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We are planning to build a digital version of Victoria station for the railway simulator TS2013. In fact the plan is to build the route from Victoria to Derby Friargate.

This will of course take some time but that is half the fun.

Some inaccuracy may be inevitable due to lack of resources, limitations within the simulator and lack of skill on our part.

I hope that even if you have no interest in computer simulation you may still be interested in seeing the progress of this project. Progress will be slow most of the time.

We are starting at Victoria, the idea is that everything else will seem simple after that.

These models are not in place on the route yet just placed for screenshots.

The first image is of the Hydraulic power house. Can anyone provide any information on this unusual building, is it providing power for the turntables?

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Hi everyone been a while. But here's a copy of an update i just put on Uk train sim forums . Save me doing it all again. Merry Christmas and a happy new year to all    

We are still plodding along with this project, real life keeps getting in the way of things. I just finished part of the hotel, concentrating on the parts of buildings as seen from the trains.

Misty atmosphere.

WOW - those are impressive. Good luck with your project - and keep us updated as you go along.

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No, and also it went under tunnels at the south end.

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As I said, "These models are not in place on the route yet just placed for screenshots" I have used another route, namely Woodhead, near to Sheffield Victoria as a backdrop.

The point of the above post was just to show Victoria stations North and South signal box models I had made.

Thanks for the comment Limey, I'm pleased you liked them.

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My Dad was a signalman at Victoria station, and what I remember of the northern signal box, it was in a hole in the ground and you could not see much above the top of the walls, looking at the box from the station.

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I wasn't having a go as I was only a little kid when it closed and don't really remember it. I just didn't remember it having electric over heads!

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I wasn't having a go as I was only a little kid when it closed and don't really remember it. I just didn't remember it having electric over heads!

There were non at the northern end where my dad worked, that I remember, and if there were non in the north, there must have been non in the south.....

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Re the hydraulic power house, I could be wrong, but I think it may have been to power the lifts down to the tunnels that connected the platforms for conveying luggage and paracels, etc.

I could be wrong (again) but I don't think turntables were worked by hydraulic power.

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Nottingham Victoria didn't have any overhead power lines for the tracks, I am just making some of the iconic buildings of Victoria as 3D models, I don't actually have access to the route at this moment, it is being developed on another computer.

The North and South signal box models are shown at Sheffield just for illustration purposes.

Sorry for the confusion. I will be more careful with backgrounds in future. :)

Thanks for your thoughts on the hydraulic power house Merthyr Imp, that is a possibility, it would be interesting to know more about the buildings I'm working on.

This is an extract from a website on early hydraulic power systems in the London area

"Hydraulic motors were approximately half the size of electric motors developing equivalent power; they could also be used in damp conditions where electric motors needed careful protection. What kind of apparatus used hydraulic power? Lifts were a very common application, in hotels and offices, but there were also railway turntables, dock gates, pumps and cranes."

I think all of the above could apply to Victoria except the dock gates.

What an amazing place this station was, the more we learn about it the more we love it.

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To some of us 60s railway freaks, the GCR was like a religion and Nottm Vic Sta was the cathedral. I remember going around all the signal boxes on a railway society trip from school. There were two in the station buildings, one at the south end under Parliament Street, and one at the north end with a roof like a Tyrolean cottage. My old neighbour, Wilf Hazledine started his railway career as box lad at the north box.

I remember my friend (I think it was member - Firbeck) and I went from Midland station to Loughborough on the Midland Pullman and came back from Central to Nottm Vic by steam. We ran across the tracks and up the goods ramp so we could keep the tickets.

Maybe you could include some digital trainspotters.

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Not sure but did the turntables work off the train vacuum pipe? graphics looking good with what you've posted so far bryeo

Rog

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Here's a couple of references I've found:

'...beneath the platforms, connected to them by hydraulic lifts, ran a tunnel for the transfer of luggage and parcels to and from the main buildings on Parliament Street.'

('Rail Centres: Nottingham' by Michael A. Vanns, first published by Ian Allan in 1993)

'...the traveller...could, if he wished send his luggage ahead by using one of the two hydralic lifts which connected with the subway system, a liitle known feature of this great station. This subway was also used for mail and parcels and was truly located in the bowels of the station below rail level connecting the main station buildings wih the two island platforms.'

('Railways in and Around Nottingham' by V. Forster & W. Taylor, first published by Foxline Publishing in 1991)

Following a quick look I've come across a photo of an engine on one of the turntables being pushed round by hand, but of course that might not be conclusive.

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Not sure but did the turntables work off the train vacuum pipe? graphics looking good with what you've posted so far bryeo

Rog

Yes, I would have said either vacuum operated, electric - or by manpower. I think vacuum power off the engine or the driver and fireman pushing the thing round were the most common.

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For the Friargate Line, try a book with the same title by Mark Higginson. ISBN 0 9513834 0 X This book has a wealth of photographs and info.

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There is a Youtube video showing a GWR Hall that has overshot the turntable with the rear tender wheels coming off the back. It is pulled back on by another engine and then the turntable appears to be aligned to the exit track by manual means.

This doesn't mean it wasn't once operated hydraulically in the early days of course, things change over time.

The turntables in TS2014 work as if by magic, you just press the G key on your keyboard. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dz3pyEKkEY

I think my friend has that book on Friargate Bilbraborn, it is pretty hard to get hold of these days I believe.

We are realistic enough to realise that we won't get everything spot on, the challenge we have set ourselves is to at least get somewhere close to the unique atmosphere of the station. We also have to concentrate to some extent on the view from the train primarily. It is a railway train driving simulator first and foremost.

Thanks for all the input so far. has anyone got any good colour photos showing the four main station buildings, the best I have seen is unfortunately the demolition video on Youtube.

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Hello Folks

My name Chris and im the other half of this project . Brain pointed me over here :)

Here is a few more shots for you, its early days yet and im still working on modeling the main station. Then we will build up the rest of it. The route will run North from Victoria and then join the GN line via the Rat hole at Bullwell.

It will then go east as far as the old Colwick yards and west to Derby via Kimberlay and Ilkeston ect. We plan to include the branches to Staton ironworks and some of the pits too like Babbington to

What do you think of the color of the station buildings. Have i got it right, its been quite hard to figure them out. I used the Demolition video's on youtube as a guide.

Kind Regards

Chris

 

 

Photos originally included in this post have been removed from the Flickr account, presumably by the owner.
 

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:biggrin: Hi Chris, I think that what you and Briyeo are doing is Brilliant; I have fond memories of Nottingham's Victoria Station circa: 50's/60's.

The brickwork would have been the right colour when the station was new.

Chris, you ask what we think of the colour of the station buildings? May I suggest:

Picture 2: Some washes of grey tone on the facade - more at the bottom.

Picture 3: Grey tone on the left building and washes of grey tone at the bottom of the building at right, (perhaps a little grey tone at the top - sunlight on the bricks looks attractive).

PS: Good Luck, it is wonderful what you are both doing. :biggrin:

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Thank you GiGA

I didn't originally plan on going into the Vic with the route. I didn't know much about it until i went in there and im not old enough to have seen it. But since i got there and researched it ive fell in love with the place.

It really is a shame its gone.

To be honest when i started i didn't even know the GN line connected with the GCR and went into the Vic lol.

This is going to be quite a long project , A couple of years at least. When i finish the canopy's i will have a go making things more dirty.

Who knows when we get the north side to derby done i might even return to the Vic and venture out the south end to Weekday Cross :)

Half the pleasure of doing this has been finding out about the route and buying books ect. its fascinating to see how it all once was.

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:biggrin: Hi Chris, you and Briyeo are most commendable for the project you are undertaking............................

When I was a young girl the Victoria Station was something beautiful to behold.

I remember the time when steam became diesel and feeling the loss deep within.

I also remember the time when the Victoria Station was first threatened with demolition and feeling that sense of loss again.

It is therefore remarkable that you and your acquaintance will one day make this once vast structure of Victorian Gothic architecture live again! :biggrin:

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