HO Poison Street Parcels - an H0 BR Parcels Depot micro.

[cloggydog]

I don't know (and I did look, but may have missed the explanation!) if the 'ghosting' on the layout sign was deliberate, but either way I love it.

Purely accidental and caused by low toner levels on the home laser printer. Hence also the odd colouration. This was really just a test for size.

I've reprinted the sign at work, in the various regional British Railway colours for Eastern, Midland, Scottish and Western Regions. Avoiding Southern as that might result in rancid shredding beancans* appearing
* The BrumRCW Bo-Bo product with 2 cylinders too many.

Western is slightly tempting fate, as Swindon/NBL type 4 B-Bs also feature on my disliked locos list.

 

[cloggydog]

Some progress on PSP - took advantage of the DEMU Members Day near Bristol last Saturday to construct the platform core in 2mm greyboard and make a start on the bridge which will help disguise the sectorplate to scenic transition (sort-of...)



Platform surface added on Sunday evening after I got bacck from SWAG's shindig in Taunton, along with brick abutments for the Vari-girder bridge.



I've started adding the brick paper to the platform faces, the top surface will be 'tarmaced' in due course.



And I'll make a start on the platform roof this coming weekend.



A quantity of BRUTEs, mail trolleys, sack barrows, crates and mailbags is on order to place suitably on the platform.

 

[cloggydog]

Mocked-up the platform roof on Poison Street Parcels today.

Evergreen H-section supports, I-beam cross-members with temporary greyboard top and sides to compare against photos of the Worcester and Oxford bays - maybe take 5mm or so off the bottom edge?

 

[cloggydog]

A productive Easter Monday at the workbench, Poison Street's overall roof built, lots of Evergreen section and strip, clad in an acre of Slaters wiggly tin. A coat of grotty black on it next.


And I can now crack on with finishing the platform facings and surfaces, then arrange the BRUTEs and trolleys in a suitable fashion.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Like it...

What it required now is some gloomy lighting to create this effect for the night shots. These are mine of 08 701 taken at the end of the parcels bay at Stafford in 1981.

 

[oldravendale]

Now that's what I call very artistic, Dave...

 

[cloggydog]

The platform and roof are now finished, final touches were the red lamps above the bufferbeams on the end dock walls. Had a lot of fun painting H0 newspapers and filling BRUTEs and trolleys with mail bags, parcels and said newspapers. Still need to add a Bradshaw.


In the end, I went with the Worcester approach to protecting the roof uprights.


The roof is a nice tight fit in holes cut into the platform, but still removable just in case...



Ballasting next, once I've fixed a feed wire that's come adrift.

 

[cloggydog]

Poison Street's debut is fast approaching (this Saturday, in fact).

Ballast down, track weathered, major structures on place and some suitable graffiti added (if you know, you know). LED lighting in place.

Won't be 100% complete, the backscene is still requiring some thought, but it works, I have (just) enough stock and I'm looking forward to playing trains

 

[cloggydog]

Happy with Poison Street Parcel's first show outing. Layout ran well, I worked out train lengths for various moves and had some interesting conversations with visitors about parcels traffic and British H0 scale modelling.

 

[cloggydog]

No better time that a few days before a show to (finally) get the backscene sorted...



Still need to sort something for the stops end

 

[Joe's Garage]

I must have missed this thread Alan but have had a very interesting 30 minutes reading through the posts. I have only added a few likes otherwise you will be inundated!!
Looks very promising layout in the unusual scale. I particularly like the details on the platform.
Nice variety of diesel locos, particularly as they are pre-tops.
Parcel traffic was always interesting in the 70s.
Look forward to some more...
All the best
Julian

 

[Roger Pound]

Just caught up again with the thread after a longish enforced absence due to illness. I find it extremely realistic for the period having had a similar depot adjacent to one my home town's major stations in my younger days and it brought the memories flooding back. They say nostalgia is a thing of the past - but it didn't half give pleasure at the time too! All power to your elbow, Alan. I hope to see more reports soon.

Roger

 

[cloggydog]

Sorted a view for the stops end, using a 1970s photo of the German Gymnasium suitably cropped and a slight bodge where it meets the rear scene.

Calne went well, with plenty of friends also exhibiting there and some good chats with fellow British H0-ers (one of them brought along this lovely scratchbuilt GW King 4-6-0, seen posed on the layout) and other punters.



Before opening on Saturday, Steve Farmer (whose O Gauge Knype Bridge was a major inspiration) commented that the overall roof meant much of the platform detail was hidden in the murk and suggested it be shortened, which tied in with a long-standing niggle I had with the roof for the same reason. Luckily, it wasn't fixed in place (just plugged into holes on the platform) so was removed for the weekend.


I've now taken the scalpel to it and shortened it back to a 1/3 of original length and also set it right up against the end plate. I need to put a new end on the canopy, but it does feel better and eases operation.

Next outing is to the Mid-Essex Club's show in Brentwood on 19 Sept, so time in hand for some fettling.

 

[steve50]

Lovely layout and line up of stock, Mid Essex 19 Sept! I shall look forward to that

 

[steve50]

Just a thought with the canopy, could it be modelled as 'removed as being unsafe' with the supports still in place? I'm sure I've seen a prototype photo somewhere of that but cant think of it at the moment.