Beaminster Road

The 'Glass half empty brigade' or the common pedant

2012-02-09T07:54:00.000-08:00

There is absolutely nothing wrong with being pedantic, for those that like that sort of thing, that is the sort of thing that they like. There are also people who are keenly enthusiastic about what they see as the indisputable benefits of Esperanto, bi-metalism, decimalisation, primal sound meditation, cranial reflexology and/or nudism. It is a free country and they are entitled to their interests, although normal people tend to avoid them. But what really is wrong in some cases (and especially frequently encountered on the forums) is what Sigmund Freud called the disorder of the narcissist - one who believes that the rest of the world is inferior and inadequate, except for a small coterie he considers similarly perfect, and who are thus included and respected as adjuncts of himself. In its most extreme form the disease takes the form of supercilious condescension towards those who prefer more workable solutions and standards combined with a comical inability by the sufferer to actually achieve anything significant himself, except possibly when producing high-quality models using little more than a ball-point pen and a cheque book.


Crimson Lake

Maroon

Recent public criticism for stating that a certain vehicle was painted maroon, what the pedant failed to disclose was that the actual colour was crimson lake*. More interestingly, crimson lake fades to maroon within a few weeks of exposure to normal sunlight.

Tim

*Page 80 SR Non-passenger luggage vans - David Gould - Oakwood Press

Return of an old friend

2012-02-05T10:55:00.000-08:00

OK, I admit that I am besotted by these models, this is my third but this time it is a keeper. This is Beaminster Road's latest goods loco, a Class 700 from OO Works.

Just a small repair to the tender handrail is needed.

Kernow Model Centre - Bude Signal Box

2012-02-01T14:36:00.000-08:00

Rather than offer an opinion, I prefer that the pictures speak for themselves. Please note that the stairs do not touch the ground and the very fragile downpipe - the broken piece is missing.

Big power on the bank

2012-01-30T10:28:00.000-08:00

Everyone deserves something special and I am no exception, therefore on my layout of a fictional location 'Beaminster Road' there is a need for assistance up the bank towards past Beaminster Road.

This is the Z-class that would have been shedded, like most of the other locos on the layout, at Yeovil Town 72C

Philip's Z-Class

The model is a DMR kit built by Geff Brewin of Comet Models for Philip Ramsay.

Simple is sometimes best

2012-01-28T09:30:00.000-08:00

In the past year, I have tried a combination of numerous buildings that best represent the Southern Railway as I remember it. Whilst most stations on the Yeovil-Exeter line were of the country lodge by William Tite, there were notable exceptions such as Sutton Bingham of which every building was predominately wooden construction.

Beaminster is no exception and I prefer the simpler effect of restraint rather than Tite and the following two images are no exception:-

The shelter is Verwood on the Salisbury and Dorset Junction Railway.

Tim

The mob mentality and anonymity

2012-01-28T01:40:00.000-08:00

The original subject for this post was a classic car club's chat room however similar traits are common to all communities and are based on an analogy of a thesis written in 1994 on 'Urban Conflict in the former Yugoslavian States' and illustrates how human activity can transfer from conflict to forum behaviour.

The recent 'Comment' article by Stuart de Boer in the February issue of Railway Modeller seems to have raised a number of points of interest in respect of the influence (or otherwise) of internet chat rooms. His article has received the expected level of discussion but in many cases the chat rooms themselves fall short on introspection for whatever reason - fear? The greatest fear seems to be coercion by those who hide behind the anonymity of a username.

The question of anonymity on internet chat rooms is analogous with those who attempt to disguise their identity and who lack the commitment to stand behind their comments. It is noticeable that chat rooms which insist on the declaration of the identity of the user never seem to suffer from serious behavioural issues and have little need for moderation or rules. Ironically those chat rooms which allow the identity of the members to be kept secret suffer some of the most intrusive and inconsistent moderation that ignore even their own behavioural guidelines.

Possibly the solution is the total transparency of both the user community and those who manage the chat rooms- why do moderators need to hide their identity and what message does this send to the membership? Those chat rooms which promote and implement total transparency have the confidence to show how decisions are taken and the reasons behind them - this promotes a greater sense of inclusion within the community and in total contrast to chat rooms which chose not to be open to the scrutiny.

Your comments are welcome but try not to be anonymous.

Tim

The 'Ace'

2011-12-25T17:00:00.000-08:00

From the beginning the "ACE" effectively had five destinations, three in Devon and two in Cornwall.

Plymouth, by far the largest city in Devon, was served via Okehampton and Tavistock. The steep gradients and tortuous nature of the route beyond Exeter meant that it was not possible to compete with the Great Western Railway’s "Cornish Riviera Express" in terms of speed, but it was a useful alternative route, particularly for passengers from the South and South East of England, who could make a connection at Salisbury and thus avoid travelling via London.

Okehampton was the junction for the two Cornish destinations: Bude, a small but growing resort on the most northerly part of the Cornish coast; and Padstow, a fishing port at the mouth of the River Camel and the Southern Railway’s most distant outpost, 260 miles from Waterloo. The two portions of the train normally continued together as far as Halwill Junction, where the Bude carriages were detached and the Padstow section turned south to Launceston, skirting the edge of Bodmin Moor before reaching Camelford. A swift descent to Wadebridge followed, through countryside described by Poet Laureate, John Betjeman. The route was completed following the River Camel.

The North Devon portions of the "ACE" followed the route from Exeter Central through Crediton to Yeoford before turning north west and reaching the valley of the River Taw at Lapford. Thereafter the line hugged the river to Barnstaple Junction, the junction for the two North Devon destinations of the "ACE". From here the Torrington portion followed the estuary of the Taw westward to Instow before turning south along the River Torridge to Bideford and its destination of Great Torrington. The portion for Ilfracombe, another port that owes its status as a holiday destination to the coming of the railways, continued northwards. Started from Barnstaple Junction, the branch for Ilfracombe headed north through Barnstaple Town and climbed to Mortehoe before descending steeply to the terminus at Ilfracombe.

Circa 1928 travel article:

“Here let me say a word in praise of the Southern railway’s “ATLANTIC COAST EXPRESS,” the latest flyer on the line. All that modern engineering ingenuity can do to make fast railway travel pleasant and comfortable has been done. Long corridor-coaches, luxuriously appointed, mounted on wonderful smooth-running bogies; little shaded lights over each seat; clean and up-to-date lavatory and washing accommodation; comfortable restaurant cars with inexpensive meals efficiently served; and the whole train hauled at express speed by a monster green locomotive of the “Lord Nelson” or “King Arthur” class – these are the contributions of an enterprising railway management to your holiday pleasures. Moreover, for the small sum of one shilling, you can reserve a seat on the train in advance – an inestimable boon”.

The 1950s marked the highpoint of the "ACE", with the first mile-a-minute timing on the Southern Region (as the Southern Railway had become) with a 12.23 pm arrival in Salisbury, 83 miles from Waterloo. Gradual improvements in schedules continued until the final acceleration in autumn of 1961, when the journey time from Waterloo to Exeter Central came down to 2hr 56min.

The last “Atlantic Coast Express” left Padstow at 11am on the 5^thSeptember 1964, this famous train that had for so long linked London with North Cornwall’s Atlantic Coast ceased to exist. Lines south of Okehampton were closed some two years later and the era of steam and rail travel in much of rural Devon and Cornwall came to an end.


E W Fry/R K Blencowe collection LMS 10000 entering Salisbury on a down WoE train on 16th May 1953

Dapol's LMS 10001

Hornby's Missed opportunity

2011-12-23T05:42:00.000-08:00

The usual frothfest that accompanies Hornby's 2012 releases has ended in débâcle with the premature distribution of Model Rail #165.

And what gems await the Southern? Is there a S15 or a 700 to take advantage of Hornby's excellent tenders or to counterbalance the huge preponderance of goods types enjoyed by the other three companies or are we left with just the Q1 and Bachmann's forthcoming C class? Of course, the answer is that the Hornby cupboard is bare. Instead the only SR items are:

SR Bogie van 'B' (looking very like the Ratio kit)
BR(S) P+P sets, rebuilds of the Maunsell coaches
SR Maunsell Second Open

That is it, just two new items but the old Schools enters the Railroad range with a loco-drive chassis.

The remaining SR items are either paint-jobs or minor modification.

Rebuilt Bulleid Pacific's have DCC sound
M7 and T9 in wartime black
SR Green N15 771 'Sir Sagamore'
BR late totem T9 30313
BR early totem 34001 'Exeter'

Was it worth the wait? The news is less about what has been released as to what has not, certainly no SR goods locomotives but neither are there any SR wagons.

SR Departmental Van

2011-12-21T07:14:00.000-08:00


Airfix Van

It is not too often that one encounters a piece of model railway archaeology but the box containing this Airfix van was marked 1977 and after a new set of Hornby wheels and Kadees, it has cleaned up quite well.

It is an SR standard uneven planked van in departmental livery, I have never seen this model before but it is rather nice.

Useful Information

2011-12-18T02:50:00.000-08:00

A bibliography of older articles that are useful for building a Southern layout:

Frank Crudass

RM 11/68 Building a super-detail tank wagon, pages 336, 337.
RM 08/69 N Class Locomotive 2-6-0 SE&CR Maunsell Design
RM 06/70 LSWR Rail Built Buffer Stop
MRC 06/65 SR Platform barrows
MRC 03/66 Building 30200 - building the Wills 4mm scale kit
MRC 07/66 SR Platform seats
MRC 04-5/67 Modelling the Beattie Well Tank
MRC 07/66 SR Platform seats
MRC 1980 Annual Wadebridge Island Platform

John Charman

MRC 08/71 LSWR Loading Gauge - John Charman describes the prototype and the model

Terry Gough

RM 08/66 Early Southern Coaches Pt1 LBSCR 54ft third
RM 09/66 Early Southern Coaches Pt2 LBSCR Composite and brake third
RM 10/66 Early Southern Coaches Pt3 LSWR 56ft coaches
RM 06/67 Early Southern Coaches Pt4 LSWR Corridor stock
RM 08/67 Early Southern Coaches Pt5 LSWR Ironclads
RM 02/68 Early Southern Coaches Pt6 LSWR Clerestory Restaurant

Frothing the night away

2011-12-16T06:45:00.000-08:00

The Fell, a typical failure

SR 700 Class, ignored by most modellers
© Copyright Ben Brooksbank and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

When perusing the various discussion groups, one cannot help but acquire a feeling of disbelief from the level of discussion. For example a recent thread about the release of a set of pre-grouping coaches has little, if any, serious prototype discussion beyond the various liveries carried and at what period. It would seem that the actual deployment of the prototype throughout their careers has very little relevance to the purchasers who seem determined to create an excuse to run the models in locations that never saw their use.

Therefore, if modellers are disinterested in the deployment and use of the prototype why are they interested in any other aspects of the accuracy of the model? Extrapolate this latter concept to its logical conclusion and it might explain the popularity of three arcane locomotives that spent the majority of their careers working on a remote goods-only branchline and the current froth using this same logic to justify the manufacture of another three arcane locomotives that spent the majority of their careers working on a remote branchline.

Unfortunately for those who have waited (and still wait), in vain, for the release of models representing prototypes that were built in large numbers and worked across the majority of their region, their wait will continue whilst the business plans for the odd and obscure will continue to flourish – mostly to the delight of those whose only contact with steam (and many older traction units) is via the nostalgia industry.

The reality is that decisions are based on the logic of marketing rather than of any prototypical requirement thus the express locomotive and its attending stock will always sell, as will the quirky and illogical choice of bizarre failures which should be best forgotten but are, instead, celebrated by a those within the model railway community who have lost all sense of reality.

Bazzing around Yeovil

2011-12-13T07:24:00.000-08:00

One of the locations supplying motive power to the Salisbury-Exeter line would have been Yeovil Town shed 72C. Here is a selection of locos in the Yeovil area in chronological order, unfortunately the origin of these images is unclear as they were purchased from a long closed local model shop - evidently from John Day.

King Arthur 30453 1959

30587 31.05.60

Sir Hectimere 30798 25.03.62

City of Wells 34092 24.08.62

City of Wells 34092 10.05.64

48525 03.01.65

Mobbing and other tribal activities

2011-12-08T08:35:00.000-08:00

The following comment is an analogy based on a thesis written in 1994 on 'Urban Conflict in the former Yugoslavian States' and illustrates how human activity can transfer from conflict to forum behaviour.

In general, people who post intelligent, balanced and relevant comments are lifeblood to any successful forum discussion. The worst type are anonymous discontented forum users who give vent to their anger or malice. I have seen thousands of comments posted by such people on national websites and it has always made me wonder about the true nature of anonymity. Does it automatically gives you freedom to abuse other people or is it a shield to protect you - from what? Tribal activity is an unfortunate feature of large forums indeed many well established forums are cursed by such behaviour.

Example 1: Mobbing aka the 'feeding frenzy'. Normally a feature of forums which have a fairly substantial proportion of immature males irrespective of actual age, there are many variations such as 'me too' postings. These are often borne by the desire to ingratiate the poster within the peer group. Another variation is to attack an individual irrespective of cause or reason, again fulfilling the basic need to be part of the peer group - particularly common on forums where administration and/or moderation appears to 'approve' of such behaviour.

Example Two. Tribal allegiances, these can be based on any number of demographics and are flexible within the group depending on the individuals needs at a point in time. Thus an individual can approve of concept A in order to gain acceptance within a group but will reject the same concept if the individual seeks approval within another group which rejects the concept.

Example Three. Vindictive or long term grievances. A example recently emerged of a forum member targeting the contributions of another member with whom he held a perceived grievance. Ironically the 'aggrieved' member had been the the architect of the initial issue but by continuing to blame the innocent, he managed to relieve his own suppressed feelings of guilt.

Example Four. Sacred beliefs. This is harder to define but is rather like the emperor's new clothes. Some beliefs are so sacred that any criticism with a forum results in immediate 'mobbing' (see Example 1) as a reaction by those who either believe that the subject is indeed sacred or are prepared to use phrases which are so hackneyed that they become irrelevant to the issue. Within certain communities, belief that the popular magazine/television programme is to all intents and purposes inviolate and that any criticism, however slight, is rejected unless of course, the subject of the criticism in no longer in favour with the peer group.

In summary: Forums are mirrors of society and members take from them what they wish. For some a forum is a place of friendship and an opportunity to exchange and help but for others there is a far darker purpose in which the anonymity of the keyboard provides opportunities to act in ways that would not be acceptable in normal society.

Bottom line: Be prepared to walk away from the keyboard when the keyboard trolls begin their fun and games.

Tim

BWT and B4

2011-12-02T06:21:00.000-08:00

KMC's Beattie Well Tank and SEF's B4 sit still long enough to have their photo taken, unfortunately the usual English winter gloom prevents a better photo and I have yet to master the settings on the Canon G9.

The B4 is a big girl despite the fact that it supposed to be 'only' an 0-4-0t but they were designed to work hard on docksides and I once enjoyed a journey from Winchester to Southampton behind one of the last B4's in service.

Cumbersome old tubs

2011-11-13T12:43:00.000-08:00

In the not too distant future, a trio of SR 4-6-0's will take over the heavy goods traffic on the layout, a pair of Hornby N15's and an upgraded DJH S15.

In spite of the introduction of sixteen 'Nelson' class and forty 'Schools', the 'Arthurs' handled the lion's share of traffic from Dover to Exeter until the advent of 100 Bulleid Pacifics in 1941. Perhaps the London-Exeter road, in particular the Salisbury-Exeter half, was the 'Arthurs' most famous stamping ground. Here. for many years, they reigned supreme, helped out on summer Saturdays by S15's or 'Goods Arthurs' as they became known.

Not as DJH intended but certainly it is low and lean

When the 'what if' becomes reality - what then?

2011-10-28T05:01:00.000-07:00

Not to long ago, I noticed a request for information about what locomotives ‘might have run on the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway’ and although it may be interesting to speculate about the possibilities, surely the reality is keeping sense of proportion, capturing the ‘essence’ of the prototype, understanding the history etc.

Whilst I can understand the interest in ‘might have been' and other peculiar occurrences surely it is a fair point to note that some of these individuals could better expend their energy into getting the details (numbering, weathering etc.) of so-called mundane prototypes correct, such has having the correct number on a 7F or 4F, that matches which side it’s driven from, correct tender etc. For example, I doubt that many folk ‘interested in the S&D’ are aware of the small number of detail differences between MR/LMS 3Fs (aka ‘Bulldogs’) and the S&DJR ones (mainly in sanding gear/arrangements). I bet many will buy a ‘bog standard’ MR’LMS 3F and run it as an ‘S&DJR’ example, without changing the number or anything else on the model. I wonder how many people will change the numbers on their Bachmann 7Fs to one of the (rebuilt) earlier batch, but without checking from which side the driver drove?

We should keep a sense of proportion in these matters and we need to understand the history before the alternative view becomes accepted reality?

Tim

Hornby's new brake

2011-10-19T00:24:00.000-07:00

It seems that everyone has offered a standard BR brake van and here is Hornby's latest offering, a totally new and rather lovely model:

Plain and simple but rather good, some weathering will complete the job to perfection.

Overlooked and taken for granted

2011-10-16T01:51:00.000-07:00

Many everyday parts of he railway infrastructure are 'just there' and merit no second glance let alone close examination.

The Peco buffer stop is just such an example, after all, it is Peco and therefore is despised by those who never have a good thing to say about Peco. However this little piece of essential ironmongery demands our attention because it really is that good at a bargain price.

And less than two quid

Mindful of its slippery plastic nature, I assembled it with UHU contact adhesive, then sprayed it with Halfords plastic primer before a dilute wash with artists acrylic Cinnamon Brown. The next one will have the pegs shortened before assembly so that they are flush with the wooden beam and it still needs further paintwork BUT look at that detail, those bolts, isn't it a little beauty.

I think that it will do, just fine, don't you?

Tim

Improving the track

2011-10-07T03:12:00.000-07:00

Following a recent article on RMweb, I made an attempt to emulate the instructions to improve the appearance of Peco Code 75. As the track had already been laid when the article appeared, I could not remove the web joining the sleepers, however this should be invisible once ballast has been laid, therefore I commenced by painting the track.

As recommended, I used Plasti-Kote, after I had carefully removed any moulding release agent, the result is acceptable but a wash with diluted Tamiya flat earth acrylic is necessary to relieve the monochrome appearance. The rail were were painted with an acrylic Burnt Sienna and a very small pencil brush, tedious but essential in order to highlight the rail and the rail fixtures unfortunately I will have to move the entire station section in order to access the other side of the rails.

Once the paint on the rails were dry, the top surface was revealed with an abrasive rail cleaner (Roco, naturally), the next stage* is to detail the cess and track centre with drainage gulleys before laying the ballast- Woodland Scenics B75 fine grey.

The clump of ballast and glue containers is holding down a sliver of card which will level the base where Bill Jones' beautiful roadbridge will be installed.

*The white bits between the tracks are pieces of card to protect the edges of the ballast at the baseboards joint and it will be painted before laying the ballast.

Rhubarb, Rhubarb

2011-09-21T07:46:00.000-07:00

The Stationmaster's garden is starting to look a little 'greener', the soil is the contents of Clipper brand tea bags (organic, of course) and the fine crop of rhubarb is pre-cut printed paper from Noch. The remaining vegetable beds need filling and a washing line planted in the garden, unfortunately, the Anderson Shelter is almost hidden.

A few chooks for pest control, the usual garden detritus and a broom outside the shelter for keeping it tidy.

I think that I will call it a day.

The stationmaster's garden

2011-09-17T03:23:00.000-07:00

As located on the layout, the stationmaster's house straddles a baseboard joint, rather than re-position the building a left-field solution is to make both the house and garden as a removable unit which has the additional bonus of being available for display at events.

The base is a tray of balsa and ply, this allows the Anderson shelter to be correctly buried for half its depth and for a nice base for the vegetable garden. The house is designed to removable from the base and located by hardwood strips which the house 'plugs' onto - the joint between house and base will be hidden by static grass. See below:

Keep Calm and Carry On

2011-09-14T03:26:00.000-07:00

Woman: "Is it all right now, Henry?"
Man: "Yes, not even scratched."
Sidney Strube, Daily Express (November, 1940)

In November 1938, Chamberlain placed Sir John Anderson in charge of Air Raid Precautions (ARP). He immediately commissioned the engineer, William Patterson, to design a small and cheap shelter that could be erected in people's gardens. Within a few months nearly one and a half million of what became known as Anderson shelters were distributed to people living in areas expected to be bombed by the Luftwaffe.

Made from six curved sheets bolted together at the top, with steel plates at either end, and measuring 6ft 6in by 4ft 6in (1.95m by 1.35m) the shelter could accommodate six people. These shelters were half buried in the ground with earth heaped on top. The entrance was protected by a steel shield and an earthen blast wall. Anderson shelters were given free to poor people. Men who earned more than £5 a week could buy one for £7. Soon after the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939, over 2 million families had shelters in their garden, by the time of the Blitz this had risen to two and a quarter million.

Anderson shelters were dark and damp and people were reluctant to use them at night. In low-lying areas they tended to flood and sleeping was difficult as they did not keep out the sound of the bombings. Another problem was that the majority of people living in industrial areas did not have gardens where they could erect their shelters.The stationmaster at Beaminster Road still uses his shelter but now it is used for the storage of his garden tools and somewhere to store his potatoes. Above the station on Clapton Hill, there is another reminder of the recent war, a pillbox and a line of tank traps- common features in the South, erected when England was under threat of invasion.

Somewhere worth modelling

2011-09-04T09:04:00.000-07:00

Everyday you might drive past something that you take for granted until you realise that it is unique or at least so interesting that it needs to modelled- this is one such location, Jim Hatch's filling station in West Wellow on the A36. Some recent newcomers to Wellow regard Jim's establishment as unsightly and not 'in keeping' with the New Forest but as it has been there longer than most of them have been alive, I prefer Jim's place to stay as is.

I like the temporary drainpipe

The station buildings - completed

2011-08-31T12:52:00.000-07:00

The problem with fictional layouts is the lack of a prototype to follow whilst ensuring the plausibility of the model and to make matters worse, it is exacerbated by the need to follow the prototype's key features. On a light-hearted note, really serious railway enthusiasts tend to be a 'very matter of fact' brigade with a glass that is nearly always half empty, and one hot under the collar armchair expert has already pointed out that the 'house style' of the SW Mainline has been ignored (?)

The station buildings utilise many sources, the main building is Downton whilst ancillary structures are drawn from all over the former LSWR. Now that the building placement has been agreed, the buildings will be removed until the main blocks of scenery are in place, then further work on detailing the platforms and signal runs before the final fixing of the buildings.

Tim

Welcome visitor

2011-08-31T09:26:00.000-07:00

Well, that was a surprise. All of a sudden Britannia stealthily entered Salisbury bringing lots of happy people from Southend-on-Sea to one of the South's most beautiful cities. Unusually Britannia wore a cloak of plain black rather the usual BR green but it was still imposing and no less attractive.

Tim

Finally (well almost) finished

2011-08-30T09:32:00.000-07:00

Well, that's just about it, flashing around the chimney bases and the canopy valence repainted- much better.

Certainly not a copy of Chandlers Ford although you can see the obvious heritage, more importantly it looks like an exLSWR structure. But here's the rub- I have arrived at the point when I can replace the various Wills, Scenecraft and other kit built structures with scratchbuilt buildings.

This provided me with a dilemma, what to do with all the buildings that are now surplus? I have offered them to a local modeller without any success and unfortunately, EBay always provides the answer of what to do with unwanted items and the surplus buildings are off to a new home.

Tim

Expo unpleasantness

2011-08-28T07:45:00.000-07:00

It had been a while since I last met one of these, then at the Warley Show, there it was -the rancid, festering odour of the truly socially inept sad act that is the Sheepdip: those who seem to find the simple process of washing, bathing or personal cleanliness in the realm of theoretical physics. The aforesaid person was not readily apparent on this occasion, these was merely a brief pause as the nostrils received a severe kicking and then the pleasant, refreshing influx of clean air.

Normally the Sheepdip will be dressed in a similarly dishevelled manner: a mix of dingy browns and greys, frayed cuffs, unpolished shoes, holed trousers, generally ill-fitting garb. It is not as if water is particularly expensive in this country, let's face it, enough of it falls out of the sky for free or that internal bathroms are rare treats only for the privileged. So, just what is the problem? The Beano or Dandy stereotype of scruffy pre-teen oik loathing water is not appropriate on this occasion. One is tempted to suggest that enough soil could be scraped off said person (NBCD suit advisable here) one might find a 'mature' person under there. That's mature as in well developed blue cheese. It is precisely this sort of social ineptness that gives us all a bad name, reinforcing the view that railways are only for the terminally sad. Looking around, one has to wonder what is it about railways that makes them such idiot magnets?

One has to feel sorry for traders. Just where has that suspiciously warm 2p piece been? Why is it so polished? How long has it been there? Just what is the earthly purpose of these people? It's not as if they are any use in clearing space around the exhibits (unlike one gentlemen's reputed ability to fart upon request) They smell like a sheepdip and could do with being put through a sheepdip. One feels like forming a (long stick) pressure group to rid the hobby of such people. Moreover, some exhibitors can be like this. One crew, according to rumour, only used to take one change of clothes for an entire weekend and were supposedly capable of finding six ways of wearing underwear. I can only think of four (normal, back to front, inside out and inside out back to front) but have only tried one.

With thanks to the editor of The Oily Rag

Weathered buildings

2011-08-19T04:45:00.000-07:00

It is unusual to see weathered rolling stock but never weathered buildings but surely buildings are subject to the same wind, rain and grime- apparently not. However here is one building weathered with Rowney ink, against a pristine example. It would a challenge to replicate flaky and bubbling paint.

and the untouched example

Couplings and Weights for successful wagon coupling

2011-08-18T06:49:00.000-07:00

Couplers do not always have to be mounted on kinetic close couplings- Kadee's Euro coupling by virtue of its additional pivot can be rigidly mounted on short wagons:

Bachmann wagon, not the recessed position of the NEM box

If required, the wagon can be retro-fitted with these couplings by using a combination of Parkside/Chivers mounts and Bachmann NEM boxes - 36-027

Parkside/Chivers Mount

There are a profuse number of RTR couplings available to the modeller and although I am not about to provide a critique on their relative merits, a few words on the implications of weight in their use might be appropriate.

Most, if not all RTR European couplings rely on an upward movement to disengage the couplers, only the Kadee and its copiers rely on magnet force to separate the couplers. However this is not the issue, instead some couplers require a certain amount of force to ensure successful coupling engagement, certainly the Fleischmann Profi-coupling and the Kadee is such an example. I think the problem is the need to 'shakehands' and open the Kadee and Fleischmann jaws whilst other couplers merely relies on a slight lift to the locking hook. Therefore, if using Kadee or Fleischmann couplers the stock really needs some weight, this is the solution used by the NMRA and they know a thing or three about using couplers.

My problems are the free-rolling of the modern Bachmann and Hornby wagons which are the very devil to shunt and given the choice of an appropriate amount of 'heft' or external friction, I chose the former.

Weights by Irvine, wagon by Roco

After a bit of fumbling with fishing weights, I ventured forth to buy some weights from the local model (flying) aircraft shop. Made by Irvine they are self-adhesive iron tablets and individually weigh 5gms. Using the newly acquired PO scales, I calculated that six (30gms) would double the weight of most Bachmann open wagons except the Sealions that already tip the scales at 80gms.

The result is astounding, the wagons sit beautifully on the track, no more wobble and each coupling/uncoupling is as smooth as silk. The wagons no longer chase the loco or dance away like timid ballerinas. Am I satisfied? Of course I am because shunting is at the heart of the new layout and now it is fully functioning just by adding some weight. According to Model Railroader the following two formulae:

HO scale: 30gms plus 15gms per 25mm of length
N scale: 15gms plus 7gms per 25mm of length

Click for link to NMRA standards

One more image - the result of cutting away the baseboard surface and fitting Kadee 308 subroad uncouplers- the covering is good quality manilla paper.

Location, location, location

2011-08-17T10:45:00.000-07:00

It is common to associate finescale modelling primarily with track and wheel standards and forget about all the other areas of modelling that benefit from the same approach to fidelity. The integrated wheel profile and track standards clearly set finescale apart from coarse toy-like standards, dimensionally and in 'appearance' but beyond this is there still a 'difference' ? Well, yes and no-you are still modelling in OO but the philosophy behind wanting to model in finescale permeates into the buildings, scenery, operation and layout construction as well.

This approach is not just about wheels and track. This is not a contradiction but an acknowledgement that adherence to accurate wheel and track dimensions is just one aspect of a holistic approach to the whole business of finescale modelling. Instead, finescale is really a quest for authenticity. We are, after all, striving to recreate in miniature a small part of a complex organism set in a defined place and usually in a certain timeframe and season (why we do it is another subject altogether!) The key elements are research, observation and attention to detail and by development and application of 'best practice' techniques, these are turned into a model of a railway landscape or better still, a model of a landscape that contains a railway.

Sometimes attention to detail is denigrated as 'rivet counting' and whilst it is always possible to take it to extremes, the underlying desire for authenticity and realism remains valid. It is those little details and touches, perhaps insignificant in isolation, which combine almost subliminally to produce those locomotives and layouts which are truly convincing and yet you cannot always put your finger on exactly why.

For a locomotive, the best solution is always to check photographs and records of the particular example you are modelling at the time you are modelling so that you get the correct smoke deflectors, chimney, lanterns, livery details and so on. Similar research applies to coaches and wagons. As for the other 'little details and touches' that contribute to that overall 'finescale effect', here are just a few checklists:

Does the model convey a sense of time?

Locomotives, rolling stock and buildings in the correct livery combinations for the period.
Appropriate clothing of passengers and other figures.
Road vehicles, commerce, industry and agricultural practices correct for the timeframe.
If modelling a season, the right plants, agricultural conditions (no harvesters in springtime)

Does the model convey a sense of place (i.e. can you tell the location without looking at the trains)

Consider vernacular architecture and building materials, especially in earlier times
Local topographic features (see the image below)
Regional place and business names
Plausible goods traffic, research local products
Correct breeds of local livestock

Does it look and perform like a real railway?

Plausible track plan and correct signalling (often easier on a model of a real location rather than freelance)
Correct trains (appropriate coach formations, wagons and wagon loads-remember minerals went one way and empty the other) study working timetables, carriage working notices, local industries.
Proper train and shunting movements with realistic speeds and smooth stopping and starting.
Look for the commonplace rather than the unusual, even if the unusual is more interesting.

At the end of the day, of course, this approach is not everyone's cup of tea. It is just a hobby and the most important thing is that you get pleasure and fulfilment out of your own particular approach. But if you want true authenticity however simple or complex the project, then you are already thinking like a finescale modeller.

South Somerset 'Sunken Lane'

Thanks to the Scalefour Society from which this article was adapted.

Coming together

2011-08-17T10:03:00.000-07:00

After more than a few false dawns, a plan of sorts is beginning to emerge- the station needs to be very small, in turn this dictates a small type of building- the station master's house need not be part of the main structure but can be adjacent to rather than adjoining.

This cluster of lovely buildings is coming together as a group- it still needs additional details and weathering but it is starting to look right.

Another Side

2011-08-15T06:41:00.000-07:00

For over twenty five years, I did not make any attempt to model the railway of my childhood, instead I built a succession of HO layouts based on a German theme. The experience took me across the channel and on three occasions I was privileged to be invited to the prestigious Intermodellbau event held in Dortmund. The image below was captured by a member of the MOBA team when I took my layout for the first visit to Dortmund, a very happy event and I will always be grateful to Frank and Martin, without whom I could not have attended the show.

The image shows a Class G3/4N of the KBayStsB made by Christian Fuchs, it is entering the hidden section of the layout- Schleching.

Fuchs G3/4

Thanks to Chris Nevard

The last time that I was invited to the wonderful Dortmund Intermodellbau, I took Grafenwalde, a small lokalbahn terminus. The photos below were taken by the great modeller, Frank Forsten- better known as Stahlbahn

This layout provided a great deal of pleasure and is remembered as being reliable and great fun to operate.

Tim

The real Chandlers Ford

2011-08-15T06:30:00.000-07:00

I make no apologies for posting this out of sequence but I found this image hidden in an old file, unfortunately I do not remember who supplied the view but it is the best that I have ever seen.

Chandlers Ford-source unknown

Strong's Country

2011-08-14T00:08:00.000-07:00

The hoardings advertising Strong's of Romsey were an integral part of the lineside imagery of the former British Railways (Southern Region)

As iconic as the first glimpse of Salisbury's spire or Bournemouth's yellow trolley buses, you knew that you were in the right part of the country when your train passed the Strong's sign.

Wagons for Beaminster

2011-08-12T22:57:00.000-07:00

A welcome gift from Mike Hitchin was three wonderful kit built wagons:

Parkside PalVan


Parkside LNER Van


Ratio Engineering Open

Also in the goods yard, an old Mainline tank wagon bought on Ebay and updated.

Mainline 14t tank wagon

A compliment to Mike's lovely LNER van, the latest version from Bachmann

Bachmann LNER Van

Limited choices for tiny stations

2011-08-08T09:27:00.000-07:00

When building any model railway, there are restrictions (available space and choice of subject) which impact upon the available options- if less than 6m is available to use and 4mm is the chosen scale, the types of stations are limited to those which have a platform length of no more than 1,52m or 115m in real life, this allows the use of a loco plus four coaches - hardly mainline but suitable for a local stopping service on the South West mainline.

In turn, this affects the size of the station buildings and the only really small station on the chosen route was Sutton Bingham near East Coker in Somerset. Rather than the usual William Tite edifice, the station was no more than two adjoining single story wooden structures aligned at right angles to the track and unlike any other station on the line. It should be remembered that this is to be a fictional 'might have been location', built by local contractors, should the rules apply and the station be another William Tite building?

Therefore any choice of station is restricted by size but should it follow the same style? Apart from Sutton Bingham, there were other single story stations on the LSWR which might be used as inspiration, examples such as the ubiquitous Chandlers Ford or Downton- both from Hampshire whilst other small stations may include Moreton or Holton Heath both in Dorset. Whatever the choice is should have the essential quality of being a station recognisable as such by containing parts of other LSWR structures.

Downton by Bill

Tim

A crossing keeper's cottage

2011-08-07T07:56:00.000-07:00

Wyke Crossing

This is the crossing keeper's cottage at Wyke, between Sherborne and Yeovil Junction. It is typical of many such structures built by the LSWR for railway employees and it is the basis of both single and double designs that could be found from Surrey to Cornwall. Only two external doors at either end of the building, a very narrow building only one room deep, it must have been very cramped quarters. Note the rendered west and south faces as protection against the prevailing rain from the southwest.

(another) New station building

2011-08-06T10:20:00.000-07:00


Some progress but no cigar

Not finished but certainly getting there, the canopy supports need to be fabricated and the barge boards need to be fitted. It does look like Chandlers Ford but only if you don't know Chandlers Ford. Oh, and the platform wall looks nice, too.

And this was Chandlers Ford in the 1900's

A cruel enlargement

Tim

Temporary placement

2011-08-04T03:43:00.000-07:00

When creating a factional (fiction based on fact) concept, not every first move is correct and a few draft proposals need to be tried. There is no difference with a model railway, the concept is a small station on the SW Mainline located on the cusp of Dorset/Somerset- the size of available space dictates the size of the station and this is very small.

If some assumptions are made, structures can be used to create a harmonious, therefore pleasing, station area:

1. Too insignificant to have been designed by William Tite
2. Mixture of local building style and LSWR standard small structures
3. Standard use of colours and materials

This is the first cut:


Looking West


Looking East Without the station masters house but using the new double station building

This will be left in place to get a feel of how the structures work together- would the railway company have created something similar? One feature that already causes me a problem is proximity of the buildings, they are too far apart- they tend to huddle together in real life.

The other doubt is the size of the stationmaster's house, whilst the LSWR did provide living accommodation appropriate to the seniority of the staff (the paying passengers were provided with a wooden hut) is the current building too large for the layout?

Tim

Super power for the ACE

2011-07-30T03:44:00.000-07:00

If modelling a station on the SW mainline, one could hardly ignore Bulleid's finest creation, his Pacifics for the Southern Railway hauling the Atlantic Coast Express.

Hornby's City of Wells brings back memories of the last steam powered express line in Britain- the Bournemouth to Waterloo.

The Meldon

2011-07-30T03:14:00.000-07:00

Lima Walrus

Eight of these venerable wagons were the limit for a Bulleid light Pacific - whilst N-class moguls could only manage six on the South West mainline.

Bachmann Sealion

Meldon quarry was the LSWR's main source of stone ballast, a regular source of traffic on the London-Plymouth route, now truncated at Okehampton. Most ballast trains ran at night to Woking, the SR's permanent way distribution point, the main motive power was N-class, N15's and S15's, finally Bulleid light Pacific's.

Hornby Shark

More buildings for Beaminster

2011-07-29T12:27:00.000-07:00

Wills and Scenecraft


Peco, Wills and Knightwing

Wills, Peco and Scenecraft

For the past few years both Hornby and Bachmann have produced some excellent stock for those of the Southern persuasion, what is missing is the infrastructure of Southern Railway buildings. However not is all lost, there are a few excellent books that provide plans and views of buildings, whilst amongst the archives of Railway Modeller and Model Railway Constructor there are a few gems to be found- John Charman and Frank Crudass were prolific contributors to both magazines, the latter featuring his layout Wadebridge.

Frank Crudass

RM 11/68 Building a super-detail tank wagon, pages 336, 337.
RM 08/69 N Class Locomotive 2-6-0 SE&CR Maunsell Design
RM 06/70 LSWR Rail Built Buffer Stop
MRC 06/65 SR Platform barrows
MRC 03/66 Building 30200 - building the Wills 4mm scale kit
MRC 07/66 SR Platform seats
MRC 04-5/67 Modelling the Beattie Well Tank
MRC 07/66 SR Platform seats
MRC 1980 Annual Wadebridge Island Platform

John Charman

MRC 08/71 LSWR Loading Gauge - John Charman describes the prototype and the model

Skaledale

Change is the only constant

2011-07-23T09:49:00.000-07:00

After three false starts, there seems to be some sense of normality - the brief but expensive excursion onto the S&DJR has proved to be another and the project to create a model railway based on somewhere in the West Country seems to have to have turned full circle back to the South Western mainline.

The removal of the bay platform and re-instatement of the typical exLSWR goods yard was a defining moment in the long saga, this time the uncouplers have been installed so that whatever the next episode at least there is some progress.

The constant problem is to fit a plausible scene into a small area, this can only be achieved by choosing the most simple of plans- there are virtually no prototype locations on the South West mainline that can offer any inspiration except Sutton Bingham and most of the William Tite station buildings are simply too imposing.

Finding a plausible location and using a smaller station building from another location may well be the only answer.

A whitemetal dinosaur

2011-07-06T12:07:00.000-07:00

Wills Finecast 02 Class

Not everyone's first choice of the ideal loco but Frank Crudass did a pretty tidy job of building one of these models in the 60's and why not? Unfortunately this model arrived with the type of chassis that Frank did not utilise but technology has progressed so a nice South East Finecast etched chassis and multiple reduction gearbox is the modern equivilant.

Wills 02 chassis with Tri-ang X04 and Romford gears.

SR parcels vans

2011-06-28T11:34:00.000-07:00

Tri-ang Utility Van

Ratio Bogie B Van

Some months ago, I started to rebuild a pair of SR vans for the parcels traffic, both have been heavily modified. The Ratio van was only fit for the scrap bin (see below) but new bulkheads and MJT bogies have made a big difference, the 40 year old Tri-ang utility van is incorrect but the Roxey detailing set does make a big difference.

With thanks to Brian Mosby. of Mozzer Models and Neil Kinison.

After the bulkheads were fitted

Trackplan change

2011-06-10T23:44:00.000-07:00

From the outset, the inclusion of a bay platform was inappropriate as was the entry to the goods yard by a leading turnout. It was obvious that some changes to the trackplan were needed and the opportunity was taken to remove the bayplatform and to increase the scope of the sidings.

Other exLSWR locations provided a good deal of inspiration to the project, the obvious changes are a headshunt and a new roadbridge will provide access to the station on both sides of the track.

My version of reality

2011-06-03T08:15:00.000-07:00

During the railway mania of the mid-19th century, many schemes were proposed by land owners, local communities and speculators alike. The LSWR proposed two routes to Exeter from Basingstoke, the northern -Yeovil- route and a more southern route that was an extension of 'Castleman's Corkscrew' that ran through Dorchester. The northern route prevailed due to the GWR Weymouth line preventing any further expansion of the LSWR line westwards from Dorchester. However, the speculators had purchased land at locations of possible stations and the large parcel of land adjacent to the track at Wayford Hill is one of the few traces of a 'might have been' route.

Wayford - site of the station

And this is the reality:

Wayford Hill Bridge looking west, note the large parcel of 'railway land'

The station would have been very small, possibly serving no more than a cluster of communities at Wayford, Clapton, Broadwindsor and Beaminster, the latter being the only of any size.

Wayford Hill Bridge -Looking South to Beaminster

No doubt, the station would have suffered the same fate as those which closed during the rationalisation in the 60's but I have added a Ministry of Supply depot to justify its existence.

Thanks to Tim Maddocks for his inspiration

New station buildings

2011-03-12T09:41:00.000-08:00

A collection of wooden huts - soon to be joined by a bigger booking office and a stationmaster's house.

SR Brake Van

2011-03-06T02:42:00.000-08:00

With today's welcome announcement of an SR 25t 'Pillbox' Brake Van from Bachmann, I thought that a photo of an old Tri-ang exLBSCR example would not go amiss. This is a latter Chinese-made example in BR livery, not much to add to the model except to file off the location tabs and fill in the holes, then a heavy weathering- the roof was 'textured' with Heki road paint and everything received washes of very dilute acrylic black. The final work was to cut off the couplers and fit Kadee #5's.

The signalman's pride and joy

2011-02-19T02:18:00.000-08:00

The machine is supposed to be an ex-Don R BSA M20 499cc side valve. After demob, the signalman at Beaminster bought it for just £4/19s/11d from Pride and Clarkes on Stockwell Road. The photo is a cruel enlargement, the model is no more than 24mm long however I think that the canvas holdalls are pretty neat.
A more comprehensive guide can be found here: BSA M20/21

Isn't she lovely?

2011-02-17T08:51:00.000-08:00

The eagerly awaited Stove R from Hornby magazine has finally arrived. A very nice model which captures the prototype well, it will find a home on the layout.

Dapol Stove R

First steps - EM in 1990

2011-02-11T16:07:00.000-08:00

This was Alderholt, a layout based on Daggons Road station on the old Salisbury and Dorset Junction Railway, which ran from Alderbury Junction to West Moors- neither of which still exist. The layout was built in EM with SMP track and PCB turnouts, operated by wonderful H&M turnout motors, it still exists under new ownership.

Local roadside furniture

2011-01-27T15:02:00.000-08:00

South Somerset has some distinctive features that need to be part of any layout that attempts to depict the area, not least are these two items of street furniture- the signpost is all cast metal and can be replicated in 4mm by Dart Castings excellent offering. The same applies to the rural postbox which has begun to lean down the hill towards Sutton Montis.

Platforms and Fiddle Yard- at last

2011-01-17T10:10:00.000-08:00

At long last the platforms and fiddle yard are in place, not an easy job but at least a start is made on the scenic bits, the next task is the create the profile boards for the landscape- using foam board.

exLSWR Push Pull

2010-11-28T12:10:00.000-08:00

It is an old Blacksmith Models kit from Dave Smith of the much missed Cove Models. Various improvements include Roxey bogies and Dave's twiddly bits together with Bill Bedford rigid couplings which cause the set to derail on crossovers. The passengers are Preiser, even in HO they had to be modified to fit.

The excellent long-frame Hornby M7 can easily cope with these coaches even though they are all-brass and consequently very heavy.

A genuine exLSWR Signal Box

2010-10-07T13:56:00.000-07:00

Finally, a genuine LSWR signal box and though it really is unique to Wadebridge, its standard LSWR design can be used for inspiration for Beaminster Road. For whatever reason, the Scenecraft model uses salmon pink and green and it is an evening's enjoyable work to overpaint with a very pale cream for the later Southern Railways colour scheme. The lamp store is a part of an accessories kit from Auhagen.

A set of MSE rodding and pulleys are ready for installation, hopefully the operating semaphores will be the next instalment if there is any interest?

More to follow........................

A simple trackplan

2010-08-19T09:02:00.000-07:00

The rather simple trackplan follows exLSWR practice with a single point of entry to the goods yard via a trailing turnout..

The signalling is also rather simple, there is not enough length for distant signals, so home and ground signals protect the exits.

Operation

Limited shunting, in both directions, is possible using the train loco with the wagon to be dropped-off being positioned immediately behind the tender, whilst picking up wagons involves uncoupling the brake van and backing into the relevant siding to collect the wagon.

Like the real exLSWR, the majority of traffic is passenger with three trains in each direction with both through and local passenger trains..

Building details

2010-07-18T13:36:00.000-07:00


Hinton Admiral 1

Hinton Admiral Two

Wareham 1


Wareham 2

Canopies are often attached to station buildings but not many model canopies reflect the prototype. These are typical exLSWR buildings on the Southampton-Weymouth route. Whilst the two examples below are from Gillingham.

Gillingham Forecourt

Support detail

Beach huts ahoy

2010-07-01T07:21:00.000-07:00

Martyn Welch used Chandlers Ford as inspiration for his wonderful Hursley layout in the 80's, as plagiarism is not yet a crime, I can do no better than to copy his lead in the creation of a station for Beaminster Road. However not having Martyn's skills or access to any information about Chandlers Ford, I fell back on kit bashing two Wills station buildings with the addition of a canopy and other details differences.


The original

The start

The inner wall is essential

Half way through the project, an additional inner wall prevents the front and real walls from bending inwards

Maybe not the most auspicious of beginnings but there is potential for a building that is a good enough representation of the station of Chandlers Ford - unfortunately prototype photos are few and far between.

Why not build something different? The problem is limited choice, only Sutton Bingham is a similar size as the available space and this was a pair of wooden huts placed at right-angles to the track, so a pair of big beach huts, as beloved, by the Southern Railway seems wholly appropriate for the layout.

After a very long hiatus (waiting for the glue to dry) another restart on my version of Chandlers Ford station building - At least the roof panels now fit where they touch but the assembly seems far more rigid than the original wobbly collection of pieces that graced the workbench a year ago.

The next step is to measure a build a suitable canopy for the station, a Peco platform shelter will provide the valance but I am not sure where to source the columns and wall brackets. After all the major pieces are in place, the painting can be completed and the details fitted - I have some very nice etched telephone brackets and some posh rainwater collectors to use.

It will be OK when it is finished.

The canopy is part of an old Peco kit, the top valence is a Plastruct L shape, not sure how to replicate the supports, maybe something fancy?


Getting there, just a few more hours of detailing

Tim

The Ministry of Supply Store

2010-06-09T12:44:00.000-07:00

The private siding goes to the storage facility erected during WW2 by the Ministry of Supply, these were known as 'buffer' stores and were located in quite locations near to larger towns for the storage of essential supplies. Always rail-connected, many still exist but no longer connected.

Even the acquisition of the building was a nightmare, it originated in the Nederlands, was purchased from Elburn, Illinois and finally sent from Wisconsin to Dorset. The kit was best described as challenging, none of the major components were straight and some serious modification was needed to create something acceptable. The roof panels were replaced with 1mm plywood and the centre roof seam is a strip of PCB sleeper, I still need to fit a roof access ladder and some suitable Ministry of Supply notices but otherwise I am pleased.

Utilitarian carbuncle