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FEBRUARY 2022 UPDATE
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KARL CROWTHER
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GREG BROOKES
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KIER HARDY
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IAN MANDERSON
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January has been mainly involved with getting the Kentside signals fitted and wired in.
This first example is the Heversham Up Section Signal, with the Kentside Up Distant below
it. I guess the latter would be motor-worked, and will be the only ‘physical’ distant
signal required on the layout – the others all being offstage. This one still needs the
servos etc. fitting, hence no lamp illuminated.
Looking the other way, and from the opposite side of the viaduct, is the Kentside Down
Section Signal. Like the Up Distant, the post has been made from the Masokits etch, as
indeed have the arms. Illumination comes from tiny pre-wired SMD LEDs, as on all of the
semaphores. Also showing it in the ‘OFF’ position. I’m really pleased with the brightness
of the LED – i.e. quite subtle. Given its remoteness from the signalbox, I’ve assumed there
would be a track circuit here.
This pair of subsidiary arms control moves from the Up platform in the Down direction.
Principally to facilitate the working of quarry trains – the upper arm signals a trailing
crossover to gain access to the Down Main, while the lower arm is for shunts into the quarry
sidings. Not yet wired in at the time of the photo, which explains the arms at funny angles!
As this will be platform mounted there are no balance weights fitted, and hence the railings
around it. Maybe needs a track circuit diamond….
Kentside Up Section Signal - a lower quadrant example on a lattice post. There were still quite
a few like this on the Furness until well into the BR period. Wizard Models post and arm,
plus Masokits ladder. Also shown in the ‘OFF’ position. Maybe the LED on this one is a little too
bright at present. Given it’s in full view of the signalbox, I’ve assumed no track circuit here.
The final semaphore at Kentside is the Down Home Signal, based on a lattice post, bracket
example that still exists at Haverthwaite. Again, the post and the bracket fittings are Wizard
Models etches, while the arm and ladder are Masokits. In total there should be scope to do
another three bracket signals – one for Heversham and the other two at Kendal, possibly a
mixture of round post and flanged beam examples…… On the right showing the bracket signal that
inspired the Kentside Down Home. Judging by period photographs, it appears to have existed
at this location as least as far back as the 1960s.
A few more snaps taken around the layout starting off with D1005 Western Venturer with
a Yeoman stone train passing Brush 4 - 1813 in the platform road.
BRCW Class 27s 5397 & 5373 get ready to head towards the steelworks sidings for their next
train of strip coil.
The post box and the Birmingham style lamp posts have been 3D printed by Jonny to suit
this street scene alongside the railway.
A Bobby directs traffic at the top of Station Road, as a West Bromwich Corporation bus
heads back home. The modern block of flats/offices in the background were originally
constructed for Holmeworth 30 years ago from a Kibri kit, and are still setting the
scene rebuilt to suit the location here.
Another West Bromwich bus passes the Lucas factory entrance, with the brewery dominating
the background.
New to the fleet is a pair of Heljan Class 25/3 later body style to replace my aged Bachmann
versions, 7551 & D7668 roll by with a northbound service to Wolverhampton passing the brewery.
The second part of the Shenston Road article can be found in the March 2022 issue of BRM,
concentrating on the steel works and exchange sidings.
7551 & D7668 are seen again, this time hauling a coal train towards East London. These two
Heljan models head up a few snaps taken at the lineside showing some of the visiting
motive power during recent running sessions.
Another pairing of 5397 & 5373 from the Shenston Road fleet heading a mixed freight. There were
still around fifteen Class 27s allocated to Toton in 1970, but by 1971 the entire class had been
transferred to Scotland, with most of them allocated to Eastfield and a few to Haymarket. Once
a common sight on the Midland main line, they were often spotted in the London area with workings
from Leicester and the East Midlands.
D5702 is a rare visitor to these parts, from the Eastwell fleet on a test run after receiving
attention to a squealing motor bearing.
These Eastwell twins D8001 & D8183 are both Lima models with additional weight, improved
electrical pick-ups and Ultrascale replacement wheels.
And another pair of Paul's Lima Class 20s 20075 & 20020 with a rake of
21 ton hopper wagons in tow.
In addition to the post box as seen above on Shenston Road, Jonny's also produced a set of
fire buckets, stands and extinguishers, which I've painted and fitted to various places around
the layout. Fire buckets are filled with a blob of plasticine to represent sand filled examples.
Long overdue on the website is a section on the coaching stock which is regularly seen on the layout,
so a few pages are being put together to fill some of the gaps, featuring information on the models,
conversions and prototype information. Please click on the above image to view the Coaching
Stock gallery.
Words and photo's by Pete Johnson. The end of January brought a welcome return to exhibiting
a layout after nearly a two year enforced break. I was assisting Ian and Steve with the
operation of the atmospheric ‘Hartburn’ at the Kendal club show.
Ian’s layout seeks to capture the latter days of the Wansbeck line in Northumberland, and
an age when there was plenty of time to talk of happenings on the farm if the crossing gates
happened to be shut.
By the mid-1960s the line saw only one pick-up goods train per week. LNER J27 0-6-0s from
Blyth or Percy Main sheds were the regular turn. 65842, recently cleaned by enthusiasts, is
seen shunting by the small station building.
65842 is pictured again as it rumbles across the crossing.
In the goods yard a lone 16 tonner is in the process of being emptied, while a consignment
of telegraph poles await the installation gang.
By 1966 most of the J27s were in a neglected state, 65860 heading the pick-up up the valley
being a typical example.
65860 is seen again as it leaves Hartburn heading back to Morpeth later in the day.
Although diesel working on the Wansbeck was extremely rare, on the Sunday we indulged in a bit
of ‘might have been’. BR/Sulzer type 2 D5149 hurries across the crossing.
One of Gateshead’s newly arrived Clayton/Beyer Peacock Type 1s arrives at Hartburn with the pick-up.
A closer view of D8599 as it waits to continue up the valley.
Another BR/Sulzer Type 2 is pictured by the farm access overbridge. For more information on
Hartburn, click on the Layouts button at the bottom of this page.
With things returning to normal, Hartburn is open to invitations again so please get in
touch if you're interested in hosting this 17ft X 1ft end to end exhibition layout.
There's some more video footage of both Hornsey Broadway and Shenston Road, this time as a
view from the cab. Filmed using a Firefly Hawk Eye drone camera with a pencil torch mounted
on top for the tunnel areas. Please click on the image to view the videos.
