West Bay on the end of the Bridport Branch

[RogerBfastlane]

Hi,

Love the West Bay layout you are building. I am slowly getting an n gauge version together myself - just getting the track purchased and a bit of planning how far to go up the line and if I can compress to include the Wonderwell/Wanderwell Bridge. Following from DougIdles comments about typical goods types, West Bay was a port that received timber from Scandanavia (saw this myself into the very early 1970's). The nets etc (unless shipped elsewhere) are more likely to have been loaded from Bridport goods yard than West Bay as the factories (Gundrys etc) were in town. WB did have a small cattle dock but apparently this was rarely used. Also, it did have a small fishing fleet so fish vans may have been used and a large amount of beach gravel/pebbles were taken from here at the end of Chesil Beach until about the 1960's (unsure about last date)  and this was used for construction and also as ballast on the returning timber ships. For this reason you see a lot of open wagons on West Bay sidings in earlier photos including NE wagons. Nice project. Some pics attached FYI, mainly much earlier than your era but still indicative I think. Look forward to reading your progress.

[dougidle]

Thanks Roger - I'll have to get myself some fish vans now! When we visited in December I brought back a small bag of sand from the beach that I plan to use to load some wagons in lieu of shingle. I was also planning to have some wagons with timber loaded from the docks.

 

I'll have to get some NE wagons after seeing that picture - all of my stock is GW so far.

 

You can really see how open the landscape was - I don't have nearly enough space to do it just and will have to cut it off just after the points. As there's no obvious scenic break I'll try and mask it with some trees.

 

Thanks for the photos and I look forward to seeing your build too.

 

Cheers,

Doug

[RogerBfastlane]

Hi Doug, obviously a lot more built up these days and particularly since the 1960's but some late Victorian and 1920's-on houses down West Bay Road. and still some farmland (just) . 

Yes, hard to do it justice when so bleak, but only about 1.5 miles to Bridport (East St) but still to scale far too big to easily model. I wanted to get Wanderwell Bridge into the layout so will compress the distance to this (about 3/4 mile) when I can get some good pics of this to model - the memory is not so good about the appearance as this disappeared about 45 years ago, although part of the roadway brickwork is still there.

 

Will post any more relevant pics to share,

 

Rgds,

Roger

[melmoth]

Hi Doug, I missed this thread because I've been away from RM Web since last autumn. I live in Bridport and am also modelling West Bay in EM - albeit at a slow, almost glacial pace. I'm setting my model in the mid-30s, but like you am assuming the passenger service lasted slightly long, mainly so I can run a B set as well as 4-wheelers. The space I have available has changed twice since I started, but at one time I was intending to build an L shaped layout and use Wanderwell bridge as the scenic break.

 

I'm really looking forward to how your model progresses because it looks like it might offer me some inspiration and a much needed kick up the backside to get on with mine.

[dougidle]

22 hours ago, melmoth said:

Hi Doug, I missed this thread because I've been away from RM Web since last autumn. I live in Bridport and am also modelling West Bay in EM - albeit at a slow, almost glacial pace. I'm setting my model in the mid-30s, but like you am assuming the passenger service lasted slightly long, mainly so I can run a B set as well as 4-wheelers. The space I have available has changed twice since I started, but at one time I was intending to build an L shaped layout and use Wanderwell bridge as the scenic break.

 

I'm really looking forward to how your model progresses because it looks like it might offer me some inspiration and a much needed kick up the backside to get on with mine.

Thanks @melmoth.

My progress is also glacial. I keep getting distracted with building stock when I should make some track instead! 

 

I think we crossed paths on the EM gauge group on Facebook too?

 

Cheers,

Doug

[melmoth]

@dougidle It wouldn't have been me on Facebook, but I can think of four EM layouts (or possibly ex-layouts) with some sort of connection to West Bay and the Bridport and Abbotsbury branches, so there's a fair bit of it about.

[dougidle]

A bit more glacial progress was made this month.  My original plan for May had been:

• Complete the chassis for 4803 (finally!) so that she moves under power
• Complete 3 more wagons (2 7 planks and a Tube C)
• If I can do these, June will be the month that some more track is finally laid.

 

I didn't manage to complete the chassis unfortunately and have stopped updating the build diary I was keeping as it has digressed into a more general conversation about 14xx chassis kits. Once I put the chassis together I discovered that the worm supplied with the motor didn't fit. After a call to High Level another was supplied and after a further wait for some Loctite to be delivered and wiring everything up she ran for the first time. She didn't run very well though and I eventually traced the problem to the plunger pickups which were preventing the wheels from turning freely. I've ordered some parts to make some wipers which I hope will be better. I did paint the chassis though - she's had so much handling though that another coat will be needed. Next time I'll just spray the chassis black to start with.

 

I did manage to complete the 3 wagons - with the exception of buffers unfortunately. Neither Dart Castings or Alan Gibson have any in stock. That's 7 pairs I need now. 

 

I also took all the baseboards apart and finally screwed them to the walls meaning they're fixed in place and I can work without them moving. I have ordered some more track from C&L and hope to have it soon. I also got an A5 point kit.

 

For June, my plan is to:

• Have the chassis for 4803 complete and running
• Construct 3 more wagons (a Weymouth Co-Op, Mica B and Iron Mink)
• Lay further straight track
• Build the A5 point

[dougidle]

So.... It's the 1st of July and that means monthly update time.

 

My plan for June was to:

• Have the chassis for 4803 complete and running
• Construct 3 more wagons (a Weymouth Co-Op, Mica B and Iron Mink)
• Lay further straight track
• Build the A5 point

I didn't get the chassis running and I'm at a point now where I'm going to pass the baton to someone else to get it finished. This month I did manage to add the pickups which were a bit fiddly but she won't run properly with the rods attached. I suspect it's either the wheels not  being quartered exactly or the chassis not being straight enough. A member of the EM gauge facebook group has kindly offered to see if she can be rescued.

 

 

I did complete the 3 wagons although I noticed after taking the photo that the rails on the Mica need painted. The transfers that came with the Iron Mink were awful and shiny and will be replaced this month with some nicer HMRS ones.

 

I also able to build some more track but the point didn't get made. That's going on the July plan!

 

 

The plan for July is

• Replace the transfers on the Iron Mink
• Build the last 2 wagon kits (20ton Toad and GWR Cattle wagon)
• Build the point kit
• Add more straight track and wire it up so that it works
• Obtain wheels for the B-Set I bought a few months ago

In other news I also bought a non-working Bachmann 57xx so that will be a project later on in the year along with the 2251 body that I already have.

 

Hopefully, when August starts I'll have some proper track down and I can start putting down some scenery

 

[RogerBfastlane]

Hi Martyn,

 

I used to come down to Bridport in the early '70's on the railbus as well as previous visits from the mid 1950's onwards to see my grandparents who were from around the town. My grandfather traveled on the West Bay branch in the 1920's. We have essentially now moved to an old cottage in West Bay and thinking of modeling the old station and sidings up to Wanderwell Bridge (compressed) in N gauge (it is a small cottage) and love to see other's efforts in OO, EM and O gauge. I have collated a fair amount of online information about Bridport and West Bay with a section on the Bridport Railway, so although a very short branch line that was not ultimately very successful due to West Bay failing to take off as a seaside resort, it does hold a certain personal interest. I have been looking for more images of the line between Bridport and West Bay and there are only seemingly a few out there that are published in many different books or online. I know the Bridport Museum/local History centre will have more but currently closed due to Covid, so will have to wait and see,

 

Best of luck with the layout, will follow with interest,

 

Roger

[mapreader]

Roger, I'm building a layout of Bridport set in the 50's. Whilst researching I went to Bridport Local History Centre. Whilst having the plans for the Bridport station and accompanying buildings they also have them for West Bay too. In terms of photos for Bridport they just had a few photocopies, but wasn't looking for West Bay. 

[Compound2632]

Many years ago when we had family holidays at Eype I bought a copy of B.L. Jackson and M.J. Tattershall, The Bridport Branch (OPC, 1976). This has details of the locomotives used on the line at various periods and also makes mention of the diagram AA1 6-wheel goods brake van No. 56943 allocated to Bridport and fitted with vac and steam heating pipes for use on the daily mixed train. It's not clear when this was first allocated - the photo shows it in BR days. 

[dougidle]

Hi All,

Jackson and Tattershalls book is very good indeed. I managed to get a copy of eBay earlier this year. While the more modern book by Beale is great for pictures, the older book has a lot of text and detail about the line. I too was unable to find a picture of 56943 in GWR livery but I made a best guess when I built my O gauge version to run in the garden.

 

I have one of the Oxford Rail 6 wheelers which I intend to delivery as 56943 at some point.

 

For plans of the buildings - I think it's only the station, platforms and the cattle dock. There's a good plan for the station in the Feb '96 RM - happy to photocopy it if anyone wants it. 

 

I've been very quiet on the model recently - I'll try and provide an update later on. Things have moved very slowly!

 

Thanks,

Doug.

[dougidle]

Blimey - the last time I update the thread properly was at the start of July. 

The plan for July was to

• Replace the transfers on the Iron Mink
• Build the last 2 wagon kits (20ton Toad and GWR Cattle wagon)
• Build the point kit
• Add more straight track and wire it up so that it works
• Obtain wheels for the B-Set I bought a few months ago

 

July wasn't very productive unfortunately - I was informed of redundancy and then other things took priority. I've found a new role so looking ok at the moment. Since the last post I've done a few things.

 

The Iron Mink has been re-liveried and looks much better. I also completed the 20 ton Toad and the Cattle wagon. The cattle wagon is from the old Airfix kit which I planned to kitbash into a similar GWR model. In the end it was such a pig to put together that I didn't bother. It doesn't run very well either so could very well be visiting the bin soon! It does look good though.

 

I've spent a lot of time trying to get the chassis I built for 4803 to run and eventually admitted defeat. Through the EM gauge group on facebook I was able to find someone who volunteered to get her running - this has been done and I'm waiting for her to come back to Kent. The sector plate is now all wired up and permanently attached too.

 

I couldn't get the Gibson wheels into the bogies on the B-Set so I replaced the bogies with brass ones with cosmetic sides from MJT. Very nice they are too. While I was at it I fitted the wheel into an old Airfix Autocoach too. I could fit the wheels on this one and didn't need to replace the bogies.

 

After asking for advice in the EM facebook group I was sent a C&L point kit free of charge to experiment with. It was a OO kit and I purchased the additional items to make it EM, built it and it's not ready to go on the layout. I've got a tortoise point motor to go with it and hope it have it completed in the next week or so

 

 

The goals for September are

• wire up and permanently attach the point and the track up to  the point at the other end of the layout
• re-wheel a Bachmann Pratts Spirit 14 ton tanker
• actually run a train!

 

Cheers,

Doug

 

Edited September 14, 2020 by dougidle

[RogerBfastlane]

All, thanks for the recommended book title and comments. I have obtained a copy of that Railway Modeller from Feb '96 and reduced the drawings of WB Station to 2mm scale - MS Publisher is my "goto" ap for scaling almost any image or line drawing so long as you have one known (or reasonably guessable) dimension. I have also modelled a 6 wheel Toad bodyshell  in 2mm scale in Solidworks from an old  line drawing - more detailing required for the chassis. The "N" Osbornes version is in fine ply and from the examples I have seen tends to give a rather rough finish, but is cheap enough to buy and try to improve, but will probably get mine 3D printed and go for it!

 

Amazing such a small station and line gets so much attention, but actually quite compelling for some reason. Must try and get some more details of the original loco on the Bridport Railway as a nice challenge to model in CAD in 2mm/N gauge.

[dpgibbons]

I'm confident that Bridport would never have required a heavyweight 6W brake van, not even down Bincombe bank! Which raises the question of how Bridport goods traffic was routed - did it run to Weymouth for sorting, or directly to and from Westbury? 

[Compound2632]

3 hours ago, dpgibbons said:

I'm confident that Bridport would never have required a heavyweight 6W brake van, 

 

Nevertheless one, latterly 56943, was allocated. 

[Adam]

21 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

Nevertheless one, latterly 56943, was allocated. 

 

And the picture appears - with appropriate branding - taken at Bridport in the books in the line. I’d doubt that branch freight traffic, unless for export, would have gone to Weymouth; though you’d need a sight if the working timetable to be sure, far more likely than Westbury would be tripping the goods to Yeovil (Pen Mill), which had quite a busy yard, combined with other traffic there and thence to Westbury. Again, I’m fairly sure that there’s more about this in the books on the branch. 

 

Adam

[Joseph_Pestell]

2 hours ago, Adam said:

 

And the picture appears - with appropriate branding - taken at Bridport in the books in the line. I’d doubt that branch freight traffic, unless for export, would have gone to Weymouth; though you’d need a sight if the working timetable to be sure, far more likely than Westbury would be tripping the goods to Yeovil (Pen Mill), which had quite a busy yard, combined with other traffic there and thence to Westbury. Again, I’m fairly sure that there’s more about this in the books on the branch. 

 

Adam

 

Bridport freight train definitely went towards Westbury, but possibly only as far as Pen Mill before being joined with another.

 

The track layout at Maiden Newton makes this clear. There was a short siding on the down side for any wagons from Bridport for Dorchester and Weymouth direction to be split out of the train.

 

Given the reversal of the Bridport branch freight train in the down platform at Maiden Newton (in both directions), I do wonder whether the train was provided with a brake van at both ends or if a shunt to the up platform was required to get the brake van to the tail of the train. 

[Adam]

Thanks Joseph - that confirms what I dimly remembered from the book and the track layout (at 5 am with a feeding baby, I wasn't able to check!). Yeovil would be more akin to the local passenger workings, which is why I suggested it and I'm sure they'd have used the up platform for a shunt; brakevans seem to have been a scarce commodity and the Western more controlling than most so two would be an extravagance. 

 

Adam

[Compound2632]

44 minutes ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

 

Bridport freight train definitely went towards Westbury, but possibly only as far as Pen Mill before being joined with another.

 

The track layout at Maiden Newton makes this clear. There was a short siding on the down side for any wagons from Bridport for Dorchester and Weymouth direction to be split out of the train.

 

Given the reversal of the Bridport branch freight train in the down platform at Maiden Newton (in both directions), I do wonder whether the train was provided with a brake van at both ends or if a shunt to the up platform was required to get the brake van to the tail of the train. 

 

Photographs show a single brake van - not always the 6-wheeler. 

[Joseph_Pestell]

15 minutes ago, Adam said:

Thanks Joseph - that confirms what I dimly remembered from the book and the track layout (at 5 am with a feeding baby, I wasn't able to check!). Yeovil would be more akin to the local passenger workings, which is why I suggested it and I'm sure they'd have used the up platform for a shunt; brakevans seem to have been a scarce commodity and the Western more controlling than most so two would be an extravagance. 

 

Adam

 

I think that you are probably right about having just the one brake van. A shunt at Maiden Newton might also be necessary if there were any cattle vans in the train which would need to be at the head of the train.

Although I have never been a GW modeller, Maiden Newton has always interested me as a potential layout.

[kipford]

Doug

To help you with some inspiration, are you aware of Richard Butlers Westcliffe layout, which although not actually West Bay is a layout in the flavour of being based nearby. It is also an EM layout and has won best layout at EXPO EM both times it has been exhibited there. Below are some photos.

[dougidle]

Thanks Dave - I've seen Richards Westcliffe a few times before and it never ceases to impress me. It's a beautiful layout and I can easily see why it's won so many awards. The more I see this and think of my own layout the more I'm tempted to use West Bay as a starting point - it's still my intention to model the station and track plan as it was without adding any more buildings or track work but, forced by the space I have available I'll have to do something like Richard did with a tunnel  (or maybe a large copse of trees) for a scenic break before the fiddle yard.

 

I'm also planning on increasing the loco stock from those that would have appeared just before nationalisation with a 48xx, 57xx and even a 2251 - rolling stock will feature a number of Bridport based wagons but also draw from other local areas included Weymouth and Dorchester. These wagons would never have run to West Bay but will make from some colourful trains for me to play with 

 

Over the weekend, I made an order from the EMGS stores for all the track and point work I need to complete the track plan. After struggling over the last few weeks to complete a C&L point kit and get it running reliably I decided to just buy it all off the shelf and crack on.

 

 

As a couple of examples, here are two attractive, locally based brewery wagons.  In the background you can see a couple of old Superquick models I made up just to give the layout a bit of 3D feel rather than just a track plan on a board!

 

 

 

[dougidle]

Over the last week I've made quite a lot of progress on the layout. A redundancy payout meant that I had a bit of money and after struggling with a point kit for weeks I bit the bullet and bought all the track I needed from the EM Gauge Society. Their B6 points are a bit longer than the A5 ones I was planning on using so I had to compress things even more. I think it still captures the feel of the place, even if it is a bit shorter and once the buildings and some scenery are in place it'll look fine.

 

 

I have a Tortoise point motor which I'm going to use as a test on the first point - hopefully by the end of the week. I also need to relay and wire up the sector plate. Again, I hope that'll be done by the end of the week. All I need then is a loco and I can actually run a train!

 

Cheers,

Doug

[Compound2632]

It already looks very like!