Heaton Lodge Junction - We Look At The Sewerage Works In Detail. Plus Shifting The Layout & More!

[@JohnRich1415]

I recently took the ugly boxes off of my points similar to you, the improvement it makes visually to the pointwork is incredible.

[@britainsbiggestmodelrailwa1428]

Yes I only got the idea recently myself. Totally agree, once false sleepers are slid in the difference is amazing 👍 Thanks for watching the videos! Simon

[@TheDaf95xf]

Great update Simon 👍🏻 loved the TP 124s 😊

[@britainsbiggestmodelrailwa1428]

Thanks! Yea so did I 👍

[@D200_]

A wonderful video Simon as always, I do like getting the 124 out and running it around my layout at home. My best purchase to date!

[@britainsbiggestmodelrailwa1428]

I meant to ask how you were getting on with it! Great stuff all the best 👍

[@D200_]

@britainsbiggestmodelrailwa1428 It runs excellently! Cheers

[@Alistair-lr5wu]

Fantastic work. I've always been impressed with your sewerage works and the new track formation seems to be coming along nicely.

[@britainsbiggestmodelrailwa1428]

Thanks Alastair best regards & thanks for your support 👍

[@jbhtrams]

Love the Trans Pennine unit and CORRIDOR CONNECTIONS!!!! BRILLIANT!!! It looks superb!!!

[@britainsbiggestmodelrailwa1428]

Thankyou! All the best 👍

[@cyberdonblue4413]

Limit for a Class 56 in the real World used to be 45. We did tests in the Birmingham/Midlands area pulling 60 MGRs with 2 x Class 56s. These tests were carried out on nights because it was a bit too troublesome (even on nights) to become a regular thing owing to the limited loops they could use to avoid delaying following traffic.

[@britainsbiggestmodelrailwa1428]

Yes I read 45 was about their limit. Very interesting what you say about two pulling 60. That must have been quite a sight!

[@Tom-Lahaye]

The sewage works are a nice and interesting viewpoint. A thing I noticed, as a maintenance technician who has to climb cage ladders regularly is the cage on the cage ladder sitting too low. The top of the cage should be level with the balustrade top rail to ensure proper protection, and the underside of the cage should be high enough for a man to stand under and doesn't bump his head. The reworking of the points is a good idea, as is the simple way of joining the flathead and bullhead rail, to strengthen the joint you could use these etched fish plates and solder them on both sides of the rails. A soldered butt joint is guaranteed to break on an exhibition layout, just speaking from experience.

[@britainsbiggestmodelrailwa1428]

I take your point about the soldered joints I thought that may be the case. I’ve always used fishplates albeit cut in half then soldered. I’m sure you are right about the cage it’s modellers license! All the best! Simon

[@Tom-Lahaye]

@@britainsbiggestmodelrailwa1428 The half fishplates come in fine where the joint needs to stay like an insulation gap or baseboard joint, or just to have an expansion point. Believe me or not, but I once had my layout put up at a venue which was cold at that point, the next day when I came back and the heating was on I found all of my fiddle yard tracks warped and had to cut some extra gaps between the rails to get it sorted.

[@dr.deborahkatharinestevens318]

Lovin' the tiebar box turnout mod. recommendation Simon, thank you it's brilliant.👍

[@britainsbiggestmodelrailwa1428]

I’ll do a finished one next time.. they do look handbuilt once that moulding is out 😊

[@chriswisbey5388]

Having worked for the company, (in my 20`s now 77) and also my Father who was Chief Engineer, who made the gantry part in your Sewerage works, Norstel Templewood and Hawksley, Slough now Water Engineering, Adderbury, Oxford, The tank with the gantry on would have been a Circular Scraper which had rubber blades in the bottom of the tanks to move the separated solids into a hopper where it would be pumped away for treatment. The remaining liquid would be pumped to the other filter beds.

[@britainsbiggestmodelrailwa1428]

Interesting stuff thanks for that. Best regards & thanks for watching. Simon

[@graham33freeland59]

Absolutely awesome.

[@britainsbiggestmodelrailwa1428]

Thanks Graham 👍

[@musoseven8218]

Another great video Simon. A word of wisdom to the wise, you could have waved an acknowledgement to that driver, let him know that you knew he was there👍😉 Loved seeing the Trans Pennine set again, Michael does some good kits. I modify all of my Peco points, to varying degrees, I've a LOT less than you to do, but I've not the time nor health to build my own points nowadays, so I modify and super detail the Peco products. Sewage farms are very rarely modelled, you've made a wonderful job of them (I'll try and avoid toilet humour 🙄😲🤫🤭🤭). I've visited one and worked near to another, those workers have my utmost respect and admiration (even if I loath their useless, scheming, polluting bosses at Thames Water, they're certainly full of 💩💩😮). That life ring? If I fell in, I'd be like: 'leave me to drown, I'm never getting clean after this, I'm never going to shift the awful taste in my mouth, so let me go!' 😮😅😅 In fact I do sometimes feel that I'm treading water in a sea of 💩, not of my own making, I might add, but by the by💜😉🙏🤞✌️🙄😲😀😀🤕😀😀 Looking forward to the next video they're a real treat 👍👍✌️✌️😊😊

[@britainsbiggestmodelrailwa1428]

Haha thanks for the kind words again! Glad you like the videos & all the best 👍

[@beeble2003]

"you could have waved an acknowledgement to that driver, let him know that you knew he was there" When he turns the camera to follow the train at 0:37, you can see that he's behind a fence. If he wasn't, he'd be trespassing, and the correct solution would be "stop trespassing", not "acknowledge the driver".

[@tonylancaster8704]

Nice to see the Trans Pennine set I well remember traveling on these units when they were in service from Leeds some had a mini buffet at the end of one of the centre cars. and first to comment not done that before. Great layout came to see it twice when you came to Wakefield

[@britainsbiggestmodelrailwa1428]

Yes the buffet car went in the early ‘70’s I believe. Thanks for your kind comments 👍

[@chrisbuxton1958]

When can I see it? I loved the December 2021 exhibition and can’t wait for the next ❤

[@britainsbiggestmodelrailwa1428]

Hi Chris it’s going out again during 2026 in multiple locations once the extension is finished. Thanks again for your support! Simon

[@MrAsBBB]

This is so amazing. great work. Isn’t it going too big to move at some point? You might have to bring the mountain to Mohamed? I love the scale, it is so impressive.

[@britainsbiggestmodelrailwa1428]

Thanks for the kind comments. The layout has already been out 3 times so I’m fairly confident with taking it out now. Best regards. Simon

[@beeble2003]

17:58 "Once again, I'll just repeat that" No need to repeat it -- anyone who didn't get it first time can rewind the video and watch it as many times as they want.

[@britainsbiggestmodelrailwa1428]

You’re right I have a bad habit of saying that.!

[@paulmarmion358]

Please do a video on how they were make that would be great 👍

[@britainsbiggestmodelrailwa1428]

Wildo. Thanks for watching the video 👍

[@JohnJohnson-xm2mu]

Great video simon ,never ceases to amaze,the mammoth task of lifting and relaying all that track.does the guy who’s done the laser cutting in Norfolk have a website as iam looking to have a four track engine shed made,regards

[@britainsbiggestmodelrailwa1428]

Hi John it’s Tim Horn who does the laser cutting. He’s on Facebook under Tim Horn Baseboards 👍

[@JohnJohnson-xm2mu]

@ thanks simon I’ll check it out 👍

[@EVILUTION9]

There are 'Train sets' then there are 'model railways' And then there is 'Simon' !! That is about the only way I can describe this to be honest! Btw. I do not even have a model railway of any description. I love trains and especially the Steam age. I am just someone who loves to see detailed layouts with amazing true to life scenery. This is just off the charts realism for me, and I do believe a very large layout adds to the realism. I only live a few miles from the Pendon Museum.

[@britainsbiggestmodelrailwa1428]

Thanks for your very kind compliments! I do wonder why I do what I do a lot of the time but comments like yours help spur me on. Best regards Simon

[@stevenpryce7808]

Where did you get your trestles from Simon ?

[@britainsbiggestmodelrailwa1428]

Hi Steven they are from Tim Horn Baseboards 👍