Johnson Street IEMD

Hello, I'm Kat, I 've always lived alongside a railway line, in a way, its my parents fault I am here, but enough about that.

I have, over the years fallen in love with the Railways. it's kinda been one of those, if you cant beat them, why not join them, but in doing it, liking to make my mark. I come from the North East, having lived in a place called Chester-le-Street for most of my youth and always, the railways were close by. Chester-le-street found itself at the corner points of a once-busy railway junction called Ouston Junction. This junction is no more, with the line to Consett long gone sadly. Now, finding myself alot older but as close to the railway in the midlands as I was in my childhood, its presence has allowed the railway to spawn an interest which I have always found fascinating - model railways.

In the North East, we never really had overhead electrics, just as our family were moving down to the midlands, did electrification come, but really only for a year or so and for HSTs in the form of push pull Class 91 and DVT train-sets - i know - fancy them being referred to - as such. Amusing for a modeller to them to be called this.

So, getting back to Overhead Electrics, one half of my grandparents moved south and settled in Cheshire, and everytime, as children we came to stay, we were exposed to the electric train thing, they were quieter than diesels and came with an array of ''knitting'', it was unusal but fascinating - from the minute i first clapped eyes on it at Tebay where the M6 criss-crosses the WCML, i would follow it at every turn, car journeys can be quite tiresome for someone who used to get car sick, the railway line kept me amused, one didnt always see too many trains, but the OHLE was a source of interest, in the same sort of way that it is now, all these years later. My time in Cheshire with my grandparents saw me going on train rides with grandad and these normally started at Crewe Station, little did I know, that there was the vastness of Basford Hall and Crewe EMD lurking just a stone's throw from here, and from this. my electric thing was born.

Coming down to Stafford due to my fathers job meant I would again be close to the railways and even more so in recent time at the edge of the Wolverhampton/Lichfield spur, needless to say, it's like a dream for anyone who loves and lives modern day railways.

So, to my layout:

I have some experience of building and working with model railway layouts but my DCC skill level is 'basic', my area of expertise would be more so on the asthetic aspects so the layout has been built by my local model shop, otherwise known here as 'Mike and the Mechanics'

Johnson Street IEMD,

The background

Johnson Street IEMD is a fictious satelite electric train maintenance depot, somewhere between Crewe and the South Midlands. The idea is that the area around Crewe has been seconded for HS2 and the shed space at Crewe EMD has been diversified and electric traction operations have been partially moved here to Johnson Street. The Shed and its surrounding land is operated by DB Cargo rail for their traction maintenance and in addition to this, they will maintain other TOC's (Train Operating Company) electric traction (electric locomotives & occasionally EMUs) primarily including the Serco Caledonian Sleeper traction including Classes 86, 87 and 92.

The layout formation

The layout is an end to end which is being built in three stages, stage one is the central section, including the depot and its surroundings. So the main rail entrance to the depot is via single line under a mini tunnel section which leads to a turn out feeding into two tracks heading away from the depot. The single track entry breaks out into a three way turn out at the depot entrance, the right hand track runs immediately into a three way turnout which feeds the three tracks for the three-track-shed. Going back to the second of the two main tracks off the main entrance turnout - the second track runs into a siding which sits alongside the shed, the third turn out which is the left hand track heads away from the shed, feeding both a siding alongside the shed and other siding as above and also a reverse siding which leads to a seperate twin track siding feeding shed two (twin track shed) and also a holding siding.

The main entrance to the layout and the immediate trackwork including the two sidings and the trackwork to the left of the main shed is fully electrified. The reverse siding will be partially electrified. The second shed isnt electrified. The track to the left of the main three way turnout will, in time lead to a fictious freight terminal and also a heritage connection beyond the planned layout boundary. For the time being at the initial stage of use, this left track will be a head shunt which will be electrified

The will also, in time be present at the opposite end of the layout with the right hand section of the layout build being a junction area whereby non electrified lines leave (two tracks) to the left and electrified lines (five tracks) are to the right. These five tracks open out into several mainly freight holding tracks with the freight yard entrance being ahead of here and also the trackwork will be bi-directional where need be. 

Operation

The whole layout project is DCC with controller operated points on the central section. The controller is going to be the Dynamis. There will be several signals on the layout which in time will play a greater part. The shed will feature inspection pits which will feature LED lighting and shed lighting also. I am on the look-out in the next few months for some DCC sounds for the sheds to replicate typical traction maintenance shed sounds. The traction on the layout will all be DCC sound fitted also.

Electrification

The catenary used in the project will mainly be Nbrass but there will also be a dusting of PECO catenary involved as well, keeping a WCML (West Coast Mainline) style, which basically for those who dont know (there is a really wide variety of gantries present on the WCML and more than one might think. So, the depot scene will try to replicate a similar look to it, almost as if Network Rail recycled the catenary from elsewhere.

Locomotive fleet

As of February 1st 2019, my ''United Colours of DB'' locomotive fleet looks like this.

(1) Hornby DB Cargo Class 08923 TTS fitted

(2) Hornby DB Schenker Class 60007 Switch on to Safety livery - DCC TTS fitted

(3) Hornby DB Cargo 60100 DCC sound (pre TTS)  - rebranded and numbered professionally

(4) Bachmann Ex-EWS-DB Class 66002 DCC sound fitted - rebranded and numbered professionally

(5) Bachmann DB Cargo Class 66009 DCC sound fitted - rebranded and numbered professionally 

(6) Bachmann Ex-EWS-DB Class 66065 DCC ready

(7) Bachmann DB Cargo YIWU-London Class 66136 DCC ready - TMC Exclusive model

(8) Hornby DB Schenker Class 67018 yet to be DCC Sound - intention to correct this late 2019

(9) Hornby DB Cargo Class 90019 DCC fitted -  - rebranded and numbered professionally 

(10) Hornby EWS faded decals Class 90020 DCC fitted - rebranded and numbered professionally 

(11) Hornby DB Schenker Class 90029 - DCC fitted

(12) Hornby Ex-EWS-DB Class 90037 - DCC fitted - rebranded and numbered professionally

(13) Hornby EWS white decals Class 90039 DCC fitted - rebranded and numbered professionally

(14) Hornby/Lima EWS grey transitionary livery Class 92017 - Lima shell on Hornby DCC fitted chassis - mucky weathered

Future loco plans

I am looking forward to Bachmann's 90 arriving especially if they can do the Malcolm logistics 90024 amongst others. I have a DJM Class 92 on order in DB livery and will look to get Caledonian Sleeper liveried versions of the new Hornby Class 87, due out at the end of the year, along with the DJM Class 92 and a Heljan Class 86, whether I wait for the all new one, or a rebranded earlier one. I also love the GBRf tunnel livery seen on 92032 and 92043.

1st September 2020

Eighteen months later and whilst the layout isnt finished, the locomotive plans have been streamlined in favour of a greater level of focus around my recently acquired Bachmann Class 90s. I currently have four 90s, three sound fitted and reliveried into DB Cargo, with a fourth in the pro-reliverying equivalent of the paint shop equivalent of Toton into a tired version of 90018, this like the current real life version is still DB Schenker-ed and will be a long term stored example, which won't be sound fitted here and now.

Locomotive fleet

(1) Hornby DB Schenker Class 60007 Switch on to Safety livery - DCC TTS fitted 

(2) Hornby DB Cargo 60100 DCC sound (pre TTS)  - rebranded and numbered professionally

(3) Bachmann DB Cargo Class 66009 DCC sound fitted - rebranded and numbered professionally

(4) Bachmann DB Cargo Class 66065 DCC ready (will be sound fitted soon)

(5) Hornby DB Cargo Class 67028 TTS Sound fitted 

(6) Bachmann DB Cargo DB Schenker red Class 90 018 DCC fitted (in the paint shop at the time of writing this)

(7) Bachmann DB Malcolm Rail Class 90 024 DCC Sound fitted 

(8) Bachmann DB Cargo red Class 90 028 DCC Sound fitted

(9) Bachmann DB Cargo blue (ex DRS) Class 90 034 DCC Sound fitted

Future loco-additions

Needless to say there are going to be a number of DB90s joining the pool, starting with 90018 but thinking further ahead to when Bachmann release their first EWS/DB variant this time next year, so I'm thinking maybe two or three others, in time, as for other models, yes, the Accurascales Class 92, i dont have one ordered, i am undecided on which example, probably the EWS transitionary livery with the three beasties, but not 92044 or whichever they're doing firstly, more likely one which is currently in service.  As for a DB liveried one, maybe, 92015 or more likely a Cally Sleeper liveried example. Heljan Class 86 the new generation, yes, for sure, when they get round to the later examples like 86/4 or 86/6, i think DB could wet-lease or even maybe buy a pair from Freightliner.

29th May 2023

Two and a half years later and the main part of the layout is finished, the fiddle yard is outstanding and is holding up proper operations - a little oversight in the build. The locomotive plans have ebbed and flowed but progress has been made and we'll soon have the first long term stored DB loco on site. Accurascales's Class 92 has gone on sale, but I havent yet snapped one up yet, but there's three main contenders, 92015 YIWU London, 92036 EWS grey Beasties or 92042 in DBS red.

There will definitely more DB90s to arrive, the fleet I want to have requires, I am currently short of three or four more. I envisage, there'll also be an 08 shunter as well as Class 60 and 67 types returning to Johnson Street as well.

Locomotive fleet

(1) Bachmann DB Cargo Class 66009 DCC sound fitted - rebranded and numbered professionally 

(2) Bachmann DB Cargo Class 66065 DCC sound fitted

(3) Bachmann DB Cargo Class 66100 DCC sound fitted

(4) Bachmann DB Cargo DB Cargo red Class 90 019 DCC ready (chip waiting to go inside) 

(5) Bachmann DB Malcolm Rail Class 90 024 DCC sound fitted - Rainbow Railways

(6) Bachmann DB ex-Grand Central Class 90 026 - DCC fitted

(7) Bachmann DB Cargo red Class 90 028 DCC Sound fitted

(8) Bachmann EWS liveried Class 90 031 DCC ready

(9) Bachmann DB Cargo blue (ex DRS) Class 90 034 DCC Sound fitted

(10) Bachmann DB minus Schenker red Class 90 036 DCC fitted

(11) Bachmann DB Backbone livery Class 90 039 DCC sound fitted - Rainbow Railways

15th April 2024

Nearly a year later, I have joined my local club and am hopeful of a solution to finishing my layout. I am in discussion with a cantilevers wizard for the OLE and my local club has people who have experience of the trackwork needed for the project. Loco-wise, its fair to say to say I am having more progress with. My first Accurascale Class 92 has arrived and shortly followed by a second. The loco fleet looks as below:

(1) Bachmann Class 66009 DB Cargo DCC sound fitted - rebranded and numbered professionally 

(2) Bachmann Class 66065 DB Cargo DCC sound fitted

(3) Bachmann Class 66100 DB Cargo DCC sound fitted

(1) Bachmann Class 90019 DB Cargo DCC Sound fitted

(2) Bachmann Class 90024 DB Malcolm Rail DCC sound fitted - Rainbow Railways

(3) Bachmann Class 90025 ex-RfD Long Term stored - DCC fitted

(4) Bachmann Class 90026 DB ex-Grand Central - DCC Sound fitted

(5) Bachmann Class 90028 DB Cargo red DCC Sound fitted

(6) Bachmann Class 90031 Tired EWS Long Term Stored DCC fitted

(7) Bachmann Class 90034 DB ex-DRS DCC Sound fitted

(8) Bachmann Class 90035 DB Cargo red DCC fitted

(9) Bachmann Class 90036 DB minus Schenker red DCC fitted

(10) Bachmnn Class 90037 DB Gliders red DCC fitted

(11) Bachmnn Class 90039 DB Backbone DCC Sound fitted

(12) Bachmnn Class 900xx DB ***Surprise livery tbc*** DCC Sound fitted

(1) Accurascale Class 92027 DB grey RfD livery DCC fitted

(2) Accurascale Class 92042 DB Schenker red DCC Sound fitted