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MARCH 2020 UPDATE
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PETE JOHNSON
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GREG BROOKES
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KIER HARDY
Thank you also to all of those that took the time to record, and post
YouTube footage - it's much appreciated.
- With you in a minute, setting up time-lapse by Model Rail Scotland. - The hall filling up time-lapse by Model Rail Scotland. - A show selection filmed by Heritage and Model Rail. - A show selection (part 1) - 12 minutes of footage filmed by dcc125. - A show selection including HB @ 2m 30s in, filmed by DRS66421 *****************************************************************************************************************************************************************
KARL CROWTHER
A trio of 16 ton mineral wagons have recently been completed; B68971 is a re-bodied Dia
1/114 wagon, finished as it might have appeared when released from BREL Horwich works in
the early 1970s. The clasp brake underframe makes use of the Red Panda kit, cut down to
the 9 foot wheelbase, while the bodywork has been adapted from an old Airfix kit.
This unfitted example, again with the top doors deleted on the 1970s re-built bodywork,
had been in a heavily weathered finish more suitable for the mid-1980s. A quick repaint
has turned the clock back to a lightly weathered condition, as if only in traffic for a
year or two after the works visit.
The last of the three is B261446, a Dia 1/108 wagon, but unusual for being fitted with a
clasp brake vacuum-fitted underframe from new, and still with the original bodywork
complete with top doors. The wagon has been finished as it might have appeared in
the late-1960s to mid-1970s.
Here's a snap from the archives which I don't think has been shown before, of an unidentified
Western hauling freightliner flats through Shenston Road station, most probably on a balance
working. D1017 to D1020 were the only 4 Westerns that didn't receive dual braking equipment.
More recently I've been finishing off and improving detail work around BSC Shenston Works, this
view showing some of the pipe bridges and gantries which have required finishing for some time now.
Detail work has also been carried out to the works roof area, in particular around the chimneys,
utilising Plastruct railings and access ladders. Once completed, they will be weathered to match
the rest of the surroundings.
Other aeas have received attention such as finishing the cladding, fitting vents, pipework and
roller shutter doors. The pointwork in the foreground forms part of the steelworks exchange
sidings which have recently been commissioned and detailed.
From time to time some long in the box locos come out for refreshing, improvements, or just to see
something different running. This Bachmann conversion to D9 Snowdon was carried out a few years ago
with replacement etched brass side grills and a headcode fitted to one nose end (as a result of a
rebuild after collision damage).
From the Shenston Road Workshops this month comes something black and steamy. I've just
finished detailing and weathering this Bachmann 9F number 92004, which is seen on a coal working
at Hornsey Broadway. It's happy hauling over 40 mineral wagons up 1:80 gradients and runs through
the double slip with just having its wheels spread out to EM gauge.
Shenston Road is featured in the April 2020 edition of Hornby Magazine, giving an indepth
background to the layout and rolling stock.
Most of my modelling time during the last month was spent on preparations for Model Rail Scotland,
cleaning wheels, trackwork, and dusting / vacuuming the baseboards. The time spent was well worth
it, as the layout performed well during the 3 days in Glasgow. For further images of the team,
time-lapse footage and behind the scenes views please
click here for the Hornsey Broadway On Tour page.
The latest addition to grace the road is this rag and bone man's horse drawn cart, constructed
by the talented Jonny Duffet. After the initial conversation as to what was missing from outside
the junk yard, he commenced scratchbuilding the cart from plastic card.
The wheels are from a Plastic Soldier Co Ltd PAK 38 5cm anti-tank gun model, suitably rounded to
represent pnuematic tyres. The rest of the cart made from bits of brass wire, with the harness
constructed from masking tape strips painted and varnished.
A horse from the Merit range was added and fixed to the cart, with junk sourced from leftovers
of Kibri & Preiser kits. The horse was repainted to rid it of its plastic finish and then delivered
to Hornsey Road. I've since acquired and painted a couple of suitable chaps to go with the cart, as
well as adding a nosebag made from silver foil. Jonny says he can almost hear the strains of 'Old Ned'
playing. We're not sure of the name of the horse, but it could be Hercules, Delilah or Samson!
There's a small amount of matt varnish required in a couple of places to finish.
On your newsagents shelves at the beginning of March 2020 is the BRM Spring Edition magazine,
featuring a London theme, as well as a 14-page article on Hornsey Broadway. There's also a DVD
which includes some excellent footage of the layout compiled by Andy York.
The main work this month has involved constructing Heversham Junction. The change to copperclad
(at the extreme right) marks the transition into the fiddle yard area. Having just crossed the
viaduct the double track continues through the junction to form the double track route to Kendal.
The single lead going to the left represents the line up to Hincaster Junction on the WCML. In
reality it will fan out into storage loops before going back to double track at the opposite end
of the fiddle yard, thence forming a complete circuit via Kentside station. These loops will
mainly be used to berth the Tebay-Barrow coke workings but will also provide a continuous run
facility for testing purposes (and indeed just to watch the trains go by!).
This shows more clearly the change to copperclad construction at the commencement of Heversham
Junction and will mark the end of the scenic part of the layout.
Work has also been underway on installing the first of the servo driver boards (MERG Servo 4)
and the associated relay boards (as designed by Richard Challis). The red/black wires along the
top are the main DCC bus, while the brown/blue ones along the bottom are the 12V DC bus for the
relays/servos etc. In the right background can be seen the MERG servo-setting box
(black/silver box with 3 knobs).
A significant milestone for the layout has been having its first two visiting locos! In for some
minor repairs for Richard Challis were this kit-built Stanier 2-6-4T....
