Glasgow North

Carrying over from the planning thread (found here: http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/glasgow-north-track-plan.1779/) , construction on Glasgow North has begun.

Foundation benchwork was completed a couple of months ago and consists of heavy CLS beams with lighter CLS uprights and batons.

Picture below shows the first baseboard open frame glued and pinned/screwed (8ft by 18ins) and sitting on top of aforementioned benchwork. This, along with another frame at 5ft4in by 18 ins, will form the lower level freight storage yard.

Best

Scott

 

It's more that the weather has reverted more to type than anything else. The benchwork was constructed before we had that fine summer, but since then I've been taking advantage of the lack of rain, etc. and doing outdoorsy stuff.

The ply for the frames has been sitting for a while and this afternoon, with a leaden sky but still dry, I set to with the chopsaw. It's 9mm ply from B&Q, who cut 8ft by 4ft sheets into 100mm strips for me. I've now cut them into proper lengths for all the ribs I'll need for all three walls. The joining ends of each 8ft and 6ft and 5ft 4 in frames is nice and heavy hardwood ply recycled from an old gate leg dining table.

Tops and track bed will be 6mm ply.

Nelevator is pencilled in for delivery in October, and it will sit in a recycled kitchen worktop, with an aperture suitable cut into it.

 

Toto,

I've gone for the 6ft Nelevator in N, the longest one they do, so that should take a locomotive and 12 coaches. It ain't cheap, but compares reasonably favourably with cost of points, track and point motors for a twenty track storage yard (which is what the Nelevator is.) and of course doesn't take up as much horizontal space. An O gauge one would need be be industrial strength, particularly for all the kit built locomotive and rolling stock, and to be of useful length! I think your traversers are the way to go in the meantime

Dundee is 13 & 14th October, right? I will be fine for one of those days. The Nelevator is due to be delivered "sometime" in October, but even if it arrived that weekend, I can pop down the other day. I think I negotiated with Paul that I'd operate Viccy whilst he dazzled punters with engineering and science and you talked Oversize scale and forum matters

 

Pete, in fairness, B&Q did most of the hard work. I then just cut the 100mm wide strips into length and rib sizes, with a mitre chop saw, which keeps everything nice and square. I then end up with a kit of parts, rather like you get from Whiterose, or Model Baseboards, et -al.

The thicker end plates are glued and screwed. The thinner, 9mm, ribs are glued and pinned.

One down, four to go.

This board will most likely have a top, the full depth (front to back) of 6mm ply as it will have a storage yard at front, and then risers at rear for a twin track mainline.

Scotty

 

The most up to date plan:

Top is the storage yard, with twin track mainline above, passing through representation of St Rollox Station (I will rename this).

The Nelevator sits in the centre peninsula.

Main Station "Glasgow North" at the bottom, and Cement works to the left, with the station approach on risers above it. Approach trackwork passes a loco stabling/servicing in the bottom left hand corner and the carriage sidings.

 

Progress. The support structure for the nelevator has now been built. It still requires some end plates to prevent movement latteraly, but its stone solid longitudinally. Ill also be facing it with ply for cosmetic reasons.

But it’s ready for Nelevation to drop it in.

A second baseboard frame as also been built. Three more to go, which will be 24 inches deep rather than 18 inches.

Hope you find this interesting.

 

The Nelevator box now has some internal strengthening and the outer faces have been braced with 12mm sheet ply.

All the baseboard frames have been completed and put in place. They need internal painting before being secured to the CLS benchwork.


The back has been sheeted as well to prevent any wobble or movement. The peninsula is solid now and I'm confident there wil be no movement when the Nelevator is fitted. The front will be shelved to store cassettes (not the out dated music kind...)

Track on the board to the left is loosely placed to get a feel for the lower fiddle yard.

You may notice I have a thing for F-4s......



I've printed out the Anyrail plan of the station area, all 8ft by 2ft of it, again to get a feel. I've already discovered that the two longest platforms will need to be extended by about 6 inches to accommodate 12 coach trains with a released locomotive at the buffers.

The two tracks at extreme left are the two through lines that descend to then cross the doorway and onwards to the lower fiddle yard seen in the previous picture. The station platform area will be at a height of 3.75 inches above the level in this picture.



The same board from the buffer stops end.

 

Tom, I'm just waiting on a call back from Nelevation to arrange delivery/installation.

Paul, when I'm bit further on, you guys can drop in for a looksee. Not much to show so far. I need to sit down and develop a proper project plan so that things are done in a logical methodical manner to maximise efficiency.

Thanks Chris. I'm calling it full size. Certainly longer trains than Glasgow Queen Street and Buchanan Street in real life........... Scale length Royal and Mid-day Scots, Caledonian, North Britain, Night Limited, etc., up to 12 coaches in length.

Nelevator details here: http://www.nelevation.com/

In other news, I picked up another Class 25 at Dundee MRC show yesterday, which takes the 25 fleet to 3.

Thank you for the interest chaps, makes posting worthwhile knowing that peeps are looking in.

 

A wee update on the Fleets.

Starting with the Diesels:

08 - x3 [One green, two Intercity (one is a donor for a Maunsell Shunter kit* the other for repainting]
24 - x4
25 - x3
26 - x5 Powered, x2 Dummy
27 - x4
33 - x2*
40 - x4
44 - x2
45 - x1
47 - x1
52 - x1*
55 - x1
121 - x1 Powered, x1 Dummy (Both donors for a Swindon Intercity E&G DMU kit)
122 - x1 Powered, x1 Dummy (Both donors for a Swindon Intercity E&G DMU kit)
101 - x4 2-car, x1 3-car
108 - x1 2 car, x1 3-car
251 - x1
4Cep - x3*

And Steam:

5MT Standard - x2
5MT Stanier- x2
6P5F Jubilee - x1
7MT Standard - x1
7P Royal Scot - x1
8F WD - x1
8P Princess Coronation - x2
A1 - x1
A2 - x2
A3 - x1
A4 - x3
B1 - x3
Ivatt 2MT - x1
J39 - x1
M7 - x1*

*For use on Lulworth, Not Glasgow North

Coaches:

Lets just say at last count I have 163, and a requirement for a at least 77 more (for phase 1 of services planned).

Wagons:

279

 

When you price up track for twenty sidings at 6ft each, 40 odd points and associated motors, motor control, etc., and then factor in the reduced footprint needed for it and the time spent laying a traditional storage yard, it does seem pretty good value for money. It costs a bit more, in truth, but the hassle factor is removed, other than cutting a hole out of a 38mm thick kitchen worktop!........

Fingers crossed it performs as well as advertised.

Best

Scott

 

Thanks Pete. It's certainly ambitious and determined to see it realised.

Best

Scott