The Hintock Branch-1930's Dorset Joint GWR/SR Workings in OO

[john flann]

Most informative Mike, thank you. There is quite a choice of paths both real and imaginary. John D and I will have to sort those out.

 

As regards the last you mention Birkenhead Woodside was adjacent to the landing stage on that side so it was not that inconvenient and 'crossing the water' commonplace, but the entry does raise a smile.

 

Later a PS. .Actually, thinking about it a little more it's not perhaps as odd as it first appears for Cunard had their Head Office in Liverpool on the Pier Head and a presence on the Landing Stage and Southampton was also from where Cunard sailed. So maybe they offered assistance in getting their passengers and luggage from Liverpool to Southampton Town (next the Docks) via the GWR using the Didcot & Newbury connection.

[The Stationmaster]

Most informative Mike, thank you. There is quite a choice of paths both real and imaginary. John D and I will have to sort those out.

 

As regards the last you mention Birkenhead Woodside was adjacent to the landing stage on that side so it was not that inconvenient and 'crossing the water' commonplace, but the entry does raise a smile.

 

Later a PS. .Actually, thinking about it a little more it's not perhaps as odd as it first appears for Cunard had their Head Office in Liverpool on the Pier Head and a presence on the Landing Stage and Southampton was also from where Cunard sailed. So maybe they offered assistance in getting their passengers and luggage from Liverpool to Southampton Town (next the Docks) via the GWR using the Didcot & Newbury connection.

Not wishing to detract too much from your thread but the train was even more amusing than that being shown in the timetable as a 'through express service' from Birkenhead via Birmingham and Oxford to Bournemouth and and Portsmouth (but Southampton West, not the docks station) with a ferry connection from Liverpool at one end and to Ryde IoW at the other.  Bit off the target for Hintock alas.

 

More useful for you I suspect is the 09.03 from Wolverhampton to Torquay arriving Bristol at 12.00 which slipped a coach at Exeter giving a connection to Penzance  But on Saturdays it didn't stop at Temple Meads so might have had to slip a coach there for Hintock and intermediate stations the GW not expecting its hotel patrons to change twice instead of having the through coach on weekdays!

[Ray H]

John

 

Another question about your (freight stock) card system.

 

How do you decide how many wagons you'll have on a train? Is that always the same pre-set number or do you have a system whereby the length is flexible up to a maximum?

[john flann]

Ray,

 

I'm always pleased to respond to questions and especially those relating to my operating methods and card system. I appreciate your interest.

 

The number of  wagons in a train is random and although the fiddle yard roads will accommodate more than loco +8 wagons + BV I restrict them to no more than that. Any more I think look out of place on the layout and not in keeping with the theme.

 

I employ 40 wagons and these I made up into rakes of 3 or 2, plus singletons. For each rake, or individual wagon, I have a card. For the wagons that happen to be at Hintock itself they are kept there, the cards for wagons in trains in the FY there. I have holders for these.

 

To make up an outward going train I draw cards out of a shuffled pack, to determine the rakes to be picked up and say, they indicate rakes of 3+3+2 = 8, that's OK and the train made up accordingly. Plus in the order of the cards drawn-an added twist.

 

If, however, the cards drawn were 3+3+3 =9, that is not OK. The last card drawn is discarded and the train runs with 6.

 

I show below a card typical of those in use, as you will see it's easy to read, shuffles readily and the "Farmers' notation shows the siding to which it is allocated.

 

Please feel free to ask more. (And the same applies to other members.)

 

I naturally commend my methods, it brings order to shunting, not hit and miss or as you please, has a random quality and requires thought and application in the shunting required. And brings an  additional element of fun and enjoyment to the hobby.

 

 

 

[john flann]

Just to tidy up my last post here is a track schematic showing the respective named sidings.

 

 

[flyingsignalman]

With my declining imagination, one stumbling block I have to this method is how do you decide how many wagons you allocate to a particular destination?

Is it actual siding space or an imagined busy-ness of the industry or goods siding etc concerned.

[Ray H]

John

 

Thanks for the response. I guessed there'd be a maximum per train but wasn't sure whether that was a fixed consist rather then a variable one. The trick is obviously in having cards for 1, 2 or 3 wagons rather than a separate card for each wagon.

[Andrew P]

Hi John, I do like your card system, I was going to do one for Fiddlers Yard but just saying; add or remove wagons from goods yard for example, but yours is so much better.

 

Cheers, Andy

[Removed a/c]

I think I have grasped your system John, but the cards themselves confuse me. Did you just pull aces, twos and threes from a deck and use them?  I suppose one could just use a rectangle of card with just one two or three wagons written on it. 

 

 

It has been a long day so apologies if I am being dense. 

[john flann]

Gentlemen. I do appreciate  the 'likes' expressed and your interest in this, and  responding to:-

 

Keith, at first sight this would appear to be a problem and is one of the reasons I restrict the number of wagons to 40-the yard doesn't get too cluttered and it looks better-but if then 16 wagons (2x8) are out of the yard only 24 are in play and as the sidings can accommodate 33 there is always spare space. And when a goods is run the 8 in and the 8 out balance each other. (Assuming both trains are of 8 wagons.)

 

Most of the rakes are allocated to specific sidings as the coal to 'COAL' on the schematic and that of ale wagons to 'Ale' and similarly. Sidings 'LONG' and 'EAST' can readily hold 14 wagons and these are suited to other rakes.

 

Ray, yes 1's are very useful. One can as you suggest have cards for each wagon and that does provide a very random selection but then is required another set of numbered cards and one to be drawn first to determine the number of wagons in the train. Another random element.

 

Such a system I use on my American HO switching layout. It is very interesting to switch and something of a challenge. There I have a much greater number of cars. (68)

 

You probably know that the number of different combinations can be calculated by means of combinatorics. Some of them are vast. Don't ask me how, my son Nicholas (a computer scientist) does that.

 

Andy, you will find it enjoyable. It does introduce the need for method and thought in its application and much more like the art of shunting systematically and in a timely fashion done on a 'real' railway. And there they did it, day or night whatever the time of year or the weather. A tough job.

 

I'll be interested to learn how you get on.

 

Britf...,yes, any form of card will work, I prefer to use playing cards because they are hard wearing, a handy size, slick, shuffle readily, and are. neat and tidy. Using the Ace, 2,3, is a very quick guide to how the numbers add up particularly when others unfamiliar with my system visit. I also used them to illustrate my point. They can be said to be a bit of' 'bull' but I see no harm in that.

 

Any more questions, comment. please fire away. I'm glad there is the interest. Try it and you won't regret it.

[Andrew P]

Hi John, although it will be some time before I get around to playing operating my new layout the idea of your card system really appeals to me, even if used at a show.

 

Thanks again for ALL your explanations above.

 

Andy

[Removed a/c]

Thanks very much John for the information.

 

Regards 

Scott 

[flyingsignalman]

John, many thanks for the explanation; the mists are slowly clearing!

[john flann]

As long as they are being cleared Keith we're headed in the right direction. And I do appreciate your keen interest in Hintock.

[john flann]

 

 

I'm sure that one or two others apart from Keith have thought my card  system is too rigid, well it isn't and the cards in this image shows where, without departing from the principles, flexibility enters.

 

There is no destination shown on the drawn cards and then the operator can use his/her discretion except, and there is an exception where it would be inappropriate. Clearly coal wagons need to be placed in the COAL siding. and ale in ALE for example. And appropriate wagons (vans) for the two traders with sidings, Hooper& Wollen and the HFTS.

 

In the cards shown Wood/Shell wagons go to LEE'S siding, the coal for William Lee the carter and the tank to Dunlop&Heywood the oil and fuel distributors. The wagons with no specific sidings designated would be equally at home in either LONG siding or EAST.

 

As in all things common sense applies.

 

The image is also interesting in two other respects. first it shows the shelf on which I lay out the cards and secondly the ex goods shed (see posts 252 and 268) now in place as the Parcels Office.

[john flann]

 

 

Henry and James nearly as old as their loco spend their days gently working the Port Bredy extension (where if they time it right they can walk to the quay and pick up some freshly caught fish for tea)  and shunting Hintock Town yard. the quarry sidings of the Hintock Quarry Company their stone yard and masonry works. Here they are in Sheepcroft Yard shunting the HFTS siding.

 

 

 

 

Entering with a bit of dash from under the road overbridge a prairie and B set from Weymouth start their run into Hintock.

 

 

 

 

 

This is one of my favourite views of the west end of Hintock. The bridge enables arriving and departing trains to have a dramatic entry and a graceful exit.

[john flann]

 

 

The early morning goods has arrived from Port Bredy and stands in the loop.

 

 

 

 

Prior to its arrival the M7 will have run round, got water and returned to its train.

 

 

 

 

The SR Yeovil train will depart at 11.03 am, the starter signal is pulled off. When gone, the 57XX pannier will leave any full wagons at Hintock for working onward and with any empty shunt here, and then all stations to the Junction picking up further empty wagons.

[john flann]

I appreciate the 'likes' gentlemen.Thank you.

 

I right clicked the last image to examine the detail,(sometimes it's pretty awful so then I strive  a little harder) and I was pleasantly surprised to be able to see through both loco's spectacle plates the engine men behind.

 

These digital cameras are pretty amazing. Mine's a comparatively inexpensive Nikon Coolpix 5600.  

[john flann]

Yes, 81c I thought you'd like that. It was you, I remember, some time ago who reminded me of that little dodge.

 

Regards,

[john flann]

 

 

I knew this would come in handy some day, and it has....

 

 

 

 

....now what I could do with this lot?

 

 

 

 

and this was part of the result.

 

 

 

 

I'm not a purist and I could see some potential in this.

 

 

 

 

And seen at my normal viewing distance it looks OK to me. (Maybe the brown should be darker and that will be a job to attend to in the winter.)

 

 

 

 

 

In service delivering a new cart for Farmer Wakeham. And, as the load can be lifted off the wagon returns empty.

[pointstaken]

The locals don't seem to be overactive - probably in the barns recovering from last nights hangover ! On a more serious note, the coherence of the whole layout is very noticeable, as with all the best layouts. Well done sir !

 

Dennis

[john flann]

Dennis, thank you, I'm glad you approve. The comparative absence of 'people' is deliberate. Study of contemporary photos in general shows little activity. And that's how I like it.

 

Of course it is a matter of choice, but I think, I have somewhere an image of this scene with more activity and that might be more to your taste. I'll post it when I find it.

[john flann]

 

 

Here is the image I was looking for: it's Friday late afternoon and there is a gathering at Cruso Wilkin's. Tomorrow, Saturday is the day of the away needle cricket match between Hintock and Little Hintock. Cruso is President of the HCC and present are George Morton (it's his new red Oxford) local solicitor, captain and opening bat, Patrick the postman, wicket keeper and Benjamin the carter a wily slow left hand bowler. The subject of the conversation can be left to your imagination.

 

Now Dennis, is that enough 'people' for you?

 

Personally, I'm not all that keen on such cameo's. I think they detract from the whole scene. I prefer something a little more subtle, as below.

[john flann]

 

 

 

These images are not for the purist: this is my representation of something like a Dean luggage van.

 

 

 

 

It will be obvious the basis is a Triang clerestory brake third. I blanked out windows, put Bachmann bogies on it and coach buffers and painted it (not very well) brown. I also added Kadee couplings and weight from car balance wheels. It is exceedingly free running. Decals had not been added at this stage.

 

 

 

 

It will not bear close scrutiny and from my normal viewing distance and not close up like this,it looks the part to me. Whatever, it serves my purposes and in useful service on the regular fruit and vegetable trains and is restricted to working between Hintock, Yeovil, Dorchester and Weymouth and bears a notice to that effect.

.

[Donw]

Nice to see another article in the modeller. Haven't had time for a proper read yet.

Don