Midhurst LBSCR Station 1866
Well it has been three years since I last posted an entry in my blog and this one will probably be my last project. I have reached the age of 84 and am now suffering from Parkinson's Disease, which means that I am now unable to hold things still while soldering or detailing or lining. Other than that, I am fine, but had posted a request for help in completing some of the my kits which were still not completed and have had a good response offering help,
As a result I have been able to commence work on the one layout I have always wanted to build, which is Midhurst LBSCR Station as it was when constructed in 1866.
The early first map below shows the station and platform from the end of the line as far as the wagon turntables. The second map shows the other part of the yard and sidings .


The map above has north on the lower side and shows that the station was built on a partially artificial embankment, as the original land sloped towards the south. The track at the top of the map was connected to the LSWR line by a bridge over the Bepton Road, although I have not been able to learn why the head shunt on this line was so long, as it stretched as far as the LBSCR signal box, a distance of several hundred yards. Immediately adjacent to the Bepton Road was a 42’ turntable at the end of the platform road, and locos coming off the turntable were straightaway on to a turnout which served the platform road and the run-round lines. A crossover connected the line from the LSWR to the run-round track just after the turntable area.
At the eastern end of the platform were three wagon turntables serving the goods yard, which consisted of three sidings, a cattle dock with end-on loading facilities, a goods shed and coal staithes on the single long siding. This siding also incorporated a turnout which could be used either to access the loco shed or for trains using the goods yard. The loco shed line ran through the shed, past a coal loading dock and connected with the main running line.
The baseboard has been constructed on top of a line of cabinets along two walls of the room, and this gives me a 10’ Scenic section and an 8’ fiddle yard.
The baseboard is 10mm MDF on a rigid frame and was originally fixed down to the cupboards, which was a bad mistake. A lot of time and discomfort was expended trying to work and wire under a fixed top, and after a year of doing this, I decided to remove the whole top with the help of a friend. A batten was fixed along the wall at the required height, and then the baseboard was laid back in place and fixed to the batten by a series of hinges. This meant that the baseboard could be lifted from the front and fixed in a vertical position so that we could work of the underside with it at face level. So I was able to completely rewire the layout in a sitting position
I have Ian of Perfection in Miniature to help me with laying the track, most buildings and scenery, many of my unfinished kits have been finished of by Simon Howard of S.H. Modelling and I have received a great deal of help and advice from members of MERG since I joined, especially from Dave in Rome, Rodney Hill, and Tim Pullan, and I am deeply indepted to all the above for their help, work and patience.
More follows later.