JZ Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 (edited) So, Somercombe died a death because it was too easy to sit there and run train around in circles. Tolmouth died because it was too ambitious in the space available. To be honest, I'm not very good at planning, I tend to start with an idea and let it grow. But this time it will be different. I have a plan, or at least borrowed one. It's from Iain Rice's Mainlines in Modest Spaces and it's of Binegar on the Somerset and Dorset. The plan was drawn to fit a garage 16' x 9' and I have 19'5" x 9'10". The extra length will be used to get a 4 arch viaduct, a la Wellow, in and the width for extra storage roads. Those with the book can turn to pages 84/5. The viaduct will fit in at the Radstock end of the station, replacing bridge no 65. Also the station will be straighter, as in real life and the quarry replaced by a coal mine, though only the screens shall be modelled in part relief. Apart from that, the trackplan will remain as in the book. The ruling gradient will be 1:80 as Bachmann loco's will handle a realistic load up this on Tolmouth, any steeper and they struggle. This will mean that the return line for a continuous run can be shallower. The only other changes to the plan will be cosmetic, namely brewery warehouse will be a brewery and the door opening area will be home to the village of Whatever. Already been getting the odd bits and pieces built. The station itself is Ratio's Castle Cary. The signal box is also Ratio, but with the window frames modified to the 3 pane type common on the S&D. As it's not Binegar I can have water cranes and a tower, Mikes Models and Wills. The Whitaker banking engine key exchange apparatus is to be modelled from a Lochgorm kit for a Highland Railway type. A Bath 9F has been purchased as has a Radstock Jinty for the banking engine. Still a few weeks away from ripping up Tolmouth and getting started, so updates will be sparse until late September most likely, though there may be a few of structures as they get completed. This will be a place where some of my stuff can stretch their legs, I do have a Garratt on order. Yeah, yeah. I know they never did make it down this far, but hey, I've wanted one since I saw a Kitmaster one in a model shop window when I was but a wee boy. Edited December 4, 2015 by JZ 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pointstaken Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 I do like those T1's. Has anyone modelled them in N scale ? Dennis Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold slow8dirty Posted July 2, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 2, 2014 Boiland? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted July 3, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 3, 2014 "Unable to turn a wheel without Burning-of-Rome smoke effects." (Lucius Beebe on the T1). I'm jealous, Jules! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted July 3, 2014 Author Share Posted July 3, 2014 I do like those T1's. Has anyone modelled them in N scale ? Dennis Not one I'm aware of. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted July 3, 2014 Author Share Posted July 3, 2014 "Unable to turn a wheel without Burning-of-Rome smoke effects." (Lucius Beebe on the T1). I'm jealous, Jules! I hope to get to le Mans next year as it';s the fortieth anniversary of my first visit, (Ickx/Bell, Gulf Mirage) I could pop in with it for you to drool over. It is a mighty beast, weighs in at over 900g and with the tender it tips in at 1160g. Full DCC sound. Picked up for what I think was a very reasonable £XXX. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted July 3, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 3, 2014 I hope to get to le Mans next year as it';s the fortieth anniversary of my first visit, (Ickx/Bell, Gulf Mirage) I could pop in with it for you to drool over. It is a mighty beast, weighs in at over 900g and with the tender it tips in at 1160g. Full DCC sound. Picked up for what I think was a very reasonable £XXX. My first visit was only '97, then '99 and every year since. The two years I wish I'd been there are '66 and '70. There is a mathematical chance I may have a new wife by next year's race. But she's used to RMweb and its members' ways, so not a problem. With a bit of motivation from her, though, your T1 could find itself running in Colorado, if I'm wound up to get a bit of cleaning and fettling done! I'm a Digitrax user, and have a number of BLI locos, as well as an Athearn Challenger. And your T1 could be used to haul a 9-car California Zephyr..... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted July 3, 2014 Author Share Posted July 3, 2014 your T1 could be used to haul a 9-car California Zephyr..... A bit more likely than hauling the 'Pines' over the Mendips. Another 'new' loco arrived today, a Deutsche Reichsbahn 05 002. A Liliput loco with a Loksound 1.0. A 2000 model, it was picked up for a very reasonable £105. Sound is a bit basic compared to newer versions, but it was the loco I wanted and sound is a bonus. Anyway, a little more on the layout. The period will be 1955 to end of steam. In my version of the Mendip Hills, the WR never got control and green no.3 reigned supreme. Apart from a 2P, I have pretty much all classes seen on the S&D during this period. But it is my railway and it will see running of more exotic machinery at times. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted July 20, 2014 Author Share Posted July 20, 2014 No progress yet. Tolmouth is still active. The plan is to rip it up during annual leave in September, unless I find a cheap holiday. The viaduct is complete, picture to follow, but the main railway activity at the moment is getting some wagon kits finished, rather than having part finished projects littering the shed. And have completed the conversion of all wagons to Kadees. With the intended gradient being about 1:80, I have also been looking at how well they all roll. Trackwork will again be a mix of SMP and Peco as some parts of the main line were relaid with FB rail. Most pointwork will be salvaged hand made from this and the last layout, though Peco will again be used in the fiddle yards. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted July 21, 2014 Author Share Posted July 21, 2014 As promised, some pictures. Ratio platform signal box with window frames altered to give it a bit more of an S&D look. Ratio viaduct. Built on a gentle curve. To do this, I put a 4mm spacer between each arch on the back side and disguised it as a rainwater pipe on the pillar. The road under is similar to the way the road is under Avoncliff aquaduct. A river will go through the next arch and I'm toying with the idea of a disused branch under the next, a la Midford. 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted July 25, 2014 Author Share Posted July 25, 2014 Signal box fairly complete. Still needs a nameboard, but that will wait until I have a name for the station. Interior is from Will's. Not the greatest of photo's through the windows. 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted September 17, 2014 Author Share Posted September 17, 2014 Two weeks annual leave coming up from the 28th of this month. My combi boiler has died of old age and a replacement is being fitted, so any money I would have wasted on a holiday is being put to use paying for the boiler. So Monday 29th will be D-day for Tolmouth and Binegar, or whatever, will rise from the ashes. Two weeks will see at least a circuit of double track completed, I hope, so I can test all loco's on the gradient and give a chance to make adjustments if necessary. Meanwhile. I have been knocking up a few wagon kits and putting new shedcode plates on my loco's. Elsewhere I have said that in my modified history the WR does not get control of the S&D, so with that premise I have put 71G and 71H plates on the S&D loco's, 21A, 22A & 22B on the MR loco's and various 71 & 72 plates on the Southern ones. Had to do a few odd loco transfers and the odd renumbering, Bath Green park gets a Clan, albeit 72012 Canute. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted September 18, 2014 Author Share Posted September 18, 2014 71G has a new loco. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NHY 581 Posted September 18, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 18, 2014 (edited) JZ, firstly nice to see another S&DJR based layout. Secondly, quite right, keep Swinedon away. It never happened. Finally, nice take on S&D loco history. Quite plausible for the Clans to have worked over the Mendips had the building of the class continued as planned. Rob. Edited September 18, 2014 by nhy581 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted September 19, 2014 Author Share Posted September 19, 2014 JZ, firstly nice to see another S&DJR based layout. Secondly, quite right, keep Swinedon away. It never happened. Finally, nice take on S&D loco history. Quite plausible for the Clans to have worked over the Mendips had the building of the class continued as planned. Rob. Ivo Peters mentioned somewhere that he had heard a rumour of 5 Clans being allocated to Green Park. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted September 19, 2014 Author Share Posted September 19, 2014 (edited) Finally decided to call it Gurney Slade. Why ? Because it's only ½ mile down the lane, almost as close as Binegar itself was to the station. And lastly because it's not Binegar, it'll give me a bit of licence. My alternative history gives me the chance to run the odd diesel and DMU. Edited September 19, 2014 by JZ 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NHY 581 Posted September 19, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 19, 2014 Great minds do indeed think alike JZ. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/81917-gunney-slade/ Rob 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted September 28, 2014 Author Share Posted September 28, 2014 (edited) I am not going to bore you with pictures of me ripping up track, so let me set out the premise of my S&D. The S&D remained a joint line under control of the Southern and Midland regions of British Railways. This means it kept what freight traffic it had, together with the through passenger traffic. Because of the Suez Crisis in 1956, BR decided that with future oil supplies in doubt, a limited number of additional steam loco's should be built. This would include the next 5 'Clan' class loco's, some of which were shedded at Bath Green Park (remaining 71G). Midland Region influence also meant that diesel traction started to make inroads onto the S&D in the early 1960s as well as seeing DMUs on some services. Going back to the mid 1950s, increased mechanisation in the Somerset collieries, meant they were finally profitable and the increased output was putting a strain on the railway. This led to one of the unwanted Beyer-Garratts, 47996, being trialled over the line. Given an overhaul and fitted for vacuum brakes, the loco proved a success. But the increasing availability of displaced xLMS 8F and new 9F locos meant it remained the only one. I've done a couple of mock-ups of what may be done with it. The lower one is my favoured option, but did any steam loco ever carry the carriage type crest? The standard loco one just doesn't look right. Edited September 28, 2014 by JZ 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted September 28, 2014 Author Share Posted September 28, 2014 I think given my premise above, the S&D may have soldiered on for a few more years. The Somerset coalfield was pretty much expired by the time it finally closed in 1973 and even with the mechanisation that it had, it was increasingly difficult to mine what was left and had in not been for the landslip near Pensford in 1968, the North Somerset was a better route out. Would passenger traffic survived ? To be honest, I doubt it would. Maybe the Midland line from Mangotsfield to Bath could have been retained, but the S&D itself just didn't serve any major population except Bath and Bournemouth. Even today from Radstock/Midsomer-Norton the bus would probably be quicker and drop you much nearer the centre of Bath. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted September 29, 2014 Author Share Posted September 29, 2014 Spent the morning and early afternoon removing buildings and lifting track. Managed to save all the handbuit and the Shinohara scissors crossing, but the Peco points were less successful, these being modified and had lost much of their strength. Again I will use a mix of SMP/C&L in the station area and Peco out in the country. I want to get some cant on the curves at either end and have purchased some Tillig underlay to try. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted September 30, 2014 Author Share Posted September 30, 2014 First mock up of the station. The plan is get get the station and all mainline point work on a single 8' board and mount it on the level. The viaduct will start at the near end of the platform, give or take a few inches and behind the platform, the approach road will drop away to join the road under the viaduct. The viaduct will also see the start of the gradient down to Radstock. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted September 30, 2014 Author Share Posted September 30, 2014 For reference, the platforms are 4' long. Decided to put the signal box on the own side so as not to obstruct the view and enjoy the interior when illuminated. I will be looking for a smaller goods shed as the one I have is a little on the large side for this location. I know many S&D stations never had a footbridge, but in my world, this was one of many improvements the Southern Region did. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted September 30, 2014 Author Share Posted September 30, 2014 Back again. Looking at what sheds are available and the Shillingstone one looks good, apart from those 12" thick doors. Although the same length as the Ratio one, it's 40mm narrower and matches the White Lias stone that is prevalent around here. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NHY 581 Posted September 30, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 30, 2014 For reference, the platforms are 4' long. Decided to put the signal box on the own side so as not to obstruct the view and enjoy the interior when illuminated. I will be looking for a smaller goods shed as the one I have is a little on the large side for this location. I know many S&D stations never had a footbridge, but in my world, this was one of many improvements the Southern Region did. Footbridge is good. The concrete exam you have there is spit on but for something different the lattice example ratio do is, I think based on a L&SWR example anyway. Looking good fella. Rob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted September 30, 2014 Author Share Posted September 30, 2014 Footbridge is good. The concrete exam you have there is spit on but for something different the lattice example ratio do is, I think based on a L&SWR example anyway. Looking good fella. Rob I have a lattice one which was built for an earlier layout. The span in too large and the concrete one suggests a later addition. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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