Basilica Fields. Section 1: The Rookery. Stage 1: Angel Yard.

[Buckjumper]

Well, here it begins; Graham has the track plan, and somewhere in between laying LNW metals and his own GW&GC lines he's foolishly agreed to knock out some rickety old GE sidings for me.



A couple of shunting Bucks and a handful of wagons - a loco coal or two, a high-sided open for ash disposal and a sand truck (sic!).

Scenery: Lots of clinkery ash ballast compacted to the rail tops, a timber coaling stage, a grounded coach for a messroom, a water crane and shallow ash pits, dilapidated housing, a pub, a viaduct face masquerading as a temporary backscene until Stage 2, three girder bridges, roads of cobbles mixed with setts and hoggin, and lots of puddles and slush mixed with the remnants of a light snow.

All in approx 10 - 12' or so by 30"...ish.

Elsewhere you'll find a Christmassy bit of nonsense alongside.

 

[28ten]

Looking forward to this love the idea of a winter scene, im hoping I might carry that off as well.
That is about 20 houses and a pub I count there thats a lotta buildings

 

[Dog Star]

That is about 20 houses and a pub I count there thats a lotta buildings

Lotta practice with the laser?

 

[28ten]

Lotta practice with the laser?

I thought that might come up

 

[Buckjumper]

So considerate of the railway company to provide hygenic facilties in the middle of the yard.

Arf arf.

The reference to remnants of light snow.... is that what was left over from the nonsense Chirstmas festivities in Basilica Fields?

"A light snow is falling on London..." nicked from Porcupine Tree. Now that sets the mood.

Not another disruption of the time continuum...

That's the one, those quantum-locked psychopaths!

thats a lotta buildings

I'm not so worried by those, it's the viaduct and the first wall of the brick-lined cutting which are going to be the big test as they need to be future-proof.

 

[Old Buffer]

I don't think I've understood a word of this, so far.....

Nice trackplan, though.

I'm with you mate, but I put mine down to getting senile, as you say a pretty good track plan with plenty of scope.
Alan

 

[Buckjumper]

I don't think I've understood a word of this, so far.....

Sorry; head full of rubbish and sometimes it just flows out...

Nice trackplan, though.

No accolades here please, it's part of one I nabbed off Ricey called Cornfield Street. It had everything I wanted but was fretting over, so instead of reinventing the wheel I thought I'd put it to use.

 

[28ten]

Is there a 3d concept drawing? I'm trying to visualise the spot heights

 

[Buckjumper]

A 3D concept drawing is a bit of a posh notion; how about a quick three minute coffee break pencil sketch that's a bit rough around the chops? The similarity to Cornfield St. is not accidental...

We're looking south. In the foreground I've added the an impression of the far side of the brick lined cutting for the Met Lines (stage 3) and the position of the future road bridge over it on the right hand side. On the viaduct at the back will be the quadruple tracks of the GE Main and Through lines with the beginnings of some sidings on the left (stage 2). These three stages will only encompass one half of The Rookery with about half as much again either side to make a section of about 20' in length. However, this view shows the extent of the visible Met lines for this whole section as they disappear into cut & cover tunnels. Over the top on the right (west, towards The City) will be a network of grimy East End streets and courtyards with the main lines on the GE viaduct forming the backdrop. Beyond that is a goods depot and then Artillery Lane where the Met lines reappear. To the left the sidings eventually lead to a large coal depot. But that's all some way off...

In the space in the left foreground there will be some dilapidated buildings of a small courtyard (builders/junk/timber/whatever) accessed through the viaduct. It all looks to be a tight squeeze and that's intentional; I want to impart a cramped, claustrophobic feel. I think a mock up will be essential so I can move things around if necessary to make the best of it.

 

[Rob Pulham]

I like it I could be tempted to pinch some of those ideas for my layout next year.

 

[Buckjumper]

The photo in this old post gives an idea of the claustrophobic nature of Burial Street I'll be trying to emulate, with bleak housing on one side of the road and the towering GE viaduct the other.

 

[28ten]

Now im with you that is a huge civil engineering project before you even look at stock looking at the photyograph and your plan have you thought about mounting a miniature video cam in the street ? there would be some great views from street level looking up/along the viaduct. I shall certainly be using them in my little project

 

[Dog Star]

Beyond Sepulchre Street lies Artillery Lane where the Met lines eventually reappear.

Hold on, is not that where I came in this time last year? At least Artillery Lane got as far as two sections of sample GWR 32' track lengths. Maybe JB was right after all.

regards, Graham

 

[Buckjumper]

Maybe JB was right after all.

Nope - I was thinking linear and that Basilica Fields had to be built in that fashion, but it's not, and it doesn't; I would have started in the wrong place and it might have not progressed any further (that nearly happened once before, four or five years ago when I jumped the gun and nearly built a part of it which would have been a disaster). Starting here in the midst of the Rookery, BF as an entity has the best chance of growing and expanding in all directions. Here the individual targets are smaller and more achievable, despite the hurdles of the civil engineering. Once that problem is cracked I'll be much happier tackling the more complicated areas, and there are some very complicated areas to come. Sepulchre Street Depot is going to be... challenging!

 

[Buckjumper]

Now im with you that is a huge civil engineering project before you even look at stock looking at the photyograph and your plan have you thought about mounting a miniature video cam in the street ? there would be some great views from street level looking up/along the viaduct. I shall certainly be using them in my little project

Cracking the civil engineering is the key to much of the whole project. I need consistency for both the viaduct and the brick-lined cutting, not only for this section, but all future sections, so whatever I use it needs to be future-proof, but it also needs to be relatively lightweight as well as fairly swift to produce. Laser cutting appears to be the answer to most of my requirements - I'm still very impressed with Cookie's brickwork!

I hadn't thought of little video cams up the street - what a great idea (CCTV comes 100 years early to England - what would Heisenberg think of that). In fact cameras might be an operational necessity in the Sepulchre Street segment where there will be a nest of subterranean sidings and others entering warehouses and granaries, and what about theMetR. tunnels and cuttings?

I'm coming to the conclusion that very little of this whole shebang could ever be exhibitable - the loco yard, yes, but once the lines above and below are added, public shows would be a logistical nightmare.

 

[Dog Star]

Please excuse this enquiry.... what with so many mentions here and in Basilica Fields.... just which railway company employed Heisenberg as Chief Engineer of Uncertainty? Possibly.

Being serious for a moment, your explanation of the key nature of Weeping Angels Yard in the whole scheme of things puts the scope of the project into perspective. I do hope that the Yard is a better foundation than the rickety appearance of the Rookeries.

In passing, perchance, might there be a Dageurreotype of the statue in the corner of Burial Street?

Graham

 

[adrian]

Please excuse this enquiry.... what with so many mentions here and in Basilica Fields.... just which railway company employed Hesienberg as Chief Engineer of Uncertainty? Possibly.

I believed he served for a number of years on the SDJR ( Schrodinger's Duality Juxtaposed Railway) which at the time operated a curious mix of broad gauge and standard gauge lines, whether he was successful depends on your point of view.

 

[28ten]

Does being exhibitable matter? It is rarely the best environment to view a layout.

 

[Buckjumper]

I believed he served for a number of years on the SDJR ( Schrodinger's Duality Juxtaposed Railway) which at the time operated a curious mix of broad gauge and standard gauge lines, whether he was successful depends on your point of view.

And Everett's Railway Empire was the greatest, encompassing many worlds.

 

[Dog Star]

And Everett's Railway Empire was the greatest, encompassing many worlds.

The same person who took umbrage to the design ideals of Chief Heisenberg? (as discussed in this WT thread, comment #64 by Adrian co-incidentally).