Millers Dale in the 80s - BR Peak Line in N

[RBE]

Very tidy piece of work there Cav. Of course you could compromise and bring your flange clearances down a tad by squeezing the gauge in 0.5mm or so in the frog area. Helps the appearance and the running but standard N gauge wheel sets will work fine.

Cheers

Dave

I did consider doing the gauge squeeze but I dont have a way of reliably setting the gauge to something none standard. If only I had a lathe!!

[eldavo]

I'm afraid I just bodged it on Waton using the MkI eyeball and a selection of wagons for testing! It does make it easier if you build the turnouts in a slightly backwards manner. Assemble and fit frog and closure rails, fit the check rails then add the stock rails. Not overly tricky and the gauge narrowing is too small to be seen once finished.

 

Cheers

Dave

Edited November 12, 2013 by eldavo

[RBE]

Thats not too far off how I build in any case so I could certainly adopt that technique. I may try it with my next points in the station area. I dont fancy using the mk1 eyeball on the double slip mind!

[richierich]

The switch looks really good Cav. Much better than Peco Code 55.

 

Did you make all the components such as the vee yourself?

 

What radius is the switch built to out of curiosity?

[RBE]

Thanks Rich. I made all of it yes. The dremel is my friend! The radius is what was required for the diversion over the viaducts. I cant actually remember what it turned out to be on templot. I will look it up and tell you though. I suspect its about 3ft ish.

[branchie]

That looks really good Cav.

 

Don't think I'm brave enough to try the 'build your own' track

[highpeak]

Hi Cav,

I think there were some class 20s renumbered 20/3s for a short time, not sure what year though. Another Peak would be nice too 45012 was about until quite late, I have a nice pic of 012 parked up at Buxton shed in a book somewhere.

 

Cheers Peter.

I've just spent the best part of an hour reading this thread, very interesting. According to Jack Bentley in the Foxline book "The Railway from Buxton to Bakewell, Matlock and Ambergate" as closure came near there was a proposal put forward by one of the quarries (presumably ICI) to retain a single track for two freight trains each way per day. So your idea isn't far-fetched at all.

The quarries either side of Millers Dale closed quite a long time before the line closed. The works known as Millers Dale Lime Works closed before the war http://www.brocross.com/industrial%20history/derbyshire%20limekilns/millers%20dale%20limeworks.htm, the entry for East Buxton on that web site says 1944 for the date of closure, some good pictures of the kiln.

The period between the end of WW2 and the 60s saw a lot of the smaller quarries in the Peak District close. They either ran out of stone that was exploitable (depending on the terms of their lease on the land) or were simply uneconomic to operate (certainly the case at East Buxton with it's small kiln that was loaded by hand). History can of course be rewritten under modeller's license, but I think your plan and operating scheme is fine as it is.

The signature element of the location is those viaducts and your reproduction of them is excellent, anybody remotely familiar with the scene would know exactly where they were just by looking at them.

Another Peak that seems to have survived into your period (just) and was at Buxton was 45 007 looking quite shabby here in the middle road a Buxton station:

I spent many happy hours as kid train spotting at Millers Dale, I must say I prefer your history to the sad reality version!

Edited November 13, 2013 by highpeak

[RBE]

Thanks for that info Highpeak. Getting those viaducts right will be important to setting the scene. I certainly hope that I can rekindle your childhood memories! On another note does anyone have any good pictures of the station buildings on platform 2? I cant seem to get a good view anywhere. I'm almost wondering if a demolished and modernised platform 2 building/shelter will be needed to cover the shortage of reference.

[RBE]

Thanks Rich. I made all of it yes. The dremel is my friend! The radius is what was required for the diversion over the viaducts. I cant actually remember what it turned out to be on templot. I will look it up and tell you though. I suspect its about 3ft ish.

 

Rich,

 

The point is 30.3 inches (769mm) on the diverting road according to templot. The main line actually curves the other way a tad making it a very very slight Y point.

 

Cav

[highpeak]

I've been through every book I've got that has pictures of Millers Dale and there really aren't any good pictures, certainly nothing like the pictures you can find of the buildings on platform 1 which of course still exist at least in part.

The structure on platform 4/5 for the Buxton branch passengers was a mostly wooden affair that would have needed replacing by the 80s. The buildings on platform 2/3 were substantial stone affairs that probably took a bit of knocking down, so they might have survived. But they were really too big for the purpose (I think some of the space was occupied by people like PW Inspectors, a dim and distant memory tells me that my pal's dad who was in charge of the PW for quite a stretch south of Millers Dale had an office somewhere on the station), so could have been replaced by something more economical.

BUT! Remember that you are in the Peak District National Park and the Park Planning Board would have wanted a say in whatever you planned to put up there! You would almost certainly have had to build something in local materials, no cheap bus shelters. And Buxton folk won'y want to wait for a connection in a bus shelter, Millers Dale in winter could be a bit wet and breezy. If you were going to Buxton, the branch line train would be waiting for you, but if you were going away, you would have to wait a few minutes for your connection. The branch train would usually stop in the up slow platform, and then reverse smartly out of the way before retreating into the bay. There was usually about 10 minutes between the arrival of the branch train and the arrival of the up connecting train.

Anyway, I found the following (which you have probably seen already, but just in case...):

British Railways Past & Present vol 23 Notts and Derbys has a picture of 92077 on a railtour in platform 1, you can at least see how far the dividing wall on platform 2/3 extended towards the barrow crossing

Foxline Scenes from the Past vol 2 has a shot of a down freight going through on the fast line, you can see the buildings at the down end on platform 2/3 (gentlemen's toilets)

Foxline Scenes from the Past vol 7 has what would be a useful shot of the buildings (plate 82) if the picture had been reproduced at all well

Then and Now: The Monsal Trail has a number of pictures of Millers Dale, just a glimpse of the down end of platform 2/3 from the opposite angle of Foxline vol 2. There is a good picture of the Buxton platform building, and a very atmospheric shot showing some of the canopy detail on platform 1

 

I don't think any of those pictures would really let you develop an accurate model of the buildings though you could come up with something reasonably representational.

 

I still like the idea of a tastefully done modern structure in stone though.

 

While thinking back to trainspotting days, a number of the up trains would be too long for platform 1 and would have to draw forward, so no need to fret over your HSTs not fitting the platform, that wouldn't be anything new!

[RBE]

Cheers for the info. I may well have to do a modern stone structure. Would also help to set the station as a modern take rather than simply running diesels on a steam era layout! As far as HSTs are concerned the platforms on my plan are to the length of the real Millers Dale taken from google earth. It seems that the real MD would not have taken an hst either. As in many other real world locations passengers will have to alight from the front portion of the train!

 

Cav

[Andrew P]

Hi Cav, I'm still looking and reading about your point building exploits, have fun hahha

 

Andy

[RBE]

Haha I thought you'd get excited about some track finally getting started!!

[cornish trains jez]

Hi Cav,

 

I'm attacking my first turnout tomorrow. It's all quite daunting this track building malarkey! Looking forward to your next photo update.

 

Best regards,

 

Jeremy

[RBE]

Cheers Jeremy. Not had chance to do any more yet but will do soon. I assume you are doing plastic sleepers and glued on chairs with yours are you? Bit different to full copper clad construction. Ill be interested to see how you get on.

[cornish trains jez]

Yes, mine is the plastic version. I'll let you know how I get on tomorrow.

[Jack00]

Cav- the HST alighting you refered to happens alot here in Cornwall.

Look forward to pictures of the trackwork.

 

Jack

[Holmesfeldian]

I said it was big !

 

 

[RBE]

Cheers for that its brilliant. Those platform lengths highlight exactly what we were just talking about regarding train length. There is no chance of getting an hst in there!

Edited November 17, 2013 by RBE

[Andrew P]

Morning Cav, Local services will look good against that long platform and with the Freight running through it will be awesome mate.

 

Keep the pics coming.

Andy

[RBE]

I also notice that the pencil markings on the yard indicate Lomas. Its all coming together I think!

[eastwestdivide]

...

BUT! Remember that you are in the Peak District National Park and the Park Planning Board would have wanted a say in whatever you planned to put up there! You would almost certainly have had to build something in local materials, no cheap bus shelters.  ...

On the other hand, Hope has a thing that looks much like a bus shelter:

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/SME/html/NRE_HOP/objectvalues/2120-0000013.html

[RBE]

Interesting that, it used to have stone shelters which have obviuosly been changed, odd. I think MD would be a bit more substantial though. The plan is very useful and Im now tempted to do the twin level platform again now for added interest!

[eastwestdivide]

Interesting that, it used to have stone shelters which have obviuosly been changed, odd. I think MD would be a bit more substantial though. The plan is very useful and Im now tempted to do the twin level platform again now for added interest!

Yes, now you come to mention it - they're fairly recent. I had a look back through and found a photo of mine from 2004 showing stone shelters both sides:

 

close-up on the Sheffield-bound side:

 

It was always a difficult choice between waiting outside in the rain or inside with the smell of "used lager".

 

Anyway, diversion over - you've now got justification for whatever takes your fancy.

[RBE]

Yes its a difficult decision to make the rain or relief smell! I think I will do a modernised building on platform 2 given that the station has been reduced to simply a through station with a shuttle bay. I reckon a waiting room with a BR buffet and a toilet is probably all that's required on that side of the line. The wall with the steps would make a nice scenic feature as the two platform levels collide. Hmm do I do the level difference???!