Sunbury

[nse47]

Hello everyone,

 

I previously did put some details of this layout on the old forum but decided to start again.

 

Norton Folgate is a Network Southeast Era roundy roundy layout being built in our garage by myself and my Dad. I originally did have a train set as a wee nipper which mainly consisted of Thomas the Tank Engine and later advanced onto a HST, Pacer and a Class 58. When moving house it all got boxed up and remained there for approx 12 years until 2008 when we started to build a new one.

 

We decided we was going to stick with late BR as an era as thats what the 3 working trains were and the newly purchased Eurostar just about fitted in although anything can be run if wished. The NSE interest started from a search on ebay when I was trying to get ideas, in front of me resulted in a Class 47 in NSE stripey livery named County of Hertfordshire.....seeing as thats where we live and I liked the colours it was purchased and the interest continued from there.

 

The layout was initially set out with a 4 platform station (2 though and 2 terminus) and a TMD, an extension in 2009 allowed for some carriage sidings to be run off the station and a tunnel. The current layout plan is attached (apologies for the crude drawing in paintbrush!)

 

The idea is the station is somewhere in the far North Eastern corner of London (not where the real Norton Folgate is) and is on a 2 track line that links trains from Waterloo and Blackfriars to services up to Cambridge and Norwich. A shuttle service runs to Blackfriars using new Class 466's, DMU's handle some slow services in each direction and Class 47's and Class 50's haul local hauled stock on the main services. The loco's used on these services are looked after at the nearby TMD. There is also a resident shunter to help with carriage movements. Freight traffic can also be seen passing through.

 

The layout is currently DC powered but is likely to move to DCC in the future. It is unfortunately out of bounds during the winter months due to risk of fingers falling off but I have attached a few photos to give a general idea.

[nse47]

Newest arrival 47573 passing 50048, 47579 and 47583 at the Depot:

[agentskj]

May i say what you have done looks very good

 

Some questions for you

 

Is this a fixed non-exhibition layout

 

If fixed do we assume it is in the loft

 

Keep the pictures rolling

 

Sam

[NSE 108]

Very good.

[nse47]

Thank you for your comments.

 

Sam - the layout is fixed and is in the garage.

[nse47]

A change I'm considering making is doing away with the carriage sidings and replacing them with an extended platforms 1, 2 and 3. At the moment the maximum length train the station can handle is a loco with 3 carriages and thats with it over lapping the sloping sections of platform, I expect the extension would allow a loco plus 5 carriages to be able to fit within the longest platform (3). There should still be enough room at the end to add at least a couple of loco stable sidings at the end of the platform 1.

 

In addition to the extension it gives potential for a road over bridge to go over the far end of the platform which could include some steps down to the station. Attached is a modified track plan with my idea (apologies for the poor drawing quality)

[NSE 108]

Looks good. I always like longer trains. Just to ask would platform 4 be longer too?

[nse47]

Platform 4 may be tricky to extend as it's already bolted on to the edge of the layout, with the plans above I'm thinking that north bound trains would use the cross over to get onto platform 3 and then cross back further up the line so almost like Cambridge where trains serve the long platform in each direction. Platform 4 will then just serve short trains and mail trains up to 3 coaches long.

[NSE 108]

that sounds like it would give extra operational interest too. Hope to see the developments of the layout.

[Darren86]

looking good i was following your layout on the old rmweb, i like your new class 47 is it the modelzone limited edition? if so i wondered what it's running quality is like and is it dcc ready as i'm tempted to get one.

 

cheers

 

Darren

[nse47]

Hi Darren, it is indeed the modelzone limited edition one, runs really well nice and smooth. Runs so much better than my other 2 NSE 47's which are elderly Hornby and Lima ones. I've only run it on DC so far but it is DCC ready and I'll hopefully be converting it and the layout soon.

 

The garage was warm enough (at last!) to go into for a while today, this gave me a good excuse to do some "testing" and check everything was still running okay. Will add a few pics shortly (doesn't seem to be working at the mo!)

[nse47]

Pics as promised from sundays play...er I mean testing session

 

 

47579 and 50027 resting in the shed

 

08641 being refueled

 

47573 meets 47583

 

Stripey 47's

 

47573 leaves Gas Works tunnel

 

47573 approaching the level crossing

[pacer lover]

hey there

 

just want to say a great layout there

love the photos around your shed

 

please keep the phtos coming:)

 

rob

[nse47]

Hi Rob,

 

Thank you for your kind comments, here are a few more pics:

 

Ford Escort xr3i in the gas works

 

47474 coming out of the wash

 

47579 running light engine towards the tunnel

 

new arrival on the campsite

[nse47]

Well a lot of changes have happened since my last update. Firstly it’s no longer called Norton Folgate. As much as I like the name it never really felt suitable for the layout – the name brings more thoughts of a central London terminus – maybe this will be a future project! Instead I have gone with the name Sunbury – the inspiration for this was a tower models Leyland Olympian I had many years ago that trundled along my old layout I had as a child. As I now possess the EFE equivalent it just seemed to fit a lot better. Also a search on google maps shows that the real Sunbury doesn’t have a railway station but is not too far from some lines so it’s almost a what could have been. I imagine it to have a reasonable amount of commuter traffic into London and that is why it is mainly a terminus station. The two through lines serve for the occasional through traffic and also as a diversion route when the mainline is blocked.

 

 

The Station has now been extended so that it can fit a locomotive + 5 coaches….I know this is still way short of what NSE loco’s would have pulled but it’s as big as I’m going to be able to manage. An additional bay Platform has been added next to the station building which can accommodate 2 car units which are mainly used on the Shuttle service to Cannon Street.

 

 

The former through platform 4 (now 5) which was going to be left as a short platform is now to be extended so it can also handle 5 carriage trains. We have also decided to expand the layout and add an additional platform 6 on the other side of platform 5. This is likely to be another terminus platform. As it’s further away from the other terminus platforms I am going to try and come up with a different use – ideas currently being it could a platform used for an Airport Service (Gatwick Express?), An Intercity platform or even just a NSE route which goes a different route shortly after leaving the station.

 

 

[jonhall]

Instead I have gone with the name Sunbury – the inspiration for this was a tower models Leyland Olympian I had many years ago that trundled along my old layout I had as a child. As I now possess the EFE equivalent it just seemed to fit a lot better. Also a search on google maps shows that the real Sunbury doesn’t have a railway station but is not too far from some lines

 

The residents of Sunbury (on Thames) might be confused by their sudden loss of a station, in fact you could argue that with Kempton Park just a few hundred yards up the line, Sunbury actually has two stations.

 

J

[nse47]

whoops! Must have had the wrong glasses on when looking! oh well, modellers licence....perhaps in the modellers alternatively reality this station replaced the other two or is on a different line.

[nse47]

Here is a few photos as promised.

 

Firstly an overall shot of the extended station - the short platform to the furthest left, where the 37 is, is being extended to the same length as the one opposite and platform 6 is being added to the left of that:

 

 

 

A new fence and sign has appeared at the depot:

 

 

and finally recent high winds caused a tree to fall over on the line, luckily as the signal box is directly opposite it was noticed quickly before any harm was done, a class 37 and maintenance crane was dispatched to clear the tree and services into London were replaced by buses for several hours:

 

[nse47]

Good evening everyone,

 

The wood work needed for the platform extension has now been completed, I've borrowed platforms 3 & 4 to show what it will look like when complete (compare to pic in previous post). The track isn't nailed down yet but there will be room for a small stabling point at the far end of platform 6. I've also moved the signal box from the nearest corner to next to the entrance to platform 6. The below shot also gives a good general overview of the whole layout:

 

 

[nse47]

A few more piccies:

 

47474 just arrived in Platform 1 on a light working:

 

47573 just arrived on Platform 6 from Waterloo:

 

Jetlink waiting at the crossing:

 

Preserved Deltic undergoing routine maintenance:

 

47579 outside the Depot

[br-nse-fan]

Love it!

 

Always nice to see some NSE around... seems to me that there is an aweful lot of them foreign things from up north!

 

Keep up the good work, looking forward to seeing this develop!

[Darren86]

looking good some great pic's there as a NSE fan myself i look forward to seeing how this turns out and i might even get some ideas for my NSE era layout.

 

cheers

 

Darren

[kevblokey]

Well a lot of changes have happened since my last update. Firstly it’s no longer called Norton Folgate. As much as I like the name it never really felt suitable for the layout

 

 

Calling the layout 'Norton Folgate' was a liberty that only a nutty boy would take, total madness!!!

[nse47]

Here is my first video of the layout featuring the 3 sound fitted trains:

 

[nse47]

Greetings! Just a little update from Sunbury. I think I have finally worked out the final layout of the roads and buildings, here's a photo from this afternoon:

 

 

1 = This the main road from the level crossing into the town and leads on to road 2

2 = This is now straight and leads straight up to the station building, a zebra crossing will appear near the shops

3 = This road heads off to the Industrial area and also to the entrance of the Bus Station. The Entrance will be just a bit further back from where the Leyland Lynx is in the bottom right hand corner.

4 = A couple more shops will be added here

 

Haven't had much time to do much on the layout lately with work etc but have managed to balast most of platforms 2 and 3, have added the station names to all the signs, added a few other station details. Got 2 weeks off coming up shortly in which plan to get some more of the middle detail done, hopefully get some signals for the ends of the platforms and complete the ballasting. Also got some DCC chipping to do.