Mousehaven: An Update

 

In 1993 I retired from a career in Banking and people in my peer group posed the question   how was I going to keep myself occupied. What a silly question!!  Not long after retiring I received a shock when I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease for which there is no cure. I was devastated. Investigations into my ancestry showed no history of the Disease. After the initial shock I resolved not to let the condition dictate my life style, and to a large degree I have succeeded. Recently it is starting to affect my hobby, derailed rolling stock is difficult to replace on the track and using a soldering iron are providing a challenge.

It is twenty-three and a half years ago since my article on The Mousehaven Railway was published in The Clearing House. It listed the changes made on a year by year time line from 1962 to 1995.  This presentation is from March 1995 to the present and is on events that have taken place at each station. The changes are not in chronological order but on a station by station basis.

Photo -  1 - Mail Train hauled by Royal Scot passes by Westmere No.2 Signal Box – photo Jaques Molineux

The layout was in a garage 8850mm long by 6100mm wide. In front of the garage is a car port 7100mm long by 2740mm wide and apart from a gap on one side from the house to the garage the area was fully enclosed. If this gap could be eliminated you would finish up with a garage in front of a garage (See Figure 1). My wife’s car was kept in the car port and would continue to be so if the gap was enclosed.  I arranged to have the gap eliminated with a temporary wall that is held in place with six bolts. It can be removed if it is necessary to do so. The car port had now become a garage. My immediate thought was there had to be enough room for the car and an extension to the layout. Negotiations with my wife seeking approval to share this space were commenced. This was granted on the proviso that her car still occupied the area. How to use the new area including the car was a real challenge. After many sheets of paper with possible track plans it was eventually resolved by incorporating a lift up section and a portable section.

Figure 1

In 1995 the layout terminated at Mousehaven and was 1260mm above the floor. A plan of the proposed extension was prepared and it was at this point that the extension of the line to the new station at London Road commenced, the highlight being the length of run. There was a height difference of 160mm from Mousehaven to the new station and drilling a hole through 220mm of brick work was the first hurdle to overcome.

All stations and most industries on the layout were given names after family members or the operators who run the layout. This new station represented the rest of the company’s assets and was called London Road.

From the “tunnel” exit the line is on a 1 in 80mm gradient for 4800mm. At this point the line turns 90 degrees to the right then turns left for 270 degrees to form a circular “dog bone” effect. This circular section of track is on a lift up section (See Figure 2). Peco set track is used for the circular section to maintain a constant radius. At the end of the circular track the line enters the station precincts. From Mousehaven to the buffers at the London Road platforms the distance is 12 metres.

Figure 2

Part of the way around the curve mentioned above a portable base board 370mm wide and 2700mm long is clipped to the side of the lift up section it has 7 tracks for storing passenger coaches and it is called Emmaton sidings (See Figure 2).

Once the garage was a train room and the car port also contained track, some creature comforts were undertaken. A ceiling was added to the train room, wall to wall carpet was installed in the train room and car port. A reverse cycle air conditioner was installed in the train room and additional lighting was provided in both rooms.

LONDON ROAD

The track layout at London Road is restricted as the width of the baseboard and was governed by the line from Mousehaven. The track plan has two roads servicing an island platform. There is a line to receive or despatch goods trains. Two sidings hold a goods depot and a coal merchant. The other siding comprises a china clay products, a frozen food company, and a pharmaceutical plant. A small cattle dock is also squeezed in.

Within the loop on the lift up section there is a turntable servicing eleven roads, and an engine shed over two tracks. This area is currently under construction and should be completed by Christmas 2018.

Photo -  2 - London Road Station and Arrival Roads – photo Jaques Molineux

MOUSEHAVEN

The original width of the base board at Mousehaven was 450mm, this left space for a motor car. With the motor car excluded an additional 150mm was added to the existing base board. This allowed two extra tracks to be added and a relocation of the Up Platform provided for a through road that allowed express trains to avoid platform roads. The two tracks were added to the front of the relocated platform. They provide an arrival road and or a departure road for goods trains. These roads also allowed a coal merchant and a cattle dock to be relocated. The goods shed, and flour mill together with an electrical contractor on the other side of the station made more room for rolling stock.

Mousehaven Station before (above) and after (below) alteration – schematic only.

WESTMERE

There was little room for expansion at Westmere, or little need as the original track plan proved to be very successful. However, we managed to install a small siding that holds two pigeon cars. This meant another change to the time table. The quarry has a new storage bin installed and it allows wagons to be loaded by gravity.

Photo -  3 - Up Coronation Scot thundering through Mousehaven – photo Jaques Molineux

RAPSTOWN

The track plan for Rapstown has proved to be successful. Nothing major has been done.

RICHES RISE AND GSB STEEL WORKS

Riches Rise had a small turn table installed with access from the steel works. The siding that services the cattle dock has been extended to service the grain silos. This has added more traffic and increased activities at this small branch line station.

Photo -  4 - Local Pass sits in the Platform at Richies Rise – photo Jaques Molineux

The steel works, which was originally known as R.J.B. STEEL WORKS, has been completely rebuilt; it was originally on a baseboard 300mm wide and 700mm long. The new area is 550 mm wide and 2700 mm long. The reason for the rebuild was to accommodate a Walthers Steel Mill kit. This imposing structure was built and donated to the railway by Gordon B. It is now known as G.S.B. Steel Works. At the end of the station area and when seen in its location it creates a “wow” factor. As a result of the rebuild there is an engine shed occupying two roads which can store five locomotives. At the back of the platform there is an elevated line that services a gravity drop for coal, iron ore, and limestone, and coke items used in steel production. There are two sidings for oil and a goods depot.

NARMEN AND M.P.D.

At Narmen an additional siding was added to cater for an expanded meat works. At the M.P.D. a very large coal tower was installed. An extra siding was laid to store fully loaded coal wagons as well as the empty wagons.

Photo -  5 - An 8F Hauled Goods climbs into Westmere – photo Jaques Molineux

Photo -  6 - Narman Motive Power Depot – photo Jaques Molineux

Photo -  7 - Arthur's Coal mine – photo Jaques Molineux

PORT ROGERS

The port has under gone massive changes and there is very little of the original track retained. The old station had only one platform that caused delays as there was not a loco release road. Coaches had to be removed from the platform so that the engine could be serviced. The coaches meantime were returned to the platform ready for departure. Many of the passenger trains ran late and at times created havoc with the timetable.

A five-storey bonded warehouse serves both the standard gauge and narrow-gauge lines. The building creates another “WoW” situation. It is a most impressive structure. The new station has a concourse that has a number of shops, from this area you can pass through sliding glass doors to the four platforms. One platform can hold two five coach trains. The other is shorter and is used by two car D.M.U.’s. Track is laid to the wharf to cater for passenger and goods vehicles on a ”roll-on roll-off” sea going barge. Recently a small fishing boat has been seen in the harbour.

Photo -  8 - Class 08 shunts on the wharf at Port Rogers in front of the Bond Warehouse – photo Jaques Molineux

The bonded ware house together with the “roll-on roll-off” barge and the station forecourt as well as the fishing boat have been constructed by Dick Rogers. As the port has been rebuilt it is timely to give it a new name. The former Port Baker is now known as Port Rogers.

Photo -  9 - Britannia hauled Express passes the Meatworks at Narman – photo Jaques Molineux

FOXLEIGH

This station has also had a rebuild. The original was portable, took up space and was always in the way. The new design is a vast improvement. Now there is a goods shed and cattle dock. The platform can store one locomotive and one coach. The gas works is the principal industry producing coke for the steel mill. Other by products are creosote and bitumen.

SUMMARY

A drivers view of the layout from Port Rogers to London Road can be seen if you GOOGLE “Mousehaven”. Thanks go to Martin K. for this production.

Thanks to Jaques Molineux for the photos in this narrative. Thanks also to Frank K., Ron P., Don N., Brian F & Robert H., (who has been operating the layout for thirty-seven years) who have assisted over the years. A special thanks to my wife Joan who started this journey fifty-six years ago.

Photo -  10 - Locos waiting their next Job at Westmere MPD – photo Jaques Molineux

 

Photo -  11 - Steel mill at GSB Steelworks – photo Jaques Molineux

 

Photo -  12 - Stanier Pacifics 'On Shed' at Narman MPD – photo Jaques Molineux