Albert Street Parcels - OO South East 60's

[lapford34102]

Like a grumbling appendix this has been on and off for the past few  years. The baseboard alone is probably older than a some on here and started life as a test track  and the basis of a few false starts. This particular iteration started because I was rather taken with Dave Tailby’s “Victoria Parcels” and found that Margate’s parcel platform is still intact but minus track. If you don’t know where to look it’s easy to miss as it’s only briefly visible as you pass the London end of the station, otherwise there’s simply a big brick wall.  I’ve made no attempt at copying Margate but used it as inspiration..of sorts. But now bad weather and circumstance provided the chance to get on and do a bit of binge building.

Board is  1.25m x 0.25m, pretty small but means little spare space for me to worry about scenically. Track is Peco bullhead, the points are handbuilt bullhead and copperclad. I used Templot’s Peco small radius plan with re-spaced sleepering to match the plain track. This is probably heresy to some but they fit the space and give me a half decent trackplan with a couple of  sidings and a run round. I can cope with that and  size wise it’ll happily take a short loco and BG +CCT. Motive power will be primarily what you’d see on station pilot duties, think Pannier/ 2MT/350hp/Drewry sort of group plus the odd mainline power. Period; well 60’s to start with.

The photos will give an idea of the general setup but still with plenty to do.

Thanks for looking

Stu

 

 

 

 

Edited August 4, 2023 by lapford34102

[lapford34102]

It's been 4 months since I first wrote about "bert" as some of my associates have labelled it! There's been progress of sorts and it's even had it's first outing in spite of it's progress. Only a small affair but there were a number of people there very knowledgable of Kent's 3rd rail system and so they should be, they all worked on it. Plus it was a good as a shakedown cruise as it threw up a number of glitches and gremlins. Notably a couple bits of stock that weren't happy and an 08 that did a passable impression of a drag racer. These can be sorted along with the fiddle yard trackplan which was very temporary but at least gave me an idea of what's needed.

The layout might be laughably short but that doesn't mean it can't be operated with at a least a nod to the prototype.

Now some somewhat random pics from it's outing.

 

It now has a canopy cobbled together from a couple of Airfix's 1959 vintage kits. Not sure when I last built one but despite it's age it's amazingly adaptable  It's been stretched both ways and the glazing alteredand having done this one tempted to have a go at another more refined attempt.

 

Yes, one support is a bit wonky. It's actually secured by pins through the two rear supports and removable. The wall behind it was temporary  for it's debut and I have a few ideas to develop it plus there's the yawning gap and the end that needs something. The blue behind is not a backscene, it's a wall!

 

The 350hp that should go to Santa Pod ! It's got an old Lenz 1024 chip chip that needs sorting unless I can fit a Hornby Bluetooth sound in it which I'd like to.#

 

Parkside PMV and Hornby BY. Both SR parcels stalwarts but the BY isn't happy over some of the pointwork. B to B, wheelbase length, who know but needs lookinf at. Hornby's LMS BG lurking behind; stunning model.

 

DJM's E5000. I'm probably the only person who appreciates it's placid performance and it IS a nice rendition. No 3rd rail down yet and Margate's road never did but having a number of 3rd experts around I now know where I can justifiably juice.

All pictures so far courtesy Tim.

 

 

JA electro-diesel. The Dapol version. Hornby bluetooth sound though opion from those familiar with it weren't convinced it was the original EE powered version but possibly a re-engined MTU unit. Sounded fine on electric power though.  Photo Courtesy Dave Smith

 

One thing I have done is make the lamps removable so they can be changed for different eras. The pics say it all.

 

Early 60's

 

Late 60's

 

And yes, I do need to bed the platform in more convincingly.........

 

There are some shows lined up from 24 on but hopefully it won't be 4 months before another update.

 

Thanks for getting this far.

Stu

 

 

 

Edited August 3, 2023 by lapford34102
Appalling grammar

[37114]

Looks a nice little layout, the track plan is similar to a couple of my layouts and is good fun to operate 

[lapford34102]

Only recently been able to get back on with the layout  and just a couple of photos to show what's happened.

The 3rd rail is now dowm and means I can run the E5000 without being embarassed :-0.  It's PECO rail and insulators and though I've made an effort to lay it prototypically  it's probably in the "brave effort" category but it looked passable. I've also added some kickboards. This is something of a token effort as the real thing would almost certainly be fully boarded and I've only done one side as a short test piece on both sides threw up a few clearance problems. What I've done works (apart from the Big ED!) with everything so I'll take that.

 

 

 

Looks tight but it's fine - DJM loco, be interested to try the Hornby one.

 

Thanks for looking

Stu

 

[david51]

I love this little layout. 
Will it be out and about in 2024. I hope so cos I’d love to see it on the flesh 

[lapford34102]

On 20/12/2023 at 19:47, david51 said:

Will it be out and about in 2024.

Shows on the list are Biggleswade in Feb, Shenfield in Sept and for 25 and in our neck of the woods Canterbury in Jan 25.

Another randomish photo. The Siphon is a blinged up Lima one that cost me £8 !

 

 

Cheers

Stu

 

 

[sb67]

Glad to have found Albert Street. I like the plan, it's similar to one of my layouts, and as @37114 said is fun to operate, and pretty versatile too!  The 3rd rail looks good and must open up a few doors with rolling stock, is the platform long enough for a 2 car EMU? 

A fine looking layout, looking forward to Shenfield already! 

[david51]

Thanks Stu. Glad to see you will be at Canterbury. I shall look for you there .

[Enterprisingwestern]

On 04/08/2023 at 00:49, lapford34102 said:

Yes, one support is a bit wonky. It's actually secured by pins through the two rear supports and removable.

 

I have similar removable structures on Span Yard, I find miniature nimmodiminiumum magnets are useful for lining things up and securing securely!

 

Mike.

[Bungus the Fogeyman]

Had the very great pleasure of finally seeing this today (no Phots sadly as I didn't really get the time) and the highest complements I can give it is that, a) its up to Stus very high standards and b) its better than the layout that sort of inspired it..

Sound work my friend!

 

Disgusting of Market Harborough

[lapford34102]

Hi,

Thanks for the comment Dave and thanks to all those who came and had a chat at Biggleswade. Albert seemed to be quite well received.  Layout survived the day without major issue though had a number of minor gremlins show up but considering it was it's first serious show I'd have been surprised if they hadn't. Most were/can be easily dealt with and while the fiddle yard with it's simple trackplan made life a little harder we now know what a better arrangement should be.

Pleased with how the 350HP with it's new sound chip+stayalive performed (nod to Coastal DCC for supplying the bits)  I've been mildly sceptical of stayalive's in the past but now in the market for a few more.

Managed to take precisely one rather hurried  rubbish shot before opening !

 

 

Thanks for looking

Stu

[Gilbert]

Nice work Stu

Do you have a track plan or an overhead photo - its pretty clear from the photos you have put up but one overall picture would be great.

I assume the runround you refer to ealrier is via the fiddle yard?

May be I do have room for a layout for the blue NPCS stock I have stashed away...

Thanks

Chris

[lapford34102]

4 hours ago, Gilbert said:

Do you have a track plan or an overhead photo - its pretty clear from the photos you have put up but one overall picture would be great.

 

Thank you Chris,

You assume correctly, the run round is via the fiddle yard, at the moment it's simply that with one siding but it will get revised with more storage space.  Hope these photo's show things a bit clearer. Space wise it's basically 2 x 4ft boards but using a traverser in the fiddle yard could shrink it a bit.

Stu

 

 

[Enterprisingwestern]

On 17/02/2024 at 21:55, Bungus the Fogeyman said:

b) its better than the layout that sort of inspired it..

 

Wouldn't take a lot of doing!

 

Mike.

PS. It's a pleasure!!

[marc smith]

Haven't popped in to see "bert" in a while now - so glad I did today.
Looking great Stu. Keep up the good work.

[sb67]

Nice to see some more photo's Stu, glad the show went well, Albert St looks great, look forward to seeing it sometime. 

What were your thoughts on the fiddle yard? 

I've got more or less the same plan on Docklands Sidings and use a sector pate at one end of the fiddle yard, to enable locos to run round. Might not be suitable for exhibition use though.

I found a full length sector plate shortened the length of trains I could run round and for home use I only need one the length of the longest loco. 

 

 

 

Edited February 21 by sb67