“You need a hobby” was the message from my better half as I sat around one evening looking at the bland shows on the television.  She was right, of course, but what hobby?  I had always liked the idea of a model railway.  But where do you start?  Do I model Australian, (because I was born and bred an Aussie), American, Continental (a friend had a magnificent German/Austrian layout), or British?  It was no contest, really. My wife being born in England sort of guided me in that direction. “I can help with the scenery”, she said.  So that was it, but wait, there was more to it than that!  “Aren’t there different areas”, I asked?  Do I model GWR, LMS, LNER or Southern?  “What about British Railways?” was the suggestion of a friend introduced to me by my Continental mate. “You can really have some locos from nearly all regions under the banner of British Railways. I liked the designs of some of the locos from a variety of regions.

 

 

Figure 1 - A busy time at Ashton Junction, from the left a departing express passenger, J39 approaching with local goods, V1 light engine and V2 entering with passenger.

 

I thought a model railway loosely based on the Midland Region in the early 1950’s was appropriate.  Ashton-Under-Lynne, near Manchester, was my wife’s home town and because the main station was actually going to be a junction, Ashton Junction was the name selected for the main station.

 

 

Some time passed. A suitable venue in the form of a 20’ x 13’ shed was erected, insulated and lined, with a concrete floor and power supplied.  At last we were ready to start and the thought of track plans began to take focus. I had no idea how to start, but after consultation with friends who already had model railways, a plan was born. The main station in the centre of the room would have a triangular junction at one end, with a single line branch and a terminus at each end, passing over the top of the junction.  One leg of the junction passes through a natural wetland area and joins the single line branch before it enters one of the termini.  Hidden storage loops are provided on the opposite side of the room to this terminus, with the scenery applied fully to the single line branch passing over the top of the storage loops.  This was probably the biggest mistake I made: I would strongly advise that where hidden storage loops are utilised, DO NOT, and I repeat, DO NOT add scenery over the top.  Murphy’s Law demands that if anything can go wrong it will most definitely happen in hidden storage loops, where scenery has to be moved before access is gained.

 

 

But I am getting ahead of myself.  Once the track plan had been agreed on, baseboards had to be built.  Another BRMA Member is an expert in the woodworking construction game and it was he who helped design the track plans and constructed the baseboards from chipboard laid over L girders with timber supports and cross members.  The track plan was refined with the input of another fellow BRMA member who is without doubt a genius in electronics and model railways.  Once the plan was agreed, track-laying started over a base of glued cork sheeting.  I owe a lot to these two Members for their assistance in the laying and wiring of the layout.

 

 

Figure 2 - General overview of Ashton Junction – WD with goods trundles past Patriot stopped at the station for passenger movements.  On left above WD can be noted a road gang working on repairs to roadway to the cattle yards.

 

With the exception of Ashton Junction, I wanted to create a country feel to the scenery.  Fortunately, my better half, had been born and raised in England and was familiar with both the countryside and big cities.  I was also most fortunate that she had an artistic streak and was very good at colouring and painting all manner of textures.  Together, we managed to create an acceptable likeness of what we wanted to achieve.  Having the trackwork positioned in place, we had boundaries to work to.  There is not too much of the layout that doesn’t represent hills and dales, the main station area and one terminus being the only significant level areas.

 

 

Figure 3 - Locos line up for turning at Ashton Junction, with 8F on the turntable. Breakdown train can be noted in foreground.

 

The scenery therefore required a lot of contouring.  This was achieved by scrounging from a local electrical retailer sheets of polystyrene foam packing, laying them layer by layer, gluing each layer with white wood glue and letting them dry under weights at least overnight.  Contours were then roughly sawn into shape, using an old serrated bread knife. A messy way, perhaps, but it is a clean mess and the shavings are easily picked up, using a vacuum cleaner.  Once shaped, a mixture of modelling plaster was spread over the styrene and allowed to dry.  This proved to be a good base for the scenery, as small rocks and plaster cast rocks could easily be glued or put in place with a little plaster paste.   I purchased two plaster moulds, one of which made a large area and the other for smaller rocks.  Some of the larger mouldings were used in the creation of the sides of the cuttings, while the smaller rocks were used towards the lower level, giving the impression of small rock falls, etc. Some natural stones of a suitable size and texture were also used and painted to match the scenery.

 

 

Figure 4 - Goods headed by WD waiting to join main line from Gravely Hill.  On right of photo can be noted rear of branch passenger heading for Port Dungowan.

 

The green fields were simply covered by using grass matt, then highlighted with various courses of “shake on” materials, and glued in place using cheap hairspray.  Trees and buildings (some kit built, some scratch built) were suitably placed where needed.

 

 

Figure 5 - Old Water Mill now an ideal Gallery and picnic spot.

 

 

Figure 6 - Country Post Office and Garage at St.Gabriels Halt level crossing. A V1 2-6-2T hauling branch passenger can be glimpsed through the trees on the level crossing.

 

The layout is operated regularly with a team of operators on Wednesday afternoons – ‘The Wednesday Club’ once every 7 weeks.  An operating session takes about one and half hours and can accommodate up to 4 operators – two on the main station panel and one at each of the branch termini. Each operator has a written schedule of operations to undertake and communicates with the other operators through a system of buzzer codes.  The locomotives on the layout are principally ex LMS, with recent acquisitions, including an Eastern Region B1, a BR Standard Class 4 2‑6‑0 and a Derby Lightweight DMU.  I may well add further Eastern Region influence with either an O4 or an O1 – we’ll see! 

 

 

Figure 7 – A Photographer setting up the wedding photos at St.Gabriels local Parish Church, the wedding cars can be noted waiting on the road.

 

 

Figure 8 - Gravelly Hill Station.  I think the cattle are aware they are shortly going for a ride – but I bet they don’t know they have a Jinty Tank hauling their train.  Ivatt 2-6-2T waiting to depart for Port Dungowan in Platform 1.

 

 

Figure 9 - DMU departing St. Gabriels Halt through the cutting to Gravely Hill. A local farmer passes by in his horse and cart heading for the local post office.

 

 

Figure 10 - Port Dungowan   A  J94 shunts a van on the quayside at Port Dungowan ready to be loaded with fish, as a Derby Lightweight DMU prepares to depart from the station for Gravely Hill.

 

 

Figure 11 - Port Dungowan:  A Derby Lightweight  DMU has just arrived on Platform 2 at Port Dungowan from Gravely Hill.  A derelict Western Region Pannier Tank resides in the loco shed.