Aston-on-Trent

[Peter Kazmierczak]

I found a couple of points in a box, and whilst in the summer house I remembered that in the corner was a bit of baseboard. The board fitted neatly on the back seat of the car, so 1 + 1 = a possible small layout.

 

I've always been fascinated by a little tramway that ran from the alabaster pits north of the village of Aston upon Trent, down to a wharf by the Trent & Mersey canal. The narrow gauge horse-drawn tramway closed around WW1, but what if a small branch had been extended from Shardlow to serve it?

Who knows, I might actually "finish" this...

 

 

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Day 1 = baseboard

Day 2 = lay track

Day 3 (today) = Make raised narrow gauge loading area.

It's coming along...

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Some ballasting this morning.

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Some ballasting this morning.

[Peter Kazmierczak]

So day 4 = ballast the (dummy) narrow gauge and wire up the standard gauge track (all two wires for it).
 

The Jinty had the first honour of visiting Aston; with a bit of track cleaning on the 40-year-old track, it ran pretty well. Don't you just love PECO insulfrog code 100 though...

Oh look, an Ivatt 2MT has also made an appearance. Eagle-eyed amongst you will note the wagon branding is from the wrong era; too modern.

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Day 5 = Didn't do much on Aston as was out to see this blue/grey unit on its first run after a re-paint. However, did put some brick facing to the loading dock. The MR in South Derbyshire/NW Leicestershire did use brick in such locations.

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Progress - one week in.

[Peter Kazmierczak]

On a small layout like this siding lengths/capacity are important. 

There won't be a fiddley yard; this is it.

 

4 wagons by the loading dock, 2 (plus one for weighbridge) on middle sdg., and 6 on the bottom one. The important dimension is the approach line, 3 wagons clear of the pint plus a (small) loco such as a Jinty or Ivatt Class 2 tank.

[Peter Kazmierczak]

To me, the "setting " of a layout is vital in creating something meaningful, with purpose and that elusive railway atmosphere.

 

There are three options I could use to join the termination of the tramway from the alabaster/gypsum pits.

 

1. An extension from my fictitious Shardlow  layout, across (or under) the main A6 London - Carlisle turnpike road, down to the tramway; some one mile or so in length. This was my first thought, but it would be tricky going beneath the road - I doubt they'd have a level crossing on such a turnpike - and behind Shardlow's church and past some glasshouses.

 

2. Second thought was a line from the Stenson/Sheet Stores line (still very much open), at a junction just of the viaduct over the R Trent near the old Castle Donington power station.  This would have involved a bridge over the Trent & Mersey Canal, as well as some sidings and a signal box at the junction itself.

 

3. I'm veering more to the third option; a line from Weston on Trent to the termination of the tramway. It could run for about a mile and three quarters from the goods yard at Weston, north of the canal and south of Aston upon Trent itself. It would only cross very minor roads/paths.

We shall see. Any preferred option, anyone? 

[GMKAT7]

Good afternoon Peter,

 

Following this thread closely as a resident of Chellaston and a sometime visitor to both Weston and Aston.

 

The line from the Trent Valley WCML to Baddesley Colliery crossed the A5, surely as major a road as the A6? No reason not to consider the extension from Shardlow?

 

Cheers, Nigel.

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Thanks Nigel. Good point.

 

[Peter Kazmierczak]

I actually ran a loco on the layout today; a secondhand Bachmann Ivatt 2MT 2-6-2T along the 40 year-old PECO track. Amazed how smoothly it ran, even over the small radius insulfrog points.

A couple of the buildings I'll pinch off the Shardlow  layout; notably the stables from Darley Dale that'll fit in with the horse-drawn tramway theme. However, I need a larger building at one end to "balance" the look of the layout. I downloaded a free Scalescenes low-relief warehouse. 

I noticed it had a vague MR feel about it; noticeably the roofline. I put some lettering on the side based on examples found on warehouses at Burton. I've tried to do it so it looked like the LMS overpainted the "Midland"  bit of the lettering. What'd you think?

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Completed the warehouse...

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Progress after two weeks - apologies for the rug...

 

None of the buildings are fixed down yet; still not sure where to (or if)  locate the small stable building bottom right.. Might need a small water tower so steam locos can be topped-up - pondering on that too.

[5BarVT]

On 14/03/2024 at 23:27, Peter Kazmierczak said:

I've tried to do it so it looked like the LMS overpainted the "Midland"  bit of the lettering. What'd you think?

Nicely done.  I rather like it.

Paul.

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Derby must be short of suitable motive power, as a 2P is shunting at Aston.

[Peter Kazmierczak]

For some strange unknown reason, when I got in the car yesterday it ended up parked outside a model railway shop. It would've been impolite not to venture in...

So I come out with a big tub of Woodland Scenics, a Wills goods yard crane kit and some fencing. I wanted some gates but they only had SR examples, but I was allowed to rummage in a tray behind the counter and found some old bits and pieces for a couple of ££. From these, I managed to create the scene illustrated. 

[GMKAT7]

Good morning Peter,

 

Looking good for Aston so far!

 

A little photo quiz for you this morning - can you guess the location of the photo taken below this morning on my dog walk?

 

Clue: In the MRC many years ago you published an article on railway bridges for model railway layouts and this location was shown when the bridge still existed, although no trains were running at the time. It is on the former Derby to Ashby line, on the Shelton Lock/Chellaston border. The footpath follows the route of another artery to Derby that proceeded the railway and is also defunct.

 

Cheers, Nigel.

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Swarkestone branch of the Derby Canal?

[GMKAT7]

Hello Peter,

 

Yes, well done!

 

The photo in your article showed the bridge over the canal, Bridge no. 3 on the Ashby line.

 

I always think of your article when I walk this way with the dog (and sometimes the Boss too 😊).

 

Cheers, Nigel.

[Peter Kazmierczak]

I could say get a life..., but thanks Nigel. I presume the bridge has long gone. I left Derby long ago when Thatcher was still the PM.

 

Despite my good old English name, my maternal ancestors all came from the Twyford/Barrow/Swarkestone/Chellaston area. Even a bridge over the Trent & Mersey Canal is named after the family.

 

One of my favourite lines was the MR between Stenson Jn and Sheet Stores Jn; I suppose I had a subconscious affinity with it.

So I suppose a model set in this area was inevitable.

[saxokid]

Nice modelling work here Peter🔧🔧

im now following this progress..

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Though only 45in x 13in, I'm getting more enjoyment out of this layout than from much larger stuff I've made.

 

For some reason, though, the LMS omitted this little branch from their maps...

 

[Peter Kazmierczak]

The Wills goods yard crane makes up into a nice little model. The prototype seems to have been seen at MR locations, which is a bonus. 

As it's rather delicate, I've placed it where (hopefilly) it won't get knocked. Haven't painted/weathered it yet. Also need to make the thread taughter...

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Made up some wagon loads; it is real gypsum in the wagons albeit powdered.

As an aside, are the Mainline 16t mineral wagons too long? Comparing it alongside a Bachmann tippler they have a different wheelbase. Or were tipplers shorter?