4mm Branch Lines to Mucklemouth - Late Victorian Norfolk

[James Spooner]

The GER did have quite a few branch termini serving coastal towns (not surprising really, given the old saying that East Anglia was cut off on three sides by the North Sea and on the fourth by the GER…). Not many had harbour branches though, but compact termini include Aldeburgh, Southminster or Walton on the Naze (a favourite of mine!). Others that could be compacted include Maldon or Hunstanton?

cheers

Nigel

 

[Herb Garden]

given the old saying that East Anglia was cut off on three sides by the North Sea and on the fourth by the GER

I've never heard that one despite the company I keep ... But it's so true

 

[Obblygobbly]

The original terminus at Sudbury always seems interesting to me, very compact with lots of interest, including a brewery siding. Unfortunately, its demise predated the NLS map collection, but the remains lasted quite a while thereafter.

 

[Rob R]

The old station at Sudbury can be seen on the nls OS town plans (bottom left corner) and also the only pictue I have found when still a terminus:-

When you are modelling early you have to take whatever you can get

 

[Herb Garden]

So I mentioned in the last progress post that I had been struggling to make the layout at Wells work for the space I had available....

Well looking around for inspiration from other locations I happened upon Hadleigh

This location is a godsend to modellers framed by the maltings in the background and with a reasonably odd trackplan if a private signing were. To extend into a harbour branch then I had what I wanted.



When I found out that in the very early days Hadleigh had a turntable at the far end of the station fate was sealed. I also have a drawing for an early type 40ft turntable which fits my small tender engines


The overall roof of Hadleigh was nicer too or at least wouldn't be Eva's much of a view blocker. And as for that signal on the platform post!


Two small goods sheds rather than one large one was another element that could Ballance the scene.



I found Hadleigh station building a bit too flamboyant for my tastes but the station building at Capel suits better and the asymmetric nature speaks to me

So a plan was coming together..... 24 sketches later.....


And lots of bits of paper and we have this:

 

[simond]

I've never heard that one despite the company I keep ... But it's so true

you should try living in Kent! The wild sea, or the M25!!!

 

[Herb Garden]

Ok so I thought it would be worth breaking down the layout design and give more detail on what I'm thinking



Firstly the baseboards or rather layout chassis....

This is the chassis from Skeetsmere and will be the basis of the Mucklemouth layout. What you will notice it's it's not one board but 3 and will be 3 separate views of the same scene. I will note that the last board on the right will be extended to match that on the left. And once the building works are complete in June this whole mess will be cleared.

So the 3 scene style will not appeal to everyone nor will my logic for arriving at such. And many of you may think I'm a bit crazy..... Maybe I am you have been warned read on at your peril

The thing that bugs me about model railways is how we view them I'm not a fan of the hellicopter view over large expanses of English countryside. It works for some not for me and is very much personal preference.

When looking at the railway in real life I find every many views are framed and quite closely. Also I look up or across at on trains rather than from above
So here at Holt you have buildings on one side trees on the other and you are standing at platform level.

With that in mind here is a breakdown of the Mucklemouth plan


Scene 1

You find yourself standing on the platform at Mucklemouth having just come up the station approach. To your right is the station building with the overall roof over the single platform. Looking through the station you see the entrance to the maltings complex served but a wagon turntable. The single road locomotive shed stands just in front of the maltings and has enough space barely to house the small tank loco and one larger Engine outstationed from Norwich. Next to the engine shed is a water tower and next to that a turntable. Completing the scene to your left is a spur that serves a loading dock for horses and cattle on Norwich market days.


Scene 2

We are in the goods yard at Mucklemouth staring over the expanse of intricate trackwork of the station throat backed by the great expanse of maltings. From behind these harbour road comes down the hill and crosses the line to Snoring Junction by means of a road overbridge. The line under it rises in a cutting on a steep climb to the top of the hill. On our right is the harbour branch leading off through the town. In the left the twin goods sheds give a prospect between them to the end of the platform and signal box


Scene 3

You find yourself afloat in a vessel in Mucklemouth harbour. In front of you is the quayside with boats and all. The harbour branch emerges squeezing between two buildings one a pub and runs onto the quay in the shadow of a large granary and many smaller buildings. Harbour road comes in from the left and many streets lead off it up the hill. (Behind all this will be a secret sector plate that swings out to some cassettes on the back of the layout)

I hope that makes some sense? My next step is to build a 3d model of the plan to see how it looks

 

[Richard Gawler]

Excellent stuff Herbie. I am so glad I am still planning my own layout and haven't committed to any baseboards yet.

 

[Herb Garden]

And you thought I had forgotten about this project....

It's just that if you have 20 mins modelling time it's easier to solder bits of brass than modify baseboards. And with the single wheeler nearing completion it's hard not to focus on that project....

But with all animals the single wheeler needs a habitat.... So thoughts turn again to Mucklemouth.

I have intentionally not done anything here apart from stare at the track plan for the last couple of weeks.... Analysing the traffic and testing the track plan with a number of operational moves.

And the consensus is the track plan needs adjustment.... Thanks to all who have offered advice both here and via PM it has been much appreciated.



So the two big problems were the lack of siding space and the operational inflexibility of the front goods yard being accessed from the middle road of the yard that really should be used for storing coaching stock* not left empty to access the yard.

So here's the changes the main aims have been to separate movement track and storage track**

1. The harbour branch instead of linking to the lower yard connects with some crazy slip arrangement to the rear yard ....

2. The goods sheds front left are now connected to the harbour branch spur rather than the goods yard. On the old plan you would have to clear siding to then reverse into the shed. Whereas the harbour line will remain clear.

3. The sidings front right are now both sidings rather than one of them going down to the harbour. These are also now connected to to a turnout in the platform/ arrival road which will allow better access to these. If I can interlace the turnouts with the diamond then the sidings get even longer which is a bonus.



The harbour is getting mods as well... After finding a drawing of a 3 way stubb point I felt I had to include one so this has moved and gives much increased siding length here two.... The curvature of that upper road is a bit of a flight of fancy but I wonder how tight I can make a curve like that and it still be practical.....

Well that's all folks.... Hope you like our period Axminster carpet!

*As you all know there was a though coach from the Cromer express the was detached at Kettisham and run along the coast to Mucklemouth. This will need somewhere to go between up and down services

** As is track that is used to store stationary vehicles like sidings not storage sidings

 

[simond]

Perhaps consider how tight curves on sidings may affect your choice of coupler.

It might prevent autocoupling, or make three-links very annoying.

 

[Herb Garden]

Perhaps consider how tight curves on sidings may affect your choice of coupler.

It might prevent autocoupling, or make three-links very annoying.

Luckily I'm a spratt and winkle fellow which are pretty forgiving.... But yes that is the limiting factor. Might make that siding go into the warehouse at an angle rather than perpendicular to the quay

 

[Rob R]

How sharp do you want it?
Hythe Quay from Britain From Above...

 

[Herb Garden]

How sharp do you want it?
Hythe Quay from Britain From Above...
View attachment 188072

Yep something like that! Thanks Rob.

What is interesting is that the line into the warehouse comes off the main route on the dock wall side then crosses over.

I love crazy trackwork so that feature is so getting modeled!

 

[James Spooner]

Yep something like that! Thanks Rob.

What is interesting is that the line into the warehouse comes off the main route on the dock wall side then crosses over.

I love crazy trackwork so that feature is so getting modeled!

Yes, I noticed that too and assume it was to achieve a minimum curve radius, which couldn’t otherwise be done with a simple right hand turnout.

Nigel

 

[Osgood]

There was also the example at Romford Brewery on here in November:

https://westernthunder.co.uk/threads/lswr-b4-real-life-minimum-radius.11133/

 

[Herb Garden]

So on Sunday I found myself in Scotland in the village of Chesters where the NE&B AG of the EM soc were having a modelling day.

Determined to travel light I took foam board and cereal packets plus a gluegun with me to start the process of building the mock-up...

Much tea and sunshine later





Although there is still much to put together you allready start to get the idea of what the views would be like




Well on the harbour section at least.....

 

[Herb Garden]

Hi all.

Been quiet on this project recently and other things got in the way. However layout building progress is being made in some forms although the Mucklemouth plan is being modified before work starts on that as well

However going forward I'm going to concentrate all posts on all my modelling efforts in one WT thread otherwise I will get confused. Here it is for those who haven't come across it.... The layout building stuff starts from post 239 if you want to avoid all the soldering accidents

The Chronicles of Canary Sidings