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Small Terminii With Parcels Depots


PatB

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Well, I'm finally starting to get my finger out on the threatened start in 2FS (well, I've reheeled my Farish 108) and have been contemplating what to build. My first choice, Minories, is, I've decided, a little ambitious for the time and resources I have available, whilst my second choice of a test track probably won't be entirely satisfying.

 

What I'm contemplating instead is along the lines of a small urban terminus, set in the 1970s, with passenger services rationalised to a single platform served by a DMU shuttling back and forth. However, to provide some operational interest I'm contemplating adding an adjacent parcels depot, either at an otherwise disused platform or served by a kickback siding from the platform road. Something to provide an excuse to shuffle a BG and a CCT or two.

 

Which brings me, rather longwindedly to my question, which is whether such a prototype existed anywhere or am I stretching the bounds of credibility too far? I'm not necessarily looking for an exact prototype to model, just something along roughly similar lines.

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Perhaps just model a small part of a station with the hint that there is more 'off stage" i.e bay platforms (your DMU shuttle) with a parcels platform next to it.

 

The north bays at Oxford (I appreciate it isn't a terminus) spring to mind. Platform 3 has services to Banbury whilst next to it is a loading dock with a track either side, one of which is stil occupied by an elderly BR Blue GUV & CCT.

 

Oxford Bays: https://flic.kr/p/9DkpuS

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Perhaps just model a small part of a station with the hint that there is more 'off stage" i.e bay platforms (your DMU shuttle) with a parcels platform next to it.

 

The north bays at Oxford (I appreciate it isn't a terminus) spring to mind. Platform 3 has services to Banbury whilst next to it is a loading dock with a track either side, one of which is stil occupied by an elderly BR Blue GUV & CCT.

 

Oxford Bays: https://flic.kr/p/9DkpuS

 

Thanks, that's very interesting. looking at the track plan on Google Earth suggests the bay and the loading docks form a sort of Inglenook arrangement.  Certainly a possibility.

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Although it was rather large as far as the goods sidings went, St Boltophs in Colchester, now called Colchester Town, might be a station from which some ideas could be developed. It started life as the Colchester terminus of the independent line from Walton/Clacton but was soon by-passed by a connection to the main line from London to Ipswich/Norwich at what is known locally as Colchester (North) station. The consequence was that it became a single platform served from a double track approach that joined the Colchester to Walton/Clacton line via a double track triangular Junction.

 

As well as being served by local branch services between the two - all the trains reversing there via the junction - it was also the starting point for Brightligsea trains and those to Sudbury etc (via Colchester North). Extensive goods facilities were provided and in later years much WD traffic was loaded there from the barracks. In the later 60's/70's/80's the goods shed became the centre of the BR Parcel traffic for the whole district area.

 

I have often thought that it is an ideal basis on which to base a layout, the 'off-scene' track layout giving plenty of ideas for traffic wherever it might be situated for operating company and particular era desired. It is of course now reduced to a single track platform minimum space terminus served by DMU's/EMU's - it was electrified along with the rest of the branch in 1960/61 as the BR test bed for 25Kv electrification - and the same basic passenger services remain. Some DMU's to Sudbury, EMU's on the 'main' branch. The main approach is also still the same, double via the triangular Junction.

 

Izzy

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I like the idea of modelling part of a larger station which seems a more likely scenario in the 1970s.

 

Other suggested locations for inspiration include Exeter St Davids platform 2 and bay seen here in 1969

https://www.flickr.com/photos/71592768@N08/15159430517/in/photolist-p6A3xF-9z4g78-oQWbKq-eezHat-9F8Yvq-qsHj1T-fWBK45-9g2UKv-FHSZa-63US5w-tyL3nv-thd49t-5y6ZWe-qaagUc-dEZBTy-gsX1eg-hrXPTc-d46W2C-dEBvW4-nnoywZ-dMKFEx-dQNSqc-hHeAQW-gNg8z9-q1e5cM-hrXXp5-d9NUJK-ggjy5S-eHKWVp-bCCrR7-bRx9U4-htTrFb-dMbRBC-rMut87-e8fwak-9ipQCA-9ipDSj-ak4qUX-4tW6y2-56kgRV-sJMkc5-bxoFFC-4cQVT9-dN6izM-h4Kbev-4cQYaJ-vdHrV6-brsCVp-ouE6wq-7cfnYj

 

Bristol Temple Meads fish dock and motorail dock behond platform 2

https://www.flickr.com/photos/bristol-re/5754086803/in/photolist-9Ltcxa-9Lw1tu-8yXQQi-9Nnf4o-9Ltcnn-ej2ZrS-9Lw1jL-9Lw1E1-9NwLuj-8yXQWp-eiWvHF-8z17Bo-ej3frY-9Nu1CH-8z17sm-8z17wE-9Nu1vp-9Nu1ai-9Nu2pH-eiWvHK

https://www.flickr.com/photos/bristol-re/8736723272/in/photolist-9Ltcxa-9Lw1tu-8yXQQi-9Nnf4o-9Ltcnn-ej2ZrS-9Lw1jL-9Lw1E1-9NwLuj-8yXQWp-eiWvHF-8z17Bo-ej3frY-9Nu1CH-8z17sm-8z17wE-9Nu1vp-9Nu1ai-9Nu2pH-eiWvHK

 

Or the parcels platforms on the south side of Cardiff Central

https://www.flickr.com/photos/131175774@N06/16294999493/in/photolist-8u5QtM-9seJ9L-tGXFis-yi179M-hVsMV3-8R1Qxi-xGgg39-rFWLRd-znDM7m-xJpsK9-rnFfag-unos6o-9EZ3w6-a6Qorm-9AfhYR-aAoRNg-iM4jVi-zAFEUS-asZVym-qAjBbw-tH8jvz-aDBqQY-g3yL1A-7F2Btf-j9R2u8-vaTsfL-dXgpm5-d6Dvnd-6iRYjE-aPnnNT-atvjWe-aNt7SK-aEsCd1-aEpy8r-bp5c33-r3Q6iW-pEgTD7-rpufXm-pdFHuX-rpqcuL-qPW8D8-rpAJz2-fjkR1u-r5P18m-56hxP5-akpJL1-aFeeqK-aFidSC-atBTjM-wjrPRC 

 

Not a location I visited but Bolton had a parcels depot, you might find inspiration here, a view in 1986.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/63797212@N02/6814346038/in/photolist-cJJMKu-ndF7Lq-boaiEN-7CJxb6-ne5oty-egsYd8-fCw9K9-8PopQX-vTBHE5-e1yoMi-fFPJiN-9k2F8k-9k2FbK-wDBNqr-q8nqaj-dqi25L-bD6WdE-9k2Ftt-9k2Ffa-9k5JMj-bD6XX7-9k2Fmk-gpAJVY-9stiXS-cjqkFu-9seJ9L-nGAdAd-7GYgHE-ghVv16-oPdR3R-ehiRxm-fCw94h-pKGiZr-fEK6pr-ehbinq-aXkLCz-bS1Fu6-e2jmYK-nQ9HLh-ehbjJq-7yUKUm-7M4dG5-nxHJqy-dVE6V3-oeRrdy-nNaPjy-fFx6sP-9k2FAz-9k5JTE-owhW2z

 

 

And a view of Colchester St Botolphs as suggested above

https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnmightycat/5638856998/in/photolist-9AhBJo

 

cheers

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Perhaps just model a small part of a station with the hint that there is more 'off stage" i.e bay platforms (your DMU shuttle) with a parcels platform next to it.

 

The north bays at Oxford (I appreciate it isn't a terminus) spring to mind. Platform 3 has services to Banbury whilst next to it is a loading dock with a track either side, one of which is stil occupied by an elderly BR Blue GUV & CCT.

 

Oxford Bays: https://flic.kr/p/9DkpuS

 

I used the "part station" idea for Westonmouth Central, albeit in OO.

 

There is just one point (right on the edge of the photo), and the two tracks lead onto a traverser. The main platform will hold 3 Mk1s and a Bo-Bo, or 3 GUV/BGs and a Co-Co, although it's really a DMU layout. The rear track is a parcels depot with the middle road being used for parcel vans, for loco stabling and for a bubble car in the rush hour.

 

The rest of the station is in front of the layout, and beyond the buffers, so the viewer is looking at the layout from the end of one of the mainline through platforms - just like we used to do, note book and Biro in hand!

 

It is small, but great fun to operate! With DCC and two operators there is more than enough entertainment for a 2 day exhibition. 

 

post-5204-0-62458300-1446900950.jpg

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Thanks for the suggestions everyone. The photos, in particular, show just the sort of scenes I'm visualising. I like Rivercider's Bolton shot particularly as the "backscene" is largely retaining wall. I'll also admit to some degree of fascination with Bristol TM's more outlying platforms as they always felt rather remote and desolate on my visits there.

 

I'm also grateful to HillsideDepot for a demonstration of how to avoid needing to represent the remainder of a large station on a backscene. Clearly i've been a bit thick because it didn't occur to me to stage the layout looking away from the rest of the station. Whilst I'm mindful of both plagiarism and the risks of modelling a model, there's a lot of inspiration there.

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I lived in Bolton for 18 years and I was trying to work out where that picture was taken.  I think it was taken from Orlando Street bridge facing south.  The footbridge in the picture connects Lever St to Manchester Road.  The station is some way behind the photographer, so whatever that platform is next to the DMU, it's not part of the station.

 

In addition to Royal Mail traffic, there was also at one time a lot of parcels traffic in connection with a catalogue company (Great Universal I think?), who have or had a large distribution depot in Bolton.  They generated sufficient traffic to require an 08 shunter to be based in Bolton Monday to Saturday, which when not in use was parked under Orlando Street bridge on the loop line to the left to DMU, I often passed it on my way into Manchester to work.

 

Regards

 

Moxy

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Here are views of some of the other suggestions,

 

Wolverhampton Low Level in 1984

https://www.flickr.com/photos/71592768@N08/10427732005/in/photolist-oWwc8W-gTsRqR-rL4hE8-kWKVT2-piCfEr-66zNT1-r5kDQ-z2EMNo-gv4Q48-66vwZk-nCPAoL-dVbUTD-9rx9i5-9rubaH-9rx95y-9ruaUH-9rub52-9rx9BJ-9ruaP4-jn3iy-967SJD-jn3ix-6V1JCT-bDWssb-9rub1V-ooR7dB-eUJZL9-zS1454-9ruaZa-7isRDG-dxeT9D-bDWsvm-qSCV52-7pggos-eUK173-9rx9ss-9rx92f-9rx8XN-9rub7V-9rx9nw-9rx9pq-9ruaWt-9ruaU4-9rx9rL-9ruaYx-9rx99W-9ruaXv-9rx91m-9rx9tC-9rx96u

 

Nottingham London Road in 1987

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/geoffsimages/8522391856/in/photolist-dZ6ubC-9Y5CJb-KAQ12-efcEK2-fpsZfj-8UkQJc-8Um9sC-i4886Q-xsi8Jo-u83yEu-4Q1fKG-KAQ18-kLhUWM-n9rukW-7bpjfF-3zrqr9-jREp9-pUDhCQ-vJSCPQ-pqQjmn-vLhyZh-rvpkXr-qBJZEA-ikQ1qP-dwipLt-oyaBnR-7CMsPu-owo5tm-eRzukL-pUMdn6-phoqv1-ejgcgu-ryCzpG-686bBx-hZohv5-6x9f8d-nAvF48-pqShGu-npBaBm-vhdikt-a2tUCC-eKqo5v-echuUX-9Kq759-t4zkAt-mqMNp2-89Jgmg-9vdL4j-yrRq4f-9YLa9j

 

Coventry Parcels dock in 1982

https://www.flickr.com/photos/79134428@N03/12179005376/in/photolist-jydzZj-rQGbjK-rQBf8c-rT8yAq-spDP4D-sxyPES-uVAig-re4yeK-n5h2K3-9nUZqB-iaWXgg-63MW18-yH7qFE-tKf5CW-pRWFXG-fPTjkv-vrhdS3-zbFtE5-awWbXZ-awWzok-nH237u-dyCKuG-nQCs4D-dispqt-8nfqqY-yT6kB4-72Qc9q-nMKJXH-bjRgmw-gLnN3u-fPTjaF-gc6GLZ-pkuFpL-pkv7jp-dUUd7c-pStdzi-rakoo-djbi5a-neetMq-cN5GCd-nxqjTk-mjHx1H-o2rYgw-oL4H26-weLdnN-xHG1HD-y2cvw3-hDYgUj-iivYmL-dsJwwD

 

 

and another suggestion at Plymouth where there were bay platforms at both ends of the station

post-7081-0-60720000-1446962413.jpg

Class 118 set P480 (51312 51327) waits to work the 16.40 service to Gunnislake 21/4/82

 

 

 

cheers

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Here are views of some of the other suggestions,

 

Wolverhampton Low Level in 1984

https://www.flickr.com/photos/71592768@N08/10427732005/in/photolist-oWwc8W-gTsRqR-rL4hE8-kWKVT2-piCfEr-66zNT1-r5kDQ-z2EMNo-gv4Q48-66vwZk-nCPAoL-dVbUTD-9rx9i5-9rubaH-9rx95y-9ruaUH-9rub52-9rx9BJ-9ruaP4-jn3iy-967SJD-jn3ix-6V1JCT-bDWssb-9rub1V-ooR7dB-eUJZL9-zS1454-9ruaZa-7isRDG-dxeT9D-bDWsvm-qSCV52-7pggos-eUK173-9rx9ss-9rx92f-9rx8XN-9rub7V-9rx9nw-9rx9pq-9ruaWt-9ruaU4-9rx9rL-9ruaYx-9rx99W-9ruaXv-9rx91m-9rx9tC-9rx96u

 

Nottingham London Road in 1987

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/geoffsimages/8522391856/in/photolist-dZ6ubC-9Y5CJb-KAQ12-efcEK2-fpsZfj-8UkQJc-8Um9sC-i4886Q-xsi8Jo-u83yEu-4Q1fKG-KAQ18-kLhUWM-n9rukW-7bpjfF-3zrqr9-jREp9-pUDhCQ-vJSCPQ-pqQjmn-vLhyZh-rvpkXr-qBJZEA-ikQ1qP-dwipLt-oyaBnR-7CMsPu-owo5tm-eRzukL-pUMdn6-phoqv1-ejgcgu-ryCzpG-686bBx-hZohv5-6x9f8d-nAvF48-pqShGu-npBaBm-vhdikt-a2tUCC-eKqo5v-echuUX-9Kq759-t4zkAt-mqMNp2-89Jgmg-9vdL4j-yrRq4f-9YLa9j

 

Coventry Parcels dock in 1982

https://www.flickr.com/photos/79134428@N03/12179005376/in/photolist-jydzZj-rQGbjK-rQBf8c-rT8yAq-spDP4D-sxyPES-uVAig-re4yeK-n5h2K3-9nUZqB-iaWXgg-63MW18-yH7qFE-tKf5CW-pRWFXG-fPTjkv-vrhdS3-zbFtE5-awWbXZ-awWzok-nH237u-dyCKuG-nQCs4D-dispqt-8nfqqY-yT6kB4-72Qc9q-nMKJXH-bjRgmw-gLnN3u-fPTjaF-gc6GLZ-pkuFpL-pkv7jp-dUUd7c-pStdzi-rakoo-djbi5a-neetMq-cN5GCd-nxqjTk-mjHx1H-o2rYgw-oL4H26-weLdnN-xHG1HD-y2cvw3-hDYgUj-iivYmL-dsJwwD

 

 

and another suggestion at Plymouth where there were bay platforms at both ends of the station

attachicon.gifscan0032a.jpg

Class 118 set P480 (51312 51327) waits to work the 16.40 service to Gunnislake 21/4/82

 

 

 

cheers

 

Great stuff! I like the Nottingham shot in particular as the photo makes the train shed look suspiciously like something from Scalescenes or the like ;). The "ballast" at Plymouth is also very interesting as an example of track weathering.

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There was an issue of Model Trains from the 80s that had the idea of modelling part of the Kings Cross suburban platforms together with the nearby parcels dock. There is thread which has a few photos and some info about it.

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/46826-kings-cross-parcels-depot-info-sought-please/

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/13416-kings-cross-trackplan/

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The rest of the station is in front of the layout, and beyond the buffers, so the viewer is looking at the layout from the end of one of the mainline through platforms - just like we used to do, note book and Biro in hand!

 

I like that concept a lot ... now where's my notepad?

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Hi Pat....

I realise this topic is in Prototype Questions, but if you're not averse to downscaling someone else's idea, Oldham King Street Parcels by David Hampson may have everything you are looking for?

 

The thread that the link below takes you to also asks a similar question, hence OKSP came up in the discussion.

 

My own O gauge layout is very closely based upon this idea...

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/44452-oldham-king-street-in-n/?p=486958

Randall

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Another one was Bradford Interchange.  Which always had 3 or 4 GUV's etc parked on the line nearest the big retaining wall.  There was even an 03 to shunt them.  I suspect they got loaded at night and the vans were brought in from Healey Mills by a 31 or 25.   The retaining wall would make a good backdrop and the station is modern but hasn't changed since I worked in the area in the mid 80's.

 

Jamie

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Another one was Bradford Interchange.  Which always had 3 or 4 GUV's etc parked on the line nearest the big retaining wall.  There was even an 03 to shunt them.  I suspect they got loaded at night and the vans were brought in from Healey Mills by a 31 or 25.   The retaining wall would make a good backdrop and the station is modern but hasn't changed since I worked in the area in the mid 80's.

 

Jamie

 

Talking of Bradford, an even more parcel centric terminus was Bradford Forster Square. IIRC with only local passenger trains using the terminus from around the late 1960s, parcels work took up four of the six platforms until this ceased around 1981. Although I've not yet seen it myself, I believe it is touched upon in an article on modelling parcels traffic in the latest issue of Traction (No.230).

Ed

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