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Great West Road - transfers & I’m not talking football!


southern42
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Hi all,

I am a newish rmweb member and have enjoyed many of your wonderful threads but I’ve yet to post anything about my proposed layout. So here goes.

At the Wigan Show 2010, I received some very generous advice on the operation of a GWR shed from a well known railway lover and, at last, I am in a position to say that I have made a little progress.

I now have a 6ft x 2ft baseboard on which to build a GWR layout with a fiddle yard added at one or both ends but where to start?.

The initial inspiration came from Salisbury, the shed building described as a smaller version of Southall. Southall shed was up the track from my home station of Hayes and Harlington. On reading about Southall, I liked the description: ‘squeezed in’ between the mainline and the branchline. On a small baseboard it would, undoubtedly, be a bit of a squeeze.

Among the persuasive factors for a Hayes-Southall-Brentford Dock type location are the freight possibilities connected with well known industries such as EMI (which had its own small shunting engine), Nestlé (coffee and chocolate), Walls (sausages), Callard and Bowsers (sweeties), Quaker Oats, Woolf’s rubber factory, AEC (which made buses and railway engines and had its own 4 wheel diesel shunter, now preserved), Southall Gas Works and its neighbouring plant creosoting wooden sleepers. The section of the Great West Road known as the Golden Mile was once home to many household names such as Firestone tyres (with sidings off the Brentford branchline), Gillette, and Smith’s Potato Crisps. So there we have it – the things (and the smells in the air!) that fill my childhood memory.

There is also plenty of temptation: Southall Shed is now a railway preservation centre and an operational base for mainline-registered steam locomotives. Yes, you’ve guessed it – sabotage the layout to let off steam with our assortment of ‘preserved’ locos – you know the ones, those your husband rushes out to buy you for Christmas when you mention building a model railway – Flying Scotsman, Mallard, Duchess of Hamilton and, of course, the new rebuilds such as Tornado.

So, how far have I got?

I have a few GWR/BR(W) tank engines and autocoach, Model Rail’s Sentinel No. 13, a City, Castle and Hall class (if it can be made to run smoothly) and a couple of wagons. Also, I am charmed by the AEC railcar (with new RTR versions in the offing, it’s a must) and the Southall/Depot class 121 that I picked up at the Porthmadog Show 2012. I am also on the lookout for stock in keeping with the prototype which can be added later if all goes to plan.

The Plan

I have looked at Southall track plans of GWR and BR periods and have decided to condense the GWR plan. Currently, I am testing this out in AnyRail. I will report back when I have something to show.

Thank you for your interest and please feel welcome to add any comments.

 

 

Edit 10 11 2014 The beginnings of an INDEX

PAGE 20

Some track plan ideas

WD 40488 pic and length compared with 9F and West Country

60163 Tornado in Brunswick green

Class 33 Southall on the Fawley - Denham oil tanks

 

PAGE 21

Links to pics of  81C with Derby Suburban DMU

Article on 6106 in Great Western Echo

Clun Castle and Spitfire

Weathering Warley wagon 2013

Acquire DVD Old Oak Common & the Great Western

Order IK Brunel

 

PAGE 22

Video Britihs Railways Steam 1960s Paddington-Southall

Mr Brunel arrives!

Blue 08 as donor for 08780 Fred, Jeremy Hosking's Class 08 shunter at Southall & Link to pic.

Pics of Didcot's Once in a Blue Moon and coaling tubs

Pics at Llangollen Railway and Severn Valley Railway

 

PAGE 23

GWR shovels and right handed drivers

71000 Duke of Gloucester and 4484 Bittern line up

Bittern model - manifold isolation valves painter RED  :nono:

Link to 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley at 81C 1965

1965 Brentford Branch Line - 9773 + 6106 on Thames Valley Tour

Pics Llangollen Railway

 

PAGE 24

Track plan suggestion - merge with Weymouth shed

Video 6233 Duchess of Sutherland showing train movement from mainline to relief platform and shed

94xx Wills Finecast unfinished kit / 8750 chassis

Hornby 4073 Caerphilly Castle donor for 4079 Pendennis Castle

Pic 4079 Pendennis Castle ready for 1965 Railtour

BR shed building mock-up

6869 Resolven Grange

 

PAGE 25

Video Brentford Branch Line, EWS 66248 “Vale of Glamorgan;” Yeoman JHA Bogie Aggregrate Hoppers; JGA Hoppers; Link to Pic of Angerstein Wharf-Brentford run

Pics: Didcot 3650 Birthday; 4079 Pendennis Castle;

Pics Mid Hants and Swanage; SVR's 1501

Pics WC 34016 Bodmin

Shed codes

 

PAGE 26

Pics BoB Sir Winston Churchill Mid Hants, Llangollen: 5952 Cogan Hall , 2859

Reference to Hurlford Shed and St Marnock Shed

Pics Didcot and Ropley sheds

Video WCRC 57314 Southall

4575 bought as donor for 5531

 

PAGE 27

"GWR on the tender in Reading station early 60s"

Pics Butterley 2014 including LMS brake van

14xx eary livery 1960s

Southall railcar No. W24W crimson and cream

'City of Truro' at Southall Shed 1960

Arrival of model WCRC Black 5 No. 44932 and video 11 March 2012 at Southall

Crossrail redevelopment plans for Southall, pics original Southall and Hanwell platform buildings.

 

PAGE 28

Link to Video 4492 Dominion of New Zealand livery heading Great Britain IV

Trainspotting and NRM exhibition

Llangollen Railway's Along Western Lines Gala Weekend

Arrival of: R.K. Kirkland, The Great Western & Brentford Railway

Pic and weathering ideas Black 5 44932

Arrival of: Great Western Docks and Marine

Pics Barrow Hill 2014

 

PAGE 29

Pics from Barrow Hill and Hazel Grove 2014

8750 #9791 and goods from Brentford - wagons identified.

 

PAGE 30

Parkside kits; wagons; GWR "croc," etc.

1961 timing of No. 9791 headed goods train

No. 6106 on Thames Valley Tour; signal on platform

Track layout and signalling changes : literature : branch platform; Southall East Junction; Coke Road; etc.

Warley 2014 photos

Weathering Cleckheaton tar wagon

Steam railmotors available via pre-order from Kernow

 

PAGE 31

Weathering tar wagon continued

4464 Bittern London to York tour 4 December 2014

Photos at National Railway Museum  including Duchess of Hamilton, City of Truro (plus video), 6000 King George V, workshop views of 4472 Flying Scotsman and Trainspotting exhibition

Exchange of Christmas greetings

Parts to build water tender for Bittern

Duchess of Sutherland with support coach announced plus Video at Southall in the dark 2014

Derailment of ex-GWR English Electric 350hp shunter (numbered 15104 in Model Rail) at Southall

 

PAGE 32

Derailment of ex-GWR English Electric 350hp shunter at Southall, identified as No. 15100, tho only one of its class

GWR Goods Wagons and Class 153

New Year greetings

Flying Scotsman King's Cross 2014 and 4472 Southall 1965

Flashback to 34016 Bodmin at the Mid Hants railway

Wagons for 1961 goods train

Charringtons coal drop at Brentford Town (Goods)

Pre-view Steam Steel and Stars IV at Llangollen

 

PAGE 33

On the buses: Southall, station bridge, 105, 120, 232/232A; Southall, Uxbridge Road, and the Dalek invasion of the Routemaster,  207/207A

 

PAGE 34

Spring points

Track changes:  pre 1961; 1968; 1977; 1983; 2012 (Youtube "The Conrete Cow" 2012 part 5)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year (2016)

Railway Track Diagrams Book 3 Western - Track plans and 2885 at Southall.

 

PAGE 35

Track plans; Siting of oil tanks; Southall turntable

Youtube:  60163 70000 4492 (plus 2 support coaches). Runround and tender first running.

Youtube:  60163,70000,4492. 20th Oct.2011  Southall

 

PAGE 36

Track plans showing different shed and turntable sizes; and train movements 1961 & 2011

WTT Brentford branch; 2011 arrival & departures of stone trains and steam

Mainline sidings v Preservation yard

Youtube: British Railways Steam 1960's Paddington-Southall MPD

Youtube: Southall - Brentford Town Branch, stone trains 16/02/12 & 24/02/2012

 

PAGE 37

Some fictitious names; 59001; platform signals; route maps

Rules and Regs & local instructions for operating GWRd - yard and branch line

Multiple aspect signalling 1968 instead of Southall signal boxes

Youtube: 66170 + ex-RMC  JGAs Angerstein to Brentford

Youtube: 66037 + JHAs on cripple run Southall yard to Didcot yard

Link to photo A4 Gresley + Hymek at Southall

List of BR publications; loco lamp position; tokens and lineside apparatus

Edited by southern42
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Hi Polly

 

Great Start now it's on the RMWeb, I'm sure lots of further advice will flood in...

 

Just keep us posted and upload Photo's ofg the Progress, even if it is only a Base Board at present...

Look forword to the many Photos and reading all Comments...

 

Do you have a Preposed Track Plan to Upload...

 

Jamie

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Most of my childhood was spent on the footbridge at Southall and something that needs to be added to your stocklist is Class 08 number D3972. In the early/mid 60's the Brentford branch was the sole preserve of D3972 - I never saw anything else go there. Usual train length was 6 or so vehicles (almost always vans, always fitted, all very shabby) and although longer trains were fairly common I dont recall seeing any longer than about ten vehicles.

 

By then the shed itself was mostly used for stabling DMU's although the odd loco (usually a Hymek or a Class 22, which in those days were called North British) came or went. Strangely, I never saw D3972 visit the shed itself.

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Hi Polly

 

Great Start now it's on the RMWeb, I'm sure lots of further advice will flood in...

 

Just keep us posted and upload Photo's ofg the Progress, even if it is only a Base Board at present...

Look forword to the many Photos and reading all Comments...

 

Do you have a Preposed Track Plan to Upload...

 

Jamie

 

Still working on the track plan but will upload a sketch later.

Polly

 

The GWS railmotor was also based at Southall in its first life.

 

If you haven't seen it, the Cuneo painting "Storm on the shed, Southall" might also be worth a look.

 

I love the Cuneo, very atmospheric. Someone gave me a Cuneo calendar in the late 70s. Wonderful!

There is a steam railmotor standing in front of the engine shed on the 1912 picture of the Maypole Margarine Factory on the railmotor93 website.

http://www.railmotor93.org/shed/pictures/southall_01.html

I am using this photo for the track layout in conjunction with the diagram in the book on GWR sheds.

 

 

 

Most of my childhood was spent on the footbridge at Southall and something that needs to be added to your stocklist is Class 08 number D3972. In the early/mid 60's the Brentford branch was the sole preserve of D3972 - I never saw anything else go there. Usual train length was 6 or so vehicles (almost always vans, always fitted, all very shabby) and although longer trains were fairly common I dont recall seeing any longer than about ten vehicles.

 

By then the shed itself was mostly used for stabling DMU's although the odd loco (usually a Hymek or a Class 22, which in those days were called North British) came or went. Strangely, I never saw D3972 visit the shed itself.

 

Many thanks for that information, something I haven't thought about..

Hubby has just informed me that we have a bargain basement Hornby 08 D3986 late BR - close enough for a renumber?

I can also nick his Class 22 (D 6323) from his Southern layout.

 

Hi good luck with the Southall shed project, the shed and footbridge was my old haunt as a young lad in the 50's there is plenty of referance material and photo's about so you should do it justice.

If your Hall is an early Bachmann loco they were put together by some one heavy handed check to see if the driver wheel are quartered correctly and not turning on the axle if so it's a strip down job re glue them back together with super glue if they are too far gone it's a phone calll to Bachmann for a new set.

The AEC truck & bus works used to maintain the engines of the railcars in their factory just behind the sheds so their was alway a couple of these park in their own sidings along with open wagons which took the swath and scrap away.

Quaker Oats had their own loading docks shunted by a tractor,their was alway covered vans in the siding next to the branch line very rare would be a rake of grain wagons in their yard late summer after the harvest.

There was one up/down each day to Brentford on the branch line the wagons were mainly covereds van from the biscuit factory and timber in opens from the docks some one would alway count the wagons when the clapped old pannier chuffed past.

If your need any help/advice about the shed feel free to PM

Regards 81C

 

Thanks for the tips on the Bachmann Hall class - another job for 'him' to do :no: and your offer of help/advice. I think I'm going to need it so will be in touch before too long.

 

Polly

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Do you have a Preposed Track Plan to Upload...

 

Jamie

 

Here are a couple of initial sketches: #1 a rough idea of the Southall diagram; #2 with a reversal to create a branchline terminus with station entrance at the front (purely fictitious but to create operational variety perhaps). The Maypole Margarine factory originally on this side of the track had its own canal dock. This suggested having a canal spur on the end instead of another footbridge.

 

post-14049-0-97868700-1343168653.png

 

post-14049-0-78142900-1343169028.png

 

Before finalising, I will be looking closer at the diagrams and photos and see what others advise.

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Just arrived - a copy of Great Western Railway Engine Sheds, London Division by Chris Hawkins and George Reeve.

 

Oh, boy! What a read that’s going to be - and that's just the chapter on Southall.

There are some excellent photos and technical drawings to help the look-a-like along.

What have I let myself in for?

 

The two track diagrams, 1904 and 1957, are splendidly detailed. The accompanying paragraphs outline procedures. For those who do not have the book and are interested, here is the paragraph for the diagram I will be referring to:

 

Southall in 1904. Normal procedure was for engines to arrive at the station end, often crossing over the mainline in pairs or threes, coming in from the various yards. Engines approached the turntable to the right of the ash bin, where fires were thrown out, proceeded to the turntable, turned if necessary and moved forward to have the smokebox dealt with. They would then move up the yard, coal and reverse back into the shed.

 

This has clarified things but it does means I will need to create a loop to/from the turntable to be authentic; and ‘coming in from various yards’ sounds useful and, hopefully, means that I won’t have to renumber all my locos though my layout won’t be too exact, rather I intend to give an overall impression of the shed and the Southall area but more on that when the time comes.

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Just arrived - a copy of Great Western Railway Engine Sheds, London Division by Chris Hawkins and George Reeve.

 

Oh, boy! What a read that’s going to be - and that's just the chapter on Southall.

There are some excellent photos and technical drawings to help the look-a-like along.

What have I let myself in for?

 

The two track diagrams, 1904 and 1957, are splendidly detailed. The accompanying paragraphs outline procedures. For those who do not have the book and are interested, here is the paragraph for the diagram I will be referring to:

 

Southall in 1904. Normal procedure was for engines to arrive at the station end, often crossing over the mainline in pairs or threes, coming in from the various yards. Engines approached the turntable to the right of the ash bin, where fires were thrown out, proceeded to the turntable, turned if necessary and moved forward to have the smokebox dealt with. They would then move up the yard, coal and reverse back into the shed.

 

This has clarified things but it does means I will need to create a loop to/from the turntable to be authentic; and ‘coming in from various yards’ sounds useful and, hopefully, means that I won’t have to renumber all my locos though my layout won’t be too exact, rather I intend to give an overall impression of the shed and the Southall area but more on that when the time comes.

Hi

Sorry to go off topic but is there much in the book about Ranelagh Bridge? Ive been thinking about getting it but but am a bit unsure whether its any good for my project.

Thanks

Steve

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Hi

Sorry to go off topic but is there much in the book about Ranelagh Bridge? Ive been thinking about getting it but but am a bit unsure whether its any good for my project.

Thanks

Steve

 

No problem. I've had a quick flick through. There's a chapter on Old Oak Common which has a few paragraphs at the end on Ranelagh Bridge plus a few photos.

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Hi Polly,

 

Make sure that you put the four young lads on the footbridge discussing how they are going to raise money to purchase that 14XX and Autocoach... We won't have a GWS in the future if you don't!

 

One thought about your track layout, why not set the loco shed into the back scene on the right and only have a short bit of the front of it showing. This will mean that there is less of it to build, you could make a model of a GWR lifting shop to go in the space now vacated by the shed to add operational interest and the storage roads in the shed can be part of a fold out or detachable fiddle yard. It will also provide a very plausable scenic break for your factory or branch to hide behind. You could also then have more space to display that growing loco fleet of yours. Just a suggestion!

 

I haven't looked at the book you have mentioned above but a great GWR loco shed book that I have that has scale drawings of the 'standard' GWR buildings in the front of it based on the ones at 81E is 'An Historical Survey of Great Western Engine Sheds 1947' by E. Lyons. Probably well out of print by now but by no means rare and you should be able to pick one up easily. The inside cover of mine says it was published in 1972 and cost the (then) princely sum of £3.30! I bought it about 10 years ago for £8... The SBN number is 902888 16 1.

 

The best of luck with the layout and I look forward to reading your thread.

 

All the best,

 

Castle

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Hi Polly,

 

Make sure that you put the four young lads on the footbridge discussing how they are going to raise money to purchase that 14XX and Autocoach... We won't have a GWS in the future if you don't!

 

One thought about your track layout, why not set the loco shed into the back scene on the right and only have a short bit of the front of it showing. This will mean that there is less of it to build, you could make a model of a GWR lifting shop to go in the space now vacated by the shed to add operational interest and the storage roads in the shed can be part of a fold out or detachable fiddle yard. It will also provide a very plausable scenic break for your factory or branch to hide behind. You could also then have more space to display that growing loco fleet of yours. Just a suggestion!

 

I haven't looked at the book you have mentioned above but a great GWR loco shed book that I have that has scale drawings of the 'standard' GWR buildings in the front of it based on the ones at 81E is 'An Historical Survey of Great Western Engine Sheds 1947' by E. Lyons. Probably well out of print by now but by no means rare and you should be able to pick one up easily. The inside cover of mine says it was published in 1972 and cost the (then) princely sum of £3.30! I bought it about 10 years ago for £8... The SBN number is 902888 16 1.

 

The best of luck with the layout and I look forward to reading your thread.

 

All the best,

 

Castle

 

Hi Castle and Devondynosoar,

Thanks for your comments.

 

First off, there's a spot on the footbridge reserved for the lads :smile_mini: :clapping_mini: :good_mini: :yahoo_mini:

What a brilliant idea. Thanks. Further thoughts on this: when the time comes, if you have lookalike figures you can send me I’ll place them in position, or give me code numbers so that I can get them and paint up as appropriate, if necessary. You’ve also got me thinking of starting a Personnel List [(EDIT) Roll of Honour]: only figures allowed with connection to real people.

 

Autocoach is waiting for the 14xx to come off the production line to get the ball (wheels) rolling... :boredom:

It won't be long...then the fireman can sound the whistle as they go under the bridge.

 

But back to the present. I like the idea of using the shed as part of the fiddle yard. Another option is running the branchline down to a fiddleyard below shed level to imitate the downhill run on the real thing.

 

At the left hand end, I’m looking at the possibility of a scenic sector plate – an iron bridge with AEC hoarding (and road under with AEC bus with Grandad ‘Ted’ at the wheel off to Hanwell garage with AEC foreman Charlie off to his night shift) to move shed and branchline stock to a fiddleyard behind the coal ramp/backscene.

 

Ideas, drawings and banter are one thing. Next step is to mock them up on the baseboard and see what happens.

 

The Lyons book is really useful but Hawkins is very informative if you want to know more about Southall (40 pages) or other London Division shed.

 

 

Cracking idea! I can also recommend John Drayton "on the footplate" as a good description of shed life on the GWR.

Looking forward to watching this develop.

 

:read: On the footplate: duly added to the shopping list .

 

Polly

Edited by southern42
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Hi Polly,

 

You have a few options as far as the 'original four' go. They were still at school (just) but it is a bit of a misnomer to think of them as boys when they sent the letter to The Railway Magazine to ask for money. The latter end of the teens is more right and there is a great photo of them on Southall footbridge (albeit black and white) as well as a few years later on in the cab of a loco here:

 

http://www.didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk/visitor_information/gws.html

 

So that is your first choice and they should be fairly easy to get figures for. There is some wonderful footage of the first steaming of 1466 in their ownership and the look can only be described as a mix of steam loco enthusiasts and the cast of A Clockwork Orange. The bowler hats and overalls are much in evidence. Quite where you buy figures for this second option I don't know...

 

Edit: I have just noticed a picture of this event at the top of the same page!

 

Another book that I was trying to recall and then remembered when I spotted that it was on my bookshelf (d'oh!) was A. E. Abear's 'Through the Links at Southall and Old Oak Common' (ISBN 1 - 901056 - 22 - 8 ). Which has its obvious attractions for you and is a darn good read too.

 

I hope this helps!

 

All the best,

 

Castle

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Caught on camera

GWR 1466 stops at Avago Sidings for photo shoot on its way to Great West Road

 

post-14049-0-05642300-1346090365.jpg

 

Ray found the Dapol 14xx, sold with Didcot autocoach 187 (Airfix), yesterday at the Corris Exhibition (http://www.rmweb.co....27th-of-august/) in Mid Wales. I couldn't resist...

 

Figures are Springside, Hornby and Modelscene.

 

Autocoach 187 is not on any preservation list that I know of. Out of interest, can anyone fill me in on a little bit of its history? Was it ever in the West London area?

Edited by southern42
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Hi Polly

 

Great B&W photo there...

 

More Photos Polly Please...

 

PS: been up Peter the last 3 days so just finish uploading more photos of today progress to...

 

Keep up the good work mate...

 

Jamie

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Hi Polly

 

Great B&W photo there...

 

Jamie

 

Thanks for your kind comments.

 

Ray took the photo after I'd sorted out some figures, painted one of them (twice, because it looked awful in the first photo), and managed to get them to stay on the loco without falling off.

The shot was carefully planned to avoid getting corners of buildings in the picture and to hide the coupling device which is still on it (but not for long)..

After the rubbishy ones I took :help:, Ray's photo is a gem.

 

EDIT

Let me explain "rubbishy ones". These I should really call "tests". They were taken with a handheld Canon 14x (careful not to say 14xx) using flash.

 

The initial photos showed the loco badly placed in the tunnel revealing the squared off dead-end of the backscene - I will have to get the paints out and disguise the "exit" a bit better - and highlighted my quick paint job on one of the figures. I used acrylics but it had gone rather streaky. A second go only improved it slightly so I got out my soft pastels and brushed on black (which is really a shade of dark grey) and finished off with a touch of light grey and light blue. This eventually blended the figure in with the two Springside workers. The flash produced areas of dark shadow which destroyed the atmosphere.

 

The final shot was taken on a tripod, no flash but the scene is lit with the lighting board repositioned more to the front than usual. I imported the image into Picture Manager, slightly cropped the lefthand edge and selected "black and white". Job done. I hope you like.

 

The horse is called Funda and belonged to my sister.

Edited by southern42
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Actually it was a Canon 230sx, the 14x relates to the zoom range. The flash doesn't work well close-up neither powerful enough for anything further than a few feet. Other than that it's not a bad camera and small enough to allow you to get in close (with macro focusing). Downloaded the 'hack' firmware for it to give you all the expensive camera options (like focus/exposure stacking )but not had time to really play with it yet.

 

Ray.

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Actually it was a Canon 320sx, the 14x relates to the zoom range.

 

I knew I should've gone to speck savours 8)

Edited by southern42
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Hi All,

 

Here's my first attempt at usng AnyRail. In this sort of plan a fiddleyard will need to be added on the left.

The baseboard is by Brilliant Baseboards. I am just waiting for another section to arrive in the post to make up an 8ft x 2ft board. I can then start puttng some track out to see how it looks before making any changes or taking photos.

 

The plan is for the branchline to disappear under a road or canal on the righthand end and the siding to take a railmotor shed.

 

The top track is the coaling ramp.

The shed will consist of a 3 road shed and single road repair shop.

 

I don't know whether I'll be able to fit in a factory siding in this scheme (it will come in from the left below the branchline).

 

post-14049-0-87537800-1346537102_thumb.jpg

 

Your comments are most welcome.

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Hi All,

 

Here's my first attempt at usng AnyRail. In this sort of plan a fiddleyard will need to be added on the left.

The baseboard is by Brilliant Baseboards. I am just waiting for another section to arrive in the post to make up an 8ft x 2ft board. I can then start puttng some track out to see how it looks before making any changes or taking photos.

 

The plan is for the branchline to disappear under a road or canal on the righthand end and the siding to take a railmotor shed.

 

The top track is the coaling ramp.

The shed will consist of a 3 road shed and single road repair shop.

 

I don't know whether I'll be able to fit in a factory siding in this scheme (it will come in from the left below the branchline).

 

Your comments are most welcome.

 

I like it but the turntable looks a bit close to the shed. On a more radical note I wonder if it might be worth looking at swapping the turntable to feed off the coaling road and moving the shed 'southwards' - although it would perhaps lose a 'taste of Southall' if you did that?

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I like it but the turntable looks a bit close to the shed. On a more radical note I wonder if it might be worth looking at swapping the turntable to feed off the coaling road and moving the shed 'southwards' - although it would perhaps lose a 'taste of Southall' if you did that?

 

Thank you for your comments.

I agree about the turntable and if I shorten the shed to give more space I may have to forego the external inspection pits on the shorter roads. I hadn't thought of your suggestion though I have been trying it out on the left side of the baseboard but not very successfully. As you say, it's easy to lose the 'taste of Southall'.

 

Another alternative is to have the shed as fiddle yard with the locos for the turntable disappearing behind the backscene, the entrance hidden by the buildings in the ash disposal area. This would be ashame because Southall had some 9Fs (including 92240 on the Bluebell Line, and, yes, I lwould love to have this one) and wouldn't one of these look grand being turned? However, it wouldn't be a problem in Railway Centre terms because Southall lost its turntable, of course, and, presumably, locos go off to a wye somewhere.

 

I'll post some updates when I've got the baseboard to size.

 

Thanks for everyone's interest and comments are most welcome. It will be all the better for it.

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Hi Polly,

 

I love the picture of the 'Fab Four' in miniature - very good! I don't know about 187 but if you renumber it to the GWS' preserved 190 that was a London division vehicle according to the Didcot C&W Department.

 

All the best,

 

Castle

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Hi Polly,

 

I love the picture of the 'Fab Four' in miniature - very good! I don't know about 187 but if you renumber it to the GWS' preserved 190 that was a London division vehicle according to the Didcot C&W Department.

 

All the best,

 

Castle

 

Thank you for your comments. I hope to improve on the figures for the 'Fab Four': I've got my eyes on some and hope to send off for them soon,

Changing to GWS No. 190 - nothing would delight me more. I'll have to put Didcot on the calendar for a visit next year. The more I know about it the more tempting it becomes. When I first looked at it with a view to modelling GWR, I was amazed at how much there is of it - certainly not for an 8x2 (ft). I can't wait to see Steam Railmotor No. 93 and Autotrailer No. 92. There are some superb views of Nos. 98 and 186 being shunted at Southall in 'GWR Engine Sheds London Division '. The photo on page 134 with the Brentford branch motor train is really helpful and clearly shows the entry tracks to the shed and branchline, the structure of the steps down from the footbridge, the water softener tower and right through the 'car shed', the engine shed in the distance almost invisible in a veil of loco smoke - though I think that last bit will stretch my modelling skills :drag:(from a non smoker's point of view, anyway) - a photo edit job, then, when it's finished.

 

Polly

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