The Bournemouth West Model Railway Group / Now known as The South Coast Model Railway Development Group / TSCMRDG

[PaulRhB]

I had a chat with Mark today, so far he's only found Georges signalling diagrams, as there are signals in place I assume you have those already?

He's having a search to see what else there is but doesn't remember any building drawings.

Are you in contact with Colin Stone? I know him too so can give him a shout if that helps.

Edited August 6, 2016 by PaulRhB

[Ceptic]

I had a chat with Mark today, so far he's only found Georges signalling diagrams, as there are signals in place I assume you have those already?

He's having a search to see what else there is but doesn't remember any building drawings.

Are you in contact with Colin Stone? I know him too so can give him a shout if that helps.

 

Hi Paul.

 

Thanks for your up-date.

Yep, we've got George's Signalling Diagrams. 

 

As it is, I've spent the best part of this afternoon trying to re-size images below 1mg and compose the PM and the questions raised by what is visible in said images. (I'm not the fastest button pusher / presser on the island).

 

All relate to, apart from the 'Wing mirror' ?, the layout of the eastern end and 'what the heck' is that, behind the S/Box's South facing wall ?? *.

I.e; Where was the position of the Locking Room door and the entrance to the 'Privvy' ?, plus the placing of the Fire Buckets, upstairs or down ?

 

* If you you look closely at photos which include the S/B (Usually contained within a shot of a loco / train). I.e, Where the S/B is in the distance, you will notice that there is a vertical panel, screen, post, even ?, and a curved, what looks to be a lowish wall.

 

It's a pity that I can't place these reference photos here, due to copyright restrictions. but what I do have are these SketchUp guess-works.

 

 

 

 

And Paul, I do appreciate your, and Mark's contributions to this modelling topic. 

 

Cheers all.

Frank.

[Ceptic]

P.S.

 

Paul, once I get the PM sorted and under way, I'll get back to you.

 

Cheers,

Frank,

[Barneytheblack5]

Things are progressing really well, with superb buildings and detailed cameos making a realistic backdrop for the layout. I thought I would post a few photos to keep things up to date. Well done all, great work !!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Roger Sunderland]

Thanks for the photos Graham. The station building is also nearly complete, photos to follow.

 

As some of you have made enquiries, Bournemouth West's first showing is likely to be at Swindon in September next year. Still an awful lot to do though.

[Clearwater]

Excellent looking layout having found the thread by reading about it in BRM! So far, I've particularly enjoyed the sketch up designs of buildings - interesting to see

 

David

[Barneytheblack5]

The detailing of the station building is coming along thanks to Frank and Roger, brilliant job on the window arches or whatever the correct name is.........

 

 

 

A copse of trees has sprung up near the site of the pub.....

[DLT]

Simply stunning !

[Roger Sunderland]

Thanks Graham. The elaborate window arches have caused us a few sleepless nights but were eventually solved by Frank (Ceptic) by drawing them up on "Sketchup" then printing them onto paper as overlays. The unusual chimney baffles were 3D printed for us by James train parts, as were the exposed roof rafters. There is also a rather nice W H Smiths bookstall which is a much modified Metcalfe item, grafted onto/into the building, will try and get a photo of that as well. Altogether this very large structure has taken well over 100 hours to build and still requires canopies!

 

The pub is fictitious and still requires its roof and the wood and over bridge at this end of the layout are also fictitious forming the scenic break which takes the tracks into the fiddle yard.

 

The next major job are the station canopies. Much "debate" has already taken place on this. Watch this space. In the meantime a sort of operating sequence has been devised, which if we can get everyone to understand it, will be worked on over the coming moths.

 

Finally, in this update, the 16 road traverser has been worked on by Dave. This now has a lever system to lock onto a chosen track, meaning the fiddle yard operator only needs to be at one end of the traverser to operate it. In addition it is not possible for a train that has run round the loop to enter the traverser without a track being locked on.

Edited November 28, 2016 by Roger Sunderland

[bike2steam]

Roger,

The quality of modelling on this layout is superb, I MUST get over there to have a look sometime.

[Roger Sunderland]

Roger,

The quality of modelling on this layout is superb, I MUST get over there to have a look sometime.

You'd be more than welcome Paul and thank you for the kind comments. We're usually up there on Tuesday's and Thursday's PM. But Steve is there most days. Edited November 28, 2016 by Roger Sunderland

[Ceptic]

To top up Barney's and Roger's delightful close-ups, here's a few, both close(ish) and distant, (shaky) shots. 

 

The 'Queens Hotel', nears completion and is now at ground level. Note the extra 15mm added to the building's base in this first image. This locates in a ground level recess. That shown in the foreground of this second image awaits the station's buildings.

 

Once a 'Strong & Co. of Romsey' public house / hotel. Now a 'Co-op Local'.

 

The 'Skittle Alley''/ extension was, once, part of the Poole & Bournemouth Railway's / L&SWRailway's. Bournemouth's New (1874) Station's 'Refreshment Rooms'.

These still exist, though not in their original form.

 

Some shots of the station's ancillary buildings, starting on the north side with the 'Parcel's Office' and going clockwise.

 

Sorry, my mistake. This is the (Goods) Yard Office, The 'Taxi Office' was a smaller building, set at right-angles to the far (southern) end  (Newspaper images taken in the 1950s, when holiday traffic was at it's peak, show this whole forecourt 'plaza' teeming with crowds)

http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/14331073.PICTURES__Remembering_the_vanished_railway_stations_of_the_Somerset___Dorset_line/?ref=fbshr#gallery3

 

The 'Store / Coal Shed /  Cycle Shed /  Lamp Rooms'. (Not in situ.)

 

 

The 'Tank House' & 'Permanent Way Huts'. (In situ.)

 

To be continued....

 

All the best,

Frank.

Edited January 6, 2017 by Ceptic

[Ceptic]

Next instalment.

 

The row of ten 'Railwaymen's Cottages' with their accompanying Allotments. The model buildings alone, are approx. 5.5 feet (1400mm.) long. What a marvellous piece of modelling.

It's just a shame that the prototypes (Including the station.) had to be demolished to make way for the 'Wessex Way' (The town centre by-pass.)

 

The cottages in relation to the signal box.

 

Which brings us on to the Signal Box. As you can see, this is in the 'mock-up' stage. The group are still hanging on to see if any further details come to light.

Failing this. there's always Rule No.1 (See below)

 

As a scenic break, the Group have chosen to invoke 'Modellers' License'. In this case 'Modellers' Licensed Premises', or 'MLP' for short (See Rule No.1:, Section: 1. Scenic Breaks / MLP:, Sub-section: 1 over the 8.)

Namely 'The Railway' pub.

The 'Back door'.

and the 'Front'.

The layout's scenic cut-off point is this three arch road over-bridge, based on Beechey Road's four arch Bridge No,15.

 

To be continued.....

 

All the best,

Frank.

 

P.S.

Edited to conclude this reply. (Seems I cut meself off, Doh !)

Edited December 10, 2016 by Ceptic

[DLT]

I know I've said something similar before, but this is looking absolutely magnificent.  

All the best,

Dave.

Edited December 9, 2016 by DLT

[Andy Y]

I love those cottages! The whole thing is looking superb.

[P.C.M]

Thanks for posting up the pic Frank,

The layout is looking superb it's really coming together now. It's nice to see a bit of stock on the layout too, I really like the std 4 2-6-0 lovely looking little loco's.

 

Cheers Peter.

[Roger Sunderland]

Thanks for posting the pics Frank and a big thanks for all the great work you did on drawing up the buildings from the original plans. Just in case anyone wondered, the wood (copse) is now in place in front of the left hand side of the road bridge, as shown in the previous photos by Barney. Frank is right we have had to use "modellers licence" at the right hand end of the layout to take it off scene, hence the bridge. On the real thing just after the carriage washer is the start of the carriage sheds (now a South West Trains train care depot) which, in model form would be as long as the entire present layout - 40'!

 

Dave has made good progress on the station canopies, hopefully have some pics soon.

Edited December 12, 2016 by Roger Sunderland

[arctica]

I was lucky enough to get to see the layout last week; it'll be an absolute cracker of an exhibition layout with interesting operation. Roger's got quite a bit of work to do before we get to see this although it's instantly recognisable with the signals in place but I think it'll be well worth the wait.

 

Bournemouth_West_1s.jpg

Hi All,

Very new member here- only found out about the layout when I Googled Bournemouth West model railway- had no idea such a group existed! Have to say it's one of the most lovingly recreated models I've ever seen- I still have memories of holding onto Dad's hand very tightly at the buffers when a MN backed her train out of the platform- I was about 6 at the time, and we lived in Orchard Ave, Parkstone. I could look out of my bedroom window and see the Pines going hammer and tongs up the bank! Trying to build a BW terminus on my own model railway- not easy, but do-able, in a space 12' by 11'- but I'm very interested in your platform  starter signals and water cranes- did you scratch build them all? Also, didyou scratch build the cast concrete platform lamps too?

ATB

David

[Roger Sunderland]

Thank you very much for your comments Arctica and I wish you luck with your own layout of Bournemouth West.

 

It's is true to say we have spent many hours on researching this model, but despite requests, even in the press, it is rare to hear from anyone who actually remembers it. We are still looking for information on the operation side such as, how many trains were worked back to the carriage sidings by the actual train loco and how many used a station pilot - if you can help here it would be very helpful.

 

To answer your questions. The starter signals were scratch built using MSE parts. They are remove able, for transport, and operate with small servos. The shunt signals on the lower platform don't operate though. The water cranes are from Skytrex models and the platform lamps, still to be fitted, are by Ratio. Hope this helps.

[PaulRhB]

Guys it's looking superb and I can't wait to see it out and about

Incredible that two such fine models of the two Bournemouth stations are being built concurrently, who'd have guessed that?

So still no offers for Poole and Broadstone so you can link up to Wimborne

Look forward to more pics.

[Foulounoux]

I love those cottages! The whole thing is looking superb.

For me it's the houses or perhaps villas as they tended to be called. Brings back memories of a guest house holiday in Snowden Road in the very early 70's. My brother and I got terribly sunburnt and my parents weren't happy to be disturbed all night by the shunting of coaches on the tracks behind. and the walk to Alum Chine But those villas just shout Bournemouth of that era and before. Looking on street view today of course many have been replaced by apartments.

 

Colin

Edited December 22, 2016 by Foulounoux

[Ian J.]

Guys it's looking superb and I can't wait to see it out and about

Incredible that two such fine models of the two Bournemouth stations are being built concurrently, who'd have guessed that?

So still no offers for Poole and Broadstone so you can link up to Wimborne

Look forward to more pics.

 

You'd need Parkstone Bank as well, of course

[Roger Sunderland]

Parkstone Bank was ruled out Ian as we couldnt get a Hornby M7 to pull anything up it!!!!!!

[arctica]

Parkstone Bank was ruled out Ian as we couldnt get a Hornby M7 to pull anything up it!!!!!!

Hi Roger,

There's plenty of evidence in Peter Smith's books (Mendips Engineman and Footplate over the Mendips) that M7s were not very powerful (see p 67 of the combined book- additionally they were addicted to priming (according to him). With regard to trains backing down to the carriage sidings, as distinct to the train loco being released by the station pilot, I have a memory from one of my books that this did happen, but how often and under which circumstances I'm not sure. I'll see what I can dig up. Most of my books on the subject relate to the S&D, but one or two are more specific to BW- Lawrence Popplewells "Bournemouth Railway History" is a good book, as is "Last Days of Steam in Dorset" by David Haysome and Julien Parker, but neither are detailed on the services running from stations. I was researching these as I intend to try and run my model based on March 1956- when I was born! This turned out to be quite fortuitous- liveries on coaches were in transition, but that on locos had stabilised. Other books that might help are "The 19th Century Railways of Bournemouth and Christchurch" by JA Young, and "Railways of Dorset" by JH Lucking. 

Anyway, I'll keep digging. On top of that, I might have some tapes my Uncle Phil (PB Myers) recorded over the S&D, possibly including departures from BW. He loaned some to the S&D Trust at Washford who transferred them to cassette-they're probably on CD now.

ATB

David

[Ian J.]

I think the problem with the Hornby M7 and a 1 in 60 gradient is that even with just a two-car push-pull set it might struggle to get up it.