bootneckbob

Hi, longshot but I'm after a swap of my Glorious or Indomitable. I have both and they have never been run. I've taken Indomitable out of the box to look at it, but Glorious has remained boxed. Now Hornby have released Exeter I'd like to get that as I'm modelling Exeter St Davids. Technically Glorious is slightly to modern for my intended 1987-89 as she was painted in revised NSE in 1990 (I found out today) so I'd prefer to swap her. Both these models were bought for my layout but have not been run as I haven't finished the layout yet and I already have two other 50s running on it for testing and a little running. Trying to push on with the build (covered in this forum) rather than running.

I'd have 11 too if I hadn't cut them, but I'm modelling 1987-9 (ish) so only have 6 and lots of sidings.

Although my question is a query over prototypical, it's got some connection to the layout. Exeter St Davids has quite a bit of road for cars to queue in before it would effect traffic on Cowley Bridge road; my layout (through compression) has none! Trying to model it in a way that could have possibly worked is tricky. Lets hope the model making around the scene detracts from the practicalities of the road use!

Yes and they will be modeled on mine when the time comes! My barriers will be down permanently; I'm not going to go down the working route. When I get to driving the trains properly there will be no time between services so I'd suggest vehicles look for an alternate route now.

I've Googled and 6 seems to be the number at Helpston with Hampden park being the busiest?? Anyone with real experience or other knowledge I'd be interested. Not a burning need to know, just chewing the fat.

I'm modelling Exeter St Davids and the crossing there (Red Cow Crossing) has 6 tracks over the road crossing. I think it might have had nearly double that at one point in the steam era. Those relief lines were severed in the 70s and made the sidings both sides of Station road; some of which remain today. So my question is where is the largest main road crossing in the UK and how many tracks does it span? Regarding operation of such a large crossing I'm guessing it's just a case of stopping the traffic well before the approach with multiple cars being on the lines at the same time? I know from reading about Exeter specifically, the barriers would be lowered for trains stopping in the station even from the southern approach in case they overun the station.

Thanks Tractionman. I did use that resource way back for the track plan, mainly to see where lines where or connected before the lines were severed. It's daft, but one of the things I like about the layout is the sidings that were created by the lines being severed, were all connected at one point. It kind of shows the history of the site; something I almost certainly wouldn't have done had the layout not been based on a real location. The decision to actually be prototypical to the location, rather than keeping them in place for operational 'playing trains' was not taken lightly but had to be done really 🤔

Just found this online but its from 1948. Shows there was a row of houses there.

Hi John and thanks for the comments. Red Cow no where near done but as you will have gathered (if you have read everything on here) it was/is a real problem as there's just no space there. It stems from the original track plan where I was viewing it from the other side and as such it wouldn't have been seen really. Although that layout barely got past track laying the station area has remained as original. The billboards were knocked up just to see what I could possibly obscure and the pub was a screen grab from a photo online and printed off. I'm going to print it out again but I think the size is pretty close to where I want to be. The houses in that scene are covering a derelict shed which is printed on the backscene. I'm still researching what's there and how to do it. It's actually a carpark and the back of some houses which run up to the hotel. The old laundry to the hotel is likely to feature as it has the tall brick chimney. That whole stretch down to the Red Star parcels building (at the end of the bay platform) is a nightmare! I'd love to paint the backscene and maybe one day I will but right now as you will have gathered I'm just trying to get a bit of ground cover everywhere and representations of the buildings. It's a massive layout and it's taken years to get where I am. I need to crack on with a little more pace.

Not quite finished the platforms but thought I'd get a couple of pictures in as it is now. I need to print off some more platform edging then go back to plasticard on the platform wall. Bit of a learning curve, but I found it easier to put the edging on then do the plasticard detail; it will make sense later.

I will be making all of that building, but I'm trying to build from the backscene to the front so I don't damage the layout; that's the plan anyway. ..and thanks for adding the pic Kevin.

Yes it was National Carriers.

Do yu mean the large white building which used to run down the side of platform 6?

Thank you John. A long time this layout was unrecognizable as ESD (other than the track layout for the station) and someone asked about putting photos up to help connect the scenes with the real location. As I started most of the scenic section of this layout at the made up end with the tunnel portals and the re routed river; it was impossible to show photos there until I started the old iron bridge. Whilst I can put photos up of my work as I progressed; if I had looked at this because I had an interest in ESD I'd have been disappointed. Now I have enough areas to work on which are as you said 'recognisable,' so it's nice to add photos for those that know ESD. It's also probably better for people who may not be familiar with the location, but can just see how the model making is for trying to create the impression of a location/period in time etc.

Well, even with the scalescenes paper this is still a long job! This weekend I've managed to get the retaining wall in on Cowley Bridge road (wrapped and glued in). Also got platforms 3/4 and 5/6 wrapped. Need to do some trimming in places under the platform but there's loads to do when I get to the detail work. Now I can get the main station platform built and wrapped along with the bay. After that I need to start drawing up the main station building. So I've taken a photo from the north showing the crossing as it is now and a bit of the retaining wall on Cowley Bridge road. The other is the view from Exeter Panel Signal Box, which is also where the layout control is situated although I do have a wireless remote control for when I want to venture north!

I probably should have done this sooner, but after doing one platform in the Scalescenes paving slabs from the scratch builders kit I was wondering if there was a better way to do the platform, and it turns out there is with a station shelter kit. So I printed off some tarmac finish sheets and the edging slabs and had a go at another platform. The platform edging is really good as it saves me loads of time from what I was doing and it looks better! I still plan to overspray these paper sheets in time with the airbrush but I think it looks pretty good as is; way better than it was or still is on the main platform yet to be finished.

Well, despite having a couple of weeks off over Xmas I didn't really get anything done on the layout. As me and the Mrs didn't visit family over Xmas so we could have one on our own, I didn't think it would be fair to disappear in to the shed and leave her in the house alone! Anyway, been doing some armchair research on other peoples layouts and subsequently been bombarded with Scalescenes posts on Facebook. I decided to buy the Scratch builders kit just the otherday and proffed with a 25% discount on it too. Although I really like embossed plastic it is expensive and the painting process is painfully slow and one thing I've really noticed is my progress is also painfully slow and I've a lot to do. To that end I've decided that using Scalescenes paper will give me coverage quickly. I can always go back and redo things 'better' (maybe) at a later date. Here's a few photos of a section of platform I did after work tonight in an hour or so. Although the paving slabs are a bit 70s and too old for the 80s the platform can take on a finished look very quickly. I used some white paper to seal the platform edge and also make the white line which I'll tone down a touch in due course. In time I'll probably add kiln sand over the paving and airbrush in as tarmac, but I think adding a layer of glued paper is only adding strength to the structure anyway so no harm done. The other platform was airbrushed and the white line hand painted in and that took hours and hurt my eyes! Plus it still needs a lot more work on it as airbrushing the tarmac in over the grey primer plus I'm not happy with the platform edge so I was going to fill it with plaster. There's also a longshot of Cowley Bridge road which is still a huge work in progress but as with the platform, I was able to paper wrap the supporting walls very quickly and get some enthusiasm back for that area. I did also do some plasti card work with the extension of the wooden fence paneling and more block work and painting. There's also a not quite complete Scalescenes coal office building sitting in the scene. This was a free download and the first time I printed off anything from Scalescenes. It's not quite prototypical of the small brick building that resides in that location but it's close enough for now.

Although the means were there back in 71 to access Red Cow, the sign on the platform would indicate otherwise. More recently there seems to have been a white picket fence to stop that access too.

I've not had much time on the layout in the last week, but here's the crossing so far. Added a bit of paint yesterday just so it looks better and easier to see where needs work more than when it's plain white.

Finally for this week my little E Bay treat. A Devon General bus from the era. Technically it's the wrong bus for the location being a 57 and en route to Exmouth but I'll change that later (or not). Obviously this scene isn't finished, but this is the bus stop on Cowley Bridge road. The semidetached house I'm building has been removed as it's just plain white foam board at the mo. The trees are also just been stored in that area waiting to be 'dressed' and planted elsewhere. There will be trees there too eventually, but it makes for a nice admin space at the mo.

Then I've got a little before and after of some relay boxes. Only because I found two on the layout that missed airbrushing yesterday! These had a coat of a lighter grey and given a go with a black wash today.

Ok so another weekend over, and I made a good start on the final platform. This needed joining together as it was in 4 bits and a touch under 3m in length. Foam board was added to make the retaining walls and overhangs plus plasticard gluing on. I've attached a picture of the real part of platform 1, plus my version which shows the slightly more interesting end of the platform. It's of course in no way finished, and you will have to excuse the backscene (which will be covered by the station in due course. I like this platform detail as it has brick, stone and a bit of blockwork on the extension. The brickwork sides start just past the footbridge with the lift access. It's then stone but near the south end there's a bit of brick on the overhanging part of the platform. I don't know what the correct term for it is. Once this is all weathered it should look quite good. I still need to do a bit more on the blockwork too.

Well the good news is the airbrush works and the bad news is I didn't didn't take the E Bay photo today; maybe tomorrow! I did do a bit more on the crossing and the platforms, but I only took some quick pictures of the crossing. Should be good to look back at the progress of it from start to finish. For now it's just messy plaster work.

Airbrush went tits up after the last outing! Although I did a full strip and clean it didn't work and I was pretty sure the nozzle was still broken/blocked. Anyway, last night I had ago at cleaning with IPA, as the price for dedicated airbrush cleaner is mental. That has definitely cleared the nozzle, I can see the needle tip now able to come through. Hopefully it will work now and I've not damaged it along the way. Off to the shed shortly to find out. Going to do a bit more on Red Cow crossing today and the platforms. I also had something delivered in the post which I picked up from E Bay. I'll put a photo up later, but I think it will look great in about 15 years when I'm nearly done!

Well the weekend is all but over and I didn't get as far as platform 1 & 2, but I did push on with 3 & 4. Got the airbrush out and it all worked fine; Iwata and well worth the money. Decided to do the platform white edge by hand. As usual for me, this isn't the finished look, just the first of many layers. So the pictures show the 3 platforms in different stages of build/finish, and one of me working on it on my very untidy bench!