Churminster & Stowe Magna, Southern Railway

[Tony Teague]

56 minutes ago, Iain.d said:

Hi Tony,

 

Some really nice work there, thank you for showing it.

 

Some rather nice carriages too, as in the picture above. Any chance of some closer pictures and telling us a little bit more about them?

 

Kind regards,

 

Iain

 

Iain

Thanks; there are pictures and details of some of my Northstar / Adrian Rowlands stock on p.5 of this thread, although these do not include Set No.158 specifically.

I'll take some pics and provide more on this set shortly.

Best wishes

Tony

 

[Tony Teague]

Diverting for a moment from the excitement of the "shunt trilogy", and responding to the question raised by @Iain.d, here are some closer images of the carriage stock making up SR non-corridor '3-LAV' Cross-Country Set No.158:

 

 

Leading is ex-LSWR 56' 4-compartment brake 3rd no.3077, built 1913 to (SR) d.126; it had a single sliding door to the extended brake van.

 

 

In the centre of the three car set is ex-LSWR No.4696 an 8 compartment 58' composite to (SR) d.285

 

 

 

and bookending the 3 car set is No.3078 which forms a matching pair with No.3077; a Van C trails at the rear.

 

I recommend Mike King's recent "Southern Coaches Survey" (OPC/Crecy) to anyone interested in gaining a greater understanding of these and other SR pre-grouping carriages.

 

These models are all in etched brass by Adrian Rowlands who was trading as "Northstar" when they were acquired around 7 or 8 years ago; they were produced ready to run, and they were painted - as were all of Adrian's production - by Larry Goddard. Adrian was a one man band who specialised in producing (very) limited runs of more obscure coaches, and soon after that I think he migrated to 7mm loco kits before retiring, and so I am especially glad that I was aware of his products at the time and able to acquire them.

 

One difficulty that I struggle with is whether to weather unusual stock like this, but I think that it is probably so shiny that if I am going to run it, it will have to be dealt with at some point! (EEEK!)

 

I showed some other Northstar coaches - particularly pul-push sets, from my fleet on p.5 of this blog, but they are all interesting and perhaps obscure prototypes, so I will get together some images of any others not preiously covered if that would be of interest.

 

Tony

Edited November 23, 2022 by Tony Teague

[Tony Teague]

Un-weathered loco alert!

 

The shedmaster at Churminster has just spotted this un-weathered Schools loco passing through on the Up Portsmouth to Reading service!

 

 

He has issued instructions that if it returns, as is expected, on the Down service in the morning, it is to be swapped for a weathered member of the same class!

 

May I respectfully suggest that those readers who are easily excited by such activity should take great care when opening any post on this thread in the next 24 hours!

 

Tony

Edited November 23, 2022 by Tony Teague

[PeterA]

27 minutes ago, Tony Teague said:

I recommend Mike King's recent "Southern Coaches Survey" (OPC/Crecy) to anyone interested in gaining a greater understanding of these and other SR pre-grouping carriages.

 

Tony

 

 

 

Added to my list for books to acquire... You wouldn't happen to know of a good source/book for drawings etc for the SR Ballast Plough would you?

 

Superb layout, Rolling Stock and Loco's by the way, one of my favourites on here!

Edited November 13, 2020 by PeterA
Spelling... o_O

[Mick Bonwick]

56 minutes ago, Tony Teague said:

One difficulty that I struggle with is whether to weather unusual stock like this, but I think that it is probably so shiny that if I am going to run it, it will have to be dealt with at some point! (EEEK!)

 

 

Have a look here:

 

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blogs/entry/21241-set-732-introduction/

 

 

[thegreenhowards]

1 hour ago, Tony Teague said:

Diverting for a moment from the excitement of the "shunt trilogy", and responding to the question raised by @Iain.d, here are some closer images of the carriage stock making up SR non-corridor '3-LAV' Cross-Country Set No.158:

 

 

Leading is ex-LSWR 56' 4-compartment brake 3rd no.3077, built 1913 to (SR) d.126; it had a single sliding door to the extended brake van.

 

 

In the centre of the three car set is ex-LSWR No.4696 an 8 compartment 58' composite to (SR) d.285

 

 

and bookending the 3 car set is No.3078 which forms a matching pair with No.3077; a Van C trails at the rear.

 

I recommend Mike King's recent "Southern Coaches Survey" (OPC/Crecy) to anyone interested in gaining a greater understanding of these and other SR pre-grouping carriages.

 

These models are all in etched brass by Adrian Rowlands who was trading as "Northstar" when they were acquired around 7 or 8 years ago; they were produced ready to run, and they were painted - as were all of Adrian's production - by Larry Goddard. Adrian was a one man band who specialised in producing (very) limited runs of more obscure coaches, and soon after that I think he migrated to 7mm loco kits before retiring, and so I am especially glad that I was aware of his products at the time and able to acquire them.

 

One difficulty that I struggle with is whether to weather unusual stock like this, but I think that it is probably so shiny that if I am going to run it, it will have to be dealt with at some point! (EEEK!)

 

I showed some other Northstar coaches - particularly pul-push sets, from my fleet on p.5 of this blog, but they are all interesting and perhaps obscure prototypes, so I will get together some images of any others not preiously covered if that would be of interest.

 

Tony

 

 

I love those coaches Tony. I don’t know much about the prototype but they just look different and beautifully executed.

[Tony Teague]

36 minutes ago, thegreenhowards said:

I love those coaches Tony. I don’t know much about the prototype but they just look different and beautifully executed.

 

Andy

So do I and it's a great shame that he is no longer in business, everything he produced was of the highest standard.

Tony

[Tony Teague]

1 hour ago, Mick Bonwick said:

 

Have a look here:

 

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blogs/entry/21241-set-732-introduction/

 

 

Funny you should say that - the fear was relating to doing it myself - and then I thought - "phone a friend"!

 

[Tony Teague]

1 hour ago, PeterA said:

 

Added to my list for books to acquire... You wouldn't happen to know of a good source/book for drawings etc for the SR Ballast Plough would you?

 

Superb layout, Rolling Stock and Loco's by the way, one of my favourites on here!

 

Peter

Thanks for your kind comments!

The SR ballast plough is probably in Vol.4 of the "Illustrated History of Southern Wagons" but I can't look at the moment as it is out in the railway room - I'll check tomorrow and report back.

Tony

[PeterA]

1 minute ago, Tony Teague said:

 

Peter

Thanks for your kind comments!

The SR ballast plough is probably in Vol.4 of the "Illustrated History of Southern Wagons" but I can't look at the moment as it is out in the railway room - I'll check tomorrow and report back.

Tony

 

Tony,

 

That would be appreciated...

 

Thank you!  

 

Peter.

[pete_mcfarlane]

Those LSWR coaches look really nice, but I'd definitely weather the underframes. The shiny black running gear spoils the effect slightly

[Iain.d]

5 hours ago, Tony Teague said:

Diverting for a moment from the excitement of the "shunt trilogy", and responding to the question raised by @Iain.d, here are some closer images of the carriage stock making up SR non-corridor '3-LAV' Cross-Country Set No.158:

 

 

Leading is ex-LSWR 56' 4-compartment brake 3rd no.3077, built 1913 to (SR) d.126; it had a single sliding door to the extended brake van.

 

 

In the centre of the three car set is ex-LSWR No.4696 an 8 compartment 58' composite to (SR) d.285

 

 

and bookending the 3 car set is No.3078 which forms a matching pair with No.3077; a Van C trails at the rear.

 

I recommend Mike King's recent "Southern Coaches Survey" (OPC/Crecy) to anyone interested in gaining a greater understanding of these and other SR pre-grouping carriages.

 

These models are all in etched brass by Adrian Rowlands who was trading as "Northstar" when they were acquired around 7 or 8 years ago; they were produced ready to run, and they were painted - as were all of Adrian's production - by Larry Goddard. Adrian was a one man band who specialised in producing (very) limited runs of more obscure coaches, and soon after that I think he migrated to 7mm loco kits before retiring, and so I am especially glad that I was aware of his products at the time and able to acquire them.

 

One difficulty that I struggle with is whether to weather unusual stock like this, but I think that it is probably so shiny that if I am going to run it, it will have to be dealt with at some point! (EEEK!)

 

I showed some other Northstar coaches - particularly pul-push sets, from my fleet on p.5 of this blog, but they are all interesting and perhaps obscure prototypes, so I will get together some images of any others not preiously covered if that would be of interest.

 

Tony

 

 

Many thanks for taking the time out to show these. I have the Mike King book you mention, and yes it has some superb detail in it. On seeing the image I quoted higher up this page I was able to find references to the stock / set in the book; that piqued my interest to ask for specific photos. On looking back to page 5 of this thread I realised I'd read about your coaching stock previously, and I'd seen Mick Bonwick's weathering pages - I just forgot! 

 

They are beautifully done carriages. I am looking to build a set - Roxey Mouldings do these diagram numbers - but I'll do them in early BR crimson. I intend to build a S&DJR based layout, I don't have any evidence of these non-corridor carriages working on the former S&D but there's no real reason why they couldn't have at some point. In the early 1950s a variety of ex LSWR carriages were used. I'm certainly more drawn to the more less common coaching stock than say homogenous rakes of Bulleid or BR Mk1 stock.

 

Kind regards,

 

Iain

[Tony Teague]

9 hours ago, Iain.d said:

Many thanks for taking the time out to show these. I have the Mike King book you mention, and yes it has some superb detail in it. On seeing the image I quoted higher up this page I was able to find references to the stock / set in the book; that piqued my interest to ask for specific photos. On looking back to page 5 of this thread I realised I'd read about your coaching stock previously, and I'd seen Mick Bonwick's weathering pages - I just forgot! 

 

They are beautifully done carriages. I am looking to build a set - Roxey Mouldings do these diagram numbers - but I'll do them in early BR crimson. I intend to build a S&DJR based layout, I don't have any evidence of these non-corridor carriages working on the former S&D but there's no real reason why they couldn't have at some point. In the early 1950s a variety of ex LSWR carriages were used. I'm certainly more drawn to the more less common coaching stock than say homogenous rakes of Bulleid or BR Mk1 stock.

 

Kind regards,

 

Iain

 

Quite agree your sentiment on less common coaching stock, and who is to say - if this set visited Churminster and Stowe Magna then it could well have visited the S&D!

 

[Tony Teague]

On 13/11/2020 at 18:22, PeterA said:

 

Added to my list for books to acquire... You wouldn't happen to know of a good source/book for drawings etc for the SR Ballast Plough would you?

 

Superb layout, Rolling Stock and Loco's by the way, one of my favourites on here!

 

Hi Peter

Turns out I was wrong! - There are pics in the SR volume but apparently the SR only built 3 of these to augment what they already had, and they were built at Ashford, largely to the same design as the SECR one that I have:

 

 

The only difference being that the SR ones did not have oil lamps and so no oil lamp pots in the roof:

 

 

For drawings and more pics you therefore need Vol.3 of the Illustrated History of Southern Wagons, which covers the SECR, and it is on p.151.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Tony

 

 

Edited November 23, 2022 by Tony Teague

[PeterA]

1 hour ago, Tony Teague said:

 

Hi Peter

Turns out I was wrong! - There are pics in the SR volume but apparently the SR only built 3 of these to augment what they already had, and they were built at Ashford, largely to the same design as the SECR one that I have:

 

 

The only difference being that the SR ones did not have oil lamps and so no oil lamp pots in the roof:

 

 

For drawings and more pics you therefore need Vol.3 of the Illustrated History of Southern Wagons, which covers the SECR, and it is on p.151.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Tony

 

 

 

Tony,

 

Perfect, I shall add it to the list...

 

Appreciate you taking the time to look it up for me!

 

Peter.

[Tony Teague]

Regular readers will recall that the shedmaster at Churminster had spotted a pristine Schools loco running through late in the day, on a north bound Reading service:

 

 

He had decreed that once it returned it was to be removed in favour of a weathered member of the same class, and soon after, a suitable candidate appeared in the shape of No.924 'Haileybury':

 

 

Not being one to miss an opportunity he placed the loco discreetly in the siding normally occupied by the breakdown train - which for some reason was sitting in platform 1:

 

 

Sure enough, early the following morning No.901 'Winchester' appeared on the return Portsmouth working:

 

 

The driver was immediately told of the error of his ways and the loco uncoupled from its train (the fireman, having spent time on polishing the loco, looks duly fed-up!):

 

 

With No. 901 reversed into the locoshed headshunt, No.924 was now free to join the train....:

 

 

....and moved out onto the running line before backing onto the carriages in platform 2:

 

 

Once coupled up the train was ready for departure, and only 2 minutes late:

 

 

No.924 makes a spirited start on the descending grade past Churminster quarry, and will undoubtedly make up the time lost!

 

 

As for No.901, it was off to the weathering works to join the never ending queue of locos awaiting their turn.

 

The saga continues...

 

Tony

Edited November 23, 2022 by Tony Teague

[Mick Bonwick]

Don't forget to change your filters. They've been working very hard, by all accounts.

[Tony Teague]

21 minutes ago, Mick Bonwick said:

Don't forget to change your filters. They've been working very hard, by all accounts.

 

If you mean those on my spray booth, then fear not! - they were changed immediately before re-starting on this weathering malarkey project!

 

Tony

[KNP]

30 minutes ago, Mick Bonwick said:

Don't forget to change your filters. They've been working very hard, by all accounts.

 

Do you mean to the coffee machine?

[Tony Teague]

10 hours ago, KNP said:

 

Do you mean to the coffee machine?

 

I have never sprayed coffee through my airbrush, but if I did, then I am confident that the filters in my spraybooth would remove the noxious fumes and particles!

[Tony Teague]

Before we check on the deployment of the last of the 6 newly-weathered Schools locos, I can report that whilst this has been going on, the first batch of three of the six Lord Nelson locos to undergo weathering has been completed; they are:

 

 

No.856 'Lord St Vincent' in malachite - an old Bachmann model

 

 

No.851 'Sir Francis Drake' in olive - one of the latest Hornby models with added 3D printed smoke deflectors, and

 

 

No.855 'Robert Blake', also in olive, and another old Bachmann version.

 

Whilst the newer model clearly looks crisper, better detailed and has a better chassis and motor, my feeling is that the old Bachmann version is not all bad and I shan't be rushing to replace those that I have.

 

The second batch of three are now in hand, but almost as soon as they were moved to the workbench, their places in the weathering queue were snapped up by six more locos - this time King Arthur N15's:

 

 

Again these are of two different pedigrees, as I will explain as they come through the process.

 

No rest for the weatherman!

 

Tony

Edited November 23, 2022 by Tony Teague
spelling

[Scene but not Heard]

Hi Tony,

Great to see  the latest weathered locos and rolling stock. There look terrific. If the 'practice makes perfect' motto has any truth to it, by the time you have finished your whole collection, you might get close to Mick's mantle as the weathering wizard!

Still no sign of a break in the covid restrictions, but once a vaccine becomes a reality I shall be delighted to visit.

 

Mike

[Mick Bonwick]

2 minutes ago, Scene but not Heard said:

 you might get close to Mick's mantle

 

Not until we've been vaccinated!

[Tony Teague]

3 hours ago, Mick Bonwick said:

 

Not until we've been vaccinated!

 

Even then.....

[Tony Teague]

4 hours ago, Scene but not Heard said:

Hi Tony,

Great to see  the latest weathered locos and rolling stock. There look terrific. If the 'practice makes perfect' motto has any truth to it, by the time you have finished your whole collection, you might get close to Mick's mantle as the weathering wizard!

Still no sign of a break in the covid restrictions, but once a vaccine becomes a reality I shall be delighted to visit.

 

Mike

 

Hi MIke

Thanks for the kind comments.

You'll be welcome but as you know, 'distancing' is a bit of a problem in the railway room so it might be a while yet.

Tony