Bishopdale - 1960's British Midland Steam

[AireValley1962]

Edited to add updated information.

 

Note: New Layout Build HERE 

 

NOTICE: First version of this layout through to page 3; the current version from PAGE 3 onwards.

 

SKIP TO: Best photos and details from PAGE 4 and following.

 

ERA: Mostly centered around 1950's-60's LMR branchline operations.

 

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Hello Fellow Modellers!
 
    I just thought I would share with you my project that I have been working on.  It is a small model of a fictional place in the Southern Pennines - a small branch line running through the valley from Buckden(north of Skipton) to Aysgarth.  I have been at it for a while now, so it is well on its way to completion, but I'll outline the build beginning at the start.

 

 
    I purchased Hornby Magazine Issue 75, and in it was a terrific article on how to build a tunnel scene.  It looked like just the thing for me. Now, I had been building a collection of rolling stock out of kits (more on that later) and I wanted something quick and simple to build to display and photograph my locomotives and wagons.  So, after sketching some simple ideas, I drew up a scale plan on a large piece of paper.  Then, with some spare wood lying around, I quickly knocked together a simple baseboard: 3/8th inch Poplar plywood for the surface, and 1 X 2 hardwood for the frame.  I bought a Peco single track tunnel mouth and set that up on the plan on top of the board, with a length of track, to see how it looked.  So far, so good.

 

 
    A couple weeks later, and I had finished the scenery contours using 1 inch foam insulation board layered together.   I set it up on a shelf, set some stock on it, and was rather pleased with the way it looked.
 

 
There, that is the first chapter in a series about my Pennine Project.

 

Cheers, 
William

Edited February 10, 2020 by AireValley1962

[steve1]

A very promising start!

 

steve

[Allegheny1600]

Hello William,

Welcome to the forum, as Steve says, a promising start! Always good to see anything on the Settle & Carlisle route.

Don't know if you know but there is a dedicated section on here all about the S&C route, plus a rather crazy group of supporters called the "Lunesters" (all in good fun!).

You're always welcome to come and see what we chat about.

Cheers,

John E.

[AireValley1962]

Continuing the story of the Pennine Project:

 

After the part completed diorama was set up on its shelf, it sat there for the whole summer. I was busy with other projects, and just didn't have the time to spend to even lay some track. (Up to now, the track was held down with sewing pins through 1/2 mm holes in the sleepers.)  So then the picture below was taken, and I realized there just wasn't enough room to do what I wanted with the diorama, let alone display a short train on it.  Back to the drawing board. 

 

Maybe this might work . . . no, not at all.

 

 

This is the plan I came up with: a branch line exiting a short tunnel, passing by a signal box, and disappearing behind an engine shed, where I could assume it came to a station.  So I could have a whole train on display, as well as one of my locos at the same time.  Most of my planning was determined by what layout elements I had at the time, and I was able to save the Mark 1 version of my diorama by just adding it on to the rest of the micro layout.

 

 

Cork laid down on the plywood provided a perfect running surface, and some track was pinned down, stock put on it to see how it looked, and the result is below:

 

 

And that's almost up to date now.

 

Cheers,

 

William

Edited September 9, 2015 by AireValley1962

[AireValley1962]

Post deleted - no longer relevant.

Edited February 6, 2020 by AireValley1962

[AireValley1962]

Pennine Project Update:

 

Work has finished on constructing two Ratio LMS signals – one stop signal, and one stop-and-distant signal.  I am using the LMS signal pack kit (No. 476) to construct them, partly because it is less expensive than buying separate signals, and partly because I get extra parts.  The Ratio kits are a great pleasure to work with, barring the fact that the operation wires are rather fiddly to fit.   They will not be remotely controlled, as of yet, but will be able to be set ‘on’ and ‘off’ where they are. 

 

 

 

The single stop signal is already placed on the layout and just needs some bedding in to be done.  Now for one ground signal . . .

 

 

Cheers,

William

[ginger j]

I have to say, that parcels railbus certainly looks the business - for some reason I am imagining it in Royal Mail red alongside a 128! 

[AireValley1962]

I have to say, that parcels railbus certainly looks the business - for some reason I am imagining it in Royal Mail red alongside a 128! 

 

Thanks, ginger j!  One in red - there's an idea for another time and another layout - but probably for someone else as I am a BR Green man! 

 

Cheers,

William

[AireValley1962]

Post deleted - no longer relevant.

Edited February 6, 2020 by AireValley1962

[AireValley1962]

Pennine Project Update:

 

        There is some bright sunlight today, so I took the Pennine Project outdoors and took some test photographs to check angles and lighting before gluing everything down.  As can be seen, the ballasting is now completed, excepting places where such things as signals, point rodding, and water columns need placing; the first layer of scenic ‘grass’ is laid; a coaling stage has been built out of balsa wood covered with embossed brick plasticard and 2mm plastic sheet; and painting has been started on the signal box.

 

 

 

 

When the next set of photos come, I shall have been able to create a much better depth of field, so keep half an eye out for that!

 

Cheers,

William

[AireValley1962]

Pennine Project Update:

 

The Knightwing water column has been painted and assembled and placed on the layout.  As an added detail, a chain was attached to the pipe for the men to drag it over the loco to water the engine.  A few more bits and pieces left to place and then the loco facilities siding will be complete.  Here are some pictures:

 

 

A selection of photos from the modelling.

 

 

A Hornby Class 0F sits at the completed water column

 

Cheers,

William

[AireValley1962]

Pennine Project Update:

 

 

                A Wills SS22 Lamp Hut was built today, and will be painted tomorrow.  I find it so much more reasonable to build a 5 GBP 2-pack kit, than to spend 10 GBP on a ready to plant building that I haven't had the pleasure of building.  Also, the Stop and Distant signal was completed and placed on the layout.  Here are some pictures of that part of the layout which is almost completed - first, the signal and lamp hut; second, the last train of the day, a mixed train, plunges into the darkness of the tunnel out of the gold of the sunset. 

 

 

 

 

Cheers,

 

William

 

[AireValley1962]

Pennine Project Update:

 

 

Yes, one of my best photos so far!

 

Cheers,

William

[AireValley1962]

Post deleted - no longer relevant.

Edited February 6, 2020 by AireValley1962

[Giggle pin]

Nice job. I do not have much space and would like a small display model like these.

 

Bri

[AireValley1962]

Nice job. I do not have much space and would like a small display model like these.

 

Bri

 

Thanks, Bri.  It many attempts to get to where I am - there were about three different variations of a small layout that I went through, one which managed to get to some scenery, but didn't work out.  Then came this one, and still I think about a different way I could have built it!  It pays to try a few times. :-)

 

I too like the idea of a small display for models.

 

Will

[AireValley1962]

Pennine Project Update:

 

http://www.RailMapOnline.com/UKIEMap.php?lat=54.24427&lng=-2.05642

 

The link above should take you to the area in the Pennines that my layout is based around.

 

It lies between Skipton and Aysgarth, with my imagining being that BR had a line continuing down the valley from Grassington and going through to Aysgarth.  It would provide a bypass to the Skipton - Kirby Stephen route for local trains, as well as serving the villages of Buckden, Kettlewell, and, somewhat, West Burton. Now to choose a name from the many around that area - which ones sound the best to you chaps?

 

Bishops Bridge;  Bishopdale;  Bishops Bank;  Burton Tunnel;  Blackstone;  Blackstone Bank;  Buckden;  Kettle Bridge;  Kettlewell;  Carn Moor;  Cray Valley;  Wharfe Valley;  any others?

 

Cheers,

William

[AireValley1962]

Pennine Project Update:

 

Having decided upon a place for my layout, I went on Google Street View to get some ideas about what the countryside looks like.  I have chosen a little village in the heart of the Pennines, just east of Settle and north of Grassington, called "Bishopdale" as my inspiration for my layout.  A map below shows the route of my proposed branchline marked out in red with "Bishopdale" pinpointed on the map.  See this link for more mapping: http://www.RailMapOn...27&lng=-2.05642

 

 

 

 

Cheers,

William

[AireValley1962]

Post deleted - no longer relevant.

Edited February 6, 2020 by AireValley1962

[BurscoughCurves]

Lovely modelling William great stuff.

 

Pete

[AireValley1962]

And here is a short video of the first trains on Bishopdale.

Cheers,
William

[it's-er]

There is a 'what if' layout based on an imaginary line to Kettlewell, pushing up Wharfedale from Grassington. Your proposed site is beyond the top of Wharfedale, where the road runs down to Aysgarth. If you want to do current day, you could recreate the Tour de France, which ran past Bishopdale in July 2014. You will need hundreds of people, however!

 

I think I saw Kettlewell at Model Rail Scotland in Glasgow, either last year or in 2013. The creators - sorry I forget who, because they deserve to be mentioned - have a rather fine model of an imaginary Kettlewell station, with superb background reflecting the skyline of the hills to the east of Kettlewell perfectly.

 

John

[AireValley1962]

On 23/01/2015 at 19:13, it's-er said:

There is a 'what if' layout based on an imaginary line to Kettlewell, pushing up Wharfedale from Grassington. Your proposed site is beyond the top of Wharfedale, where the road runs down to Aysgarth. If you want to do current day, you could recreate the Tour de France, which ran past Bishopdale in July 2014. You will need hundreds of people, however!

 

I think I saw Kettlewell at Model Rail Scotland in Glasgow, either last year or in 2013. The creators - sorry I forget who, because they deserve to be mentioned - have a rather fine model of an imaginary Kettlewell station, with superb background reflecting the skyline of the hills to the east of Kettlewell perfectly.

 

John

 

Thanks, John. 

 

My model is set about ten miles up the line, so John Cox and his friends with Kettlewell might have to make it a through station now! :-)

 

Cheers,

William

Edited February 6, 2020 by AireValley1962

[Ardmore]

Pennine Project Update:

 

Having decided upon a place for my layout, I went on Google Street View to get some ideas about what the countryside looks like.  I have chosen a little village in the heart of the Pennines, just east of Settle and north of Grassington, called "Bishopdale" as my inspiration for my layout.  A map below shows the route of my proposed branchline marked out in red with "Bishopdale" pinpointed on the map.  See this link for more mapping: http://www.RailMapOn...27&lng=-2.05642

 

Pennine_Map.JPG

 

BISHOPDALE_PAN_NORTH.JPG

 

BISHOPDALE_PAN_SOUTH.JPG

 

Cheers,

William

Those pictures brought back some childhood memories from the 1950s of Sunday afternoon car trips from Leeds to upper Wharfedale, and walks through the villages and along the river. I have to admit to being biased, but the Yorkshire dales scenery is hard to beat.

 

There were numerous abortive schemes for railways through the upper dale between 1880 and 1913, and these are described in Peter Baughan's book "The Railways of Wharfedale". I would highly recommend it, if you haven't already got a copy. It was published by David and Charles back in 1969, but second hand copies are still around.

 

David

[AireValley1962]

Bishopdale Update:

 

Well, I have not been on here a lot because of a death in the family, but that time is behind us now, and so I shall slowly get back to some modelling.

 

First, I have purchased a second-hand Hornby 4F.  Yes, even though it's the tender drive version, it runs extremely well with no hint of the "tender-pushing-engine" malady.  Some super detailing to follow, and it will be ready for service.  Engine crew (by Bachmann) have been purchased and await fitting to the 4F and 'Jinty'.  One thing that had been bugging me was the lack of lamp irons on the 4F, and the fact that two had broken off the 'Jinty'.  So I folded up some scrap metal(I forget whether it's brass or copper), made five lamp irons and fitted them with super-glue to the appropriate places.

 

The scenic side of things is coming along as well.  The bridge is in the midst of being painted; and the final layer of 'grass' is ready to go on.  Also, all but one of the lights have been fixed in place: a lamp in the signal box; a lamp in the lamp hut(which has now been painted); and the yard lamp by the siding.  I am awaiting delivery of a terrific buffer-stop lamp set from RMlectronics (no association, just a pleased customer), to fix on the end of the siding.  I have also decided that cassettes are the style of choice for the fiddle yards - but more on that later.

 

I have one question: what colour should the reversing lever on the 4F be painted?  I believe it should be steel grey but I'm not 100% sure.  If a reader could help out on that score . . . . .

 

And lastly, some pictures:  first, a parcels railbus on a sunny summer's day; and second, the branch shunter resting at night.

 

 

 

Cheers,

 

William