GRANBY JUNCTION - Shunting Siphons for the Up Parcels with a Manor!

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Great progress on the engine sheds John. Can I ask where you source your card from for the Scalescenes kits? 

[john dew]

John, another amazing piece of work, you are very honest and it's nice to know that others are just as capable of 'c....kup's as I am!

 

I tend to keep quiet about them.

 

The box is looking good and you have mentioned internal fittings for the box, but just how much will be seen? I would have thought just a hint of what's inside should suffice.

 

PS, our weather has improved, nice bright sun in a clear sky BUT a bitter wind. Maybe Spring will arrive some day.

 

Thanks John.........I guess I am a regular little George Washington! Somehow I find it easier to live with when I have told the world.

 

Glad you like the box.......normally I dont bother with even a hint of interior but this will be right at the front of the layout and even when the roof is on I think the interior will be visible to a degree..........I just need a suggestion of activity within.......I have got some white metal levers from Dart Castings.........any suggestions about painting them? I need to do a bit of research but I think most were white with the occasional red and blue one......before I really irritate the signal experts.......it is only a suggestion I need!

 

Great progress on the engine sheds John. Can I ask where you source your card from for the Scalescenes kits? 

 

Thanks Scott...........I use Mat Board (Artists Mount board in the UK) off cuts for the medium card........they are approx 1mm thick and are cheap/free from frame shops. The heavy card (2mm) I buy in sheets from an Art Supply store.......its a very basic material.....no fancy finish or core and consequently relatively inexpensive......and much easier to cut.

 

I do know (to my cost)  that when John Wiffen says 2mm he means 2mm! I find its worth while making sure the thicknesses are both accurate and consistent

 

Regards

 

 

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Thanks John, 

 

I have been using cereal boxes glues together to create the thickness but it doesn't always work out. Plus it is a pain in the backside glueing them altogether. I will look around her in my home town and see what I can find. 

[john flann]

Hi John, even my small box at Hintock looked empty so I agree something needs be within. What  I did was add the shelf on which the block instruments sit, these added being small squares of card, and then behind a suggestion of the levers. The whole lot I painted a lightish brown so as not to attract attention.

 

Something like that maybe?

[john dew]

This is yet another update on the shed........will it never end you may well ask.......I certainly do

Next job was the the Roof Ventilators............John Wiffen's version of  a Chinese Paper Puzzle





Its one of John's more ingenious designs......although at one stage I wasnt sure whether I was producing a water lily or an aeroplane






Lots of cutting and folding......after the first couple I recalled Doug's (Chubber) tip of scribing the underside of each fold.........makes a huge difference.......particularly when you have to make 18!




I blacked out the white cut marks but it seemed to me that metal structures like this must have been very susceptible to rust so I added a fair bit of weathering





So here they are all lined up in three ranks (I remembered my military training and buried my first efforts in the centre rank)




 

In the shot above you can just see the outside door that opens on to the back door......it isnt used that much but perhaps explains my obsession with this end of the layout.......its what everyone sees when they come into the railway room.........hence the detail I am progressively adding to the rear of the shed

 

Done a fair bit of weathering including the front with brushed powders .....still need doors but that will have to wait a while







The roof is now on the booking in office.....just needs chimney pots,guttering and bargeboards. I was a bit concerned the roof was pitched too steep but only last night I was browsing a book "Steam Sheds" and there was the self same structure.....felt much better even if it was LNER





All those ventilators and a flat roof would need a lot of maintenance so I added a roof access door


 
Next job .......add an extension to the rear of the workshop, start repairing the Metcalfe LMS shed....finish the Signal Box (some levers have just come from Dart along with some great figures)..........and its time I started running trains again!.
 

[john flann]

John, our military training does come in handy at times, and I'm thankful for mine.

 

Another fine example of your imagination and persistence.

Edited May 3, 2013 by john flann

[jcm@gwr]

Excellent work there,

good idea about the access for roof maintenance.

 

But where are the breakdown crew based?

You need them for the de-railed tender on the turntable!

(2nd photo of layout)

 

Jeff

[john dew]

Oh dear that shows how long it has been since I ran any trains! Thank you for pointing it out and the kind remarks about the layout.

 

Regards from a hot and sunny Vancouver

[john dew]

As some of you guys may know my other hobby is sailing. The last three weeks have primarily centred on the boat.....sitting on the hard ....dollar bills ticking away

Nevertheless I have found  a little time to finish off a few projects.........first the Signal Box


The levers arrived from Dart Castings and I had a lot of fun painting them up. Many thanks to Rick (Gwiwer of this and other parishes) for his help with the colours.....any errors are mine alone. I supplemented them with some surplus Knightwing point levers........even so I realise I dont have enough for this size of box 






Fitted into position in the box.....barely visible even without the roof





The shot above rather shows up the bow in the box name  . I tried a couple of times to rectify but decided to live with it


This is the Ratio Hipped Roof and its sub structure




The sub structure with built in guttering and bargeboards is brilliant.......hands up those guys who have had to re fix the guttering on the smaller Ratio Boxes?

I decided there was no way I could cut and join the two rooves anywhere near seamlessly. So I decided to build my own. I have long since ignored the precept that you shouldnt mix modelling mediums.....Plastic and Card............but other than added detailing I have never mixed them on the same model before.

I guess I could have tried with Slaters sheets but I really like the Scalescenes Tiling when applied in individual courses.....its very picky but also very effective








The completed box was mounted on a "concrete" foundation and set in place by the down main and down relief home bracket.



What about the levers you may well ask?

As I suspected.....once the roof went on they can hardly be seen......but up real close with flash..........:



There is some detailing that is slightly more visible.

The steps were the usual pain to construct





Most of the bobbies live in Granby and get to work by crossing the down relief. Gareth Davies cycles to work through the yard at Newydd

You can see the path he uses below




Like most of my models it aint perfect.......bowing sign and roof 2mm too long.......just too much to obscure the gutter at one end!

However I think it does serve its purpose in the overall composition




More about the mess for the LMS staff next post
 

 

[john dew]

As always thanks for the "Likes" Guys........I appreciate the reply "81C" .........I know I sometimes appear super self critical but the thread was always intended to be warts and all. I guess I need to point out the errors in case the reader might think I was blissfully unaware of them. Of course I rather suspect there are also a lot of errors of which I am blissfully unaware of!

To start this post ......some questions about Sheds in the late Forties/Early Fifties

What was the relationship between the capacity of a shed and the number of locos on its roster? Would a shed have more or less locos on its roster than its total storage capacity?

Secondly is there any sort of approximate ratio of total manpower to locos rostered?

Working on the shed has really brought home to me how labour intensive the whole operation must have been.....Shed Labourers in the Ash Pits and Coaling Stations....the various grades of cleaners.....Fitters and Maintenance Engineers.....Store keepers Foremen and Supervisors.....Clerks to keep the records and pay the wages.....no computors or internet!  .......all that is before counting the Drivers and Firemen

I wonder how many Engine Crew on the payroll per loco rostered?

I realise there must be economies of scale but I am guessing that a smaller medium sized shed with say 40 locos would carry a payroll of at least 200?

Any comments would be much appreciated


All of this is a neat (I hope) segue into this post where I have started detailing the service road including the addition of people












First the LMS Shed Mess Hut that first appeared at the end of the Signal Box Thread





Its a genuine Hornby Celestory that I spent hours detailing and lightly weathering before I decided I didnt like it   So here it is with bogies removed and many washes of diluted acrylic gunge.

Some windows have been boarded up.....for the stores and latrine.......I have tried to suggest its hooked up to the yard sewage system. And there is a chimney (surplus from the signal box) for the stove

Cant show you the front yet because the people got put elsewhere!






Next up the Sandhouse




 Last seen on the other side of the yard, this is the reverse (lineside) view,.......but I was never really happy with the idea of sand being delivered via the turntable.

 

Its now located on LMS owned (or leased?) land But I am sure I can create a believable legend about a sub lease!......and now I have a bit of siding for wagons.



The ex LNWR Water Crane is now bedded in......just need to tone in the concrete a bit

The lump of lead you may have seen in the first shot was an attempt to train the (shrink wrap) hose to droop over the grating







Doors added to the workshop........I dont really like the Scalescene print outs. These are made from Wills clapboard sheet....scribed on the reverse with thin plastic strip added






I  had added some detail to the interior of the workshop

A fitter working on a very dead (definitely not resting) Mainline Collet Goods......bit superfluous really....you need a neck like a giraffe to catch a glimpse now the doors are on






An equally dead 57xx is being prepared for a wheel change. I am notoriously un-mechanical so if I have got this all wrong please tell me







I have a vague memory that the skilled fitters had Brown/Khaki overalls as opposed to the commonplace Blue/Grey overalls worn by the rest of the workers

If I am wrong please tell me although it is a bit late to change....... I will just have to invent a convincing legend (ex Servicemen?)





Of course the best laid plans invariably go amiss.......

A malfunctioning Whee Drop Hoist
 
I rather suspect Gareth Jenkins is calling the jammed cable something less diplomatic








Particularly with the Foreman Fitter Mr Edwards giving helpful advice from below












Hope you enjoyed these bits of make believe.......to finish a black and white shot.



 
 
Regards from a very wet (again) Vancouver

 

[john flann]

John, two immediate suggestions,

 

1, for the water hose insert a long heavy nail (as my Hintock water tank hose)

 

2, for cables use thin wire. There's some on my overhead crane on my American PBR-if you don't mind I'll post it on here later.

 

As to the rest, I don't think I can help,

 

Regards

[john flann]

PS, for the hose itself I used shoe lace.

[hornbyandbf3fan]

I've had a quick look at thi thread and I have to say, your layout looks outstanding. The shed scene looks fantastic with all the locos outside.

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The B&W photo looks very atmospheric! Lots of action. Thanks for the updates. 

 

Regards 
Scott 

[Fat Controller]

There's a fascinating book about operations around the Swansea (High St) area during the period from WW2 to the end of steam called 'The Red Dragon..and other old friends'. It has a lot of gen on Landore shed, which would have been about the size of the one you've modelled. It gives some details of the establishment; two crews per loco at least, as well as depot drivers and firemen, cleaners (15 of them per shift), fire-droppers (3 per shift), and that's before you get on to all the maintenance staff. 200 may even have been an underestimate on your part.

The brown overalls ring a bell; I think they were ones that people 'forgot' to return to the Quartermasters Stores when finishing their military service. They were still to be seen in industry in the 1970s. 'Gaffers' such as foremen, would probably have worn similarily coloured 3/4 length 'lab coats'.

My father started work in the Landore area in 1926; he was 'invited to apply' for a job at the shed, but found out how long he'd have to spend doing jobs such as cleaning, and decided a seven-year indentured apprenticeship at the adjacent steelworks was a better prospect.

[john flann]

John, I've put the photos on my Hintock thread, #247.

[john dew]

Very gratifying and encouraging response! As I have remarked before, modelling as I do, alone and on the other side of the world, feedback is like oxygen......thank you all.

 

John : Thanks for going to the trouble of posting those photos. Thats a good idea with the nail. I wish I had thought of it earlier. Mike Models supply a piece of fabric rather like a shoelace......but it was rather frayed and didnt look realistic. I have very few shoes with laces and the ones I have were too big......hence the use of Heat Shrink . In the end I plucked up courage and applied even more pressure to the wire guide and without breaking anything the hose now droops satisfactorily over the grating .

 

Fat Controller: thank you for that fascinating reply about Swansea......you included a number of positions that I hadnt even thought of.  Glad my khaki clad fitters seem credible. I think the use of "liberated" service kit continued in all walks of life (Greengrass in Heartbeat) right through the fifties. After all National Service didnt finish until the end of that decade. I keep trying to establish a time stamp on Granby by suggesting some sort of Military presence.

 

I have just finished painting the rest of the Monty's figures so shortly I will be able to show some photos of the completed back of the shed......completed........theres a concept! Then I intend to take a break and run some schedules to and from the shed

[rcmacchipilot]

Very gratifying and encouraging response! As I have remarked before, modelling as I do, alone and on the other side of the world, feedback is like oxygen......thank you all.

 

John : Thanks for going to the trouble of posting those photos. Thats a good idea with the nail. I wish I had thought of it earlier. Mike Models supply a piece of fabric rather like a shoelace......but it was rather frayed and didnt look realistic. I have very few shoes with laces and the ones I have were too big......hence the use of Heat Shrink . In the end I plucked up courage and applied even more pressure to the wire guide and without breaking anything the hose now droops satisfactorily over the grating .

 

Fat Controller: thank you for that fascinating reply about Swansea......you included a number of positions that I hadnt even thought of.  Glad my khaki clad fitters seem credible. I think the use of "liberated" service kit continued in all walks of life (Greengrass in Heartbeat) right through the fifties. After all National Service didnt finish until the end of that decade. I keep trying to establish a time stamp on Granby by suggesting some sort of Military presence.

 

I have just finished painting the rest of the Monty's figures so shortly I will be able to show some photos of the completed back of the shed......completed........theres a concept! Then I intend to take a break and run some schedules to and from the shed

 

I would love some close up shots of the monty's figures

 

The layout is looking very good John, I really like your work on the roundhouse.

 

PS, for the hose itself I used shoe lace.

 

John, I am definatly borrowing that Idea to use on my water tower. Finally a hose that is posable and looks good

[john dew]

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!

 

 

 

 

[Removed a/c]

Great photos John, the layout looks fantastic. I think though we are usually over critical of our own work and the observer would never notice any mistakes, bumps, quirks or hiccups that we ourselves do. 

 

Looking forward to the next round of snaps. 

 

Regards 

Scott 

[Andrew P]

Hi John, I've just found this via your post in Hintock, you have a lovely room and some inspirational modeling, really nice shots, I love the MPD by the door, all really good stuff, well done.

[john dew]

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

[Andrew P]

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

Thanks John, but there is a load of cods wallop in there really, it will get better, (I promise) once I have some baseboards.

 

Thanks anyway.

[john dew]

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!

[john dew]

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