Hayling Island - Station Building roof

[hayfield]

Another ‘field cameo’ could be Bobby Tambling, long-time Chelsea top-scorer, playing footie with his brothers. He was in my uncle’s class at primary school and a wizard footballer by the time he was ten.

 

 

That brings back some memories, my friends dad was a turnstile supervisor, so every now and again popped down to the bridge to watch a game, days of Charlie Cook, the Harris brothers, Dempsey, Hutchinson not to forget Osgood. Went to the famous FA cup replay against Leeds. Still enjoying this thread and the care being taken laying the track, thanks.

[Nearholmer]

The famous FA cup replay, yes, and a guy I worked with had been a ball boy for the first game, but his dad wouldn’t let him do the replay because it was a school day - he was bitter forty years on!

[The Bigbee Line]

Now the boards have reached the actual track laying stages I am going to do things slightly different to my normal method.  I will tape a piece of paper to the rear of each board and trace the rail tops onto the paper.  I will then draw lines 26 mm from each rail to represent the ballast shoulder.  That template will be used to cut the 'roadbed' for each board.  The measurements used were roughly extrapolated from a view of the track at Langston Halt.

 

 

I would like to represent some lineside staff allotments on the first board farthest from the buffer stops.  Again the inspiration is shown below...

 

    

[The Bigbee Line]

Tonight some 10mm ply was cut out as the first piece of roadbed and screwed into place

 

 

The track was pinned back in place. It will get it's final alignment when there is roadbed under the curved turnout

 

 

The ballast shoulder had a base of filler made from PVA, water and balsa dust. It saves the amount of ballast required and the PVA in the mix bonds the ply roadbed to the main board.

 

Edited August 31, 2018 by The Bigbee Line

[doilum]

Delighted to see the raised trackbed. I fear that the popularity of laser cut boards is taking us back to the 1970s and membership of the flat earth society. No amount of handmade dead scale track and Pendon standard buildings will disguise the fact everything is on one base level.

The addition of steep embankments only makes it worse as it precludes the most essential feature of a cutting, drainage diches. If this appears as a passionate rant, it is. Back in the 80s, we young upstarts had to fight hard to persuade the older modellers that a new club layout did not have to start with 3x1 timbers and 3/4" chipboard. Given that even a small 0 gauge layout will quickly swallow up a four figure budget and a rtr two coach train likewise, this fundamental decision of layout geography is almost a zero cost.

[The Bigbee Line]

Delighted to see the raised trackbed. I fear that the popularity of laser cut boards is taking us back to the 1970s and membership of the flat earth society. No amount of handmade dead scale track and Pendon standard buildings will disguise the fact everything is on one base level.

The addition of steep embankments only makes it worse as it precludes the most essential feature of a cutting, drainage diches. If this appears as a passionate rant, it is. Back in the 80s, we young upstarts had to fight hard to persuade the older modellers that a new club layout did not have to start with 3x1 timbers and 3/4" chipboard. Given that even a small 0 gauge layout will quickly swallow up a four figure budget and a rtr two coach train likewise, this fundamental decision of layout geography is almost a zero cost.

During the time period to be modelled the ballast was almost manicured by the local staff.  Once the base for the shoulder has dried, I plan to create the cess / walkway with some kind of thick slightly textured (maybe masonry) paint.  Finishing in matt grey.  I can the do test sections to see what angle I can achieve with the ballast shoulder.

 

I'm also keen to get the ballast size as near as I can, see examples that I am using for size...

 

[The Bigbee Line]

As I’m thinking of modelling an allotment, it begs the question - When in the year? Often our models represent that yearned for past time. I’ve thought that runner bean poles would be essential. With the beans a couple of feet up the poles. Potato plants just poking through after earthing up.

Plus the soil on a Hayling Island embankment would be pretty poor. So a visit to the area might be useful. Even though the railway is long gone......

[GRASinBothell]

We lived on the sea front on Hayling Island in the '60s, and yes, "poor" would be a very generous description of the soil. Nothing much grew in our garden...

 

Gordon

[Nearholmer]

I will consult my mother; her father was a market-gardener, who helped keep the place supplied with vegetables between his Home Guard duties. I do know that they ate well during the war, from what he grew and from rabbits, which used to abound on Hayling, and seafood.

[The Bigbee Line]

Yesterday we were in Eastleigh and after work, made a trip to Hayling Island.  I'd been before, but never actually been to the site of the station.

 

 

 

 

So using the signs for the Theatre as our guide we found it.  Parking in the car park next door we had a stroll along the Hayling Billy trail.  The weather was a little inclement so didn't go too far.  Once out of the station area the track bed seems fairly intact.  It was not quite as flat as I was expecting.  We found some concrete fence posts and a short length of wire stranded boundary fence.

 

 

 

 

We stopped off at the site of the old bridge on our way off the island.  A bit emotive...

 

 

 

 

 

[DLT]

Lovely project Ernie, I've long been a fan of the Hayling line.

All the best, Dave.

[pwr]

Such a loss this line. Probably hopelessly economic but lives on in models like this.

 

Had it survived I wonder what would have happened.

 

Most of the track would have been removed and it would be run as a one engine in steam long siding with 3H Diesel units. Interesting to speculate what would have replaced them - a 159 or 158 probably but that assumes it would have been run by South West Trains although in reality it would probably have been a Southern branch and run by 171

 

Paul R

[GRASinBothell]

It wasn't actually uneconomic at the time. The problem was the bridge needed replacing, and while the line actually broke even, or made a small profit, it couldn't cover the bridge replacement cost.

The big mistake was not including the railway when they replaced the road bridge in the early 1950s. If they had, the line would probably still be with us. On the other hand, that would have removed the need to retain the terriers, and we probably wouldn't have (m)any of those preserved.

Gordon

[The Bigbee Line]

Not much modelling today.  I've been painting the old front door in readiness for its 'up cycling' to the workshop.  The old door being life expired.  Being a crap painter I have the door flat on trestles, therefore defyng the paint to run....

 

So its a bit of armchair modelling..  I'm trying to establish the coaching stock used on the line.  1950s pictures show compartment coaches, the later Maunsell Corridor appeared.  Bullied Brake Coaches then appeared, teamed with Maunsell coaches or 10 compartment BR Mk1 suburbans, It got interesting towards the end. 

 

 

With the demise of the Steam Push Pull services there were surplus driving brake compos and open seconds.  These appeared to have run loose not in their former sets.  Here S6699S from the set 619, running with the experimental fibreglass bodied 10 compartment suburban and a 'normal' 10 compartment suburban...

 

 

I have been squinting at the coaching stock on all the pictures I can find for anything else on the line.

 

I'm not sure what the coach is next to the buffer stops in this picture..

 

 

Seen ready to leave Havant for Hayling Island is what I'm sure is an LMS coach, in Maroon...

 

 

Any assistance is appreciated,

 

Thanks

Edited September 23, 2018 by The Bigbee Line

[DLT]

It wasn't actually uneconomic at the time. The problem was the bridge needed replacing, and while the line actually broke even, or made a small profit, it couldn't cover the bridge replacement cost.

The big mistake was not including the railway when they replaced the road bridge in the early 1950s. If they had, the line would probably still be with us. On the other hand, that would have removed the need to retain the terriers, and we probably wouldn't have (m)any of those preserved.

Gordon

 

There was probably pressure from the roads lobby as well, to get rid of the level crossing where traffic could build up.

Interesting to speculate, had it been electrified, would the weight limits on the bridge have been such an issue?

Cheers, Dave.

[GRASinBothell]

Even after the line closed, getting off the island was miserable in the summer, especially in the evenings when people were heading home.

I don't think it made a big difference. Only a few yards away, the roundabout on the Havant bypass was a big block, and the lights in the middle of Havant for anyone heading to the A3 would be another.

 

Gordon

[figworthy]

Such a loss this line. Probably hopelessly economic but lives on in models like this.

 

Had it survived I wonder what would have happened.

 

Most of the track would have been removed and it would be run as a one engine in steam long siding with 3H Diesel units. Interesting to speculate what would have replaced them - a 159 or 158 probably but that assumes it would have been run by South West Trains although in reality it would probably have been a Southern branch and run by 171

 

Paul R

 

Looking at the volume of traffic going on and off the Island, the level crossing on Havant Road would cause chaos.  True some of the road traffic might be using the train instead, but probably not enough of it.  Replacing the crossing with a bridge would be an interesting exercise.

 

Adrian

[The Bigbee Line]

On our recent trip to Hayling Island I managed to retrieve a piece of ballast from the Hayling Billy Footpath.

 

I suspect is from Meldon Quarry from its colour and apprearance.  Other that the bridge timbers I think the line was in reasonable order.

 

 

[Nearholmer]

Must be a trick of the ‘phone screen, but that looks like a gold nugget to me!

[The Bigbee Line]

Must be a trick of the ‘phone screen, but that looks like a gold nugget to me!

Must be those 'rose tinted glasses'.....

[The Bigbee Line]

The delay to modelling in the workshop is down to a door....

 

 

It's the old front door, give a couple of coats of white in readiness for its new duties.  Fingers crossed it will be up at the weekend and Hayling Island will start to take shape in earnest.  There should be enough room to have access on both sides....  Watch this space...

[N15class]

Very smart. Hope you hung it before painting.

[The Bigbee Line]

Very smart. Hope you hung it before painting.

I did try it in the hole. I use the Cinderella method “you will go to the ball!!!”

 

Just want to get it out of the way. It must be a good door as it weighs a ton.

[DLT]

Decorating has been known to eat into modelling time...

[pwr]

Like you I prefer to take my doors off before I paint them. It reduces the runs if you paint them flat!

 

Paul R