Aberbrothock

Two photos of the signal in question. Looks as though the post had recently been painted - no doubt it was just about to be taken out of use! A view from the hillside just past the loco yard area with the signal post in the rear centre of the shot. The factory in the background was, I remember, home to Brothock Castings. Hope these shots are informative.

There used to be an illuminated sign covering the exit from the old North yard, and there also a telephone near to the bottom of the post. The instruction read, " STOP and telephone for instructions." I have a couple of black and white photos of the post and its display, (taken in 1973), and will try scanning them tomorrow and posting them here.

I'm aware that I've not been online recently, but a short holiday and an unforeseen spell in hospital got in the way of "railway works," but I've made up a little kit from Langley of a horse drawn coal cart, at least one of which was still in use around Arbroath until the late 'sixties / early 'seventies, so it's quite appropriate. Unfortunately I can't remember which company used horse haulage, but enquiries at the library in Arbroath may come up with an answer................. Anyway here's the photo! ( I don't have a name for the horse yet.....)

Class 27 / BRCW Type 2 heads south towards Arbroath with a fitted goods in the early 'sixties. (Someone forgot to set the headcode discs.....)

A photo taken in the late 1950's of Ivatt Class 2, 46463 waiting for the road at platform 2, Arbroath.

Water column now sufficiently advanced to be placed on the platform. Some shots in situ and one in the garden after priming in "photographic grey". Finally, one in black and white, which comes out quite nicely - just needs some escaping steam drifting across the scene..... (The 55mph speed sign comes out well too).

Yesterday I chanced upon a photo of either 46464 or 46463 taking water at the column formerly located at the south end of platform two, (the Up Main), and decided to make a column from scratch as the Mike's Models kits no longer appear to be in production. The NBR columns were quite individual and a nice little challenge, and the pic below shows progress made today. The new column is posed alongside one of the Mike's Models - the difference in height is due to the MM version being for floor mounting while the new one will sit on the platform. The main shaft is from a recycled plastic pencil, while the remainder is from plastikard.

Herewith another couple of pics with basic painting and weathering done, and some minor hacking about of the approach walls to allow for installation of the footbridge. Lots of detailing to be done, but I'm quite happy with the progress so far. Peeking through past the little Engine Sheds 'Box. Down at track level with the stone pier just about visible, and some weathering on the bridge span.

Thanks Al I did cheat a bit in that the staircase is pure, (adapted), York Modelmakers laser cut parts, but the span is Slaters Microstrip. My daughter pointed out that the stone-embossed plastikard for the pier was bought in Matlock some twenty years ago, so it proves that if you keep something long enough you will eventually use it! There are some etched kits about, but if you need a bespoke structure, then scratchbuilding is the only option. So now it's back to the workbench...... Ken

Following the site visit a few weeks ago, I've been working on the Dens Road footbridge - photos of progress below... The bridge links the end of Ogilvy Place to Dens Road, and used to have access from the "top" side down to the loco yard - all that can be seen now is the patch in the stone wall where the stairway led down to the rear of the shed yard - quite unrecognisable now due to the advance of Nature in all its fullness, with trees everywhere! First parts cut and assembled - compare the styles of lattice with the Scottish diagonal bracing and the lower one showing the more square style used down South. More bracing added. Comparison with the "real thing"....... Trial fitting on site - some adjustment to do, details to fit, and finally painting and weathering to finish - a great improvement on the old Airfix version.

Spent a bit of time on Sunday afternoon dodging showers and retracing the erstwhile Arbroath & Forfar railway, plus the old Caley main line from Perth to Arbroath, stopping off at Arbroath to take some details photos of the Dens Road footbridge, the Brothock valley and the former Craig's China shop at the West Port. A successful afternoon and very illuminating, seeing how much nature has taken over the area around the Brothock valley - in the 'seventies, it was quite open and easy to photo the NBR line to Montrose and the remains of the Arbroath to Forfar line towards St Vigeans - now the Forfar line is a country walk and the railway line to Montrose is virtually invisible behind impenetrable bushes, while forty foot high trees now grow on the site of the loco shed..... The footbridge has recently been repaired with new decking, so that's OK then! One of the next projects is to reproduce this - just a matter of drawing out the lattice and cutting/glueing together from microstrip - easy-peasy - I'll keep you posted. A shot of a southbound train threading its way through the bushes and over the Brothock Water.

A new water tank has arrived at Arbroath - higher and much more like the original - the water would now flow over to the water crane at the end of platform 3/4! The old (Wills) tank about to be replaced - it'll find a new home somewhere else on the layout....... The new tank with outside stair to access the lower room where there was no doubt a stove to keep the water frost free. My resident C16 awaits its next duty beside the new tank. The new S & T shed under the footbridge, suitably weathered.

Finally got to the stage of adding the sleeper fencing and rail/spar barriers in the yard, plus some other minor but essential details. Quite a steep approach down Wellgate to the crossing gates, but the law regarding fencing off the tracks is now satisfied! Also visible under the far steps of the footbridge is a newly built store presumably for coal or S & T items - another of the bits of railway hardware now long gone from the scene. Rail/spar barriers to stop runaway vehicles also in place. There's also an extension wall behind the 'box which is actually the remains of one of the old stone built sheds which were in situ pre the 1911 remodelling of the station and yard. Another shot along the tracks showing the sleeper-built coal store, (yet to be stocked), and the 20mph warning sign to cover the sharp curve on the approach to the station platforms.

Thanks Derek Imagination has no bounds - we can recreate any time period, any scenario - it's all in the mind. Evenings are being spent to some extent making sleeper fencing for the area around the 'box which should help to "complete" the scene - pictures will flow after installation - it's a boring kind of activity, but nothing looks more like wood than wood - coffee stirrers to the rescue as usual, but they have to measured for length, width and fitted to the sloping site with the aid of a profile gauge to get the heights right. Watched a youtube video of the Caledonian Sleeper going past Dundee and Arbroath yesterday, and drooled over the dawn views over the Tay and along the D & A, plus good shots of the 'box on the way past. But the good weather means the garden has to get yet more attention.......... so out with the sunhat, hand fork and trug once more. Ken

Nothing gets past you folks! The A4 was bought in the early 'seventies under the Wrenn label, so it's a "tweaked," Hornby Dublo version - remagnetised recently and still hauls well.

Between bouts of gardening, I do manage to run some trains, (!), and present a "cavalcade," of up trains passing the loco sheds.... A4 on up train to Dundee and Edinburgh. B1 on ordinary passenger, (Thomson stock). A2 on Sleeper, mostly Mk.1's V2 on another sleeper, mostly Gresleys, plus Stove R Class 27 on fitted freight C16 posed with recently acquired Gresley non-gangwayed stock, on D & A local How many of you noticed the cobwebs picked up going through the storage sidings/underbridges? There's a very active spider who repairs its webs faster than I can clear them! And, no - the North Box hasn't yet been finally installed........ TTFN

Been AWOL for some days, but had an excellent tour round former NBR territory on Saturday with the NBR Study Group, fitting in a visit to the Dundee Museum in Barrack Street to view fascinating relics from the ill-fated 1st Tay Bridge, passing Kinnaber Junction,(site of!), a walk in the sun at Inverbervie, then back down the coast, calling in at Arbroath, (of course !), and back to Leuchars. Managed to get back to the loft tonight, and fixed the 'box to a card foundation which gives it a bit more stability, and will allow the addition of point rodding, coal store, 20mph sign, telegraph pole, etc., and means that much of that can be put on at the bench rather than leaning painfully over the baseboard, before the whole assembly is installed, and I can move on......... EE type 4 passing beneath the box on its way south - the clearance is very tight and a bit unnerving when you're in the box and trains are passing beneath your feet, so I must have got the measurements pretty well correct. This is an attempt to replicate an RCAHMS Canmore photo taken in the 'sixties which captures the atmosphere and location pretty well. Onwards and upwards!

Sounds like a good idea - I'll get on to it.... It must be a sort of overwork thing, but I've diverted some of my energies into installing a facing crossover on the Forfar/Aberdeen return loop on the layout, instead of progressing with the North 'Box - I haven't forgotten about it, honestly. I gave the crossover a trial run tonight, and it should prove very useful, effectively making the inner loops bi-directional, as there's already a crossover at the other end to allow access to the erstwhile NBR North Goods Yard. So tomorrow should see a return to the 20 or so outstanding jobs to do on the 'box, and then we'll see what's next on the agenda........ But there's also gardening to be done! Ho, Hum.........

I'm risking visual overload, but the first fitting of lights and roof - although still on the workbench - looks not bad. Signalman still not looking very impressed, but the table with the train register and this week's copy of the Arbroath Herald lying open help the scene. The notice board and clock at the right rear show up quite well too.....

Another couple of 'box photos - I've taken the plunge and glued the lever frame inside, together with the coal-fired stove and easy chair - for the quiet times between trains....... The signalman can be seen at the far left window looking pensively out over the level crossing and yard, hoping that his 'box is going to have its roof fitted soon - and some internal lighting, please!

After much cutting, fitting, filing, gluing, trimming, painting, measuring and waiting, we now have a lever frame for the North Box. The camera close-upshots scream at my inabilities to get detail accurate, but once it's inside the box, half-hidden by window framing, etc., we should get away with it............ Having seen the close-ups, I think I'll do a bit of detail tidying before installation.

Working on the lever frame at present - 72 levers x three components = 216 parts to be glued/assembled..... The other furnishings for the 'box are mostly fitted, along with a conduit for the internal lighting, and so final assembly may be this week. I've also "invested" in some Wills point rodding so that will need to be assembled and laid in if I can retain my sanity!

As if making the Arbroath North 'box weren't enough, I've been doing a better drawing of the South 'box which was required due to the info. that that box had 39 levers, and the current size of model could not have accommodated 39 levers. So is was back to the drawing board, literally! The attached is the corrected version, and even has the right combination of windows...... There are quite a few books which show a V2 heading south past the box in June, 1958 - my most thumbed volume is Memories of Steam from Glasgow to Aberdeen by Michael S Welch, which thankfully covers not only the old Caley route but includes the surviving route via Dundee and Arbroath. Anyway, here's the drawing, warts and all. Better get back to the North 'box construction now!

The only problem with good weather is that you don't have the excuse to "carry on modelling", and so while the garden is looking neater, the 'box hasn't progressed as far as I might have hoped, but I've given it another trial fitting on site alongside the footbridge and level crossing, which makes for a nice cameo scene. I think it's the early morning sun, but there's almost a hint of steam lingering at the front of the box in the second photo - surely an optical illusion......

Stairs completed, roof slates (Wills), fitted, flashing to be finished, plus down pipes and window cleaning outside boards to be done, and then the small(!) matter of fitting out inside. On which subject, I've spent quite a few hours over the last couple of days in reproducing a fully annotated diagram, with all points, locks, signals, etc., numbered. I'm not claiming it to be error free, but at least I'll be able to paint the levers in the box pretty close to their correct colours/allocations. Unless of course somebody out there already has a copy of the 1950's diagram????? I've also unearthed an inside photo of the 'box at Cambus Junction which shows up the crossing gates wheel very nicely - looks as though the wheel diameter is 3 feet, with six spokes and a side handle to "do the business". Apart from that, there's the signalman's chair, desk, cupboards, cooker, stove, etc. There's also the frame itself, with the shelf above with the block instruments, signal indicators, manuals, and the actual diagram mounted above. How much longer is this project going to take, I ask myself........... Now I'll wait for the fault-finders to do their worst!