RMweb Gold Popular Post JustinDean Posted April 28, 2020 RMweb Gold Popular Post Share Posted April 28, 2020 (edited) I'm about to embark on a model of Middleton Top on the Cromford & High Peak in Derbyshire. I've been researching the line a few years now and originally started a model of Cromford Wharf some time back. This was shelved after buying a 300 year old cottage to restore in the lovely town of Wirksworth; just a stones throw from the C&HPR. Nearing the end of this project and figuring out what space I had for a model I decided Middleton Top would be spot on. A group of interesting buildings huddled together on a Derbyshire hillside, with tracks cutting through the bleakness and a J94 on the horizon. What's not to love about that! A few other modellers on RMWeb have tackled the C&HPR. Members Alister_G, Middlepeak and Mim have all provided inspiration and help so far and a quick search will reward you with some outstanding modelling. So onto my model. I'm currently just getting outside the planning stage; luckily the line is quite well documented and I've gathered a decent collection of photographs and plans to work from. I've settled on the early 1960's period - I just love J94s. Traffic was mainly limestone in plank wagons and later hoppers along with water carried in modified old LNWR tenders. The railway was constructed to join two canals, the east end at Cromford winding North West to Whaley Bridge and was built in a similar manner with some unforgiving inclines and curves. Two of these inclines operated on rope pulls with winding engines located at the top. Cromford Wharf to Sheep Pasture being the first (modelled by Robin Whittle btw) then Middleton Bottom to Middleton Top with each section between inclines being operated by one loco in steam. Here's some photos to give the flavour of the site: Edited January 23, 2023 by JustinDean 22 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JustinDean Posted April 28, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 28, 2020 I've been thinking a lot about how I want to present my model and one of the important elements for me is to give the place some context. As I mentioned the railway cuts through the bleak Derbyshire hills. I love how the buildings are grouped together and some of my favourite views are these: 14 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Rowsley17D Posted April 28, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 28, 2020 Will be following with interest. The C&HPR was one of my local lines along with the LNWR Buxton-Ashbourne. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JustinDean Posted April 28, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 28, 2020 The last two photos are recent by the way - hence the reinforced chimney on the winding house! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mark Forrest Posted April 28, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 28, 2020 Very nice, following with interest 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JustinDean Posted April 28, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 28, 2020 To accommodate this landscape some of the baseboards are going to be quite wide. I really want to capture the sprawling fields leading upto the winding house. Apart from the dominating winding house there are several other interesting buildings. The engine shed was a long and narrow building which lost it's roof twice. Once to a fire in 1906 and then to high winds in 1962. I was sent some CAD files by MIM for the shed and a friend is producing some parts from his 3D printer for me. 13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JustinDean Posted April 28, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 28, 2020 The winding house still stands and is in steam on Bank Holidays. I've started making detailed drawings of this structure from photographs while I wait for lockdown to end - Can't wait to get up there with a tape measure! 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JustinDean Posted April 28, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 28, 2020 Adjacent to the loco shed are a number of smaller building - a water tank, coal dock and workman's huts: 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Alister_G Posted April 28, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 28, 2020 I'm really looking forward to watching this develop. One of my future ideas is to do the top of Sheeps Pasture, which looks quite similar, with the cluster of winding house, boiler house and a loco shed and a couple of sidings. Great stuff! Al. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JustinDean Posted April 28, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 28, 2020 The track layout for Middleton Top remained largely unaltered over the years. The siding on the North side at Redhill quarry was taken out of use quite late on and the incline was closed in 1963 (I believe) with Middleton Top being the end of the line. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted April 28, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 28, 2020 I can foresee a C&HPR centric exhibition in the offing, start looking for suitable venues in Cromford and Wirksworth, but for god's sake not Bonsall (Bonser)! Mike. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JustinDean Posted April 28, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 28, 2020 I will admit now that I'm more interested in creating the feel of the location rather than everything being precise (apart from the buildings!) so my first compromise is going to be shortening the loop on the left of the plan. I'm using Peco Code 75 in OO for this layout, along with Seep point motors with built in switches for frog polarity, Gaugemaster uncouplers for the planned Dingham couplers and a basic DCC set up for locos. I work as a music producer and also have a composition sound art piece installed at the real Cromford Wharf so I've got a few ideas when it comes to sound for this layout. More of that later. I didn't want to set this out in Templot so I lay the track loose on some sheets of lining wallpaper and sketched around the track, building locations and overall shape of the baseboard. This layout is going to be entirely curved with a steady rise from front to back to emulate those distant views I posted previously. The whole thing measures 9' and at its widest will be 3'. 7 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JustinDean Posted April 28, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 28, 2020 8 minutes ago, Enterprisingwestern said: I can foresee a C&HPR centric exhibition in the offing, start looking for suitable venues in Cromford and Wirksworth, but for god's sake not Bonsall (Bonser)! Mike. I think that would be cracking! EVR in Wirksworth has just had a new station building ;-) 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JustinDean Posted April 28, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 28, 2020 19 minutes ago, Alister_G said: I'm really looking forward to watching this develop. One of my future ideas is to do the top of Sheeps Pasture, which looks quite similar, with the cluster of winding house, boiler house and a loco shed and a couple of sidings. Great stuff! Al. Get Cromford Wharf finished first pal! :-) Jay 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JustinDean Posted April 28, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 28, 2020 Just look at the state of these pair :-) 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Alister_G Posted April 28, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 28, 2020 I know, disgraceful, isn't it... Al. 10 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JustinDean Posted April 30, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 30, 2020 Currently I’m working on how the baseboards are going to be formed. This will be a mixture of timber types and thicknesses appropriate to their function. Ends of the boards will be 12mm birch ply with a pair of ‘girders’ made from 6mm MDF and spaced soft wood spacers. The track base and flat areas will also be 6mm MDF with scenic areas having a bass of sculpted Cellotex. I know for years modellers have used cork for sound deadening. I’m still not convinced this is a solution with the absorption qualities being compromised by glue and ballast forming a hard layer over it. I think the timber hollow box that the layout runs on is probably the main issue, with the top surface acting like a drum head and the sides resonating. Something I’m going to look at during the construction of this. For now here’s the full size layout in drawn out form on my dining room floor. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
barrowroad Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 Justin, Good luck with your project. If you want any information just ask. I used to assist Geraint with his Middlepeak layout and have my own P4 layout of Sheep Pasture. Robin 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JustinDean Posted April 30, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 30, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, barrowroad said: Justin, Good luck with your project. If you want any information just ask. I used to assist Geraint with his Middlepeak layout and have my own P4 layout of Sheep Pasture. Robin Hi Robin - I’ve admired your Sheep Pasture layout for some time! Thanks for the offer I’ll be sure to pick your brains at some point. Jay Edited April 30, 2020 by JustinDean Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JustinDean Posted May 6, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted May 6, 2020 In between building a kitchen for my cottage I’ve been making baseboard progress. Not the most exciting photo but then I do want to document the whole build. Started making timber girders from 6mm MDF and 18mm birch ply. Contoured board ends will be next using two layers of 6mm ply. The folks that run Derbyshire Countryside services / Middleton Top emailed me today with detailed, accurately measured plans of the winding/boiler house today which has got me itching to get cracking on some actual buildings. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Middlepeak Posted May 6, 2020 Share Posted May 6, 2020 Jay, Looking back to the photo of the track plan laid out on the floor. Is there any reason why you've omitted the siding into the loading dock at Redhill Quarry? I'm not sure how much, if at all, this was used in later years, but the turnout through the gate was certainly still there and there was a rusty old building on the dock which would look great against the backscene. Geraint 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JustinDean Posted May 7, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted May 7, 2020 The siding will be there - I didn’t have any L/H points to hand when I took the photo. I suspect this had fallen out of use by the 60’s and I’ve never seen any photos with stock on it so will end up being overgrown and a bit lost on the layout. I’ve got a few photos showing the building but nothing particularly close up showing any detail. I definitely want to include it along with the other small metal shed just west of it. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium DLT Posted May 7, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 7, 2020 Great project Justin, I will be following keenly. Cheers, Dave. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JustinDean Posted May 11, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted May 11, 2020 Now the ‘girders’ are set I’ve been mocking the board set up over my full size plan cutting card templates for the end/joining boards. Doing it this way makes it far easier for me to visualise the model, hence avoiding the CAD route. Once I’m happy the templates match the profile of the real thing I’ll mark up 6mm ply and cut. I tend to spend breaks from the house renovation staring at each stage to check things over so it’s slow progress! 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JustinDean Posted May 15, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted May 15, 2020 (edited) So while I have pieces of plywood weighed down by lots of paint pots everywhere in the dining room I’ve been thinking about the next stage. All the track (Peco Code75) is to hand and I’ve got Gaugemaster/Seep PM1 point motors in the post with just uncouplers to think about. I’m starting from scratch with locos and stock - I have Hornby and DJM J94’s which need a fair bit of fettling to look spot on and a handful of BR mineral wagons. One thing is I want to be able to operate this layout without the hand of God decending so I initially looked at Kadee couplers then the Dinghams. Although it seems the Dinghams need a little fiddling to get working properly they are way less ugly than the Kadees. Dingham recommend using Gaugemasters little electromagnet under the track to draw the iron part of the coupler downwards. So I’m maybe showing my inexperience here, but has anyone ever tried using the electromagnet from a door lock mechanism. They’re just 12V DC and extremely powerful meaning they can most likely operate mounted on the underside of the 6mm ply base. This is what I’m thinking of: Edited May 15, 2020 by JustinDean 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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