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I wonder why the SDR Museum chose to paint the Ashburton nameplate like that, when the standard GWR scheme was white letters and border on a black background?

 

The Hemyock trains certainly were not fast - in the goods-only days I managed to drive from Uffculme to Culmstock faster than the train despite the 'typical' Devon lanes meaning much braking and little above 20MPH!

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They went to Exeter weekly for a clean and service. I expect they enjoyed a gallop down the main line. Much better than being out run by sheep (and ducks!) during the week. Hemyock, the original sleepy branch line.

Must be slow if The Duck can out run it.

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The Maggs book explains why the Thompsons ended up at Tiverton.  The maximum speed on the branch was 15 mph (so much for the Duck's "fast moving trains" theories!! Your average Mallard would be able to out fly them!!  :training:. ) That was insufficient for the dynamos on electrically lit coaches to charge the batteries, so gas lighting was the order of the day.  In the 50s, two ex Barry coaches W263W and W268W were in use.  Exeter gas works closed in 1962, so replacements were sought as converting two elderly coaches back to electricity was not viable.  For what ever reason (Maggs hints at loading gauge but is not explicit) the Thompsons were used from the winter of 62-63 until closure.  They were connected to a battery charger overnight at Tiverton Junction.

 

That mention of 'Exeter gasworks' sounded a bit odd to me.  According to an item on the 'net (yes, I know - but it isn't Wiki) Exeter gasworks ceased gas production in 1971.  But surely the railway's gas for coaches didn't come from there anyway but from the gasworks at Swindon - and, without checking, maybe that did close in 1962? 

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According to Paul Karau in the Combined Edition of Great Western Branch Line Terminii (which features Hemyock), the 7.00 am from Tiverton Junction and the return working consisted of 2 coaches as did the 4.33 pm. One coach was left at the terminus until the 8.08 pm back to the junction. All other passenger trains employed only one coach - and most of these were mixed. For a one engine in steam line, Hemyock had quite an interesting operating pattern with lots of entertaining shuffling at the terminus, but mostly this was because of the creamery.

 

The Karau book is also well worth acquiring.

 

David C

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According to Paul Karau in the Combined Edition of Great Western Branch Line Terminii (which features Hemyock), the 7.00 am from Tiverton Junction and the return working consisted of 2 coaches as did the 4.33 pm. One coach was left at the terminus until the 8.08 pm back to the junction. All other passenger trains employed only one coach - and most of these were mixed. For a one engine in steam line, Hemyock had quite an interesting operating pattern with lots of entertaining shuffling at the terminus, but mostly this was because of the creamery.

 

The Karau book is also well worth acquiring.

 

David C

I would be willing to part with my copy for a reasonable offer on it.An excellent book.

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I wonder why the SDR Museum chose to paint the Ashburton nameplate like that, when the standard GWR scheme was white letters and border on a black background?

 

They didn't change the original - the (presumably as found) photo in Peter Kay's book, page 77, shows the same colour scheme.

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I had read that the Thompsons were able to produce 'power' from their dynamos at low speed, thus the arrangement with the ER. They were also becoming redundant due to fart bog carts on the suburbans and also line closures so were available.

On the 'old' LNER Forum discussion Bill Bedford states that these two Thompsons were converted to Propane gas when they came down; I'd never read that anywhere.

By the way, the 'Duck' is the fastest of ducks, but only in the air....... 

P

Edited by Mallard60022
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Big blue (Anchor) mountain behind BR (WR) branch line train.

Is the big blue mountain hiding lots more Bachmann and Hornby boxes of GWR locos?

Dear God man!!!

 

Keep your voice down, the Memsahib will hear you and I'll be for the chop...

 

Rob

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I have a very similar photo of my younger swmbo taken on our honeymoon. Very canny lookalike.

Crikey! How many swmbo have you got, Rob?

 

I get into enough trouble with the one!!!

 

Rob

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Chaps, I'm gobsmacked by the speed with which this thread is bumbling along.

 

Thank you all thus far, for all the bumf and interest shown.

 

Better get my finger out and start building something !!

 

Rob.

 

The question is, is it the trains or pictures of pretty girls/ladies as they must be now!.  It worked on Page Three; why not here!

 

Brian.

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The question is, is it the trains or pictures of pretty girls/ladies as they must be now!.  It worked on Page Three; why not here!

 

Brian.

Surely you are not that shallow Brian. A ridiculous suggestion...........Don't let me have to tell you off again....bad boy

post-14122-0-76167300-1421138019.jpg

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This is the sort of look I am trying to achieve. Photo courtesy of the South Devon Railway site. It illustrates the woody river type thing I am after.

Hopefully I can convey this feeling in a 5ft board.

 

What are your thoughts on the Blue Anchor signal box?

 

I have a long attachment to the signal box but I am worried that it is a bit big. I don't want something that is going to dominate the scene.

I have a Ratio platform mounted box and am coming to think that this is a better option.....

 

Rob

post-14122-0-34882400-1421140301_thumb.jpg

Edited by nhy581
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It did strike me as odd as well. It leads to the question as to when the last carriages using gas were withdrawn? Were they catering vehicles, rather than those lit by gas? I have never seen any photos of Cordons (gas tank) wagons in BR days at Tiverton Junction either. Were the Hemyock coaches refilled at Exeter?

I would have thought that gassing kitchen etc cars far outlasted any need of gas for lighting (on the BR system at any rate) although later diners went over to using bottled propane - or rather I think it was propane.

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