NOV 20 Dent

DENT- The model

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Over the years there have been many modelling projects based upon Dent, with my earliest recollections being those of the talented David Jenkinson with his fabulous layout ‘Dentdale’. This layout, together with his book Rails over the Fells began a fascination for this Midland route from Settle to Carlisle.

For several decades, not entirely due to David Jenkinson and others, I have had the nagging urge to model the highest station on an English main line, Dent. I travelled over the Settle & Carlisle (S&C) quite regularly in the 1970s, following a move to Nottingham and transfer from St.Rollox Works to Derby Loco’ Works travelling between Nottingham and Glasgow using my BR ‘free pass’ or ‘privilege card’, which is where I feel this nagging urge originated. However, my modelling subjects up until now have always been ‘complicated’ freelance affairs with busy stations, depots and yards, therefore this project is a complete departure from my usual modelling style. How my urge became a reality was entirely due to mother nature flooding my railway den (glorified wooden shed), which resulted in a total rebuild this time in blockwork! In turn, it was a good excuse to build a layout from scratch and I needed no more deliberation - it was going to be Dent – at last!

I already knew quite a lot of the history surrounding the S&C, but the research of Dent station has enlightened me to much more. If you are considering modelling an actual location, I would advise you to spend some time digging out whatever information you can before starting.

The model itself was a new departure from anything I had ever done before and my initial criteria was that there was to be no ducking under, nor a lift-up flap, as I wanted the room to be divided into the layout on one side with a modelling bench and its associated clutter the other side. This posed the problem of how to manage a full-length scenic layout of 26ft x 3ft combined with a similar-sized fiddle yard – in a space 26ft x10ft.

I gave the problem some thought and at the time decided to position the fiddle yard beneath the scenic sections and connect them by way of a helix or spiral at each end. Sadly, this solution failed through poor uphill performance of several steam loco types as they were attempting to haul prototype heavy trains and downhill also proved problematic with mainly coupling over-run especially with Dapol stock, which I find a real bind when trying to shunt due to the variable height and common ‘droop’ found on wagons and coaches alike, the problems can be viewed on my ‘Dent Station’ thread on RMWeb.

Construction

Construction on the layout began in earnest in 2013 once I had rebuilt the new den, the scenic section baseboards are made from strips of 9mm Birch ply at 80mm deep with weight-reducing apertures that also act as wiring routes. The trackbed is suspended approximately 150mm above the boards on uprights to allow for variable topography, which is a major feature of the area. The fiddle yard boards are standard softwood framing with 9mm ply tops and braced to avoid point motors at the ‘fan’ entrance/exit ends. Other criteria was to avoid the use of legs for support where possible and, to this end, both the fiddle yard and scenic section are supported on cantilevered aluminium angle mounted from the wall, thus offering a clear space below for storage barring the bracing that is not intrusive.

Trackwork is all Code 75 ‘OO’ gauge but in four distinct versions. Main scenic section is all hand-built C&L Finescale point and single slip kits together with SMP ‘J’ type track for the running lines. Fiddleyard ‘fan’ entrance/exit routes are all hand-built copperclad sleepers with Marklin Code 75 bullhead rail. The Fiddleyard central section is Peco Code 75 except for the crossover, which is a Shinohara scissors crossing used to transfer stock from ‘Up’ to ‘Down’ lines.

The fiddleyard was unfortunately reduced in length following the demise of the spirals, so the whole scenic section was drawn forward and two full-length loops were installed behind it to hold long trains and four of these usually occupy these loops, two in either direction. Trackwork is Peco Code 75 including access points from the main ‘Up’ line, the scissors crossing is used to gain access to the ‘Down’ line.

All trackwork is laid on 1/8” cork throughout, then wired up and tested thoroughly prior to any scenic work. The scenic section was then ballasted using Geoscenics fine stone ballast, stained in a mix of cold tea and coffee then dried before application, certain sections have been treated differently for some prototypical variation. Following several weeks of trial running sessions work started on forming the landscape and infrastructure.

The first item made was the iconic ‘Coal Road’ bridge, this was made from 12mm ply and 3mm MDF clad in Wills brick Plasticard, painted and weathered before fitting over the trackbed. All structural dimensions were taken from the excellent Stations and Structures of the Settle-Carlisle Railway book by Anderson & Fox, a must-have for S&C devotees and recently republished again in softback.

The landscape, being a rather large area, was formed using ‘Kingspan’ insulation board glued to the baseboard framework and carved to shape with a large kitchen knife, then covered with ‘Mod-Roc’ to form the typical Fells around Dent.

The tunnel mouths are scratch-built and based on actual S&C structures, however modelling licence has moved them closer to the station to form a scenic break. The north portal is based on Rise Hill tunnel and the south portal is based on the north end of Blea Moor tunnel, which I have entitled ‘Widdale Tunnel’ after the Fell above Dentdale. Another use of modellers licence is the three-arch viaduct situated just ahead of Widdale tunnel, which nestles among a rocky outcrop formed from rocks cast from various Woodland Scenics moulds then spray painted with white undercoat and weathered.

Platforms are 3mm ply with a homemade blend of grit. Platform edging stones are made from 0.040” Plastikard. The retaining wall is Wills Dressed Stone capped again with Plastikard.

The station approach road and car park is similarly constructed with a difference in grit style for the car park and plaster covering for the main roadways. The stone walling is cast from proprietary items and painted to suit the location and station fencing is Ratio Midland Railway diagonal type.

 

Buildings

Both station buildings are scratch-built using Perspex for the main shell, which was then fitted with Wills quoins on all corners followed by commissioned laser cut window and door items from ‘York Modelmaking’, which were pre-painted before fitting then any depth issues made up with plastikard before cladding the walls with Slaters 2mm Dressed Stone. The roof is again Perspex covered in York Modelmaking slates, the building is painted in Humbrol No.84 stone and weathered with Modelmaster washes. All buildings are made featuring a plinth, which locates into the baseboard/platform to avoid the unsightly gap when a building is simply placed on a surface.

The signal box is the only item formed from a kit, it is a standard 20ft Midland box, which York Modelmaking supplied with doors and windows repositioned as per the prototype on my behalf. The ‘Bothy’ is of similar construction to the station and was clad in Wills Dressed Stone again painted in Humbrol No.84 then overpainted in white to simulate the lime wash finish of the prototype. The station master’s house is similarly constructed with two sides featuring Wills Dressed Stone and the other two finished in a rendered look, this was done on the prototype to guard against the winter conditions prevalent in the fells.

Electrics

Standard 12v analogue is my chosen system but not my favourite topic, I have always done the same system of wiring on all my layouts. It looks complicated and over-engineered and probably is the latter, but I find it easy to source any faults relatively quickly by isolating various sections to locate the problem. All boards are wired independently, as are the ‘Up’ and ‘Down’ lines, these sections are then taken to the control panel, also I do not use the ‘common return’ principle, all rails are individually connected via positive and negative feeds back to the panel via 25 way ‘D-Sub’ connectors, there are no metal fishplates to carry power through rail joints (except on the hidden loops) however traditional 60ft sections feature C&L surface fitted fishplates.

Point operation had to be motor driven as opposed to solenoid and I chose Cobalt motors from DCC Concepts, I found these very easy to install but I will say the variations in performance from day one remains a concern.

Signals are scratch-built in brass with components from Model Signal Engineering providing the finer items. Operation is provided through a Mega-Points module and servo units, this did tax the old grey matter at first but, once I got the basics, it was not too bad. There are occasional problems with the operation and I find reprogramming the module usually suffices.

All buildings are fitted with lights with a choice of lighting various different sections or rooms for some nocturnal variation is a subtle feature, I have begun to detail the interior of the station building but, to be honest, for what can be seen through the tiny windows, it does seem pointless. The platforms also have scratch-built working lamps, which operate on a lower voltage than the bulb requires resulting in a nice dull yellow glow.

 

Operation – Previously

There were two spirals with seven levels leading down from the scenic section to the fiddleyard placed directly beneath the layout, there a fan of tracks at each end opened out to thirteen roads where up to 20 trains were set up and rotated as required.

Operation – Present

Since compiling this article, due to continued problems of haulage capacity on climbing the spiral and especially the overrun of couplings that tended to foul on the descent, I decided to abandon this idea and the whole concept of the layout was designed around. This change called for a compromise to the initial desire to keep one side of the den free and following a trial with an end-to-end solution that proved unpopular, the circuit is now full circle. One positive change to come from the recent upheavals is an extension to the scenic approach at the ‘north’ end giving a further 1.5m of visible trackwork and associated topography.

Rolling Stock

I spend a lot of time working on the stock usually as soon as I get it. Nothing runs on the layout unless it has undergone what I refer to as a ‘basic weathering’. This is done with an airbrush using a favourite blend to keep a consistent look throughout the range of rolling stock, of course, in time, most items then receive further attention using various mediums to produce individual finishes. Many items have been revisited and enhanced over time and many still require further attention.

Having a large selection of rolling stock that spans many years of collecting, some items such as my collection of ex:LIMA parcels vans posed problems running on code 75 track and featured giant wheel flanges and coupling hooks. To correct these issues, I replaced the bogies with Bachmann units as you can’t simply replace the wheels in the LIMA bogies as the axle is shorter, the couplings, when fitted to the body, are removed and I designed my own simple etched bar to represent a screw coupling, which is simply fitted to one end and a Plastikard peg fits the other, obviously shunting is not possible with this design but there is little call for shunting on 'Dent'.

Another prized project of mine was the S&C’s signature freight train; the Long Meg – Widnes anhydrite working, sadly none of the major manufacturers have yet introduced the specialist hopper wagons used for this flow. Having seen Ian MacDonald’s brass versions (Kirkby Stephen West) which, I believe run on Judith Edge chassis units, I thought this was just a bit beyond my capabilities, so I opted for an easier solution and used the Dapol unfinished 21t hoppers as the donor wagons. Following a fair bit of butchering and scratch-building, I have produced a full rake of 20 of these iconic vehicles and another 20 for the return empties may be tackled – one day. 

I do love my freight stock, and I love a wide variation of wagons and, of course, ‘paying’ loads for them to carry. I scratch-build many loads utilising wood, plastic, castings, kits and anything that looks as though it will do the job. I regularly pause a DVD if I see an unusual freight and study the items on the wagon if the photographer has lingered long enough on the ‘mundane’, sadly, back in the steam era, cine-film was expensive and most users caught the loco passing the camera then stopped to keep the remaining film for the next opportunity, understandable, but it means we as modellers missed out on so much rich information.

I also enjoy the construction of various goods wagon kits, especially if they are of non-commercially available types, annoyingly I build an unusual wagon only to find one of the ‘big boys’ introduces the very same soon after, anhydrites anyone?

Recently, a short rake of BR Coil wagons has been constructed using the Dapol unfinished 7 Plank open as the base with a combination of styrene and brass section forming the coil restraint fittings, the steel coil loads are from DUHA’s fabulous range of wagon loads, which is proving difficult to source since P&H Models closed. BR’s Civil Engineering fleet is another extremely interesting area and I am currently building up a varied selection mainly from the Cambrian Kits range including ‘Salmon’ and ‘Sturgeon A’ types. Add to this my current program of updating some older stock with 3 link couplings, this helps reduce the number of wagons with those massive tension lock bars whilst adding to the interest when shunting.

I have recently purchased Geoff Kent’s 3 volumes entitled The 4mm Wagon, which I’m sure will lead to several more unusual and specialist wagons and their paying loads to appear in the future, I do thoroughly enjoy this aspect of the hobby, even though at times it gets frustrating and fiddly. I often find myself intending to operate the layout only to find I’m sitting at the modelling desk cutting up materials or such like.

Passenger rolling stock has only seen a bare minimum of attention with my statutory weathering, plus several coaches now carry nameboards for the two named expresses, which ply back and forth i.e. ‘The Tames-Clyde Express’ and ‘The Waverley’. Other boards can be added as desired for diversions brought about by temporary closure of the WCML such as ‘The Royal Scot, ‘The Caledonian’ ‘The Mid-Day Scot', etc. Several coaches and most DMU’s now contain seated figures, however this will be a low priority at present. Parcels coaches are many and varied and cover all regions and most liveries seen during the timespan modelled, which includes a modicum of Blue & Grey.

Car transportation was a regular scene with both Motorail and car manufacturers, new models being moved both north and south, for these flows I have a Cartic style set, which is a combination of LIMA and JOUEFF, plus a rake of OXFORD Car-Flats and INVICTA CCT vans, all of which have been noted on S&C metals.

Locomotives

I am fortunate to have amassed a large collection of suitable Steam and Diesel outline locomotives, many of which saw service over the S&C and some that certainly did not and are there simply because I like them such as the ex:LNER ‘Tango’ 2-8-0. I love big freight locomotives! There is a wide selection of Fowler, Stanier, Fairburn and Ivatt ex: LMS designs, complemented by most of the Riddles BR Standard types seen on the line, especially I have 4 BR Standard 9F’s, all Bachmann, of which three have been renumbered to locomotives seen on the anhydrite workings, a little indulgence on my part.

Several other loco’s have also received more appropriate numbers based on allocations in the Leeds and Carlisle areas in the main and occasionally repaints as required. One special loco to me is 45629 ‘Straits Settlements’ a Bachmann Jubilee converted from 45562 ‘Alberta’ as the prototype was the very first locomotive I ever took down the number of at Corkerhill MPD (67A).  All steam locomotives have a crew fitted, real coal and sport correct pattern lamps as required. The ex:LNER is represented officially by the A3’s several of which were transferred to Leeds Holbeck (55A) in the early 1960’s and worked through to Glasgow. Other sightings noted allow A1, A2 and A4 classes on occasions and my other Gresley, Thompson & Peppercorn designs run when I feel like.

The diesel fleet comprises the stalwart ‘Peak’ classes, plus in the main classes 20, 24, 25, 26, 28, 37, 40, 47 etc. and liveries span early BR Green through to BR Corporate Blue. Sadly, I sold several favourites that had problems negotiating the spirals such as the Deltic & DP2 but now the spirals are gone maybe...

Unfortunately, I have seen no evidence of electric loco’s over the S&C in my timespan, which is not surprising, however, the ‘Glasgow Blue Train’ (Class 303) did traverse the line albeit in tow to the manufacturers when being delivered and returned for maintenance, but naturally, no one makes these RTR – do they! The North-South divide is alive and well even in model terms.

Conclusion

The layout in the main is complete, although there is always scope for change even if it’s simply changing a few cameo scenes around for variation. Operating the layout as I have already muted is secondary and I will continue to expand on my fleet of specialist and odd wagons with suitable loads and further detailing, with 3 link couplings as a must, especially for those older vehicles with ugly massive coupling bars such as the rake of Bogie Bolsters, which now look so much better without the 12mm gap between the buffers. A current project is the conversion of a few coaches into Breakdown Train support vehicles, following a surprise Christmas gift from my wife and close friends of the excellent Bachmann 45t Breakdown Crane in Engineers Gulf Red livery.

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