Callow Lane is my new P4 layout, which has been under construction for far too long now...

It is set in North Bristol/South Gloucestershire, and represents a small suburban goods yard in the Westerleigh area. There used to be an old goods-only branch running north-westwards from the Midland Railway's Westerleigh Yard, to a location called New Engine Yard. From here, colliery spurs ran to the pits in the district, amongst them being Mayshill and Frog Lane collieries.

Callow Lane is actually set in the location of New Engine Yard, but the line then continues on to join the GWR main line just to the west of Coalpit Heath station, a route which would have required some considerable earthworks and steep gradients.

Callow Lane is where the Westerleigh Yard to Coalpit Heath line goes from double to single track (the double line is back towards Westerleigh Yard). There are two sidings on both up and down sides, one of which runs through to a chocolate factory.

Tuesday 27/10/09

Got the day off today, so have re-erected Callow Lane and have made a start on the point rodding. Here is a batch of two-runner point rodding stools with brass wire glued into the bases (the epoxy is setting), to assist locating on the baseboard.

I drill an oversize (ish) hole in the baseboard and mount the stools on small square sections of 30 or 40 thou plasticard (to represent the top of the concrete block that each stool is mounted on). The squares of plasticard also have oversize holes drilled in them, and the whole lot is epoxied to the baseboard. When it's set, I can begin the track weathering and ballasting, and will then put the actual rodding in after that.

One of the compensators that I will also need to install along the rodding run (this one isn't quite finished - it needs a representation of 'pivots' glueing into the two holes in the middle):

Sunday 01.11.09

Not much done over the last few days, other than prepare even more point rodding stools, drill their bases and glue bits of wire in. I've now got over 80 rodding stools ready to install on the layout, but I first need to prepar the plasticard bases for them to sit in...

Saturday 21/11/09

The point rodding is on hold at the moment, although all components are now ready for installation. First, however, I need to complete the final section of retaining wall, that forms the cutting, in which the railway sits, so that I know for sure how much room I will have to fit the rodding. I may also build some or all of the three running signals and fit them for the same reason.

Here's the final section of retaining wall as a card mock-up, to check the angles and levels etc.:

Sunday 29/11/09

Today I finally completed the last (and fourth) section of the retaining walls that radiate out from the central road bridge. Photos to follow.

The next job will be to start another row of four cottages, this time cottage backs with back yards and outside toilets, backing onto a narrow footpath that will run along the top of one of the retaining walls above the railway.

Sunday 03/01/10

I've been making some decent progress with the latest row of half-relief cottages (cottage backs based on Howard Scenics kit) and have posted some photos up in the 'Scenery & Structures' part of the forum, but here is one of those photos for information:

More progress has been made on the cottages, and I've put some photos up on my 'Cottage Industry' thread in the Scenery & Structures part of the forum, but here is another one to illustrate the current state of play:

Sunday 04/7/10

Here are a couple of recent photos, showing the newly-installed point rodding stools and cranks:

Work is currently progressing with track weathering and a bit of experimental ballasting has been done as well, photos to follow when there's a bit more to see.