Westerham, + Weald. Tarmac surface for the platform

[westerhamstation]

Just a few pictures of my efforts to hide the end of the line, (for the time being). I am going to get another strip light which should improve the lighting at this end.

[Alister_G]

Superb! Love how the railway just disappears into the landscape, and the colour range you have got in the greenery is spot on.

 

EDIT:

 

forgot to ask, Adrian, in the absence of balloonage, could you use the static grass applicator empty to make the long grass stand up? I can't think of a reason why it wouldn't work, but wondered if you'd tried it?

Edited August 1, 2014 by acg_mr

[westerhamstation]

Superb! Love how the railway just disappears into the landscape, and the colour range you have got in the greenery is spot on.

 

EDIT:

 

forgot to ask, Adrian, in the absence of balloonage, could you use the static grass applicator empty to make the long grass stand up? I can't think of a reason why it wouldn't work, but wondered if you'd tried it?

Hi Al, yes it does work if you hold it really close, the only problem I find is that it's a bit awkward in some of the confined areas. With the balloon you can use it even if most of the air has gone out of it, just by screwing it up to make it really small, about ping pong ball size it still works ok. all the best Adrian

Edited August 1, 2014 by westerhamstation

[Jason T]

Wow, you truly are the master of scenics Adrian; that is just stunning.

[nest]

This is really looking the part Adrian, fantastic!

 

Nestor

[Andrew P]

Adrian, I have to say the train disappearing, (or appearing) behind the foliage is just brilliant, I love your low level photography too.

 

Really good.

 

Bodge

[westerhamstation]

Hi all, interesting link to a web site

Loads of old pictures of southern stations, plus other regions. and a fantastic selection of music, someone has gone to  a lot of trouble to share this. it might be better posted somewhere else.

all the best Adrian

I have deleted the link to this site, as Ron has kindly pointed out in his post below the problems with it. many thanks Ron all the best Adrian

Edited August 4, 2014 by westerhamstation

[ronstrutt]

Hi all, interesting link.

Loads of old pictures of southern stations, plus other regions. and a fantastic selection of music, someone has gone to  a lot of trouble to share this. it might be better posted somewhere else.

all the best Adrian

 

Useful stuff,maybe, but it appears to have been copied straight out of books, many of which are still in print. The entire site seems to be a blatant infringement of copyright. I'm amazed that no-one has done anything about it.

Edited August 4, 2014 by ronstrutt

[Jaz]

Not only does the scenery look nice, but you made such a good job of the control it does not detract when left in the picture. Superb pic rues, the colours have just the right tone to be utterly believable.Your work with grass really pays off.

[westerhamstation]

At last a little job that has been annoying me for ages, the missing coupling and pipes have been fitted at last, next to fit is the headcode disc, some photos show it with a number, others just plain white, some on the left, some on the right, some half way up. What's going on, any answers anyone, bewildered of Westerham.

[Oldddudders]

I think the number on the white disc represents the engine diagram number - i.e. what the engine was scheduled to work that day. Obviously there were people in offices creating these "diagrams" to order, to meet train service needs on any particular day. No point in making a train available if there wasn't a loco to run it, and a crew to make things happen, too. Steam locos were not very efficient when it came to servicing and so on, and needed to have that fact built into their diagram if they were to remain reliable in service.

 

These days diesel and electric trains are much more accommodating in their need for inspection and maintenance, but behind the scenes they are also the subject of strict monitoring for visits to depot to be inspected and fettled at specified mileages.

[N15class]

Is your vacuum pipe the correct side I thought they were on the other side. The ends of the air pipes for pull push connections are colour coded if you want to add a little colour. I see you are modelling summertime as you are without the steam heat pipe.

 

I have been fitting a LSWR pull push coach with pipes, it certainly fills up a lot space on the buffer planks.

[ronstrutt]

At last a little job that has been annoying me for ages, the missing coupling and pipes have been fitted at last, next to fit is the headcode disc, some photos show it with a number, others just plain white, some on the left, some on the right, some half way up. What's going on, any answers anyone, bewildered of Westerham.

 

Looking at the front of the engine, the official Westerham headcode was one disc over the right-hand buffer. I say official, because almost all photographs show it over the left-hand buffer, occasionally in other positions, and when propelling, the engine would sometimes carry both headcode disc and red lamp. I don't suppose it really mattered when the train was on the branch or even en route to Dunton Green - everyone knew where an H Class with a push-pull set was going - but at Tonbridge a disc over the left-hand buffer was supposedly a Maidstone train.

 

Maybe the crew, getting fed up with shuttling up and down the branch, liked to pretend they were heading the Golden Arrow, just as I have a few pictures of modern multiple units displaying strange destinations when the driver decided to have a fiddle.

 

The duty numbers could change with every timetable and there were, of course, different ones on Saturdays and Sundays.

 

Winter 1957 the Westerham duty was 310 on weekdays; other timetables seem to have used 302, 303, 304, 306, 309 and 311 and no doubt there were others.

Up to 1955, of course, there were two locos at Westerham at one point on weekday evenings, so two duties were involved.

I have seen 238 used on a Maunsell set (so must be 1960 or 61) but that was presumably a weekend.

Saturday mornings on the final timetable (61-62 winter) was 239.

Gould has a picture of the Saturday changeover on 14 May 1960 (I think that was still winter) showing 303 as the morning duty and 306 as the afternoon.

Edited August 7, 2014 by ronstrutt

[ronstrutt]

For variety!

 

Edited August 7, 2014 by ronstrutt

[westerhamstation]

I think the number on the white disc represents the engine diagram number - i.e. what the engine was scheduled to work that day. Obviously there were people in offices creating these "diagrams" to order, to meet train service needs on any particular day. No point in making a train available if there wasn't a loco to run it, and a crew to make things happen, too. Steam locos were not very efficient when it came to servicing and so on, and needed to have that fact built into their diagram if they were to remain reliable in service.

 

These days diesel and electric trains are much more accommodating in their need for inspection and maintenance, but behind the scenes they are also the subject of strict monitoring for visits to depot to be inspected and fettled at specified mileages.

Hi Ian, thank you for your quick and detailed reply, all the best Adrian.

[westerhamstation]

Hi Ron, I like the idea of the crew of the Westerham Flyer getting bored, and pretending that they were a crack express, like my own all time favourite

the Golden Arrow, and then messing with the headcodes to further that belief.

[ronstrutt]

For interest, this is the detail of Duty 310 in Winter 1957:

 

 

The pull-push set was left at Westerham overnight. The locomotive worked a passenger train from Tonbridge to Sevenoaks (I don't know what stock was used for that or what that stock was used for later in the day), running light from there to Dunton Green. It then took the morning freight to Westerham before picking up the pull-push set for the day's service. The branch train generally ran with the locomotive at the Westerham end - though that depended on which way round the set was. In latter years, seemingly invariably, the engine ran bunker to the stock, though how that was assured I don't know.

 

After September 1955 the engine took the stock back to Tonbridge after the morning service. At lunchtime it worked a train to Maidstone and back but I don't know if the PP set was used for this - I don't have a 1957 public timetable but my 1954 timetable doesn't show the train around that time as 2nd Class only. The engine and stock returned to Dunton Green to work the evening service, leaving the set in the platform at the end of service before working the return freight.

 

Here is the Westerham set at Tonbridge, presumably during the middle of the day break. Heaven knows what that headcode is supposed to represent. The only trains through Tonbridge that were supposed to carry that were those between Reading and Margate via Redhill!

 

Edited August 8, 2014 by ronstrutt

[Anotheran]

Have just gone through to catch up on the 43 pages so far after seeing some prompting from Jaz and AndyP.

 

It's been said many times before... Fantastic scenery work throughout. Something to emulate from so many every day objects. Also, I find the sense of humour brilliant on the thread (even the three pages or so on the vote that I had to get through on my journey to this point). I've clicked like on many many posts, and am sure that there will be more to follow as I eagerly await continued updates!

 

Neil

[westerhamstation]

Hi Neil, a tube of ointment is in the post for your clicking finger, as it must be very sore by now. Many thanks for following and reading all of the 43 pages, glad you have enjoyed.

All the best Adrian.

[westerhamstation]

Last train of the evening to Dunton Green, the 7.261/2 pm.

[jcredfer]

Lovely picture   .............     

 

 

.......   but it is 20.45 here  ....  ???

[westerhamstation]

Is your vacuum pipe the correct side I thought they were on the other side. The ends of the air pipes for pull push connections are colour coded if you want to add a little colour. I see you are modelling summertime as you are without the steam heat pipe.

 

I have been fitting a LSWR pull push coach with pipes, it certainly fills up a lot space on the buffer planks.

Hi Peter, I found this picture which shows it on the right hand side, and on the Hornby model that's were the location hole is.There seems to be lots of pipes on some photos, and just one or two on others, Hornby don't give you any info as to what goes where or what colour the ends of the pipes might be.

Baffled of Brasted. All the best Adrian.

[westerhamstation]

Sunday afternoon at Brasted, I have just taken aunty back to the station in the ford pop, and found a first class compartment for her.

[N15class]

Hi Peter, I found this picture which shows it on the right hand side, and on the Hornby model that's were the location hole is.There seems to be lots of pipes on some photos, and just one or two on others, Hornby don't give you any info as to what goes where or what colour the ends of the pipes might be.

Baffled of Brasted. All the best Adrian.

Hi

 

The two will be vacuum and steam heat. The other three are for the air powered pull push gear.

[ronstrutt]

Sunday afternoon at Brasted, I have just taken aunty back to the station in the ford pop, and found a first class compartment for her.

 

All the benefits of first class without having to pay for it.

 

By the way, Adrian,I have to apologise to you. I drove right over your neat "BRASTED" the other day. Sorry!

Edited August 18, 2014 by ronstrutt