy of the webmeister Mr York and as posted by him on my layout thread yesterday.

Certainly a first for us as it will only be Shap's fifth exhibition appearance. Really looking forward to it, having been as a visitor to Model Rail Scotland a couple of times over the years. Also pleased to be at a three day show; makes the effort that goes into transporting the layout all the more worthwhile. Below, Tony Wright's recent photo captures the 1950's Royal Scot heading up the bank en route to Glasgow. See this and a whole host of other Anglo-Scottish expresses running on the layout at the show.

Show guide for 2019 show just gone states dates for 2020 show as being 5th/6th December

Lovely photo, Andy - that sky is certainly more Shap-like than my clear blue sky. I think it was worth staying lineside just a little longer to capture this train. Indeed, but an essential part of the post-war LMR story. The moving time period allows us to run a variety of 'Big Lizzies' on prime trains (1950's Royal Scot, 1957 'Caledonian' etc) so only fair to show how they were used at the end of their lives. It might appear a menial duty but note the 'Class C' headcode. This is a prime, time-sensitive fully-fitted express freight duty, on which the 'Duchesses' did much valuable work in their dying days. In truth, such a service probably contributed more to BR's coffers than many a glamourous express train. And now a bit of fun with photters Here is Barry-O of this parish capturing his shot posted above. Here's mine of DP1, just about coping with its four coach load (ha!) And here is the webmeister himself at work. Note to self - must get myself a bag of rice (in a bag that doesn't leak). We were subject to both photographic and video shoots during the weekend (hope it didn't spoil anybody's viewing too much?). If all goes well, stand by for the layout being in BRM early in 2020 with accompanying DVD. Time for me to get scribbling...

Well, layout back home safely after an overnight stop somewhere in the Leeds area... Thanks for the various kind comments, etc. Responding to some of them Traditional DC - Duette Control! Mainly for fiddle yard shuffling where finesse is not the priority, just simple dependability. Ah, nice that someone appreciated the effort expended on the MkI Kit - probably lost on most! And glad the rolling time period worked for you. Just in case I get recognised as some sort of TV personality or something... Here are some of mine from the weekend: Here we are during Friday set up (or was it first thing Saturday morning?). Main feature to highlight is the revised wording of the pelmet. 'Britain's last great steam show' is now a thing of the past; the 'Hills of the North' designation will be my permanent tag line for all Carlisle-associated projects henceforth. A view of the fiddle yard operator's domain, roughly playing the part of Tebay. We must be near the end of the schedule as the two trains waiting to head up the hill are the 1967 steam-hauled railtour, with the 1967 Royal Scot waiting to follow, as the Tebay pick-up goods trundles past with an Ivatt 2-6-0 4MT in charge. In between is the reception road for the returning bankers. Andrew's electrical and electronic wizardy is designed to 'catch' a banker (provided the Shap signalman presses his green button!), automatically resetting the road once the banker is safely berthed. In a blink of an eye, the railtour train has departed. One of the legendary(?) Duettes can be seen, as can five-sixth of the banker fleet - it can be seen (I think?) how they all gradually shuffle along from right to left before dropping onto the back of their designated banked train (bottom left) once drawn forward into the departure road. Looking the other way, 4498 has returned into the yard with the railtour and the last banked freight of the sequence has now run and its place taken by the car train. In the Up roads, the 'Maiden Lane' train is nearest the camera. The 1967 Royal Scot must be either out or next on scene as its return space awaits behind the 1967 Birmingham-Glasgow (mixed maroon & blue/grey rake) hauled by an ex-Stoke summit Brush Type 4. There it goes, up the bank, meeting the blue and grey DMU on its way down. Jamie and Paul are keeping commendable eyes on what's going on; Harvey is not so impressed. More in a moment.

All set to take Per Ardua Adastra to the Warner's Peterborough show this weekend. Here are a couple of pix immediately prior to stripdown - did I tell you we're in current edition in Continental Modeller?(!) Come and say hi if you're going to the show.

Yes, indeedy. As soon as our Heat layout was taking shape I had a conversation with Steve (Flint) re the layout appearing in CM. Some minor tidying up was undertaken and some continental stock hastily acquired plus some borrowed from Richie (from team Grantham). Really pleased at how the pictures turned out in the mag - just me and my Sony Cybershot on a tripod with timed exposures. Here's a couple that didn't make the cut.

Final posting before Peterborough (probably). I do rather like 'Jubilees'. Second only to the incomparable 'Duchesses', they are my fave Stanier locos. Something to do with aesthetics, an inspired choice of names and the distinctive Jubilee 3-cylinder roar when working hard. So it is always a labour of love to work on such locos. Here then is a brace of these 6P 4-6-0s, having received some attention to personalise them a little (and taking time out in the Swiss Alps, like you do...) Firstly, this is one of my old Mainline split chassis 'Jubs', originally 45698 'Mars', featuring the smaller, Fowler 3500gall. tender. It's still got a few more miles in her yet so it's had a few of my usual jobs - front steps re-set with support brackets, lamp brackets added and front, screw link coupling. I've also dulled down the motion a little. More importantly she has assumed the identity of long time Newton Heath (26A) resident 45706 'Express' (built Crewe, 1936), the plates for which come with a rather attractive crest beneath the name. These were amongst some of the Top Link workings at 26A and there is a lovely picture of 45706 in 1952 by Eric Bruton of her charging confidently through Tebay, beautifully clean and steam tight, scorning a banker with her 13 coach load. Bet she was making a wonderful noise at Shap Wells! Keeping her company is a more up-to-date Bachmann offering that is one of the locos on loan from 92220 Camden. The loan condition for this loco included the freedom to rename her from the factory 45611 'Hong Kong' - accordingly, she has become North British built 45584 'North West Frontier'. I love that name - conjures up a spirit of adventure, exploration and intrigue. It is of course the name of one of the British Indian provinces, nowadays part of Pakistan and the location of the Khyber pass, amongst other things. More intimately, Dad captured her on his cine camera, drifting through Low Gill in 1964 on a parcels train, complete with red-backed nameplate. Here, however, together with 45706, she bears the early BR emblem and together they are diagrammed to share the 1950s Manchester-Glasgow/Edinburgh working. 45584 was a Polmadie engine until 1952, thereafter a long-term resident of Blackpool shed so use on such a train is a little tenuous but ... hey ... it's my trainset. 45584- short firebox (straight throatplate) 45706 - long firebox (sloping throatplate) If you will indulge me just a little further, despite 45706 being based on an old model, her use allows the comparison to be made between the two generic boiler types used on the class. The original Mainline offering featured the later, long firebox and therefore suitable for locos from 45665 onwards; however, the more recent Bachmann product covers the earlier locos so we now have the best of both worlds. If you look where the front of the firebox is in relation to the middle splasher you can see the difference - counting the washout plugs is another give away. As with any large class, there are plenty of other detail differences and some of the earlier locos had their frames modified to take the later type of boiler ... but we'll leave it at that for now. Meanwhile, I've added that extra little detail for the banking engines I referred to on Monday. We're getting there ... slowly! See you at Peterborough if you're going along.

Hi Iain, Been thinking through your comments further, leading to a few points for clarification. Would I be right in saying that what is important to you is that the LOCOS work to and from the shed and away from / return towards Euston just as they would but you're not so bothered about the stock? (my concept idea includes both locos AND trains reversing). In other words, if an 'Up' train heads past the shed towards Euston and then the loco is detached and reverses to shed, if subsequently another loco from the 'country' end is attached to the same set of stock and that then heads past the shed towards Euston, it doesn't bother you that it is the same set of stock? The 'flyover' arrangement that you refer to - is that something that you would like to incorporate into your layout (strictly speaking, it should be a 'dive under'!) or is that something you think you need for layout operation purposes? If the latter then, combined with the above thought, it doesn't need to be a flyover - we simply re-designate the 'reversible' line I've shown in the centre of my diagram as a 'loco release' line (or lines) to achieve the same aim. This could be combined with a turntable / storage yard at the country end (as per John's plan) for locos transferring from 'down' to 'up' side. You do lose a road in the fiddle yard though. You asked in an earlier post re the empty stock returning to Willesden or using the 'downside' carriage sheds just outside the station (recently demolished to make was for HS2 of course!). That prompted me to consider the nature of this aspect of the operation of Euston and locos going to and from shed. When you say that locos 'have to reverse back onto shed fairly soon after hauling their train past the shed' ... well ... yes, but only after (or as part of) their stock being released at the station (ie there were no 'run round' crossovers at the buffer stop ends to allow a loco to reverse out past its stock, so far as I'm aware). A loco had to wait until a pilot coupled up to the country end to haul the stock out of the station. As you know, often the train loco would be part of this manoeuvre, effectively acting as banker to get the stock up the 1-in-70 as far as the shed. I can look at a plan which could possibly replicate this, using the centre section of the fiddle yard as the carriage sidings? One other thought with this is that I am aware that a lot of your locos and stock has the TW goalpost and wire coupling arrangement, meaning that automatic uncoupling in the fiddle yard is not always going to be possible. So the train loco reversing out at the rear of its stock does have the advantage of reducing the amount of uncoupling required in the fiddle yard - provided that you can live with the slight anomaly of stopping an ECS train alongside the shed whilst you uncouple the train loco (as you know, in reality they just dropped off at the top of the incline, allowing the ECS movement to continue onwards) I'm pretty certain that the majority of the stock for the principal mainline expresses was tripped to and from Euston and Willesden (for cleaning and preparing - and possibly remarshalling - ready for the return run). The carriage sheds near the station were either used for local stock or parcels stock. More intensively used local / suburban stock may well have just stayed in the station until their next working, the inbound train loco thus being released as a result of the next passenger departure of that stock. On a similar theme, there was of course a small loco yard (including a turntable) at the station which would be used for 'foreign' locos on a quick turn round (eg Bushbury locos on the Birmingham trains) - in which case they wouldn't have been seen on the main depot. Do you want to replicate that aspect at all? At the end of the day, it all boils down to how YOU want to operate YOUR layout! With the space you've got, the fiddle yard can be more or less configured accordingly. Sorry - there seems to be a lot of questions there! But hope it helps clarify a few things further. Graham

Yup. The rear bogie would benefit from bolster details being added amongst other things. I also need to refit the injectors! I also removed the ejector and have not yet refitted it yet as I've noted a wiggly pipe making its way along the tank top towards the cab. The tank vents aren't the right shape and, as Mike points out in his destructions, there should be S-shape rear vents climbing up the rear of the cab. Plenty to keep me busy ... but having got 42424 to where she is now, immediate priority will be to lift a few other locos to this sort of level. Still a few too many 'out of the box' locos on the roster at the moment.

She's ready for the road: Severe quantities of midnight oil have been burnt since the previous post to get to this stage. It's a Halfords satin black spray then I ordered the Fox transfers for the Fowler 4MT ... which duly did NOT cater for the Stanier 'Limousine cab' variant so a little bit of extra cutting and shutting was required. Then a coat of satin varnish to hopefully seal the transfers. Cab and smokebox have had a coat of matt black. There's more I'd like to do ... but we're virtually out of time as far as Peterborough show is concerned so she will appear over the coming weekend looking like this. Weathering is one item high on the priority list! But overall I'm delighted with it - Mike's etches have enabled me to produce a distinctive, signature loco for the layout. Might not be a true 'glamour' loco but for me such a loco is essential to capture the spirit of Shap. Gilding the lily a bit, I do intend featuring one extra detailed touch ... Can you spot them? The Shap banking turns were regarded operationally as trip workings (ie the same as a 'pick up' goods) and duly carried 'Target' boards. The long standing target numbers were T91, 92 & 93, with T94 being the local Tebay-Penrith goods pick up goods. So, based on these photos*, I'm going to knock up some boards to be carried on the left hand lamp bracket. Look out for them if you're coming to Peterborough. (*my, cropped photos of pictures by W Philip Conolly) Also been working on a couple more 'Jub's - will post something further before the weekend.

Good to have a discussion going about siggernals. First of all, I have to bow to Mick's knowledge in terms of the positioning of the stripe. I have been working to dimensions quoted in the former MSE instructions which are (for 4mm scale): stripe 3mm (9in) wide, 3.5mm (10.5in) in from the edge which appear to be at slight variance to officialdom. They have always, however, looked 'right' to me - too narrow a stripe really spoils the look of a signal arm for me. I shall henceforth, newly armed with official data, study prototype pictures and take stock accordingly. Now then, can I dare to court controversy (for once?), and postulate a further reason for folks being put off signals? As well as the above quoted reasons, I sense an element of people too easily being put off signals due to the perception of it being something of a 'black art'. 'I don't understand signals!' is the oft quoted cry. There have occasionally been threads on this forum attempting to explain the whys and wherefores of signalling that all too often get embroiled in debates featuring signalling experts quoting this that and the other exception to the norm and complex sounding 'rules' that makes the whole thing sound daunting and unfathomable to the novice. Such interventions are, I'm sure, invariably well-meaning but can make the whole subject look and sound like some exclusive 'club' open only to signalling specialists. I've worked in the railway industry over 30 years ... but not in signalling (I've been a rolling stock man). My interest in signalling is that of an enthusiastic amateur and my introduction to it was the seminal work by Kitchenside & Williams - according to Mike the Stationmaster, said work was written partly with railway modellers in mind. Once you get your head round the fundamentals, it really isn't THAT difficult to understand the basic principles. Combined with careful study of the prototype, applying it to a layout should be quite logical. Each of Grantham's signals has been constructed with reference to the prototype. Some are faithful copies; others are compromises which still obey signalling logic but adapted to fit the layout's trackplan and the way it is operated. The distinctive 'Up' junction signal was the first one I built. It (correctly) has upper quadrant arms for our 1937-8 time period BUT there is immediately a compromise. It should have a distant arm on the lower (junction) post. I actually only spotted this after I'd built it(!) But I figured that - for the purposes of the layout and the way we operate it - we could do without it. It should also be FAR more dirty that this, due to countless locos standing underneath it over the years (it was in a state of near collapse when it was replaced by a colour light structure c.1954) This one is another compromise. All pictures I've seen of it feature additional subsidiary arms beneath the main arms (I assume for 'calling on' purposes - see, there's me starting to get all technical!) - again, we didn't need that for the layout so I didn't fit them. The North End 'Up' signals controlling arrivals from the ECML and the Nottingham lines - and the latter (right hand) one is complete fantasy! Well, clarifying that a little. The WAS a signal here but the associated facing crossover was not actually installed until 1942 as part of essential wartime improvements to speed up the flow of traffic. But I only discovered that some years after building the layout. I assumed that this arrangement must have existed in order to allow arrivals from Nottingham to arrive in the west side relief platform to avoid conflict with ECML traffic ... but in fact pre-war, all arrivals from Nottingham HAD to arrive in the main Up platform (plat.2) or the East side bay (plat.1). Once I became aware, I decided to stick with what we had as - again - it made it more practical from a layout point of view to keep the trains moving. The signal therefore indicates the two routes we use on the layout - across over onto the ECML 'Up' main (left hand, taller arm) or via the facing crossover towards the west side of the station (right hand, lower arm). A train taking the right hand route then encounters this signal controlling the actual entrance into the west side of the station. There was a signal here - but pre-war it featured miniature (shunt) arms. As we have adapted history a little then it features main arms. (post war it was a single arm with a route indicator). Signals like this read 'top-left to bottom-right' so it reads: top - left, into plat 4 (bay); middle - straight on, into plat.5; bottom - right into up/down goods line. There should also be a ground signal for a loco going into the down pilot siding (where the A4 is standing). On the 'to do' list... This one however IS exactly as per prototype and was one of my favourites to make. Not all the miniature arms are operational though. Yes, they are undoubtedly fiddly to do ... but compared to assembling outside Walschaert's valve gear?

Hi Iain, Here is a 'concept plan' (similar to Brian above) so not a detailed trackplan at this stage. If you're happy with the ideas, I can work it up into a trackplan; if not then we can play about until you're happy. At it's heart are the four running lines (Down Fast; Down Slow; Up Slow; Up Fast), each with an as yet undetermined number of loops. Could be staggered, could be two trains to a loop - doesn't matter at this stage. In the middle are a number of reversible roads (again, exact configuration not determined). If we trace an 'Up' train heading into Euston then, whether on the fast or slows, it can use the crossovers bottom right to access the Euston Reversible and terminate. A loco from shed can then back down the loco line and, using the crossovers top right, back on to the arrived train. In due course it departs in the 'Down' direction and can duly access either fast or slow. Once departed, the loco that brought it in can then reverse out onto the loco line and thus to shed. Either that or it can remain on the rear of the departing train and drop off alongside the shed as if it had banked the train up Camden bank. To maintain the balance of trains, there is an equal and opposite arrangement at the country ('north') end. Here I'm suggesting the use of a loco lift to replace the locos. Anyhow, let me know how many of your boxes that ticks and we can take it from there. Cheers, Graham

The thing I spotted first was the signal growing out of the chimney! Many an otherwise decent prototype picture spoilt by that effect ... I tend to agree with the observations of others on here re there being worse things than not fitting lamps (an omission), such as absurd train formations or both arms of a junction ('splitting') signal in the 'off' position (both errors). As you might expect, I am often drawn to signalling errors - a favourite (NOT!) of mine is where the builder has used LOWER quadrant arms (such as GWR) and affixed them in the UPPER position (or similar). Once again, it would not take too much review of prototype pictures to avoid such glaring errors. Now - I must be away to my workbench to paint up my latest batch of ModelU lamps prior to Peterborough ...

Must have missed that one first time round - it's a cracker

Visitor from the north checking in. No goods trains running during the daytime today as the engineers took a possession at the south end of the station to attend to the ailing down bracket signal. That's better. Crew knocked off for a hearty lunch pending connecting up of the actuating rods Lines now given back. Hopefully there'll be a train or two along shortly.

...complete with a red lamp at the end of its tail (geddit?)

And featured on last night's 'One Show' with Sir Rod in attendance.

As an exhibitor (demo), there was limited opportunity to spend time looking at layouts, however I did enjoy the following during my 'back in 15 minutes' time away from my stand. Sud-Harz - seen it on here but good to see it in the flesh as a huge Harz fan (been to the HSB at least ten times since 2006). I plan to relay the branch line on our GMRC Swiss layout in HOm (metre) gauge and 'Rule 1' dictates that I'll probably end up acquiring a Harz train (or two!) to run up and down it, mixing it with the Glacier Express(!) so it was nice to see some of the range of Harz models in action. Think I'm going to need to start saving up though... Spirit of Swindon - I'm a bit behind with my RM reading so have only just finished reading the series of articles about this project(!) so, again, great to see it in the flesh. Superb presentation with the changing night n day lighting effects. North Ballachulish - a stunning piece of backscene painting work (the work of Mike 'Chee Tor' Raithby, I understand) gives this layout a terrific sense of place. Solent summit - I'm often non-plussed about modular layouts but I thought this presentation worked REALLY well at Warley. Having done Amtrak coast-to-coast 10 years ago, it was great just to watch an Amtrak train steadily make its way from one end to the other, only stopping to wait for a steam-hauled excursion in the other direction. The whole thing seemed to capture the interminable vastness of the Western deserts; perhaps the modular concept works better in N gauge as each module can depict more railway and sense of place in its given size? Eight ages of steam - very imaginative presentation and the 19th century modules in particular brought the past to life with their individual vignettes. There you are - not a ruck sack, smelly person or car park rip off in sight! Thanks to all who called by at stand A82. And for those going, see you all at Peterborough in just under two weeks time with both the full GMRC Swiss layout AND a certain large OO tail chaser...

Perhaps .... ?

Yum Mrs Wealleans is the second-best creator of Malt loaf I know ... I shall be there on stand A82 'Layout Planning & Design'. However, just spotted that the on line guide appears to be a repeat of last year's entry - I shall in fact be there with one board of our GMRC Heat layout, as below, to illustrate aspects of layout design.

Corks from your hat?

I'm assuming that they're subtle and therefore not detectable from three feet away on a moving loco ... ? There is of course a significant visual difference between the original Fowler style cabs fitted to the 'Scots and 'Pats when first built with and the later Stanier cab. During rebuilding, the 'Scots retained their original cabs but the Patriots were equipped with Stanier cabs. So a rebuilt Patriot model is a closer starting point from which to create 45736. Although nominally of same 5XP (later 6P) configuration, there are no doubt lots of detail differences between a rebuilt 'Pat and the two Jubilees so modified (which were actually modified first before the Patriot rebuilding programme got underway). However, I have neither the time nor inclination at the present time to worry too much about that. I suspect that the Hornby model is the inevitable compromise between it and the 'Scot in any case - although probably better than the Mainline equivalents of the 1980s?

Well, let's let that be our little secret, at least for now ...

And now it's gorn grey (primer). Black to follow shortly ... Meanwhile ... Hornby Patriot No.45534 'E Tootal Broadhurst' has become rebuilt Jubilee No.45736 'Phoenix'. In truth, it's little more than adding the detail parts (front steps, draincocks, etc) and renumbering / renaming. Oh, and a change to late emblem. I've also - as you've probably noticed - I've given her a coat of gloss varnish to 'lift' the rather lacklustre, powdery rendition of Brunswick green of the Hornby model. You've no doubt also noticed that one of the tender wheels is not on the rails... The plan is that she will subsequently be weathered into 1964 condition, complete with cabside strip and thus be a recreation of a memorable sighting my Dad had at Shap Wells in August 1964, captured on his cine camera (hence grainy image).