john dew

Well spotted! Actually it's another of my attempts at a time stamp......for a 1947/8 layout I have nowhere near enough black GWR Locos.......It's an off the shelf B R liveried Collett.......an absolute bargain at 55 GBP 10 months ago..........to which I applied the very first British Railways lettering I reliveried the weathered black BR Dukedog with wartime GWR letters though! Kind regards

I have now made the covers for the lower level using a reinforced L shape of MDF board. The carpentry aint great but hopefully the bodging will not be too obvious when its clad with scenery and the vertical surfaces are spray painted. The covers are in three removable sections This is the first........a long (6') skinny (5") section leading up to the Parcels Depot Here is a close up of one of the viewing peepholes. As the project unfolds you will see that I am taking great pains to ensure that the covers can easily removed. Having said that I am hoping, with these check windows, cover removal will be quite rare. I have found that a single siding leading to the Parcels Depot is quite restrictive so as part of this project I am going to insert a point serving a second siding which will use up the 3" wide undeveloped strip on the baseboard proper. I will resite the depot on the new siding Here is the much battered (and cannabilised) parcels depot.......its a relic from Granby II where it was used as a goods shed Lots of repair work to do plus I plan to add a couple of ancillary buildings. The remainder of the strip will be occupied by some Scalescene terraced houses Looking from the opposite angle there is a short ramp section, which leads the street from track level to platform level, and thence to Station Square Here is the main station building roughly in position Its one of John Wiffens more complex designs with lots of three dimensional detail I did most of the cutting out during the summer and assembled it when I got home....this is the first time I have been able to put it in position. Although the building itself is quite impressive to me it isnt quite right......perhaps its too ornate for its size........ A friend hit the nail on the head when he remarked elsewhere that the building itself looks out of proportion in relation to both the tower and particularly the overall roof. At one stage I contemplated building a second floor .....but chickened out and I also had a conversation with another guy who was going to build a second tower....in N! My more modest plan is to add a couple of annexes/ wings in an L shape. . One of my favourite hobby horses is the tendency of modellers of this period to forget just how labour intensive the railways were. Not just footplate men, shed workers and station porters but also the veritable army of clerical staff (they even had their own union) shuffling the reams of paper involved in running the railway.......these guys had to be housed somewhere. Moving beyond the station........I found that when operating loco exchanges the absence of a storage siding off the up main made the operation quite cumbersome. Now seems a good time to put that right (sorry about the picture quality) And finally I have to address this issue Its the unfinished (obviously ) back of the canal warehouse .......its been like this for almost 4 years while I ponder about a solution.........sadly I am still pondering but I have a load of work to do before I eventually get to this part of the project!

This winter my aim is to complete the last major piece of landscaping on Granby. Of course it is actually "streetscaping" rather than landscaping! There will always be other projects to complete or improve but this is undoubtedly the beginning of the end. The area involved is about 12' long and between 6" and 2' wide, running in front of the main station area The keystone of the project will be the main station building and the completion of the last module of the overall roof. At the lower level are storage sidings for the branch which will be covered over The next shot taken from the opposite side shows the completed North end of the roof and the site of the station building at the far end This is a run round loop involving an ill chosen insulfrog double slip (less than ideal for a covered area!) which provides a run round facility for the branch B Set . The double slip leads on to 2 storage sidings.....one for the B Set and the other for the Autotrain All the trains on Granby run automatically with RR&Co......no problems for the autotrain and diesel railcar but a bit more problematic for the BSet which involves the loco uncoupling and running around the carriages before coupling and backing into the storage siding I have run the routine many many times and its now very reliable but better safe than sorry.....the coverings will be removeable and have some observation windows.......just in case the loco doesnt stop over the magnet.

Hi Mikkel It is very kind of you to say such nice things about Granby. If the truth be told the overall effect was achieved more by luck than judgement. I have always wanted to create the crammed in effect with different lines criss crossing which is so typical of northern industrial towns. But in this case, once I had dismissed the mine concept, I had no idea how to deal with the last double track across the canal......in fact in one post I think I described it as a bridge too far! Which is probably why it lay semi dormant for almost three years.......however alls well that ends well............thank you again for the kind comments and to all for all the likes and craftsmen ticks Kind Regards from a cold but sunny Vancouver

With this update we are (almost) in real time! The principal objective of this project was to make the area at the entrance to the railway room more visually attractive. The duck under tends to act as a deterrent and most visitors congregate on the entrance side First an overall view The duck under, canal, viaduct and warehouse siding are in the foreground.........on the right hand side above the lower level branch are the storage sidings (normally concealed by a long row of Metcalfe Housing) the storage turn table and the carriage siding Regular readers may recall the catalyst for this project was to extend the carriage siding to accommodate 4 coaches Here is an under construction "before" shot and now an "after" shot showing the siding comfortably accommodating 4 coaches without fouling the Turntable entry point A Coopercraft Platelayers hut fits into the space at the end of the siding At the siding level a manually operated level crossing allows access to both the halt and, through the tunnel, to the dairy (still to be built!) As a child I lived close to the Liverpool-Southport line.......there were many crossings there and I have tried to incorporate some of my distant memories.........one thing bothers me.......this kit came with red discs to be attached to the gates.....and I have seen many photos of crossings with discs but I am near certain they were not there in 1947.......if anyone has any idea when they were introduced please let me know. As you would imagine I have a very critical and knowledgeable audience in Vancouver One thing that I do vividly recall is the plethora of cast iron signs The Southport line started as the Liverpool-Southport Rly Co which became part of the Lancs and Yorks Rly Co followed by the LNWR followed by the LMS followed by British Rail........the legal and warning signs for each company protecting a minor right of way were all still firmly embedded in 1958! The GWR had a less convoluted history but, as one would expect, the Granby-Chester Rly Co signs are still in place at Brymbo Halt Here is another "before" shot.......this time of the halt itself and after a lot of hacking: I see that I still have to bed the Pagoda in somewhat I have crammed a fair bit of detail in an attempt to show a quintessential feature of many GWR Branch Lines The ramps have the prototypical horizontal battens to stop passengers slipping and, as you can see, there are no fancy wrought iron or wood paling fencing......just posts and wire. Lighting is provided by my attempt at replicating a Tilly Lamp (Paraffin) which were hauled up to the top of a 20' pole where a reflector allegedly created a much wider spread of light than gas lamps. I have to say Tilly lamps bring back memories of my Army days......standard issue for illuminating Bell tents! I always try to suggest there is life beyond the base board......hence the level crossing and naming the halt Brymbo Canal Street thus linking it with the canal to the left.. There was, in fact, a Brymbo branch near Wrexham (Granby) but that is the extent of any resemblance. As I remarked in my last post, I still need to add some people who are currently in the Paint Shop Finally another Black and White showing the Warehouse yard with assorted STOP and " No loco beyond this point" signs......although, as in some prototypes, the Pannier will, in actual fact, have to enter the Warehouse yard to clear the Xover points!

Here are some shots of the Scalescene Warehouse which will be at the end of the siding and is in fact the projects principal raison d'etre. In addition to the autotrain shuttling back and forth I intend to run an automated shunting routine The model with a thousand cuts! I think the trick is little and often otherwise it can become quite tedious. I am not aware of a Soap Factory in North Wales although, of course, Unilever and Port Sunlight are not too far away. I did contemplate a Biscuit Factory but this enabled me to name the building after an Internet friend in Australia A Soap Factory will enable me to shunt Vans for the finished product, a tanker for raw materials and coal for power (and tar ?) I have built a few of these but they have previously been low relief.......this is the first stand alone model......it is, like all John Wiffen's models, very robust.....I havent attempted this but I suspect I could drop it from a great height without ill effect Its designed to fit into a sort of inglenook so I had to customise a staff entrance for the third bay I improvised some detail with plasticard doors and added some signs and a suggestion of a loading dock. The kit is designed to have Northlights which I chose to ignore..........Instead I scratch built a flat roof with an access shed for the stairs and a second building to house the lift wheel hoists Some of these ideas came from my wife whose mother and sister used to work in a mill in Oldham.........Doreen is insistent I add some old packing cases and chairs.......apparently the mill roof was a great place for getting a tan (through the ever present smog?) This is the site for the finished model.....the light switch has now been replaced with a wireless remote) The view from the other side across the storage yard turntable And how it looked in 1947? It looks very un-populated.......I have a load of Monty's model figures that I just have to finish painting. Hopefully I can show the finished halt and sidings next week

Hi John I am sorry that you were more confused than amused......... I did mention that it was DCC related! Kind Regards

Yesterday I promised to post a video of one of my "tests" .....its called: "The mystery of the train that wouldnt stop" The video is unedited and of very indifferent quality......it probably should be in the DCC section but, after all, it is a part of Granby's somewhat erratic development I hope some of you find it amusing: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml_a3RgDCT8"

Hi John Thats very perceptive of you......I have to confess that when I typed it out I didnt think of the connection with the wiring technique I was obliged to use....I was just trying to summarise the behind the scenes work (muck and nettles perhaps) that has to be done before you can retrofit something. I do agree with you though. I started off with a fairly organised wiring plan, and I suspect Granby has rather more wires per linear foot than Hintock, now 8 years on, one can only think of Spaghetti! Life would be much easier if I didnt have to bend down every time I need to fault find (far too frequently I am afraid!) Kind Regards

Thanks for the likes guys! This will be what I call a "digging the trenches" post.....outlining the preparatory work for the siding.......not very interesting I am afraid. Track was removed and the existing point relaid so I could add a second point to create a Xover and a second siding leading to the warehouse site. The points are short radius insulfrogs; not ideal but there was no way I could dig down and install tortoises and at the time I had not heard of the DCC Concepts solenoid decoder that throws the point and switches the frog........perfect for the "given hindsight" approach that I am perfecting. All the wiring had to be surface laid from its original baseboard entry point.......fortunately in most cases there was a convenient channel between the original cork base.......where there wasnt or I had to go at right angles to the track I just cut out a little trench and covered it with masking tape! Where there was no cork base I added foamcore (uk foamboard?) to create a uniform level for both scenery and track......the track had to be relaid off the cork base because when originally laid, 3-4 years ago, I managed to misalign it Even though the electrics are not exactly complicated I spent a fair bit of time checking them........with the surface wiring taped over I didnt want any issues.....I am about to post a rather poor video of one of my tests Only thing remaining is to solder the feeds for the sidings but before doing that I want to check that the sidings will be absolutely square to the warehouse entrance doors The first 3-4" from the points have been glued down so that they are dead straight from the point.....the rest of the siding is loose because I need to create a very slight curve so that they are dead central through the doors Those of you who have built the Scalescene Warehouse will recognise the base units above. There isnt quite enough room to get 4 bays across the front . Rather than extend the Turntable area on the upper level to the edge of the warehouse I will build a brick wall to hide the wiring and gubbins and to suggest a side yard/passage. Here is a quick run down on the plans for the remainder of the run: This is a scratch built Halt Platform from Granby II...the Wall at the back is the last remaining module from the quantity I bought from Langley Models for the Branch retaining wall. Have to build a support for the shelter and fiddle with the position a bit! The ramps provide access for the folk working at both the warehouse and the dairy on the other side of the main line. A very rough outline of the extended carriage siding When finished the front will be covered by the arches you saw in the last post It will be curved to follow the line of both the main line and the carriage siding.The two outside arches will be bricked (stoned) in. Allowing the dairy traffic to enter and exit over the level crossing Lots to be done !! "

Once the LMS shed was completed I originally intended to take an axe to the embankment at the far end of the Engine Shed........next to the window in this shot In typical butterfly fashion....the charm of the hobby.....a change of plan: Looking in the opposite direction towards the door into the train room: We have a rather pointless (sorry!) double track....... leading towards......a light switch . At one stage this was going to lead to a coal mine ........but the site got taken over by a turntable for the storage sidings at the upper level. I use one track, in a rather half hearted fashion, as the unfinished terminus for the lower level branch Autotrain Looking the other way you can see the double track over the canal with the pub beyond.......to the right are the arches of Granby viaduct The plan is/was for one of these arches to provide road access to the, as yet unbuilt, dairy on the other side of the viaduct Its been like this for about three years waiting for inspiration......the first thing anyone sees when they enter the train room Finally not so much inspiration as necessity created the catalyst to get going On the upper level is a kick back siding from the storage sidings designed to accommodate 3 carriages......changes in my operating schedules now involve 4 coach trains which, with loco attached, foul the exit from the Turntable.........you can just see this below. So the plan was to extend the upper level carriage siding and at the lower level provide a factory to hide the light switch and create a purpose for the twin track........ "

John (Flann)and SP1...... my apologies for not acknowledging your kind remarks sooner......some canine emergencies interrupted my forum activity. As always.....thank you for all the likes.....modelling on my own, on the Pacific West Coast, it is very encouraging to get acknowledgements like that, particularly from forum members whose work/expertise I have long admired....again thank you. This post will bring the Metcalfe Shed project to a close. I like detailing and I may have been guilty of overdoing it.....my excuse its right near the door where visitors congregate.......I make no excuses for the number of little people added. Earlier in the thread I mused about the number of people who would have been employed at a shed like this.....if anything I suspect I havent add enough A word about paint colours.I spent some time trying to establish what might be appropriate with help from this and other forums. The shed is ex LNWR (despite the abundance of ex Midland Locos!) early 1948 and I decided that it was unlikely that the LMS would have repainted the woodwork so the bargeboards guttering and doors are my attempt to replicate very faded and dirty LNWR brown Here are the side buildings with chimneys for the office and boiler house. Guttering, drain pipes,stand pipe and a fire point plus I have just noticed a door off its hinges..............unintentional weathering? One of my attempts at a time stamp.......remains of the air raid siren on the roof The "conduit" from the alarm to the bell hides the join from the side building to the Metcalfe Shed Ladder to the catwalk, another fire point and a couple of labourers. I am afraid Code 100 is rather obvious in shots like this. Heres a birds eye view of the yard The yard lamp is actually Dart Castings GWR but I think its sufficiently different from the Mikes Models GWR lamps I have used elsewhere. I used an old Hornby Celestory coach as a Mess Hut and Latrine As a supplies store there is an old Parkside CCT van: Not sure about the veracity of the Loco Lamp store on the end ......I have seen something similar on a couple of other layouts and I rather liked the idea. On the other end there is a fire iron rack......and this I have seen full size at Didcot: So thats it........done! There is still work to be done on the coaling road but that has got edged down the list by other projects..........one of which I hope to describe in my next post

Thanks for the comments Jamie and, of course, for all the "likes" These are some photos of cat walks that I took at Didcot almost 20 years ago. Apologies for the poor quality. I know Didcot is GWR and this is LMS (ex LNWR) but I have seen this feature on many photos so I thought it would be worth trying to replicate.............it also helps to conceal the roof transitions 3 Strips of 2mm x 1.5mm Evergreen plastic with beams glued at 1" centres . I cut the beams over size to facilitate glueing and once secure cut to size. I cut one side of each beam at an approximation of 60o to mate (sort of) with the roof Painted and drilled over the beams to accept Ratio stanchions............these are a really useful bit of kit.....you can use them for all manner of railings and are so much easier to handle than using bits of wire as vertical supports.......its a bit fiddly threading the wire railing through the apertures and keeping the uprights at 90o............but then I had another look at the Didcot photo and realised I didnt have to be too picky! I found some little brass etchings on the cannibalised coach kit which fitted the beam ends perfectly and could be bent back to line up with the roof. So here they are in position. I just need to add access ladders and some people.

Thats good to know Nicholas because thats exactly what I want to do....albeit with Lenz........two are on their way from Liverpool.....they seem perfect for retrofits and replacement for duff legacy peco switches

Thanks for all the likes and the comments "MIB", Nick....now released from the doghouse I assume and Andy......... Not sure about the "young sir" I rather think I can give you quite a few years.......but I do appreciate the compliment...particularly from you. Incidentally I should have mentioned that the stacks are a bit vulnerable. The shed is right next to the duck under so the stacks are immediately under the flight path for essential supplies like tea, coffee and the occasional glass of wine. Sadly one is in the repair shop right now waitng for a fitter with super glue. Cheers

Thank you so much for all the likes....that was very gratifying welcome back! This post describes how I mocked up the ventilators Here are the original Metcalfe vents Here is a shot of the Scalescene vents I made for the GWR Roundhouse.....I keep calling it a roundhouse although its really only a segment. These were a something of a chinese puzzle to construct and individually look a little clumsy but are ok (I think) en masse. I was originally going to do something similar for the LMS shed. Derek, an Internet friend in Ireland, persuaded me to be more ambitious and even sent me a detailed sketch I covered the vents with Scalescene paper and started a production line to add a 6" (2mm) support rim and 4 x 1' (4mm) legs for the cowl The legs were made from 1mm brass strip from a never to be completed Perseverance LMS Suburban Coach Kit......I cut them to about 10mm bent about 2mm back to support the cowl, used a strip of 4mm card as a guide and super glued the remaining 5mm to the inside 4 corners of the vent.......picky and they are not exactly straight but hopefully they are reasonably close to the sketch Heres a cruel close up......I subsequently added flashing to conceal the join line You can usually tell when I am reasonably happy with a project....I finish the post with a B&W

I guess I have always been rather poor at updating this thread but,even for me, no posts for well over a year is pretty abysmal. It is not even as though I stopped modelling......other than the summer months, I am usually down in the railway room most every day. I guess that as the layout has matured there is less construction (although I stll have a number of uncompleted major projects) and a lot more operating. For whatever reason I am not very good at posting about this. To be honest though I just kept putting it off and the longer this went on the more difficult it was to start. So here goes....a years modelling summarised in half a dozen posts Last September I started on the LMS 2 road shed using, as a carcase, a much battered Metcalfe Shed recovered from my old layout Granby II. The challenge was to repair/conceal the damage and try and bring up the finish to the same standard as the adjacent Scalescene sheds The Metcalfe Windows and skylights were replaced with Scalescene print outs. Ratio guttering and drain pipes were added and the roof was overlaid with individual strips of Scalescene Tile This side was pretty straightforward particularly as it has a very narrow viewing angle. The Metcalfe brickwork was heavily weathered with grungy pastel mix. The other side was much more challenging as it was front and centre on the layout and I wanted to add some lean to offices and stores using bits and pieces from the Metcalfe kit The roof was particularly tricky because it had been cut back on the old layout Finished with Scalescene tiles and plastic L strip framing the skylights Next post...........the vents!

Hi Andrew Thank you so much for your kind remarks....much appreciated. Quite coincidentally, recognising your name from my neighbour (!) John Flann's Hintock pages, I came across your Bitton thread yesterday........I am now engrossed in going through the 68 pages......which you only started two months ago.....you put me to shame. I am now even more embarrassed that it is well over a year since I updated my thread! I had better make a start without any more prevarication. I will be following the progress of Bitton with much interest. Kind Regards

For greater certainty my "disagree" only related to this quote. My bogies do pick up but it can be intermittent and I suspect "Free at Last" is correct....the wipers require adjusting .

And undoubtedly, as far as I am concerned, the quickest turn round Last Thursday evening 9.30pm (PST) I ordered a Loco and some decoders.......in Vancouver we are 8 hours behind the UK so Hattons actually received the order at 5.30 am Friday Nov 22 5 hours later it was picked and packed! 10 am this morning there it was on the Doorstep courtesy of Royal Mail Non Western Europe Airmail (I guess even Canada Post played their part!) ........cost 5 GBP ......which was half the VAT saving (it was a Collet a veritable bargain at 55GBP VAT inc)

So glad the show went well........it certainly deserved to with all the preparation that you put in. I imagine the calendar for 2014 will soon be filling up? I am impressed at both your ability to delegate and train...... leaving your wife to operate! Where was Pete had he sloped off for a pint as well? Regards from Vancouver

Hi Alex So glad it worked out! Regards

Hi Alex Sorry to hear that you are having problems I use a toggle rather than a push button to operate the TT ...........but I suspect either will do This one sends the Non House end of the bridge to the Shed Road 4 This switch is activated by a second switch which also contains a command to synchronise the screen TT symbol with the actual TT You can ignore the first line it prevents locos on the entry schedules from accessing the bridge The last line turning the switch off after the TT has finished moving is housekeeping The second line activates the toggle switch to move the TT It is the third command that synchronises the screen symbol..........[select] Turntables from the drop down menu To show it better I have started a new switch [select] your TT symbol and [Add]..........the default symbol appears [Change] It defaults to TC track 1. Which typically is different from the Heljan Track#s. There is a whole array of commands applicable only to supported Digital Turntables which makes you realise how much easier it could be if Heljan where treated like Marklin etc! Point and click at the track where you want the bridge to finish. Click on the other end to move the house. Note the TC TT track numbers change It is important to recognise that these commands have no effect at all on the actual TT......in fact I get an error message "Not supported" but they do enable the screen TT to reflect the actual TT movements I have standardised on this command.....others may work.....all you are doing is syncing the screen symbol All this works fine in schedules. To get from Road 4 to the bridge, turn thru 180o and leave the bridge on to the shed exit road I use 2 schedules Schedule 1 Road 4 - Bridge Start Operations ES 4 T6 NH On this is the switch shown above and gets the bridge Non House end to Shed Road 4 (Heljan Track 6) ready for the loco Finish Operations.................ie the loco is now on the bridge Delay 20 ES 3 T4..............this turns the bridge thru 180o so that the non house end is at the Exit Road (coincidentally the house is at Shed Road 3) Delay 30 Schedule 2 Bridge - Exit END Schedule 2 Start Operations Nil Finish Operations Turn the TT back to the Entry Road....my default position Start the next schedule.................I rarely if ever use successors I prefer to start them at the finish of the preceding schedule Finally and most importantly for schedule 2 in the Bridge Schedule Properties specify the direction in which the loco leaves the bridge I do hope this helps.........I apologise for both the length and its rather pedantic style. It is by no means the only solution and is rather cumbersome and not very elegant but at least it works Do let us know how you get on Regards from Vancouver

Finally finished most of the rear of the MPD First a couple of placing shots to explain why I have spent so much time detailing this area The first is the view most visitors have when entering the railway room On the left, what is deemed to be my office (somewhat redundant as I am retired!). The rarely used door in the centre leads out to what is supposed to be a kitchen garden and on the right the shed area and the duck under (the canal) to the layout itself Looking back As I have said before the duck under has turned out to be something of a deterrent to visitors.......neither the dog nor I understand what the problem is (mind you the dog doesnt have to duck) but the reality is few people venture beyond the passage way I have just shown. In the past I have glibly talked about broad brush and a viewing distance of 3'........that aint going to work here....right under everyone's noses.......hence the level of detailing All the back is pretty much finished now except for the LMS Shed which is a very battered Metcalfe survivor from GranbyII The air intakes on the left are actually the internal vents from the kit which I didnt bother to fit.......hopefully they add a rationale for the blank end walls This shot shows all too clearly an oversize pit prop and the resultant undulating ground at Newyd shed (Mining subsidence) ! Once I am absolutely convinced the lower level mineral trains are not impeded and there are no derailment issues (there are a couple of hidden points) I will fix some cosmetic trim I have tried to convey the impression of life beyond the board......hopefully viewers can imagine a busy street then a high wall with other buildings within, including a gatehouse and many more bike sheds! Here is the detailed Booking In office The senior clerk. Ted Roberts, has just posted next months roster. Bill Jones doesnt look too impressed and Dave Jenkins cant believe that the transfer of of a 52xx 2-8-0T from Swindon (Margate?) has been delayed again! He is going to have to stick with the 56xx for a while longer. My photography is never of a high order but this time I surpassed myself......the earlier shots were taken with the camera set for bright sunlight when in fact the lighting was from standard spot lights. The next shots of the workshop out buildings were taken on a different day after I realised my mistake This aint a great shot and close ups are always cruel but it it does, I feel, convey a sense of activity and bustle......we have established there were 200+ on the payroll so one would expect to see a fair number of people around As an aside the Monty's figures are brilliant. There are a couple of Airfix originals in this cameo (no prizes for guessing) but I made sure their backs were turned Despite the sunlight and shadows its still a grey day.....hopefully you can smell the soot and smoke.......it will not be long before fog (smog more likely) starts rolling up from the valley There are two passageways from the "gatehouse" and I have tried to suggest activity in both This shot does show how much work has to be done on the Metcalfe LMS Shed on the right.......I am hoping I can get away with heavy weathering, re-tiling the roof with Scalescene strips and adding Ratio guttering. I have just discovered the Ratio gutters (previously I used Wills).....it is a super product.....you can see some examples on the Booking in Office and Workshops above Here is a close up of the shed boiler........Its a Gem model on which I wasted many happy hours.......I know it should really be inside but this was a war time temporary measure......that dragged on to 1948 ......I can expand on this legend at length if anyone insists! It does mean there are lots of detail to keep the visitors amused!