North West Frontier - Work In Progress

[Austcoop]

Hi all,

Just thought I'd share a few screen shots of a route I'm working on. It is still a work in progress and is being slowly completed as and when time allows. The route is being constructed using RW Decal, the decals themselves following the route of the CLC from Cheadle Exchange sidings through to Godley Junction. Although the route is based on a prototype, it will not be 100% true to life and will be very much an 'interpretation of', rather than completely accurate. I'm still not sure whether or not to name the features of the route after the real life locations, but for simplicity, I have done just that for the screen shots. The route will be around 9 miles in length and will feature Cheadle Exchange sidings, The River Mersey bridge and junction between the Midland and CLC lines, Heaton Mersey MPD, Heaton Mersey sidings, Georges road goods yard, Stockport Tiviot dale, Portwood Goods yard, Brinnington Junction, Woodley Junction, Apethorn Junction and finally Godley Junction and exchange sidings.
The route is about 15% complete and it will be some time before it is in any state to be released, but i'm hoping to get there eventually. It will be set in the era 1955-1967 when the route finally closed to passenger traffic. There are some buildings and structures missing and some added in, but as the route is not meant to be 100% accurate, I don't think it matters to much.

*Edited with larger pictures*

James

Heaton Mersey MPD 1
http://u1.ipernity.com/13/22/58/7022258 ... b.1024.jpg

Heaton Mersey MPD 2
http://u1.ipernity.com/13/22/60/7022260 ... 2.1024.jpg

Heaton Mersey sidings 1
http://u1.ipernity.com/13/22/62/7022262 ... d.1024.jpg

Heaton Mersey sidings 2
http://u1.ipernity.com/13/22/64/7022264 ... 9.1024.jpg

Heaton Mersey sidings 3
http://u1.ipernity.com/13/22/82/7022282 ... e.1024.jpg

Heaton Mersey sidings 4
http://u1.ipernity.com/13/22/83/7022283 ... 7.1024.jpg

Clubhouse sidings 1
http://u1.ipernity.com/13/22/84/7022284 ... 3.1024.jpg

Clubhouse sidings 2
http://u1.ipernity.com/13/22/87/7022287 ... a.1024.jpg

Clubhouse sidings 3
http://u1.ipernity.com/13/22/91/7022291 ... c.1024.jpg

Georges Road Goods 1
http://u1.ipernity.com/13/22/92/7022292 ... a.1024.jpg

Georges Road Goods 2
http://u1.ipernity.com/13/22/95/7022295 ... d.1024.jpg

Tiviot Dale cutting
http://u1.ipernity.com/13/22/96/7022296 ... d.1024.jpg

Tiviot Dale Station 1
http://u1.ipernity.com/13/22/97/7022297 ... 5.1024.jpg

Tiviot Dale Station 2
http://u1.ipernity.com/13/22/98/7022298 ... 1.1024.jpg

[theokus]

Too good to be true
Good job!!!

[RyanT001]

I like what I see, It looks like a good route, will it be Freeware or Payware? and keep up the excellent work

[Austcoop]

Hi,

A couple more screen shots from todays progress.

James

Cheadle Junction looking towards Northenden


Cheadle West looking towards Heaton Mersey


River Mersey bridge with Midland line to Derby crossing over head.


8F Passing Heaton Mersey West 'box.

[corbeau77]

This looks like a great route, nice work!

[Austcoop]

Hi,

Thanks for the kind comments. I've got to finish it first before I start thinking about freeware or payware! I'd imagine freeware, but I'll see how I feel when its done. For those who don't know the area, here is a 1903 dated map, courtesy of Google. Also a couple of pics of the real thing that i found, also available on Google. First shows the coaling stage with Heaton Mersey West signal box and the Midland line flyover in the background and the second shows a view from the shed yard towards the short lived Diesel depot. Interestingly, this building still survives on the Severn Valley Railway and is the loco shed at Bridgenorth.

James

[bristolian]

Smashing!

[bigvern]

Saw the title and thought it was a reference to this...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khyber_train_safari

Still, looking good though.

[Austcoop]

Hi all,

A couple more bits and pieces added to the route today. Heaton Mersey MPD now sits (prototypically) slightly below the level of the main running lines. The distinctive double coaling stage has been added and a very large cotton mill has also graced the virtual Stockport skyline. Just for a bit of fun, I added a few trains and took some screen shots with Fraps. Hope you like them!

James

8F 48444 waits for the road at Heaton Mersey sidings with a train of Presflos.


Heaton Mersey West Junction


Stanier 2-6-0 takes coal at Heaton Mersey MPD


Heaton Mersey shed yard


Shed Basher's view of Heaton Mersey. Black 5 44826 (Farnley junction) and 8F 48425 (Agecroft) wait their next turn of duty.


View from the Mill chimney. Heaton Mersey Up sidings. The route to the right is the Midland line to Heaton Mersey Station junction and onwards to Manchester Central.


Just one of the many mills that used to grace the skyline of the Northwest of England


Heaton Mersey West Junction


Heaton Mersey Shed

[Austcoop]

Hi all,

Not a great deal else done over the past few weeks, but i thought I'd share a couple of new screen shots.

James

Cheadle Heath North Junction. Tracks to the right cross over the CLC via the flyover just visible on the left. Tracks on the left drop down to join the CLC and Cheadle west Junction.


Different view of above


Cheadle Station looking towards Heaton Mersey


Cheadle Station looking towards Northenden Junction


Northenden Junction signal box


And the real thing

[karma99]

Looking very nice indeed

[gavo01]

Cracking shots so far.

You might want to check out this site for any old photos of this area for future reference... http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/stations/sites.shtml

[qzdcg8]

just picked up this thread - are you using the Foxline Scenes From The Past:13 Stockport Tiviot Date book as reference? If you're not I'm amazed at some of the screenshots you've posted as I recognised them from pictures in the book - oh and if you're not, I do have the whole book in ... cough ... ahem ... electronic form.... because I considered this one for myself in MSTS a few years back

A couple of observations (not criticisms) - and I live in Stockport (and used to live in Cheadle when the line still existed) so I think I can comment...

1. All, and I mean ALL houses (terraces & semis) should be Manchester Red/Pink Brick (assuming a 1950's/1960's rendition) - no London Brown Brick around this area....
2. ...except for the white prefabs at the top of the Liverpool Curve near Cheadle Heath Station - sink your 3 story ones into the ground they're never were that tall.
3. You should have DEM'ed it before you started - this line is in the bottom of a valley with signficant sides....
4. Which leads me to.... where is the biggest brick built structure in Western Europe, the Stockport Viaduct?

But - a very good effort so far

[qzdcg8]

Saw the title and thought it was a reference to this...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khyber_train_safari

Still, looking good though.

Bizarrely a little section of line not 2 miles from these shots used to be known as the Khyber Pass...

http://www.davenportstation.org.uk/khyber.html

[Austcoop]

Hi Steve,

thanks for the kind words. Unfortunately, I lost this route when my hard drive died. Thankfully, I had all my assets backed up onto a usb stick, but I had not done the route. A valuable lesson learnt there! I am currently working on another route around the Buxton area. See the "Through Limestone Hills" thread. And yes, I was using the Scenes from the past book as a reference.

Regards, James