7mm Heyside: 7mm L&Y, late 50s/early 60s

Phil O

Western Thunderer
Brian,

You are always welcome to a private viewing, but it is better seen at a show when it can be viewed a little bit further away.

Richard

You'll be lucky to get much distance from the viewing public at Warley, if it wasn't for the barriers providing some protection the scrum would be on top of the layout. I helped a mate out, back in the early days of the show at the NEC, we vowed never again.
 

isambardme

Western Thunderer
You'll be lucky to get much distance from the viewing public at Warley, if it wasn't for the barriers providing some protection the scrum would be on top of the layout. I helped a mate out, back in the early days of the show at the NEC, we vowed never again.
Well, back now from the Warley National show at the NEC. Plenty of watchers, sometimes up to three deep, but all pretty well behaved and really interested in the layout. Some visitors came back 3 times to see some more! One dad with his youngster on his shoulders was very pleased when I pointed out our model dad with a child on his shoulders on the station footbridge! Folks responded really well when our diesels ran around. With all the background noise it was not so easy for them to hear our steam locos, but they could not miss our diesels' noises! Another visitor liked seeing our clothes pegs holding washing on the line and our full milk bottles where the delivery was just being made and the empties put out elsewhere awaiting collection. We're all pretty exhausted now , operation was pretty full on at times and some, like me, have aching ankles from all the standing up at our fairly advanced ages.
Anyway, it was certainly all worth it. We got awarded the Railway Modeller best layout award, which we proudly displayed, then we got awarded the silver plate best LMS themed layout award from the LMS Society! The proper plate is off being engraved and will be presented in due course.
Quite a result for Richard and our team.
There have also been invites to other shows, to be considered in due course. I guess the phrase is 'We done good ! '
Steve
 

LarryG

Western Thunderer
Heyside appears to have drawn its 'ingredients' from Shaw and Royton Junction which, speaking as a honorary Oldhamer, I knew well from both sides of the fence. You have captured the area to a Tee. A friend of the family owned the Holyrood Mill adjacent to the Royton Junction sidings, and he gave me employment for two weeks while I was in-between decent jobs in January 1961. I watched an L&Y 0-6-0 knocking wagons about in fine drizzle from the top floor of the mill and thought back to the nights shifts I had done on Austerities there in pouring rain. A depressing area at the best of times, your modelling skills have captured the essence of this part of Oldham superbly well despite the lack of smoke, steam, smell and pouring rain.....:)
 

Dave Holt

Western Thunderer
My favourite layout at the show by a margin. I agree with Larry about capturing the essence of the Oldham area, especially the Werneth inspired footbridge platform access. Right in my era of interest, too.
My grandparents lived in Derker and it wasn't too far to walk down to watch trains at Royton Junction (on the rare fine day).
Dave.
 

LarryG

Western Thunderer
The L&Y Saddletank reminded me of one of the Passed Cleaners at Lees bragging to fellow newbies that he had to book on at Newton Heath Saturday morning during Manchester Wakes and that he was sure to draw a Jubilee or something big on a Blackpool turn. Come Saturday and we were tripping from Royton Junction yard to Clegg Street when we passed the cleaner on a Saddletank with his little shovel in hand, no doubt heading for Higginshaw Gas Works... :))
 

Jordan

Mid-Western Thunderer
More belated congratulations to Richard & the rest of the Heyside gang for winning two trophies at Warley. :thumbs:
i have only read the Warley report in the Feb 'Toddler' yesterday evening. I'm not usually keen on 'Best in Show'-type gongs as I think it can be very subjective for each individual, but just sometimes you have to say that these things are well deserved..!!! :)
 

Scanlon

Western Thunderer
It has been over 14 months since anything was posted about developments on Heyside and some might think nothing has been achieved; well not exactly true.

After the Warley show in November 2022 the main elements of the layout were put back into the house. However, the room in which the layout resides required redecoration and not a little TLC to bring it up to present day standards. New plaster-work along with electrics, reworked heating and total redecoration including new lighting were the order of the day. The opportunity was also taken to level up some of the floor and then it too had to be repainted. To achieve this every element of the layout plus a lot more had to be moved around in a fashion similar to that old game of getting all the numbers in the correct order.

Towards the end of 2023 the layout could be reassembled and it was possible to see where damage had taken place and figures etc. had fallen off. With this in progress, the opportunity was taken to undertake major work on the left of the layout where the old mill has been relocated
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This picture taken at the Warley show demonstrates how bare the area used to be. Access to this section is very difficult when the layout is fully in place, so the opportunity was taken to add more detail before it was put back in place. These photos show it has been populated, street lights installed and the walls of the cutting have been weathered.
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Cissie and Ada of Les Dawson fame, street name, an advert and lighting have been installed.
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Trainspotters!
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Street lights, more figures, there's a man with a dog behind the lorry etc., honest!

There is more work to be done but this is on sections of the layout we can remove to gain access. Is any layout ever finished?

A smashing group effort.
 

Scanlon

Western Thunderer
It is rare that Heyside is seen in the dark but here are two scenes taken recently.
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A moody shot of the backs of the houses opposite the coal yard.
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Early morning milk delivery. Both photos courtesy of Brian Malyon.

At the other end of the layout, a Fowler 7F takes a breather in the goods loop, probably letting an overly warm axlebox cool down!
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