Beattock - 00 Finescale

[Steve Hewitt]

by Blackburn & East Lancs MRS.

 

Our latest club project in 4mm scale is set in the BR era - pre-Electrification of the West Coast Mainline.

It will attempt to represent approximately a half-mile length of the mainline and the area covering Beattock Station with its goods yard, branch to Moffat and engine shed.

In reality the WCML here is straight but space constraints will force us to curve the tracks at the North and South extremities.

Even so, the layout will have a footprint of some 32 ft by 12 ft.

 

Beattock has been chosen as the location for our model mainly because of the intense activity  generated by the need for Banking Assistance to be provided for most Northbound (Down) trains as they face the climb to Beattock Summit immediately ahead.

It will also meet the needs of our members who have appropriate rolling stock from our sadly missed Oxenholme layout.

Consequently, we will be using DC analogue control by default, but we intend to facilitate the use of DCC control at least as far as train control is concerned.

 

Making a start.....

 

We have chosen to construct the baseboards from 4 ft by 2ft units. and these are layed out in a "bonded" arrangement.

Adjacent boards are aligned with the aid of "pattern makers" dowels, and secured by M8 Star Knobs and Insert Nuts.

 

Here is the progress to date:

 

As we left our clubroom yesterday, with several glued joints clamped and left to cure.

 

More soon........

 

Steve.

Edited March 8, 2023 by Steve Hewitt
Correct spelling

[Pete the Elaner]

Pre-electrification WCML? As in double headed class 50s? 🙂

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

Now, let me think, which other layout could this be connected to?!!

 

Mike.

[Joseph_Pestell]

I looked at this a few years ago as a possible project in N. Should make an ideal club/exhibition project.

 

One word of caution. The OS maps are very inaccurate  with regard to railway infrastructure - even more than usual. Trust only photographic evidence or railway drawings.

[iak]

So that answers what signals one was working on in Preston.?

An interesting project...

[The Johnster]

DCC will be a useful addition for your banker, I'd have thought.  It's a fine idea, a busy section of main line with plenty variety in an interesting period, with the bankers, up and down loops, and the Moffat branch, though that would be closed in the later steam/Class 50 period.

 

'In a farm near Beattock nobody wakes

but a jug in the bedroom gently shakes'

 

I would hope to see the jug included on an exhibition model, gently shaking...  Have to say that line gave me goosebumps when I read it in school, and still does!

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

I've seen lots of jugs gently shaking in bedrooms!

 

Mike.

[malc60015]

1 hour ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

I've seen lots of jugs gently shaking in bedrooms!

 

Mike.

Now that would certainly be a major attraction at an exhibition 😂😂😂

[davefrk]

I'm surprised no-one has said - it's been done before..... East Kilbride MRC did Beattock in BR steam days years ago, a nice layout. It only lasted a few years and I don't know what happened to it.

[andytrains]

1 hour ago, davefrk said:

I'm surprised no-one has said - it's been done before..... East Kilbride MRC did Beattock in BR steam days years ago, a nice layout. It only lasted a few years and I don't know what happened to it.

What, the shaking jugs?

[26power]

Just for reference really, but maybe of interest to those less familiar with the location, this seems to be the best available large scale OS mapping:

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16.7&lat=55.30830&lon=-3.45897&layers=168&b=8
 

Somewhere fairly recently (last year or two) I saw a picture or two of an unusual BR steam era crane for loco coaling at Beattock shed.  Assuming that is relevant for the period being modelled I’ll try and find them again!

[Enterprisingwestern]

4 hours ago, malc60015 said:

Now that would certainly be a major attraction at an exhibition 😂😂😂

 

It's probably already available in the Noch X rated range!

 

Mike.

[Enterprisingwestern]

5 hours ago, davefrk said:

I'm surprised no-one has said - it's been done before..... East Kilbride MRC did Beattock in BR steam days years ago, a nice layout. It only lasted a few years and I don't know what happened to it.

 

Yes, but that's Scotland, who takes any notice of what goes on there?!!

 

Mike.

[PjKing1]

8 hours ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

I've seen lots of jugs gently shaking in bedrooms!

 

Mike.

Lucky you 👀

[AndyB]

Looking forward to seeing this layout's progress as we stay over in Moffat each year and come off the motorwsy near Beattock station.

You probably know this but the Moffat station area is now part of a park. But you can still see where the station approach ran at the end of the branch from Moffat.

 

Cheers. Andy

 

 

[Buhar]

On the drive in you can see where the road was bridged and there's still one of the station buildings in the park (nearly) in quite good nick.

[Budgie]

23 hours ago, The Johnster said:

'In a farm near Beattock nobody wakes

but a jug in the bedroom gently shakes'

 

I would hope to see the jug included on an exhibition model, gently shaking...  Have to say that line gave me goosebumps when I read it in school, and still does!

 

I would hope the music would be playing while that poem is being recited at the exhibition.

[Barry O]

You don't need dcc to have bankers operating well.. we did it on the Leeds club layout years ago, Mike Edge does it on Wentworth Junction and of course that's how it works on Shap.

 

Baz

[LNER4479]

On 08/03/2023 at 15:41, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Now, let me think, which other layout could this be connected to?!!

 

Mike.

 

This one, perhaps?

 

 

Will be following Beattock with interest!

 

[Legend]

48 minutes ago, LNER4479 said:

 

This one, perhaps?

 

 

Will be following Beattock with interest!

 

 

Dont forget Carlisle in the middle !

[Buhar]

1 hour ago, Legend said:

 

Dont forget Carlisle in the middle !

Carlisle does feature in Hills of the North or we could consider

Alan 

[Citadel]

Sense there are slightly more iconic renderings of Carlisle (one in particular) compared to my humble offerings 🙂

 

Living in Moffat I’d noticed this thread and given the pedigree and the talent involved an sure it will be spectacular.  Watching with interest.

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

All the Carlisle and it's environs projects make a nice change from the recent  rash of ECML layouts!

 

Mike.

[Steve Hewitt]

 

 

 

 

 

On 08/03/2023 at 22:54, iak said:

So that answers what signals one was working on in Preston.?

An interesting project...

Yes, indeed!

 

Could this be the first layout where the signals are ready before the trackwork?

 

The first two completed signals:

1.  The Down Platform Starter - possibly the lowest doll I've seen on a bracket signal.

For viewing under the footbridge.

It has a Banner Repeater further back along the platform, but I haven't started on that yet.

 

2.  The Up Home signal controlled from the North Box.

With the South Box Distant below it.

I assume it's so tall to ensure viewing over the "Crooked Road" bridge.

It is seen here over the loco cab:

 

In the background is the third signal, which I started at the Preston show.

All lower quadrant  arms controlling the Moffat Branch facilities.

Five arms for "Up" movements, and two for "Down".

A lattice gantry , it carries five dolls and spans one goods line.

Here are a couple of work in progress shots.

Most of the static metal work complete. The finials will be added after painting and final assembly. 

 

 

Meanwhile progress on the baseboards is going ahead at quite a pace in the Clubroom:

 

Extensive use of jigs is accelerating our progress.

 

As we left things yesterday.

 

And we have a plan..........

 

 

 

More soon I hope, if we continue to progress.......................

 

Steve

 

[iak]

6 hours ago, Steve Hewitt said:

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, indeed!

 

Could this be the first layout where the signals are ready before the trackwork?

 

The first two completed signals:

1.  The Down Platform Starter - possibly the lowest doll I've seen on a bracket signal.

For viewing under the footbridge.

It has a Banner Repeater further back along the platform, but I haven't started on that yet.

 

2.  The Up Home signal controlled from the North Box.

With the South Box Distant below it.

I assume it's so tall to ensure viewing over the "Crooked Road" bridge.

It is seen here over the loco cab:

 

In the background is the third signal, which I started at the Preston show.

All lower quadrant  arms controlling the Moffat Branch facilities.

Five arms for "Up" movements, and two for "Down".

A lattice gantry , it carries five dolls and spans one goods line.

Here are a couple of work in progress shots.

Most of the static metal work complete. The finials will be added after painting and final assembly. 

 

 

Meanwhile progress on the baseboards is going ahead at quite a pace in the Clubroom:

 

Extensive use of jigs is accelerating our progress.

 

As we left things yesterday.

 

And we have a plan..........

 

 

 

More soon I hope, if we continue to progress.......................

 

Steve

 

When craft becomes art...

Magnificent beasties, truly magnificent.