marsa69
Western Thunderer
Hello all,
Right then. You Western Region boys have asked for this ;D time for a much needed, very un-western layout (well its North West based so don't moan too much). You can actually thank 'iploffy' for this as he gave me the verbal aris kicking to move it over from RMweb. So blame him
The beginning:-
Hi all,
When the Manchester & Leeds opened their Bolton - Bury stretch in 1848 they decided to build a joint line with the East Lancashire Railway. The new 'joint' line left the Bolton - Bury line just past Darcy Lever passing through Breightmet, Harwood, Tottington and finally reaching the village of 'Spartan Bridge' in 1850. Spartan Bridge is situated roughly halfway between Edgworth and Ramsbottom and was founded by the ancestors of Leonard Spartan, 30th Earl of Spartan Bridge. It soon became a focal point for local quarry traffic from the West Pennine moors. While the M & L built this stage of the line, the East Lancs built the line from Spartan Bridge to join up with the Bury - Rawtenstall line at a junction just south of Stubbins and the junction for Helmshore. The next stage from Bacup towards Todmorden was opened in 1854, giving the M & L and the ELR a new east - west route from Leeds to Liverpool. In the meantime the M & L built a link from Spartan Bridge through Edgworth to link with the Bolton - Blackburn line north of Turton. Within a few years of these lines opening, Spartan Bridge had become a thriving town and a busy railway junction.
However like the rest of the Lancashire towns this prosperity and affluence began to wane. The Bacup - Todmorden section closed in 1961, 5 yrs before the Rawtenstall - Bacup and the Stubbins Junction - Spartan Bridge stretch in 1966. Passenger traffic from Bolton ceased the same year as the more famous Bury - Rawtenstall line in 1972 and Spartan Bridge lost all its services in 1975. Unlike the Bury - Rawtenstall line it was never considered for preservation. The line however was never formally closed, only mothballed. In the mid 80's Greater Manchester County Council along with Lancashire County Council embarked on using some of the disused quarries south of Spartan Bridge for landfill purposes and 'Binliner' workings commenced in 1986 after the line was brought back up to operational standards. In 1987, now that the line was operational again, Pennine rail services similar to the Dales rail services were introduced in the summer. These were a success and continued up until 2000. The 'Binliner' workings had stopped in 1997 after protests from environmental groups. The line again became mothballed until Lancashire County Council, Bolton Council and Spartan Bridge District Council, in 2002, looked at re-introducing passenger services in the region to ease congestion on the local roads. Also the local quarry company 'Spartan Stone' expressed an interest in transferring its business to rail if the line did indeed re-open. Limited stone workings commenced in 2006. Also the ELR was approached to see if they would be interested in re-opening the stretch to Stubbins Junction. In the same year a Bolton businessman set up a rail business in Spartan Bridge offering rolling stock repair and maintenance in anticipation of full services being resumed. Long-term plans also looked into buying second-hand locos and stock and moving into the infrastructure market. This company, 'Wolfrail', opened its wagon repair shop in Spartan Bridge in 2007 and has acquired 3 x Cl33 locos for infrastructure and spot-hire work, once the locos have been overhauled. Hopefully 2009 will see the return of full passenger services and longer term a 'heritage' connection to the ELR.
Hope you've stayed with me until now,
The boards themselves are 12mm MDF on 2"x1" battens for support. There are 3 boards in total all 4' x 2' with the end board at 90 degrees to the other two to give an 'L' shape. The boards, being MDF, have been primed. The boards were actually finished in Sept 08 but a lack of finalizing a track plan and one various family emergency/disaster/incident after another kept putting things back and in the end my get up and go got up and went and took my modelling mojo with it. Originally I wanted the layout to include a two road wagon shed, single platform station, arrival road for a Bo-Bo loco plus 4 wagons of say Grampus/Limpet size and possibly a couple of sidings as well. A lot I know for the space available and in 7mm as well. I also wanted a busy look to the layout but not the 'cram as much track as possible into the smallest space' look. Oh and I wanted at least 5' radius curves. I know, I know, not much to ask for I hear you say.
After a cheerful discussion with Ian (iploffy) I finally re-discovered a sliver of my modeling mojo. So buoyed by its rediscovery I cleared the boards of all the accumulated carp
;D and finally settled on a plan. Using the northern approaches to the real life Bolton station for inspiration I'm aiming to re-create a similar station approach on my layout. Out goes the wagon repair shop and single platform station. In comes a three platform station (one platform will be for postal services) each big enough to handle a 2-car DMU. Also a truncated Up line which will be long enough to stable a loco and three stabling sidings with headshunt. Scenery will be minimal as anyone who has seen the northern approaches to Bolton station know that its all walled in, which makes the scenery side of things easier.
Progress will be slow and piecemeal I'm afraid so I'll apologize for that now. Once I get the camera charged I'll take some photos of a full size mock up to show you what I have in mind. For now I have a PRMRP Cl47 and 4 wagons ready for use (3 wagons need painting yet). I also have 3 x Lima 33s which are going to be a long term thing as my next two targets are a JLTRT 37 and a shunter of some description, preferably a DJH beginners 03.
If you're still awake and with me after all that then well done and thanks for sticking it out 
best regards,
Mark
Right then. You Western Region boys have asked for this ;D time for a much needed, very un-western layout (well its North West based so don't moan too much). You can actually thank 'iploffy' for this as he gave me the verbal aris kicking to move it over from RMweb. So blame him
The beginning:-
Hi all,
When the Manchester & Leeds opened their Bolton - Bury stretch in 1848 they decided to build a joint line with the East Lancashire Railway. The new 'joint' line left the Bolton - Bury line just past Darcy Lever passing through Breightmet, Harwood, Tottington and finally reaching the village of 'Spartan Bridge' in 1850. Spartan Bridge is situated roughly halfway between Edgworth and Ramsbottom and was founded by the ancestors of Leonard Spartan, 30th Earl of Spartan Bridge. It soon became a focal point for local quarry traffic from the West Pennine moors. While the M & L built this stage of the line, the East Lancs built the line from Spartan Bridge to join up with the Bury - Rawtenstall line at a junction just south of Stubbins and the junction for Helmshore. The next stage from Bacup towards Todmorden was opened in 1854, giving the M & L and the ELR a new east - west route from Leeds to Liverpool. In the meantime the M & L built a link from Spartan Bridge through Edgworth to link with the Bolton - Blackburn line north of Turton. Within a few years of these lines opening, Spartan Bridge had become a thriving town and a busy railway junction.
However like the rest of the Lancashire towns this prosperity and affluence began to wane. The Bacup - Todmorden section closed in 1961, 5 yrs before the Rawtenstall - Bacup and the Stubbins Junction - Spartan Bridge stretch in 1966. Passenger traffic from Bolton ceased the same year as the more famous Bury - Rawtenstall line in 1972 and Spartan Bridge lost all its services in 1975. Unlike the Bury - Rawtenstall line it was never considered for preservation. The line however was never formally closed, only mothballed. In the mid 80's Greater Manchester County Council along with Lancashire County Council embarked on using some of the disused quarries south of Spartan Bridge for landfill purposes and 'Binliner' workings commenced in 1986 after the line was brought back up to operational standards. In 1987, now that the line was operational again, Pennine rail services similar to the Dales rail services were introduced in the summer. These were a success and continued up until 2000. The 'Binliner' workings had stopped in 1997 after protests from environmental groups. The line again became mothballed until Lancashire County Council, Bolton Council and Spartan Bridge District Council, in 2002, looked at re-introducing passenger services in the region to ease congestion on the local roads. Also the local quarry company 'Spartan Stone' expressed an interest in transferring its business to rail if the line did indeed re-open. Limited stone workings commenced in 2006. Also the ELR was approached to see if they would be interested in re-opening the stretch to Stubbins Junction. In the same year a Bolton businessman set up a rail business in Spartan Bridge offering rolling stock repair and maintenance in anticipation of full services being resumed. Long-term plans also looked into buying second-hand locos and stock and moving into the infrastructure market. This company, 'Wolfrail', opened its wagon repair shop in Spartan Bridge in 2007 and has acquired 3 x Cl33 locos for infrastructure and spot-hire work, once the locos have been overhauled. Hopefully 2009 will see the return of full passenger services and longer term a 'heritage' connection to the ELR.
Hope you've stayed with me until now,
The boards themselves are 12mm MDF on 2"x1" battens for support. There are 3 boards in total all 4' x 2' with the end board at 90 degrees to the other two to give an 'L' shape. The boards, being MDF, have been primed. The boards were actually finished in Sept 08 but a lack of finalizing a track plan and one various family emergency/disaster/incident after another kept putting things back and in the end my get up and go got up and went and took my modelling mojo with it. Originally I wanted the layout to include a two road wagon shed, single platform station, arrival road for a Bo-Bo loco plus 4 wagons of say Grampus/Limpet size and possibly a couple of sidings as well. A lot I know for the space available and in 7mm as well. I also wanted a busy look to the layout but not the 'cram as much track as possible into the smallest space' look. Oh and I wanted at least 5' radius curves. I know, I know, not much to ask for I hear you say.
After a cheerful discussion with Ian (iploffy) I finally re-discovered a sliver of my modeling mojo. So buoyed by its rediscovery I cleared the boards of all the accumulated carp
;D and finally settled on a plan. Using the northern approaches to the real life Bolton station for inspiration I'm aiming to re-create a similar station approach on my layout. Out goes the wagon repair shop and single platform station. In comes a three platform station (one platform will be for postal services) each big enough to handle a 2-car DMU. Also a truncated Up line which will be long enough to stable a loco and three stabling sidings with headshunt. Scenery will be minimal as anyone who has seen the northern approaches to Bolton station know that its all walled in, which makes the scenery side of things easier.Progress will be slow and piecemeal I'm afraid so I'll apologize for that now. Once I get the camera charged I'll take some photos of a full size mock up to show you what I have in mind. For now I have a PRMRP Cl47 and 4 wagons ready for use (3 wagons need painting yet). I also have 3 x Lima 33s which are going to be a long term thing as my next two targets are a JLTRT 37 and a shunter of some description, preferably a DJH beginners 03.
If you're still awake and with me after all that then well done and thanks for sticking it out
best regards,
Mark
ictures: . 
:lol: :lol: 
D1041 Western Prince, D832 Onslaught & Hymek D7076 would be regular visitors to help out those inferior diesel electrics :laugh: & that's not mentioning ELR visiting loco's D1062 Western Courier, D1023 Western Fusilier,D7017 & D7018 etc, I think once you have made these improvements you will have a very promising layout 
But I reckon my plan will be alright as it is. I reckon a double slip might be just 'too' much for the space I've got.
With me it's always a case of trying to do things in ogical steps which a lot of the time puts me further back as I keep changing my mind on which way to progress 
. Ross who posts on here has done about twenty or so of them (he did the ones on the PRMP website & show stand) so there's plenty of guidance here you need it 