West Sands - BR (SR) Electrified south coast branch terminus - MISSING PHOTOS SLOWLY BEING RESTORED

[Mike Storey]

Chris

 

I guess if you want to run coal wagons, and you already have them, I can see why you would want to have the staithes, so I remain neutral on that one.

 

But I would like to understand your thoughts about how vans would be loaded/unloaded (now that I can see all sides of the provender store from your pics)? Is it your thought that this would be done through the one small door at wagon height directly into/out of the store? Or would this be more likely using the dock platform? If the latter, then I still suggest the provender store should be right up next to the dock platform? If you just have a think about how things would have been done in practice, it may help you decide what the most believable arrangement would be. Either is prototypical, but then a dock would normally have been on a separate track from the provender store (which is, in effect, an economy size goods shed). Tricky job this.

 

But, in answer to your Q, option "C" is my preference, but if the store is going to operate separately from the dock, then you need to leave a bit more space for lorries to back in?.

[Nearholmer]

I’d loose the coal pens altogether, and the dock.

 

Given your dateline coal might, at the outside, still be arriving, but it can be stacked ‘off scene forward’, to avoid crampedness, and the merchant can have an early front-loader to shift coal about, one of those that is basically a ford tractor with a weird framework attached to it, or a very early JCB. The provender store might be used for fertiliser or bagged cement arriving in palvans.

 

The thing to try to capture is the fact that goods yards at this date had loads of excess space, awaiting selling-off, rather than being cramped. You might think about a turnout leading to a lifted siding that trails off-scene front, as a way of suggesting gradual abandonment.

 

Loving that substation! It does need to be up on a platform, though, to facilitate rolling a transformer off a wagon, Guildford was a good example, but I don’t know what it is like now.

 

Kevin

Edited August 28, 2018 by Nearholmer

[Geep7]

I think what's had me in a quandary, is that i've been trying to cater for more than one period so I could hypothetically run my dad's steam era stock, rather than actually stick to the prototype I am trying to model.

 

In which case, I think it would be wise to loose the coal staithes. I assume I could still run the odd mineral wagon or 2 into the siding to get offloaded? Hmmmm, would the Dapol JCB be a little too late for my particular era?

 

It would be a shame to loose the loading dock, so I might leave that. If I had space for a second track, I would add one (it did used to have one at one point).

 

I wonder if it might be worth getting rid of the whole thing and build a proper LBSCR style good's shed?

[Geep7]

Loving that substation! It does need to be up on a platform, though, to facilitate rolling a transformer off a wagon, Guildford was a good example, but I don’t know what it is like now.

 

Kevin

That's as far as i've got so far, it will be put onto a platform once I make a start on the transformer and outside bits.

 

I think next on the list is the station building.

[Zomboid]

It wouldn't be wrong to put it on a platform, but from what I can remember it isn't essential either. They were at rail level (or below) at Weybridge, Pirbright Junction, Walton on Thames... At Woking the HV is on a platform but the transformer is not...

 

Anything goes, really

[Siberian Snooper]

Coal could be unloaded directly from the wagon straight on to the coal merchants lorry, either as a bulk load or into sacks.

[Oldddudders]

Coal staithes/storage existed in many station yards long after the sidings had become a car park.

[Geep7]

Took a quick picture this morning of just the store in place on the goods siding.

 

 

I think the less is more approach is a lot better, but will be a shame to loose the loading dock with the crane, or could I get away with the crane being down at ground level, rather than on a raised dock?

[Nearholmer]

A lot of cranes were on small, often circular, platforms, and a great many places had no fixed crane outside of the goods shed, calling on the ‘oheavy gang’ and their wagon-mounted crane to deal with exceptional loads.

[Geep7]

Having had a search around the Internet, I think I'm going to place the store back where I had it originally, and leave a large open yard area.

The crane will be raised up on a small circular platform, as suggested by Nearholmer, and not dissimilar to one that used to be at Hawkhurst.

[Geep7]

So not a huge amount happening on the layout due to this weekends impending REC Exhibition in Woking. I will be there all weekend as "chief steward" and helping run a fellow club members 1930's LSWR layout 'Horsebridge Wharf'. If you can make it along, please do come and say hello.

*shameless plug over*

 

Once the show weekend is over, I intend to get on with the projects I have on the go, and have been side-lined of late.

Edited September 5, 2018 by Geep7

[Mike Storey]

So not a huge amount happening on the layout due to this weekends impending REC Exhibition in Woking. I will be there all weekend as "chief steward" and helping run a fellow club members 1930's LSWR layout 'Horsebridge Wharf'. If you can make it along, please do come and say hello.

*shameless plug over*

 

Once the show weekend is over, I intend to get on with the projects I have on the go, and have been side-lined of late.

 

Flipping excuses. Hurry up. We almost certainly have further comments to make about that freight siding.......

 

But hope all goes well in Woking - went to it once in a former life, and it was an impressive show!

[Geep7]

Well, i've finally got over the exhibition and done a bit of modelling.

 

I've done the mod on the other 4-Vep driving cab, not much point in posting any pics, as it's just the same as the other end.

 

Tonight, i've finally made some meaningful progress on the new station building.

 

[Geep7]

More progress on the new station building

 

 

 

 

The most difficult bit was get the brick plasticard to go round the corners, but a bit of gentle heating in hot water managed to persuade it.

[Geep7]

Well, it's been a while since I last did an update on the layout.

 

Progress has been a bit variable. I've been working on the station building which is progressing nicely. I'll post some photos later.

 

Works been progressing on more cassettes.

 

I have also done some work on the good yard.

 

 

The surface has been redone, and i've fashioned a raised platform for the yard crane, shown in the photo roughly in the position where will be.

 

There will probably be some coal sacks stacked up at the right hand end, just to suggest that it's right at the end of rail-bound coal traffic.

[Nearholmer]

Geep

 

Where did you get those station window frames from; they are very Southern?

 

K

[pitbull1845]

Geep

Where did you get those station window frames from; they are very Southern?

K

The etch has www.peediemodels.com stamped on it.. Edited November 11, 2018 by pitbull1845

[Geep7]

Geep

 

Where did you get those station window frames from; they are very Southern?

 

K

As Pitbull has said, they and the doors have come from Peedie Models and they are their Southern Moderne range....

[Geep7]

Yikes, how long has it been since I last updated this thread.....

 

First up, i've updated the signage on the signalbox and running in board to reflect the new layout name.

 

 

I've since added the station lamps. Oh, and I think the starter signal needs reducing in height. I'm not entirely sure how low though. And yes, it is wonky....

 

Before Christmas I also made a start on my DC-Kits MLV.

 

 

Loads more to do on it, just waiting for some warmer weather to give it a blast of primer before adding more detailing parts.

 

Things slowed down, as they inevitably do, around Christmas and New Year, but i've been spurred on by an unexpected 40th birthday & Christmas gift from my parents.

 

 

I received the loco on my birthday, and a Howes sound decoder followed at Christmas. Pleased as punch I am.... I had been slightly going of the idea of sound fitted locos, but this has now changed my mind. My 2 Class 33's are the next in line to be fitted, when funds permit.

 

Since Christmas, i've been distracted by more household type projects, and also helping my son build his Lego sets he received from Santa. Can't keep me away from the trains for long though, as one of the sets was the Hogwarts Express. Been a while since i'd properly built Lego, and this was so much fun to build. They even go the wheel arrangement correct, also a bit disappointed that the tender was only a 4 wheeler.....

 

That brings us up this weekend, and i've started back on the substation project, and begun work on the rafts. Below is the progress so far. Don't be too harsh, it's only meant to be a representation.

 

 

The plan is to finish this off before moving back onto the station end of the layout, so that essentially this end of the layout is fully scenicked.

 

Until next time, which hopefully won't be as long....

Edited February 8, 2019 by Geep7
The spelling and grammar police have reviewed this post......

[Nearholmer]

Well, its a good representation, in that I recognised straight away what it is.

 

Exciting stuff, to me, and at least three others here, seeing a substation represented properly on a layout.

 

Did I point to this useful picture before? https://www.mediastorehouse.com/raf-museum/railways/electrification-brighton-line-5-october-1931-1530323.html

 

And, I think, but would need to check, that the incoming 33kV feeder cable, your three wires, would have been a three-core cable, with a little triangular 'trifurcating box' part way up the raft, from which three separate cores emerged ...... IIRC some of the 1930s schemes used three singles banded together, and some three-core cable, so it might depend on location and exact date.

 

Kevin

Edited January 20, 2019 by Nearholmer

[Geep7]

I've not seen that picture before, so thanks for sharing. Every bit of info. I can get really helps.

 

Regarding the feeder wire, I think i'll do some more research. None of the wires are glued yet, so still time to change it.

 

I imagine the closest substation to the location would be Barnham Junction, unless there is one in the Chichester area that i'm unaware of. But I guess any that are on the West Coastway route would be a good example.

[Nearholmer]

Geep

 

I ought to know exactly what HV cable was used Barnham to Bognor, 3x1c or 1x3c, because guess who oversaw the replacement of it in the early-1980s ....... but, I'm blowed if I can remember!

 

Anyway, if you look in this article, and keep scrolling down, there is a good picture of Finchdean Sub on the Portsmouth Line, which shows the three-core to single-core trifurcation, and also shows how the sealing-ends (special type of insulator), are positioned on top of the concrete 'ears' , so that a single-core enters at the bottom of each. http://www.davidheyscollection.com/page32.htm

 

Can't find exact details, but I am pretty sure that the Brighton Line used 3x1c, and I know Portsmouth and Reading used 1x3c ....... when they moved from one to the other????

 

I apologise for getting awfully 'train-spottery' over this ......... I promise I won't complain if what you create is a sketch, rather than a perfect miniature!

 

Kevin

[Zomboid]

Bognor was an unusual one, being 11kV rather than the usual 33kV. There's plenty of the old cables still around, and the old oil filled ones are (as far as I recall) 3 core. Though perhaps the Bognor line is a good analogy for this one being a short branch from the coastway. If it's relevant, the Sheppy line was and is 33kV, but most other minor branches were 11kV. I could never understand why go to the expense of the 33/11 transformers and bespoke transformer rectifiers (for the area) for so little equipment. At least Tattenham Corner was 4 or so subs...

 

The new XLPE cables are all 3x single core.

[Nearholmer]

IIRC, Bognor only became 11kV at the stage I'm talking about, I'm pretty sure it was 33kV until then, and no, I can't recall why it was done, assuming I'm right that it was, but I know a man (HP) who will know, because he would have designed it. somewhere in my study, I have an old HV feeding diagram, but can I lay hands on it .......

 

The original 33kV cables weren't OF, they were PILC. I'm fairly certain that all OF cable is/was 3C, except possibly for short lengths between trifurcating stop joints and sealing ends at some sites where cable was renewed between about the mid 70s and mid 80s, when we introduced trifurcating sealing ends. Not many sites got those, because we were then beginning to look at and then use XLPE.

 

And, I'm now 99% sure that the original 33KV cables were 3C in the area under question, given that both Portsmouth Direct, and Reading schemes were, and Portsmouth via Horsham, which this area was part of, was done between those two.

Edited January 21, 2019 by Nearholmer

[Zomboid]

And it's back to 33kV now. It probably made sense at the time. If that HP is the one that I know (well, knew briefly before he [semi] retired) then it definitely would have been the right thing to be doing then. I can't fathom it with my post 2003 eyes though. Not as bizarre as introducing 22kV for the WLL/ Tonbridge - Redhill lines. Guess that must have been a bit cheaper too, but it has also done a great job of making it harder than it would otherwise have been to move power around between Tunbridge Wells and Croydon...

 

And with my post 2003 eyes, PILC and OF aren't a distinction I make often enough. It's more "XLPE and everything else". Not great, I know, but I don't have to physically work with the things.