Rivermead Central

40057

Western Thunderer
Having received various comments, questions and likes in response to my post in ‘New members’, I am encouraged to start this thread in ‘Layout progress’. I hope I am not being too optimistic given the slow pace of construction to date over many years. Maybe this thread will help a little by providing gentle pressure to maintain progress so I have something to say. But don’t expect a rapid advance to completion — there is a lot to do and the rest of life to attend to.

As of now, I have a completed baseboard mounted mostly on cupboards around the walls of a room. I have some track laid and a few small elements of scenery in place. Due to pressures of work and priorities in the rest of life, progress has been slow, with long periods of no construction at all, in the twenty years since work started with building the baseboards. However, I retired last year and resolved to greatly speed up work on the layout, prioritise making it useable and, ideally, get it finished.

Rivermead Central is 0 gauge, coarse scale and will use principally vintage equipment. The stations are fictitious and deliberately a bit vague as to location and exact period. Broadly speaking, the intended ‘look’ is mid-20th century, built-up/industrial with buildings in brick. The buildings and other scenery will be correctly proportioned but not highly detailed — impressionistic, not photographic. The scenery will be deliberately restricted to a muted palette, predominantly browns and greys — perhaps the colours of an L.S. Lowry painting. It is there to provide a context for and contrast to the much more brightly coloured vintage trains.

Since I was a ‘young person’, I have always particularly admired three famous layouts; Crewchester, the Sherwood Section of the LMS and Paddington to Seagood. I do not have the space, time or resources to build anything as extensive as those layouts. But I do aim to copy the approach they took of a miniature system where trains could be realistically worked between several different stations.

Building a ‘system’ in a space 23’ x 10’ was always going to be a challenge. In the end I came up with a scheme that provides a main line (a continuous circuit) and two branches. The scheme is shown in this sketch:

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The place names are all derived from streets/places where I have lived at some time. The sketch above gives no details of the actual track layout, just shows the relative positions and connections between the different locations. So, for example, ‘Cairnie Junction’ effectively occupies all of the high-level baseboard on the west side of the room. Both branches join the main line at Cairnie Junction. The main line is the continuous loop shown as a solid thin blue line. It is ‘above ground’ for its entire length and nearly all visible, though it will be partly behind buildings in the south-east corner. Main line trains from Cairnie Junction can be imagined as going to various far-off destinations, but in reality will soon reappear at the other end of Cairnie Junction station. The branch from the south end of Cairnie Junction goes to Cavendish goods yard. Soon after leaving Cairnie Junction, the Cavendish branch disappears behind scenery and then starts to descend. The dotted line is the part of the branch (ie. nearly all of it) that is out of sight behind scenery or in a tunnel. The gradient on the Cavendish branch is 1 in 66 on the straight sections, level on the curves. This track is in place. The terminus, Cavendish Goods, is approximately 160 mm below the upper level base boards. The low level area is coloured pink. The difference in height gives some visual separation from Cairnie Junction. The distance, by train, between Cairnie Junction and Cavendish Goods is almost 60’. The Cavendish branch is freight only with restricted clearances in one tunnel section. Coaches and large locomotives would exceed the loading gauge. Operation is to be with industrial 0-6-0 tanks. The other branch from Cairnie Junction goes to Rivermead Central. This line is electrified. The red indicates the electrified section. I intend most trains on the Rivermead Central branch will be operated by an e.m.u. (though I don’t have an e.m.u., but that’s the plan). I have space for carriage sidings at Rivermead Central, so there will need to be some loco-hauled services on the branch to get stock for main line services to and from Cairnie Junction.

I should perhaps point out that getting the line down to Cavendish Goods was not easy to do. The low level area had of necessity to be ‘in front’ of the main line circuit, or it couldn’t be reached to operate it. But the branch had to pass under the mainline and get ‘outside it’ so that the branch track could gradually climb to the level of the rest of the system. In order to keep the gradient to 1 in 66, almost the entire length of the branch had to be used to gain/lose height. This means the gradient has to start as soon as the line leaves the Cavendish Goods terminus — the problem being that the roofs of wagons/locos on the Cavendish branch were then almost immediately above the ground level at Cairnie Junction. The solution was to put the Cavendish branch under the main platform at Cairnie Junction station. By the north end of this platform, the upper parts of trains on the Cavendish branch are inside the platform. Then the station approach road covers the branch, and so on.

I think that will do as an introduction. I’ll probably get on to track next, as I have an outstanding question to answer about points.

Martin
 
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40057

Western Thunderer
Thank you for the reminder!

I don’t have many photos so will clearly need to take some. Also, I am not sure how interesting an expanse of grey painted plywood (with nothing on it) really is!

Track is laid at Cavendish goods and most of the Cavendish branch. Some of the station area at Cairnie Junction also has the track in place. No track has yet been laid on the eastern side base boards apart from the Cavendish branch against the back wall.

But if pictures there must be, here is a different view of one of the industrials obtained for working the Cavendish branch. This is no.1 ‘Bonzone’ at Cavendish goods. Above, behind the retaining wall, is the southern approach to Cairnie Junction. The wall is one of the very few pieces of scenery so far installed. The picture does illustrate the character of the railway I am hoping to create. Plain scenery in muted greys and browns, contrasting with the brightly coloured (and very charming) locomotive — 90 years old and still in service.

Martin

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40057

Western Thunderer
Track

Rivermead Central is being built using ‘Lowko Track’. This track system was devised in about 1908 by George Winteringham, the Bassett-Lowke works manager at Northampton. It was listed in the Bassett-Lowke catalogues until around 1935. The sleepers are wood, the chairs folded sheet metal and the rails rolled sheet metal with a round, hollow top. The rail section is much smaller than ‘tinplate track’ made by Meccano (Hornby) and others, but the design of the rails is otherwise similar. Prior to WW1, Lowko Track was offered in brass or tinplate without a third rail, or for electric traction, with a third rail, in brass only. After WW1, brass track without a third rail was no longer offered. Lowko Track was more expensive than entirely metal ‘tinplate track’, but cheaper though much less realistic than ‘scale model permanent way’. While I am sure many children’s train sets used Lowko Track, it was clearly expected to be used by adult enthusiasts as parts for track construction at home were consistently offered. Contemporary accounts of model railways built by adult enthusiasts confirm Lowko Track was a popular choice. There was a larger range of factory made track pieces prior to WW1 than was listed after the war. The largest radius of curve offered in 0 gauge, 4 feet, was discontinued post WW1, nor were half-length straights and curves included in the later catalogues. Complete ‘double junctions’ also did not reappear as catalogued items after WW1. What was available is shown here:

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The above images are from the 1933 Bassett-Lowke catalogue but the range offered hardly changed after 1920 until Lowko Track was discontinued. The illustration shows a Gauge 1 turnout.

From the point of view of trying to build a layout using Lowko Track, it was clearly popular and sold well over a long period. So it isn’t too hard to find and doesn’t sell for high prices. However, the tinplate version is often rusty while the brass rails are very easily bent. With some straightening and cleaning, I have found a good quantity of very useable lengths of plain line, both straights and curves. I am using the 3 foot 2 1/4 inch radius as my standard curve. Years ago, I managed to obtain the remains of two railways that had home-made track constructed of Lowko Track parts. I have used these parts and some from unrepairable factory made track panels to construct larger radius curves. I intend to have nothing below 3’6” radius in the main (continuous loop) running line.

Layout progress

I have today finished reconstructing and repairing another 3’ 2 1/4” turnout.

Repairing plain line track panels is generally straightforward — and if it isn’t, don’t bother, get another piece. Points are a different matter. Firstly, they are harder to find so worth repairing if feasible. Secondly, unfortunately, they are almost invariably broken. Tinplate points are often badly rusted due to inadequate cleaning of the very acid flux used in manufacture. So pretty much every point needs significant work to make it useable — and there is no point in waiting and hoping to find a supply of perfect ones that don’t need repairing or altering.

There are two particular problems with the Lowko Track points. First, the positioning of the check rails is variable but often the flangeway is so wide the check rail is completely ineffective. The check rails are secured by being soldered to two transverse metal strips nailed on top of the sleepers. So the check rails can be moved by melting their solder fastenings and I do this if necessary. The second problem with Lowko points is the rather rigid connection between the point lever and the tie bar that moves the switch blades. This is a bad design fault. The point lever tends to push/pull the switch blades sideways without allowing them to rotate around their notional pivot point near the crossing. The result is that the soldered joints at each end of the switch blades nearly always fail. Re-soldering these in situ can be tricky due to corroded rails, other nearby soldered joints and the wooden sleepers. Re-making the joints is clearly not a solution to the design fault.

My approach to points is now to take the rails off the sleepers. Do any cleaning and straightening of the rails, as necessary. Remake any broken soldered joints. Check the position of the check rails and adjust if needed. Reinforce the vulnerable soldered joints by drilling upwards through the transverse metal strips and into the web of the rail, tap the hole to take a 12BA screw and add a screw fastening. Insert a pivot joint into the connection between the point lever and the tie bar to allow the switch blades to swing in an arc, rather than just sideways across the turnout. Then reassemble. But repairing points is, by a large margin, the rate limiting step for track laying at Rivermead Central.

This is a factory built turnout as made at Northampton:

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It’s in pretty good condition, not badly rusted, and no bent rails. The check rails are too far from the running rails to work on anything but very, very coarse wheels. The excessive distance between the running line and the point lever restricts where this point could be used or limits the proximity of other turnouts/running lines. The point indicator lamp is missing.

Here is the point I finished today:

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Cleaned and repaired as described above. But additionally in this case altered to allow use in a position with an adjacent running line, the lever being arranged so as to fit in the six foot. The lever is now connected to a bell crank using a forked joint fastened with split pins. The forked joint is home made (using brass strip off-cuts from altering the tie bar to point lever connections of other points). Everything else is Bassett-Lowke sold for Lowko Track construction at home. The operating arrangement can be seen here:

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As the curved road will lead to the mainline, the point indicator lamp shows a red disc when the points are set for this track.

This is (obviously) not remotely close to being a scale model. But it is a real railway in its approach and how it works.

Martin
 

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40057

Western Thunderer
I have started construction of the first building for Rivermead Central. I have previously built some walling, including a retaining wall, but not an actual building. I have also managed to find a few commercially made vintage buildings which I shall use where I can. Most buildings will have to be made for the specific locations, however, so making buildings is going to be a major part of creating the layout.

There are some wonderful model buildings described and illustrated in WT forums. I particularly admire ‘Millicent Street’, but there are others equally good. I certainly don’t have the skills to make buildings of such quality. Nor would I prioritise allocating enough time to produce such detailed models. But, in any case, I am not trying to produce a layout where the buildings are as well modelled as the rolling stock. My buildings are there to provide an appropriate setting for some nice vintage model trains. They should not be the focus of interest nor compete with the trains for attention. I am aiming at buildings that are impressionistic rather than photographic in their representation. I want to produce a background of buildings in muted colours to provide a context for viewing and operating vintage trains.

I have chosen to start with the building in the north-west corner of the layout. This is the Benham’s factory and warehouse which is behind the station at Cairnie Junction. The Benham’s site is served by a private siding and generates considerable rail traffic — materials in, manufactured goods out. The building as modelled will consist of two separate but linked elements against the west wall of the room. In the north-west corner, the factory with the private siding going into the building. South of the factory, the warehouse with an external platform and loading doors. The warehouse will be modelled in low relief only.

I have never built a model railway building before. For this first venture, I decided to experiment with the MDF components sold by LCUT Creative. So far, I have found these to be clearly a great saving of time and effort compared with building from scratch. However, the components are soft and easily damaged when cutting or drilling and I would say they are not strong enough to make a robust structure by themselves. So I have opted to make a carcass from strip wood and plywood and use the various MDF panels effectively as tiles on the visible elevations.

The dimensions of the factory element of the building are critical as the entrance has to line up with the position of the private siding:

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The private siding is the rearmost track in this photo. In front of it are two sidings used for stabling and shunting goods trains, and Cairnie Junction station with platforms under construction. The centre road in the station and track serving platform 2 are electrified.

I first made a mock-up of the south facing elevation of the factory building to check the position of the entrance relative to the siding going into the factory, distance from from the wall of the room and clearance for vehicles on the adjacent goods siding:

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The piece of white card in the centre of the doorway is 32mm wide so fixed the position of the private siding. The projecting piece of brick-effect MDF on the right was used to check clearances with a 1920s tinplate coach (of generous dimensions) on the adjacent track. Once the correct measurements were established, the plywood used for the mock-up was trimmed and the doorway cut out fully. With the MDF ‘tiles’ were added, the wall has become this (painted with primer only):

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The exposed plywood on the left will be covered by the low relief warehouse building.

I am reasonably pleased with this. I think, I hope, it will look OK in its overall proportions but not be too detailed. An impression of a factory. But since I am making this up as I go along, I need to get more building work done to see if it is right for the layout I am aiming to create.
 

40057

Western Thunderer
Like any other railway, operating the Rivermead Central layout is going to require a range of locomotives to work the different services. Hauling the loaded goods trains up the steeply graded Cavendish Goods branch will be a particularly arduous duty. Half a mile (scale distance) at 1 in 66 (albeit compensated) is a real slog. The gradient starts immediately on leaving the yard, so no opportunity to ‘take a run at the bank’. An additional requirement of the locomotives working the Cavendish Goods line is a low/narrow cab as there are (unfortunately but unavoidably) restricted clearances in one section of tunnel. A practical operating consideration is the hassle factor of accessing the tunnel sections (by lifting off buildings or sections of scenery). I need locomotives that will reliably work the branch trains without stalling.

Fortunately, the perfect locomotive for the Cavendish Goods line was built in the early 1950s by the firm A & J van Riemsdyk, an 0-6-0 side tank. These models were marketed by Walkers & Holtzapffel (W & H) and are sometimes referred to as ‘Walker-Riemsdyk's’. (A & J van Riemsdyk produced other models in 0 gauge and 00 gauge and trams which were marketed through different outlets). The Walker Riemsdyk tank has the usual excellently engineered van Riemsdyk motor giving almost full power over the whole range of speeds. Speed is controllable from very slow up to a maximum of about 40 mph. The bodies of these models were ‘built down to a price’ and are nowhere near as good as the motors. They have comparable levels of detail to contemporary Bassett-Lowke models at the simpler end of that company’s range. But construction is quite flimsy in relation to the power of the mechanism. Buffer beams get bent and soldered joints in the body often split. Although the models are not too hard to find, and sell for quite modest prices, in my experience difficult repairs to the body are pretty much always needed.

I have three of these engines but each with major issues needing careful repair and renovations. The first of these, the one requiring the least work, is now ready for traffic:

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The lever in the cab controls forward and reverse, the wheel projecting through the cab roof (behind the forward/reverse lever) controls the speed (and turned right down, is the brake).

I found this loco in a local auction. One cab footstep was missing but I obtained a replacement by buying a distressed body (with no motor) from ‘a well-known internet auction site’. The loco as I acquired it had a badly buckled rear buffer beam and the very soft black paint had worn off along the edges of the side tanks, cab roof — wherever the loco had been repeatedly handled for winding up. So I straightened the buffer beam and other minor distortions. To provide additional strength, I made steel plates to fit behind the buffer beams (held in place by the nuts that secure the buffers). The paintwork repairs were tricky as I discovered (to my surprise) that the black paint was completely soluble in white spirit. On the plus side, this meant the new black enamel paint along the exposed edges could be blended with the existing paint to give an almost invisible join. The loco had a grey undercoat that was not soluble in white spirit and had not rubbed off.

A few points about this loco. The running number of consecutive numbers (7,8,9,0) is typical. Sheets of transfers were cut up and numbers applied as printed on the sheet. Sometimes locos are numbered using consecutive pairs, e.g. 5634, 7812. This loco is plain unlined black but most are lined out with a single red line. Green and red liveries were introduced late in the production period. This loco has a cast dome; on later built locos the dome is turned aluminium. Very early production models also had a cast chimney. Some locos have turned aluminium buffers and later models also have some of the tinplate body work replaced with equivalent sheets of aluminium.

A & J van Riemsdyk were at the ‘cottage industry’ end of the scale of model manufacturers. Over 1000 of the 0-6-0 tanks were made so this was their most numerous model. The mechanisms were also sold separately. The firm stopped production when John van Riemsdyk joined the staff of the Science Museum. He retired from the Museum, as Keeper of Engineering, in 1984 having been responsible for setting up the NRM in York.
 

Joe's Garage

Western Thunderer
Some very nice historical information on the early days of our wonderful hobby coming out in the thread, thank you and I look forward to more.
Cheers
Julian
 

40057

Western Thunderer
Some very nice historical information on the early days of our wonderful hobby coming out in the thread, thank you and I look forward to more.
Cheers
Julian

Thank you.

Probably reasonable to view my line as equivalent to a ‘heritage’ or ‘preserved railway’, but for models. It exists today and is intended to operate, but using mostly vintage rolling stock and equipment. Much of what I will use will need some restoration or conservation to put it into/keep it in operational condition. However, like many full size preservation operations, practical necessity means some new buildings and other modern additions. But these new elements to be sympathetic in style, method of construction, way of working etc. to their heritage context.
 

40057

Western Thunderer
I do like an intriguing whodunnit! Who is responsible? What are the clues? What does the evidence tell us?

And after exercising ‘the little grey cells’, I still can’t work it out — until the solution is presented to me. Then, at last, everything is clear, all the facts are explained.

“Mais oui, it all fits in!”

The subject of the mystery in this case is the locomotive shown here:

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I bought this engine over twenty years ago from a specialist dealer in vintage/antique toys and models. Prices were high at the time and I probably paid over the odds to buy it — but I liked the engine, and still do. Few models of Great Western locos were made by the great tinplate train manufacturers of the 1910 to 1960 period. There was a simple reason for this, essentially the very different appearance of GWR locos. Using the same body, a freelance, 0-6-0 side tank could believably be LMS, LNER or SR just by changing the livery and chimney casting. But that same body would never look like a GW engine. So, for example, there was no GWR 0-6-0 tank in the Bassett-Lowke range, while the other three companies were all represented — by one model. (Toy manufacturers such as Meccano/Hornby of course had no scruples about putting GWR livery on standard bodies).

So, the opportunity to acquire a suitable vintage pannier tank was not to be missed. I like GWR pannier tanks. I probably listened to some shunting the nearby goods yard as I lay in my cot as a baby. I also find the products of the smaller model manufacturers in the ‘tinplate era’ particularly interesting.

No. 5731 was indeed an intriguing model. When I bought it, I had absolutely no idea who made it. The dealer didn’t know either, nor could he or I come up with any plausible suggestions. The model is in early 1930s livery. A better clue to the date of manufacture though is the presence of a top feed, albeit crudely represented. Few, if any, 57XX panniers had top feed boilers before the war. So the model had to be 1950s or later in date.

There was no mystery about the mechanism fitted. It is the smaller size of six-coupled motor sold by Bassett-Lowke in the 1930s to ‘50s period. The loco itself was clearly not a Northampton product, but the smaller manufacturers routinely used ‘bought in’ mechanisms — so identifying the motor was no help in determining who made the engine. Similarly, the crank pins, and I think the wheel castings, are by Bond’s — but nothing about the engine suggested Bond’s were the manufacturer. The mechanism as sold by Bassett-Lowke had alloy wheels. The fitting of new thicker axles with cast iron wheels had been done very neatly and accurately.

The model has a body built in heavy gauge tinplate, with some brass angle, screwed and soldered together. Some parts looked as though they were produced using press tools. This strongly suggested the loco was commercially made, not a one-off amateur build. A second indicator of quantity production was the number ‘093’ marked with a punch behind the front buffer beam. Also, there is a sureness and economy about the approach to construction which to me strongly suggested a professional build.

A couple of features were particularly perplexing. There is a redundant hole in the back of the cab, again suggesting production of standard parts. Could this hole have been for the reversing lever for a 20 volt AC motor in an electric version of the model? Even more odd was the use of turned brass discs to represent the filler lids on the pannier tanks. These, and the lump of brass representing the top feed, are poor representations of parts that must have been readily available as detailed white metal castings. Surely, no commercial manufacturer would have made these parts in this way?

A further piece of conflicting evidence was the absence of other examples of the model. I have a fair knowledge of commercial 0 gauge models in the 1930s to ‘50s period, and I have friends who know far more than I do. No-one I asked had ever come across a similar pannier tank in clockwork or electric.

So that’s the evidence. If you have worked out the way the model came into existence, you have done better than I did. It remained a ‘known unknown’ to me for nearly ten years.

The solution was finding a model for sale on the internet (a partly built kit) which clearly had the same body components as my pannier tank and the same number, 5731. It was a live steam model. The absence of white metal parts was explained, the redundant hole in the back of the cab was for the regulator, the vertical plate work below the pannier tanks either side of the fire box was to shield the burner. The evidence was there all the time. Moreover, the model offered for sale had its instructions with it — identifying it as a product of HB Models and giving a date of 1975. HB Models — Harold and Barbara Denyer — were based in Tring and I remember the firm advertising simple Gauge 1 models in the 1980s. The firm offered several different single-cylinder 0 gauge 0-6-0 tanks in the 1970s, available as kits or ready-to-run.

I wrote to Harold Denyer in 2010 enquiring about my pannier tank. He was very elderly by then (and has since died) but he sent me a full reply. He confirmed he built my 5731 in May 1979. It was a special order using the standard body parts of the steam model but fitted with a clockwork mechanism. It was built for a Mr Hutchins and supplied to him ready-to-run.

This must surely have been one of very few commercially made clockwork powered models made in the 1970s. I should add the loco was in good repair when I got it needing no more than a few loose screws tightened. It runs excellently.
 

simond

Western Thunderer
Nice story, it’s sometimes rewarding to keep digging til you hit paydirt, as in this case.

Are there 92 live steamers out there?
 

40057

Western Thunderer
Nice story, it’s sometimes rewarding to keep digging til you hit paydirt, as in this case.

Are there 92 live steamers out there?
Yes, I assume there are at least 92 others. But I don’t know what the number series was. Was mine the 93rd pannier? Or the 93rd of the 0 gauge single cylinder 0-6-0s? (I know there were LMS 3Fs that were mechanically the same as the panniers, maybe other types too). Or the 93rd model by HB Models across all types produced in 0 gauge, or any gauge?

There was a very attractive two-cylinder 0 gauge Tilbury tank offered for sale in a recent auction. It was attributed to HB Models and although I didn’t see the loco I think the attribution was almost certainly correct. So there was at least one other, completely different, 0 gauge live steamer produced.

I am pretty confident there will be no other clockwork ones, or surely Harold Denyer would have mentioned that?
 

40057

Western Thunderer
Progress with the Benham’s factory building:

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A long way from finished. But it’s square, sits flat on the ground and it definitely isn’t going to fall apart. A wood carcass, screwed together. MDF ‘tiles’ (from LCUT Creative) over the surface of the visible elevations, attached with panel pins and glue, to provide the brick detail. B&Q water based paint mixed to match the colour of the tiles in our porch.
 

40057

Western Thunderer
Here are lots of little pieces of wood:

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I am doing some more work on the anti-plunge wall at the north end of the layout.

The laser-cut brick-effect-plywood piers are cut from strips made for me some years ago by Poppy’s Wood Tech. The bricks are not to scale but match the dimensions of the embossed bricks on the wooden buildings produced by Mills Bros. (Milbro) in the 1930s. The first walling I made for Rivermead Central was constructed using panels recovered from beyond-repair vintage buildings. Then I ran out of vintage material to re-use, so needed to get some new panels made. The laser cutting is not an exact match for the vintage brick work which appears to have been produced by pressing the brick design into the wood surface using a patterned roller. But the new and the old can be mixed without looking odd since the courses match.

The base board across the north end of the room is by far the narrowest section of base board on the layout. Essentially, the entire width of the board will be occupied by three visible tracks and one other track, the Cavendish Goods branch, hidden under a road. Since the road has to be easily removable, in case a train stops/derails underneath it, there is very little scope for scenery on this part of the layout. To compensate, I decided to make the anti-plunge wall rather more ornate than necessary for its function. I am not sure how I feel about that decision now.

This is a section of the wall in its current state of construction:

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The wall itself is a 6 mm thick sheet of wood painted brick colour. There will be one or two intermediate piers on each straight section of wall in addition to those at the corners. The capping stones on the piers are shaped like a pitched roof. The coping on the wall between the piers will be flat topped.

Nearly all the wood parts are made. Just the painting and fitting to finish.

The anti-plunge wall, where required, on the rest of the layout is going to much plainer and simpler to make.
 
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michael mott

Western Thunderer
Martin I just finished reading through your thread and found it most interesting. It brought back memories of when I was growing up in Acton W3 about ten years old playing with my friend James Owen who had an extensive collection of Hornby large toy train stuff. I cannot remember the scale or gauge, but those days cemented my love of model railway hobby.
Michael
 

40057

Western Thunderer
Martin I just finished reading through your thread and found it most interesting. It brought back memories of when I was growing up in Acton W3 about ten years old playing with my friend James Owen who had an extensive collection of Hornby large toy train stuff. I cannot remember the scale or gauge, but those days cemented my love of model railway hobby.
Michael
Thank you.

Hornby (ie. Meccano Ltd) made 0 gauge from 1920 until c.1962, 00 from 1938 until the end of the company. No other gauges.

So it will have been 0 gauge.
 

40057

Western Thunderer
I spent yesterday afternoon making this structure:

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It’s for the Benham’s factory building. Made using small sections of wood, mostly pine, as supplied for making dolls’ houses. All will become clear in a future post.
 

40057

Western Thunderer
So, today’s job, this is the lettering to go on the frame shown in the previous post, now painted with primer:

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The frame will sit on the roof of the Benham’s factory building. The letters were bought from a supplier of ‘laser-cut gifts’. They are 3-mm thick plywood. The type-face is Cooper Black. Although widely used in the 1960s, Cooper Black dates from 1922. It was a popular typeface for advertising headlines, particularly in the U.S., in the 1930s. I thought it an appropriate choice for the Benham’s roof sign, which is, essentially, a piece of advertising. Perhaps the Benham’s parent company was even American, I don’t know.

Type faces are an important part of the look of a period, so it matters to choose one used at the time.

The inspiration for a prominent roof sign was this well-known example:

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The sign on the Benham’s factory confers more than one modelling benefit.

First, a very practical one. Rivermead Central is in an upstairs room largely in the roof space. While the ceiling is full height in the centre of the room, it slopes down on either side. Against the east and west walls, at the back of the layout, the sloping ceiling is only around 135 mm above the base board. The headroom increases rapidly towards the front of the baseboard, but it does mean any buildings right against the east and west walls have to be under 135 mm tall. The roof sign at the front of the Benham’s factory building will help disguise the proximity of the ‘sky’ to the back of the roof. It will increase the apparent height of the building despite the limitation on the roof height.

Secondly, more generally, the roof sign is part of the overall strategy for delivering a layout that ‘feels’ bigger than it actually is. Scaled up, the space I have is tiny in relation to that occupied by even a modestly sized real station. Yet my goal, in that space, is a working railway and miniature system with two stations and two branch lines. So my station buildings will have to be oversized in relation to platform length and too grand in style. They must look important, to match their role on the layout, not be a scale representation of a small halt. ‘Enhanced reality’ might be an appropriate term for the approach. So, as with the planned stations, the Benham’s factory must look like a major building in its character and design. The factory’s role on the layout is to generate considerable goods traffic to and from Cairnie Junction. Actually, the factory is a small single-storey building, against the wall so only partly modelled. But I am giving it a large and ostentatious roof sign, the sort of feature found on huge company HQs and statement buildings in Paris. The factory is, I hope, going to look like a large building — even though it isn’t.
 

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Western Thunderer
Nice to see someone has done their research on typefaces. It's an important highly visual aspect of a layout that is so often forgotten when the desire for the correct * (* insert appropriate loco part) that you can't see takes on an obsessive priority.
Tony
 

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Western Thunderer
Nice to see someone has done their research on typefaces. It's an important highly visual aspect of a layout that is so often forgotten when the desire for the correct * (* insert appropriate loco part) that you can't see takes on an obsessive priority.
Tony
Err … it seems typefaces can become obsessive too. After posting the photograph of the ‘BENHAM’S’ lettering, I realised the very angular possessive apostrophe was out of keeping with the rounded letters. A quick check confirmed the apostrophe wasn’t in Cooper Black, though that was the font I ordered.

I now have a scratch-built possessive apostrophe (you don’t see many of those), in Cooper Black:

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