DaveC46026

A few hours this evening has resulted in the first UTX access cover being installed, only another 5 to fabricated.

Just to show the impending infrastructure works that are taking place! Loads more work to do but the site of the electrical room has been decided. Now just need to plumb it in!!!

Now there's an idea Paul!...

Not in the near future but there's a lot of S&T and infrastructure modernisation going on! (Well an electrical room and point machines going in!!!)

Almost a year ago to the day, the Darlington exhibition manager announced that to try and improve the number of home layouts at the next exhibition, he was introducing a Micro Layout competition. The brief was simple; 1 new layout from scratch built and working in under a year measuring no more than 48" x 15" Simple thinks I and began ambitious plans in 2mm f/s. Unfortunately people that know me know that I may have great intentions and a head full of ideas, unfortunately what I do lack is the actual drive to get things underway! Fast forward to 6 weeks ago and with the buil baseboard stood in the corner of the garage and the impending 6 week schools holiday about to start something made me stop and think! Why try to do something in a new scale that would need quite a bit more work, when I have more than enough stock in 4mm to populate anything built! Fast forward again to now and End of the Line is ready for the Darlington exhibition and competition. The layout purports to represent the entrance to a rail served scrap merchant somewhere in West Yorkshire in the early 1980's. The section modelled shows the end of the network run round and the private sidings into the yard! The scenics are only 34" in length with a 14" traverser off stage providing access across the lines! Enough waffle here's some pics!

So work has started on the latest board to arrive back in the workshop and the scenics are taking place! 3 trees have been replaced or refurbished and a new hedgerow sits where a painted one once sat! Next up will be the signalling and track infrastructure with cable troughing point rodding and signal wires to go in! Hope you're enjoying it!

So as it's been a wee while since a post I thought I'd post a few words as to the current state of play. So scenically (as far as the vegetation goes anyway!) the first two boards are done and before we assemble the whole layout for the first time on June 4th we're starting to look at trackside furniture and fittings. The outer points at least will be fitted with point machines. Inner points nah remain Mechanical as will the signals. This means cable troughing, signal wire runs and point machines. Currently we have Peco point machines but these may be replaced by the finer and smaller Colin Craig casts. Also in the to do list are drainage covers in the cutting along with redundant bullhead rail lengths, sleeps and chairs. Catch you all soon

Just had an email and paperwork for exhibition No2! Looks like Charwelton is going on tour! Best get the T-Shirts printed and a headboard for the van!!!!

Hi Nick Updating an existing layout had long been on my radar too so when the opportunity came along with this then we had to do it! Although being 35 1/2 foot long it's no small undertaking particularly as we are converting to DCC for our already extensive collection of sound chipped locos! Just a few thoughts on your valid points! 1) passenger services may well has ceased on the line but had the line remained open the I'm sure plenty of Summer Saturday passengers would have traversed the line! What's not to love about a rake of MK1 or Mk2 with a pair of 31's, a boilered peak or a Tinsley 37 at the head! 2) track rationalisation may have taken place however strategic locations would have kept loops for laybyes or pathing problems- in thinking of the loops at Broadholme north of Belper. 3) The Branch if it had remained open doesn't actually cross any roads and was a short spur to a quarry! The quarry would have closed but we are assuming it was a dump fir spent ballast! This would also see several of the sidings remaining open! Had it gone over crossings brake vans front and rear possibly! I remember the MGR's on the Debby branch with crews front one tear for the multitude of crossings! 4) completely agree no argument and already in hand! 5) Charwelton is a small village and short of the odd punnet of strawberries I don't imagine much being transported in or out by rail! It's really good fun creating a forward history for a real place that had its rail services cut 20 years or so before our chosen period. Everything is therefore hyprrthetical but we want to create a realistic model that's sympathetic to the original and we appreciate everybody's thoughts! Regards Dave

Omg I didn't realise we'd messed up the time space continuum!!! "Space-time is a mathematical model that joins space and time into a single idea called a continuum. This four-dimensional continuum is known as Minkowski space. Combining these two ideas helped cosmology to understand how the universe works on the big level (e.g. galaxies) and small level (e.g. atoms)." Now Minkowski, that's a proper layout name! Ps anybody know anything about Russian signalling!?

So the next board, the third to be started and board 16 on the plan is home and has been loosely attached to 17, this means that we'll be able to blend in the scenic work prior to 17 being packed away for the mean time! I think we'll once again start with a hair cut!!

That's probably correct and as the GC never survived into our 'what if' era we can never 100% say either way! There are locations out the that continued to be rail served with tiny populations; Horton in Ribblesdale population 428, Whatstandwell population 350 & Egton population 448. There are probably others and who's to say that the building of houses wouldn't have boomed as the village became a dormitory village or small town. It's all hyperthetical as the route is a cycle track and footpath for large parts! As for the Serpell report this would probably have killed off the station but then again how much of it was actually implemented? We still have the trans pennine route and small towns are still rail served! I am loving hearing people's offering ha though and we are listening with open minds!

I completely agree Paul, maybe we could exhibit with different combinations as you rightly point out they are drip in and could have multiple fit pieces! Would be easier to just brick then damn things up! Are you think 2 up and 2 down trains a day stopping would service the population which in 2011 was only 220! Mmmm Setyle Carlisle it isn't and so yes it would be closed but for operating interest!!!

The station buildings are probably the one thing that dates the layout the most! To leave them as they are isn't an option! Our chosen time period is 1983-86 bang on for BR Blue! We have now interest in late crest BR steam days! The decision to be made is what would have happened to the station buildings on a scarcely used in manned station in the mid 80's at best the buildings would have been boarded up with a bus shelter type structure provided for passengers! At worst their complete removal! No decision has yet been made and we are sympathetic to the quality of the buildings but we need to make changes to this as we will to signalling, electrics and stock.

Lol

The station will remain open but probably wouldn't be staffed! Local services only would stop and then again not all! Just wondering what would be the best corse of action for unmanned buildings on a station to avoid vandalism! Would they be bricked and boarded with a bus shelter further down the platform?

So with a bit more time to spare I've unpacked the station buildings as they will date the layout quite badly! Trouble is what to do with them! They are stunning! Board them up and put a bus shelter as what probably would have happened? Replace timetables and lamps that's a given! Repaint guttering and downpipes? If so what colour? Roof and windows off the steps?

Behave Mike At Bournemouth having come on at Reading!!! That's pushing it a bit now!

We can only wish!!!! Watch this space!

Great info Mike! If the GC had remained open then all the above could have continued to run! Sheffield - Weymouth sounds like a good bet for a boilered or not Tinsley Peak or possibly a pair of 31's! Most of everything else would be 47 I would imagine depending on avaiailabty!

Just a quick update to show we are still actually moving forward with the project! A start has been made on the stock list and we are currently looking at trains that could well have used the route! One particular favourite that we come across is 1O13 Bradford -Weymouth which went via Leicester - this threw up all manner of locos in the summer months but was quite a good bet for a class 47/3. Several Summer Saturday trains to the south coast took odd routes to avoid the Birmingham Bottle neck and the GC had it remained open would have been the perfect route. Another board has been completed (ok so it's only the quarry branch and fiddle) but current thoughts would be that the after the quarry closed, maybe as per the actual history in the 60's it was taken over by BR as a spoil tip for used ballast! Now spoilt ballast wagons we have a plenty! Another full scenic board should start to get refurbished towards the end of the week so we'll post more as we do it!

This afternoon was spent preparing the first trees to be added to Charwelton. The idea is to populate the embankment and tunnel head with more vegetation than had been there in the BR steam running period! Various different materials are being used with these first being sea moss! Broom plants have been added for both texture and to add a tiny bit of colour and break up the long cutting sides! The plan is to now reinstate the fence and hedgerow along the top and over the tunnel head. More vegetation will be placed before adding the next scenic board and blending new vegetation on that!

Mike I completely agreee that had it stayed open and having been built to international loading gauge the line would have primarily been used by freight however if we assume the chosen running day was Saturday there is a high probability that Summer Saturday services to the south coast would have used the line to avoid the BNS bottleneck!

Hi Tom - we've had the layout in our possession about a week and we're looking a possible changes to the track layout as the ironstone quarry would possibly have been spent by the 80's but then somebody came up with a few ideas to keep this branch open! Who knows? The layout has been bought to give big long trains with DCC sound the chance to open up and stretch their legs really but if the opportunity arrises then we're not adverse to a little shunting! The sidings are ear-marked for engineers traffic in some shape or other! Regards Dave

Many thanks for those Tony! I've seen most before but some mustn't have got published! I assume they're you're handy work! We would like at some point to do a then and now type shoot and recreate the shot angles with the new scenics and stock!