Swanage

[malcs]

Hi and merry Christmas to all, not really posted before but I do read a lot of other post etc, so my question is does anyone have track plan for Swanage ?

 

I had family in Swanage and the wife and I spent many holidays there, I spent a lot of time in the station of Swange, Corfe and Wareham.

 

So I thought like many I would do a layout of Swanage in 7mm though it would not be an exact scale model more an approximation to include station and shed/ turntable.

 

I know I could try one of the cad programs but I do not have time to learn that or the brain power also this will be the only layout to be done.

 

Any help would be most appreciated .

 

Malcolm

[Joseph_Pestell]

Not difficult to find a trackplan. It's been covered in various books as well as the usual sources: old-maps.co.uk and nls.

 

If modelling the station after expansion, it's a big chunk for 7mm scale. So  date that you want to model is important.

[malcs]

Not difficult to find a trackplan. It's been covered in various books as well as the usual sources: old-maps.co.uk and nls.

Thanks for reply

 

If modelling the station after expansion, it's a big chunk for 7mm scale. So date that you want to model is important.

Date, any date really as I intend to model free style using Swange as a template, I have googled a lot for track plans but nothing really fits the bill.

Edited December 24, 2017 by malcs

[Anglian]

The Middleton Press book will give you a leg up. As JP notes, it'll be a massive layout in 7mm – the yard is quite wide. I recall seeing various plans for the buildings in model magazines.

[malcs]

Because I like both steam and early diesels my plans have kind of leaned toward preservation society which sits well with a loosely based Swanage themed layout.

 

Know how I think I will probably down lown timbertracks templates and do it that way.

 

Size will be 2ft wide by 14ft along one wall and an 8ft right angle along the other.

[bike2steam]

Have a word with Robin Brasher a member on this forum, he has track, and building plans that were used in the Railway Modeller going back to the 1970's. He lives in Swanage and ( like I used to be) involved with Swanage Railway.

[Anglian]

In that space I think you'd be much better off with 4mm. If you are set on 7mm you will have to plan accordingly but you're not going to get close to Swanage. Looking at a photograph of the yard I think you'd need about 12ft width, if not more, and about 30ft length – it's not exactly a minimum space station although you could make a wonderful layout if you took one of the industries that the line served, the clay workings, the stone yard etc. IIRC there were a few interesting narrow gauge lines and interchanges.

 

See if you can find images of Barry Norman's Wydelsham Cove 4mm EM layout – that layout has echoes of Swanage. I think it was about the size of the space you have available.

 

Also have a look for images of Blakney another EM terminus, ditto Westcliffe and in 7mm Hursley – they could all serve to show what's possible in about 14ft. St Merry in P4 is another sea-side terminus that might inspire. 

Edited December 24, 2017 by Anglian

[Steamport Southport]

Have a word with Robin Brasher a member on this forum, he has track, and building plans that were used in the Railway Modeller going back to the 1970's. He lives in Swanage and ( like I used to be) involved with Swanage Railway.

 

I was going to recommend that RM article. January 1971 it was.

 

http://www.magazineexchange.co.uk/railway-modeller-magazine-january-1971-issue.html?&cat=4598

 

 

 

Jason

[PaulRhB]

These views from inside the new box might help

http://photos.signalling.org/index?/category/1102-swanage

 

http://photos.signalling.org/index?/category/1108-2008

[jazzer]

Because I like both steam and early diesels my plans have kind of leaned toward preservation society which sits well with a loosely based Swanage themed layout.

Know how I think I will probably down lown timbertracks templates and do it that way.

Size will be 2ft wide by 14ft along one wall and an 8ft right angle along the other.

If your available space is 14ft by 2ft for the station area that's nowhere near enough in oo guage let alone o guage.

 

I know this because I am struggling to make a reasonable but much modified model of Swanage in a space 13ft x2ft plus a fiddle yard.

 

In oo guage 2ft width will just about give you tracks to the main platform, run round loop, bay platform, goods shed and one siding at a squeeze, and even that involves re-siting the goods shed

 

The station throat and point work takes quite a lot of space and you won't get in a space of 14ft length unles the platforms are ridiculously short.

 

The station buildings at Swanage are quite difficult to model and even they will have to be reduced in size to look right within all the other compromises you'll have to make.

 

In short unless you are very careful it will be very difficult to capture the atmospher and feel of Swanage withou making it too cramped and almost like a train set.I woukd say get your baseboards done first and then see what fits. It might be worth looking at something like Buntingford, which is what I think I may have to do. Oxford Rails forthcoming N7 and the Bachman DMUs will give prototype character to it .

[PaulRhB]

My Lulworth in OO is based on a much condensed Swanage and I did it in 6ft x 1ft 4 in. If you stuck to 3 mk1's at just over 4ft 6in to run round you could do something similar.

If you scaled my plan up it would be 10ft 6in long but it was only designed to run round 2 coaches.

 

Edited December 24, 2017 by PaulRhB

[malcs]

Thanks all for your input, I think I may need to rethink, although I was thinking of a much simplified plan etc.

My problem is I am not a railway person I just love trains and models of trains.

I do have something in mind which would involve standard gauge with a narrow gauge running on a low bank along the back.

Edited December 24, 2017 by malcs

[PaulRhB]

I'd print out some full size templates off the Peco site and try laying things out full size to see what would fit.

Point templates here

https://www.peco-uk.com/page.asp?id=tempc124

 

Cut some paper to size for coaches and the biggest loco you want and try things out

Edited December 24, 2017 by PaulRhB

[mikeg]

I have modelled Swanage in O and got a condensed version in 22ft by 2ft6in length shortened by 40% and width for only 2 sidings, is now being dismantled as I no longer can easily get into loft so have gone for industrial layout 18ft 6in by 2ft 6in using the old layout base frames with 9mm ply tops. Used 10mm MDF with just track bed on original Swanage layout, but it had sagged a bit but still ran OK.

 

As has been said to model it in O requires about 30ft by 8ft to allow 6+ coach trains and the full approach sidings past the engine shed.

 

regards

 

mikeg

[malcs]

It looks like I'm being called towards an industrial line with maybe a narrow gauge along the back for the back scene.

[adriank]

There are track plans and plans of the principal buildings for Wareham, Swanage and Corfe Castle in 'Branch Lines of the Southern Railway' by Reeve and Hawkins ISBN 0 906867 01 0 which you might obtain from a second-hand book-seller. The book also contains information and track diagrams of the ball clay workings at Furzebrook siding where a 2' 8.5" gauge line met the standard gauge Swanage branch. There was an article on these workings by M. P. Turvey in the Feb 1977 Railway Modeller.

 

Colin Penfold's article was for a 16'x8' OO layout and involved a number of compromises.

 

Adrian

[bike2steam]

There are track plans and plans of the principal buildings for Wareham, Swanage and Corfe Castle in 'Branch Lines of the Southern Railway' by Reeve and Hawkins ISBN 0 906867 01 0 which you might obtain from a second-hand book-seller. The book also contains information and track diagrams of the ball clay workings at Furzebrook siding where a 2' 8.5" gauge line met the standard gauge Swanage branch. There was an article on these workings by M. P. Turvey in the Feb 1977 Railway Modeller.

 

Colin Penfold's article was for a 16'x8' OO layout and involved a number of compromises.

 

Adrian

 

Ah, now you are scratching the surface of a very interesting subject, one of a few mineral railways that were part of the 3500 year history of clay mining on the Purbeck peninsula. search them out, there are some good books on the subject. http://www.dorsetlife.co.uk/2007/01/purbecks-clay-railways/

edit - I wonder what happened to Mervin (Turvey), used to see him regularly at Swanage in the 1980's/early 90's, he'd often stop for a chat ??.

Edited December 28, 2017 by bike2steam

[The Dorset Wanderer]

Ah, now you are scratching the surface of a very interesting subject, one of a few mineral railways that were part of the 3500 year history of clay mining on the Purbeck peninsula. search them out, there are some good books on the subject. http://www.dorsetlife.co.uk/2007/01/purbecks-clay-railways/

edit - I wonder what happened to Mervin (Turvey), used to see him regularly at Swanage in the 1980's/early 90's, he'd often stop for a chat ??.

Hi Paul

Mervyn is still going strong and I see him regularly at 3 mm shows_ not so sprightly now as we all are

Best wishes

Steve

[malcs]

I have modelled Swanage in O and got a condensed version in 22ft by 2ft6in length shortened by 40% and width for only 2 sidings, is now being dismantled as I no longer can easily get into loft so have gone for industrial layout 18ft 6in by 2ft 6in using the old layout base frames with 9mm ply tops. Used 10mm MDF with just track bed on original Swanage layout, but it had sagged a bit but still ran OK.

 

As has been said to model it in O requires about 30ft by 8ft to allow 6+ coach trains and the full approach sidings past the engine shed.

 

regards

 

mikeg

Hi mikeg do you by chance still have your original track plan?

 

Malc

[MarcD]

These are of the NLS website they are the plans of the 25inch to the mile OS maps

first 1902 and next is the 1928 maps they don't have anything more modern at that scale.

 

Marc

 

[Joseph_Pestell]

Those are the station before it was rebuilt (extended). Probably the best option for a model in many ways.

 

Edit to add: Way back in the 80s, I helped a friend starting to build a layout based on Swanage. As I recall, we used the old layout shown above and got it into quite a small length by putting the approach trackwork on a curve.

Edited February 1, 2018 by Joseph_Pestell

[PenrithBeacon]

The topmost thumbnail seems to show a track going down to the harbour

[Joseph_Pestell]

The topmost thumbnail seems to show a track going down to the harbour

That's right. I think it was used for coal for stoking ships.

[PenrithBeacon]

No it doesn't

[MarcD]

According to the Railways of Perbeck book the line from the station was initially used to move stone to the pier and later coal.

 

Marc