5Bel Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 Hi All, Last friday night I delivered the GWR Railcar to it's new owner, Jon Penn, owner of the Diggle Halebarns and Westport Railway. I remember seeing this railway in an edition of the Model Railway Constructor many years ago and I have had the pleasure of helping to operate it a few times. It is controlled the same way as a real railway was, with proper signalling and all the relevant bell codes. I asked if I could put some pictures of the Railway on here and Jon kindly agreed. I will start at the Diggle end of the layout and work towards Westport. Diggle Signal Box Diggle carriage sidings. L&Y saddle tank brings a local in to Diggle. L&Y baggage car in electric sidings. Uppermill No2 box Claughton and Scot on Uppermill Shed. Part of Uppermill Yard. GWR Railcar at the Branch station of Woodford Halebarns Box and Gantry Halebarns Island platform Westport Station Concourse. Wesport, with Express train awaiting departure. Westport Station approaches. I hope you like the pictures. It truly is an inspirational Railway. ( I don't think it qualifies as a 'layout') Cheers for now, Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackRat Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 Is this the one that partially runs in the garden (I think). If it is, I can remember it in the Modeller, wayyyyyyy back in the 70's when I were just a lad etc. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theakerr Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 Rather nice. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold John B Posted September 19, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 19, 2011 That concourse picture is special. It really suspends disbelief perfectly - iirC I saw a similar shot many years ago in the press. Great to see this railway still thriving! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
artizen Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 The concourse shot is A-R-T-! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted September 19, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 19, 2011 Nice to see it again. I seem to remember the building of the viaduct on video. Don Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Martin Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 Was this the layout which used to appear in part at the old exhibition at Merchant Taylors' school in Crosby? I used to love that layout: whopping great O-gauge stock, used to have a set of ICI-style bogie hoppers IIRC. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
5Bel Posted September 20, 2011 Author Share Posted September 20, 2011 Was this the layout which used to appear in part at the old exhibition at Merchant Taylors' school in Crosby? I used to love that layout: whopping great O-gauge stock, used to have a set of ICI-style bogie hoppers IIRC. Hi All, Jim, I think a part of the layout was portable in it's early years. There are still some ICI bogie tanks still running. Blackrat, it does run in the garden in covered sections which have recently been recovered. The team that operate the railway are undertaking a lot of maintenance/rebuilding to hopefully see the line good for a few years yet. Some of the original stock is still going strong after 50 plus years. Cheers for now, Ian. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
21C4 Posted September 20, 2011 Share Posted September 20, 2011 Nice pictures Ian, (I'm sure I know you by another name), but makes me feel a bit sad, having left the area and Jon's company last winter and having been a regular operator for many years. The MPD at Halebarns was regularly exhibited a number of years back, but was stopped as it required the back of the shed to be dismantled to get it out. Is this the one that partially runs in the garden (I think). If it is, I can remember it in the Modeller, wayyyyyyy back in the 70's when I were just a lad etc. Yup, it had to. It's close on 400ft from end to end. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
5Bel Posted September 21, 2011 Author Share Posted September 21, 2011 Hi 21C4, I have been known by many names in the past, but the main one was Stav. Have you operated Rockmoss as well as Diggle? Cheers for now, Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
21C4 Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Hello Stav, Certainly have, I guess my avatar gave me away! I miss Rockmoss as much as Diggle and Westport, but life goes on and I am now enjoying the excellent company of fine fellows at the Risborough and District MRC. The build of my own railway is about to commence, so keep a look out in the 7mm forum for news of the new 'South Pole'. Will be posting there when there is something to post. Blessings, John (JC) (Jay) (21C4) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
5Bel Posted September 22, 2011 Author Share Posted September 22, 2011 Hi John, Good to hear from you and good to see you on here. Will you still be modelling the Brighton with your latest project. Cheers for now, Ian. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
21C4 Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 Hi John, Good to hear from you and good to see you on here. Will you still be modelling the Brighton with your latest project. Cheers for now, Ian. Hi Ian, It will be next door on the South Eastern & Chatham this time, if for no other reason than I have just completed a LC&DR Kirtley class T in Southern (Maunsell era) black. Only got the couplings to add and coal the bunker. I built this one because I had 7mm drawings and have never seen one modelled elsewhere. I'll stick a picture on when I find out how to do it; keep a look out on the 7mm forum, but don't hold your breath! The layout will be crammed into an 8' x 2' space and of necessity be simple in design. Haven't decided yet on the track plan, but is likely to have short fiddle yards either end with a 4 foot scenic bit in between. Someone told me that less is more - I hope they are right! Passenger traffic will be handled by SR Drewry petrol railcar No.5, from an old Gateneal kit. All this to be fitted in whilst continuing with my 2.5" gauge King Arthur. Best, John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
21C4 Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 Ian, Found out how to do it! Go to 7mm+modelling forum - the 'T' is on there under South Pole - Southern Railway. John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted November 26, 2013 Share Posted November 26, 2013 I was delighted to find this - I cut my 0 gauge teeth here back in the late 70's as a teenager, regularly operating Diggle, with my school pal, Neil Kennedy and his dad, Gordon, ( who did all the sound using loop tapes and old reel to reel tape recorders) or with Ken Longbottom, who built the railway, in Westport. I've had the priviledge of visiting more recently - Jon is keeping up the old layout and it's wonderful to go back! Despite being a dyed in the wool dark green engine am, I still know my way round the LNWR! SD Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted November 26, 2013 Share Posted November 26, 2013 Certainly not the Diggle and Uppermill I expected. This fine layout has certainly captured the elusive steam railway atmosphere. Without any painted weathering, it has gathered a patina of dust that, to me, is better in some ways. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tricky Posted November 11, 2017 Share Posted November 11, 2017 Discovered this thread and it sent me straight down memory lane. I remember a few occasions being taken along to see this Railway (you really can't call it a layout) with my brother-in-law. I'm guessing early/mid 80's when Ken Longbottom was in residence. I was utterly smitten with the whole railway. I remember going there possibly in the autumn when the nights were drawing in; once dark you would be in one of the sheds which housed the stations and you could look down the line where it disappeared off outside to the next station; all you could see was a line of red signal lamps diminishing into the distance, with the gently curving rails reflecting the glow. I must confess as a young teenage lad being terrified of the fully prototypical operation of bell codes, but I think the other operators made allowances for my ineptitude! I was, however glad to be left happily shunting the goods yard! Ken was just as much a gardener as a railway enthusiast and the whole setting was truly magical. I think he used to like creosote and the garden boundary fences, sheds and track supports seemed to be liberally coated in the stuff. To this day, 40 odd years on, if I catch a whiff of a warm creosoted fence on a summer's day it takes me right back to the Diggle, Halebarns & Westport Railway. Happy days indeed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold ikks Posted November 15, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 15, 2017 I have vague memories(I guess most of my memories are vague these days!) of seeing this one of the magazines, what a magnificent railway, full of atmosphere, sometimes I think some of the layouts I see are almost a bit too clinical, sure, accurate to the enth degree, displaying incredible skills but ones like this just have that intangible something. Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tricky Posted November 15, 2017 Share Posted November 15, 2017 I have vague memories(I guess most of my memories are vague these days!) of seeing this one of the magazines, what a magnificent railway, full of atmosphere, sometimes I think some of the layouts I see are almost a bit too clinical, sure, accurate to the enth degree, displaying incredible skills but ones like this just have that intangible something. Mike Agreed Mike, There were a few articles in the Railway Modeller but I've no idea when. I also remember Ken considered CJ Freezer a bit of a buffoon! I think just because it had to be operated like a real railway set it apart. You couldn't just 'play trains'. It demanded respect. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
5Bel Posted November 15, 2017 Author Share Posted November 15, 2017 Hi All, Thanks for the replies and memories. I haven't been to the railway for a while but you will be pleased to hear that it is still in existence although I don't think it has been operated fully for a while. Jon Penn is still going strong, indeed it was to him I delivered the class 50 over on my 7mm thread. I will keep you abreast of any updates. If any railway deserves to be in a museum this is surely it, though it will be a monumental task to do it. You would also lose a lot of the atmosphere that makes this railway so special. Cheers for now, Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWR8700 Posted November 15, 2017 Share Posted November 15, 2017 Looks like a really interesting layout, would love to see a trackplan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard i Posted July 9, 2018 Share Posted July 9, 2018 I was kindly taken as a teenager by my grandmother’s friend twice. Best two days of my childhood operating it. It blew me away how detailed it is and how it ran like the real thing. Remember being shown the bike behind the signal box where the chain actually worked. Would love to see it again with a proper camera, only have poor shots taken with a 110 from my visits of my youth. No idea where it is, my host would not tell me so others could not be led there.....added to the mystery. Richard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard i Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 Found the scans of the negatives i did, forgive the poor quality. Would love to see the engine shed again, i remember it full of wonderful models. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
billy_anorak59 Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 There were a few articles in the Railway Modeller but I've no idea when. I remember being enthralled by the magazine write-ups of this layout in the 70's - the LNWR signals really captured me for some reason! Can't remember when, but I'm sure one of the articles was called 'Return to Diggle' ? Circa 1972? (I'm not sure though, that it was an RM article that I remember - was it in 'Model Railways' too?) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Coleman Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 I remember being enthralled by the magazine write-ups of this layout in the 70's - the LNWR signals really captured me for some reason! Can't remember when, but I'm sure one of the articles was called 'Return to Diggle' ? Circa 1972? (I'm not sure though, that it was an RM article that I remember - was it in 'Model Railways' too?) My late father-in-law, Ken Hockaday, helped build and run it in the 1970's and 1980's, and I had the privilege of visiting it a handful of times. It was truly a magnificent achievement, and was run as a proper railway. I don't recall who the particular operators were at the time, but I recall heated arguments if somebody used the wrong bell code. The level of detail was staggering. I may have the station wrong but I think that Halebarns had a roofless gent's urinal block complete with a customer using the facility, and I recall a black cat on a first floor window sill with its tail up in the air. It may well have featured in articles in other magazines, but it certainly had a seven page feature in the November 1980 "Model Railway Constructor" (which happened to be the 20th anniversary edition of that magazine) as I bought that issue for the article and have it in front of me now. The article starts on page 672 and is titled "Diggle, Halebarns & Westpoint". Yes, that should have been Westport, but they got it wrong in the title but correct in the article - I guess the article predated spell checkers. The article's subtitle is "a fine scale O gauge LMSR layout", and it featured a mix of colour and monochrome photographs, and a track plan. The plan doesn't show the nettles which I recall were a garden security feature of choice for Ken Longbottom, the then owner of the bungalow, grounds and layout. The group also made a video on VHS taken just before they undertook some serious reconstruction (so the video says). I managed to get it transferred to DVD a few years ago before getting rid of my VHS player. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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