Shedmaster

Thanks for the support....I would love to see more VSOE projects as this seems to only have a limited following? Or does the bespoke nature of the coaches deter people from being interested? Kindest Regards, Shed.

Hi, I do plan to have something 'green' appearing occasionally, however, it won't be 'Deltic' shaped. My plan is to have at least the NRM 71 based here, in tatty condition, as per when I first started going into 'The Lane' as a guard at the beginning of my career. I'm just sick at how little notice I took in those days and how many photo's I could have amassed and didn't. Luckily, with two new models due out, I can have a 71 as a fitting tribute thing.....maybe ? Regarding the 'Deltic' : Back in 'Manor Lane' day's, when my stock used to be 'active' on the exhibition circuit, I had D9000 and a rake of seven Virgin Mk2's, replicating the Ramsgate runs with my colleagues driving, as it was a HG job. These were later stored o/o/u and then sold due to issues with the club membership finding the couplings a 'difficult' and 'challenging' activity ! Since exhibiting at Warley 2004, this set was stored and sold off and so there are no plans to replace it. Kindest Regards, Shed.

p.s Just to add to the post above, this page on my website contains a full listing of the VSOE 'Pullman' fleet that I'm working with here, so most of these vehicles will I hope appear on the layout at some point. A large handful have already been modelled.......although, only a few will be seen together at a time. http://www.stewartslanedepot.co.uk/Stewarts%20Lane%20Rolling%20Stock.html Kindest Regards, Shed.

Hi Mr Grimley, Unfortunately I have a confession to make...I've had a major cull of my loco's here to concentrate on building up an accurate VSOE Pullman fleet - I'm DOWN to just four 60's now, 001/019/036 & 042 ! With more new 'Pullmans' arriving from Margate at some point, there are very few vehicles that I can't model for Stew. Lane, simply because some of the prototype's are still in original as built condition and I don't need them up to modern standards i.e the Brighton Belle Driving Cars. I think the new 'OO' 73's are the next thing in my sights here......I hope to have track down and working by the time they hit the shops. Kindest Regards, Shed.

Hi, Happy Christmas Eve to you and your families ! Just a quick update with some pictures to show that progress is continuing with my model of Stewarts Lane. Firstly, the newest version of the baseboards have been made up. One of these has been done to accommodate one Electric Loco. Shed building - in the same format as that done on 'Worcester Road', whereby the shed building interior is the focal point of the scene. The internal framing structure will be removed and replaced with square bracing to which the floor piece will be securely screwed in place ! The actual site of the building will be a little farther in from the edge, todays work was to prepare for final positioning and fixing and also, track alignment work. By mid 2015 I may actually have some track down!!! The front of the building will be mainly open so that the working interior can be seen. Although the layout scope has been greatly reduced, the fact is that I want to concentrate on the main building here and its occupants ! There are two baseboards, the second one 'with' the ply topping, is the main yard area : This enables us to actually have a working diorama with two photographic stages, interior and exterior ! Finally, our latest arrivals here on 'The Lane' are new Hornby 'Royal' Class 67's, 67005 and 67006. Okay, so still needing some workshop time to fix nameplates and stuff on but as usual I'm just out of time again and on that note will have to disappear back into family life now, as after all, its Christmas Eve again and I've still got things to wrap ! Hope you all have a good one, Kindest Regards, Shed.

Hi Mr Grimley..... How are you keeping mate ? I just wanted to say your shed doors are looking.........bloomin excellent ! Yet more inspiration for me...... Keep up the good work, hope to speak soon, Kindest Regards, Shed.

Hi all, Just a test posting from my mobile device to include a name change for the topic. Nothing to worry about as the layout is progressing well here although I know it's about time I posted a proper update....I'm hoping to do this very soon with a few supporting pictures. The name change is just to clarify what the focus of the project actually is, and that is the supporting workshops of the VSOE British Pullman company, based at Stewarts Lane. The rolling stock in use here will be the main focus, such as the active VSOE Pullman fleet and internal user/stored items, with any Loco. activity purely on a visiting basis as per the early years of my career. That's all for now, Kindest Regards, Shed.

Hi Mike, Sorry, this is all I have of this CCT, taken under the old regime of just taking as many pics as I could, with no regard for the real detail of anything. My one is en-route here as we speak, so looking forward to this..... Kindest Regards, Shed.

Hi all, Good Morning, I thought I'd take this opportunity to share some pics with you of the Stewarts Lane CCT, for which the new Bachmann model will be an excellent model to add to my project. There seems to be lots of stuff in the pipeline from the main manufacturers at the moment that is perfect for my layout.....keep it up please ! This particular one spent many years at 'The Lane' as an internal user stores vehicle, as seen here. I hope these are at least a little helpful to some of you ? Many Thanks and KIndest Regards, Shed.

Hi IC125, Thanks for checking in to my latest thread. You'll see that I'm not giving up on getting this right and have re-started too many times to mention. Now though, I have got up to the final paint stage for the building floor as I'm more than happy with the finished item. This is the latest photo available of progress, specifically, a detail shot of the site of the 'Wheel Truing Machine'... There is always plenty going on here for the project. Alongside the floor work, a yellow 'Weltrol MX' wagon has been made up to represent ADB901018, which has been a Stewarts Lane resident ever since I can remember ! This is looking fantastic and just awaiting decal work as I type. Even I have made up a wagon for the project, an internal user bogie bolster 'wreck', #960000, used for holding and transporting heavy items around the site... I've made this as a cut and shut from a Bachmann bogie bolster wagon, changing the bogies and chopping off the buffers at one end, still a long way to go such as painting before it's ready to show off ! Finally, the promise of a new-spec Class 73 from Dapol and the Class 59 and 71 from DJM, is really keeping me motivated, really 'chuffed' that these items are being released as they are most definately must haves for this project. Thanks for following, Kindest Regards, Shed.

Is it the Class 71, E5001 ? .......the reason why DJM Dave isn't releasing this in the 'regular' batch of 71's that have just been announced and hasn't been able to discuss elsewhere ? Kindest Regards, Shed.

Hi Dave, I'd just like to offer my 'Hugest Thanks Possible' for producing the 71' and the 59'. These two are 'must haves' for my layout of 'Stewarts Lane', which should be ready to accept these models just around the same time as they are available. Best Wishes for your future endeavours, MANY THANKS! Kindest Regards, Shed.

Hi, This arrived with me today.....a picture of the Stewarts Lane 'Wheel Truing Machine' and I wanted to share it with you, as I've certainly never actually seen it myself : I'm not sure though, why it's not just called a wheel lathe, I guess that this machine does a different job ? All the best, Kindest Regards, Shed.

Hi all, Good Evening...... Well - here we are again........but not quite; THIS attempt at the shed floor has managed to pass all of the quality control inspections and not been rejected for a change ! The Electric Loco. Shed floor is now in the paint shop and excellent progress is being made to finish this off. The primer work was first, followed by the masking up for the colour stages : The main floor colour was next up and this has gone very well over the ramps at the door end of the building, which is what has caused so much grief to get right over all this time. The rail sides have been painted at this stage and really show up the use of the individual finescale chairs. The yellow border around each pit is being completed using 'Posca' yellow paint pens and a very precise hand, not mine I hasten to add : ( Edited to add that the white square patch is the site of the 'Wheel Truing Machine' ) The rail end buffer stops are currently being 'set up' and will be added at a later date. Thats all for now, Kindest Regards, Shed.

Hi Martin, Getting back to basics here, what I really couldn't work out was how or why would the 54# crane stanchions be higher than the 50# portal stanchions when clearly, the picture shows the portal stanchions to be higher ? Then looking further into the shed, the portal stanchions next to the coaches are exactly as you suggested, 32#, or 32ft. Well of course, the measurements are in fact the length of the actual 'I' stanchion, including the part that is sunk underground. In the case of the crane stanchions, there is more underground with these, in order to support the weight of the two overhead cranes and their loads. I mean, it makes sense now, if I'm gonna lift Heljan 33's in here one day, lol's.... Won't be long and I'll be able to get this building painted and ready for siting : That's all for now....... Kindest Regards, Shed.

Hi Martin, You're a lot closer than you think as it now transpires....... New information has come to light, specifically that everything I need to know is definitely on that drawing. So, I'll have a look at this before posting any further, but many thanks again for your help. Kindest Regards, Shed.

Hi Pugsley, Thanks for having a go at this for me, but nope, that doesn't seem to be the answer as there are eight crane stanchions either side of the crane bay, they don't go all the way to the back of the building. I reckon the 12" x 6" bit is the dimension of the I beam expressed as a standard term, but the other part, 50# or 54# is not something I'm aware of. To clarify, the # symbol is small and sits in the same place as say an apostrophe or speech marks would. What I'm trying to work out is how high the different types of stanchion are and from this, how to 'pitch' the roof angles. This will hopefully portray the building correctly from 'all normal viewing angles' lol's........ Kindest Regards, Shed. p.s as a guide........ The red staff door is 78inches high with a 2.5inch frame : The inside of the crane bay and the lower building with crane and general girder work : General sizing guide with coaches for reference :

Hi guy's n gal's...... With the main part of the project complete here, the floor and it's painting, it's time to start looking at the building structure before posting the promised update and pictures..... I'm currently trying to work out how high the 'I' girder beams need to be for the main frames of the building but do not understand the original architechts drawing. In the picture, can anybody please advise how I read the measurements : 16" x 6" x 50# 'I' Portal Stan and 12" x 6" x 54# I Crane Stanchions at 25'-0" c/c Does 50# mean fifty foot high for example ? As you'll appreciate, if I can't get basic measurements right, the whole thing will look wrong in the dimensions department. Many Thanks for any help you can offer, Kindest Regards, Shed.

Hi all, Good Evening, I have to say I've been distracted this evening by running live steam in my garden : However, I have been able to check on progress with the Stewarst Lane floor painting today and this is really coming along fantastically. The ramps are looking right with the first stages of priming applied ( finally ) and the rails and chairs are in their correct positions with no glaring errors looking back at me today during checking. Again, when there is some more progress, it'll be right here on these pages...... All the best and thankyou again for your support, help and kind words, Kindest Regards, Shed.

Hiya Mr Grimley, Thanks again for your continued support.......lovely to hear from you. I have to say your pits are looking stunning over in your Boxenby thread and are definately an inspiration for me, yet again. Looking forward to doing a 'proper' update pretty soon.... Kindest Regards, Dave

Hi guy's and gals, I hope this finds you all well, Tom, I'm all for encouragement...if only I'd known you had the use of a helicopter before now this would have been real helpful with photo's ! This is one picture I haven't got for reference so Thanks for posting it. Seriously, I've just checked in and not realised how long I'd left this thread hanging, however the good news is that the project hasn't died or anything like that. The shed floor is currently in the painting process as I type and so this will be the next thing to report as far as progress goes. I'm very much hoping the artist dealing with this might add a few words when the process allows ? What I can say is that true to the prototype, the site of the wheel lathe is planned to be depicted within the paint scheme as this area of floor was relaid when the lathe was taken out, and so bears a slightly newer shade of 'pink' ! Also, to aid in the authenticity stakes, the weathering process will include real coal and ash directly from the tender of 'Clan Line' herself, only, she doesn't know it yet ! lol....... Hopefully more to report soon.......Many Thanks for your continued support. Kindest Regards, Shed.

Hi C.K, Could you please advise what you mean by the ballast being contaminated with excess salt ? Why is it unhelpful to have too much salt here and wouldn't it just be diluted down with rain etc ? I'm not expecting you to say it's an electrical issue with track circuits but I am aware that you can have 'the wrong type of ballast' whereby the tc's can leak away through it ? Many Thanks, Kindest Regards, Shed.

Good Evening, I'd just like to take the opportunity to say 'Thankyou' Mr C.K. Your info and pictures on this and the Somerset Levels threads are absolutely fascinating. Despite being familiar with 'normal' T3 possessions in my day to day work, these, as you will know, are planned many months in advance and still manage to go t**s up for many reasons. However, what is unfolding here is fascinating because it seems to an extent, be very much made up as you go along in realtime ? Most impressive stuff, so Thankyou once again, Kindest Regards, Shed.

Hi all, Good Evening, Progress is good here at the moment, I'm actually getting some modelling done ! Thanks for your nice comments and support, this is spurring me on nicely to know that there is still some interest in this, after many false starts. However, taking this into account Mr Grimley, I'm not sure you'd want to be taking any advice off of me......you could end up with a touch of De ja Vu ? lol.... I'm currently working on the fitment of 608 individual rail chairs, over the three shed roads. The position of each chair has been marked and two roads are complete : I've been double checking everything as I go before committing with any glue, and this has really paid off : Who needs multi-million pound track laying machines, when all you need is a couple of Lima Loco. weights and accurate rail gauges : During work, I've brought in some of the various Stewarts Lane vehicles to get a feel for the overall look : Stewarts Lane's 33 201 has been used here for general checking and I reckon the rails/pits are shaping up well : After taking a whole day to lay and check just one road, a very rushed play time came and went. Our 60 001 and 60 019 will be staying on site until No.3 road is laid in, and then electrical testing will begin : Finally, Trev, many thanks for popping in. I would say that this laser cutting business can be as costly as you make it. I've been daft enough to start my project in wood, change my mind a couple of times and then find faults, all after the cuts have been made. However, I wanted the accuracy and the symmetry and think the laser cutting is working really well for me now. In hindsight, I would have spent a lot more time in the early planning stages. Kindest Regards, Shed.

Hi JeffP, Many thanks for dropping by my thread, in answer to your questions...... I'm finding that the PlasticWeld has worked very well so far, and where I have made so many schoolboy errors and had to release things afterwards, even on this attempt, this has also been possible without issue for a little while afterwards. The most important bond for me at the moment is gluing the rail chairs down. I tested my theory some months ago by gluing some chairs onto a scrap of acrylic and to this day, they are holding solid. However, be warned that this stuff melts the chairs, as it is supposed to. I have had to be very precise in positioning things because I have not been able to go back and correct them afterwards......the chairs would just squish ! Now then.......the laser cutting.......: If I'm honest, I got very lucky here, not only getting proper drawings to convert to laser cutting files but having a friend who could and would translate these........Mr Pete Harvey of this forum. If you are able to source the proper measurements for your work, the next job is to have the drawings made into a CAD file, which is what gets fed directly into the laser cutting machine. It is most important to get this bit right at the drawing stage. Once armed with these drawings, I scoured the internet looking for local laser cutting companies with a large laser bed size and sent my drawings in for a quote. I found out the hard way that cutting on the correct side of the line makes a massive difference! The reason I brought this one home was because the first attempt arrived with a crack in it from the delivery process. I could work around this but not the errors in the width of the pits, which I traced down to 'kerf' measurement issues. So, on this second attempt, I realised how close my laser cutters were to me and so collected in person to ensure safe transit and eliminate delivery costs. For your info, I used http://www.cutlasercut.com/ The nice thing about collecting in person was the guided tour and seeing how things are done. I saw some bloomin amazing things that they can do with a piece of wood for example. Another interesting thing was the work they are doing for Coca-Cola, in production of the mould thingy's for the individual can name labelling process. I hope this is at least a little helpful........I'm finding the laser cutting gives me the straight lines and symmetry that I like and so will be using it quite a bit throughout the build. Kindest Regards, Shed.