Lockinge Great Western - a lockdown project

[TomJ]

Like many others on here this is a lockdown project. But with a slight difference! It wasn’t built because I had too much time, rather too little. I’m a hospital doctor, working in anaesthetics and intensive care. To say the last six months have been stressful and busy would be an understatement! I didn’t have the time, energy or supplies for my bigger projects. I wanted something small, that used up the supplies I had that I could work on in my spare time to relax for 30min or so. After much reading and googling Lockinge was started. A passing plane recently took a photo of the work so far!

 

[TomJ]

Lockinge is a rural market down in the Vale of the White Horse, sitting beneath the Berkshire Downs with the ancient hill fort of Lockinge Down prominent on the skyline. Like many settlements Brunel’s billiard table bypassed if on its route from London to Bristol. Inspired by other light railways local businessmen raised the funds for an independent light railway to the town. It was a short branch from the GWR Mainline, only 2 miles following the road, and terminated at a wharf on the Berks and Wilts canal. Whilst very convenient for the town it was a very cramped site.

The line was a great success and the town and its industry grew around it. Clearly upgrades were needed but the local company couldn’t afford them. So the line was sold to the GWR who began a program of improvements. A new brick station was build, the line was upgraded to normal standards and signalling added. However the little engine shed was closed and demolished - with engines coming from nearby Didcot. The railway sealed the demise of the canal but in the 20s the wharf was taken over by a dairy. Other freight included coal for the town and gasworks and the local mill. A frequent passenger shuttle was also operated. Little changed after the war but in the 1960s general goods were withdrawn and a DMU replaced steam. Milk and coal traffic limped on but in contrast the town grew as an attractive commuter base. The line still survives to a basic single track halt with the goods yard long built over and the mill converted to luxury apartments

 

[TomJ]

As mentioned earlier the layout was built from scraps and leftovers as much as possible. Baseboards are 5mm foam board (it was cheaper to buy a pack of 4 A1 boards for a few buildings!) and track is mostly recycled from previous projects. It’s ridiculously light and can be lifted off the shelf and worked on downstairs, with the family. Points are simply operated by wire in tube - switches hidden behind the mill. Buildings are mostly scratch buildings using card and Scalescenes printed sheets 

A 57xx and b set at the platform with the goods shed in the background 

 

 

The large mill both provides a lot of traffic and hides the point switches!

 

 

The old canal wharf is now the site of a creamery

Buildings are done - now time to start on the scenery

 

Edited November 21, 2020 by TomJ

[TomJ]

 

Managed to upload a photo of the station the right way round! It’s based on Chalford (a card kit has been available in the past) - one of the fairly typical GWR buildings from the turn of the century. Similar methods to most of my buildings - Scalescenes brickwork printer onto Matte photographic card. Windows and doors are cut out from thin card (although the ones at the back are left over plastic ones) before being assembled around foamboard shell. Was going to do an interior but realised with the canopy roof it would be almost invisible! Still needs the chimneys!

 

Forgot to mention that the overall size is just 4ft 6 by 8 inches. Will just allow two coach + van trains. Fiddle yard is currently just a couple of cassettes - maybe a traverser one day

 

This really is the most wonderful hobby for relaxation. A kind of mindfulness I think. When work was so busy and we had ever changing guidelines and working patterns I needed someway of switching off and this was perfect. It has appeared in the backdrop to many work Zoom meetings and now I am regularly asked to run a train at the end!!!

[TomJ]

Another week - a bit more progress!

after ballasting I just wasn’t happy with the look. It wasn’t just my dodgy ballasting - it didn’t seem right for the layout. Then I realised that on such a line the sidings wouldn’t have deep fresh ballast but merely a covering of ash and muck. I’ve experimented with Chris Nevard’s DAS clay method but it is hard to do well in N gauge. Instead I’ve used my KFC mix (a secret blend of 11 different flocks and scatters - actually anything that looks ok) and covered the yard and sidings with this. A big improvement 

 

 

Also the station has gained chimneys at last (although not pots!). Also added posters and signs, almost completely invisible under the canopy!

 

Station platform isn’t fixed in yet - hence the gap at the bottom. Once I’m happy with it that’s the next job along with all the platform furniture 

[TomJ]

A few more pictures from this weekends work. I find the scenic the hardest bit because it requires a bit of artistic flair - which I don’t have. Buildings and stock are all very precise!

 

Ive imagined that the dairy took over the years of canal wharf 

 

The buildings are based on drawings on RM from Geoff Forster’s Penhydd and like most use Scalescenes printed brickworks. The low relief warehouse was their free kit and the water tank comes from the railway range. I messed up the brick support so used the tank on a plasticard base. As a bonus I used the windows for a low relief chapel!

 

The signal box has finally gained a roof (although you can’t see the signalman inside!). It’s based on Staverton on the SDR - with dimensions guesstimated from photos, standard widows and Google Earth

 

Finally the cassette fiddle yard - simple strips of reinforced foam board with track on. Take about 10min to make. So even if they warp I can replace them!

 

No-idea what chaos awaits at work tomorrow after the weekend. But at least I’ll have this to destress for a few minutes when home

[LDM34046]

Looking good Tom! Loving the progress so far!

My girlfriend is a midwife in the NHS so it's not been an easy year but thank you for your hard work!

 

Keep up the work! 

[TomJ]

It’s amazing what a bit of station furniture does. I’m particularly pleased with the station garden! I’ve got some station signs and totems from Scalescenes so need to rummage in the spares drawers for some lamps 

[TomJ]

Always a big moment when the first train departs! Although there was no ceremony or formalities lucky a bloke with an iPhone was there to capture the departure of a 14xx and autocoach setting off the two miles to the Mainline at Lockinge Road

 

 

Even though I tested everything before painting and ballasting it’s always a nervous moment when the first train runs! The track gang need to sort out a bit of stray ballast and the passengers might have complained about the jerking but it all ran. They might also have complained about being shunted into the goods yard and dairy for completeness!