Great Western Main Line: The Extension

[jivebunny]

That's fine, I think the thread has already deviated from its original purpose enough for a little more not to do any harm In any case it's relevant to the work I'm doing in Southall so it will probably come in useful

Decided to make a start on the Greenford branch to give myself a quite literal change of scenery. Google Earth decals laid down from West Ealing to Greenford and back to Old Oak Common (had to extensively re-work West Ealing junction as the branch was going off at the wrong angle...), and main trackwork done between West Ealing and the junction at Greenford.

JB

[Kariban]

Stuart if you can dig out enough info I will have a go at it ( will make a change from fiddly vehicle parts ).

[nike wass]

Hi JB and All
There is no dout that Greenford station is unusual. I started there as a porter in early 1964 and worked there as a porter till 1966. There was two stations at Greenford the original GWR and LT central line. Back then it was controled by BR the GWR side was all parcel work. There was 4 Porters and 3 Formen. The central line is higher than the GWR station and also the GWR station higher than street level. I can remember when it stoped but the Greenford car always terminated at Ealing Broadway, there was a sidding between the Up main and the down relief. In 1966 I became a passenger Guard at Southall also working the Greenford branch. Looking at the suburban platforms you realy have got it right "dark and horrid". If you head through the tunnel east there is a sidding that the incoming steam engines would head to so the driver could oil and the firman fill the water tanks, in saftey away from the live rail.
JB I have sent you a PM. Sorry if I have bored you.
Regards
Mike Wass

[jivebunny]

Thanks Mike, I've sent you my e-mail address.

Interesting to hear (and imagine) how it all used to be in the days of the real railway. I had no idea about the steam siding, I take it BR and LT shared that part of the line in the days of steam? Hard to imagine mainline trains being allowed to mix with tube stock nowadays

Anyway, this is where I'm up to with the trackwork - I've reached Greenford and have started making my way back east to the connection sticking out from the western side of Old Oak Common. I'll get the mainline track down first and then add the Central Line in, looks like we'll have a second area of the London Underground network for people to play on

It all looks very straight on the map but the track does follow the gentle curves of the line.

JB

[Makeone]

At that speed, you're soon tackling willesden junction and it's quite horrid trackwork...

Strange, i somehow though that greenford branch would been longer and eventually linked to Chiltern Mainline furter north, hum...

[Kariban]

Well, does need Greenford to OOC at least good stuff though!

[loverswalk]

Some great progress your making JB and it's fascinating to see this area of the London network taking shape.
LW

[Kariban]

There appears to be a sketchup model of the Southall gasometer - it might be a bit low res for RW, but probably worth a try. If not it's a good template.

[jivebunny]

I seem to have become slightly distracted by the Greenford branch! The trackwork now makes a complete loop back round to Old Oak Common and the Central Line has been added in, just the gradients to finish and then I can start scenerising and signalling the branch. The line is modelled using DEM elevation data and Google Earth imagery for accuracy.

West Ealing junction, with the GWML just out of shot to the bottom and Drayton Green station in the foreground:


Old Oak Common and North Pole depot, with the New North Main Line and Central Line running north-west between the buildings


And Greenford itself, with the station in the foreground and some slightly over-scale Central Line bridges...


JB

[nike wass]

Hi Alan
It is realy looking good, you say out of scale but in the real thing it looks out of scale.
Did you recieve the photos
Regards
Mike Wass

[jivebunny]

Hi Mike,

I've just checked my e-mail, thanks for those

JB

[Kariban]

( ignore the model errors & basic texturing atm )

I scaled this off a sketchup model of the gasometer, but it seems a bit big:p thoughts/dimensions?

[andymar54]

Re the Gasometer,

The one at Southall is 320 ft high.

Theres some interesting info on the letters LH being painted on it for aircraft to recognise the route to Heathrow.

More info and pics at http://www.geolocation.ws/v/W/4d97e2148 ... -towers/en


Andym

[Kariban]

Yeah, I found some more info later; mine was actually a few m too small.

all the fiddly bits to do... some other day :p

I guess I should look at the watertower also.

[jivebunny]

Very nice Would you be happy for me to include it with the route? Looks infinitely better than my stack of default industrial units

JB