Newcastle Haymarket Tramsformed

I love the minimalist layouts built over the years by Ian Futers. I've tracked down magazine back numbers featuring them, been to at least 4 exhibitions simply because one of his models, sometimes under new ownership, was there, I even have a part finished 00 gauge pastiche of Newcastle Haymarket warping nicely in a rather damp loft.

Recent posts by Chris Mears on his excellent Prince Street Terminal blog reawakened my interest in Ian's
work. When he went on to mock up a tram terminal using the Newcastle Hamarket track plan, I began to wonder what the actual model would look like if it were updated, as if it had been incorporated into a modern rapid transit system. In fact, if the station really existed, it might well have become part of the Tyne and Wear Metro, which uses high level platforms, some of which are ex railway, with tram style articulated cars.

In Nottingham, our local tram system, the southern terminus is on the old Great Central Railway viaduct, which ran over the city before plunging into a tunnel through to Nottingham Victoria Station.

The pre-tramway shot, above, shows the location. Trams now approach down the street on the left of the photo (the tunnel mouth through to Victoria can just be seen) then swing onto the viaduct. The brick part has been replaced by a modern concrete structure, once over the road in the foreground the original structure is used. At the end, a modern tower-like building, see left, provides access to the platforms. Since it was only built for plain double track, the viaduct has been widened using a metal structure, topped with a concrete deck.

The rails are set into the concrete. The station throat is a scissors crossover, allowing access from the double track approach to either platform. Beyond the buffers, behind the camera, the original Great Central crossed Station Street, then went over the four platforms of Nottingham Midland station on a huge bridge, now demolished. With the news this week that two more routes are to be added to the Nottingham network, this scene will soon change. Tracks will again run southwards from here and a new bridge will be built over the Midland station, still in use.

Returning to Haymarket, the viaduct here includes platforms, so unlike the Nottingham example, no widening would be necessary. The original station building would be demolished and, since the trams are much shorter, the line would be cut back, probably at around the white noticeboard seen on the booking office wall in the picture to the left. A tower, with lifts, would be built to give access from street level. With the bridge removed, a small plaza, with flowerbeds, could be set around the street entrance.

Were I to try this in N gauge, and I'm very tempted, I'd add a loop at street level for my Tomytec moving bus, emerging from under the far bridge, that looping back round through the new 'Station Plaza', to return behind the backscene. Tomytec produce 66mm radius curves so the layout would easily fit onto a 20cm wide board. A new take on an old idea, and a real salute to an inspiring railway modeller.