HeatonLodge40

That is superb Giles! I know you aren't a fan of much 'movement' in a static landscape (and nor am I) but I'm going to go for water movement on this culvert. Its on the far embankment anyway!

Top of the culvert which is interesting. The brick walls I'm making out of plastikard covered with brick slaters embossed sheet. Can't be seen on the pics of the model brick wall (see bottom of model culvert) but I used a scalpel to slice off sections of the embossed brickwork to get single bricks to line the top and sides of the walls. Model mates brick filler was painted on left to dry then wiped off with a damp cloth. Really pleased with the resulting effect. Just needs some slime on the bottom now

Obviously not in the correct place set into the embankment but here is the model with wet structure gel, silicone for 'waterfall' only over one step as still experimenting - and Tamiya varnish over the muddy green base..

While the junction is away being fitted into the frames that hold the scenery, I've been experimenting with replicating some of the scenic features that are part of the immediate landscape. The first is a man made water culvert that takes a stream under the tracks and out into a larger stream the other side. I'm trying to get the effect of fast moving water down the culvert and have tried quite a few methods such as PVA, Woodland Scenic realistic water and Tamiya Acrylic varnish applied in many thin coats over a muddy green base. So far the last one (taking a leaf out of Gordon Gravett' fab book) is working well for shallow fast flowing water over the greeny base with the addition of a few strands of woodland scenic field grass to mimic water weeds. I played a hairdryer over the varnish to get some ripples before it falls over the steps.. To get white water effects I've been playing with some clear silicone sealant which I daub very thinly onto a clear plastic sheet. After it dries I've glued it temporarily over one of the steps to get some idea of its effect. Also added is some heavy structure gel which dries with just a touch of whiteness - the pic shows it wet - again to try and add the effect of shallow white water. Its not there yet I know but its showing promise. Any suggestions gratefully received! First pic of real thing..

What a fantastic project following with interest! Simon

Graham I do this by spraying matt varnish liberally around 4/6'' either side of the join, then using the static grass gun apply another layer fading it out both sides. Get the vac nozzle over the new grass after 5 mins to pick up any loose lengths then spray a mist of Matt varnish to seal it all. As Giles says the most essential ingredient of good static grass laying in my book is liberally sprinkle ash or sieved earth directly onto it after laying the first layer to kill the shine and dramatically improve its appearance.

Managed to find this hugely useful BR remodelling diagram from 1970 online whilst researching HL. Apologies for the poor quality. It enabled Norman to get the correct serial number for each individual point and also to replicate the correct colour light signal numbers. On the diagram the 4 tracks that disappear to the right are modelled and represent about half mile (48ft) of track.

That is a good question Richard! Originally the fiddle yard was going to be a loose representation of Healey Mills. However given the amount of handbuilt pointwork it would need I've shelved that idea and decided to concentrate on just simply finishing Heaton Lodge. So for now the fiddle yard will just be exactly that - with Peco track. Healey Mills will be a future project that could replace the Peco fiddleyard sometime in the future. That said my absolute dream project would be Dent Station (scenic break where the coal road runs over the line) to Blea Moor tunnel North face. In 7mm to scale Set in 1967.. Kinda got a bit on with this yet though!

Oops deleted that by mistake here's the JLTRT 40's by Lee

Finally for now here's the overall trackplan..

Couldn't resist including a couple of pics of Lee Copley' (Healey Mills on here) awesome JLTRT Class 40's which will be the most common locos at HL given they were pretty frequent there in the early 1980's.

They are heading West Mike so probably the other way around. I'm told double heading was frequent in the late 50's/early 60's with 31's before the teething troubles were sorted out

Once again thank you for the positive remarks from everyone.. Will update again soon Simon

Here's some detail pics.. I'm adding the track circuit transmitters today (yellow boxes) I made them earlier from brass and plastic. The two cables that exit these transmitters are also copied and the two cables (actually decoder wire) I've run under the rails and glued to the outside of the rail. There were 3 at this point in 1985. Also added is the 50mph sign and the telephone post to the signalman. The cables from the dummy point motors I've glued down to the ballast (to give the impression they have some weight) and they run under the pointwork to connect into the concrete trunking (evergreen styrene channel)..

This is what I'm replicating again..

Looking East..

Finally picked up 8ft of the junction yesterday from Norman Saunders who built the awesome pointwork. I feel like a 12 year old whose got a cab ride in a 'grid'! I started to add all the extra detail before the whole ensemble goes to be fitted into the frames (and electrics added) which will then allow me to add the scenery. Normally I wait to get the whole lot back before adding the laborious trunking etc but this time I'm adding it right now as a lot of the detail is really fiddly.. Here's the best part of the first junction now ballasted, fitted with dummy Westinghouse point motors (Cobalts underneath).

This is the prototype in the 1960's - 20 years earlier than I'm modelling. Thanks for the positive comment

This is looking from the signal box in the opposite direction (East) just look at that trackwork! Worth pointing out that the lines entering the underpass in the previous b&w pic were then part of the completely separate 'Leeds New Line' route. You can see on the aerial pic they run parallel to the main lines (and just out of pic join up with them) which again formed part of BR's remodelling in 1970. Before 1965/6 they curved away to the right (North) towards Leeds..

I thought I'd post these pics of the real location past and present. The first rare photograph I only came across the other evening (apologies if its copyrighted) and shows the junction as it was between 1900-1965 including the flat crossing to the left, removed in 1970. Its taken from the L& Y signal box - which on the second aerial pic was originally situated on the main lines right opposite the LNWR footbridge that you can still see there today. The underpass is on the right although only one of the two tunnels are now used. The sheer amount of trees is astonishing in the last pic. In the 1980's in which the model is set, the underpass line is still double track and the lines peeling off to the left and going forward are also double track down from 4. Been nice to model HL in the 1960's but that trackwork would be a nightmare to handbuild!

Thank you Andy. Attached is what just 12ft of concrete trunking looks like and why I was in the garage till 1am Cut from Evergreen channel strip into sections, primed then sprayed with Precision Paints concrete enamel (one of the best colour matches for concrete I've seen). before drying its sprinkled with sieved wood ash from a bonfire or talc. Gives it a great texture and the last option makes it smell nice. I can lay about 4ft of it these days in about 90mins. Heaton Lodge will eventually have about 450ft of it

Hi Rich, Yes the point cranks and rods are scratch built. The cast numbers are 2mm plastic items from Slaters. Right now I'm scratchbuilding five sets of TCT's - those are the yellow track circuit transmitters which transmit a low current to the rails (on the prototype) which change the signal aspects. I'll be adding all these and a load more detail plus the scenery of course when I pick up the junction from Norman Saunders soon.

Hi Martyn, Norman who builds the track tells me the basic colours used for the rust is a mix of Railmatch sleeper grime and Dark rust. Cheers, Simon

Finally the almost completed switched diamond crossing Replica point motors yet to add and a few other bits plus ballasting obviously

Looking East in the early `80's - the nearest gantry will be fitted shortly but you may just be able to see the far gantry which is the beginning of the model almost exactly 50ft away on the model itself.