I am now working on my new P4 layout Callow Lane Goods, which will feature a small goods yard set in the South Gloucestershire/ North Somerset area near Coalpit Heath. It will be semi-urban in nature and based on Midland practice. 

I still have plans to build the two OO layouts mentioned elsewhere on my website ('Burrowbridge' and 'Midland Junction Shed'), but I want to get Callow Lane well advanced, if not completed.

'Midland Junction Shed' will be a small S&D loco shed scene, located in Bath and probably with a connection from the GW line as well. The period will be the same as my other layouts - 1959 - 1964. I have identified a number of prototypes for the main buildings and have decided on the track plan. The name of the layout is still under review. I will put more details regarding this project on the website in due course.

So at the moment the effort is going into building the P4 layout 'Callow Lane', plus the locos and stock I need to run on it.

Bachmann Class 20 converted to P4 and standing on a section from the Area Group test track circuit. I haven't done much else to this loco as yet, although I intend to model it as D8138, which is featured in 'Diesels in the Midlands' (Ian Allen) running through Birmingham Snow Hill. Given a Saltley crew (go any place, any time!), I imagine it working down the Midland main line to Yate and the goods yard at Callow Lane. I know they weren't exactly common in that neck of the woods in the 1960s, but I like Class 20s and I'm clutching at straws here.....

P4 wagons under construction - Bachmann open converted with simple central spring providing compensation on one axle and Coopercraft GW cattle wagon with rocking W iron at one end for compensation. This wagon, along with various others, has now been painted and is awaiting lettering and weathering. 

However, however.... having talked about (above) building another two OO layouts, I have to come clean and admit that there is yet another P4 layout underway!

This is 'Travellers Rest' and is based on the real place of the same name in the Forest of Dean. Having bought the book 'BR Steam in Dean' by Ben Ashworth a couple of years ago, I became captivated by the lines in the Forest. More books were purchased, including the excellent four volumes from Wild Swan covering most of the Forest system (the Severn & Wye lines and the GW lines).

The real Travellers Rest was the first block post on the double line to the north of Parkend, between that latter location and Coleford Junction. Distances really are very compressed in this part of the Forest of Dean, and it is probably no more than a quarter of a mile or so from Parkend to Travellers Rest, plus a further quarter of a mile on to Coleford Jct.

Although the line through Travellers Rest was double track until closure, I am modelling it as if one line had been partially lifted, particularly through the iconic level crossing area and past the signal box. The remnants of the former down line will form one of two sidings in front of the signalbox. The former up line will now be the single running line.

Of course, the colliery branch to Parkend Royal colliery, which left the main line and ran up a fairly steep incline behind the signalbox and which was closed well before the Second World War, will have remained open and in production in my timeline!

Some work has been done on Travellers Rest already. The baseboard frames have been constructed, as has all the pointwork. Components for the level crossing and the signalling have been obtained. At one point, I was going to build this layout before 'Callow Lane', but earlier in 2008 I was persuaded by Simon Castens to bring 'Callow Lane' to CamRail 2008, and as it was virtually an operational layout already, I felt that this was the quicker route to getting a completed P4 exhibition layout.

This page updated on 14/9/08.

 

Please note that all written and photographic material on this website is the intellectual property of and copyright Tim Maddocks 2008, unless otherwise credited.