GWR/LMS OO Gauge DCC RR&Co

Its time we had a picture of a pannier!:lol:








Over a 20 year period many, many panniers have run (and sometimes stalled) on the three different versions of Granby. Right now I have 8 or 9 doing regular turns including a very ancient split chassis…..No 7768.

5773 …..renumbered from the issue 5771, is a couple of years old and, like her sisters, is an absolutely superb performer…..she shares the duties of shuttling a B Set back and forth between Granby and the low level storage siding where she will shortly have to complete a regular unsupervised run around …….she has to be a superb performer!:roll:

This, I guess, is a relatively smooth segue into my progress with one of the buildings that will be covering the storage siding.

Here is one of my infamous blue shots of the original Parcel Depot  




This was built at least 12 years ago as a Goods Shed for Granby II……… long before I discovered Scalescenes. I had moved on, somewhat, from using exclusively kits or Wills sheets. Its made of Slaters stone sheets bonded to a card shell with assorted internal wood supports. Its pretty sturdy but suffered a lot of ancillary damage/cannabilisation as I "borrowed" assorted Ratio add ons for other projects.


So now the windows have been replaced and re-glazed, new window arches added, doors rehung and I have added quoins to the corners……one of Ratios most useful innovations for broad brush bodgers like me:









The drainage and gutter arrangements dont warrant close examination……very broad brush!

I have added a few signs…..the entire strip is so narrow that the street leading from the station will have to be One Way and I have set that thought up in the Depot yard with a suggestion of a separate entrance and exit.

There is a lot of weathering required on the new signage but first I need to complete a couple of ancillary buildings

Here is a mock up of the office




And at the far end, overlooking Brewery Lane, a very crude mock up of a converted stable block




I am getting a lot of help researching the project on this thread

http://yourmodelrailway.net/view_topic.php?id=12919&forum_id=33

Here is a quote from the OP:

I often think that modellers of the 30s,40s and 50s tend to neglect the  significance of Horse power in operating the railways and indeed many  other aspects of everyday life in the preceding decades.

As a boy living in a suburb of Liverpool, I can recall that our milk was  delivered in a churn on a pony and trap. The refuse collectors (we  called them dustbin men) tipped the waste from bins into a wagon drawn  by a cart horse.

The GWR, like the other railway companies , used horses throughout their  operation….collecting and delivering freight and hauling wagons for  shunting. All these horses had to be looked after. There was a hospital  for 400 horses in London. Special wagons to deliver provender and remove  (for sale) manure. The horses had to be housed. Larger depots had multi  floor stables while small branch stations had purpose built stables to a  standard GWR design.

With the advent of the internal combustion engines the horses were  steadily replaced and the stables became redundant. However, they were  rarely demolished immediately, rather they were converted to stores or  more often than not converted to become a garage for the new fangled  lorries.

Ever since seeing a converted stable on John Flann's iconic "Hintock" I  have been determined to create a stable for "Granby".  My intent is to loosely  base the model on the standard design illustrated in Stephen Williams   "Great Western Branch Line Modelling"  Part 2

Apologies for the spiel but the subject has become something of a hobby horse :pedal

That looks very good John. Those quoins make a big difference. :thumbs

I'm intrigued by your Pannier performance - what's the secret ?  As you may recall, I have one who's performance is akin to those stable vents - hit and miss …………….:hmm  Mine is however, around 6 or 7 years old………….

Huzzah… a pannier!
Far too long between drinks…. 

The goods shed looks the part John.
Marty

Three things to remember, John, re draught horse stables….


1. Drainage

2. Drainage

3. Finally, drainage.

They can fill a bucket with one pee, usually within minutes of shutting them in, whether or not they have been outside all day.

Did I mention looking out some old VHS cassettes? The 'grippy' plastic bit that you hold when loading has a lovely minute chequer-board finish…

Doug

Lovely building John.
Best of luck with the horses.
Derek.

Thanks Guys glad you liked the post:thumbs


[user=6]Petermac[/user] wrote:

That looks very good John. Those quoins make a big difference. :thumbs

I'm intrigued by your Pannier performance - what's the secret ?  As you may recall, I have one who's performance is akin to those stable vents - hit and miss …………….:hmm  Mine is however, around 6 or 7 years old………….

The quoins are fiddly to apply because they are designed for Wills sheets but they do make corners look better.

I have read that after prolonged usage the covering on the wheels wears away and this can affect performance but I dont think thats the case with yours Peter………assuming it performs ok on straight track at higher speed steps but stutters when crawling over points then it has to be the cleanliness of the wheels or intermittent contact with the pick ups………all six have to remain in contact at all times….you can check this by easing the wheels from side to side  (They do tend to collect fluff). They can be adjusted/corrected with tweezers but the best method is to remove the keeper plate whereby the entire pick up assembly is exposed and can be adjusted.

I use Lenz Standard Chips and they are very effective…..5773  and most others happily crawls around at speed step 2 or 3….scale 4 mph…….hope you can sort yours………..every layout needs a working pannier:lol:


dooferdog wrote:

Three things to remember, John, re draught horse stables….


1. Drainage

2. Drainage

3. Finally, drainage.

They can fill a bucket with one pee, usually within minutes of shutting them in, whether or not they have been outside all day.

Did I mention looking out some old VHS cassettes? The 'grippy' plastic  bit that you hold when loading has a lovely minute chequer-board  finish…

Doug

Thanks Doug….timely reminder….I have the sluice holes roughly modelled but havent given adequate thought as to where all the water will go!

I guess I should check my videos but I am a bit slow this morning….what do I use the chequer board for?:oops:


Regards to all

John, the fine chequer board effect is good at imitating the non slip diamond pavers used in heavy wear stable areas. 'Scribed' with a scalpel it does very well.

Incidentally the tape has been used successfully as grafting tape in the garden!

Doug

I have totally enjoyed this thread, I just have to say that you are a fine modeller John, keep up the good work and I only hope I can do as good a job in N gauge.

Hi Geoff

I am so glad you enjoyed this rambling thread. It has been puttering along now for over 5 years. I someties feel its sheer size is overwhelming so its very re- assuring to know that you have ploughed your way through and survived :lol:

I wish you luck with your new layout….cant help with N gauge but happy to do so with RR&Co

Regards

Finally cought up with the end of your thread John , and I must agree with all comments made to date .what a great layout and an inspiration to us all, so many ideas to snaffle and adapt. That " Broad brush " your using mate ? Any chance I could borrow it ?  
   Knocks mine into next Tuesday !  :roll:
 Thanks again for sharing the journey with us 
  Cheers. 
 Matt

Hi Matt

Thank you so much for posting ……I am delighted that you like this rambling thread and have actually read it all :thumbs

I think broad brush is a fair description of my modelling philosophy. After all I use Code 100 and clearly have a fairly elastic approach to the geography of North Wales.:shock:

I enjoy spending time researching the detail of my chosen time period and by and large I do try and avoid any obvious anomalies…. be it locos, road vehicles or buildings. However I dont require that that they are correct to the last rivet or detail. I want them to look the part rather than be a precise replica.

I am always very conscious of the advantages of CJ Freezers 3' rule :lol:.

The other rule that I try to use came , I think, from Iain Rice. He maintained that the acid test of the authenticity of a layout was that, with all liveried stock removed, an onlooker could immediately determine the operating company and the time period by reference to the setting and ancillary detail

If Granby passes that test then I am a very happy camper

Regards

I won't hijack the thread John but many thanks for the tips on the Pannier - I'll check it all out. :thumbs

wow, great layout John! I really like it!

Thanks Darius.....glad you like it

Greetings from the Rain Forest where we are currently enjoying a mega rain storm……lots of warm wet clouds fresh from Hawaii dumping on us



I left you with this mock up of the stable building





Since then Slaters 2mm random stone bonded to the card base and door and windows openings cut out.

Ratio window arches added along with quoins to conceal the corner joint





Similar treatment for the office plus a door step from plastic strip.






Ratio industrial windows plus glazing added.

Lots of trim being prepped in the background





Steps for the office from 2mm card clad with Scalescenes paper.  Technically, I believe, one shouldnt mix media but with a little  weathering it should look ok








Totally unrelated to the current topic…… here are some shots of another iconic GWR locomotive class


Star Class "Knight of the Grand Cross" rolls down the incline from Granby Viaduct with the 4.17pm from Exeter and Bristol














I guess there is a tenuous link with the current topic……thats the  new south end loco spur and point motor and station building  foundation!.





Hopefully the real BC coal,fire irons and rather nice Monty's Models  crew draw attention away from the fall plate and dusy cab  roof……..until I mentioned it of course









I know Hornby are not the flavour of the month for all manner of reasons  and personally I think twice before pre-ordering their models from my  regular retailer (in Liverpool).

However this is a purchase I do not regret

Nice drop of building work John,
I also like your Star class loco running along that busy scene.
Thanks for shareing,
Derek.

Thanks for posting Derek…..glad you liked the build…..its almost done

The star has turned out to be good purchase.

Regards

That must have been one chilly loco to drive in bad weather, one hopes they didn't have to do too much tender first running either. A half cab shunter must have been bad enough but at main line speeds in December that back plate would have seen a lot of close attention.

They must have been tough in those days, probably no good whinging to a shop steward either, he'd have come just as hard a route…

Doug

Love your details and weathering on buildings. Great job and something to aim for at home.

Hi John

I've just spent a pleasant few minutes catching up after being away on my hols. The issue of horse power being vital to the railways especially so in the pre war years is more often than not overlooked by modellers. The stable is an essential addition to Granby and perhaps would be much larger given the size of your facilities.

We all have space limitations though and compromises have to be made. Better to have a small stable than none at all and as with all of your buildings will look the part :thumbs