Moggs Eye

I used a Pikestuff kit for Emsworth, my other layout, and just used the signs and doors from the Scalescenes depot. It may not be hugely cost effective, but being able to add your own names to the depot signage and use it over and over is really useful.Cheers, Ben.

Regarding the black and yellow stripes on depot doors, I used the doors from the downloadable depot kit from Scalescenes on Cottleston. There is lots of useful depot signage, of different companies/sectors you can add your own names to. Have fun, Ben.

No problem with wandering off topic, I should probably include the flying unicorns in the header now. I'm in East Lincolnshire, inland of Skegness so not too far away. Progress so far has been confined to the signals, which are almost ready to have the servos tested with them. I have the wood cut for the baseboards and may get them put together tomorrow after a final planning session to make sure it will work as I envisage it. Thanks for the offer of the pictures. If I think of anything I'm missing I'll come back you. Cheers, Ben.

Unfortunately a dispute between the Household Cavalry, Army Air Corps and Crab Air (RAF) over who should be responsible for operating, maintaining and creating doctrine for airborne mythological creatures means that all the flying unicorns have been grounded. A Joint Services committee has been formed to discuss the implications, however after fourteen meetings so far they have only been able to agree on what kind of biscuits they are to have at all subsequent meetings. (Garibaldi)

Thanks for pointing out the the extra width of the shunter, I already have one operating on Cottleston, my other layout and can't say I've ever noticed. I'll have a little look at it, but as you say it's going to be hard to address it with the work already done. Cheers, Ben.

A couple of weeks ago, having some time on my hands, I decided to take a trip from Cleethorpes along the Barton Upon Humber branch. I'm a big fan of modern branch lines, with a particular fondness for Class 153s, and the Barton branch is right up my street. Jointed track, semaphore signalling, single like staff exchanges, very basic stations; what's not to like? A class 153 awaiting it's next trip to Barton at Cleethorpes. The very basic terminus at Barton. Barrow Haven Station today, looking towards New Holland. The branch has a fascinating history, as an offshoot to the busy line to the New Holland Pier station and it's ferry link across the Humber to Hull - a nice history of that can be found here; http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/n/new_holland_pier/ After the Humber Bridge was opened in 1981 the pier and ferry service was closed, though a bulk terminal was opened on the pier which retained a rail connection. Unfortunately this is sadly disused now. Here are views of Barrow Road Crossing facing towards Goxhill and Cleethorpes taken today. The running line to the right is the branch and the rusty sidings in the foreground are the remains of the main line from the Pier. Barrow Road signal box used to be an important junction box, but now only has eight levers and is no longer a block post, serving to protect the busy level crossing from the bulk terminal. It's signals are slotted with Oxmarsh Crossing box, a little further along towards Goxhill, where the single line becomes double and the staff exchanges are carried out. Anyway - back to my trip along the branch... On the return to Cleethorpes I was fired up with the idea of making some kind of micro or mini layout based on the Barton branch. I've always had an itch to try something smaller and last year considered buying the excellent Trevanna Dries Cornish micro layout. Sat on the class 153 rattling towards Grimsby I decided to build a fictional station somewhere along the Barton branch. Holland Beck is the result of that decision. As with any fictional layout you have to suspend disbelief a little and in this case I need you to believe that the Barton Upon Humber is further from New Holland and that the village of Holland Beck exists between Barrow Haven and New Holland. You also need to believe that Speedlink/Enterprise style wagonload services continued successfully, and profitably to the present day - with appropriate support from a fantasy government that promoted railfrieght over road transport and equipped the Household Cavalry with flying unicorns. In this context the Humber Logistics Services company sends out regular, unspecified traffic from its terminal at Holland Beck. After much pushing around of some spare Peco code 75 points, Hornby Class 153s, Bachmann Class 66s and vans I came up with the working plan shown below; It's a simple plan in which I aim to incorporate servo driven semaphore signals and working level crossing gates. I have two scenic boards, each 1m x 45cm and a fiddle yard to the same dimensions. The passenger trains will shuttle from one side to the other, pausing at the Barrow Haven style platform, while the freights will be tripped from Immingham and set back into the sidings where an Industrial shunter will propel them into the industrial complex. I have the wood cut ready to make the boards, but in the meantime I've been busy building signals and sorting some of the buildings. Progress so far includes; Adding hinges, from Ratio signal kits, to Wills level crossing gates so they'll be able to swing across the road. Building a Knightwing 0-4-0 Industrial Shunter kit around a Black Beetle motor bogie I found in the spares box. Adapting a second hand Hornby halt into the station shelter. The room at the left side will detailed with an illuminated, detailed interior which will serve as the crossing keeper's shelter from the Humber winds. The ground frame to the left is for the level crossing and its protecting signals. The Tyers token machine in the cabinet is to allow a freight train to be 'shut in' the sidings to allow passenger trains to pass. In signalling terms Holland Beck is not a block post. Hopefully I'll have the boards together by the end of the week and some track down. Thanks for looking. Ben.

Hi Russ, I've just found your thread after following the link from your post in the Female Drivers thread. You've made a really good looking layout, I'll look forward to seeing more of it. Cheers, Ben.

Inspired by the free DVD that came with the Railway Magazine this month I dragged this dusty machine, my favourite 50 - Glorious, out of storage, found a chip for it and gave it a trundle! I may have to consider a NSE layout now! Does anybody know what's happening with the real Glorious? There isn't any updated information, I can find, other than she is under repair. Cheers, Ben.

I bought 08800, and early Bachmann model, some time ago as I've always liked the Inter City Swallow livery and couldn't really justify running anything like that in the era my layouts are set. Unfortunately it's always run so badly, with or without a decoder, that it was't fit for exhibition work. Then I saw an article in the October 2016 Model Rail about fitting extra pickups. A little bit of soldering and fettling later and I have my 08 tested and ready for it's next deployment. Unfortunately that's not until June, with Emsworth, but here it is anyway. Apologies for the quality of the pictures, I was using the phone. Cheers, Ben.

With a few months until the next show and with some time on my hands I've decided on a few refurbishment jobs which means the signal box board backscene has come off for the first time in ages giving a view of Moggs Eye signal box's rear. The concrete base for the box's REB is being renewed to look a little more like concrete, the factory building concealing the control panel is having a tidy up and then I plan to refurbish the platforms in the station. In between times I'm trying to work through the locos, units and wagon in the 'Workshop Draw'. So far a Northern liveried Pacer has had it's wiring and couplings repaired, 67029 has had new traction tyres and 08800, in a rather nice Intercity Swallow livery, has had extra pick ups added. Hopefully they'll all be running at the next show. Cheers, Ben.

Cottleston now has invitations for 2019! Assuming ti doesn't fall to bits before then that will make 10 years of exhibitions. I may have to produce commemorative mugs! Cheers, Ben.

Hi, We had a good time at Dereham today, thanks to Pauline and her crew for looking after us. The layout performed well after a couple of tense moments first thing; 1 - During set up one of the operators came out with the immortal words, 'Where is the transformer for the controller?' After contemplating a day spent presiding over a 16' diorama it turned out that the above operator had done the kind of search a teenage lad would have considered cursory and missed the transformer in the electrical box right where it was supposed to be. 2 - A few minutes later, 'None of the points or signals work!' Happily that was just a loose wire. Due to work and family commitments I didn't get much work done on the layout before this show, apart from renewing the hardstanding and rearranging the huts around the military enclave near the fiddle yard. I think it looks better, but more importantly the edge of the hardstanding doesn't cause problems for rolling stock any more. The driver of a Central Trains 156 looks bored as she awaits the road for her service to Nottingham. A Northern train for Sheffield can just be seen under the old goods shed. It looks like one of the ground staff at Cottleston is taking a moment to chat up one of the local ladies. Presumably the driver of 50033 Glorious has nipped to The Unicorn, over the level crossing on Crow Lane, for some quick refreshment. A short time later Glorious is trundling through the slips past Moggs Eye box having dropped off some surplus electric locomotives for storage on the military railway. A busy moment in the exchange sidings with an EWS Class 66 waiting to get away with some armoured vehicles for the depot at Ludgershall while the MoD shunter will shortly be taking its train to the Cottleson depot. Cottleston is out next in July, in deepest Hertfordshire! Cheers, Ben.

Hi, Cottleston will be at Dereham this Saturday, February the 25th. Come and say hello if you're passing. Cheers, Ben. http://mnr.org.uk/events/modelrailwayday

I have a former double track reduced to a single line and platform on Cottleston. It usually attracts some attention at exhibitions.

At the Caistor Exhibition this year I had my layout opposite a very nice 4mm Spilsby. I believe it's owner is a member of the Sleaford club.

Hi, Having watched the movie with the family this evening this thread caught my eye for the first time. As a further coincidence I have just introduced the boys to Hannibal Brooks so I was pleased to see Lucy on the layout as well. Fantastic work, really impressive model. I hope to be able to see it for real some time. Cheers, Ben.

Just before my squadron went over the border in Iraq in 2003 the SQMS's Bedford rolled into the location and kicked off boxes and boxes of 5.56mm rounds for the rifles and a load of 7.62mm for the GPMGs and then drove off. I'd never seen so much in one place. We must have got yours.

Great work, Al. I've looked at the thread fairly late and I've just had a long look through it, very impressive - particularly the signalbox interior (I know that was ages back). When I worked shifts I used to travel along the Hope Valley line a lit and always looked forward to the DMU rattling out of Totley Tunnel putting Sheffield behind me and letting the Peak District open up in front. Good luck with the continuing work, and on the Land Rover - mine is only 31 years old, but I love transporting the layouts to exhibitions in it. Cheers, Ben.

I remember when Skegness used to be full of 20s on the excursion trains over summer weekends, you could hear them chirping to themselves all over town all day. The sound of them still makes me smile whenever I hear one. Cheers, Ben.

Good luck. Have fun with it.

Thanks, Jeff, I have a track and signalling diagram for the Station Signalbox which I have modified to reflect my imagined evolution of the track plan after 1970. This means a complete closure and removal of the good yard apart from the siding that once led from the bay platform to the cattle dock and behind the North Signalbox, also keeping the trailing crossover from the Up Platform to this siding. The Spilsby Siding will be retained, for stabling DMUs between Mablethorpe and Lincoln trains. Though I won't have space to model the south junction and avoiding line, I'm hoping to produce a modern style signalling diagram which will show the avoiding line as a single line controlled at both ends by the Station Box. Cheers, Ben.

Planning is now under way on this layout. I've seen the first draft plans for the station building and it's exciting to see the progress there. The plan is to model the station as a listed, operational building painted in GNR colours, but with modern fixtures and fittings so it won't look like a Victorian station with diesel trains running through it. Function wise, the house at each end of the building will be domestic dwellings while the booking hall, waiting rooms and refreshment rooms in between will be a bookshop with tea rooms (the kind of place I could see myself in). Now I've got the footprint of the building I can start designing the baseboards around it I've drawn up plans for the Station Signalbox using Stow Park box, near Lincoln (built to the same basic dimensions as Firsby) as a pattern. While I have pretty much all of the books available on the station, I'm still hunting for information or pictures. If anybody stumbles across anything relating to this fascinating junction I'd appreciate very much a pointer in the right direction. Cheers, Ben.

Nice Harriers - I'm building an Airfix FA2 myself at the moment, in between railway stuff.

I can't remember his name, though I did use one of the 'Excellent' stickers I found on your desk to reward his driving!

I hope the kids from your class enjoyed the change in the classroom! It was good to meet a few of them. One of your ex-pupils (I think) had a drive after he spent ages watching the trains.