Castle Aching

[Compound2632]

The independent branch is an arrangement the Midland seems to have been particularly fond of - several good examples in Gloucestershire: Coaley and Stonehouse. All moves onto the branch from the main require reversal. But these are probably a bit too main line for Birchoverham.

[Annie]

2 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

Here’s a cheap way of doing it, by putting the branch runaround outside the ‘passenger’ area, and having all the goods and loco facilities springing from it, thereby allowing hand-worked points and no FPLs.

 

This seems to need FPL only on two points, and keeps signals to the minimum. Satisfyingly awkward to shunt too!

 

EDIT: I've just realised I've omitted something to protect the branch from incursions from the "goods" area; there need to be a trap beyond that stop board. Ideally, the loop in the "goods" would move rightwards a bit, to make room to shunt between it and said trap.

Why am I getting visions of Whimshire in my head as I gaze upon Kevin's trackplan.

 

[Nearholmer]

As a PS, if the main through traffic from Birchoverham Staithe is imported coal, there is nothing to stop a coal train being run direct off the branch onto the main, or an empty coal train in the other direction - its only passenger trains that can't.

[Edwardian]

4 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

As a PS, if the main through traffic from Birchoverham Staithe is imported coal, there is nothing to stop a coal train being run direct off the branch onto the main, or an empty coal train in the other direction - its only passenger trains that can't.

 

Good point, except the seaborne coal traffic comes in on the west coast, at Wolfringham Staithe.

 

Though it's easy to get confused, as I have done.

 

 

 

You will see that, on the map above, it's acually the Fakeney branch that diverges at Birchoverham Market.

 

The lines to Next-the-Sea and Staithe diverge near Flocking.

 

I think this was done to avoid crossing the GE's West Norfolk Extension Railway at two points.

 

I'm sire that, originally, Birchoverham Market and Flocking were the other way around, which makes more sense.  Perhaps I'll revert to that original idea.

 

Having both the Fakeney and the Birchoverham Staithe branches diverge at Birchoverham Market would be useful. 

 

 

 

Edited June 25, 2021 by Edwardian

[Annie]

6 minutes ago, Edwardian said:

Good point, except the seaborne coal traffic comes in on the west coast, at Wolfringham Staithe.

Do they do fish instead then?  Coal traffic to the Herring trawler fleets was certainly significant at some coastal ports.

[Compound2632]

Wherever it is, the divergence of the Fakeney and Birchoverham-on-Sea lines clearly warrants a full-on double junction. The very simplest arrangement I'm aware of was at Crianlarich Upper but that's probably a bit too sparse for rural west Norfolk - though the west end of Melton Constable comes close. It's got to be laid out for trains to divide and recombine Birchoverham and Fakeney portions. 

 

If Flocking and Birchoverham Market are exchanged, how does Birchoverham Town fit in?

[Edwardian]

8 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

If Flocking and Birchoverham Market are exchanged, how does Birchoverham Town fit in?

 

I meant more that all the Birchoverhams are a little further north, perhaps north of the GER?

 

9 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

Wherever it is, the divergence of the Fakeney and Birchoverham-on-Sea lines clearly warrants a full-on double junction. The very simplest arrangement I'm aware of was at Crianlarich Upper but that's probably a bit too sparse for rural west Norfolk - though the west end of Melton Constable comes close. It's got to be laid out for trains to divide and recombine Birchoverham and Fakeney portions. 

 

 

 

 

Speaking of Melton Constable's junctions, here's one I prepared earlier, Aching Constable 

 

[Compound2632]

Yes, so you can't really do that twice. How about Marple as an inspiration for Flocking Junction?

[NeilHB]

James, I did wonder if Ballynahinch Junction on the Belfast and County Down Railway might provide suitable inspiration for Birchoverham Market:

BCDR main line from Belfast entering at the top and exiting bottom right to Downpatrick and Newcastle.

Ballynahinch branch exiting bottom left. This was quite interesting as for a number of years was operated by the BCDR’s 6-wheel diesel from Harland and Wolff and a pair of 6-wheel coaches - rather delightful! 
 

I’d be inclined to move some of the goods faculties into the space between the diverging lines where the dotted outline of the shed is on the plan above, that way it would be easily accessible by both Staithe and Town traffic? 

[Nearholmer]

That is a really curious example, because there is no facility to pass trains on the main line, which must have made its traffic-handling capacity rather limited, and it certainly doesn't get all carried away with a classic double junction.

[St Enodoc]

How about Brading pre-1953, with the main line to Sandown singled?

 

https://www.bradingcommunityarchive.com/station-track-and-points-diagram-1928-1957/

 

[Nearholmer]

Or, still in IoW mood, Merstone, with an extra platform and the old station building - just an extra platform, not an extra track.

[St Enodoc]

59 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

Or, still in IoW mood, Merstone, with an extra platform and the old station building - just an extra platform, not an extra track.

https://esngblog.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/merstone-junction.jpg

[Nearholmer]

Looking at that, I think the signal posts suggest that both roads in the loop were signalled for both directions, which allows through working of the branch, without the complicated classic junction.

 

Tooban Junction, in Ireland, did have the very flexible ‘classic double’, however.

 

 

 

 

[Nearholmer]

Or, Broom Junction on the SMJ, which has even got the turntable. http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/b/broom/ and lots more here https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/lms/broom.htm

 

Looks as if one road of the loop here was signalled for both directions, presumably to allow a mainline train in either direction to pass through while the other road was occupied by a branch train awaiting departure, similar to Merstone, but not quite the same.
 

Modelogenic to the degree that it has been modelled, several times I think, including a very good, cleverly compressed, version in 0.

 

 

Edited June 26, 2021 by Nearholmer

[Compound2632]

2 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

Or, still in IoW mood, Merstone, with an extra platform and the old station building - just an extra platform, not an extra track.

 

At that rate, Ascot.

[Nearholmer]

Rather a lot of platforms and carriage sidings!

[Compound2632]

5 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

Rather a lot of platforms and carriage sidings!

 

Well, not now. Anyway, I was thinking in terms of sources of inspiration, not layouts to copy slavishly.

 

But Ascot does prompt the thought: there must be horesracing somewhere in the Achingverse.

[St Enodoc]

1 hour ago, Nearholmer said:

Looking at that, I think the signal posts suggest that both roads in the loop were signalled for both directions, which allows through working of the branch, without the complicated classic junction.

You're right, Kevin. The Signalling Record Society has an undated version of the signal diagram from Merstone. The low-resolution version is here:

 

https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/html/srs/R291.htm

 

You have to be a member to see the high-resolution version.

 

It appears that all Newport/Sandown trains used the Up platform, unless they needed to cross.

 

Worked distants on the main, too.

Edited June 26, 2021 by St Enodoc
MIssing "of"

[Edwardian]

Some great ideas coming out.

 

Lacking, I think, the knowledge to adapt any of them ....

 

Merstone has to be a front runner

 

 

But Broom Junction is also a likely bet.  On reflection, the WNR might have retained its small TT for the branch; it is not impossible that tender engines might still run to Staithes, and the WN turned its tanks. 

 

 

I need to re-visit the snap decision I made to set the Brichoverhams south of the GER West Norfolk Extension.

 

If I were to include Birchoverham Market in the layout scheme, I think I would be looking at the junction for both the Flakeney and Staithes branches at the north end of Market station.

 

That's one line coming into Market from the south, and dividing into three lines to the north; Next-the-Sea, Staithes, Fakeney.  

 

How might that be managed?  Another triple junction like Aching Constable, I'm afraid.

 

Why?

 

Well, just as the arrangement at Aching Constable allows traffic from a number of destinations to run into Castle Aching .....

 

- Main lines bring GER traffic via Magdalen Road, WNR routes from Bury St Edmunds and Norwich

- Bishop's Lynn Tramway

- Wolfringham branch and the Norfolk Minerals

 

in addition to traffic from original mainline to the Birchoverhams and off the MGN at Massingham and from the Achingham branch

 

... the triple junction north of Birchoverham Market would allow me to run into a model of that station traffic from:

 

-  Birchoverham-Next-the-Sea, running through to Castle Aching and onward

-  Local traffic from Fakeney, perhaps some through traffic also to Castle Aching and onward

-  Local traffic from Staithes

 

Why is this important?

 

Because I am giving serious consideration to a purpose-built (insulated!) shed for CA.  If I add some additional width to that I had been planning for, potentially I can run lines from CA to 4 destinations:

 

(1) To a junction for Aching Constable, thence to cassette yard representing Aching Constable and onward destinations; Bury, Norwich, Wolfringham, Bishop's Lynn and the GER (via Magdalen Road)

 

(2) To a junction near Massingham and thence to a cassette yard representing the MGN from South Lynn

 

(3) To Achingham Junction and thence Achingham station (modelled)

 

(4) To Birchoverham Market Station (modelled) and thence to a cassette yard representing Next-the-Sea, Staithe and Fakeney.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Hroth]

14 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

But Ascot does prompt the thought: there must be horesracing somewhere in the Achingverse.

 

Flat or National Hunt?

 

I can imagine space for a small rural course "over the sticks".

[St Enodoc]

15 minutes ago, Hroth said:

 

Flat or National Hunt?

 

I can imagine space for a small rural course "over the sticks".

Point-to-point?

[Hroth]

16 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

Point-to-point?

Steeplechasing!

 

[Northroader]

Here’s a nice small country station:

 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dw2by2QM8j4

 

[Nearholmer]

Crikey old chap!

 

Hope my youngest doesn’t stumble upon that!

 

How on earth did you find it?