Queensbridge Road Wharf

garethashenden

Western Thunderer
I started this layout just after the Cameo Competition was announced last year. I've only recently joined this forum but I wanted to share my efforts. I find that different forums generate different responses to the same material. Please forgive the copying and pasting, after this post I'll update things as I go. It seemed better to have everything together as opposed to spread over multiple sites. So here we are, Queensbridge Road Wharf:

Post 1:
As described in my Canonbury Good thread (Canonbury Goods: NLR c.1903 - Scalefour Forum) I have become dissatisfied with the operating potential of the layout and have made the decision to start again. While casting about for inspiration I came across Hepton Wharf in Iain Rice's new book on Cameo Layouts. This immediately struck me as an excellent trackplan that could easily be restaged in grimy North London. Hemmed in on three sides with warehouses and factories and Regent's Canal at the front it offered the scenic elements I was looking for as well as more interesting operation. The trackplan allows for a train to arrive at the back of the layout, run around, do the shunting, and then leave in the direction it had come from. It was this ability to have a complete train, as opposed to a few wagons, that really appealed to me.
I'm not going to get too specific about the exact location, but the concept I'm working with is that the NLR built a short branch bellow street level to reach a basin on Regent's Canal. The canal and the railway are very close together in Camden, but this is probably somewhere a bit east of that, maybe even east of the Great Northern's mainline.
I've drawn up a sketch of how I envisage things looking. The windows in the warehouse are wrong, there are too many and they're too small. Road access to the goods yard and canal basin is via a tunnel under the right hand side of the warehouse, although that may get rethought and or the warehouse split into two smaller buildings. There is a road on the right hiding the fiddleyard entrance. On the other side of the road are two buildings, they may get joined by a high level walkway, I've always liked those. The right side end will have another large brick building hiding the back right corner of track and the possible future fiddle yard entrance there.


I have Templotted the layout and laid it over the existing layout. I was able to test the concept further by using a 0-5-0 to do some shunting. A train arrives, collects outgoing wagons and leaves the incoming ones.



The location of the canal basin can be seen in cross hatched pencil in this picture


One other thing. On Canonbury Goods I tried both steel rail and 3 link couplings. I didn't really get on with either, so this will see a return of nickel silver rail and Alex Jackson couplings.

Post 2:
The baseboard has been rebuilt with a cutout for the canal. The track by the canal will be inlaid in setts, I quite like the look, but I've learned my lesson and won't be using chairs. I've ordered some copperclad sleepers from Wizard models, they should be here soon. The other 2/3rds of the layout will be chaired. Unfortunately, C&L have sold out of the 4 hole chairs I need, although I have managed to salvage most of the ones from Canonbury Goods. I've ordered new sleepers, rail, and rivets from Stores, so once everything gets here I'll be able to make a start.




Post 3:
I have decided to fill the space to the left of the canal with a small factory/workshop. I found some excellent 1952 pictures of Camden Locks on Britain from Above. These show that one of the buildings that now makes up Camden Market used to house a company that made wooden packing cases. This resulted in large piles of lumber on the quayside. I've decided to use that as inspiration for this section of the layout; smallish two storey building and piles of wood all around.

I knocked up a quick building frame today to check the size and feel. So far I like it and think it adds a lot to the scene.




Post 4:
Bit more progress yesterday. I have laid all the wooden sleepers, some with strategically located rivets, most without. I have also decided to go with full sized continuous checkrail on the inlaid track. I like the look and it's quite easy to do. I've got two crossing Vs made up, two more to do and the rest of the trackwork should be straight forward.



Post 5:
Finally getting back to this. I don't like tracklaying and I've been procrastinating, well time to stop that! I've finished all the check rails for the inlaid section, laid the rails to the fiddle yard and set out along the back track. I've only got three "large" pieces of rail left to lay, then some closure rails and all the point blades. The end is in sight!



Post 6:
There is now a fiddle yard for the layout! The next step is to fit it to the layout and add the tracks, so it's not done, but progress is progress.



Post 7:
Well it's been a while...

I have finally finished the wiring. Well, except for the fiddleyard. The points have been finished, the point motors installed, a control box assembled, wires strung around. Lots of work with not that much to show. I have tested most of the layout and things are working well. I can't check the first point yet, it's too close to the fiddleyard. I hope to have the fiddleyard track and wiring done soon, but I'll probably get distracted by something else first.

In the meantime, I have a video showing a bit of testing. Everything's gotten a bit modern for my Edwardian layout, Something else to sort out...

Post 7:
Today I decided to shorten the main siding at the front of the layout. With the bufferstop in place there was very little room between it and the adjacent building. I didn't think it looked like a reasonable way for any sort of vehicle to access the wharf. I looked at a couple of options and ended up shortening the track by about the length of the bufferstop. I think it looks much more natural and less cramped.

Before:


During:


And After:


Post 8:
Progress has continued with track being laid in the fiddleyard. I made it over to Scalefour North a week ago and picked up the last package of Exactoscale P4 trackbase that C&L had in stock. This turned out to be the perfect amount to build a three road sector plate. I had considered four roads, but there wasn't enough space between the tracks to handle the stock. I also had almost the prefect amount of rail left over from the scenic section. I still have to wire it up, but trains roll smoothly over the track joints, so things are looking good. Having track on the fiddleyard has allowed me to finish testing the first point and I am pleased to report that it is functioning properly. It's so close to the baseboard edge that I had only been able to test it in one direction previously.
I have found a coupe of wagons, some unfinished, that need a bit more weight as well as a short section of track where the gauge is 19.45mm. Not sure how that happened, but it will be rectified.
Here is the fiddleyard part way through tracklaying:
 

Yorkshire Dave

Western Thunderer
Today I decided to shorten the main siding at the front of the layout. With the bufferstop in place there was very little room between it and the adjacent building. I didn't think it looked like a reasonable way for any sort of vehicle to access the wharf. I looked at a couple of options and ended up shortening the track by about the length of the bufferstop. I think it looks much more natural and less cramped.

Neat solution.

Could you have extended the siding into the building?
 

garethashenden

Western Thunderer
I made a bunch of temporary buildings today. I thought that having something would be better than nothing and I could work out the basic designs now. Most of the buildings are based on real ones I've found in London. Most have been rearranged a bit, but they should give the character I'm after. Everything is built out of foam board and tape because I had it to hand and it's easy to work with. Tomorrow I'll spay them all a light brown colour to help with the appearance. There will be a retaining wall sloping downwards to the right. It is partially marked out in pencil.

First up is a group of four buildings based on the Whitechapel Bell Foundry. I've mirrored them horizontally but they're otherwise modelled on the prototype. The biggest change is that the first structure is now trapezoidal to fit against the road where the prototype is rectangular.

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The next two buildings come from a street just south of Tower Bridge. They're both small warehouses with the charming small cranes mounted on the walls. Unfortunately I think I will have to leave these off the models. I think it would be more realistic for the cranes to be on the street side, which is where the backscene is. But there will be more cranes later...

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The next building features the road access to the goods yard. Unfortunately I seem not to have photographed it, so I have included an image from google maps. The building may change, it's one of two that still need to be finalised, but the length is fixed, the height's about right, and the arch for vehicular access needs to be there. It will probably get a hip roof as most of the other buildings have.

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The building at the end of the layout is the only one I've actually started work on, and I've barely started. It's based on the Metropolitan Wharf in Wapping. I have been planning on having some latice walkways between this building and the one with the arch to help hide the hole in the backscene. However, now that I'm actually putting them in place there is a choice between hiding the hole or having them line up with the floors of the warehouse. This will need to be rethought.

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Next we have a view of the bridge over the tracks. The building on the left will be a small factory manufacturing wooden packing cases. It was inspired by one of the buildings that now make up Camden Market, although there is no architectural similarities. In front of it, at the edge of the layout, is a staircase going from the street down to the canal. I have some 3D printed stairs to go here, but I can't find them anywhere.

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garethashenden

Western Thunderer
Finally there are the two other buildings on the road. The one in the corner hasn't been developed at all. The general size is right but I need to choose a prototype for it. The other one at the front corner is a rather interesting small warehouse in Limehouse. I'm not sure if it's been painted, the top and bottom look to be London yellow brick, but the middle seems to be red... But it has a crane, so all is good.

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Yorkshire Dave

Western Thunderer
This is looking good.

I have been planning on having some latice walkways between this building and the one with the arch to help hide the hole in the backscene. However, now that I'm actually putting them in place there is a choice between hiding the hole or having them line up with the floors of the warehouse. This will need to be rethought.

I would be inclined to increase the height of the hole in the backscene to match the base of the walkway and place a brick wall where the black card is which in turn could be dimly lit.

If the track doesn't run into a fiddle yard a mirror placed at the end of the track will give the impression it continues between the buildings and given the viewing angles from the photographs it would not be too obvious. Alternatively place a low relief van end there as if serving another building so the viewer's eye is drawn to the van, the lattice walkway and the brick wall rather than a hole.
 

PMP

Western Thunderer
I'm not sure if it's been painted, the top and bottom look to be London yellow brick, but the middle seems to be red...

cDaw4Yy.jpg
It’s not too uncommon to see that mix of colours in the brickwork, one explanation may be that it’s bomb damage repair from the Blitz, particularly in that area of London.
 

garethashenden

Western Thunderer
This is looking good.



I would be inclined to increase the height of the hole in the backscene to match the base of the walkway and place a brick wall where the black card is which in turn could be dimly lit.

If the track doesn't run into a fiddle yard a mirror placed at the end of the track will give the impression it continues between the buildings and given the viewing angles from the photographs it would not be too obvious. Alternatively place a low relief van end there as if serving another building so the viewer's eye is drawn to the van, the lattice walkway and the brick wall rather than a hole.

I think extending the building with the arch into the hole sounds like a good idea. I made the hole to be as small as possible, but if it's easier to hide a bigger hole than tha's fine. I have considered adding a second fiddle yard at that end, but for the moment I'm leaving that as an option for the future. The mirror is a good idea as well. Lots to think about!
 

garethashenden

Western Thunderer
All the wiring is done, aside from the lighting. I had been waiting on the setts until I was sure the wiring didn't need any changes but I have now begun with this project. It's slow going and I'm not trying to rush, no point in needing to redo it. I've been spreading thin layers of Das clay. The large open areas have thin foam sheet that brings the level up to about that of the sleepers. I've spread clay in between the sleepers, once that's dry I've applied another layer up to just below the rail head into which I press the setts with a modified paintbrush.
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garethashenden

Western Thunderer
The first warehouse is just about done. Need to finish the roof and a couple of details, that’s it. The windows were all 3D printed.

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One of the challenging areas recently was curving the bricks into the doorway openings. I did this by creating a short bit of wall entering the building, rounding over the corner with a file, and then chasing each mortar course with a square needle file. It was rather tedious but the results were worth it.

1) Raw opening:
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2) With the new wall:
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3) Rounded over:
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4) All bricked up:
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In position on the layout. The road is next.
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garethashenden

Western Thunderer
I've now replaced the window with the broken mullion. In addition to that, all the other details have been taken care of an initial painting has been done. I used a whitemetal crane from Scalelink. In person its a little chunkier than the prototype but I still like how it looks. I added two platforms for the upper storey doors. I think that one of them should have been modelled up, but they're quite firmly glued now. Good think I've got several other similar buildings still to make. The downpipe is 1/16" brass tube with a curve put in at the end. It fits the look I was after.

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I've also been working on the road in front of the warehouse. Getting the pavement at the right height relative to the building and the roadway at the right height to clear the trains at the back was more challenging than it should have been. In the end the building had to be raised about 1/2" off the baseboard. But the overall effect is correct and that's what matters. I had been procrastinating on the road because I didn't want to press all those setts, but then it occured to me that I could use Wills sheet for most of it and only make clay setts at the corner. I think I will employ this technique in the yard as well. If a sheet can be used whole, I'll use it. If I have to trim it then I'll use clay instead. That should speed things up without compromising the appearance.

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While its too new for the layout the Bentley was the only vehicle I had to hand. Its an Oxford Diecast model and rather heavy handed. The WO Bentley Memorial Foundation are in the process of sending me some factory drawings so that I can make better models, but that's the subject for a future thread.
 

garethashenden

Western Thunderer
Reinspired, I have returned to this layout. As previously seen I had started the building on the left hand end. Unfortunately I haven't worked out the ideal solution to the road/backscene interface and that had been mentally preventing me from working on the buildings in that area. So I have moved to the other end. I purchased two kits from JS Models, and had them custom made in brick rather than the usual stone. One is perfect for what I had envisioned, and the other will do. They both fit the scene and are very quick to assemble. With those assembled I started work on the building in the corner. This is a railway owned warehouse with an arch under it to allow access to the yard from the street behind. Next to it will be a London Hydraulic Company accumulator tower, helping to avoid all the roofs being the same height and giving me an opportunity to dive into the history of this fascinating company.

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I have long planned on having a narrowboat at the front of the layout, but I recently discovered that some Thames sailing barges were narrow enough to be used on Regent's Canal, so I'm going to have one of those instead. I bought a very inexpensive vacuum formed kit for one, advertised as "OO 1/72 Scale". It fits the width available perfectly, although it will take a lot of work to make a good model out of it. Does necessitate needing to look through something to see the trains, in this case masts and rigging, which is an element I enjoy in layout design. The masts will almsot certainly require a return to some sort of automatic coupling, AJs most likely, since I won't want to put my arm through there to undo the 3 links...

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garethashenden

Western Thunderer
I've been looking over prototype photos of the North London Railway and Poplar Docks and came to the conclusion that the whole goods yard area doesn't need cobblestones or setts and that a lot of it was packed dirt of timber planks. This was pointed out to me when I first started the layout, but did I listen? Anyway, I spread some fine ballast around to see how it looks, and it looks good! However, before I go too far, I want to work out how the points are operated by the 1/76 employees of the railway.

At first thought individual point levers seem to be the most appropriate, there are some in some of the photos of the docks. But then I was wondering if a small ground frame would be better, all four points can be operated from one location. Seems sensible enough. A thought that followed on from there was why a ground frame and not a signal box? If this were a terminus a ground frame would be right, but its always been envisioned as a through line, although single track and goods only. So would the North London have signaled a single track goods line? I feel that its not beyond the realm of possibility if it were busy enough and I think it would add interest to the layout.

So now I need a second fiddle yard, a signal box, and some signals. I also need some help with correctly positioning the signals. The only thing I really know about signaling is that I don't know much about it. I would think I'll need at least one in each direction on the model. There should be a distant and home for each section right? I don't really think there's enough space for the distant signals on the layout but maybe there is? The next question is if there's any point in holding trains clear of the loop's points. Its a very small loop, not large enough to let two trains pass. Really just a way for a locomotive to shunt the yard. I think the positions that make the most sense for signals would be just before the bridge when headed to the left, and just before the road when headed to the right. May as well keep the crossing clear until the next section becomes available. Does that seem right? What about shunt signals? How to they work? I feel that this would be a place that they would be used, but is it?

I'm thinking of positioning signals where these two pencils are. Does that fit? The signal box is mocked up in the second picture.

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Yorkshire Dave

Western Thunderer
Hi Gareth

I'm no expert on signalling and perhaps someone with greater expertise may be along to assist.

From my limited knowledge I would expect the black pen signal would have been located on the other side of the bridge before the toe of the point and for sighting. Likewise with the pencil signal - located before the toe of the point. The latter giving the opportunity to mount on a gantry (dotted) between the two buildings providing a view block at the same time. I've tried to show this on your photos.

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Longbow

Western Thunderer
Signalling would be an expensive luxury on a goods-only line, as would a signal box. And if there is no signalling there is no means to lock out the section for shunting and hence no real point to a ground frame, as point levers (probably removable ones) are more convenient for operation by the loco crew.

I think you could only justify signalling if the through line was assumed to be very busy, but if that were so then the yard would likely need a headshunt so that shunting did not block through traffic for lengthy periods.

The nature of the line with restricted vision and open access would likely also require a low speed limit, which would further weigh against the need for signalling.

But of course there is always Rule 1.
 
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cbrailways

Western Thunderer
Mmm. There were a number of goods yards that were signalled with full blown signalboxes or ground frames. The type, number and position of signals would depend on the size of the yard and the complexity of the shunting movements required. Here is an example: https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/lms/mr/bhamcentralgoodsyard/mrcgy696.jpg
https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/lms/mr/bhamcentralgoodsyard/mrcgy912c.jpg

I'm happy to help anybody with signalling their layout (just ask away) It can be a very complex subject, but one of the biggest challenges is 'compression' of the prototype into a small layout space without it looking overbearing.

Edit to add: And by the way Gareth, a wonderful layout you have there and I wish you all success with completing and operating it. Nothing like a little bit of shunting for an hour or two in the evening.....
 
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