Combe Martin Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 I'm finally actually building my new 'less condensed' model of Bailey Gate, but I'm having difficulty finding out the lengths of the platforms. All the plans I can find in the various books are too small to work anything out. Does anyone know the lengths or know of any published information on this. All I can see is that the down platform is a little shorter than the up platform. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailWest Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 Can you not try a 25" OS map ? I have a copy of a 1900 40':1" plan if that would help, but it will take me some while to find the photos.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LBRJ Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 On the NLS map the longer one appears to be about 330 feet. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffers Posted March 10 Share Posted March 10 (edited) All I can add, I'm afraid, and it won't really help you, is that both platforms, from memory, could easily fit a tender loco and three Bulleid or Mk1 coaches. Can remember the locos stopping short of the crossing on the up platform to let passengers cross the track, Edited March 10 by geoffers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted March 10 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 10 Opportunities missed - in 1981/2 my boss, the Operating Officer for the SED, was a former SM at Bailey Gate..... Sadly he's been dead 30 years. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffers Posted March 10 Share Posted March 10 Have trawled through a number of my S&D books but sadly to no avail, The late Bill Coomer (I knew him as the sub-postmaster in Sturminster Marshall) wrote some books about the village, one being on the milk factory, and one the railway. I was hoping that this latter book (my copy falling to bits!) might have the platform info - but no. However, this book History of the Somerset and Dorset Railway - for Bailey Gate Surminster Marshall - Wimborne Junction to Blandford St, Mary 1860-1966 by Bill Coomer (self published) does hold a great deal on information on the staff, traffic etc.. You may have a copy, pf course, but if not I have seen it on offer online in the past. I believe Bill worked on the S&D for a time before returning to Stur as sub-postmaster. Sorry I cannot help you further as people who may have known have sadly passed on. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Combe Martin Posted March 10 Author Share Posted March 10 On 09/03/2024 at 12:22, RailWest said: Can you not try a 25" OS map ? I have a copy of a 1900 40':1" plan if that would help, but it will take me some while to find the photos.... Many thanks for the offer, but bearing in mind the below I think I've got enough for me to make something near enough to the correct length. On 09/03/2024 at 12:36, LBRJ said: On the NLS map the longer one appears to be about 330 feet. This fits with the rough estimate I'd already made from a colour photo on Page 74 of 'On Somerset & Dorset Lines' by Robert Robotham (Ian Allen) which shows a Std Class 5 coupled to a train of a green Mk1 GUV, a maroon Stanier Bk 2nd, and then 2 maroon Mk1s in the Bailey Gate up platform. The problem with the picture is that its difficult to see exactly where the end of the train is ! So 330 feet fits. I've enlarged and printed off a piece from one of the Ordinance Survey maps (found it eventually online after much rummaging), but its exactly the same as all those I've seen in various books except for the font style used for the various descriptive words, but for example if the up platform is 330 feet then the down siding behind the down platform (where the parcels vans are stabled) is about 136 feet (this is the other length I was needing). From photos I've seen, it usually holds a maximum of 3 Southern CCT type vans or 2 bogie parcel type vans eg a Mk1 GUV plus a MK1 BG. 3 minutes ago, geoffers said: All I can add, I'm afraid, and it won't really help you, is that both platforms, from memory, could easily fit a tender loco and three Bulleid or Mk1 coaches. Yes, this is a little less than my 'loco plus a mixed 4 on' mentioned above, so a down platform length of 291 feet (prorated from 330 feet for the up platform) seems about right. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailWest Posted March 10 Share Posted March 10 As another rough guide, the Down Starting signal (No 3) was 49 yards from the signalbox, just past the Down platform ramp end. The station end of the west crossover points A was at 179 yards, so the distance between the two was 130 Yards. The point ends were underneath the road bridge, almost in line with the Blandford side face of the bridge. So, if you allow 'xx' yards for the width of the bridge and perhaps a little bit more for the distance to the platform ramp, you might end up with a useable figure :-) Is that not anything in the late Bill Coomer's book on that part of the line? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium tingleytim Posted March 11 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 11 Presumably Combe Martin will be in touch with Blandford Forum Railway Club whose model of Bailey Gate must be well advanced by now. Their website used to have many pictures recording progress but their Bailey Gate page seems to omit them at the moment. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailWest Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 36 minutes ago, tingleytim said: Presumably Combe Martin will be in touch with Blandford Forum Railway Club whose model of Bailey Gate must be well advanced by now. Their website used to have many pictures recording progress but their Bailey Gate page seems to omit them at the moment. I'd forgotten about that ... :-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Combe Martin Posted March 11 Author Share Posted March 11 4 hours ago, tingleytim said: Presumably Combe Martin will be in touch with Blandford Forum Railway Club whose model of Bailey Gate must be well advanced by now. Their website used to have many pictures recording progress but their Bailey Gate page seems to omit them at the moment. I've been keeping an eye on their website but there hasn't been anything on there about Bailey Gate for (I would say) a couple of years at least ! It makes me wonder whether progress has stalled ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Combe Martin Posted March 11 Author Share Posted March 11 On 10/03/2024 at 16:47, RailWest said: As another rough guide, the Down Starting signal (No 3) was 49 yards from the signalbox, just past the Down platform ramp end. The station end of the west crossover points A was at 179 yards, so the distance between the two was 130 Yards. The point ends were underneath the road bridge, almost in line with the Blandford side face of the bridge. So, if you allow 'xx' yards for the width of the bridge and perhaps a little bit more for the distance to the platform ramp, you might end up with a useable figure :-) Is that not anything in the late Bill Coomer's book on that part of the line? No, Bill Coomers books only contain rudimentary station layout diagrams with no dimensions at all. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailWest Posted March 12 Share Posted March 12 12 hours ago, Combe Martin said: No, Bill Coomers books only contain rudimentary station layout diagrams with no dimensions at all. Sadly, I thought that was the case, but I've mislaid my copy at the moment :-( Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Combe Martin Posted March 14 Author Share Posted March 14 On 11/03/2024 at 15:27, tingleytim said: Presumably Combe Martin will be in touch with Blandford Forum Railway Club whose model of Bailey Gate must be well advanced by now. Their website used to have many pictures recording progress but their Bailey Gate page seems to omit them at the moment. I've just looked at their website again, there's loads of pictures of Spetisbury, but none of Bailey Gate which suggests they're concentrating on something else. Shame, especially when you consider there was a piece in the model railway press (a couple of pages including photos) about that project, and it didn't look to be condensed (squashed a bit) like mine has to be. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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