Greatford Crossing. A Layout by Graham Hobbs
With very many thanks to Graham for supplying the text and pictures.
The Inspiration

Background
This latter section is identified as Medehampton and has features that reflect many aspects of the area around Peterborough North which is where I grew up and enjoyed my trainspotting days as a teenager. The whole layout is operated in DCC although turnouts and eventually signals and other working accessories will be operated in an analogue fashion.
Whilst chiefly designed to illustrate an early 1960’s atmosphere from time to time iconic heritage trains may run.These include:-
- the ‘Silver Jubilee’,
- Stirling single with GNR stock,
- various prototype diesels,
- SLOA steam excursions
- and even the ‘Bristolian’
amongst many others..
Some modern trains might also appear like an East Midlands 158 DMU which frequently brings our grandchildren to see us down the mainline from Grantham.To me it is important that any modelling has been done by my fair hand thus making it an exercise in learning multi disciplinary skills. Some areas of modelling, like electronics, I find more challenging than others so there is always a steep learning curve. Also the more tedious projects such as signalling will inevitably take a lot of time (there are lots on the layout) and therefore at the moment, although constructed, they are non working with many of the arms only supported by tiny blobs of Blutack. The same goes for the two turntables which require motorising and wiring.


The big question applies ‘is a model railway ever finished?’ The next question is why then have I started my new layout? My wife, however, being more pragmatic wants to know where on earth this will be stored. I just evade the issue and keep modelling!
We are most grateful to Graham for allowing us to publish details of his layout above and the further pictures and text published for the first time below. The layout has previously featured in three editions of BRM back in 2019
Alternatively, to just admire the pictures, use the gallery view here.
DP2 is seen here passing the brick built bridge over West Glen River just North of the crossing and with Banthorpe occupation bridge behind.
This is a general view of the shed approaches.
Here we see the station end with a representation of the Great Northern Hotel and the old Crown pub which used to stand where John Lewis's Westgate doors are now. There is a notice in the window for a Disco. From the age of fifteen, by which time steam had become virtually non-existent in Peterborough, Friday night disco's here, were the place to be!
Next up are two views of Crescent Bridge, familiar to anyone living in Peterborough. This is a scratch built model, using card for the trusses and other structural features. The rivets (and there are many!) were made by dabbing spots of PVA glue on the end of a cocktail stick.
The second of the two shots of Crescent Bridge.
Two young lads jotting down numbers of locos 'on shed'
The shed with the coaling tower. The tower was made to replicate the one at Grantham but with a different chute arrangement.
The water crane and drain in amongst the engines.
A view along the station.
The goods depot shown above is made from mounting card and Graham's own printed paper. This view shows some of the expected features of a busy freight handling yard.
This shows the Lion with the Yorkshire Pullman.
The coal hoist is a Walsworth etched kit and was a common feature along the southern end of the GNR. The little loading wagons are cosmetic, made from card and plasticard.
The coaling tower and shed in action.
Another view of the coaling tower and shed area.
This shows the other side of the coaling stage with the tippler arrangement. Via a solenoid operated slider, the tower can dispense real coal from the upper bunker into a waiting tender.
The south end of the up platform. Medehampton is an amalgamation of Medehampstead, the original Saxon name for the city, and Hampton the new settlement on the old brick yard sites.
The Flying Scotsman, 60103 was built from a Proscale kit. This is now stripped down for conversion to DCC. This is not as easy as most since the chassis is live but there is the option to adopt a more modern Hornby spare chassis should the kit's one prove too awkward.