Fictional Joint LMS/GWR layout set in the 1930s. N Gauge.

Peter,
        I wrote out,(twice),a long descriptive text to go with the photos'.I some how lost the 1st posts,so tried a second time…just before THAT lot disappeared,I briefly saw a message flash up about a disallowed extension before that went too.This was my third attempt, and when I again tried and failed to line up the pictures that had appeared and insert some text between them, other than"testing, testing 123..",I just decided to give up and try another day.

        


The above is the mouth to the yard of the SHMD tramshed,which lies adjacent to the low level GWR section of Hyde Station,(under construction).The white area signifies the footprint of the building which will be a mirror image of the prototype which was situated just off Lewis St. in Hyde,now the entrance to Morrison's car Park.I'll post prototype photos later.






Above,just North of that, showing various bits of tram/tram power units.Also the sloping road this side of the wall leads to under the baseboard and forms a complete circuit for the tramway.







Here we see the so far empty canal, awaiting water, locks,towpath.etc running past the White Bridge,which takes the main tramway circuit OVER the GWR.UNDER the LMS,behind the station, where,hidden from view, it descends below baseboard level to re-emerge at the front from out of a tunnel and up that sloping road in picture 1.As you can see, a lot of the tramlines need their cobbles putting in.The cardboard either side of the track is to build up the level for that to happen.






And finally, a gratuitous shot of Nunney Castle bursting out of Hyde Station past a cornucopia of layout-building detritus!!When the layout is complete, the mess behind the railway lines will be an LMS MPD,and the loco will be obscured by a long viaduct leading over the chasm to the right into the upper levels of Hyde Station to the left and rear,

Thank you for your indulgence.

Cheers,John.B.:thumbs

And now things seem to be working, here's that prototype picture I promised;





This was around until the late 70's although the last tram ran in 1948,especially for a local BBC radio programme!



As I stated, mine will be a mirror image of this one, because if I put this doorway where it is on MY model, some poor devil would go outside for a ciggy and walk under the wheels of a shunting pannier tank.Hence,my door will be over on the other side!
   The trams were green & cream and referred to locally as"green linnets".Sadly,none made it to preservation.

Cheers,John.B.:thumbs
 

And here's a little snatch of a running session from yesterday.Nunney Castle on the up express and Draycott Manor on a fast down newspaper train.
https://youtu.be/DA3H3usHkHM





Cheers,John.B.:thumbs

:doublethumb Nice to see more trams!

Cheers Claus,                     When I have more time,I'll be putting up a potted history of the SHMD for all the Tramophiles on here.
I"ve also got a OO gauge tramway in the pipeline that will involve lots of other companies' vehicles that will be kind of a tram theme park along the lines of Crich in Derbyshire,so stay tuned pal!

Cheers,John.B.:thumbs

Well done for persevering, because it makes sense now.  Lovely to see  trains running too.  The interchange with trams and trains will be a visual treat.  Keep us updated.
Michael

Thanks Michael,I've been trying to keep my stress levels down since having a mild stroke in November,and technology, in particular Apple technology, in the form of my computer and iPhone ,have been doing their level best to wind me up a treat! In fact,I could rant on for hours about how Apple has gone to the dogs since Steve Jobs died, but that's not what this forum is about, so I'll gloss over that for now!Youtube was really winding me up also, so I just walked away until I was ready to try again.I'm not the most technologically gifted by any stretch,Suffice it to say that what used to be the simplest of tasks years ago, posting a simple post on here,now seems to be like one of the tasks of Hercules.    I only pray that no-one else will come along and "improve"anything, or try to re-invent the wheel….Leave it all alone please, now I've sussed it all out!

Cheers,John.B.:thumbs

Hi John I've sorted out some of the spacing etc but it looks like I might have chopped the video link in post 23 can you edit and re insert it for me please ? 

(Blurry Gremlins need a right good kicking!  )

Cheers

Matt.  

Matt,
how's that mate??

Cheers,John.B.

Perfik  :thumbs

Wow…. you really have been making great progress John. That embankment and the tunnel mouths look fabulous. I think I see that you have a warehouse extending down into the canal just south of the white bridge. What’s the plan there?

Marty,That's just an old Metcalfe building that I put there to see how a building would look with its lower level on the canal towpath.I'm intending a gasworks in that area,so maybe the building I eventually plonk there will be a retort house or something connected with that.The type of buildings I'll put in there will all bevery close in appearance to, if not copies of buildings in the similar area of the real Hyde station/canal wharf area of Hyde.Its still all up in the air.

Cheers,John.B.:thumbs

Great progress John - don't know how you & Marty manage in 'N' gauge.  It's just taken me an hour to make a pair of 3-link couplings!
Looks like you're managing fine on the technology front posting videos on YouTube!  I'm struggling to get my photos right way up.

By the way, I agree with you on G.J.C., he was a genius & not just in mechanical engineering.  Not many know he was the first to introduce corridor trains on British railways.  His 'City' & 'Star' locos set the bar for locomotive development, really until the end of steam.  And his 'Dreadnought' coaches.  There is a great book - 'Edwardian Enterprise' by Norris, Beale & Lewis published by Wild Swan (with lots of great photos) which details the mind blowing projects of the G.W. such as Fishguard Harbour & the Badminton Line.  Would recommend it to anyone interested in G.W. history.

Keep well & keep up the good progress.

Regards

Mal

[user=201]georgejacksongenius[/user] wrote:

Marty,That's just an old Metcalfe building that I put there to see how a building would look with its lower level on the canal towpath.I'm intending a gasworks in that area,so maybe the building I eventually plonk there will be a retort house or something connected with that.The type of buildings I'll put in there will all bevery close in appearance to, if not copies of buildings in the similar area of the real Hyde station/canal wharf area of Hyde.Its still all up in the air.

Cheers,John.B.:thumbs

Sounds great, nice to have something real to base your modelling on. Looking forward to watching it develop. Have fun.

Mal,
I have quite a few Edwardian Dean/Churchward period coaches that need a wee bit of detailing adding before I'll be happy with them, but I would absolutely KILL for some concertina "Dreadnaughts".They were everywhere on the system in the 30's.Hopefully someone will produce some in N gauge soon!!!

Marty,

I will post pictures of the originals (buildings)where possible alongside the model versions as I produce them for comparison.As you might imagine, they will not necessarily be in their normal surroundings, or,to quote Eric Morecambe,"I'm playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order…..!!!"
 

Cheers,John.B.:thumbs

P.S. Mal,I've ordered a copy of that book on Churchward off Ebay…can't wait to read that!!

Cheers,John.B.:thumbs

Recently built this Metcalfe Settle & Carlisle Goods Shed for the Denton section of my layout and fell in love with the new, finer stone finish so much that I went ahead and bought 3 packs of the finer scale stone sheets to re-clad a lot of my structures that were previously clad in Scalescenes random ashlar.




Several items have received the new stone treatment, including the bridge and tunnel mouth near the window and the retaining wall by the side of the tram shed.



This was the tram shed yard after I built a small surrounding wall;



As you can see,the random ashlar sticks out like a sore thumb,so bullet being firmly bitten……



It looks much more like the centre of an industrial town now with the added grime….can't wait to get cracking on the Gee Cross corner and the Gasworks!!!

Cheers,John.B.:thumbs

I've always been a big fan of Scalescenes rather than Metcalfe John but, having seen these photos of yours, maybe I too should have a look at what they've got on offer now………………..  Impressive looking stonework.  :thumbs

Peter,I'm still a big fan of Scalescenes,it's just that I've found that Metcalfe's printed card and papers can stand weathering much better than stuff printed off from my computer,making them a bit more versatile.Also,this particular stone is more suited to an industrial 30's setting, where the relatively bucolic random ashlar is more befitting to a sleepy countryside branch line!I did consider briefly the dark random ashlar, and I've used it to cover a bridge between Gee Cross and Denton on the LMS line;





If you notice, the section to the left has. a lot of red in it as my printer inks were running low!I'm planning on another similar bridge and a footbridge(the iron bridge as we called it…),in the same dark random ashlar as soon as I can get my printer sorted.
 The "iron bridge"was a bridge on the Cheshire Lines section of the local railway, where as kids, we would stand and wait for 8F's to pass under and cover us in lovely smelling steam and smoke!!!It has since been demolished and the track lifted, but here's a few pictures of it in it's pomp!






The last photo is the earliest known photo of it, and I suspect was taken as soon as it was built!
I think I might post a short potted history of the surrounding railways at some point,I did on another forum once.


Cheers,John.B:thumbs

I've been thinking a lot about my 3 stations lately.Hyde I was going to scratch build buildings based on those at the real-life Hyde Central.Denton was going to be based on Dent station on the Settle/Carlisle and Gee Cross was to be based on Arley on the Severn Valley Railway.The one I was least sure of was Hyde,consequently,I have pottered and experimented with various building solutions and gotten nothing concrete down.Gee Cross has been left half-built and ignored, because I know exactly what I want to do there,and the platforms and bridges etc are up and running, so it's just a case of carry on, finish and decorate with platform furniture, people,etc.

At Denton;
  I built a Metcalfe Settle/Carlisle goods shed and also made up a station building and small shelter.Just need the platforms doing now.The viaduct that was to carry the line over from Denton into Hyde was a 6-arch Ratio job, but I have replaced it with a Metcalfe 8 arched one with elongated piers;



For the time being, the Hyde station buildings on the upper level will be represented by a pair of Metcalfe structures that are ironically very similar to those at Dinting,just a little way up the Manchester/Hadfield line from us.The look of those buildings being very LNER in appearance and the fact that the LNER actually ran through Hyde has also made me think about getting a few LNER locos.I already have Flying Scotsman,Mallard and a couple of 0-6-0 Holden tanks and I now have Manchester City (B17)being delivered on Thursday!!!(Much to my wife's annoyance as a lifelong red!!!)
That's all for now.because once again Apple and its incompetent technology is pushing me over the edge!!!