Anon - DEMU challenge layout

Fremington North by Nick Thompson

Having grown up in N Devon I wanted to do something based around Barnstaple station (formerly Barnstaple Junction). I was particularly interested in the cement storage silo and associated works. This facility was the subject of an article in the first MRJ Compendium “the Bucolic Silo” and it is hoped to incorporate some of the details from that article into this layout.

After going round and round on how to make Barnstaple small enough for a layout that conformed to the goals of the challenge, I was really not getting anywhere. Study of the track layout at Barnstaple indicates a large sprawling facility that would be hard to scale into the requirements of the challenge. I had the good fortune to discuss this problem with Iain Rice at the Great Missenden Railway Modellers’ Weekend earlier in the year. Iain kindly designed the track plan and scenario for the proposed layout, which incorporates very nicely the elements of Barnstaple that I wanted to capture.

One unusual feature of this layout design is that it’s been designed to be air transportable, since I live in the United States. The goal is to build the baseboards such that the layout can be folded and checked in as baggage on a flight to the UK. Obviously this will create interesting challenges for the robustness of the permanent way!! The structures will be carried in an accompanying suitcase

The timeframe for the layout will be relatively loose, late 1970’s to mid 1980’s corporate blue, class 118, 108 and the other DMUs that worked the Exeter Barnstaple line. Freight hauled by class 25, 31 and 33’s with other visitors as needed. The first P4 offering will be a Hornby class 08 shunter, which is up for conversion once track construction has commenced.

The layout will be based on a “what if” concept, but the traffic is very much based on traffic that was handled via Barnstaple in this timeframe.

Prototype Scenario

Following 1970’s developments on the old Barnstaple Junction site, a decision was made to relocate several of the remaining freight and engineering facilities away from land between the old junction station and the River Taw. At the same time, due to local pressures, it was decided to provide a minimal passenger terminus to serve new housing developments to the south-west of Barnstaple and to form a convenient rail/road interchange with bus services to Bideford, Torrington and Hartland/Clovelly.

The site chosen was a short way down the truncated Bideford/Torrington branch at a location to the north of the existing Fremington station site (old station to be demolished to facilitate road improvements), and connecting with the old Fremington Dock branch/site to provide for planned industrial expansion (which hasn’t happened yet!)

So the result is a compact facility comprising a loop, platform road to take 2-car DMU, 3 industry sidings serving Fahey’s Concrete batch concrete plant, large agrichemical storage facility and oil terminal (operated on behalf of Shell (UK) Ltd) - both North Devon & North Cornwall Farmers. There is a further short spur used to stable PW equipment by District Engineer (Exeter). The headshunt has a refuelling point served from the oil depot under a local contract arrangement.

The yard is worked by the train engines of freight workings as appropriate. Due to lack of space at Fremington North, use is made of a loop and sidings at Barnstaple Junction (east) to hold traffic for unloading. At busy periods, an 0-6-0 diesel shunter of class 03 or 08 is out stationed at Fremington for local trip working.