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The Oak Hill Branch - LBSCR / SECR 1905ish - New layout starts on page 129


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  • RMweb Gold

Hi All,

 

EDIT: NEW LAYOUT BUILD STARTS HERE:

 

My pre-grouping layout finally begins!

 

Oak Hill is a fictional layout set on the eastern border of LBSCR territory with the SECR having running rights over the line. It is set in the earliest years of the 20th cenuary. The reason for this date period is that I have a few locos already in Improved Engine Green and this is my favortie brighton livery I am also quite fond of SECR Wainwright livery.

 

The layout itself has / will have a small terminus station, a dairy loading area in a siding, a coal merchant, goods shed and a small loco yard.

 

The reason i say the layout has these features is I have been given a former exhibition layout which is forming the basis of thie project. The layout is "Bedruthan Steps" made by the Falmouth MRC in the 90's as a GWR branch line terminus. It has a few badges on from exhibitions it attended. When it was retired by Falmouth it was brought by a member and since then it has spent 12 years in storage in a garage. It was recently passed on the the previous owners son who when he realised it was beyond his expertise to repair he decided to get rid of it which is how it came to be in my ownership.

 

The layout is slightly to big for where it will be living so needs to be reduced slightly and will need "Brigtonising" as it looks a bit to "cornwall" at present. The plans of what I hope to do are below:

 

post-22762-0-41386700-1491906446_thumb.jpg

 

At present the layout is 12ft by 2ft and is analogue, although the electrics are in rather a bad way so i doubt much works. The first job is to cut the layout to size and make new legs for it. Once this is done the electrics need stripping and replacing as it will be DCC. Once this is done I will start looking at what needs repairing and replacing scenically.

 

I hope to get the layout cut to size and legs built over the next week. and to begin on my pre-grouping adventue.

 

Thanks for looking,

 

Gary

Edited by BlueLightning
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Good choice of locale and prototypes!

 

As you say, it does look a bit Cornish right now, but nothing that a hefty dose of Victorian/Edwardian suburbanisation won't cure. The RMWebthread "umber is the new black" rambles around the area that you are interested in.

 

Kevin

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  • RMweb Gold

Thanks Kevin,

 

I do follow "Umber is the new Black" and anything else LBSCR for that matter. I think the only building that will be staying is the white cottages at the front, although they are going to become a pub "The Old Oak". Gives me an excuse to run brewery wagons to the goods yard and I have a few of those.

 

I also need to find a relatively easy way to make oak trees so I can put one on the top of the hill

 

Gary

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  • RMweb Gold

I do like the look of the crown. However I was thinking of something simpler and changing the roof and porches to look something like the style of the aptly names Old Oak in Arlington which used to be my regular when I had an office near there.

 

Also work has commenced on cutting the boards down to fit in their new home. A trip to Wickes on Tuesday will get me the wood for the new legs then we are set to get the electrics done and have some trains run!

 

Gary

 

Edit: and yes the pub will definitely serve Harvey's

Edited by BlueLightning
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  • RMweb Gold

Well with cutting down the end board which is having the loco yard on I couldn't resist having a play with some of the buildings I have lying around and my 3 Terriers, pics below, feedback would be much appreciated.

 

First an overall view of the area:

post-22762-0-34541300-1491907170_thumb.jpg

 

And another:

post-22762-0-23872100-1491907171_thumb.jpg

 

A nice shot from the line side (My favourite of the images):

post-22762-0-10291400-1491907172_thumb.jpg

 

And another top down view:

post-22762-0-05738300-1491907173_thumb.jpg

 

The grounded coach bodies will be staying however will need paining so that I can pretend they are Craven coaches. The only thing I am unsure of with these is what colour they would of been as it has been suggested to me they could be either brown or grey, any ideas?

 

I also quite like the engine shed building that I have used does it look Brighton enough? and what colour would the doors have been?

 

The water tower and coaling stage on the other hand will not be used on the layout and are just there to show roughly where the final ones will be.

 

Thanks for looking,

 

Gary

Edited by BlueLightning
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  • RMweb Gold

Well after spendng a while researching I decided the engine shed was fine looking alot like Bexhill West Shed which can be seen on the disused stations site here

 

I also decided on colours for paining it which I have based on Sheffield Park Station as there does not seem to be a consensus on what colour LBSCR loco sheds were at this time. I even started work on the new water tower which is based on drawings I have of the tower from Heathfield.

 

So take a look at the image below and let me know what you think. As a reminder that this line has 2 companies I even managed to dig out my c class for some images

 

An overall view before I started on the water tower:

post-22762-0-54478200-1491907224_thumb.jpg

 

In image taken from the same place but with the framework for the water tower now in place:

post-22762-0-56509200-1491907225_thumb.jpg

 

And a closer image giving a nice view of the locos on shed:

post-22762-0-50245800-1491907226_thumb.jpg

 

Thanks for looking,

 

Gary

Edited by BlueLightning
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  • RMweb Gold

Yeah I know Bexhill West was SECR. I have "An Historical Survey of Southern Sheds" by Chris Hawkins and George Reeve. The closest LBSCR shed I could see in it was St Leonards West which has a slightly different style of roof but seeing as Bexhill West was almost identical I decided it was close enough since the SECR use the line as well, and if anyone asks I can always say the line was but by a small company and later brought by the LBSCR.

 

Gary

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  • RMweb Gold

Lightning

Looking better already! I do like them engines.

Bexhill West was a late-build SECR location, though, not an LBSCR one, but that is a very pedantic point, I confess.

Kevin

True, Bexhill West was SER, but after Grouping SECR locos frequented Brighton routes in E Sussex, and the Hastings area was always home to both companies.
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The grounded coach bodies will be staying however will need painting so that I can pretend they are Craven coaches. The only thing I am unsure of with these is what colour they would of been as it has been suggested to me they could be either brown or grey, any ideas?

 

Gary

You asked about an appropriate colour for the "Craven" coaches. The safe and simple answer is mahogany. This is debated here with some thoughts on the correct shade (Brian May's red special guitar). For a more detailed discussion, see "LB&SCR Carriages Vol 1".

Hope this helps

Best wishes

Eric

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A bit o' mahogany would look lovely, but would recycled carriage bodies be kept in fine finish?

 

The pictures I've seen suggest that they might have received a tosh over with whatever good, hard-wearing paint was being used for other woodwork nearby, in order to keep the weather out, which, in turn, suggests dark red, like the shed doors.

 

Of course, depending upon how red the red of the Red Special is, it might all amount to the same thing.

 

And, I'm hypothesising, not claiming knowledge.

 

Kevin

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  • RMweb Gold

Hmmm....... Interesting thought. and I have plently of the red from the doors left over so may try that and see how it looks.

 

My original idea was to have them as they would of been in service and very heavily weathered.

 

Gary

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  • RMweb Gold

Well the weekend saw a rather nice amount of modelling done with a lot of work on the baseboard for the loco yard and progress on the water tower.

 

The baseboard is sitting in a corner drying so no pictures yet however I have had the water tower out to take a couple pictures to show progress.

 

Front:

post-22762-0-25312900-1491907283_thumb.jpg

 

And Back:

post-22762-0-34524200-1491907284_thumb.jpg

 

I have a door and window which were spares on a Wills kit so the only major job for the base of the tower now is to clad it in SE Finecast brick sheet. I have loads of it but don't have any paint at the moment so am hoping to visit the model shop tomorrow and pick some up. After that it just making the tank for the top.

 

Thanks for looking,

 

Gary

Edited by BlueLightning
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  • RMweb Gold

Baseboard Update!

 

As I mentioned in my last post I have done some work on the baseboard for the loco yard. I have also started work on a history of the line and a location, more to be revealed soon.

 

So I have replaced the retaining wall at the back with brick to make it more Brighton like, extended the second shed road so that it actually comes out the back of the shed now, I have added grass to the back corner in what will now be a field and I have made a start on the coaling platform, I have also prepared the inside of the shed but that cant be seen in the pictures.

 

So first an overview showing all the changes:

post-22762-0-58015800-1491907339_thumb.jpg

 

A higher shot from the front showing the coaling platform and retaining wall:

post-22762-0-50004600-1491907340_thumb.jpg

 

A a shot from the rear showing the new shed road and field:

post-22762-0-47697000-1491907341_thumb.jpg

 

Opinions much appreciated.

 

Thanks for looking,

 

Gary

Edited by BlueLightning
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  • RMweb Gold

Well we have reached a HUGE milestone over the weekend with the first wheels turning on the layout!

 

It is only on the loco yard board so far but I have now started wiring on the next board so it wont be long before trains can run.

 

Talking of trains I made a purchase at club this evening so now have a new loco kit for the layout!

 

post-22762-0-41014400-1491907387_thumb.jpg

 

A nice SECR P Class. This will be my first loco kit.

 

I have made rolling stock and have modified RTR locos before so hopefully wont be a problem. Although I cant say I'm looking forward to the lining.

 

Thanks for looking,

 

Gary

Edited by BlueLightning
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  • RMweb Gold

A brief history of Oak Hill.

 

As I said a few days ago I have been working on a history and location for the line to Oak Hill. I now feel ready to post it and would really like feedback regarding it as it is far from finished and I want to make it as good as possible

 

so Enjoy:

 

--SNIP--

 

The history has been re-written and appears in post 491 here

 

Thanks for looking,

 

Gary

Edited by BlueLightning
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Well, a veritable entanglement of imaginary railways is developing in this area, what with mine being only a few miles west.

 

Two things you might want to weave-in:

 

- the SER genuinely did have running powers over the Cuckoo Line, and ran a few services for a very short time after it opened, and I think it was these powers that they used to run a longer lasting Sevenoaks (?) to Tunbridge Wells West service that terminated in the east-end bay platform at The West;

 

- there was a firm proposal, promoted by timber-extraction interests, for a Light Railway from Groombridge to Nutley, via Crowborough St Johns, and crossing the forest between Duddleswell and Kings Standing. I've got a copy of the draft LRO, which was never finalised, but I lack the plans/sections,which I know are in the CRO at Lewes.

 

All good stuff!

 

Kevin

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  • RMweb Gold

Another good weekend of progress with the wiring coming along nicely followed today by the first board going up on its legs and now sitting in its new home!

 

so with any luck trains running by the end of the week.

 

Some pics of the board in its new home:

 

post-22762-0-39509300-1491907430_thumb.jpg

 

post-22762-0-42290800-1491907431_thumb.jpg

 

post-22762-0-19656600-1491907432_thumb.jpg

 

Thanks for looking,

 

Gary

Edited by BlueLightning
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