Westerham, + Weald. Tarmac surface for the platform

[westerhamstation]

Lovely model and interesting pictures. I used to live in Orpington and my parents took me for a ride on the train but I was too young to remember anything about it. I think there was an attempt to restore it. I can remember seeing a picture of school children clearing the weeds in the Orpington and Kentish Times around 1960. I used to cycle there down Westerham Hill and I think the station buildings at Brasted at least remained until the 1970s. I remember the Green Line buses as well.

Hi Robin, thanks for your comments, like yourself I am an Orpington lad, Westerham Hill is a good one to go down on a bike, different story going up!

[westerhamstation]

Hi Paul

 

I'm never disappointed when I click onto the Westerham link. It's like an advent calendar, you never know what you're going to get, but it's always something good.

 

Cheers

 

Jason

Hi Jason, That made me laugh, this is the nearest I could get to an advent calendar in January. So what's in one of the tins today.      

                                                                                         all the best Adrian.

Edited January 24, 2014 by westerhamstation

[westerhamstation]

A brisk walk today up to Brasted Station to collect a parcel, and to see what's been going on.

That looks promising it seems that some of the hedging is being planted, I can see that the traditional method of planting a hedge has been given the elbow, not for them the hornbeam, blackthorn, hawthorn or elder of yesteryear, but coloured foam, pva, lichen and coloured chalk and hairspray have taken over, I feel sorry for the wildlife in that lot. I was interested in how they planted this new fangled hedge so stopped and watched for a while, just until the Stanhope Arms down the lane into Brasted opened for a lunchtime pint. First they layed a line of pva, next job a pile of lichen, a quick blast of hairspray and a scraping of brown pastel chalk over the whole lot, then lumps of foam with Pva on it, another blast of hairspray and then a scraping of yellow and light brown pastel chalk all done wet on wet. well that was about it. just time to get my parcel before the pub opened.

[DLT]

Amazing, this just gets better and better!

Cheers, Dave.

[nest]

Cracking stuff here. Always a pleasure to read what's new

 

Nestor

[Jaz]

As usual I am looking at it at the start and thinking omg, he just spoilt a great roadway, and as usual you pull it out of the bag and make it work. Love your terrain, it has that essential touch of brown that makes it look more realistic. The only thing I might have changed is you could have colroned / wood dyed the lichen before adding the topping.

Quality work, as usual.

Love the slope.......wheeeeeeeee................

[westerhamstation]

Not much doing up at Brasted Station today, but I did spend a bit of time working on the artwork for the sign board, which is at the approach to the station down by the bridge. and the way out sign for the station building. The British Railways Sausage totem was drawn up in Illustrator as I couldn't find one on the internet that was suitable for reproduction, the same for the WAY OUT sign. The posters are screen shots that I did find on the internet, I could have spent all day looking at the retro poster sites, Just got to get Mrs W Station to print it off for me at work, then make the posts and board for Mr  Bill Stickers to put them on.

[westerhamstation]

Sometimes I think that not much progress has been made since I started building the Brasted Station section of the Westerham Railway, so I had a look at the pictures of before I started the Station build in the middle of November and where it's at today. Roughly I am half way along the board, but that dosen't mean I am halfway finished by any stretch of the imagination, which for me that's good, as it leaves me plenty to occupy myself on the detailing. At the end of the day it's a hobby not a race ( something I must remember ) the row of nails are just to indicate the holes I have drilled for the fence posts. A few pictures of where I am at the moment.

[Izzy]

For me, a large amount of the pleasure I get from modelling is seeing things grow and develop as I go along, and the knowledge that it's my own work. Viewing the last shots you have posted I would guess you must be very pleased with what you have done. I know I would! The problem is, it encourages you to go on, do more, yet at the same time the knowledge is that what you have to do is finite, so you don't want to rush it, but savour the pleasure.

 

The benefit here however, is your willingness to share your layout with others extends this pleasure to all those who view the shots of it, and I would thank you for doing so. 

 

Izzy

[westerhamstation]

For me, a large amount of the pleasure I get from modelling is seeing things grow and develop as I go along, and the knowledge that it's my own work. Viewing the last shots you have posted I would guess you must be very pleased with what you have done. I know I would! The problem is, it encourages you to go on, do more, yet at the same time the knowledge is that what you have to do is finite, so you don't want to rush it, but savour the pleasure.

 

The benefit here however, is your willingness to share your layout with others extends this pleasure to all those who view the shots of it, and I would thank you for doing so. 

 

Izzy

Thanks Izzy, what you have said (The problem is, it encourages you to go on, do more, yet at the same time the knowledge is that what you have to do is finite, so you don't want to rush it, but savour the pleasure), Just about perfectly sums it up, for me at least, so thanks for that. Regards Adrian

[JCL]

It looks great Adrian. You might think it spoils the magic, so feel free to say no, but is there any chance of getting your pilot in his crop duster to take an aerial photo or two? I was just wondering how your new lands fits in with Westerham.

[westerhamstation]

It looks great Adrian. You might think it spoils the magic, so feel free to say no, but is there any chance of getting your pilot in his crop duster to take an aerial photo or two? I was just wondering how your new lands fits in with Westerham.

Hi Jason, will pop up to Biggin Hill at the weekend and see if I can persuade Biggles to take me for a joy ride in the De Havilland Rapide (that's if he is sober enough last time he thought he was on a mission and did some very low flying indeed, last seen he was picking out bits of bush from the undercarriage). Must remember to get a roll of film. Chocks away for now.

[Alister_G]

Adrian, that looks really great, the landscape and station come together perfectly, and I love the little touches that lift it, like the grass in the platform edges.

 

Wonderful stuff!.

[Jaz]

The trees are doing a great job on the back wall. Love the green fluffy stuff looks really convincing.You have a good eye. Shall look forward to more progression and innovative modelling.

[westerhamstation]

Last night on BBC 4 at 9pm there was a programme called Hidden Historys, which was about the oldest building company in Britain called Durtnells they are based in Brasted and have a strong link to the Westerham Valley Railway. Insomuch that they along with several other local business people (one who was Squire Tipping ) formed a company to build the line. Richard Durtnells company built William Tippings House, which was quite close to brasted Station and Richard Durtnell lived in Brasted Village. Squire Tippings House was later sold to George Henry Alderson a local coal merchant with depots at Brasted and Westerham. What this all meant was that there was some film of the Westerham Valley Railway and it's associated stations on television and some discussion about the line. Squire Tippings house was recently on the market for a shade under £2.000.000.

[roundhouse]

I wish that I had tried to find Brasted station prior to the M25 construction in the area. Just didn't realize that it lasted till then. When we had passed our driving tests we sued to often visit Brasted and Westerham pubs.

 

Keep up the excellent work on rebuilding the line in miniature.

 

Ian

[JCL]

If anyone (in the UK) wants to watch it, it's online on the iPlayer http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer . Choose BBC 4, then Wed 29th. There are three of them at the moment and look really interesting. Adrian, I think you can download them for a certain number of days if you want you replay them for any specific bits.

 

Cheers

 

Jason

[westerhamstation]

Thanks for that Jason, at the moment I am planting 60 fence posts and stringing them with cotton, can I borrow your wellies as it is very muddy here at brasted station. Regards Adrian

[freebs]

Not only is it great modelling, but you have a lovely sense of humour too - wonderful thread.

[westerhamstation]

Save up to 5 shillings in the pound by travelling mid week, or a nice holiday on the Isle of Wight, all courtesy of British Railways, and from your local station as well, (something we used to have then back in the good old black and white days). I might change the posters occasionally, and have printed off some different ones for if I do.

  Coffee stirrers for the legs trimmed down to size, card for the sign board, and a bit of plastic strip for the edging. then dig two holes 4ft deep to plant it in.

[David C]

I saw the documentary on BBC4 earlier this week, too, but I am sure I've seen it before, but I can't think where. Is it on Youtube? I don't have time to search at the moment ...

 

Beautiful work on the layout!

 

David C

[westerhamstation]

I saw the documentary on BBC4 earlier this week, too, but I am sure I've seen it before, but I can't think where. Is it on Youtube? I don't have time to search at the moment ...

 

Beautiful work on the layout!

 

David C

Hi David, I have seen the youtube one, it's not the same bit of film so that was interesting to see a new bit of detail. regards Adrian

[john flann]

Adrian, I haven't looked in on Westerham for a while (busy with Hintock) and I'm always delighted with what I see.

 

You take a lot more pains with your scenery than I do with mine. Excellent stuff.

 

Regards

[ronstrutt]

Last night on BBC 4 at 9pm there was a programme called Hidden Historys, which was about the oldest building company in Britain called Durtnells they are based in Brasted and have a strong link to the Westerham Valley Railway. Insomuch that they along with several other local business people (one who was Squire Tipping ) formed a company to build the line. Richard Durtnells company built William Tippings House, which was quite close to brasted Station and Richard Durtnell lived in Brasted Village. Squire Tippings House was later sold to George Henry Alderson a local coal merchant with depots at Brasted and Westerham. What this all meant was that there was some film of the Westerham Valley Railway and it's associated stations on television and some discussion about the line. Squire Tippings house was recently on the market for a shade under £2.000.000.

 

It's on again tonight 11.25pm BBC4

[ronstrutt]

I hate to be critical about such a wonderful model but there's one thing missing from Brasted. On the bank on the far side of the track, immediately opposite the station building, there used to be a cleared ash-covered patch on which the name "Brasted" was set out using white-painted flints or stones. It was a real feature of the station. I have often thought about sneaking out onto the M25 one dark night and painting it on the carriageway.

 

You can just see it in this picture. I'm not sure it had a border by the end though. In fact, come to think of it, after Brasted became a Halt in 1955 it may have vanished into undergrowth unless the PW gang maintained it.

 

Edited February 3, 2014 by ronstrutt