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Midsomer Norton

Progress Report March 2005

Visitors to our site - and we are amazed by just how many there have been since Tony set up the site last year - may wonder what progress we have made to date. The answer is that all the track is laid and the points are in position and wired, but not yet connected.

As to buildings, we decided that as far as possible, we would scratch build, rather than use commercially available kits. The main buildings that we need are for the Norton Colliery mine, the Midsomer Norton station and the goods shed. The commercially available kits are 00 (1:76) scale as are all of the scratch built items.

Peter doing some wiring on the lighting modules.	More wiring by "sparky" Peter.	Using Peter's original diagram.	Tracklaying using "tracksetta" gauges.

Mike getting some track down.	Precision work.	One of our rough working diagrams.	Getting up close & personal with some Peco track - a view through the traverser.

The Colliery		The Goods Shed

The mine (see separate article) is a modified Metcalfe coaling stage which I modified by cutting the roof so that the pit-head winding gear could be inserted. This structure (the winding gear and tower) were scratch built using photos of the prototype and some artistic license. (The more photos that I looked at the more that I realised just how many variations on a theme there were in pit head winding gear.)

The goods shed is also a modified Metcalfe goods shed, modified to the extent that the red brick original walls were covered with stone card to get closer to the original as identified in prototype photos taken from the SD&JR sites on the web and magazine photos. Additionally, I cut an extra door in one side wall, scratch built slatted sliding doors for all three entrances and modified the roof because the prototype did not have skylights as the Metcalfe kit does.

The Signal Box

The signal box was completely scratch built from prototype photos, as was the hothouse that was next to the signal box on Midsomer Norton station. Scaled down to 1: 76, this glass house measures 30mm X 30mm X 50 mm high!