Leek station- an O Gauge project

Discussion in 'Specifically for scratch builds' started by York Paul, Sep 6, 2020.

  1. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    And here is where the water feeding the Leek station water columns came from, the spillway on Rudyard Lake which was constructed in 1798 to feed the upper reach of the Cauldon Canal. Water is captured in a sump at the base of this 60 feet wide spillway and is then carried in an open channel to feed the canal at Leek, the railway column water enters a 12 inch wide iron pipe also at the sump and follows the canal feeder but diverts at Bestwicks Yard (Leek) to follow the railway embankment back northwards into the station where the water is collected in the tank I'm modelling, one further interesting point to note is when the NSR built the tank in 1849 the pattern of the cut stone forming the tank walls appears to copy the design of stones carved on the 1798 dam wall.


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  2. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    With the weather being rubbish this last week and not having the light to fix the lining on the DPU attention turned back to the leek station model with the aim of getting at least the water tower up to a state of painting, so that involved looking at photographs in close magnification to get the textures needed, Gary came to the rescue with a colour list of tints needed from the Vallejo range... so abig thanks there Gary for that :tophat::thumbup:. Anway something in the stone coursing seemed not quite correct when looking at some post closure pictures... stone courses appeared to have been disturbed at some prevous time, so looking at a good location image taken in the 1950's I could see I'd missed out a part of the chimney breast structure; the outline of which could clearly be made out.


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    So back to the plasticard and a scalpel it was and the back of the open hearth fire was soon made up.



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    Then on with a coat of primer to bring out any faults in my carved stone representations and we have this. A little bit of touching up with the putty to emphasis the stone courses and soon the art can start.
     
  3. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    So here is an earlier picture showing the tank before painting and with its tank walkway landing in place... the little brick hut in the foreground is the porters mess room again something that was quickly put together using embossed plasticard and 3M self adhesive roofing strips.


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  4. Andy_Sollis

    Andy_Sollis Staff Member Moderator

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    I’m very impressed with the roofing on the brick building. Although, I’m surprised having looked at the photos, there are no barge boards on the roof ends..?
     
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  5. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    There are several brick huts and buildings on the NSR which didn't get barge boards, Milton station booking hall and Black Bull are just two off the top of my head.
     
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  6. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    And so progress on the water tank has reached the weathering stage... I only wish the various glaze washes would hurry up and dry now so I can over brush colour tones using the Vallejo paints I now have to hand.


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  7. Andy_Sollis

    Andy_Sollis Staff Member Moderator

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    Wow, Elton gains a water tower..

    Looks Fantastic Yorkie
     
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  8. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    yes it also had a 54 foot long waiting room without a roof :avatar:
     
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  9. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    The first two building elements for Leek Station build are now very nearly over the line as Toto will say, so I wondered if folk would like to see a picture update on progress. Still to finish is the roof tile weathering on the little brick cabin but at least it has guttering now. An etch brass access ladder for the tank is on order from MSE, this has to be folded flat on a jig and the rungs made from soldered in wire... a much more realistic finish than using the "instant ladder" version which in my mind looks clumpy and flat. Ah well now the sun is out its on with the second pour of resin in the tank. Oh the red brick building behind with the scalloped roof tiles is a full size garage.


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  10. Andy_Sollis

    Andy_Sollis Staff Member Moderator

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    Looking good Paul.
     
  11. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    After much deliberation and changing ideas I finally came up with a workable modular arrangement for baseboard design, the plan is to have all track fixed directly to baseboards and cut at joints then and have buildings and platforms "plug in" with alignment dowels... so that is the plan having discussed the variables at length with Dundee Paul, so the layout will consist of 7 board units each 4 feet x 4 feet in size and supported for stability on an interlocking laminate ply framework resting on adjustable supports located at each baseboard connecting join. The station vista scene and cutting to tunnel is 28 feet in total without the adding of separate fiddle yards, the track will be hand built using C&L components on ply sleepers and the layout will be DCC powered using NCE Powercab. This is definitely a big job so no more loco building for me for a while... anyway here is the fag packet sketch plan showing how it will all fit together. Now to make a former to start manufacturing frame components.


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  12. Rob Pulham

    Rob Pulham Happily making models Staff Member Administrator Feature Contributor

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    Hi Paul,

    It sound like an ambitious plan and I look forward to seeing it progress.

    Will you be able to access both sides of the finished layout when assembled? I ask because a few years ago Chris and I made an N gauge layout on an 8'x4' board and 4' was a long way to stretch across with the potential to damage lots of scenery while doing so.

    We were fortunate that it lived in the centre of a spare room and we could walk all round it. Buuut! sometimes you just had to try to lean over and reach the back rather than taking the few steps needed to do it sensibly...
     
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  13. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    Access from both sides will be possible Rob, this layout plan is something I've been nurturing for a long while and I'm still refining designs but the sketch is the preferred baseboard design, I think for ease of transporting and storage stacking I'll reduce the width down to 36 inches and may well have the outer edges curved for aesthetics. The layout will be a portable set up on good days in the garden for running and photo sessions, also as a modular segment layout I can put two or three sections together in the workshop to work on or on the bus where there are more windows and light... just have the seats in the way. :avatar:
     
  14. paul_l

    paul_l Staff Member Administrator

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    Hi Paul

    Are you intending the layout to go to exhibitions ?
    If so I'd try and keep the baseboards sub 4ft x 3ft, as bigger can be a bitch to man handel, and your'e away to have 9 to 13 of them (7 scenic and 2 to 4 fiddle yard boards), that will take some moving and errecting.
    I also think we will be doing some upgrades to your DCC system, for home use just adding a MERG 5A/10A booster should suffice, for exhibition use, I'm sure if you invited the Tartan Army along, we could bring a Power Pro or two along for the visit. :avatar:

    As for the fiddle yard, time to think trains - more importantly, what will be the longest train, and how many train formations will you need. Bearing in mind at an average length of 18" for a loco and coach, a 6 coach train would be approx 10'6", requireing a minimum 22ft of fiddle yards (2 x 11ft) and that doesn't cover the fan of points.
    I'd better be careful here or I could be dropping myself in for more traversers :facepalm:.

    It may be worth looking at tightening the curve and setting the layout to be easily turned in to an oval design, with a rear fiddle yard, maybe using the curved sections from the transition from Leek station to the fiddle yards to model scenic features such as the viaduct or some of the river / canal crossings the area had. Which would give you three scenic areas to work towards.

    Warning - No baseboards have been hurt in this post (so far), and is only meant to help you reach a happy place, while the rest of us have a good chuckle at the consternation it may cause you. After all what are mates for :whatever:

    Paul
     
    Last edited: Jun 23, 2021
  15. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    Thanks for that Paul... ideas are not set in stone, for example today I set all the elements down on the floor in the studio room and measured up for a minimum width... the conclusion is I think I can reduce baseboard width to 36 inches and preferably 39 inches which means the length of each board can also be reduced to 39 inches making everything more manageable and the offcuts from an 8 x 4 ply sheet can be used for constructing a laminate framework. I'm not so bothered about this doing the exhibition circuit at the moment as I only want to focus on the station platform area right now and there is enough work in just doing that alone. As we have suggested previously this will be a portable set up in the garden on sunny days... so I'm assuming your good selves would want to come play trains with it. I do like the concept of having a rearward return loop and stock storage but let me walk first and get the station bit done first otherwise this becomes another Grindley Brook type project and that is just way too much a job for one person alone. I'm not planning on running anything long and just maybe a three car dmu or three coach LMS suburban set with loco... principally its just somewhere I can run a few of my locos as light engines or coupled to a few vans.
     
  16. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    Just to show what I am thinking when reducing baseboard sizes but retaining the general design construction idea here is a picture of the layout station area, the tape is set to 39 inches width and two 39 inch panels lengthways should cover the site up to the road bridge which is just by the last coach.


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  17. Andy_Sollis

    Andy_Sollis Staff Member Moderator

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    Sounds like an excellent plan.
    I guess any off cuts by thining the boards can be used else where on facia?

    Andy
     
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  18. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    Indeed they will Mr S... want not waste not as they say... been cutting boards this afternoon and cutting component pieces in readiness for a production line once I've made up a jig which will be used for the connecting end cross brace pieces. I've also decided I'm going to cut and build all the boards which will take us from the tunnel mouth to the 29 crossover road at the southern end of the platforms, then I'll start on mass producing the leg supports. I managed to get 6mm 8 x 4 ply sheets @ £15 a hit today... winner.:thumbs:
     
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  19. Andy_Sollis

    Andy_Sollis Staff Member Moderator

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    No scenic break at the south end? Would the bridge not be useful?
     
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  20. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    Longer term the shunting bridge will be the south end scenic break but to get there needs another few boards which will have to wait their turn in construction. Also don't forget I have to be realistic with costings.
     

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