Calchester and Emshurst

[FiveandNine]

Hi all,

 

Having seen some of the excellent layouts on here, hope you don't mind me lowering the grade average by posting mine.

 

Usual history - 2nd hand trainset (1950s Princess Elizabeth and a Jinty) developing into new stuff at Christmas, girlfriends, motorbikes, pubs etc etc.

 

Reason for getting back into it - my wife is a nurse and she encouraged me to take up a hobby that allowed me to stay at home on the evenings and got me out of the pub and off the 'bike (never at the same time, I must stress), especially when we started a family. There then followed a progression of South Western layouts (due to holidays in the area and lack at the time of Southern equipment (all Panniers and Battle of Britains), which has gently migrated back to my South Eastern roots (Dartford, SECR) in recent years.

 

Key inspirations - the Bluebell Railway, many a happy Saturday spent there with my Dad; Jas Milham's Yaxbury, initially just by plagiarising the terminus layout in my earlier efforts, to the idea of building a branch from junction to terminus; my kids Emily and Calvin, hence the names Calchester and Emshurst.

 

The scene - to thwart the ambitions of the evil South Eastern Railway into their territory, the London Brighton built a line from Emshurst (fictional) on the Eridge to Polegate line along what was originally planned to be the southeastern end of the Ouse Valley Railway. Anticipating this threat, the SER built their own branch from Stonegate to Netherfield. Both routes coincided at Calchester (Dallington on the real world map), the LBSCR blinking first and stopping there. The aims of the two companies are evident by the architecture - as a precursor to a much grander route, the LBSCR is a proper Victorian concern of brick and steel. The SER's aims were simply to stop the LBSCR, so their buildings are SER 'economy standard' timber.

 

The layout - this is a conventional circuit with off-scene storage sidings, with a junction station feeding a (heavily truncated) branch line. Part of the return loop is supposed to represent the SER line coming in from the north to cut off the LBSCR. The configuration allows me to run it as an end-to-end but to watch the trains go by when working at the desk under the layout. A real 'Trigger's Broom', the layout has been in existence since 1992, survived two house moves, but has had several 'tweaks' over the years so the only original part left is the station building at Emshurst. As you'll see, even that's about to change...

 

Having some time on my hands over Christmas, I decided to replace some of my 'generic' buildings with examples more representative of the LBSCR and to add a new SER station; most of these are from ABM Railcraft kits to save time. Unfortunately, building the new canopies highlighted that I had built my original 1992 building to the wrong dimensions, so what was a quick update with kits has required a fair bit of scratchbuilding with a new station building (based on Kingscote on the Bluebell) under construction.

 

The scene in early December, showing the original buildings (if I've got this right, there should be some pics here):

 

Overview of the original station:

 

New canopy under construction:

 

New building under construction!:

 

Clearly, there's a fair bit of groundwork also to do, but will update as I get through it.

[FiveandNine]

Still a lot to do, but I promised an update, so here's a warts and all guided tour.

 

Emshurst Station is appoached via an overbridge. From the road, this is the view you see of the station.

 

The station forecourt, our trusty Moggie Minor on the left.

 

We're just in time to see a rather battered Q class leave on a local passenger service to Eastbourne (via Polegate).

 

There's no one waiting at the up platform...

 

... as a local service to Tunbridge Wells West arrives.

 

The Emshurst to Calchester push-pull service arrives into the bay platform.

 

The station porter tells us that the M7 class has recently replaced the H class tanks in this part of Sussex. He also tells us that the line to Calchester is likely to close and the 'main' line north may yet be cut back to Hailsham.

 

Our conversation is interupted by the Brighton 2-6-4 getting underway.

 

It's departure allows us a few more photographs before we have to leave. Here's the signal cabin (bit of a push to call it a box).

(P.S. - the sharper eyed would have noticed I bought the wrong type of Saxby and Farmer box; this is the SECR square windowed type. Will fix, but for now it stays as it's still closer than the Wills GER type it replaced).

 

Looks like no one got off the train either...

 

...which is probably why no one complains about the lack of benches and posters in the shelter (Doh! Will fix!).

 

Having spent enough time at the station, we continue on our journey to Calchester. (Yes, by car. We like trains, and we'll miss them if they go, but hey, you know, convenience and all that...)

 

 

 

 

 

[Oldddudders]

Very likeable indeed for Southern enthusiasts who see further east than the West Country! Thanks also for introducing me to ABM Railcraft - a brand I'd not previously seen. A Brighton S&F box is something I would like very much.

 

More progress and more photos in due course will be appreciated here!

[FiveandNine]

To expand on the list of things to do...

 

Signals (this is one of only four at present, but what's left of it does still work) and a decision as to whether the engine is to be an N or a U class.

 

More cameos (sorry, I know opinion is divided, but I quite like them). In this case, Farmer Brown is out hunting foxes. Looks like he missed one (top left) but bagged a tree and possibly a tractor, judging by the driver's hand signals!

 

Glasses/photography lessons. Someone's been a naughty boy (if you can make out the blurred image).

 

A bit of gardening.

 

Completing the 'southernisation' of some of the older buildings.

 

The ex-SER station in the background. I didn't follow the instructions properly with the canopy, hence the warped valancing. The whole thing is currently removable - I often change my mind about how much content is too much, and want this to remain interchangable with an 'open fields' module that fits the same area.

 

The SER signal box will stay (needs proper placement), the premise being that, either the sidings are a few chains to the east of the station, or there's a bigger 'Calchester East' ex-SER station out of site. Either way, a Q1 drawers forward to await the signal to reverse into the sidings.

 

A further view of the Calchester east goods as it reverses over the occupation crossing into the sidings. the ex-LBSCR line to Calchester is in the foreground (this time with the right signal box!).

 

A quick overview of the ex-LBSCR reminus at Calchester, with an Ivatt 2-6-2T waiting in the bay and, for some unknown reason, a Terrier in the background.

 

I'm not sure why the local Fire Brigade are in attendance, but possibly they gave the suspiciously clean looking C Class and brake van a rinse?

 

The current station buildings are Superquick. I'm aiming to replace these with something more accurate in due course.

 

The buildings at the back disguise the storage loops (no, they won't stay pink!). Hopefully I can get hold of some drawings of an appropriate maltings or similar. An oast may be a bit too cliched?

 

 

[Rivercider]

Very nice, I enjoyed the narrative.

The backscene and greenery works well, the low camera angles show it off to good effect,

thanks for sharing

 

cheers 

[Claude_Dreyfus]

Great stuff! LBSCR - or even ex LBSCR - layouts are alway good to see. This one looks really nice; I especially like the 'country house' station.

[FiveandNine]

Thanks all for the kind comments. Have been meaning to post for a while but my Kindle doesn't let me, so sorry for taking so long!

[westerhamstation]

Great layout ,smashing atmosphere.

[Middlesea John]

Hey I like this. A bit too far east for me - but only a bit and a part of the world I haven't seen too many models of, especially in BR steam days. It's the atmosphere that I like. Just seeing the buildings tells me where it is, especially the pantiles.

[FiveandNine]

Hi all,

 

Thanks for the kind comments. Not much to report recently other than I seem to have developed a signal box fixation. Two were somewhat 'out of place' and have been replaced, so here's a quick 'then and now':

 

Last time, I mentioned that I'd replaced a Wills ex-GER Saxby and Farmer 'box with a Type 5 but had put in the wrong type (SECR windows) at Emshurst.

 

I managed to live with it for about a week before thinking it had to go (I've got a C class, so maybe an SECR mini layout may yet come about) and bought the right type. I still just felt that this was a bit small, so when the opportunity came to replace that with something bigger, that went to Shire Lane and this was plonked in it's place yesterday. It still needs some tweaking - the paint was still drying when I took this shot and I've just noted the bent framing on the front windows. BTW, that's not a staple in the roof, but a broken twig from the treeline behind. It will be properly bedded in but as it's about 3 feet away from the front of the layout, I probably won't fit an interior.

 

Next, the gate crossing box at Shire Lane Crossing, originally a Wills 'Staverton Ground Frame' kit - a nice model but a long way from Devon:

I should have mentioned that this is named for my wife, Shirley Anne, who's indulged my hobby to the extent that our last two house moves have featured 'must have a railway room' as one of the key factors.

 

As mentioned above, I've replaced this with something a lot more 'Brighton', although whether a simple crossing across a relatively minor road would have had even a small box like this, I'm not so sure:

 

Lastly, I included a distant shot of one area of the layout still to be developed. This used to have a Hornby resin cast 'box but that had already gone by the time of my first post. I'm in two minds about the crossing in the foreground - would it have been so close to a terminus? This may go, leaving the crossing on the ex-SER line behind as an occupation crossing for the transport business that has taken over the old warehouse that acts as the scenic break for the hidden sidings.

 

I've decided that the ex-SER station in the background will go - nothing wrong with it in itself, it's just that it tips the balance too far into too much railway, so this will go back to being just a plain line, the actual Calchester East station being out of sight to the east (left) of this view.

 

I still need to change the station building at Calchester (LBSCR). This should be a 'country style' as per Emshurst to maintain continuity of architecture and to fit in the with half-tiled buildings in the background, but I'm tempted to build something more LBSCR standard, such as that still at Lingfield (you'll have Google that as the pic I have is copyrighted).

 

On the running front, I'm sorely tempted to go back to analogue control. I can't afford to go 'sound' and miss the switches. However, my C class (not DCC fitted) does make a nice hissing sound when put on the track, although if I do that for too long, it'll probably start generating it's own smoke too.

 

 

 

[Claude_Dreyfus]

There could be worse things to get a fixation on than signal boxes! Especially ones as nice as these...

[FiveandNine]

Hi all,

 

Belated update from the Easter break. As mentioned, the layout had a previous existence as being a fair bit further west and there were two things that have been really bugging me.

 

Firstly, the LBSCR didn't seem to be big on branch line termini. The only ones that readily come to mind are Littlehampton and Bognor Regis (although that's really pushing the term 'branch'), the Dyke, Hayling Island and any interests by proxy on the Isle of Wight - all coastal. Temporarily, I'm getting around this by offering the back story that the Calchester Branch did indeed join up with another route, but has been cut back post-war/pre-Beeching to it's former terminus (look, I know it's a cliché but...). Longer term, a chance for some major reconstruction :-).

 

More glaringly though was the fact that I couldn't seem to find anywhere that ran a branch into a bay platform, nearly all junctions on secondary routes being outside of station, or having a through platform (Horsted Keynes being the nearest example to where I want to model). So, armed with jigsaw, hammer and a packet of bandaids, I spent a few noisy evenings tweaking this

 

 

into this

 

 

All platforms now have a subway linking them in place of the old footbridge. The platform building is the old SER station butchered remodelled and fitted with the old down platform roof.

 

 

and one end of the branch platform has been given over to a local market gardener.

 

 

This does mean that the platforms are a little (OK, a lot) shorter than I'd really like but the layout is raised 48 inches from the ground, so the overall is difficult to see except in the photos. It still fits a 4MT 2-6-4 with a 3-coach local comfortably into any of the three roads (behind the M7).

 

 

Anyway, now I've got that particular annoyance out of my way, hopefully my next step will be some better close-in detail (point rodding, signals, signage, people etc.).

 

Cheers,

 

Al

[FiveandNine]

Oh, should also have said 'Congrats' to the Bluebell for finally getting through to East Grinstead!

 

Al

[Bibby Line]

Excellent modelling (from a South Western man), very realistic scenes and particularly liked the subway linking the platforms.

 

Look forward to seeming more and photos of train workings.

 

Eddie

[nest]

Really enjoying this one. It's my area of interest so it's good to see others modelling it, especially in an era that its rarely modelled in.

 

Nestor

[FiveandNine]

Regrettably, the needs of the household have finally overtaken the layout in turns of priority for room with both my kids starting GCSEs. Calchester and Emshurst is no more, and the new family office/study stands in it's place. Quite a bit has been saved in terms of building, track etc., so hopefully something smaller will soon appear on these pages. At present, these are planned to be:

 

• St Emys - an LSWR branch (deliberately vague as to whether it's Dorset or Devon). Essentially, this is the old Calchester terminus reworked into a separate layout in it's own right.
• Calversham - the truncated northern remains of the old Hailsham - Eridge line. LBSCR in 6 sq feet inc. FY!
• West Wittering - a harbour 'shortline' micro spurring off of the old Hayling island branch.

 

[ColinW]

Such a shame to lose this layout, hopefully you can get to rebuild it later when the kids have finished their exams.

 

Colin

[FiveandNine]

Thanks Colin. To be honest, it had become too large and took too much time to maintain. The small layouts will tide me over for now but hopefully, when the room is available, it's proper replacement will be in 7mm.