Slattocks Junction
Model Background
The current P4 Group within the Manchester Model Railway Society began life back in 1985 when a group of members decided to build a test track. The test track grew into a fully sceniced layout, Bradwell. This was fictionally based in the West Riding and was exhibited at over twenty exhibitions between 1989 and the late 1990s.
Through exhibiting Bradwell and looking at the other P4 layouts on the exhibition circuit the group came to the conclusion that a roundy round layout would be more appealing to operate and for the viewing public. It would also prove that P4 could go beyond the branch terminus and use large outside cylinder steam engines successfully at decent speeds rather than crawling. The result is Slattocks Junction.
As well as moving away from the branch terminus, the design of the layout also dropped the station as it was felt that it would take up a lot of space and add little to the operation potential. The station building does in fact exist on the overbridge at the left hand side of the layout. On the opposite side of the layout is Slattocks Junction itself representing what is in reality the southern junction at Castleton. In the middle is a small goods yard that also serves an industrial branch that winds off to the right hand side of the layout.
Location
Slattocks does exist and does have a railway; however, our model is not a copy of what is actually there but an amalgam of features from the area. Slattocks is north of Manchester between Castleton and Middleton. It is on the ex-L&Y Calder Valley line (Manchester Victoria – Rochdale – Summit Tunnel – Leeds) and also the Rochdale canal which will feature on the layout. The layout will predominantly take features from the Castleton area including the junction, though in our case the junction is out in the ‘country’ away from the yard, although in reality Castleton South Junction was virtually in the ‘country’. The canal dissects the front of the layout and this will form the boundary between the country end and the town end. This also happened in prototype. If you travel on the M62 towards Rochdale (Jct 20) you will travel over the former alignment of the Heywood Branch of the Rochdale Canal just before the point where the motorway passes underneath the railway. To your left is Castleton, and to your right is Slattocks. The canal at this point effectively provided the boundary between the rural and urban landscape. View Map
Time period
The layout is to be set in the period 1955 – 1965. This allows an interesting variety of stock from the pre-grouping period through to green diesels. It should be born in mind that to create a realistic scene we need to concentrate on the mundane rather than the esoteric or flashy, i.e. a Duchess is completely out of place but we need Black 5s by the bucket load.
Progress to date
The layout is fully operational and is regularly used by members to test and run their stock. It frequently sees locos that are highly unlikely to have been see anywhere near the north of Manchester, anything from Great Western autotanks to an American Galloping Goose. The electrics have been completed to the track and turnouts using DCC for the former and traditional methods for the latter.
The scenery is rapidly developing on the layout with most of the basic landscape nearly complete. As well as building the trackwork to the standards of the Scalefour Society the scenery will be developed to similar standards and will hopefully match the standards already set by Chee Tor and Dewsbury Midland.
Current Work
Work is currently being undertaken on a number of different fronts. Priority at the moment is to complete the trackwork to a fully detailed state by the end of 2008. This will include point rodding, facing point locks and cosmetically accurate representations of the tie bar mechanisms. A new trailing crossover is being inserted in front of the crossing as it has been pointed out that no L&Y double junction was without one. This is quite a delicate operation as the curve changes radius constantly through this section.
Three new turnouts in the goods yard are awaiting final connection of the point motors and long term remedial work is being undertaken to get the ballast to look correct, a tedious job, but vital if the trackwork is to look right.
On the scenic side work is underway to complete the basic landscape and this will be followed by the production of the backscene structure. A number of buildings are under construction including the first of two signal boxes.
Thoughts have turned to the provision of the layout's lighting which will be tricky due to the depth of the baseboards and the fact that we want a completely clear view at the front of the layout. The lighting needs to be in place before the final colouring begins on the track and scenery.
With such a large layout we will need plenty of stock suitable for the area and period (no autotanks and geese!) and as such members of the group are busy building stock (aren't you? nod heads in unison)
Get involved
Slattocks is a large project and if you interested in P4, scenery or making buildings we will be more than happy to welcome you into the team. The group normally meets on a Monday night and you are very welcome to come along and see what we are up to. The group leader is Andy Goodman.
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