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NOVEMBER 2025 UPDATE
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KARL CROWTHER
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PAUL JAMES
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ANDY LEE
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KIER HARDY
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Preparations for a recent running session saw ex-MR 2F 58123 on the afternoon pick-up goods
in the yard at Kendal Castle ready to back down into platform 3 so it can commence return
trip to Carnforth. It will call at Kentside en-route to collect empties. Several of these
distinctive locos saw out their days at Barrow shed and their duties included use on Lakeside
Branch goods workings. Based on the Alan Gibson kit, the loco was a regular performer on the
original Kentside exhibition layout.
Also ready to depart Kendal Castle is the afternoon parcels to Bradfield Gloucester Square
conveying among other items, output from the K’s Shoes factory destined for the various
mail-order catalogue businesses in Bradford (e.g. Grattan). Maybe also some Kendal Mint
Cake too? In charge is Clan Pacific 72009 Clan Stewart of Carlisle Kingmoor, unusually
clean (needs weathering!). This is an EM conversion of the Hornby Model using Markits wheels,
plus a Lanarkshire Models chassis under the tender. Sound is provided via Zimo, with the
speaker in the loco boiler and the decoder & stay alive sited in the tender.
Loading the parcels in Platform 3 is apparently not quite complete, so they will need to
pull their finger out as departure time is imminent! The weigh hut is a temporary feature,
though the low relief houses behind the station (Metcalfe Kits) may become permanent – but
more required.
Thoughts now turn to planned tasks for the winter ahead. High on the list is to sort out
the embankment stonework along the Kentside frontage. Initially I was thinking of these
embossed Plastikard sheets, but on reflection, for this application one has stones way too
big, while the smaller scale one to me would be too small. Various other alternatives were
also investigated, but none seemed to quite fit the bill.
As far as I can deduce, the stonework on the embankment pretty much mirrors that used on the
adjacent walling (logical really), so my thinking as of now is to use the Wills Coarse stone
sheets that I am so fond of. An alternative would have been to scribe it all in DAS clay or
similar, but that would be an awful big job! The main issue I can see is getting it to go
round the curved bits, but only time will tell – I only need around 40 panels of it….
Another big project that has been started is the Kentside viaduct. Again, various options
were considered – such as etched brass, or 3D printing. The former would be a massive
undertaking due to the complexity of the girder work, while I have as yet no experience
of 3D drawing. So you’ve guessed, it’s Wills to the rescue yet again. A further headache
has been actually designing the various spans in plan form so they fit accurately round the
curve (another reason why the above alternatives were discounted). In the end I made a paper
template and placed it onto the existing track, making an impression of the rails – and then
drew up the outlines of spans onto this, so in theory it should fit, the plastic construction
allowing a little leeway in adjustment. More progress on this hopefully next month….
With the foliage and other detail work finished at the back of the layout, the baseboards have
now been turned around to their normal position so that work can continue at the front.
There is a woodland backscene ready for fitting, but I will wait until the messy scenic
work is finished before fitting them to the wall.
The furthest road is the branch line serving a small station, and the sidings are at the front
of the layout, for ease of coupling and uncoupling wagons.
A view of the control panel and slide switches for point operation. The aftermath of a storm
scene above is a selection of trees which will be planted on the back of the next baseboard
near the station.
A new addition to the fleet is this Lima Class 40 fitted with a vast array of detailing parts
to include bogie pipework, new buffer beams with pipes, cables and reservoirs. New nose hand
rails, etched cab window surrounds, Ultrascale wheels and a full repaint. The weathering looks
really dirty - just how I used to see them everyday going past my school in Cheadle Hulme.
I have also completed some more full size replica flame cut panels for a Class 40 and a Deltic.
Work is progressing very well with the new East London layout project, with the north wall
of the railway room having been reconfigured. The 13A sockets have now gone, the display
cabinet moved, and a full length shelf fitted to house and display rolling stock. All the
trackwork has been fixed in place, wired with droppers onto each individual rail, then the
rail sides and chairs painted a base rust colour. The sleepers will be given various
washes with light greys, browns and blacks, with mostly ash ballast for the sidings.
The layout has reached a point where I can sit back and view an assortment of wagons in the
sidings, whilst concentrating on other things. A wide range of loaded wagons can be found
ready for their path to the dock for export, whilst empty wagons await the arrival of a
ship.... and just sometimes a departmental assortment could be found laying over. The code
75 Peco buffer stops are just right for job and come with the option for EM gauge.
All the trackwork is Peco (B6 L/H & R/H points with 1m flexitrack available through the EMGS).
I've tarmaced the road for the full length of the layout to show the close proximity of the
railway, and build up a plan of what will set the scene beyond the boundary fence.
Meanwhile, regular running sessions bring a variety of visitors to Hornsey Bdy. Here's
North British hydraulic 6352 heading a parcels service through the station.
On another day a green liveried D6331 is also hauling parcels vehicles (both Dapol models
from the Shenston Road fleet).
One of the latest locomotives into Greg's fleet is this Accurascale Class 50 - 50021
Rodney in large logo livery at the head of a rake of mark 2 coaches.....
.... and another snap of Rodney in the gloom of the station under the bridge.
Swan Street Goods EM gauge layout was built by Chris Hewitt in the 1990s, and attended a
few exhibitions before being retired and passed on to Michael Delamar.
The track plan and general idea of the layout was adapted by Mike Turner from a design by
Iain Rice and was featured in the November 1997 British Railway Modelling magazine.
Set in the north Liverpool area, it featured a multi-level scene typical of the area.
In 2010 under Michael's ownership, there were plans to extend the layout and create a
canal scene, but this didn't materialise.
The layout has now returned to Chris and is making a reappearance on the exhibition circuit,
having recently appeared at the Expo EM Summer 2025 show in Wakefield.
Please click on the above image to view the Autumn 2025 running session videos from Hornsey
Broadway, a compilation from Wibdenshaw (since transfer to Spain), and a visit to Shenston
Road.
