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Midhurst LBSCR Station 1866


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It would be good to see Rule No.1 evoked so that it can all take a turn!  But, I am not suggesting that you devote precious modelling time to photographing models just for our gratification when you have a layout to work on!

 

It is so refreshing to see an earlier period.  Following this topic is filling a hole left by Mike Sharman's layout, which was often photographed for books and periodicals in my youth, and which I found captivating, but which now seems long-gone.  

 

There is not a lot of pre-1900 stuff around, and especially pre-1875 (which the Era/Epoch system does not admit as "pre-Grouping" but which is held, rather inappropriately in my view, to be "Pioneering"!  One day, I might have mastered the skills to 'go early', but, for now, I do enjoy seeing such work as yours.

 

I do hope that your SER/SECR/LCDR collection finds a good, sympathetic and appropriate home on a period layout somewhere. Some layouts and stock collections should really be "preserved for the Nation"!

 

I have never aspired to the standard that Mike Sharman attained, but do remember talking to him on many occasions and several of my earlier models did incorporate either his wheels, gearboxes or both. His model making was out of this world.

Personally I refer to all pre-1923 as pre-grouping but, of course, amalgamations were going on right from day ! with small companies building lines which they then found they could not afford to run. Even what I am doing started off as the Mid Sussex and Midhurst Junction Railway

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I have been exclusively a Brighton man for many years now, but before that I went through a South Eastern phase, and before that an LSWR phase, so I now have so much stock, that I don't know what to do with it!

But now Brighton it is.

 

Same scenario here but when the Cuckoo Line was originally built there were plans for the LBSCR and SER to alternate running. This never happened and it became solely the domain of the Brighton but using modelling licence my South Eastern stock does have running powers too.

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Hello Gareth

Wish I could claim the same but as Midhurst was an obscure terminus almost on the Sussex/Hampshire border ,so to run my South Eastern stock would be stretching things a bit far, Much as I would like to able to.

Perhaps I can do it when no-one is looking!

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I have never aspired to the standard that Mike Sharman attained, but do remember talking to him on many occasions and several of my earlier models did incorporate either his wheels, gearboxes or both. His model making was out of this world.

Personally I refer to all pre-1923 as pre-grouping but, of course, amalgamations were going on right from day ! with small companies building lines which they then found they could not afford to run. Even what I am doing started off as the Mid Sussex and Midhurst Junction Railway

 

Yes, anything that happened before 1923was pre-Grouping by definition.  Our modelling is defined by something that we do not model, the Grouping era.  We are in good company, that of the Pre-Raphaelites!

 

The "pre-amalgamation" era would be limited to very few lines indeed!

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Wish I could claim the same but as Midhurst was an obscure terminus almost on the Sussex/Hampshire border ,so to run my South Eastern stock would be stretching things a bit far, Much as I would like to able to.

Perhaps I can do it when no-one is looking!

Rule 1 applies I believe. Anyhow, just because there is no photographic evidence doesn't mean it didn't happen ;)

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Guest FairwayJunction

The layout is looking absolutely fantastic Michael, such a difference from the old station and track plan to the more recent one i'm trying to recreate. The locomotives and other rolling stock look wonderful and I'm a fan of those Brighton colours, It makes me want to model the transition period from LB&SCR into the Southern Railway. Keep up the great work!

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Thanks Gareth. I agree with your sentiment.

Fairway Junction, thanks for the encouragement. Much appreciated.

I think that perhaps I have a little more room than you, having seen your YouTube entries ,but I am only using two walls of the room.

Are you located near to Midhurst?

Michael

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Guest FairwayJunction

Thanks Gareth. I agree with your sentiment.

Fairway Junction, thanks for the encouragement. Much appreciated.

I think that perhaps I have a little more room than you, having seen your YouTube entries ,but I am only using two walls of the room.

Are you located near to Midhurst?

Michael

Its Rory, I just changed my name on RMWEB so its clearer who I am from my youtube channel. It certainly looks like you have more room but unfortunately for me, I can't remove or change the door in any way so i'm left with an end to end layout which makes running operations somewhat more realistic but I then have less room for storing locomotives.

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Here we are Sunday again and this week has been one of mixed fortunes.


On Thursday I went to Imperial College Hospital in London to see the top Neuro-Surgeon in UK about my Parkinsons, and the upshot of the meeting is that there is nothing that can be done. Apparently to operate using either ultrasound or deep brain stimulation would cause bleeding in the brain, and they were not prepared to put me through that risk. So I am stuck with it!!


Anyway on a lighter note, the Bepton Road, which runs at the far end of the layout, has been constructed, installed and sceniced by Ian and a nice job done. The surface is gravelled, as it would have been at the time, and this was done using Chinchilla Dust


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The bridge over the Bepton Road is ready to be installed and another footbridge has to be constructed for the foot passengers travelling onward from either direction from the LBSCR to LSWR or bice-versa. The paling fence which bordered the LBSC side of the connecting footpath is ready for putting into place.


Apart from that,  more greenery and some flowers have been added to the hillsides and fallen scree to the base of the cutting.


Ihave been given some homework by Ian, who expects me to be able to paint three train crews by the time of his next visit. Dream on!!


Another loco for you to look at


post-5651-0-45636300-1503147564.jpg


More follows

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Wish I could claim the same but as Midhurst was an obscure terminus almost on the Sussex/Hampshire border ,so to run my South Eastern stock would be stretching things a bit far, 

The SER made it to Reading from 1852*, I think that's 'just' further west (and in Berkshire) than Midhurst.  :jester:

 

Built in 1849 as the 'Reading, Guildford and Reigate Railway', taken over by the SER in 1852.

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Well, I have managed to make a little progress by myself today. Firstly I have been able to finish another 5and9 kit of a Stroudley water crane. Ian made up the black water hose last week as I had built and painted the crane but couldn’t do the tissue paper part.


Anyway   we have come forward in date to where Mr Stroudley has had this installed on the platform at Midhurst


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Having had it installed complete with drain, he has now come down to Midhurst in ‘Inspector’ to make sure that the job has been done properly , and here he is standing on the platform with ‘Inspector’ waiting in the adjacent headshunt. The figure of Mr Stroudley is an Andrew Stadden figure, painted by Ian.


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Other small things done are the provision of drains under each downpipe on the station building due to complaints from passengers about pools of water on the platform.


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More to follow

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Hello Penlan

There is only the single platform track. The adjacent track is a run-round.

So the loco would pull into the platform, uncouple, run on to the turntable.

Off the turntable, run round the train, back up to the train at the other end, and take on water at that stage of the proceedings

So only needed for one track

Michael

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That's a long arm on the Water Crane then for the adjacent track, not a criticism as obviously the real water Crane was like that, just an observation.  I wonder why it was so long.

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I'm just intrigued, because with such a long radius arm, there's actually less latitude for positioning the loco's tender or tank fillers.
But that's what happens when you've had a career in engineering, you think to much about minutiae. :O 

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Hello Penlan

I don't know the answer, but if you look at images on Google for 'Stroudley water crane' they all appear to be that long. This one is from a 5and9 kit

Michael

Unfortunately, the 5&9 model is based on a relatively ! modern type dating from around the mid 1880's. Earlier types, and some later ones too, had a much shorter arm, similar to other lines, such as GWR. The difference can be seen in before and after shots of the rebuilt Lewes station, in John Minnis's book on EJ Bedford's photographs. 4mm models of both the initial Craven type, in which the vertical section is made up of four castings bolted together, and Stroudley's later version with a smooth casting, were made by Mike's Models and they appear to still be available from Holt Models, although they haven't got photos of theirs, so it is impossible to tell which is which. I have both types stached way somewhere in the loft, which might help if I can find them, assuming they have kept the same numbering system.
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Hello Nick

Many thanks for the explanation of the water crane variations. Luckily my layout is intended to be used between 1866 and 1899 (with a bit of licence) but if I could find a Craven water crane, the Stroudley one would be replaced. If you could find pictures of the Craven ones, it might be possible to fabricate same.

Michael 

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I've managed to locate the Mike's Models kits - for once my "filing" system in the loft actually worked!

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It's a Craven type actually made up, MM No 10, and the Stroudley Ball-end type is MM No 22.

I see they were an expensive 46½p when I bought them, goodness knows when.  Holt are asking around £12.50, a greater than 2,500% increase; perhaps I should have invested in more of them!

 

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Nick

I am very grateful for the info and pictures of the various water cranes. I think, for authenticity, that I should try to replace the Stroudley with a Craven.

But that price of £12.50 sounds ridiculous!

Thanks again. I see Gary is also taking an interest.

Michael

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