Saltfleet

[Dave-5-5-7]

Welcome to my current project. This has been adapted from my previous layout plan, owing to having a space 16x5ft the previous layout was shelved as over half of the area was being taking up by fiddleyard. This new plan is end to end fiddleyard to terminus. 

 

The basic history is based on a line built to the coastal town of Saltfleet which then grew into a seaside resort. Being one of the lines in Lincolnshire to have survived the cull of the 60s and 70s it carries on. Based in the late 80s early 90s it still boasts a healthy timetable with trains to Boston, London, Nottingham and Sheffield. Traffic is a mixture of 105s, 156s and loco hauled mk1/2 stock. 

Construction is at a point now where the track is down, point motors are being installed as are track feeds. The boards have had a rough coating of black paint. Wood for the platforms is in. 

Given my interest in signalling and electronics the layout will be fully signalled and that signalling will be prototypically interlocked with the point work with a mixture of relays and SSI circuitry and worked from a signal box panel, initially IFS but moving to NX as time allows.  

 

[russ p]

Looks like an interesting project,  I have a similar scissors crossing with slips to yours saves so much space. 

Your wiring is fantastic 

[Clive Mortimore]

Hi Dave

 

I don't think you have enough level crossings. Well here in nieghbouring Soloby we had six when the Mablethporpe loop existed.

[great central]

Looks remarkably like the current layout at Skegness, no bad thing by the way.

[Moggs Eye]

An interesting project, I hope it goes well.

I like the detail around the signalling and the back story that comes across from your signalling diagram. Given your particular interest I can see why you've gone for all the colour light signals - technology that seemed to come fairly late into East Lincolnshire - I think there may have been one or two somersault signals lingering on the Skegness branch around the era you're modelling!

I will look forward to your updates, have fun with it.

[great central]

1 hour ago, Moggs Eye said:

An interesting project, I hope it goes well.

I like the detail around the signalling and the back story that comes across from your signalling diagram. Given your particular interest I can see why you've gone for all the colour light signals - technology that seemed to come fairly late into East Lincolnshire - I think there may have been one or two somersault signals lingering on the Skegness branch around the era you're modelling!

I will look forward to your updates, have fun with it.

 

There's not really much in the way of colour lights even now, from Ancaster to Skegness is almost all semaphores, apart from the Sleaford area which was originally planned to be included with the Lincoln area resignalling.

When I took my son to Skegness on the train a couple of times there was a somersault down distant at Hubberts Bridge and an up distant approaching Firsby south junction from Skegness. I'd guess that one lasted until the south junction box was abolished?

My son was born in 1980 so reckon it would be probably after 1985 or so.

[Dave-5-5-7]

On 05/04/2020 at 15:58, great central said:

 

There's not really much in the way of colour lights even now, from Ancaster to Skegness is almost all semaphores, apart from the Sleaford area which was originally planned to be included with the Lincoln area resignalling.

When I took my son to Skegness on the train a couple of times there was a somersault down distant at Hubberts Bridge and an up distant approaching Firsby south junction from Skegness. I'd guess that one lasted until the south junction box was abolished?

My son was born in 1980 so reckon it would be probably after 1985 or so.

 

On 05/04/2020 at 14:28, Moggs Eye said:

An interesting project, I hope it goes well.

I like the detail around the signalling and the back story that comes across from your signalling diagram. Given your particular interest I can see why you've gone for all the colour light signals - technology that seemed to come fairly late into East Lincolnshire - I think there may have been one or two somersault signals lingering on the Skegness branch around the era you're modelling!

I will look forward to your updates, have fun with it.

Aye, there were a couple of semaphores knocking about well into the late 90s. Bellwater's distant was. In my timeline, the line from Austen Fen was converted to a panel like the Cleethorpes line was, taking 3 or 4 boxes to a single panel.

[Dave-5-5-7]

Little progress this week, having passed out my first signal box and been verified on my rules, I've been stood down to reside at home until needed. So I've been doing bits where I can. 

 

The line through the station of the previous plan, has been realigned, the control panel has received the wiring from the Saltfleet side of the layout. The Skidbrooke wiring will go in tomorrow. 

After being pestered by the four year old, I've added a length of line so Thomas can run, this will form a preserved line where I can get away with running RC that wouldn't normally be seen. 

DMUD lines 1 and 2 have been laid. These are 4 car and 3 car lengths, lines 3 and 4 will be 2 car lengths. One issue I've noticed is I have a 3 car 108 and the headshunt is only 2 car lenghts long so I'll have to sort that out. 

[saxokid]

1 hour ago, Dave-5-5-7 said:

Little progress this week, having passed out my first signal box and been verified on my rules, I've been stood down to reside at home until needed. So I've been doing bits where I can. 

 

The line through the station of the previous plan, has been realigned, the control panel has received the wiring from the Saltfleet side of the layout. The Skidbrooke wiring will go in tomorrow. 

After being pestered by the four year old, I've added a length of line so Thomas can run, this will form a preserved line where I can get away with running RC that wouldn't normally be seen. 

DMUD lines 1 and 2 have been laid. These are 4 car and 3 car lengths, lines 3 and 4 will be 2 car lengths. One issue I've noticed is I have a 3 car 108 and the headshunt is only 2 car lenghts long so I'll have to sort that out. 

Some project build here

[Dave-5-5-7]

Todays antics. DMUD has been built, wired and tested. The "old" fiddle yard for the previous design has been lifted and the pointwork has been repositioned ready for the new 

[saxokid]

Looking good Dave...

[Dave-5-5-7]

Bit of the non scenary side done today. Fiddle yard point work is going in, 

 

Saltfleet Maintenance Depot has been laid to be wired up over the weekend

 

Also been playing around with some ballasting, and oil effects for the depot headshunt

 

and created a little bit of engineering works. 

 

Also looking at less aggressive point control, I've got a couple of servo mounts from Dingoserv. Looking pretty good so far. 

[Dave-5-5-7]

Time for a small update, the main drag out of Saltfleet has received ballast, and muck on the non-main lines. 

 

 

 

An older diagram has been fitted for size test before an actual one is printed, it's been altered a couple of times, and the layout at Saltfleet has been altered to allow for the lines going outside. . Signal switches are installed and work first level relays. 

 

 

Rolling stock wise, I took a hacksaw to my HST. I don't think it turned out that bad. Needs renumbering. 

 

[Dave-5-5-7]

Been a while, work and family have lead to a delay. I've also replanned a little. Saltfleet on Sea is now a NCB/CEGB stabling yard and a bulk terminal point is a bit further down the line. This leads to increased freight traffic in the shape of MGR trains. Control between the main line and the yard is through slotted signal and a released set of points. This is due to there being insufficient room on the exit of the yard. The main line goes outside the room and loops back into the avoiding line in a part of the garden. 

Control has been moved to DCC but point control and signalling are still standard. 

 

New track plan. 

 

Moss Street Signal Box

 

Edited October 21, 2020 by Dave-5-5-7

[saxokid]

On 21/10/2020 at 07:54, Dave-5-5-7 said:

Been a while, work and family have lead to a delay. I've also replanned a little. Saltfleet on Sea is now a NCB/CEGB stabling yard and a bulk terminal point is a bit further down the line. This leads to increased freight traffic in the shape of MGR trains. Control between the main line and the yard is through slotted signal and a released set of points. This is due to there being insufficient room on the exit of the yard. The main line goes outside the room and loops back into the avoiding line in a part of the garden. 

Control has been moved to DCC but point control and signalling are still standard. 

 

New track plan. 

 

Moss Street Signal Box

 

Coming along treat stil my frend

[Dave-5-5-7]

Another change. The yard took a different turn with a gradient under construction to take it to an upper level containing a coal loading site. This is the final draft with track work being tested on Monday. The upper level will be constructed over the next few months along with scenery and signalling going in. I have built MS940/944 signal out of a Dapol gantry, berko signal heads and GPL blanks from Rusty Rails. 

[Dave-5-5-7]

Moving to late turn this week so have had a day to work on it today. 

Theddlethorpe sorting sidings have been laid. Managed to move most of the freight stock over there. 

 

 

the entrance point work has been put in, just need to cover the excess holes from the through the board motors. 

 

the area where the gradient is going to go was cleared and a temporary structure was put in place to enable testing. At the minute it rises to a height of 6 inches over 10ft which is about 1:20. I will be testing this over the week and may drop it to 4 or 3inch height. I think the current gradient is a tad "ambitious."

On the plus side, I can find things on my shelf again!   

[Dave-5-5-7]

been a bit of a while, bit of a change gone on. 
The top level has been built, the lower yard is now a looped fiddleyard with East Jetty sidings on top of it. The slip and the entrance to the fiddleyard has been removed. It was in an awkward location close to a board join and was causing derailment issues. 

 

The Hornby platforms at Saltfleet are being replaced with a kit bashed replacement. They're made from metcalfe brickwork and Scalescenes tarmac. The Up platform has been constructed and the down platform has been started as time allows. 

 

 

 

The brickwork for the end of the platform. This is the scenic break from station to fiddleyard. 

 

 

in location with old platforms. 

 

"East Jetty" siding baseboard in place. 

 

 

East Jetty trackwork in place. It's going to be "concreted over" with a low relief factory on the back wall. 

 

West Reception Sidings in place. On the right is Sutton Dock station. Hornby platforms in place, will be replaced as time allows. 

 

 

Something which helps with track cleaning. A sharge track cleaning wagon with a homemade one converted from a 101. 

 

Additionally the whole out building has been cleared up. I got bored of stepping over the boxes from my old business so they've been donated to the local heritage railway. 

[Dave-5-5-7]

It's been several months since I've managed to get to the layout. The gradient wasn't working. Even with two powered locos it's was too steep for 20 HAA wagons. Permission has been obtained to take the layout outside and come back on a return loop. As such the area around the depot is being removed to allow the formation to be straightened to go outside. The depot has been removed because I've never been happy with it so it's been removed pending relaying. 

[Dave-5-5-7]

Been a bit of a shift on over the last few weeks, the depot has been removed and re-laid using streamline points. 

 

The siding where the 47 is sat in the foreground also acts as a programming track. 

 

 

The depot is getting a hard standing and lights. A pit is being installed on road 1 and a deceased Dapol 56 is being put on a lift as a display. 

 

 

 

Other work has involved the removal of West Yard point work, the siding will remain with some old wagons on it depicting a dumped scene that was once common on the network. Wagons no longer needed left to rot and rust on a forgotten siding. 

The old up and down Mablethorpe lines going to the right behind the depot have been rendered obsolete by the garden plan. The up line has been severed pending removal, the down line has been left in and is depicted as "Depot Sidings" on the plan. In reality this joins with the fiddle yard. It's primary use will be to allow me to run in new locos without going outside. 
The line to the left with the 37 on it is the former line to Tetney Oil Sidings. This is still on the plan, although signed out of use beyond the loco and it's only purpose is getting to the Up Siding. 

 

 Now I am happy with the track layout, I'm going to lift the points over the next fortnight to enable the fitting of point servos. Then try my hand at scenery, not my best quality as can be seen. However as can be seen with the available track layout, it will mostly be ballast, mud and grass tufts.  I also need to straighten the track through the platform. 

 

 

Behind the station 2x DMU sidings have been added. One long enough for a 3 car set and one long enough for a 2 car set. 

Edited November 2, 2021 by Dave-5-5-7

[Dave-5-5-7]

Ran a quick mock up for the MCB LX. 

 

 

The Fiddle yard entrance has been realigned to receive a single line from outside. An additional line has been added to the right, a long siding representing Mablethorpe, capable of accepting as 12 coach train with loco. That's for the "Seaside Specials" all so common 30 years ago. 

 

Temp signal box diagram has been made, I'll start drilling the holes for the indicators and switches tomorrow. It will eventually a printed metal panel, but until I stop making alterations this will do.