FLHerne's UK screenshots

[Valle]

Nice shots! I do wonder why the Greenwood-Choburgh branch appears to be completely cut off of the rest of the network though.

[thphwh]

Could we not have an Export-Choburgh line?

[FLHerne]

Where did you get the fisheries from?

They're from FIRS industries. They do make the lakes a bit more interesting.

I do wonder why the Greenwood-Choburgh branch appears to be completely cut off of the rest of the network though.

Originally, the branch platform at Greatwood was platform 4, and had a connection to the Reechester line. That was turned into a north-facing bay when the chord was built to allow direct trains from Malnor, and the new bay was never connected.
From an operational perspective:
- Running short branch trains through Reechester to Accpool would waste a lot of capacity.
- Running long commuter trains through to Mespool and Choburgh would be a waste of stock, and need platform extensions.
- The branch stock (GWR) is different from anything else on the network (LNER), so they'd need a different maintenance regime too - no disadvantage to a dedicated depot at Greatwood.
- The station throat at Greatwood is tangled enough already, thanks.

This picture shows the old (connected) arrangement:

Accpool Transport, 6th Apr 1932.png (91.7 KiB) Viewed 4180 times

Could we not have an Export-Choburgh line?

Perhaps, but it would require either some demolition in both towns or a less-central station. They aren't quite as close in reality as my network map made them look, either .

Map:

Accpool Transport, 31st Dec 1938#1.png

(41.08 KiB) Downloaded 18 times

Next up, hopefully:
- Branch to Windby and Aberbury
- Branch to Pronninghill and Windstoke
- More freight services, in particular to serve the lime kilns at Windby and a steel mill near Malnor

Thanks for the comments and encouragement!

Gratuitous screenshot: One of Gresley's V2s starts a fish train away from the shore at Slacombe.

Accpool Transport, 6th Feb 1939.png (79.26 KiB) Viewed 4177 times

[romazoon]

nice sceneries, i like ! keep going !

[FLHerne]

Checked off the first thing on my list - Windby and Aberbury are now on the network!

The new line runs from a junction on the Parthaven to Slacombe line to Windby...

Accpool Transport, 17th Jan 1939#1.png (155.14 KiB) Viewed 4137 times

...where a short branch diverges to the coastal city of Aberbury...

Accpool Transport, 17th Jan 1939#2.png (120 KiB) Viewed 4137 times

...and the main route continues across Parthaven Bay* to join the Slacombe - Finhill mainline, thus completing a triangle between Slacombe, Parthaven and Windby.

Accpool Transport, 17th Jan 1939#3.png (94.26 KiB) Viewed 4137 times

This ought to reduce the number of passengers changing at Slacombe, and is part of my long-term plan to create links between the radial mainlines from Accpool/Reechester (That Choburgh-Export link might actually happen some day ).

Added to the plan:
- Extend the proposed Finhill - Windstoke branch through Nantpool to Reechester and Greatwood.
- Operate a direct service between Malnor and Tillyberg (and on to New Seford?). This might involve a reversal near the existing junction, because a direct line would be very steep (and expensive... ).
- Improve transport within cities: Greatwood is currently the only town with a tram service, Tillyleigh-Malnor-Larford has buses. Linking the outskirts (and in some places hotels) to the stations will improve traffic levels
- Expand mail services beyond the current pilot programme (Greatwood - Fradchurch only).

*No, it isn't called Parthaven Bay because the nearest town is Parthaven (it isn't).
It isn't called Parthaven Bay because it's the nearest bay to Parthaven (it isn't).
I don't really know why I named it that, to be honest .

[FLHerne]

Nenebridge & Finhill railway station - the terminus (for now) of both the southern mainline and the cross-country route from Parthaven.
Nenebridge* is to the north, Finhill is on the coast. There are buses.

Accpool Transport, 11th Nov 1941.png (208.58 KiB) Viewed 4081 times

Parthaven seems to have a very high population for the number of buildings. I don't know why, but it makes the station look too big.
A local from Aberbury storms up the hill into the station, while an A4 (they're very common now) rolls down with a long-distance service to Malnor.
"The train now standing in Platform 2 is the 12:51 service to Nenebridge & Finhill, calling at Windby [hiss...]"

Accpool Transport, 11th Nov 1941#1.png (166.19 KiB) Viewed 4081 times

The rather messy junction immediately to the east of Reechester, which is through the tunnels on the left (and congested again ).
The line to the top right is for Tillyberg and Malnor, Greatwood is a few tiles off-camera to the right.
Lots of trains:
- An EMU service from Accpool to Greatwood
- Two express services from Tillyberg to Accpool (silver A4s)
- A semi-fast from Malnor to Parthaven (tunnelling under the Greatwood line)
- A mail train from Fradchurch to Greatwood
- Two fast services from Greatwood to Finhill, not calling at Reechester (on the avoiding line)

Accpool Transport, 11th Nov 1941#2.png (108.56 KiB) Viewed 4081 times

[FLHerne]

Accpool South Junction (between Reechester, Accpool, and the Slacombe/Fradchurch line) is actually worse .

Accpool is to the left, Accpool Goods Yard is on the single line in the top left corner.
The four tracks in the top right go to Reechester, the pair below them are the Reechester Avoiding Line.
At the bottom is the Southern Mainline to Finhill via Slacombe, with branches to Fradchurch and Parthaven.
Lots of A4s in this picture!

A new branchline to Pronninghill and Windstoke, a pair of medium-sized towns north of Finhill.
The line wraps around the west edge of Nenebridge, where a Stanier tank loco puffs north across the River Nene.
Bottom centre is the corner Nenebridge and Finhill station, as seen in the previous post - the line goes right down to the coast and then joins the station throat from the south.

Accpool Transport, 5th Jun 1941#1.png (140.64 KiB) Viewed 4049 times

[Dave]

Nenebridge & Finhill railway station - the terminus (for now) of both the southern mainline and the cross-country route from Parthaven.
Nenebridge* is to the north, Finhill is on the coast. There are buses.

Ahhhh. Brilliant!!!

[FLHerne]

Ahhhh. Brilliant!!!

Thankyou!

Pronninghill, current terminus of the branch from Finhill. There's a bus service to Windstoke, which is a little further east.
That scrapyard might become a source of traffic in the future.

Accpool Transport, 17th Dec 1941.png (201.86 KiB) Viewed 4032 times

Over the last few years, Accpool & Southern's management have been keeping a close eye on the development of alternative forms of transportation. Finally, the aeroplane has reached a level of safety and practicality that satisfies the board, and a small trial batch have been obtained.

On 18th December 1941, a brand-new Armstrong Whitworth AW27 rolls out of a banked left turn and soars over Greatwood station, heralding a new era in commercial aviation.
On its climb out of the new aerodrome, it passed over a 5-car diesel railcar and a pair of EMUs, further examples of Accpool & Southern's commitment to technological progress...

Accpool Transport, 18th Dec 1941.png (139.25 KiB) Viewed 4032 times

[FLHerne]

One of the first (silver) batch of A4s leaves Tillyberg - the highest station on the network at over 1000ft above sealevel. Yes, it is quite a flat map .
From here, it's 110mph track with no stops all the way to Reechester East Junction, so the Pacific should have plenty of space to stretch its wheels. The classmates stuck on the stop-almost-everywhere services out of Malnor must be jealous .

Accpool Transport, 3rd Sep 1942#1.png (186.58 KiB) Viewed 3973 times

Malnor, with refinery (it has a dock just off to the left by the tanks), jealous A4s, and some buses.
These new NewStations are amazing, although I really wish they were on BaNaNaS...

Accpool Transport, 3rd Sep 1942#2.png (175.36 KiB) Viewed 3973 times

Greatwood yet again. No idea why I keep wanting to take pictures of it, not much happened since last time...
The ubiquitous A4s in three different colours, plus an apple green A3 and an EMU.

Accpool Transport, 3rd Sep 1942.png (118.53 KiB) Viewed 3973 times

[STD]

Excellent and beautiful ! Great building !

[FLHerne]

Excellent and beautiful ! Great building !

Thanks!

Tillyleigh now has a reversing siding, to accommodate trains on the new 'direct' line up the hill to Tillyberg. These briefly ran through to Malnor, where they overloaded the station and caused chaos; the service was then terminated at a new bay in the centre of Tillyleigh station. That caused trouble with the signalling over the bridges and didn't last long either - being cut back to a short siding and replaced by the current layout, where a Stanier 2-6-4T and its train are surrounded by A4s as they wait to re-enter the platforms.

Accpool Transport, 6th Aug 1943.png (142.84 KiB) Viewed 3786 times

The new line up the hill is very steep, crossing above the northern mainline and looping through Pitdown Castle...

Accpool Transport, 7th Aug 1943.png (178.13 KiB) Viewed 3786 times

Accpool Transport, 15th Aug 1943.png (188.71 KiB) Viewed 3786 times

[FLHerne]

East side of the network, as shown in the last few screenies.

Accpool Transport, 15th Aug 1943#1.png

(190.78 KiB) Downloaded 10 times

The core section through Reechester and Accpool, and down to Fradchurch and Slacombe.

Accpool Transport, 15th Aug 1943#2.png

(232.26 KiB) Downloaded 10 times

West edge. A freight branch heading south from Slacombe is missing between this picture and the previous one.

Accpool Transport, 15th Aug 1943#3.png

(179.04 KiB) Downloaded 10 times

[FLHerne]

Sheds.

The old* roundhouse in the middle of Accpool triangle has been extended, with a straight shed tacked onto the side. Despite the central location, access is quite poor - the only route in is from the Accpool goods lines.
An A4 awaits its next working on the entrance siding, while a V2 simmers outside the roundhouse and a few expresses rush past.

Accpool Transport, 4th May 1937#1.png (96.1 KiB) Viewed 3726 times

With better access, although on a very cramped site, is the new depot built at Reechester for the EMU sets. Squeezed between the Accpool route flyover and the avoiding line, it has a one-road servicing shed and a single siding.

Accpool Transport, 4th May 1937.png (88.74 KiB) Viewed 3726 times

[FLHerne]

New bauxite services from the north required the southern line to be quad-tracked, in order to keep the slow-moving Garratts away from the A4s. No. 4971 and its train of ore hoppers rumble over the new bridges near Finhill, about to be overtaken by a Gresley A3 heading up a semi-fast to Parthaven.

Accpool Transport, 21st May 1945.png (128.97 KiB) Viewed 3691 times

The new freight line to the north runs along the coast for a bit from Nenebridge before turning inland, and is also used by local passenger services. A stopping service climbs toward Rondberg tunnels as it prepares to leave the sea behind.

Accpool Transport, 23rd Nov 1944#1.png (153.62 KiB) Viewed 3691 times

The new goods lines make a detour around Slacombe. As well as the bauxite, this line allowed the previously-existing fruit and grain trains to be diverted away from Slacombe station, creating much-needed capacity and simplifying the pointwork. Unfortunately, reconfiguring the goods yard caused a second giant pile of fruit - it's even bigger this time!

Accpool Transport, 12th Jun 1945#1.png (178.79 KiB) Viewed 3691 times

[FLHerne]

Seeningham Junction is the largest station on the new line. The town is tiny, but provides the interchange for a short branch to Beechester, served by the Ivatt tank sitting in the bay. On the main route, a Stanier tank is heading north toward the terminus at Flodburg as a few hundred tons of bauxite roll through from the nearby mines.

Accpool Transport, 21st Aug 1945.png (185.68 KiB) Viewed 3613 times

[STD]

Seeningham Junction is the largest station on the new line. The town is tiny, but provides the interchange for a short branch to Beechester, served by the Ivatt tank sitting in the bay. On the main route, a Stanier tank is heading north toward the terminus at Flodburg as a few hundred tons of bauxite roll through from the nearby mines.

Accpool Transport, 21st Aug 1945.png

Hi! Excellent screenshots . All looked with pleasure.

[FLHerne]

Thanks! I'll have to post a few more sometime.

[FLHerne]

I realised that, because I was sticking with LNER stock for most passenger services, Pikka's shiny Jubilees and Coronations weren't getting a place to run. That also had the side-effect of making the branch to the northwest, operated entirely by LMS stock (Stanier tanks, 8Fs and Garratts), looked nastily out of place.
So, in 1945, the North Midland Railway has broken the Accpool & Southern's monopoly on transport services! Initially formed by the government to take over that company's heavy freight services and the northwest route and so promote competition*, the board quickly looked to expand into areas not already dominated by the A&SR.

Reburgh Junction station is planned to be the hub of the NMR's future network, but is currently nothing more than the meeting-point of three small branches. One train, headed by an Ivatt tank, hurries down from Cathedral Hill, near the centre of Reburgh, with a train from Lewisham. A similar one heads west on what will in future be the NMR mainline to Accpool, heading for Great Tresworth via Mensay Bridge

Accpool Transport, 15th Jun 1945.png (194.85 KiB) Viewed 3281 times

Here's Great Tresworth, on the shore of a small lake. The scrapyard will shortly be railserved, demonstrating the NMR's relatively proactive approach to serving smaller industries and vindicating the government's decision to split it off...

Accpool Transport, 15th Jun 1945#1.png (172.26 KiB) Viewed 3281 times

Back down south, one of the Accpool & Southern's A4s is racing an NMR freight on the recently quad-tracked section east of Greatwood. One is a bit faster.

Accpool Transport, 25th Jun 1945.png (66.03 KiB) Viewed 3281 times

*also, retroactively explain the different stock...

[STD]

Good day! as always, well built!