thegreenhowards

Gresley and Thompson catering cars are so elegant that one can never have enough! I accept that you may have more than you strictly need for some trains. However, correct if I’m wrong, but I seem to remember that you’re missing a few of the more esoteric cars such as D.258 and D.275 buffets, and that strange one with a few seats that ran in one of the Cleethorpes trains. Personally speaking, I find catering cars like Pacifics - I love them, so I’ll have more than I strictly need. Andy

Thanks Matthew, I’m familiar with all those threads, and they’ve all been good inspiration especially Peterborough North which I’ve been lucky enough to visit a couple of times. Grantham is outside my timeframe but I’m a big fan. Worth the admission price alone when it’s on show Andy

Thanks Gordon, Gilbert put me onto your thread and I’ve enjoyed following your trials and tribulations. Andy

Hi Gilbert, Yes the fiddle yard is a bit complex. I’ve just spent the last couple of weeks relaying half of it to squeeze in an extra track and make the middle three tracks reversible. It’s worked really well and I now have 16 tracks including 2 half length ones at the far side and some kick backs. Several of them can take two trains, so lots of storage, (but still not enough!). I intend to work round the layout over the next few days starting with the fiddle yard as that is the engine room. The nearest track is a line for mixing and matching mark 1s and catering cores to make up the myriad of second tier trains that formed most of the ECML service. This was inspired by your experience on Peterborough North, so thanks for that. In fact, quite a bit will be familiar as PN and Little Bytham are my main guiding light for this layout. i look forward to your comments. All the best Andy

I'm starting this topic to show progress on my '00' layout, Gresley Junction, and to allow me to post photos of completed trains as and when they are finished. So here is a starter for 10. The layout measure approximately 30’ x 10’ and is in the loft of my house. This has meant certain compromises such as curving round the water tanks and chimney…but there are always compromises and I think it’s a pretty good location. My key requirements were: 1. A showcase for my model building; 2. Main line location capable of running full length prototypical ECML 1950s trains; 3. Plenty of storage; 4. Minimum radius curves of 36”, but allowing Peco curved points so short stretches of 30”; 5. Larger radius curves in scenic area wherever possible with tighter curves disguised by scenery where possible. 6. Some "railway in countryside" particularly to allow my daughter to get involved with scenic modelling which she enjoys; 7. DCC operated with some sound locos - test both DCC and analogue control of accessories; 8. A test bed for lots of kit (point motors, signals etc.) as I’m a relatively new returnee to the hobby; 9. I rarely operate the layout alone, so operating interest was not a major priority, but what is there has to operate reliably when I have visitors, and I wanted some shunting potential for when I do want to ‘play trains’. The track plan is below (each square is one foot). The loft is divided into two halves (grey vertical line is the division between them) and the layout punches through the wall between them. In one half is the fiddle yard and a section of open running across a viaduct (based loosely on Welwyn viaduct but roughly half the size). This is the area coloured blue in the plan and is featured in the photo above. The other room is the main scenic area and features running out of a tunnel mouth through a short stretch of farming, then an industrial area before heading through a station on the other side of the room and into a three portal tunnel based on the Gasworks tunnel exit from King’s Cross. The station is not based on any prototype, but features typical Great Northern runs of trailing slips and the timetable will be based on trains through Hatfield. The layout was started about 5-6 years ago, but based in one half of the loft (the right hand of the plan above). Only the station area survives from this initial start and that is now the least finished part of the layout.

I spoke to their sound engineer at Ally Pally and they have found a similarly powered engine in Ireland which they’re using for the sound recording. I can’t now remember whether that was for the 21 or 29 and they couldn’t remember which Irish engine they’d used. I’m slightly sceptical but looking forward the hearing it, and after all, nobody will be able to say categorically whether it’s right or wrong!

That looks mind blowingly complicated - I’m glad I went for DCC! With my messy wiring that would have looked even more ridiculous. It now looks very smart...I just hope it works as efficiently as before the engineering works. All the best Andy

Great news - I was wondering when that was coming. Looking forward to it.

Gilbert, I've done a bit more research on the Aberdeen return fish. This is a useful post from Brian Macdermott which claims a 1205 departure from King's Cross for the return. From other posts which prompted this it does seem to be missing from the WTT. Andy

I’m sure I’ve seen a picture of it but I can’t locate it now and I can’t remember which year, so not much use - sorry! They must have gone back north, otherwise there’d have been a big pile of blue spots in King’s Cross!

Wasn’t the return empties of the Aberdeen in the middle of the day? That should give an excuse to use the blue spots.

Thanks - I suppose that was obvious if I'd put my brain in gear!!

And the water fillers (caps off), also on the Dunstable branch train. Andrew, Thanks for sharing those photos which I hadn't seen before. The second looks like Welwyn Garden City (?), do you know where the first is taken? The water fillers with caps off is an interesting shot - I never knew how they opened up! I hope you can see from my photo that I did follow your advice and replace the vents with water fillers in the positions you suggested. Andy

Tony, Do you remember the D.210 twin-art that I showed you in brass at Woking? Well it’s now finished and I’m pleased with the way it’s come out. It is a mix of Mousa sides and parts from 247, Comet and MJT. Here is a picture of the finished twin with my N7 which is quite old but recently weathered ( SE Finecast with Bachmann chassis). More details are on my workbench thread starting here Regards Andy

The d.210 twin-art is finally finished. here are some pictures of the finished beast. It can can now take up its duty on my equivalent of the Hatfield- Dunstable branch service. Andy

When I climbed it we had a crystal clear view of St Kilda which is some 40 miles further out into the Atlantic. A fantastic hill.

That was a good spot! I test run them after the photos and discovered that the wheels were rubbing on the floor. I use the MJT articulation system, so washers aren’t appropriate. It was just a case of bending the brass with one if the pop joiners up a little.

It’s been quiet on here for a while but I haven’t been completely idle. Main focus was on exhibiting our club layout Oakbourne at Croydon. Now that’s over, I’ve made some more progress on the twin art. I think I’ve done the ‘homework’ that Andrew set me (!) and it’s now completed externally. I've just got the interior to do, which I will start tonight in front of the telly. Andy

Clive, I love your layout plan. I think we've had the discussion about King's Cross before, so I hope we're not boring people, but your plan certainly captures the feel of the place, although the pointwork is a lot less interesting/ challenging than the 1950s plan. The ability to use your sidings as turn back locations is a great idea - are they scenic ('inside the fence') or just conventional fiddle yards? I estimate that you have about 15 feet from buffer stops to 'Gasworks Tunnel', whereas the real thing would be 17 feet in 4mm, so you're not far short of the prototype - King's Cross was very cramped lengthways. The issue when modelling it is the required width which is about 10 feet from York Road to the tip of the milk dock, so some serious compromise would be necessary there. I see you've managed by just modelling the mainline part of the station which is a sensible step when you're lifting the track plan for another location but wouldn't really work for modelling King's Cross itself. I'm with you when it comes to modelling 'outside the fence'. I do a bit just to provide a setting for the trains, but track laying, wiring and rolling stock are my main interests, so that's what I'd prefer to spend my time on. That, of course, is the benefit of a club layout as different people can bring different skills/ interests to bear. Andy

I found the best place to view the trains on Lime St was in the station approaches where they run through the magnificent cutting and you can get a good view. In the station itself, I agree that it can be hard to see the trains towards the back, and that’s without an overall roof. I have a (very) long term plan to build a model of King’s Cross but seeing Lime Street has made me wonder how anyone would see the trains with the overall roof. I think I may have to model the northern part for a couple of feet and then leave a long section missing for viewing purposes. If anyone has a better idea then please let me know. Andy

Are we talking about Sidmouth? If so, I agree. On Lime Street, I agree the action is a little slow, but trains do move and there is plenty to admire in between. I watched enthralled for an hour at Warley last year despite all the other temptations on offer. Andy

Jesse, That looks great. I’m really impressed by how smoothly the trains seem to glide over the point work. Andy

Gilbert, I think that that confirms my suggestion - GN originating stock = tourist buffet ; NE originating = teak buffet. As for the D.275, I think we concluded last time that it may have worked the train, but probably only very briefly, so you’re quite entitled to ignore it and I think I’m entitled to put it in as a bit of variety should I ever get ‘ roundtuit’ regards Andy

Gilbert, I seem to remember having thus this debate with ‘34A’ on your thread a couple of years ago. I think he said that, while the prototype d.167 was 33 tons, the production ones were 34 tons, and that when 34 tons is shown in the carriage workings then that probably indicates a d.167. I also think that the GN section mainly had tourist buffets (I.e. d.168) while the NE section tended to have standard Teak buffets (d.167 as Hornby). If I’m right then this train should have a d.167 buffet and as the stock starts the day in York, that seems to fit. It’s certainly what I run in my version of the 1605. I may replace it with a d.275 when I get round to building one as I think this is the train that Carter said one worked on in his Backtrack guide to buffet cars (could be wrong on that though as I’m away and don’t have the reference material). I think the d.168s would be more typical on GN section originating trains such as the Cleethorpes services. Regards Andy

I agree that 60 locos is impractical, but I have to say that the zimo system (I think it’s immersive drive rather than active drive) is great fun to use. It makes the controller into a regulator and button 2 is a separate brake. Yes stopping at exactly the right spot is difficult, but if you’ve ever driven a real train you’d know that was realistic! For a small shunting style layout it really makes the operation fascinating and the sound adds an extra dimension as well. Sorry Tony if I’m encouraging another DCC debate, but I really think this is a step forward for small layouts - admittedly it’s completely impractical and of little benefit for LB. Andy