Would you ever model your local station?

[AJ427]

I was born and grew up in Hartlepool which in it's hay day was a sprawling 's' curve capable of handling secondary expresses and with extensive carriage sidings and goods yards - so not really practical.

 

I work just across from what remains of the station approach viaduct to the now vanished Leeds Central which I'm surprised someone hasn't done before given it's combination of compact terminus with top-link expresses. Maybe one for the future.

 

The station nearest where I now live would have been Great Horton in Bradford - and whilst I'm not modelling it as such, it's certainly part of the inspiration of my current project and I'm hoping to get elements of it in.

[Steve K]

Oh it's tempting, being equidistant from a] Penns for Walmley (on the Park Lane Jct - Ryecroft Jct, "Sutton Park" line) and b] Sutton Coldfield on the Cross-City line.

 

Not today of course, reinforcing my utter distaste for our present railway: a] class 66 tedium and station replaced by a religious sect HQ and, b] bread and butter stopping point for identical Class 323 spacepigs every six minutes.

 

No-one is to models Penns until I blow this whistle. Even... and I want to make this absolutely clear... even if they do say, "Jehovah".

[MarkC]

Yes, is the answer - well, my Club is doing Shincliffe, just outside Durham. The remains of the real thing are less than a mile from me...

 

In the past I've considered Freshfield, which was my local station when I was a youngster. In fact, my grandad owned the coal business in the yard - I can just remember seeing wagons being unloaded there. I used to spend time in the signal box too - the 'bobbie' was a good friend of my grandad. Who knows, now that there's that splendid Class 502 kit out...

 

Then there's where my in-laws live - Stamford Bridge. Only drawback there is that I'd be wanting to do the viaduct - lots of space needed...

[Talltim]

Three of mine have already been mentioned, Hatfield, Sheffield Midland and Chesterfield Midland. Harpenden, where I grew up, could actually be quite interesting in earlier days, but would probably spread to far and has no obvious scenic breaks. Ironically, Sheffield which is the biggest station would make the smallest model ( and is also the only one not on a four track mainline, at one end at least)

The most likely and interesting would be Chesterfield Market Place, however it wouldn't have enough heavy freight potential for me. Fellow forum member Apollo built a layout of Market Place a few years ago.

[Geoff Endacott]

No - it's boring!

 

Geoff Endacott

Chippenham

[Jon020]

My local "Wivelsfield" lacks much of interest, just two straight through lines with Keymer Jct just to the south... and Brighton to London units running through these day. As a youngster, my local was Hertford North... tho straight throughs, one bay and siding and large storage sidings just to the south to boot... traffic for my era, Craven DMUs and 31s with local stocks, and east coast main line diversionary route on sundays.... with some nice architecture too. So yes, the thought has occurred!

Nice question; enjoyable thread.

Jon

[pharro]

I have thought about modeling a part of the Peterborough to Lincoln line as my house is just off it and I would be able to fit it in the model. Wouldn't be a very interesting layout to operate but if I model it in the present day I could even put a scale model of myself in the garden and in the model of my house there would be a model of the layout and a layout on that and it would go on forever.

[trisonic]

No, but I wish someone locally did. That is Shenfield (formerly Shenfield and Hutton) on the old GER route out of Liverpool Street. They'd have to include the junction to the east of the station (incl. the Southend loop "flyunder).

 

This station has been very busy for one hundred years and has been under operational OHLE since 1947.

 

Best, Pete.

[BlackRat]

I've got a couple of postcards somewhere and one of the arms off the Up Main Home Signal - but interesting with the Relief Lines crossing from the Downside to the Upside and the branch going off - then a few dozen 56XX to 'populate' it. (It used to be one of 'my' stations in a past life.)

 

Now those I would love to see!

 

Brian keeps me in pictures of Llandaff, but I have such great memories of the place, catching the 20 past into 'towm' then the Treherbet train back, days spotting at General etc and of course going in the box, the old buildings we used to play in and of course all the 37's etc and 16 and 20 tonners!

 

History now, unbelievable really but there it is.

 

Well Par or Lostwithiel would be quite modellable - Indeed Ive seen examples of both - but to do them justice requires a lot space for the goods loops.

You could just about fit them down opposite walls of a long garage in N scale - that would be a good "pipe-dream" layout.

 

 

I started on 'Losty' in my garage, but as a one man band..........months of making track etc, buiolding clay hoods etc and then the integral gagrage was suddenly in demand.........

 

For a kitchen!

 

I do have an old video of it somewhere!

[Baby Deltic]

I would love to model Colchester North Station circa 1960's with the yard, depot and all the approaches, but it would be huge, and there are no scenic breaks for about a mile.

[Katier]

I guess I have a 'triple choice'...

 

Tettenhall is the closest station to me, but ceased passenger services in (from memory) the 20's. Amazingly the station is still in existance and I'd actually love to model it in 1:1 ( Think it would make a great 'heritage' line and suspect if the track was available LM would want to use it too.

 

The other two are Wolverhampton high and low!! (Love to do them both in around 59-61).

[hmrspaul]

Harpenden, where I grew up, could actually be quite interesting in earlier days, but would probably spread to far and has no obvious scenic breaks.

 

Yes, very long. The road overbridge (Ox Lane?) would make a visual break for the north - and would permit the Hemel branch to be included. A visual break at the south would be difficult - and the skew bridge would have to be included in any model - fantastic piece of engineering.

 

Paul Bartlett (lived in Harpenden for 20 years, and is so pleased to have got out, not in my box)

[hmrspaul]

Three of mine have already been mentioned, Hatfield,

 

I've seen Hatfield done - some 25 years or more ago. In N, and modelled a huge chunk of the town centre - the train was only a small part of the scene. The whole layout occupied the living room - but as a false ceiling! The memorable part was the modern church and shopping centre.

 

Paul Bartlett

[gc4946]

This depends on how much room I have at my disposal and what prototypical operation is possible.

 

Having moved around the UK a lot there are stations where I lived nearby at the time which I could never model satisfactorily without having a loft or other large unused vacant space, Edge Hill in 1965, and West Ealing and Bournemouth in the 80s my prime examples.

 

I was involved in the (Radio) Victory MRC's Fratton OO exhibition layout depicting the 1950s/60s in the early 80s and even so it was much compressed from the original.

 

New Brighton also needs a fair amount of space if modelling between 1965-1969, after 1965 it lost its freight leaving only the Wirral class 503 EMUs and 101/108 DMUs plus the odd Bank Holiday steam workings from Wrexham and engineers' workings.

 

Moseley station on the Camp Hill line in Birmingham closed in 1941 well before I was born but it was in a cutting leading into a tunnel and even in the 60s you could run loads of freight and passenger and excursion services bypassing Birmingham and/or on diversions due to engineering work, or fast forward to 2024 if Centro's plans to reopen the station ever come to fruition.

 

Cross Gates (Leeds) is my current local station but even in N would need to be at least 10 feet long just modelling the station area which is set in a cutting with retaining walls, disused platform extensions and junction for the former Wetherby line. Good layout if you like modelling units and the odd steam special, but the only regular freight passing through there nowadays is the Rylstone-Hull Dairycoates aggregates.

However, if it's backdated prior to 1964 when the Wetherby line closed to passengers, the main line was four-tracked through the station and there was a high-level goods yard (now the Cross Gates (Arndale) Centre) which was accessed via an incline beginning well due east of the station followed by a bridge over the Wetherby line, and the station buildings and platforms had full canopies.

 

ATM with the amount of room at my disposal I can't see myself modelling any of the above.

[Jon020]

I've seen Hatfield done - some 25 years or more ago. In N, and modelled a huge chunk of the town centre - the train was only a small part of the scene. The whole layout occupied the living room - but as a false ceiling! The memorable part was the modern church and shopping centre.

 

Paul Bartlett

But did it include the DeHavilland/Hawker Siddeley/British Aerospace site (depending on era) to the north west... where I worked for 7 very happy years..? Would make a nice diorama!

[yorkie_pudd]

This depends on how much room I have at my disposal and what prototypical operation is possible.

 

Cross Gates (Leeds) is my current local station but even in N would need to be at least 10 feet long just modelling the station area which is set in a cutting with retaining walls, disused platform extensions and junction for the former Wetherby line. Good layout if you like modelling units and the odd steam special, but the only regular freight passing through there nowadays is the Rylstone-Hull Dairycoates aggregates.

However, if it's backdated prior to 1964 when the Wetherby line closed to passengers, the main line was four-tracked through the station and there was a high-level goods yard (now the Cross Gates (Arndale) Centre) which was accessed via an incline beginning well due east of the station followed by a bridge over the Wetherby line, and the station buildings and platforms had full canopies.

 

ATM with the amount of room at my disposal I can't see myself modelling any of the above.

 

And dont forget at the old wetherby Junction you also have the switch off into the old now emptyish Barn Bow Tank works, that would be ace to include

 

edit: also before croggy (nickname for crossgates) you have at Osmanthorpe Neville Hill service depot, so space providing you could run out from Leeds to Neville Hill service depot, into croggy station. then either head of york selby way or left towards wetherby ot barnbow works, give mixed public passenger/freight and military running. Think you may need to buy an old church hall or something lol

[Talltim]

 

But did it include the DeHavilland/Hawker Siddeley/British Aerospace site (depending on era) to the north west... where I worked for 7 very happy years..? Would make a nice diorama!

Living in Hatfield up to the age of 7 before moving to Harpenden in 83 I remember the, by then, BA site in operation, and went to an open day. 11 years later St Albans art college moved into the former design offices at the north east side of the site I was in the first year that was there. We must have been the only art college in the country with signs to the flight simulator! We somehow wangled access to the workers social club and got many a cheap lunch.

Anyway, you'd have to model a pretty broad swathe of Hatfield to get the airfield on it, even in N!

[Jon020]

11 years later St Albans art college moved into the former design offices at the north east side of the site I was in the first year that was there.

Yup, that's where I worked from 89 to 92... after the 85-89 apprenticeship... then went North to the site at Woodford until 2002 until heading South to Gatwick where I still am. Nice place... should be a nice station model.

[Unchuffed]

I'd like to do Burscough Bridge as it was in the early 60's, however, even though it serves a large village/small town it had a huge goods yard and is a very long straight station, with no obvious scenic break at one end till you get near Southport .

 

Of other places I've lived, Manchester Oxford Road in the 70s would be interesting and reasonably compact, but the roof would be challenging to say the least. Diss in the 70s would be an interesting station, though it would need drastics shortening and no scenic breaks.

 

I've also lived in Crewe and Eastleigh, but we're getting silly there.... Currently in Huntingdon, which has the ECML running through so you'd need a lot of length.

[Padishar Creel]

No,

but were I to do that

Elgin, Stafford, Town Green and Aughton 60's

Radyr 70's

Birmingham New Street, Queen's Park, Streatham Hill, Farringdon 80's

Petersfield, München Hbf, Pfronten-Steinach, Stuttgart Hbf 90's

Herrenberg at present

 

With the exception of Streatham Hill, all would make very interesting models and (as well as most bankrupting me for the stock required) require a phenomenal amount of space, with Pfronten-Steinach also requiring space in the vertical (650m difference in the station area plus cable car!)

 

I have posted the link in another thread, Stuttgart has been modelled 1:160 with absolutely no compromise, amazing

Of course there is that other PHENOMENAL layout from a certain Jim S-W, of course known to all RMWebbers, again amazing, and an inspiration to all D&E modellers, Jim, you are living the layout I do not need to build

[figworthy]

This depends on how much room I have at my disposal and what prototypical operation is possible.

 

Having moved around the UK a lot there are stations where I lived nearby at the time which I could never model satisfactorily without having a loft or other large unused vacant space, Edge Hill in 1965, and West Ealing and Bournemouth in the 80s my prime examples.

 

I was involved in the (Radio) Victory MRC's Fratton OO exhibition layout depicting the 1950s/60s in the early 80s and even so it was much compressed from the original.

 

New Brighton also needs a fair amount of space if modelling between 1965-1969, after 1965 it lost its freight leaving only the Wirral class 503 EMUs and 101/108 DMUs plus the odd Bank Holiday steam workings from Wrexham and engineers' workings.

 

Moseley station on the Camp Hill line in Birmingham closed in 1941 well before I was born but it was in a cutting leading into a tunnel and even in the 60s you could run loads of freight and passenger and excursion services bypassing Birmingham and/or on diversions due to engineering work, or fast forward to 2024 if Centro's plans to reopen the station ever come to fruition.

 

Cross Gates (Leeds) is my current local station but even in N would need to be at least 10 feet long just modelling the station area which is set in a cutting with retaining walls, disused platform extensions and junction for the former Wetherby line. Good layout if you like modelling units and the odd steam special, but the only regular freight passing through there nowadays is the Rylstone-Hull Dairycoates aggregates.

However, if it's backdated prior to 1964 when the Wetherby line closed to passengers, the main line was four-tracked through the station and there was a high-level goods yard (now the Cross Gates (Arndale) Centre) which was accessed via an incline beginning well due east of the station followed by a bridge over the Wetherby line, and the station buildings and platforms had full canopies.

 

ATM with the amount of room at my disposal I can't see myself modelling any of the above.

 

If you went back to the 1920s, then you could include Barnbow colliery, or prior to that the munitions works.

 

 

Adrian - brought up in Garforth

[Horsetan]

I've seen Hatfield done - some 25 years or more ago. In N, and modelled a huge chunk of the town centre - the train was only a small part of the scene. The whole layout occupied the living room - but as a false ceiling! The memorable part was the modern church and shopping centre.

 

Other than The Galleria, the shopping area of Hatfield nowadays is nothing to write home about.

[Northern Maiden]

My local..well nearest .. station when younger was Garelochead. Nice enough today, if a bit run down but I'd love to model it as it was in the sixties when the loading dock, yard and turntable were all in use.

[Bert Cheese]

I would...though it would be some project.

 

I live ten minutes walk from Eastleigh station, even in its current rationalised state it would require a lot of room.

Given the resources I'd like to see a model representation of the area back in the 1950's with all four platforms in use along with the various freight yards and the loco and separate carriage works in place.

Working out where to end the LSWR main, Romsey and Portsmouth lines would be a dilemma in itself?

[definate maybe]

I live 5 minutes from Derby Road station in Ipswich. It is on the felixstowe branch and sees nothing but the odd 153 and countless container services. I probably have the space to model it but would have no inclination to.

I could instead go for the main Ipswich station which would be good if I had plenty of time and plenty of money. Natural breaks at both station and yard end. Through and terminating services from both directions and plenty of freight. For some strange reason I have never been tempted to model anything based around the area.