Chrisoafc Posted January 20, 2018 Share Posted January 20, 2018 Hello! I'm currently building a model of Diggle Junction on the former London and North Western Railway. Diggle Junction is situated on top of the Pennines in the remote area of Saddleworth and the station of Diggle is situated directly to the west of Stanedge Tunnels. With 4 platforms, the facilities were somewhat "generous" for the location. Diggle station closed on 7th October 1968 but the signal box on the transpennine route is still known as Diggle Junction. I'm 19 and obviously haven't been modelling for as long as some people on here so when I post some photos, advice would be much appreciated! Thank you in advance. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisoafc Posted January 20, 2018 Author Share Posted January 20, 2018 Here are two photos of Diggle Junction and a photo of my layout so far. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dava Posted January 20, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 20, 2018 That's a pretty good start to modelling a large, complex location which changed greatly over the years. I remember going through Diggle behind Class 40's in Mk1 compartment stock, great days. You've used selective compression well, be good to see more photos as it evolves. What period are you modelling in? Dava Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisoafc Posted January 20, 2018 Author Share Posted January 20, 2018 Yes it's a local station to me which I regularly pass through on the modern transpennie express trains. I thought I should delve into history and do a bit of research on Diggle to make a model. It's changed so much over the years, from two tunnels to four, a level crossing in late 1800s which changed to the road bridge after the redevelopment of the station and much more. Diggle also had quite a substantial amount of goods sidings, sadly due to space restrictions I cannot include them alll but I've given it a good attempt! I'm modelling the 1960s period, towards the end of its "active life"... of course I'll share photos as the layout progresses. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisoafc Posted January 20, 2018 Author Share Posted January 20, 2018 Here is a photo of the "Junction" part of Diggle on my layout. It's far from being finished as you can tell but I thought I could share it as in black and white, it does look quite atmospheric! Will take some more photos soon when I progress further. I'm new to this forum and fairly new to railway modelling. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisoafc Posted January 21, 2018 Author Share Posted January 21, 2018 Hello again, Been working on Diggle Junction today a little bit and noticed that my PVA glue is taking a long time to dry... hmm, could anyone suggest to me how long diluted PVA should take to dry or am I being impatient! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted January 22, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 22, 2018 Hello again, Been working on Diggle Junction today a little bit and noticed that my PVA glue is taking a long time to dry... hmm, could anyone suggest to me how long diluted PVA should take to dry or am I being impatient! If the weather where you are was anything like as wet as it was here yesterday, anything water-based is going to take a while to dry out. Looks like a really good layout. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisoafc Posted January 22, 2018 Author Share Posted January 22, 2018 Thank you for that Joe! As it turns out, it's drying nicely now, so I just have to be patient! Thank you, it is in three different sections at the moment so working on them separately at the moment Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisoafc Posted January 24, 2018 Author Share Posted January 24, 2018 Good evening. A little progress report here. Since the last update I have improved the backscene and tried to get the continuity right when it comes to putting the three backscenes together. I have been mostly working on the 3rd board this week and it's gone from a gluey mess to something which looks more like a railway! I have also levelled my road bridge out and added fencing to the side of it. On the track side of things, I have ballasted and then added a "mucky" colouring in places. I've begun weathering my track with *Woodland Scenics Track Painter pens* which are rusty rail colour and sleeper colour. I have also added some deciduous trees on the embankment as historic photos suggested that it wasn't just bear grass, it had some trees encroaching on the railway. I have also weathered my water tower and added grass tufts around telegraph poles and signals. While looking at old photos I noticed two lineside sheds on the entrance to the goods sidings, so I had to make these out of card. (Please let me know if these look ok). Furthermore, at some stage I would like to exhibit Diggle Junction, so if you think it could be exhibited (with a lot of work I know), please say, if not, let me know what needs to be done! Thank you Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisoafc Posted January 24, 2018 Author Share Posted January 24, 2018 Here are some latest photos of the layout 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
peanuts Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 hiya chris good to see another tic on here might be worth joining the group saddleworth gone bye on facebook fair few old pics of diggle station on there .myself and 62613 grew up on grove rd backing onto the old uppermill goods yard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisoafc Posted January 24, 2018 Author Share Posted January 24, 2018 Hello! Yes always supported Oldham, but it's depressing at times! So I turn to modelling when the football gets bad! Very nice, might join that group then. Wish I had the space to go all the way to uppermill goods yard! Thanks for looking Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dava Posted January 25, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 25, 2018 I do like this, it has ambition and the canal tunnel section looks like the real thing. Main suggestion for exhibiting is make sure you can transport it! Dava Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisoafc Posted January 26, 2018 Author Share Posted January 26, 2018 Thank you, I know I have to do a lot of work yet to get it up to standard and that could take years but only been at it for 6 months! Think I need to construct a lighting rig and redesign the backscene so it looks more realistic. Yes transportation could be an issue BUT my ambition first is to get it into a modelling magazine first 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
62613 Posted January 27, 2018 Share Posted January 27, 2018 hiya chris good to see another tic on here might be worth joining the group saddleworth gone bye on facebook fair few old pics of diggle station on there .myself and 62613 grew up on grove rd backing onto the old uppermill goods yard You might have, but I was already 13 when we moved there! For information, I did use the line once when coming home from school, after staying on for a cricket match. In those days, when Saddleworth was in God's own county, you went to Colne Valley High School if you were an 11-plus passee. It's just a shame that most of the people who could have helped you have passed on. A couple of others to talk to might be Coachmann of this parish, who attempted a scaled-down model of Diggle a few years ago; he was a fireman at Lees shed in the late 50s/early 60s; and Peter Fox at Saddleworth Museum Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
peanuts Posted January 27, 2018 Share Posted January 27, 2018 You might have, but I was already 13 when we moved there! For information, I did use the line once when coming home from school, after staying on for a cricket match. In those days, when Saddleworth was in God's own county, you went to Colne Valley High School if you were an 11-plus passee. It's just a shame that most of the people who could have helped you have passed on. A couple of others to talk to might be Coachmann of this parish, who attempted a scaled-down model of Diggle a few years ago; he was a fireman at Lees shed in the late 50s/early 60s; and Peter Fox at Saddleworth Museum i remember that well you and your sister regularly used to miss the bus Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisoafc Posted January 27, 2018 Author Share Posted January 27, 2018 Brilliant. Very entertaining read there thank you! I'll see if I can ask a few questions to him but apart from that enjoy my updates of Diggle! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisoafc Posted January 27, 2018 Author Share Posted January 27, 2018 I think I'll bob down to Saddleworth museum actually when I get time to have a look at some old photos and to ask for Mr Fox if you think he can help in anyway. Thank you. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisoafc Posted January 28, 2018 Author Share Posted January 28, 2018 More modelling today of Diggle Junction, track weathering and more backscene drawing. Struck me as to how far the layout has come since October. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
62613 Posted January 28, 2018 Share Posted January 28, 2018 i remember that well you and your sister regularly used to miss the bus Can't remember missing it once. However I can remember a few occasions when snow stopped play in the morning, and a couple of times having to come home via Hebden Bridge for the same reason. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
62613 Posted January 28, 2018 Share Posted January 28, 2018 Brilliant. Very entertaining read there thank you! I'll see if I can ask a few questions to him but apart from that enjoy my updates of Diggle! I am enjoying it, it looks the part, apart from the strange-looking locos . When we moved to Uppermill, the Friezland loop had just closed (October 1966, IIRC), I can remember an early-morning freight on the loop, a couple of times 9F hauled. Steam was in use on freights almost up to the end, mostly black 5s and 8Fs, quite often double-headed going Eastbound. there was a late-afternoon (through Uppermill) parcels going Westbound which quite often produced a Brit. All the passenger sevices were dieselised, and had been since 1960 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
peanuts Posted January 28, 2018 Share Posted January 28, 2018 I am enjoying it, it looks the part, apart from the strange-looking locos . When we moved to Uppermill, the Friezland loop had just closed (October 1966, IIRC), I can remember an early-morning freight on the loop, a couple of times 9F hauled. Steam was in use on freights almost up to the end, mostly black 5s and 8Fs, quite often double-headed going Eastbound. there was a late-afternoon (through Uppermill) parcels going Westbound which quite often produced a Brit. All the passenger sevices were dieselised, and had been since 1960 can just about remember seeing a train go past the bottom of the garden then nothing till the track lifting train around 73/4 class 40 hauled iirc Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisoafc Posted January 28, 2018 Author Share Posted January 28, 2018 Ha ha thank you and yes I know the GWR visitor was probably not a wise choice for the photo! I had a friend round today who said a lot of WD Austerities were around on the Diggle lines and often hauled freight on the Micklehurst loop, so I shall invest in one I think! Thanks for your kind comments and also I'm glad I've started a little trip down memory lane! Ha ha Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
62613 Posted January 28, 2018 Share Posted January 28, 2018 Noticing boats on the canal; that was closed (by the LMS) in 1944, and fell into general disrepair during the next 25 years. The lock chambers were all capped in the early 70s. There is an account in Narrow Boat, by L.T.C. Rolt, of his trip through the canal tunnel in 1944; he remarks that they had just passed through one of the locks on the Colne Valley side when one of the gates collapsed with a bang behind them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisoafc Posted January 28, 2018 Author Share Posted January 28, 2018 Ooo thank you for that useful information! I didn't know that at all and helps put a timeframe into my layout. I know that the tunnel has reopened as a tourist attraction I think. But yes thank you, love all these little snippets of info that's coming my way! Thank you! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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