Basford North
Tony Geary
The Great Central London extension is difficult to do convincingly in 7mm, so I’ve always had an interest in the GN Derby line that connects to it in Nottingham. Building a layout based on this line means I can run my favourite classes of loco from Annesley and Colwick depots – mostly freight types. My chosen era is around 1960 and originally, I thought of doing West Hallam, with a connecting line to Stanley Colliery. But I then elected to do Basford North as the junctions would add operational interest.
My idea was to show the everyday mundane railway running day in day out. I’ve had to make compromises to fit the space, so the track plan is simplified and the up connection to Bagthorpe junction is imagined off scene. I hope I capture the essence of the actual location.
The plan evolved on paper, using OS maps as a basis. These plans were then imported into Templot to create a layout plan. Jim Guthrie finalised the plan for me by adding transition curves. I’d already made most of the baseboards, so this led to some interesting situations with the turnouts. Tim Ingman kindly printed out the Templot plan on a roll of paper for me. The storage yard was designed for flexibility of operation rather than long trains.
The baseboards were finished and track laid during lockdown. The baseboards were made from quality birch ply. The track was made from C&L and Exactoscale components and the late DLOS milled the point blades for me. I wired the layout for DCC using the NCE system.
Some route selection was installed in the storage yard using a route setting system designed by the late John Bailey.
After I created some of the initial ground works, Geoff Taylor got involved with the scenic work. I’m fortunate in that he lives in the next village! Alisdair Macdonald created the backscene based on the local area using photographs and the local OS maps. I wanted to have a low horizon for this urban environment. I think it works very well.
I commissioned Peter Leyland to make the excellent buildings. They are all modelled on the actual ones that existed – the only ones remaining are the council houses and I’ve moved the semi I already had to Vernon Road as the actual house in this position wouldn’t fit.
The bridge work is a mixture of laser cut MDF by Geoff Taylor and scratch built in plasticard and brass by myself. All are copies of the bridges at Basford North. Mick Davies designed the etches to create the Great Central over bridge.
It took me 5 years to find a working timetable for the line I obtained a 1952 one– I’d had a look out on eBay. There are 173 train movements in the day – it was a busy location, although by 1960 some traffic would have fallen away. An extract of the timetable was created in Excel – this was imported into Microsoft Access and forms are used create the screens for the operators to run the railway. This was a design from John Elliott. We generally run it with 6 people. 2 drivers, signal man, shunter, yard controller and line controller. Groups come for regular sessions – once a month or so.
There are nowhere near enough trains to run the entire sequence, so many run as different services. This was initially devised by using an enlarged layout plan with 4mm scale sleepers used to represent the individual trains.
Train movements in the video:
1. The station pilot J50 68927 shunts coal wagons to allow the WD 90437 that arrived earlier to depart with wagons from the engineers siding.
2. 90437 heads west towards Derby over the Vernon Road bridge.
3. O4/8 63639 with empty iron ore tipplers for Colwick yard from Stanton.
4. The same train passes Basford North Signal box with the connection to Bulwell Common in the background.
5. A view over the goods yard as B1 61008 Kudu arrives with a Derby to Grantham train.
6. The train departs and heads towards Nottingham Victoria past the goods yard headshunt.
7. Class 31 D5852 with a Colwick to Burton goods service.
8. K3 61975 heads a short goods train from Eggington Junction to Colwick Yard.
9. O4/7 63770 passes with loaded coal wagons from Pye Hill to Colwick yard.
10. K2 61738 Arrives with a stopping train from Nottingham Victoria via Gedling. The train is then shunted into the bay platform to form the return service.
11. Ivatt 4MT 43155 passes under the GC main line with a Nottingham to Derby train. Above, O1 63853 heads north light engine to Annesley shed.
12. 43155 departs, passing over the Vernon Road bridge.
13. B16 61434 takes the curve to Bulwell Common with a Burton to York van train.
14. As Fairburn tank 42091 passes, heading to Eggington Junction with empty milk train, the B16 heads under the Brooklyn Road bridge.
15. A view down Vernon Road as 8F 48396 passes over with an Annesley to Burton express freight.
16. 61738 departs with the all stations Basford to Nottingham Victoria via Gedling.
17. Black 5 45113 comes off the curve from Bulwell Common with another Annesley to Burton express freight.
18. 4F 44552 heads to Burton empty hoppers from Colwick yard.
19. J6 64219 passes under the Park Lane road bridge with a westbound pick up freight as J11 64397 passes in the other direction light engine.
20. WD 90383 passes with a Colwick to Pinxton empty coal train.
21. A Wickam trolly passes Basford Signal box heading West.
22. Ivatt 2MT 46440 passes the junction heading West with an officers inspection saloon.
23. Ivatt class 4 passes over the Vernon road bridge with Teversal to Stanton empty steel flats.
24. O4/8 63639 with empty iron ore tipplers for Colwick yard from Stanton as 46440 passes with the inspection saloon.
