Popular Post bike2steam Posted October 14, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted October 14, 2014 (edited) Part 1 After mentioning it in a few threads, it seems to have created a bit of interest in an old layout I built over 20 years ago, but regrettably sold on about 6 years ago to make room for 'Cannons Lane' in my workshop. Why Bembridge ?? Well it was the necessity to find an interesting, and different prototypical branch line station to model. I'd always liked the somewhat quirky railway set-up on the 'Island'. Many years ago, in the early 1970's, I'd had a post-card picture of a Beyer-Peacock 2-4-0 on the original 'fan-table' at Bembridge station which intrigued me, the seeds had sewn, research started. Limitations were laid down, the layout could be no longer than a total of ten feet, width 18 inches. The full length of the Bembridge platform was about 220 feet, to get a reasonably 'balanced' track layout meant a compromise on platform length, which was reduced by a scale 25%,or to put it another way, 3 coach lengths instead of 4. Period for the layout was just after the turntable rebuild in 1936. To work out how much length there would be available for the scenic section of the layout, the minimum size of fiddle yard had to be worked out, for a maximum train length of 3 bogie coaches meant a sector plate of 24 inches long, with a hands free operating system including 'loco roads' as on the track diagram left a scenic length of 7 feet ( sorry, I still measure in the old Imperial system!). In the end, with a compromise on station platform length, I had enough room for the unusual covered 'coal-pen', and the old pair of cottages which ended up as the adjacent marina workshop. And to top it off, a small turntable ( a scale 25 feet diameter) at the very end of the branch as a loco release. The most dominant feature, the station building, such a large edifice for such a small ( 2&3/4 mile) branch. After much searching I found no plans, but amassed plenty of photos, so I drew up my own plans, simply by counting bricks. The roof tiles were the rather ornate 'clam-shell' style, Slaters were the source of a similar type. Construction was all plastikard, the window frames fabricated from Evergreen strip. The turntable as rebuilt in 1936 was 25 feet diameter, although possible to turn a loco 180 degrees, was only used as the original 17 feet 6 inch fan-table to move the loco from platform road to the run-round loop. The reason for the bigger table - so as to accommodate the O2's, which up to then hadn't been used on the branch. Motorized by a Portescap motor thro' a special gear-box giving it a rpm of 10, then reduced through a controller variable to zero rpm, with micro-switch limit stops for each track. Next time, part 2,locos, rolling stock, operation Any questions feel free to ask. (All photographs & track diagram reproduced with the knowledge & consent of the 'Railway Modeller' who own the copyright.) Edited October 15, 2014 by bike2steam 32 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NHY 581 Posted October 14, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 14, 2014 This is really very nice. Please keep if coming Paul. Looking forward to the next instalment. Rob. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Storey Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 Many, many thanks for doing this Paul. It really is a delightful representation of Bembridge. You clearly show true craftmanship to have built the station building and signal box without any plans. I look forward to the next installment. Only one thing is missing - the massive weighing machine (which looked a bit like a huge metal Grandfather clock) which was parked under the canopy stanchion nearest the turntable. I have a painting which includes this (done by my father) with W13 on the turntable. Thanks again Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bike2steam Posted October 15, 2014 Author Share Posted October 15, 2014 Weighing machine ? - I knew I should have looked closer a those pics-damn !!! Even with the layout having been to a model railway exhibition at Sandown, your the first one to spot that - ooops. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckjumper Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 I remember being very impressed by the layout when it featured in the Modeller back in about 1995-96ish, so it's very nice to see it again Paul. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Storey Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 Weighing machine ? - I knew I should have looked closer a those pics-damn !!! Even with the layout having been to a model railway exhibition at Sandown, your the first one to spot that - ooops. Absolutely no matter! How on earth did you make those extraordinary chimneys and the curly bargeboards etc. Did you hand cut plastic sheet (and if so, how on earth did you get those curves so accurately) or did you use another method? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Trevellan Posted October 15, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 15, 2014 Good to see this as a standalone topic. I'm looking forward to further instalments. To add a bit of flavour, I'm contributing an image of Bembridge station dating from the summer of 1967, which I find evocative on many levels. It is one of my earliest photographs and, sadly, the negative was destroyed many years ago, so this is scanned from the original print. Still worth a look IMHO. 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Storey Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 Many thanks Trevor - very unusual to see a pic of that end. I remember using the No.8 from Ryde when we used to go and see my grandparents, who ran the jewellers in Bembridge. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David C Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 Fascinating to see photos of this layout - some nice modelling there. There have been at least two other Bembridges over the years. The first one I saw was at a Croydon MRC exhibition sometime in the 1960s held in a church hall somewhere in South Croydon. The other was rather better known as one of the first P4/S4 layouts to be exhibited. It was built by members of the MRC - one was David Woodcock, but I don't know any of the others. David C Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Trevellan Posted October 15, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 15, 2014 I too recall the P4/S4 version. IIIRC it was the first layout I saw which made use of grass matting for embankments. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bike2steam Posted October 15, 2014 Author Share Posted October 15, 2014 (edited) Absolutely no matter! How on earth did you make those extraordinary chimneys and the curly bargeboards etc. Did you hand cut plastic sheet (and if so, how on earth did you get those curves so accurately) or did you use another method? It was all 'scratchbuilt' hand cut plastic - plus a lot of patience. Talking of which please bare with me for now, because spare time is short at the moment, what with having to 'hone' Blandford for next months Warley show.I will add, I must apologise to you Mike, all the research paper work for the layout went with the layout when it was sold, so I can't help with photos of the full size Bembridge, but Trevors pic is good, and I didn't have a copy of that one. The chimney detail on my model was somewhat over profiled, but my excuse is it makes it stand out more . Edited October 15, 2014 by bike2steam 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bike2steam Posted October 15, 2014 Author Share Posted October 15, 2014 (edited) Part 2 Yes I know the full size Bembridge branch was operated 'one engine in steam', but over two days at an exhibition an operator of a model railway operating that system would probably be pulling his hair out before long. So - rule 1 - introduce a bit of non- prototypical diversity, let's introduce a bit of variety, with three sector plate roads with the 'country' ends having 6 inch isolated sections for holding locos, and two loco roads at the 'town' end of the fiddle yard - the layout had room for 5 locos to operate an 'interesting' sequence. So with one spare in case of problems I decided six locos were good enough. The locos were;- W4 - E1 0-6-0T, a Wills body kit, on a fabricated chassis using Gibson side frames powered by a Mashima 1620 motor. The E1 class was basically a 'stretched' Terrier, powerful, but rarely if ever used on the real Bembridge branch. I have no photo of this loco, but there is a good pic in the article in the second BRM Annual - bent whistle and all !! W11 - Terrier 0-6-0T, a 'K's' body on, again, a fabricated chassis using Gibson side frames with a DS10 motor shoehorned in. An excellent runner, coming a close second to 'Shanklin'. W13 - another Terrier, all scratch-built powered by a Mashima 1224 which gave it a top scale speed of about 20mph. ( see pic of cottages in part 1) W17, W20, & W28 - O2 0-4-4T's all Wills body kits, and again all on fabricated chassis using Gibson side frames powered by DS10 motors. I must have excelled with W20 as it was a perfect runner, silent, and smooth, where the other two were a little noisey, typical DS10 high revving motor, but unable to hear at exhibitions. Loco bogies were sprung to take part of the loco weight. W28 having a Drummond boiler. Locos have pick-ups on all wheels, all 8 on the O2's. For those seriously interested in the Island's steam locos, one of the best books is 'Rails In The Isle Of Wight' by Allen and MacLeod, A.B. MacLeod knew more of the Island's locos than anyone else, he was responsible for the O2 class modifications (extended bunkers etc). http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rails-Isle-Wight-Peter-Allen/dp/0715387014/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1413445202&sr=1-1&keywords=rails+in+the+isle+of+wight unfinished - to be continued. Edited October 16, 2014 by bike2steam 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Trevellan Posted October 16, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 16, 2014 Another image from me, almost exactly 40 years on from the black and white shot above. In 2007 I visited the former station site and there was still evidence of the railway visible. The building in the picture has now been demolished but, unless I've got my bearings wrong, this was the structure immediately to the west of the coal staithes. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bike2steam Posted October 16, 2014 Author Share Posted October 16, 2014 Indeed, originally a row of cottages that were rebuilt as workshops for the boat yard ( that I wrongly called a marina in the earlier post) across the road. I took a similar pic about 1990. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bike2steam Posted October 23, 2014 Author Share Posted October 23, 2014 (edited) Part 2 continued The chance to actually build Bembridge came about as a result of being made redundant a few months earlier, and having to help fill the spare time in between looking for work. Construction was financed by selling off part of my 4mm model loco collection, but I still had to watch the spending so Roxey coaches were out of the equation. So a search through the available alternatives ended up with Ratio, Midland coaches substituted for the Brighton 'bogies', with one of each of Ratio's third class vehicle kits ending up in Southern green. Likewise Ratio Great Western to represent 3 of the mixed bag of 4 wheelers that ran on the 'Island'. This was later added to by 3 ( drastically cut price !) D&S etched brass 6 wheeler SECR coach kits ending up with one full brake, and set 484, this time representing actual exSECR coaches that were sent to the Island, and converted to 4 wheelers. A small collection of wagons came from mostly Ratio kits again. 1 x 5 plank, 1 x 4 plank, 2 x 3 plank and 2 x 1 plank, all opens; 2 x S.R. vans, a small exS&DJR road van the origin of which escapes me, and finally, another D&S kit, this time a exLSWR road van. Operation With 3 storage roads on the sector plate meant 3 trains, one of two bogie coaches, one of 3 x 4 wheelers, and a short freight of 4 wagons plus a brake. With two wagons parked by the coal -pen, and another two in the siding, there was an excuse for a little shunting. The inclusion of two 'loco roads'( see post #1) precluded the need for handling stock throughout a two day exhibition, unless a fault occurred in a loco or rolling stock, or a replacement rake of stock. (To be continued) Edited October 23, 2014 by bike2steam 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
colney123 Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 Very nice work indeed , I owned the p4 Bembridge layout for a short while before giving it to the isle of wight steam railway for display must be 20 odd years ago still never seen it , shame as it was very good. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bike2steam Posted October 28, 2014 Author Share Posted October 28, 2014 (edited) A few notes on the Bembridge layout. The track used was nearly all Peco code 75 with just the exception of the half turnout next to the turntable, that was an old Graham Farish Formaway turnout that I'd picked up secondhand, and cut it down to suit, but because it was a larger code it was set in the track bed on layers of paper underlay to bring the rail top level with the Peco code 75 which had 1/16 of an inch thick cork underlay. Fortunately the profile of the Formaway rail blended well with the Peco rail. With only three points/turnouts on the layout they were operated by a simple stud, and probe system that really didn't need a CDU, unless you hung on the stud too long. Point control was by some old H&M point motors I had left from previous layouts, well 4, meaning I had one spare in case of problems - I've still got that one spare even now !! Ballast for the layout was sand from the real Bembridge beach, well it was as near as I could get, seeing as the real ballast before WW2 was the shingle dredged out of St Helens wharf, just about a mile away. Layout controller was a Gaugemaster HH, handheld feedback controller wired in series with a HF1 electronic trackcleaner, I never had any problems with dirty track or wheels, but if the layout wasn't used for a month or more, I would wipe the rail-tops with a J-cloth dipped in solvent switch cleaner, by spraying into the lid, and dipping the J-cloth there in. General performance was excellent, perfect, smooth, quiet slow running. Couplings were my own development of the standard tension-lock reduced to the hinged hook, and dropper made from 15 thou piano-wire, and D bar from 20 thou brass, uncoupling was by permanent magnets strategically placed that attracted the dropper, which could only raise the hook once the stock was reversed. The bar had to be made from brass to prevent magnetising. There was no catch/trap points to avoid runaways, well it was level, and no way of generating a speed, the main siding was protected by a simple chock pinned to the outside of the sleeper, just beyond the clearance point, and locked on the inside of the rail on the same sleeper. Don't mind the stock, look at those unobtrusive couplings !! Edited October 28, 2014 by bike2steam 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sp1 Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 The couplings look great - or rather, they would do if you could see them! (Can just about make them out in the photo!) Any chance of a diagram of how they were made? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bike2steam Posted October 29, 2014 Author Share Posted October 29, 2014 Hope this helps, and isn't too difficult to understand, please don't hesitate to ask more questions if need be. Reproduced by kind permission of the 'Railway Modeller'. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bécasse Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 (edited) For comparison, here are a few photos of the P4 Bembridge layout first exhibited at the MRC's Easter Show at Central Hall in 1971. I was the scenery wallah! Edited February 26 by bécasse restoring lost photos 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Storey Posted December 13, 2014 Share Posted December 13, 2014 Thanks for those pictures - especially the unusual ones of the front and side of the station building - really helpful. I was at that Central Hall Easter show in 1971 so must have seen this! Too long ago to remember tho! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nearholmer Posted March 16, 2019 Share Posted March 16, 2019 Resurrecting an ancient thread ........ Firstly, both layouts shown here are very good indeed, so thank you chaps! Secondly, the 'fan table' that preceded the turntable: has anyone ever seen a photo or drawing of it? I've got a pretty good idea in my head what it must have looked like, having seen such things illustrated in old engineering catalogues, but would like to test that against reality. Many thanks in advance for any pointers. Kevin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Storey Posted March 17, 2019 Share Posted March 17, 2019 (edited) 22 hours ago, Nearholmer said: Resurrecting an ancient thread ........ Firstly, both layouts shown here are very good indeed, so thank you chaps! Secondly, the 'fan table' that preceded the turntable: has anyone ever seen a photo or drawing of it? I've got a pretty good idea in my head what it must have looked like, having seen such things illustrated in old engineering catalogues, but would like to test that against reality. Many thanks in advance for any pointers. Kevin I have a painting of it! (done by my father, in 1934 I think, when he lived there). The primary feature was a low brick wall around it, which, if missing in a photo, easily tells you it was after the date when it was enlarged for the 02's, as the wall had to go. I attach below the only photo I have. Other than that, it was a bog standard turntable with wooden facing. I had assumed for many years that it simply acted as a sector plate, but someone else on this forum, in another thread, gave compelling evidence that it was used as a proper turntable. There were only two on the Island, one at Ventnor and the Bembridge one. Locos were routinely turned at Ventnor, to equalise wear, until that TT was replaced by the three way fan and loco release headshunt that we are more familiar with, before WW1 I believe. Thus Bembridge became the only location where locos could be turned, out of St John's Road, without traversing a large part of the Island's network, and some indicative WTT extracts were supplied. What they did after 1953, I have no idea. Incidentally, it is Terrier W09 on the TT. Edited March 17, 2019 by Mike Storey 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nearholmer Posted March 17, 2019 Share Posted March 17, 2019 Hmmm ...... so, in fact, it wasn’t really a ‘fan table’ at all then! I did wonder. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Storey Posted March 17, 2019 Share Posted March 17, 2019 5 minutes ago, Nearholmer said: Hmmm ...... so, in fact, it wasn’t really a ‘fan table’ at all then! I did wonder. Whatever one of those is? Sector plate is the description with which I am more familiar, when applicable. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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