A northern England layout - coming soon

Hi all,

Some of you may be aware I recently attempted a portable modular set up. Which yielded minimal success. Seeing as we are moving into a property next month that has quite a large garage out back. In fact it is big enough to house two cars, with ample room at the back for more…. or a decent layout. So come May I will commence construction of something that has been a few years in the making.

THE BACKGROUND:

My wife and I love the countryside, and small country towns, so I knew that if I did anything else, I wouldn't be satisfied. Given I am relatively new to the hobby, I want to keep it freelance. Given also my family background is English I decided that England would be an idea. Plus I like the sound of an EE loco. And for aesthetic reasons also :P

I have done extensive googling of the northern area as to what is where. It seems that there are a few coal fields to the north of England. And was thinking of having a main line and then a branch off and have a coal route through the middle (or thereabouts). Maybe even towards the back. I'm not sure just yet. I guess that is the best thing about freelance. Just do what feels right.

THE ROLLING STOCK:

As for rolling stock, I have already started building the fleet, and many plans for more (Who doesn't have plans for further acquisitions?)
To date I have:

• EWS Class 66
  BR Class 49
  Cross Country Class 170
  London Midland Class 170

With plans to purchase:

• Freightliner Class 66
  BR Class 37
  MKI / MKII carriages (two rakes)
  BR HST Intercity
  Swallow HST Intercity
  Rake of EWS Coal wagons
  Rake of Freightliner Coal wagons
  3 car 108 class (Possibly two)
  Rake of 1970's oil wagons
  Rake of 1970's coal wagons
  Warship - Not sure of colour scheme.
  More modern day DMU's (not sure of franchise, but will be from the similar areas as the above)
  More Class 47's not sure of franchises / liveries
  Also interested in some 'restored' steam

THE LOCATION:

As stated above I am looking at a freelance of Central / northern England, with a mainline and a branch to some kind of coal field / loader/unloader. As you can see by rolling stock, I am modelling form the 70's to modern day.I was thinking a location something near the Sheffield / Manchester location with a fictitious town as the main part of the layout, and the railway running through it. terraced buildings / dwellings. An aged rural town, with elegant surrounds, with a busy working railway through town. With a few farms & open pastures on the outer layout.

THE STYLE:

I am opting for a continual loop around the entire layout which dimensions will be known when they are made (extreme freelance). I have seen a few of your layouts, and many many others over the years and have seen a few bits and pieces of which I would like to make my own rendition. Layout will be completely DC operating, as I am not electrically minded, in fact I have seen goldfish do better wiring / soldering. Tracks will be duplicated majority but when the coal road and the main line join there will be a 4 platform station with some quad track before branching off again.

As for the track I am planning on using Peco code 100 concrete sleepers for the mainlines, and points/sidings will be wooden. I also plan on corking under the main lines, and not the sidings, as I have quite often seen sidings to be lower than the main running lines. As for the rest of it… You know as much as I do.

I was also contemplating modeling an electrified main line, however I am not quite ready to scratch build at this stage, so if I do, that will be done at a later stage. All I have seen in the way of pre-made overheads is the single line cantenary, not the complete quad track style poles, which is what I would need for the quad track sections.

THE NAME:

This is where I am stuck. I have absolutely no idea whatsoever to call it. Edith and Bessie is my grandmothers middle names (who grew up in Harrow) so I am thinking of incorporating one or some of those names/location. I guess I am asking for assistance there. I was thinking of modeling around Harrow, but too built up.

FINAL NOTES:

Once I get started with creating the baseboard. I will post progression photo's in the relevant thread.

I was also thinking of the coal road to run behind the 'main line' (both duplicated track), and in through the fiddle yard at the back of the layout, as opposed to the centre as described above. Either way, I will find out in the coming months as to what goes where.

Any feedback, assistance or tips, would be taken as a great gesture of good will. Thanks kindly for your ear (well eyes), and thanks also for sharing your pics. They have come in as fantastic inspiration.

Thanks

Mick


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Edit: only added a notification to thread responses, and this line.

Name?  Somewhere kind of northern industrial?

Let's look at what is already there.  There is the delightful "Besses o' th' Barn" once on the BR route from Manchester to Bury / Rawtenstall and currently a part of Manchester's Tramlink network.  Plenty of places incorporating a personal name as well.  

I see nothing wrong with borrowing from our own area either, Mick, and transposing Edithvale (a suburb of Melbourne for the benefit of the rest of you) and adapting the names into …..

Bedith Vale

Any good?

We have Bessington and Edithburg here, for what it's/the're worth.  :pedal

I was born in the area being modelled, old maps of the L&Y system may give you some ideas.

Mr Boilermaker, some great thinking there. Will definitely place those fine letters in front of the search button.

Rick, you're in the right region there. And Edithvale, or something like that is what I am after. I will keep everyone posted. Thanks again for info given.

Max thanks again for the input. Some decisions to be made.

If you're going to model the Sheffield /  Manchester area Mick, you couldn't have Harrow !!

Beginning with an "H", in that area it would quickly become 'Arrow plus, it's where the "top drawer" school is and the "cloggies" in the Pennines would never forgive you.

It seems you're looking for that wild rugged scenery cutting through the Pennine Hills - mills and light engineering in the river valleys and moorland on the high ground with postage stamp grass fields bordered by dry stone walls between the two.  Dave Shakespeare's "Tetley Mills" is about as close to that part of the world I've seen.

If it is industrial scenes, then you might have "Bessie Mills" or "Edith Junction".

You can of course, have whatever style of layout you like based anywhere you like.  That's the beauty of our hobby - not only do you build the railway, you also build the countryside it sits in. :cheers:cheers:cheers:cheers

Hi Peter,

Thanks for the kind suggestion, Edith Junction is a great one.

As for scenery, I was going for more rolling hills, green lush countryside. With the town area to the centre. Not too sure if that is geographically correct, but this is model railways, and I have a modelers license in hand. For the town I want to depict a bit of class, so not so much on the industrial side. Just a tad maybe.

We're moving in within a month to the new house, so I hope to get started and some progress photo's up shortly in the relevant thread.

Thanks again all.

Really looking forward to it Mick.

Oh, and Yorkshire isn't all industry and "dark satanic mills" - there are some beautiful areas as well and, with all that Victorian cash sloshing around from the mills, some fantastic houses too.  If you have a look at north Yorkshire - Northallerton, Thirsk and the Dales (Northallerton had, a few years ago, more millionaires per head than any other town in Britain all made from landowning !!), you'll see your "rolling hills" and "up market" housing.

Mick

great plan, i am also doing the same era. i have just started my track laying with over a year in the planing stage. as you are about to start out i would consider DCC as an option. it gives you a lot more options with shunting sound and even PC control. like me you only have a few locos at present, as you said this layout will last a few years so why not sit back and plan the future. i have one DCC sound loco and this has changed everything. i now want all my locos sound chipped. DCC is not as confusing as it is made out to be. you can plug 2 wires in and play trains, all the other wires on top are just insurance. start a thread in the DCC section with any questions you may have  (remember no question is a silly question) get on youtube and listen to some locos with sound. i have tried to plan my layout to cover all future eventuality's so it is easy to upgrade.  i used anyrail to plan my track which is now paying dividends, here is my plan

plan

and here is my layout thread

layout

Hi Matt,

I have just had a look through your plans, and layout. That sure looks impressive. I cant wait to see further advancements. It looks to be quite large and impressive to say the least. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for your good work.

Cheers

[user=6]Petermac[/user] wrote:

Oh, and Yorkshire isn't all industry and "dark satanic mills"

Very true.  There are dark mills and satanic mills as well :twisted:

Look forward to seeing this develop.

Bloody furriners !!!!