Building a Southern Region layout

[Bulwell Hall]

At the bottom of the rear garden of my Grandparents house in Southampton my Grandfather built a corrugated iron garage to house his pride and joy.  The corrugated iron was recycled sections of 'Anderson' shelters which provided only rudimentary protection.  My grandfathers pride and joy was a black Vauxhall Velox and I remember quite a few trips to Dorset in it with me perched on the front bench seat - with no seat belts!

 

Gerry

[Wilton 34041]

Like those tank wagons Jack, what make are they please? My interest is Southern in the South West too, I'm enjoying following this thread.

Cheers and stay safe,

Phil B.

[Guest Jack Benson]

Phil,

 

Esso - Bachmann anchor mounted tank

Mobil - Oxford Rail

 

 Both excellent models

 

StaySafe

[Wilton 34041]

On 06/03/2021 at 04:19, Jack Benson said:

Phil,

 

Esso - Bachmann anchor mounted tank

Mobil - Oxford Rail

 

 Both excellent models

 

StaySafe

Thanks Jack, I must try and get them.

Take care, stay safe, Phil B.

[Oldddudders]

Colin Ashby took over the Ian Kirk range of 4mm coach kits, I think. 

[Graham_Muz]

On 15/03/2021 at 12:43, Jack Benson said:

An odd SR wagon

 

This is a Colin Ashby model that just 'turned up', no idea of its source or Colin Ashby but is it nice looking.

 

 

Any ideas?

 

StaySafe

 

Hi Tim 

 

This has been been built from a Colin Ashby Kit and represents a SR Diagram 1386 20T mineral wagon one of 980 built between 1933 and 1935 the first batch numbered 40201 - 300 were used for loco coal, the rest for mineral traffic.

2nd batch were numbered 41001-200 

3rd batch were numbered 40301- 980

[JZ]

On 15/03/2021 at 13:25, Oldddudders said:

Colin Ashby took over the Ian Kirk range of 4mm coach kits, I think. 

Colin only took over the Southern coaches. All the others went, unfortunately, to Cooper Craft. He used to do a range of nice 4-wheel OO9 coaches and an open wagon. Don't know what happened to him.

[JZ]

On 13/03/2021 at 13:05, Jack Benson said:

Our neighbour has a Morris 8, reminiscent of Noddy’s car. It was black with red shining upholstery and suicide doors. This one will lose its Police signs and revert to civilian use.

 

Stay Safe

 

 

 

 

There was a 'barn find' Morris 8 on Facebook Marketplace the other day. It was snapped up very quickly.

 

[petethemole]

The Dapol wagon represents a Private Owner 9-plank wagon, a type used by Charringtons among others.  In BR grey it should have a 'P' number.

[Blandford1969]

At least the bogies are available from Roxey Mouldings. Then it would just need an underframe scratch building? They would make an interesting set. Has anyone made up those which are available from Shapeways?

[pete_mcfarlane]

Interesting blog post. I didn't realise those articulated sets got that far west. 

[Nick C]

9 hours ago, Jack Benson said:

The proliferation of pre-war vehicles is a bit surprising. 

 

Probably shouldn't really be that surprising, the early 50s was still a time of rationing and shortages, and cars built in the mid to late 30s would only be 15 to 20 years old, and built to last longer than they are these days...

[Guest Jack Benson]

6 minutes ago, Nick C said:

Probably shouldn't really be that surprising, the early 50s was still a time of rationing and shortages, and cars built in the mid to late 30s would only be 15 to 20 years old, and built to last longer than they are these days...

Hi, it is slightly more nuanced.

Civil auto production ceased in ‘39 and recommenced in late ‘45, even then manpower and material shortages were an issue. When production switched from war to peacetime products the UK economy was in dire straights and the emphasis was ‘export or die’ with most to the remaining colonies. In the photo, there are just three post-war autos, two Vauxhalls and an Austin though I am no expert.

There was virtually no availability for the domestic market, until ‘53 by which time most private cars were fourteen years old, unfortunately automobiles of this period were not really designed to last beyond ten years (father’s Ford Y was just 700 miles between services) 

However, the end of the ‘40s was also the start of the Minor, LandRover and small Austins.
 

Hence Beaminster Road has an Austin 7, Morris 8 (the latter are both black) and Standard Flying 12, even the commercial vehicles are pre-war. 
 

StaySafe

[petethemole]

2 hours ago, Jack Benson said:

What remains to do? Well, there is a garden, touring The Luberon and at 70 my heart's desire is this and I intend to acquire one.

 

 

StaySafe

 

 

 

Do you really want one that transfoms into a giant sentient robot?  That's Bumblebee.

[Sandhole]

Beetle's are an aquired taste.
Having driven one, tuned to the Nth degree , they can get lively.
A bit like Porsche 911's. Push 'em, they'll kill you.

Edited April 19, 2021 by Sandhole

[Guest Jack Benson]

Back to trains,

 

There are two new RUB 77ltr Christmas Tree storage boxes lurking in the garage, despite hoping that they would disappear, they remain unused Rather than a pottery, why not a standard gauge feeder line following the same route as one of the Purbeck NG lines. Same simple loop and couple of sidings together with a few dilapidated corrugated buildings?

 

 

This might be the opportunity to finally find a use for them based on this blog unfortunately my ability to turn a map into an elegant idea is restricted by my artistic skills but this might be recognisable as being based on the map in the blog.

The ‘fiddleyard’ might be a Peco Locolift, for just a Peckett and a couple of wagons. George Jennings has been a preoccupation for as long as I can remember, the 77ltr boxes can accommodate a board 42”x13.5” if inserted sideways and the lack of height is not an issue as I will copy CK and use a clip-on continuous backscene. It makes a change from yet another quayside micro.

 

StaySafe

Edited June 8, 2021 by Jack Benson
New images

[DLT]

23 hours ago, Jack Benson said:

 

30581 near Cowley Bridge a GWR van, exLSWR outside frame van and a Macaw with a load of local timber.

 

 

Sorry, being ultra-pedantic here, I'm sure the location is Exeter St Davids, with 30581 coming down the bank from Central. 

There's too much track for Cowley Bridge, there's a GW loco left background in South Devon Sidings, and the shadow from the West Signalbox on the right.

[Guest Jack Benson]

1 minute ago, DLT said:

Sorry, being ultra-pedantic here, I'm sure the location is Exeter St Davids, with 30581 coming down the bank from Central. 

There's too much track for Cowley Bridge, there's a GW loco left background in South Devon Sidings, and the shadow from the West Signalbox on the right.

Sorry, but the photo, as supplied, has an incorrect caption. 
 

 

 

 

[DLT]

On 19/04/2021 at 11:43, Jack Benson said:

at 70 my heart's desire is this and I intend to acquire one.

 

 

StaySafe

 

 

And the car as well???

[Guest Jack Benson]

After a lifetime of falling off things, the car is the only viable option 

 

StaySafe

[5BarVT]

2 hours ago, Jack Benson said:

Sorry, but the photo, as supplied, has an incorrect caption. 

Also pedantically (and tongue very much in cheek), it is ‘near’ Cowley Bridge Junction: it just happens to be nearer to a bigger landmark.

:-)

Paul.

[Guest Jack Benson]

Having mentioned the rather parochial selection of wagons that are the wagon roster, efforts were made not to own too many SR ‘covered wagons’, the vans with the rather curvy* roof that originated on the SECR. There are couple of exLSWR outside frame vans and a solitary Brighton relic but this old thing does puzzle me, is grey really OK or did the builder run out of dk brown and stuck with Halfrauds primer because the Southern is full of surprises? I suspect the latter.

 

 

That just about wraps it up, the Brighton diag 1454 needs completion in a livery that someone will find to be incorrect but c’est la guerre. 
 

*a wagon pedant will know the correct term, bless.

 

StaySafe, we will make it.
 

 

[Guest Jack Benson]

 

I did hope that someone would comment on the two images which have appeared at different times on RMWeb, both are 30581 and both were captured (I think) in the Exeter area at approximately the same period. The livery is plain black, hybrid lettering of Southern on the tender, BR cabside number in Southern sunshine but BR smokebox door number. Unfortunately neither image was noted with a date but maybe sometime in ‘48-52. 
 

The Exeter connection made 30581 the ideal subject for DLT’s superb model, the lettering is  the slightly updated version. Somewhere, there is an etched smokebox door number from Narrow Planet.
 

StaySafe

Edited April 22, 2021 by Jack Benson

[Guest Jack Benson]

Moving ahead,

 

Until last week, there were two RUB 77ltr Christmas Tree storage boxes are now being fitted out with two baseboards to create a 84"x13.5" micro layout.

 

There is no intention to rush but time waits for no one and it is intended to a simple 'universal' trackplan, these are the options:-

1. Forest of Dean - isn't everyone doing one of these?

2. Quayside - another 'favourite'

3. BLT - No, no, no and again no

4. Wenford - Not quite done to death

5. Army camp - Early '50s National Service 

6. Parkstone Pottery - the pottery end of the line

 

 The 'one size fits all' trackplan - plain and simple

If 1, 2 and 3 are non-starters then 4,5 and 6 maybe be worth consideration, starting with:-

4. Wenford - I remember Iain Rice's Trerice with great affection as the sort of layout that is both realistic and do-able in a limited space, a very difficult achievement.

My available space means that Iain's original plan of a loop across the board is impractical due to the narrow boards so the loop will run across the clay dries (see above). Just enough to provide some operation in keeping with the nature of the location, the scenic break will be adapted from Hellandbridge crossing and there is the opportunity to correctly use a Beattie Well Tank, exLSWR survivor.
 

 

5. Territorial Army camp - Early '50s National Service, they tended to be tucked away in rural locations whilst still easily accessible for rail transport. A neglected subject.

King George V inspecting the Royal Loamshires at Ryall Camp 1932.

 

6. Parkstone Pottery - the pottery end of the line, as described here

 

All the options have their merits but the last three are of particular interest, all require the use of just one loco and a few wagons. There is great contrast from the lush unkempt scenery at Wenford to the pristine neatness of Army life with the pottery as a bit of both.

 

StaySafe

[Mikkel]

Three very appealing options!

 

On the army camp, have you seen Tackeroo? 

 

 

It's a difficult choice but I think my vote is for the pottery. Brickwork makes such nice backdrops 

 

Edited April 25, 2021 by Mikkel