GWR mainline station suggestions please

[Rabs]

I'm searching for a station to base my next layout on.  I'm not sure if what I want ever existed, but I thought that I'd put my question to the sages and see what you can suggest.  Thanks in advance for your time!

 

 My wishlist, in order of decreasing importance, is:

 

• GWR 'main' (major) line through station, but not necessarily the Paddington-Bristol Mainline
• Double track at entrance and exit, no more, no less (needs to become part of a modular layout with double main). 
• As much variety of traffic as possible, from local passenger and goods to King and Castle hauled passenger and 28xx/72xx hauled long coal trains if possible - understanding that the larger traffic would be non-stopping at my station
• I have space to model 800ft of real length (in N), and am happy to do a fair amount of compression. (I think that 1200ft stations could be made without looking silly)
• I may later extend the layout to the same length again, so a station with an (initially off-board) yard, junction, viaduct or other point of interest would be a plus.
• No major trackwork changes from 1910 to 1947 (ideally I'd like to be able to run post WW2 (but pre-nationalisation) and Edwardian periods without too many anachronisms.  Although, this is not very important as I will probably take some licence with the trackwork anyway.

 

 

I have so far identified as possibles and have noted the minimum 'interesting' length of the prototype to be modelled:

 

• Badminton - through station, dual mainline, south wales direct line (coal). 1250ft
• Andoversford Junction - through station, extendable to include the junctiion itself.  1190ft
• Ascott-under-wychwood  - interesting level crossing. Oxford to Wolverhamption line.  800ft
• Bletchington - river and road, short station. 900ft
• Chipping Sodbury - A bit big at 1500ft but interesting layout
• Keynsham - small, on mainline, good extendability, interesting wagon turntable in earlier times (when did this go?  Old OS maps suggest 1900ish),  800ft
• Pontrilas - pretty, good interest and a convenient bridge at one end to hide senic break. 1200ft
• Radley

I'm struggling to find information on what traffic some of these stations would have seen, so if anyone has any good references for timetables including freight then I'd be very grateful.

 

More generally, other suggestions or comments on my list so far would be very welcome.

 

Thanks in advance

 

[caradoc]

KIngs Sutton ? Traffic on both routes to Paddington (via Oxford and via Bicester), plus the junction for the Cheltenham branch.

[Coach bogie]

From your list you are unlikely to see any Kings or Castles at Andoversford Junction as it was away from the main lines, the junction for the ex MSJWR and the Cheltenham to Banbury line that saw nothing larger than a Manor.

 

Ascott, Blechington, Radley all would see regular Castles but Kings on rare occasions.

 

Ponrtilas only saw Kings post war and for a time, only 6000 which was moved to Bath Road for runs to Shrewsbury -so depends on your timescale.

 

Badminton & Sodbury on the same line and saw similar traffic from 58xx om pick up goods to Kings. Major plus all the loco trails from Swindon in BR days including V2, Duke of Gloucester etc

 

Many stations West of Bristol to Taunton, mainline two track with a variety of intetesting traffic plus LMS stock sharing the route.

 

Mike Wiltshire

[buffalo]

 

• Keynsham - small, on mainline, good extendability, interesting wagon turntable in earlier times (when did this go?  Old OS maps suggest 1900ish),  800ft...

The turntable and two short sidings were taken out of use in 1911 when the new yard on the down side to the east was started, The siding to Fry's chocolate factory was installed in 1925. This branched off the loading dock at the same point as the turntable. Between 1887 and 1931 there was an up relief siding at the west end. The connection to this was probably moved when platforms were extended in 1911. The platforms were again extended in 1933 and crossovers added to the west which lasted until the sixties. The signal box had three different locations over the period.

 

Good traffic potential, apart from the usual main line trains the chocolate factory was a popular destination for excursions and there were special workers trains terminating at or starting from the station.

 

Much more information in Russell Leitch, The Railways of Keynsham, RCTS, 1997, ISBN 090 1115 827.

 

Nick

[Ozexpatriate]

Many stations West of Bristol to Taunton, mainline two track with a variety of intetesting traffic plus LMS stock sharing the route.

My first thought was Taunton, Exeter St. Davids* and Plymouth North Road*

 

* also with LSWR/SR running.

 

Were the Kings exchanged for Castles (on trains continuing to Cornwall) at Plymouth North Road or Millbay?

[Kris]

Kings were normally changed at North Road. Newton Abbot could also be a loco change point.

[Kris]

Tiverton might work don't know no length however.

[The Stationmaster]

Bath has some interesting possibilities with its position on top of arches, the signalbox on top of the roof, a bay, and a middle siding.  So it could readily terminate and start local trains and attach and detach vehicles on through trains.

 

Gloucester (early period) offers the same only more so with two middle through roads and crossovers part way along the platforms.

[Rugd1022]

Bath Spa had two middle roads Mike, albiet very tightly cramped ones ;-)

[Richard E]

Nailsea and Backwell, there used to be a goods yard to the west of the station to take coal traffic from the coal mines in Nailsea. Fed by a narrow guage line at one time I believe.

[Kris]

Kris,

 

I assume you mean Tiverton Junction, to meet the OP of a double track main line? If so, there is the added bonus of the branches to Tiverton and Hemyock. After the 30s, both the branches became 48xx / 14xx territory. The former with auto trailers, the later with an assortment of old coaches. There is also the milk traffic to Hemyock. Lloyd Maunder had a slaughter house close to the engine shed.

I did mean Tivi junction, just couldn't remember the correct name.

[wagonman]

Nailsea and Backwell, there used to be a goods yard to the west of the station to take coal traffic from the coal mines in Nailsea. Fed by a narrow guage line at one time I believe.

 

Indeed there were rail connected coal mines at Nailsea - and a fascinating model they would make as one pit was connected by a BG line and the other by 'Narrow' (ie standard) gauge so the exchange loops must have been mixed gauge. Unfortunately the last pit closed in 1882.

[Joseph_Pestell]

As various have commented, wanting Kings as well as Castles does limit the options.

 

I'm not quite sure what the OP means when he talks of 800' stations. Is he talking the whole length (in which case rather short) or just the platforms?

 

He has identified stations on the Badminton cut-off. Stations on Castle Cary to Taunton were of similar era and style. GW/GC stations such as Beaconsfield offer a greater variety of passenger locos but might not meet the freight requirements.

 

On the mainline, Uffington is worth a look. Further west, Wellington (Somerset).

 

Tiverton Jc was a fascinating station before rebuilding - but the rebuild is contrary to OP specification.

 

Re North Road, as I understand it, most trains ex-Paddington split at North Rd. The King (or whatever had hauled the train to there) went forward with a portion for Millbay while a lighter loco would take the remainder of the train into Cornwall.

[Joseph_Pestell]

Re-reading OP, he means whole station length. So even with compression, this is quite a difficult one!

 

I will stick with Uffington. The exchange sidings will be rather short but the character of the place can probably be retained.

[Rabs]

Hi everyone, thank you for all the suggestions.  I'll start digging through those and seeing what I find.  Can anyone recommend a book or website which lists the trains and (ideally) formations through specific stations?

I have space to model a scale 800' - and appreciate that any mainline station with operational interest is unlikely to fit, although there are are some which are close. 

I imagine that I will end up with some compression and modelling one end of a station up to a convenient bridge or similar. The other half could then be a possible layout extension in the future.

Thanks for all your help.

[Katier]

Stratford Upon Avon?

 

Certainly a mainline in it's through station guise and two through lines. Whether it had Kings I'm not sure but Castles I'm sure would be common.

[Rabs]

Thank you all, very helpful.  I've made a provisional choice of Bath (Spa). As Mike says above, the arches make it very interesting and it is nice and compact.  It gets me away from overly rural gwr modelling.  

 

I've started a new thread here with an outline plan:

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/72424-bath-spa/

 

If you have any advice on my track plan I'd be grateful.

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Just a thought; what about Wolverhampton Low Level? Everything from Kings downwards. Good scenic breaks, lots of action.

[Katier]

Just a thought; what about Wolverhampton Low Level? Everything from Kings downwards. Good scenic breaks, lots of action.

 

Actually that's a good one - From Sun St to the A41 overbridge is 955ft according to Google maps - platform length I'd estimate at 660ft.

[Andy Kirkham]

Nailsea and Backwell, there used to be a goods yard to the west of the station to take coal traffic from the coal mines in Nailsea. Fed by a narrow guage line at one time I believe.

 

Or Yatton,  the next station along - junction for both Clevedon and the Cheddar Valley

[Adrian Wintle]

Can anyone recommend a book or website which lists the trains and (ideally) formations through specific stations?

 

This book, if you can find a copy

http://www.amazon.ca/Western-Railway-Programme-Working-Coaches/dp/1905014538

 

It doesn't deal with local trains, but it gives the formations (and what was added/dropped where) for the through trains for the 1937-1938 winter schedule.

 

Adrian

[Rabs]

Just seen these latest suggestions, thanks. I'm making some progress with Bath now, but if I find that it isn't workable for any reason I'll come back and have a look at Wolverhampton and Yatton in more detail.

[George Leacon]

No one has mentioned Princes Risborough on the Great Western & Great Central Joint Main Line (from Paddington to Birmingham), which is now called the Chiltern Main Line.

 

This line was a direct cut through for the two companies to the West Midlands, which for the GWR cut journey times to Birmingham and for the GCR avoided the suburban bottleneck of the Metropolitan Railway lines it had previously used. Not only were principal GWR expresses run through the station (including Kings, at least in the BR era) but also LNER suburban trains too.

 

At the north and south ends, it was double track main line, which expanded to four tracks through the station, in a (Down Slow / Down Fast / Up Fast / Up Slow) formation. Two platforms ran alongside the slow lines for stopping services. Additionally, two (possibly three, I can't quite recall) branch lines came and went north west (to Wallingford) and north east (to Aylesbury (I think!)) from the station - part of the former is now the Chinnor & Princes Risborough preserved railway.

 

I vaguely recall a few reception sidings for goods trains at the station also. Goods trains certainly passed through.

 

The Signal Box, disused but still in place, is a large and fairly impressive structure. A road bridge to the south of the station would provide a natural scenic break. The station canopies featured GWR Victorian elaborate detailing in the supports but overall are (one of them is still in place) simple structures.

 

I intend to model it one day, outside and in OO, so I have no objections to you trying it first, haha.

 

All the best mate

 

Ben West aka GL