Innerhome

The BBC article mentions the - in my view - silly slogan of "reversing the Beeching Cuts" for which the government allocated £500m. This will buy about 50 miles of fairly basic railway on former infrastructure. HS2 presses onwards - at least London - Birmingham - as this is a nice shiny new project for Boris - a bit like his idea of an Irish Sea tunnel Stranraer - Larne. The basics of electrifying Manchester - Huddersfield (I think Huddersfield - Leeds may be going ahead ?) or finishing the Midland mainline - or Cardiff - Swansea just seemed to get missed. The worry has to be that the cuts affect improving the core network.

Irwell Press Pannier Papers No 2 Ian Sixsmith gives 4660 as St Philips Marsh 6/43 then Weymouth 1/46 then St Phips Marsh 29/1/49 and has one 3/4 view photograph of 4660 at St Philips Marsh - no date but wearing late BR crest

Try googling Butler Street Goods Yard Preston - the warehouse gives the extra height and has similarities to Chorley. My understanding is that traditional wagon load freight finished in the very early 70s - so while structures might still be standing the tracks would have been lifted - and you'd be modelling something which was either derelict - or had been taken over by another business

Certainly in interesting picture on the Facebook site. Would the same issue apply to the Minehead branch where Hymeks were used in the 1960s ? Sorry this doesn't answer your question.

There are copies of the signalling diagrams for both boxes dated 1955 on John Hinson's signalbox.org website (see lever 9 track layouts)

The layout of your engine shed is actually very close to Wallingford - ie shed then ash pit and coaling stage then water crane. I think the Metcalfe kit is based on this location. So very prototypical. (Plans also in Great Western Branch Line Termini / Paul Karau). Wallingford had a conical water tower. Good luck with your endeavours.

Signalling Record Society has a box diagram - which matches the R A Cook track layout diagrams - section 26 book. Mr Cooke's sketch is 1907 - and shows no alterations until rationalisation starts in late 50's - so the SRS diagram should be fine.

See also Great Western Railway Travelling Post Offices - J G Hosegood - Wild Swan. The 1929 formation is given as: Siphon G (Kingswear) Brake Van PO Carriages: 2 of 830-1/2 2 of 847/8/9 2 of 834/5/6 3 of 850/1/2/3 2 Brake Vans of 1063/4/5 Siphon G (Exeter) (I hope I've interpreted this correctly). The booklet quotes the coach numbers but doesn't actually give details of the coaches themselves.

The Llangollen Line Foxline sftp Rear and Jones - plate 96 Llandderfel - shows pannier 6405 and couple of auto coaches. Date is 1949.

Signalling - visit the Signalling Record Society site - the drawings section has a low resolution diagram - in the GWR Birmingham section - and a locking sketch.

The Somerset and Dorset Railway 1935 - 1966 Mike Arlett & David Lockett - has some short sections pre 1950. The text says that pre WW2 - basically LMS. Then at outbreak of WW2 Southern S11 and T9 4-4-0s and T1 0-4-4Ts - (but no photographs included). At end of WW2 southern stock goes back - and not until early 50s does the wonderful mix of different locomotive types start to happen.

The signalling record society (www.s-r-s.org.uk) has a copy of the diagram - and their website notes the gw27c type and also the earlier opening date.

See also "Heart of the Great Western" - by Adrian Vaughan - Silver Link. This has a signalling bias - and traces the route from Didcot through to Wolvercot - with various notes about how the various lines were operated. Includes various signal box plans - and photographs - again with a signalling bias.

Also see the Signalling Record Society site - under drawings you will find a low resolution diagram for Winchester - they have CD Roms for sale which give sets of high resolution diagrams for the lines concerned.

Russell xpress - british railways operating history - SR part 2 - page 102 - front of box is just about good enough. But that and a small one of the front of the shed are the only two Barnstaple pictures in the book. Middleton Press - branch line to Ilfracombe - very useful picture of rear of box (and on other page front of "A" box - I think this will meet your needs. The other Middleton press books - Exeter/Barnstaple : Taunton/ Barnstaple and the Torrington line all have a number of Barnstaple pictures. Lightmoor press have just issued Taunton - Barnstaple vol 1 - haven't seen it and don't know if it covers junction as well as Victoria road. Bob

If you're after mainly GWR/WR with a Southern influence then probably safer to stay on a GWR line as GWR engines were restricted on a number of non GWR lines because of clearance problems with the cylinders. In the S West the big contenders are Exeter and Plymouth. Exeter St D is hemmed in by the river and perhaps not quite as large as one might think. Bulleid light Pacifics went over most of the far LSWR network - but wherre there were junctions the WR engines were at the small end - eg Launceston (WR trains diverted to SR post nationalisation) would be Prairies and Barnstaple Junction was only Moguls (as far as I know Manors never ot there - if anyone else knows differently please say as I'd be very interested) Moving further East - Oxford was an main engine changing point for North / South workings - so GWR stations between Oxford & Reading would have seen Bullied Pacifics. GWR engines also worked through Salisbury southwards. Barnstaple - Ilfracombe sometimes saw double heading with a GWR/SR mixture. There was also a bit of a WR/SR tangle around Yeovil - and between there and Weymouth.

James Books See also LSWR Country Stations (Ian Allan) - small section on Barnstaple Junction & plan of Town Station. LSWR Engine Sheds has a couple of pages on Barnstaple Junction. British Railways Operating History Vol 3 has a nice photo of West box at the end.