Peckforton Light Railway - a guided tour

I've realised that it's a while since I provided readers with a guided tour of the railway and, given the number of posts on the blog, it's probably about time I provided a new overview. I will continue to update this post to reflect new developments as and when they occur.

The setting for the railway

 The hypothetical setting for the railway is beside the Peckforton Hills in Cheshire. Over the years, copper has been extracted from mines along these hills, though never in sufficient quantities to make it financially viable. In my imagined history of the area, a rich seam of copper was struck which spawned the need for a light railway. (see also Copper Mining at Bickerton and A brief history of the railway and its locality).

Tipper wagons being loaded from the minimum gauge railway at the copper mine

The route for the railway

 The railway supposedly runs from the (now closed) station at Beeston & Tarporley on the Chester to Crewe Railway, past Beeston Castle, through the villages of Beeston, Peckforton and Bulkeley to the village of Bickerton. A branch between Peckforton and Bickerton leads to the copper mines at the foot of the Peckforton Hills. (see The hypothetical line and A trip along the railway).

Aerial view of the supposed route of the railway as it runs below Beeston Castle

Traffic on the railway

The period in which the railway has been modelled is 1932 - a difficult time for minor railways in the UK. In my imagined history of the railway, it has continued to survive whilst others perished because there was a continuing need for its services. In addition to daily trains of copper ore and spoil, there was a demand for the transportation of agricultural commodities such as feed, machinery, and livestock to the thriving cattle market at Beeston.

0-6-2T Manning Wardle Loco No.4 Bulkeley departs Beeston market with the Down pick-up goods

 In addition there was the export of fruit, cheese and milk. There was also a need to transport domestic supplies such as coal, fuel oil, groceries and building materials. The local estate also had a thriving trade in the production of pit props for the mining industry and sand and high quality red sandstone from local quarries.

Loaded copper ore train about to depart the mine sidings

 Owing to its proximity to Liverpool, Manchester and Chester, the railway also benefited from tourist excursions to Beeston Castle and the Peckforton Hills where visitors could sample and bathe in the spa waters. And, of course, there was a very supportive local community whose affection for their railway provided a steady income during the winter months. See  A Typical Operating Session

Hunslet 0-4-0ST loco No. 3, Bickerton on the Down afternoon mixed leaving Peckforton station

Rolling stock

The rolling stock on the railway has a variety of origins. Much of the goods stock is freelance, though based loosely on prototypes from the Southwold Railway and the Welshpool and Llanfair Railways. It is assumed that as other railways closed or sold off surplus stock, this railway would have acquired additional stock at bargain prices. (See Railway Stock List)

The locomotives are originally freelance designs and built from kits. These were originally based loosely on various prototypes (ie Andrew Barclay, Hunslet, Peckett and Fowler), but more recently, I have been constructing my own semi-scratchbuilt models based on Southwold Railway originals - namely a 2-4-2T Sharp Stewart and an 0-6-2T Manning Wardle.

The expanding fleet of radio controlled battery powered locomotives

 I have also constructed a couple of battery powered freelance diesel outline locos from kits (see Building an IP Engineering Jessie and Building an IP Engineering Lollypop Railcar) and a semi-scratchbuilt railbus inspired by the Ford Railmotor.

The former Southwold Railway 2-4-2T emerging from the railway's paintshop.

In the past year or so I have migrated from DCC track power to radio controlled battery power (see Getting Started in battery power and an Evaluation of the Deltang Radio Control System)

Operation

Although there are times when will take a train out and simply run it around the main circuit just to see something running, I try to ensure that I run a full, timetabled operating session a few times during the running season (which is usually from late Spring to Early Autumn). (see A Typical Operating Session).

The railbus trundles past the River Gowy on the last Down passenger service of the day

 One of the things I really enjoy is simulating fairly realistic freight operations on the railway. As my model depicts a complete light railway system from terminus to terminus with intermediate stations, I have devised a computer program which generates freight movements for a day's operation (an Up and Down pick-up goods service plus a mixed train in the afternoon). (see Freight Operations on the Railway).

The Up pick-up goods arriving at Peckforton, crossing the Down afternoon passenger train

In addition loaded and empty copper ore trains run throughout the day between the timetabled passenger services. From time to time I also include special Market Day Specials and Bank Holiday Excursion Trains to transport excited tourists up the line to the various attractions. In this way, my train operations are kept realistic but with some variation to maintain interest.

0-4-0T Peckett locomotive No.1 Peckforton on a Market Day Sepcial

 Recently, the railway has had signalling installed to control basic train operations up and down the line. Whilst most Narrow Gauge Light Railways did not employ signalling, I felt that the density and complexity of traffic on my railway would require the installation of semaphore signals to help ensure passenger safety (see How I constructed a set of signals). At present these are manually operated but I am exploring how these might become remotely controlled.

2-4-0T Loco No 2 Beeston awaits the all clear on the approach to Bulkeley station

Future developments

A garden railway is seldom 'finished'. There is always an ongoing catalogue of jobs with varying degrees of urgency on the To-do list. For me, the priorities at this moment are to:

• Complete the detailing of the viaduct leading out of Peckforton station (see Progress Report 50)
• Construct another steam outline battery powered loco (probably based on one of the Manning Wardle 0-6-0T locos which ran on the Davington Light Railway - http://www.faversham.org/history/More_History/davington_railway.aspx ) - UPDATE - now completed see How I constructed a Manning Wardle 0-6-0ST)
• Find some way of remotely controlling the signals - UPDATE - Now in progress see Progress Report 53)
• Add another lineside industry (a mill near Peckforton and a sandstone and sand quarry) - UPDATE - siding now added for the mill, see Progress Report 52
• Re-ballast the track - UPDATE - Now completed, see Progress Report 54
• Produce some slot-in dioramas, particularly around the stations

2011 Photocall

The following pictures give a flavour of the sorts of trains I run on the railway.

Barclay 2-4-0 , No. 2 - Beeston hauling the first passenger train of the day, about to depart Beeston Market station.

The down mod-morning passenger passing the copper mine sidings on its way from Beeston Market to Beeston Castle.

The same train between Peckforton and Bulkeley while Fowler diesel mechanical No. 7 Tollemache hauls a train of full tippler wagons towards Beeston Market station (they are about to traverse the same stretch of line which is used twice to complete the journey - see animated plan of the line)

At the same location, the afternoon up pickup goods, hauled by Pecket No. 1 Peckforton, travels the line between Bickerton and Bulkeley while the down passenger approaches Beeston Castle.

The down passenger about to depart Bulkeley station.

 The up passenger between Beeston Castle and Beeston Market

 The mid afternoon down passenger pauses at Peckforton station, passing the pickup goods returning to Beeston Market.

 

 The evening down passenger passes the last ore train of the day at Beeston Market. The workman's coach is transporting the mine workers back to their homes after a day's work.

In the early morning light, No 7 Tollemache diesel mechanical hauls a train of empties towards the copper mine between Peckforton and Bulkeley.

 The mid afternoon up passenger about to depart Bickerton, to be followed by the up pickup goods.

The garden

To complement the previous posting, here are a few shots of the garden as a whole. You may want to compare these with the photos taken last year (see Progress Report 23 - Then and Now) which shows how the garden has progressed since the beginnings of the railway.

I've tried to achieve a natural look in the garden, choosing plants which are appropriate for the railway with small leaves and an appropriate shape - heathers, dwarf conifers, hebes, a few alpines and a mix of Mind you own Business and Corisican mint for ground-cover. The back garden faces North and for much of the year is in the shade of the house. Also, the subsoil is clay and as I had to dig down in places to subsoil layer to landscape the garden, some plants struggle to survive. I tend to buy (or am given) plants and grow them on the Darwinian principle - the fittest (ie best fitted for the environment) survive. I am not a confident gardener and maybe some of the plants and shrubs now need to be removed and replaced as they are beginning to dominate. However, in the summer when the sun shines it is quite a pleasant and tranquil retreat. A friend commented that he felt it was a garden with a railway rather than the alternative, which I took to be a compliment.

In this photo, Beeston Market Station is to the left, looking along the laurel hedge (which was trimmed to accommodate the extension). The hedge was established over 25 years ago when a belt of large trees overhung the garden and very little else would grow there. One day I might consider replacing it with something more in keeping with the railway such as box or lonicera, which can be trimmed to represent the landscape. When the line is in operation the lurid green plastic tarp is removed (this corner gets very little sun and so the track tends to accumulate a slimy gunge of rotting leaves if left uncovered), and the swing bridge is swung out across the sheds in the background.

Looking back the opposite way, with Beeston Market Station in the distance and the Copper Mine in the middle distance. The new veg raised beds are on the left as is the greenhouse which can just be seen behind the runner bean plants.

From the same position, turning to the left, looking across the back garden, Peckforton Station is in the middle distance, Bulkeley Station is on the left, behind the clump of silver foliage (Alyssum?). This is heavily pruned each autumn but as you can see it bounces back with enthusiasm.

A closer view of the patio around which the railway runs, with Peckforton Station to the right. The silver foliage here is lavender. I experimented with different types of lavender, hoping that one of the dwarf varieties would take a hold - unfortunately the only one which took is a vigorous woody stemmed vareity which buries the station in the summer. Again, this is pruned back in the winter.Between the two conifers is a dwarf rhodedendron. I now have a couple of these around the garden and am impressed. They are very slow growing and have delicate bell shaped flowers. The leaves and structure of the plants are highly appropriate for garden railways.The conservatory doubles as a workshop which I find extermely handy during operating sessions. Inevitably I have to carry out a few running repairs, tweaking couplings, realigning wheels, etc..

Swinging round to the left, a view of the end of the garden. Beeston Castle Station is just behind the conifer in to the right of the clothes airer. The elaborate looking bird feeding station was necessary to foil the local squirrels which used to demolish any feeders which I put up in the trees. The domed 'squirrel baffle' certainly lives up to its name. The feeders are constantly visited by the local birdlife to the extent the feeders need replenishing every two to three days. Among the regular vistors are goldfinches, tree creepers and from time to time a lesser spotted woodpecker. The bed on the left is problematical. During the summer it is in full sun and the roots from the hedge behind draw the moisture from the soil very quickly. I have tried various apline plants assuming they would thrive in this environment but the only ones which have survived have been campanula and a type of house leek (sempervivum). I've coaxed a couple of heathers but they are somewhat gangly specimens. I may try digging this the whole bed out and laying down some manure to see if that improves water retention.

A closer look inside the workshop which occasionally doubles as a conservatory - and this is after I have tidied it up! All I can say is my wife is very tolerant. Although it tends to get overly hot in the summer and cold in the winter, I can open the doors or put on a heater and quite happily whittle away and make a mess without upsetting the whole house. The workbench was a dressing table chucked out by my daughter and the spray booth (on the left) is a cardboard box with the top and one side removed. It's positioned by the door so the fumes can escape. When I've finished spraying, it folds up and tucks in behind the bench. I'd love to have a purpose made workshop, but there isn't really anywhere it can go.

A trip along the line

It's a while since I provided you with a tour of the line showing how all the bits fit together. In this virtual tour we shall follow the Down Afternoon Mixed Train as it traverses the line from Beeston Market to Bickerton.

 This plan hopefully shows how everything fits together and how it has evolved over the past five years from the original looped figure of eight (see the first blog posting) to today's representation of the hypothetical railway (see A tour of the hypothetical line).

The Down Afternoon mixed is waiting on the main platform at Beeston Market (see A typical running session). On the right are the goods sidings and in the foreground the sidings which will serve the engine shed. On the extreme left is the siding which leads to the interchange siding with the Chester to Crewe mainline railway.

This photo taken from the other end of the station shows more clearly how the sidings and platform are arranged. As you can see, there is still much work to be done ballasting the track (see Adding more sidings to Beeston Market), adding more detail, constructing the engine shed and adding buffer-stops to the sidings.

The train has departed and is approaching the copper mine. The hidden link from Beeston Market to the Copper Mine is seen on the right. This allows the train of full tippler wagons to be exchanged for empties, giving the impression that the tipplers have discharged their loads (see A typical running session).

Moving on a little further, the train of full ore wagons has just arrived at the copper mine. The diesel will leave these and pick up the train of empties. In 'reality', the copper mine is not situated here (just outside Beeston Market). It has been placed here for convenience. Still much work to be done here. The mine buildings (to be modelled in relief - ie just frontages) will be constructed and placed on the right and loading hoppers will be placed over the hidden link track.

A little futher on and the train negotiates a couple of rather severe reverse curves (LGB R1). Eventually I would like to replace these and all the R1 points with alternatives. But this will have to be postponed until funds and time permits. On the lawn is one of the stock boxes used to transfer and store the rolling stock between running sessions (see How I made some stock boxes).

The line then curves towards the fence, past the compost bin lurking behind the fig tree on the left.

 The track then runs parallel to the fence behind a line of leylandii. I have thinned these out a little to allow better access and to give the impression that the trains are passing through woodland.

 On emerging from behind the hedge, the train crosses the junction which leads towards Bulkeley Station. Again, this is another exercise of "modellers' licence" as this junction would not exist in 'reality'.

The line then disappears behind the sheds. The blue plastic on the right covers a stack of timber - I tend to accumulate off-cuts - just in case!

 

 An acute right turn, where the line shifts from being mounted on timber to breeze-block foundations. To this point the line has been level, but the ground rises towards the back of the garden. (see Extending the line and  How I laid the track).

 Then parallel to the fence behind the sheds. Once more, those two window frames have been stored there for at least ten years - you never know!!

 The train passes over the copper mine branch link (more modellers' licence) (see Progress Report 24) ........

 ......before emerging from behind the sheds, passing under a conveniently placed road bridge (see How I cast road bridges in concrete).

 The train crosses the reverse loop link (modellers' licence again).......................

 The train then runs beneath the hedge at the back of the garden rising up a slight gradient.......

 ....passing behind some heather and a conifer................

 .........to emerge into Beeston Castle Station (see How I assembled the station buildings).

 The cast concrete platform (see How I cast curved platforms in concrete) needs to be adjusted slightly here as some of the stock catches on it. Beeston Castle is on the hill on the right (see Progress Report 15). At present, it is a rather ruined representation - eventually a more realistic segment of the castle will be modelled. The rather unscale drunken lampost is a temporary measure. This will be replaced with something more in keeping when the station becomes more detailed.

On leaving Beeston Castle Station, the line crosses over itself (see How I skewed an LGB truss bridge) ............

  

......taking a sweeping right turn..................

 ...........before passing the stream (supposedly the River Gowy).

 The line then crosses the stream which becomes more of a river as another feed from the pump joins it (see How I made the stream).

 After crossing the river, the line takes another right turn......

...... and then a sweeping left turn.

 Before reaching Peckforton Station. From Beeston to Peckforton, the line descends on a 1 in 40 gradient (see How I laid the track).

Peckforton Station is actually on a gradient. It would have been better for the station to have been constructed on the level, but this would have steepened the gradient to Beeston Castle (see Progress Report 17).

  

 The train waits at the station platform.....

 ..... while the loco shunts whichever wagons have been identified for movement by the computerised freight management program which I have devised (see Progress Report 16).

 The train then departs Peckforton across the viaduct which can be swung aside to allow access to the patio (see Bridging the gaps and Laying the patio). This viaduct was very much an experiment. Constructed from plywood it was plastered with exterior Polyfilla and some left-over tile adhesive when I revamped the bathroom. It has not been entirely successful as some of the cladding has fallen off and some remains. Another job on the todo list.

 The line then runs alongside the river again........

 .... as it threads its way .......

....... along the sandstone clad wall of a raised bed (see How I made the raised beds)

.... back towards the flyover bridge ...............

 

 ....... passing on the way, the junction to Bickerton Station (again modellers' licence).........

 ...... before emerging to start the climb (1 in 40)..........

 ..... beneath Beeston Castle Station ................

 ..... winding around the foliage .................

 ...... past the 'cat controller' .....................

 ............. before taking the reverse loop link ............

to pass (in the opposite direction) once more beneath the road bridge and disappearing behind the sheds.

 

The train emerges from behind the sheds to take line leading towards Bulkeley Station....................

 ...........across the swing bridge. In 'reality' there is no need for a swing bridge on the Peckforton Railway but I had to find a way of taking the railway across the front of the sheds, leaving sufficient access for the trailer tent. The swing bridge is constructed from uPVC trim and based on the original swing bridge on the Southwold Railway before it was replaced (see How I constructed the swing bridge).

 Immediately following the swing bridge, the train reaches Bulkeley Station. Once more, there is a need for some detailing here. The station building, just behind the loco, was converted from a children's toy bought on eBay for £5.50 (see How I converted a toy into a station building).

 After a brief stop, the train continues past the siding and loading bay (see How I cast loading docks in concrete) ................

 .......... and passes the branch line to the Copper Mine. If you look at the plan you can see how this branch enables the ore trains to and from the copper mine to appear to join the main railway at the appropriate point (ie between Bulkeley and Bickerton) albeit on the wrong side.

 The line then continues past the cottage on the hill (see Progress Report 27) between the two road bridges before encountering the link for the reverse loop once more.................

 ......... and descending back towards Bickerton.

 Passing under the flyover bridge, the train takes the junction................

 ........ to roll into Bickerton Station.

Bickerton Station is built on two paving slabs which have been mounted on brick piers providing a store underneath for fuel for the multifuel stove. The line actually continues, through a hole in the wall on into the lean to (see Progress Report 2). The sidings in the lean to are used to store any trains which are 'in transit' at the end of a running session. They can be quickly rolled out to resume play at the start of the next running session. During the winter, however, the stock is stored in the storage boxes in the leanto (with the locos stored in the house).

As you can see, there is still much to do on the railway. A lot more detailing is needed on the stations and some of the foliage is beginning to outgrow its original purpose. However, the line is functional and I can run services much as I assume they would have been run if the line had existed.