Evening everyone, Iv been at a bit of a loose end tonight what with being a little bit skint after going on holiday and buying school unforms so i thought it was a bout time i tidied up the layout to see what jobs need doing. Now scenery isnt the highest priority for me & me dad so not much has been done for quite a while as we are always working on the next loco project, usually about 3 at once. Im now in a position where i have far more locos than i could ever fit on the layout (think iv just done my 30th class 40 for example) so im trying to turn my attention to up dating the coaches, wagons, scenery/buildings instead of doing another deltic, 50 or 40. I love parking the on the depot but i desparately need some better coaches for them so im think im going to bite the bullet & try flog off the older stock...eventually.

Anyway as iv tidied up one of the 'train rooms' iv taken a few pics of the layout so i thought id share them on here, any comments/sugestions most welcome as im quite a novice on scenery so any tips most welcome.

So here goes, this room is my (loose) interpretation of Bilton crossing/junction on the old Leeds Northern line from Harrogate to Ripon and then on to the ECML @ Northallerton. The remains are literally 2 minutes down the road & i regularly walk the old trackbed with the dog occasionally i find some ailway relic down the bankings. Ill start from the 'Harrogate' end of the Layout, this is representing 'Dragon Junction' where the lines from Harrogate split, right to Starbeck & York & Left for Ripon & North to Northallerton. It was a triangle layout with a line from starbeck joining the line to Ripon at Bilton. Heres a pic of Dragon Junction so far:

The tacks split, the line branching off to the left is the line to Starbeck wich in reality forms a loop back to mainline. The footbridge is representation of what was locally called the 'Iron Bridge' which i used to walk over everday to school. the signal box & its cotages has long since gone and the bridge has been updated. The line going round the back of the box is represnting the line to Harrogate goods yard, which is now ASDA, but for the layout its actually the conection to the branch line in the other room (all will hopefully be clear when i get round to putting pics up) The shed is my flight of fancy, supposing that when Starbeck shed closed a new diesel depot was built instead of a housing estate, all supposing the Harrogate - Ripon-N'Allerton line remained open of course!.

Heres a few more shots of the depot & its layout, the line curving around is the 'main line'

Past the shed & yards the line comes to Bilton Junction itself, the line from Starbeck come in almost dead straight to meet the curve from Harrogate. In reality there is no car garage its just an excuse for me to put out my ford carpri's & E types, there was a house there though before it was demolished to make was for the housing estate. The line from starbeck on the layout is actually a loop from dragon junction, the cutting being built up and designed to look as if the line carries on into the wall under bogs lane or 'the second bridge' as its known locally whilst the loop curves round under the hill. hope it makes sense so far! heres some pics:

I scratch built the signal box and intend to detail the interior but the 1st job will be to correct the deformed roof!, the tar dock is just visible infront of it, just like the real thing. the garage is just a super quick kit with my sign on it. most of the jags have been repainted corgi ones, the capris are cararama i think.

Now onto the interesting bit. Im not sure how well known the Harrogate Gas Works Railway is, so ill briefly explain, in 1908 the Harrogate Corporation were in dire need to get more coal to the Gas Works so it was decided to create a narrow guage line & from Bilton Junction to the works at New Park, at Bilton sidings were laid from the mainline to coal drops for the gas works line and a 'tar dock' created for transfering amoniacal liquers (a by product of the gas making process) to the standard guage wagons it lasted until lorries took over for a short time in 1956. Thanks to RT models there are now kits of 2 of the locos from the line, they were huge things for 2ft guage. Heres my representation of Bilton Siding both standard & narrow guage, the narrow guage track plan is as near as i could get it but the standard guage is how i would imagine if it had been rationlaised. Heres so pics of how i have tried to compres it in. Tunnel mouth for the NG is actually miles away and in someones back garden now but it creates a handy scenic break, the split levels are just about accurate for the coal drops as the terrain is quite undualting here, the line going up & onto the tar dock is steep but it was in reality. The face of the coal drops is still in existance, we used to slide down them as kids until some new houses were built on the site of the yard, funnily enough my better half lived in one for a while!. The tar dock is still there, still covered in tar as well but over grown but you can still see the sleeper marks, as are the abutments for the bridge. Also there is still what looks to be a crossing gate in the under growth as well. ill try take some pics next time i pass with my dog. Bilton box is also long gone but you can still see the foundations. My Grandad has great memories of being a kid & sneaking a ride on the narrow guage line through the tunnel to new park & getting chased off!. Heres one of the many 40s in the yard whistling away whilst the narrow guage locos potter about:

Past the yard, the main line continues pretty much straight over open countryside to the loops put in during the was (when Bilton Box was extended from being a standard NER Box) i have represented them but have had curve them and also compres them down a lot to fit!At the end of the loops going north was the viaduct over the Nidd, a wonderful 7 arch span viaduct over the very steep valley sides, this will be be modelled in the space between the rooms (pics to come) but so far its just a plank where the tracks go through the wall behind the door. heres some pics of the sound fitted 24 on the DCC circuit (far track) and my Baby Deltic in the loop at the far end, my backs pretty much against the door. Iv tried to represent the loops in the shallow cutting as per the real thing, the fields are car sound profing material washed over with dilute poster paint & teased out. Im looking to upgrade this at some point & i will be creating some autumnal trees to disguise the wall as the woods start at the edge of the field. Im going to aim for a late summer/autumn time for the foliage on the tress so im going to have bash at some tomorow all being well. Ill post something when im happy with my efforts.

Heres some pics of the 'North End' of the layout hopefully youll have been able to see what im trying to achieve through the pics.:

And the final 2 pics are of the latest jobs on the go, a super detailed/shaplaned Pinza just waitin for a coat of varnish, how i do love the british weather, not being able to spray outside! and finally the 'super deltic' comming along a bit sat on Pinza's chassis.

Thanks for looking through & sticking with it! if you want to know any more of the lines around harrogate, drop me a line and ill let you know some of the books i use, it really was a great place for railways back in the day but now its just a backwater line linking Leeds & York.

As always any comments/critisims welcomed, its all part of the learning curve!.

Time for a ciggy and a malt i think.

All the best.

James