Middle Earth
Model Railway

6th October 2008
Monday, 2:01pm

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Last Updated
29/7/08

Photographs and Videos

Photographs | Videos

The following attempts to portray the development of the layout since it moved to its present location. Click on the images to view a larger picture. Newest images are at the bottom.

Images from 1984 of the layout in its previous location can be found here.

Summer 1993

Bree in foreground with Michel Delving behind (left of center). Hobbiton and Overhill are to the top-right of photograph. Buckland on lower level, with a Shire passenger train in Tuckbrough station. Hobbiton station prior to installation of new control panel. Tunnel mouth on left leads to Overhill. On the right is the mine and quary entrance. Overhill station. Engine is 'Nellie', the oldest on the railway. Track in the foreground leads from Hobbiton to Michel Delving (left of photo). Michel Delving prior to reconstruction. Engine shed is to the right. Looking towards the east end of Hobbiton, with the mine and quary visable.

Spring 1994

Bree station on lower level. Visable between the two tracks in the foreground is the Fornosway platform, which is actually on the level below. West end of Hobbiton looking towards Overhill.

Summer 1994

Michel Delving before reconstruction. No.5 'Gandalf' (Evening Star) is in the foreground having just backed into a parked car. Shows Bree in the center and Stadle on the right. In the left foreground is Fornosway (left) and Woodend (right, but only just visable).

Summer 1995

View of Hobbiton showing 'Nellie' (light-engine), No.15 'Elrond' (Mallard) hauling the motor-rail and a Shire passenger hauled by No.17 'Serrelind'. View of Hobbiton showing 'Nellie' (light-engine), No.15 'Elrond' (Mallard) hauling the motor-rail and a Shire passenger hauled by No.17 'Serrelind'. View of Hobbiton showing 'Nellie' (light-engine), No.15 'Elrond' (Mallard) hauling the motor-rail and a Shire passenger hauled by No.17 'Serrelind'. Between Hobbiton and Bywater Junction, east of Hobbiton. Looking towards the Bywater Junction in the distance. Bree on the left, Stadle in the center and Buckland on the right. Between Hobbiton and Bywater Junction, east of Hobbiton. Michel Delving before reconstruction. Staddle in the foreground, Buckland in the middle, and Tuckbrough in the background (on higher level).

Spring 2000

Michel Delving from the west, showing the new engine shed bays. The old engine shed on the right is almost full with six engines occupying the four bays. The east end of Frogmorton station on the North Shire. The station buildings are just right of center. The single track line from Bree to Buckland is visible underneath. The new development at the west end of Michel Delving. On the left is a Mk.3 HST coach being used to test track clearance. The line to Westmarch (not complete when the photo was taken) now runs behind where the coach is standing. View of Staddle village and station in the center. To the left is Bree station and to the right is Buckland station. Hobbiton station is just visible in the top-left. An empty Bree station, before the lengthening of the terminus platforms and the engine shed. View of the east end of Buckland station (center-left). Above is Tuckbrough, and part of Staddle village is visible in the foreground.

Summer 2000

A busy Michel Delving with (from front to back) a Shire Freight, the Overhill service, the Shire InterCity, a Shire Passenger service and a coal train. Staddle village in the center, with the Army depot on the left. Bottom-left is part of the Freight siddings at Bree. Buckland is on the right. View of the viaduct on the North Shire between the Bywater Junction and Frogmorton. Behind, the Staddle service stands at Staddle station, ready to leave for Bree.

Winter 2000

No.5 'Gandalf' hauling an inter-city freight service through the rugged North Shire landscape towards Mitchel Delving. No.20 'Morwen of Lossarnach' dozing outside the old Michel Delving engineshed with No.11 'Galadriel' in the background. No.6 'Frodo' hauling the South Shire Passenger service crossing a tressle bridge on the South Shire Line heading for Buckland. R1 'Lady Eowyn' passing through the Bywater Junction at high speed towards Michel Delving. B3 'Gwaihir' with a Bree-bound freight train at Buckland Station. Recently delivered R4 'Rivendell' in the freight yard at Bree Station. Serrelind' outside the Buckland engineshed, waiting for a Shire Passenger shift to Mitchel Delving. No.19 'Took' sitting quietly at Michel Delving with the Tuckbrough service.

Spring 2001

No.24 'Thain of the Shire', hauling a Shire Passenger train, pauses at Frogmorton station on its way to Buckland.

Summer 2002

No.5 'Gandalf' stationary at Frogmorton station with a special freight. A Shire Freight service stands in the siding behind. No.1 'Rose' heads a Tuckbrough passenger service waiting to depart from Michel Delving, while B4 'Círdan' sits alongside, waiting to haul the next Bree InterCity service to arrive. No.18 'Goldberry' in the Bree freight sidings waiting to haul a mixed freight service to Buckland. To the right stands the Motorail coaches, with Bree Intercity coaches beyond.

Spring 2003

No.32 'Valandil' sits on the turntable at Michel Delving. In the top left of the image is No.25 'Elanor of Westmarch'. No.9 'Meriodock' (left) and No.28 'Gloin' (right) help with the extension of the main platform at Hobbiton, which will allow full-length express trains to fit within the station. No.27 'Fredegar' waits at Frogmorton with a down Shire Passenger heading towards Buckland. No.3 'Barliman' passes Staddle Parish Church whilst hauling a military freight train out the the army depot. No.30 'Eldarion' waits to leave the Buckland freight siding with a Shire Freight train bound for Hobbiton. To the right is an unidentified Hymek, and No.34 'Pumpkin' sits outside the shed. Michel Delving station lit up at night.

Summer 2003

No.41 'Tuckbrough' sits outside the Michel Delving engine shed shortly after arriving on the railway. In the background is No.32 'Valandil'. 9003 'Eriador' departs from Grey Havens for West Delving station. No.40 'Bywater' waits at Hobbiton en-route to Michel Delving. A Shire Passenger service is in the background. A Michel Delving Council owned tram sits at the West Delving Link platform. B6 'Shadowfax' (left) and another unidentified Class 43 in the bay platforms at Bree. The engine shed is behind, with No.15 'Elrond' outside. B8 'Gimli', the Bree shunter, approaching the sidings.

Spring 2004

No.5 'Gandalf' sits on the Michel Delving turntable. East-facing view of Michel Delving from above the turntable. Two walkers stop to watch No.5 'Gandalf' on the turntable at Michel Delving. Aerial view looking north east of a farm near Bywater Junction. View of the mine entrance east of Hobbiton station. View of a factory near Michel Delving station, taken from behind the New Shed. No.1 'Rose' outside the Old Shed at Michel Delving. Railway workers moving sleepers at Michel Delving. West facing view of Hobbiton station.

Spring 2005

B18 'Brandy Hall' stands in a Michel Delving siding The new Grey Havens control panel. No.17 'Serrelind' at Hobbiton No.9 'Meriodock' with a Shire freight arrives at Woodend B8 'Gimli' shunting in the Bree sidings View from the top of the Michel Delving 'Old Shed' No.19 'Bandibras Took' in the quary sidings at Hobbiton. View of the Hobbiton shed from south of the station. View of Hobbiton from the east. Looking down the length of Michel Delving station from the turntable. Looking towards the Michel Delving 'New Shed' from the turntable. The east end of Grey Havens station. View of Frogmorton station and No.41 'Tuckbrough' Aerial view of Bree station. Aerial view of the west end of Michel Delving station. Overhill station. Bywater Abbey No.45 'Gollum' outside the Bree engine shed. B19 'Helm's Deep' at Michel Delving. A collection of locomotives outside the Michel Delving 'Old Shed'.

Summer 2005

Grey Havens locomotive sidings and safety systems. View of the Grey Havens loco sidings.

Winter 2005

Evening at Michel Delving Michel Delving platforms at night Buckland station looking east.

Spring 2006

Gollum heads east from Hobbiton Dúnedain at Michel Delving Celeborn leaving Bree Thranduil at Michel Delving

Spring 2007

Newly arrived Class 52 B24 stands in Platform 1 at Bree Extended siding and platform at Michel Delving Scenery contruction at Staddle village