Slattocks Junction

Model background
The current P4 Group within the MMRS began back in 1985 when some members decided to build a test track.  This grew into a fully sceniced layout, Bradwell, 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 for operators 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 set in the period 1955 – 1965.  This allows an interesting variety of stock from pre-grouping 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.

Progress to date
The layout was fully operational until June 2009 but the scenic trackwork is now being relaid. The electrics have been completed to the track and turnouts using DCC for the former and traditional methods for the latter.

The scenery is developing 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 Dewsbury Midland. 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 and members of the group are busy building this.

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.

December 2006. Dave Booth and Sid Stubbs (at the back) are having a technical conversation. Group Leader Andy Goodman is hoping that DCC controllers aren't as complex as everyone says. On the left, Exhibition Manager Andy Cooper wonders if the layout will be ready for our 2010 show.
This photo was taken in February 2007 and shows the scenic extension which fits on the front of the layout.
At the running session on 10th August 2007 the fields on the scenic extension have been plastered with a green mix and mock-ups of various buildings and structures have appeared.
Pretty well all of the available stock was running on 8th December 2007 - but most of it was in the fiddle yard in this photo by David Moore.
The next three photographs, taken by John Sherratt at the running session on 13th December 2008, show the Slattocks fiddle yard, the goods yard with pointwork now complete and a couple of John's wagons in the goods yard.
Unfortunately, early in 2009 a problem with the plastic sleepers failing to take paint was noticed. Reluctantly the decision was taken to pull up the track on the scenic side and relay it, at the same time taking the opportunity to improve the track plan. On Monday 22nd June the last rites were performed with the group out in force to chisel up the remaining sections of track.
By the end of the evening of 22nd June the new track plan, designed using Templot and printed out full-size, was being laid out ready for the next stage.
For the full story see the thread at rmweb.co.uk

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