Haggerleases Posted September 1, 2019 Share Posted September 1, 2019 Hello all. I am new to railway modeling and I have an idea for a first project. The Haggerleases goods station near Cockfield, County Durham. (About 1 mile from my house...) Long gone obviously, but I have seen some old photos, and some of the buildings still exist (including the goods shed) and it has whetted my appetite. There is enough there to make a start. I am looking to do it in N gauge, Possibly 2FS? and on a 4 X 2 baseboard, perhaps with fiddle yards each side. If any of you knowledgeable people have any ideas of exactly what the track layout looked like there, what locos would have run, types of wagons etc, and most importantly how it would have run, I'm all ears. I need all the help I can get. I may need to contact some local history groups or access museum collections/archives for more info too. I'm looking forward to this. Kind regards 'Haggerleases' Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhOh Posted September 1, 2019 Share Posted September 1, 2019 (edited) Have you seen http://www.railmaponline.com ? From that, it looks that there were 2 sidings to the E of the station, a junction to the W and a brickworks to the NW. Edited September 1, 2019 by OhOh Addition info. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haggerleases Posted September 1, 2019 Author Share Posted September 1, 2019 Hi there. I've never used that site before. It seems a little contrary to the photos I've seen, as if it's shifted to the right a bit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haggerleases Posted September 1, 2019 Author Share Posted September 1, 2019 (edited) http://www.durhamintime.org.uk/gaunless_valley/railways.htm Pictures here. I wish they were a little clearer, but the picture showing the goods station is around 100 years old now. (1st picture of the group is the one I'm on about). Edited September 1, 2019 by Haggerleases Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Holliday Posted September 1, 2019 Share Posted September 1, 2019 I couldn't get on with the railmap site. You might have more luck interpreting things by looking at the NLS maps website directly. This shows: Courtesy of NLS Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold russ p Posted September 1, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 1, 2019 There is a north eastern railway society book about branch lines around Darlington not sure if that has anything about it. I have a copy but not hand a present Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haggerleases Posted September 1, 2019 Author Share Posted September 1, 2019 Thats a good map. I'm interesting in modeling the area from the skew bridge, which will be at the rhs of the layout, to the point at which the line turns right and goes up what is know as Diamond hill. I was at an exhibition by the Gaunless Valley History Trust yesterday, and they had a very old static N gauge model of this very scene, but silly lad here forgot his camera! I will have to get in touch with them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porcy Mane Posted September 1, 2019 Share Posted September 1, 2019 (edited) Dunno if this is any good. It doesn't show Diamond Hill pit off to the left. You can make out the track plan which remained substantially unaltered till closure apart from being truncated at the road. And there's these. https://flic.kr/p/9BTbaf https://flic.kr/p/9BAvzc There was a photo essay on the branch in Railway Bylines a good few years ago showing a Tindale Std 4 MT shunting the goods. P Edited September 1, 2019 by Porcy Mane Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haggerleases Posted September 1, 2019 Author Share Posted September 1, 2019 Thanks Porcy. I've just been for a cycle ride and rode pretty much straight through the middle of this map, so at least getting good photos of existing structures shouldn't be a bother. The road used to cross the Gaunless via a ford, but now it turns right and parallels what was the track to Butterknowle before crossing the river further along. So, from the map it looks like (and please check me on this) there are two tracks crossing the skew or 'swin' bridge, one is a siding going off to the left, the other is the line to Butterknowle, which has a siding to the right possibly for coal loading/dropping? and then a 3 way turnout? one line of which goes straight on, (to Butterknowle) and two to the left, one of which is a siding for the goods shed and its triangular shaped loading platform, and the other seems to lead up to the goods shed wall. Please forgive my dreadful beginners railway terminology! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porcy Mane Posted September 1, 2019 Share Posted September 1, 2019 What is referred to as the Skew bridge was a few hundred yards of so to the East of the station. This was single line, originally with sidings either side. The track layout over the bridge within the goods station remained essentially as shown in the map in the previous post. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haggerleases Posted September 1, 2019 Author Share Posted September 1, 2019 Ah yes, of course, that's me being daft. I mistook the skew bridge on the map for the concrete slab one at the entrance to the goods station. I should know better, I was walking that way a few weekends ago and had to cross the Gaunless before the bridge to avoid a herd of cows, needless to say my foot slipped and I had to squelch my way home. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haggerleases Posted September 1, 2019 Author Share Posted September 1, 2019 (edited) Might this be the Standard 4MT crossing the skew bridge? It looks to be pushing (or pulling?) a brake van. http://www.durhamintime.org.uk/gaunless_valley/railways.htm# Edited September 1, 2019 by Haggerleases Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhOh Posted September 1, 2019 Share Posted September 1, 2019 4 hours ago, Haggerleases said: Hi there. I've never used that site before. It seems a little contrary to the photos I've seen, as if it's shifted to the right a bit. Hi, sorry about that … it seems to be rather more accurate and comprehensive around my neck of the woods than it is around yours. Having now seen the other maps posted, it does look to be a great choice for a model Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porcy Mane Posted September 1, 2019 Share Posted September 1, 2019 58 minutes ago, Haggerleases said: Might this be the Standard 4MT crossing the skew bridge It's not one published in the mag article. Jim Sedgwick took a few when travelling up the branch on the pick up. You can usually catch him manning the RCTS stand at the NE shows. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haggerleases Posted September 1, 2019 Author Share Posted September 1, 2019 I got the RCTS mag free with another magazine I got off the net, and I swear, I have read the covers off it. Is it something everybody reads? It's brilliant! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haggerleases Posted September 17, 2019 Author Share Posted September 17, 2019 Hi all. I wonder if anyone would be so good, (or so knowledgeable) to be able to identify all the engine types on this page? http://www.durhamintime.org.uk/gaunless_valley/railways.htm It would be very helpful to my little project. Baseboard is in process. Thanking you in advance. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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