Recreating St Bees station and a portion of the Cumbrian Coast line between 2017 and 2018

[TravisM]

After a lot of soul searching and dis-satisfied with trying to model Sleaford East Junction, I've decided to go back to my original idea of the Cumbrian Coast line during 2017 and 2018, when it was the stomping ground for DRS Class 37's on passenger services, but I need some help with infrastructure etc.  I'm hoping to model the single line as goes along the coast as it's a space saver (I only have 8.5x7.5ft room), as well as quite picturesque, but at the time, was largely jointed track, but I believe large parts are now CWL so I can't check, but was it Bullhead or flat bottomed, or a combination?

 

I have two sets of DRS Mk2 stock, one with a DBSO and another which will be top and tailed, but were the passenger services solely in the hands of Class 37/Mk2 combo's or did DMU's in the form of Class 156's appear as well, as I fancy one of Realtrack's Northern Class 156's.  There will be more I need to ask but I think this is a good starting point.

Edited January 18 by TravisM
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[DavidB-AU]

37401 at Nethertown in 2016.

 

 

Zoomed in on the 4K version.

 

[Harlequin]

Hi Jools,

 

Sounds like a great project! Very scenic.

 

I assume this will be OO 4mm scale? If so, your space is very tight, still.

If the layout is to be a fictional version of the Cumbrian coast you could perhaps run two circuits on different levels to add interest and make the most of the space. (There's probably not enough room to connect them with gradients.)

 

And you may have to use some clever tricks like modelling half of a station's passing loop with the other half being in the fiddle yard so that the station doesn't dominate the scene - if you have one at all.

 

Phil

 

[Cruachan]

The loco-hauled sets only covered two diagrams, so the remainder of services were covered largely by 156s: There was also one out and back class 142 'Pacer' diagram during this period, and I think one daily duty for a pair of 153s.

[TravisM]

2 hours ago, Harlequin said:

Hi Jools,

 

Sounds like a great project! Very scenic.

 

I assume this will be OO 4mm scale? If so, your space is very tight, still.

If the layout is to be a fictional version of the Cumbrian coast you could perhaps run two circuits on different levels to add interest and make the most of the space. (There's probably not enough room to connect them with gradients.)

 

And you may have to use some clever tricks like modelling half of a station's passing loop with the other half being in the fiddle yard so that the station doesn't dominate the scene - if you have one at all.

 

Phil

 

 

Hi Phil,

 

Yes, it's OO scale and I did consider using your 'Kings Tawton' plan and basing it on St Bees, as it would fit nicely with the space I have.  I just fancy a scenic single track section either between St Bees and Nethertown, or the embankment between the sea and River Ehen, between Braystones and Sellafield.  which is quite appealing.

[TravisM]

2 hours ago, Cruachan said:

The loco-hauled sets only covered two diagrams, so the remainder of services were covered largely by 156s: There was also one out and back class 142 'Pacer' diagram during this period, and I think one daily duty for a pair of 153s.

 

Thanks for that and as I have two LHCS sets, that suits my needs as I want to keep the stock requirement low, but seriously tempted by a Realtrack Northern Class 156 in the white livery.  I will be also running a Network Rail test train, top and tailed by Colas Class 37's, as well as the inspection saloon 'Caroline' with a DRS Class 37, and finally a nuclear train with a couple of flasks, headed by a Class 68/88 combo.

[ColinK]

The RAF liveried 156 was a regular performer on the line.
 

You can always add railtours (steam & diesel), the low level nuclear waste (very short train), plus there has been the occasional freight train diverted round the coast (the Tesco train did at least once).  Workington docks still has the occasional freight plus the oil trains to Dalston, but these usually go north to Carlisle.  If you really want to push the boat out there are the nuclear loads that come in and out of Barrow very occasionally.

[TravisM]

2 hours ago, ColinK said:

The RAF liveried 156 was a regular performer on the line.
 

You can always add railtours (steam & diesel), the low level nuclear waste (very short train), plus there has been the occasional freight train diverted round the coast (the Tesco train did at least once).  Workington docks still has the occasional freight plus the oil trains to Dalston, but these usually go north to Carlisle.  If you really want to push the boat out there are the nuclear loads that come in and out of Barrow very occasionally.

 

Rainbow Railways did the RAF liveried 156 using a Realtrack model, but there sold out now, so I might ask them if they can put me on the waiting list if they decide to do another run of them, but I could just get a normal one instead.  I like the idea of a nuclear flask and low level waste trains, nice and short.

[Cruachan]

20 hours ago, jools1959 said:

 

Thanks for that and as I have two LHCS sets, that suits my needs as I want to keep the stock requirement low, but seriously tempted by a Realtrack Northern Class 156 in the white livery.  I will be also running a Network Rail test train, top and tailed by Colas Class 37's, as well as the inspection saloon 'Caroline' with a DRS Class 37, and finally a nuclear train with a couple of flasks, headed by a Class 68/88 combo.

That's a good representative selection that was to be found on the route at the time. I'd suggest that at least one 156 would be essential for such a layout. I recall the units still retained the Serco-Abellio Northern blue and purple livery at the time the loco-hauled services began, but as the newer white livery had begun to be applied during 2017 then this later livery would be appropriate for your slightly later time period.

 

For prototype rolling stock research, there's a Flickr user by the name of Mark Egdell who has a wide range of photos around the central section of the Cumbrian Coast route during the period that the loco-hauled sets were running.

Edited December 13, 2023 by Cruachan

[Jeremy Cumberland]

I have no idea if it is of any interest, but the now defunct Cumbria County Council still have the 2016 Cumbrian Coast timetable up on their website. This identifies which trains were loco hauled.

https://www.cumbria.gov.uk/elibrary/Content/Orphans/6-6-17/42586155711.pdf

[Cruachan]

8 minutes ago, Jeremy Cumberland said:

I have no idea if it is of any interest, but the now defunct Cumbria County Council still have the 2016 Cumbrian Coast timetable up on their website. This identifies which trains were loco hauled.

https://www.cumbria.gov.uk/elibrary/Content/Orphans/6-6-17/42586155711.pdf

That's a great find, thanks for sharing that. At one time I would have still had a paper copy stashed away from my trips over the line at the time, but I stopped holding onto the majority of old timetables some years ago, so it's nice to see an electronic copy still available.

Edited December 13, 2023 by Cruachan

[TravisM]

6 hours ago, Cruachan said:

That's a good representative selection that was to be found on the route at the time. I'd suggest that at least one 156 would be essential for such a layout. I recall the units still retained the Serco-Abellio Northern blue and purple livery at the time the loco-hauled services began, but as the newer white livery had begun to be applied during 2017 then this later livery would be appropriate for your slightly later time period.

 

For prototype rolling stock research, there's a Flickr user by the name of Mark Egdell who has a wide range of photos around the central section of the Cumbrian Coast route during the period that the loco-hauled sets were running.

 

I've started to follow Mark's Flickr pages, there are some awesome pictures on there, not only railway.  It will really help me in my research, thank you for pointing me in his direction.

[ColinK]

Perhaps this video of mine may give you some help, it was filmed in 2018 and includes two sections on the Cumbrian Coast, one at the start and another after 21 minutes.   Traction on the line includes DRS 37s, 68s and 88s, note the flask trains often have a mix of 68 88,  153 and 156 dmus.  At the end of the video is a Network Rail test train top and tailed by Colas 37s, adding a bit of colour to the line.

https://vimeo.com/328272710

[ColinK]

Here is a bit more from 2018, this time between Drigg and St Bees.  Of interest is a train with three 37scon the front, in three different liveries.  The RAF 156 and a two flask waggons being hauled by 2 x 68 plus 2 x 88.  There is a bit of the Ratty in the middle.  Fast forward to 28 minutes.

 

https://vimeo.com/329435355

[TravisM]

15 hours ago, ColinK said:

Here is a bit more from 2018, this time between Drigg and St Bees.  Of interest is a train with three 37scon the front, in three different liveries.  The RAF 156 and a two flask waggons being hauled by 2 x 68 plus 2 x 88.  There is a bit of the Ratty in the middle.  Fast forward to 28 minutes.

 

https://vimeo.com/329435355

Hi Colin,

 

Tried looking at your video’s but the site wanted payment, which is okay, but as I’m on a limited budget, for now I’d prefer to spend the money on my model railway for now.  Thanks for pointing me in right direction though 

[ColinK]

Jools, it shouldn’t need payment, I don’t understand that.  I actually pay to keep my videos on Vimeo so others can watch them for nothing and without adverts.

[TravisM]

2 minutes ago, ColinK said:

Jools, it shouldn’t need payment, I don’t understand that.  I actually pay to keep my videos on Vimeo so others can watch them for nothing and without adverts.

Hi Colin, 

 

I’ll have another try later on today, it’s probably me 🤪

[Wheatley]

First one requires you to create an account but no payment required, second one is a dead link for me ("Sorry we couldn't find that page"). 

[RobAllen]

For what it's worth, I have account with Vimeo, but do not pay for it. I can view 

However, https://vimeo.com/329435355 is a dead link.

[ColinK]

Werid, I’ve just tried both links and they worked.   You should be able to watch my vidros without a Vimeo account, but you need one to download them.  I’ll raise the problem with Vimeo just to check.  DVDs are on their way to Jools1959.

[Jeremy Cumberland]

It makes no sense to me but when I follow the first link I get:

 

However, when I click on your name and go to your user page. I can find the videos there and watch them just fine. Here are the links, but quite likely they won't work directly for people who don't use Vimeo:

 

 

[TravisM]

I thought I would share my ideas for my Cumbrian Coast layout and looking for any positive criticism.  it's been done using AnyRail and it's not perfect, but I like the idea of using the turnback sidings to create some kind of timetable, and they will be long enough to hold either three Mk2's, top and tailed by Class 37's, or four Mk2's with a DBSO at one end and a Class 37 at the other.

 

The through line could be long enough to hold a single Class 156, or my inspection saloon 'Caroline' and Class 37.  The other turnback sidings could hold a Network Rail test or DRS nuclear trains.

[ColinK]

Interesting to see what you are thinking of doing.  I really like the coastal section, such an iconic part of the Cumbrian Coast line.

 

What is really important is for you to decide what you want from the layout, do you want to sit watch trains go round’ if so, what you are planning fits the bill nicely.  If you want lots of shunting or compkex operations it probably needs some changes.

 

If it was my layout just for watching trains I would probably change the turnback sidings, for example, bottom right could become quite like Whitehaven with a almost triangular platform between the straight line (which in reality us a bay) and the curved line which immediatly vanished into a tunnel.

 

Somewhere on opposite side I would have a station with passing loop and sidings, this could be ‘Sellafield’ with a siding in the corner for the nuclear works.  While not quite accurate, a couple of sidings here could be used to stable stock, some sense in that operationally as a few passenger and many freight trains do/did terminate at Sellafield.

 

With these suggestions it would probably be better to turn the whole layout by 90 degress  so the sidings etc are not on the doorway hatch.

 

But - it is your layout, so the plan needs to reflect what you want from it.

[Michael Hodgson]

I don't like sidings on a doorway hatch.  It means you have to move any stock in there before enybody can enter/leave the room.

 

Rotating by degress won't work because its (slightly) rectangular rather than square, but turn it through 180 degrees and it will fit with just plain track on the access hatch.

[TravisM]

14 hours ago, Michael Hodgson said:

Rotating by degree's won't work because its (slightly) rectangular rather than square, but turn it through 180 degrees and it will fit with just plain track on the access hatch.

 

I have considered turning the whole plan 180 degree's and instead of a hatch, having a lift out section with a bridge crossing a river as part of the scenic section.  Or I could move the point work for the turnback sidings up, to where they are opposite the ends of the other sidings.

 

Revised plan

 

Edited December 17, 2023 by jools1959
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