Hallatrow - a 18.83 Challenge Layout

[Dave K]

It is nearly 5 years since Hallatrow together with 24 other layouts were gathered in the Mole Barn for the final of the 18.83 Layout Challenge where the visitors could vote for the favourite layouts.

Since then nothing seemed to have happened to the layout due to, building a permanent home for the layout, helping with a D&E Challenge Layout, etc. However to stop certain people from nagging me about, how much more have you done, etc so I decided that I had better get on and finish it, if any layout can truly be called finish.

Therefore to record progress I have started this topic and a blog which can be viewed at:

http://hallatrow.blogspot.com/

If you want to see what the layout looked like and the other entries in the 18.83 Layout Challenge they are at:

http://www.scalefour.org/layouts/hallatrow.html

[Paul Willis]

Therefore to record progress I have started this topic and a blog which can be viewed at:

http://hallatrow.blogspot.com/

Thank you for posting that link

Your blog is now "followed", and I'll enjoy seeing the progress. Bring on the next instalment...

Cheers
Flymo

[dcockling]

Therefore to record progress I have started this topic and a blog which can be viewed at:

http://hallatrow.blogspot.com/

Your blog is now "followed", and I'll enjoy seeing the progress. Bring on the next instalment...

It has also been added to the blog summary on the Society Calendar

All the Best
Danny

[Dave K]

With the date of the Challenge final fast approaching I had not done much detailing work to the goods yard and so knowing that the plan showed a yard crane I quickly purchased a Ratio kit, made and painted it and planted it in the yard. I was never happy with it and so decided to find a better example.

The plan said the crane was rated at 2 tones with a 12' radius. So I purchased a Springside white metal kit which was a GW example but I thought look to heavy and with no clear photo of the yard decided to investigate further. I finally found a drawing of a GW 2 ton crane in GW Railway Journal using Matt Ots index. After enlarging, on the computer, the only photo with any view of the goods yard again it seems that the Springside example would fit the bill.

So with file and soldering iron in hand the crane got built and here it is, resplendent in its place in the yard on its brick plinth, although it still needs painting and planting.

[Tim V]

Regrettably, cranes are always in the corner of photos. looking at the Mowatt and Moss photos, where the crane is head on, I wouldn't be able to say what it was

[Dave K]

Seeing that the summer holidays are upon us then it must be time for me to make my annual pilgrimage to Somerset to visit friends,the West Somerset Railway and onto Wells for the show - for any who have not been to Railwells I recommend it, not only is it an excellent show but the location is superb.

This year having been persuaded (or should that be invited) to demonstrate an etched solebar for the 17ft 6in Cooper Craft wagons. So in preparation I have made a number of new wagons for the demonstration.

Hallatrow - wagons 4 plank open.jpg

Hallatrow - wagons dig O4.jpg

Hallatrow - wagons dig v5.jpg

If you are at Wells please come along and have a chat - it can be awfully lonely sitting at a table when nobody speaks to you.

[Tim V]

I thought I had a glimpse of you yesterday at your usual spot on the WSR!

[Dave K]

Whilst helping Terry on the Society stand at the recent Southampton MRC show I spied a second hand Scale Link GWR footbridge kit on a trader's stand. A look inside the box revealed that all the parts were there, in their original packaging. Now when the layout was planned we had considered modelling the footbridge but as time was short it was left out.

As all bar a couple of photos of Hallatrow as a passing station have the footbridge and one of those with it is supposed to be c.1912 (my chosen period) and at half current list price it was snapped up. My only concern was "would it fit".

So on the Monday after the show with station fencing remover, it requires a re-paint, and one foot steel ruler in hand I checked the kit's instructions, which has a helpful plan with the distances between the stairs, and it will fit. However, there's always a however, the embankment and associated stone wall will all have to be re-fashioned. An examination of the pre and post photos showed that the GW had to do some re-modelling to build the footbridge.

footbridge project_001.jpg

Don't worry Terry the contract for the embankment re-modelling will not be let till July.

[Terry Bendall]

Don't worry Terry the contract for the embankment re-modelling will not be let till July.

Of course you could get the footbridge made up, painted and installed before a certain date in June. Now that would be a real challenge! I expect the LBSC could do it, but could the GWR?

Terry Bendall

[Tim V]

The footbridge is the easy bit, it's putting on the Up starter and Up main to branch and making them work that might be the challenge.......

[Dave K]

Of course you could get the footbridge made up, painted and installed before a certain date in June.

It's all a question of priorities Terry.

The footbridge is the easy bit, it's putting on the Up starter and Up main to branch and making them work that might be the challenge.......

Tim,

Been thinking about red/green LED's then the wires could be hidden in storage areas under the srairs.

[Tim V]

I thought they were semaphores, in fact they were 2' discs later like the ones at Worcester.