St. Mary Hoo - P4 Southern Region third rail

[Captain Kernow]

Gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. You've out-Harraped Brian Harrap I would have copped out and gone for copperclad!

It is indeed completely exquisite work.

I don't think the Baron Harrap frequents this forum, but I can draw his attention to this fine piece of trackwork, plus the fact that he is considered to have been out-Harraped!

 

[Simon Glidewell]

Hello Simon
Great that you have posted photos of SMH here!
Following with great interest and in awe of the work / detail that you have achieved.

Great to hear from you again Mudmagnet! It's been a very long time!

 

[Simon Glidewell]

It is indeed completely exquisite work.

I don't think the Baron Harrap frequents this forum, but I can draw his attention to this fine piece of trackwork, plus the fact that he is considered to have been out-Harraped!

Many thanks Captain Kernow for your very kind comments! I just hope the blighter looks OK and works properly once I've completed the wiring...

 

[Simon Glidewell]

Wiring is now under way with the point, thanks to the help of several WT members! Once this ongoing construction headache is over I can then get cracking on the new bits of the layout; things will move quickly then.

 

[Simon Glidewell]

Love em or hate em, an unmodified Bachmann class 25 at SMH. Sorry about the overly yellow colour of the photo; that too is unmodified!

 

[Scale7JB]

Magnificent work on the bisected pway!

JB.

 

[46444]

Simon,

Bit late in replying but like others have said great to see SMH back.

Love the progress.

Cheers,

Mark

 

[Simon Glidewell]

Many thanks JB and Mark! Here's an old photo of the approaches to the station, with unfinished point rodding.

 

[Simon Glidewell]

Well, it's been a very long time since I posted anything about this remote part of north Kent, where the seagulls outnumber the inhabitants by about 100/1. The layout has been lying dormant for many months and collecting a huge amount of dust; all due to personal circumstances that were not nice and are still ongoing. I decided this week to dig SMH out and give it a thorough hoovering and once over. This has been done and all seems fine apart from two persistent gauge narrowing issues which may require a certain amount of track rebuilding; I'm not looking forward to that, but it has to be done. It's a legacy of my first attempts at track building in P4. I also still hope to knock up a couple of new extensions either end of the layout, but the proposed plan may be simplified a tad. The long overdue bisected point still needs finishing and the lure of seeing a Hunslet 0-6-0 diesel shunter lumping over it with CEGB internal user wagons, gives me enough motivation to see it through; gawd knows if the blighter will work or not, or whether it will prove to be a complete waste of time and swearing. The layout as it stands (just two boards) is, to all intents and purposes, finished, bar the electrics and the gauge issues mentioned above. I also have a conundrum about the eastern end of the layout and the disused level crossing. I am tempted to remove the old knackered gate and reopen the line and extend it a little way down the estuary towards Allhallows, so that the EMU's can sit properly in the halt and give them a bit more of a run. What do the pundits here think? It has become a trade mark of the layout and I just wonder if removing it would spoil the character of the branch line? I have taken many photos of it for posterity, just in case. Below are a few photos that I took yesterday on a typically misty Thames estuary day...

 

[Simon Glidewell]

Looking towards the junction (under construction) and the typical SR concrete bridge, based on an example from Hythe. The signal is wired ready to be operated by the bisected point. I want to improve the bridge joint line that can be seen nearest the camera on the right, to make it invisible and natural looking. I didn't quite get this right. After the bridge on the western side I might add a series of semi enclosed arches like those found just outside Silvertown station in east London and the tunnel they precede.

 

[jonte]

A 'keep it!' from me, Simon.

It's a feature of the layout for me; an epitome of this almost moth-balled branch. But what do I know?

Seriously though, welcome back and glad your enthusiasm has returned.

Regards,

Jonte.

 

[Neil]

Another 'keep it' from me too.

I love the mystery of gates across abandoned track. It says trains once ran here but give little clue as to what lies beyond, what purpose they served whilst giving an invitation to speculate and day dream.

 

[Simon Glidewell]

Thanks Jonte and Neil. Yes, I keep looking at it and thinking that it might be an act of vandalism to remove what is to the locals, like the Eiffel Tower is to the French (I think that's how you say it??).

 

[Lyndhurstman]

I'm for keeping it too, Simon. It's beautifully observed and modelled, and - as Neil says - adds mystery and intrigue.

Peace

Jan

 

[Giles]

So glad to see this again - I've always thought this was a stunning piece of work!

 

[Simon Glidewell]

Cheers Jan and Giles for your very kind words! Giles, you have no idea how in awe I was of your modelling prowess, watching your last layout on Youtube and the wonderful working lorry, etc! A masterpiece.

 

[Captain Kernow]

I also agree with the 'keep it' camp, please! Lovely modelling.

 

[john lewsey]

I really like this

 

[Simon]

I think you should follow your own creative instincts, whatever they are.

I agree with everyone else though, this is a masterpiece and it also ticks lots of boxes for me, Southern Region, Third rail, decrepitude, light railway feeling and you've even got one of "those" buffer stops!

I look forward to seeing whatever develops, or not.

Simon

 

[Simon Glidewell]

Many thanks for your observations and kind comments Cap'n; John and Simon! I'm itching to build the new baseboards but really feel I need to sort out the few persistent niggling problems with the existing layout, which means some destruction of track and subsequent rebuilding. The gauge narrowing is in two rather awkward places on points; the stock rail with slide chairs. This was before I knew about brass slide chairs and using solder as an anchor rather than super glue. I may be able to get away with just removing a number of plastic chairs with a craft knife and repositioning the rail that way, without having to take the whole lot up. Any words of wisdom appreciated...