4mm West Dorset lost line

Tim Hale

Western Thunderer
Hello from the Blackmore Vale.

We thought it best to introduce ourselves to the layouts thread, it began some twenty two years ago and has faltered rather badly along the way although the original shed is still the home of the layout. One of the originators* is undoubtedly infamous on other forums but illness and incapacity have taken their toll and we (other retirees) have taken over.

The concept started as junction on the WoE mainline near Wayford in Somerset but this was blighted by the untimely passing of the builder, Bill Jones and it was all but abandoned, it only came back to life thanks to an article on the Age UK Men in Sheds website. Only the baseboards and part of the backscene are original though a couple of Bill's scratchbuilds have been returned, we decided to rebuild based on proposal in Lucking's Railways of Dorset that was the Dorchester and Exeter Coastal Extension. We recycled the original name but shifted the supposed location to Whitchchurch Canocorium in West Dorset, other changes were to reduce the line to a single track and change the emphasis to a secondary cross-country line.


Dorchester_ext1.jpg
The reduction in status has had its consequences, all traffic reflects the bucolic nature of a line in decline, the motive power roster is similarly unassuming with an overwhelming proportion of tall chimneys, big domes and low boilers, except the Ruston, everything has pre-grouping origins. There are exceptions, Drummond's last express hurrah is obvious but its is, like all the others, merely working its last days on the line.

*Curating our blog is his only input.


20200514_CO_Trackplan.jpg

Thank you
 
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Gerry Beale

Western Thunderer
Just to put the record straight Tim - the photo of the Charlie at Dorchester is not my image. It was taken by the late Joe Moss and I acquired the print from him when I was actively collecting photos of Dorset railways. Joe left us about thirty years ago now but he took a lovely set of photos at Dorchester SR around 1949-50 of which the view above is one. His primary interest was the GWR but he did photograph a good number of 'South Western' locations in Dorset, Devon and Cornwall, all before the rot set in.

His contemporary was Ted West who also took many photos in the area around the same time - there is a lovely set of photos of 30119 in Malachite Green taken at Dorchester shed which are just gorgeous.

Gerry
 

Ian@StEnochs

Western Thunderer
The D15 is 'the' loco of the line, the class was Drummond's riposte after his not-so-clever 4-6-0s and disastrous double-singles. Just ten were built and they were needed on the Bournemouth services, though a couple also served on the yet-to-be electrifed Portsmouth line for a short time.

30466_Bec.jpg


Quite a lot of similarity with Dugald's wee brother Peter’s effort in the Sou’West. This is his first, un superheated and heavy on coal, water and the track. The second batch were superheated and a bit better but not great engines.

Ian.

9537A8E5-0229-4621-B870-282B1BFB693C.jpeg
 

Ian@StEnochs

Western Thunderer
Thank you Ian,

Many of the locos are Drummond with the occasional Urie and Adams, the Scottish School of Loco Design was very much in evidence. The D15 was a success compared to his his 4-6-0s but that is hardly a glorious compliment such was the nature of the 4-6-0 however the crews appreciated the big 4-4-0s. The fact only ten were built is not a slight, their build simply coincided with Drummond’s passing and Urie began his career with a trio of 4-6-0s that would provide the LSWR with all it could ever need.

Please, more information about Peter D’s large 4-4-0, they look capable, what was the problem?

Thank you

BR

The 131 class had very similar dimensions to the D15, same wheelbase, boiler length, cylinders and piston valves of the same dimensions. The valves however were inside admission while the D15 had outside admission. The 131 boiler was of larger diameter and had a steam drier and feed water heating. When built it was the heaviest 4-4-0 in the UK. They had problems with heating axleboxes on the bogie and frequent problems with the eccentrics too. However the biggest problem was that the bogie slides locked up and then suddenly releasing making the locomotive lurch and the crew to soil them selves! A lubrication problem exacerbated by the excess weight on the bogie.
Their hill climbing was inferior to the Manson engines that came before so they were not well liked by the men.

In my opinion not pretty engines like those of Manson and Smellie but they do have a massive presence.

Ian.
 

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
Don’t forget the LMS Twins received the extra electric lamps and lamp brackets for the Southern head code system. From your photo, it looks like you have the "as built" Bachmann model.
 

Gerry Beale

Western Thunderer
Thanks for bringing back some childhood memories Tim! I went on the Royal Wessex just the once - from Winchester City non stop to Waterloo - in 1963 with my father to visit the Easter Show at the Central Hall, Westminster. I am certain that the train comprised Bullied stock by then and we had a rebuilt Bullied Pacific on the front - but I cannot now remember what class it was. My outstanding memory of that trip was the excitement building as we neared Waterloo and then looking forward along the train as it came in over the viaducts and round the curves near Nine Elms and Vauxhall and seeing the engine - and then the very distinctive sounds and atmosphere of Waterloo station as we made our way across the concourse and down to the street to walk across the bridge to Westminster. Great days!
 

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
If you can find a copy, I recommend the Wild Swan books on the Twins. Plenty of information and drawings.

British Railways D16/1 Co-Co 10001 by Heather Kavanagh, on Flickr

This is a 7mm scale 10001 I built. You can see the lamp bracket layout, and just about make out the electric lamp locations. I’m afraid I don’t have a better shot. Actually, there’s a whole thread hereabouts on my build.

7mm - On Heather's Workbench - The other Twin

https://www.westernthunder.co.uk/threads/on-heathers-workbench-the-other-twin.3497/page-5#post-154516

T
he second link shows a better view. I'm afraid I’m a bit of a fan of the LMS Twins, so forgive me if I go on a bit about them!
 

Gerry Beale

Western Thunderer
Well I do envy you your trips on the 'Belle' Tim. I never went on it but saw it on many occasions. At 'ten to two' every afternoon it used to come through Winchester somewhere in the high 80s I should think. Down non-stop trains through Winchester were usually running very fast on the long, continuous, almost straight descent from Wallers Ash to Bishopstoke. I spent may hours at the London end of the down platform at Winchester City from where there was a good view north and the non-stops could be seen from a considerable distance. There was point work just north of the platforms for the exit from the down refuge siding and on one occasion I was on the platform as a Merchant Navy was approaching very fast - as it hit the points the engine did quite a dance and I thought it was coming off - it didn't of course but it was very alarming! There was also the mournful sound of the Bullied whistle as the driver 'whistled up' for the station as he passed under the Andover Road bridge. Happy days!
 

Tim Hale

Western Thunderer
Gerry,

Mournful Bulleid Whistle - 9th July 1967 fell on a Sunday, we always visited Nan in Mudeford on a Sunday, this meant driving down Barrack Road in Christchurch past the MEXE site and over the railway bridge.
On our return from Mudeford, Dad noticed a small crowd on the bridge and pulled into the entrance to the MEXE football pitch. We got out and walked back to people, they were silent. Just then the sound of a whistle arrived on a breeze, the train was coming down Pokesdown bank, the whistle continued, the driver must have kept it open as the train rushed through the eastern suburbs of Bournemouth and into Christchurch.
The sight of the train, as it swept around the long curve was heartbreaking, this was no slow run, it burst under the bridge still whistling, through the station and under Bargates towards Hinton.
There was someone sobbing in the group but otherwise it was silent, we had seen our train, our beloved steam leaving our lives.

It must have been twenty or more years later that I stood in driving rain on the platform at Christchurch as a Bulleid rushed through, there was hardly any space on the platform despite the weather. I wondered how many of the crowd had said goodbye on that Sunday?

BR
 
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Gerry Beale

Western Thunderer
Wow Tim - that is quite a post! That day is also imprinted on my memory as I saw the very same train further up the line. Between Winchester station and Winchester Junction there was a public footpath that crossed the main line on the level (there wasn't even a boarded crossing and you just stepped over the rails!). I sat on the bank by the crossing all afternoon that Sunday and in those long pre-internet days and with no enthusiast grape vine I just sat there to see what would turn up as I knew it was the very last day. After several fruitless hours eventually 35030 (Elder Dempster Lines - although she didn't have any nameplates) turned up and I watched her pass by on her way to Waterloo for the last time. As I made my way home I didn't actually realise that I had witnessed the very last steam working but I certainly knew that I wouldn't see one again.

I haven't actually seen a Bullied on the Southern main line since. I did intend to go to the lineside somewhere near Shawford to see the 50th anniversary of the last 'Belle' in 2017 when Clan Line did the honours but I was still working then and right at the last moment my boss decided that I really needed to go somewhere else for a meeting - so I missed it!
 
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djparkins

Western Thunderer
Wow Tim - that is quite a post! That day is also imprinted on my memory as I saw the very same train further up the line. Between Winchester station and Winchester Junction there was a public footpath that crossed the main line on the level (there wasn't even a boarded crossing and you just stepped over the rails!). I sat on the bank by the crossing all afternoon that Sunday and in those pre-internet days and with no enthusiast grape vine I just sat there to see what would turn up as I knew it was the very last day. After several fruitless hours eventually 35030 (Elder Dempster Lines - although she didn't have any nameplates) turned up and I watched her pass by on her way to Waterloo for the last time. As I made my way home I didn't actually realise that I had witnessed the very last steam working but I certainly knew that I wouldn't see one again.

I haven't actually seen a Bullied on the Southern main line since. I did intend to go to the lineside somewhere near Shawford to see the 50th anniversary of the last 'Belle' in 2017 when Clan Line did the honours but I was still working then and right at the last moment my boss decided that I really needed to go somewhere else for a meeting - so I missed it!

Saw that one leave Bournemouth and then went home not knowing about the steam hauled parcels service to Weymouth [I think] - later that evening!
 

Focalplane

Western Thunderer
I graduated from Southampton University in 1967 and therefore missed the end of steam. My first year (64/5) I had a room at Chamberlain Hall and the walk to the campus required passing over the main line. Bulleid pacifics were dirty but still magnificent. By accident I then went on to do fieldwork in Westmorland, a research topic for my Ph.D. Guess what, 9Fs on the S&C and a few steam locos still active on Shap. I have a photo of a 9F crossing the road bridge at Kirkby Stephen station but who knows where it is now. Good memories.

I hated those slam door electrics that took over the Waterloo run.
 

Stevers

Western Thunderer
IMG_0540.jpg

30704_Padstow.jpg

Well I could be wrong, but I reckon the cab cutout on the Hornby model is only correct for the wide splasher version. The real 30704 has the wider/longer cutout that the Weight diagrams and GAs in Bradley indicate. I had thought the only issues with the splendid looking Hornby model was fragility, lack of weight and Mazak rot in the motor mounts.
 
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Gerry Beale

Western Thunderer
My grandfather in Southampton had a garage rather like that at the bottom of his garden in Woolston which sheltered his beloved Vauxhall Velox. It was made from sections of former Anderson shelters extended with corrugated iron sheets. Another remnant of WW2 at my grandparents house was the old gasmask hanging on a nail in the 'coal hole'. It fascinated me as a kid but I was never brave enough to go in there and look at it closely!

Gerry
 
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Stevers

Western Thunderer
The various people that had lived in my first home in Yeovil had maintained the rural tradition of burying their rubbish at the bottom of the garden. The introduction of plastics to what was still being buried, wasted quite a few weeks of my life when I cleared it. What couldn't be buried was made into one vast shed. My parents in their tied house found the big old dresser that had been built into the kitchen buried in their garden!
 
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