RobAllen

Now, I need to find a close enough approximation in the RTR market…

Thanks Stephen, I have added that book to my Christmas wish list. The family are always saying that they don't know what to get me…

In https://www.rmweb.co.uk/topic/146249-a-typical-sdjr-train-c-1902/page/4/#comment-5335391, @Compound2632 notes "By 1933, the LMS had withdrawn all its share of the non-bogie passenger-carrying vehicles, so some interpolation is needed." Is there any information on what coaches were used on the line for local services in the late 1930s/early 1940s and what livery they carried? In Bournemouth to Evercreech Junction by Mitchel & Smith states: "From 1st July 1923, the recently formed SR and LMSR became joint owners of the route between Bath and Broadstone. It continued to be operated as a separate railway until 1st July 1930, when the distinctive Prussian blue trains were replaced by SR green coaches and LMS-liveried locomotives. The SR took responsibility for permanent way and signalling while the LMS took over operation of the line." If the LMS took over the operation of line, I wonder why the coaches weren't painted in LMS colours? I guess that by 1938, all coaches had been repainted green with Southern writing though. As the original S&D coaches were withdrawn, what replaced them? From the same book, plate 112 says that the coaches on a Evercreech Junction to Highbridge train on 4 August 1952 are ex-LMS compartment stock. This is a few years after nationalisation though. As the LMS was responsible for operations, did they provide the coaches which were then painted green? I can't imagine anyone built new coaches specifically for the S&D after 1930, so any replacements were probably cascaded down from either the LMS or SR. There seem to be very few photos of this period and I'm not good at coach recognition or determining colour from a black and white photo. Does anyone know where I can find further information on coaches in this period?

There's not many terminus stations on the S&D, only Burnham, Wells and Bridgwater as the two main terminus stations at Bath and Bournemouth were owned by the Midland and LSWR respectively. What would a new terminus look like? The main question is whether it would be two platforms as per Burnham and Bridgwater or one like Wells? I have assumed a single platform as even in 1882, they company would have wanted to avoid the expense of a second platform. Would it have an engine shed as per Wells and Bridgwater? I have assumed that it's unlikely, but thoughts appreciated on both these points. In terms of rolling stock, I want to run a combination of 1P 0-4-0Ts, 3F and 4F 0-6-0 tender engines and 3F 0-6-0T Jinties. I'd also like to run a 4-4-0 2P, but can't quite imagine why one would have appeared at Holcombe. I intend to lay Peco bullhead track and points as it looks good. So, without further ado, here's my thoughts on track laouts: First version: Looking at this, I wasn't sure if it's "too busy" with the loading bay and the private siding can only be shunted via the loading bay which may be unlikely & a hassle? So, second-version: This moves the loading bay to the end of the run-round loop and puts the station building end on to the platform. Possibly a bit too "tidy" thogh? Do either of these make sense? Are there obvious improvements or mistakes that I've made?

This is the back-story that I have invented. The Holcombe Branch In 1863, Howard Ridler had sunk the first shaft of Edford colliery near Holcombe. An innovative man, the colliery also supplied coke and installed a coal washing plant and made fuel briquettes. By the late-1870s the Edford colliery was growing significantly. Ridler set up the Edford Colliery Co. Ltd and wanted a rail connection. However, he could not come to an agreement with the Newbury tramway to extend to Edford and turned his attentions to the S&D which had recently opened the Bath extension. At around the same time quarrying had started in the Stoke Lane area when the Mendip Stone and Concrete Co. Ltd started the Fairy Cave Quarry and S C Gilson and Sons started to quarry at Cooks Wood. This was a few miles south of Holcombe and Ridler approached Mendip Stone and Concrete Co and S C Gilson & Sons and together the three companies petitioned the SDJR for a branch line connection. Flush with optimism from the formation of the joint committee and able to raise share capital, Robert Read, the SDJR's General Manager was prepared to consider the possibility and agreed to commission a study into the possibility. With fortuitous timing, the Oakhill brewery's output had risen so much that it intended to build a narrow-gauge railway to Binegar. This plan cam to the attention of the SDJR and so the SDJR determined that there was enough potential traffic to justify a branch line. The Holcombe branch opened in 1883 to goods traffic and in 1884 to passengers. With the seams around Holcombe proving to be rich, Edford colliery was very successful and along with the significant amount of Mendip stone in the Three Ashes area, the branch was kept reasonably busy. Edford colliery closed in the mid-1950's, but quarrying at Fairy Cave continued into the 1970s and at Cooks Wood until 1993. This map shows where Holcombe Branch ran: The S&D's Bath extension is in blue with the GWR lines in green. The Holcombe branch is in pink, showing the three station of Oakhill, Stoke Lane and Holcombe. It is about 6 miles long. Differences from reality I have stretched reality in order for this story to work. Specifically: Oakhill Brewery built their narrow gauge railway later in 1904 Fairy Cave Quarry was indeed run by the Mendip Stone and Concrete Co. Ltd, but didn't start operations until 1918. Neither Fairy Cave quarry or Cooks Wood quarry were really large enough to justify a railway connection Edford colliery was indeed started by Howard Ridler who did create the Edford Colliery Co. Ltd. However it was much smaller as it only had 2 shafts. Holcombe is a much bigger market town in my world. As you can probably tell, I have very much enjoyed reading about the Somerset collieries and quarries. I will post my thoughts and plans for an SDJR terminus at Holcombe tomorrow. I will also admit that having built Melcombe Road, it appeals to me that my next will be Holcombe.

My dad has had a model railway from before I was born. As I was growing up he had a OO gauge layout in the loft which was a representation of Bath Queen Square in the late 1930s/early 1940s (LMS). I ran it with him during my teens and then I went to university and life happened. At some point in the 90s, he moved to O gauge and a new layout in the garden. His OO locos, along with some coaches and wagons were stored. During the pandemic, I came back to modelling railways and built a micro-layout, Melcombe Road sidings, based on the idea that Twerton siding just outside of Bath on the SDJR was expanded to more one siding. The road in Bath that Twerton siding is next to is Melcombe Road, hence the name. With my renewed interest in modelling, my dad has given me his old OO stock. I have also acquired his library of SDJR books as since his stroke a few years ago, he no longer reads them and I wasn't going to let them go to waste! I have enough reading to last me years now... With my son leaving home, I now have a larger office (I work from home) with space for a larger layout and so a new S&D layout is planned. With the space I have, it will be an L shaped layout 2.57m by 45cm on one side (scenic) and 2.24m by 25cm on the other (fiddle yard). (That's 8'5" by 18 inches x 7'4" by 12 inches in old money.) This will be an end to end, and so will be terminus to fiddle yard in OO. Clearly there's not enough space to model any of the three terminus stations on the SDJR directly and so I'm planning a freelance or "what if" layout as many others have before me. I'm one of those people that needs a sense of place, so have been inspired by @Peter Kazmierczak's articles in RM (June/July/August 1987) and @Captain Kernow's Glastonbury and South Somerset Railway, along with others. I'm thankful that they have shared their musings. After research into the Somerset coal fields and quarries, perusing the rather useful railmaponline.com, and discovering the Oakhill brewery, along with discovering that the Oakhill Brewey ran a narrow-gauge railway to Binegar, I have invented the Holcombe Branch. That's enough of an introduction, so I'll put the history in the next post and then talk about plans as I'm looking for advice and thoughts as I'm very much a beginner still!

It's looking amazing! Thanks for the updates here. I'm on other social media sites, but find that they aren't very good at showing me all posts.

Does anyone know if there any good pictures of Burnham's goods shed and yard that aren't from the platforms side? Also is there a plan of it?

I'm glad everyone's okay and NHY minor will now have a story to tell about his first RTA! First time I drove on my own after passing my test, I stopped at traffic lights and when pulling off, put the car into reverse rather than first and hit the white van behind me. Not one of my better moments!

They appear to have ceased trading?

Hi, Does anyone know where I could get a 50' or 60' OO gauge turntable? Searching the forums seems to only bring up suppliers that seem to be no are longer around or no longer selling them.

Fantastic news. I’m impressed that the trader found you. Well done to them!

This is great work. I’ve just caught up and am enjoying seeing your progress.

Straight on view of Jinty 7153 shunting a few wagons yesterday. Was a fun session.

My copy has just arrived. It's impressive. I'm away for a long weekend now, so looking forward to diving in when I get back.

Fantastic photos. Thanks for sharing.

I've not been particularly happy with the way the warehouse was sitting as it regularly showed a gap with the back board. Also, you could see the blue through northlight windows. Today, I solved both of these by painting the windows black on the inside and and gluing it properly to the back board. It looks a bit clean though, so I think I'll need to learn a little about weathering buildings soon…

I went down to the Watercress Line yesterday for a ride behind the S&DRT's 7F 53808. Today, I got out all three 7Fs that I have. From left to right, they are 13800, 13804 (both kit built in the late '70s/early '80s) and then 13810 (Bachmann 2016) As you can see, the two from my father need some TLC, which I hope to get going on this winter.

Jinty 7312 has turned up at Melcombe Road to collect some empties. Another older engine that needs re-lettering and re-doing of the front coupling bar.

3F number 3138 arrives at Melcombe Road, while 1706, a Johnson half-cab, idles in a siding.

Thanks David. Good luck with your build. My thoughts about plans is that it's impossible to come up with the right one until you've put track to board at least once. Fortunately with micros and ScaleModelScenery baseboards the fit in a Really Useful Box, it's too not difficult to build more than one of them!

Long time, no post! I've not changed the railway and continue to enjoy it, though I'm starting to think about a new micro. Recently, I acquired some more locomotives from my father which have been in storage since at least 1990. This included a couple of 0-4-0Ts which aren't really appropriate, but I've been having fun with them.

Late to the party, but this is a really informative thread. Thanks @Compound2632 and everyone else.

My first attempt at a model railway uses the BB017 board (fits in the 77L Really Useful Box). I'm considering a second one to create a station scene.

I didn't spot this when I posted separately, but I'm still seeing this problem on multiple computers with multiple web browsers and only when I'm logged in. I only seem to be unable to view https://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/87-layout-topics/ If it's any help, this is what I see in the Network tab of the developer tools: (I've redacted the cookie as I'm not sure how much info is in it. Happy to send it privately.)