Love Lane, B.R. (E) c.1956-59

Peter Insole

Western Thunderer
"Light at the end of the tunnel" :

It has been a long, and very dark one! It seems that I was much more unwell than I was aware; but maybe I am getting a little better now?!

Despite having a huge mountain of unfinished work to catch up with, I have felt ready in the last few of days to tackle this essential item for Love Lane, while hoping that it would be a little project that might provide a bit of light relief from all the stress:

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Mr JB very kindly sent me a parcel of fine brass tube in telescopic dimensions, and after digging out the old drawing, I had a bit of fun with it and my even older soldering iron...

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That should hopefully create a strong enough hollow core for a bit more of my infamous "plastic wrangling"!

There are probably countless preferable methods of construction, but "hey-ho, the devil you know!". Why change the habit of a lifetime eh?

This particular monster was made in some rather awkward, tapering triangular forms, so I started at the bottom, and cut a pair of tight fitting spacers. They were a bit of a monkey to cut accurately, and one also needed to be fractionally smaller than the other as well!

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Several trial and error strips later, and I am fairly content with the overall shape and proportions of the base section.

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Still a little rough round the edges, but sound enough to start building the next wedge shaped part on top...?

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Ugh! That were a right bit o' fun and faff!!

I decided that the tapered corner angles could be cut and shaped from thicker strip, set snug to the tube, while each of the three side panels would have to have two edges chamfered to fit in between!

Crazy?!

More or less got there in the end though...

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I have also decided to cut out the switchbox door aperture, as the otherwise mercifully plain metal plate really should be recessed.

Next comes the nightmarish long, thin, reducing stem of the post - with lots of waste and ribald accompaniment to come I dare say?!

Pete.
 

simond

Western Thunderer
Pete,

Likewise, I hope your heath is ok.

This is a serious challenge that you’ve set yourself. A lack of right angles adds to the fun, I’m sure!

I’m sure the Royal Fine Art Commission will similarly approve of your model.

Is it going to be a one-off, or will you make castings from it?

Atb
Simon
 

Oz7mm

Western Thunderer
Could be entertaining getting power up to the lamp.

If there's a demand for castings, we may be able to prevail on our tame caster. For those who are interested, we have a number of casting made from Pete's LT concrete bus stop available.

John
 
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Peter Insole

Western Thunderer
Thank you both John and Simon!

Not quite out of the woods yet, and this little post is not the only thing that is a bit challenging!!

We only have a short section of roadway in front of Love Lane station, so only one is needed. Under normal circumstances I would be a lot happier making a batch of two or more, especially as this will still be a rather delicate item and perhaps rather prone to accidental damage.

I find myself under a bit too much pressure at the moment, so hope will have to do for now?

There may be one or two significant issues when considering production: Firstly, the post is very slender at the top; particularly at the joint with the unbalanced curved bracket. How can it be moulded with some sort of rigid - and especially hollow core for wiring? Then where would the mould parting go on the awkward triangular planform?

It is such a classic and familiar design that I would love to see replicated though!

Pete.
 

Ressaldar

Western Thunderer
Hi Pete,

Great to see you back in harness, the lamp post is looking very good, if you get stuck, then Martin Brice in ‘Ever decreasing circles’ is your man, I seem to recall he fell asleep reading a book on lamposts :)):)):))

kind regards

Mike
 
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Peter Insole

Western Thunderer
Yes JB, it will be rather amusing trying to thread some of Robin's very fine wire round the bend...!

Yes again, I am probably up to my usual old trick of making a problem where there wasn't one in the first place !!

Pete.
 

simond

Western Thunderer
Maybe a suitably curved length of fine brass tube, placed in the mould and over moulded with resin. The brass forms one conductor, fine wire can be pushed through to form the other, and the brass tube will provide some strength & stiffness to remove, or at least alleviate some of the vulnerability of a slender model.

And, as an aside, they would be structurally not unlike the real thing!

Atb
Simon
 

Peter Insole

Western Thunderer
I do hope so Tony !

Meanwhile, ever onward and upward...

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From a blizzard of white styrene shavings the pole has appeared!

Apart from an unruly, bulgy bit near the middle that initially refused to behave and submit to the solvent, the process was surprisingly straightforward.

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That's it: Six separate strips sit snug side by side this evening!

Time for my medication methinks ?!

Pete.
 

Boyblunder

Western Thunderer
Lovely job Pete. No problem for the wire I think as you have kindly left the base as brass tube so we can use it for the return. We could 3D print the glass but as there is only one perhaps you can create it from clear acrylic? What sort of bulb/tube would it have? Fluorescent or mercury is easy, tungsten OK, sodium ??
 

Peter Insole

Western Thunderer
Thank you Robin. I am going to leave the construction of the top bracket until you have had a look at the proposed lamp fitting.

While I have always liked the greenish glow of mercury vapour and it's small, rounded, traditional looking housing, the amber sodium vapour type with a rather more "modern" rectangular casing might be slightly more difficult to make?

For the layout, the former was more common in 1956 and may be preferred. The main advantage with the latter for me is that the sodium units are perhaps more associated with the lamp standard design. The utterly horrible, almost universal orange street lighting has also now become a rare beast that has almost been consigned to history. It would be nicely distinct alongside all the other lighting on the layout too?

Here is the inspiration:

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These pages are from a 1938 catalogue, so are perfectly contemporary with the pole.

The seventy bob job, or at least something very similar would do it for me, and I sincerely hope the local Love Lane highway authorities might agree!!

Pete.
 
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