The backstory: The idea from the start was to have the bulk of stock movements based on serving a quarry located on the estate. The original quarry railway went directly to the mainline interchange at Cottesmore, but the flooding of that route due to a landslide meant that all trains had to divert via the mansion station using an old service tunnel. In later years, the railway attracted members of the public interested in real working railways and an enthusiasts group was started and soon expanded. The model depicts the official Opening Day when they were able to open to the public.
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| The current layout (10/25) with new siding along the front. |
All movements to and from Cottesmore West are via the 'mainline' which runs on the front of the layout, to and from the front half of the fiddleyard. All movements to and from the quarry go via the tunnel at the rear, close to the workshop and then through to the rear half of the fiddleyard. Stock going in and out of Edwards Yard also passes through a central opening into the fiddleyard.
In the fiddleyard, stock is held on 'cassettes' that can be moved between the 3 routes or to storage space. There is also a cabinet on the public side where spare stock can be displayed.
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| 1: Quarry 2: Edwards Yard 3: Mainline to Cottesmore |
