Mickleover - (GN)

[kes]

I have been wanting to build a model of this station for over 40 years, but it has only just come to fruition. The Great Northern railway wanted to build a line Westwards, from Nottingham, through Derby and by joining North Staffordshire lines, gain access to the Potteries and Burton upon Trent. This was so they could move coal from the Notts Derby coalfield to Staffordshire, and move ceramics and beer down to London. There was much opposition to the new line in Parliament, mainly from the LNWR and Midland, who monopolised much of the business, and set the rates for transport of these materials over their lines.

The Act of Parliament was passed allowing the building of the line back in the 1870's, and it came into being later that decade.

 

My interest is as follows:  I was born, in Sims Avenue, Derby, about 200 yards from Friargate goods yard, I went to school in Great Northern Road opposite the goods yard, walking over Uttoxeter Old Road railway bridge everyday.  At this time - early 1960's - there was a wooden staircase from Uttoxeter Old Road, down into the goodsyard, and the gate at the top was unlocked, so you could slip through and watch the procession of trains and shunting at Derby Friargate Station.

 

My mother, and her sister were both employed on the line as signal women. It was common during the war for women to be trained in these positions, and both my mum and aunt stayed on as signalwomen, as did many others on this line. My mum normally worked Mickleover and Etwall boxes from 1945 onwards, when she was taken on as the youngest signal women in the country.

 

During school holidays, my dad would often take me in the car to Mickleover or Etwall to collect my mum when she finished a day time shift. If we arrived early I was sometimes allowed to sit on a chair in the corner of the box and watch the proceedings. By now, most trains seemed to be coal or empties, hauled by black 5's, 8f's or 9f's with occasional type 2 diesels.

 

The line closed to passenger traffic in 1964, to freight in 1968, but was retained West from Derby as one of the Research Departments test tracks until the 1980's, my mum being involved in staffing some of the boxes during high speed testing of the APT running gear, and 4 wheel goods vehicles. She always said that her days at Mickleover were the best time in her life.

 

My mum passed away 7 years ago, but I still have her LNER whistle, (and the books belonging to my grandfather - Driver Arthur Haynes - but that is another story).

 

Three years ago I moved to Whitby, and erected a 16' shed in the garden to house the station of my O gauge garden railway.  I suddenly realised I could house a 13' x 2' n gauge layout on the other side of the shed. Quick calculation with a plan of Mickleover showed that by using some compression at the East end of the layout, between Station Road and Mickleover tunnel, I could build the rest of the station and goods yard to scale.

 

Four 3'6" x 2' boards were made out of old flush doors, held together with split hinges and over centre catches. Track was laid using Peco n gauge, including a double slip, single slip, and a scissors cross over!

 

I will write more shortly

 

Kevin.

 

Edited December 29, 2022 by kes
reloading missing pictures.

[Mike Bellamy]

Hi Kevin

 

What a fascinating tale - I will print off what you have written and take to the Mickleover Model Railway Club meeting tomorrow - it's just possible that some of our members might remember your mother from the time that the line was used as the Research Test Track.

 

Many years ago we had a OO branch line layout that we called 'Mickleover St John's' as we held our meetings at St John's Church on Devonshire Drive - this had a 'Prototype Models' GN station building based on Heckington (??) in Lincolnshire and some who saw it thought it was an accurate scale model of Mickleover not realising that it was total fiction and nothing like the real Mickleover station or track layout.

 

I assume you are aware of the Mark Higginson book 'The Friargate Line' a limited print run not repeated and now highly sought after - Amazon have a copy at £55 and by an amazing coincidence it's being sold by Linda Tinker Books who were based in Mickleover on the estate right next to the station but have now moved to near Ashbourne.

 

Mike

 

.

[Mike Bellamy]

Kevin

 

I have just been looking at my copy of the Friargate book - there is a photograph of Mrs Florence Spencer and so I guess she was your mother or aunt as it mentions that her sister was also employed on the railway. The photograph came from E Fletcher. 

 

Other staff photos include

 

Miss Audrey Inger operating the Breadsall box in 1952 - she worked there until moving to Etwall in 1956 and the photo is credited to Mrs A Swift.

 

Mrs Jessie Pynegar at Breadsall 1960-1964

 

 

.

[kes]

Hi Mike - yes I have a copy of Mark Higginsons book, and yes, the photo of Flo Spencer is my aunt. Their father - my grandfather was Driver Authur Haynes of Derby Shed, known as "Big Mac", his brother  Reg was a District Loco inspector known as "Mechanical Mac". Both were involved at Derby in 1947 with the LMS 10000 diesel.

 

Back to Mickleover - I have managed to make a suitable rendition on the Station Building using a mixture of Metcalfe buildings and their matching brick papers. The signal box has been made by modifying the Metcalfe LNWR box. I will post more later.

 

Kevin.

[Worsdell forever]

Looking good Kevin, is this how it looks at the moment? you've been talking about scenics lately.

[kes]

Looking good Kevin, is this how it looks at the moment? you've been talking about scenics lately.

Hi Paul - no that was 4 weeks ago, I am gradually adding the photos now, in fact today I was planting trees and making sleeper fences!

[kes]

Well, here is the next installment. I have created the contours of the land using saved pizza boxes assembled rather like an upturned boat, or a armadillo!. In fact the pizza printing was well visable. I suppose it is another take on the "pizza layout" - small round n gauge layouts.

Edited December 29, 2022 by kes
reloading missing pictures

[kes]

Once this was dry it was covered with two layers of papier-mache, using our local paper - which gave some interesting headline combinations once it had dried!.

This was then allowed to dry for a couple of days before it was coated with two layers of Artex. This gives a nice, resilient finish which does not crack..

Once this was dry the model resembled a winter scene - very stark and white, so it was painted with a coffee coloured matt match pot, to resemble an earth brown colour if any of the resulting scatter should come off.

 

Right, time for tea now, I will add a bit more tomorrow to both the blog, and the layout.

 

Kevin.

Edited December 29, 2022 by kes
reloading missing pictures

[Ramrig]

Hi Kevin

I am also a member of the Mickleover MRG along with Mike so will also be following this thread with interest. Quick question, will you be adding the aquaduct just after Station Road bridge ( station side) that still exists even though the cutting has been land filled back in the 1980's.

 

Keep up the good work

 

Steve aka Ramrig.

[Guest bri.s]

Looking good, nice long sweeping curve ,the pizza card and artex embankments look great

 

As a fellow N gauges I Will be following with interest

 

Brian

[kes]

Hi Steve and Brian - yes I have scratch built the aqueduct and the double headed single masted signal next to it. To me they are structures which defined Mickleover. The layout will be appearing at our club show at Goathland on July 18-19th.

 

 

 

Edited December 29, 2022 by kes
reloading missing photos

[kes]

You will note the strange sight of pine trees on the platforms. All the Derbyshire Extension stations had these small flower beds on the platforms, with shrubs and conifers in them, and as the years went by, they just got bigger, and bigger, until eventually at Mickleover, the far side waiting room was completely hidden by greenery! Mickleover lost its passenger service on the outbreak of war, and only retained occasional Saturday stopping specials after that, but it did see through traffic to Burton and Birmingham - often hauled by 4f's, Crabs, and the last one -  a Jubilee. This gives me the excuse to run some interesting trains.

[DonB]

One feature of the Friargate Station was the Holiday specials, Mostly going to Skegness, I think, (I'm not a Derby "native" and arrived here just as the Beeching axe fell!).

Would the coaching stock have been be assembled elsewhere and travel through Mickleover before travelling eastwards?

[Poor Old Bruce]

One feature of the Friargate Station was the Holiday specials, Mostly going to Skegness, I think, (I'm not a Derby "native" and arrived here just as the Beeching axe fell!).

Would the coaching stock have been be assembled elsewhere and travel through Mickleover before travelling eastwards?

 

I was once told that London suburban trains were given weekends away from 'the smoke' to take folks to the seaside. They were worked north on Friday nights and back on Sunday nights ready for their normal roles again on Monday.

 

Having said that, I once went on a weekday excursion train from Friargate to Cleethorpes. I know we went through Lincoln but not much more about the route.

[kes]

Hi- all the coaching stock came from elsewhere, either Derby Friargate, where there were extensive coach sidings, or across from the east - Nottingham Victoria, etc. I have seen photos of GNR/LNER/LMS stock all mixed together!  The suburban stock tended to be quad arts until quite late, then BR or LMS non corridor stock.  Friargate Station remained gas lit until the end - and I mean the end when it burnt down one night after it closed!

 

Here are a few photos taken as I have been adding flock to the scenery.

Edited December 29, 2022 by kes
replacing missing photos

[pete_mcfarlane]

Having said that, I once went on a weekday excursion train from Friargate to Cleethorpes. I know we went through Lincoln but not much more about the route.

Would this have gone Derby - Grantham (taking the avoiding line) and then heading up to Lincoln?

 

Wikipedia have a rather nice route map of the GNR lines around Nottingham and Derby: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNR_Derbyshire_and_Staffordshire_Extension(it's slightly out of date though - the line to Gedling has now been lifted, leaving only the Grantham line still open). 

 

Nice layout by the way. It looks very uncluttered with only a handful of cars and wagons, like a real country station that not many people used. 

[Guest bri.s]

Really like the latest pics, the scenery's looking very nice aswell as the aquaduct and signal

 

Brian

[kes]

Back to the shed today to add more greenery, shrubs, bushes and trees to the scene, as well as telegraph poles and fencing. Once this is done to my satisfaction, the whole lot including the ballast will get toned down with airbrushed coats of thin grey and brown paint. I am very pleased with the result of my efforts and the kind words from those who are reading it.

 

Kevin

[kes]

Right, well I have added a few more trees, and yet more bushes and telegraph poles, working from the photos in Mark Higginson's book.

 

Here we see a Type 2 Diesel with a cement train held in the loop.

A lot more greenery around the station drive area,

The view across Station Road bridge.

A 9F pulls up at the Box..

The view along the platforms from rail level.

Now I have to make the station nameboards, and the ground signals. That should keep me busy for a few days!

 

Kevin.

 

 

Edited December 29, 2022 by kes
replacing missing photos

[Guest bri.s]

It's coming together nicely and fast lol

 

Great pic of the 9f coming into the station

 

Brian

[scottystitch]

This looks fantastoic, thanks for sharing the build.

 

Could we possibly see the fiddle yeard (i presume trhere is one on the otehr side of the backscene?

[Poor Old Bruce]

I once went on a weekday excursion train from Friargate to Cleethorpes. I know we went through Lincoln but not much more about the route.

 

Would this have gone Derby - Grantham (taking the avoiding line) and then heading up to Lincoln?

 

Very doubtful as there was no direct connection fron the GN to the MR Lincoln line. When one was put in, it was to allow trains from Nottingham Midland onto the GN towards Grantham. I wonder if my Cleethorpes train went via the LD&EC through Tuxford.

[kes]

Hi - I will attempt to photograph the fiddle yard tomorrow. It is behind the backscene, against the shed wall at the moment, but will be directly infront of me when the layout is exhibited. I currently have a large mirror hung from the ceiling at one end of the layout so I can observe it!  It consists of 5 loops, 3 on one line, two on the other, each capable of holding one large train. Also the two mainlines feeding the fiddleyard are divided into 4 x 3' sections, each of which will hold a full length train, so in total 13 full length trains can be stored, shuttled forward one section at a time. There are electro uncoupling magnets in the loop, and the goods yard sidings so those wagons fitted with Peco easilift couplings can be used to split and shunt a train as needed.

 

Kevin.

[kes]

Here are a few photos of the fiddleyard behind the back scene.

It will be far easier to operate when it is out of the shed!

Tomorrow is for installing the station signs and making the ground signals. All that is left then is to make the trestles it will sit on, and I can have a well earned rest!

 

Kevin.

Edited December 29, 2022 by kes
replacing missing photos

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Really captures the look and feel of Mickleover, Kevin

 

Very well done.

 

I assume Mickleover Tunnel is used as the scenic break at one end of the layout. What did you use at the other end?