Building a Southern Region layout

[30368]

Like many SR modellers I have found this blog inspirational and motivating. The original work by Tim H was of a very highest order. I wish you well in reworking the original concept.

 

I note that you have no stock etc. I have an abundance of suitable loco's and stock and (at the moment) nowhere to run them. I have no idea of your location or how these things work (fairly new to this hobby) but give me a shout if I can help.

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

 

[ess1uk]

On 08/04/2019 at 12:07, Jack Benson said:

Scratchbuilding is something to which I aspire but hacking around a plastic kit is something with which, I can cope. The stations between Templecombe and Bailey Gate tend to be single floor, small and brick, the Peco LK-12 station  building seems to have the same attributes, maybe a good starting point?

 

The smallest of the stations which had a building was Spetisbury, now a local rebuilding project.

 

 

Peco LK-12 plus Ratio 140  chimneys might work.

 

 

 

The building will need to be shortened, lose the canopy, add appropriate barge boards and replace the windows with York Modellmaking sash windows. The result will not be a copy but none of the stations were identical, just similar and Child Okeford never existed.

 

But the seed is there.

 

Cheers

 

Jack Benson

That’s a great idea.

good to see this thread back

[Northroader]

https://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2012/09/where-did-the-phrase-take-a-gander-come-from/

[JZ]

2 hours ago, Northroader said:

https://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2012/09/where-did-the-phrase-take-a-gander-come-from/

"but this time originating in the United States, rather than Brittan."

 

Where the hell is Brittan?

[Guest Jack Benson]

17 minutes ago, JZ said:

"but this time originating in the United States, rather than Brittan."

 

Where the hell is Brittan?

 

Written by a follower of Kings of Leon?

 

Cheers

 

Jack Benson

[Oldddudders]

I always enjoy a good back-story. Not something I am good at, but love this version. 

[jazzer]

On 18 April 2019 at 15:07, Jack Benson said:

There has been some progress in the Station Master's garden, often overlooked but worth a ganda*, it appears that the rear stoep has just been washed.

 

 

 

*Propaganda - 'taking a good look'

 

Cheers and a happy weekend to all.

 

Jack

 

 

The house is very impressive.  The walls are excellent. Are they from pre- formed sheets of entirely scratch built ? How did you get that effect ?

[Oldddudders]

The Artistic Director has been busy again.  

[DIW]

On 22/04/2019 at 16:02, Jack Benson said:

.... from the 820th Ordnance Base Depot Company at Dunbridge was extremely well received.

 

Cheers

 

Jack Benson

 

 

Lovely modelling! And many thanks indeed for that link.

[JZ]

8 hours ago, Jack Benson said:

Hi,

 

Something to leave you with, both a Buddleia and a Meadow Iris have established themselves.

 

Just a couple of simple ideas.

 

 

 

 

Cheers

 

Jack

It's the little details like this that make a layout.

[Shed]

Glad that this is back 

[Oldddudders]

 Plenty of highly-regarded layouts are more scenery than railway! And if the AD wants that emphasis, who are we to argue? 

 

And your technique has helped me with an area of cutting-side that needs foliating. Thanks Jack. 

[Northroader]

Good idea, the sheep leap up to scrump apples, and they turn into woolly jumpers,

i thank you.. hat, coat...

[30368]

Went over this morning to see this layout and chat with the Artistic Director. Very impressed with the scenic elements and this years crop of rhubarb looks fantastic, better pick it soon AD else it will start to go over!

 

AD has offered to do some scenic work for my layout (70D) when I start again in its new location which is very kind. In return I will build some wagon kits and AD has an unbuilt SE Finecast G6 kit. I have built one of these on a Finecast chassis so I may get around to building that, we shall see! 

 

 G6, L12 and D15 on roofless 70D

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard 

[calvin Streeting]

can i ask what flowers you used/made ? as need some for my layout

[Mallard60022]

Jack, have you considered getting a photo sheet of the actual trees and sky, suitably shopped, to place behind the model trees? Not being too large it should not be too expensive? There are different base materials one can use too, for effect. 

Sincerely, Phil

[Oldddudders]

Bailey Gate. Stationmaster Gerry Kitchenham, although I know not when. He retired in 1982, having been SM at Charing Cross, Area Manager, Tonbridge, and finally Operating Officer, South Eastern Division, where he had me as his Assistant. No wonder he retired.  

[bike2steam]

Well!! I've just caught up with this thread, interesting to say the least. As a member of the Blandford Railway Club, but not having been in attendance for a few months due to an 'illness', I'd better get back in the 'fold' to see how they're progressing with their version of both Bailey Gate, and Spetisbury. But I must say I'm impressed with 'Child Okeford', it looks good, although 'Bailey Gate' is but a shadow of it's former self . But look forward to seeing it 'in the flesh' one day. There are pics of the layouts the BRC are building on the website ( link below), but they are a bit dated and need bringing up to date.

Edited May 25, 2019 by bike2steam

[Oldddudders]

Of course we like being given the details on the details! It simply reminds us how to turn an ordinary RTP structure into something unique, a technique surely of interest to all but the most dedicated and determined scratchbuilder. 

[Mallard60022]

15 hours ago, Jack Benson said:

Hi,

 

We have to start somewhere, this will be our first etched kit.

 

 

No idea of the difficulty level, it looks easy or maybe not :-)

 

Cheers

 

Jack 

Is that the Falcon Brass one? If so, good luck. I have several plastic Cambrian Kits and they are not as 'sharp' in detail and can be a challenge to put together but they come up nicely. This is the later BR version I think (different handrails).

 

[Mallard60022]

5 hours ago, Jack Benson said:

Hi Phil,

 

The etched kit is a SR Diag 1735 exLSWR 40t hopper, of which a total of 20 were made by Turners of Nottingham, it is available from Southwark Bridge via Dave at Roxey Models.  We have now been advised by numerous well-wishers that it is NOT a kit for those beginners with wobbly fingers and poor eyesight , however, a challenge is always a tough learning curve.

 

A couple of questions;

1950s colours are a bit of a guess, we only have the OPC SR wagons Vol1 as a guide, black with small lettering  is our best guess.

What was the telegraphic code - presumably something suitably aquatic?

 

It may be an odd choice for a SDJR layout but BR(S) routed Meldon traffic to the Bournemouth area via Templecombe and we have a photo of a ballast train trundling down through Shillingstone in the mid 60s.

 

Finally an image of Lord Beaverbrook on a loaded ballast train, the second vehicle is the Diag 1735.

 

Cheers

 

Jack

 

Oh nice. Sidmouth Junction, just east of? They are quite different designs I had not really twigged; BR sort of filled in the sides and made them flat as well. Meldon wagons were always dust grey IIRC with suitable dusty/rusty areas. I think I am using CCT decals but they are up in the loft and CBA to go up there at the moment. I can't find any pics or a name for it. However, Graham Muzz and friends would know I am sure.        http://grahammuz.com/2012/06/10/talking-stock-11-a-40-ton-load-of-ballast-sr-dia-1774-hoppers/   go into this blog or the  http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/forum/153-southern-railway-group/

Edited May 28, 2019 by Mallard60022

[Mallard60022]

I wonder if the Bogie Hoppers were some sort of not permitted wagon on the line?  Seems weird as the loco's were damn heavy.

Arbor Eatum been at work Jack? Needs a pie as reward for that bit of work.

P

[Fat Controller]

22 minutes ago, Mallard60022 said:

I wonder if the Bogie Hoppers were some sort of not permitted wagon on the line?  Seems weird as the loco's were damn heavy.

Arbor Eatum been at work Jack? Needs a pie as reward for that bit of work.

P

Might the photo be after the S&DJR came under the WR, which would have drawn its ballast from various quarries around Frome? 

 Alternatively the Southern might not have wanted them wandering off on to lesser lines...The fleet of them wasn't that large, and the fact most of their ballast came from Meldon, would mean they had to struggle to have enough for their own mainline work. It's only in recent years, with the establishment of 'virtual quarries' that SR wagons haven't needed to travel considerable distances to be loaded with ballast.

The axleload of those bogie wagons was about 15 tons fully-laden, probably less than that of the 2-6-4t.

I don't know how late those L&SWR hoppers lasted in service, but they would probably lasted long enough to get a coat of black paint. There were two other variants built by the SR, with side-shutes, and either cast steel or diamond bogies. Both are available from Cambrian, I believe. Pauul Bartlett has photos:- https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/srwalrus

[Mallard60022]

13 minutes ago, Fat Controller said:

Might the photo be after the S&DJR came under the WR, which would have drawn its ballast from various quarries around Frome? 

 Alternatively the Southern might not have wanted them wandering off on to lesser lines...The fleet of them wasn't that large, and the fact most of their ballast came from Meldon, would mean they had to struggle to have enough for their own mainline work. It's only in recent years, with the establishment of 'virtual quarries' that SR wagons haven't needed to travel considerable distances to be loaded with ballast.

The axleload of those bogie wagons was about 15 tons fully-laden, probably less than that of the 2-6-4t.

I don't know how late those L&SWR hoppers lasted in service, but they would probably lasted long enough to get a coat of black paint. There were two other variants built by the SR, with side-shutes, and either cast steel or diamond bogies. Both are available from Cambrian, I believe. Pauul Bartlett has photos:- https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/srwalrus

Not all Meldon trains consisted just of Bogie wagons and so your comment is a goody in that Dogfish could have come from there and or Frome etc. I've got some notes somewhere about a ballast working from Exeter that had a variety of wagons that had destinations going east up the WOEML I think it was Yeovil Junction, Templecombe, Salisbury and Basingstoke then Woking I've also got a good photo of an Arthur at Ex Central heading east with a good variety of ballast wagons. I also believe that ballast from Meldon was sent in batches to Exmouth Junction Up Yard due to the gradient up from St David's. Whether they were then combined into longer trains or just re sorted up there, I do not know...….. yet! 

I also have a picture of 92205 with just Dogfish going east from around Sidmouth Junction or Chard; can't remember.

My conclusions from reading stuff is that Bogie Ballasts were for long distance rune to places like Woking where they were emptied into virtual quarries and then reloaded into smaller wagons for on track disposal? Trains of smaller wagons like Dogfish were for direct engineering reballasting jobs?

Phil 

Edited May 29, 2019 by Mallard60022

[Fat Controller]

I've never seen any mention of ballast stockpiles/ virtual quarries until the 1990s, when one was established at Tonbridge West Yard in conjunction with the upgrading of the various Channel Tunnel route. It meant the hoppers could do drops overnight during the week, as well as over the weekends; previously, they'd be pushed to do one drop a week.

The bogie hoppers would have been unlikely candidates for topping up VQs, simply because of how difficult they'd be to unload. Unloading large quantities of stone would have been difficult prior to the development of 360 degree hydraulic excavators. I can imagine the bogie wagons being worked to locations like Woking for sorting into rakes for different jobs, but I can't see them being emptied there.