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Midford Goods Yard


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Hi, yes... but nothing one can't find by a (substantial) web trawl.  Why not PM me and I'll send you what I've got.

  On a 2m board OO will easily fit, but I now model in O so it's an uneasy compression.

 

My grandparents almost bought Midford castle...

 

BWw

 

Richard.

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  • 3 months later...

A Dilemma...

 

My 'O' gauge stuff is still much in evidence, but, given the lockdown I have decided to revisit my 'OO' gauge stuff (11 locos) which I haven't touched for 7+ years. Midford has always intrigued me. I plan a 1.8m length diorama of the Goods Yard (in 'OO'),

BUT it will lack operational interest. The original plan of the 'real line', was, of course, for the line here to be doubled, so, would it be OK to have a double track through this lovely part of Somerest and still have a GOODS yard (perhaps with a headshunt)?

 

Now I know 'Rule One'- applies in all cases (except if one's wife disagrees), but I would welcome comments.

 

Thanks,

 

R.

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Pictures of Midford Goods Shed always seem elusive.

 

My view for what its worth is its a good prototype for a 'railway in the landscape' that at the same time you can run long main line expresses past.

 

Also of course because of its nature you can change its location an period if you fancy, perhaps on the Cambrian or the IoW?

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14 hours ago, RTJ said:

A Dilemma...

 

My 'O' gauge stuff is still much in evidence, but, given the lockdown I have decided to revisit my 'OO' gauge stuff (11 locos) which I haven't touched for 7+ years. Midford has always intrigued me. I plan a 1.8m length diorama of the Goods Yard (in 'OO'),

BUT it will lack operational interest. The original plan of the 'real line', was, of course, for the line here to be doubled, so, would it be OK to have a double track through this lovely part of Somerest and still have a GOODS yard (perhaps with a headshunt)?

 

Now I know 'Rule One'- applies in all cases (except if one's wife disagrees), but I would welcome comments.

 

Thanks,

 

R.

Ironically, many year ago I toyed with an idea based on the planned doubling as far as Combe Down tunnel, except that my model would have been based on the planned Combe Down station rather than Midford itself. However I did give some thought as to what might happen at Midford as a result.

 

I see no reason why the goods yard should not continue in existence in order to serve its original purpose. A short-ish headshunt would enable you to 'shut in' a train to shunt while other Down trains passed by. The more important question perhaps is how the access to the yard would be controlled. 

 

Assuming that the doubling to CD took place at the same time as the rest of Wellow-Midford (1892) then without the need for the single-to-double junction the location of Midford signal-box would be questionable. Other than for controlling the rarely-used Up Siding, it might have been more beneficial perhaps to locate it where the  'A' GF was provided.

 

However, if you're thinking that the doubling to CD took place later, then probably the 1892 Midford SB would have stayed where it was and then either (a) the Down Home would have been moved further out to protect the trailing connection into the yard, with GF 'A' being released from the SB or (b) the DH would have stayed where it was and the GF released electrically from the box at CD. On balance the former seems more likely. However the GF would have been relocated to the Down side to avoid the guard/shunter having to cross the Up line to reach it.

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Thank you RailWest for that full and interesting reply.

1. Do you have any knowledge of the exact plans for a new CD station? I've heard the rumours ( I think down the '49' steps down nr the primary school with the old paper/furniture factory to the right?)

2. I hadn't thought about the implication of double track nr the Midford GY -and the probability that the GF hut would be moved - a pity; that may sway me. Since my breaking-up my 'Wellow' layout a few years ago, I have all the track and points I need for any of the two scenarios.

3. A double-track scenario may lend itself to a possible head-shunt but the physical constraints of the 'real' site area may mean it would only be extremely short!

 

Thank you so much for your stimulating reply -much to ponder on!

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I'm afraid that I know nothing more about the proposed station at CD other than that apparently one was proposed for there, and clearly it would have to be somewhere between the south portal of the tunnel and the north end of Tucking Mill viaduct. After that - apply 'modeller's licence' :-)

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've just revisited this thread as I'm looking at building Midford Goods in P4 as a smaller/experimental part of my wider Radstock plan. I'm still torn between doing this as a diorama or fully functioning module. The experimental element being the journey in to honing my track building and scenery skills etc, and to this extend the diorama stage is more appealing I think as a bit of a photoplank, but with the ability to remove building and place them in to the larger layout at a later date. 

IMG_8299.PNG.92a579da575a9871498eeb1379159a75.PNG

 

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IMG_8302.JPG.a0ff7da529514c7e787e27efc3bb5c80.JPG

 

IMG_8303.JPG.928bf9a3ea9a8df481bb556b434128b2.JPG

 

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Anyway, coming back to RTJ's latest question I have indeed recently stumbled across the plans for the NSLR branch from Radstock Goods which was of great interest. For those who are a member of the S&DRT the article written by Mike Arlett can be found in Bulletin 123. Here's a link to help, but I think it'll only work once you've logged in. http://pass.sdrt.org/files/bull123.pdf This could be another way of making Midford more suitable to your purposes and you can't be held to account for getting the details wrong either! Benefits of a fictional scheme.

 

If the article doesn't work for you then let me know and I may be able to sort something over PM.

 

Best Wishes

 

Paul

Edited by Kempenfelt
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Hi Paul; thanks for that. I like the warehouse model!

 

I normally model in 'O' gauge but with lockdown have resurrected my old 'OO' points and flex track.

 

Mine will be more of a shelf layout I think. I've ordered some baseboards from ScaleModelScenery - the first time I've ever done that. I could make the shelf just over 2m long (or 1.6m with one of the extensions taken out. The problem is the width is only 221mm. The goods yard will fit -but it's tight!.  It'll be more of a diorama / test track I think.

 

I can't access the link unfortunately.

 

The ruling gradient was 1:150 which over 2m in 'OO' means a fall of 13.4mm. Hardly worth it methinks.

 

Please keep in touch.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Thanks Gordon,

 

no re Midford as the baseboards I ordered are not wide enough. I do have the plywood to make a “proper “ go at it but the  garage is barely above freezing so will need to wait for it to warm up.. The advantage of the smaller baseboards I ordered from ScaleModelScenery   Is that they are lightweight and thus portable and can be brought into the house.

 Best  wishes,

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21 hours ago, Gordon A said:

Any progress on Midford?

 

Not sure if that was aimed at Richard or myself? ;)

 

For info Richard, it was Gordon who drew up the Templot plan of Midford Goods for me as included in my post above.

 

Gordon, not much more progress at my end since the 16T experiments, however I did receive the base board material just over a week ago that I order back at the start of November! So you never know, this might get picked up again in the not so distant future! :D

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5 hours ago, barrowroad said:

Paul, Just noticed this thread.  A diorama definitely not!  It needs to a full circuit layout so you can run full length trains past the yard:D

 

Robin

All in good time Robin! :D .....................although I can see the similarities to the discussions which caused the Barrow Road diorama to grow like topsy! ;)

 

A Barrow Road-esque shed and roundy roundy is the ultimate aim, but I'm also trying to be sensible and break things up into bite sized chunks.

 

I might be tempted to put a bit more thought in to Midford Goods and at least make some provision for running trains, but I was at least trying to keep this one to a test piece for the larger plan! :P At least you'd already completed Sheep Pasture when I started dropping ideas that Barrow Road ought to be that little bit bigger! :D

 

Thanks both for the encouragement!

 

Paul

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  • 2 months later...

Hopefully this will be of some interest here:  Midford Yard in N gauge, a new project just started a couple of weeks ago.  It is just a glorified test track really, but I thought that if I was going to go to the trouble of constructing baseboards and laying track I might as well make a layout of it.  Then I found a photo of Midford Yard and it was absolutely perfect.  The S&DJ has always been one of my favourite lost railways: hopefully I will be able to capture at least some of the atmosphere of the place.

 

 

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  • 6 months later...

Slow progress due to other commitments (or possibly laziness) but my N gauge "inspired by" Midford Yard model is starting to come together.  I've done horrible things to the geography at the northern end, with Tucking Mill viaduct vanishing altogether putting Midford Yard a couple of hundred yards south of Combe Down tunnel. I never said it was going to be an accurate model.

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  • 1 month later...

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