S & D Layouts from the Past

[phil_sutters]

Over the years there have been many S & D actual or inspired layouts.

 

Probably the most iconic was Mac Pyrkes Berrow Branch which I first encountered at a Model Railway Club 's exhibition at Central Hall Westminster and then which featured in Railway Modeller on a number of occasions.

 

Going through some old Railway Modellers I came on a new one ( to me anyway) in the July 1999 RM called Broad Sidlinch - a large permanent S & D Layout which had some interesting scenic features .

 

It goes without saying that there are several awe inspiring S & D layouts around today including some by contributors to this Forum but I would be interested to know what others stand out in peoples memories ?

I remember seeing the Berrow Branch in Railway Modeller and, while I admired the modelling, I could never get my head around the branch's fictional story. The problem I had was that I lived a few minutes from the route it would have taken from Highbridge and I never saw Bulleid Pacifics or even 2Ps. Ivatt 2-6-2Ts, 3Fs and then Collett 0-6-0s were all we saw. I am not even sure that Berrow rated a bus service.

[Combe Martin]

Re post 51 above. I agree that there's not much evidence of Bullieds or 2Ps on the branch, but I have seen one branch picture of a 2P hauling a single 'milk van' on the afternoon 'perishables' service I think, in BR days. When I find it again, I'll post more details.

 

And whilst not a revenue service, the Bullied pacific 34092 'City of Wells' was named 'Wells' at Wells station. Again I've seen a photo. So it got there somehow ! (Or was it at the GWR station ?, surely not !)

[Combe Martin]

Further to my post no 52 above, the picture of the 2P is on page 134 of Alan Hammond's Legends of the Somerset & Dorset Railway. The loco's number is obscured and it's hauling a single ex-SR bogie van (latest Hornby model) on the (suggested) 17.10 from Highbridge.

 

The picture of 34092 is on page 75 of Alan Hammond's Splendour of the Somerset & Dorset Railway. It was taken on 25.11.49 at Wells Priory Road.

[geoffers]

Broad Sydlinch is (or was) on permanent show at Holt station on the NNR. Not many S&D regulars showing up in the models last time I saw it though.

[phil_sutters]

Re post 51 above. I agree that there's not much evidence of Bullieds or 2Ps on the branch, but I have seen one branch picture of a 2P hauling a single 'milk van' on the afternoon 'perishables' service I think, in BR days. When I find it again, I'll post more details.

 

And whilst not a revenue service, the Bullied pacific 34092 'City of Wells' was named 'Wells' at Wells station. Again I've seen a photo. So it got there somehow ! (Or was it at the GWR station ?, surely not !)

I can supply a photo of a 2P at Highbridge Wharf in 1961, but only the one! The line to Burnham & potentially Berrow passes between the 3F and the houses.

Edited February 4, 2015 by phil_sutters

[Kempenfelt]

This webpage is useful for information of 2P's on the Highbridge Branch.

 

http://www.newman-family-tree.net/s&d/index.html#anchor25750

 

It includes a picture of 3 2P's at Highbridge works in circa 1956 (you will need to scroll almost to the bottom, or click on the 4-4-0's link) and states that he recalled seeing 40601 more regularly than the others.

[bike2steam]

The picture of 34092 is on page 75 of Alan Hammond's Splendour of the Somerset & Dorset Railway. It was taken on 25.11.49 at Wells Priory Road.

 

Indeed given a special dispensation to run very slow down the branch for the naming ceremony ( the same as some others in the class at other locations), in reality the Bulleid light pacifics were prohibited from use on the line from Evercreech Junction. 

[phil_sutters]

I have been having a sort out of my bookshelves and have come across my stash of magazines with S&D layouts in them. I thought my back numbers might jog a few memories, although many of the layouts have been listed above.

September 1999 Railway Modeller has as Railway of the Month - Norton Magna - Somerset & Dorset in O gauge -  by Alan Grave. Built with a target of one of each class of S&DJR loco from inception to LMS takeover.

Jim Smith's 3mm Bath Mayfield featured in the August 2013 Railway Modeller.

Andrew Dow's Somerset and Dowset Railway in the May 2015 is his interpretation in 4mm of Bath Green Park and Evercreech Junction using rtr stock and buildings.

David and Harry Roberts 4mm Midford was in RM for July 2012

Mac Purke's Berrow was used as the Plan of the Month in RM July 2009.

Broad Sidlinch, mentioned above, was in RM July 1999 and, I agree, having looked at the pictures, that although it was billed as S&D, it could have been almost anywhere.

Jerry Clifford's Highbury Colliery in finescale 2mm was in RM November & December 2009 and also appeared in Model Rail's Great British Model Railways volume 2 in 2014, as did Chris Nevard's 4mm Combwich.

The Blandford Forum Museum's 00 model of its local station was described by its builders in RM February 2011

I think Simon Challis' Cheddar in P4 was noted above. That was railway of the month in RM September 2007 and in BRM in January 2010

Portsmouth and South Hampshire's blue period 4mm Midsomer Norton & Wellow appeared in BRM in April 1993

Andrew Butler's multi-location  4mm layout was in its S&D mode -Florinstone in BRM August 2014

Alan Parr described Braysdown & Writhlington in EM gauge in Hornby Magazine in September 2009

Having recorded their Timsbury branch in RM June 1994, David Vanstone and Nigel Weeks wrote about their next S&D layout Carlingcott in March 1998 RM

Denys Brownlee's 2mm Burnham with its 7F running in an excursion was featured in RM in July 1993

Catcott Burtle was in Hornby Magazine's July 2009 edition and was to me closest to the line I knew when I lived at Highbridge in the 1960s.

7mm Monkton Combe was Railway of the Month in RM'sAugust 1991 edition along with Roderick Luis' article on 2mm Temple Marquess - 2 S&D layouts in one edition!

I know that I had the old Berrow articles, but they seem to have got lost.

Edited May 1, 2015 by phil_sutters

[tingleytim]

Phil's post reminded me that I have a small collection of dated model magazines that featured SDJR layouts, going back in time as follows:

April 1993 BRM.

[tingleytim]

(Sorry about the brief earlier post.  Seems that pressing the tab key sends the incomplete message!)

 

Phil's post reminded me that I have a small collection of dated model magazines that featured SDJR layouts, going back in time as follows:
October 2012.   Hornby Magazine.    Lourie Poulton's Evercreech Junction (00)
April 1993 BRM.                                 The layout mentioned by Phil was "Midsomer Norton and Welton" (not Wellow).
October 1988 Railway Modeller.        Radstock in 00 by Roger Willerton.
My own club's layout, destroyed by fire many years ago some time after it had been sold, featured in the following:
July 1984.  Railway Modeller.            Evercreech Junction - research and planning.  Shipley Model Railway Society.
June 1984.  Railway Modeller.           Evercreech Junction - Railway of the Month (00).  Shipley Model Railway Society.

[phil_sutters]

(Sorry about the brief earlier post.  Seems that pressing the tab key sends the incomplete message!)

 

Phil's post reminded me that I have a small collection of dated model magazines that featured SDJR layouts, going back in time as follows:

October 2012.   Hornby Magazine.    Lourie Poulton's Evercreech Junction (00)

April 1993 BRM.                                 The layout mentioned by Phil was "Midsomer Norton and Welton" (not Wellow).

October 1988 Railway Modeller.        Radstock in 00 by Roger Willerton.

My own club's layout, destroyed by fire many years ago some time after it had been sold, featured in the following:

July 1984.  Railway Modeller.            Evercreech Junction - research and planning.  Shipley Model Railway Society.

June 1984.  Railway Modeller.           Evercreech Junction - Railway of the Month (00).  Shipley Model Railway Society.

Apologies for the typo. Wellow was more familiar to me than Welton.

[geoffers]

Laurie Poulton's Evercreech Junction is a superb model of the prototype. Have had a number of very enjoyable hours operating this with Laurie and Steve. All analogue too but with Laurie a former GPO engineer it works very well indeed. Not sure if it was ever shown in a magazine but the late Eric Rimmer did a model of Henstridge which Steve, Laurie, me, and a some guests exhibited in the early 1990s around East Anglia. It was featured in the Somerset and Dorset Railway Trust's Bulletin 171 (July/August 1992) which can be retrieved from the Trust's website (though you may have to be a member to do so - not sure).

Edited May 2, 2015 by geoffers

[Combe Martin]

You do.

[Claire RJ]

Mention was made in 2011 that it was believed that Taunton Hydrographic office had or were working on a model of Edington junction. This was indeed the actual situation, and the model reached quite an advanced stage in that all of the track work had been completed. The model railway club then disbanded,  and the railway removed from the Hydrographic office. But it was not destroyed. In fact, after a period in storage,   moves are afoot for it to find a new home, where there is every possibility that it will be finished off and exhibited. Once I know more definitely, I will post again, but there is every chance that Edington junction will be seen eventually as a working layout on the exhibition circuit.

[PaulG]

On 04/02/2015 at 13:59, geoffers said:

Broad Sydlinch is (or was) on permanent show at Holt station on the NNR. Not many S&D regulars showing up in the models last time I saw it though.

The layout is still at Holt Station and although the track layout has remained the same, the scenery is in the process of being completely rebuilt, from baseboard upwards. We have tried to keep to Somerset/Dorset style countryside with the rebuild, but the layout is operated by various individuals running their own stock, hence unfortunately, only occasionally will you see appropriate rolling stock.

Paul

[RailWest]

1 hour ago, Claire RJ said:

Mention was made in 2011 that it was believed that Taunton Hydrographic office had or were working on a model of Edington junction. This was indeed the actual situation, and the model reached quite an advanced stage in that all of the track work had been completed. The model railway club then disbanded,  and the railway removed from the Hydrographic office. But it was not destroyed. In fact, after a period in storage,   moves are afoot for it to find a new home, where there is every possibility that it will be finished off and exhibited. Once I know more definitely, I will post again, but there is every chance that Edington junction will be seen eventually as a working layout on the exhibition circuit.

 

I have long heard about that layout (from Ian Coleby) but never seen it, so it will be nice if indeed it comes out in public in due course.

 

Another nice 7mm layout of the same location has been done by the East Kent 0 Gauge group (https://www.ekogg.org.uk/index.php/layout), although sadly a lack of space forced them to shorten the loop at the Glastonbury end which IMHO rather spoils that end of the station on the model. It was seen at RailWells in 2016.

[down the sdjr]

Being new i am not sure where to post pictures of my layout (work in progress) so i thought i would stick up here my latest project.

 

Stourpaine and Durwestern halt.

 

[queensquare]

On 27/06/2019 at 16:30, Jack Benson said:

Hi,

 

Odd that this list only concerns itself with SDJR from the past rather than those currently accessible. Maybe the tittle should be updated? 

 

Add:-

Chilcompton from both Redditch and Bentley groups 

Catcott Burtle from Chris Nevard

Evercreech New by Julian Birley (now looked after by YMRG)

and 

4mm Evercreech New from SMRS

 

Plus,  others that should be added.

 

Cheers

 

Jack

 

 

Should point out that Chilcompton is by Steve Jones, nothing to do with the Bentley group.

 

You can add my own Bath Queensquare and Foxcote to the list- see links in my signature  below.

 

Jerry 

[RailWest]

57 minutes ago, down the sdjr said:

Being new i am not sure where to post pictures of my layout (work in progress) so i thought i would stick up here my latest project.

 

Stourpaine and Durwestern halt.

 

 

Interesting, as I'm not sure that I have heard of anyone modelling that location before. If it were not for the encroaching vegetation it would not look much different today, as quite a bit of the structure still survives.

 

Note the spelling...:-)

[down the sdjr]

10 minutes ago, RailWest said:

Interesting, as I'm not sure that I have heard of anyone modelling that location before. If it were not for the encroaching vegetation it would not look much different today, as quite a bit of the structure still survives.

 

Note the spelling...:-)

Theres a great picture from the late 60s after the line shut, someone had added a "s" to make it "Stourpaines", i think i might add that to my model

[Reddibus]

The Redditch Model Railway Club's model of Chilcompton Station on the former S&D is very much still alive and available for exhibition.

 

Stock includes many scratch built items including some of the former 7F locomotives that predate the ready to run ones

 

Details at www.redditch-mrc.com

[phil_sutters]

As current layouts have been included I could include my very condensed version of Highbridge Wharf. It has ground to a halt with only the maritime activities bit having made any progress at all. I seem to be for ever being drawn into other, mainly photographic projects and the damned plants in the garden need attention all the time. Maybe, when the weather gets colder and the days shorter, I will get going again. In the meantime you can see how far I have got at 

 

[queensquare]

8 hours ago, phil_sutters said:

As current layouts have been included I could include my very condensed version of Highbridge Wharf. It has ground to a halt with only the maritime activities bit having made any progress at all. I seem to be for ever being drawn into other, mainly photographic projects and the damned plants in the garden need attention all the time. Maybe, when the weather gets colder and the days shorter, I will get going again. In the meantime you can see how far I have got at 

 

 

I'd not seen your thread before Phil, lovely stuff and very atmospheric, many thanks for posting.

 

Jerry

[phil_sutters]

15 hours ago, queensquare said:

 

I'd not seen your thread before Phil, lovely stuff and very atmospheric, many thanks for posting.

 

Jerry

Thank you for your kind words. They are especially pleasing coming from such an excellent modeller as yourself.

[bathgreenpark]

I've only just seen this run of posts on S&DJR layouts and would like to mention my 7mm offering of BATH GREEN PARK

 

Here is the link to the latest video for May 2020   ……….