Siphon208

Progress so far;- I have purchased the Skaledale, "Butterley" station building from ebay, and renamed it and carried out some slight alteration and weathering ( although it doesn'nt need much!)

I have almost completed the island platform building (ex-Metcalfe) and weathered it accordingly. As you can see, it has been affected by neglect, and some local vandals; The island platform has been made from 15mm architrave, cut to shape, and infilled with cardboard, and then Metcalfe paving and edging strips. The brake van is merely shown here for scale. Ill finish detailing and painting the canopy stanchions at a later date

Hi  Dean

 

Thanks for the comment.....

 

Your layout project sounds interesting.....

Is it on RMWeb ?

 

Cheers Bill

The signal box and details of the layout are in Layout topics.

Dean

apologies for the mix up in dates!

Dean

HI Bill

Great to see a layout like this being started- I like the Cornish branch line layouts, as there is so much that you can put in to them! Im currently building patforms for Crantock Tor at the moment, will start on baseboard when I get back from Annual Camp in a few weeks. My layout will be around 12 feet long by about 20"" deep. A bay platform and a small factory sidings at one end, and a run-round, and coal sidings at the other end. The disused Helston platform will also feature, with part of the now-disused Helston line still in situ. The curved platform end on to the junction, is something I saw on a recent visit to Andover- disused tracks curving away into a yard. Anyway, good luck with it, look forward to seeing more of it on here!

Dean

Last train was 1993 which was the Washwood Heath - Birkenhead North domestic coal.

 

The sidings stopped being used for Levers soap products around 1985 but a Purfleet - Port Sunlight edible oil train ran spasmodically for a couple of years after. I never photographed it but I did signal it from Rock Ferry a few times. It arrived very late at night.

Emember seeing the first train arrive- I worked at what was Viota- literally around the corner- I saw this parked up alongside Stadium Road. The trains used to arrive in the early hours, to avoids disruption to Merseyrail services. The trains only ran for a short time, as Van den Berghs decommissioned the plant the trains were serving. It had cost an awful lot of money to re-instate the spur from Port Sunlight, and was taken away just as quickly. the trackbed is very overgrown near to what was the run-round end, and redevelopment has removed all trace of the roadside tracks!

47379 "Total Energy"

Hi Dean, there is a series of books by David Larkin on Civil Engineers Wagons that are a mine of information. You might not find a definitive answer as any newly built wagons might have recieved Olive Green livery from new and I think they started painting the rest around that time but that would have taken ages so many  would have been Black with straw coloured lettering and very well weathered, there was a red livery that some earlier enginneers wagons carried but I'm not sure if any ballast hoppers did. Have you checked Paul Bartletts website as there is so many photo's on there, although some photo's might be slightly later the liveries prob havent changed much, just got rustier! 

I've painted some Grampus wagons for a similar period and found many different variations.

Hope that helps.

Thanks, I will certainly have a look!

Hi All

My new layout, "Crantock Tor", is set between 1968, and 1972. (Post Beeching) It is set in Cornwall, in a fictitious junction between Penzance, Redruth, and Helston. My question is this- what colours would ballast hoppers been during this period? I cannot find any definitive answer.

Any help much appreciated.

Dean

Hi

 

Like the track plan - its always good to consider what the station track plan would have been in the past.

 

A couple of thoughts:

 

I am not a signalling expert, but would the signal box be at the junction end of the platform?

Would there have been some additional sidings perhaps - coal yard, general goods shed.

Might be worth thinking about why the new buffer stop is located where it is - a level crossing perhaps

 

Hope this helps

 

Nick

This is the trackplan that I have settled with- The abandoned platform would probably have gone at a later date, as would the coal merchants. The abandoned tunnel mouth would have been filled in. The track crossed a local road in to the town, hence the level crossing. The run-round was installed to serve the entrance to the coal yard, and allow locomotives  operating to the factory sidings, to reverse Options for expansion are there for a later date. MY planned running stock is as follows; Class 22, 24, 42, 52, plus a small shunter- probably an 06. There may be visits from a 47, and possibly a 23, which I have seen on Ebay, and very much like the look of ( wrong region, I know!) Passenger traffic will be handled by a 117, and a 121 DMU. Freight rolling stock; a couple of MGR hoppers/ 16T mineral wagons for the coal yard, and a couple of pallet vans/parcel vans/oil tanks for the factory. the layout is end to end, approximately 10' in length, but the option for continuous run conversion is there

Hi

 

Like the track plan - its always good to consider what the station track plan would have been in the past.

 

A couple of thoughts:

 

I am not a signalling expert, but would the signal box be at the junction end of the platform?

Would there have been some additional sidings perhaps - coal yard, general goods shed.

Might be worth thinking about why the new buffer stop is located where it is - a level crossing perhaps

 

Hope this helps

 

Nick

good to get some feedback- The original idea was to have the signal box where it is to control the branch coming in from the tunnel, the sidings, and also a crossover back on to the main running lines. I like the idea of the box being near the junction, too. The reason the buffer stop is located there, is this is the point where the main running lines were cut, and the run-round installed. Its always feasible that a level crossing could go in, at some stage. I intend to put in a goods shed/factory facility at some point. The plan at the moment is a blank canvas, and is open to other options, before tracklaying takes place.

Crantock Tor

This is the initial draft for the track layout. The station features a 2-road bay that was once attached to a factory sidings (but could be re-opened). These jjoined up onto the mainline. The branch from Helston came in on the other side of the signal box, onto an island platform, which was curved to ease the access on to the mainline, this is now abandoned, and has been since rationalised in 1967. The mainline has now been cut, just the other side of the bridge. So in effect, Crantock Tor has now become a terminus, with local freight, and class 117 and Class 121 DMus serving the station. The line up to Helston ran initially through a single bore tunnel- this too was closed in 1967.

I realise that the locations are not strictly accurate, but your model stock has to roll somewhere!

I have memories of that era in the West Country, having been born in Exeter into a railway family.

Before we had a car family holidays and days out were by train. I also remember trips by train

on the last week of service to Minehead and Ilfracombe, and the last day between Exmouth and Sidmouth Junction.

My dad would point out the locations of closed stations. junctions and sidings along the way.

I would suggest you will need a DMU or two, and a class 22 and a Warship, with perhaps some wagons loaded with recovered track or sleepers 

 

cheers

HI, I intend to use a Class 117  and a 121 DMU on the project- the track work is basically a single road in, and a run-round, where the original 2-road junction had been- I will post more as I progress!

HI All- I thought it would be an idea to get back in to railway modelling, after a long period away. The post Beeching period is perhaps not everyone's "cup of tea". There are several locations in my locale to choose from! Rationalisation really took hold in the 60's on the Wirral, for various reasons, not just the notorious Dr B! This layout will feature a couple of disused trackbeds, a vastly reduced operating area, and the station will reflect that. I plan to run it DCC, and it will feature a run round (where the up and down lines have been cut), and a siding or two. Any advice on the operation and installation will be greatly appreciated, The area is Devon/Cornwall and the timeframe is 1968- 72.

I have already started, the signal box I used a Metcalfe cardboard kit, which I cannabalised, and repainted to reflect the area, and time frame.

Cant wait to start!

Here are two diagrams of Hooton North and South Jcn boxes at their fullest extent, post WW2.

 

Hooton North diag 002.jpg

 

Hooton South Jcn 002.jpg

 

One showing the layout at Hooton (South) as at 25/11/1983, before it was replaced by the panel box in May 1985.

 

Hooton South Jcn 014.jpg

Amazing- never realised that there had bee this much trackwork there0 only just beginning to find that out!- I like the 1950's plan, just out of interest, did the sidings next to the slow lines heading to/from Chester go when the West Kirby branch closed?

December 1973 North went. There was a quite a big yard at North and it also controlled crossovers between the fast/slow lines (and West Kirby when still open).  Hooton was also unusual in that the Stanlow trains reversed (ran round) on the fast lines between North and South boxes - ie on the main lines - so it played it's part in those moves too.

 

Hooton North was a 90 lever frame.

is there any other info on this side of the station- photos, or track layouts?

Hi Dean - yes, it's been a while!

 

At the risk of taking the thread way off topic, a larger version of the picture is attached, as requested - Town Station in the distance:

blackpoolSt2RES.jpg

 

...plus a view across Mollington St to the Blackpool St boxes from the Hinderton Road side - the boxes can be seen mid-Centre, between the two ash towers.

8H - Panorama1.jpg

 

Now, back to Hooton!

Virtually all of this has gone now- all that remains is one of the bridges over Blackpool street- the exterior wall of the  coking plant, and the coke tips on the embankment. Even the gasworks has been flattened, for a new housing development!

The Portacabin did indeed control the signals / points - when the line was between Rock Ferry and Hooton was resignalled Bromborough was abolished but Rock Ferry, Port Sunlight and Hooton remained, although Hooton South was replaced by the portacabin Hooton. Port Sunlight was closed and Rock Ferry took control of its area, fringing with Hooton at Bromborough Rake. When Sandhills came along and Rock Ferry was abolished the fringe between Hooton and Sandhills remained in thr Bromborough Rake area, In the last few years Hooton was recontrolled and it's area put onto a new workstation in Chester PSB so Sandhills fringes with Chester at Bromborough Rake.

Re Hooton North Box:- I know this went in the early 70's ('74?), Was this here just to manage the junction for the West Kirby branch, and a siding or two? I've not seen much information on the North side of the station!

These photos were taken by me. The Port Sunlight one has definitely appeared on this forum and I think the 2 of the 47 on the tank train for Stanlow have too.

I don't think I'll be putting many photos on Facebook as they then seem to appear on other sites!

Apologies for their use, mate- I can assure you I have not seen them anywhere else, especially from me!

At that date - box(es) I guess. Yes it is - seen here from the other direction:

 

blackpoolSt3.jpg

 

That's a very unusual shot that you have posted BTW - pictures of Town are rare, but I've never seen one from that viewpoint.

Cheers.

It would be interesting to see a larger version of that pic!

At that date - box(es) I guess. Yes it is - seen here from the other direction:

 

blackpoolSt3.jpg

 

That's a very unusual shot that you have posted BTW - pictures of Town are rare, but I've never seen one from that viewpoint.

Cheers.

Hi mate- long time no hear- hope you are well. Some photos of this line are very hard to find, particularly down towards Birkenhead!

The Birkenhead Town one is apparently Summer 1967.

 

http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/b/birkenhead_town/

 

 

 

Jason

is the box in the background, Blackpool Street?

It's not a slue - it's what was left of a double junction between the fast and slow lines, from 1972 when the slow lines to Ledsham Junction were closed (the track bed to the left of the shot) there were two sidings left - the remnants of the slow lines, these survived until the late 1970s. When I first visited Hooton South box (from where ths photo was taken), the junctions were still in place and had to be swung over when a train went into the run-round and the frame was 128 levers - impressive stuff, I did get to work this frame and it was hard work with a lot of walking up and down, the up home was lever 2 and the down home was 126, the signalmen were fit ! - the frame was compressed in 1978.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cheshirero/20974875204

Thanks mate- see I told you your experience would be invaluable!

Levers Sidings..............

Notice the gates!

The shot looking towards the station- that 'slew' that they put in, clearly visible, what were they thinking?

pic courtesy of (Stapleton Road)

Might be Kenny Langhorns.

 

Chester was Up in those days. The ballast sidings were behind the left hand signal on the other side of the bridge over the brook - one alongside the line from Ellesmere Port, from alongside the line from Chester and one down the middle.

 

Hooton would make a great model based in the 1960s

The shot looking towards the station- that 'slew' that they put in, clearly visible, what were they thinking?

Might be Kenny Langhorns.

 

Chester was Up in those days. The ballast sidings were behind the left hand signal on the other side of the bridge over the brook - one alongside the line from Ellesmere Port, from alongside the line from Chester and one down the middle.

 

Hooton would make a great model based in the 1960s

Probably have to be in N gauge- an OO version would be huge!

Post 1949 when Town signal box was shut and pre 1967 when Woodside was shut. Notice the working distant into a terminal station...

 

ca 1978 - they look familiar, FlyingSignalmans ?

They were on Flickr and Pinterest- I have got some colour ones of 'Town somewhere, taken mid 60's. I like the signal box shots of Hooton, because you can see how extensive this junction was- Down towards Chester on the right, where the "slow" lines and the sidings were, and on the E'Port side, where the loading lines from the carpool, and the ballast sidings would have been..............

Levers Sidings..............

Notice the gates!