Middleton is the society's newer venture. Still a 00 gauge layout, due to the amount of suitable stock, this portrays the Middleton branch in the 1930s with the addition of a single track main line to Appleby to bypass the restricted Stainmore line.

The layout started as an addition to the club's existing layout, Havil. It was designed as a branch station to fit inside Havil and to be small enough for easy transport to exhibitions. However, knowledge of Middleton prototype increased such that some compromises became unacceptable, so in consequence the design was been modified producing a layout nearly 39 feet long. The layout incorporates some interesting and unusual features of design/operation

• Fully interlocked electro-mechanical signalling / power control
• Banking locomotive operations, with the banker dropping off the moving train
• Full "one way" working, i.e. loaded trains and empty trains only work in the correct directions (with no manual intervention)

Around 1900 increases in eastbound iron-ore and westbound coke traffic over the Stainmore route between Cumbria and Tees-side was causing serious line capacity problems to the NER. In 1901 they introduced the first 8-coupled mineral engines, but were unable to use them on the Stainmore route because of severe weight restrictions over the viaducts at Belah and Deepdale.

To avoid this problem it was decided to construct another route across the Pennines, utilising part of the existing Middleton-in-Teesdale branch. This had originally been laid with the capability of taking heavy locomotives, having been intended to join up with the Alston branch as part of a through route from Tee-side to Carlisle.

A new connection with the MR Settle-Carlisle line at Appleby allowed NER trains (by means of running powers) to reach Carlisle from Tees-side, rather than via Newcastle. To cater for the increase in traffic, the original Middleton branch was then doubled between Tees Valley Junction and the new junction.

Steam provided the power to work the line, despite some thought of extending the Newport-Shildon overhead electrification, and rear banking assistance was needed for the heavy eastbound iron-ore trains from the west entrance to the tunnel as far as Prospect Fell Junction. These were always given a clear run through the section - the banking engine dropping off at the junction and returning through the tunnel either then or later, according to traffic flow.

To work the new line, additional engines were stationed at the NER's London Road shed at Carlisle, which closed as an economy measure in 1933. Its allocation was transferred to the neighbouring ex-NBR Canal shed in the Scottish area and as a result, NBR locomotives were occasionally seen on the new line.

From the Darlington end, the shed there frequently used engines being run-in after construction or repair at North Road Works, bringing some surprising visitors to the line. Even the class A3 pacifics shedded at Canal, for working over the Waverley route to Edinburgh, were seen at times making their way back, following overhaul at Doncaster Works.

In LNER days, the LMS ran excursion trains via Carlisle to the race meetings at Catterick and Redcar, and summer Saturday traffic to the coastal resorts of Saltburn and Whitby. These would bring various classes of LMS locomotives on the through workings, adding even more to the variety to be found hauling the everyday trains on the route.

  Our model depicts the layout at Prospect Hill Junction and Middleton-in-Teesdale as they existed - only the through line via Warcop Fell Tunnel joining the two places is a product of our imagination - what a route it would have made!

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