The yard takes shape

Over the past couple of nights i have been working on the goods yard.



The yard crane is by Ratio, bit more interesting than the other crane by Wills.
just need to get some ideas of what else to add to the yard, thinking about a one wagon loading stage somewhere, a bit or scratch building will be needed.

Didlows Deisels

Yes I am affraid to say that the railway company has a hand full of non steam locos, these are mainly small locos, bought from the War Department and other such places, there are plans to add more to the fleet but the company will never ever get rid of steam on the line.

We start the roster with a engine that will primary be used on passeenger services.

This engine is the only one on the railway that is painted in the stock livery of blue and white, will mostly be seen pulling the ex VOR stock and maybe from time to time pulling or shunting freight when nothing else is available to do the job.

This engine was the first that the railway bought from the War Department, they used to use it on passenger trains before they got the more powerful larger 0-6-0 engine above, but can now been seen pulling passenger trains and freight train up and down the line .

This is the second engine from the war Department, it was bought just after the first to haul freight trains, it was found to be more useful around the yard rather than the main line pulling trains

The last deisel loco that the line has at current is a large 0-4-0 + 0-4-0 hydrolic BoBo, this was bought when there was a threat of some heavy freight trains to be run on the line to serve the local woods, but the villagers won the vote to keep the woods and the logging never went ahead, the loco is now used on track maintenance trains, freight trains, moving cold steam locos, and also the odd passenger train, could call it the work horse of the non steam fleet.

The line also has two Deisel railcar, one is one in the works for a re paint into the company livery, which will be able to carry more passengers with its flexabilty to be able to run with its standard two car set up, or a third coach can be added if need be in busy times.

Steam Fleet of Didlow Down

The loco fleet on my line is rather large. It also has a wide range, from small tank engines, to larger Cyrprus tender locos, to small deisel locos.

They also range from kit built to RTR, to second hand locos.

Here we have just some of the steam, fleet more to follow.

Iam hoping that one of the main locos of the railways roster will be a Paul Windle 0-4-2 Hunslet which was bought second hand at ExpoNG 2008. This will mostly work the Passanger trains and Mixed Frieght trains

Another loco that will be doing much the same works as the Hunslet Angela will be a 2-6-0 Baldwin.

Also set for a life of hauling passenger trains and freight is

2-6-2 L&B loco bought from British Railways after they failed to re open the L&B.

Now we move away from the larger of the tank locos and onto one small tank loco that will working the freight services and shunting the small goods yard, this is a freelance 0-4-0 tank engine.

Has some ex Ditton Railway Company looks about it?

Why Didlow Down?

Now I see you all asking 'How do you name a layout Didlow Down'

The story behind the name started in October 2008, while at a steam rally at Kingsfold with my roller, my girlfriend lives in a very small village in East Sussex called Hadlow Down, she wasnt at the rally with me this weekend but at a steam up at a park in the village, called Tinkers Park. A friend of mine said that I could borrow this pick up to drive other there and pick her up to bring her back.Not calling the village by its real name, 'Why dont you go to Didlow Down and pick her up'.

Well the name has stuck and I thought that I might as well use it for something other than taking the mickey out of her Village.

I have also been thinking about calling the railway company the Great Hedge Railway. Not really sure, Tinkers Park have a 2ft line and it is called the Great Bush Railway.

Should it be GHR, Didlow Down??

The Layout In Stages

Some pictures of Didlow Down as it has gone from stage to stage.

In the beginning

I have been modelling in 009 for about four years now and this is my first real layout that i have built, wired, and done scenic work on.

The main reason i started building this layout is because of a night at my local 009 club, Sussex Downs 009 Group (yes they have alot to answer for) I spotted a bit of ply board that was looking for a home, and also I was given three points by a friends son after his father passed on.

When I left I took this ply with me, the next day was spent making a base board, planning a layout then a trip to the local model shop was made to get two lengths of crazy track and one point.

Once the plan had been made, that evening was spent laying the track to my plan of course.

As I hadnt the room for a head shunt, I had bought a PECO turntable, this was fitted at the end of the platform to be used as a head shunt, only to be turned to get onto the run round loop, might be used one day for turning railcars who knows.

Once all the track was laid and a fornight had passed I took the layout along to the club where a fellow member sat with me and drew me a wiring plan, which the next day was carried out and I couldnt believe it when it worked.

Since then I have put wire in a tube to all the points, ballasted the track, laid a platform out of balsa wood, and done some other scenic bits to the layout.

I will post some pictures on here as work goes on, locos and stock that will run to and from Didlow Down.