postman23

I am too tired to measure it tonight but I suspect either the boiler or firebox are too long. I've about 2mm to lose

Another photograph. This is where I got to tonight

in summer 1935 5 C13s were allocated to Chester Northgate Shed by 1947 there were 7! So I'm hopefully going to become an expert at building them. I've a LMC esque built one that I bought off eBay, an ACE kit that I was bought 22 yrs ago as an 18th birthday present and 3 Gladiator kits. The gladiator kit seems really well designed and as a bonus the one I'm working on now is etched in nickel silver. Bonus! I've been working on it 2 days so far. I tend to read the instructions but then go my own way. I try to detail each flat piece before erecting it on the engine. I find that most instructions seem to want one to put most of the big pieces on first and then go back with the details. I find it almost impossible to get the little bits to stick that way and usually end up resorting to glue. I must get an RSU some day and see if that makes a difference. observations so far. 1. The prototype has extremely bendy frames. the frames narrow substantially at both ends. 2. the valences on the kit are actually substantially less deep than on the prototype. id say they should be about 1.5mm deeper. 3. the front bogie is not as good as other GCR kits in the range. its very 2d whereas on the prototype the frames are very often hidden shadow with the springs and other gubbins sticking out by around 7 inch 4. it is really paying off having the drawings, they are enabling me to accurately locate the various rivets, so far the vac pipe run down the right hand valence, the rivets that hold the vac, boiler pressure gauge and train heating gauge on the cab. 5. the kit is really well designed otherwise, hence the drawings only being used for the rivets! 6. interestingly. to me, the rear wheels on the prototype are like the kit, a trailing truck and not a radial axle as I thought.

Managed to get a copy online now. What a palava. 'So?' says anyone who has any familiarity with the real chester north, "what's this layout got to do with the real place?". Well. I'm planning to run the stock that ran to Chester north. I've got the 1935 wtt and the 1939 passenger diagrams book and the 1936 coaching stock working diagrams timetable showing coaching formations. I've got a load of really good drawings from the NRM and although the layout is based on Buxton Midland i reckon I can run the same service from this layout as would have been seen at Northgate and I reckon I can nick most of the structures from Northgate and put them in, in modified form, for the structures originally found at Buxton. It gets round the fact that northgate doesn't fit!

how does everyone else get their images below 1 mb so that they can upload? this is driving me nuts!

Here is the track plan than Norman of Just Tracks has drawn up for me. The idea is to put the engine shed area on wheels so that I can get in at the main running lines from time to time. I'm obviously going to need some auto uncouplers.

Thanks Joseph. Hadfield... wasn't it a through station in 1935 or am I thinking of another Hadfield? Norman Saunders of just tracks has helped with the track plan. It just fits into the space I have. The junction has been left off scene. The northgate trainshed has been grafted on instead of Buxton station.

I live in WARRINGTON close to the Cheshire Lines Railway central station and I'm a Great Central Railway and LNER fan. I'm hoping to build a homage to Chester Northgate station. Unfortunately it won't fit in my railway room but after a lot of thought I decided that the track plan for Buxton Midland would fit. I'm currently building locos and rolling stock that's suitable. Currently I'm working on a D&S 15 ton break van kit. I went to the NRM and found the drawings. So it's been super detailed. Additions over the kit include lamp irons on the sides of the body and a hand rail on the roof and on the roof access steps end. I'll try to post pictures once I've worked out how to minaturise them sufficiently to load.

I came to a similar conclusion with my Buxton midland trackplan based Chester north recreation... but I decided to make some boards wheel able so I can pull them out of the way to get further in.

Thanks a lot for the reply. Yes I rather fancy Waterloo... I think one can but the body etch from Worsley Works... But I haven't any underframe detail or bogie detail ... Yet. Thanks for the tip off about Peter Denny's trainshed... Wow... Following in a legends footsteps! Yes, I noticed the pictures.. Perhaps the presence of the busses is the reason I've found photographs hard to find. I've got a floor plan from Chester local history library... But no elevations. I spent the evening drawing up some MSJ&A stock for the etchers in 7mm. The CLC bought them after electrification of the Manchester to Altrincham line. I fancied something different! I'm waiting for some 6 wheel 3rds from Quainton Road models ... They provided additional coaches for Waterloo and the Saturday service.... According to the working time table and carriage diagram I have. I would really love to see the pictures of the south signal box if you have them? I guess you are working in 4mm?

Hello. Can I add to this thread to say that I too am copying elements of chester northgate for my layout of a lifetime. I am adapting the track plan for Buxton Midland for mine and the junction is "off scene". I am however planning to run stock that ran into Chester Northgate... to the 1935 working timetable. I am happy to share stock drawings, timetables etc if people want. I am planning to use Chester Northgate station, trainshed and loco shed though in replacement for the Buxton structures. I would be really grateful if people would share pictures of these structures with me.. in particular I have no pictures of the road side of the station building and the signal box. I would be really grateful if people could help me fill these gaps.

Postman_n2005@yahoo.co.uk Send me an email... I will scan it and send it over to you.

No idea if you are interested but I have a copy of the original clc document showing the location and purpose of all the signals that were installed in the 1930s resignalling. Would you like a copy?