www.EwhurstGreen.com

East Sussex Finescale

Ewhurst Green

 

Fellow Finescale Modellers,

This webpage is regularly updated as the layout progresses.

Moving house in August 2013 to a secluded bungalow just 440-yards from the beach (as the gull flies) brought an end to 4mm layout Apothecary Street (named after a short-lived London junction outside Holborn Viaduct station upon where the model drew inspiration) but provided the opportunity for a new layout, Ewhurst Green .

With my modelling deeply rooted in British Rail’s Southern Region, a design was needed that would permit operation of full-length trains at a location which could encompass traffic from at least two of the Southern Region’s divisions. Furthermore, the layout needed to be operated by just one person (if required) mindful there is a limit to the number of trains that can be realistically controlled at any moment in time.

A tall order which led to Ewhurst Green ; a model railway which has its basis on several planned (but never built) railway schemes in Surrey (including a c.1884 proposal from Dorking) that may have served the villages of Ewhurst and Ewhurst Green (as a junction for Cranleigh and Guildford) on its route down through Midhurst to conceivable join the railway along the coast near Havant, thence onto Portsmouth and Southampton. Ewhurst Green was also in an area with which I had many past associations several decades ago.

Had a direct railway from London ever served Ewhurst and Ewhurst Green, then it is likely these villages would have significantly increased in size and (by virtue of the station’s goods yard facilities) potentially attracted some local industry befitting this (otherwise) rural area.

With Up and Down Main Lines operational, the Ewhurst Green running sessions were proving extremely popular with East Sussex Finescale group members; particularly following lunch at our local beachfront café under a mile away until the pandemic struck in late 2019!

However, many short video clips are regularly uploaded to Ewhurst Green’s channel on YouTube although this is now proving difficult to use and may be archived.

https://www.youtube.com/@ewhurstgreen

Enjoy Colin!

Forward to contents

 

 

 

 

 

Some layout descriptions commence with baseboard construction but before any of this this happens it is important to decide exactly what one is intending to model and how reasonably prototypical operation could be achieved within the physical space available. In this respect it is necessary to consider the model, not in isolation but as part of the regional network within which it is located including its rail services, even a reasonably viable timetable. Accordingly, our starting point is the Layout Concept. However, readers are welcome to head straight to any of the chapters listed below:

 

 

 

 

One

 

1. Layout Concept

Skip to next chapter

Southern Region

With any model railway the starting point ought to be what does a railway-modeller want in terms of a model (whilst being mindful of constraints such as space and budget)?

As a railwayman who followed his grandparents onto the Southern (in my case British Rail’s Southern Region rather than the Southern Railway) my modelling interests are fairly-well cast-in-stone. The previous (terminal layout) Apothecary Street had been constructed as a parody of Holborn Viaduct with cross-London freights via Snow Hill tunnel and expanding this concept was considered.

However, in recent years the range of Southern models that have become available make modelling of the Southern Region’s divisions relatively straightforward, even before the many offerings by kit manufacturers is considered. So, when Bachmann had brought out its marvellous model of Thomas Myres 1880-1883 LBSCR station buildings the opportunity to utilise one of these couldn’t be ignored.

 

Geographical Location

In building a model railway, one really important factor is its geographical location; in the case of Ewhurst Green somewhere on the former Southern Region (obviously). Even then there were distinct differences between the South Western, Central and South Eastern Divisions and could a model which could realistically incorporate stock from all three Divisions (SWD, CD and SED) be created whilst using the Thomas Myres ex. LBSCR station building?

 

 

Thomas Myres

Thomas Myres was first asked to design the replacement station building at Hassocks (1880), thence those required for the secondary railway lines built in East and West Sussex Hailsham to Eridge (1880), Chichester to Midhurst (1881), Lewes to East Grinstead (1882) and Haywards Heath to Horsted Keynes (1883); a total of eighteen buildings. Ewhurst Green’s replacement station building could have made the total nineteen; perhaps more with other stations along the route !

Use of this building design would set the layout firmly in Central Division (ex. LBSCR) territory with some limited scope for South Western or South Eastern Division workings. However, historical design along with a sprinkling of modeller’s licence can push the bounds whilst still remaining reasonably credible.

 

 

Credibility

The next stage was to identify a reasonably credible location for the station and the potential services that could exist. Obviously, this isn’t an essential step, but it does help in terms of what type of services could have run and the rolling stock required. A credible backstory will assist in developing the layout and its design towards providing a model that will look the part. In this respect railways that were planned but never built provided inspiration.

However, any station (and the services it could have seen) would have to be operationally manageable by myself; there is no point in building a layout that takes a team of operators to run it. On that basis the favoured option was for a junction station where trains (circulating) on the Up and Down main line essentially form the backdrop for the branch line’s operating sequences.

In terms of appearance part of the overall concept was for none of the scenic track to remain parallel to the track-room’s rear wall and that a less-is-more approach was intended.

 

 

Era

Hassocks Gate station opened on 21^st September 1841; now called Hassocks (code HSK) its first building was to a design by David Mocatta. However, it was Thomas Myres who designed its replacement which was built between December 1880 & August 1881 by James Longley & Co of Crawley. Sadly, this building was also demolished by British Rail in 1973.

Accordingly, with Myres architecture this could suggest either an opening date of the model railway’s station as being circa 1880-1884, else a replacement station building being erected during this period. The date of opening for the railway does provide a degree of historical context.

Notwithstanding, the actual period being modelled would be essentially within the period 1954 to 1962 although concentrating within the middle of that timescale. As the model develops, thoughts are collecting towards narrowing that timescale down to a specific year or even having two distinct running periods with slightly differing stock. Certainly, the scenic details would not significantly change across such a relatively small period.

 

 

Liveries

In terms of rolling stock quite a few coaches retained Southern Railway post-war Malachite green into 1956 (some even beyond) without receiving BR’s Crimson Lake (and Cream). Following the abolition of Second-class on 3^rd June 1956 (at which point Third-class was immediately renamed Second-class), the following month (July 1956) saw significantly changes to liveries with Crimson Lake (with or without Cream) being rapidly replaced by Southern Region Green far quicker than would have happened under the usual ten-year repainting cycle at Lancing Carriage Works (repaints took place instead of the 2 yearly varnishing).

During 1956 /1957 there was quite a mix of post-war Malachite Green (with BR typeface), Crimson Lake (and Cream) and BR(S) Green. Occasionally it was difficult to see a huge difference between post-war Malachite carrying multiple layers of varnish and BR(S) Green.

1959 was the last year for Maunsell corridor sets to be seen running in Crimson Lake & Cream (CLC) livery; this also saw the demise of a lot of non-corridor stock with much still in Crimson Lake (CL). Nevertheless, on the Southern Region many Mk1 3 Cor & 4 Cor (corridor coach) sets weren’t repainted CLC to Green until 1961 (a few even lasted into 1962); this being in part due to the varnishing undertaken at Lancing Works every two years or so. 1959 also saw the first of the UIC yellow First-class cantrail bands.

A number of Southern Railway steam locomotive classes were withdrawn very shortly after nationalisation with more disappearing mid-fifties onward, thence with the stock associated for the 1959 Kent-coast electrification; these all being interesting periods of change.

With such a variation in rolling stock and liveries it has been decided to keep the period as a concise range (rather than a specific date) although this range can be narrowed for any given running session.

Notwithstanding, individual trains are normally formed of stock that would have run together both in terms of livery and division. For example BRCW Cromptons would not have run with a CLC-liveried Maunsell corridor set.

 

 

Less is More

The room housing Ewhurst Green has considerable length. However, in order to try and create greater realism, a linear layout with its scenic track parallel to the back wall of the track room was simply not going to happen.

Firstly, whilst the central scenic section of the layout is constructed on a straight 32” wide baseboard, the other two-thirds on either side taper outwards to around five-feet in width (the baseboard design still places everything within arm’s reach more on this later). This arrangement helps to break up the otherwise linear appearance of the scenic section.

At either end, the double-tracked main line curves around from the storage loops on tracks hidden from view (at the country end the double-tracked branch similarly curves again out of sight). The scenery is designed to place these out of immediate view whilst avoiding the old cliché of disappearing into a tunnel.

However, once the mainline becomes visible, it comprises two long straights split by a large radius curve (position mid-way along the station’s platformed section). This design has a number of benefits with the principle two being:

(1)      the main scenic running lines are not parallel to the rear wall of the model room and

(2)      space is created between the main lines and the back wall for the station building, forecourt and Down bay platform.

Even the long retaining wall (with agricultural works atop) is constructed on a taper relative to the back wall. In terms of railway history, the factory originally stood atop a cutting and (with the enlargement of the station) the cutting had to be replaced with a retaining wall in order to enable a headshunt alongside the Down Main.

Visually, the front of the station building cannot be seen but the (arguably) more interesting platform side can. In terms of operational accessibility, this arrangement allows the platform loop and goods loop to be on the operator’s side of the main line (and station). Furthermore, the tapering boards can be used for fanning out the station’s goods yard and sidings whilst leading the scenery into the two curved boards which hide the tracks are they curve round to the storage loops.

Finally, the decision was made not to crowd the baseboards with track; once again this was to try and improve the appearance of realism. As the old adage says, ‘Less is more’.

 

Return to contents

 

 

Two

 

2. Ewhurst Green

Skip to next chapter

Setting the layout’s location can assist in its design, so what should a railway-modeller consider?

Having ruled out modelling a real station (I admire those modellers who do) and based on what was wanted from the model versus the limited space available, the next best thing would appear to be a credible but fictitious station at a real location. In this respect it becomes quite difficult finding such a location, for most candidates already have or had a station. However, one possible location stood out in terms of a potentially credible location on a proposed but never built railway line.

Furthermore, the name Ewhurst Green ticked all the right boxes in terms of an appropriately sounding Southern Region name.

There are two village locations called Ewhurst Green one in Surrey (near Cranleigh), the other in East Sussex (near Bodium); thus, providing the opportunity to be slightly indistinct with the location if ever required. Certainly, Ewhurst Green (and nearby Ewhurst) in Surrey could have fitted in with unfulfilled c.1884 plans to build a railway from Dorking serving Cranleigh thence down to Midhurst.

There is also a Ewhurst Park near Basingstoke and a Ewhurst Manor in the parish of Coneyhurst, West Sussex (along with a Coneyhurst Manor in the parish of Ewhurst, Surrey).

Whilst both Ewhurst Green locations provide opportunity for Central & South Eastern Division services, Surrey could additionally link directly to the South Western Division as well as forming an alternative route to several important locations, thus opening-up the traffic passing through the station.

It was equally surprising that the website www.EwhurstGreen.com was available!

 

East Sussex

Courtesy of Ordnance Survey

 

Ewhurst Green (East Sussex)

The East Sussex village of Ewhurst Green sits not too far south-west of the Kent & East Sussex Railway, which at this location passes east west along the Rother valley at Bodium; this being already served by a light railway built through relatively a sparsely populated rural area. The nearest main line to London passed through Robertsbridge situated between the sizeable towns of Hastings, St Leonards-on-Sea and Royal Tunbridge Wells. Accordingly, the scope for credibly modelling a mainline railway through this Ewhurst Green was sadly virtually nil.

 

Surrey

Courtesy of Ordnance Survey

 

Ewhurst Green (Surrey)

The name Ewhurst derives from the Old English 'hyrst', meaning 'wooded hill', and 'iw' meaning 'yew tree'; the first recorded spelling appears to be Iuherst from 1179.

Historically Surrey’s Ewhurst and Ewhurst Green may have come close to being served by the railways. In terms of routes to Midhurst, 1845 saw consideration to build a line from Guildford through Godalming, Haslemere and Midhurst to Chichester. However, LSWR’s Midhurst - Petersfield did open in 1864, LBSCR’s Midhurst - Pulborough (Hardham Junction) in 1866 and Midhurst Chichester in 1881 (the first sod of the latter having been cut back in 1865 passenger traffic ceasing in 1935). Passengers had to wait until 1925 for a combined Midhurst station (services to Midhurst were withdrawn in 1955).

With the SER considering a route from Betchworth to Portsmouth, Ewhurst Green could have been a junction station on a thirty-seven-mile LBSCR route between the existing railways at Holmwood and Westbourne.

Mixing historical proposals with imagination it is conceivable such a railway line could have left the Dorking to Horsham Railway at Holmwood passing through a station at Forest Green to reach Ewhurst Green (due south-southeast of the village). In terms of railway construction this would have been built late in the day .

A junction off the London-end of Ewhurst Green station would have permitted the line across from Warnham and Horsham (passing through Oakwoodhill station) to join.

Whilst there could have been a junction at the Country end of Ewhurst Green taking a double-tracked branch-connection across to the 1865 Horsham to Guildford railway and into station at Cranleigh (itself having become a passing loop in 1880 as those at Bramley and Baynards were proving insufficient) it is possible that the 1865 route was not built in favour of Horsham Ewhurst Green - Cranleigh.

From Ewhurst Green this main line may have passed through Loxwood thence Gennets Viaduct across the valley (both Wey & Arun Junction Canal and the River Arun) to Plaistow station (actually sited close to Ifold). In order to avoid tunnelling immediately north of Midhurst the line had to approach from the north-east so serving the villages of Kirdford and Lodsworth.

Midhurst to Chichester would have been under construction at this time but with this new line now laid as double track through Cocking tunnel and Cocking station to Singleton (with its four platforms and nearby Goodwood racecourse) to a junction just west of East Dean. However, Singleton to Chichester was probably still laid as a single track providing a useful route towards Worthing, Hove [actually] and Brighton.

West from Singleton the line may have entered two further tunnels (under Heathbarn Down thence Stoughton Down) necessary to provide a fast alignment into Havant. This could have given rise two further stations (Stoughton & Walderton thence on a falling grade to Westbourne). The Brighton to Portsmouth Railway was joined just east of Warblington.

The possible route is described in detail here at the bottom of this article.

This made Ewhurst Green (Surrey) a respectable candidate for the model railway.

 

 

Local Development due to the Railway

As a junction with a railway through to Cranleigh (thence onto Guildford and Reading via the SER route) Ewhurst Green could have grown significantly through being served by (in time) an electrified railway. So, it eventually became a starting point for suburban services into London (along with some freight handling).

Nearby Cranleigh doubled in size in the first forty years after the building of the 1865 Guildford to Horsham railway line and it is probable that Cranleigh would have grown much further had it been on a direct railway line /service to London (thus being attractive to commuters). With rail congestion in Guildford’s southern approach an alternative route from Cranleigh to London via Dorking might have been an attractive proposition post-grouping.

However, villages such as Ockley and Capel did not grow as significantly; perhaps their respective distances from their station and the slow low-frequency rail service made a significant contribution to this lack of growth, particularly when the London suburbs were still expanding.

Any proposal for a branch to Holmbury St. Mary was never a credible prospect; even local bus services were not that frequent.

Midhurst could also have grown significantly from having direct routes to both London and Portsmouth, it is also probably that a few of the villages with stations along the line would have experienced some increase in size. However, it must also be noted that it was only in recent years did many places served by the Mid-Sussex line (a.k.a Arun Valley line) south of Horsham undertake significant development.

Accordingly Ewhurst and Ewhurst Green could have similarly expanded, particularly around a well-served station.

The building of such a route (including its subsequent early-1925 electrification as part of the Waterloo to Dorking scheme) could have led to interesting connotations in respect of railway service patterns although in reality Ewhurst Green (plus Ewhurst and Walliswood) would probably never have grown to sufficient size to be as busy as portrayed by the model.

 

 

Route Engineering

Imagination could reasonably assume this route was reasonably well-engineered being intended to provide a faster alternative (to the Mid-Sussex line) between London and Portsmouth as well as competing with the LSWR’s Pompey Direct; - a 1858-built and privately constructed curvaceous and graded line south from Farncombe (that was offered for sale to the LSWR, LBSCR and SECR).

In determining the route (and with a background in railway /tramway alignment design) the topography was examined to confirm such a route would have been reasonably practicable.

In terms of distance this route would have been around ten miles shorter from Victoria to Havant than via Ford and only around three miles longer than Waterloo to Havant via Guildford.

In Southern Railway days this imaginary line could have also provided a potentially viable route to Fareham with trains terminating at either Southampton Terminus or Southampton Central. Post-grouping could have also opened-up limited services into Waterloo via Raynes Park (including as a useful diversionary route). Although quickly DC electrified, like many places in Sussex its branches were not.

However, with this line having been opened it is questionable as to how long Midhurst Pulborough and Midhurst Petersfield would have survived; probably closing earlier than they really did. Midhurst Chichester would have probably survived having strategic use as an east-facing connection onto the Havant to Brighton line.

 

 

Dorking connections

Holmwood to Cranleigh & the coast (proposed)

On more than one occasion, the LBSCR considered the provision of link between its Portsmouth mainline passing through the rather isolated district lying to the south of Leith Hill and Pitch Hill. The SER had similar aspirations of its Redhill Dorking route.

In 1897, plans were prepared for a line from Holmwood to Cranleigh; a distance of about 8 miles. A bill was submitted to Parliament in the ensuing year but was withdrawn in the face of opposition from landowners in the Holmwood district. The scheme was never revived.

Ewhurst Green model railway takes much inspiration from this scheme.

Betchworth to Holmwood (proposed)

Early railway proposals at Dorking appear to have included a line diverging from the Redhill to Reading railway across to Cranleigh. However, there was never a connection linking Betchworth to Holmwood as traffic would have travelled via Three Bridges. The question is would such a spur been useful to connect to Ewhurst Green (etc) and the answer would have probably been not unless part of a scheme to give the SER a route right through to Portsmouth. However, there would have been great difficulty in obtaining a viable route that would have satisfactorily served the town of Dorking (including Deepdene station) given the topographical constraints of the area.

From Croydon, LBSCR passenger trains would have been routed via Sutton /Epsom /Dorking although for the SER the journey time to Dorking via Redhill wasn’t much different. However, if the SER had built the line, then this spur may have come into being although come SR days it would have probably found little favour with Waterloo providing the faster services to Portsmouth.

Freight from (say) Norwood Yard would just have easily reached Ewhurst Green via West Croydon. However, had there been direct connection across the top to Tonbridge at Redhill then the situation may have been very different for traffic to /from Kent into Hampshire.

Deepdene to Holmwood (spur closed)

There was a spur linking Deepdene and Holmwood (closed 1900 /reconnected 1941-47). This only ever appears to have seen minimal use very early-on for South Eastern Railway race-trains to Epsom.

However, during 1941-1945 it’s reconnection onto the Redhill Reading line (since 1900 it remained as a siding off the Horsham line) could have provided alternative routings in the event of blockages (including from enemy action); in particular, enabling the movement of breakdown cranes.

Was it therefore plausible that this spur may have been retained in 1900 to create a means of diverting freight traffic to Ewhurst Green instead of through Cranleigh? Probably not as there would have been little or no commercial need. Furthermore, freight use would be restricted by the steep grades away from Deepdene up to Gomshall thence down to Shalford (each around 1 in 100); particularly with more practical routes being available.

 

 

 

Horsham connections

The Guildford Cranleigh Horsham railway provided a cross-country rural railway with onward connections to London (and other destinations) at both Guildford and Horsham. However, with the building of and connection to Ewhurst Green would bring changes including potentially splitting the services from Guildford and Cranleigh between terminating at Ewhurst Green and Brighton (via Horsham). Such a layout would mean any though traffic from Reading (and beyond) to Brighton via Horsham & Henfield was not constrained by the actual need in reality for changing /reversal at Horsham (else inconveniently changing at Christ’s Hospital) to continue onward to Brighton via Henfield.

Although there was a spur at Christ’s Hospital enabling trains to travel directly from Cranleigh to Ichingfield Junction thence to Brighton via Henfield, this appears to have been taken out of use before WW1. In addition, the spur could not serve Horsham or provide any passenger interchange onto the Horsham to Arundel railway which no-doubt contributed to its demise.

There were three stations between Cranleigh and Christ’s Hospital: Baynards, Rudgwick and Slinfold. In terms of Baynards Park estate this is located equidistant between Baynards and Ewhurst Green stations and there would probably have been minimal case for Baynards station. Passengers for Rudgwick could have changed at Ewhurst Green else Alfold.

It is therefore possible that one of five options that may have occurred:

1.    The line through Cranleigh passed to the north of the town to Ewhurst Green and its main line. Immediately north of Ewhurst Green there was another junction for a line heading south-east passing through a station at Oakwoodhill before joining the Dorking to Horsham railway line at Warnham. This would provide a cross-country direct route (without reversal) from Reading - Guildford Cranleigh via Ewhurst Green through Horsham and onto Brighton.

That the spur at Christ’s Hospital was taken out very early on the viability of such a connection without serving Horsham was probably highly unlikely. Rudgwick and Slinfold would have been served either from Horsham or Ewhurst Green or did the main line serve Rudgwick instead of Alford...

2.    From Cranleigh the railway would have simply been constructed to Ewhurst Green instead of reaching Horsham. With Ewhurst Green being close to Baynards the case for a station there could be much reduced; the actual need for Rudgwick and Slinfold stations also needing consideration.

3.    The Guildford - Cranleigh - Guildford railway (it was named Cranley up to 1867) was constructed with a spur from Cranleigh to Ewhurst Green. With Ewhurst Green close to Baynards the case for the latter station could have been much reduced.

4.            The railway would have provided a spur south off the Ewhurst Green Alfold railway south-east down to join the Cranleigh Horsham railway close to Baynards station. This option would have meant Cranleigh to Horsham trains could call at Ewhurst Green (albeit with a reversal) thence at Rudgwick and Slinfold. However, the viability of such a spur was probably questionable both operationally and in terms of journey times for Guildford /Cranleigh passengers to /from Horsham.

5.    The two railways would have simply crossed. However, it is unlikely that the potential for a faster Cranleigh to London connection would have been ignored by the LBSCR.

In respect of the model’s station operation, it is assumed option 1 had been implemented.

 

 

Dunsfold Airfield

Built in just twenty-weeks during 1942 by the First Canadian Army (mainly the 2nd Battalion Royal Canadian Engineers), it is conceivable that Dunsfold Airfield could have served by a lightly-laid freight-only branch from a well-connected main line (in reality no such facility was ever provided off the nearby Horsham to Cranleigh branch line).

Accessed from Cranleigh, the branch curved significantly to follow the land topology (in order to speed construction and reduce cost) across Cranleigh Road (close to Elmbridge Road) in part following the route of the Wey & Arun Junction Canal (by 1868 canal traffic had virtually ceased with an Act of Abandonment passed in 1871) until it turned to cross Horsham Road near the northern end of the (then new) Alfold by-pass (itself built to accommodate the airfield) and into the airfield.

RAF - Dunsfold Airfield was used by the Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force & the Royal Dutch Naval Air Service. At the end of the war Dunsfold Airfield was used for the repatriation of PoWs (Operation Exodus) before being declared as inactive.

Skyways - In August 1946 the airfield was leased to Skyways Ltd as a 24-hour operations & engineering base. Skyways Ltd employed some 1200 staff (including 350 aircrew) at Dunsfold; its principal air-charter work being transportation of Anglo-Iranian Oil Company staff into and out of Basra and (from June 1948) the Berlin Airlift. Unfortunately, the end of the Berlin Airlift in May 1949 saw some 400 staff being made redundant and in March 1950 Skyways Ltd went into liquidation. It was relaunched but this failed in January 1952. Taken over by the Lancashire Aircraft Company in March 1952, Skyways moved to Bovington (presumably to make more room for the Hawker Aircraft Company). After further changes the final iteration of the company ceased in 1962 with the Skyways name disappearing in 1980.

Hawker - In 1951 the Ministry of Supply offered the Hawker Aircraft Company the lease of Dunsfold Airfield which was then used for the development of the delta-wing Avro 707B, Hawker Hunter and Sea Hawk jet fighters. In addition, Sea Furies, North American F-86 Sabres and Supermarine Attackers were refurbished at the airfield (the latter pair in two hangars leased to Airwork Ltd from 1953-58). In October 1960, Hawker Siddeley flight tested its Hawker P.1127 prototype (which led to the Hawker Siddeley Harrier). In 1961 Folland Gnat test flying, and production moved to Dunsfold from Chilbolton in Hampshire.

Given the curving nature of this lightly-laid branch (a consequence of its rapid construction) trainloads were inevitable small with suitable motive power limited to short-wheelbase locomotives.

As a rail-served facility it could have initially proven useful, particularly given its relative accessibility including MoD sites such as Bicester, Marchwood and Shoeburyness; the latter being via the East London Line (which saw freight use through to 1966). However, post-war saw a significant reduction in freight traffic on the Dunsfold branch; essentially now limited to occasional vans and aviation spirit to the Hawker Aircraft Company.

 

 

hree

 

3. Ewhurst Green & the Southern Region

Skip to next chapter

Passenger Journey Times & Possible Services

For any credible train operation (including its timetable) the journey times to destinations served need to be fully understood, enabling Ewhurst Green to be considered in terms of the traffic that could be routed through it including realistic journey times.

 

Ewhurst Green station

When first built, Ewhurst Green had just two platforms on the double tracked main line with a junction leading onto the single-track branch to Cranley and Guildford.

At the request of the United Kingdom’s Postmaster General, Cranley was renamed Cranleigh in 1867 as it was often mistaken for Crawley (and vice-versa).

As traffic increased, this route to Cranleigh was double-tracked and an additional bay platform (now platform 4) provided at Ewhurst Green, along with the new station (Myres) station building. With the 1925 electrification all the platforms were extended southwards and a new eight-coach platform 1 (Up Loop) provided for the electric suburban service that would be starting from there.

Accordingly, the station has its platforms and freight loop arranged as follows:

 

Route to Portsmouth

Back in the real world, for many years some of Victoria’s services to Bognor Regis and Portsmouth were routed via Dorking North (some 2hr 15min to Portsmouth Harbour compared to 1hr 35min on the Pompey-direct from Waterloo) until they included the stops at East Croydon and Gatwick Airport with the May 1978 re-routing of services.

A faster route via Ewhurst Green might have reduced this 2hr 15min Victoria time by some 10 or even 15 minutes; even more without many of the Arun Valley /Chichester stops. Certainly, some of the fast trains to Horsham (and beyond) that used to run via Mitcham Junction (non-stop) and Dorking were around 10 minutes faster than the present services routed via Gatwick Airport.

It is therefore presumed that this imaginary new line via Ewhurst Green might have just managed Portsmouth Harbour in 1hr 55mins for fast trains either from Victoria or Waterloo; the journey from Waterloo via the Pompey-direct being some twenty minutes quicker (1hrs 35mins). Whilst Waterloo to Dorking was 46 minutes for the fastest suburban services, like Victoria a non-stop journey could be 37 minutes.

The stopping journey time to Portsmouth via Ewhurst Green would have been around 2hr 25mins, this being some 50 minutes longer than the fast train from Waterloo (today’s services via Eastleigh and Fareham taking around 2hr 10mins). Obviously the stopping trains served different communities.

 

 

Route to Fareham & Southampton

Modern Victoria services to Southampton are more about intermediate trips (in particular as they include the now-important interchange at Gatwick Airport) rather than overall end-to-end journey time (today’s trains from Victoria right though to Southampton being routed via East Croydon, Gatwick Airport and Horsham).

Until the advent of electrification from Farlington Junction to St Denys (in May 1990), very few trains ran direct from Havant to Fareham; this line would have provided a regular through service without the need to travel to Portsmouth & Southsea to change (the Waterloo fasts did not stop at Fratton). Operating a service via Ewhurst Green would improve this connection and give Fareham a London service but not at the expense of South Western main line capacity between Basingstoke and Eastleigh.

In terms of London to Fareham, a route through Ewhurst Green would have probably been achieved in 2hrs; being far quicker than changing at Eastleigh and marginally quicker than changing at Portsmouth & Southsea (today’s direct electric service via Eastleigh take 1hr 35mins). Accordingly, on this model there are regular steam services from London direct to Fareham thence onto Southampton; these also serve the Cosham, Netley and Woolston which were (then) comparatively large compared to other station-communities along this section of line.

Would such a service have saved the branch to Fort Brockhurst and Gosport? - probably not.

 

Cross-country Services

Ewhurst Green was one of several junctions on the cross-country route from Brighton through Horsham to Guildford and Reading with some services through to Alton and beyond.

Local cross-country services ran though Guildford and Tongham to Bordon.

Race days at Goodwood also saw regional and interregional services.

 

London Commuter Traffic & Cranleigh

Dorking North’s suburban services took around 37 minutes from Victoria (limited stops), 46 minutes from Waterloo and 53 minutes from London Bridge.

From London’s Victoria station, Ewhurst Green would probably have been around 5 minutes shorter than the 53 minutes to Horsham (timing for those trains that only stopped at Dorking North); 50 minutes from Victoria could have been achievable. This could have placed Cranleigh at just under an hour from London on the through service (50 minutes was just achievable on selected services from Waterloo changing at Guildford although this was often closer to an hour). Given the how busy Guildford station was (and still is) it is conceivable that Cranleigh London services were routed through Ewhurst Green, including during the peak-hours.

 

 Chapter Four

 

4. Station Operation of the Model

Skip to next chapter

The larger the layout the more there is to control, and one can only realistically hope to control one or two trains at any given time. The station layout comprises Up and Down Main lines with an Up Loop (for steam services off the branch and the start of suburban electric trains into London) and a Down Bay essentially for starting steam services onto the branch to Cranleigh and beyond.

In terms of signalling, home signals are normally situated 440yards out from the station; this would place those for Ewhurst Green in the fiddle yard /storage loops effectively meaning there is only scope for having one train running on each circuit at a time. With the branch operating from the Up Passenger Loop there is scope for a further train operating. However, such complexity would require multiple operators.

In essence, the main line (with its through trains) provides the window dressing for the main operational side to the layout, steam services off the branch and the suburban services. A modest up-side freight yard also provides for a diversion of interest.

Furthermore, I anticipate the option of operating the layout to time rather than a sequence necessary to entertain at exhibitions (neither my cats nor I get bored with the gaps between trains).

 

 

Chapter Five

 

5. Passenger Service Pattern

Skip to next chapter

In designing a layout, it is important to consider how it could operate in a reasonably realistic but interesting manner. Certainly, most of the Southern Region’s electric services operated on a half-hourly clockface pattern; this in part being down to the economics of DC third rail operation.

 

Portsmouth

About 50 minutes from Victoria, Ewhurst Green would sit upon a basic hourly semi-fast electric service from Portsmouth Harbour to Victoria; services serving Midhurst, Havant, Fratton and Portsmouth & Southsea (calling all stations between Ewhurst Green and Westbourne). Warblington was served by the Chichester to Havant services.

Set atop of this basic hourly electric service was an hourly fast electric service Victoria Portsmouth Harbour via Havant, Fratton and Portsmouth & Southsea (which did not stop at Ewhurst Green). The platforms at Ewhurst Green are configured electrically to enable the splitting /coupling of electric units should the service pattern alter at some future date.

 

Fareham & Southampton

There would have been an hourly steam-hauled Victoria Southampton fast service passing through Ewhurst Green running via Havant to serve Fareham; a significantly-sized town which (following the opening of the Pompey-direct) did not then enjoy a regular direct service to London. An additional peak-hour service ran from Waterloo. It is envisaged these Fareham /Southampton services would (at set times) contain dining facilities /Pullman car.

 

London Commuter Traffic

Situated at the end of suburban services, there was just an hourly off-peak stopping service to London Bridge (the other half-hourly suburban service terminating at Dorking North). With the exception of the London Bridge stoppers, rush-hour fast services travelling north would just call at Dorking, semi-fast additionally at Leatherhead, Sutton and Clapham Junction.

Forest Green station would only be served by the hourly London Bridge suburban service; Holmwood by Dorking to Horsham trains.

 

Cross-Country

Guildford, Reading, Horsham & Brighton

On the Guildford branch there would be a half-hourly service; one loco-hauled each hour from Brighton (via Horsham) through to Cranleigh, Guildford and Reading with the other rail motor (pull-push) from Ewhurst Green terminating at Guildford; prior to 1957 this having continued to Wanborough, Ash, Tongham, Farnham, Bentley and Bordon. Additionally, there was a rush-hour service (loco-hauled) from Cranleigh into London Bridge.

There was also a couple of through services from both Brighton and Horsham through to Guildford thence onto Alton, Winchester, Eastleigh and ultimately Southampton Terminus, although not advertised as such in the public timetable. These were mostly for the carriage of mail and newspapers, although still carried local passenger traffic.

All this is of course concocted simply to make interesting railway operations rather than any probable commercially viable service!

 

 

Chapter Six

 

 

 

Electric Train Headcodes

Southern Electric services carry a two-digit route headcode. Older electric units used stencils to display their headcodes and as each motorman’s cab only carried one set of number stencils, headcodes using duplicate numbers (such as 11 or 22) were not used until roller blind headcodes came into use; even then they were initially allocated to diesel-operated services.

Ewhurst Green’s services operated over both Central and South Western Divisions (they also ran close to South Eastern Division services at Victoria and London Bridge). Accordingly, the designated headcodes needed to take this into account.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Seven

 

7. Passenger Traffic

Skip to next chapter

 

 

External Passengers & People

For the more-distant sections of the layout a few of Bachmann’s 4mm figures have been used as these were simple and straightforward to fit. However, for the station’s passengers and staff (in both the coal and goods yards) higher a standard of professionally painted figures were procured from by Pete Goss. Having rapidly exhausted much of Pete’s excellent range of figures (including differently painted duplicates to swell numbers), a further preparation and painting order was placed comprising unpainted figures (mainly) from Dart Castings and the now sadly defunct Aiden Campbell range.

 

 

Pete’s work starts with trimming off all those parts not required (much from the casting process), thence drilling, pinning and assembling figures prior to placement in wooden holed timber jigs. This enables the figures to be sprayed with etch primer prior to painting with acrylic paint. Ultimately Pete provided a large number of figures all with a significant consistency of appearance.

 

 

 Internal Passengers

Arguably one of the most import features of a model railway are the passengers and people; these bringing the scene alive . Passengers within trains are reasonably straightforward and even with 4mm scale, Preiser’s 3.5mm seated people (cat. No.16328 120 unpainted figures) are ideal as they sit well within the often overscale interiors.

 

 

Loading Gauge

Although the LBSCR loading gauge was reasonably generous we will assume this route was out-gauged (along with Three Bridges - Redhill- Reading) during the Great War to provide the LSWR with an alternative route to Havant via Raynes Park and Epsom. Accordingly, with fewer curves and gradients than the Pompey Direct, this route offered a viable route to Southampton and Bournemouth; particularly for diversionary workings if (say) Winchester St. Denys or Woking was blocked.

 

 

Diversity of Rolling Stock

Ewhurst Green (Surrey) could also provide a rare opportunity outside of London for the mixing of rolling stock of the Southern Region’s three divisions (SED, CED & SWD); some SED services coming down from Reading.

Accordingly, coaching stock could include SED Birdcage sets on services from Reading. Before the Second World War ex. LSWR Gate-Stock operated to Guildford and it is not improbable that other ex. LSWR coaches would have reached Ewhurst Green (either from Guildford or Waterloo to Cranleigh via Dorking). During the period modelled, Maunsell and Bulleid 59 multi-door 3 COR sets were used in the area along with other Pull-Push stock including the Maunsell pull-push conversion sets.

The main line would have used electric suburban units (terminating) and lavatory stock down to the coast but needed locomotive hauled sets to travel west from Farlington Junction to Fareham and beyond.

The layout easily manages twelve-car non-stop trains on the main line (for example Portsmouth Harbour twelve-car train of 4 BEP /4 CEP /2 HAP units) thirteen cars if an MLV is present. However, visually eight coaches maximum appears to work best whether this be an electric train or a locomotive hauling (say) two number BR(S) three-car coach sets (perhaps with vans) or longer sets with a buffet /Pullman car inserted.

In order to achieve these services, the two main line through platforms (2 & 3) would be able to handle twelve-car trains although the actual platforms are only ten-coaches long; most trains usually being eight-car 2 BIL /2 HAL or 4 CEP /2 HAP formations. Used mainly for departing branch services, the non-electrified Down Bay (platform 4) comfortably handles six-coach lengths; branch trains being shunter across to clear platform 1 and provide a convenient interchange between platforms 3 and 4.

Electric Trains

4 SUB (inc. augmented units), 2 NOL, and 2/4 EPB (BR & SR types) units all operate the four and eight-car stopping services up to London Bridge and several peak-hour suburban electric services ran into Waterloo from Ewhurst Green, joining the South Western main line at Raynes Park.

The Portsmouth Harbour services utilise 4 COR /4 CEP /2 HAP units on the fast (non-stop) services with 2 BIL /2 HAL combinations on the semi-fasts with 4 BEP units providing peak-hour catering facilities.

 

 

Locomotive-hauled Trains

Fareham and Southampton services variously use Maunsell sets, Bulleid 59 multidoor stock, Bulleid 64 stock and BR Mk1 corridor stock; a few of these services included dining facilities.

Locomotive-hauled set no.904 was redeployed from the Oxted lines to operate one of the two peak-hour services into London Bridge (routed via Dorking North and Peckham Rye). Weekdays this set would be kept overnight at Ewhurst Green (along with an eight-car suburban emu formation) running ecs to Guildford (reverse) to provide both Bramley & Wonersh and Cranleigh with a semi-fast peak-hour train into London Bridge. After the Saturday morning Up peak-hour train the set was kept at Eardley sidings before arriving back ecs on the Sunday afternoon. Originally six-coaches, set no.904 had its SECR TL replaced by two green Bulleid CK coaches so then comprising BS-S-S-C-CK-CK-BS in Crimson Lake (these Mk1 coaches were repainted BR(S) Green in 1958).

Reading Services

In terms of Reading services ex.SECR Birdcage and ex.SR Maunsell sets were used along with Mk1 non-corridor 3-coach sets displaced from Exmouth Junction services. Both the Reading and Guildford services also used 2-coach rail motor (pull-push) sets; some augmented with an additional Maunsell SO from withdrawn /disbanded sets.

However, all were now under threat from the new 2H Hastings and 2H /3H Hampshire units on services through to Reading. By the time the full Reading Tonbridge ‘3R’ service was implemented in on 6^th September 1965 the Reading Ewhurst Green services had significantly reduced to mostly Guildford Ewhurst Green.

Goodwood Race Days

Race days at Goodwood (served by Singleton station) would see special trains down from London to Singleton with strengthened connecting services from /to Reading. Often a spare Dover boat train set out of Stewart’s Lane was employed (as happened on the Newhaven services); often with the MLV still attached to reduce time detaching /attaching (ironically the MLV was sometimes detached at Newhaven and used as a taxi to the driver’s depot at Seaford). Perhaps these boat-train sets also operated several special-day services to Portsmouth or a specific daytime service?

I am still looking for a robust reason for including a TLV yes, I know the MLVs & TLVs essentially operated on SED and the latter is outside my era, but in 1968 number S68203 did enter service in maroon livery.

Similarly looking for a reason to operate a 10 BEL formation, perhaps on a Race-special to Goodwood else a Special to Portsmouth Harbour?

 

 

Chapter Eight

 

8. Freight Traffic

Skip to next chapter

I’ve never worked out why Ewhurst Green was a useful location for freight although is saw a degree of goods and container traffic. This line could also have remained useful route for through freight between places such as Temple Mills (ER) and Holloway Yards (ER), Hoo Junction (SED), Norwood Yard (CED) and Southampton (SWD) as well as North Camp, Chichester and Shoreham (CED) along the West Coastway (via Lavant). Local freight facilities are provided at Ewhurst Green, although their use is on the decline.

 

 

Dunsfold’s Airfield

Limited traffic is envisaged to service Dunsfold’s wartime-built airfield (in particular delivering components and aviation spirit) to the Hawker Aircraft Company. Little is written about the line serving Dunsfold airfield (from near to Cranleigh). From this siding the curving line crossed the wartime-built Alfold by-pass and into the airfield. Given the nature of the spur and the reduction in post-war freight traffic, trainloads were inevitable short with suitable motive power limited to short-wheelbase locomotives (my excuse for locomotives such as a USA /B4 tank engines).

Accordingly, (on the days freight services ran) there were at most two trips down to the airfield; the early mornings saw locomotive and tank wagon with the locomotive returning hauling vans. In the evening loaded vans were taken down and the locomotive returned with the empty tank wagon.

 

 

Engineering Trains

Engineer’s wagons (mainly Grampus, Whales and Dogfish but also a few Mermaids) will also be kept overnight at Ewhurst Green. Whilst Bachmann’s super Wickhams inspection trolley might appeal, these only normally ran during engineering possessions, so I’ve passed on one of these otherwise delightful models.

 

 

Facilities

Apart from the needs of the yard’s shunting locomotives (coal stage), facilities were basic with just several water columns at the station. Any locomotives that would need turning would have to trip through to either Guildford or Horsham shed. It isn’t really plausible that the Deepdene Holmwood spur (closed 1900 /reopened 1941-47) may have been retained to create a loop for freight traffic in order to reduce the need for (say) locomotive turning upon termination (from the Guildford direction).

Lowfits

Several decades ago, I formed two trains of Lowfit wagons carrying a section of VW T1 (type 1) Beetle cars and T2 (type 2) split-screen commercials /microbuses. The idea being these could be run at exhibitions to see if the eagled-eyed could spot there were actually two trains (only one contained a red T1 Beetle car) else as one impressive forty-wagon train.

A 1963 beetle no.53 Herbie was also acquired lest this appealed to younger exhibition audiences; this being from the 1968 film The Love Bug (which was based on the 1961 novel Car, Boy, Girl by Gordon Buford).

With Oxford Diecast having brought out the BMW Isetta (which were exported by rail from Brighton’s former railway locomotive works) a trainload of these bubble cars on weathered Lowfit wagons is in preparation.

 

 

Chapter Nine

 

9. Ewhurst Green after my Modelling Period

Skip to next chapter

In just a few years the route was reduced to a basic half-hourly service to Portsmouth Harbour; stations such as Cocking and Stoughton & Walderton being closed with others (for example) Singleton being reduced to rush-hour and race days only.

The line through Ewhurst Green would have probably hastened the 1955 closures of Midhurst to Petersfield and Pulborough (serving only Petworth) to pre-war (WW1), the route to Guildford closed in 1965 along with the Midhurst to Chichester passenger services (which had survived because the sturdier embankment near Cocking hadn’t collapsed).

The through Fareham /Southampton services were gone; even the London Bridge service was reduced to just two trains each morning /evening peak-hour as an extension from Dorking North (these now being the only services to call at Forest Green). The only freight traffic left was through trains; this still being a useful route to Portsmouth and Southampton taking the pressure of the curving steeply graded Pompey-direct and the SW main line.

Did this electrified line succumb to closure or is it simply difficult to find in timetables?

 

 

Chapter Ten

  

10. Station Layout

Skip to next chapter

Layout sizes can sometimes be physical too small in terms of the station being modelled and a degree of compression is (usually) inevitable. So, I’d considered basing my model on stations such as Groombridge /Barnham /Ford /Horsted Keynes /Lingfield /Dorking North (etc). That is two through platforms (2 & 3) and an Up Passenger Loop (platform 1). Alongside the Up Passenger Loop would be freight loop similar to Redhill plus a shunting road. On the Down side (country-end) was a short bay (platform 4) and adjacent dock served from a headshunt.

Barnham, Ford, Groombridge and Horsted Keynes stations had a similar layout located on or close to junctions (which can lead to much operational interest). Essentially the mainline will operate as Up and Down circuits (with the possible splitting /joining of electric trains in the through platforms). However, it is the branch (with its through and terminating services) that will see the core operational interest on the layout.

Basically platforms 2 & 3 would see the through services (both Branch and Main) with suburban services from London and Branch services terminating in platform 1. Also arriving in platform 1, local Branch services would then shunt across to platform 4 to restart their journey (similar operational moves took place at locations such as Eridge).

It was decided to place the main station building towards the rear of the baseboards on the Down side. Besides placing the platform-side of the building on view, this also left uninterrupted space along the front of the baseboards for the Up Passenger (platform) Loop (where branch trains would be terminating) and the goods sidings (i.e. all within easy reach). Accordingly, the model’s operator looks south-east towards the station.

This station concept provided the basis of the baseboard design.

Enlargement of the Station

However, it doesn’t end there as the history of the station can be seen in the model; many stations undergoing change across the decades. When the railway was originally, built Ewhurst Green station was double-tracked with two four-coach-long brick-built platforms, a Down-side dock along with a larger Up-side goods yard.

Electrification would have led to enlargement of the station to accommodate the terminating of 8-car suburban electric services plus now a greater need for interchange facilities onto the Cranleigh branch. This would have needed an Up Passenger Platform Loop and Down Bay (for departing Cranleigh branch trains).

So, the mainline platforms were lengthened and a 6-coach Down Bay created at the expense of most of the small Downside goods yard. Without a costly rebuild (plus additional /difficult land-take beyond) Somersbury Lane overbridge created a limitation in respect of the headshunt for shunting back into the remaining goods siding and dock. With the factory standing atop the cutting, in order to enable a headshunt to be taken up to Somersbury Lane overbridge, this cutting had to be dug out and replaced with a retaining wall.

The Up Platform was widened to meet a new Up Passenger (platform) Loop capable of holding an 8-car electric train and the London-end yard entry amended accordingly. The Up Passenger (platform) Loop stopped short of the Up-side subway buildings as only an 8-car length was required. South of the new Platform Loop an 8-car electric siding was created along with an equivalent length carriage siding.

These new works was undertaken using concrete harp & slab construction technique as supplied by the Southern’s Exmouth Junction concrete plant. Re-signalling took place and a few years later the main signal-box was replaced; the ex. LBSCR London-end box remaining as it oversaw the level-crossing.

 

 

 Chapter Eleven

  

11. Storage Loops & Fiddle Yard Layout

Skip to next chapter

Storage loops and fiddle yards can be a significant part of a model railway for these represent the rest of the UK network enabling trains to leave Ewhurst Green returning later in the day.

Trains entering the storage loops are kept there until needed again; some will set back to Ewhurst Green whilst others will move along the storage loop until it is their time to reappear. Some loop-lines each store just two long trains whilst others can store six shorter trains.

For the Cranleigh branch the fiddle yard comprises four tracks nearest the operator, and these involve reassembly of formations including a simple changing end of locomotives. The Cranleigh branch also has two dedicated storage loops capable of holding ten trains on each.

The storage loops and fiddle yard have six distinct sections:

These are all designed to permit realistic operation of the station with a combination of through and terminating services.

 

More on this later.

 

 

Chapter Twelve

  

12. Baseboard Construction

Skip to next chapter

The layout is housed in a dedicated purpose-built and well-insulated studio; the temperature running at a constant temperature from an inverter proving air-con /heating (well worth the investment and surprisingly cheap to run).

Baseboard Height

The layout’s baseboard was built at a height of 52” using 3” by 2” timber with the top made from 12mm high-quality exterior plywood (as supplied by an excellent local timber merchant). In other words, strong enough to rest or even sit on!

After much musing with good friend and ESF member Ian, this figure of 52” high had been derived from a number of factors; the main one being able to look at the railway from a more realistic sideways viewpoint rather than looking down from a great height onto train roofs. Ian uses a similar height on both his Oxted and Redhill P4 layouts. It is also a convenient height to duck-under when the drop-down door flap is up in use and trains are being run.

 

 

The height of 52” still places the rear of the layout within practical reach whilst enabling tasks such as wiring and the fitting of turnout motors (etc) to be undertaken from the relative comfort of a swivel chair (until such time that I can obtain a chaise-longue on raised legs with castors).

Furthermore, this height provides sufficient clearance when leaving the trackroom with the flap closed (trains running).

 

 

Baseboard Width

Nominally 30” wide (the furthest one can realistically reach and work), each corner has a triangular pop-up hole where one can stand up to gain access.

Baseboard construction was undertaken by good friend and fellow ESF member Terry (a.k.a. the Rigger) who flew in from his mountain retreat in the Algarve to construct the baseboards the lure of tea, biscuits and Cornflakes being simply too irresistible!

Having constructed the boards for his own layout thence Ian Sneyd’s P4 Redhill 1938, Terry has since gone on to construct close friend’s Rod Stewart’s baseboards for his 4mm take on the interesting arrangements at Inverness.

Ewhurst Green’s fiddle yard boards were built in March 2015 and the station boards completed October 2015. During the latter visit the simple test circuit was also installed.

 

 

 

However, on the station side the 30” baseboards widen to around 50” at each end, which would ordinarily leave the rear of the layout out of reach. The solution was simple in the form of two drop-down sections being provided (similar to the entrance door flap) to provide access-reach; it is this flap that is demonstrated in the static load testing photographs rather than just the permanent (fixed) baseboard!

In order to protect the scenery on these flaps their design enables them to be swung through 180^o and secured upside down out of the way by means of a fixed cord operated on pulleys. Track only passes onto the boards at the inner ends and at 90^o so there wasn’t to be any skewed rail joints.

Once secured up into place by a simple sprung (brass window) latch at the far end the inner end is drawn tightly into alignment by use of a brass sash window screw latch; this system also being utilised on the drop-down entrance flap.

A credit to Terry’s engineering skill; the baseboard top-framing is shimmed to provide a maximum deviation of less than 2mm between opposite ends of the layout. This top framing was also designed so as not to interfere with the future positioning of turnout motors and the positioning of the legs to optimise storage; the legs being screwed to the (insulated) floor.

 

 

 

In 2017 end-protection boards were built for the drop-down entrance flap (using 9mm plywood recovered from my former layout). Not only do these boards protect the rail ends at the doorway, but they also prevent rolling stock from inadvertently descending into the abyss!

Across Easter 2018 further baseboard work took place in the form of the green painted baseboard edging; besides providing a neat appearance it also prevents anything falling off!

 

 

Chapter Thirteen

 

13. Track Laying

Skip to next chapter

Modelling in 4mm, I have always used 00 although have thought long and hard about EM or P4. With so much available in P4 these days I could see little reason to change to EM even though for the majority of my rolling stock it would have been relatively simple to ease out the back-to-backs of their finescale wheels. P4 looks superb except the tolerances are so fine much precision is required and this could prove tricky on a large, fixed layout (even the 00 track has needed adjustment in-situ).

However, the change to either gauge would necessitate a significant amount of additional work including starting again with all the trackwork instead of component-recovery from my previous layout. Now with failing eyesight, this was the correct decision.

Even with 00 the tolerances at the wheel /rail interface are still fine and both track and wheels need adjustment. Certainly, using old-style copper-clad turnouts means this can be undertaken with a soldering-iron!

Storage loops & Fiddle yard Trackwork

The minimum radius used on non-scenic sections is 36” and for the fiddle yard Peco code 75 ‘HO’ track is employed being cheap, practical, of standard dimensions and simply laid onto 1.5mm cork. Unfortunately, the 36” minimum precluded the use of Peco single /double slips in the fiddle yard which appear to be only 30” radius.

The mainline storage loops are set for differing train lengths - some can hold six-number 4-car electric units; other hold a thirteen-car boat-train set.

The branch fiddle yard is designed for five and six-car equivalent lengths. For example, a five-car length provides for locomotive, van and three-car coaching set. Longer trains can be accommodated through the doubling up on bays. It comprises Up and Down Branch (through lines for trains undertaking a circuit) thence four sets of roads for terminating services.

Scenic Trackwork

Both Exactoscale (C&L Finescale Modelling Ltd) and SMP track is employed in the scenic sections being laid on 3mm cork and paired to Marcway turnouts. However, although I had a small existing stock of SMP track left over from Apothecary Street I decided to move forward using Exactoscale as the track has a considerable edge including crisper sleeper mouldings. Accordingly, the remaining stock of SMP track was used up on the less visible sections of the layout.

The new Peco 4mm bullhead track was examined and whilst its sleeper sizes /spacing look good the overall rail /sleeper height differs from Exactoscale / SMP /Marcway track (it also differs from Peco code 75 track). With limited availability it was not considered for use.

There is a small transition in height between the scenic track (Exactoscale ) and fiddle yard (Peco code 75 track); this being achieved through the use of graduated shims made from card and the different thickness of cork underlay (1.5mm and 3mm).

The choice of Marcway turnouts was a relatively simple one; for although they are of copper-clad construction (which many would suggest is dated, even crude by today’s standards) from a distance they still look reasonable and all of Apothecary Street’s Marcway turnouts were recovered for possible reuse; these being stripped, cleaned and repainted. In addition, Marcway turnouts are simple to repair and adjust in-situ. On an operational model railway (on fixed boards) sheer practicality in terms of ongoing maintenance has to be a significant (if not an over-riding) consideration.

 

 

The track centrelines of Ewhurst Green were set out by means of both chalk-line and laser technology with the centrelines marked then delineated using track pins. Mounted on 3mm cork the scenic track is held in place before light gluing (if needed), painting thence ballasting the four-foot to fully secure it. The paint (Railmatch Sleeper Grime) actually makes an excellent adhesive.

Rather than the 50mm used by (say) Peco the track centres are set at 45mm in order to give a scale six-foot (although the distance measured between adjacent running rails is actually slightly wider due to the 16.5mm 00 track gauge). However, to enable sufficient clearance between passing trains on curves tighter than five feet radius, the six-foot dimension is increased up to 50mm; this being used on the layout’s three-foot minimum radius curves. The storage loops and fiddle yard simply use the standard 50mm spacing throughout.

 

 

Switches and Crossings

Where needed, a number of the scenic turnouts were carefully rebuilt to incorporate the required long timbers therein; particularly required as a scale six-foot dimension had been adopted. This means 45mm centres instead of the standard 50mm more usually adopted by many modellers and Peco (a necessary compromise by manufacturers to accommodate the sharp radii without varying this distance).

Turnout Motors

Tortoise turnout motors were used throughout, albeit with 0.9mm wire drive for the mechanically stiffer switchblades of the Marcway turnouts. Even then this wire size is only just strong enough for the short switches on the double slips; each double slip requiring four motors one motor per pair of switchblades!

Not only did this choice of turnout motor enable standardisation across the layout (I fitted each motor with a lead and plug of standard configuration) the two sets of contacts thereon enabled switching: one set being used for the polarity of each turnout’s common crossings.

 

 

 

Some of the Marcway trackwork does need fine adjustment to enable fault-free running; particularly a few tight-to-gauge areas in the middle of the slips /double slips. This included tightening of the checkrails. With copper-clad track this is a relatively straightforward exercise using a Vernier gauge, fine soldering iron and patience. It is well worth spending time on doing this as the results are very effective.

 

 

Buffer Stops

Lanarkshire Model Supplies produce an excellent LBSCR buffer stop kit and one of these was the first buffer stop to be installed on the Down Headshunt. Peco produce an equivalent BR buffer stop kit and whilst arguably rarer on the Southern Region in the Ewhurst Green period, were assessed to be used in vulnerable location as they clip onto the railhead and are potentially simpler to replace if damaged. However, the Peco turnouts were found to be far too delicate and flimsy so discarded.

 

 

Conductor Rails

Getting the conductor rails right is important although there are certain practicalities that need to be considered, particularly with regard to clearances to trains and maintenance.

Peco produce conductor rail pots for use with code 60 rail. Whilst their code 60 rail isn’t quite the right profile for (say 100lb/yd) conductor rail on a large working layout it is much easier to use these products that opt for something that it more authentic. Ultimately when standing back at a distance, the visual effect is achieved..

With 4mm /OO SMP /Exactoscale track the sleeper lengths are shortened to 8’ instead of 8’ 6” which can lead to issues with placement of the conductor rail and visually make the distance between running rail and conductor rail look to be greater that it really is.

Yes, the conductor rail can be positioned at a scaled 5.2mm from the running edge for the shorter sleepers except some models use the correct bogie widths for (say) axle boxes (etc) on their models and these can foul the 5.2mm conductor rail. So, on Ewhurst Green the centreline of the conductor rail is just under 6.5mm from the running edge (the reasonably correct distance from the track centreline). Even then the shoes on Bachmann Mk1 4 BEP /4CEP /2 HAP /2 EPB stock sit inside the conductor rail whilst those on Hornby’s 2 BIL /2 HAL stock on its outside. In terms of the latter units, gentle filing of the inside of the shoes is required.

The Peco conductor rail pots enable the conductor rail to be removable (for maintenance) through being an interference fit into the holes drilled in the sleeper ends. With my failing eyesight, a friend has spent many hours hunched over my baseboard drilling out holes in the sleeper-ends and fitting sections of con-rail whilst I frantically struggle to catch up on replacing the 0.75mm drills that frequently get broken in the process.

Once fitted, the conductor rail is eased out and (without moving the conductor rail pots), spray-painted in primer before painting in sleeper grime. On railways of this period, the conductor rail pots became dirty relatively quickly, turning brown in the process.

 

 

Side-ramps

Side-ramps are modelled (albeit few in number); these being used where the conductor rail is present adjacent to a turnout’s switches to enable the train’s collector shoes to join or (smoothly) leave the conductor rail at turnouts albeit with a 20mph speed restriction onto a side-ramp. Located adjacent to the switch-tips, side-ramps were employed where non-electrified lines joined electrified lines lest an electric multiple unit was being hauled dead with its shoes hanging down.

 

 

Most of the Southern Region was shoe-cleared for hauling an electric multiple unit (even the Weymouth Tramway was assessed but not cleared for possible class 442 haulage). However, side-ramps are frequently omitted by modellers. In terms of the UK’s two standard-gauge fourth-rail electrified systems, LUL has a limited number of side-ramps; the MoD has none.

 

 

Conductor Rail Protection Boards

At a number of locations conductor rail protection boards would have been used and these are produced by several manufacturers. However, their supports are fit under the Peco conductor rail insulator ( pots ) and so lift the conductor a fraction too high, sometimes leading to fouling with the shoegear of Hornby’s electric multiple unit stock. Furthermore, with the potential for some thirty-feet of protection boarded conductor rail, maintaining adjustment would also be tricky and a potential a nightmare.

Conductor rail protection boarding can also be created using rail soldered in 1/8” brass channel and at a distance it looks the part; as a solution it is robust. However, again the shoegear of Hornby electric multiple unit stock can foul this (Bachmann is absolutely fine). Ultimately a decision was made to omit this protection boarding.

However, I was fortunate to have enough KS181 brass channel left over from Apothecary Street to create boarded conductor rail in the carriage siding where the protection boarded conductor rail noticeably sat alongside the carriage walkway; possibly to give assess to the undersides of each car. In recent years as part of my professional duties I ensured wherever practicable the con-rail was placed on the side furthest from the walkway.

In the middle of the station platform there is a boarded foot-crossing for staff; today these having long been closed at stations as they are dangerous with a significant risk of staff being struck by trains (staff should use the alternative route via subway or footbridge).

 

 

However, for the period of Ewhurst Green not only was there a boarded foot-crossing between the platforms the live conductor rail often passed straight through this with staff required to step over two adjacent conductor rails in the six-foot.

 

 

 

Chapter Fourteen

 

14. Test Circuit

(2015-2017)

Skip to next chapter

Starting in 2015 a simple test track utilised the storage loop /fiddle yard area before entering the station side as a circuit (still on Peco track) albeit laid well out of the way, initially at the rear of the baseboards. Providing a circular run just over one scale mile, it had been a useful addition as well as the centre of a number of social gatherings with East Sussex Finescale (ESF) members.

The storage loops were all laid first before scenic station tracklaying commenced. With the scenic Up Main connected in June 2017 the test circuit was disconnected in August 2017 to allow the Country-end Down Main to be laid; it was lifted early September 2017 to enable the London-end Down Main to be connected.

The test circuit introduced a variety of rolling stock onto the layout ranging from models of elderly external framed copper-topped green kettles (of dubious parentage) through Hampshire units (an eight-car DEMU formation has been run) to modern diesels in post-privatisation livery. It has also seen ESF member Kevin’s pre-First World War Prussian steam (very impressive) along with a modern German articulated multiple unit!

This has given other ESF members (who are still building their own substantial layouts) the opportunity to let their models stretch their legs including several that haven’t been out of their boxes for several decades (leading to several ad-hoc overhauls) including some whose wheelsets were incompatible with the scenic-side scale track.

For the majority of this period there was a steadily growing rake of East Sussex Finescale (ESF) group member Rod’s Metro-Cammell Pullmans providing the load for numerous locomotives; most of the TOPs diesel classes having now been run including double-heading and top-and-tails.

The use of Rod’s DCC controller brought sound to the layout, although limited by speaker size /technology the most realistic versions being the Rail Exclusive /Sutton Locomotive Works (SLW) Sulzer type-2 (class 24). Fitted with two speakers these are a long way ahead of all other offerings; Charley Petty’s (DC Kits) class 26 /33 /3H sound units follow with other makes further behind. However, DC Kits are now developing high quality stereo sound units so it may be a case of watch this space!

The SLW Sulzer type-2 (class 24) set a new standard for ready-to-run and (in my opinion) were well worth the outlay; these being a significant advance on Bachmann’s Sulzer type-2 (class 24) model particularly in respect of the underframe detailing; Ewhurst Green having two Southern Region-allocated examples. Bachmann’s Sulzer type-2 (class 24) remains a nice model; SLW have simply taken ready-to-run locomotives to a new level and like Hornby with its Railroad range there is space in the marketplace for both versions.

Kernow’s Beattie Well tanks and O2 classes run very nicely as does Model Rail’s USA tanks and Hornby’s Radial tanks. In terms of emu stock 2 BIL /2 HAL units (including a 12-car formation) have been run alongside visiting MLV /4 CEP stock and a blue /grey 5 BEL. Interestingly Hornby have not sought to provide any fittings to enable a pair of 5 BEL units to be coupled together (a small job for winter with my unit nos.3052 & 3053). Now, if only somebody would produce a 4 LAV in r-t-r!

Ironically up to 2021 I had run very little of my own stock!  

 

 

Chapter Fifteen

 

 

15. Layout Electrics

Skip to next chapter

As an old-school modeller I have not sought to embrace DCC. However, there is no luddite here the current choice is out of practicalities and the desire to achieve realistic railway operation in a simple cost-effective manner; DCC only offering limited benefits in this area. As on Apothecary Street, the control of the station will be undertaken by means of an electric lever frame with conditional locking; I considered this would be best achieved through the straightforward use of switches and relays.

It is regularly stated that DCC makes layout wiring simpler. In some ways that statement is true as it makes the modeller’s wiring much simpler; the hugely complex wiring of the DCC controller (and possibly an operating computer) has already been undertaken for the modeller. In other words, the starting point of your layout construction is relative. To mis-quote Carl Sagan If you wish to make a model railway from scratch, you must first invent the universe .

However, DCC also introduces other complexities both in wiring and physical control. Fault-finding with such technology can be difficult. Furthermore, you can be tied into one manufacturer’s product for some components and their prices.

Ewhurst Green uses a number of essentially repetitive but simple electrical circuits, each wired the same way; it must be acknowledged that (particularly given the layout’s length of just over a scale mile) cabling is ordered in 1.1km lengths at a time.

Some will find this chapter complex (others may risk falling asleep) so you can skip to next chapter.

 

Controlling the Layout

Apothecary Street was controlled through the signalling by means of an electric lever frame (with conditional locking) for the scenic section, route setting for the fiddle yard. As this obviated the need for traditional cab-control switches and proved to be very effective I decided to operate Ewhurst Green in the same way.

The lever frame is quite straightforward employing high-quality former Ministry of Defence (MoD) DPDT switches mounted on robust plastic industrial cable trunking (those switches recovered from Apothecary Street were augmented by the lucky purchase of some more on the internet). Apparently, each switch cost the equivalent of around 64 each new some sixty-years ago!

In general (but not always) signal boxes have one lever per each signal arm. However, as many of Ewhurst Green’s multi-armed signals (such as the three home signals) are located off scene the decision was made to use one lever per signal location; the actuating of the correct arm (where applicable) being determined by the route set.

There is a lever for each of the three home signals on the Up Main, Down Main and Up Branch (but not the distant signals) as operation of these provides the track feeds. Similarly, the three equivalent advanced starting signals enable the feeds into the storage loops /fiddle yard.

The shunting signals are non-operational. However, the levers still need to be present; when actuated they prove the route and provide the track feeds. Turnouts are activated is the usual way with ends paired as per prototypical practice.

With few exceptions, each signal has its own relay (including non-operating shunting signals). This being an electrical necessity to electrically control the layout.

Hand points are not of course on the main lever frame and here simple route setting switches are quietly employed at each end of the station’s goods yard in order to switch entry into the sidings.

Storage loops and fiddle yard

In the Up & Down storage loops and Branch storage loops and Branch fiddle yard simple route setting is used; this being undertaken through ex.GPO type 600 relays.

As there are few instances of (say) a train entering on the Down Line (perhaps crossing into platform 1) whilst another departs (say from bay platform 4) it was decided that two trains would not be running on the same circuit: apart from shunting-forward in the fiddle yards.

Every storage loop /fiddle yard track is capable of storing more than one train on each; this being dependent upon the train length and loops is designed to accommodate multiples of different length trains. For example, one loop will accommodate four number 4-car emu stock (or two number 8-car units) plus an additional four units in the add-on loops (whereas another is designed for two 10-coach trains). The long loop with add-on loops is configured to accommodate the suburban electric services which shuttle around the London-end of the layout between the fiddle yard and station.

The operation of the loops is simple for when the first train out of a loop is travelling round through the station the second train parked in the loop can be shunted-forward to create space for the arrival of the returning first train at the rear of the loop.

The detailed operation of this is described under the heading of Storage loops and fiddle yard Controls .

 

 

Conditional Locking (Signalling)

It would have been nice to have employed full interlocking. However, I accepted that this would be unnecessarily complex for a model railway and that conditional locking would suffice. This still requires the correct turnouts to be set to allow the signals to be pulled off (thus enabling the required electrical track feeds). However, instead of preventing a conflicting route from being set conditional locking simply cuts the electrical track feed which in turn halts the trains.

I shall not attempt to describe the circuitry involved in detail at this stage (a basic wiring diagram is needed), save to say that with a basic knowledge of relays the underlying principle is ridiculously simple and highly effective; coming up with such circuitry just needed a degree of lateral thinking. However, I am open to discussion on the topic.

 

 

Track Feeds & Relays

As stated, for many years I’ve no longer employ cab-control on my layouts; instead arranging track feeds through the signalling with a smattering of isolating sections in the scenic sections. Route setting is employed in the storage loops /fiddle yard with just a handful of isolating /move-up switches controlling all tracks. Essentially it is a case of just set the road and drive the train!

Notwithstanding, the layout is being wired with the potential to use DCC at a later date; certainly, I recognise the are benefits from a constant 16v around the track rather than the slow starting voltages associated with DC.

Some can find the use of relays complex. However, whilst it requires a significant amount of wiring design and copious amounts of relays (mostly ex. GPO aluminium-cased type 600) the circuitry involved is essentially simplistic in terms of its repetitive design. Some might view the task as Herculean, but really it just needs time and patience!

I like to use ex.GPO relay carriers as it gets quite tedious if you have to build your own mounts. However, many of these carriers (from GPO relay stations) contain ten relays: each with two pairs of changeover contacts along with two pairs of coil feeds resulting in ten wire-terminations per relay (eighty in total). These two pairs of coil feeds get really useful when two separate circuits need to activate a relay - this can be achieved without the need for selection switching.

Other relays are contained within ex.GPO metal cases up to 30 number type 600 relays at a time. So these have to be mounted on a frame alongside a plywood panel covered in 3amp terminal blocks (wired to each relay terminal) ready for mounting under the layout. Thirty relays each with eight contact termination (plus two or four coils) means 320 separate wires to be soldered and terminated. The whole unit is then installed under the layout ready for connecting into the layout’s circuitry!

GPO relays rarely fail but any design does need to have a means to enable replacement without behaving like a contortionist with a hot soldering iron in hand! Accordingly, their mounting has to provide reasonable means of access, and this can prove challenging.

Telephone relay circuitry usually runs on 50v (I believe some providers now use lower voltages). Whilst many of the lower-resistance former GPO relays work well on 12v, most are run at 24v although a number of 50v circuits using higher-resistance relays are employed; the 50v circuits being separated isolated from the others and are clearly identifiable. However, I would not advocate the use of 50v circuits unless you have sufficient knowledge and experience to design and undertake this safely.

 

Turnout Motors

All of the ninety-nine Tortoise turnout motors are powered from two-transformer sources; one side of all the turnout motors are connected to each other. The other side goes back to the operating lever switch (relay contacts in the storage loops /fiddle yard); this either connects to transformer 1 (positive) or transformer 2 (negative).

At the end of its movement the Tortoise turnout motor simply enters a (designed) stall with power still present. Until the new PSUs were put in place, I used old Hammant & Morgan transformer-controllers (etc) for this purpose as the voltage can be simply adjusted to an appropriate speed. In reality the need to run the motors at a reduced voltage wasn’t necessary.

Marcway double slips each require four Tortoise motors. It is physically possible to install all four motors on a double slip between the two pairs of stretcher bars (motors mounted side-by-side in pairs placed back-to-back) although this can be fiddly.

 

 

Turnout motors have been installed including those on the London-end goods yard; just a couple on the south end of the goods yard and the branch fiddle yard awaiting fitment. Standard designs of wiring circuits are used to make work easier on both the turnout motors and associated relays.

One pair of contacts on each Tortoise motor switches the polarity of the common crossing on both Marcway and Peco turnouts; this provides reliable electrical switching. On crossovers the second pair of contacts on one of the motors makes the electrical connection between the two tracks. Spare Tortoise motor switches are used in the conditional locking circuitry.

Although each turnout or crossover is numbered the Tortoise motors also carry a simple colour code using coloured cable ties (tags). A single motor has one coloured tag, a simple two-motor crossover has two and where three motors are employed three tags are used. Working underneath the baseboard can be disorientating and these tags provide a rapid but simple means of identifying motors.

Furthermore, each motor is placed in the normal position and a bright yellow tag added to one of the made contact wires (either yellow or blue) as a useful reminder when installing wiring. This is particularly useful on crossovers where motors may be reversed so one end normal is yellow wire the other end it is blue.

Each turnout number is fed through their own relay. For example, a crossover has one number on the signal-box lever frame although uses two motors. It is powered through one relay.

At the country-end of the station several double slips are adjacent to a single slip. On the lever frame each have one number, but each also have three ends with each end powered by a motor (three in total) these being wired together to work in unison. Again, this is all powered through one relay.

 

Relay panels

Where route setting is employed, the turnouts are switched through relays. A total of four of these panels are required for the storage loops and fiddle yard. Each relay panel comprises twenty relays /three-amp termination blocks and two-hundred eyelets to secure the wiring!

The 12mm boards are from an 8 x4 sheet accurately cut into nine by the timber supplier. Fixed to the board with 2BA bolts, each relay rack can be detached lest relay replacement is required. However, each relay was cleaned and tested before fitting and wiring; the circuits were tested again before mounting under the layout.

These relays are former GPO type 600 dating back to the 1950s; today it is unusual to find them with their protective aluminium cases. Each relay has two pairs of changeover contacts and two (rather than one) coil; this second coil proving vulnerable for switching the automated turnouts in the middle of the storage loops.

One set of changeover contacts is used to switch the Tortoise motors: these motors being powered from a centre-tap +12v /0v /-12v supply from a pair of transformers. However, the GPO type 600 relay obtain 24v of power from across the +12v /-12v connections of the paired transformers.

 

 

This relay bank is now in-situ, wired and fully operational controlling the Up and Down Country-end main-line storage loops along with the Up and Down Branch storage loops and fiddle yard. All the switching contacts on all these relays are used.

In 2020 the second (identical) relay bank was fabricated and installed to control the mainline turnouts at the London-end of Ewhurst Green; a third was also installed for the fiddle yard’s London-end branch turnouts. The third relay bank is in operation.

 

Storage Loops & Fiddle Yard Controls

Personal preference is for controls to be simple, intuitive and quick to operate. In addition, the risk of operating failures including train collisions should be designed-out as far as possible.

There are eighteen main-line storage loops into total, arranged in a staggered formation. At the Country-end this comprises five Up and five Down loops. However, the staggered arrangement provides four up and four down additional loops that can only be accessed off each of the Up and Down outside loop lines nos.1, 5 6 & 10. In other words, the Down Line has loops numbered 1 to 5; from loop 1 the staggered additional loops nos.1a & 1b can be accessed. Similarly, from loop 5 the staggered additional loops nos.5a & 5b can be accessed. Loops nos. 2, 3 & 4 cannot access these additional loops, and stock uses centre-road 3 (an extension of storage road 3).

 

Diagrammatic Arrangement of Down Line Storage Loops

[I know, a better diagram is needed but the webpage wouldn’t recognise diagonal lines].

In summation:

Loop 1 has three isolating sections; loops 1a and 1b also have three isolating sections each (else exit via centre 3).

Loops 2 and 3 have two isolating sections (plus centre 3).

Loop 4 has three isolating sections (plus centre 3).

Loop 5 has three isolating sections; loops 5a and 5b also have two isolating sections each (else exit via centre 3).

The automatic turnouts /crossings in the middle of the storage loops are mounted on the drop-down door-entry flap which could not be used for the storage of rolling stock without mass-shunting every time the flap needed to be opened. Furthermore, this arrangement permits the rearrangement of trains on (say) loop no.1 as the train on section 3 can be released by via centre track 3 instead of having to let that on 1a section 6 go first.

 

 

Selection of Loops

Entry into each set of loops is switched by two rotary switches controlling the turnouts at either end of each set of loops (i.e. Entry into and Exit out of the loops).

Along the length of the two sets of five Up and Down storage loops there is a maximum of six isolating sections with a five -way rotary switches (at the entry and exit) route-selecting the each of five sets of loops. The Down line is loop nos.1 to 5 (plus 1a, 1b, 5a & 5b) and the Up line loop nos. 6 to 10 (plus 6a, 6b, 10a & 10b) tracks.

There are turnouts /crossovers mid-way down each of the storage loop sections where (say) Down loops nos.1 to 5 all converge onto an extension of storage road 3. However, these turnouts /crossovers also give entry into four additional loops 1a /1b (from loops 1) and 5a /5b (from loop 5). These turnouts /crossovers operate automatically relative to the position of the two sets of rotary switches.

On the Down Line whilst one switch (left) selects tracks 1 to 5, the position of the other (right) can select either 1a, 1b, 5a or 5b (else out via centre track no.3) with the intermediate pointwork operating automatically to achieve this. However, if (say) track 2 is selected (with no route into 1a (etc.) then the pointwork will automatically default to departure via the centre track no.3.

The Up Line as a similar arrangement save to say the centre track no.8 and additional loops are approached first. Rotary switches are used in a similar way to control the Branch line storage loops (11 & 12) and fiddle yard tracks (13 to 16).

Finally, some of the Up and Down storage loop’s five -way rotary switches have a sixth position which activate the trailing crossovers at each end enabling reversal of pull-push /multiple unit trains. Storage loops 10a or 10b being intended for the reversal of the London Bridge to Ewhurst Green 8-car electric peak-hour terminating service.

The white operating panel is simple and robust, being made from 50mm square section UPVC electrical trunking; the front removes for maintenance access.

 

 

Isolating Sections

Each storage loop is split into isolating sections; these sections differ in length, so some loops have six isolating sections (for short trains); others just two (for longer trains). Rather than have large banks of switches there is just one row of isolating switches which relates to the storage loop selected by the rotary switches. LED lights illuminate in order to identify which isolating switches apply to the selected storage loop.

For example, all six LEDs will illuminate for the six (short-length) isolating-sections in storage loop no.1 and additional loop 1a /1b combined. However, just two LEDs will illuminate for the switches which control the two (long-length) isolating-sections in (say) storage loop no.2. Although sections 1, 2 & 6 are always needed they too are illuminated for visual consistency.

Not only does this arrangement provide for simple route-setting operation (reducing the margin of error) it both reduces the size of control panel required along with the number of switches needed from 28 to 8 for (say) the Down fiddle yard tracks when compared to traditional switching arrangements!

Two of the Up and Down storage roads (outer pairs 1 & 5 /6 & 10) can each access two additional storage roads (Down 1a & 1b - 5a & 5b /Up 6a & 6b - 10a & 10b) so both an IN and OUT rotary switch is needed; the relative position of each automatically sets crossovers midway along the main line fiddle yard loops. There is a trailing crossover at each end of the mainline storage loops and two of the four black rotary switches have a 6^th position to control these.

Operation of Isolating Loops

Along the length of the storage loops there is a maximum of six isolating sections with a five -way rotary switches (at the entry and exit) route-selecting the five loops. The six on-off isolating switches (to be technically correct switching-off) activate the sections in the selected storage lops with all other loops automatically switched-out.

 

Isolation of the storage loop /fiddle yard tracks is undertaken through the route setting in order to do away with the vast arrays of switches so often seen on layouts. Instead, each of the isolating switches only refer to the tracks upon which each route is set (this is covered later). The wiring is simple and straightforward if not time-consuming (particularly as fishplates are not relied upon for conductivity).

There is no common return in these loops; for by using one set of the turnout motor’s switch-contacts only the return rail of the selected track is connected to the layout’s common return. This means power can provided through each isolating section on /off switch across five roads; but a train can only move on the storage loop selected and connected to the layout’s common return. Simple but effective.

Ultimately some storage loops may be fully automated using infrared detectors.

Relay Operation

Visiting sound locomotives and multiple units identified some voltage drops in the storage loops, in part due to the length of some cable runs. Whilst not a huge issue the decision was made to eradicate these commencing with the layout’s London end storage loops.

A termination board for thirty type 600 relays (mounted in a large GPO can to one side) was prepared. This is not easy for access to both front and rear of the relays is required for future maintenance.

There is one 24-volt relay for each isolating section with the relay wired in parallel with the turnout relay. Up to five relays are operated from the existing (but reused) on-off switch on the panel. However, only of these five relays can be energised (with the selection of the designed loop).

As a consequence, all the voltage drops were eliminated. However, I do need to prepare a diagram to visually express all this as the reality is quite straightforward!

 

Power Supplies

On my previous layout (Apothecary Street) old H&M /Triang /GPO 12v power units were utilised along with 50v GPO power supply units (PSUs); the latter being purpose-built by the GPO and metal encased. As a temporary measure these old 12v power units had been reused on Ewhurst Green. However, going forward six-number modern PSUs with a higher smoothed output (10 amp each) were always envisaged; these are mounted in protected enclosures because of the exposed mains inputs.

Ewhurst Green uses five voltages with 12-14v DC being the most common. However, the signals run at 9.5v DC, the turntable operates at 16v AC, the storage loops /fiddle yard type 600 relays at 24v DC and the type 3000 GPO relays in the station’s conditional locking use 50v DC. The 50v supply comes from the purpose-made ex-GPO metal-cased power supply units (as previously mentioned).

Excluding some of the controllers which have an internal power supply unit (PSU), the six number DIN-rail mounted PSUs are employed in pairs; each with a smoothed ten-amp DC output. Four of these are linked to provide +12v /0v /-12v for the ninety-nine relay-operated Tortoise turnout motors.

Each Tortoise motor is operated through a 24v relay, so power is taken from across the +12v /-12v transformer taps to give 24v for the type 600 relays used in the turnout-motor controls. Although the type 600 relays will operate on 12v, their operation is much improved with 24v.

 

 

Each PSU draws 2.6 amps from the mains, these transformers are fed through a surge protected supply taken off one of the isolating ring mains in the track room. In other words, these ring mains can be powered down when leaving the track room.

 

Mercury Displacement Relays

All these transformers are plugged into the track-room’s lower ring main in pairs; the total current draw of all six main 10-amp transformers alone being 15.6-amp (then there are all the controllers and secondary transformers) so these are supplied through three separate 13-amp plugs.

To avoid the tedium of switching off each plug individually (including forgetting to do so), a single master switch for the layout has been installed which powers up two Michigan-built MDI Mercury Displacement Relays in the far side of the track-room. These Mercury Displacement Relays now energise two of the 13-amp supplies to four of the main power supply units (balanced with other transformers and controller loads).

 

 

Photographed on the bench (but now mounted, wired and commissioned into use), the power feed to the Mercury Displacement Relays will enter (in trunking) the underside of the cabinet to the Blue /Earth Live terminals up on the left. The 2.5-amp switched circuits will enter in the top from a control cabined immediately above; brown for LH relay blue for RH relay. As these Mercury Displacement Relays operate at 120v they are wired in series you can hear the slight deep hum when energised!

 

www.mdius.com

 

I wonder how many other model railways use these?

 

 

Chapter Sixteen

 

 

16. Back Scene

Skip to next chapter

Painted Sky

After much consideration, a simple painted sky back scene was opted for; this being very effective on fellow ESF member P4 layouts of Oxted and Redhill. It also enables the future use of trompe-l'oeil behind the trees in order to provide the effect of depth. Furthermore, Ian’s adept and creative wife Wendy had offered to paint it her work was excellent!

Each scenic board was numbered and painted matt-white ready for Wendy to undertake her magic with sponges and various acrylic paints; the sky effect being carried across each board joint (completed March 2017).

Unfortunately, the room’s daylight simulation lighting means the photographs simply do not do the final sky-effect justice. However, they look excellent in-person and I’m extremely grateful for Wendy’s creative time and work.

 

 

Backscene & Access to Lighting

Along the length of the scenic side of the layout is a continuous support-bead originally intended to provide a firm rest if any of the fluorescent strip light’s high-frequency electronic ballasts needed to be replaced. Essentially leaning over a scenic layout could present logistical-reach issues; the support-bead (a beam with a lip) could enable a flat board to be placed and supported above the layout reducing any potential damage to the layout.

However, the use of LED replacement tubes left the electronic ballasts redundant reducing the potential need for maintenance access (the LED tubes are easily reached). It does highlight the benefit of using LED replacement tubes instead of integral LED light fitting which require complete replacement when they fail a small stock of LED replacement tubes is kept to one side.

High-frequency fluorescent lighting was originally employed because they are strobe-free (for example, the strobing effect from fluorescent lighting can be dangerous around moving machinery). They also had improved starting, greater efficiency and longer-life. But in just a couple of years LED lighting had superseded all of this with the electronic ballasts wired out-of-circuit and the fittings re-wired to accept LED tubes.

The 16” height of this support-beading was determined by using the 8” long 12mm plywood off-cuts from the 32”-wide baseboards. These 16” by 8” long off-cuts were used to form the back scene; the top-edge of which is held in place by the support-beading.

Since these photographs were taken the daylight fluorescent tubes have been replaced with daylight LED tubes. Besides the savings in electricity, maintenance is future-proofed; tubes can be easily placed by reaching over the railway. However, had an electronic ballast required changing it could have been tricky with scenery in place below.

 

 

 

Decor

At the same time as this scenic-backboard work was undertaken, the opportunity was taken to add some room decor in the form of split-flaps from former Solari indicator boards (obtained during my days on BR’s Southern Region). These provide a selection of destinations and types of indications displayed including some no longer seen.

Towards each end of the scenic section the scenic track curves around towards the fiddle yard. The intention here is to place suitably positioned bridges at the start of these curves with the scenery designed to give a visual impression of the track continuing straight on; the curves being hidden from view.

 

 

Chapter Seventeen 

 

17. Trompe l’oeil
‘Deceive the Eye'

Skip to next chapter

Trompe l'oeil essentially translates to ‘deceive the eye' and is a technique of using realistic imagery to create an optical illusion of depth. In this case to enable the track to disappear from view, whilst hiding the curves round to the fiddle yard.

 

 

Work during Easter 2018 included installing two removable curved scenic boards especially constructed for either ends of the scenic section. Once these were painted (sky-background) the scenery including trees (both modelled and painted) was added. The intended effect (trompe l’oeil) is to allow trains to disappear from view without resorting to (say) artificial looking tunnels.

The London-end curved board hosts a village garage (off Horsham Lane) while the curved board at the Country-end has the Woolpack public house and Somersbury Lane.

 

 

At the London-end of the layout there will be a concrete footbridge and Horsham Lane level crossing (the Country-end will comprise of Somersbury Lane road-overbridge crossing both main and branch lines).

 

 

The highway (Horsham Lane) climbs slowly (1 in 20) away from the level Crossing across the board with its notched-joint (to mitigate the skew). However, a mechanism was needed to cover this joint. So, in May /June 2022 a short lift-out section of highway was prepared with pavement /shabby wooden fencing on one side and grass verge /concrete panel fencing (against railway land - Goods Yard) on the other.

 

 

 

As Horsham Lane continues to climb across the removable lift-our section, there is a flat section ready for the village garage. At rear of the curved board (in the photograph) a long black /blue screwdriver sits in one of hidden screws that holds the brown-painted vertically-curved foamboard down. This was needed due to an Oak tree’s exposed roots stretching right out (the tree centre being marked by a set square); these roots needing to be glued to the foamboard. However, this Oak tree section with its foamboard can still need to be removed if absolutely necessary.

 

 

A village garage will sit adjacent to the Horsham Lane (this being a Bachman Hampton model cat. no.44-076). A tree will be positioned to the rear of the garage with a large tree anticipated to its right (and two smaller ones behind) again to hide the corner and assist in the illusion of the train simply disappearing from view.

 

 

In the photograph above, the tree hiding the curved board’s vertical sky-edge sits on a triangular fill-in brown-painted board (awaiting foliage) along with an omnibus shelter. Final fitting including ground-level foliage, and a hedgerow is still to be undertaken.

 

 

Chapter Eighteen

   

18. Scenery & Buildings

Skip to next chapter

May 2018 saw the first of the scenery added to the layout and is has been gradually progressed along the rear of the scenic board as greater access is required to the running lines until they have been fully tested across all routes.

Although essentially a rural area it was determined that with the coming of the railway some local industry (probably agricultural-based) was inevitable. It was decided that this part of the scenery would be started first followed by the adjacent removeable curved board with its public house (Country-end).

Since then, work has also started on the scenery adjacent to the level crossing and this will extend onto the other removable curved board (London-end).

 

  

Trees

Trees are an important part of Britain’s landscape some Yew trees are older than the Pyramids. In 4mm so many trees are modelled undersized; a large mature tree will be taller than a railway coach is long. As already seen in the section about Trompe l'oeil , at the ends of the layout’s scenic section (the London-end in particular) trees on the curved boards will help to hide the disappearing tracks; many of these having been purchased from Ceynix. Some are over a scale 100’ in height the average being 65’ with many UK trees doubling this!

May 2018 saw the first of the scenery added to the layout and is has been gradually progressed along the rear of the scenic board as greater access is required to the running lines until they have been fully tested across all routes.

 

 

 

Chapter Nineteen

   

19. Horsham Lane (London End)

Skip to next chapter

Horsham Lane, its level crossing and footbridge is located at the London End of Ewhurst Green station where the railway disappears from view behind scenery.

 

Horsham Lane Level Crossing

The Horsham Lane level crossing is a fully-gated skew crossing with ex.LBSCR Mackenzie & Holland gates. However, these level crossing gates are non-working (i.e. fixed). Essentially the fitment of less-robust working gates was likely to become an underused gimmick whilst being an ongoing nuisance to maintain. Each pair of gates and their level crossing timbers can be easily removed for maintenance or access.

Besides being visually different, the shew crossing also assists in accommodating the signal box steps whilst keeping the signal box reasonably close to the level crossing, thus enabling the signalman to oversee its operation. It had long been decided to use the Hornby Horsted Keynes signal box except its steps were at the wrong end of the box when used on Ewhurst Green. However, both the skew and being pushed-back behind a headshunt tend to negate this.

 

 

Two houses had been earmarked for the far side of the railway, to be placed either side of Horsham Lane. Most houses in the Surrey village of Ewhurst are set well-back from the highway and so both these houses will have front gardens; in this case deep enough for a small tree in each.

 

 

The concrete footbridge sits on the London-side of the level crossing, this being a repaired /repainted /updated Hornby-Dublo model that had previously spent over four decades in one of my oddments boxes. If the level crossing ever had wicket gates (Country-side) then these were abolished (being replaced by the footbridge) when the station was remodelled to make room for the facing crossover into the (then new) Up Passenger Loop.

 

 

Lavender House

Bachmann’s Georgian house (44-077) has a suitably appropriate double frontage. Horsham Lane’s subsequent concrete footbridge encroaches into the front garden of Lavender House with its BBC ‘H’ television ariel (for reception of the 405 lines signal). Besides the milkman, the housemaid is busy cleaning the windows.

 

 

 

Cherry Cottage

With cherry blossom on the tree in its front garden, Cherry Cottage sits opposite Lavender House. Hornby’s Aswell House (R8561) was selected as Cherry Cottage for it has both interesting front and rear aspects (particularly when viewed from one corner-angle as seen here).

In its rear garden is a concrete coal bunker, overgrown and part-buried wartime Anderson shelter, garden shed and greenhouse. Washing is being hung out to dry while a child and dog play.

Alongside Cherry Cottage’s rear garden is a narrow private access road between garden fences along to some lock-up garages used by local children as a play-area. This private access road also provides pedestrian access (footpath) to the station (via steps at its far end) and to a station café adjacent to the station forecourt.

Small independent manufacturers such as Unit Models also produced details such as Pidgeon lofts, garden sheds and so forth. Hornby even made model Anderson shelters (these were intended to be part-buried and earth-covered) with the houses adjacent to the Horsham Lane level crossing being constructed on 5mm foamboard cutting a hole for one of these part-buried shelters was straightforward.

Issued free to many householders in areas expected to be bombed by the Luftwaffe, the first self-build 'Anderson' shelter was erected in a garden in Islington, London on 25^th February 1939. Designing engineer William Patterson had been commissioned by Sir John Anderson (in charge of Air Raid Precaution) and by the outbreak of the war in September 1939 some 1.5 million shelters were distributed (with further 2.1 million thereafter). Constructed from corrugated steel by John Summers & Sons (of Shotton, North Wales) each measured 6ft.6 in. long, 6 ft. high and 4 ft. 6 in. wide and were made of 14-gauge galvanised steel sheet. Immensely strong, each were intended to be sunk 3ft into the ground and covered with soil although many subsequently suffered ground-water flooding.

A small selection of buildings was initially set aside (such as a village garage) so choices can be made nearer the time. My previous layout (city-based Apothecary Street) had a significant collection of buildings so there were many to choose from with a large unused surplus being sold on.

 

 

 

Lock-up Garages

The two blocks of three garages are Bachmann (44-083) and came equipped with up-and-over doors. Although this type of door existed pre-war, they were relatively uncommon in the fifties and early-sixties. A decision was made to fit Ewhurst Green’s garage blocks with wooden doors, although these can be replaced with up-and-over doors either in the open or closed position.

It is suggested the float over door may have been around since 1902, and in 1921 the Overhead Door Corporation introduced an up and over door which lifted upwards and folded parallel to the garage ceiling. However, it wasn’t until 1936 when the first one-piece overhead type garage door was invented.

 

 

Chapter Twenty

   

20. Ewhurst Green station

Skip to next chapter

May 2018 saw the first of the scenery added to the layout and is has been gradually progressed along the rear of the scenic board as greater access is required to the running lines until they have been fully tested across all routes.

 

Station Buildings

Bachmann’s Thomas Myres Sheffield Park tile-hung station building is simply superb and far too good to pass up! It comes in several parts:

Waiting Room (44-087) up side

Booking Office (44-088) down side

Station Canopy (44-089) down side

Waiting Room (44-090) down side

Store Room (44-091) down side

The platform-mounted signal box was not required. The main station buildings were to be positioned to the rear of the layout (down side) so the platform-side could be seen. Furthermore, the up side was going to encompass the station goods yard; a practical decision in terms of accessibility during shunting.

Produced in LBSCR colours, a friend offered to repaint the buildings into Southern Region colours for at the time I was recovering from eye-treatment. Whilst the station footbridge had also been made, because of the canopies the decision was made to equip the station with a subway instead.

Hornby had produced its Rye-based Terminus Station Building (R8713) and (with accompanying Terminus Station Offices (R8714) and whilst these are super models, they were not as imposing as Bachmann’s model and would relate more to Ewhurst Green (East Sussex). So, the purchased set are currently stored. Similarly, Hornby’s High Brooms building (R9818) was also rather nice, albeit smaller in size and really relating to the new road to Hastings.

A set of Bachmann’s Shillingstone’s station building had also been previously purchased although not for this layout.

 

Station Platforms

Much of Ewhurst Green’s ten-coach platforms are on a long-transitioned curve probably around twenty feet radius although at some state I ought to confirm this by measuring its versine. So, this meant constructing a bespoke platform to suit the changing radius of the curve. The only consistent distance being the 96mm between nearest running edges of platform 4 and platform 3’s tracks.

The Department of Transport’s Railway Construction and Operation Requirements for Structural and Electrical Clearances (commonly referred to as the ‘Blue Book’) states the platform face should be 730mm from nearest running edge equating to 9.58mm at 4mm=1 . Having established (including through testing during running sessions) that 12mm from nearest running edge to edge of copers was a suitable compromise (including allowances for throw & inaccuracies /movement of model rolling stock) plus the 5mm depth of Peco platform edging, a means of scribing the platform top at 17mm from the nearest running edge ready for trimming was required.

 

 

The solution was relatively straightforward and involved mounting a foamboard cutter on an old Hornby-Dublo wagon underframe (the wheelsets being opened out to remove lateral throw and with no end-float in the axles to aid precision).

 

 

 

The platform structure was built up using 5mm foamboard, thence 3mm board /plasticard for final packing to get the final height this being first glued to the underside of the platform surface in order to smoothen out the joins. The track is laid on 3mm cork with the Peco platform edges mounted on the baseboard (it leaves the platform surfaces about 1mm too high).

 

 

 

With deliberately over-wide sections of the platform surface firmly screwed in place, the platform scribing wagon could then be run along both tracks to scribe cutting lines ready for trimming on the work bench.

 

 

 

Whilst being fettled on the workbench, the platform surface’s shape was duplicated with 30-thou plasticard in order to provide a former for construction of the platform canopies.

 

 

 

Station Café

A Wills Taximan’s Rest (based on London’s Cabman’s Shelters) was employed for the station café ; this being reasonably appropriate for the period and location.

The Cabmen's Shelter Fund was established in 1875 London to run shelters for the drivers of hansom cabs and later hackney carriages. These shelters were small green huts, which were not allowed to be larger than a horse and cart, as they stood on the public highway. Between 1875 and 1914, sixty-one of these buildings were built around London (the first being on Acacia Road in St John's Wood). With a small kitchen at one end, the majority were staffed by an attendant who sold food and drink to the cabbies. The thirteen survivors are now Grade 11 listed and having used the one in Grosvenor Gardens many times (along with the long-gone Taximan’s café under St Pancras station) the building (originally procured for my Apothecary Street layout) seemed to form a nice basis for a station café .

Like many stations, the adjacent side gate with its concrete ticket collector’s shelter was opened for selected trains; particularly the busiest peak-hour arrivals.

Behind the café is a cycle shelter and a pre-cast concrete railway storeroom.

 

 

 

Station Detailing

Most of the station staff and passengers are either from the excellent Aiden Campbell 4mm range (sadly no longer available) else Dart Castings with a few more from other small-scale manufacturers. However, these are covered in the section on Passenger Traffic .

There are also little detailing gems from the distant past such as a set of Mike’s Models (of Caswell Bay) Laundry Baskets (cat. No.313) albeit now with a snoozing porter sitting on them awaiting a colleague to help him load them.

At the buffer-stop end of Bay Platform 4 is a Southern pre-cast concrete Lamp Hut from NMB models. This company also produced a concrete ticket collectors hut (positioned at the side gate opposite the station café) and a precast chemical toilet (for use in the yard). One of their accommodation building kits will also used.

 

Signal Boxes

Further to the Sheffield Park station buildings Bachmann also produced several Southern signal boxes which were obtained for possible future use:

Art Deco Type 13 signal box (44-064) similar to Horsham, Templecombe, Bognor Regis (etc)

Kent Coast Type 17 signal box (44-064Z) similar to Rochester

LSWR Type 4 signal box (44-087Z) stone-built

LSWR Type 4 signal box (44-061Z) brick-built similar to Bude.

Hornby also produced the following signal boxes which were also obtained for possible future use; experience having shewn if you don’t purchase these when they are released it can prove very difficult to obtain them later.

Art Deco ‘Deal’ Type 13 signal box (R9729)

       Horsted Keynes signal box (R8955)

 

 

Models of LSWR Type ‘3’, LSWR Type ‘4’, Petersfield and Wateringbury signal boxes have also been produced by manufacturers. In addition, the Hornby R6863 model bore similarities to Saxby & Farmer boxes.

Of those purchased, the Art Deco ‘Templecombe’ Type ‘13’ signal box (as previously used on Apothecary Street) would be used at the country-end of the station (just off island platform 1 & 2) and the Horsted Keynes signal box will be demoted to a gate box controlling the London-end Horsham Lane level crossing; the latter was a design specifically used south of East Grinstead. Unfortunately, the delightfully diminutive Art Deco ‘Deal’ Type 13 signal box isn’t particularly impressive when viewed from the rear and two Art Deco signal boxes would be improbable.

 

 

Sub-station

Bachmann produced one of the early manned 1932 Cathedral Electrical Substations (44-069) and the history of electrification scheme to Ewhurst Green was deliberately written as being early in order to justify one of these superb models. The building is much reduced in size from the original. However, situated towards the country-end of the station it will deliberately obscure direct line of (viewing) sight under the road overbridges. To their credit Bachmann also produced a later lineside sub-station (44-043) albeit again much reduced in size from the original. The use of one of these was considered but the Cathedral-type (model again shortened when compared to the original) would fit in more comfortably on the layout and its electrification period.

 

 

 

Miscellaneous Railway Buildings

Over the years a number of miscellaneous railway buildings have been acquired for the model railway. Decades ago, Roxey Models made the SR concrete Permanent Way hut and tool shed pairing (cat. no.484), Bachmann the SR concrete ballast bins (44-500Z of which several are located on the layout), NMB models a concrete lamp room, Ratio the delightful concrete Fogman’s Hut - one of these may make an appearance although in real terms it probably wasn’t really justifiable. Kernow produced the SR water cranes (44-120Z) braziers (44-550) being available if needed with Mike’s Models having produced both excellent LBSCR platform-mounted fluted water crane (cat. no.10) and SECR water crane kits.

Bachmann produced a model of an ex.LBSCR water tank (essentially that located at Sheffield Park although not advertised as such). Fortunately Arcadia Models of Shaw were able to supply one ordered at 3pm Friday, it arrived at 10.30am the next-day.

Hornby had (as a special) produced a Southern country station building (R9642) and a couple of these were obtained lest they could prove useful. However, the derivation of this building remains unclear, and these became surplus to requirements.

 

 

 

Carriage Cleaner’s Walkway

Located between the eight-car electric siding and non-electrified carriage siding is a full-length carriage cleaner’s walkway. The walkway was installed in two four-car lengths (uncommon but not unheard of) in order to provide a visual indication as to the location of the electric siding’s uncoupler lest coaching stock is positioned over the non-electrified siding’s uncoupler. It also provides a degree of mitigation lest the walkway is damaged and needs replacing.

 

 

Ratio part no.544 was used for the walkway although with scale track, its feet do (like the original) need to be buried to provide the correct height. This need was addressed very early on in the design of Ewhurst Green by providing a narrow slot in the 3mm cork underlay between the two sidings.

The walkway was fabricated in single 1 sections and (with strips of 3mm ballasted cork) inserted one length at a time; both being an interference fit so could be prised out for future repair or replacement.

 

 

Although time consuming, this yielded the desired effect indeed the line of the walkway looked too good when compared to a number of real-life slightly misaligned examples.

 

 

Chapter Twenty-one

   

21. Somersbury Lane (Country End)

Skip to next chapter

May 2018 saw the first of the scenery added to the layout and is has been gradually progressed along the rear of the scenic board as greater access is required to the running lines until they have been fully tested across all routes.

 

  

Woolpack Public House

Bachmann produced an excellent tile-hung village pub (42-124) named Woolpack . Not untypical for a Surrey /Sussex /Kent public house, this is an impressively large model and sits well at the country end of the layout, with the highway dropping down in front of it. Indeed, with its till-hung frontage and white-washed walls this model shares some visually basic similarities with the Parrot Inn (Forest Green) and the White Hart (Cranleigh).

Pubs in Ewhurst included the now closed Crown Inn (cl.1960), hopefully the Bull’s Head will continue as does the nearby Scarlett Arms at Walliswood and the King’s Head at Ellens Green. However, the Windmill Inn (Pitch Hill) burnt down in July 2021 and its future remains uncertain.

There is a Woolpack Inn at Elstead, Surrey so Bachmann’s pub name could remain particularly given the local outcry when pubs seek to change their name. Indeed, some pubs have chosen to revert to their original name following a community’s refusal to acknowledge, let alone use the new name!

Providing a visual contrast to the industrial buildings on the south-east side of the railway, the Woolpack public house is located on the more-rural north-west side of the overbridge having survived a regrading of Somersbury Lane’s approach to the railway bridge when it was rebuilt (widened) to accommodate the Cranleigh branch (the lane sloping up from a river bridge over Cobbler’s Brook).

 

 

Scenix produced an out-door gent’s toilet complete with urinals (EM6113) and this formed an excellent period extension for the pub’s main building; completed with a couple of customers ..

From its signage the Woolpack is a Whitbread pub (typical of the time) with both ‘AA’ and ‘Les Routiers’ accreditation. Within a couple of years much of its garden would be covered in tarmac as the rise in motor car usage increased.

Space could have permitted a cottage or two opposite the Woolpack , but again, less is more in this rural area. So, a field was provided at the foot of the rising embankment with the roadway atop separated by an overgrown hedgerow. There are a couple of galvanised cattle water troughs for the ponies in the field. However, on the pub side of Somersbury Lane a small domestic substation has crept in between the pub and the railway bridge (with a roadside GPO telephone cabinet alongside).

The non-functioning period streetlamps are very old hand-made models of unknown origin. Admittedly not typical of Ewhurst, the streetlamps are mounted at the back of the kerbstones modern practice now normally places streetlamps at the rear of the footway and at least 450mm from the kerb line.

 

 

Local Industry

With the coming of the railway, it is entirely credible that a limited amount of industry would have been located close to the station in what is essentially a rural area. However, it is worth recalling that Sussex and Surrey were once at the centre of England’s 15^th-18^th century Iron Ore industry (many large hammer ponds still survive today although the Wealden Forest is long gone), chalk pits, lime kilns, pottery, glass industry and brickworks were once common industries alongside agriculture (including wool and forestry).

Besides the 20^th century brick and tile manufacturing (just a short distance away on Horsham Road [Horsham Lane becomes Horsham Road] just south of Walliswood and at other nearby locations such as at Warnham) there are also other modern rural industries such as the once-huge mushroom-growing facilities that once dwarfed the village of Thakenham in Sussex.

In addition, there was post-Second World War aircraft development at Dunsfold Airfield interrupting the seemingly rural tranquillity.

A warm, dry and still day was needed to prepare the retaining wall including weathering it's engineering brick; this being needed to be undertaken outside and over its entire length to ensure a consistent finish throughout.

 

 

North-light Works

After the brick retaining wall was fixed in position, north-light industrial buildings were placed above. In terms of railway history, the factory originally stood atop a cutting and (withing the enlargement of the station) the cutting had to be replaced with a retaining wall in order to enable a headshunt alongside the Down Main.

This single-storey north-light works or factory is deliberately non-descript and with Ewhurst Green being a rural area, conjecture may suggest it is perhaps agricultural or brick /tile-manufacture related; its location having been chosen because of the railway. The north-light is deliberately long. However, in reality as an industrial building it isn’t that large and is in keeping with what could be expected from a single-story industrial building in an otherwise relatively rural area.

 

 

Commercial Building and Gas Holder

Alongside the north-light works is a post-war (relatively new) two-storey low-relief commercial building (perhaps with offices above). This building fabricated using window components from an American H0 kit and although appears large, is relatively modest in size.

Beyond the Somersbury Lane overbridge is a gas holder, needed to the increasing demand for town gas at Ewhurst Green and the surrounding area; Cranleigh already having had its own gasworks (founded in 1876) using water-sealed column-guided rising gas holders. Supplied from this gas works (located next to Cranleigh station), Ewhurst Green’s subsequent gas holder was of a post-Great War dry-seal type. Its position belies the size of this potentially under-sized structure.

In reality there was no such industry at Ewhurst Green, but neither was there a railway station and junction. However, there were (for example) rail-connected brickworks in the area along with chalk pits at the base of the North Downs. Cranleigh did have a gas works, and it appears the gas holder was struck by a doodlebug V1 flying bomb in the second-half of 1944.

 

 

Lineside Housing & Structures

In the shadow of the works (prior to the end of the Down Bay platform) a pair of cottages back onto the railway. This pair of cottages were actually marketed by Bachmann as a Georgian town house (44-077). However, from the rear their appearance was suitable for cottages. Remember, from the railway’s perspective the rear of properties is usually seen. For those who wonder what the front of these Georgian houses looks like need only to look towards Lavender House by the level crossing!

Several years ago, a pair of aluminium greenhouses were produced by Bachmann (44-515), and it didn’t take long to alter these to wooden-framed period buildings to sit in back gardens each with white framing and different glazing arrangements. One greenhouse now has an opening door - the other a sliding door.

Bachmann also produced some delightful concrete domestic coal bunkers (44-538).

Hornby produced model Anderson shelters (R8987) designed to be part-buried and covered in soil, some were simply erected as sheds. Unit Models produced the delightful Pidgeon loft (sadly this small firm appears to have ceased trading but some of its range has been taken on by Frizinghall Models and Railways).

 

 

Nissen Hut

Designed during the Great War and UK patented in 1916, the Nissen Hut was named after its inventor, British Army engineer Major Peter Nissen. Predominantly constructed of corrugated iron with timber ends, many were quickly built during the second Word War.

Presumably intended to give a degree of protection for the Nissen Hut and nearby Agricultural factory, a square brick-built ROF-type (Royal Ordnance Factory) Pill Box was located beside the Nissen Hut (44-110).

 

 

The brick-built ROF-type Pill Box compares to the nearby larger irregular hexagonal type-24 concrete Pill Box (the most common type in the UK) situated on the top of the cutting overlooking the station platforms and goods loops beyond.

 

 

Chapter Twenty-Two

   

22. Rubber-Tyred Vehicles

Skip to next chapter

 

Commercial Vehicles

Another scenic area are road vehicles of which there is anow good selection available; particularly Classix, Oxford and Base Models. Before the advent of these proprietary models modellers could choose from kits such as the excellent Canterbury Commercial kits (produced by the late John Janus) these can still be found from time to time.

A mixture of kit-built and proprietary vehicles appear on Ewhurst Green with those vehicles selected for use being correct for the model’s time period and (particularly in the case of commercial vehicles) meaningful including geographically. There are a couple of firms that produce decals for commercial vehicles including the sides of pantechnicons; these can make a huge difference to (say) an otherwise plain Base model. Of course, this is not to say an out-of-district lorry shouldn’t be present.

The Classix Ford 300E Singer sewing machine van is absolutely delightful and the Oxford Reliant three-wheeled tricycle van charming; this pre-dating the glass-fibre bodied vehicles. Oxford Diecast produced a Wales & Edwards milk float and space for one of these with milkman out delivering on his round was made in front of Lavender House (I believe this style of float was produced from 1955 to 1958).

 

 

Railway Commercial Vehicles

Both Classix and Oxford Diecast produced a significant number of railway commercial vehicles including the Jen-Tugs, the electric Jen-Helec and Scammell tugs (friend Ian remembers these from his past-employment). There is also the Austin J2, K2 & K8 commercials, Ford E83W, 300E, 400E Thames vans & ET6 trucks along with the Morris J-type (of which I have fond memories). Far more variations available than would ever have been seen at Ewhurst Green.

Would Ewhurst Green have seen a mechanical horse in operation? - very unlikely given its semi-rural location. However, historical accuracy has been stretched particularly with a nice kit-built Scammell tug and trailers; one with a load of three large timber barrels.

 

 

Bicycles & Motorcycles

Czech Master manufacture some rather nice kits of cyclists (albeit at 1/72 scale) which have been completed and painted by Pete Goss for Ewhurst Green.

P&D Marsh produce painted fifties motorcyclists of which many adorn the layout along with an AA patrol man on his combination.

Oxford Diecast also made a riderless combination in (at least) black (Police), khaki (Army), blue (RAC), yellow (AA) and red (Royal Mail). One of the khaki combinations (complete with panniers) was repainted and equipped with a P&D Marsh rider and Bachmann (coach /bus) passenger seated in the sidecar behind a fly screen.

 

Private Cars

Both Classix and Oxford Diecast have made a huge range of cars, so the choice is immense with the ability to change models on the layout in order to maintain interest.

A green Wolseley 18/85 (Oxford) and white Morris Minor convertible with its top down (Classix) have been placed on the layout - fitted with drivers and passenger. A Triumph Herald with its bonnet open is receiving attention at the village garage.

In respect of the motor cars proffered the Classix Mk1 Ford Consul (EOTA) is rather nice, as is their Morris Traveller - having owned an Almond Green Traveller (albeit with tuned-up and bored out Mini-Cooper engine, overdrive and vented disc brakes) I could not resist.

The Austin A30, A35 & A40 Devon are all exquisite with two types of Austin Seven appearing in the form of the 1930’s version and Sir Alec Issigonis 1959 car (Austin Super Seven with an equivalent Morris Mini-Minor) which were rapidly rebranded the Mini; now a Riley Elf is produced (albeit the 1966 Mk3 version the 1961 Mk1 having external door hinges).

Besides these, the many Fords, Standard Vanguards, Triumph Mayflowers and Vauxhall Wyverns are all typical cars from the period although one of my favourites is the Citroen DS19 (remember seeing so many of these on Parisian streets whilst over there riding on the last of the Sprague stock many decades ago), another is the Jowett Javelin having always hankered after a Bradford Jowett van.

If only Oxford were to produce an F-type Vauxhall Victor and a Mk E or F Bond Minicar

 

Omnibuses

Being close to Cranleigh the bus service would most likely have been operated by Aldershot & District. However, it is plausible that a potentially significant station such as Ewhurst Green may have seen their tentacles spread just a little further.

London Transport’s Greenline may also have permeated down from Dorking and Southdown (who only reached as far north as Horsham) may have introduced a service to a well-connected Ewhurst Green station. In any event bus shelters have been positioned beside and on Somersbury Lane overbridge with Aldershot and District services looping around in one direction, Greenline in the other.

Although there are many London Transport and Southdown model buses out there, Aldershot & District are rare. Fortunately, luck provided a mint Aldershot & District Dennis Loline 111 at a reasonable price (due to a missing box wrapper). Whilst the Loline 111 didn’t enter service until December 1962 it would suffice, being close to the Loline 11.

 

 

Chapter Twenty-Three

 

23. Signal Boxes and Signalling

Skip to next chapter

 

 

Signal Boxes

Ewhurst Green has two signal boxes. Since its re-signalling, the station has been controlled by an Art Deco Type 13 signal box (Bachmann 44-064) similar to Templecombe, Bognor Regis etc. When time permits its box-floor window frames will need to be repainted in the correct shade of brown although nameplates have now been added.

Notwithstanding, the ex. LBSCR signal box (Hornby Horsted Keynes R8955) is retained to operate the Mackenzie and Holland gates of the Horsham Lane level crossing.

 

 

Signals

Dapol semaphore signals are being used although at present only single-route signal stop signals (and a distant) have been produced for Southern modellers with these already in-stock. The station’s Home and Distant signals would have be located beyond the layout’s scenic section.

Ewhurst Green requires the following:

Up Freight Loop starting signal.

Up Passenger Loop starting signal.

Up Main starting signal.

The Down direction requires one right-hand bracket (main line) and two signals with mechanical route indicators:

Down Bay (route indicator).

Down Main (route Main).

> Down Main (route Branch).

Down Passenger Loop (route indicator).

As a temporary measure a Dapol LMS junction signal is being employed (as this design was perpetuated by BR) with two SR-design signals (equipped with mechanical route indicators). These being the (Down direction) platform starters (1 & 4) so were equipped with mechanical route indicators and shunting signals for routes into sidings.

The instructions with the Dapol signals state they should operate at 16v AC. However, subsequent instruction sheets reduce this to 14n AC or 12v DC (even a 9v PP3 battery). So a dedicated 9.5v DC supply was prepared and trialled with the momentary operating needed to alter the single signal’s aspect operated across the momentary make-before-break contacts of a relay. The junction signal can be operated with switched contacts.

 

 

The signal aspect is change by a momentary make-contact (many modellers use a sprung push button) which needed to be enabled using relays. To ensure the momentary contact was long enough, a solution was found with the use of slugged (slow-acting) type 3000 ex. GPO relays. Each relay is equipped with platinum-tipped Make-Before-Break changeover contacts (the wires from the signal being connected across the outside terminals) so when the relay operates the two wires are momentarily connected – just long enough to change the signal aspect.

Operated off a 12v supply, three ‘ordinary’ type 3000 relays and a single type 3000 slugged relays is required for each signal single arm. A push-button reset button was considered (less a signal gets out of phase) but the simpler solution was just to take the cover off a relay case and manually reset by pressing the relay’s armature.

Wiring for the Dapol bracket signals is far simpler as just a Signal Locking Relay is required.

The relays are as follows:

(1) Signal Normal Relay (to display a ‘Stop’ aspect)

(2) Signal Reverse Relay (to display a ‘Proceed’ aspect)

(3) Signal Slugged Relay (toggles the signal’s aspect)

(4) Signal Locking Relay (to prevent a ‘Proceed’ aspect if the route isn’t set or a conflicting route has been set)

When the layout is energised at the start of each running session all the normally-energised type 3000 slugged relays will operate meaning all the single-post signals will undergo an unwanted aspect change. To prevent this from happening, delayed switching is built into the 9.5v signalling supply meaning this 9.5v supply will only power-up after the type 3000 Signal Slugged Relays have been energised during start-up. Having tried some electronic delay relays (all faulty as none had the advertised adjustment) the delay was simply achieved through the use of a chain of slugged type-3000 relays.

 

 

As a backup measure some 4-aspect colour light signals (with RH feathers) had previously been acquired lest they be needed instead. 4-aspect would probably be unlikely for this location but with much of my railway career spent working in 4-aspect territory these were selected for this busy location.

The 9.5v DC signalling supply was installed adjacent to the cabinet containing the Mercury Displacement Relays with dedicated sheathed cables out to the signals, This kept the cabling visibly separate from the layout’s 12 /24v circuits.

The first two signals to be installed were the starters for the Down Bay (platform 1) and Down Main (platform 2); these being in a part of the layout where the scenery was essentially complete with no further works planned. The shunting signals in this area had already been installed.

With the pre-requisite holes drilled through the baseboard, the signals were set in place enabling the surround ground scenery to be put in place before being temporarily removed so they didn’t accidentally become glued in place with the ground scenery (lest they needed to be removed for maintenance).

The signals are on a plastic base which despite being part buried remains visible. At some stage the ground needs to be raised around the signal’s base whilst be mindful the signal needs to be easily removed for maintenance or replacement.

Wiring of the signals into the station’s control system (conditional locking) was a whole challenge in itself .

 

 

 

Speed Boards

In 1949 the Railway Executive recommended permanent speed restrictions should be marked at the lineside that indication signs be provided on the lineside at the commencement of restriction at places (1) where there are no landmarks to identify positions and (2) where there has been experience of persistent excessive speeds .

However, only a number of illuminated signs were installed at very specific locations. On the Southern Region these were designated by a commencement board (triangle) and a termination (‘T’) sign.

Following the Ministry of Transport's report into the fatal Sutton Coldfield derailment on 23^rd January 1955 (where a 60mph train derailed on a 30mph curve) British Railways reconsidered the provision of speed restriction sign and in 1957 it decided to adopt the ex-LNER system across the whole network. This system comprised lineside pole-mounted, white-painted cut-out numbers.

Subsequent to the 1962-1963 big freeze the further decision was made to paint the white numerals yellow in order to improve their visibility in snowy conditions. The rear of the speed boards remained black so as not to distract other drivers.

Ewhurst Green has a number of Down-direction signed speed restrictions:

25mph (with direction arrow) into the Up Loop (Platform 1).

20mph (with direction arrow) onto the Cranleigh branch.

70mph (Down Main) from Somersbury Lane overbridge.

35mph (Down Branch) from Somersbury Lane overbridge.

 

 

Chapter Twenty-Four

 

  

24. Rolling Stock (Technical)

Skip to next chapter

I have already covered my decision to remain with 00 instead of moving to EM or P4 had I been starting from scratch then I would probably have considered 3mm Southern Electric or even LBSCR elevated (overhead) electrics!

 

Wheelsets

Most of my rolling stock has had its wheelsets replaced using wheels from Jackson (now Romford manufactured by Markits) or Ultrascale or Alan Gibson; these having a 14.6mm back-to-back dimension. Even though there are no plastic wheelsets in use it is still surprising just how dirty the track gets after a day’s running.

Some ready-to-run and all the kit-built steam locomotives use Romford wheelsets as manufactured by Markits. These are simple and straightforward to use giving excellent running. Previously sold under the Jackson brand, coaches are usually re-wheeled with 14mm Romford wheels; wagons with 12mm. Hornby coaches use a slightly short axle and have deep flanges accord Ultrascale wheels are used.

However, the diesel locomotives such as Heljan’s KA & KA-1A (class 33/0 & 33/2) and Hornby JA (class 73/0) use Ultrascale’s excellent conversion sets produced by Gear Services (Letchworth) Ltd. Whilst Ultrascale orders can have a long lead time in production it must be remembered that this is a high-quality bespoke specialist engineering service and the final high-quality product is well worth the wait.

The superb Hornby HA electric locomotives (class 71 in modern parlance) are having their driving wheels replaced as their Hornby wheels appear to quickly attract the dirt; this is quick and simple to do. The Hornby models are excellent runners with a considerable haulage capacity in excess of a (then) competing model.

 

Couplings

In building my previous layout I spent considerable time looking into the subject of couplings; eventually settling on the current mini-coupling as used by today’s manufacturers. These are simple, easy to fit (a wire bar is compatible) and today’s standard coupling amongst manufacturers. However, in terms of the many coupling types out there my favourite was the Winterley automatic coupling although I’d always liked the operation of the Hornby-Dublo pseudo buckeye.

In my opinion simple and reliable couplings are prerequisites for a reliable operating layout. It is acknowledged that the mini-couplings have their faults and limitations; they are certainly not pretty but are practical and for the most, already fitted to proprietary stock. The only significant fault with the mini-couplings is the difference in height that sometimes occurs; particularly when some makes or models droop.

The exception to the use of mini-couplings is on buckeye fitted stock where Kadee buckeye couplers were an obvious choice; a choice that works well with buckeye fitted multiple units although in terms of sheer practicality their use has been extended to other multiple-units where the prototype had screw-couplings (for example 2 BIL, 2 HAL, 4 SUB & 4 LAV units); the use alternatives NEM-fitment couplings weren’t successful although some Roco -types remain to be explored along with Keen Systems couplings within sets.

The potential compromise of using Kadee buckeyes with these Southern Railway-built units does enable closer coupling and an auto uncoupling capability. For example, the Down Main, Up Passenger Loop and electric siding have been equipped with a Kadee magnet to enable the division of electric trains if the service pattered required it. These magnets can be removed from underneath the baseboard if not needed.

It is worth noting a 2 BIL uses a Kadee no.19 whereas a 2 HAL uses no.20; the limiting factor being buffer-locking on the 36” Peco turnouts. Had the layout used Marcway 36” radius turnouts in the fiddle yard then one size lower could have been employed. In terms of BR-design MU stock Kadee buckeyes are used for all end couplers (2/4 EPB, 2/3H, 4 BEP, 4 CEP, MLV & TLV) once the modelled Buckeye is eased out.

Kadee buckeyes are also used for the intermediate couplings in corridor stock; again, sheer practicality along with close-coupling being the deciding factor along with the ease of lifting coaches off the track. The gangway air-gaps are closed and on Hornby’s Maunsell corridor stock the opportunity is taken to retract the buffers enabling a mix of Kadee No.17 and No.18. On non-corridor stock such as sets 152, 153, 154 and 904 Bill Bedford couplings have been employed within sets; these really do look the part although currently appear to be unobtainable.

When fitting Kadee couplings into NEM sockets it is important to check the curved-steel actuating lever does not foul the closure rails on turnouts or four-foot boards on crossings; those on Bachmann multiple units need to be slightly adjusted upwards prior to fitting (they are trimmed off within coaching sets).

However, the use of magnetic couplings is being tried as these appear to function better where uncoupling is not requited.

 

Gangways

One of my bugbears is the air-gap between corridor coaches and I’ve always sought to close these. Initially made my own gangway in-fill bellows using folded black card fashioned in a scissors to expand and compress. Latterly I found Modeller’s Mecca (in those days a wonderful model shop) supply these ready-made to fit (simple plug-in) a wide range of coaches at a price that meant home-production simply wasn’t viable.

However, on close-coupled Mk1 sets bellows on both coaches are too much but a single bellow can still catch the gangway. Modellers Mecca were approached about producing a reasonable quantity of plug-in end plates (i.e. minus bellows), but they chose not to respond so these are being phased out as unsuitable.

As a consequence, I’ve recently started trialling Keen Systems floating end plates on Bachmann Mk1 stock. These do work although need to be fitted carefully if precision is wanted; that is without sideways wobble. However, this is easily achieved when fitting these; 20-thou plastic strips were glued to the inside of the coach’s gangways reducing sideways play in the end-plate. In terms of springing the fixing plate (this also serves as a drilling jig) is placed external to the moulded end-door of the coach to serve as a spacer thus giving the spring greater compression if required.

Further to this (and if trials are successful) I’ll be looking at replacing the Bachmann coupling yoke /No.20 buckeyes with the Keen replacement. Certainly, now looking to quickly equip all the 4 BEP /4 CEP stock with Keen Systems floating end plates. It is worth adding there is a significant amount of information on the Keen Systems website in respect of fitting couplings.

 

 

Modifying Heljan Locomotive-couplings

It is unfortunate that many Heljan couplings have a tendency to droop with coupling engagement being poor and the bottom of the hook-assembly catch the stock rail on S&C, leading to derailments. Having tried (with limited success) gluing the hook and bar assemblies onto the bogie frame a simpler solution was found through the use of Bachman straight (rather than cranked couplings). It is worth saying on 36” minimum radii curves, the fixed (glued) coupling really didn’t create any problems.

 

Modifying Bachmann Mk1 Coach-couplings

Like most coaches, the Bachmann Mk1 Corridor Coaches benefit from close coupling; one immediate solution employs Kadee buckeyes. However, other NEM-type plug-in coupling types exist such as Roco .

Keen Systems

Furthermore, Keen Systems replacement yokes with fixed buckeyes are now being investigated and will be reported on in due course. Initial results are really promising.

Coach Faults

On longer trains in particular (say twelve bogies), certain coaches kept derailing as they entered the straight leg of Peco turnouts off 36” curves in Ewhurst Green’s storage loops. After some investigation the causes was found to be on the underside of the coaches with no turnout fault. The two issues being:

Since then, Roger Keen (of Keen Systems) has identified a further fault where an upper lug in the yoke can catch the interior moulding of the coach (trimming the interior appears to solve this).

Kadee Buckeyes

When using No.20 Kadee buckeyes within sets using Bachmann Mk1 stock, two easily corrected faults were found. The shorter shanks on no.19 Kadee buckeyes foul the coach buffer beam and when propelling the buffers come into contact. As these buffers are fixed, they are difficult to retract (unlike Hornby’s Maunsell stock).

When using Kadee buckeyes within sets there were instances of derailments on turnouts. The issue was rapidly located; the steel actuating arm on Kadee buckeyes can sit low and catch the stock-rail. On multiple-unit stock these are simply adjusted to provide more clearance; within fixed coaching sets (which do not uncouple) the arms are simply snipped off with heavy duty piano-wire cutters.

Magnetic Couplings

Magnetic couplings are currently being trialled with initial results shewing great promise. They are even produced to resemble buckeyes.

 

Changing Hornby Coach Wheels

Hornby coaches appear to have a slightly deeper flange than Bachmann models with these deeper flanges contacting the sleeper chairs on curves. In addition, on certain batches of coaches one of the wheels is not a firm fit on its axle and can be prone to unwanted changes in its back-to-back dimension (leading to derailments).

Accordingly, many Hornby coaches are having their wheelsets replaced with 14mm Romford wheels with their back-to-back dimension set to 14.75mm. Consequently, running of these sets is much improved and whilst the cost of the 14mm disc wheel has significantly increased to £2.50 /axle in 2012 (around a decade previous they were 84p) the expense remains worthwhile. The most recent changes of wheelset have employed Ultrascale s excellent wheels.

In terms of running, the wheel-rail interface is critical with guidance offered on the BloodandCustard websites.

 

 

 

Chapter Twenty-Five

   

25. Rolling Stock (General)

Skip to next chapter

It would be boring to provide complete lists of rolling stock some of which is kit built; others proprietary often with minor modifications or additional detailing that can make a significant difference. For example, it is surprising how many visitors struggle to identify Bachmann’s N-class 31848 which appears in its short-lived 1955-1957 guise without smoke deflectors.

However, some of the coaching sets and multiple units are worthy of note so have been detailed.

Few modellers set a specific date for their model although many operate to a period. At present Ewhurst Green is intended to follow the latter; roughly between 1956 and 1961. However, in doing so whilst a Sulzer type 2 (1958-built class 24) might just be seen hauling CLC liveried Maunsell stock a type-KA Crompton (1960-built class 33) would simply look out of place with these CLC liveried coaches (although very rare, they could be seen with CLC liveried Mk1 3-sets).

Notwithstanding, a few models outside of this period have crept in such as Brighton-built Bulleid diesel 10203 and a few BR(S) emus with yellow warning panels (circa end of 1963-on).

Then of course some rolling stock has been redeployed from elsewhere on the Southern Region being needed to operate the Ewhurst Green services.

 

 

Chapter Twenty-Six

 

26. Rolling Stock (Coaching Stock)

Skip to next chapter

 

Overview

Research is often the key to modelling. For example, coaches are correctly formed into the Southern Region’s prototypical sets; something model manufacturers have only started to undertake in the past two decades.

Southern’s use of Coach Sets

As a general overview, up to March 1966 the Southern typically kept its coaches allocated into fixed formations usually allocated to services within each Division. These sets could be strengthened from a pool of Loose coaches and where a coaching set included catering vehicles (including Pullman cars) these were not specifically allocated to each set. If an issue befell an individual coach, it was normal practice for the set to be sent to Lancing (sometimes Eastleigh) works for repair; sets usually entered works for maintenance (including 2 yearly varnishing /10-yearly painting) as one.

In service, mainline coaching sets usually had a guard’s compartment at each end; the Southern did not normally operate services with a swinger (coach without guard’s compartment) at its rear. Arguably the most common mainline set formation was BTK-CK-BTK.

The operation of sets should underpin a Southern steam layout as to the initiated eye, not to do so looks strange. All too often at exhibitions a mainline Southern steam express can (in my opinion) often be observed inaccurately portrayed with swingers (non-Guard braked coaches) at the train’s rear and other coaches apparently randomly-mixed elsewhere.

However, there are always exceptions (particularly entering the sixties) such as the London-bound Okehampton Car Carrier (which can be modelled on Ewhurst Green) with its GUV vans (devoid of a Guard’s compartment) placed at the rear on the London-bound return (only); in this case an operational necessity for the service.

 

 

Modelling of Coaching Sets

In terms of correctly modelling the Southern’s numbered coaching sets, I believe this started with Replica’s excellent correctly numbered BR(S) Exmouth branch 3-car non-corridor sets in both Crimson Lake and Green liveries. Replica subsequently went onto to produce a very limited number (just 3) of the remaining Oxted line non-corridor vehicles used in set 904; soon after Hornby produced SWD Maunsell Special Traffic set 273 in BR(S) green paired with Schools-class no.30924 Haileybury.

Now the production of SR-coaches in sets is becoming the norm with the various pull-push sets, Bulleid Multidoor and 64’ sets. SECR Birdcage sets, 48’ LSWR Maunsell rebuilds, EFE’s ex.LSWR 3 LAV sets and so on.

Many of these feature on Ewhurst Green including Hornby’s Bulleid 59’ multidoor 3 Cor sets (particularly as some sets worked around Horsham) followed by Bachmann’s Bulleid 64’ sets which augment some of their earlier model coaches (now super-detailed and flush-glazed).

Following trials with some LSWR gate-stock for the pull-push services (set no.373 was actually used Guildford Bordon) Hornby’s converted Maunsell sets were also welcome addition, particularly as they have modelled both variants (with whistle or air-horns). Sets 607 (withdrawn after the Eastbourne station collision) and 619 are in service on the layout.

 

 

Non-corridor Stock

These models were followed by Hornby’s release of the Maunsell rebuilds of the LSWR 48’ coaches; in BR(S) days these attained Crimson Lake livery with just a few of the seconds receiving BR(S) Green livery. No.320 retained Southern Railway green (with BR typeface) after nationalisation until it was repainted (BR green) at Lancing; being outshopped 4^th October 1956.

With Bachmann’s excellent Birdcage stock there is little shortage of coaching stock for local services and EFE’s absolutely superb ex.LSWR 3 LAV cross-country sets have also been purchased (weathered by TMC) both in Crimson Lake and post-war SR Green (with BR numbering).

The numbers on set 130 did not carry an S-suffix which would date the model between outshopping in Crimson Lake on 15^th January 1951 until varnishing 5^th December 1952. Unfortunately set 130 was produced with two incorrectly number coaches these belonging to set 131.

So, a further order was placed with TMC to create (and weather) both sets 130 and 131 as follows:

This is what EFE erroneously produced in their E86014 pack:

 

 

To correct set 130 plus create a new set 131, the following work was undertaken with the set number on S2955 corrected to 131. As set 130 was modelled without post May 1951 S suffixes (set 130 would not have received these until outshopping on 5^th December 1952) and the post-nationalisation painting dates for set 131 was not known (with Crimson Lake livery assumed), it was decided to leave set 131 without an S suffix.

 

 

At the same time a second Green-liveried 2 LAV set 312 with the spare BTL from this set renumbered as DS1905 (Redhill Breakdown Train); this having been BTL 2959 from set 133.

These sets were withdrawn or reallocated as follows:

 

 

 

Non-Corridor Coaching Sets in Service

Weathered coaching sets currently in service include:

 

 

 

Pull-Push Sets

The Southern made good use of steam pull-push train operation followed by the diesel /electric hauled /propelled 4 TC units used on the Bournemouth Line electrification. Kernow arranged for the manufacture of LSWR gate stock (plus the 4TC units), and Hornby undertook the Maunsell Pull-Push rebuilds of the late 1950s.

 

Push-Pull Sets in Service

Pull-push sets currently in service include:

 

 

 

 

Corridor Stock

Liveries are also important with the corridor stock (Bulleid, Maunsell and BR Mk1); these all being available in both Crimson Lake & Cream (aka Blood & Custard) and BR(S) stock green (from July 1956-on). Some SR malachite; liveried stock survived at least until 1956 indeed there are coaches that missed out crimson lake altogether. A concise history of these liveries is covered at www.BloodandCustard.org.

In terms of the Southern Region’s Lancing carriage works the last Crimson Lake & Cream (coded CLC) vehicle was outshopped on 17^th July 1956 (High Window Maunsell SK) with first repainted from Crimson Lake & Cream into Green livery occurring the next day (Bulleid SK). CLC did not suit Maunsell compartment stock and by 25^th March 1959 the last Maunsell corridor coach had been repainted into Green livery although some Mk1 coaching sets remained in CLC right into 1963.

Whilst both Hornby and Bachmann produce Mk1 corridor coaches. Unfortunately, in terms of BR(S) Green livery Hornby choose to incorrectly add carriage roundels to many of their versions thus precluding their purchase for Ewhurst Green.

Deliveries of Bachman’s new Bulleid 64 saloon stock were received and these sit well with Hornby’s Bulleid 59 multidoor stock.

 

Corridor Coaching Sets in Service

Weathered coaching sets currently in service include:

 

Non-Passenger Carrying Coaches

The layout has a number of non-passenger carrying coaches; both four-wheeled and bogie stock. This mostly includes Bachmann, Hornby and Dapol models in Green, Crimson Lake, Crimson Lake & Cream and Maroon liveries.

Ewhurst Green also has a number of SR-numbered GUVs which can be used to form a full-length Surbiton Okehampton Car-Carrying train (in 1960 before repainting of the GUVs into BR(S) Green started taking place in March 1961). Bachmann produced BR(S) Green liveried GUVs nos.S86724 (cat. no.39-273), S86791 (cat. no.39-273A) and S86804 (cat. no.39-273Z); the latter included Okehampton Car Carrier boards although the train used paper labels as GUVs were not equipped with brackets for destination boards.

However, as the Southern Region’s allocation of GUVs had been delivered new in lined maroon (by October 1959) eight in this livery were renumbered accordingly: S86708, S86739, S86745, S86752, S86787, S86796, S86805 and S86834.

Two lined maroon BR Mk1 CCTs (including M94291 by Invicta Rail /Bachmann cat. no.39-550Z) are equipped with buckeye couplings on one end to operate with MLVs; these being easily identifiable amongst all the other vans.

 

 

 

Chapter Twenty-Seven

 

27. Rolling Stock (Multiple Units)

Skip to next chapter

 

Overview

For the most part multiple units run in multiple with other units and Ewhurst Green was intended to exploit this. However, it must also be remembered that when the 2H diesel-electric units were introduced they were regularly operated singly. Similarly, the 2 SL electric units usually ran singly. In comparison the 4DD units rarely operated singly after 1953 and (with exceptions) the 5 BEL Brighton Belle electric units normally operated in pairs.

Multiple units often intermixed with other compatible types such as 2 BIL & 2 HAL units and 2 HAP + 4 EPB formations. In terms of the BR 90mph units when mixed with 75mph at least half the train must have been formed with 90mph units.

 

Diesel Electric Multiple Units

Kernow released the 2H DEMU units (2H Hampshire units were in number range 1101-1118; 2H Hastings 1119-1122) so these couldn’t be ignored.

Currently two weathered 2H units are in use.

No.1108 entered service on 9^th September 1957. Its motorcoach was badly damaged in a collision with light engine 30480 at Eastleigh w/e 6^th May 1961 but repaired. It was made up to a three-car on 10^th October 1959 and yellow warning panels were added 7^th February 1964.

No.1115 gained its Orange Vee post-February 1960 (this denotes there is no brake van at the other end of the unit) with its air-horns probably fitted during 1963 and certainly by 3^rd November 1963. Although no.1115 was made up to a 3H on 12^th August 1959 (before the Orange Vee) and unit 1115 was not recorded as having its centre car removed late-1959 (some 3H units had their centre cars were randomly removed during winter 1960), unit 1115 was running as a 2-car on 3^rd November 1963 (with Orange Vee, early blinds & air horns) before Orange Vee, later blinds & air horns by 26^th April 1964.

2H Hastings unit no.1121 is also planned as the Bachmann (Kernow) model was erroneously equipped with roof-lighting conduit which needs to be removed (the 2H Hastings units were not equipped). The DTC has already been prepared by virtue of a simple roof-swap with the DTC of a 2 HAP (Phase 1) during the 2 HAP’s conversion from a Batch 2 to a Batch 1 unit. The motorcoach needs careful attention.

 

A couple of 3D Oxted units with one to possibly to run with a 6-car Hastings unit (this formation used to run from Tunbridge Wells West into London) - are also envisaged.

Although slightly out-of-era a 3R ‘Tadpole’ is planned in its green livery and without yellow warning panel on the motorcoach for the single Sundays-only 13:54 semi-fast return service from Reading General (pushing the mileage for fuel, this was in an impossible-to-find addendum to CWN working no.145).

 

 

 

Mainline Electric Multiple Units

4 BEP /4 CEP /MLV

Bachmann produced its superb model of the 4 CEP unit rapidly followed up by an MLV. 4 BEP (no.7005) is also on the layout; ideal for the fast services although these often didn’t always feature in lessor boat trains (as there were insufficient 4 BEP units for all).

Expertly weathered and renumbered by TMC, 4 CEP units nos.7105, 7107, 7114, 7129, 7132, 7141 & 7146 run on the layout (sometimes with MLV no.68001, 68002 or 68006). Besides running together as 8 or 12-car, these 4 CEP units regularly run as 6 or 8-car formations with 2 HAP units - sometimes up to twelve cars. The MLVs can sometimes be seen prototypically hauling short van trains.

However, even though the Bachmann emu motor bogies would appear to be identical they can often run erratically when running in multiple particularly when four or more are coupled. This was found to be down to different motor characteristics in the later models such as the 4 BEP units.

Accordingly two older model yellow warning panel 4 CEP units were selected for weathering with the intention of swapping their motor bogies over with the 4 BEP units. The two yellow warning panel 4 CEP units (7122 & 7126) would then only ever run together and would not be paired with other units.

The choice of some MLV, 4 BEP & 4 CEP unit numbers related to minor items of interest in their history:

 

Following issues with the Modellers Mecca carriage connections (they chose not to respond regarding a viable solution) carriage connections are now being replaced by the Keen Systems offering.

Modifications to 4 BEP /4 CEP units

To fit Keen Systems gangway requires the coach bodies to be removed from the underframes. When parting the coaches from their underframes it would be prudent to undertake other changes at the same time in particular fitting passengers. Except these have to be prepared and painted first which takes time.

Whilst they work well, Bachmann’s conductive fixed bars can be difficult to recouple following maintenance such as wheel cleaning. A further change might be the use of magnetic couplings instead of Bachmann’s conductive fixed bar. This would mean the carriage lighting would not illuminate which is not a problem on this daytime layout. It should be passible to isolate the lighting in the powered motorcoach with a sliver of paper across the contacts.

 

 

2 HAP

With the full-size 2 HAP units having frequently run in 8, 10 and even 12-car formations you can never have enough 2 HAP units!

As-built, the green Bachmann 2 HAP no.6061 is a Phase ‘1’ /Batch ‘2’ unit (i.e. without lighting conduit etc) from the unit nos.6043 to 6105 number range. This enabled a wide choice for renumbering /distressed (weathered) by TMC.

 

 

In addition, a further unit was converted to an earlier Batch 1 /Phase 1 unit (no.6008) with its roof-mounted lighting conduits on both coaches, 1951-type control gear and full-length running boards on the DTC. This Batch 1 conversion created a (currently spare) 4 EPB MBSO (whilst corrected the roof on 2H Hastings unit no.1121; that is no lighting trunking) leaving DTS components for future conversion into a 4 EPB Trailer Second. A second 2 HAP Phase ‘1’ /Batch ‘1’ unit (no.6015) conversion is planned.

The choice of some 2 HAP unit numbers related to minor items of interest in their history:

One minor technical issue was found with the 2 HAP (and 2 EPB units) being the use of the shorter of the two intermediate coupling bars for when propelling on curves the roof-mounted jumper boxes could catch. Accordingly, the longer of the two coupling bars were employed.

 

 

 

2 BIL /2 HAL

Hornby produced the excellent 2 BIL stock with a 4 COR anticipated before the 2 HAL was released; the latter being ideal for the semi-fast trains. However, that was not to be, so there are currently 2 BIL /2HAL units undertaking these services. Perhaps Hornby will reconsider a 4 COR unit once they can locate their research material?

David Rogers at Ultrascale has produced excellent replacement driving wheels for the 2 BIL /2 HAL units as their flanges are a little too deep for finescale track. All the motorcoach wheels being solid (due to the unit’s electrical pickups) with only the Driving Trailer Composite requiring standard 25.65mm pinpoint axles (as used in Hornby coaches). The Hornby drive pinion is being fitted onto the solid-backed driven axles. The trailing bogies of the Motorcoaches also require solid backed wheels for the electric pickups.

For the 2 BIL Kadee no.19 couplings are used with no.18 for the 2 HAL. Whilst this electric stock never had buckeye couplings (it was fitted with screw-couplings), these are used on the model purely out of operational convenience.

 

Ajay all-steel 2 HAL units will also feature having strayed on the Gatwick services /West Coastway. Such straying was not improbable for in later years the occasional 4 VEG Gatwick unit appeared at Hampton Court when the 4 VEP /4VEG formation became reversed, so the 4 VEG picked up an afternoon diagram down to Horsham, up to Waterloo thence out to Hampton Court before returning the same way!

 

 

 

5 BEL

Two of Hornby’s 5 BEL units are in store ready to use following the replacement of the yellow warning panel with a pre-1959 style Pullman crest on no.3053, this backdating being undertaken by a friend. Unit no.3053 never carried the later style of crest. Only the fitment of end-couplers on both is required to enable ten-car operation; probably placing the powered bogies back-to-back in the process.

The first batches of Hornby’s Brighton Belle used intermediate couplers with electrical connections between cars; later models having simple tension-lock with pick-ups on each bogie for the lighting on each car. As close-coupling was being sought the earlier vehicle underframes using couplers with electrical connections were not needed.

So, the running gear /underframes of one unit (no.3052) was swapped over with a third spare no.3053 so both coupled units can use proprietary close-couplers throughout rather than Hornby’s DCC power-coupling . The third spare unit went to friend Rod Stewart who wanted no.3053 with a power-coupling for his DCC layout. All that is needed now is an excuse to run a 10 BEL through Ewhurst Green.

David Rogers at Ultrascale has produced excellent replacement driving wheels for the 5 BEL units as their flanges are a little too deep for finescale track; all the motorcoach wheels being solid (due to the unit’s electrical pickups) with only the Trailer Cars requiring pinpoint axles. The Hornby drive gear is being fitted onto the driven axles.

In terms of the Pullman liveried 5 BEL units it was discovered that the unlined area beneath the driver and secondman’s forward observation lights down to the buffer-beams and behind the jumper cables /sockets is unpainted, being the colour of an unpainted plastic bodyshell. This is somewhat darker that the painted sides, but until examined isn’t immediately noticeable. However, once noticed it does rather stand out so my advice is don’t look too closely at the front of your umber & cream 5 BEL units!

Without further alteration, this could date the pair of 5 BEL units running together to March 1964. It was always hoped Hornby would have produced a pair of 1950s 5 BEL units, but this now appears unlikely and there are so many other priorities ahead of further backdating these units.

 

 

 

Suburban Electric Multiple Units

2 NOL /4 SUB 4DD

Suburban services use 2 NOL stock (no.1883) and a pair of augmented 4 SUB units (nos.4424 & 4428) in early Southern Region multiple-unit green (with unicycling Lion totems). A number 4 SUB Sheba and Mary kits are ready for construction having been let down by two kit builders.

 

Following KR Models October 2021 announcement of ready-to-run 4DD units, a pair were immediately ordered as these units used to pass down the Mid-Sussex line en-route to Fratton (thence loco-hauled to Eastleigh Works). Else could they have been redeployed (in a short trial to relieve overcrowding) on a peak-hour service into Holborn Viaduct where electric trains were limited to eight-cars?

 

 

2 EPB /4 EPB

Bachmann’s 2 EPB is excellent and besides these BR-type two-car units some conversions to create BR-type 4 EPB units (Bachmann) are in-hand. In addition, No-Nonsense SR-type 2 EPB & 4 EPB units are awaiting kit-building. Currently 2 EPB units nos.5708, 5715, 5734, 5759, 5770 and 5771 are in service. Now preserved, unit no.5759 was commissioned by Lord & Butler (Cardiff) and featured yellow warning panels, its headcode 2 denoting the West Croydon Wimbledon service upon which the unit first operated upon entering service in 1956.

Most of these 2 EPB units led uneventful lives:

 

One minor technical issue was found with the Bachmann 2 EPB (and 2 HAP units) being the intermediate coupling bar, for when propelling on the storage loop’s 36” curves compression between cars meant the roof-mounted jumper boxes could occasionally catch. Accordingly, the longer of the two coupling bars supplied with the 2 HAP unit were employed; Bachmann spares department conforming these were the same as those used in their class 101 diesel mechanical units (part no.36-066). Such parts are usually obtained from Peter’s Spares.

 

 

Conductor Rail Arcing

Ewhurst Green is fitted with an arc-flash device tucked in behind a conductor rail off-ramp. Arcing typically (but not always) occurs at conductor rail off-ramps, frequently in and around junctions.

The model’s arc-flash is emitted from a tiny but bright LED barely visible tucked in the ballast alongside the conductor rail on the same-side as the adjacent running-rail side. The arc-flash LED is operated by a reed switch which is triggered by passing neodymium magnets fitted under the trailing bogie of some units.

Both the reed switch and the magnet are offset (magnet is on the secondman’s side) so the reed switch will not be triggered by a magnet placed under a leading bogie from (say) a turned unit.

At an early stage it was decided not to equip (powered) motor bogies of the model electric units with these powerful neodymium magnets.

Magnets on Electric Units

A 10mm by 5mm by 2mm magnet is used on 2 BIL /2 EPB units glued on-edge to the inside of the bogie between the axle boxes (hidden behind the shoe beam) while 2 HAL units needed a 10mm by 3mm by 2mm magnet. Similarly (and because of the bogie design), the 4 CEP /2 HAP /MLV models require a longer 15mm by 5mm by 2mm magnet. As an aside and in terms of the glue, a small amount of Pritt Stick is used on all but the 2 HAL units which require the greater strength of Superglue!

Uni-directional Arc-flash Device

At one location the arc-flash device will be located at the ramp-end of a floater ; this will be traversed by suburban electric trains terminating at Ewhurst Green (before returning to London) so will be crossed by the same train in both directions. Floaters are short sections of conductor rail normally found in areas of S&C (i.e. switches and crossings). It is assumed that the driver had to apply power before coasting into the platform.

In order to ensure the arc-flash device will only operate for Down trains (entering Platform 1 but not leaving) the device will be fed from the (smoothed) 12v DC feed to the Down to Up Loop turnout motors on the facing crossover from the Down line. This means the LED will only positive-energised with the crossover reversed (for moves from the Down to Up Loop. Although the arc-flash device comprises an LED, a second, larger diode will be used to protect the arc-flash device when the turnout motor feed is (normally) reversed (i.e. negative-energised).

 

 

Chapter Twenty-Eight

 

28. Rolling Stock (Locomotives)

Skip to next chapter

 

Motive Power (Steam)

Bachmann’s E4, C, Standard 4MT bacon-slicers and Fairburn tank classes are excellent as are Hornby’s Q1, Black Motors, A1x, H and M7 tanks and OO Works H-tanks and Black Motors. The only BR numbered K10 with Southern on the tender was also purchased from OO Works (instead of the incorrect British Railways or BR emblem); this being the only model in this livery to come off Roderick’s production line (post-production an SR-numbered model was subsequently given a BR number for a customer by OO Works).

In terms of mainline locomotives Hornby’s WC /BoB /MN (all now made in air-smoothed and rebuilt forms) are also superb along with their V and S15 /N15 variants. Even a LN appears on a (very rare) diversion to Southampton during engineering works at Woking. By this time the N15x class were established on the Basingstoke services although occasionally one would appear on the Southampton Fareham Waterloo peak-hour services. OO Works L, Black Motors, N15 & H15 classes feature with Roderick’s D15 running off its normal Brighton Southampton routing. There is even a much-modified Triang L1!

Recently Bachmann’s Marsh H2 Atlantic no.32426 St Albans Head was renumbered & renamed (plus weathered) by TMC. St Alban’s Head is located just along the coast from Swanage in Dorset hand (unlike the other H2 names) has a Coastguard Station instead of a Lighthouse. Built January 1912, no.32426 was withdrawn in August 1956.

As Ewhurst Green provided an alternative South Western route to Havant (and beyond) South Western Division (SWD) locomotives with their bogie tenders would be regularly seen passing through Ewhurst Green. On the Central Division (CED) locomotives (such as the N15) were paired with six-wheeled tenders; by virtue of the shorter distances covered, they did not need the larger capacity tenders and the increased unnecessary weight that came with these. No doubt the build /ongoing maintenance cost of tenders had also been factored by the commercially-aware Southern Railway.

Some suggest turntable size was the reason although this may not necessarily the case for the wheelbase of a bogie tender was only around seven-feet longer. Indeed, a number of CED turntables that could not accommodate (say) a S15 with a six-wheel tender (such as New Cross Gate 49’ 9” and St. Leonards West Marina 49’ 11”). However, a significant number of CED turntables were 59’ 9” (Three Bridges) or 59’ 10” (Brighton, Eastbourne, Newhaven). Victoria (Central) was 60’ 0” and Redhill was 64’ 10”.

Notwithstanding this, two S15 locomotives are ready to be paired with six-wheel tenders Brighton-allocated no.30835 with an ex-N15 tender and Redhill-allocated no.30847 with an ex-Schools tender.

The layout doesn’t stop with extra-detailed ready-to-run; for example, South Eastern Finecast make excellent kits of the D, E5, Q & P classes and they supply the ideal chassis to go under the Golden Arrow Productions E1-class (in my opinion this having the potential to be more accurate than the DJH kit).

Shunting and short-length train movements down the lightly-laid branch into Dunsfold Aerodrome are (at various times) undertaken by A1x, P, and B4 tank engines before USA tanks were released from Southampton (one of these was allocated to Guildford).

 

 

Motive Power (Diesel)

Following the arrival of the Sulzer type 2 (class 24) locomotives on loan from the LMR, Southern Region type KA Crompton diesel engines (class 33) start to appear with a KA-1A no.D6587 (TOPS class 33/2 aka Slim Jim repainted into plain green) and the pull-push D6580 (forerunner of the class 33/1) although this unique locomotive (trialled on the Central Division) is pushing the boundary of my modelling period.

Kernow released their models of 10201, 10202 and 10203 although each was slightly before my time-period. As each were very similar a compromise was reached with Brighton-built 10203 releasing a BR peak (TOPS class 46) to find a career in the Algarve!

Heljan’s TOPS class 07 is a nice model, but an initial decision was made not to purchase one of these 1962-built locomotives. However, temptation succumbed, and an example can now appear alongside a few other BR(S) diesel shunters.

 

 

Motive Power (Electric)

Courtesy of EFE, one of the Bulleid /Raworth Co-Co electrics no.20002 appears on the layout sporting (at different times) BR black and BR green livery. In respect of Ewhurst Green’s period, there is 20001 (Green), 20002 (Black) and 20002 (Green).

Besides the Bulleid /Raworth Booster locomotives, it has been assumed that the type-HA (class 71) electric locomotives also ventured on this route working freight across to /from the South Eastern Division via Factory Junction and Pouparts Junction; certainly, they worked on the other divisions.

On the Central Division this included hauling the Newhaven boat trains with a steam locomotive inserted to ostensibly provide steam heating (although double-heading did on occasions, unofficially occur) and had been seen on the West Coast through Chichester. On the South Western they often reached Eastleigh; sometimes with burst armatures from excessive speed (the figure of 115mph having been bandied about internally within the Southern Region).

Hornby’s plain green front with red-stripe version of the type-HA number E5022 in as built (without cantrail rain strips) also features on freight traffic across from the SED. To-date this appears to be the only current HA model produced in pre-September 1963 guise (i.e. without cantrail rain strips). Weathering of these will be interesting as they were kept relatively clean albeit getting shabby approaching withdrawal (in BR blue livery).

 

 

 

Strangers on the Southern

There is always the temptation to have a huge number of one-offs and visiting locomotives; an area where I am actively seeking to prune back past purchases. For example, a Black 5, two 8Fs and WD were reduced to a type 1 NBLs (later class 16) which ran through to the Southern Region (including at least one passenger excursion into Brighton). Equally there was no additional need for the not dissimilar EE type ‘1’ (later TOPS class 20) and BTH type ‘1’ (class 15) which were intended for Apothecary Street; these having been sold on as unused .

One type of locomotive upon which more research is required are the Baby Deltics which were expected to run onto the Southern although were too heavy for use through Snow Hill. However, a retired driver and friend (sadly now passed) remembered working on one (as a secondman) into Hither Green via the East London Line.

The East London Line was a useful connection from the Great Eastern onto the Southern lines although its gradients the lowest point being Wapping) were a limiting factor, as was the necessity to reverse in Liverpool Street station. These trains were usually headed by J69 (‘Buckjumpers’) 0-6-0T locomotives (often in pairs) thence BTH and NBL Type ‘1’ Bo-Bo diesel locomotives (these becoming class 15 and 16 under TOPS) until the freight traffic ceased in 1966. Of interest on the line, up to 1955 a hoist was used for conveying wagons between Shoreditch station and Bishopsgate Goods Depot.

Even the Fell diesel 10100 and DP1 were on SR metals albeit both loco-hauled to Eastbourne (1951) and Battersea (1957) respectively. However, with one exception I’m not venturing to such rarities as I believe a layout needs to concentrate on the regular (if mundane) everyday stock and operations!

There are records shewing a Metro-Vick Co-Bo (D5714) working through to Norwood Yard thence down to Three Bridges in April 1960: this rare visitor to the Southern being the exception simply too interesting to resist on the layout. The model is weathered and equipped with Ultrascale wheels.

 

 

Chapter Twenty-Nine

 

29. Rolling Stock (Freight)

Skip to next chapter

 

Freight Stock

Volkswagens by rail

Ewhurst Green has a large selection of freight stock available, and I shall not bother to blether on about wagons most of us are well-aware off. However, there are a few items of interest such as several decades ago a trainload of T1 & T2 Volkswagens was prepared for Apothecary Street; the T1 being Type 1 (i.e. VW Beetle car) and T2 being Type 2 (i.e. VW microbus /samba, van & pickup). Albeit at 1:72 scale, these Cararama models appeared long before today’s plethora of ready-to-run 1:72 vehicles.

In Ewhurst Green’s era (indeed up to 1967) the T2 buses were split-screen versions before the modernised bay-window appeared. I owned and enjoyed a T2 split-screen camper complete with Canterbury-Pitt pop-top .

There are sufficient VW-loaded wagons to form two 18-wagon trains (else one very long one) at exhibitions it was quite amusing to see how long viewers spotted there were two trains only one of which included a red T1 Beetle.

Isetta Bubble Cars from Brighton

Oxford brought out a lovely model of the Brighton-built BMW Isetta which were built between 1957 & 1962 at the former locomotive works, being shipped out by rail three to a Lowfit wagon. Both right and left-hand drive four-wheeled versions were made at Brighton, with the three-wheeled version being introduced in 1959. Unlike the standard bubble window design these export design of car had sliding windows. Using the Oxford diecast model a 27-wagon train is already in preparation!

Cararama had previously made 1:72 models of the BMW (Bayerische Motorenwerke) Isetta. However, these came with open sunshine roof (which doubled as an escape hatch in the event of a collision) and with a luggage rack (wicker basket atop) were not suitable for placement on a leaving-the-factory train without much work.

Bananas by Rail

Pre-war, the large bunches (on the stem) of unripe Bananas were conveyed in crates and were most likely to be varieties such as the thicker-skinned Groa Michel. During the fifties Fusarium oxysporum (an ascomycete fungus) devastated banana plants with many varieties becoming commercially extinct. By the sixties the resistant Cavendish banana had been developed (named after 7th Duke of Devonshire William Cavendish) and these 'hotel bananas' have since dominated the trade.

When Accurascale released its SR steam-heated banana vans a weathered train was obtained from The Model Centre. This train included a couple of Oxford Rail Eastern Region (ex.LNER) as these still worked onto the Southern (Ewhurst Green already had a weathered trainset of Dapol’s 1959-type BR Banana vans).

During the thirties Bananas were imported through Southampton Docks and the Southern Railway built a fleet of steam heated vans (it also hired vans from the LNER with SR branding on their sides).

Albeit now a dated model, the yellow-spot Dapol Banana van-train still looks good passing through Ewhurst Green en-route to Geest’s ripening sheds at Lingfield; all are bauxite as I cannot locate a BR prototype for the much-modelled yellow Banana van (one may have been painted yellow in the thirties as a promotional livery). In addition to weathering, these wagons have been fitted with scale wheels.

Towards the end of the nineteen-fifties, the importation of Bananas changed with the large, crated bunches being replaced by ready-trimmed Bananas packed into cardboard boxes. Accordingly, the quantities carried were increased and the handling of bunches in wooden crates eliminated.

With their corrugated ends and plywood sites, these Dapol Banana vans appear to be of the Lot 3209 built at Wolverton 1959. Whilst these 1959-built Banana vans were constructed with improved insulation, they were not equipped with steam heating apparatus. However, as they needed to work with older steam-heated Banana vans they were fitted with through steam-pipes and the Yellow Spot denoted this. In 1963 these steam-pipes ceased to be used and were steadily removed as vans underwent maintenance.

Just after the Second World War, Geest bananas opened its ripening sheds adjacent to Lingfield station, these being served by daily train of up to some thirty vans (arriving as the 5.15am from Norwood Down Yard).

The last commercial movements of Banana vans on the National Rail Network was in 1979.

Plate & Bolster Wagons

The Model Centre produce plate and bolster wagons; their weathering is superb. Some have been fitted with TMC’s realistic plate loads.

Tanker Wagons

Ewhurst Green took taken delivery of the two Ronuk tanker wagons (these served their factory at Portslade which produced polish); Bachmann models superbly weathered by The Model Centre (from a rare colour photograph) to include the acid-wash staining on the tanks.

Following these, a number of different Berry Wiggins oil and petroleum tankers were also sent to TMC for weathering, once again the results were superb. Esso and Shell tank wagons were also prevalent on the Southern.

TMC also weathered some chemical tankers such as Paper Makers Chemicals Ltd (Kent), Sheffield Chemical Co. Ltd (Attercliffe)
Lindsey & Ketseven Chemicals Ltd (Saxilby) and Rothervale.

Few can forget Mainline’s Crossfield Chemical’s tank wagon no.49 and in 2010 model shop Waltons of Altrincham produced a weathered three pack of green-livered Crossfield Chemicals Ltd tanks; these being subsequently augmented with a further tanks in green and Crossfield’s later blue liveries. Sadly Waltons announced its closure (retirement) in early 2025.

Engineering Stock

Bachmann’s superb Ransomes & Rapier 45-ton steam crane could not be ignored; particularly as Guildford shed’s crane was modelled in SR-grey a livery it carried into the fifties. Kernow have now released an ex. LSWR road van DS 54538 Return to Three Bridges .

EFE’s excellent LSWR Cross-Country set provided an opportunity to create green-liveried 2 LAV set 312 with the spare BTL from this set renumbered as DS1905 (Redhill Breakdown Train).

Rapido produced the ex. SECR 6-wheeled brake van in BR Engineer’s Black which was a welcomed addition along with its BR grey versions.

In terms of wagons, Rapido produced ex.SECR ballast wagons, Dapol the Grampus ballast wagon and Lima Sea-Cow bogie-ballast wagons were converted to SR vacuum-fitted Walrus. Heljan produced a Dogfish, Hornby a Trout and Flangeway a Mermaid side-tipping ballast wagon - although these weren’t particularly common on the Southern (their side-tipping design was inherently dangerous leading to a number of serious incidents with staff). So, some of these wagons are often stabled in Ewhurst Green’s engineer’s siding. Cambridge Custom Transfers produce an excellent range for these and other wagons.

 

 

 

Chapter Thirty

 

30. Lap Records

Skip to next chapter

Interestingly most of the trains that have operated on my layout’s test-tract belong to fellow East Sussex Finescale members and the current record for the slowest lap currently stands at eighteen minutes eight seconds with a visiting pre-First World War Prussian 0-8-0! (This was using an elderly but serviceable H&M controller and could be significantly improved with modern controller sophistication). When time permits, this may be attempted with a Model Rail (Bachmann) USA tank.

In terms of train length this is currently held by Terry’s ( the Rigger ) no.71000 Duke of Gloucester hauling eighteen bogies unassisted comprising eleven Mk1 coaches and seven Mk1 Metro-Cammell Pullman cars.

There are no fastest train lap records.

 

 

Chapter Thirty-One

 

31. Layout Construction Progress

Skip to next chapter

2014

Layout planning commenced late in 2014 starting with the design of the layout and its room. Much though was put into what was wanted (in terms of a layout) and how this may be achieved. Such planning included what part of the Southern Region did I wish to portray and the type of models that I’d seek to run.

2015

Track laying is now well under way having been designed using AutoCAD . The track is lightly glued /held in place by pins before painting in Railmatch acrylic sleeper grime and ballasting in the four-foot to keep it firmly in place.

2016

Both the London and Country-end S&C connections into the Up and Down Main Platforms (2 & 3), Up Platform Loop (1) & Up Loop along are laid, motored and ballasted. The Up and Down Main platform roads, Up Platform Loop and Up Loop are all laid; the Up and Down Main lines meeting in the middle by means of a large radius curve (this being achieved in August 2016). The current stage is laying the Country-end carriage sidings and freight reception sidings; these being on curves to avoid the visually unappealing rows of linear tracks.

The Up and Down (fiddle yard) main lines were completed in 2016 (equipped with droppers and turnout motors) but it wasn’t until the end of 2017 /start of 2018 when the (fiddle yard) branch lines were installed along with a Fleischmann turntable; this being used strictly on the basis of reliability and functionality in a non-scenic setting.

2017

A decision in the Country End’s scenery meant a realignment of the Down Branch replacing a large radius curved (trailing) turnout with a straight leg to send the branch under Somersbury Lane bridge rather than a sharp curve backed by a retaining wall; visually this would be a great improvement. Marcway kindly supplied a 48” turnout without the leg-end rails trimmed enabling a relatively straightforward replacement /realignment.

On the main line all of the turnout motors are in place and the track wired (I always electrically switch the common crossings of turnouts) with the Up Main currently utilised as the test circuit. The test circuit’s track was lifted and stored for later use for the branch section of the fiddle yard.

With the disconnection of the test circuit the Down Main was connected into the fiddle yard August 2017; at the same time a section of the Up Main was re-laid (to remove a twist fault) and a trailing crossover added at the start of the fiddle yard’s fan (enabling unscheduled stock reversals and improved storage whilst in use as a test circuit).

2018

Completing the fiddle yard track enabled a start to be made on the scenic boards at either end of the layout. So, plenty of tea, biscuits and Cornflakes were purchased in order to lure Terry back from the Algarve to undertake the work Easter 2018. This also included fabricating the scenic curved boards behind which the railway disappears (see trompe l’oeil).

However, track-laying is relatively quick compared to the under-board wiring which takes time, let alone the relay-operated control system that makes everything work!

In order to provide a break from wiring some scenery work was also started.

2019

Wiring, wiring and more wiring sadly interrupted by a family bereavement.

The layout’s wiring is undertaken in set cable runs secured via eyelets /cable ties to the underside of the boards. Cables are terminated at one end and connected at the other for testing. After testing, the cables undertake gentle pulling to remove unnecessary slack and give a tidy appearance. The wiring is then retested.

Associated with this was completion of the control panel for the Up and Down Main and Up and Down Branch storage loops. This enabled the Up and Down Main storage loops to be commissioned with function section isolators; albeit as sidings accessed from the London end. At the same time the trailing crossover was also brought into use.

The daylight simulation fluorescent lighting was also replaced with daylight simulation LED tubes. Giving a better output and halving the lighting power consumption, the need for electronic ballasts is eradicated. Whilst normally reliable, if a ballast failed its replacement could be difficult being located above scenery. The top of the scenic boards already included a sturdy lip upon which a crawl /protection board could be placed above the layout. However, with a robust economic case for using LED tubes the change was made.

2020

Wiring, wiring and more wiring was scheduled!

Unfortunately, a deterioration in my vision has caused many problems. However, a friend Ian Sneyd has repainting the Bachmann station building for me into Southern Region colours including fitting of extra detail such as lozenge station signs from Trackside Signs mounted on brass backplates and cast running-in boards from Dart Castings (MJT).

2021

With help from friends the layout is progressing with much scenery towards the south (junction end) of the station having been undertaken. Friend has been steadily laying conductor rail. This has necessitated finish off the ballasting at the London-end curve along with designing the gated Horsham Lane level crossing; the construction of which is well under way including the two houses on opposite sides on the lane immediately beyond the level crossing.

The Down Bay platform tracks have been laid with a view to construction of the platforms. All this is giving a much-needed boost of enthusiasm!

Somersbury Lane overbridge is complete and the trackside scenery up to the double-slips and the Up-side troughing route has been undertaken. Speed boards were put in place. Currently the removable scenic curved board is receiving attention with the road, retaining wall and Woolpack public house being placed in position.

In addition, wire fencing is being tried at the rear of the two cottages that back onto the railway opposite the art deco signal box. This is a tricky job!

2022

In deteriorating health trips to the model shop are a distant memory. However, the ongoing support of friends is much appreciated. With assistance, platform construction has commenced; the original platforms being of brick construction with the newer extensions and Up Passenger Loop (Platform 1) using harp & slab construction.

The layout’s first large tree was planted close to the domestic sub-station between Somersbury Lane overbridge and the Woolpack Public House; a second is now in place as the Down line enters the scenic section behind Lavender House. The base for the substation is also in preparation. Furthermore, the conductor rails are being painted whilst remembering the whitewashed ends in areas of S&C.

The two houses on the far side of the railway either side of Horsham Lane have been installed including their rear gardens using static grass techniques with lineside fencing and trees. On the opposite side of the level crossing the scenic corner board (hiding the curve to the storage loops) is partially completed with trees, village garage and bus stop. In memory of his friendship and assistance, Ian and his wife Wendy are modelled sitting on a bench under one of the many trees Ian had commented that the area looked a little bare ..

With its Mackenzie and Holland level crossing gates installed (including driver rods from Horsham Lane level crossing box). Behind Horsham Lane level crossing box, the sidings (including turnouts) and coal yard with its staithes (generally the Southern employed horizontal timbering) have been constructed with both coal and coal offices installed. These sidings employ ex.LBSCR buffer stops (these coming from Lanarkshire Model Supplies).

The Down Platform /Down Bay have been progressed and it had been hoped that these would have been in place by the year end.

2023

External forces causing Health issues meant a slow start to 2023 sadly without much progress for several months. Fortunately, assistance from friends did mean a YouTube video could be launched on New Year’s Day.

However, since May considerable progress has been made with all the back scenery on the Down Side being complete by the end of June 2023. In terms of the Down Side, essentially all that remains are the signals (awaited) and construction of the station canopy.

A further rack of thirty type-600 relays was prepared to control the isolating sections in the main line storage loops and some of the tracks in the branch storage loops.

2024

The layout progresses and the thirty more type-600 relays were commissioned and immediately eliminated a number of voltage drops at one end of the storage loops. In addition, entry onto the branch storage loops was brought into operation.

By May 2024 the remaining track was laid (in the carriage sidings and goods yards) and ballasted with the LB&SCR buffer stop ends; (acquired from Lanarkshire Model Supplies) prepared and fitted.

Following a request via YouTube, the first arc-flash device was fitted, and a number of scenic items procured including further foliage for the Country-end sidings.

Further relay racks for twenty-number type-3000 relays were obtain from my ex-GPO friend in Weston-Super-Mare as these will be lighter and easier to used than the 30-relay cases previously set aside for the station area.

The country-end corner board (with Woolpack Public House) was completed and the scenery merged with the adjacent drop-down section.

With the Country-end sidings laid, ballasted and buffer stops fitted the protection-boarded conductor rail was installed in the electric siding. This then enable the installation of the carriage-cleaning walkway.

2025

A challenged was faced to provide a means to switching the Dapol signals which require a momentary contact; not a constant ‘on’ or ‘off’. The solution was to use slow acting (slugged) type 3000 GPO relays with a set of make-before-break contacts; the two switching wires from the signal being connected to the outer relay contacts so there is a momentary contact as the relay picks. A normal relay acts too fast and even a slugged relay has to be further slowed through the use of resistors.

However, it is achievable to provide the necessary momentary contact from on-off circuitry.

 

 

Chapter Thirty-Two

 

32. Samples of Running Sessions

Skip to next chapter

The layout sees regular running sessions with friends from the East Sussex Finescale group bringing along many different various models to run. Often following lunch in our local beach-front café, many an enjoyable afternoon has been spent!

These running sessions also prove the trackwork and electrics with many of the early sessions interrupted by a soldering-iron and adjustments to the slips or crossing. Now running is reliable provided rolling stock has clean wheels with a back-to-back dimension of at least 14.6mm (14.75mm preferred).

Past running sessions on Ewhurst Green can be found here; there are also an increasing number of short Ewhurst Green model railway videos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Chapter Thirty-Three

 

 

33. Description of Railway Route

For those diehards who are interested it is possible (but by no means certain) that the railway through Ewhurst Green took the following route from Dorking North to Havant as follows:

This may be viewed as excessive detail. However, it demonstrates such a railway route was feasible and in technical terms, could have been built; therefore, supporting the credibility of the model. It was also quite fun to research. Notwithstanding this, despite extensive searches the remains of this route cannot be located!

 

 

 

However, by far the best fun came from playing hunt the cat-biscuits with Moser.......
(A game derived from Moser hiding Terry’s tea and biscuits)

 

 

 

I hope this will have been of ongoing interest!

Return to contents

Click for ESF home-page

 

This webpage is kindly provided by www.BloodandCustard.net

ALL TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHS ARE COPYRIGHT