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Oil Lamps for North Leigh


MikeOxon

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blog-0135818001407320537.jpgWhen I started this blog, a year ago, I wrote that my aim was to follow the conversion of my existing layout to an earlier time-frame. In practice, I seem to have spent most of my time designing and constructing new stock, while I have done relatively little to the basic framework of the layout itself. So, for this post, I decided to make a start on some 'backdating' of the layout scenery. Fortunately, static features of the landscape tend to change much more slowly than vehicles: I often notice how old railway photographs show 'antique' locomotives and carriages in front of buildings that are still in place, with little major change. Nevertheless, a lot of details have changed, partly arising from the use of electricity as a major source of power, heating, and lighting.

 

Some time ago, I bought a set of oil lamps from DCC Concepts, so I decided that the time had come to install these along my station platform. These are attractively finished and well-made lamps, which are supplied in sets of three, packaged together with a controller on a small circuit-board. The lamp heads contain filament bulbs, rather than LEDs, since the manufacturer claims that incandescent lamps provide a more authentic 'glow'. I feel that the price is rather high at around £40 for the three lamps, especially since, although the controller is said to be capable of powering up to 6 lamps, additional lamps are not sold separately. (It's worth shopping around, as they can be found for about £30 a set)

 

Each lamp is provided with two optional extension bases. For platform use, these extensions are not required but they would be needed for yard lamps, placed at ground level. The instructions call for a 2.75 mm drill, to make a single mounting hole for holding the cylindrical base of the lamp securely. The nearest size I had was 2.5 mm, so I used this, thinking that I could open out the hole a little, if necessary, for a firm fit. In fact, my lamps were just a little sloppy in the holes I drilled, so I am glad that I used nothing larger! The very fine wires from the bulbs protrude a few centimetres below my baseboard, so I soldered the ends to short length of stranded, insulated wires, connected to screw terminal connectors below the baseboard. There is sufficient slack in the fine wires to allow the lamp posts to be removed from their sockets and laid flat, during layout cleaning operations.

 

PlatformLamp.jpg.4ad61fe43eb18d78aa330e6a28f6a5ee.jpg

 

 

In response to a question from Mikkel, I have previously explained that my layout represents North Leigh station on the Witney Branch, which is shown on the following map:

 

1849Map.jpg.dbfa41d8d5ddbbce4ff0c1ffd53a69e1.jpg

 

1849 Map of the Witney area

reproduced from http://www.fairfordbranch.co.uk/ , with permission from Martin Loader

 

The map shows the line diverging from the Oxford, Worcester & Wolverhampton Railway near Stonesfield and then heading southwards, towards Witney. At that time, there were numerous proposals for branch lines to Witney and this particular route encountered hilly terrain in the North Leigh area.

 

North Leigh itself mainly handled local traffic to Oxford, including agricultural produce from the surrounding Cotswold farms, timber from local estates, and stone from the quarries along the ridge above Holly Court Farm. To assist with the transport of stone, it had been proposed to build a branch to the quarries but the hilly terrain proved too difficult for a standard gauge railway (even more so, broad gauge!). A group of local entrepreneurs then built a narrow gauge (2' 3" gauge) line to serve the quarries, with a loop to collect timber from a local saw-mill.

 

The route prospered such that, soon after the original line was built, it was realised that the trailing junction towards Oxford was inconvenient, when bringing wool supplies from the Cotswolds via the Worcester line. A triangle was therefore added, to meet the Cotswold main line near Wilcote, where Sir John and Lady Wilcote held the Manor.

 

My layout represents the junction just outside North Leigh station, where the line from Witney emerges from one of several short tunnels along this hilly route, with the route towards Worcester diverging through a narrow cutting, while the original Oxford line enters the station, where there is also a passing loop. Two sidings serve the local creamery and a cattle dock, and also provide an interchange to the narrow gauge system, serving the quarries and saw mill.

 

LampsonPlatform.jpg.3afd28ce81acce46313bbf777184a1f8.jpg

 

North Leigh station, looking towards Witney

 

I've not yet completed the connections to the platform lamps and realise that I have opened a whole new area for development, since the three platform lights will inevitably lead to yard lighting, building lighting, carriage lighting, etc., etc .....

 

Of course, Sir John's younger daughter, Blanche, is not at all impressed by oil lamps. Her mind is full of the gas lamps of London, turning night into day. She recalls looking from the windows of the train, after the family's last visit to London, and seeing the blaze of lights following the Great West Road, all the way to the military exercise ground at Hounslow Heath. "Oh, why must we be stuck out here in the country - will we ever see such a spectacle in Wilcote?"

 

Mike

Edited by MikeOxon
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  • RMweb Gold

Ah, some interesting new things coming to light (no pun intended) about North Leigh! Is that the narrow gauge line we see in the background in the first picture?

 

I remember seeing some photos once from the opening of the station in North Leigh, with a dressed up camel in one of the photos! Clearly a very entrepenurial community, that. 

 

The lamps do look good.I've been eyeing them also on Al's (Barry Ten) blog. As you say the cost is a bit prohibitive, although 30 is better than 40. You have a good point though: It's a slippery slope as now we expect more lights to follow. Blanche may just have her wishes fulfilled yet!

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Thank you Mikkel: yes, the NG line is behind and above the station sidings, with a chute to transfer stone to standard gauge wagons.  There is also a derrick for timber.  I've still got some work to do on the timber yard but I hope to be able to show more before too long.  You get a glimpse of the back of an NG loco between the cottages and the barn in the last pic, as well.

 

I made some small circuit boards to attach the fine wires from the lamps to screw connectors.  While i was drilling one, it skidded out of my hand and completely vanished! I think there's a thread on here about clumsy modellers.

 

I think I shall try some of the much cheaper LED lamps sold by http://www.layouts4u.net/ I feel sure that they will be fine for less conspicuous areas.

 

For those interested in such matters, I took these photos with a Lumix FZ200 camera, carrying my venerable Vivitar 283 flashgun to provide 'bounced' light from the (white) ceiling.  The small-sensor camera has provided good depth of field, while the light is very even across the whole scene.

 

Mike

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  • RMweb Gold

I too have looked at these lamps for my layout and winced at the price but they do look the part and are ready finished.Very tempting at

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  • RMweb Gold

Thanks for the info Mike, also about the camera - the photos do look nice and evenly lit.

 

Rob, the lamps would look great on ANTB! (easy for me to say!)

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