MichaelW Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 This is my entry to the 2010 challange. I started thinking about it, and started a blog last year (original blog) on it. Nothing much happened then as a result of having too much work to do, but a flurry of activity since Christmas has resulted in some progress...The layout itself is 15" x 78", with a 2"x5" sector plate overhang (which comes out at 1180 square inches), so more than eligible - and there's even room for an extension! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
18B Posted January 10, 2010 Share Posted January 10, 2010 This is my entry to the 2010 challange. I started thinking about it, and started a blog last year (original blog) on it. Nothing much happened then as a result of having too much work to do, but a flurry of activity since Christmas has resulted in some progress... The layout itself is 15" x 78", with a 2"x5" sector plate overhang (which comes out at 1180 square inches), so more than eligible - and there's even room for an extension! How the layout/s coming along now? the Pacers, 150's 156's etc will make a great modernish or even present day layout. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted January 10, 2010 Author Share Posted January 10, 2010 How the layout/s coming along now? the Pacers, 150's 156's etc will make a great modernish or even present day layout. Things are progressing, not as quickly as I'd hoped, but I've got most of the on-scene track down, and started on the electrics today. Strange you should mention those units - their arrival, coupled with a bit of research into the history of Leeds Central, Wellington, and New (City) stations provided the original ideas. In the blog I described the back story for what will be seen, but not the history behind it - I've got a couple of ideas that I'll try to convert into a story at some point. The eventual intention is to be able to exhibit it in 5 eras: Northern Rail (privatisation phase II), Northern Spirit (privatisation phase I), DMU only regional (shadow privatisation), Sectorisation (with loco hauled passenger services), and Corporate (Blue & Blue/Grey) - though I currently have no suitable stock for the last era (though the Farish 108 is tugging at my wallet). It's a shame Farish don't seem to be able to produce liveries at quite the same rate that Dapol can, so their units may be missing from some eras. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted January 10, 2010 Author Share Posted January 10, 2010 Managed to get another blog post published. Covers the first bits of track going down, and a quick play with some stock. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
18B Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 Things are progressing, The eventual intention is to be able to exhibit it in 5 eras: Northern Rail (privatisation phase II), Northern Spirit (privatisation phase I), DMU only regional (shadow privatisation), Sectorisation (with loco hauled passenger services), and Corporate (Blue & Blue/Grey) - though I currently have no suitable stock for the last era (though the Farish 108 is tugging at my wallet). It's a shame Farish don't seem to be able to produce liveries at quite the same rate that Dapol can, so their units may be missing from some eras. be good to operate it in such a variety of eras and dispel the idea that EVERYTHING post steam can be lumped together as "Modern image" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted January 14, 2010 Author Share Posted January 14, 2010 Two more blog posts have gone on - with luck the site will be up long enough tomorrow to get more caught up.... Sector plates and Back scenes Stock play Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted January 16, 2010 Author Share Posted January 16, 2010 And another couple: More work on the backscene More tracklaying Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted January 21, 2010 Author Share Posted January 21, 2010 Whilst RMweb has been down, I've been doing a bit of research into the railways in leeds, as part of the attempt to produce a back-story for the layout. So far I've completed the real bit: The history of railways in Leeds is a mess of rivalry, co-operation, interference and desire. The first railway to arrive in Leeds was the Leeds and Selby in 1834, with its carefully graded route to the port of Selby from Marsh Lane (east of the city centre). The next arrival was the North Midland Railway when it opened its line south to Derby in 1840 from a terminus at Hunslet Lane in the Pottery Fields area to the south of the River Aire. With the arrival of the Leeds and Bradford Railway at Leeds Wellington in 1846 (the site of this is now part of the current Leeds City station complex), the North Midland was extended to use this as its Leeds terminus. The next arrival was the Leeds and Manchester Railway in 1848 (though around this time they were taken over by the LNWR) to a cramped terminus at Wellington Street. Two years later, with the support of the Leeds Northern Railway, and with running rights granted to several other companies, this terminus was replaced by Leeds Central Station. For the following 20 years not much changed, though the LNWR grew increasingly dissatisfied with the sharing arrangement, and the North Eastern Railway (having taken over the Leeds and Selby) similarly so with their lack of a cross city route past their terminus at Marsh Lane. A number of proposed cross city extensions were rejected by Leeds Council due to the disruption and demolition their building would necessitate. Finally in 1869 an alignment was agreed upon, and Leeds New (the site of the current station) was built just to the south of the Midland's Leeds Wellington Station by the LNWR and NER. At this point there were 4 railway companies operating to 3 different stations serving the center of Leeds. The situation changed at grouping, when this was reduced to 2 companies operating to the same stations, but still managing to share operations at two of them. Despite the obvious problems these caused, and the displeasure of council at the state of affairs, nothing changed till 1938, when Leeds Wellington and Leeds New stations were combined to form a single station re-named as Leeds City. After nationalisation, it was quickly realised that significant rationalisation of the network in Leeds was required. Despite the fact that we'd "never had it so good", it took over 10 years to complete the redevelopment owing to seemingly constant spending reviews. Finally, in 1967, following the building of a couple of connecting chords, and the rebuilding of several bridges and most of the existing station, Leeds City became the only city center station in Leeds. A further pause of 35 years saw another rebuild of City Station. The development of Leeds as a financial centre during the '90s drove increasing demand for inter-city travel to London, and for commuter travel from the rest of Yorkshire. This lead to Leeds City reaching capacity for much of the day, with no scope to improve services. The Leeds First rebuild increased the station from 12 to 17 platforms, and re-arranged most of the approaches. With continued growth, even this is struggling to cope, and there are plans to further expand to meet anticipated demand. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted March 20, 2010 Author Share Posted March 20, 2010 Hmmm,,, it's been quiet for a while in here. Unfortunately work and other interests have got in the way of progress, but the cricket's back on the radio, and I couldn't sleep this morning, so there's been some more progress, The control panel now has some framing round it to keep it flat, and a back panel has been created to hold all the electronics and other bits needed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted May 26, 2010 Author Share Posted May 26, 2010 Another couple of months have gone by with not much happening, but following a rush of blood to the head, I offered to take Leeds South to the Derby members day. Now given that nothing has moved under its own power as yet, and the scenery consists of track on cork with a blue backboard, there is a little to be done in the next month and a half... Progress on getting things moving has started, wires are beginning to appear on the back of the control panel, and I'm working out how to wire it in a way that will allow track circuiting and other fancy things to be added in the future. Point control is also an issue - though the point motors and frog switches are all wired up, I have no confidence that any of them are wired the right way round (and given I may have thought about the odd one, they are almost certainly not...) - there may have to be an amount of trial and error when things are first wired up... I've also started thinking about the timetable for operating the layout, mostly with what services would appear. The list I've come up with so far is: branch - dmu shuttles freight - serving the industries on the branch The following serving the main station: parcels mail papers pallets Local York via Castleford and Sherburn in Elmet Goole via Castleford (rev) and Knottingly (ext to Hull) Huddersfield via Wakefield Kirkgate and Mirfield (ext to ManVic) Bradford via Wakefield Kirkgate and Halifax Horsforth via Burley Park (ext to Knaresborough / York) Region Hull via Castleford (rev) and Goole Sheffield via Wakefield Kirkgate and Barnsley ManVic via Wakefield Kirkgate, Mirfield and Rochdale Nation Notts / Derby via Wakefield Kirkgate, Barnsley, and Sheffield Bristol via Wakefield Westgate, Doncaster and Sheffield Liverpool via Huddersfield, Manchester Piccadilly (Trans-Pennine) Carlisle via Skipton and Settle Glasgow via Skipton, Settle and Carlisle These should allow a good range of units to be used, and a number of different liveries to appear... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted June 14, 2010 Author Share Posted June 14, 2010 I've made some progress over the past few weeks - a holiday in the caravan let me make a start on some building kits, and a week of craft-working by herself meant I could get on with wiring the control panel in the evenings. A trip to the DEMU showcase over the weekend produced a set of blue/grey mark 1s, enough to make up two rakes for the layout, one for locals, one for longer distance services, just need to get some more suitable locos to haul them now... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted June 19, 2010 Author Share Posted June 19, 2010 At last! real progress to report... At about half past seven this morning, a train meandered its way (under positive control) from the end of the platform all the way to the fiddle yard! Only remaining problem, I have one point motor that is refusing to move under its own power, and another couple that can't quite be bothered to move the point all the way across. Hopefully something that will be sorted shortly... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alcoRS1 Posted June 21, 2010 Share Posted June 21, 2010 would be nice to see some pictures Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted June 22, 2010 Author Share Posted June 22, 2010 Will try and get some on here tonight - in the meantime, there are a few available on the blog I started (links are in the early post on here). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted July 6, 2010 Author Share Posted July 6, 2010 Will try and get some on here tonight - in the meantime, there are a few available on the blog I started (links are in the early post on here). Hmmm... 2 weeks have gone by and nothing much has happened - I blame it on being told the patio needs clearing, work sending me gallivanting round the country, and a weekend in Bristol to see some friends get married. However, with the Derby members' day looming, I took the day off, and I managed to get some things done: Electrics - I finished wiring up the sector plate relay board this afternoon. This connects the appropriate sector plate tracks to the track feed for the approach track. The control panel wiring is now ready for Derby, and only the (currently non-existent) fiddle yard tracks need wiring in. The sector relay board is bottom right, the row of connectors across the middle are common return and power distribution for the track circuits, and the green board top-left is a set of track circuits. The other boards are to feed in the bias supply to the sections so the track circuits will work. The proof of the wiring is in the lighting: The rest of the day was taken up with platform building and starting the scenery. With the aid of a Metcalfe Model's platform kit, I put in the platform walls for disused platforms, and the front edge of the station, and finished off a station buildings kit to go at the front. I also decided to put in a layer of ballast in the disused platforms, ready for them to be taken over by vegetation as I get on with things: A few more things remain to be done before I'll be ready for Saturday - the sector-plates need end stops putting on to catch runaways; the fiddle yard could do with some track being laid to hold extra trains; the timetable could do with a bit of work so I have a sequence to operate too, I'd like to finish off the platforms and get at least a little bit of undergrowth in in places, and I need to select and pack stock for the weekend. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danemouth Posted July 8, 2010 Share Posted July 8, 2010 Lovely neat wiring in the first photo - why can't you have a "cat's cradle" like everybody else :D:D Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted July 8, 2010 Author Share Posted July 8, 2010 Lovely neat wiring in the first photo - why can't you have a "cat's cradle" like everybody else :D:D Dave Why thank you Sir! Once it is finished, I'm sure it will look like a cat's cradle... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted July 8, 2010 Author Share Posted July 8, 2010 More work tonight whilst listening to the cricket on the radio: Platform edging has been finished: An odd assortment of stock has been assembled into a pair of gauging trains - though all will appear at some point on the finished layout in its various eras... Behind the scenes more track is appearing to create a fiddle yard. The nearest track may just take a 156, so I think a little bit of an extension is needed... Away from the mess of wet glue and UHU fumes, I think I have a workable timetable for the layout - if I get a chance tomorrow, I may give it a go! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted July 9, 2010 Author Share Posted July 9, 2010 A busy day getting ready for the members' day tomorrow. Started this morning with fixing a couple of problems - a sticky point motor cured with the application of a higher voltage to its CDU, and the lack of a spare controller by eventually managing to solder its lead to a plug (though it took a couple of attempts to get the cover on before starting the soldering). Also managed to lay a few more bits of track in the fiddle yard. Finished the morning by adding a bit of greenery - it's the first time I've played with woodland scenics stuff, so not really sure what I'm doing, but the first couple of experiments don't look too bad... The front bits look a bit like islands, and could do with a bit more blending into the ballast, but it does look pretty good from low down. I'm sure I'll be pretty good at it by the time I've finished drowning the disused platforms in undergrowth. This afternoon was mostly taken up with testing (or should that be playing?). Good job that I did, as I discovered a really hard to find bug in the wiring. In soldering a wire to a switch, one strand managed to stray onto another wire, and melt itself in to make contact. Very tricky to spot, and caused chaos on the sector plate as the wrong trains kept moving. Managed to run through both sequences, and decided there were some improvements that could be made. Shame I was too busy playing to think about taking some photos - but I'm sure there will be plenty taken tomorrow. Layout is now packed in the back of the car - as I was doing so, I suddenly thought it would be a good idea to crate it for protection, shame I didn't think of it early enough to actually be able to do anything about it... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted October 1, 2010 Author Share Posted October 1, 2010 Have I really not posted anything since getting back from the members day? It has been a long time, shame the quantity of progress hasn't matched the quantity of time that's passed. The members day was great fun, nice and friendly, though quiet. I have to say the bacon rolls were very good! The layout performed almost flawlessly - most of the derailments were due to operator error, rather than layout issues. Did come to the conclusion a better way of showing the sequence was needed - I kept getting lost in the middle of it. I'll add it to the list of things to do... Nothing much has happened to the layout over the summer (apart from a couple of excursions around the house to free up bedrooms and the study for visitors and tidying. Unfortunately the garden and herself took up most of the time (plus the fact I'm now a director of a sports NGB), but now the darker nights are back, I should be able to get some modeling done. The summer has however produced a few new pieces of stock. Grafar have finally got their new 158s to the shops, so a couple of Northern Rail ones and an EMT one have made an appearance, and a trip to TINGS produced a good chat with Captain Electra, and I came away with bits to create a pair of Northern Rail 150s, and a find on one of the stands produced a much wanted Scotrail 158. With the rain making any outdoor activity tonight foolish in the extreme, I spent the evening working on the layout, and managed to finally convert a couple of sheets of tarmac card into a set of platform tops. Not sure what to tackle next, though I suspect some ballasting and rail painting is required in the near future... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted June 21, 2011 Author Share Posted June 21, 2011 Well, things are progressing slowly. As suggested in the last post, I've been rail painting, and ballasting, though haven't quite finished that yet... A few scenic things have changed too... Ballast has been added to the track in the station, just the bits around the tie-bars and the double slip to be done. Unfortunately the water used to damp the ballast prior to gluing it caused the top surface of the platforms to come off, so I need to get round to fixing that. The platform wall has also appeared, and at some point I may get round to finishing the platform buildings. Much more progress at this end. Most of the track has been ballasted, earth has started appearing beside the ballast, and the concrete standings around both sidings have been painted on. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted January 25, 2012 Author Share Posted January 25, 2012 Well, it's now only 25 days till we go to our first exhibition, there is quite a bit to do, and inspiration to do anything is slightly lacking... Current state looks something like this: As you can see, there is quite a bit to do - lots of bare baseboard to fill. General concept is to have a grotty(ish) station, with lots of undergrowth and trees smothering the unused platforms, and continuing along the back of the layout to where the main line goes through the backscene. Similar undergrowth in between the main line and branch. The two sidings to the right serve 3 businesses - some sort of factory at the right rear, a builders merchant (or similar open yard to the right front), and something in an old mill / wharehouse in the front centre). Just need to find the enthusiasm to tackle the jobs that need doing... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted October 30, 2012 Author Share Posted October 30, 2012 It's been a while since I've been in here, and a while since much has changed. I managed to get the layout into a semi-presentable state for the club exhibition, that is, all the surface got covered in either ballast or ground cover, but not much has happened since due to serious shortage of time and enthusiasm. The pictures show the current state of play: Left end - The platforms have been recovered with flagstones, and I've made a start on the edgings. The buildings have been attached, and the car park and delivery areas covered with tarmac. I've added another couple of signals, and tidied up a bit of ballasting. The waste ground at the front has had a layer of 'soil' added, it needs a lot of greenery and some rubbish adding. Finally in this view, the warehouses have been stuck on and a cobbled yard created around them. Right end - Not so much progress down here, the soil has appeared to finish off the ground covering, and a couple of trees have appeared to blend into the backscene. Lots of scrub and grass covering needed to fill in all that bare space. I think the front of the layout will become a builders yard or similar, and the rear some sort of fabricators (hence all the steel piled neatly across the end. Oh, and I could do with a better looking building than that bit of cardboard that covers the branch sector plate... Oh, and as a final taster, a view from the end looking towards the station... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted October 31, 2012 Author Share Posted October 31, 2012 Having said that I need a better building for the end, I've got a Scalescenes modern industrial building kit to build. With a few days away in the caravan, I thought I'd have a go at it while herself has a lie-in... It's a nice kit, looks easy to assemble, but I've got a slight problem - the size of the building isn't quite right for the space - not only do I need it in semi-relief, it also needs to be slightly longer (about 1 1/2 times longer). After a couple of sessions, I have reached the point that the walls are mostly done, and just need joining together.... Now all I need to do is find some time to carry on at home... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted November 25, 2012 Author Share Posted November 25, 2012 Hmmm... It's been a while since I posted in here, but I've been distracted by other things.... I've made some progress on the shed - the walls are done, and the first of the gantries has been glued together: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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