Newhaven Harbour

[Colin parks]

Now

 

 

And then:

 

 

I have finally got down to posting a photo of my layout 'Newhaven Harbour'. Let me say straight away that it bears little resemblance to the real thing! What I have done though, is build a layout which operates roughly like the real thing (can't fit in the boat trains!) and with stock that I can remember seeing in the early to mid 70's. This second photo shows the layout at Carmarthen show in September 2009.

 

 

The station building is based on that at Seaford - just up the line. The signal box is the one at Newhaven Harbour (the real one is still in use today). There is also a 'raft' type sub station just out of shot in the left distance. That is modelled on the one at Newhaven Town station.

 

At the time modelled, Newhaven still saw a little goods traffic and some engineers trains: There were some banana trains running from Fyffes depot on the East Quay of the harbour and there were numerous 'Grampus', 'Lamprey' and similar wagons delivering spoil to the 'Beach Sidings'. There is no chance of a layout with the complete harbour-side rail network - it would need a space roughly 30' x 60'!

I have had to compress all this into the space that I had in the loft area of my workshop - minus one end board which is only used at exhibitions. In all, the 'L' shaped result is 16' x 11' (including the traverser).

 

This is the first layout that I have built since 'returning' to the hobby in the winter of 2005. At that time I had nothing in the way of models except for a 'Mermaid', a 'Dogfish' and a 'Shark' - all not really correct for the area I hoped to model!

Luckily and coincidentally, Hornby produced their 08 model in 2005. Now there was definitely one of those in use at Newhaven, so things got off to a good start. We Southern Region fans have been (at last!) well served by the trade these last few years: The Heljan Class 33, Hornby's upgrade of the Class 73 not to mention all the kits for wagons and EMUs. That's a DC Kits 2 HAP at platfrom one by the way.

I've also just got hold of the Bachmann 4 CEP - but that's another story!

 

Anyway, that's all for now. The second photo was taken by Martin Dalling and is reproduced by permission.

[pete_mcfarlane]

Looks pretty good to me! Any chance of some more photos - I like the look of the HAP.

[Colin parks]

Thanks Pete. You're quick off the mark! I 've only just finsished editing the text but will look for another shot of the 2 HAP.

[Colin parks]

Here are two more shots of the 2 HAP at Newhaven Harbour. The one with the 08 is again by kind permission of Martin Dalling - the other is one taken by me in the layout's winter quarters in my workshop loft (the 2HAP was not quite finished then). I shall take some more pictures when I have got used to my new camera......

[Colin parks]

Just one more photo for now. This time it's of my newly completed Kirk/Ashby/Branchlines 2BIL, waiting at platfrom 2. The 2 BILs ran down the Seaford branch until the winter of 1970-71 so they're not quite correct for the given period - but I like them! That bent cab handrail has been sorted by the way!

[zarniwhoop]

I shall take some more pictures when I have got used to my new camera......

 

Looking forward to them, this really has a good feel to it.

 

But now, handing over to "pernickety ken" ...

 

Weren't the station nameboards changed to "corporate style" (i.e. black on white) by "the early 1970s" ?

(I was looking at a pic of my local station (Portslade) in 1971 earlier today - buildings still in cream

and green, but corporate nameboards).

 

... Liked the 2-BIL too, although I'm not sure about that shade of green.

 

??en

[ChrisB]

yep!

 

Looks really good. More pictures please.

[P.C.M]

Hi Colin,

Superb layout, would love to see more pics and a track plan if you have one.

 

Cheers Peter,

[br2975]

"........ Weren't the station nameboards changed to "corporate style" (i.e. black on white) by "the early 1970s" ? .......... "

.

Not always, I recall Virginia Water being a 'Southern oasis' in the early 70s with 'box, running in boards, woodwork all still green - and V.W was a lot closer to 'the hub' !

.

Brian R

[Oldddudders]

A fine layout, with all sorts of real LBSCR cues - well done! Newhaven boat trains weren't always very long - I'm sure I recall the boat being a 4-car and attaching to something at Lewes or Haywards Heath. I think a Mr Clasby was SM in the early '70s - he'd always ring Control to confirm departure of the up boat train.

 

You're doing fine, and CEP and VEP models won't hurt, either!

[Guest oldlugger]

Hello Colin, and a big welcome to the forum!

 

I think your layout is stunning, having of course seen it "in the flesh" so to speak, many times from its conception to its current status. I'm so pleased that you've finally added it to RMweb! The first photo of Martin's at the start of your thread is really excellent and captures the realism of the station and approach roads magnificently. Keep the info and photos coming Colin as your layout deserves wider recognition.

 

All the best

Simon

[Chivers Finelines]

I agree this is stunning, it has a real feel about it!! All I can say is, "Please, More pictures?".

 

Is the station canopy, kit, scratch built or other?? I'm looking for one like that. Cheers

[Colin parks]

Looking forward to them, this really has a good feel to it.

 

But now, handing over to "pernickety ken" ...

 

Weren't the station nameboards changed to "corporate style" (i.e. black on white) by "the early 1970s" ?

(I was looking at a pic of my local station (Portslade) in 1971 earlier today - buildings still in cream

and green, but corporate nameboards).

 

... Liked the 2-BIL too, although I'm not sure about that shade of green.

 

??en

[Colin parks]

Dear Pernickety all of you!

 

The stations in the Newhaven area did not receive the new BR corporate style signs until the summer of ' 76. I know this because I worked across the road from Newhaven Harbour at that time and saw the progress every day. This was also the case at Newhaven Town station. I was lucky enough to buy a totem sign direct from BR of 'Newhaven Town' before the signage was sent to 'Collector's Corner' at Euston station (??5.00 donation to the Railwaymens' Orphans' Fund!). The paintwork was also changed at this time - so there!

 

With regard to the shade of green on the 2 BIL, it said 'Late EMU Green' on the Precision Paints' tin. If you look on the internet, particularly on the Southern 'E' Group website I believe, there are plenty of colour photos of units in this shade. I used to travel on 2 BILs in the late 60's and it's pretty much the green I can remember. Some 2 BILs ran until withdrawal in 1970-71 in green, I admit most had full yellow ends by then but that was not the case with all of them. Other units were given the all-over blue with full yellow end livery. However, Unit 2034 is documented as being one of the last of nine 2 BILs to remain in service and is correct for the Kirk kit, so that's as close as I can get to authenticity at the moment!

[Guest oldlugger]

Hello Colin,

 

To add your own comment below a quote, just click on the reply button in the poster's post, then click your cursor after and under all the text that will subsequently appear in a new reply box. Then just post (or "Add Reply"). Hope this helps?

 

Cheers

Simon

[Colin parks]

Hello Colin,

 

To add your own comment below a quote, just click on the reply button in the poster's post, then click your cursor after and under all the text that will subsequently appear in a new reply box. Then just post (or "Add Reply"). Hope this helps?

 

Cheers

Simon

 

Thanks Simon, I'm having trouble working out the reply system - must be the wrong shade of green!

[Guest oldlugger]

I can confirm that Colin's knowledge of the Newhaven rail hub is very extensive, and his attention to detail has to be seen to be believed. Wait until you see his modified Hornby class 73; it is a true work of art; I've never seen another model of a class 73 as good and as accurate as this one! I hope Colin will post photos of it ... hint, hint!

 

Cheers

Simon

[10800]

This is looking very nice Colin, good to see another layout based in Sussex - might be later than my time period, but plenty of relevant detail all the same. Look forward to seeing more.

[Colin parks]

 

 

I agree this is stunning, it has a real feel about it!! All I can say is, "Please, More pictures?".

Is the station canopy, kit, scratch built or other?? I'm looking for one like that. Cheers

Thanks for the comments Matt! The station canopy is scratch built - all the structures on the layout  are except for a Ratio platelayers' hut.

[Colin parks]

A fine layout, with all sorts of real LBSCR cues - well done! Newhaven boat trains weren't always very long - I'm sure I recall the boat being a 4-car and attaching to something at Lewes or Haywards Heath. I think a Mr Clasby was SM in the early '70s - he'd always ring Control to confirm departure of the up boat train.

 

You're doing fine, and CEP and VEP models won't hurt, either!

 

Bonjour Old dudders! I've heard about you from Old lugger.

I think that if you remember Newhaven boat trains as short as that it must have been towards the end of the service when the trade had declined due to the introdution of 'roll-on roll-off' car ferries at the port. From what I can remember of the boat trains, they were twelve cars long. I thought that 2 x 4 CIGs and 1 x 4 BIG were used ('IG' being the old LB&SCR code for the London- Brighton route). I shall run my 4 CEP on the layout anyway as this sort of unit was used for the semi-fast trains in the area.

I know that for about a year c.1970-71 the boat train was hauled by a Class 73 with Mk.1 carriage stock. This was a stop-gap measure after the withdrawal of the Bulleid-Raworth electric locos which ran the boat trains pretty much continuously from 1949-69.

The Newhaven 'Marine' station is still standing and in use today, running one train at some odd hour under the Paliamentry Act. The existing (re-built?) platform could hold a 12-car train with ease - that's why I didn't model the station area as it should be.

[Colin parks]

Hi, this one's for my old friend Simon - without whose encouragement and advice I would never have finished the layout!

 

The photo is of my much hacked-about Hornby (ex Lima) Class 73 128. Well, I'm really 'sticking my head above the parapet' now! Yes I know that the 73s didn't have headlights in the 1970s......

[Guest oldlugger]

"Bonjour Old dudders! I've heard about you from Old lugger".

 

 

In the nicest possible way of course, after all the very positive remarks about Ballast Quay, and the excellent help and advice Ian has given me!

 

Cheers

Simon

 

PS - Love that Class 73 Colin! What about a broadside view and a description of the work you did on it?

[Oldddudders]

Bonjour Old dudders! I've heard about you from Old lugger.

 

I know that for about a year c.1970-71 the boat train was hauled by a Class 73 with Mk.1 carriage stock. This was a stop-gap measure after the withdrawal of the Bulleid-Raworth electric locos which ran the boat trains pretty much continuously from 1949-69.

I'm being talked about - which is always worrying!

 

I worked in the Control at Redhill/Croydon from 1968-73, but was never trusted with Area 3, which I think looked after Newhaven. Area 4, which ran London Bridge to Coulsdon North and Warnham, was quite enough for me! I used to hear the boat train being talked about on occasions, and Geoff Clasby always seemed to ring the DCC (shift leader) to report the boat train away - was it at 1718, perhaps? As for the electric locos, I'd seen those a decade before when numbersnatching at Earlswood. Even in their last days, 20 years after Nationalisation and renumbering, it was not uncommon for the Norwood Yard staff, when giving us a tally for a departing freight train, to refer to 20001 as CC1!

 

I'm afraid colour is a nightmare. Quite apart from the accuracy of our cameras, be they film or digital, and our PC monitors, memory is simply unreliable. If you are happy with the 2-BIL colour - and it happens to look ok to me - then that's that. Elsewhere, earnest folk are concerned about the shade of malachite Hornby are now using - with reason. Except when I looked in the HMRS Livery Register for LSWR & Southern I could see Hornby's point, too.....

[KevinWalsh]

Hi Colin,

 

I don't know if this helps with your colour question, but these units are owned by our layout C.M.E. and are authentic colour and weathering for the 1960's on the Sussex lines runs.

 

Kev

 

All photos used with permission of Aryan Snowsill

[Allegheny1600]

Hi Colin,

Your layout looks really superb, thanks for posting!

The first photo is really evocative and even though i was only a kid (me-aarh!) at the time, travelling abroad with my folks, we used Newhaven, Folkestone and Dover ports quite a lot back then, i well remember coming across a class 71(74?) snoozing in a siding!

Cheers,

John E.