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A couple of weeks ago, having some time on my hands, I decided to take a trip from Cleethorpes along the Barton Upon Humber branch.

I'm a big fan of modern branch lines, with a particular fondness for Class 153s, and the Barton branch is right up my street. Jointed track, semaphore signalling, single like staff exchanges, very basic stations; what's not to like?

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A class 153 awaiting it's next trip to Barton at Cleethorpes.

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The very basic terminus at Barton.

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Barrow Haven Station today, looking towards New Holland.

 

The branch has a fascinating history, as an offshoot to the busy line to the New Holland Pier station and it's ferry link across the Humber to Hull - a nice history of that can be found here; http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/n/new_holland_pier/

 

After the Humber Bridge was opened in 1981 the pier and ferry service was closed, though a bulk terminal was opened on the pier which retained a rail connection. Unfortunately this is sadly disused now.

 

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Here are views of Barrow Road Crossing facing towards Goxhill and Cleethorpes taken today. The running line to the right is the branch and the rusty sidings in the foreground are the remains of the main line from the Pier. Barrow Road signal box used to be an important junction box, but now only has eight levers and is no longer a block post, serving to protect the busy level crossing from the bulk terminal. It's signals are slotted with Oxmarsh Crossing box, a little further along towards Goxhill, where the single line becomes double and the staff exchanges are carried out.

 

Anyway - back to my trip along the branch... On the return to Cleethorpes I was fired up with the idea of making some kind of micro or mini layout based on the Barton branch. I've always had an itch to try something smaller and last year considered buying the excellent Trevanna Dries Cornish micro layout. Sat on the class 153 rattling towards Grimsby I decided to build a fictional station somewhere along the Barton branch. Holland Beck is the result of that decision.

 

As with any fictional layout you have to suspend disbelief a little and in this case I need you to believe that the Barton Upon Humber is further from New Holland and that the village of Holland Beck exists between Barrow Haven and New Holland. You also need to believe that Speedlink/Enterprise style wagonload services continued successfully, and profitably to the present day - with appropriate support from a fantasy government that promoted railfrieght over road transport and equipped the Household Cavalry with flying unicorns. In this context the Humber Logistics Services company sends out regular, unspecified traffic from its terminal at Holland Beck.

 

After much pushing around of some spare Peco code 75 points, Hornby Class 153s, Bachmann Class 66s and vans I came up with the working plan shown below;

 

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It's a simple plan in which I aim to incorporate servo driven semaphore signals and working level crossing gates. I have two scenic boards, each 1m x 45cm and a fiddle yard to the same dimensions. The passenger trains will shuttle from one side to the other, pausing at the Barrow Haven style platform, while the freights will be tripped from Immingham and set back into the sidings where an Industrial shunter will propel them into the industrial complex. I have the wood cut ready to make the boards, but in the meantime I've been busy building signals and sorting some of the buildings.

 

Progress so far includes;

 

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Adding hinges, from Ratio signal kits, to Wills level crossing gates so they'll be able to swing across the road.

 

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Building a Knightwing 0-4-0 Industrial Shunter kit around a Black Beetle motor bogie I found in the spares box.

 

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Adapting a second hand Hornby halt into the station shelter. The room at the left side will detailed with an illuminated, detailed interior which will serve as the crossing keeper's shelter from the Humber winds. The ground frame to the left is for the level crossing and its protecting signals. The Tyers token machine in the cabinet is to allow a freight train to be 'shut in' the sidings to allow passenger trains to pass. In signalling terms Holland Beck is not a block post.

 

Hopefully I'll have the boards together by the end of the week and some track down.

Thanks for looking.

Ben.

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What an interesting concept, the photos of the level crossing are particularly inspiring. If I could make a suggestion with the Knightwing shunter; they do benefit from a slimming down of the footplate and buffer beams as they're quite wide when compared to other stock. It's not a particularly difficult operation, though it is admittedly easier when the parts are unassembled.

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I will echo the above comments Ben, it looks like an interesting idea for a layout.

 

The idea that Speedlink and wagon load traffic continued successfully is one Ive thought of for a long time.

 

There is something appealing about a line that have been downgraded to branch lines, with overgrown sidings.

 

I will be watching developments with interest.

 

Cheers

 

Trev :)

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What an interesting concept, the photos of the level crossing are particularly inspiring. If I could make a suggestion with the Knightwing shunter; they do benefit from a slimming down of the footplate and buffer beams as they're quite wide when compared to other stock. It's not a particularly difficult operation, though it is admittedly easier when the parts are unassembled.

 

Thanks for pointing out the the extra width of the shunter, I already have one operating on Cottleston, my other layout and can't say I've ever noticed. I'll have a little look at it, but as you say it's going to be hard to address it with the work already done.

Cheers,

Ben.

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Sod the trains, I'm waiting for the household cavalry flying unicorns....

 

Watching with interest

Unfortunately a dispute between the Household Cavalry, Army Air Corps and Crab Air (RAF) over who should be responsible for operating, maintaining and creating doctrine for airborne mythological creatures means that all the flying unicorns have been grounded.

A Joint Services committee has been formed to discuss the implications, however after fourteen meetings so far they have only been able to agree on what kind of biscuits they are to have at all subsequent meetings. (Garibaldi)

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Unfortunately a dispute between the Household Cavalry, Army Air Corps and Crab Air (RAF) over who should be responsible for operating, maintaining and creating doctrine for airborne mythological creatures means that all the flying unicorns have been grounded.

A Joint Services committee has been formed to discuss the implications, however after fourteen meetings so far they have only been able to agree on what kind of biscuits they are to have at all subsequent meetings. (Garibaldi)

Off thread...

 

I think somebody needs to talk to Sir Humphrey about setting up a inter-departmental committee to establish the viablity into these airborne unicorns and seeking, should there be a precedent for such things, when taking all views into account, and establishing, in the fullness of time, any inter-relations between the said departments, whether such viability may be viable. After all, when taking into account the meteorological and hyperlogical, not to mention psychological, constraints with regard cost verses benefits of these things, it is generally, within the perpendicular of the role of Her Majesty's Government of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, benficial, if not courageous to take into account the viability of such scenarios.

 

And of course that only applies to the biscuits!

 

 

Now back on topic... have you made any progress? I'm assuming your local, but I've quite a few pictures from a couple of years back of the area your looking at New Holland/Barton you need any others. sorry for going off topic, I couldn't resist!

 

Rich

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Off thread...

 

I think somebody needs to talk to Sir Humphrey about setting up a inter-departmental committee to establish the viablity into these airborne unicorns and seeking, should there be a precedent for such things, when taking all views into account, and establishing, in the fullness of time, any inter-relations between the said departments, whether such viability may be viable. After all, when taking into account the meteorological and hyperlogical, not to mention psychological, constraints with regard cost verses benefits of these things, it is generally, within the perpendicular of the role of Her Majesty's Government of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, benficial, if not courageous to take into account the viability of such scenarios.

 

And of course that only applies to the biscuits!

 

 

Now back on topic... have you made any progress? I'm assuming your local, but I've quite a few pictures from a couple of years back of the area your looking at New Holland/Barton you need any others. sorry for going off topic, I couldn't resist!

 

Rich

 

No problem with wandering off topic, I should probably include the flying unicorns in the header now.

I'm in East Lincolnshire, inland of Skegness so not too far away. Progress so far has been confined to the signals, which are almost ready to have the servos tested with them. I have the wood cut for the baseboards and may get them put together tomorrow after a final planning session to make sure it will work as I envisage it.

Thanks for the offer of the pictures. If I think of anything I'm missing I'll come back you.

Cheers,

Ben.

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  • 1 month later...

like a bit of speedlink railfrieght  :sungum:

nice work  :locomotive:

 

Unfortunately my life has been sacrificed on the altar of junior cricket. I seem to be spending every evening and at least one day of the weekend watching one of my boys playing cricket somewhere around Lincolnshire, and beyond. Haven't made the ground at Barton yet (it's very close to the railway line - Single Car Sprinters and Cricket, what could be better).

The Knightwing shunter is complete apart from painting and boasts orange flashing 'strobe' lights front and rear with a flashing warning lamp on the cab roof. The ground frame and station 'building' are largely done and painted. There are some baseboards ready for track laying. Maybe in July when the cricket finishes!

Cheers,

Ben. 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Still no word on flying unicorns, but slow progress is being made on the layout. The signals now have arms and working lamps, I just need to put them together with the servos, controller and power supply - what fun.

The station building is largely complete...

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Its Hornby heritage is clear. The reason why it's not sitting flat on its base is lighting wires which don't yet have a hole in the baseboard to slip through. The room on the left is accommodation for the crossing keeper, while the shelter is for any passengers that might turn up. The platform will be immediately to the right and will cross the beck itself thanks to another own-goal in layout planning.

The prototype for having the station building separate to the platform comes from Barrow Haven station on the Barton branch - sadly this wooden structure was demolished and replaced by a rather inhospitable shelter.

I had intended to the use the wooden platform at Barrow Haven as the inspiration for Holland Beck, however after a visit to Ulceby station a couple of weeks ago I was really impressed by the platform heightening that has gone on here and will attempt to replicate something similar on the layout.

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Cheers,

Ben.

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  • 3 months later...

Progress has been slow, but sure on Holland Beck over the last few months, constrained mainly by the cricket season. Now that is out the way I've really got a move on.

 

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That's what I'm aiming for still, though the distant arm has been removed from the Up Main Home.

 

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You'll notice that due to planning errors the Beck has been moved from its original position running along side the road to under the platform. Track laying has been slowed down as I need to have the scenery done in the Beck before I can put the two railway bridges in place over it. The station platform now also crossed the Beck.

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Finally for now a view along the layout towards Barton Upon Humber. There will be a pair of sidings running from the single slip through some kind of scenic break (probably a pipe bridge) to the fiddle yard.

The fiddle yard at the Barton end will only be a dead end as that part of the branch will only be having 153s on it anyway.

For those of you wondering why Central Trains have a unit running along the Barton branch, it's the very successful Lincoln to Barton service which connects with the bus service to Hull. 

Cheers,

Ben.

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  • 2 months later...

What a lovely compact layout, and you cannot have enough level crossings in Lincolnshire.

 

Thanks.

Having seen the stub fiddle yard for 153s on a Cornish set layout in the Modeller, I can have another level crossing at the Barton end just by the scenic break. The plan is for this one to be AOCL with a Stop board and driver operated plunger modelled on the end of the platform. I fancy one of those Traintech modules to operate the flashing lights with an extra white LED to give the driver's indication that the crossing is operating.

Beyond that pipe dream, track laying is all but complete and wiring has started - hopefully I'll have something moving before Christmas.

Cheers,

Ben.

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The layout that provided the inspiration for the class 153 stub fiddle yard is Polhendra Clay Works which is featured in the 2018 Railway Modeller Special. It's a cracking layout which almost spurred me to make Holland Beck into something Cornish. It's going to stay firmly in Lincolnshire though, I don't have any stock for the South West - yet...

 

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My version of the stub fiddle yard. This is where Barton bound services will go to when they pass through the scenic break which will run along the end of the baseboard. When the track is laid to the end it will have the same operating potential as the current Barton upon Humber station!The cork strip marks the road where the Automatic Open Crossing will be.

 

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This sign, from Ferry Meadows on the Nene Valley Railway, will be reduced to go onto the end of Holland Beck's platform.

 

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Having discovered Scalescenes kits with Emsworth I plan to use a couple for Holland Beck. The building shown above, concealing the small control panel, is the workshops for S&G Oliver Motor Engineers - Specialists in Classics and Vintage Tractors. There may be more than a few Land Rovers around the layout!

 

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Another view along the layout towards Barton. Now that track laying, except a bit on the stub fiddle yard, is complete, work can begin on the electrics. There is going to be much more scenics than I'm used to, which I find a little daunting.

 

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A view looking towards Grimsby. I deliberately built the platform to be very low so I can model the way that some platforms are raised to comply with modern standards and the beams along the platform surface are for this work. The heightened section won't extend the full length of the available platform and while there will just be room for a 2 car sprinter to berth, the planned 153s will look nicely short when they are pausing for passengers.

 

Ho ho ho.

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Not a massive amount of modelling today, there were Christmas decorations to help put up, but I have nailed one of the jobs I was a little unsure of ready for wiring to start; namely learning how to connect up my Megapoints controller to the servos mounted on my three semaphore signals. I now have the know how to achieve realistic bouncing semaphore signal arms! It does look very impressive.

Let the wiring commence...

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After some fettling here are Holland Beck's three semaphores with their freshly programmed servo motors.

From left to right there is the Up Main Home, Yard Starter and Down Main Home.

Once the ladders and balance weights are fitted they can be painted, weathered and fitted to the layout.

Cheers,

Ben.

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  • 3 weeks later...

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At last!

60065 Spirit of Jaguar was the first locomotive to run under its own power on Holland Beck this morning. Closely followed by the first of many 153s that was pass along the branch line in the next couple of years.

I had hoped to have had the signals working to, but I broke the power supply. What a pudding!

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