Blog- Blog number6 - Southerham

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2009 has been a rubbish year of modelling for me. I feel like I've tinkered with stuff rather than making any progress. But what I do think I have achieved is some progress on the planning of Southerham MkIII. The first was the RMweb challenge layout, II was the extended version that still operates and fustrates in equal measure and III would be a huge tail chaser with more of all the things I enjoyed from the first two. So with apologies to anyone who remembers me blathering on like this two years ago here is the next installment.

 

I really enjoyed the constraints of the small space and packed as much as I could into the challenge layout. But my real hankering is for a big layout. Not just long sweeping curves and sidings you can lose a few wagons in but a recreation of the linear space the real railway has. I like the approach to a town and the junctions, sidings and yards you pass as the train slows for the stop.

 

My home town of Lewes was blessed with a very complex and compact network where, until 1969, five routes converged [and a goods line avoided]. There were fairly extensive yards to the south of the town and a goods yard in the town itself. There was a mix of steam and electric services since the mid 1930s as well as great variety on the way to and from the port at Newhaven. The seaside resorts to the east also provide lots of variety during the summer months with workings from the north, even into the late 60s car sleepers worked to Newhaven and Eastbourne. Lastly the proximity of Brighton and the works meant that lots of running in and testing was also conducted through Lewes - my particular favourite being Bulleid's Leader. The everyday electrics were varied and often the East Coastway was the last resort of many elderly units: NOLs, CORs, BILs even the CIGs and VEPs running their final services here.

 

There won't be a station except perhaps Southease and Rodmell - which is a classic SR Concrete halt with footbridge. The intention is to create a slice of Sussex chalk downland and floodplain down the side of the room. Make it long and narrow, lightweight and as unobtrusive as possible. Parts of it ought to be removable so I can use the space for other things. Even in this truncated state it will still be operable, with small focuses of interest: A new version of the exchange sidings at Southerham, The end of the yard at Lewes East, The up sidings alongside Lewes East box. There is still room in the plan for a minimal version of the Uckfield line but I think unlike earlier plans I'm going to leave it out, even though I love the sharp curves, bridges and viaducts of the line as it climbs away from the station.

 

There are three sketches here of how I envisage the scenic sections - at the rear is a long staging area that stretches the length of the layout. This is much simpler and less complex than previous versions [believe it or not!]. More detail in a future post.

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/uploads/1256854192/gallery_153_179_52864.jpg

Looking North. Station to left. Southerham Bridge on right. Storage board in background.

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/uploads/1256854192/gallery_153_179_49111.jpg

Southerham Bridge top left, with junction and sidings in cutting, Eastbourne line off stage in centre, Glynde Reach bridge and Southease in foreground. Storage loops at back.

 

Below: simple schematic.

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/uploads/1256854192/gallery_153_179_39198.jpg

Looking South East. Lewes East box in centre where Goods avoiding line carries on straight. Mainline to station curves in centre. Southerham bridge to the south.

 

Oh, its 4mm 00, probably a mix of Tillig and C&L just like the original Southerham with a sprinkling of handbuilt trackwork to recreate the junction at Lewes East correctly.

 

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