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Melbourne Military Railway (Derbyshire) No. 2 Railway Training Centre


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  • RMweb Gold

Good afternoon and am hoping some of you can assist.

 

In addition to my OO gauge layout, Jencaster, I am contemplating building an exhibition layout, but in 3mm/ft. The area I may want to depict is the Melbourne Military Railway (No 2 Railway Training Centre) in Derbyshire. I know there is a book on the subject but its over £20 and I want to make sure it has the info I need before I buy.

 

My question is 3-fold.

 

1. Does anyone know if the book covering this topic has a detailed enough trackplan of the centre which is scaled?

2. If not, does anyone have any info on the track layout?

3. Does the book have details on the loco's used etc? - in 3mm/ft its either kit or scratchbuild and apparently the centre used about 8 loco's all in poor condition!! 

 

I have an old signal layout drawing from "The Signal Box" of Melbourne Station in the early 20th Century, but I understand the training centre had a few more tracks than Melbourne station, and was training the REME on how to build/demo railways and bridges etc.

 

Fascinating subject and would definately be a challenge which would last me well into retirement.

 

Thank you in advance

 

Ian

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The only track plan in the book is of King's Newton Depot from a postwar 6" Ordnance Survey.

The appendices give brief details of locomotives including notes made by Dick Riley of a visit in October 1943.

 

I have heard that a new book is in preparation but I do not have details of any publisher or publication date.

 

Tony

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  • RMweb Gold

Thanks Tony - I think I will get the book anyway as I am sure it will help with cameo scenes of the training operation and other details etc.

 

I also am aware that Melbourne library has additional information which is probably already being used in the new book.

 

Ian

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  • 2 years later...
On 17/04/2018 at 14:07, ianLMS said:

Thanks Tony - I think I will get the book anyway as I am sure it will help with cameo scenes of the training operation and other details etc.

 

I also am aware that Melbourne library has additional information which is probably already being used in the new book.

 

Ian

Did you ever model this railway Ian? I am considering doing it as a small exhibition layout. I am from the area and have a few books on it.

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  • RMweb Gold

Good morning and happy new year! Its one of those ideas which may or may not develop into reality!! I see a new book has been published on the railway covering 1939 onwards and i need to obtain a copy to see what elements of the railway could be succesfuly modelled. I am definately hoping to do something one day. Would be great if you would build one and share your ideas. My dad lives in Melbourne so i can visit once we are all out of lockdown!!

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1911038796/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_lPd8FbV5DFQCM

 

Ian

Edited by ianLMS
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Hi Ian,

 

Sorry I've only just read this. I lived in the area for a lot of my life and have only just found out about it. Anyway, I now have three books and I am slowly reading through them. I am just going to model a small section with the two tracks; one upline to Derby (other side of Melbourne) and the other with a passing loop and some sidings towards Ashby. As the track crossed the canal and the river trent and there was a bridge building school, I want to add a Baily type bridge on the Derby line over the trent which will be raised and a pontoon bridge over the river on the other line. They also practised blowing line up and repairing it! The end of the upper line will go into the Ashby tunnel. I have gathered some of the stuff including LMS locomotives and rolling stock to start and a first draft of a track plan.  I come from Castle Donington where Wellingtons were based, so I am going to have one flying over with engines spinning (I have done this on my WWI layout). Just a bit of fun and perhaps some ack ack and other WWII vehicles. The Castle Donington siding near Breedon and Tonge had the loading/unloading ramps for the motor transport depot at Donington Hall/Donington Park (German Officer prison camp in WWI) so having some period lorries would look nice. My brother-in-law's grandfather was the station master at Breedon and Tonge!

 

Incidentally there are descriptions of some of the layout such as the passing loop. They built a large camp near Weston-on-Trent (I knew of this but did not know it was RE originally). The main depot was at King's Newton on the Melbourne side of the river and there were absolutely loads of sidings. A map published immediately after the war shows them. You would need a large layout to model them all!

 

Michael

 

 

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  • RMweb Gold

wow this is weird, i only discovered about the wartime history of this line yesterday myself despite driving trains past it for the last 15 years and knowing of the line to ashby from chellaston jn, the junction signal from the 1969 resignalling of the area is still sat defunct in the trees at chellaston jn!

 

interesting to note from looking on line that the loco shed at shardlow quarry is still (just about) standing in the trees and there are concrete bufferstop blocks in a field nearby too

 

 

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20 hours ago, big jim said:

wow this is weird, i only discovered about the wartime history of this line yesterday myself despite driving trains past it for the last 15 years and knowing of the line to ashby from chellaston jn, the junction signal from the 1969 resignalling of the area is still sat defunct in the trees at chellaston jn!

Is that signal 338 from the Worthington Branch? The Chellaston branch through siding had no signals juat a ground frame for access. See http://www.norgrove.me.uk/signalling/plans/Derby.gif

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  • RMweb Gold

Some of the concrete buffer stops can be seen if you drive along the road from Isley Walton towards Melbourne, just before the old railway bridge and Kings Newton.

 

I think that one can be seen on Google Earth.

 

Brian

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Great thanks I will have a look. I finally found maps showing the sidings.... there were so many and they almost reached Castle Donington along the river. I saw several other sidings which were for old mines and quarries as well as the vehicle loading/unloading ramp. When the restrictions are less I am going to walk the old railway and along the river.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

I walked the track bed to the  old engine shed in the triangle of land between this line and the line still in operation just to the west of Weston on Trent this weekend. Some interesting viaducts and other remnants of the railway still exist if you know where to look

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