HeatonLodge40

Another view looking West..

Here is the model of the junction looking in the same direction. 

Thanks again for the positive words of encouragement!

Another update.. the first of the two junctions at Heaton Lodge is almost completed. Just a few tweaks and the ballasting remains to be done by Norman before it comes back to me for scenic treatment.

Here is a reminder of what is being modelled - the junction where the Huddersfield line splits off the Calder Valley line to drop down and burrow under the CV line before heading South. As per the early/mid 1980's of course..

Yes I bought 1 TEA as a 'test kit' about a year back. They will be getting a phone call in the not too distant future.

The TEA''s will be branded with ICI logos (although they'll be filthy) as many passed through HL in the '80's.

Thanks for the positive words.

As some will know the 180ft length includes covered 10ft curves at each end whereupon the 4 tracks reappear into a 12 road fiddle yard which is the same length as the public viewing side.

Next update in a few weeks.

Simon

Just a quick update..

The building of the first double junction by Norman Saunders is almost complete. What's interesting is the diamond on the junction is actually a switchable version similar to two sets of points back to back.

All the Westinghouse point motors, stretch bars and a huge amount of additional detail has been added, and yep it all actually works!

Here's a couple of shots showing the detail before ballasting and painting, after which the whole 12ft or so will come to me to have the scenery and lineside detail added.

Further up the thread is a pic of the real location complete with gantry which has also been faithfully reproduced.

I'll update in a month or so with the complete junction completely finished with all the track circuit transmitters, speed signs, ballast bins and relay boxes.

Finally I'm now running 3 cables each side of the 180ft length inside the concrete troughing. It works out quicker gluing 3 cables side by side over each 4ft board then laying the 'concrete' trunking over the top instead of messing about with tiny bits of wire and feeding them in.

Its kind of nice to know its actually there even though 90% of it can't be seen..Shame it can't actually be used

A GP Tramm permanent way machine has been helping me with some light civil engineering work on this last bank tonight

These random patches of gravel at Heaton Lodge in the '80's were often to be seen. The GP Tramm by the way is badged still in Network Rail logo's but is awaiting heavy weathering and conversion to BR numbers and logos

And this was it at 10.30pm..

Thankfully I'm almost at the end of the last batch of 3 cursed boards!

Cracking on again now. This was the embankment on the latest board at 8.30pm..

Another pic of the AK disaster..

Here's part of the wooded embankment consisting of about 15 large trees..

Enlarged slightly ..

Don't mind admitting it's been a frustrating few weeks. On the positive side almost 45ft of 180ft of Heaton Lodge is totally complete, and I'm really happy with a fairly large wood that I've constructed which was on the real location next to the tracks in the '80's.

On a negative note as I mentioned before I've had to wipe out 12ft of scenery on the North embankment as I stupidly misread the map of how high and low the embankments are. I know no one but me would have known but it would always have bugged me! Ripping up trees, demolishing stone walls and covering static grass with more plaster isn't much fun.

Then to top it off I knocked over a full jar of AK interactive slimy green dye all over Norman Saunders meticulously ballasted track.! After taking 5 minutes to compose myself I've reballasted the affected area, used model mates oil stains to disguise the green. It now sort of looks like there's been recent track work which i'll reinforce with the addition of stray sleepers, some rail and a couple of pallets.

I've had a good run with the first 40ft all going like clockwork so I can't really complain..

Of course. Evening Star was in steam in the early to mid 1980's and actually ran through HL on the way to Copy Pit via Hebden Bridge on 3 or 4 occasions.

I'm planning it pulling 12 and with fan assisted smoke units in some of the coaches to mimic steam heating it should be quite a sight!

Yep that's it Allan. There was a 50mph limit on this junction in the '80's so they were quite large.

Mini update..went to see the (almost finished) first point on the model which is part of the first double junction. This begins on board 13.

Norman Saunders has scratch built the correct Westinghouse point motors from their drawing and each points individual cranks will move.

In the pic you can see the 3 working cranks yet to be joined by a long bar.

Point heaters will also be added with a scale pipe which on the prototype carries the propane from nearby cylinders to the rails themselves.

Really pleased with this, the double junction of which this point is part of scales at 12ft. Can't wait to see the finished article!

Apologies if their are any repeats..

Frustrating night last night.

Having finished board 10 I realised I'd misread the 'contour' map I follow and I'd mistakenly made this board with the scenery almost level with the 4 tracks, instead of an embankment gradually decreasing in steepness.

It would always bug me had I left it so.. yanked out the trees and covered 10 days work with plaster and polysterene tiles. Out came the hot knife and back to it.

Can't miss out the old Capri

Love the old BR Bedford HA vans