Milliedale on Sea - A spot of history,

[Black Sheep]

Allow me to introduce you to a little known Northern Seaside resort town.

 

Milliedale on Sea was once upon a time a small fishing village that expanded during the Victorian era to become a small seaside resort town but was slightly over shadowed by the likes of Scarborough, Bridlington and Morcambe.

 

During the war there was slight damage due to enemy action, but unlike many of the big towns and cities, we're not willing to just dispose of our town's history just for the sake of modernity, there isn't that much to re-build. 

 

So, as 1947 is well underway we're trying to get things built and ready to accommodate the season's holiday makers and have been hearing rumors that there could be a Royal Wedding sometime soon, along with the Olympics being in London next year! 

 

Better get back to the town planning, many people want to get their own way with how the town should be re-built and we have to make sure we do the best we can for the town and it's future growth as the country continues to shake off rationing and looks forwards to the great and prosperous future that Mr Attlee has promised us!

 

More detailed plans will be revealed at the next town meeting.

Edited August 20, 2018 by Black Sheep

[Black Sheep]

Planning Meeting Minutes:

 

Report from road building committee,

 

We see that most roads are intact but a few, ideally could do with widening where the opportunity allows along with the provision of a couple of main routes in and out of the town, beyond that we see no reason to change the town's road layout.

 

Report from town architects,

 

After a visit to Coventry to view their plans for a multi layer city centre connected by walkways in the sky and tall concrete buildings we see no need to do so in Milliedale-on-sea as it would harm the character of the town, we propose to only allow re-construction in traditional materials including stone and brick.

 

Report from planning office repair committee,

 

The previously destroyed planning room floor has, with the help of volunteers, been reinstated over this past few weekends. We thank our volunteers for giving up their time between their regular work to get this work done.

 

Any other business:

 

None

[Black Sheep]

Just in case anyone was wondering where I'd gone to

 

The railway room is perhaps not going to be the railway room anymore, it's currently full of boxes, furniture and motorbike parts (really need to get them on e-bay!)

 

We have a mid-terrace with kitchen built on the back of the dining room (fairly typical) at some point a conservatory had been built by previous owners between kitchen and next-doors kitchen wall, accessed through the dining room.

 

This room provides access to the back garden (instead of through kitchen and the old out buildings) and now that we're on the verge of having a family (Due in October) we're thinking it may be better used as a second small lounge.

 

All is not lost however as slow progress is made on Milliedale Brew Lane in the coffee table (brew, as-in having a brew, no?) which will need some perspex sides to protect it from small hands.

 

We're also considering a loft conversion which will be my study / railway room, possibly giving more space, but getting the dining room and nursery ready take priority.

 

Farewell and see you soon

[Black Sheep]

The railway have submitted plans of how they wish to alter their trackwork to better serve Milliedale-on-sea, reducing the sprawl of the goods receiving lines and rationalising the loco sheds as most freight is now handled at a larger facility outside of the town and locomotives have only been fueled and turned with basic servicing for some time. Locos will still be able to take on coal and water if needed but only as a top-up or for locos serving Milliedale-on-sea itself.

 

[Black Sheep]

I've altered the plan slightly, rationalising the shed to turntable, coaling / water road and a twin line shed (probably Bachmann diesel unit back-dated)

 

I've added a passing loop to the nearest line (can't decide if that's up or down, guess it depends which coast it's on!) opposite the shed, platform 3 (may not actually be a platform face given the bays) will double as passing loop and ability to drop a freight for shunting into the goods shed.

 

The goods shed has two lines in the shed and two goods sidings

 

The aforementioned bays are partly coach storage for excursions with only one or two actual platform faces.

 

 

The fiddle yard arrangement is intended to be able to hold a couple of trains without blocking the continuous run, the centre one of which allows for running round of a local train destined for the bay, the siding being for a DMU.

 

This bi-directional loop could also be a cassette, allowing for changing of stock.

[Black Sheep]

It's over a year since the last town planning meeting, 

 

Plans have been drawn up for the expansion of the council offices giving a 14.5 x 6.6 space in the loft giving a 14ft x 3ft space for planning tables, having spoken to a chap called Paul at a town planner's world fair type event called RMWeb Live we're looking at how we can best serve Milliedale-on-Sea's needs now and in the immediate future in conjunction with the railway, we're working together to see the best use of land. 

 

We've also been approached by a chap called Billy Butlin who wants to build what he calls a holiday camp on the cliffs overlooking the town, he says it'll bring employment and money into the town, we're considering his suggestion. 

[Jaz]

Love it.........

[Black Sheep]

We've got a local artist making sketches of what the town would look like from out at sea,

 

 

We're hoping to have the pier and lido connected by a promanade sweeping around the bay with the station hotel as a main feature half way along.

 

The old cliff railway is to be restored by Mr Buttlin in return for permission to build his holiday camp on the left hand cliff top

 

The railway want to shuffle their motive power depot, alter the station slightly and modernise their goods yard, possibly building a larger goods facility to handle onwards traffic outside the town and a smaller one in it's present location to serve the town itself.

 

planning, planning, planning, everyone wants their say.

Rumour has it Mr Atlee himself may visit to see what we're doing, not sure how true it is, we're only a small costal town, a bit forgotten but loved by locals and visitors alike, especially the chip shop!

[Jaz]

reminds me of Blackpool.....

[Black Sheep]

Following the sketch, I thought it might be interesting to look at how the railway first expanded in Millideale-on-Sea

 

The original act of parliament was for two lines running between the cliffs of Milliedale-on-Sea as a route north towards Cumbria

A small station was built on the line to serve the small settlement and played a key part in the growth of the town.

 

The first thing the railway have asked is to add a siding between the two platform facing tracks to store excursion trains / coaches, as part of this they're looking to widen the viaduct to the land-side of the station along with better access to the goods yard and locomotive depot. 

 

Edited November 23, 2014 by Black Sheep

[Black Sheep]

Taking a break from (2mm) reality and into the literal. 

 

Hopefully the loft conversion, part of which will house the layout should be complete by March. 

 

I've been asking for memories, photographs and suggestions of what needs to be included in a seaside resort town after the war. 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/70992-tell-me-about-1940s-50s-seaside-resort-towns/

 

Milliedale on Sea, as already said, escaped WW2 unscathed physically, it's pier intact but with the addition of a pill box on the beach (now an ice cream hut) 

 

So, what will feature in the planning of Milliedale on Sea?

 

The afore mentioned pier, lido, funicular railway and Butlins

St Leonards Church and school (My Grandfather was called Leonard and always instilled the value of education) 

Some terraced housing just behind the railway 

Station hotel

station (of course) 

Woolworth's

Dance hall (on the pier) 

B&B's along the front (georgian terrace?) 

Theater / cinema? 

Donkeys and other beach related items. 

[Black Sheep]

No progress as struggling to visualise in my head how it's going to look and then get it onto paper with space for platforms, buildings, streets etc in order to add additional track features (goods yard, depot etc)

 

 

I want to run local terminating trains with shunt release from the local MPD (possibly off scene) but this invokes the issue of turning trains round so this might have to have a separate fiddle yard under the layout / at the side of the layout

 

I'm tempted at times to switch locations to being at the side of a lake and build ''Rio'' somewhere in Cumbria which is what Milliedale was evolving into until I found I had enough space to make a go of Milliedale - on - Sea as that may fall into place easier. 

 

Decisions, decisions. 

[Jaz]

No progress as struggling to visualise in my head how it's going to look and then get it onto paper with space for platforms, buildings, streets etc in order to add additional track features (goods yard, depot etc)

 

 

I want to run local terminating trains with shunt release from the local MPD (possibly off scene) but this invokes the issue of turning trains round so this might have to have a separate fiddle yard under the layout / at the side of the layout

 

I'm tempted at times to switch locations to being at the side of a lake and build ''Rio'' somewhere in Cumbria which is what Milliedale was evolving into until I found I had enough space to make a go of Milliedale - on - Sea as that may fall into place easier. 

 

Decisions, decisions. 

I tend to find, I 'fall over' modelling items ....which take my fancy....I buy 'em......then attempt to tweak the layout to accommodate them......keeping a small sheet of PIR foam approximately 1ft x 3ft to photograph and test ideas.......andslowly they find a full time home on the layout. 

Admittedly our layout is large making this easier. BUT I do believe that the original beach idea had a lot of merit, and sourcing oe of those items, and making them up, will help you to visualise the finished product. The idea being don't set anything in stone...way and lean as the wind gently sways you around, many items work anywhere......it just take your mind to find an excuse for them.......

 

The present safari idea is all because i wanted a reindeer for the Xmas scene. My brother said......oooh i think I have one......well there was no reindeer......but I AM having fun.....and I think you are meant to enjoy the journey.........    

[Black Sheep]

A little bit more sketching today;

 

Plan for how the station and station hotel fit onto the layout, figure I can gradually build up a picture of how it should fit together, then start mocking up in real life (never been one for scale models of scale models) 

 

 

So, the formal building that sits across the end of the bay platform lines (parcels traffic on the line nearest the ''front''

The hotel will have an entrance onto the promenade (Queen Victoria Drive perhaps?) and an entrance towards the station. 

 

The road / car park slopes up to the station, just think a little queue of taxis from hotel round to entrance. 

[Black Sheep]

reminds me of Blackpool.....

 

Oh good! Glad to know it's heading in the right direction. 

 

I seem to be stuck with developing the layout, the sense of scale is confusing me and I'm either allowing too much space for something or not enough! 

 

I'd like to fit the depot 'on stage' but don't see how I can alongside the goods yard (not on plan yet) currently it's behind the back scene to represent a depot's existance

 

 

Perhaps I'm too preoccupied with ensuring there's enough space out front for the sea, beach and pier

Edited February 15, 2015 by Black Sheep

[Black Sheep]

 

Added some fiddle yard sidings for push/pull services

 

 

As the layout room nears completion I'm still working on the layout and how it'll fit. 

 

The layout room is the section of loft from the ridge of the roof to the eaves and so the roof slopes, I'd like to view the layout from the sea and so the fiddle yard will be at the back, possibly inaccessible from the front due to back scene or even building over and covering it. 

 

This creates issues of both dealing with derailments / crashes and also seeing what is where. 

 

I'd also like to fit a motive power depot on if I can. 

 

I'm wondering about loosing the tunnel at the right hand end and instead doing similar to Frankland where only one end is covered to break up the 'train set effect' 

 

So, my plan is to have the fiddle yard as sorting loops alongside the mainline and depot, this way everything is on display and self contained, locos drawing trains into the yard and either sitting with them waiting or dropping them and heading to the MPD. 

 

This would be consistent with many seaside towns where land was expensive so depots and yards were often constructed / re-located to out of town locations with small yards remaining in the original site (the plan here) 

 

There'd be a strip of town between the station side and the yard side of the layout with some tall buildings such as church, factory etc, the outskirts of the town, being between them, the actual town being off to the right. 

 

Trying to work out if I can have a reversing loop under Butlins (that won't be called Butlins) which is on top of the tunnel so that the shunt released trains head out from the bay platforms, through the yard and disappear to return, turned and coming back in again. 

 

we'll see...

Edited February 15, 2015 by Black Sheep

[Black Sheep]

Looking into carriage sidings at the moment, 

 

Leamington has popped up: http://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/gwrls2166.htmpossible depot and carriage sheds

 

Also Grosvenor Road has highlighted how big these places were… http://www.kentrail.org.uk/Grosvenor%20Road%20Carriage%20Shed.htm

 

MIlliedale is intended to appear sometimes full of trains waiting around as excursion trains and I think a station pilot might be found. 

[Black Sheep]

Trying to figure the length of pier needed to 'look right' on the layout to try and gain a little bit of space to the back. 

 

Most piers are in the region of 1000ft plus which takes up over a meter, but I've just found out about Burnham-On-Sea with the shortest pier, 

 

http://www.burnham-on-sea.com/pier.html

It's simply a pavilion on stilts 

 

Colwyn when it first opened was only 316ft long so may well be able to fit that in place, but not gain much in the way of space at the back of the layout. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Pier

[Black Sheep]

Well, I'm getting a much better idea and sense of scale and have fitted a depot in including a 4 road shed...

 

Yeh, erm, that's all I'm saying for now

[Black Sheep]

So, enough teasing:

 

 

The fiddle yard is gone, replaced by holding sidings, some for carriages, some for freight

 

The return curves at the left hand side, including the reverse loop (to turn the shunt-released services from the bay lines) are to be hidden under a cliff (with not Butlins on the top and funicular railway down to the spa) 

 

The two smaller orange buildings are the Scalescenes garage (square one) and 3 terraced houses (oblong) to give a sense of size / scale.

 

The only thing missing is goods provision at the moment (beyond the sidings at the back) 

 

So, any advice / ideas greatly appreciated

[Jinty2015]

Like the evolution of this!

 

In that much space I think this will become a pretty spectacular layout

[Black Sheep]

Like the evolution of this!

 

In that much space I think this will become a pretty spectacular layout

 

Thanks, had some moments where I felt like dropping the idea as I couldn't get it to work in my head, I've tried to bring the right hand curve in slightly and fit a depot without turntable (since I have a return loop that can stand in for a near by triangle) but it just doesen't fit properly without halving the shed space (I intend to be able to squash most of my locos into the shed if needed)

 

Still would like to fit in a small goods shed if possible

 

Thanks for the encouragement

[Jim Martin]

Judging from the poster right at the top, Milliedale is so overshadowed by Scarborough that it's borrowed its entire landscape from there!

[Black Sheep]

Shhhhhh don't tell, we just couldn't afford to pay for artwork!

 

 

 

In other news I'm considering DCC to avoid issues with parking locomotives in set spaces and simplify wiring runs (there'll be enough with the points!)

I've got the loan of a dynamis to see how I get on but I also need to start working in 3D to get a feel of space so I need to paint the railway room and lay out the track plan and raid the cardboard recycling!

[Black Sheep]

Trying to get a sense of scale, printed the plans out full size and laid them out in the loft

 

 

 

Slightly confused as to how the printer has set things out as some areas of the page don't print so could be that I've got the size wrong compared to room width, or I might have more space to play with than I realised...

 

I think the station is large enough however