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

[john flann]

As it's snowing hard here today I thought I'd remind myself of Hintock's summer sunshine.

 

 

Turning the camera through 90 degrees does make ratherr a nice difference-Sheepcroft Yard as now is plus entry to staging yard.

 

 

After a good lunch and a pleasing AGM ( a handsome dividend declared and substantial future profits forecast)  the Directors and shareholders return in their 'special' to Hintock Junction and onward to Paddington.

 

 

Two empty fruit vans waiting loading and then tomorrow on to Granby. (Note the old shorter siding.)

 

 

 

 

 

[john flann]

As it's snowing hard here today I thought I'd remind myself of Hintock's summer sunshine.

 

 

Turning the camera through 90 degrees does make ratherr a nice difference-Sheepcroft Yard as now is plus entry to staging yard.

 

 

After a good lunch and a pleasing AGM ( a handsome dividend declared and substantial future profits forecast)  the Directors and shareholders return in their 'special' to Hintock Junction and onward to Paddington.

 

 

Two empty fruit vans waiting loading and then tomorrow on to Granby. (Note the old shorter siding.)

 

 

The afternoon mixed train arrives with empty milk tanks for Hintock Dairies. DDFA stands  for Dorset Dairy Farmers Association, A Bachmann tank on a Dapol chassis. It  makes a change from the standard Hornby offering.

 

 

And proceeds into the distance,

 

 

 

 

 

[john flann]

My apologies for the repeat, like the shareholders I too have enjoyed a good lunch.

 

PS, the AGM was of the Crown Prince Brewery Co Ltd. A thriving concern.

[Andrew P]

John I've just been back to page one and what an inspirational layout for the space starved modeller, some wonderful shunting areas and loads of nice scenic's.

 

I pop in every now and then for a look and I'm always enthralled.

 

Cheers,

Andy

[john dew]

Hi John

 

Sorry to hear it is snowing.......I assumed all the preciptation had dumped on Vancouver in the form of a monsoon......I guess some escaped to the East.

 

As always lovely shots.......perfect for a wet or snowy day. Could you give me a few more details on the Fruit Vans (the yardmaster at Granby wants to get his scheduling organised) are they standard RTR or......???

 

Kind Regards

[john flann]

Andy, I'm glad you enjoyed the read, when I lived in the UK I learned how to use space to the greatest benefit (as you have done with your series of layouts) in building my portable exhibition layouts where the criteria of baseboard size was what would fit in the boots of my then current car. The most capacious, as I recall, was that of an Austin 1800.

 

Hintock at about 10'0x10'0 is a nice comfortable size and it totally meets my requirements. However, I have an extension in mind and when plans are more finalized I'll post about it.

 

John, heavy frost here this morning and with a lot more snow in the mountains that now look magnificent in the bright sun. Last time I checked the snow pack was 120% of normal so with the recent falls it must now be well above that. But it appears tomorrow and through the week more of the wet stuff from your direction will be arriving.

 

You asked about the fruit vans; these are Dapol, good runners when weighted but adding Kadees because of the different coupling heights (typical of UK manufacturers) is as usual a pain. I like them because they add variety to a train's make up. When they arrive at Granby you can take a closer look.

 

Regards to you both,

 

John.

[Ray H]

John

 

You'll recall I sought clarification on how your card based freight stock movement system worked some while ago. I finally managed to adopt a similar scheme on our club's 7mm layout where we just use cards to indicate the make-up of the train from a selection of about 50 vehicles - trains are limited to eight wagons in length due to the size of the yard at the station terminus. We make up the trains in the fiddle yard and pass the cards to the station yard's operator who is left to put the trains where they like in the three short sidings that they have available. We've thrown in some wild cards which are the equivalent of a wagon's space on a train so that we can vary train lengths.

 

I keep getting all the credit for making the operation of the layout much more interesting since the cards were brought into use. I keep telling the operators that I simply modified your system so from them, via me, thanks very much.

 

And a further thank you from me as I'm trying to develop a similar system for my home layout where there are effectively three fiddle yards and a junction station with a micro goods yard (traffic wise) and a lot of interchange traffic. One of these days I'll find the time to actually set up the cards for the stock that I have (and sort out the sequence for all train movements) and then the system will be in full swing.

 

So thanks two times over.

[john flann]

It is so very gratifying Ray, to get such positive feedback from you and your Club members about the adoption of my card system with such pleasing results. Thank you for telling me about it.

 

As you know I have been using it for years and it so simply introduces into shunting and train make-up, order and method. And as you, and the others, have learned providing much more satisfying operation as well as added enjoyment to the operator(s).  

[Andrew P]

Evening John, (well it is here in Blighty,23.10 to be precise) I digress, I think the card system is a must for not only my next project but for any body with a Terminus Layout.

It stops you running your favorite wagons/formations and stops boredom setting in.

 

Well done again a I've just ticked another set of pics. :locomotive: :locomotive: :locomotive:

 

Bodge   

[john flann]

 

 

After the local to Yeovil has departed shunting of the goods can commence, and Andy as you so kindly remark using my system and cards it can be done with purpose.

 

No aimless 'playing with trains' but in a manner not too dis-similar to the real thing. Of course, its not but nevertheless it does require thought and application as would a shunter, guard and driver work together in getting the job done in a timely manner. It does for me, and I'm sure it will you when implemented on your new layout add so much more pleasure and fun to operating it.

 

(And Andy it's about 3.20pm here on a beautiful crisp bright sunny early Spring day that started with a white frost.)

 

 

 

 

Above are examples of the 'cards' laid on the shelf at Hintock  and below at Sheepcroft Yard. Here one can see the simple manner in which the baseboard is supported. (The shelves keep the cards off the layout as they do other clutter.)

 

 

 

 

And I'd also mention for those who might want more information there is a detailed article about 'Operating Hintock' in RM, September 2013 (although my text has got slightly garbled in course of editing.) 

[Andrew P]

Evening John and thanks, really good information and so simple, I may do a set of cards for the Loco fleet as well and shuffle them to begin with, and maybe toss a coin for chimney direction, then do the wagons etc.

 

More great pics BTW. :locomotive:

 

Andy

[Andrew P]

Evening John, I 've had a catch up with the September 2013 Railway Modeller today and read your article on the Card System, it was so interesting and easy to follow.

This is now something I will definitely adopt on my final home layout.,

 

Cheers

Andy

[john flann]

Hi Andy,

 

Glad you enjoyed the article, I've just re-read it myself and like you enjoyed the experience. And as you have worked out for yourself it's no strait jacket, done by rote, but offers a great deal of disciplined opportunity for the individual-once the principle has been grasped.

 

Tucked away in the article was the comment that the system can be adopted to require some wagons to be in specified positions, It's self evident that coal wagons on Hintock would go to the coal merchant,John Hampton's siding, ale to Crown Prince Brewery siding and vans to Hintock Farmers'. But here follows is an example of where the wagon card directs the wagon to a specific spot, or if being picked up where from. It also demonstrates the value of removable loads.

 

Enough words, now to how:-

 

 

Take a card...,

 

 

a removable load....

 

 

...and a wagon..

 

.

 

...add the two together...

 

 

...and shunt.

 

Regrads,

 

 

[Andrew P]

Nice one John, I take it that your Locos are self rostered, i.e. fixed loco to fixed duty.

I was thinking of say half a dozen different locos with a card each, shuffle, gives you a Loco and then toss a coin to see if it goes heads first or tails first.

[john flann]

I employ seven locos Andy, two 45XX, two 57XX, two 8750's and a M7. The first four are sub-shedded at HINtock from WEYmouth, the next two at WEYmouth, the last at SR DORchester.

 

 

The 45XX's are allocated to the passenger and mixed traffic between Hintock, Dorchester and Weymouth, the 57XX handle the goods between Hintock,Port Bredy, Dorchester and Yeovil, the 8750's the through passenger coaches from Granby and the fruit and vegetable traffic. They remain allocated to their particular train only being moved from one end to the other.

 

 

This ensures they are compatible with the stock, some locos too run better one way than the other so they don't get turned. (More to the point I have only re-lettered, weathered and crewed them on one side.)

 

 

Below is an image of my Staging Yard showing the trains operated.

 

 

Well, I was intending to add this image, but as the system currently won't oblige I'll try again later.

[john flann]

OK, it did work; what I was going to add is that images of Staging Yards are rarely seen on RMweb or elsewhere. Yet to me they are one of the most fascinating components of any layout. That's where a layout operates from. It couldn't other wise.

 

But as it happens I did build a layout back in the late 1960's that had no Staging Yard at all- Poppy Hollow and Barley Dean-that was awarded the Visitor's Cup at the 1969 Manchester Model Railway Exhibition and is currently featured in the May RM.

 

It also was quite fascinating to operate. If I were building a new exhibition layout I'd have no hesitation in adopting that track plan again. Alas it won't happen, as my exhibition days are over.

[Andrew P]

I employ seven locos Andy, two 45XX, two 57XX, two 8750's and a M7. The first four are sub-shedded at HINtock from WEYmouth, the next two at WEYmouth, the last at SR DORchester.

 

 

The 45XX's are allocated to the passenger and mixed traffic between Hintock, Dorchester and Weymouth, the 57XX handle the goods between Hintock,Port Bredy, Dorchester and Yeovil, the 8750's the through passenger coaches from Granby and the fruit and vegetable traffic. They remain allocated to their particular train only being moved from one end to the other.

 

 

This ensures they are compatible with the stock, some locos too run better one way than the other so they don't get turned. (More to the point I have only re-lettered, weathered and crewed them on one side.)

 

 

Below is an image of my Staging Yard showing the trains operated.

 

 

Well, I was intending to add this image, but as the system currently won't oblige I'll try again later.

Evening John, Now that makes a lot more sense than my idea of card shuffling, just brilliant, now I need to sort out some routes and sheds.

[Andrew P]

OK, it did work; what I was going to add is that images of Staging Yards are rarely seen on RMweb or elsewhere. Yet to me they are one of the most fascinating components of any layout. That's where a layout operates from. It couldn't other wise.

 

But as it happens I did build a layout back in the late 1960's that had no Staging Yard at all- Poppy Hollow and Barley Dean-that was awarded the Visitor's Cup at the 1969 Manchester Model Railway Exhibition and is currently featured in the May RM.

 

It also was quite fascinating to operate. If I were building a new exhibition layout I'd have no hesitation in adopting that track plan again. Alas it won't happen, as my exhibition days are over.

Firstly the Fiddle Yard, I often take pics at shows of Fiddle Yards on Layouts if I can, as there are so many different ideas out there, and all are good in there own way.

 

Next, Return to Poppy Hollow, I have it in front of me right now, I will now have a re read, I didn't look at the Authors name the other day when I scanned through it.

 

Cheers for that John.

[john flann]

Andy, being reminded by the RM feature about PH & BD I had a search among magazines I had retained and brought out  with me and found issues of MRN in 1969/9 in which it appeared and also the March 1972 issue of Model Railways on which the RM article was based.

 

As a little bit of old history it is quite interesting and I have scanned it and posted it below. PH & BD made an excellent exhibition layout in that it could be viewed from all sides, nothing was hidden, trains were running continuously and the plan allowed shunting as well. It was also scenically appealing.

 

It also reminds me how long I have been fortunate to enjoy the hobby.

 

As I've just been informed the scanned images are too large I'll have to put them in a separate post.

 

[john flann]

Using ImageJ that didn't take too long, so herewith.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Andrew P]

Thanks John. I will try and blow it up and have a scan through, the pics look good as always.

 

Cheers.

[john flann]

Kind of you Andy to compliment me on the pictures, but the credit belongs to one Brian Monaghan-if he's still around-he you may recall in those days as the David Bailey of model railway photography.

 

I do have some other prints and I shall see how well they scan. If OK I shall post more of PH&BD for you and those others who shown an interest of what I did all those years ago. Thank you all for that.

 

As an aside my style and subject matter doesn't seem to have changed much, I note. But I still enjoy the hobby and have fun. That's all that matters.

[john flann]

PS. As Jim remarked "no post is complete without a picture" here is one of my current ongoing activities. More in due course.

 

 

 

[Andrew P]

Now your teasing us John, haha

[David C]

Thanks for posting the scanned articles from the March 1972 issue of MR (42 years ago!!!!). I often "root" through old mags which are sometimes flogged off for a few pence at exhibitions and am often surprised by how well some of the layouts stand up after so many years - Barley Dean included. I was intrigued by some of the stock you used - one loco looked like a Rivarossi tank loco! I couldn't work out what the tender loco in one of the colour shots was, either. I assume you justified the Rivarossi loco on the grounds that it was one of those engines which were absorbed from a formerly independent line. I'm beginning to regret modelling Woodstowe during the BR period as almost all such engines had gone by nationalisation.

 

Regards

 

David C