Over the last week, a team at Barrowmore, led by Richard and comprising Kevin Bays, Mike Rapson and Phil Sutton, set about laying some additional roads at one end of the staging yard. The first project was to add three terminating sidings off yard track East 1. These are long enough to hold a full length coal train and, with East 1 used as a clear through track, will allow for trains to be backed in and pulled out as required – essentially adding three tracks to the eastbound staging. The new switches were connected to Digikeijs boards.

Later in the week, a decision was taken to lengthen two westbound tracks on the outside of the yard. Richard and Kevin lengthened yard track West 17 all the way round to just before the scenic section and track West 16  through to join slightly earlier. Whilst not adding extra tracks, the extra space available with multiple occupancy on each track is equivalent to two extra tracks. The two terminating tracks for passenger trains were also repositioned as shown:

Dave Faulkner has subsequently programmed the changes into Big Bear.

Back in December 2023 Richard found a video we hadn’t previously seen – the Big Little Railroad of 1948 and 9 minutes 20 seconds into it can clearly be seen a crossover going into the passenger road from the west.

We quickly agreed that this be built and Richard embarked on the process – as shown in the photos below.

The new crossover gives lots of additional operating possibilities.

In the week before Christmas and New Year the turnouts and tracklaying were completed by Richard and Mike. Once down only 14 feet of original track remained!  The ‘dropper’ holes (new and old) were filled with tissue paperby Steve to prevent ballast loss and the whole was airbrushed black by Mike.

Gareth (shown) and Steve then painted the sides of the track a rusty brown – avoiding any switch blades. Finally Steve ballasted the track (with help from Gareth) using real sieved coal from his coal scuttle.

This series of photos shows Richard building the last turnout pair (for now) for the scenic section. The technique is age-old and starts with a template drawn in and then printed out from Templot to fit the space precisely.

Copperclad strips are first laid on sticky back tape on top of the template. The centre rails are then laid including the points of the crossing V. The next shot shows the gauges used: The NMRA HO gauge, and two OO rolling gauges. Outer rails are then added and then their opposite pairs. Next come the switch rails and then the frogs (with a caboose being run over by Richard to demonstrate clearance). Then the tie bar is carefully added with all clearances first checked for smooth opearation. Next the guard rails – which are pretty much cosmetic if eveything else has been done properly. This completes the turnout except only for gapping the conducting copperclad ties/sleepers.

A couple of shots show the Tortoise motors we are using with these new, hand-built turnouts – to reduce damage from the rapid throw of a Peco turnout motor – and the MERG board specific to Tortoise motors.

Final three shots show the turnout pair being laid on the ‘last’ scenic board at the LH end, and then in all the glory.

Well, that is a slightly grandiose title, but to an extent it does describe the work of the last ten days on the right hand of the scenic section!

We’ve taken up some of the old turnouts and cut back the track to a clean board finish. The board was then widened by just under three inches by Steve and Gavin to take an extra yard track. After careful levelling, cork was laid and then track and new turnouts, handbuilt by Richard, were carefully laid by Richard and Steve. The intention is to scenic the large, curved, end board at a later stage.

Wiring then commenced – these handbuilt turnouts will be powered by Tortoise point motors which give a more realistic movement and also reduce stress on the handbuilt soldering joints.

Work has continued on laying the track and switches this month (March) and the track in the staging yard is now complete to the end points of the curves. Richard and I (Steve) have done most of this and Dave has corrected some of my worse errors! This is as far as we can go until the new boards on the front are complete – which will hopefully be in the next couple of weeks. The N&W caboose runs very happily through all the curves and switches although it will soon be recolored and decaled!

You can see that we have avoided using the double slips which proved a little problematic with some stock on the phase 2 staging yard boards.

Since returning from Model Rail Scotland and as we go into March incredible progress has been made laying track in the new staging yard. Richard and Steve have forged ahead with this as the photos show. Each piece of track has a duplicate pair of droppers soldered under the rail and copper strip is used at baseboard edges to hold the track firm there. Track is then glued down at each end of every fourth tie using cheap superglue. All track is Peco streamline code 75 and switches are now also being laid, initially by Richard.

Oh dear – I’m repeating myself in the excitement!

February was quiet for Mauch Chunk PA because we (BMRG) were getting Mostyn ready for Model Rail Scotland on 24-26th February and there is only room for one large layout to be erected in the clubrooms. Good news in that Mauch Chunk has now also been invited to MR Scotland in 2019!

As soon as we returned, Mostyn and Johnstown Road (the club’s O-gauge layout) were carefully stored in a large, linear pile along the rear side of the clubrooms and the new Mauch Chunk staging yard boards were re-erected and levelled.

Track laying has now started – using Peco streamline code 75 track. The Barromore MRG approach is being followed with droppers under the track and track held down with superglue. It is also VERY, VERY straight! Photos show Richard laying track although Steve (me) and Dave Faulkner are also involved.