PLAN 2 – MIDDLETON TOP

There are numerous locations along the Cromford and High Peak Railway that are worth modelling. I chose Middleton Top with its modest arrangement of sidings, a locomotive shed, winding house and narrow gauge railway. Having turned a blind eye to any relevant dates, they’re all included in one composite scene. I’ve avoided the incline, due to complex build issues, providing instead an off-stage, non-scenic short section of track where wagons can be removed/ added, by hand, according to direction and load. This facility, while extremely useful, creates an issue in that it requires a hole in the backscene. I have employed some careful manipulation of nearby structures and been inspired by a similar area at the top of Sheep Pasture Incline, albeit with slightly more vegetation. In addition, I’ve suggested a ‘baffle panel’ to block any view of the non-scenic narrow gauge line behind. With the layout viewed near eye-level, all of these factors should come together to hide the hole.

I love the idea of trains passing behind structures and vegetation and, with this in mind, there’s a gap between engine house and locomotive shed for a glimpse of the main line and narrow gauge railway behind. I’ve repeated the process, further left, between shed and water tower, but with a larger viewing gap.

The track plan is quite faithful to the prototype although more geometrically rigid. Advanced modellers may wish to substitute with flexible track, retaining the Setrack left-hand non-scenic curved point, adjusting track centres as you come round the curve to suit the narrower spacing of Streamline points. It’s worth noting that Setrack straight points are 168mm long, whereas Streamline are 185mm, so there’s very little difference between them, other than appearance! The non-scenic arrangement, extreme left, does not purport to be a fiddleyard, merely a headshunt and for locomotive stabling.

Above: One last wagon. By the time of my first visit to the Cromford and High Peak Railway, almost everything had either been removed or demolished. For the benefit of visitors, Derbyshire County Council has contrived this scene which, in black and white, almost creates the impression of pre-closure days. I can wholeheartedly recommend a visit here and to other sites along the line. Below: The engine house was built in 1829 by the Butterley Company to haul wagons up Middleton Incline and is constructed from dressed Gritstone blocks with a pitched slate roof. The adjacent boiler room has a single pitched roof made of tiles with walls from blue and red brick. Much greater detail and approximate footprint sizing is available at https://her.derbyshire.gov.uk/monument/mdr9457

If you look very carefully on the opposite side of the tracks, from the visitor centre, there are remnants of a long-defunct narrow gauge line and loading dock which once served a quarry at nearby Middleton.

Below: Most of the earlier locomotives used on the line are not available ready-to-run, although there are some possible make-do alternatives, like Hornby’s various 0-4-0Ts. For the later period, we can choose either a Hornby or EFE Rail ‘J94’ 0-6-0T and a Bachmann Branchline Class 03 diesel shunter (D2379 and D2383 are known to have worked on the C&HP). Here we see ‘J94s’ 68012 and 68006 taking water at Middleton Top, while working the final day of a SLS Special railtour, on April 30 1967. PAUL A. LUNN COLLECTION

PAUL A. LUNN COLLECTION Left: Structures and vegetation at the top of Middleton Incline were minimal, as it was at Sheep Pasture Incline Top, which is seen here in 1961. Note the well-tended flowerbed and Br-pattern signal arm.