mac1960

Well I thought with Autumn just around the corner we should update with some of the rather wonderful autumn tinted trees made for Horton by Treemendouse which were made some time ago. They thoughtfully gave us some more leaf mix so that we could enhance the autumn feel with some leaf scatter which will be going down post grassing. Also those keeping up will have noticed the return of the goods shed which we were having doubts about, or more precisely Richard was, and I was a more of wait and see. So the consensus's is, that though when you look from the front or side of the layout it sort of jars a little,  when viewed from the audience side (remember the stage analogy ) it looks very right we feel. Any thoughts or comments welcome.  

rugged peak 

A pretty accurate commentary on the subject. CLASP was mentioned earlier however this doesn’t have the same issues. It was primarily designed for use in areas with mining  subsidence. The biggest use I have come across is the 1969/70 buildings at York Uni where CLASP was used though no mining subsidence.

Cheers

Mr Mac

Two I can think of from steam era. Woolston Grange turned up in Huddersfield on a working from the south coast to Bradford after failures of replacement. It was taken  off in Huddersfield as it had damaged some platforms on the route from Sheffield via Penistone. It was returned light engine via Stalybridge and Crew after a stay of a few days.

The other was A3 Limburg which worked a Newcastle to Liverpool relief into Leeds on Christmas Eve. The locomotive on had failed and the Liverpool crew taking wanted to go home and took the A3. Not sure what happened when control found it in Lime Street but it was returned as a special working like the Grange via Calder Valley which had better clearance as occasional V2 went that way. 
Both those were in 60,s and I didn’t witness them personally, but both well documented especially the Grange.

I did see a number of 50,s in Sheffield when a student there in late 70,s when they were still Blue all over running to York after issues with locomotives In Birmingham.

As you can see work has pushed on in the cattle dock area with the addition of the proto typical Midland fencing and the bonding of the cattle dock in place so it will not be moving again along with completing the weathering !
 

The barns are ongoing projects as you can see from attached photos. We took the cottages out to ease access for modelling, but you can see the footings where they will be located.

The look of the station area has the grime and run down look which we are trying to achieve. The model is being done in autumn with a time frame for the model being between the years 1964 -67 and towards the end of steam when the S&C was itself being run down. The video by Ken Ellwood - Last Days of Steam has been a great help in getting the feeling of the area in that time, though that was filmed more into the winter period. Anyway as we progress I will post further updates, we hope you enjoy seeing what we are about, and also that it works, though both of us now think it probably will, so a lot more confident in that regard. 

Well the ongoing English summer (not) has allowed further progress on Horton to the detriment of Richards 1to1 Drystone walling so the loading ramp has been completed. Apparently quite a bit of searing involved in constructing the ramps.   

Well todays question is quite simple, Goods Shed or no Goods Shed. Richard prefers no Goods Shed, I am a bit on the fence, so looking for some feed back either way, as I can see where Richard where is coming from, and we do not have to make any immediate decision, but we would be interested to hear what the 2700 of you  who have had a peak at this build think ? That is not to say we would act upon a majority, after all that is how we got Brexit  - sorry I am a, as I think Richard is a,  Remainer. No more politics I promise just a good line !

Cheer's

Well due to yet more rain, Richard was able to get the cottages moved and bedded in their new location ! It is just a pity that you will only see one side of them, but he and I both know the back is there !

The photo looking South down the track really starts to evoque the S&C we feel, though obviously the OO barn throws it, as it looks the size of a block of flats, but do bare in mind you will never view this stage from this angle. Anyway onwards and upwards.

Cheers

drducan

So are we 🫣

cheers

Some further photos following the appalling weather of last weekend which allowed Richard time off on the 1 to 1 scale stuff and he cracked on with Horton and cost England the Ashes. However he did find one snag. The Railway cottages which we had moved and done new footings for look wrong ergonomically now, and we are going to move them back to their original position. However the original footings have been filled in so will have to be r e excavated as a result.   



 

The view looking "West" and up slope where you can see our Ha-Ha drops. In the fore ground you have what will be another slew bridge and then a sidings and the line to what would be the Quarry if we had the space so the line is a dead end and just eludes to the presence of the Quarry or I suppose you could even call it a branch line but we are staying with the Quarry as the prototype. 

The buildings are only temporary placed currently in the previous post and indeed only the station and and the shelter are in the sort of correct position.   


 

As you can see yet more walling under way and yet we still need more so another order to Osbournes for another two packs which will be with others later next week. Their laser cut walling has been a godsend on this layout as you can fold it into the landscape as you can see over these and previous photos .

All these photos are taken looking "East" from the side the model will be viewed from, so you are looking down slope so to speak, and therefore you do not see the changes in height as the land folds away, which allows us to give the perception of distance and depth which we think is working rather well.

I will post a photo looking the other way which the model will never be viewed from, to show you the falls in the landscape . It is reminiscent of what garden / landscape gardeners did with  the Ha-Ha back in the 17th Century. When you see it you will either think what a great idea or that we are both mad !   

Well a quick further update of walling which is ongoing a pace helped by the unseasonable weather which gas delayed the 1to1 real drystone walling that Richard is doing when not doing N gauge walling. 

I was at Uni in Sheffield late 70,s and witnessed occasional 50,s on trains heading up to NE and Scotland, presumably when something had  gone wrong at loco change in Birmingham. I probably witnessed 2 or 3 per year, so not common, and they were always north bound in my experience but still in Blue all over livery.

Cheers

Well a brief apology for lack of progress photos recently. Down to two reasons work in my case, and working on 1to1 scale for Richard ie his house.

Anyway we are back to it, and as you can see we are still playing with the Drystone walls, and the various scales, and trying to get the look right. It would have been ideal if we could have some 3mm wall, but alas not yet available so back to cork ! The critical thing is getting it right to the eye, and in particular the walls running towards the viewer. We think this may have been solved now, though I have ordered another pack of 00 walling from Osbourne's, which should allow us to complete all the walling. 

The Barns have still to be detailed as you can see, and trees added, but I think you can start to see the plan of the walling taking place. The thing to remember is the fields are very large up there, so they form a major part of the landscape, hence us trying to make sure we do this right.

So for structures there are still 3 barns to build, and 1 nr slew bridge and a loading dock, then a lot of grass to apply, but moving along again. I think we will be looking at spring for completion due to other commitment's for both of us, but will keep posting updates as we go, and would be glad to hear any comments good or bad on what you see.    

Some further updates. Currently trying to get coloration and textures correct according to Richard as you can see from photos below. The moraine and barn wall samples look very good and leaving it with him to decide re stone work on the barn as to which to go for. I will post more when further progress evident but all looks good so far and we are both very pleased how its shaping up.

As you can see from the attached Barn or rather its shell its footings are being planted into the ground, which is as buildings are in reality (I work in construction so it is one of the things I need to see on a model). This barn caused Richard to swear little he tells me, as it sits across the slope and the structure it is planted on is curved bowed board (deliberate ) underneath. Under that is the fiddle yard so the barn had to have a base to mimic the curved land form which caused some issues apparently ! The two other barns on this slope are far easier as are smaller, and built in a North South profile if you see this one as being West to East as you view this model from a Westerly perspective. So left to build, are 3 barns and one slew bridge then Richard has a lot of walling to plant, and quite a bit of Grass and hedging, though he tells me once the buildings and bridge are completed the hard part is over !! I am not sure, as I am not sure any part of this build is easy as we have set ourselves some challenges, and real world issues have intervened to some degree, but maybe he is right, fingers crossed.    

Just had these sent to me. As we discussed we are moving the HO tree further up slope as discussed previously and it really works rather well we think. We ae going to move it out of the Limestone Moraine as you would not get trees of that size growing in that environment but we have definitely found where we want to use it 👍

Well I have some more photos of Horton progress for you. Basically we have been playing with the positioning of barns and trees and scales thereof, and it is critical that we get this right to pull the whole thing off. You can see from some of the photos the idea behind what we are about, and also the picture looking down the line shows how wrong the scale is but the model will never be viewed from that side. You will be constrained to look into the model by the staging, which will make it look like you are viewing a stage or maybe peering through a letter box so to speak. Also w have extended the cattle dock by a further section which was a little drama in itself and worth a bit of a chat about. Also I should point out that the camera does lie as the trees as are not as big in reality as they appear on the screen below, and also we will be cutting down the size of the lateral moraine in the foreground.

We all know that N Gauge detailing on locomotives and stock is getting ever more detailed and life like, so why are some of the buildings, (and this cattle dock is  a case in point) becoming chunkier and less life like. The original cattle docks I purchased had copper railings as you can see, and look reasonably life like. These have been substituted for some heavy gauge plastic none fencing in current models and is undoubtedly a step backwards. The result was a frantic e-bay trawl for one of the earlier types which thankfully I managed to find. We are building up a stock of surplus buildings as there is  a farm, and cattle dock in N Gauge and also a barn in 00 now !! Anyway I am away again so it will be after the coronation before there will be any further updates, so enjoy the Bank Holidays you lucky devils.  

Well after a interesting weekend its back to work. Anyway on the plus side the walls have arrived, and Richard has those, as well as picking up some stuff from the York show when I was there on Monday helping out with Staly Vegas. As many of you may not have seen this model I have attached some photos below taken yesterday. Horton is basically Staly Vegas on steroids, or at least we hope so !!  

Well a quick update as just had these sent to me on progress as still away. As you can see first Slew Bridge in position, and the first tree and a bit of wall making an appearance.  I hope to be back in UK this weekend so maybe able to get some more photos, though Richard is tinkering with Stalyvegas as it is at the York Show this coming weekend, as indeed am I on the Monday giving him a hand, so dont expect much more progress. So if you are there you can ask me on Monday or Richard about this project or indeed Stalyvegas.

There has been a glitch in wall delv as it had not arrived from Osborne’s as they had not got enough in for my order. They have sent it but unfortunately I have left for the Middle East so that part of the build will be on hold pending my return in early April.

A bit more progress on Land forms this week. Just got some indicative bridge profile in for slew bridges. The walling has not yet arrived from Osbourne's but could have been disrupted with  the snow we had up here on Friday. The HO Sycamore is ordered with Treemendouse, and looking to have that in early April all being well. We have identified a suitable barn and enclosure to model for the hillside to build in HO, the existing 00 one was just to prove the concept  and will not be on the layout as it is just a tad too large. Anyway all going the right way.   

I believe I said on here from people I know on the project, that it will either go to Manchester or Euston, but will not go to both.

This project is a runaway train, and nobody was aware how to put the brakes on or showed the slightest sign earlier of even trying to find switches or leaver. This is a forced response from treasury and other parties. I will be surprised if it reaches Manchester in my lifetime. 

This may turn about to be a new GC if prices for tickets are not the same or cheaper than alternative existing routes which I don’t suspect they will be.

Orders placed with Osborne’s for walling and gates etc. I have to say nice people to do business with and our wind-blasted Sycamore is ordered with Treemendous another supplier I would strongly recommend from the work they did on the N gauge trees 18 months ago.

I am not sure HS2 will get any further than Crew at best. Indeed the cost overruns are of such a magnitude that they may even have to can that, even if works started already, a bit like M60 for those living in the NW. The fall in passenger traffic being marked. I went to London last week from Wakefield at a cost of £485 open return in 1st class. I pay nothing like that in Germany for a similar journey.