Brettell Road, 1960s black country (ish)

Jim smith-wright

Western Thunderer
Been a bit quiet around here recently as I've been busy on the run up to Scaleforum in 2 weeks time.

A few weeks ago Phil kindly let me set up the layout at his house for a pre-show shakedown. I have to be honest it all went very well indeed with some great feedback and suggestions from the guys who will be helping at scaleforum. The main thing I wanted to decide on, and the operators were pivotal to this decision was if the layout was going to have a roof or not. I think we all decided it should so a roof is currently under construction. Another thing changed for the show is the point motors. Although the ones I had didn't give any trouble I decided to switch them over to tortoises for reliability. There are an awful lot on Calcutta siding 2 (there was an awful lot on Calcutta sidings 1 as well!) and they have never given any trouble. I've also set up routes (no laptop required, you can do it with digitrax) so hopefully we will at least create the impression that we know what we are doing!

What about building bridges? Well that's what I have been doing. The bridges on the layout are perhaps the ultimate example of how far away from the original idea Brettell road has come. I could have just used a pile of wills verigirders and got on with it but I really wanted to get back to etching things after several years so I drew up 4 different designs.

road-bridge-NS.jpg

Starting from the left hand end, this is going to be the road over bridge.
footbridge-NS.jpg

Next is the footbridge. These 2 bridges and their locations take inspiration (and measurements) from the bridges at Moor Street Sidings.
branchline-bridge.jpg

moving to the canal. this will be the bridge that carries the branchline over the canal. Its based on one close to home that's the other side of where the real Brettell Lane station used to be.
sidings-bridge.jpg

Finally the bridges for the sidings themselves. This is based on one at round oak.
 

matto21

Western Thunderer
Hi Jim, on page 7 you mention using brass from Eileen's for guttering. Could you tell me which you use - the half round or the 'c' channel?
 

Jim smith-wright

Western Thunderer
Brettell road seemed well received at Scaleforum and for a first show I was very pleased with how it went. That's not to say there isn't a list of things that need looking at for the future though.

derby-lightweight.jpg

One of the things I did before the show that I didn't really have time to post about was this derby lightweight from a Bachmann model. I have long-term plan for a DMU but this was a quick win to have something for the show. I wired the 2 cars together and disconnected the red tail lights. A swap of the destination blinds, a few passengers and some weathering and it was good to go. I still need to redo the gangway at some point.
derby-lightweight-night-copy.jpg


I found at Scaleforum I had more wagons than I needed. this meant withdrawing ones that played up wasn't a problem and to be fair my cripple train is reassuringly short.
cripple-train.jpg

The class 20 didn't have enough rotation in the bogies so that's been fixed too.

revised-lights.jpg

I've toned down the streetlights as well as several people remarked that they were too bright.

deeley-under-the-bridges.jpg

finally a quick shot of the Deeley parked up under the bridges (well why not?). I still need to finish the bedding in of the bridges so that will be a future post of its own.
 

simond

Western Thunderer
I love the light & shadow. Very evocative.

Should the DMU not have blinds between the cab & the saloon? I fear the driver may have struggled with reflections!

Best
Simon
 

Jim smith-wright

Western Thunderer
As mentioned in the last post, I did get the bridges in place for Scaleforum but they weren't as bedded in as I would have liked. Well now, they are!
underbridges-2.jpg

Going right to left for a change, these are the bridges over the canal.
underbridges-1.jpg

Closer view of the main branchline bridge.
siding-bridge.jpg

one of the 2 bridges for the sidings (both are the same design)
overbrides-2_800.jpg

The overbridges at the left hand (or Stourbridge) end.
overbridges800.jpg

another view of the same bridges.
view-along-the-alleyway.jpg

The final view along the alleyway.
coutryard-october-17.jpg

And a night-time view, after all that is the point of the layout!
 

Jim smith-wright

Western Thunderer
When I was a kid my mum and dad took me and my brother to Matlock for the day. I might have been one of those family away day rail tours BR did back then. I can't remember why we were there but I do remember wandering down the platform waiting for the train home and finding a little loco shed. Inside was this!
real-cobo.jpg

(picture © Philip Wheldale and used with permission).

I can't remember if it was exactly the same and I seem to recall some sort of tarpaulin on the roof but I had absolutely no idea what it was. I could only see the front and it looked kind of sad sitting there. On getting home and checking my early loco numbers book I found out it was the last surviving co-bo and ever since they have always held a certain appeal. definitely weird and pretty much hopeless from the very start they were like the runt of the early diesels litter, whats not to like?

Anyway given that Brettell Road is a what if and none to serious. What if one made it to there in the late 50's? Remember I have set it to be more midland railway than it should be so it's not a leap of imagination to presume that Derby might have sent one to the area to see if they could find a use for it. So, just as Hatton's stocks of the Heljan model were dwindling I ordered one. They only had the full yellow end version left by then.

A quick win would be to stick some P4 wheels in, weather it and jobs a good-un but that would be a bit too simple really so I set to with files and opened the cab windows out to their original sizes. A bit of wire restored the framing.
cobo-in-siding.jpg

The actual windows were cut from the packaging the model came in to get the curves edges. The cab front was re-sprayed back to green (Precision locomotive green being a very close match) and then it was weathered. Ok A quick win-ish!
cobo-on-passenger.jpg

The other side (yes I know it's not the right headcode arrangement for a passenger train)
cobo-Bw.jpg

cobo-night-1.jpg

I know this shot is rapidly becoming a Cliché but I am not bored with it yet!
 
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Overseer

Western Thunderer
Jim,
I really like your bridges. Just a thought, what is the reasoning behind them all being painted the same grey colour? I am not sure when micaceous iron oxide was introduced or became widespread but I think there would be a fair chance that one or more of the bridges would be in an earlier red oxide colour, or even green or another colour. But probably filthy so may not stand out. Totally up to you to finish them how you want so you don't have to take any notice of my ponderings.
 

Jim smith-wright

Western Thunderer
Just that all the prototypes copied were this sort of battleship grey. I've got to admit I don't think I've ever seen a red girder bridge (not really looked either) got any examples?

Cheers

Jim
 

Overseer

Western Thunderer
I am trying to recall some UK examples. They would probably date from before about 1915 as I think the dark grey coloured micaceous iron oxide paint was developed around the time of WW1. The Forth of Firth bridge is not the same type of bridge but it is still painted red oxide. The Taradale Viaduct is a large wrought iron bridge in Victoria which has only ever been painted red oxide, though there is not much paint left on the outside these days there is plenty still on the inside of the box girders. The girders were fabricated by Brotherhoods in Chippenham in 1859 and overseen by Brunel. I know of quite a few 1880s built iron/steel girder bridges in Victoria which were painted red oxide, and mostly still are.

Has anybody been collecting paint samples from steel bridges? It would be good to have some evidence to confirm the colours of the shades of grey on bridges in black & white photos.
 

AJC

Western Thunderer
The bridge that sprang to my mind when I read Fraser's post was the one that stood (and still stands) at the east end of the former Yeovil Town station which has always been green: http://www.cornwallrailwaysociety.org.uk/uploads/7/6/8/3/7683812/2352521_orig.jpg Admittedly there the fact that 'Town was a Southern station may have been a factor. The station footbridge was directly in front of it but this overdride was not within the station complex.

The footbridge over a cutting a mile or so in the opposite direction, near Hendford, has always - well, so long as anyone can remember - to the extent of being named 'the black bridge', been black. There the trackbed is a cycle route so it's reasonably accessible even if the bridge isn't (no floor!). Black - presumably bitumen paint? - seems pretty common, even now.

I have seen hand-coloured postcards of the Royal Albert bridge at Saltash with the metalwork in red oxide for what that's worth (and have found one here): http://patrickbaty.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/1867+-1019b.jpg

So, red oxide a 19th century norm?

Adam
 

Martin Field

Western Thunderer
I'm going to stir the hornets' nest a bit.
I think the concept and general execution of the layout is wonderful, but I can't help thinking that standards have slipped a little, as if you felt obliged to rush. There are wobblinesses, gaps, out of alignments on the architecture that I didn't notice on the big layout. And you're still using plastic brick sheet as it is, without cutting back the cobblestone appearance of the bricks or filling the corners. It wouldn't take long and would look SO much better. A bit like reading a mail before hitting "Send".
Apart from that I still love the general feel of it and please tell me, where does that Common bond brickwork come from?
 
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