4mm Podimore: constructing a scene

[AJC]

No work or wiring to report, but I've just stumbled across a new image from Roger Joanes on Flickr. Yes, the image is of one of the most photographed van trains ever, on the last day of Southern steam, but it highlights some of the boundary country nature of the railway I'm building: SR loco on a WR route, sure, but look at the S&T fittings. That's a GWR wooden post with an SR pattern upper quadrant arm and mechanism with a Reading style relay box and an SR (Westinghouse) box next to that. I'm not sure that Podimore can run to any of this (though maybe the branch terminus at Ilchester could) - a starter and a shunt signal is all you're getting and both will be LSW/SR in style - but I just love the combination.

Yeovil Pen Mill. 34052 departing with freight train. 9.7.67 by Roger Joanes, on Flickr

Adam

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

I've noticed from photographs the Southern Region were quite adept at updating some of the Western Region infrastructure to their standards once they assumed control.

Witness the two SR style rail built signals on the 'main line' and (possibly) the concrete lamp post at Maiden Newton (one of my dad's slides from 1961/2).

 

[AJC]

I've noticed from photographs the Southern Region were quite adept at updating some of the Western Region infrastructure to their standards once they assumed control.

Witness the two SR style rail built signals on the 'main line' and (possibly) the concrete lamp post at Maiden Newton (one of my dad's slides from 1961/2).
View attachment 145338

Note that the Southern painted everything green, presumably not pre-faded, too. Maiden Newton gained a concrete Exmouth Junction footbridge along with the lamps which amplified the effect!

Adam

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Probably should have Improvements by Exmouth Junction engraved on the fascia of your layout.

 

[cbrailways]

Adam. The signal you mentioned above is not of GWR origin. Its a standard L&SWR Mackenzie and Holland lower quadrant arm post refitted with an upper quadrant arm. The finial type and position of the arm balance lever gives it away.

 

[AJC]

Adam. The signal you mentioned above is not of GWR origin. Its a standard L&SWR Mackensie and Holland lower quadrant arm post refitted with an upper quadrant arm. The finial type and position of the arm balance lever gives it away.

I very much doubt that since it's at the western (Castle Cary) end of Pen Mill on the Great Western line! Yes, there were plenty of replacements out there, but all those I know about in the Yeovil area (at Town, Martock, Montacute, etc.) were rail post types so I think it's a trick of the angle as the lower part of the finial is clearly round: the photographer has just caught it at the exact angle to allow daylight to show through - the LSWR finial would have a concave base.

It was replaced - Yeovil Pen Mill - the WR tubular post job visible to the left of the 'box is the one I remember growing up. The up starter about the same time was similar and that's certainly a GW finial:

Pen Mill steam by MrGloverman, on Flickr

Adam

 

[Gerry Beale]

I would agree with you Adam - the signals illustrated at Yeovil Pen Mill are GWR wooden posts with replacement SR upper quadrant fittings. Whilst many of the ex GWR signals were replaced after the SR took control from 1950, a good number of the old wooden post signals were altered as shown - I won't say upgraded because there was nothing wrong with the ex GWR lower quadrants! Examples were to be found all down the line as far as Weymouth and in the Upwey area, to the north of Upwey and Broadwey station - formerly Upwey Junction - there were some very tall ex GWR wooden posts that previously would have had 5ft arms and which survived until the early 1970s.

The mixture of ex GWR and SR practices from 1950 was part of the quite distinct character of the ex GWR lines in Dorset in BR days but holds little appeal to me for modelling. I much prefer to represent the GWR period prior to nationalisation before all that lovely GWR character and atmosphere was diluted.

Gerry

 

[AJC]

Hi Gerry,

That's entirely understandable! I like that the 'dilution' shows the overlapping nature of railways in that part of the world - the Portland branches, the S&D, the frankly odd history of Yeovil's railways and the unlikely story of Chard's. I think we can agree that any type of 'then' is probably more attractive than today...



It’s not quite the same spot, roughly where the stops are in the first picture. The palisade fence dad craned over wasn’t there then, either, but the batching plant, built by Bird Brothers (and owned, latterly ARC and now Hanson), is a common reference point.

Adam

 

[AJC]

A little building, Podimore's ground frame. I'm not sure the Southern would necessarily have done this for a light railway - Colonel Stephens wouldn't - but points throwing without anyone visible is a bit odd and this hides that. So it's a standard design, variously executed as at Boscarne Junction, Wool, Eastleigh Yard and crossings all over the place. Still not sure whether it'll end up on the platform or at the end of the loop.





Adam

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Your model of the box above prompted me to find this....

.....my dad's early 60's photo of Amen Crossing near Bracknell (scanned from a print). Recent searches shows this level crossing no longer exists.

 

[AJC]

That’s a nice jumble of fences and buildings. Thanks Dave.

I know where it was, west of Bracknell, I’d have remembered a crossing. It’s superseded by the Berkshire Way - a dual carriageway which is part of the rather grim world of light industry and sheds that characterises that no-man’s land between there and Reading. The name is intriguing though, I wonder where that originated?

Adam

 

[J_F_S]

... Its a standard L&SWR Mackenzie and Holland lower quadrant arm post refitted with an upper quadrant arm. The finial type and position of the arm balance lever gives it away.

I too dispute this statement - could you provide any evidence to support this please? For example, one single example of such a post in LSWR / Lower Quadrant state? Just one - that is all I ask ...

(Sorry I was not able to post at the time - been elsewhere - I am usually following this thread with interest!)

Best Wishes,
Howard

 

[AJC]

So, a bit more work and decision made. Platform mounting is where I've chosen:





The surface will have to be built up and the platform stabilised a bit more but it all adds to the impression of an overgrown halt/Southern Hemyock which is what I was after.

Adam

 

[AJC]

Morning all,

A couple of minor jobs - first, slating the ground frame hut (very posh, but they almost invariably seem to have been and that contrasts nicely with the wiggly tin station building). A bit of till receipt and a small amount of patience. The slates are solvent welded on and I've treated them all to some PVA to stop them lifting. The roof is 60 though with a 30 thou' lamination on the top so shouldn't warp... Guttering and downpipe to add and I can paint it.



Obviously this required modification to the concrete platform frontage and here I turned to Montacute on the Yeovil to Taunton line. Being GWR that was supporting a much bigger box (far, far too big for the couple of sidings and signals it controlled), so I copied, but scaled back from that: brick and scrap rail.



Adam

 

[Jon Gwinnett]

Very nicely observed. Did you have dimensions for the hut or was it “cut to fit”?

 

[AJC]

Very nicely observed. Did you have dimensions for the hut or was it “cut to fit”?

Hi Jon - Thanks! Because these huts were, sort of, standard the dimensions are known. There was one at Lynton, installed after the Southern takeover and that features in this: Lightmoor Press Books - The Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Measured & Drawn (someone very kindly sent me a scan - it's a bit rich for a railway I'm only tangentially interested in). This one was 8' wide by 9' deep. The dimensions for that drawing are taken from the example conserved at Norden on the Swanage Railway, formerly a few miles away at Wool.

The one that's still in use, in Eastleigh yard, is longer because of the larger frame but is the same depth. You can see it very clearly from platform 3, though its origins aren't obvious.

Adam

 

[Jon Gwinnett]

Ah, that’s useful to know, I think I have “Measured and Drawn” up in the loft

 

[Pencarrow]

So, a bit more work and decision made. Platform mounting is where I've chosen:

View attachment 149095

View attachment 149096

The surface will have to be built up and the platform stabilised a bit more but it all adds to the impression of an overgrown halt/Southern Hemyock which is what I was after.

Adam

Like the hut Adam, very nicely done.

Just one observation, it looks quite close to the platform edge. Iirc the minimum offset should be 6' which I suspect is enough distance for an carriage door to avoid bashing someone on the platform.

 

[AJC]

Like the hut Adam, very nicely done.

Just one observation, it looks quite close to the platform edge. Iirc the minimum offset should be 6' which I suspect is enough distance for an carriage door to avoid bashing someone on the platform.

You're quite right - the station building is the right side of that line, the ground frame isn't. Easily solved, however, so that's this evening's job. Thanks for pointing that out!

Adam

 

[AJC]

Owing to the Plague making its appearance chez Chapman, first, inevitably, affecting my schoolteacher wife before spreading through the household I've been looking after a snotty toddler, and watching the Titfield Thunderbolt on the sofa. On the positive side of the ledger, that's lent me some thinking time on some long term issues. Podimore's station building is one - I cocked up the design of the roof so won't be able to remove it (not that this matters, especially), so first a record shot on the office interior as it'll never be seen again. Building interiors are one of those things I like doing but really wonder whether they're worth the effort! The security bars were knocked up from wire and scrap etch (a standard Southern thing, you can see something similar all over the network).



And here's how they look outside:



Note the battens on the outside which will hold noticeboards (these weren't original, but survived on a couple of the real Basingstoke and Alton stations long after closure). The 60 thou' sub-roof is ready to go on and once that's done I can crack on and finish it.

Adam