coline33

A model of the Waddon Marsh (WM) signal box - an update. With the help of ABMrailcraft, I had started on converting their parts for the Ifield box into one for Beddington Lane (BL). If the mock-up was successful for this three window bays box then I would try a mock-up for the four window bays WM one. If these proved OK then a kit of parts to built either BL or WM would be considered by ABM. I have produced one side and the doorway end for BL but found that to complete would need a great deal more photocopying of the ABM sheets than originally envisaged. I have for the moment suspended further work on this as other things have taken priority,

Very interesting pictures, Pete. I see the Andrews advert on the bridge. I worked for Andrews and Brian, their Surrey director, who lived in Wallington, transferred me from managing their Purley office to resuscitating the one at Coulsdon in 1990. Immediately the Quarry Line bridge over the A23 there caught my attention for advertising. Brian pursued this for me to find opposition from the MoT for such advertising would distract users of their roads! However, the bridge near their newly opened Wallington office had no advertising on it and was over a local authority road. So Andrews got it!!! Small world.

Thanks, Pete. "Manor Road" or "Wallington-on-Sea"??? Remember the lake that formed beneath the railway bridge there whenever there was a downpour, before they put in the storm drains. Well, I do and you rightly refer it as the 'dismal end'! At least in the good old days the top end had trams and then trolleybuses without today's rush-hour congestion at the crossroads. Trams to Wallington next appear on "West Croydon" at the Croydon MRS show at Warlingham schools this coming weekend. All the best, Colin.

Bit more on the Wandle Park footbridge. Below is a map outline of its shape, hope its not too small. This bridge was one of two similar footbridges on the footpath from central Croydon into Wandle Park. On www.geograph.org.uk/photo/w673339 will be found a view of the remaining footbridge of the two. This should be useful for you in showing the stairways down to ground level. Best of luck and look forward to seeing your scenic break.

Some time before lunch, so back to Gridwatcher. There are at least 11 views of the footbridge as it is now at Corfe Castle, when you Google 'Corfe Castle railway footbridge' and it does not seem too different other than being on a platform. In searching for something else in the house, I found my old headcode book with those introduced from May 1978 which I thought would interest you. The passenger service went from '2' to '1' and the following came into use for freight - 1A Norwood - Waddon Marsh 1B Norwood - Mitcham - Wimbledon 1C Bricklayers Arms - Norwood - Mitcham - Wimbledon 2C Waddon Marsh - Wimbledon - Fawley GH LMR - Kensington Olympia - Crystal Palace - Waddon Marsh and GJ LMR - Kensington Olympia - Selhurst - Waddon Marsh.

Thanks for the update. So the Lifeboat sank and with it went west of the Purley Way bridge! Manor Road and Wallington station were at their best in the 1950s and 1960s!!! So I am not going there. Glad the Wandle Park footbridge is in mind as a scenic break. The bridge was 'recycled' and purchased by the Swanage Railway, so still exists. However, I will revert on this in due course but must continue singing 'WIM away' if unit 1811 is to be seen at "West Croydon" in the Wimbledon MRC show at Carshalton on 1st./2nd. November. Regards, Colin.

Thank you Gridwatcher for taking over Pete's superb little layout. I have had to spend my summer straining myself to clear the garage contents into a skip, then my shed contents into the garage, and demolish the shed to make way for another patio! So my railway modelling has had to be reviewed to suit the garage. Yesterday, I finally got my test line, the length of the garage on a shelf, up and running. My "Beddington Lane Halt and Sidings" is now definitely a dining room table-top layout! The arrival of the Hornby 2-HAL has prompted me to email Hornby asking for the first release of it as 'BR early crest' to be unit 2622 which was photographed by my late friend John Wills at West Croydon when it substituted for 2-EPBs during their conversion to 'electric' rear light operation in 1958/1959. Being able to purchase a Kernow bargain priced new Hornby SR 2-BIL last week, I have recommenced the construction of a 2-WIM. For those interested in the WC-W, Huntley Archives offer access to three films of the line. 1930 journey by 2-WIM, 1950s journey on a steam freight and a run just before closure. Now that I am back, I will see what details I can find of the Wandle Park footbridge. More data on the WC-W operation has been found and I wonder if there are others interested in modelling the line in the 'BR early crest' era with both steam and diesel traction? How is Lifeboatman getting on with his side of the Purley Way bridge? Regards, Colin.

And there's me thinking you were putting in the plumbing for the staff at WM at the same time!!! Now have parts to have a go at BL box so will do a mock-up of WM box once I am happy with BL.

Was there any change in the colour of the third rail when the change was made from "gravity" shoes to "sprung" ones, please? I would have thought the former left more arcing deposits and the latter gave a cleaner top surface.

Looking further into Ian Docwra's photos of WM on Flickr I think the photos I took of the troughing was where the pile of rubbish is on the right hand side of one of his views in line with the start of the platform. I see that this troughing continued all the way along the south side of the line towards Wandle Park. Colin.

Pete, looking again at the troughing I found in relationship to that you laid, I have changed my opinion of the run I mentioned. I think what I photographed may well be the bridge end of the troughing you have laid, so I wonder what cupboard was on the base in my photos. Colin.

On my next visit to Sainsburys Purley Way, this morning, I took the opportunity while my wife was collecting double Nectar points on TU clothing, to do another site visit with my camera. The first shot is of the "token" Stadler duty on line 3 with 2557 Wimbledon bound and on the site of the original Waddon Marsh 'halt'. The next two are for Ernie to correctly position the gasworks headshunt buffer stop!!! But look at my discovery in the undergrowth, in the next two views. Pete here is your prove that a concrete trough run ran from the bridge and along the south side of the gasworks headshunt!!! Note that at this point there was a cupboard as its base can clearly be seen. Then the finale, reminding me of the years 1985 to 1998 when I had dealings with John MacMillan, his company's (MacMillan Williams Solicitors) advertising tram (2534) at the present day Waddon Marsh 'halt'. Enjoy, Colin.

Further to Ian's question of which era for troughing. I have found a run of troughing parallel with the Goods Siding in Dave's 1972 view of BL Sidings from the pointwork into the Sidings as far as can be seen in the direction of BL. Unfortunately, there are few photos taken here but from those taken in 1949, 1954 and 1959, there are no signs of this troughing. Interestingly enough, the section of the Goods Siding track passed the water tower to the junction with the Passenger Line certainly was sleepered in concrete in the late 1950's. So Pete can trough away to his heart's content for the 1970s!!! Mind you I now have to decide what to do as I attempt to portray the 1950 to 1970 period!!! Certainly I like his idea of obtaining accuracy. Colin.

Yes, Ian, a good link to a very helpful chap. Having got Kernow to produce Boscarne Junc. box, one of my china clay colleagues was instrumental in getting the North Cornwall line structures developed by him. Abmrailcraft were willing to look at some of my past requirements that could be easily adapted from the existing kits. Now there is some similarity between the Grange Road box sides and BL box and between the latter and WM box. So I wonder Pete if we can work out sufficient common parts for a box kit incorporating alternative parts to make both BL and WM boxes? If others are interested please say. Colin.

For anyone interested in Waddon Marsh and Beddington Lane operations, this thread has now continued under "Waddon Marsh and Croydon Power Stations" and "Waddon Marsh 1970's Southern Region in OO". However, do not take '1970's' too literally as the posts refer to the post-WW2 period up to the 1970's. Both contain "a mine of further information" on these two areas.

It is looking good, Pete. I did find that some of the original SR high fencing was still in place when I took the photos you have. I would certainly suggest using the computer to reproduce the house backs to suit the best size for 'depth', cut them out and affix above the fences with the sky painted as you wish. With Beddington Lane, I have got to scratchbuild the signal box and I think you may have to also. However, Waddon Marsh box looks easier to build than Beddington Lane. I could not find a kit with four pane window frames so I too would be interested to know if such exists. Colin.

I have heard back from NRM regarding the GWR Wagon Register entries for the ex-CMR wagons in the 30xxx series to say they cannot see any confirmation as to which were used for china clay. As further news on these comes available then it will be added to the Yahoo Group's files.

Dave. I thought all those of BL you kindly put up for me on the Croydon Power Station forum were yours. Until I know of the taker I have them down as of your collection then!!! Thanks, Colin.

Anthony, thanks for owning up to being a guard on the WC-W! I attach one of the photographs that our notorious Dave took in 1972 of the Mitcham Junction end of Beddington Lane Halt. Can you recall the purpose of the concrete structure at the end of the platform, please? It looks like an Exmouth Junction Works product. It has no door to the platform nor on the facing side. From photos taken in the 1950's it appears to be in the station house garden. Its presence continued through to the last remodelling of the station between the platform end and the 'fibreglass' building then erected at that end.I am wanting to model it and thought it may have been a lamp room similar to that at Coulsdon North. But with the lack of seeing all of the other side let alone the other end, I am thinking it was originally constructed as a garden shed! I know the Guard was usually busy with passengers (my experience from 2-WIM and early 2-EPB days) and at the signal box end of the platform but do you have any recollections of it and its possible use, please? Kind regards, Colin.

Layout coming on great, Pete. Good 'EDL' there but hope you do not get too much TV inference from it. I have to be careful that the wife is not watching TV when I run my Limas! I hope when you say 'gasholders' you mean those to go on the backscene. Mind you doing scale diameter ones from the OS maps, those you might be thinking of having in the foreground would block out the view of Croydon as well as the trains and the fiddle!!! When sending the OS map to you, I noted that a private subway passed under the WC-W between the gas works proper and the north side gas holders. Looking forward to your next views of progress.

I am currently going through the 'steam age' china clay wagons and depositing data of each type as I complete in a folder in both the Files and Photos sections of the China_Clay_Branchlines Yahoo Group. I am doing this in reverse order!!! BR diag.1/051, GWR rebuilds of ex-TVR wagons, GWR diagram O13 (94xxx series), GWR diagram O12, and GWR secondhand purchases (1906 and 1916) are covered with GWR 92xxx series in production and the BR folder to be updated. Behind the scenes work is continuing by the Group into the Private Owner Wagons (and their BR P-series renumbering). There are a small number of members interested in the ex-CMR wagons and study of the GWR Wagon Register entries will be made once NRM York have completed their work on the O13s. Then there is the hiring in both before the O13s were built and again post-WW1. So if you are interested you are very welcome to join the Group - the underlining in the Group's name are crucial to get the page - and add to the pressure to go further back into the past with these wagons. Regards, Colin.

Are you referring to the ex-CMR wagons taken over by GWR and renumbered into the 3xxxx series, please?

Ernie, your patience is now rewarded and Pete can see the other side!!! In the lower part of the centre of the second picture can be seen a rusting piece of old iron. It is in fact the remnant of one side of the rail-built buffer stop of the gas works headshunt. So who will volunteer to derust it, giving it a preserving coat and a plaque in memory of the part it played in Croydon's industrial past??? Annoyingly, my battery went as the next eastbound tram was a Stadler working one of the Bombardier duties on service 3 to New Addington. For the past three weeks I have seen one Stadler on this service and assume it is part of driver orientation for when the next four arrive in 2015, followed by the doubling of most of the single track between Therapia Lane and Wimbledon with a second platform at the latter. Then with two throughout services on this section due in 2016, the frequency will be about 4 minutes - what a contrast it will be to the service provided twenty-one years beforehand!!! Looking forward to seeing photos of the original bridge (with a number 115 bus) in model form, Colin.