Plumtree Cross - The Hundred of Easwrith Light Railway

[Nick C]

It's October 1946. The war has been over for just over a year, and life in southern England is slowly starting to return to normal - though it'll be a long time yet before it gets there. In a sleepy corner of Sussex, the little known Hundred of Easwrith Light Railway is very much on it's last legs - indeed it probably wouldn't have survived the last few years had it not been for the MoD traffic to the small factory by it's terminus at Plumtree Cross. It won't be long before the Transport Act of 1947 sees the line incorporated into the new British Railways, but for now they're struggling along, albeit reliant on locos and stock hired in from their larger neighbour, the Southern Railway, to supplement their own worn-out stock.

 

That's the back-story anyway...

 

I've had a hankering to build a light railway station for ages now, and a spare board from the fiddle yard of a previous layout sat in the garage, so it's about time I combined the two. The track-plan isn't exactly original, borrowing heavily from @NHY 581, albeit with the end of the loop off-scene. As well as being my first attempt at a 'cameo' type layout, it will also be my first attempt at EM gauge - using the British Finescale points and EMGS flexi, so the big challenge for me is the locos and stock. By choosing a different era to usual I can keep the bulk of my 1950s OO stock as it is for now...

 

The sector plate will probably be 2-road, and the viewing side will be at the top of the above diagram - the idea of the small factory on the right is to act as a view-blocker, however I'm concerned that it will overpower the scene, so I'm wondering if it'd be better to have something like a water tower between the siding and the loop, then make the factory buildings lower (perhaps including a Nissen hut or similar to show something that has been expanded during the war?)

 

There will be a small corrugated Iron station building on the platform, based on that at Northiam (KESR), and the goods shed will be a Scenecraft corrugated example to match.

 

Stock will initially consist of an ex-LBSCR E1, as I've already got a running EM chassis for it, a Hornby Terrier (W14, to be regauged, and repainted as 2678, which spent much of this era on the KESR), a few kitbuilt wagons, and a couple of coaches - one Hornby ex-LSWR BC representing a hired-in example, and an elderly ex-LSWR brake as the company's own. Hopefully more sutiable stock will follow later - I'd like a suitable Manning Wardle or Hawthorn Leslie as the company's own loco, if I can muster the courage to build a suitable kit!

 

The name comes from an old map of Sussex - Plumtree Cross was a tiny hamlet of just a couple of houses, long since vanished (though the name survives as a road name) and the Hundred of Easwrith was actually two (east and west), covering an area south of Horsham.

Edited November 26, 2021 by Nick C

[Fishplate]

Hi @Nick C. Good luck with your project.

 

I like the idea of a water tower as a scene blocker. For railway or factory use?

 

The East Kent and KESR had windmill pumps for their water tanks, which would make an interesting model to sit alongside a railway water tank. Although they are quite flimsy and may not actually block a view. But is something light railways in your chosen area used.

 

Eastry on the EKLR on the Disused stations website has been the inspiration for my own water tank. Away at the moment so difficult to post links from this device.

 

Have clicked on follow and look forward to seeing development in 3D of your back story.

[Nick C]

3 hours ago, Fishplate said:

Hi @Nick C. Good luck with your project.

 

I like the idea of a water tower as a scene blocker. For railway or factory use?

 

The East Kent and KESR had windmill pumps for their water tanks, which would make an interesting model to sit alongside a railway water tank. Although they are quite flimsy and may not actually block a view. But is something light railways in your chosen area used.

 

Eastry on the EKLR on the Disused stations website has been the inspiration for my own water tank. Away at the moment so difficult to post links from this device.

 

Have clicked on follow and look forward to seeing development in 3D of your back story.

It could be for either really. I've ordered a scale link windmill pump, they're really such an iconic light railway feature!

[Nick C]

Templot plan laid out on the board. I still need to build another for the fiddle yard. 

The boxes represent the factory building, and the clear box the station. 

[MrWolf]

This is an interesting development Nick, I shall be tuning in (Via short wave of course.) and following progress.

I also have one of those scale link wind pumps in my stash which I fancy soldering together rather than using superglue as in the instructions, to keep in with my former independent railway theme.

 

Good luck with the project, keep the updates coming! 

[Nick C]

I've found a couple of photos of a water tank on a rather nice sleeper-built base, by Hodson's Mill/Junction Road (KESR):

 

https://thetransportlibrary.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=87457&search=kesr&page=2

 

(link rather than embed, for copyright reasons...)

 

Very similar to the one that @Alister_G built for Ladmanlow for a similar view-blocking purpose!

[Nick C]

Having just discussed that, and needing to decide if it would fit, the water tower seemed like a good place to start.

 

Using a photo in the Middleton Press book, I estimated the size of the Hodson's mill tank to be 3' x 6' x 9', which if I've done my math right is about 1000 gallons. The timbers it's on look like old sleepers, though comparing to the door of the adjacent hut I reckon them to be 4.5" thick. 

 

So a quick plasticard box for the tank (still needs tidying up), and wooden coffee stirrers for the base - the latter cut in half, but not yet cut to length - 7 sticks should give me 56 'sleepers', or 28 rows.

 

[NHY 581]

This all looks really good, Nick. 

 

I have a Col. Stephens 'itch' to scratch at some point but it'll have to wait for now. I have enough going on at present ! 

 

However, more than happy to pick up a few tips from here !!

 

 

Rob. 

[MrWolf]

I'll second that, on both counts!

 

I still haven't figured out what to do with the War Department water tank I built just because I felt like doing it...

[Nick C]

It was a bit warmer yesterday, so I could work in the shed - and so built the fiddle yard (I added a layer of cork after taking the photo, but that's not so exciting to look at as it was then under a heap of timber to keep it flat as the glue dried...):

[Nick C]

More progress on the water tank - the tower is now ready for paint, and the tank has gained a lip at the top. Next it needs some rivets, a valve, and the inlet pipe and outlet hose...

[Nick C]

Another session in the shed saw the pointwork built - I also marked out the correct positions and drilled the holes for the operating rods and droppers. Marking out wasn't as easy as it should have been, as I used the size I remembered for the baseboard when drawing up the Templot plan, instead of measuring again - and of course managed to get the whole thing 2" too long! Correcting for that meant that the relative position of the sector plate pivot changed, and so therefore did the angles...

 

 

[Nick C]

I've also been playing with some 12" to the foot trains. This shot is actually from last year, but it looks similar...

 

Merry Christmas everyone! 

Edited December 19, 2021 by Nick C

[NHY 581]

Merry Christmas, Nick, and a happy New Year to you and yours. 

 

Rob. 

[MrWolf]

Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you too.

 

Other Rob.

[Nick C]

Carried on with track laying this afternoon, however testing clearances on the kick-back siding suggests it's too short, just three wagons if I go right up to the backscene. So I'm tempted to flip the point round and have another siding in the goods yard instead. I think this would be more likely anyway? Any thoughts? 

[NHY 581]

Morning Nick, 

 

Just a few sheep thoughts...........

 

Personally, and perhaps not unexpectedly, I would retain the kickback for the operational trickiness it produces.

What if it continued through the backscene,  via quite a tight aperture into the fiddle yard area ? 

You could dispense with the idea of a factory building on the layout itself and instead surround the disappearing siding, fenced and gated accordingly, with dense  undergrowth and trees. 

 

 

This would suggest a short run to a factory and would also serve to mask the disappearance of the loop/running lines through, by necessity, a larger hole.  Perhaps the trees could continue over onto the platform side of the running lines to further draw the eye ? 

 

A few trees behind the loading dock would provide balance but I don't see this as essential. The goods shed will sort this out. But the trees here would provide a nice back drop to a photo or two, especially if the surface of the loading dock was a tad weedy. 

 

Traffic for the factory could then be propelled into this siding, with the loco then returning back 'on scene' as it were a short time later.  

 

If a second 'off stage' siding were to be added then, for example, full coal wagons could be delivered and empties returned as well as the usual van traffic. Or stick with one siding off stage and maybe have deliveries of fuel oil instead..............or simply have removable wagon loads........

 

By losing the kick back and adding a second siding at the opposite end of the layout, things would, I believe,  become somewhat cramped at that end. 

 

I would certainly retain the goods shed in it's current position on the outside of the siding to preserve the open feel in  the yard area. 

 

 

Rob. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 24, 2021 by NHY 581

[NHY 581]

Hi Nick  

 

Further to my last.........Hijack Mk 2.

 

I've got the crayons out and prior to eating one or two I've sketched this out. 

 

 

Pretty much the same as your plan but I wondered how it would look if a more pronounced curve was added to the Goods shed siding/factory siding making a shallow but continuous curve ?  At the factory end this gives a bit more space to add the lovely water tower ( black blob) within the trees/undergrowth and further mask the entrance/exit to fiddly yard. 

In addition, what about a gentle curve to the platform road ? ( and by default the loop would follow suite ) 

 

The goods shed remains outboard but free space between it and the baseboard edge is reduced. Maybe move inboard ? Perhaps not so cramped with the curve added ? 

 

Basically push the ends of the track towards the corners as I've done with Ewe ( Project X ) 

 

 

 

 

Rob. 

[Nick C]

Thanks Rob, I'll have a play and see if I can get the siding into the fiddle yard without interfering with the sector plate. I'm not sure I can get any more curve on the shed road though, the shed itself is right on the edge of the board in the first photo. 

[NHY 581]

1 hour ago, Nick C said:

Thanks Rob, I'll have a play and see if I can get the siding into the fiddle yard without interfering with the sector plate. I'm not sure I can get any more curve on the shed road though, the shed itself is right on the edge of the board in the first photo. 

 

 

Oops, sorry Nick,  I should have looked closer. 

 

In that case then, maybe plan B. Increase curvature and move goods shed inboard? 

 

If nothing else it would give a better view of the wagons and better access to them in the event of a coupling/uncoupling catastrophe. 

 

If not, nothing lost in leaving as is and set about the 'factory' end. 

 

Rob. 

[Nick C]

5 hours ago, NHY 581 said:

 

 

Oops, sorry Nick,  I should have looked closer. 

 

In that case then, maybe plan B. Increase curvature and move goods shed inboard? 

 

If nothing else it would give a better view of the wagons and better access to them in the event of a coupling/uncoupling catastrophe. 

 

If not, nothing lost in leaving as is and set about the 'factory' end. 

 

Rob. 

Plan B definitely looks better, thanks. I've also tried two more variations- either moving the shed further up the siding (though that'd mean moving anything being unloaded in order to access the factory siding), or swapping the shed and dock so the shed is on the shorter siding. I've also slightly increased the curve through the platform, although it doesn't show well in the photos. 

[NHY 581]

Hi Nick, yep, the position of thd goods shed in the lower picture does look the part. Nice open feel. 

 

Returning to the upper picture, totally agree. Moving the goods shed closer to the factory end would reduce the space for wagons entering or leaving the factory. Again lower photo seems the better option. 

 

The final tweak I'd make would be as below. Rather than take the end of the factory siding back towards the sector plate, I'd continue the curve out towards the base board edge. 

 

 

The slight curve to the platform line works and is quite evident as is the position of the water tower which also works really well

 

That for me would be job done. 

 

Rob. 

[Nick C]

Hmm, that could work, making the factory part of the scenic area rather than disappearing off-stage? I'll have to see if I've got some more plywood!

[Nick C]

Another session this evening saw most of the droppers made and soldered in place, and copperclad sleepers at the baseboard joint. 

 

Unfortunately, @Graham T, I can't find the coupling stick (being, as it was, a mk1 experiment, I.e. a bent bit of wire...). I've also discovered that the MERG servo mounts I was going to use for the points are deeper than the baseboard frames, so that's going to need a rethink...

[Graham T]

1 hour ago, Nick C said:

Another session this evening saw most of the droppers made and soldered in place, and copperclad sleepers at the baseboard joint. 

 

Unfortunately, @Graham T, I can't find the coupling stick (being, as it was, a mk1 experiment, I.e. a bent bit of wire...). I've also discovered that the MERG servo mounts I was going to use for the points are deeper than the baseboard frames, so that's going to need a rethink...

 

No problem Nick, I think I might try out one of the carving tools - or just bend a piece of wire!

 

All a bit academic at the moment anyway, as I don't have any three link or screw couplings yet.