Background

One of the major challenges I've found with model railways is finding something to keep me interested in a plan or prototype after the initial enthusiasm has waned - I've got most of the way through a number of plans only to completely lose interest. I've decided that a better choice is to keep myself grounded in what was around me as I was growing up - a layout set in the British Rail southern region in the '80s.

 

Style

There were MANY little branch lines in the area I'm living - most are gone, but the ghosts remain. My layout is themed around one of these smaller suburban termini. I would like to include some freight traffic, and siting the layout in suburbia rather than an urban location affords that pleasure. Taking great inspiration from Cyril Freezer's Minories and the freight/goods yard from Purley, I think I have come up with something broadly plausible.

 

Layout Plan

The following image shows the layout plan as it stands now, two boards of 5' x 16" (the latter so it fits through my loft hatch - scenic bolt-ons will be added in time). Please note, I have decided to add a runaround loop onto the middle pair of tracks since this plan was created:

 

 

Some notional 3D renders show the view from the station throat, including a potential scenic extension after the crossovers consisting of a bridge over a road:

 

 

 

Inspirational Photos

 

Gravel Shed - based on this depot in Ardingly

 

 

Coal Concentration Depot - just a rough approximation of the heaps/vehicles

 

 

Station - based on Bromley North

 

 

 

Some examples of the locomotives and freight:

 

Two Class 33's at Purley (my local station), the left is on an engineer's train while the right is shoving some HEA (new-ish air braked hoppers) into Platform 6, which was used as a runaround. Between the two you can see the fencing, gravel piles and conveyor of the gravel dealer:

 

(copyright SED Freightman)

A Class 37 dated slightly earlier, dropping off domestic coal at the coal concentration depot in (I think) Selhurst - a few miles away from where my layout is set.

 

 

A double-headed train of Class 33's pulling a heavy stone train en route to the gravel dealer at Purley:

 

(copyright SED Freightman)

 

Once the darling of the Gatwick Express (an intercity service running from the airport to London Victoria), soon enough the locos found work on the grimiest of duties. This is another HEA coal train en route via Clapham Junction to Purley:

 

 

3rd Rail multiple units will form the bulk of the passenger service, such as a 4CEP

 

 

Shuttle services to adjacent termini are handled by much smaller 2-car 2EBP's:

 

 

There will, of course, be the rare occasion for loco hauled services - standard BR(s) practise was to use 4TC (four car units with loco controls at the other end to the loco so it can be used effectively as a multiple unit):