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


Geep7
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This layout has now been renamed 'West Sands'.

 

The 'West Sands' part of this thread starts at post #177. Click here to go directly there.


Well, i've been promising to post a topic on my new exhibition layout, and here it is.

'Blackhurst' is a 'what might have been' Southern Region branch line terminus, set roughly around 1970, although I will have the option to backdate the layout to the early 1960s to allow steam to run.

It is supposed that a railway company decided to build a line from Haslemere through to the South Coast via Chichester, but ran out of money when construction reached just beyond Blackhurst. The line was duly purchased by the LSWR and was electrified about the same time as the lines to Alton and Reading were. The line was able to sustain a reasonable amount of traffic which allowed it to survive the Beeching cuts, but alas it could not keep up with the increasing popularity of the private motor car, and the line was closed to all traffic by 1973.

Obviously in reality this never happened, and in all probability a line of this type would never have been built and prospered in such a way, but the beauty of being a modeller is that it's nice to think in some universe somewhere, such a thing could happen.

The actual model is pretty much your ordinary Terminus - Fiddle Yard layout, with shades of Lyme Regis / Seaton creeping into the trackplan. At about 16' long, it will allow me to run 4-car EMU’s and reasonable length loco-hauled trains.

Here's a couple of photos to give a quick flavour of the layout. It'll look much better once I get some scenery on it.

I’d better get a move on though, as the layout’s show is to be the REC’s Annual Exhibition at Woking in September.

 

20160209_170041.thumb.jpg.eb1eed668f0eb31944f9f891629d2fa4.jpg


More details to follow....

Chris Chinery (Geep 7)

 

 

 

 

Edited by Geep7
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Ok, going to post some details if the construction so far.

 

Baseboards

 

The 4 scenic boards are the usual 2x1 softwood topped with 6mm ply. Facia and backscene are again 6mm ply.

post-13704-0-92289300-1456218818_thumb.jpg

 

The fiddleyard board is a sector plate, so the supporting board is 2x1 softwood arranged as an L girder lengthways. The sector plate deck is again 6mm ply braced with some 3/4" x 1/2" softwood.

post-13704-0-63128300-1456218246.jpg

 

All the boards are topped with cork flooring tiles from Wickes (other DIY stores are available).

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I have always liked the idea of an SR dc layout. I don't know why, but maybe it was being taken to Faversham and then Folkestone stations in 1962? 

 

Your idea does seem to have a decent amount of scope for operational variety, and I look forward to seeing how it develops.

 

Surviving SR branch lines were fascinating into the late 1960s. They seemed to have a timeless quality where the pace of life was very slow and only the occasional train disturbed the wildlife.

 

Please keep us up to date with progress. I wonder if the WR would ever have run a hydraulic hauled excursion to Blackhurst?  - hint, hint ;)

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Surviving SR branch lines were fascinating into the late 1960s. They seemed to have a timeless quality where the pace of life was very slow and only the occasional train disturbed the wildlife.

This is the overall ambience i'm hoping to get to.

 

Please keep us up to date with progress. I wonder if the WR would ever have run a hydraulic hauled excursion to Blackhurst? - hint, hint ;)

You've let the cat out of the bag.... I know the Hymek's used to appear on the Reading - Redhill services, so not beyond a stretch for one of those services to divert to Blackhurst.... In fact, I already have a Heljan Hymek.... :-D

 

Actually i'd already thought of a regular service from Blackhurst to Reading via Guildford alternating between a 4-TC set and a thumper unit, so the odd loco hauled service deputising would fit in.

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In which case, there might also be the possibility of a visit from a Reading based class 117.

Indeed there might. I've got a Lima 3-car set packed away, which i'm intending on detailing and correcting once the layout is in an exhibitable state. Will be interesting to see if Bachmann get their model out first though....

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Now onto Part 2

 

Track & Wiring

 

All track on the layout is Peco Code 100 Streamline. All points are electrofrog, except the double slip (as Peco haven't made an Electrofrog in code 100 for some reason). The layout is wired for DCC using an NCE PowerCab, and the points have all been modified so that the polarity is switched by a couple of Hex Frog Juicers, rather than rely on the point blades.

 

Connectors between baseboards for the DCC are either RC connectors where just the BUS crosses a board joint or PC IDE power connectors where the BUS and frog feeds cross between boards.

 

I've just made a start on mounting the point motors (Seep PM1's), and these will be operated by a non-DCC feed via a Gaugemaster CDU from a control panel.

 

I'll take some photo's of the underside of the board when I next have the layout upside down.

 

I've used the Peco conductor pots and code 60 rail for the 3rd Rail. I found I didn't need to use the extra spacer even for the Code 100, and the pickup shoes on my 2-Bil almost touch.

 

Here are some pics after fitting the 3rd rail. I've also modified the peco points to look a bit more prototypical by cutting off the overlong sleepers by the switch tiebar.

post-13704-0-69120900-1456251002.jpg

post-13704-0-13438800-1456251054.jpg

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Material has turned up for the backscene. 10 thou plasticard. Not cheap, but should be durable.

 

post-13704-0-34203700-1456320583_thumb.jpg

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So following on from my last post about the backscene, i'm trying to think of how to approach painting it. First thought was to use Acrylic or Enamel spray, but not sure if I can spray consistently over a 13' length. The second thought is to use standard emulsion. I've got a huge can of blue (can't remember the exact shade) that I used for my last layout, but not sure how it will paint onto the plasticard.... Any thoughts?

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Also thought I should post a photo of the station building. It just the shell at the moment, but going to progress with it this week, hopefully.

 

post-13704-0-61460600-1456391957_thumb.jpg

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post-13704-0-60191000-1456422071_thumb.jpg

 

The road bridge painted and ready to go on the layout. I'll finish the weathering once it's blended in with the scenery.

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Update on the station building. So this is the station masters house. I've added some corner detail this evening, having been distracted by The X Files. Just needs a bit of a file and tidy up, and i'll move onto getting the roof done.

 

post-13704-0-89330500-1456442086.jpg

 

As an aside, i'm hoping the picture quality has been ok, as i'm editing and uploading the pics from my phone. Hopefully i'll get on the PC at the weekend and sort the pics out properly.

 

Also must thank Pete 75c of this parish for sowing the seeds of using 2x2 Lego bricks to help square up my buildings.

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Been a while since my last update. Not a huge amount of progress. The sides of the station platforms are done, so the ballasting can start.

 

post-13704-0-58923100-1457562123_thumb.jpg

 

The platform sides a Slaters English Bond, laminated on 30 thou plasticard. To secure it to the baseboard, i've screwed through Lego bricks, which double up to keep things square.

 

Next i've got to add the surface, which will be 2 layers of 20 thou plasticard, with the top layer cut back so I can add edging stones.

 

As regards the ballasting, i'm not sure if I should paint the sides of the rails first, or ballast and then spray weather.....

Edited by Geep7
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So it's been a couple of weeks since my last update, and some progress has been made. I've almost finished the platform surface and backscene, and i've made a start on the signal box.

 

So, signalbox interior first:

 

post-13704-0-84947800-1458910861.jpg

 

This is the Wills Whitemetal kit for their signalbox. The lever frame is complete so far.

 

Here is a view of the whole scenic part of the layout, from the road bridge towards the station.

 

post-13704-0-40545300-1458911092.jpg

 

Still plenty to do, and hoping to get some done over this holiday weekend. September seems to be steadily getting closer....

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So nothing much done on the visual side, but i've finished the fiddle yard, with a 1 foot foldable extension to the sector plate, so now the fiddle yard is almost 5' long and can now take a loco + 4 coaches.

 

Spent some of yesterday re-wheeling a Lima CCT, which entailed drilling out the axle boxes and fitted brass bearings... Runs so much better now, and it closer to correct height. Just need to add new axle box covers.

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It's been a couple of months since my last update, and in-between other things (job, family stuff, diy projects) i've been cracking on with getting the layout finished for it's first exhibition in September.

 

I've had a list a mile long of things that need to get done, and i've been steadily working through them.

 

So, the track has been finally ballasted and weathered. The one job I really love to hate on a layout actually turned out to be quite a pleasurable experience for once. For those interested in such things, I just used the usual method of laying the ballast dry, wetting it down with a spray of water with a couple of drops of washing up liquid, and then flooding the lot with dilute PVA and yet more washing up liquid. Once it had dried, i've sprayed the whole track with a coat of Humbrol no.29 (cheers Pete 75C).

 

The supports have been made. Each boards has a pair of legs at one end, except the fiddle yard, which has two. The legs are made up of 34mm x 34mm softwood, and spaced apart on both sides by 34mm x 12mm softwood. Hopefully this should stop them twisting. I intend to fit adjustable feet to the bottom of the legs eventually, but for now i'm using the low tech solution of beer mats to level things up.

 

Other things done are the fitting of the point motors, finishing off of the signal box and station building, and fitting of the level crossing. I've got the lighting gantry fitted, and temporarily added some LED kitchen unit strip lights, but I think i'm going to go back to proper tubes, as the light i'm getting for the LED's isn't even enough for my liking.

 

I've also slightly altered the trackplan by removing the point on the goods sidings at the front by the bridge. This is now a single siding, serving a small fuel oil depot. As a consequence of this i've moved the signal box back to where it was originally intended to go against the retaining wall at the back of the layout. I'm really happy with this, as it's broken up, what would have been about 5 feet of wall and embankment.

 

On the stock front, i've started work on detailing up some Hornby TTA tanks to serve the oil depot, finally renumbered my Class 73 and set about completing my 4-TC set (I really should finish it before the Kernow/Bachmann one arrives)

 

Photos to follow later today.....

Edited by Geep7
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Hello Chris,

 

Is that signal box made by you, or a bought in item?

It's the Wills SS48 timber signal box kit, made up pretty much as per the instructions, with their interior detail kit inside. Still needs to be weathered, but i'll probably do that once it's attached to the layout permanently. Edited by Geep7
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It's the Wills SS48 timber signal box kit, made up pretty much as per the instructions, with their interior detail kit inside. Still needs to be weathered, but i'll probably do that once it's attached to the layout permanently.

I've bought same for a similar application, so I'm pleased it looks to be in context :)

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I've bought same for a similar application, so I'm pleased it looks to be in context :)

The kit is based on a Saxby & Farmer signal box used on the Eastern region iirc, but there are plenty of similar looking boxes on the ex LSWR and LBSCR routes.

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It wouldn't take a lot of cutting and shutting to turn it into a near-exact model of Birchden Junction, for instance https://www.flickr.com/photos/47422047@N07/5018554910

 

K

Thanks for sharing that. Doesn't look too much different to the one at Caterham. A cut and shut on the kit wouldn't be too difficult as you say.

 

My reason for making it up as stock is the impending exhibition deadline. I may replace it with a more prototype accurate model at a later date though.

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