On one or two occasions, I have received comments along the lines of “we want a layout”. From the beginning of my exploration of the broad gauge, it has been my intention to produce some sort of layout or diorama to display the various models of rolling stock that I’ve constructed.

 

Of course I already have a small layout carrying both narrow and standard gauge routes, based in Oxfordshire, towards the end of the 19th century. This layout continues to provide entertainment to my grand-children and I do not intend to replace it with a broad gauge version. Unfortunately, broad gauge railways in 4mm scale require considerably more space than a traditional 00 gauge layout, so I shall be restricted to something rather simple .

 

At the beginning of this blog, I described how my exploration of family history led to my exploring the area around Bullo Pill and the Forest of Dean. I also found a very thorough Accident Report on a collision in November 1868, which provided detailed descriptions of the make-up of both the mail train and the cattle train that were involved in the accident. While I did not intend to model the accident itself, I did use these descriptions to recreate two trains of the mid 19th century period. My first thought was to lay out a simple section of track representing the cutting close to Cockshoot Bridge, where the accident occurred but soon began to realise that this would not make a very interesting scene.

Simple diorama plan

 

During the period when I was building the models for these two trains, I discovered the possibilities opened up by 3D printing . The restrictions imposed by Covid gave me plenty of time to practice my 3D modelling skills, using 'Fusion 360' software, and I was soon enjoying the excitement of creating models of prototypes that I had previously placed firmly in the ‘too difficult’ box.

Mail train

Cattle train

 

Gradually, I began to realise that virtually any type of early 19th-century rolling stock was within my grasp, given the limited dimensions of the actual vehicle at that period. I got somewhat carried away and started churning out models of all sorts of prototype – whatever caught my fancy at the time!

 

An advantage of creating small models by 3D printing is that once designed, they take very little time to print, such that I soon found myself with quite an extensive collection of models covering prototytpes that operated from the earliest days of the GWR.

 

Although more of these prototypes than I initially expected did appear in the Bullo Pill and Forest of Dean areas, it was clear that I was also creating stock more appropriate for other areas, such as the South Devon railway and the original stretch of the GWR between Paddington and Maidenhead. This left me with much food for thought, when I came to think of how to create a scene that could be representative of all these areas.

 

As a first step I assembled a few representative trains from the various models that I have made so far.

 

My first model train shown below is based on contemporary illustrations by J.C. Bourne of Bath and Bristol Temple Meads stations. The very short wheelbase carriages (6 feet on 7’ gauge) did not survive very long and were ‘ordered off the line’ following a Board Meeting on 12th July 1838!

‘Argus’ (Firefly-class) with 1840s passenger train, comprising:

luggage truck, closed 2nd, open 2nd, posting carriage, horse box, carriage truck

 

When I first made a model of ‘Aurora’, I thought of these 4-4-0ST engines as primarily South Devon engines. Later, I discovered that several engines of this class were employed on trains working into the Forest of Dean from Bullo Pill, so they tied in with my earlier plans! To my surprise, no fewer than 11 of the ‘Bogie-class’ engines were deployed there between 1854 and 1861.

 

My ‘removals’ train, shown below, was inspired by an article in the Broad Gauge Society journal ‘Broadsheet’ No.26, p10 , which featured the Bristol firm of Knee Brothers and their first recorded use of a Pantechnicon being transported by rail in 1847.

‘Aurora’ 4-4-0ST with Furniture removal train, comprising

Henson patent Van, pantechnicon,brake van, horse box, luggage van

 

I was very surprised to discover that engines of the ‘Sir Watkin’ class, original built as condensing engines for the Metropolitan Railway, served for a short time at Bullo Pill. I only know this because my wife’s great-grandfather was fined £1 on 26th April 1870 for “passing the danger signal running ‘Sir Watkin’ into collision with ‘Bulkeley”.

 

I found that there had been another accident on the Forest of Dean line in 1863, when a train of 70 wagons broke free and led to a ‘pile up’, said to be 15 wagons high, which took 5 days to clear! After that, trains were limited to 45 trucks, although these were reported to be ‘12 tonners’. My collection of 12 ton wagon models was built when I was struggling with a problem of ‘stringing’ with my Prusa 3D printer, so they form a motley collection, including some poorly-printed models.

‘Sir Watkin’ with Bullo Pill coal train with seven 12 ton wagons

 

My last group of models comprises three of the engines ordered to Brunel’s impossible specifications. 'Vulcan' was the first engine to be steamed on the GWR, having been delivered by barge to West Drayton in 1837. I confess that these are my favourite models and are currently displayed on a case on a shelf in the living room, where their gleaming brass-work always attracts attention. As Brunel once wrote “we have a splendid engine of Stephenson's, it would be a beautiful ornament in the most elegant drawing room.”

 

Brunel’s engines: ‘Aeolus’ (rebuilt), ‘Vulcan’, and ‘Eagle’

 

In addition to all these, I also have made a model of a piston carriage as used on the South Devon Railway:

 

South Devon Atmospheric Railway piston carriage and train

 

So, what to do with all these models?

 

One common factor in the early operations of the GWR is their close association with canals and docks.

 

At the London end, materials for construction of the new railway were brought by the Grand Union Canal to depot set up at West Drayton, the place where Daniel Gooch first started his work for the GWR.  Notably, the first engine ‘Vulcan’ was unloaded from a barge there through the use of lifting tackle and a convenient Elm Tree!  Later, coal was delivered by sea and canal from Newcastle to coke ovens established between the canal and railway at West Drayton. Similarly, the small dock at Bullo Pill was used for the export of coal brought down by railway from the Forest of Dean.

 

The first major civil engineering work on the GWR was the viaduct at Hanwell, named after Lord Wharncliffe, who had chaired the committee leading the GWR Bills on their passage through Parliament.

 

Wharncliffe Viaduct - by P.G.Champion 8th July 2007- Own work, CC BY 2.0 uk,
 

Other characteristic features of the early railway were the Brunel-designed stations, the round-house engine shed at Paddington, and the prolific use of wagon turntables for the movement of rolling stock at stations by manual labour and horses.

 

I have an idea that it might be possible to illustrate these various features in a ‘generic’ diorama designed to capture the ‘character’ of the broad gauge... not forgetting, of course, that Elm Tree 🙂

 

The 1879 OS map of the area around Bullo Pill dock contains many of the features that I would like to represent. I could modify the ‘dock’ into a generic canal basin and rotate the main line running North-South over a viaduct on the left hand side of the map to run across the top as a backdrop to the scene.

 

Extract from OS 25” maps surveyed 1879 CC-BY license as shown

 

I’d be interested in any suggestions my readers might want to make about how this could become an interesting scene covering a wide range of potential presentations.

 

Mike