A slight Great Central feel

A bit of an ex-GC London Extension feel today - B1s and Class 5 in well worn 1960s style.  (Apologies for the grainy photos - artificial light and an iPhone camera don't go together well...)

After a bit of playing and again more point motor wiring along with kit-bashing the ex-Airfix Platform Canopy kit (separate update to follow on that) I have nearly finished my pair of B1s as Immingham 40B locomotives - white paint and all...

Both are Bachmann offerings - One (61168) is from a toy-fair at Lincolnshire Showground and came in pristine condition - I have renumbered this one and done some weathering with some still to complete (especially the wheels and valve gear.

The second (61190) is from eBay and came renumbered as an Immingham loco and already weathered but fitted with Sprat & Winkle style couplings (since removed - I'm not keen on tension lock but 99% of my stock is so fitted) - it also needs a front coupling hook refitting...

They are seen on the newly laid diesel fuelling tracks (after playing around and not being able to get a point motor quite where I wanted due to the bolts between layout boards) which also means the tracks are set a little further back from the line onto the shed.

The class 5 is a DJH kit with coreless motor and while needing a little tlc to a few rubbed off paint patches looks the part and runs well (apart from the steps shorting occasionally on tight points... another job to tweek).

Also another 'new' project is part started updating an old Airfix class 31 picked up at Barrow Hill.  I have already removed the moulded plastic handrails and front hand holds and stripped it back and put a coat of primer over it.  It is eventually going to be D5579 in its experimental Golden Ochre livery to add a bit of colour to the scene - I already have one Hornby 'skin head/toffee apple' in green  - a separate update on this too follow at some point...

The First Post...

So welcome to my Blog and to Abthorpe Central.  I'm hoping through the coming months (years) to document the progress of my layouts construction and hopeful completion and exhibition.  The layout was initially designed to fit into my last flat which had a nicely sized spare room but on moving the plan had to be 'shrunken' down quite a bit and as a result a lot of the curves are tighter than I would like and the platform lengths aren't quite what they were meant to me.

General end of platform/entrance to shed view (really need to tidy up as I go...)

The eventual aim is to have a terminus station based in North East Lincolnshire set in about 1958-63 which was part of a (non-existent) line from Lincoln to the coast in the 1880s and was constructed by the MS&L (later Great Central Railway).  The basic premise of the line was a mixture of tourists for a seaside resort (much like the real life Cleethorpes and Skegness) and also the fish docks and shipping imports. The Cental part of the name is a hangover from the other competition in town (the MR later LMS) which had a small terminus and shed but which had come under BR(E) control and closed in 1956 - this gives a good excuse to run ex-LMS types with a valid reason of a route to Lincoln and Nottingham.


The trackplan is something of a mix of the real Cleethorpes with bits of Aberyswyth  (ex-Cambrian Railway) thrown together as both have interested me for differing reasons.  The shed at the back (operating side of the layout) is not quite the size I initially intended but will have a twin road Northlight Shed (currently being kitbashed from an old Triang/Hornby model) with extra storage lines, a turntable, coaling stage and ash plant along with a 'new' servicing line for those new fangled diesel things.

Site of shed (and turntable - under the boxes eventually)

I will add more background and ideas as I progress along with other photos from the initial design and planning stage (when I can find them..) along with ongoing construction of the layout, building, locomotives and rolling stock as time / funds permit!


These are a few of my current projects -


Crownline Conversion kit (with Airfix tender etc) for LMS build 4-4-0 Compound - still to be finished and renumbered/lined.

Station Building - based on Aberystwyth plans/pictures/visit/drinking in!