Port Solway - Edwardian Era NER & M&CR

[Geordie Nigel]

Port Solway is the P4 / S4 layout of the Newcastle & District Model Railway Society.  It is set in the early part of the 20th Century somewhere to the West of Carlisle and the fiction is that the North British Railway was unsuccessful in its attempt to reach Silloth but that the North Eastern Railway extended the Newcastle & Carlisle Railway to create a new town of Port Solway.  The Maryport & Carlisle Railway extended from its main line in an attempt to connect with the Caledonian Railway  coming in via the Solway Viaduct, but with the building of the Port Solway branch ended up connecting with the North Eastern Railway there.  Purists please note this is the exact opposite of what actually happened.

The layout has been under construction for some time and has been making slow progress on Thursday evenings.  In a bit of slow reporting and an attempt to get things started, here an image from a running session in December 2015.

[Geordie Nigel]

Some more images from the running session in December 2015.  The NER Class P1 heads a mineral train across the viaduct before crossing the level crossing and entering the station where it meets a Class B1 on a goods train, waiting for the single line section to be cleared.  One the trains have passed, the crossing gates are opened and the road traffic is allowed to go.

[Titanius Anglesmith]

Very nice. That NER P1 looks rather smart 

[figworthy]

This is looking very nice.

 

Is it likely to get out to exhibitions in the future ?

 

Adrian

[Geordie Nigel]

The next outings for Port Solway are planned for Wigan  in September, 2021 then Alexandra Palace in March 2023 and Keighley in March 2024.  Unfortunately we have to schedule outings around appearances of other layouts as our crew are involved with some other exhibition layouts, so the layout does not get out so much.

Here is a pair of comparison photos.  The first was made at a running session in October, 2012 and the second in July, 2019 with the same loco in roughly the same location.

[Geordie Nigel]

Some more archive photos from 2012 when the scenery was still quite basic.  Various locos crossing the viaduct - 290, P, E1 & R.

[Geordie Nigel]

Some more up to date photos from the running session in July 2019.  The Maryport & Carlisle Railway passenger train arrives.  The R runs around its train, stopping in front of the warehouse.  The E1 waits to shunt ahead at the shunting signal.

[Geordie Nigel]

The Maryport & Carlisle Railway passenger train arrives at Port Solway.  The photos are not the wrong way around.  The train comes off the branch and stops on the viaduct before reversing into the station.  When leaving for Maryport it must back out of the station onto the viaduct before heading up the branch.  The train is scratch-built with some commercial components.

[Geordie Nigel]

The brig which was built just in time for the layout's appearance at the Tyneside Model Railway Exhibition in 2019.  The photo was taken on an evening using a basic camera with built-in flash, hence the shadow of the rigging on the backscene.

[Geordie Nigel]

Port Solway being prepared for the 2019 Tyneside Model Railway Exhibition with a behind-the-scene look at the working lever frame with mechanical interlocking visible just behind and the main control panel with signalling diagram and section switches.  The second photo shows the brand new lighting pelmet on test.

[Geordie Nigel]

More from the preparation work.  A trial fitting of the cantilever signal bracket with Port Solway Signal Box and a lineside view of Emes Ferry Signal Box and across the viaduct.

[30368]

Lovely piece of work thanks for posting the pictures and all the best for the future.

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

[Geordie Nigel]

Getting the turntable to work.  For many years the turntable at Port Solway was a static scenic feature.  Last autumn a concerted effort was made to get it to work in time for its appearance at the Tyneside Model Railway Exhibition.  First image shows the turntable operating correctly for the first time using a borrowed 00 locomotive as a check weight.  The second image shows the workings underneath with, at this point, the temporary flying leads to rig temporary power supply, control switch, etc. disappearing down below baseboard level.  And finally, after finishing off, painting, repairs to the scenery and the proper installation of the electrics.

[Geordie Nigel]

Real thing found lurking at Kirkby Stephen.  This has a very close resemblance to the London Road Models kit used.

[Orion]

Could you publish a track diagram or scale plan of the layout please?

[Geordie Nigel]

The scenic section is 20' long with a 6' fiddle yard at each end giving a total length of about 32'.  The plan is as seen from the viewing side.  Unfortunately I cannot get the file to show a preview but hopefully it will download.

PortSolwayPlan.pdf

Edited May 12, 2020 by Geordie Nigel

[Orion]

Thanks, that makes the photos much easier to understand.

[Geordie Nigel]

Port Solway in action at the 2019 Tyneside Model Railway Exhibition.  The cattle train crossing the viaduct.

[Geordie Nigel]

During the lockdown period we have not been able to access the Port Solway layout.  Complicating factor was that we were in the middle of moving clubrooms when lockdown was started so the layout has not been unpacked since it returned from the Tyneside Exhibition in November 2019!  Our members have been busy with projects at home.  It was noted that our cattle train, shown in the previous post, was a bit on the short side so various folk have chosen to build a cattle wagon or two.  We now have an additional ten or so cattle wagons which means the train will be too long for the fiddle yard!

[Geordie Nigel]

A small branch leading off the Port Solway layout runs to the Port Solway Sanatorium where patients can convalesce while taking in the sea air.  A train, run by the Port Solway Sanatorium Trust (PSST), collects passengers and supplies from Port Solway Station.  Recently finished model train (shown on the Lowburn Park layout as Port Solway layout is still packed away). 

Edited March 14, 2021 by Geordie Nigel

[Geordie Nigel]

The exhibition dates originally planned for the Port Solway layout have, as might be expected, been thrown into disarray by the lockdown situation.  In a complete change of plan, Port Solway will next be exhibited at Solrail / Workington on 20th & 21st November, 2021.

[Geordie Nigel]

A new rake of Maryport & Carlisle Railway Chaldron wagons scratch-built using resin casting.

[Geordie Nigel]

Special guest appearance on the Port Solway layout by Bob Hetherington's Stockton & Darlington 'long boiler' loco 217 at the 2021 Solrail / Workington Model Railway Exhibition.  It should be on the mineral train but the crew felt that it should be given the top link.

[Worsdell forever]

12 minutes ago, Geordie Nigel said:

Special guest appearance on the Port Solway layout by Bob Hetherington's Stockton & Darlington 'long boiler' loco 217 at the 2021 Solrail / Workington Model Railway Exhibition.  It should be on the mineral train but the crew felt that it should be given the top link.

 

In original condition too and with a water heater chimney. Brilliant stuff, deserves the top link, take it steady though, it'll be a rough ride.

 

[Geordie Nigel]

Returning to action for the Solrail / Workington MRE following repairs, the NER Class O.