Copenhagen Fields & TFW’s workshop

[Tim Watson]

Thought I would start a thread on the layout.
We are currently heavily engaged with a re-wire, but also significant building works at the south end. Another structure that is ripe for development is G & M Signal box. We have many photos of it from the ususla sources, but how many levers inside and what manufacturer of the frame? The picture shows our ‘placeholder’ model.



We will be getting the steps etched. I presume that the windows were bricked up as an anti-blast precaution in WWII and that the box extension was post or perhaps pre WWI.

Another question if I may, is what colour was the Midland Roundhouse?



I would hazard a guess that it was red brick, and maybe the KX archaeological survey will have found traces of it.

Tim


Tim

[Atlantic 3279]

I always like to see good photographs of Copenhagen Fields. I find it easier to see and to appreciate the modelling in pictures, as the nature of the layout and its mode of display makes it impossible at shows for me to get my nose in anything like closely enough to truly scrutinize the railway and the stock.

[Atso]

Great to see you posting on here Tim. I cannot help regarding the signal box or round house but having now seen you're latest 'building' in the flesh yesterday, I have to say that I was completely blown away with the attention to detail.

You can't have too many pictures of Copenhagen Fields in my opinion (hint hint!).

[65447]

Another structure that is ripe for development is G & M Signal box. We have many photos of it from the ususla sources, but how many levers inside and what manufacturer of the frame? The picture shows our ‘placeholder’ model.

What is 'G & M'? Given the proper name I can look it up in my copy of the SRS Signal Box Register for the LNER Southern Area...

[JASd17]

Goods & Mineral Junction.

John

[StevieG]

Tim Watson,
Goods & Mineral box - 100 levers, lever frame of Railway Signal Co. manufacture ; I have worked it before its demise around 1975.

[Tim Watson]

Many thanks.
Tim

[john coffin]

Whilst I haven't yet found my copy of TOP SHED, I have located the Kings Cross Story by the Camden Historical Society.
AS I have said elsewhere here, it is thoroughly recommended.

It mentions that the Midland Roundhouse actually built by the and for the GNR in 1859, and then rented to the Midland whilst they
had running powers into Kings Cross. When built, it it had a 40ft turntable, and 24 roads plus 4 engine pits, or were
they part of the 24, not clear.

I would therefore assume, (our favourite word,!) that it would have been in the same bricks as other items in the
engine shed area maybe Flettons? or actually more likely to be London Commons, since many of the brick yards in
the London suburbs had not yet been closed and or moved out of town.

HTH

Paul
worth noting that the London Brick Company did not open in Bedfordshire until 1900, and that originally,
Fletton was in Beds, not sure if it has been re-located with border changes, but Fletton is nearer Peterborough
than the Midland Mainline through Bedford.

SO I think my previous comment about being built with London Bricks is pretty likely.
amended 16.49 09022019

[Tim Watson]

I have been in correspondence with Rebecca Haslam (KX archaeologist) via Peter Darley. She stated:

“The Midland Roundhouse was composed of the following brick fabric types:
Red (London Fabric Code 3032) bricks: lowest reaches and foundations of the outer walls; these also appear to have formed parts of the internal floor, the sides of inspection pits and the turntable well
Kiln bricks (LFC 3261): other sections of internal floors / bases of inspection pits
Kiln bricks (LFC 3261): bases of inspection pits”

So the main brickwork was probably of a red/orange hue, which I suspected from the photos I had seen.

Tim

[giner]

Speaking with no knowledge of bricks, but wouldn't it seem probable that the MR would have gone with red bricks, red being their corporate branding colour? I'm sort of sure that most of the structures on their network featured red brick. Just a thought.

[john coffin]

Since I have already stated that the roundhouse was built by the GNR and NOT the Midland, sadly that is a wrong
assumption to say that the Midland would have specified the relevant bricks.

None the less, Tim useful to get more accurate data.

Paul

[Dave S]

From a building point of view I would always be wary of identifying a brick in the footings and presuming it to be the same for above ground. For ground work bricks were either specified for their strength or were of a poorer grade, whereas above ground it was generally decoration that mattered.
As an example (although admittedly commercial rather than GN) I own an 1875 property that is built of decorative yellow bricks, the fooprint of the building actually starts 8' underground forming a cellar, that is made up of pinks, reds and regrades that could not have come from the same brickworks due to the difference in the clay/firing.

[Tim Watson]

We have CF fully erected at Keen House at the moment, prior to an Open Day on 28th April. To save effort when setting up at a show, the back scenes have been fettled so that they drop into place relatively easily and are held in place by catches and flush mounts. The joints have been sharpened up to be less obvious and a storm has developed over KX Goods Yard. The reason for this is that the lighting proscenium can cast a diagonal shadow on the sky, so it will help to disguise the problem. The other end was a little more tricky to access...




The back of York Way has also had some detail added so it will be ready for Five Arch signal box, which is currently being made in Belgium. There is a lot more ‘finishing’ & tidying to do in this area, although it is not readily visible from the front.


The most important innovation, that will revolutionise operation, has been to arrange imaging through the back scene of the Goods Yard throat, the Caledonian Goods & Coal Yard ramp and the mainlines behind.

All achieved by using an iPad Pro, set up as seen. This fits onto a ledge fixed to the GY board and there is a small hole in the sky through which to capture the image. The screen is easily visible from a wide range of angles. If you look carefully at the picture of the backscene you can just see the hole.

Really good to have the layout up in the Club to work on in this way, it is relatively uncommon. We are now awaiting the etchings for G&M Junction SB steps and York Road tube station windows: many thanks to everyone who has helped with info. I will probably make a start on the representation of the Midland Roundhouse very shortly.

Tim

[manna]

G'Day Gents

CF, has come a long way over the last 25 + years, and today looks nothing like the area it portrays, but, for a change, could you do a couple of pics of CF, from the back of the layout, looking towards the front, the normal view, was what the passenger saw, the railwaymen/women, saw it from a different prospective.

manna

[Tim Watson]

Whilst looking at some of our photos of the area when adding the buttress it reminded me just how different it now is. I will try to remember to take some shots when the back scenes are taken down. Such views are a bit challenging to take as the layout is very deep at that point.

One of the best views is undoubtedly from the South End operating position looking northwards, you could imagine yourself looking through the spectacle plate of an engine, especially when the lighting fascia support is hard on your right. There is now a lot of detail going in around the York Way tube station area, the top of Gasworks Tunnel and the goods warehouses which has also opened up new vistas.

We will be running the layout at Keen House this Thursday evening (18th April) to which visitors are welcome and you can see the layout from all sides. The Open Day on the 28th may be a bit busy.

Tim