barrowroad

Very nice John, keep up the good work.

No pressure then John:-)

Hi Mike, John is over at the beginning of Dec. Just sent you an email.

Ouch that looks painful. You have done a good job removing the side though and I'm sure you'll make a good job with the replacement side. Robin

Further progress on the wiring with Boards 14 and 15 now partially complete. The immediate object is to wire the complete circuit of the double track main line. Boards 14 and 15 are storage yard boards on which the bus bars are now fixed as are the inter board 'jumper' cables. The UTP cab bus units are also now wired. Board 14 Board 14 Board 14 Board 15 I've just started on Board 16, with just 17 to 20 to go.

I used a router on Bristol Barrow Road making up a jig screwed into position whilst routing out each pit with the router. This tool gives accurate and consistent holes in the baseboard a benefit when a large number of pits is required. If only one or two are needed then a jigsaw is probably the way to go.

Thanks Michael. Patrick is a valued friend who has provided copies of all is photos of Barrow Road and 2 large files of data relating to loco and train workings during the 1961 to 1965 period.

Thanks Dave, Cobalt count so far 18 Analogue for the Main line and connections to the shed - controlled from Lawrence Hill and Engine Shed Sidings boxes and 15 Digital for the shed yard. I have a further 4 digital to fit on the pair of crossovers in the storage sidings. Of course then there is the storage sidings themselves.............

Thanks Andrew. Chris Yates produced the wiring schedule for the whole layout - GPO telecoms trained - and wouldn't be pleased if I had untidy wiring:-)

Since July, modelling time has been allocated to wiring the layout. The scenic section of the layout consists of boards numbered 1 to 9 and these are the ones I am focused on at present. This part of the layout is divided into a number of power zones - 1 and 2 the UP and DOWN main lines. Zone 5 the sidings alongside the shed; Zone 6 & 7 divide the main yard and Zone 8 the roundhouse. I have added two power buses for the cobalt point motors in the yard which are Zones 3 & 4. Just to give a flavour of the task here are photos of board 8 and board 4. Board 8 trackwork Board 8 wiring Board 4 trackwork Board 4 wiring Work is well on the way on the other scenic boards.

Great photo. I've been doing a bit of research and have found info at www.davidheyscollection.com/page83.htm This says the chain ferry ceased operating on 30th June 1964 and was replaced by a motor boat, BHC No5. This vessel looks bigger than the one I remember. The ferry I used looks like the small boat at the bottom of this page although probably not this particular craft - carrying only 6 passengers - as I was with a coach full of spotters. Robin

Thanks Mark, I've seen the chain ferry before but if my memory is correct we went over in a smaller passenger only ferry which had a part covered passenger area. Also I think we landed at one of the staithes. any ideas anyone? Robin

I remember an early morning trip on that ferry to North Blyth shed in 1964/5 Has anyone a photo of this ferry? Robin

41874 made a brief appearance from Jan 1948 to Feb 1949 when it was withdrawn. 41879 allocated march 1955 to march 1960 when it to was withdrawn. Robin

Hi David, Excellent photos as usual. J2908 is the Whaley Bridge Incline on the Cromford & High Peak Railway rather than the Peak Forest Tramway. Regards Robin

Hi Dave, The shed is indeed Bristol Barrow Road and the photo shows the rear of the roundhouse adjacent to the old Midland four road Workshop. There were originally four 20ft 'Loco' turntables, two were removed leaving the remaining pair in situ. They are not wagon turntables as their function was to permit access to the workshop - one turntable per workshop road. The design was large enough to allow MR 4f, 3f 0-6-0's; 4-4-0's and tank engines to gain access with tender engines having their tenders removed so just the engine entered the workshop. I am informed by an old former employee that they used a pinch bar to move locos into the workshop whilst a cable was used - around a capstan - attached to an loco on the road on which the 9f is positioned to haul a loco out onto the table. The photo shows the two remaining tables. The nearest was used to access the wheel lathe on road 4 of the workshop. Loco driving wheels removed using the wheeldrop - inside the lean to top left in the photo - were moved [ pinch bar again] across this table from left to right into road 4. Road 2 - there table nearest the shed - gave access to the remaining workshop road. The workshop had a 15ton overhead crane. I have a photo of a SDJR sentinel on this road inside the workshop. This table was latterly used to give access to the water softening plant situated to the left of the photo and enabled wagon access for supplies and waste removal. Hope this of interest. My RMweb blog Bristol Barrow Road gives additional information. Regards, Robin

Looking at an Ian Allan BR Headcode book for 1961. The Western Region 4 character headcode reads '3' train's class; 'B' Bristol District and '76' denotes a Swindon to Didcot train. I note the headcode is on the rear of D7000 which suggests it relates to an earlier diagram for the loco. The Hymek looks to be at the end of platform 5? with Bath Road bridge in the background. Robin

Correction Bristol Barrow Road - Barrow Hill is near Chesterfield.

Hi Tim, John obviously knows the origin of the turntable but for your benefit it is the original table from the Glevum group layout 'Brinkley' which I purchased recently as a backup for the roundhouse. To let you into a secret I have just received a test etch from John Redrup of the 60ft Cowans Sheldon turntable for the shed. Hopefully I can make a start on it shortly.

This update covers work carried out since my last entry. The lift out board has been tweaked to ensure it slots into the layout by the shed door. I have replaced the over catches with a more robust set to ensure the board locks firmly into position. Black card strips have been laid in preparation for the final lengths of track to complete the UP and DOWN main lines. The second pair of ' King turnouts' for access to the Up and Down Storage sidings and the Second Crossover are now in position. Slots in ten boards have been routed out to position and fix NCE connectors. I have obtained a secondhand 60ft turntable which is shown in the corner of the UP yard. This will be used to turn locos returning from 'Up North' anywhere on the Bristol - Newcastle line. My second Bachmann Peak D41 has been converted to run on a Rumney Models chassis - excellent job Justin many thanks.

Hi Dave, Certainly a lot more to do but the plan as you rightly surmise is to complete the centre roads - the Up and Down Mains - to give a continuous run. Hope to see you at Railex tomorrow as I'm planning to go. Robin

The first two B7 'King' Turnouts have been installed this afternoon together with the first two metre lengths of K&L flexitrack [ have I had it in stock that long!!]. The track board joints are my usual 12BA brass cheese-head screws through ply sleepers. With the holes are drilled 1.2mm and screwed down they have the benefit of vertical adjustment to the underside of the rail prior to soldering. Each rail is then cut in situ using a fine razor saw. Strips of 0.3mm black card are used as a base for gluing the track and prepared lengths are visible in the following photos. The brass plates under the switch blades are the Brian Morgan turnout units which I have used on the scenic side of the layout and have incorporated here as I am using up remaining stock. I am contemplating a different mechanism for the remainder of the storage sidings turnouts,

The baseboards are made from good quality birch ply 6.5mm thick. The sides and ends are formed of two layers glued together with Titebond glue, the inner being 6.5mm shorter than the outer ie 110mm and 103.5mm. The top surface of 6.5mm is fitted into the inner recess and the whole unit glued together in a jig. Depending on the board size there are one or two ribs across the underside of each board. The storage yard boards are covered with 2mm thick laminate floor underlay which has a self adhesive surface on one side. This is available in 10m x 1m rolls from B&Q or online via ebay. The scenic boards are surfaced with 5mm thick black foam sheet obtained from C&L Finescale. Hope this helps. Full details are on previous posts. Robin

You're quite right Dave no chairs required in the storage sidings. Robin

Looks good doesn't it - the coach that is:-)