Chris Chewter

Various modelling supplies have arrived including some model corrugated asbestos sheets from Wills. I can now put a lid on the signal box. I normally use the clear sheets which gives a nice thin profile, but didn’t want the roofs being damaged by poking fingers, so went for the normal stuff, and it’s really thick! Although it’s easier to cut than I remember. Hopefully when weathered and painted, it’ll look alright. I couldn’t get going with the station roof just yet. I had some glazing to sort out. This is Humbrol clear fix applied from the inside of the kit. The cloudiness seems to clear as it dries. Ive also taken delivery of some Ratio platforms and track work, so hopefully can make good progress over the bank holiday weekend coming up.

The fireman watches the photographer with interest whilst the rest of the crew sort the train ready for departure.

One of the crew appear to be assisting the guard to fully release vacuum from the cylinders under the coach. I guess they might have been dragging on the way down.

The fireman leans leisurely against the south ground frame, waiting for the driver to finally get the loco into the headshunt!

More progress with the station building over the weekend. I hadn’t appreciated how visible the gap would be behind the fascia without a soffit board. No worries, coffee stirrers to the rescue! That looks better. Now the stanchions are on, its starting to look like the images.

1664 pulls in with a train from Kemble

More progress on the station building. Brickwork painted and windows glued in position. Glazing and concrete frame next.

A quiet Sunday morning view of The Splash by the railway.

Its easy to forget just how much horses were still used, although I think this was rapidly starting to diminish in the early 60s.

Put the station building together and it slotted together as expected. It really reflects the utilitarian appearance of the structure. The opening photos of the station shows it to have originally been rendered, but that soon fell off to reveal some massive red blocks! Where to tabs show through the elevation, this is to be covered by strips to represent the buildings concrete frame.

Very excited to find the laser cut station I designed had arrived after being put through Intentio’s laser cutter. I was going to make a start on it last night, but family life got in the way. Looking forward to making a start over the weekend.

In between trains, the station falls quiet. Just the gentle mumblings of passengers awaiting the next arrival.

The ratio signal box interior arrived plus a few extras from Modelu. These have been sprayed black, painted and fitted. Looking at the photos on the website, the signal box interior appears to have a lower blue band with red line. I’ve not done the neatest job but I’m not sure it’ll even be noticeable when the roofs on! Now to put a lid on it. I’ll save painting the Bobby until the weekend.

Over at the rope walk, a photographer is seen lining up a shot.

Took a delivery yesterday of what first looked like a giant toblerone, but alas no chocolate. Turned out to be the plans back from the printers. Looks like if I truncate the bridge, that’ll bring it down to 7ft. I just need the baseboards to arrive so I can see whether I need to shorten the bit between the platform and bridge, or shorten the platforms, or a bit of both. There’s obviously a drawing error somewhere as the gap between the platforms is narrow, so that’ll have to be widened. Hopefully they’ll prove to be a good starter.

And off to Kemble they head, with the driver keeping a lookout on the right hand curve, or is he praying for the fireman to supply enough pressure?

With the right away granted, they can make their way towards their destination of Kemble.

A bit of progress made with the signal box last night. I need to sort out a few bits on it before fitting the interior, like the odd bit of over painting, and painting the bricks. The roof is to be swapped for some wills corrugated asbestos sheets, as it seems to have received an asbestos roof rather than the usual tiled roof. I need to put a pack on order but I'm waiting for the station building to arrive so that I can calculate how many packs I need. So for the moment, the laser cut roof is held on by a blob of blu-tac, just for the photo.

Signal box started. It’s an adapted LCut creative kit which has been chopped to match the box at Carterton. And before you say it, I know the porchway should be further to the rear of the box. It’s located here because moving it required too much adaptation of the kit. And a photo against a photo of real thing.

The driver better hurry up, the station master is checking his watch!

Trying to do a colour match on the signal box. It’s looking like the GWR light and dark stone combination to me, just a bit faded. It’s not cream on the left, that’s for certain.

With the sun shining, I decided to do a quick trip to the station site. The bridge itself is fairly wide. Probably from the days when this was the main road between Black Bourton and Carterton before it was blocked by the airbase expansion. A quick look at the bridge sides. And a glance over the top to imagine a pannier blasting its way towards us under the bridge heading for Bampton. As you can see, nature has taken back the allotments on the right, and the station is obscured. It would be to the right of the track to the top of the photo. Interestingly, the wing walls are an odd mix of stone and brick. Whilst not a lot can be seen, pleasingly, both pedestrian access gates can still be found. But it’s been a while since any passengers descended these steps! The other gate was obscured by a lot of overgrowth, but you can make out the two posts and steps... just! Nothing of the site can be seen from the main road. And something tells me, visitors aren’t that welcome unless they have a prior appointment. Would railway research be classified as a good reason? If you follow the old road along its original course towards Carterton, you end up facing this. The runway at Brize Norton was lengthened and truncated the road between Carterton and Black Bourton. The road ran along here and under the right of the Hercules, and past the tree line in the far distance. Looks like this model will be based mainly from historic photos and maps. Let’s see if I can capture the essence of this station.

A close up from yesterdays photo. The driver oils whilst the fireman watches on.

9759 stands ready at the head of the next service train. The driver has taken the chance to inspect the loco whilst the fireman watches on.

Martin Loader has created an amazing website documenting the history of the line. Cassington can be found here: http://www.fairfordbranch.co.uk/Cassington.htm The Carterton page can be found here showing what I'm attempting to recreate. http://www.fairfordbranch.co.uk/Carterton.htm Note the coloured photos. The black and white images would suggest that station building was an austere grey, but appears to be a frame with a brick coloured infill, although looking at the size of them, they're not bricks! The most detailed historic plan showing building dimensions and locations, was recorded after the track was lifted. However the track plan is a simple loop. Freight was either thrown onto a van whilst the train was in the platform, or sent to Bampton which was a couple of miles in the Oxford direction, so should be simple to locate. The resized O/S gives dimensions of 8ft by 2ft, but that's too big for what I'm after. If I close the gap between the signal box and the overbridge, and reduce the station platforms, I should be able to compress this into a 6ft board, which will be more transportable. Hopefully the compression will not affect the appearance too much. I was going to straighten out the over bridge on the mode, but given that I'm also compressing the model, I can't help but feel that its too much of a departure from reality. Would anyone really notice?