Leicester Great Central Station

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burnie
GNSR D40 4-4-0
Posts: 227
Joined: Sun Mar 19, 2017 11:47 pm

Re: Leicester Great Central Station

Post by burnie »

Most of the station through lines now laid, just mis-counted on turnouts waiting on a LH to be delivered, off to get a new soldering iron and a roll of cable to commence final wiring. A bus wire for the lighting will also be run, although this will be added later as I am struggling to find replicas for the old gas lamps that the station had. Still planning on having each section rather than each length of track connected to the main bus, this will allow me to then switch each section on and off(not DCC), I will how ever link round each rail connector to remove any likely connection problems.
burnie
GNSR D40 4-4-0
Posts: 227
Joined: Sun Mar 19, 2017 11:47 pm

Re: Leicester Great Central Station

Post by burnie »

I am struggling getting the loops soldered round the joiners without melting the sleeper parts that hold the rail on. I am considering dropping this idea as it looks a sight. I wonder if putting joiners with soldered wires on them is a better idea.
drmditch

Re: Leicester Great Central Station

Post by drmditch »

burnie wrote: Tue Jul 11, 2017 6:34 pm I am struggling getting the loops soldered round the joiners without melting the sleeper parts that hold the rail on. I am considering dropping this idea as it looks a sight. I wonder if putting joiners with soldered wires on them is a better idea.
I may have misunderstood what you are doing, but the way I solder feed wires these days is to solder then as neatly as possible to the underside of rail joiners before I slide them onto the rails. After soldering one can file any waste away to produce a neat interval that maintains the sleeper spacing.

Laying track in sequence, I lay one piece (with ends trimmed if required), then drill a hole in the formation/baseboard, feed the 'feed wire' through, push the rail joiners onto the rail ends, and then push the next piece of track onto the rail joiners.

That seems more complicated to describe in words than it is in practice!
burnie
GNSR D40 4-4-0
Posts: 227
Joined: Sun Mar 19, 2017 11:47 pm

Re: Leicester Great Central Station

Post by burnie »

drmditch wrote: Tue Jul 11, 2017 8:03 pm
burnie wrote: Tue Jul 11, 2017 6:34 pm I am struggling getting the loops soldered round the joiners without melting the sleeper parts that hold the rail on. I am considering dropping this idea as it looks a sight. I wonder if putting joiners with soldered wires on them is a better idea.
I may have misunderstood what you are doing, but the way I solder feed wires these days is to solder then as neatly as possible to the underside of rail joiners before I slide them onto the rails. After soldering one can file any waste away to produce a neat interval that maintains the sleeper spacing.

Laying track in sequence, I lay one piece (with ends trimmed if required), then drill a hole in the formation/baseboard, feed the 'feed wire' through, push the rail joiners onto the rail ends, and then push the next piece of track onto the rail joiners.

That seems more complicated to describe in words than it is in practice!
I am think this is the way to go, still wiring in "blocks" so I can isolate each loop with a switch, thanks for your input.
drmditch

Re: Leicester Great Central Station

Post by drmditch »

burnie wrote: Tue Jul 11, 2017 8:44 pm I am think this is the way to go, still wiring in "blocks" so I can isolate each loop with a switch, thanks for your input.
That makes it easy. I just plan where I want the isolations, and (if it's not going to show too much) include the nylon insulated rail joiners where needed. Then one can provide feeds as appropriate. If I've forgotten to put in an insulated rail joiner, or it would show too much, I just make a cut with a razor saw and use a small amount of araldite/other epoxy e to bond the ends of the cut rail.
burnie
GNSR D40 4-4-0
Posts: 227
Joined: Sun Mar 19, 2017 11:47 pm

Re: Leicester Great Central Station

Post by burnie »

Not sure if any of you visit the rmweb site, but I have been posting a bit about my model in the electrics(non DCC section)basically it's a bit hot in the loft, but I figured if I lay the track now with little or no gaps, when it cools down I hopefully won't have too large gaps. This should negate ant expansion/contraction problems later.
The first image shows the panel for switching power on and off to the various through tracks and the second shows the panel in it's working position, I have hinged it for easy access. Yet to solder the wires as although I have done a continuity test, no locos have run yet.
Last edited by burnie on Sun Sep 10, 2017 9:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
burnie
GNSR D40 4-4-0
Posts: 227
Joined: Sun Mar 19, 2017 11:47 pm

Re: Leicester Great Central Station

Post by burnie »

I dug out a copy I have of a time table to help run the model with a hint of accuracy, makes for interesting reading as I thought the "Master Cutler" was still carrying a named head board at this time.
time table.jpg
STAFFORDA4
NBR D34 4-4-0 'Glen'
Posts: 297
Joined: Wed Sep 25, 2013 10:54 am
Location: 5C WCML

Re: Leicester Great Central Station

Post by STAFFORDA4 »

Nice item to share. The Master Cutler was transferred away from the GC in 1958 to run via Retford and the GN Line to Kings Cross. As an aside I recently retired from a career in business travel where a Sheffield based account would book the by now Sheffield Midland to St Pancras service with the secretary asking for a reservation on the "Massta Cutler" in her flat vowel south Yorks accent. This was the only train I've ever been asked to book by name. On one occasion however a young lady colleague deputising for me misunderstood such a request and quite politely asked "And who is travelling with Master Cutler"?
I've since educated her with pictures of A3s with headboards ...all in good fun I must add!
burnie
GNSR D40 4-4-0
Posts: 227
Joined: Sun Mar 19, 2017 11:47 pm

Re: Leicester Great Central Station

Post by burnie »

I remember the Cutler going past the back of my family home, memory not as accurate as I thought it was, I was obviously younger than I thought. I see the train still ran, just minus the headboard, but still with a restaurant car. These expresses seemed to run with a hotch potch of coaches, I note on pictures in the book "Mainline lament" that "rhubarb and custard"(as we called them locally) and maroon coaches were used.
burnie
GNSR D40 4-4-0
Posts: 227
Joined: Sun Mar 19, 2017 11:47 pm

Re: Leicester Great Central Station

Post by burnie »

I've started ballasting the station today, not done this before so I began at the Northgate bridge end away from prying eyes to start with, now need to see if the glue mix was right and will it set?
Last edited by burnie on Sun Sep 10, 2017 9:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
burnie
GNSR D40 4-4-0
Posts: 227
Joined: Sun Mar 19, 2017 11:47 pm

Re: Leicester Great Central Station

Post by burnie »

Very slow work, but with the weather turning cooler, I hope to crack on and get this finished in the next couple of weeks.
Last edited by burnie on Sun Sep 10, 2017 9:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
burnie
GNSR D40 4-4-0
Posts: 227
Joined: Sun Mar 19, 2017 11:47 pm

Re: Leicester Great Central Station

Post by burnie »

Finally got a full loop built and a train run round on the up line, ran out of time and connectors to finish the down line. Most of the station ballast is in place, but still a lot more track laying yet to complete.

This end is removable so I can get at the water tanks etc for maintenance

This end will have additional sidings akin to the South goods on the prototype(it is straight it's the cameraman that is on the slant).
Last edited by burnie on Sun Sep 10, 2017 9:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
burnie
GNSR D40 4-4-0
Posts: 227
Joined: Sun Mar 19, 2017 11:47 pm

Re: Leicester Great Central Station

Post by burnie »

Couple more images
Looking down the track.jpg
Most of this end of the track is close to complete.

This end is still in work, turntable and sidings to install , then final ballasting and then it's finish the platform and add buildings.
burnie
GNSR D40 4-4-0
Posts: 227
Joined: Sun Mar 19, 2017 11:47 pm

Re: Leicester Great Central Station

Post by burnie »

Not been updating for a while, ill health has curtailed the work a fair bit.
Image
This image shows the "scenic countryside section" that copies where I spent a lot of time at the back of my parents house, we just crossed a small field and we were trackside.
burnie
GNSR D40 4-4-0
Posts: 227
Joined: Sun Mar 19, 2017 11:47 pm

Re: Leicester Great Central Station

Post by burnie »

Work on the Leicester station has been slow, the platforms were re made, didn't like the original ones, replaced with scratch made balsa wood ones which will need weathering. I now have some working lights and the canopies are under construction too.

Image
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