AndrewT

19 hours ago, HeatonLodge40 said:

Yes I chose the HST logo for the reasons Rob & MGRxtreme said above - even the public know what it is. 
Steam loco no good cos there is far more diesel on HLJ. 
Personally I’d have had a screaming 56! 

Now a diverted HST (did happen) and a pair of screaming Paxman Valenta's restarting from a red signal would be something to behold - especially with a clag-generator on the exhausts! 

On 29/09/2021 at 08:28, HeatonLodge40 said:

Here is a copy of the advert appearing in most of the modelling press in November..

Not being pedantic - but an original liveried HST is hardly representative of this magnificent model...

If I'd a Lambo' Miura.... I'm not sure I'd have entrusted its safe passage to BR Motorail !

On 10/03/2021 at 11:04, Grovenor said:

Seems to have  6 or more chuffs per rev rather than the 4 expected. A bit more fine tuning needed. Presumably its synched via back emf rather than a cam. A cam would trigger the chuffs more positively.

This is a model of the 3-cylinder experimental version....... ha ha ha..

3 minutes ago, HeatonLodge40 said:

Yes Andrew the hamlet is actually Heaton Lodge itself not Mirfield.

 

Here’s a link to the article in the Daily Mail today. I was very dubious about speaking to them but I guess it’s decent PR for the hobby. Where they got the numbers they quote as in costs etc is beyond me. 
Least it’s not described as a giant train set etc

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9251581/And-stop-200ft-Man-recreates-rail-junction-Britains-biggest-model-railway.html

Someone once said 'All publicity is good publicity' !

Just noticed the 'Daily Mail' article in which Mirfield is described as a 'Hamlet'. I've hear it called many things but not a Hamlet. Thanks Daily Mail.... close, but no cigar !

Looks like Simon O made a nice job of the trolleys....! He does an excellent job for us - mainly subframes for changing room bench seating.

2 hours ago, HeatonLodge40 said:

Yes you are all dead right well spotted!

 

There was only one occasion I saw loaded MGR’s heading east, in all the time I spent there.

Just didn’t have time to change both trains onto the correct tracks.

 

There was an occasional MGR on the Huddersfield lines heading east but never going up the dive under gradient, for obvious reasons.
 

 

Probably empties heading back East, but diverted via Standedge due to engineering on Calder Valley perhaps? I seem to recall that happening on a couple of occasions, but like you, only saw them take direct route 'round the corner' (as we called it), rather than dive-under route. I'm guessing if they'd have been held at the signal for some reason, even a Grid would have had great difficulty restarting a full train of empties on the rising gradient, while most of the train would have been on a curved lines in and beyond the underpass, making starting even trickier? Perhaps an ex-driver could enlighten us?

15 minutes ago, w124bob said:

There plenty of pictures of MGR traffic on Flickr in the Calder Valley, all seem to show loads west bound. I also never witnessed any loads running via the LNW route (doesn't mean it never happened)as the climb out of Huddesfield would have been arduous,but spectacular, even for a 56 up to Marsden . I did once work an empty back towards HM via Huddesfield it was unusual for a Vic driver to get on MGR traffic in the late 80's, I also recall it was 47 hauled making it rare for that era. I have also never seen pictures of MGR workings out of Bold or Agecroft again that doesn't mean it didn't happen. 

When I quoted those two particular pits (Bold & Agecroft), I was referring to them simply because they were some of the very few still open in the Lancashire coalfield up to mid-1908's. You are probably correct in saying MGR's never worked those two pits.

Fabulous - thank you! I'm looking forward to more. Just one thing.... Memory is a strange thing, and is easily clouded by the passage of time. Can someone correct me if I'm wrong (which I probably am...), but I seemed to recall that the full coal loads always seemed to flow West, toward the Lancashire and beyond power stations, whilst the empties flowed back East for refilling in the Yorkshire coal field. Perhaps the Eastbound full loads had come from such places as Bold Colliery (St.Helens) and Agecroft (near Pendlebury), which were still open until mid 1980's. 

It would be great for someone with better memory than me could enlighten please?

What sound module / speaker combination have you fitted in the 9F? On video at least, it seems to lack volume, and in particular the bass of the real thing, whereas the diesel locos come over exceptionally realistic in terms of sound.

On 25/07/2020 at 08:37, HeatonLodge40 said:

That’s super thanks very much, I didn’t think of companies house. 
 

In colour:

And you might also like to see the entry at the Intellectual Property Office:  https://trademarks.ipo.gov.uk/ipo-tmcase/page/Results/1/UK00002041522

On 20/07/2020 at 21:15, Growling said:

Forget the Cargowaggons. The Tesco bag steals the show! 

Not being picky - only some historical info..... I appreciate this bag may have blow in on the wind, thrown out of train window, or whatever - but Mirfield didn't have a Tesco until May1987, when the Hillards chain was bought out by Tesco. The Hillards store was within the premises which are currently a 'BetFred' and a Hansons opticians.

There is also the readily available Flexi- MDF available commonly in 6mm and 9mm thickness. Most sheet material merchants stock, it - closest to you will be James Lathams:  https://www.lathamtimber.co.uk/products/panels/flexi-products/flexible-mdf?utm_medium=organic&utm_source=google#178

See PM.

Regarding the abandoned mini........ looks as if someone took pity on it and restored it. Still on the road and Taxed and Tested as of today! First registered 1st August 1979.

https://vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/VehicleFound?locale=en

To be fair - they cleaned up their act since late 70's / early 80's and the river is pretty clear and supports ( according to the controlling Bradford No.1 angling club) 'Species include roach, bream, perch, chub, gudgeon, dace and pike and a few grayling or brown trout'. I believe the sewage treatment process changed in the 1990's and residual 'sediment' is dried and burned to produce steam, which via a generator produces enough electric to power the entire site as well as a large surplus to feed into the national grid.

However - your model is entirely as I remembered it.... you will have to depict turds and used condoms drifting with the current somehow!

On 14/05/2020 at 19:21, HeatonLodge40 said:

Rodger thank you for that, very kind.

 

Today 37191 traversed the whole circuit pulling a fully loaded 37 wagon MGR. Taking 6 mins & 40 seconds at a scale 48mph..

I will post some videos in the next couple of days but I will say the objective of waiting absolutely ages for the train to thunder past (after seeing the high intensity light in the far distance) is spectacular!
 

In the meantime I’ve been installing Allan Downes old sewerage works. I’m re-starting on the scenery at the very end and am now working back towards the dive under I started a few weeks ago.

Allans derelict building needed to stand on its own platform between the river and the far end of the model to get the right height.

Using bits of 4x2 to prop up the platform added too much weight so I’ve used scrap aluminium tube, hot glued to the frame.

 

I’ll begin infilling the gaps with polystyrene tomorrow (if I’m not distracted by a huge freight passing by every 6 and a half minutes.)

 

 For all that I spent my youth down there and know the area well, I just can't place where this building was or still is?  I remember the steel bridge carrying a massive pipe over the river (I shudder to think what was in that pipe from the sewage works!), which we used to climb across for a dare.

11 hours ago, 4630 said:

 

Ellesmere Port to Charington Hargreaves oil terminal at Liversedge Spen perhaps?

A Class 50 at Liversedge.... now THAT would be one photo I'd love to see! Anyone got any evidence of a 50 on that working?

6 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

That  Wildstyle graffiti 'typeface' for want of a better term  was 'developed' by US street artists circa 1983 - great to see the  early  '80's Heaton Lodge homies were bang on trend.

Never seen a photo, but around 78/79, a certain lad who we sort of knew ( year or two above us at school) sprayed 'WACKER' on that retaining wall in 3' high letters with a white aerosol can. Not sure what the paint was but he'd got it from the local hardware shop in Mirfield (L.D. Smiths). Mustn't have lasted long on there before it weathered off. His surname was 'Walker' - hence his nickname was Wacker. 

Pattersons Tankers of Batley had the old loco sheds as their base. Ran mainly Volvo F7's up to early 80's then moved on to DAF's. Old man Patterson also had the pig-farm at the rear of the sheds....as anyone who lived in Mirfield in the 70's and early 80's will testify when the wind came from a certain direction!

I notice you've some Hoyer tankers - you re-liverying to Pattersons? There's lots of images of Pattersons Tankers on a Google Image Search... but a lot are on Flickr and copyright - so I can't post on here.

I like the frosty effect on Carlos Fandango's Capri windscreen.... but it obscures the fluffy dice!

On 24/01/2020 at 19:34, HeatonLodge40 said:

On another note I’m going to need the help of a fabricator/fabrication company soon to construct a minimum of 25 handcarts to carry the majority of HLJ onto the 3 artics used to transport it.

 

These will have to be bespoke ie two decks, the top deck removable to carry 2 frames at a time. T bar handle, steerable front rubber wheels you get the drift.

 

If anyone is a fabricator or owns a fabrication company who’d consider this job I’d be very pleased to hear from you. Thanks. Simon 

Simon Oldroyd is a good lad - does all our fabrication to a very high standard - and local to you:  http://roundingfabs.co.uk/

12 hours ago, HeatonLodge40 said:

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

 Checked and mine is a Tower Models class 121. I notice in your photo the orange site huts of Mowlem Construction who were on with rebuilding the Ha'penny Bridge at the time. This was most definitely 'my era' at HL.

I seem to recall that (possibly) in the period 1982-1985 (ish...) seeing a single DMU 'Bubblecar' (class 121 or 122?) in plain dark BR/DMU blue livery working over the line presumably on a Huddersfield-Wakefield or Leeds service? I also seem to recall that I might have only seen this on weekends. Anyone else seen one passing HL? I know one or two of these classes ended up as driver training / route familiarisation units for the likes of EW&S. There is a model kit of either a 121 or 122  in O gauge - which I have - but so long ago I can't remember which it is. Must dig it out one day.

Simon - if you're modelling pre 1984 you'd need a Trans-Pennine class 124 set. Never seen a 7mm model of one, although I have a Trix HO version. The 124's were joined by the Reading based 123's in later life, then withdrawn in 1984 and all sadly scrapped. I seem to recall travelling to college on their replacement, which for a short while was a class 31 loco with only 4 coaches. I finished college in Leeds in September 1985, so I've no idea how long that lasted. In winter I do recall on several occasions seeing clouds of steam from the heating, so must have been some of the HM based 31/1's. Perhaps someone can enlighten me?