LNER4479

Like this, you mean? (taken in August last year) Not quite the same viewpoint but clearly a very different track layout these days. The safety elves have intervened over the years... Great thread. Looking forward to more photos.

Sacked the layout planning consultant

A good day chez Barry O. It's often the way that a few sessions where not a lot appears to happen is then rewarded by a 'surge' of progress. Even if the track isn't fixed down (yet), just having the first board in position so some track can be loosely put in place is a big motivator. So far the plan is working out ok; looking forward to the next session already

Hi Paul, Thanks for your post; that's a lovely connection with your Dad's memories of pre-war LNER. Makes it all worthwhile when we get comments like that. Next shows at Spalding (Nov 2019) and Southampton (Jan 2020). Not quite 'south east', but within striking distance perhaps? I'll PM you re DVD. Graham

Fandabidozi!!!!! Toot! Toot!

Great post. Here's my little homage to your grand day out:

My Dad was on that railtour! He still talks about it to this day. Thought he was on for the 'ton' descending Stoke Bank. Dad's copy of the Colin Walker book has been on long term loan to me ever since the start of the Grantham project. An idea for the next time out with Grantham Tony as we could indeed try recreating the Colin Walker picture with the Grantham town scene in the background? Just need an 'elephants ears' version of 60106...

You mean when he needs to lift his head up a shade? (ka-tish boom!)

Love the lamp stand! Now, where can we put that round the depot ... ?

Before we all get too much older, a few of mine, albeit only relatively crummy camfone snaps: The usual Sunday morning 'before the crowds arrive' photo opportunity. Barry and Roy limber up on the main control panel, whilst Jonathan checks all is in place backstage in the fiddle yard. It's mid afternoon on the schedule and, following the arrival of the 3.30pm service from Peterborough (Grantham arrive 4.11pm) - ably depicted in Tony's views down the station platforms - the train loco has shunted its stock into the west side bay platform (plat.4) and retired to shed. This was a working for a Grantham-based pacific no less, but was otherwise just for operational convenience to get it back to home depot, to save a separate LE move. Looking the other way, this view of the south end was really designed to show the road system, including the already highlighted traffic light. This apparently innocuous view hides some ingenious electronics - far beyond my comprehension but only a mildly brain stretching exercise for our electronics whiz, Andrew. There are three IRDOTS (if you look closely, you can just see one of them just above the heads of the horses on the beer cart) and three stop magnets (one of these is holding the LNER Harrington horsebox, seen hiding beneath the cover for the turning circle top right; these and the traffic light are controlled by a bespoke electronic sequencer Andrew built, tucked away out of sight beneath the road. As designed, it can cope with four road vehicles at once in this section of road; we only have three operational vehicles at the moment and the experience of the two days is that the rechargeable Faller batteries are only good for half a day's use at an exhibition with the amount of running they do. If you saw all three running at once you were quite lucky! I've added the piece of video again at the bottom of this post seeing as we are on a new page and I've remembered how to do it so that it plays directly from the thread! So, in addition to lists like the above, we have some work to do to increase the number of vehicles. I don't claim to be any sort of expert but we will try and ensure the vehicles are typical of pre-war. Things to have a go at are a Foden steam wagon, a mechanical horse and - possibly - even a horse and cart (or two). Lastly, especially for one of our Antipodean viewers, a certain A3 was captured working a southbound Leeds express in the early evening. Remarkably, as well as all the A4s, we do have access to all the Gresley A1/A3s for use on the layout. It's always a bit of fun before the show to have a look through the list and make a few special requests; conversely, literally any of them can turn up. Also spotted running during the weekend were No.2743 Felstead (the first production A3) and No.2553. Those who are aware of the layout's connection with the fortunes of the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust will appreciate the relevance of the latter one...

Thanks for those Tony (previous page). As usual, the camera takes no prisoners. Must get round to: - weathering station canopies (well, non-stock weathering in general really) - ladders and last signal arm on south end of signals (although it was something of a minor mircale that the new south end signal - the concrete one - was up and running at all for the show) - snip the pips off that south end trap point - proper girder representation on Springfield Road bridge, plus suitable fencing above - general shed detritus - not to mention a proper version of the 'new' shed building

Ahem:

Cripes! That's got us all fumbling for our OEDs...

Fair point - but the prototype picture for the Up Main signal is indeed a concrete main post with two concrete dolls. The 'fantasy' bit I suspect is the length of the bracket over to the left. Not sure that would support it's own weight, let alone the doll, without some serious bracing.

That's the one; see you there

Well, it's nearly show time again (CMRX at St Evenage) and, as always, the last minute feverish(-ish) preparations. Foremost amongst this has been the last main aspect signal for the layout (did he actually say 'last'?) This is at the south end, for the 'Up' trains (ie heading towards London). As I have designed it, one post has the arms for the two running lines (main and goods) which is something of a contortion of history as there were separate posts in practice as there was a scissors arrangement for trains to swap between the running lines - not replicated on the model. One of the posts is however shown in the pictures as a concrete post junction signal (nice!) so I chose to use this as the basis. It's probably pure fantasy as I'm not sure that concrete components were ever used quite like this. But hey - rule 1 and all that What I do know is that the arms shown correspond to the signalled moves that are required to take place at the south end so that's good enough for me. Bit of a crummy picture of it in position. But it should give some idea. (who left that screwdriver lying around like that?) Of course, a new signal in position requires copious amounts of wiring to get it interfaced with the control system so here is Andrew on a typical whirlwind trip to the north east doing the honours. One or two other electrical improvements as well, including some additional electrickery to the road system at the south end. Look out for that if you're coming to the show; otherwise, a full report afterwards.

I 'spray before I lay' with the track curved to roughly the final shape to avoid the problem highlighted by John. Sometimes there is some disturbance of the paint, particularly at the rail ends which tend to want to spring back straight. But a quick bit of work with a small brush afterwards attends to that. In terms of the colour of paint you use, I'm wary of using an orangey rust colour, as seen on some layouts. That is more typical of disused tracks. Rail that is in constant use doesn't go rusty to the same extent and I prefer to use a browny-grey colour. Humbrol M29 is ideal and available in spray form.

Whilst in Carlisle, C&M Models is 3 mins walk from railway station. (edit - beaten to it whilst I was typing!) On your S&C day, you could make it a round trip by getting off at Hellifield (allow time for tea room, admiring beautifully restored station canopy and observe operational semaphore signalling) then travel to Lancaster (scenic run) before returning over the Shap route (noting that you'll be doing Shap on the day after anyway). As a further variation, alight at Carnforth for the Brief Encounter tea rooms. Carnforth to Lancaster is a more frequent service so shouldn't get too stranded - and there is a model shop on Carnforth station. Finally, you could always investigate doing Carnforth to Carlisle via the coastal route as an alternative to Shap?

6205 was uniquely fitted with an outside motion bracket which facilitated activation of the inside valves via rocking levers from the outside valve gear (thus doing away with the separate inside valve gear altogether). This arrangement was effectively that adopted for the Duchesses (albeit far more elegantly), hence 6205 was a prototype for her younger sisters in that regard.https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/446419381797402754 I doubt very much that Hornby will ever produce a version that accurately portrays 6205 in this manner. However, top marks to Margate for tooling up for different versions of the slide bars and motion brackets for 6200-6201 versus 6203-6212. Meanwhile muggins here is now pondering what to do with his half modified old Hornby Princess. Hey ho...

Wow - that cab view is simply awesome. Not only for the detail that's been added but the viewpoint just makes it look so convincing. Pretty handy too for detailing yet to come on the 4mm version. Putting my railwayman's cap on for a moment, would it not be the case that the sanding gear would be of most benefit for goods locos, when hauling being pushed by partially or totally unfitted trains descending significant gradients?(!) Yes - I agree, check photos - but in terms of explaining why some tenders had them and some didn't, perhaps the idea was that they be prioritised for goods locos? I wonder which tender Bachmann crawled all over when doing theirs - the NRM O4 perhaps? (I think that was the first GCR loco they did)

Do pay attention at the back there! In my spare etch box I found a window frame. I removed the centre window bars until I had a very slim 'T' shape then bent the two horizontal legs up into a 'U' shape, with a little tweak the other way at the top end. I obviously made a reasonable fist of it? There should be another bracket (a sort of half 'U') which goes further back along the rave for the far end of the fire irons - one more for Mike's additional mini etch pieces, perhaps? As a further suggestion (Mike?) a pair of support brackets for the brake cross shaft (to solder on the sub-frame at the front) - you might just be able to see them on my underneath picture. Looks like Tony (t-b-g) made some up for himself as well. I noticed that Tony also included the sandboxes at the front (two shallow 'D' shaped boxes either side on the footplate). They're not shown on the original drawing for the Standard 4,000 gallon tender but are shown on the equivalent for self-trimming variant. They are however included on the Bachmann 4,000 gallon tender so could have been a later addition?

Thanks for the mention Tony and I'm sure you weren't trying to be controversial in saying what you did above (in red) but, in the spirit that you very much advocate on this thread, I feel I should point out that the B3 etches have been produced by Nick Easton; my involvement has merely been to coordinate the whole thing, with just a little bit of input to the design process. I look forward to the day when your set of B3 etches rises to the top of your inexhaustible build pile; in the meantime, here's the prototype build getting close to completion.

Well, nothing like a holiday season to spur progress on the modelling front... The tender is now essentially complete. Front end detail, including water scoop wheel, water valves, fire iron holder (bent up from a spare etch window frame!), brake handle and brake shaft Rear detail including lamp brackets, handrails, steps and guard irons. Buffers currently on order. Underside, mainly showing brake gear. The rear two stretcher beams aren't quite right but they were doing nothing in the spare etch box. Looking nice and homogeneous matched up to the loco. No further need for the Bachmann J11 tender. Now just need to finish the detail on the loco and we're done.

Very interesting photograph. A possible explanation is some sort of freight or ballast working. Loco could be en route from Tebay shed - with no outward traffic it is simply taking the brake van with it and propelling it to save a run round manoeuvre when it gets to where it is going (Low Gill, Grayrigg, Oxenholme?). I agree that it looks to be travelling 'up', in the Lune Gorge.

Hi Al, Having studied drystone walls quite a lot over the last couple of years(!), for me your top stones are too uniform in shape (look a bit like a load of books on a shelf). Try doing a length with top stones more randomly shaped, irregular angles. Graham (trying to be as constructive as possible )