Cullingden, Queensbury lines ex L&Y / Great Northern

[Simon Moore]

Bodgers Brow.

 

A layout I'm sure many of you will have seen at exhibitions over the years built by the late Arnold Belfield of the Rassbottom brow group.

 

A friend of mine who works in the trade bought the collection including the layout & as one of my best friends also works for my friend he called me up.

I purchased the layout without even seeing as my mate told me this has you written all over it.

 

Any Em my friend gets in we always get first refusal before it goes to joe public as we are a Em group at our local club.

It turned out to be a bonus as I managed to pick up a load of stock & locks for the layout.

 

I've had a few layouts over the years which I have purchased, I've learnt that I dont like making them alone they are too time consuming & i get stalled with them. 

The 2 layouts I have owned have both been large needing more than one operator which also contributed to them getting moved on.

This little layout however suits me perfectly. Its Em, based on a lanky prototype & has lots of very interesting locos.

It also means I can make locos for it which is my personal favourite in the hobby.

 

I intend to add a few bits to the layout, but my aim is to keep it as original as possible although I need to change the name to something more east Lancashire related.

 

Edited July 27, 2021 by Rhb Simon

[SteveyDee68]

Just the sort of thing my father was trying to achieve with his O gauge layout, Blackford Bridge, but which dementia has stopped him completing.

 

Blackford Bridge was never a railway station - it is the name of the road bridge crossing the River Roche next to the junction of Hollins Brow and Manchester Road, on the outskirts of Bury. The nearest it ever was to a railway would have been the Bury Corporation trams running to Whitefield (where I assume one would have changed to a Manchester Corporation tram).

 

If you wanted a proper "Lanky" name, feel free to use it - my dad would have been thrilled to see it adopted!

 

Looks a nice layout - just the right amount of complexity to keep shunting interesting!

 

Steve S

[Simon Moore]

A few more from a running session I had today.

 

The coal tank is a Bachmann conversion I did running the Bolton great moor street service.

 

Lanky saddle tank doing the pick up goods.

 

& a Midland steam railmotor running from Morcambe of all places. 

Theres even a pick up goods from hellifield 

[Simon Moore]

LThanks Steve

 

I've actually been thinking of naming it Belfield Brow after Arnold who built it.

 

It's a running title at present 

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

Where's the green eyed monster icon when you need it.

Glad it's keeping Arnold's memory alive, did he ever finish tiling those roofs?!!

 

Mike.

[Simon Moore]

33 minutes ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Where's the green eyed monster icon when you need it.

Glad it's keeping Arnold's memory alive, did he ever finish tiling those roofs?!!

 

Mike.

He did indeed

 

2000 odd on one building it says so underneath 

[Enterprisingwestern]

2 hours ago, Rhb Simon said:

He did indeed

 

2000 odd on one building it says so underneath 

 

It's the only modelling I ever saw Arnold do!!!

 

Mike.

[Simon Moore]

 

A couple more views around the station & goods yard.

 

I also did this video of the Bolton Great Moor street service arriving.

 

 

[SteveyDee68]

On 20/09/2020 at 15:40, Rhb Simon said:

LThanks Steve

 

I've actually been thinking of naming it Belfield Brow after Arnold who built it.

 

It's a running title at present 

 

That's a great idea!

 

By the way, I've only just spotted "Rigger & Mortiss" as the name of the "shoddy merchants"! 

 

Steve

[Simon Moore]

On 25/09/2020 at 21:26, SteveyDee68 said:

 

That's a great idea!

 

By the way, I've only just spotted "Rigger & Mortiss" as the name of the "shoddy merchants"! 

 

Steve

 

Makes me smile everytime I look at it. 

 

Arnold certainly had a sense of humour.

 

 

[Simon Moore]

Someone did a nice bit of photoshop for this image of my jidenco railmotor & trailer.

 

 

Think the sky needs to be a bit darker though.

[Enterprisingwestern]

4 hours ago, Rhb Simon said:

Someone did a nice bit of photoshop for this image of my jidenco railmotor & trailer.

 

 

Think the sky needs to be a bit darker though.

 

Some rain as well?!!

 

Mike.

[Simon Moore]

4 hours ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Some rain as well?!!

 

Mike.

I think it needs lots of rain Mike, i think us in the north of going to go through another stage of evolution soon & grow gills

[Simon Moore]

I had the Craftsman Johnson tank on test on saturday morning & i must say its a lovely running model from the off. I think a quick skim of the rear frames might be needed for clearance but apart from that its almost ready for paint.

 

 

[Simon Moore]

A few imagines of a visit from a austin seven thats run light engine from Lees mpd to Bodgers brow.

[Simon Moore]

With Cowgill recently retiring to my home Bodgers Brow has been sat minus stock & forgotten.When I got the layout I got the stock for it too & this has all gone onto Cowgill to fill up its many fiddle yard sidings which has also been taking up my spare time fixing. 

 

I have decided to give Bodgers Brow a rename, change of eras & locations. I do not intend on changing much on the layout as it is a beauty as is & whilst it's original setting is greater Manchester its now moving much closer to home to become a part of the Queensbury lines which is one of my favourites. The reason for this change is to give all my ex lanky & great northern models a home. I do not have much in the way of br stock so the bits I do have I thought would fit perfectly here. I have all the staples to run on the layout pretty much with just a few still to add. The j50, j6, c12 & j39 are already models I have made with just the n1 to build & a Hornby b1 to convert which will complete the ex lner fleet. The midland side of things is a ex lanky a class which is due to be repainted into br black, a Bachmann 2-4-2 which is converted & a fowler tank which I built from a Hornby body & comet chassis. I have still a few items of rolling stock to add & that's the stock done. 

 

I think I am going to update some of the grass as well from the old sawdust to more modern static grass. I think a few other details to complete the br look will make the layout pass as a Queensbury lines layout. 

 

I will post a few photos once I get started. The layout is a generic enough northern Milltown style layout that it can portray many different eras. The long term stock for it is lanky & lnwr for something totally different.

Edited July 24, 2021 by Rhb Simon

[Simon Moore]

I'm having an operation tomorrow which I am not looking forward too so I decided on a bit of retail therapy at Frizinghall models.

 

I have changed the layout name to Cullingden which is a mix of Cullingworth & Wilsden both of which are 2 stations on the Queensbury lines. 

 

 

I've purchased a few wagons, some cars & a truck plus some crew for some of my locos. Tonight I am going to take a few photos of my layout in it's 50s guise.

 

More pics to follow.

Edited July 26, 2021 by Rhb Simon

[Simon Moore]

I have taken a few shots this evening of the layout. I have also done a bit of fine tuning on a couple of locos that wasn't running correctly. 

The Fowler 2-6-4 tank was the first valve gear loco I have ever made & it's taken until now to get it running right. The chassis was fine it was the pick ups that needed a bit of a tweak. It's running beautifully now & the next one is going to be an ivatt tank which was the worth valley engine.

 

One thing I am going to do before winter is weather the road vehicles. I have George dents weathering book & his techniques for cars & wagons is superb so I am going to tone the gloss look on the bits on the layout. Another thing will be to fit figures to the various buses & cars etc. 

 

A view of the road bridge into Cullingden yard.

 

 

I still have a load of work to do to freshen up the layout. I have a peco billboard I am going to make. In one of the great northern outpost books there's a picture of Ovenden Rd & a billboard infront of the line with a captain Morgan rum sign which I want to try & recreate beside the road bridge. The hill is going to get a dose of static grass & the other areas that are grassy just to spruce the scenics up a bit. More figures are going to be added it's one thing I think many layouts miss off. 

 

I want the layout ready for our Christmas open day at Keighley club so I need to get my finger out. I have stock to em & weather an ivatt n1 to build & scenic work to do. 

 

I really want to put some concrete cast lner station signs on the layout too like what was at the stations on the Queensbury lines but I don't think anyone does one as a casting or kit?  Might have to scratch build one or get some 3d printed. 

 

I doubt much will get done this week as I have an operation tomorrow, I'm off all week & would like to convert a few more wagons & fit couplings to them. I would also like to get the N1 chassis built up in the jig.

 

That's all for now.

[Simon Moore]

Yesterday was one of those days, i find out I have diabetes right before I am due to go to theatre for surgery. Thankfully I made my operation. Not exactly the news I was looking for first thing on a Monday morning.

 

I needed a bit more retail therapy when I came around & I think I am more or less done with the rolling stock now for the layout. I've also purchased some washes which George Dent uses in his weathering book. Along with getting the N1 built I want to weather the rolling stock, cars & road vehicles for the layout. Little projects like this can fit in when you get half an hour or so.

 

I am still tender this morning but I am keen to get the N1 chassis built this morning & have a rolling chassis. The poppy's woodtech jig will make easy work of the chassis. I will post more later.

[Simon Moore]

I started the ivatt N1 this morning, I got the basic frames & rods built up. The rods are a bit odd in being old George Norton ones whilst the kit is more modern I nickel silver. The rods are very delicate & need care when handled. I have also folded up the basic footplate not shown. I will get to it again this evening if I feel up to it. I am still feeling a bit rough & very sore from the operation I had yesterday.

 

[Simon Moore]

Well I am going to have to totally rebuild the chassis. I had a look this evening & I have put the front & rear frame spacers the wrong way around. Note to self, never model kits after surgery!

 I might see how the 00 spacers work as the sideplay is very limited & some of the layout pointwork is tight.

[Simon Moore]

It's crazy to think my last post was in July. Its been a funny year if I am honest. I've had more highs & lows than a Blackpool roller coaster. 

Not long after marrying my wife I had a full mental breakdown & modelling went out the window to the point I sold off loads of items & nearly called it a day. I've had no enthusiasm at all & life's been pretty dull. Whilst I got shut of Cowgill my big em layout & some of the stock Cullingden I couldn't get rid of. As I have gotten older the dream to have a large space for a layout came to be & I had that large layout well 3 actually & I realised that they are more hassle than they are worth. 

This little layout suits all my needs & fits in a nice little room in the house. I can keep busy building bits & changing periods & it's about all i ever will need. 

I think I am out of the mental issues I was suffering from now & I am working on a few small items for the layout. Earlier this year I purchased a Hornby lms suburban brake in br livery which I converted last night. I also added a 3rd last night via a eBay purchase to finish the rake. That will look nice behind a lanky tank. 

Next projects are to finish off a J52 I've been building along with a lanky 0-8-0 that's nearly finished. It's a little big for the layout but it doesn't buffer lock like a 4-6-0 does so it does work on the layout. 

I've other bits I need to do too. Some scenic work to bring up to date a bit in places, vehicle weathering etc. Key for me at the moment is small steps to get back going again. I will get there eventually but its taking some time. 

 

I will take a few photos over the weekend of some of the projects I have on.