Templecombe turntable

[buffalo]

...I noticed that a couple of 4Fs he pictured on the S&D have this LHS only steam pipe - numbers 44146 and 44167. (Anyone know why just a few 4Fs seem to have it?)...

It's the feed for an exhaust steam injector. The pipe goes behind the valance and can often be seen wrapping around the outside of the steps. There will also be a large valve or trap(?) below the valance near the end of the rear splasher. The injector is behind the cab steps. It's a standard LMS component, but is more widely seen on 2Ps.

 

Nick

[Blandford1969]

The structure is definatley a fire iron rack, not a bad height or set up for disposal.

[Dazzler Fan]

Someone currently has a 35mm Slide of Highbridge turntable in 1965

for sale on eBay Item # 321436296432

[Jim49]

In the opening post 3 years ago, tingleytim made the attached statement which has never been questioned or doubted by any contributor or reader, including me .

 

Templecombe's turntable was always stated as being 50 feet in diameter, frustratingly just too small for a 7F or the standard 4-6-0s.

 

However, in The Somerset & Dorset Files No. 1, there is an eight page article about the 7Fs which includes the line - "Turning (the 7Fs) at Templecombe was no problem as there had been a 50ft 'table there since the 1880s". In addition, on page 22, there is a 1938 photo of 13801 taking on water "prior to turning at Templecombe".

 

In theory, with a 50' 1" wheelbase, the 7Fs would have been just too long for the 50' turntable but would it have been possible for them to be squeezed on somehow?

 

Jim

[The Stationmaster]

 

 

In theory, with a 50' 1" wheelbase, the 7Fs would have been just too long for the 50' turntable but would it have been possible for them to be squeezed on somehow?

 

Jim

Simplest method is to squeeze the engine up against the tender - make sure the tender handbrake is very firmly applied, apply the steam brake on the engine, put the engine into back gear and then open and close the regulator thus admitting some steam to the cylinders (closing the regulator means there is only a limited amount of steam there) then release the steam brake and the engine will move back a very short distance but be held (hopefully) by the tender and by quickly reapplying the steam brake, and Robert is your father's brother.

[buffalo]

Haven't we discussed this before, maybe in the Bachmann 7F topic or elsewhere? IIRC, the conclusion was that they could be made to fit, perhaps as Mike describes, but the only photos show 7Fs not quite fully on the turntable. Elsewhere there a photos and accounts of 7Fs on Bath-Templecombe runs turning at Evercreech and proceeding tender first to Templecombe. Maybe it was possible but, at least some of the time, it was avoided.

 

Nick

[Captain Kernow]

Simplest method is to squeeze the engine up against the tender - make sure the tender handbrake is very firmly applied, apply the steam brake on the engine, put the engine into back gear and then open and close the regulator thus admitting some steam to the cylinders (closing the regulator means there is only a limited amount of steam there) then release the steam brake and the engine will move back a very short distance but be held (hopefully) by the tender and by quickly reapplying the steam brake, and Robert is your father's brother.

Can you get a DCC chip to do that?

[The Stationmaster]

Can you get a DCC chip to do that?

Well according to what the DCC fans tells us it is capable of just about anything (everything?) but I know I can't do it with my H&M Powermasters

[Jim49]

Buffalo, you are quite right. It was about 3/4 years ago and I was saying that the 7Fs could not be turned on Templecombe's 'table

and you quoted from the S&D Files article I mentioned earlier to say it might have been possible (Where's the embarrassed Smiley when you need it?)

 

My only excuse is that I only got my hands on issues 1&2 a few weeks ago so hadn't read the article until last week.

 

Back into my corner with the big Dunce cap on again!

 

 

jim

[tingleytim]

I do believe there is now a suitable kit for the Templecombe turntable:

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/97785-london-road-models-50ft-cowan-sheldon-turntable-4mm-kit/

I hope so because one arrived here today.  This may be a severe test of my modelling skills and is well down a long to do list, but at long last I know that an authentic turntable will eventually be part of my layout. 

[tingleytim]

               After a period of years the turntable did reach the top of my to-do list and is in place with just some painting left.  Referring to earlier posts, I had of course to see if my 7F would fit - it doesn’t, just fouling by the smallest margin, as the photo shows, though I think it would if the tender gap were reduced.  Whilst the Files No 1 article claims “Turning at Templecombe was no problem”, it obviously was.  7Fs often (mostly/normally?) worked tender first to or from Evercreech.  I’ve never seen a photo of a 7F being turned at Templecombe, but I’d love to know if there is one. (Plenty show 7Fs half on the turntable but that was to access the water crane, coal crane and pit on the approach road.)  A Templecombe fireman confirms 7Fs were too long.

              Templecombe’s No. 2 Junction signal box has been keeping me busy recently.  With the structure almost finished (see photo) I want to get the paintwork right.  Does anyone know if there’s a right colour for the woodwork in the late 50s and 60s? 

           

[RailWest]

The only exterior colour photos of the T2Jcn that I can recall off-hand are a 1966 one by Hugh Ballantyne and a couple of post-closure ones by David Milton, all of which suggest that essentially all the timberwork was off-white with just small amount of chocolate brown on hand-rails and door-frame etc, no doubt the result of BR(WR) interference. Fortunately the nameboard appears to have been left in green :-)

 

There is also a 1966 interior colour view from Ballantyne in the same book which suggests that the walls were all chocolate brown below the window sill level, but you might want to form your own opinon on that picture.

[tingleytim]

On 15/03/2019 at 13:04, RailWest said:

The only exterior colour photos of the T2Jcn that I can recall off-hand are a 1966 one by Hugh Ballantyne and a couple of post-closure ones by David Milton, all of which suggest that essentially all the timberwork was off-white with just small amount of chocolate brown on hand-rails and door-frame etc, no doubt the result of BR(WR) interference. Fortunately the nameboard appears to have been left in green :-)

 

There is also a 1966 interior colour view from Ballantyne in the same book which suggests that the walls were all chocolate brown below the window sill level, but you might want to form your own opinon on that picture.

Thanks Chris.  Hugh Ballantyne’s pictures do seem to be the best.  I will use cream/off-white.  I guess there won’t be an exact correct choice as paintwork fades with time and photograph colours vary with film type and processing.  The following seem to concur:

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/56957-southern-station-colours/

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/78486-sd-station-colours/

              Looking through the book collection at the colour of woodwork on the S&D, cream/off-white is widespread, as is yellow. 

Tim.

[tingleytim]

Adapting this topic a little, I can report some trepidation right now as “Templecombe Lower” is going to its first weekend exhibition in under three weeks time, 14/15 September at Shipley (https://www.shipleymrs.co.uk/exhibition) – see photos.  Fingers well and truly crossed that all runs well.  Still working on scenery and a good few details still to be added but the basics are in place.  Unless told otherwise I’ll claim a first – Templecombe’s pilot engine workings at a model exhibition.  Can be challenging for the operators!

[down the sdjr]

That looks really good, top luck with the show.

[03060]

That's given me a dillema ...I'm on 12hr nights that W/end and had decided that I would have to miss the show this year....but now I know that this will be there it looks like I'll just have to have a 3 hour sleep (same as today ) and come the couple of miles down the road for a butchers. No pressure Tim ! 

 

Regards,

Ian.

[tingleytim]

On 27/08/2019 at 13:11, 03060 said:

That's given me a dillema ...I'm on 12hr nights that W/end and had decided that I would have to miss the show this year....but now I know that this will be there it looks like I'll just have to have a 3 hour sleep (same as today ) and come the couple of miles down the road for a butchers. No pressure Tim ! 

 

Regards,

Ian.

See you there Ian!

Cheers.

Tim.

[down the sdjr]

On 26/08/2019 at 14:26, tingleytim said:

“Templecombe Lower” is going to its first weekend exhibition in under three weeks time, 14/15 September

How did the show go Tim?

[tingleytim]

3 hours ago, down the sdjr said:

How did the show go Tim?

Mostly pleased, thanks.  We operated a morning sequence starting with the 2.40 down mail (around 6am at Templecombe) then several up and down passenger pilot workings, pilots for the 6.35 Evercreech-Poole goods and Blandford goods, the joint 9.05 departures, the Pines (of course!), Highbridge line trains and finishing with the 11.40 up semi-fast.  It’s a varied mix which proved challenging at times but, from feedback, interesting to watch (and operate), helped by info panels with maps and photos and a monitor screen identifying each train.  Templecombe’s idiosyncracies are now slightly better understood up here! 

              From this first attempt there was plenty to learn.   Bachmann type couplings are not good for pilot workings, the pilot sometimes coming detached and uncoupling sometimes awkward.  Will try Kadee but would welcome recommendations.  With practice we will be able to have more trains running at the same time – it could be a bit slow sometimes to get the next train out.  Trains could be more frequent if we just ran them in turn, but much less interesting.

              Catching up now with rest of life that was put aside ahead of the show!  It’s still dismantled upstairs here but doing a few snagging tasks better done before reassembly.  Having a break after an exhausting weekend then it’s back to landscaping details, weathering, signals, etc.

              Hope the pics come through OK.  Layout was positioned N-S so the shed got sun from the east for the early morning scene!

 

 

 

[down the sdjr]

Looks awesome,

give Kadees a try, i really like them. Im pretty much 100% Kadee now.

[03060]

Well I for one enjoyed watching the layout Tim (even on my minimum sleep level.)

 

Admittedly I probably understood the original's trackplan and operating methods a bit more than your average customer but I was very interested in how you've managed to adapt all this into an 'oval'  type layout particularly with the different levels involved. I probably studied the fiddle yard as much as the front of the layout and it made me realise the distance travelled by a pilot loco from shed to station and back to shed again. Good information provided along the layout front.

 

Afraid that you were rather busy concentrating on getting trains and people organised for me to make contact, it was coming up to lunchtime on day one when I was there but we have spoken several times before, mainly at the Leeds MRS show when I've been showing my 3mm Masbury layout.

 

Anyway, I enjoyed the show very much and was particulary taken with the N gauge Sandy Bay layout aswell, glad that your layout tempted me out of bed on my long W/end for night working.

 

Regards,

Ian.

[tingleytim]

On 28/09/2019 at 08:54, 03060 said:

Well I for one enjoyed watching the layout Tim (even on my minimum sleep level.)

 

Admittedly I probably understood the original's trackplan and operating methods a bit more than your average customer but I was very interested in how you've managed to adapt all this into an 'oval'  type layout particularly with the different levels involved. I probably studied the fiddle yard as much as the front of the layout and it made me realise the distance travelled by a pilot loco from shed to station and back to shed again. Good information provided along the layout front.

 

Afraid that you were rather busy concentrating on getting trains and people organised for me to make contact, it was coming up to lunchtime on day one when I was there but we have spoken several times before, mainly at the Leeds MRS show when I've been showing my 3mm Masbury layout.

 

Anyway, I enjoyed the show very much and was particulary taken with the N gauge Sandy Bay layout aswell, glad that your layout tempted me out of bed on my long W/end for night working.

 

Regards,

Ian.

Thanks for your feedback Ian, glad you enjoyed Templecombe Lower and the rest of the show and hope you recovered your lost sleep.

Just noticed on the second photo we had the goods shed the wrong way round but if I didn’t spot it at the time then I’d be surprised if anyone else did!

[tingleytim]

Quite a few changes on “Templecombe Lower” since my last post.  Talented modeller friends from the S&D Trust’s Northern Area Group are helping with working signals - and with the “falling man” tablet collector which will also work, all being well.  Note in particular the “calling on” indicator on the signal that the 2P has just passed. I’m using NCE Powercab macros for route setting, but looking for better systems to cater for the complexity of train movements; and I want to link the signals and tablet collector to these routes.  Credit for the Blackmore Vale backscenes goes to my artistic daughter.  I’ll claim credit for the telegraph poles and lamps, though jobs with no visual reward such as digitising over 40 points have taken longer.  Finding recently that my camera has built-in “stacking” for overcoming depth of field problems has enabled better photos.

 

[down the sdjr]

Its looking really good.

[tingleytim]

Going into the movie business:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBU0nSkc2DMwJZkyjmta1pQ  Hope the link works.  Maybe one day bring sandwiches, coffee, notebook, camera and enjoy a whole day watching traffic on the S&D.  Not yet though, these aren't quick to do!  And a summer Saturday will be a long time off!