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

[Siberian Snooper]

It  does improve the situation,  but I think the biggest visual constraint is the retaining wall, but I can't see a way of obviating it.

 

 

[Geep7]

8 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

The room at the back that you've sliced-off would have housed cooling equipment for the original, water-cooled, mercury arc rectifier. Once the rectifiers were replaced with diode units (from about your period onwards), the "recooler room" got used as a store/junk room - one sub that I could name held a marvellous collection of racing bicycles, owned by a member of the maintenance team whose garden happily backed onto the sub.

 

If we assume your rectifier has been replaced, all is good.

 

I can't off-hand remember the position of the radiators on the transformers, but the way you have it now doesn't poke me in the eye.

 

In short, IMO a slightly compromised substation is better than no substation at all, even if the end of the line isn't the ideal place to put one.

 

If i'm honest the room at the back was only about 1cm deep, so wasn't even a full representation, so it's loss isn't that significant really.

 

As you say, the substation I have is better than no substation. However, when I build my next layout (there are plans for one, most likely based on Bognor / Littlehampton , if I ever move house and get a decent sized garage / shed) i'll be making sure there is enough room for a proper substation.

[Geep7]

8 minutes ago, Siberian Snooper said:

It  does improve the situation,  but I think the biggest visual constraint is the retaining wall, but I can't see a way of obviating it.

 

 

I agree, but it does nicely hide the backscene break.

 

I have wondered about moving it to where the signalbox currently is, as there is much more space, but I happen to like where the signalbox is.

[Geep7]

So recently i've been working on various things, mostly the station canopy, but the past few days, i've spent an hour or 2 in the evenings doing running sessions as just a break from actual modelling. Unfortunately it's a bit difficult to hold a camera and operate the layout, so no photographic evidence.

However, while operating, it struck me as how lacking the layout is in freight facilities. I love shunting, and the oil depot at the far left hand end (or is it a cement distribution depot?) is great for shunting a short string of wagons, but the other end is just the single freight siding, which doesn't lend much to shunting.

So the dilemma is, do I do something about this on West Sands, or build a smaller shunting layout?

[Nearholmer]

Plausibility will, as ever, be the challenge, and since its one you’ve risen to very effectively so far, it would be a pity to spoil the pie with too much of the wrong ingredients.

 

As I wittered on about before, household coal in 16 ton and 20 ton side-door wagons is still plausible,  and has precedents, at your date, though. Makes a visually interesting siding too.

 

Or, banana-ripening, but the facilities for that were seriously uninteresting to look at, and near London to catch the market.

 

Or, something military, but that would probably imply a military railway ....... maybe just model the exchange siding and a lot of high wire fences with intimidating signs on them.

 

Or, you could trash West Sands’ prospects as a resort, by building a nuclear power station there.

[Geep7]

Thanks Kevin for those suggestions. Having visited Dungeness a few times, the last suggestion i'm not sure I would want to inflict upon the inhabitants of nearby Selsey, West Wittering etc. 

 

I think my issue isn't so much the type of traffic, but the number of sidings (or lack of) that I have. I really wish i'd thought about it a bit more at the beginning (although i'd spent long enough anyway). It would be nice if I could just split the good's siding into 2 sidings, but for a lack of room. (I think shoehorning comes to mind).

 

I'm sure i'll come up with something, although the household planning authority has decreed that the baseboards can't be made any bigger. 

[Nearholmer]

You could try the oldest trick in the book: a section of baseboard that "only gets used at exhibitions". 

 

This you can fix-up at home, initially for checking and scenic-work purposes, taking it down for most of the time ...... initially.

 

You then leave it attached for longer and longer periods each time: a day; two days; a week while some glue is drying; a fortnight because you forgot to take it down, etc etc. 

 

With luck, it will then sneak into permanency, without upsetting anyone.

[Geep7]

On 05/05/2019 at 11:50, Nearholmer said:

You could try the oldest trick in the book: a section of baseboard that "only gets used at exhibitions". 

 

This you can fix-up at home, initially for checking and scenic-work purposes, taking it down for most of the time ...... initially.

 

You then leave it attached for longer and longer periods each time: a day; two days; a week while some glue is drying; a fortnight because you forgot to take it down, etc etc. 

 

With luck, it will then sneak into permanency, without upsetting anyone.

Unfortunately, my wife is rather wise to this since the last time I extended the layout. 

 

However, plans are afoot, and it seems I do have room for 2 tracks, although i'll probably have to lose the crane and the provenders store.

 

I think it'll probably become a general freight distribution depot, with some hard standing between the tracks.

[Geep7]

So i've been having a look at the goods siding, which is now a 2 road goods yard. Seems I have more space than I thought.

 

 

I have found I can fit the provenders store on the front siding.

 

 

I'm not sure about having the crane in between the 2 tracks though, so might just remove this. Obviously I need to cut back the front track to just after the buffer stop, i'm just making adjustments to see how many wagons I can fit in the siding.

 

 

It seems a reasonable number already though.

 

For some reason it's just clicked, and I feel so much happier about it. Just need to now get the track laid properly and wired up.

[Nearholmer]

Talk about a mechanical horse, it would need to be a mechanical goat to get up there!

 

(just joking; I can see what you’re planning)

[Siberian Snooper]

Could you take the crane out, shift the track with the wagons over a bit, move the provender store towards the stops and put the crane back between the store and the turnout?

 

 

 

[Geep7]

9 minutes ago, Siberian Snooper said:

Could you take the crane out, shift the track with the wagons over a bit, move the provender store towards the stops and put the crane back between the store and the turnout?

 

 

 

Good suggestion, i'll give it a go and see what it looks like.

[Geep7]

OK, so i've done as Siberian Snooper has suggested.

 

 

I can probably get away with moving the buffer stop all the way to the right with this formation, and probably move the store along slightly as well. The patch of grass to the left of the crane will most likely go.

[leopardml2341]

For me, the 'store' looks better where it's not sited parallel to the baseboard edge.

 

Now, about that substation..........

[Geep7]

OK, so I had a little move round of the store, and placed it back where it was, but kept the siding straight.

 

 

I think I might just angle the sidings ever so slightly towards the front just to give it a bit more divergence from the main line.

 

Now, the substation..... It is currently on the workbench, next to be looked at along with the station canopy.

 

However there won't be much progress, if any, this weekend, as i'll be at Expo EM South in Bracknell helping to operate a friend's layout (Horsebridge Wharf). Bit of a change here, as its 1930's Southern steam, DC and i'll be dealing with 3-link couplings all weekend. Now where did I put my magnifying glass?

[Siberian Snooper]

As long as there's 10 feet between the non gauge face side of the rails on the main and siding you're at the allowable minimum.

 

 

[Geep7]

14 minutes ago, Siberian Snooper said:

As long as there's 10 feet between the non gauge face side of the rails on the main and siding you're at the allowable minimum.

 

 

There should be about that, but i'll double check it. The run-round loop in the station is set out to the 10 foot minimum, so it shouldn't be far out.

 

I'll have to watch out for curving the sidings too much as well, or the kadees won't couple up.

[Geep7]

I still need to properly measure it, but I had a look last night, and by eye I think it's going to be a bit tight at the point end of the sidings (4cm is a lot in 4mm scale when you think about it).

 

I may have to modify the point to give it a slight curve to bring the rear siding away from the main.

 

 

[Geep7]

Managed to properly measure the separation of the goods sidings from the main, and it is over 10ft, so no modifying needs to be done to the point.

 

Had a rather enjoyable weekend at Expo EM South, but I am really glad I have Kadees on my layout. I was rather struck by the superb Hebble Vale Goods, which has got me thinking about a small freight only layout yet again.

 

Whilst the show was a lot of fun, I did have mixed emotions when I saw the news about the Stamford show. How sad it was that I was able to enjoy a weekend playing trains, when others have had a life's work ruined in minutes by a few mindless individuals.

 

The plan for the long weekend is to get the goods track laid and wired up. Probably will be more exciting than watching the Monaco Grand Prix.

[5BarVT]

Monaco GP Spoiler!

Mad rush for lead at first corner.  Crash about two cars back. Lots of following round the circuit. Mad attempt at overtaking. Another crash. Pit stop error. Surprise winner.

All you need do is add teams/names.

Enjoy.

Paul.

P.S. Enjoying the modelling and research/discussion.

[47606odin]

regarding the substation, the feed could be from another part of the line, so you don't necessarily need one

 

[Lyddrail]

Just found this topic. The layout is looking very good.

Regards the substation it is rare at the end of a line, but yours is similar to an M&G (Maidstone & Gillingham) type, developed from the Brighton type usually in concrete.

A couple of photos of Denton show a typical sub with old transformer and outside raft switchgear.

Next Ditton with the transformer renewed and the raft replaced with indoor switchgear.

Hope this is of interest.

Cheers.

[Geep7]

I'll concede that having a substation at the end of the line is very rare. They just seem such modellable subjects. I'm surprised that there isn't a readily available kit from someone like Ratio / Wills for one, considering the amount of rtr EMU's we have now.

[leopardml2341]

^^^^ I don't think either Wills or Ratio have introduced much to their respective ranges in the last few years have they?

[Mike Storey]

11 hours ago, Geep7 said:

I'll concede that having a substation at the end of the line is very rare. They just seem such modellable subjects. I'm surprised that there isn't a readily available kit from someone like Ratio / Wills for one, considering the amount of rtr EMU's we have now.

 

I guess the problem is which type of building would they choose? I nearly bought the pre-made version, but because it would have needed so much chopped about and added, I didn't. I guess a cheaper (hopefully) kit would be more popular, so that we could bash it into something closer to what we need.

 

The one I need to model (Queenborough) seems to be unique, but there are others close enough that I could massage the differences enough for anyone to care....

 

Walthers still make a kit for all the fiddly bits, anyway, which I guess could be Anglicised.

 

https://www.modelscenerysupplies.co.uk/brands/Walthers Cornerstone/Electric-Transformer-from-Walthers-933-3126