A distraction... Rose Hill, Marple
Entry posted by James Hilton
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Paxton Road has been going over 2 years now and after a recent spurt of activity I find myself lagging a little in enthusiasm. Paxton Road is a ficticious location based in 1998-2000, depicting a small MOD depot north of Winchester on the old Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway. I really enjoy modelling modern image (well modern-ish) and modifying RTR OO equipment and I also love Class 33s and Mainline freight livery which led me to the Southern location. One thing I miss though is the ability to base my model on the real thing; structures, scenery, setting, trackwork etc.
I've been thinking recently about a photo plank style layout (seeing Jon's Brookeshire planks), to practice some scenic techniques. Unlike Paxton Road I would like this to be based on a prototype, a bit like RGR's Mossley Terrace from the old RM web. Living in Macclesfield I have regularly ridden my bike on the Middlewood Way but never all the way to Marple, and a little Googling after seeing a photo of a 101 in 'A Decade of Change' book on the Piccadilly - Rose Hill trip and Rose Hill seemed to be the perfect solution.
Rose Hill is a single line terminus. The line comes off the mainline and travels about 2 miles down to Rose Hill. There is no loop or run around, just a single platform and building which houses a waiting room and part time ticket office. What makes it even more perfect is the road bridge (great scenic break).
However to scale I'd need 10+ feet, and this amount of space just isn't available. This is supposed to be a quick project to get something finished and keep up motivation so things will be selectively compressed to about a 4' (max) scenic board with small bolt on cassette style fiddle yard.
Stock movements are limited. The line is served by 150/1 and 142s (previously the last place to find the 101s) at least these are relatively short units. I'm lucky in that I have a first release Hornby Pacer (in original provincial blue) and a first release Bachmann 158. Both of these will be usable on the layout with a little work (repainting/detailing for the Pacer - possibly some minor mechanical upgrade, and just detailing for the 158). In addition I'll source a First NorthWestern Bachmann 150.
Here are some photos of the stock fresh from being picked up from my parents home this weekend?
The layout will not use any 'ready to plant' structures - the only off the shelf scenic material are likely to be some fencing with the building, bridge and bike lock up compounds to be fabricated from scratch. The layout will be deep enough to model the cutting so you'll view the station through a few trees and scrub with the cutting sloping down into the layout away from the baseboard edge.
I've made a start on the station building. This has been selectively compressed to better fit the shorter platform, but maintains the character of the original. It will be finished to a high specification with signage and posters attached as finishing touches.
Here is the work in progress, totally scratchbuilt from various grades and offcuts of plasticard.
The last remaining question surrounds the possibility of using DCC and potentially sound - which would make this far from a cheap distraction but certainly a good place to experiment with a limited scope so to avoid massive expense in this area!
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