HeatonLodge40

You are quite right Andrew a 121 was used for drivers learning the route back then. Heres a poor quality pic of one ascending the dive under line from Huddersfield heading towards Leeds in 1979. Perfect excuse to run the forthcoming model from Heljan in fact. General update in the next couple days by the way

Water feature.. I enjoy doing these. My greatest weakness is I never follow instructions and just throw it all in. This stagnant pool consists of deep pour water with a murky tint, AK interactives mud at the bottom of the pool (still wet) and all sorts of junk like the bedstead and tyres. The slight cloud on the resin will disappear soon leaving a grubby colour. Above all this will shortly appear a big tree with a tyre and rope attached to a branch. I remember this being here..

Thanks. Yes seen these and is exactly the point I’m working on now. Just to the right of the tunnel mouth is a slope leading to a load of stagnant ponds/still water. Just about to model these

I’m having a deserved break from track laying to scenic work at the opposite side.. Using the usual static grass combination, canopy (dolls hair) and plenty of ground up soil to give the wintry look..this will have a sprinkling of snow/frost before long. Its tempting not to add as much detail if the frost is going to land..but..a light layer of frost in practise brings out detail even more.. Allan Downes left me a lot of his building bless him and although I can’t use many of these as they are clearly based on those in Great Western territory, these two derelict factories I will be using. In fact there was (and still is) some derelict building at a large sewerage farm I’m about to begin construction of (Cooper Bridge sewage works) - Allan’s building will fit nicely in here. I do intend to ‘winterise’ them and chop out the siding they both have.. but they are beautifully done as you can see.. I’ve also invested in a pair of binoculars which I seriously am going to be using to spot trains appearing underneath the bridge at the eastern end of the layout. It really does transport you back to the ‘80’s using these!

Hi James such a shame about the cottages. Is it a sure thing they are going as I know Network Rail often propose these things but don’t finally push ahead with every project. On a positive note I’ve installed a greenhouse on your patio in case you’re into growing tomato plants

Crikey I’ve sparked something off here.! Ref Marcway yes the principle is still the same, I make sure the frog is totally isolated then bond the outside rails to the upper part of the switch blades so the tips of the blades aren’t the only part conducting the power. I bond the Peco points in the same way.. I’ll cover the gaps in the marcway point with a bit of clay to smooth out the sleeper surface. There’s a couple more reasons why HLJ will be at Warley which I’ll mention later in the year. Mainly to do with a potential relationship with a certain manufacturer who’ll use HLJ to debut certain new models. Can’t say much more now but this is where the large LED platform displays will be very useful ..

It is indeed. Ive a load of IXO 1980’s units they do some nice stuff when you can get them

Last few days have seen plenty of cork & track laying. Priority is to make the connection from the fiddle yards to the scenic side via the wide curves to create a U shape. As I’ve said this track work will eventually form the snapshot of Healey Mills with double tracks at opposite edges of the boards to allow the sheds & fuel points to be modelled in the middle. The odd length of concrete sleepered section I throw in now and again. The loop I’m creating is for steam charters and curves around for about 35ft. The points used here are by Marcway who constructed them with a 30’ radius curve in FB rail. They aren’t the easiest to match with Peco track since the sleepers on the points are scale thickness which isn’t the case with Peco. Therefore they need packing to correct the height difference and the cork underneath the slide bar sanding so it can move freely. Plus the wiring has to be thought through a bit more as they are copper clad construction. I’m going to buy some individual plastic chairs to somehow add to the rail sides to improve the appearance. Last pic is a Hattons warwell of which a few will eventually run carrying tractor units..just testing it you understand

Point taken. The car parking there at £16 annoys the hell out of me. When I get done firm venues and dates I will let everyone on here know.

Things have moved on since the original marquee outside a shopping mall idea. It’s now going in a number of redundant BHS stores countrywide to clarify. The landlords get a huge rebate from business rates if the railway is in there for 30 days. And it’s totally free for me. And they have access for trucks etc for unloading. So it works for both parties

In all honesty and with all due respect to the public I doubt they’d realise anything was wrong if an HST power car was pulling a freight train. But..the public is where the big gate receipts are. Warley for us modellers. The shopping malls for the public.

Dig em out! I probably saw you there..And thanks

It’s a very good question Mike. The answer is the public won’t appreciate the fact it’s modelled on a real location although all along the length of the model at the front, will be information boards pointing out various features and facts and things for them to look out for. I do think they will appreciate the detail, just as people enjoy looking at detail within old painting in galleries for example. However the main draw to the public will be seeing long heavy trains approaching from a distance complete with sound and smoke etc. It’s the entertainment experience I guess. Prototypical running will take a back seat with the public unfortunately. I’ll just have to hold my nose and count the money on the gate

I sprayed paint over them so doubt they will work anyway. They were disconnected years ago I believe

Yes thanks to you I had a conversation with Mr Hughes who has promised to have a 4 car blue/grey class 124 ready for late next year. This one will be as they were in ‘84 minus an engine and griddle car. Cheers

Couldn’t resist a pic of a Intentio kit I built of a delapidated ex LNWR PW hut... The fiddle yard begins.. 2.5 binliners of Mini Natur & Noch grass so far. It doesn’t help that I always do a minimum of 3 layers : The lovely old LNWR footbridge takes shape. It’s still there today although not for much longer. The model is two Churchward kits And a Happy New Year

Rounding off the first half of this year.. : More trees .. I do make some but not all. I use battery cable, DAS and a soldering iron. : More boards delivered to cork and lay track on :

First half of 2019.. Now I wonder if I can get hold of a couple of these First trains begin to run.. Now this is the real bridge.. The one thing I never agreed with Allan Downes about. He thought I was mad modelling stuff you can’t see. Well you can if you get down on your knees.. here’s the underside of the aforementioned bridge.. Theres often problems to overcome. A steep embankment meant the catches holding the frames together haven’t room to close. So had to resort to aluminium sheet to get the clearance.. I couldn’t work on my own without this. Best £400 I ever spent .. A CAD of the model set up in a marquee for outside the shopping malls More of the bridges (the best is yet to come on bridges early next year)..

2018 a landmark year. After noticing the great British public queuing in the rain to pay £10 to see a crappy Santa outside a shopping mall I figured they’d definitely pay £5 to come and see a huge model railway also outside a shopping mall. Two months later I sold my half of a business I’d spent 12 years building to go full time on this project. I don’t mind admitting it was much tougher working 10 hour days on my own in the basement than I thought.. However.. : the frames keep coming : Don’t ever ask me why I spent 3 weeks planting 2000 brass bracken ferns in clay : they look good though.. : bridge building out of clay & plywood (actually the one near where I was photographed in ‘83.) : a scumbag breaks in the factory above, steals the lead piping for the water main, water fills the lift shaft to basement level - about 11ft. Whereupon it floods the basement. There’s 2’’ of water here. Trestles make it through. My office and living room didn’t.. I love bridge building..

Thanks. Yes I had to get an account with a paint manufacturer. I trod enamel paint everywhere for months.

2017 cont.. Picking up more scenic skills.. first dabble in resin for water, a nice little copse and I enjoyed using DAS to make stone walls. Plus detailing pointwork. Meanwhile it’s getting bigger..

2017... Finding somewhere to put a layout that was going to end up being 200ft long was beginning to stress me out. Industrial units way too unaffordable. Then 3 miles from my house under a huge derelict factory I find this .. So all modelling stops for 6 months while I spray 5000 litres of enamel paint onto floors and walls, and from YouTube learn how to build a workshop, paintshop & living room. (Note Allan Downes model of the ‘Monarch of the Glen’ Castle pride of place. The tiger is on guard duty ... Finally with the help of an artic the whole ensemble lands in the basement while I’m still hammering and falling off step ladders

More of 2016.. with the frames outgrowing the garage I began to realise I had to find somewhere to work on this lot.. The pointwork takes shape..I didn’t build em but I enjoyed detailing them

2016 cont.. More frames arriving.. Country lane construction.. At this point I was still wondering where the heck I was going to locate all these frames as the garage was chocker

2016.. Trying to crack scenery techniques