Kingsthorpe Junction
Kingsthorpe Junction is situated on a cross-country Midlands to East Anglia route somewhere in South Lincolnshire / Cambridgeshire and is set in the ealy to mid 1960’s and represents a once important cross-roads between five routes.
The main double track line to east and west is bisected by a single track branch line which crosses it and a third branch, now closed in the pre-Beeching cuts, also headed away from what was a triangular station. The geographical position even warranted a loco shed but this closed with the reduction in importance of the junction.
The double track line however still sees a good amount of freight routed away from the East Coast Main Line bound for Temple Mills plus others continuing on into East Anglia. The East Coast seaside resorts generate much additional summer traffic but the staple passenger trains are 3, 4 or 5 coaches and vans to Norwich, Ipswich and Cambridge but only a few now stop here. A mixture of steam and diesels work all of these trains.
The layout uses Peco code 75 trackwork with a couple of hand built points where special geometry was required. Normal operation is using DCC controllers and DCC fitted locomotives with the layout – this is IRMA's first DCC layout. Limited analogue operation is also possible as the layout is split into 3 DCC zones: outer circuit, inner circuit and branch line/yard, however there are no isolating sections!
The main double track line to east and west is bisected by a single track branch line which crosses it and a third branch, now closed in the pre-Beeching cuts, also headed away from what was a triangular station. The geographical position even warranted a loco shed but this closed with the reduction in importance of the junction.
The double track line however still sees a good amount of freight routed away from the East Coast Main Line bound for Temple Mills plus others continuing on into East Anglia. The East Coast seaside resorts generate much additional summer traffic but the staple passenger trains are 3, 4 or 5 coaches and vans to Norwich, Ipswich and Cambridge but only a few now stop here. A mixture of steam and diesels work all of these trains.
The layout uses Peco code 75 trackwork with a couple of hand built points where special geometry was required. Normal operation is using DCC controllers and DCC fitted locomotives with the layout – this is IRMA's first DCC layout. Limited analogue operation is also possible as the layout is split into 3 DCC zones: outer circuit, inner circuit and branch line/yard, however there are no isolating sections!
