Fordingbridge

[Tim Hale]

Another S&DJR structure, this is Fordingbridge - the largest station on the line - see also the Fordingbridge prototype gallery.

 

[The Dorset Wanderer]

As in Salisbury & Dorset Junction Railway?

Steve

[SouthernRegionSteam]

As in Salisbury & Dorset Junction Railway?

That would be the one.

 

DesA:

Fantastic job on modelling Fordingbridge station building, do you have any other models of the S&DJR stations?

I'd like to know how you accomplished the various layers of brick on the chimney as it is superbly executed. I'm currently thinking of modelling Breamore at the moment so it is interesting to see your various models of the line and how you have constructed them.

 

Thanks too for posting photos of stations on the line - there are some very nice shots amongst them, so thank you for sharing them to a wider audience.

Edited for my disjointed post style!

[Tim Hale]

The Salisbury and Dorset Junction Railway (S&DJR) predated the establishment of the Somerset line by several years therefore is the senior of the two albeit both have been closed in the early 60's.

 

The S&DJR left the Salisbury-Southampton line at Alderbury Junction (crossing the A36) before striking south to the first station on the line at Downton, it kept to the east of the Hampshire Avon before crossing the valley to Breamore (extant) and the crossing the A38 at Burgate, where there was a MoS Buffer Store. If you travel along the A38 towards Breamore in a dry summer, you can pick out the bed of a siding that wanders into an empty field from one of the level crossings - the purpose of the siding may have been purely for storage of fuel/ammo on the build-up to June 6th '44 when the hinterland of the Port of Poole/Lymington was a vast logistics store.

 

After Burgate, the line reaches its largest station, Fordingbridge, featured in OPC's survey of Southern Stations before is runs southwest through the conifers to Alderholt. The station was named Daggons Road (see model galleries) to prevent confusion with Aldershot although the LSWR would normally choose an adjacent feature as the alternate name, the next feature in Alderholt was Charing Cross - not really suitable, therefore the station acquired the name from a local farm - Daggons. This delightful station was home to a unique ground frame with a pagoda roof and a double ended siding (not a crossing point), luckily the substantial stationmaters house has survived, behind the station was a pottery, one of many in the Verwood area.

 

Verwood, the next station, was supported by a brickworks and a furniture factory, every week an empty container would be off-loaded by the yard crane for the transportation of finished furniture to Waring and Gillow's. This was the final station on the line before it joined Castleman's Corkscrew at West Moors.

 

Trafiic on the line was heavier than might be expected - the Pines would divert when the 'other' S&D was unable to provide a path - one episode with Lapford running out of coal as it entered Daggons Road with a down Pines. Other traffic included newspaper trains and pigeon specials (Fordingbridge was a favourite site for release) and more than once a York-Bournemouth train was routed through. Famous photographs have Winston Churchill, Salisbury's pet loco, rounding the curve off the branch into West Moors on a down cattle van train for Wimborne and another shot of an exSECR railmotor P+P Sheppey set at Fordingbridge behind a T9.

 

Suitable locos are: T9's, SR Moguls, 700's, Q's, Q1's, Bulleid light Pacifics and both BR 4mt's. Curiously I have no photos of tank locos working the line although in the 30's a non-auto fitted M7 was rostered on a Sunday-only service. Other locos were permitted but never officially used - V class but not SR 4-6-0's. Wartime is a mystery due to the strict security restrictions but presumably LNER ambulance trains and their chrages would have traversed the line?

 

The local traffic was bucolic in its nature, off the time table and onto the calender? During the 40's and 50's the area was put to wheat production and agricultural traffic was always a priority with Crane Valley watercress being popular as were strawberries and other soft fruit, today the Avon Valley is a shadow of its former self with rural housing and horses a priority for the local landowners.

 

If you have any further questions, please ask.

 

DesA

[Blandford1969]

Its good to see the S&D in model form its not common.

 

The one that calls out to be modelled in my opinion is Verwood being on a nice curve. The only difficulty is finding good close up shots of the rear of the building as its a different size to Breamore.

 

Are you doing a model of Fordingbridge?

 

Kind regards

 

Duncan

[Blandford1969]

There have been at least two recent galleries of Daggons Road in 4mm in the last few days and we were considering loading more onto the gallery area but there has been virtually no response.

 

In answer to your comment about the paucity of information, we have enough images and other material to build all of the stations on the S&DJR, I believe that at least two models of Fordingbridge are in build.

 

Thank you

 

DesA

 

Yes i have seen your galleries which are loveley, I hope you put more up as I think this is such a lovely line which is not shown enough. I really look forward to seeing how the models turn out. I guess it is made a bit easier by some of the plans in the South Western Circle portfolio on the station.

 

Now a real long shot, I don't suppose you would have any of either the rear of verwood that are close enough to count bricks or looking straight onto the platform side of the building. Most shots are of either the signal box or taken from the bridge, although the Verwood historical society have some nice views.

 

In finishing I really hope you put more of your galleries up, I am sure others like them by the number of views, they have just not commented.

 

Kind regards and best wishes

 

Duncan

[Bill Jones]

SouthernRegionSteam et al, I sent the the photo above to Tim a couple of days ago, since then the two extensions to the main building and the adjoining toilet block have been built, including all the window frames, sashes and doors. Just the rain water down pipes, soil pipes and canopy to go before dry brush painting. I'm in the process of building the complete Fordingbridge station for a new OO layout after years of N gauge German. I'm getting a great deal of knowledgeable advice and help from Tim in this new project. All the structures will be scratch built, as they were on my previous layout. Other Southern buildings to date are those posted on this forum by Tim in one of his galleries (signal box, cottage, old corrugated shed). The chimneys are made quite simply from Plastikard, mitred in the corners. The multi layered sections are simply that. Strips cut to the required width and laminated up to give the desired effect. Chimney pots are scratch built from the empty inner tube of a pen with the lips built up by cutting masking tape into 0.5mm strips and winding around the tube. These pots are then set on the chimney in air drying clay in the same style as used with cement in the full sized world. I hope this answers your question, any more please post. As for Breamore, that will be the one other station on my new layout, I've already drawn the main building and canopy in Autocad, ready to start building as soon as I'm ready

[Blandford1969]

Bill,

 

It looks really good, look forward to seeing how it and Breamore turn out.

 

Desa, loveley gallery of Daggons Road, look forward to seeing more and maybe some of Verwood, or how about the back of the main building at West Moors (was it the same as Fordingbridge)

 

Kind regards

 

Duncan

[DLT]

Lovely photos in the gallery Des, and a bit of nostalgia for me.

 

I went to school a bit further down the Avon valley, nearer to Christchurch, but many fellow pupils came from Fordingbridge, Ringwood and West Moors.

The "Old Road", the original Southampton to Dorchester route via Ringwood, West Moors and Wimborne was closed by then, but most of the infrastructure was still there.

These routes can still be easily followed using Google Maps, they're far more visible from above than on the ground.

 

Cheers,

Dave.T

[Oldddudders]

There have been at least two recent galleries of Daggons Road in 4mm in the last few days and we were considering loading more onto the gallery area but there has been virtually no response.

Tim - no response? Some of the individual Daggons Road pics have now had almost 100 hits! Likewise with the two shots of Hinton Admiral - only two pics but quite a number of hits on each. The very fact that folk are "bothering" to enlarge the thumbnail suggests to me that they think your pics are really interesting. Most of us are unlikely to engage in the sort of dialogue that is now occurring in this thread, with family connections etc., but this is a line about which I knew virtually nothing beyond the names of the stations, and I can't be alone. You are providing pics that create interest and greater awareness, and models will help support that, of course.

 

As I've said to you before - keep going!

[DLT]

Tim - no response? Some of the individual Daggons Road pics have now had almost 100 hits! Likewise with the two shots of Hinton Admiral - only two pics but quite a number of hits on each. The very fact that folk are "bothering" to enlarge the thumbnail suggests to me that they think your pics are really interesting. Most of us are unlikely to engage in the sort of dialogue that is now occurring in this thread, with family connections etc., but this is a line about which I knew virtually nothing beyond the names of the stations, and I can't be alone. You are providing pics that create interest and greater awareness, and models will help support that, of course.

 

As I've said to you before - keep going!

I quite agree!

 

The problem with posting comments on galleries is that you can only comment on individual photos, not on the gallery as a whole. Better to do it this way, a gallery and a discussion thread to match.

 

Or take it a step further, and forget the gallery completely. Posting the photos in a normal thread along with the discussion makes the whole thing easier to follow.

 

Cheers,

Dave

[Blandford1969]

Des

 

Totally agree with the other comments. I will try to dig out my very few S&D shots to add in here. Really interesting, galleries for an overlooked like with such modelling potential. especially in its last years.

 

Kind regards

 

Duncan

[Bill Jones]

A quick update on Fordingbridge main station building.

 

 

 

Next up is the large Goods shed which was situated behind the station building and included two extensions.

[Blandford1969]

Bill,

 

The building is loveley. It must have taken a while to work out the dimensions, at least with the Goods shed the plans are available.

 

Look forward to seeing more of Fordingbridge as it appears

 

best wishes

 

Duncan

[Bill Jones]

Duncan, can you let me know where I can get the plans, or at least the dimensions of the Fordingbridge goods shed. I've worked out what I think the sizes are from various photos, but would appreciate the correct ones. Thanks.

Bill

[Oldddudders]

Looks good to me, too. Like the details, especially the partly-open 1st floor sash. Whole thing looks "right" - which is the essential criterion for a structure.

 

Sadly I think it unlikely this thread will encourage a whole wave of Salisbury & Dorset models, a la North Cornwall, but it is surely going to make people look more closely, and recognise that rural LSWR/SR/BR(S) does not have to mean the far West.

[Blandford1969]

Hi Bill,

 

The South Western Circle has a portfollio on the Salisbury and Dorset line which members can borrow.

 

Within that is a set of photos of Fordingbridge- taken both pre and post closure including ones of the goods shed and also a plan of the Goods shed showing the extension.

 

I will drop you a PM this evening.

 

Kind regards

 

Duncan

[Blandford1969]

Bill,

 

I have dropped you a pm with some information that will be useful.

 

Des

 

Great gallery on Verwood the one of the steps is one i have not seen previously. Any more to come on Verwood?

 

Best wishes

 

Duncan

[Zumo2567]

That model of fordingbridge is amazing!

 

I look forward to seeing more of it.

 

 

Interesting facts about the locos that ran on the line DesA.

 

I seem to be finding more information out about this line everyday

[Tim Hale]

Duncan,

 

You have a PM concerning Verwood.

 

The list of traffic and locos is not comprehensive, I hope to add more information when I have the opportunity.

 

DesA

[DLT]

......... but it is surely going to make people look more closely, and recognise that rural LSWR/SR/BR(S) does not have to mean the far West.

I quite agree,

I spent much of my chldhood in Hampshire and Dorset, the railways of that area are fascinating and largely overlooked by modellers

Des' models and galleries are giving me plenty of nostalgic pleasure.

Dave.

[Zumo2567]

 

The list of traffic and locos is not comprehensive, I hope to add more information when I have the opportunity.

 

DesA

 

Excellent.

 

I look forward to reading it.

[griffgriff]

Looks good to me, too. Like the details, especially the partly-open 1st floor sash. Whole thing looks "right" - which is the essential criterion for a structure.

 

Sadly I think it unlikely this thread will encourage a whole wave of Salisbury & Dorset models, a la North Cornwall, but it is surely going to make people look more closely, and recognise that rural LSWR/SR/BR(S) does not have to mean the far West.

 

I have had a file/plan/portfolio/scrapbook on the S&DJR going for a couple of months for a 'might have been' scenario that may yet see the light of day sometime in the future

[Tim Hale]

Suitable locos are: T9's, SR Moguls, 700's, Q's, Q1's, Bulleid light Pacifics and both BR 4mt's. Curiously I have no photos of tank locos working the line although in the 30's a non-auto fitted M7 was rostered on a Sunday-only service. Other locos were permitted but never officially used - V class but not SR 4-6-0's. Wartime is a mystery due to the strict security restrictions but presumably LNER ambulance trains and their charges would have traversed the line?

 

As promised- a few more snippets of information about locos on the S&DJR

 

At the start of the 50's, the line was almost the exclusive preserve of exLSWR motive power, Salisbury T9's and 700's. By 1952 there were six passenger trains each way on weekdays, the first was the Salisbury-Weymouth 03:52 which included a newspaper van 01:25 exWaterloo, during the 1952 timetable longer distance trains started to use the line New Milton-Swansea, but by 1953 a Bournemouth West -Cardiff service was hauled by U class 31622 as far as Salisbury and on the same day a New Milton-Swansea train was in charge of BR 4mt 76016. In 1958, the last M7 duty on the line was performed by 30673 but this was a Sunday only service and by 1959 this ceased as an economy measure.

 

It was not unusual to see double-heading on the branch, a particular example being the 07:42Bournemouth Central-Salisbury but this was only for pathing purposes, the normal train being two coaches. However this particular service also saw the use of exSECR L Class 31771on 21/03/52, this loco having been transferred from Ashford to Eastleigh. In 1959, more exSECR locos displaced by the electrification of the Kent coast started to move westward, E1 Class 31497 became a regular performer on the 07:15 Salisbury- Bournemouth West. Other exSECR locos include N class 31835 from Exmouth Junction, transferred to Salisbury in 1964.

 

The line was able to accept Bulleid light Pacifics:

 

34106 Lydford - 16/09/56 on a excursion to Weymouth with both Pullman and BR coaches

34052 Lord Dowding - 14/12/58 Salisbury-Bournemouth West

34107 Blandford Forum - 14/03/58 Bournemouth Central-Salisbury

34051 Winston Churchill - 15/06/59 - Salisbury-Wimborne Cattle train

34091 Weymouth -02/05/64 Last day of services

 

I will continue as more photos are discovered in my father's notes.

 

DesA

[Peter Bedding]

Looks good to me, too. Like the details, especially the partly-open 1st floor sash. Whole thing looks "right" - which is the essential criterion for a structure.......Sadly I think it unlikely this thread will encourage a whole wave of Salisbury & Dorset models, a la North Cornwall, but it is surely going to make people look more closely, and recognise that rural LSWR/SR/BR(S) does not have to mean the far West.

 

The thought has crossed my mind. With a new 4mm terminus layout making progress, I can accommodate a change in the fictional setting. Mid-Wessex can be just as attractive as the Withered Arm. I need to alter my Type 4 signal box from stone to brick, and invent a loco roster that brings 3329 eastwards. On the other hand, I don't have to worry about excusing King Arthurs on the west side of Meldon Viaduct. As hinted earlier, the Longparish Loop held an irrational appeal for me, with Fullerton Junction as a focal point. Mixing this with a dash of Salisbury and Dorset, and the intended plans of Mr Castleman, and a credible might-have-been emerges. I am working on it.

 

Meanwhile, the new station track work was wired up last night, tested and functioned reasonably this morning. Dirty track seemed to account for most of the problems. Test vehicles were a T1, and a part-built L11. The South-Western lives!

 

PB