Sasquatch

Had a go at the tunnel mouth in my spare time today. Just 4 bits of foam, filed and sanded down to shape... ...with the stone courses pressed in with a fine steel rule and a pair of wide tipped tweezers. It's had a generous coat of Gesso and been left to dry. Which shouldn't take long in this weather! That was fun! Squatch.

Agree! If I was modeling the GNR era, even more so! The Holmfield advance signal in front of the tunnel mouth is most interesting. I suspect It's mounted low on the post because the post is a replacement of the slotted concrete type. Simpler to leave the post long rather than risk damaging it by cutting it shorter. (Edit. That signal wasn't a replacement as studying the gantry photo proves it's absence). Regards Shaun.

Yes, I'm looking forward to it. One thing I did think of was keep the original signal numbers and not calling them 1,2,3 etc. That way as I build them I'll get to know them as well! Already had fun ordering the parts and digging through boxes of stuff and bits. So far there's 6 grain of sand size 12V bulbs for the lamp and 9 Ratio remote control sets! Regards Shaun.

Yeah! All pretty straight forward. Only difficult part is where to locate all the operating levers!! Regards Shaun.

Talking of signals... ...and again, I'm faced with a bit of a challenge. Not that they're going to be too difficult to build and install but because getting them correct for my chosen period is a nightmare. After a day studying, I have deduced the following. During construction under the Great Northern all would have been the somersault type, older photographs confirm this. A gantry was provided at the South Junction to display the junction arms which also had 2 low slung distant arms provided thus visually for drivers approaching from within Queensbury tunnel. This would make a nice model would it not have been for my choice of time period as we shall see. There were 17 signals at the site. (21 if you include the 4 shunting ground dolls). 8 of those 17 would be off scene as far as my model is concerned. Nos. 10,11,17,32 at the North junction. 14,19,20 &30 at the East junction. Later day photos reveal some upper quadrant signals. Don't quote me but I suspect the changes came about in 1935 when the South and North signal boxes were removed. (Of course, any photos from the second world war period are nonexistent.) That leaves me with 5 GNR somersault types of varying height and 4 upper quadrant types to build. 7 single arm posts and 1 junction bracket with two arms that replaced the gantry mentioned above. Early photographs are of excellent quality, probably because the photographers of the period had to take their time and much care seems to be the order of the day. Later snap shots taken during the 1960s are a different story. The image of the junction bracket signal at the South junction from the mid 50s I have isn't detail enough. In one other image online, I can just make out that despite my assumptions about upper quadrant types being employed as replacements, this bracket had two somersault arms. These are poor quality images taken of images displayed on my old laptop. Number 23 on the lever frame. The Thornton starter at the northern end of the Halifax-Keighley platform. Regular height, original slotted post somersault type. Number 18. Thornton down starter at the end of the viaduct on the Bradford-Keighley line. Looks like a tall upper quadrant on solid wooden post. Number 12. Clayton starter on the up Keighley-Bradford line. Lots of clear pictures of this one. Short somersault on a solid wooden post, interestingly erected in the wall on the Bradford-Keighley platform opposite! Number 12. Clayton up starting signal. Short wooden post with upper quadrant arm adjacent to the main station building. Holmfield Down starter Number29. Regular wooden post with upper quadrant arm. Rear view of 29 and number 31 (right), Keighley-Halifax Holmfield starter. Upper quadrant on what looks like a tall round post. (Don't quote me either). The junction bracket at the south junction. Numbers 6 and 22 on Queensbury boxes lever frame. Holmfield to Clayton and Thornton somersault home signals. Lastly number 28. Holmfield upper quadrant advance signal. Mounted two thirds of the way up the post with a white sighting panel painted on Queenbury tunnel portal. Looks like slotted post. Now I've got my work cut huh? I'm gonna do the tunnel mouth first while all the bits are in the post (no pun intended). Hope you found that interesting for all the time it took. Gotta be worth a round of applause. Squatch.

Thanks. I've really been getting on with it this week so I'll have to remember to do a few overview images when it's all back together! I'm putting an order in for MSE great Northern signal arms now that I have gotten to grips with how they work. Regards Shaun.

After hooking up all the uncouplers and testing them (which involved playing at being a shunter all evening). Attention was turned to cleaning the rails in the passing loops under the scenery at the back of Queensbury. Trains from Goathland have not been behaving under there. Having lifted the scenic sections off, I realised that after removing the big window, access was no longer possible. (I used to be able to go outside, open the window and reach in to clean the rails). The solution was a whole day spent crawling about under the layout (yet again) to build an access hole. This involved cutting away a section of one of the main ribs (B3 in the photo) and installing two new ones at 90 degrees. The near one is a funky sort of rifle butt shape. I made the far one a full 6 Inches deep. A cautionary measure as I'm not sure what the surgery will do to the overall strength of the baseboard structure. Sasquatch can just about squeeze up through there and needs to lay off of rich food in the future. With the track now thoroughly cleaned I ran a few locos to test it. While cleaning up, I found another problem. The track work across the baseboard join here has been expanding in the rather warm weather, no longer aligns and has been causing shorts. Expansion here is what has been causing trains to move when they're not supposed to! A simple fix of loosening the bolts a tad and slipping in a tiny shim. Each passing loop can hold 2 trains (8 in total, 4 up & 4 down!) Current is fed to the loops by the switch blades. Old school but it works. Another thing I should do is wire in the SEEP built in switches as a failsafe. The droppers have already been soldered on. (Yet more crawling about will ensue). Trains will exit here at right into a lower mill town suburban station and the single line at left will head further down a steep gradient before emerging under the viaduct after the station and into some sort of lower canal basin goods dept. Squatch.

Not usually one for big words but this morning I had an epiphany. Regarding this missing staircase situation between the Bradford-Halifax platforms at Queensbury, there's a very simple explanation as to why they were never built, and a subway wasn't dug which up until now I've overlooked. These two platforms already had a foot bridge provided at the other end! So, I doubt very much that the LNER would have gone to the expense of providing a second means of crossing from one platform to the other especially at Queensbury where trams and road transport was already making a huge dent in the revenue over this line. Thats it, settled! Later I'll brick up the subway and stop all the procrastinating. (Flippin eck, another big word). Squatch.

Excellent job! How on earth did you manage to line it up so perfectly? Regards Shaun P.S. Really enjoyed the videos BTW.

In no way should you call that craftsmanship Adrian. It's all very cheap and simple which is something I'm a fan of. Six noisy Gaugemaster TLUs would set you back about a 100 quid, such funds when they become available are better spent on locos and stock! Apart from the time involved my system only cost about $5. I first built the system for Dunster 15 years ago, it's never failed and I've been having fun with it ever since! Come to think of it, there might be a blog knocking around on here somewhere... Are yes Regards Shaun.

The back end of last week there was much crawling about on the floor under the layout. I'm definitely not getting any younger! When finished the project on which I've been working should pay off. Uncoupler devices! The main obstacle to overcome was the nature of the layout. Curved baseboard edges, many ribs and much topography etc. After hashing up the lifting ramps I added strips of hardwood which leveled the tops of the ramps with the trackwork. The pits were cut out and drilled to accept the guide tubing using a small jig. The mk2 mechanisms utilize the springs that come in the old Ratio point control kits. I had one mk1 left over for some reason when I did this on Goathland several years hence. (circled) Next the lever frame was built up and installed. Believe it or not, it took over an hour crawling about hooking each one up. Even longer in some cases, as all manner of snags and problems had to be solved. It turned out quite well, the mk2 version are more positive but might turn out to be a bit tough on the levers which are prone to breaking, (well mine are because the plastic is quite old!) I did already break one. Replacing it was an easy job, then I found a softer spring which was easy to replace also. Some sort of markers will be required as the ramps blend in rather well. (bottom right!). The other one is between the J39's tender and the high-fit! Installation of the system has been limited to the North end of Queensbury. If I need to uncouple anything elsewhere on this section of Grim-up-North, I'll have to resort to the handheld hook. Lastly a couple of views, firstly looking down the rope worked colliery cutting... ...and a nicely tweaked image of a passenger train about to depart, bound for Halifax. Hope you're having as much fun as I am with your hobby. Squatch.

How about a mid-week progress report? (Things must be looking up!) Wooded fencing along Queensbury's wooden Platforms is now in place. Each section was individually cut to fit and weathered, it's Ratio GWR station fencing with the tops and bottoms of all the pickets trimmed off. The diagonal bracing is wooden and the top rail .030 x .060 plastic strip also individually cut and fitted. The fencing was given a quick brush coat of acrylic old parchment colour before a dirty wash was applied. It certainly looks the part, adding much to the scene. While I had a fresh pot of dirty wash ready, I also had a go applying it to the platform buildings. Apprehensive at first I plodded on with the task. However, two evenings later I'm pleased with the result which gives the appearance that things are beginning to look run down. Thanks for checking in... Squatch.

Can you think of a better one?

Having an emergency choir practice now that the church is ready.

Earlier this week I got around to doing a bit more on that church, namely adding a steeple. For this I used a section of Plastruct concrete block which I cut carefully so that the quoins lined up into 8 isosceles triangles. These were simply taped together on one big bit of blue masking tape with two different sized octagons hot glued inside. I added a lightning conductor fashioned from plastic rod and tube then gave it the usual sasquatch West Riding grimy paint job. The porch roof colour was a bit tricky to nail down but looks just the ticket in sun light. Back to platform fencing... Squatch.

Hi Felix. With AC on full yesterday, work on the fencing has begun. The next structure on my "to do" list is the Great Northern Victoria Hotel that stood (and still in-situ) across the road from the warehouse. Bit of a challenge this one! Forecast 105F this afternoon, I feel a run out for a cold beer coming on😁 Regards Shaun.

Thank you for taking the time to paste links of Queensbury OS maps. The 1932 map is a little conflicting where it comes to the stairs down to the subway. It clearly shows a set of steps behind the Bradford- Halifax platform (where I'm guessing that there wasn't any due to space restrictions) but on the other hand it is missing the set of stairs on the Keighley-Halifax platform? This is the only stairway that I have seen photographic evidence. I wonder if it could be a cartographer's error. Anyway, there's plenty more interesting things on the maps such as on the 1932 map, a weigh bridge and office at the top of the slip road. Down line crossover access to the north siding (with loop!) And, on the 1891 map, the extensive Clayton fire clay works, 3 signal boxes and the rope worked incline down to Hole Bottom coal pit. Obviously in operation at that time. Later maps show further alterations to the site such as the ash siding inside the triangle which incidentally saw the removal of the subway and foot bridge with what must have been (if only for a short period) a return to crossing the tracks on foot! I must have spent 100s of hours searching all the images on the internet and still get frustrated when I can't confirm certain details or find conflicting information! Regards Shaun.

Looking as grand as ever Felix. I must get over to the coast and visit you soon. It's about time I saw BBR in the flesh! As a side note, I noticed that not only do you have some Petite Properties kits on BBR but you also made a flower shop from the double fronted shop. Under no circumstances was I copying you, it's just a case of modelers thinking alike! It does make the perfect flower shop!! Regards Shaun.

Sure my friend. Remember all but the L&Y Goods warehouse are only plonked there as a sort of storage thing. They're all for the mill town! Regards Shaun

At last, a bit of progress... With temperatures set to get up in the 100s this weekend I've had to reinstate my trusty old air-conditioning unit. This was once again quite an involved job especially when I failed to clamp one of the wires that run up to the hefty up-and-over door balancing springs properly. The solution was to employ a couple of ratchet straps, one on the displaced spring and the other outside from the door handle to a clamp on an exposed eave! Anyhow the job is done and this time with a new under door seal and foam around the aircon unit. No more mice, lizards, mud daubers, yellow jackets rabid bats, potato bugs or black widow spiders!!! Now it's starting to cool off in there I can get on with some modeling. First job has been to fit the two newly modelled platforms to the Bradford-Halifax side of Queensbury station. These along with the other four platforms still need screwing down, weathering and some fencing. I've got a hold of some Ratio GWR fencing for this which can be modified to suite. View with a different building where the stables were. That a nice view across some West Riding countryside with a bit of the North York Moors in the background. The junction plan is still a work in progress. This part of the project has been moved to my woodwork shop and some of the buildings have been placed on the Bradford section just to improve the look of things. Lastly here's a couple of trains that have been keeping up a skeletal service while the work continues. Hope that you're all well Squatch.

Sorry I didn't explain that very well. It's got more to do with the layers of glue rather than the layers of material! Alao a lot depends on which type of glue is employed.

From my skills as a cabinetmaker I understand the fundamentals of laminating different woods. Plywood always has an odd number of layers. One of the reasons is that when the glue is applied it will cause the wood to expand and when it dries it will shrink, so if glue is applied to both sides the process balances itself out sort of thing. I would suspect that the same forces come into play with plastic. I gave up trying to make van rooves from laminating two sheets of .010 plasticard and will now form a wooden sub roof and stick a bit of card to that! Good luck with it, I'm interested to see how you get on. Regards Shaun

It's always worth trying different methods, that's how discoveries are made! Placing the glued-up parts under glass is a good idea especially when laminating thin plastic card. I've run into problems with that before whereby things warped and wasn't sure why. These mishaps led to experimentation with different glues including slow set cyanoacrylate. That led to the discovery of using ordinary card instead of plastic because when that is laminated with the super glue it forms quite a ridged structure and there's no warping. Wonderful modeling as always Chris with in-depth explanation. Regards Shaun.

Yes I have seen that photograph. Interestingly it must have been taken over 100 years ago, probably making it one of the first if not the very first pictures taken of the station. Due to the lack of vegetation and the neatness of the buildings I'd hazard a guess and say it dates from the 1890s! The only things that remain from that view today are the two houses on the hill beyond and the clay works chimney (just to the right of the tree). The early period of the heyday of the Great Northern Railway would have seen a paint scheme of brown framework and cream paneling. There were 3 signal boxes in operation that pictured being the south junction box. The bridge over the rope hauled coal tramway connecting the Halifax-Bradford platform to the Keighley-Halifax one remains in its elevated position, what I hadn't noticed before was the hefty abutments on which it sat! Also of interest is the number of wagons in the sidings, something that suggests a lack of motorized road transport. Thank you for your input. Regards Shaun.

Good to know that you're settled mate, even more so that you have trains passing by! We nearly put in an offer on a house in the Rouge gorge upstream from Grants pass. The Central Oregon and Pacific Railroad ran past between the bottom of the garden and the river itself. Unlike your place the railway room would not have met requirements! Interstate 5 was far too close into the bargain! A new house is always a lot of work, just don't over do it. Regards Shaun.