Grassington details and pictures
Our award winning layout featured in the November 2011 issue of Hornby magazine

History.
When the Midland built the Grassington Branch from Embsay Junction, their intention was to carry on right through to Wensleydale to link the North Eastern's cross country line from Garsdale on the Settle-Carlisle to Northallerton on the East Coast main line. However, the branch never got further than Grassington (that is until Bradford M.R.C. got involved!), so here is the Grassington Branch Extension as it might have been in the late 50's to early 60's.It is interesting that even though it was a terminal station it was constructed as a through station with 2 platforms and  a trailing rather than facing crossover for the loco run-round.

The station opened on 29th July 1902. However because the signal box and signalling apparatus was installed at a later date along with the construction of Delaney Sidings (under the timber footbridge), all this came into operation on 26th June 1904.
Regular passenger services ceased 30th September 1930 due to bus although goods and quarry traffic continued until 1969.
Only the 3 arch bridge at the south of the layout and the Former Baxters shop at the north end survive.
Some pictures (courtesy Peter Huff) appear at the bottom of this page

Original 1950's signal box diagram (courtesy Peter Huff)
 
click to enlarge

Layout
The layout was built between two already existing fiddle yards and a 90° curved non-scenic board, which needed only slight modification plus the scenic treatment. The station and goods yard follow the prototype track plan, although a certain degree of condensation in length has been necessary to get a manageable size.
After some years in store the layout has been resurrected for the 2010 Grassington festival and has been reconfigured as an end to end between 2 fiddle yards and given a general refresh.
The track disappearing under the wooden footbridge leads to Skirethornes quarry from where stone was transported for roadway construction.

Extension
As for the extension northwards, the line on leaving the station (which was the terminus) crosses the main road between Threshfield and Grassington on the level, and passes by the well-known Baxter's Confectioners shop.
Speculation was that had the line been extended, this shop would possibly have been demolished - however on examining O.S. maps and researching the actual area, we believe that the single line could have passed by the shop without any need for such measures. This shop has therefore been modelled more or less as it was in the chosen period.  With the signal box controlling most of the station pointwork located at the other end of the platforms how the crossing would have be worked is a source of some speculation - what do you think? As the extension is supposed to join the NE Region line in Wensleydale, locos and stock from both North Eastern and Midland regions will be seen working on the line.

Pictures of BMRC's Grassington model railway

click picture to enlarge

Layout plan(fiddle yards not shown)
 
click to enlarge

Size
Length approx 8.6m (~28feet) view length 4.6m (16feet);
depth 0.9m (3foot) + operator space.
End to end with a fiddle yard at each end

Achieve Pictures (courtesy Peter Huff)

Click to picture enlarge

Hire this layout for your show.
Needs provision of a jumbo transit van + fuel for van and 1 car as well as Insurance, lunch and vast quantities of tea for 4 operators. Accommodation with breakfast required if over around 50miles. Requires 2 sockets consumption 400W (mainly lighting). Insurance value £5000 excluding stock
Click HERE to download an double sided printable info sheet

Page updated 18th July 2010 kdj
Page created 12th July 2010 kdj