Longhedge Works

[RichardMill]

I am looking into making a model of Longhedge Works in Battersea, or at least part of it, and am looking for photos, drawings, track plans etc. 

So far I have found line drawings in Model Railway Constructor, 1958, by Peter Winding, with some measurements; a photo of one of the surviving buildings from HMRS; and a plan of the overall layout of track and buildings in "Victoria to East Croydon"  from Middleton Press. Does anyone have any further leads?

[Regularity]

What year(s) are you looking for?

[Edwardian]

1893-94 Survey:

 

 

https://thetransportlibrary.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=160305&page=1626

 

https://hmrs.org.uk/photographs/longhedge-works-building-derelict-seen-back-from-down-train-southern-end-and-western-side-elevated-viewpoint.html

 

1913-1914 Survey:

 

[Regularity]

And of course, the National Library of Scotland OS maps:

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/find/#zoom=15&lat=51.47363&lon=-0.14354&layers=101&b=1&z=1&point=51.47056,-0.14206

[ChrisN]

17 hours ago, RichardMill said:

I am looking into making a model of Longhedge Works in Battersea, or at least part of it, and am looking for photos, drawings, track plans etc. 

So far I have found line drawings in Model Railway Constructor, 1958, by Peter Winding, with some measurements; a photo of one of the surviving buildings from HMRS; and a plan of the overall layout of track and buildings in "Victoria to East Croydon"  from Middleton Press. Does anyone have any further leads?

 

It would be good to see this layout developing, I hope you post about it here in 'Pre-grouping'.

[RichardMill]

On 09/08/2021 at 18:59, Edwardian said:

1893-94 Survey:

 

 

https://thetransportlibrary.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=160305&page=1626

 

https://hmrs.org.uk/photographs/longhedge-works-building-derelict-seen-back-from-down-train-southern-end-and-western-side-elevated-viewpoint.html

 

1913-1914 Survey:

 

 

Thank you, these maps and web references are invaluable. The map from 1869 in the Middleton Press book gives the functions of the different buildings as well, and I am currently focussing on the erecting shop which was a multi-bay building inside with a traverser to move locomotives from one bay to the next. Opposite is the long thin building that you can see at the top of the works area; this is marked as Turning Shop, Offices and Engine House; it is also the building visible in https://hmrs.org.uk/photographs/longhedge-works-building-derelict-seen-back-from-down-train-southern-end-and-western-side-elevated-viewpoint.html.

The other thing I have been able to glean is that the boundary wall of the Carriage Works still survives as you can see it from Dickens Street to the south (on Google streetview); I intend to visit to do some accurate brick counting, not least to determine the exact roof slope. 

The picture from the Transport library is fantastic in terms of the amount of architectural detail (and track detail) and I am still trying to work out which buildings I am looking at; this may be the eastern end of the boiler shop and the erecting shop.

The next step is to mock up the buildings and a track plan to see how to make a viable layout with operating interest as well as architectural interest. Plenty of wagon turntables in earlier years.

[RichardMill]

On 09/08/2021 at 17:06, Regularity said:

What year(s) are you looking for?

 

Not completely sure yet - but probably quite early in the life of the works when the wagon turntables were still part of the track plan.

 

[RichardMill]

I've got as far as making a mock-up of the Erecting shop at Longhedge in Cardboard, which I find quite encouraging though it immediately tells me that I need to change the roof slope and get the proportions correct between the lower and upper windows. The projecting building you can see in Peter Windings drawing is the front of the traverser bay. I need to get the entrance doors right for appropriate locomotives. Next will be the general office and joinery shop building which you can just see on the right in Peter Windings drawing; this is also the building that features in the photograph taken from the main line on the viaduct.

[wainwright1]

Hi Richard.

 

I can vaguely remember that their was an article in Railway Archive Magazine about Longhedge Works.

Lightmoor Press/Black Dwarf.

This was I think mostly photos with expanded captions and was spread over two issues.

Just had a look through their list of issues and found:

'A visit to Longhedge Works 1903.'

Issue 15 Part 1 (Sold out)

Issue 16 Part 2 (In stock)

 

The author was Jim Greaves who is a SECSoc. member, so it was fairly authoritative.

The first issue is sold out from the publisher, but hopefully copies of the magazine should still available from the second hand market.

Hope that this helps.

 

All the best

Ray

[Edwardian]

18 hours ago, RichardMill said:

I've got as far as making a mock-up of the Erecting shop at Longhedge in Cardboard, which I find quite encouraging though it immediately tells me that I need to change the roof slope and get the proportions correct between the lower and upper windows. The projecting building you can see in Peter Windings drawing is the front of the traverser bay. I need to get the entrance doors right for appropriate locomotives. Next will be the general office and joinery shop building which you can just see on the right in Peter Windings drawing; this is also the building that features in the photograph taken from the main line on the viaduct.

 

 

Blimey, Rivendell!

 

 

 

Seriously, this looks like it will be a seriously good model; keep at it!

[Regularity]

41 minutes ago, Edwardian said:

 

Blimey, Rivendell!

 

 

 

Seriously, this looks like it will be a seriously good model; keep at it!

Nah, Portmeirion!

[wainwright1]

On 24/08/2021 at 15:22, wainwright1 said:

Hi Richard.

 

I can vaguely remember that their was an article in Railway Archive Magazine about Longhedge Works.

Lightmoor Press/Black Dwarf.

This was I think mostly photos with expanded captions and was spread over two issues.

Just had a look through their list of issues and found:

'A visit to Longhedge Works 1903.'

Issue 15 Part 1 (Sold out)

Issue 16 Part 2 (In stock)

 

The author was Jim Greaves who is a SECSoc. member, so it was fairly authoritative.

The first issue is sold out from the publisher, but hopefully copies of the magazine should still available from the second hand market.

Hope that this helps.

 

All the best

Ray

Hi Richard.

 

Sorry slight correction. I think that should have read Archive Magazine not Railway Archive Magazine.

I started drafting my email before I checked on their website and forgot to correct the details.

 

All the best

Ray

[Edwardian]

A glimpse of the Longhedge running shed behind 'Large Scotchman' 556 in 1901

 

 

 

The old coaling stage behind Tiger Class 470, likely the period 1899-1904.

 

 

[RichardMill]

Quote

 

Thank you for the pictures of Rivendell and Portmeirion - I'll go for Rivendell myself which has the slightly Swiss mountain Chalet look. It was the architecture that attracted me in the first place, with the wide roofs and overhanging eaves and all the vertical windows. One future job is some serious brick-counting to get the dimensions right.

Time to look for Archive Magazine...

[RichardMill]

Two developments. I managed to acquire copies of Archive, the quarterly journal for British Industrial and transport history, issues 15 and 16, with a full description of a visit to Longhedge in 1903, with pictures of interiors and exteriors of erecting shop, turnery, boiler shop, woodworking shop, carriage repair shop etc.

 

I also talked with a friend who works out of Stewarts Lane depot on Clan Line / Belmpnd Pullman, who told me there are many relics of Longhedge that survived demolition; he will send me photos when possible.

 

I have been working out with members of Croydon Model Railway Society how to build, motorise and control the traversers that operated inside the erecting shop and outside the carriage works. It seems the best parts for smooth running and accuracy are the guide bars and threaded rod from a 3-d printer, which someone has available. 

 

I will post photos when I have more to show. Baseboard size will be 1400 x 1200 cm, so its a question of what track and buildings will fit into that.

[Compound2632]

On 15/12/2021 at 20:19, RichardMill said:

I have been working out with members of Croydon Model Railway Society how to build, motorise and control the traversers that operated inside the erecting shop and outside the carriage works. It seems the best parts for smooth running and accuracy are the guide bars and threaded rod from a 3-d printer, which someone has available. 

 

3D printing has its uses!