Ashbourne Midland

[Northpoint]

How do you use up some spare bits of wood and a couple of weeks of limited spare time?

 

You build a new layout, of course!

 

Started in early February with some surplus wood and track, it supposes a small branch line treminus built by the Midlamd railway to rival the LNWR in Ashbourne, Derbyshire.

 

Peco code 75, DCC and hand operated points.

[pointstaken]

I do like the way the backdrop is fitted in. It looks quite convincing and realistic. For a short-term effort one can only say "well done"!

 

Dennis

[cromptonnut]

Very nice work. Whose backdrop is that, please?

[Northpoint]

Very nice work. Whose backdrop is that, please?

 

Thanks for your feedback.

 

The backdrop is by Gaugemaster. I got it from the Signal Box in Rochester when I was down that way the other week. As far as I know, it's a standard item.

[7APT7]

Hi Mate

 

Love the Layout Photos...

 

Do you have a Track Plan of the Layout and Size...?

 

Love the backdrop that you have, of all the houses... how was that achieved...?

 

Well done, and keep up with the photos

 

Regards

Jamie

['CHARD]

Thanks for your feedback.

 

The backdrop is by Gaugemaster. I got it from the Signal Box in Rochester when I was down that way the other week. As far as I know, it's a standard item.

I think this is how it was achieved

[Northpoint]

Hi Mate

 

Love the Layout Photos...

 

Do you have a Track Plan of the Layout and Size...?

 

Love the backdrop that you have, of all the houses... how was that achieved...?

 

Well done, and keep up with the photos

 

Regards

Jamie

 

Trackplan as requested.

[Allegheny1600]

Hi Nick,

Thats a cracking little layout there, well done!!!

The backdrop actually looks quite reminiscent of parts of Ashbourne to me!

Cheers,

John E.

[chrisf]

This is an interesting comparison with the version of Ashbourne Midland that was in the Modeller about a year ago and should have been Railway of the Month.

 

Chris

[Northpoint]

This is an interesting comparison with the version of Ashbourne Midland that was in the Modeller about a year ago and should have been Railway of the Month.

 

Chris

 

I missed that one - I didn't know there was another Ashbourne Midland! I'll try and look it up.

[Chris Gilbert]

Looking good, Nick. I particularly like the backscene....

[Northpoint]

I didn't realise it was 6 years ago that I last posted in this thread. A lot has happened in that time....

 

First, the original layout was sold! I'm not really sure why as soon afterwards, I built it again, but this time as a mirror image.

 

It languished in my garage in a semi completed state for a number of years until I dug it out earlier this year and the appeal reasserted itself.

 

So, here is Ashbourne (Midland) mark 2.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It even has a lighting pelmet now:

 

 

Still a few things to do before its debut at the Sutton Coldfiled show on 23/24 April. It can also be seen at Derby on 7/8 May.

Edited March 21, 2016 by Northpoint

[Andrew P]

Hi Nick, Thanks for the pics and Up-date, I'm looking forward SC and also a PLAY at Derby, the Shunability looks interesting and that's what I like.

 

All the best, and re the other Ashbourne Midland I think its the Ilkeston Group's Layout.

 

P.S. Gaugemaster Backscene also available at Tutbury.

Edited March 21, 2016 by Andrew P

[Northpoint]

Re backscene - whilst I used the Gaugemaster one on the original layout, I noticed it has a curious mix of bare trees and trees in leaf! I have decided that this one will have a minimalist backscene - blue paint with a bit of painted foliage.

 

Although, if we get a decent day in the next couple of weeks, a trip to Ashbourne (not far from here) might be on the cards to see whether there are any useable views of the town that could be photographed and used on the backscene.

Edited March 21, 2016 by Northpoint

[AireValley1962]

Oh, what nice layout!  I love the LMR and it's great to see another smaller layout representing the region.  Love to see some more pictures when you have the chance.

 

Cheers,

William

[Poor Old Bruce]

Out of interest Nick, where in Ashbourne does your scenario place the station?

[Northpoint]

Out of interest Nick, where in Ashbourne does your scenario place the station?

 

That's a good question. I haven't thought about that in a lot of detail but I have 2 possible scenarios:

 

1) a junction on the Duffield - Wirksworth branch following the Ashbourne - Belper road via Hulland;

 

2) a junction on the main line just north of Derby following the A52 via Mackworth and Brailsford.

 

 

As for Ashbourne itself, again, a couple of scenarios, both close to the town centre.

 

 

Much of the residential development on the east and south-east side of the town is unlikely to have been there in the period I'm modelling (early 1960s).

[Northpoint]

... and a couple more photos as requested.

 

 

 

That's all I have for now. I'll try and get some more later in the week.

[Andrew P]

I like the bottom Route that would be near to the other Station on the A515, that still has some Buildings standing, but I don't know which company that was.

 

Nice pics Nick.

[Northpoint]

I like the bottom Route that would be near to the other Station on the A515, that still has some Buildings standing, but I don't know which company that was.

 

Nice pics Nick.

 

North Staffs wasn't it? Or LNWR?

Edited March 22, 2016 by Northpoint

[Mrkirtley800]

I think it might have been the LNWR

Derek

[david51]

I think it might have been the LNWR

Derek

It was the North Staffordshire first in 1852 from Rocester .The LNWR came in from Parsley Hey in the north in the 1880s .A joint station was built on a fairly sharp curve, the North Staffs station became the towns goods station.

Passenger trains were withdrawn in 1954 although excursions ran until the line closed completely in 1963?

Interestingly Most passenger trains ran from Uttoxeter to Ashbourne or from Buxton to Ashbourne ,few if any ran through ,and connections were lengthy.

I think the buildings mentioned are the remains of the old goods station although the area has been largely redeveloped.

My mother lived inAshbourne in the 1940s and my grandfather was in charge of the local Home Guard.

A very nice model. I love small layouts and this is a good one

[Poor Old Bruce]

It was the North Staffordshire first in 1852 from Rocester .The LNWR came in from Parsley Hey in the north in the 1880s .A joint station was built on a fairly sharp curve, the North Staffs station became the towns goods station.

Passenger trains were withdrawn in 1954 although excursions ran until the line closed completely in 1963?

Interestingly Most passenger trains ran from Uttoxeter to Ashbourne or from Buxton to Ashbourne ,few if any ran through ,and connections were lengthy.

I think the buildings mentioned are the remains of the old goods station although the area has been largely redeveloped.

My mother lived inAshbourne in the 1940s and my grandfather was in charge of the local Home Guard.

A very nice model. I love small layouts and this is a good one

 

Without checking, I think it was 1899 when the LNWR line opened. The only building still standing is the old North Staffs goods shed which may be listed. My grandfather was the goods foreman there until he retired in 1935. He died in the early 1950s when I was still in short trousers and I don't remember him at all. My grandmother lived in the alms houses next to St. Oswald's church so, when we visited, I used to go and stand on the footbridge at the bottom of Church Lane, now called School Lane, to see if there was any railway activity. I have dim recollections of an excursion headed by two 2-6-4Ts (there's a lot of water gone under the bridge since then, it was over 60 years ago) and definitely remember two locos there on a Saturday pottering about with freight, a Super D from Buxton and a Crab from Uttoxeter.

 

Another question Nick. Why does your scenario not join up with the NSR station? Your southern route ends up not far away but I can imagine there must have been a significant height difference or some quite steep gradients. In those days the railway companies just seemed to plough through the middle of towns regardless.

[Northpoint]

Another question Nick. Why does your scenario not join up with the NSR station? Your southern route ends up not far away but I can imagine there must have been a significant height difference or some quite steep gradients. In those days the railway companies just seemed to plough through the middle of towns regardless.

 

I guess it's because the project was always to build a small layout and the terminus suited the space.

 

The use of Ashbourne for the name was more a "stick a pin in the map" and came after the layout had been conceived. I never really considered the history until the other day. I would like to think it is a plausible "what might have been" and I'm surprised the Midland didn't have a go at it.

 

I went to Ashbourne for work this morning and parked in Sainsbury's car park which is next to the station hotel. I could see what appeared to be the parapet of a bridge, presumably from the old right of way.

[Northpoint]

 Love to see some more pictures when you have the chance.

 

Cheers,

William

 Here you go...