wagonman

Why is there this obsession with locos which might have appeared on the S&D perhaps once in 90 years when the OP seems to be asking about the everyday types for his model of an S&D station? You know, the 3F/4F 0-6-0s, the 2Ps, the Black 5s, the Johnson bogie tanks, a Jinty or two, and later the Standard 4s/5s/9s, Bulleid light pacifics, the various Ivatt and Standard tanks, and finally the Collett Goods and the odd Pannier. Until he has multiple copies of all those he shouldn't worry about what might once have turned up on an excursion. Actually the best thing he can do is head off and buy the complete set of Ivo Peters' books. And if he's really serious about modelling the S&DJR then join the Trust.

Worse than that : 1429 was withdrawn Dec 1956! It does not appear to have had its bogies changed at all. I don't know if anybody does a kit of the 9' coil spring bogie. All bar two of the Siphon H had been withdrawn by the end of 1960 so you may need to move your period back in time a smidgen. Nos 1439 and 1441 were both built with 9' American bogies, which they kept throughout, and were withdrawn during 1960. No 1430 was converted to 9' American at some time (probably c1930) and seems to have the last one in revenue service when withdrawn in Nov 1962 so would seem a likely candidate for one of your models. You're right in thinking that none of them were ever fitted with BR Mk.1 bogies as the manufacturers seem to think! All this from Jack Slinn's book on GWR Siphons; the book has a number of errors but I don't know of any in this section. As there were only 20 siphons H they were quite rare birds. Hope this has been of some use.

I have no idea what bogies the Hornby model is fitted with, but according to Slinn the first 17 were built with 9' coil spring bogies and only the last three had 9' American from new. However many of them were later retro-fitted with the 9' American type (by c1930 about half of them) while, just to confuse matters a few were fitted with 7' 'heavy' type bogies - including some that had already been changed to American. What number is model you have, and what period?

I believe there have been several models of Midsomer Norton, including one in 2mm scale, though the SHMRS version was/is one of the best. The problem with Broad Sidlinch is that it looked nothing like the SDJR -- take the stock off and it could be anywhere. Or nowhere. Julian Birley's latest effort, Evercrech New in 7mm scale, is an entirely different kettle of fish. Superb, and instantly recognosable even without a train in view. I think there have been a couple of models of Edington Junction, one of Chilcompton and someone here is working on Wellow. I'm sure there are others.

I've always loved this layout (and Bridport as well, of course). Super atmosphere. Thank you for posting it here.

I have to disagree with your ill-informed comments. Many wheels are available in Scale 7 profile, and those that aren't can be turned down by the S7 Group's resident wheel turning expert. Also you don't need a space as large as the Albert Hall: an average village hall would do perfectly well...

I remember The Town of Ramsgate in the 80s. It had a nice little balcony at the back overlooking the river, and was a few doors down from where David Owen used to live and where the Gang of Four issued the Limehouse Declaration, or whatever they called it, which set up the SDP. My own favourite east end pub was the Gun on the Isle of Dogs. That had a full terrace overlooking the river at Blackwall. The P of W was just a boring tourist trap even in those days.

Some very good shots there Michael. I particularly liked the motive power refuelling point....

Every time I log in it seems something has changed on RMWeb. Very disorientating for an old codger. Still, this is definitely one of the better changes. Thanks for setting it up

Actually, to be a rivet counter again, it was Wells on Sea until BR finally got it right.

Hi Jules Don't forget you can use coal factors' and colliery wagons for those local merchants without their own wagons. That way you can plausibly introduce quite a bit of variety. As for the petrol 'bombs', while I doubt the old railway companies were worried about killing their workers, or even passengers as long as they were 3rd class, damaging company buildings was a definite no-no. PS: I could never get those nylon "springs" to work when I built Peco wagons (about 40 years ago). When the wagon hit a bump the spring compressed.... and stayed compressed until the wretched thing fell off! Nowadays I use guitar strings.

Generally speaking the most commonplace wagons, even at a sleepy GWR branch line terminus, were LMS and LNER open merchandise wagons. SR wagons were pretty rare by comparison. PO wagons were usually just those that supplied the local coal merchant(s). One other thing: I suspect that class A tanks would have been parked as far away from the station buildings as possible, even when empty!

I suppose the first layout that really gave me the 'WOW' factor was Norris' 0 gauge masterpiece, especially when seen through Jim Russell's camera – yup I'm that old. Later came the Dartmoor scene at Pendon and on a more domestic level P D Hancock's original Craig & Mertonford. That is still pretty much the standard to which I aspire.

Hi Alan I'll definitely try to get to the Norwich show (I normally work Saturdays...) – just need to get someone to stand in for me for a few hours. At least this time it's on the right side of town! Richard

I'm not a Norfolk boy either but a refugee from the Great Wen. So naturally I model the GWR too... Thanks for your kind invitation by the way. I just might take you up on it!

Ah yes, straight down the A149... I must drop in one day. It is truly a tight fit for a wherry under those bridges especially when the tide is up.

It's very evocative Alan. Well done. I should hope the museum like it! Which museum is it by the way?

I've finally got up off my backside and consulted my books (which seem by and large to be the same as Nick's). The 1930s version of the push-pull train on the Wells branch seems from the semi-elliptical shape of the roof to be an exS&D vehicle converted (in the LSWR style) but at an unknown date – could have been pre-1930. In the 1950s they seems to have used a standard steel sided LMS vehicle – I have no idea of diagram numbers for LMS coaches. The S&D coach seems to have been one of the six compartment brake/3rds with the compartment at the opposite end to the guard converted into a driving compartment. Just to confuse things there is a photo in Austin's book (p54) showing PP fitted loco 58046 with a coach described as exS&D but which looks more like an exLNWR vehicle – this may have been the one with the strangely high-set windows in the driving end. I'm sure Larry/Coachman could fill us in on the possibilities (it's a 5 compt B/3rd with a longish van section and a guard/driver bit at the (far) end; I can't lay my hands on a photo of the driver's end. The date of this was 1950 so it was presumably intermediate between the S&D and the LMS trailers.

The Ratio bits should do the business as the units used on the Wells branch were exMR panelled stock I believe. Craftsman do a kit for the 1P in either Belpaire or round top versions. They too sell through eBay.

In which case all you have is the main line between say Chilcompton and Wellow. Not much scope for P-P operation there unless one revives something like the Nettlebridge Valley proposal.

Pray tell us more Julian. Are you looking at S&D or GW lines? Pre- or post-nationalisation? Things were a bit funny on the S&D lines after nationalisation as control passed first to Southern Region and then to Western, though much of the loco stock remained LMR in origin. Unfortunately all the branches that had, or might have had, P-P operation closed in the early '50s (even earlier on the GWR lines). There were definitely MR/LMS push-pull workings on the Wells branch in the 1930s as I seem to remember Casserley photographed one of them. I'll have to go and look it up...

Could that be Hoveton Bridge by any chance?

I'm tempted to say 'desperation' but I have seen other wagons belonging to Wm Evans and the style is the same. This is the result of many hours spent scouring the background of old photos with a high power magnifying glass... Still, as you're modelling post-1940 when all the PO coal wagons had been pooled, you don't have to worry

I can't find the original print but as it was published in Maggs' book I guess it doesn't matter too much. What I did find was a print of a detail of the photo, taken back in the day when I had a copy camera set-up, and I have scanned that for you. According to Maggs the photo must have been taken no later then 1906 as the extra loading bank had not been built at that time. Also visible is a wagon from Walsall Wood colliery. The Mark Whitwill wagon (not visible in this print) probably carried coke. Hope it is some use – no details of the wagon can be made out on the print with any degree of certainty though it was probably still fitted with dumb buffers at that time.

Steve It's a shot looking across a crowded goods yard towards the station platform. It was originally a commercial postcard but has been copied and sold by Lens of Sutton. I suspect it is out of copyright being something like 100 years old so, when I can find it I will post a scan on here. Might take a day or two.... As a general rule I suspect most of the coal for merchants in the Calne area cam from the FoD and Cannock coalfields, but I can't quote you chapter and verse on that.