The Gresley Beat - Image intensive!

[Atso]

No arguments from me on the P2's, Richard! Cock 'o the North in original style was the best looking of the class! I believe 2001 (& 2002) was used out of Kings Cross for a few months when first built and was sometimes seen hauling the Scotsman set until moving to France for testing.

The layout seemed to cover most of the LNER's pre war life; with locos in both early and later liveries (I think I saw one in GNR livery as well!). I just wish I could build something like that (both in size and quality!).

[Bryan]

Agree with comments about the layout
Just 1 comment.
If the shed is actually "Top Shed" then the breakdown crane should be a Ransome Rapier in particular the one now at the NYMR at Newbridge PW Depot ADE 330102

[rob]

Thanks Jon and everybody who posted these photos,especially as I'm unlikely to ever see this superb layout "live" so to speak.The photos are a lot more useful than any I have seen in the usual magazines too!
I know the old chestnut about never building a model of a model but I have picked up a lot from a quick cruise through these!Firstly,I painted my D&S GN ballast brake a light blue,the one here is dark! Hell! and my light blue is lurid,totally unconvincing compared to the wagon coupled to the crane here which looks utterly washed out and convincing.
I would have unloaded beer barrels without a bolster on the road to soften the impact-beautifully observed detail!I would have wasted a lot of beer!
The mix of locos may not be accurate but it is very atmospheric-wonderful,and totally justifiable especially as the layouts purpose is in its title and we all love locos!
The teak effects are great too-note the full brake behind 2761-lots of individual panels in differing shades-wonderful.
Lots of engineers blue brick in evidence-I've never used this on a layout but I will now!
Finally-D&S for those who enquired-last time I was in touch(Sept) Dan intended retaining the GN kits in 4mm for a while longer and had produced a few more various 4mm kits for shows.He intended to continue with 7mm as normal,but I do not know how he is situated right now or whether he is producing anything at all.D&S are invaluable to LNER modellers,it will be a pity if the range vanishes-it was a major achievement,I don't know how they even kept track of it at all,just putting all the correct parts together for sale must have been a huge job!

[x568wcn]

The mix of locos is due to the period it is set in, 1923-1939, so you get the change over to later on!

[jwealleans]

Steve Banks has built a great many of, if not all, the coaches and the finish is uniformly excellent. I'm afraid I'm sad enough to have recognised some of his goods stock from articles he's done as well.

I saw an interview with Cliff Parsons in which he said that the layout is still about 3 years from completion and the main emphasis will be on the stock as time goes on.

The layout only goes out a few times a year so you'd have to come to one of the major shows to see it, Rob. I don't know where it's due next year.

How are you going with the J12?

[rob]

That 1923-39 timescale is a big attraction I think as any other large LNER layout I'm aware of is usually 50's/60's.I am going to try 20's/30's after some heartsearching -I think the big locos looked superb in Brunswick Green-but a lot of the oddities like the J12's were still running pre-war and the Reid Atlantics,C4's etc-glorious!
Thanks for confirming Steve Banks-I have read a lot of his recent articles in ModelRail and find them inspiring,intimidating and very helpful in equal measure-did you read the one about GWR rabbit van traffic over the GC?I went straight out and bought two Siphons from D&S to build to a less exalted standard!I would love a piece on how he gets his teakwork so subtly right.My efforts so far look like cheap formica at best and my coaches always look better before I paint them!
The J12's are the detailing stage but I'm currently bogged down on the (cosmetic)springing-I'm not using that supplied which involves laminating the springs(!) but am fabricating from some leftover SEF castings,Gibson boiler band etches, .45 NS wire and profanities!Two done,twenty to go at a pair a session,ten nights work at least.The etches are very satisfactory-most of my difficulties are because I am" retro-engineering" P4 etches to 00!I tried to post photos recently,no luck,will try again soon-anyway,at the moment they look scarily GWR without the crowning glories that are the chimneys-beautiful castings in pewter.Drive is conventional,Branchlines compact,Romford 40-1,small flywheels and because the replacement boilers were longer than the originals,cab clear of gears etc unlike my J10's.
They are surprisingly short locos even compared to a J10 and have a really stubby,bulldog appeal-my RCTS tells me this was their nickname,well deserved but the tiny footplate and vestigal cabs can't have been too pleasant to work on!
If you ever contemplate one I will fill you in on all my errors.Bill has 20 sets of castings available and is not expecting exactly Hornby sales volume!Have you ever seen one on a layout?Jeremy Suter told me last year that he scratch built one for himself-thats some going.

[mick b]

Hi
The latest BRM magazine has a free DVD of Gresley Beat states its a exclusive to WH Smith.
Good coverage however a lot of talking it would have been nicer to see more trains running on layout, still recomended.
The magazine has a good article on the D16 Claud Hamilton as well

Mick

[giner]

What a superb piece of modelling. In the second photo I spot the rear end of B17 2848 Arsenal. Very fitting!

For those who may not be too familiar with the general area, Arsenal FC's Highbury Stadium was well visible from the line just south of Finsbury Park, and nowadays, their Emirates Stadium looms large at Holloway Road/Belle Isle.

[Blink Bonny]

Suuuuuuuuuperb. All I can say.

[Chuffinell]

Anyone know when & where Gresley Beat will be appearing during 2009?

[silver fox]

Nottingham exhibition, 20th/21st March 2009

[industrial]

Is it me or have those teaks been daubed by mindless graffiti?
It is also a shame that the unrebuilt W1 isn't hauling a nice set of tourist stock. These certainly are wonderful images, very realistic. Keep up the good work .

Regards

Karl

The mindless graffiti is the East Coast Joint Stock coat of arms.

[karlrestall]

The mindless graffiti is the East Coast Joint Stock coat of arms.

I thought that the ECJS only had a small coat of arms in the middle of the coach; but as they say 'you know what thought did'

Thanks for putting me right 'Industrial'

Regards

Karl

[industrial]

The mindless graffiti is the East Coast Joint Stock coat of arms.

I thought that the ECJS only had a small coat of arms in the middle of the coach; but as they say 'you know what thought did'

Thanks for putting me right 'Industrial'

Regards

Karl

The coat of arms size is ott, probably so as when in the station the customers could see which train it was easly.

[Chuffinell]

Anyone know when & where Gresley Beat will be appearing during 2009?

Any others this year? - couldn't get to Nott'm