Rusper Road - LBSCR Micro Layout

[Matloughe]

Hello all!

I hope everyone is well, and I would like to say welcome to my latest project that has broken cover. This one has been about two years in the back of my mind rumbling about not quite going away but not seemingly coming to anything. So I had to move house in 2017 when my Daughter was 5 months old, and since then my old layout based on The Dyke (once called my summer project) was put into storage and effectively nothing has been done with it since that time, in November just gone we had to move again into hopefully a much more long-term house and The Dyke was pulled from storage glanced at, and it standing in the new Garage awaiting the time for me to look at doing a refurbishment/replacement. The boards are sound its just pretty much everything else, the track has corroded (Nickel-Silver) and the scenery and wiring had been chewed up - so will need replacing.

Anyway during lockdown; I watched a lot of Budget Model Railways as a way to de-stress and try to get some mojo going for modelling and one of the vast number of layouts produced was the model railway for absolute beginners a very interesting six-part series, I'd recommend anyone to watch it even just to see how someone else plans a model railway and their thought processes. I have also watched @BlueLightning's brilliant livestreams on a semi-regular basis as I have a similar interest in pre-grouping model railways. In August 2021 i bought from Wickes a shelf kit, measuring 1185mm x 190mm and after primering it and rummaging around my box of bits and pieces I followed the Budget Model Railways ideas and produced this plan:

Its a very basic three-point plan, a station with run around loop and a single siding off of it as well as a headshunt & fiddle stick. Now I went through a number of permutations of this by positioning different platform arrangements and shifting the tracks this way or that way by a couple of inches to try and get the most out of the space as seen here:


But nothing seemed to be quite right - as an aside the Hornby shelter was a gift to me from my Nan when I got my first Hornby Trainset in 1994/95 The Highlander which is interesting as The Hornby Railways Collectors Guide seems to imply that this set was only released the year I was born and the year after... yet I distinctly remember it as a christmas gift when I was about five or six... because I got the 1998 GWR Freight set a year or two later on. Anyway I digress, the plan wasn't working, it was boring to operate the scenery just didn't seem like it was going to work out - I lost interest in it and the track was removed and an inglenook was placed down instead but I couldn't get that running on a regular basis so I switched to an O Gauge ultra micro and that was recycled into an N Gauge station latterly on different boards and this shelf was stored behind the sofa forgotten about until moving day last month.
It was brought to the new house alongside my small trunk of 'clean' non garage, non storage box items to the new house whilst the bulk of my collection and layout is stored in the new garage. My better half has been sick of me moaning at her I don't have a layout and I'm bored, and itching to do a new project - she effectively told me to get on with something, although perhaps not in those terms!

So after watching a livestream or two and chatting with some friends I have had the urge to have another go; i've resurrected the shelf and watched the whole Budget Model Railways series again to see what I had missed and it was after an episode or two startingly obvious what I had gotten wrong, it was the exit off of scene. In the photos above, the exit is the long headshunt shown behind the carriage. Whereas compared to the photo below:

Excuse the background clutter - the living room still looks like a warehouse after the move! It doesn't help I had to extract this from under a small pile of boxes and wargame counters!
The exit off scene should be here, bottom left with the line running down off the shot - that way the siding to be shunted is facing the opposite way and requires the skilful use of the loop and headshunt to sort everything out properly. This was a first mock-up to be tested and I was quite pleased with it - where I had flipped the plan around for ease I had acually removed some of the interest and made it boring to operate! The other thing I decided upon after watching the video series Budget Model Railways show that they way they do it is to not have everything on one board, so following that the fiddleyard/fiddlestick will be moved onto a small seperate board. Yes I can fit everything on one board here, provided I want a loco and a single carriage or a loco, wagon and guards van. By moving the fiddlestick off of the shelf it has allowed me to insert small lengthening straights into the loop and platform road, as well as lengthening the headshunt to take a loco slightly larger than a Terrier as well as a wagon and lengthing the siding so it can accept two wagons easily. None of that is shown here, but may be shown in a future post. It does also mean I can devote almost the entire shelf length & width to scenery rather than a slightly odd break for the fiddleyard where there is no scenery.

Some disclaimers; this is intended to be a layout I can just get on and have a play with, practice some skills run some trains. To this end I am literally just raiding what is in my boxes I have to hand in the house - its Code 100 Hornby track yes, not great but it'll do the job. Yes I am lazy, I am using the Hornby DCC clips for the point to back feed power to the siding and only supplying power to the fiddlestick. Yes I've used trackscrews - because I had them to hand. I'm not going to be claiming that I am making a scale model of somewhere - I do think sometimes in the hobby we take ourselves too seriously and procrastinate about getting everything 'right' without actually achieving anything. So this is here to have a little bit of fun for me, I was inspired to get on and do something so I shall. Realistically I probably wont get much further before the New Year as I have no ballast or extra scenery items; but I will have somewhere to test my present that will be under the tree on Christmas morning. 😁

Despite it being slapped together as track on a bare board, with platforms and a building roughly in place - I'll leave you with this photo of the wrong engine paired with the wrong carriage... But I think it has some actual atmosphere and I was very pleased how it looked when this photo was revealed to me on my phone:

It just looked 'right' in my eyes.

I hope you all have a fantastically festive season to be merry and bright.
And may Father Christmas bring you something from your wishlists.
Take Care!
Gary

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 28, 2023 by Matloughe
Changed Topic name to reflect actual reality

[BlueLightning]

Exciting! I was hoping you would post something after chatting last night! Will be fun to have somewhere to run trains!

 

10 hours ago, Matloughe said:

Budget Model Railways

 

I very much recommend his channel, and not just because he's a regular in my shop! 😛

 

10 hours ago, Matloughe said:

@BlueLightning's brilliant livestreams

 

Not sure about this guy though

 

Gary

[Matloughe]

11 hours ago, BlueLightning said:

Exciting! I was hoping you would post something after chatting last night! Will be fun to have somewhere to run trains!

I cannot remember the last time I actually gave my 00 a run; hopefully that'll change somewhat.
 

I don't want to bore anyone, but I have done a little fettling and thought I would share what adjustments to the trackplan has been made. Nothing major just tinkering.
So primarily as this is using Setrack I will be using that nomenclature rather than listing the lengths in mm etc. You'll have to excuse the post-grouping stock, up until recently I didn't believe it would be possible for me to make a Layout of the LBSC in its pre-grouping guise this will be rectified in due time.
Starting with the station and run-around loop, on both sides a quarter straight was added in - this has the benefit of permitting a reasonable length train to be accomodated:

Three 'standard' length wagons and a slightly large Brake Van seem to be reasonably acommodated without bashing into either end running around - a shorter Brake Van would ease the need to stop precisely.

As well as three of Bachman's Red Coaches from their Thomas range which are based (loosely) on LBSCR Stroudley coaches - I'd probably only run two coaches in all honesty for ease and three literally fills the platform space! But it also means I could run a small mixed train with one coach or use the Ratio coach I have been modifying for a number of years to be a passable LBSCR Push-Pull Driving Trailer.
The headshunt for the station has also been extended and is a Standard and a Half Straight in length, this allows me to use either:

A short locomotive such as a Terrier or 0-4-0 and two wagons, or as seen below as my latest locomotive - a larger locomotive and a single wagon:

Incidentally this is my first ever 'Really useful Engine' I have ever owned and I wanted one as a different locomotive to run from the Terriers - it runs well for its age and I will be looking at making some minor cosmetic upgrades to it in the future. The idea is for the headshunt to end at a closed Level Crossing Gate - I also have an idea for a small signalbox to sit behind the coal wagon here and a wooden foot crossing - the idea is the signalbox is also the 'gate box' and that the line once continued onwards but currently does not. The single siding has had a quarter straight lengthening piece fitted and can now easily accomodate two wagons of a standard length - I havent yet had a play to see operationally how long it takes me to tie myself in knots but I am looking forwards to giving it a go, I did find some paint last night which I might have a go at painting some sleepers in a wash of brown provisionally - I have also found some PVA glue so I have the ability to fix the platforms etc in place to the boards and prime them as well. So some fiddling is definately on the cards; I just need to sort out if I want to get wider platform ramps as I have thin ones currently and if I want to replace the half-loading dock in the siding with something else or not.
But currently everything is looking good.

Apologies for the boring update; I'll try and not to post anything else until something actually happens next time.
Wishing you all the best here, from my Budget Brighton BLT!

Gary
(Who else is thinking about sandwiches currently...? Just me?)

 

 

 

 

[uax6]

To run round your three coaches you need more length, as they are foul of the loop road.

 

Is there a reason to only have the platform in the space betwix the points of the run-round? You could happily take the platform upto the crossing gate end of the h/shunt, and it wouldn't look wrong, in fact it would possibly be better as often small stations had silly sized platforms (but I'm not sure what the Brighton Road tended to do for small stations, I'm a bit more northern in taste!).

 

Its looking quite interesting, whats the thought for the fiddle yard?

 

Andy G

[Matloughe]

1 hour ago, uax6 said:

To run round your three coaches you need more length, as they are foul of the loop road.

 

Is there a reason to only have the platform in the space betwix the points of the run-round? You could happily take the platform upto the crossing gate end of the h/shunt, and it wouldn't look wrong, in fact it would possibly be better as often small stations had silly sized platforms (but I'm not sure what the Brighton Road tended to do for small stations, I'm a bit more northern in taste!).

 

Its looking quite interesting, whats the thought for the fiddle yard?

 

Andy G

 You're quite right, I could possibly find/move some track around and get another quarter straight of track into the space available - I'll have a ponder and rummage in the box this evening - I know I have the track cutters with me in my modelling toolbox.
To be honest - I was just following the plan as to where the platform should/could go - but your are right there isn't any reason why I couldn't move it down closer to the proposed crosing gates and simply set back to run-around (provided the loop is long enough), potentially use the extra thin extension piece to give a much longer platform than is actually needed. I'll try and book some 'table time' to have a play and test out the platform location - it would make more sense with regards to the level crossing gates - the vague idea I had was for a light-railway so it would fit well.

Something we have in common the Brighton & Highland Lines is William Stroudley - certainly a gifted engineer of his time. The fiddleyard will just be more of a fiddlestick - I will pop some track onto a piece of batten and attach/detach it as needed. I've had a look through your threads, I enjoyed seeing your work on your whitemetal locomotives.

Kind Regards,
Gary

[uax6]

I was thinking more of leaving the existing platform where it is, but just making it longer towards the gates, but making it a bit longer at the same time as moving it towards the gates, so that part of the loop is out with the platform, would work too.

 

Yes the HR gave your CME a good grounding in how to overcome problems..... I can only apologise for the lack of update on my threads, I've sort of lost the mojo over the last few years, but I'm hoping that it will return soon.

 

Andy G

[aac]

You can have fun with something this size, but I do recommend bracing the board. The ply (?) looks quite substantial, but even lengths of 2x1 under the front and back lengths would protect the integrity of the flat plane of the board. 

Sorry if this is teaching granny, but if the temptation were to store this on end against a wall, it would soon gently bow out of shape and you will have derailments on curves and points.

 

Good luck.

 

aac

[Matloughe]

10 hours ago, aac said:

You can have fun with something this size, but I do recommend bracing the board. The ply (?) looks quite substantial, but even lengths of 2x1 under the front and back lengths would protect the integrity of the flat plane of the board. 

Sorry if this is teaching granny, but if the temptation were to store this on end against a wall, it would soon gently bow out of shape and you will have derailments on curves and points.

 

Good luck.

 

aac

Not at all - any & all advice is accepted. The shelf is actualy solid pinewood which has had two coats of undercoat and a black topcoat applied all over. I did have some small feet for the layout made out of offcuts of pinewood and soft batten but I am not sure where they have gone in the move currently. I will certainly keep an eye on the trueness of the board and will certainly look at bracing the underside of it to keep it in alignment.
 

16 hours ago, uax6 said:

I was thinking more of leaving the existing platform where it is, but just making it longer towards the gates, but making it a bit longer at the same time as moving it towards the gates, so that part of the loop is out with the platform, would work too.

 

Yes the HR gave your CME a good grounding in how to overcome problems..... I can only apologise for the lack of update on my threads, I've sort of lost the mojo over the last few years, but I'm hoping that it will return soon.

 

Andy G

No need to apologise at all - real life overtakes at times; to be honest since my daughter was born I havent really had the time/money/inclination to do much modelling of any sort - between having a little one and working full-time, then COVID and loosing a job and getting anything that was going I am sure the past couple of years have been hard on everyone and it certainly feels like jumping out of the frying pan into the fire at times!
 

No pictures this evening - not much has happened - I have fiddled with the length of the loop and it is effectively a double straight plus another half straight in length - this allows me to easily run-around the Bachmann set of Stroudley coaches without bashing them up. I did also do some trawling through the PC and found files for some Scalescene products that may be useful to incorporate on the layout. I also have an A Model Railway LBSCR Signalbox downloadable pdf kit based on Drayton box which will be a great start for some structures - I also have an Alphagrafix kit I could scale down potentially so thats two options straight away for some buildings.

I am not sure if I want to keep the Hornby platform shelter building - if I do I am half-tempted to obtain another one and paint that up as I am not sure I want to alter the finish of the current one considering it was a gift many years ago from my Nan, plenty of time to think on that one. I have also found a Stroudley Lantern Brake Van kit from York Model Rail which is a mixed media model of MDF bodyshell & Mylar details added over the top. Doesn't have a chassis but looks like a Dapol 10' wheelbase could be adapted to fit - as the wheelbase of the real thing was 9' 9".

Kind Regards,
Gary

[uax6]

Be careful about adding a signalbox, as I'm not sure you actually need one. You need to ask yourself the question: What is the traffic pattern?

I'm guessing that its actually quite low (although in modelling terms it will be a lot busier, you don't want to run two trains in a day do you?), which means that it would probably be run with a train staff. With this you effectively have a basic railway, no signalling being required (apart from the junction end).

The run round point at the entrance to the station  would be worked from a ground frame, normally set to the platform road (and locked with a facing point lock, the points at the other end could be hand points, as they are trailing, they don't need to be locked as the train can push them over. The loop would have a trap that co-worked with the main point).

The frame would be unlocked by inserting the train staff into an Annetts lock on the 1st lever (the staff having an Annett's key on its end), turning it and then that will unlock the frame to allow you to shunt.  This then locks the key into the frame until all the levers are returned to normal, when the key can be rotated to lock the frame and then be withdrawn. This means that before the train leaves (it must have the staff to move out of 'station limits') that the points will have to be set back for the platform road.

 

At most you need a small hut around the frame, but more likely the frame will be stood in the open. 

 

A good example is Dornoch on the Highland*, that has the fun of interesting trapping on the goods road though!

 

(credit to the watermark, lifted from another RM Web posting) Note that the facing points (here for the engine shed and yard) have facing point locks as well (2 rods). It looks like there are three levers, possibly one for each point and one for the facing point locks. Note also that the point outside the shed is lever operated, it co-works with the facing point on the main (the one the photographer is stood in) and works as the trap point, it facing the coal spur when the main line is set for the station. The yard/loop facing point co-works with that tangle of traps in the yard entrance... The points at the other end of the platform were hand operated locally, being trailing to the incoming move. 

 

Hopefully this helps a bit?

 

Andy G

 

Edit: Dornoch was a light railway, but built to the normal HR terminus style. Those that were not light railways did have signalling and a cabin, but these were often (usually?) locked out and staff working was used as an economy measure. 

Edited December 22, 2022 by uax6

[Oldddudders]

8 minutes ago, uax6 said:

Be careful about adding a signalbox, as I'm not sure you actually need one. You need to ask yourself the question: What is the traffic pattern?

Fair point, but I'm not sure I know when that economical style of operation really came into being. Perhaps you do. 

 

And even for the simplest track plan, the fun of somehow managing to have two locos in the station together adds to the complexity of operating - making the most of a modest layout, to my mind. 

 

ISTR there is a Saxby & Farmer box on Shapeways - albeit not cheap - which simply shouts LBSCR. 

[uax6]

Again this is the problem of being a HR man. They ran a lot of lines like this, but whether the English lines in pre-grouping days did I don't know. Is there any Brighton branchline that resembles a layout as simple as this, that could point the way forward? Or does it really matter anyway? 

 

I agree that two engines are always more fun than one, but it does move it away from a railway though doesn't it?

I once went to an exhibition where there was a BLT at the end of a single line. The station wasn't much more than this one, the yard was quite small, but there was a two road engine shed with a stud of big 4-6-0 tender engines...

 

Andy G

[Nick Holliday]

As far as the LBSCR is concerned, the only comparable station is Devil's Dyke.

Photo courtesy of fulking.net website

The only real difference is the siding by the platform.  Perhaps a dead-end siding could be introduced between yours and the back-scene, or perhaps a 2D representation of wagons or carriages behind the platform could give a similar impression.  Note that the signal box looks, if not larger, more impressive than the rather simple station building, and the old carriage put to use as a refreshment room, maybe a use for the old Hornby four wheeled coach. Other modellers have found the Skaledale(?) RTP ground frame box a good match for a Saxby & Farmer box and I think came in a suitable livery.

[Nick Holliday]

This is the signal box I was thinking of; Hornby R8721 Wooden platform signal box - Skaledale "Railside" range

and the track plan, although the OS surveyor has managed to lose the crossover at the departure end of the loop. At 4mm scale the overall length comes to over nine feet, showing that even a small station took up a lot of room.

[Matloughe]

7 hours ago, Nick Holliday said:

This is the signal box I was thinking of; Hornby R8721 Wooden platform signal box - Skaledale "Railside" range

 

and the track plan, although the OS surveyor has managed to lose the crossover at the departure end of the loop. At 4mm scale the overall length comes to over nine feet, showing that even a small station took up a lot of room.

I used to have the complete Scaledale station buildings set from that range many years ago; as good as it was it just never seemed to fit on my platforms or look quite right to my eyes. Evenually I sold them on for further funds for the O Gauge project (it paid for Fenchurch from Dapol) - its funny that Devil's Dyke pops up several times because my 'main' 00 layout which is currently dormant awaiting refurb/replacement was of The Dyke - compressed somewhat into 7'x1' and perhaps some liberties with the scenery as seen here:

Taken in Feburary 2014 the layout sans Fiddle Yard, and again in May 2017 - about two weeks after my Daughter was born this must've been one of if not the last time the layout ran.

 

When it comes to single line Termini the LBSCR really only has three, The Dyke & Hayling Island are the main two - with Kemp Town being the third - but arguable Kemp Town should have ben double track ideally. As I've said before - I am not striving for historical accuaracy. I am looking at this as a fun project to get up the mojo to sort out my layout of The Dyke and figure out its future. I am looking at this BLT on a Shelf probably more like a through station thats been cut back for whatever reason - so the station would be more like Fittleworth or Barcombe as an example so it was a block post at some stage - if I include the crossing at the station's headshunt end then the box would also control the level crossing as well. As an interesting aside - if you look at the track plan for Devils Dyke and compare it to the above photos as the following one below:

I might have an unhealthy obsession with Devil's Dyke with two layouts in two scales bearing striking resemblences!
 

16 hours ago, uax6 said:

Be careful about adding a signalbox, as I'm not sure you actually need one. You need to ask yourself the question: What is the traffic pattern?

I'm guessing that its actually quite low (although in modelling terms it will be a lot busier, you don't want to run two trains in a day do you?), which means that it would probably be run with a train staff. With this you effectively have a basic railway, no signalling being required (apart from the junction end).

The run round point at the entrance to the station  would be worked from a ground frame, normally set to the platform road (and locked with a facing point lock, the points at the other end could be hand points, as they are trailing, they don't need to be locked as the train can push them over. The loop would have a trap that co-worked with the main point).

The frame would be unlocked by inserting the train staff into an Annetts lock on the 1st lever (the staff having an Annett's key on its end), turning it and then that will unlock the frame to allow you to shunt.  This then locks the key into the frame until all the levers are returned to normal, when the key can be rotated to lock the frame and then be withdrawn. This means that before the train leaves (it must have the staff to move out of 'station limits') that the points will have to be set back for the platform road.

 

At most you need a small hut around the frame, but more likely the frame will be stood in the open. 

 

A good example is Dornoch on the Highland*, that has the fun of interesting trapping on the goods road though!

 

(credit to the watermark, lifted from another RM Web posting) Note that the facing points (here for the engine shed and yard) have facing point locks as well (2 rods). It looks like there are three levers, possibly one for each point and one for the facing point locks. Note also that the point outside the shed is lever operated, it co-works with the facing point on the main (the one the photographer is stood in) and works as the trap point, it facing the coal spur when the main line is set for the station. The yard/loop facing point co-works with that tangle of traps in the yard entrance... The points at the other end of the platform were hand operated locally, being trailing to the incoming move. 

 

Hopefully this helps a bit?

 

Andy G

 

Edit: Dornoch was a light railway, but built to the normal HR terminus style. Those that were not light railways did have signalling and a cabin, but these were often (usually?) locked out and staff working was used as an economy measure. 

Really fascinating photos - you're right I've looked at the trapping for the goods yard and its certainly a thing of art, almost a double slip. I havent figures out a track plan in all honesty - usually I physcially research a location and plop my station down, figure out its connections to the real world and go from there but on this shelfie I have literally nailed track to a board and plopped a train on it. I will certainly have a think on the traffic pattern - equally only table space is stopping me making this a through station I'd need another fiddlestick and thats it.
 

 

15 hours ago, Oldddudders said:

ISTR there is a Saxby & Farmer box on Shapeways - albeit not cheap - which simply shouts LBSCR. 

Yes there is - it looks fantastic; and for shapeways its not too unreasonably priced. I was considering buying one for my N Gauge layout but have held off work on it so far - A 00 one would look very grand - the laser cut box of Drayton looks very nice as well; I've worked with lasercut wood/mdf before so I might go down that route first as its marginally cheaper.

 

15 hours ago, uax6 said:

Again this is the problem of being a HR man. They ran a lot of lines like this, but whether the English lines in pre-grouping days did I don't know. Is there any Brighton branchline that resembles a layout as simple as this, that could point the way forward? Or does it really matter anyway? 

 

I agree that two engines are always more fun than one, but it does move it away from a railway though doesn't it?

I once went to an exhibition where there was a BLT at the end of a single line. The station wasn't much more than this one, the yard was quite small, but there was a two road engine shed with a stud of big 4-6-0 tender engines...

 

Andy G

I think Devil's Dyke is the closest by far, and it was normally 'One Engine in Steam' with a special trainstaff token which was 'Brighton & The Dyke' despite the trainstaff/token's authority not actually starting until the branch diverged from the mainline. I believe its been said before The Dyke was a mixed train in the morning and then passenger shuttles to Brighton the rest of the day. Six coupled locomotives being preferred for their adhesion but four-coupled locos occasionally visited as well as a variety of railcars such as the Steam Sentinel one on trial. Hayling Island was One Engine in Steam in winter and then multiple trains at peak summer - but again had a dedicated mixed train rather than a freight only run in the mornings.

 

Kind Regards,
~ Gary

[Matloughe]

I hope everyone has had a great christmas!

In our house after a very busy day - I have two children tucked up in bed and a quiet day planned for tomorrow! For me its a cup of tea, a read of my new railway books and admiring this beauty that Father Christmas brought for me:

 

Nothing like some Improved Engine Green on Christmas!
Merry Christmas to all!

Gary

 

[BlueLightning]

What a fantastic gift! Can't have too many Terriers!

 

Merry Christmas!

 

Gary

[mudmagnet]

Looking good Gary.

 

I hadn't realised that you had. progressed so far, not helped having missed your thread on here.

 

As suggested by others, the platform would look better extended to the 'level crossing' end and in the same vein does not need to run the full length of the run-round loop. That way, an incoming train would run to the end, allow allow 'passengers' off, then set back, run round, then set back into the platform.

 

 

[Matloughe]

Good Evening,

I hope everyone has had a fantastic festive season, and now it has turned to a new year.

I have decided (probably Ill-conceieved & hastily) that I will try and get this shelf layout vaguely in a decent order for my Birthday in May as a self-imposed deadline. I have managed to allocate one evening a week to modelling time and hopefully this will let me get some real progess achieved. In the meantime I have been doing research and looking at items I can obtain to continue making the layout.
 

On 28/12/2022 at 16:39, mudmagnet said:

Looking good Gary.

 

I hadn't realised that you had. progressed so far, not helped having missed your thread on here.

As suggested by others, the platform would look better extended to the 'level crossing' end and in the same vein does not need to run the full length of the run-round loop. That way, an incoming train would run to the end, allow allow 'passengers' off, then set back, run round, then set back into the platform.

Yes, I am still making some final decisions - I have ordered some more platform ramps and sections from Scale Model Scenery as well as a board crossing; what I am going to do is make the platform ramps and assess then if I need further platform sections. I may add an extra section to make the platform longer - it depends on how it feels with the additional length of the ramps. I have also seen that Scale Model Scenery makes a blend of material I could use for ballast marked as 'coastal' - the LBSCR used shingle ballast from Eastbourne Beach for their ballast needs so this might be exactly what I need.

 

I have been using lots of sources for Pre-Grouping traffic patterns and have found that the 'Lewes & East Grinstead Railway' by Klaus Marx very interesting - the traffic patterns at Sheffield Park's Freight Office has been most enlightening - coupled with the Southern Wagons book has made me look at obtaining/making some wagons for the layout. Some of the Dapol unpainted wagons are a close match for LBSCR wagons at a distance - I am going to look at modifying a Dapol 7 Plank with some extra strapping and a paint job it will look the part.

I'm also quite happy that I have managed to obtain an Oxford Rail GER 10t van in Great Eastern Livery; apparently between November 1899 & March 1900 a GER van was the only vehicle from that railway company to visit Sheffield Park - unlike the Beer Traffic to Sheffield Park! 6 Midland Railway wagons & 3 South Eastern & Chatham Vans all containing beer. Burton Ale & Bishop Neame I wonder? Its interesting the traffic from the Midlands came in open wagons, yet similar traffic from a neighbouring railway came in vans.
Nevertheless the information has given me a good spread of wagon kits & models for me to build & obtain - I am starting with the easier ones first however!
 

On 25/12/2022 at 23:12, BlueLightning said:

What a fantastic gift! Can't have too many Terriers!

 

Merry Christmas!

 

Gary

Definately cannot have too many Terriers, I think that is number fifteen - but is the first modern one.
I think I have the previous generation with Brighton Gold Medal winner as well - I'll have to look.

I hope everyone has had a great time; and I look forwards to sharing some actual progress soon.
Gary

[BlueLightning]

9 hours ago, Matloughe said:

the LBSCR used shingle ballast from Eastbourne Beach for their ballast needs so this might be exactly what I need.

 

Clearly the answer is to drive to Eastbourne and pinch some sand from the beach, it's only ~250 miles from North Devon 🤣 I hear there's a really nice model shop to pop into while you're there 😛

 

9 hours ago, Matloughe said:

Southern Wagons book has made me look at obtaining/making some wagons for the layout.

 

I have a few LBSC and SECR wagons in my 3D print files, some of these look even more like LBSC wagons than the unpainted Dapol ones. I'm sure I can manage to print a few, I can't remember what I have off hand, but drop me a PM with what you're after and I will see what I can do.

 

9 hours ago, Matloughe said:

Definately cannot have too many Terriers, I think that is number fifteen - but is the first modern one.

 

Number 49 is in the post and expected to be with me in the next few days! It'll be my 10th modern one! I only had 13 this time last year!

 

Gary

[Matloughe]

On 03/01/2023 at 09:52, BlueLightning said:

 

Clearly the answer is to drive to Eastbourne and pinch some sand from the beach, it's only ~250 miles from North Devon 🤣 I hear there's a really nice model shop to pop into while you're there 😛

It is indeed the most correct answer to the question - however I am not quite sure how to pitch a trip to the beach to the other half and kids if the beach is 6 hours away! 🤣 Especially compared to the one ten minutes away... I don't think "the wrong type of sand" will cut it.

I'll PM you shortly re-wagons.
I'm hoping to retrieve some Terriers from the depths of the Garage tomorrow as well as some more suitable rolling stock. I might even set up The Dyke and see what sorry state its actually in.

Gary

Edited January 4, 2023 by Matloughe
Added more info.

[burgundy]

15 minutes ago, Matloughe said:

It is indeed the most correct answer to the question - however I am not quite sure how to pitch a trip to the beach to the other half and kids if the beach is 6 hours away! 🤣 Especially compared to the one ten minutes away... I don't think "the wrong type of sand" will cut it.

Plan B. Go to the local pet shop and get some chinchilla dust. It is very fine (as the name implies) and quite cheap.

Best wishes

Eric

[Matloughe]

So speaking on Wagons more broadly,

Information I have extrapolated previously I've fed into a spreadsheet and tweaked it - I am only showing a portion of it here but this is the broad breakdown of wagons that arrived in the given Timeperiod at Sheffield Park, just over 90% of the wagons were LBSCR owned and this is the breakdown of type.
I am making some broad assumptions here that a Merchandise Wagon is a 4/5 Plank, whereas a sheet wagon would be more like an Open D with a rail fitted - these together make up the majority of all wagons arriving, with very few from other companies in these categories. Infact the only category where other companies / Private Owner wagons are more prevelant are (unsurprisingly) coal traffic. I am assuming that Coal/Coke Wagons owned by the LBSCR would be along the lines of the 7 Plank design shared with the SE&CR. (I havent quoted diagram numbers as I don't have my book with me).

No Private Owner Vans arrived during this time period, with PO Wagons being exclusively for the coal trade. The most prevelant van from the other railways was from the SECR with three deliveries and one LNWR & one GER van making up all five others in that category.

 

 

I have made a very crude matrix, based on the proportion percentages and a 20 wagon pool to show me how many of each type I would need as a guide to (relatively) accurately model this time period. Anyway, I hope it is of some interest and indicates where I am heading in terms of modelling direction - even only for myself.

Gary

 

[burgundy]

The traffic analysis for Sheffield Park is a useful snapshot of traffic around the turn of the century. However, don't forget that  there was a large timber yard next to the station. This may account for the 95 timber bolsters which passed through the yard, which may make the figures misleading for a "typical" small station (if there is such a thing).

"Merchandise and sheet" is likely to refer to Open A wagons, which were 5 plank with a high round end, fitted with a sheet rail and which were the Brighton's most common goods wagon.

"Merchandise" could have been other open wagons, which, on the Brighton at this period, were mostly Open D - 4 plank with a low round end. However, in this context, I wonder whether it could include some Open As which arrived without a wagon sheet because the load did not require it.

As a rule of thumb, if in doubt, add more Open As. 

I hope that this helps. 

Best wishes 

Eric 

[Matloughe]

Good Evening All!

An unscheduled update as tonight is my Partner's choir night; coupled with a #2 child deciding she was tired and wanted to go to bed at 7pm resulted in commandeering the dining table for some Brighton Time!
So wrapping up from last time; I have spent this months modelling budget on some items from Scale Model Scenery - some full width platform ramps as well as some platform sections to extend the overall length of the platform and finally a lovely barrow crossing. I'm not sponsored by SMS I have just found their products useful for a base to build upon. I have also in the interim painted the sleepers on the layout a mid-brown colour from the Citadel Paint range from Games Workshop.

So this evening starts at the new board crossing at the end of the platform - this allows the signalman a safe route to cross the line to his signalbox which will be located on the left-hand side of this picture - at the time period involved labour was cheap and there is photographics evidence of board crossings being immaculately maintained so I didn't want a scruffy crossing. These parts have been painted and have been stuck to the board with bog-standard PVA.

The platform itself is now three flat sections and two ramps but I am unsure if it is too long for the layout itself.

So this is the full-length platform with the train stabled within the three flat sections with the front of the locomotive at the very nearest end of the flat section of platform before it transitions to the flat section of ramp. Also as you can see here - the different colour of the board crossing and freight platform in the background painted and in place currently. Signalbox location would be where the Citadel paint tin is currently located in this photo.

In this photo the rear of the train has been drawn up level to the rear of the second flat piece of platform - showing it is (just) possible to accomodate a three-coach faux Stroudley set in the shorter platform but the locomotive does hang off the end and foul the crossing. I am leaning towards the platform being longer rather than shorter myself - but am interested to hear others opinions. Although the opinion given to me by my Partner of running a 2-coach train wasn't well recieved! 😁

I have managed to obtain a Hornby R510 Platform Shelter for the princely sum of £3!

This will be painted up into LBSC Colours and act as the platform building for passengers - I might also add a small shed or some such on the platform to act as a lock-up. I couldn't bring myself to remove the decals put onto my own one by myself and my Nan all those years ago! It will give me to opportunity to practise some painting. I have also given thought to operating the layout from either end or indeed as a 'through' with a fiddlestick at each end which might be interesting. I have also printed off my Scalescenes Platform parts and am going to clad these SMS platforms with Brick Paper/Card after they are finished gluing and are firmly located in place.

As for the last item on my list of updates - I have alluded to it once or twice:

I need to find my patience - as it looks like I will need it!
This pdf kit has been sitting on my Google Drive for quite some time awaiting printing. I just need some glazing and I can make a start on it.

I've also managed to grab a Hornby Open Wagon from one of the specific Coal Merchants mentioned in the Sheffield Park freight accounts which is fantastic! My Stock of pre-grouping grows on with the GER Van arriving and a Southern Liveried LBSC Brake Van (secondhand) on their way with the platform building.

Stay Safe!
Gary

[Andrew D]

I’m really enjoying this build! As the kind of bodger who prioritises operation, aesthetics, and play value over prototypical realism I’d say keep the platform short. The longer version looks a little large for the layout. Just my opinion. As for the signal box… you’re a better man than me! 👍