Railex

Photography, Trevor Jones.

Above: An overview of the station area which was always busy with trains arriving and departing. From left to right an Adams ‘B4’ 0-4-0T shunts the goods sidings while a Drummond ‘T9’ 4-4-0 simmers at the end of Platform 6. In the centre Bulleid ‘West Country’ 4-6-2 34091 Weymouth awaits departure time as BR ‘4MT’ 2-6-0 76005 leaves with a three coach Maunsell set. On the far right is today’s station pilot – Ivatt ‘2MT’ 2-6-2T 41313.

AROUND SIX YEARS ago we were in a pub feeling a bit uninspired by our current club layout which we could only put together on a Tuesday evening, when it was suggested we build a layout of our own. We were very fortunate to have some friends at Model Railway Solutions (MRS) in Poole who agreed to rent us space to do just that. It meant we could build our chosen layout at our own pace and not have to pack it all away after each session. At least that was the theory!

So we sat down to think about what we would try to build. The decision to build a scale model of the old Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway (SDJR) terminus of Bournemouth West was taken for a number of reasons. Firstly, it was local and that would mean lots of historic information and pictures. Secondly, it ticked most of the group’s boxes as it could accommodate Southern Region motive power while also including some London Midland & Scottish Railway and British Railways Standard classes.

We set about planning it out only to find that when Bournemouth West closed in 1965, there were very few people there to record the event in the detail we needed to create an accurate model. Bit by bit though, we amassed a large amount of information, pictures and scale drawings of the track plan and buildings and we then felt we could proceed. One of our group at the time was able to master track planning software Templot and produce a scale overlay on the Ordnance Survey map of the track plan. He also produced a full size 4mm:1ft scale track plan which was glued to the baseboards to ensure accuracy. In addition, Templot was able to produce a template for each and every set of points on the layout.

Sadly, for one reason or another, the original group whittled down to just two people after six months or so. After a deep breath, both Dave and I agreed we would carry on and try to complete the layout. Five years later and we were just about ready for our first exhibition at Swindon in 2017. By this time we had joined up with the group at MRS who already had two exhibition layouts on the circuit, Horfield (HM80) and New Kensal Green (HM84). Without their help and support we would probably not have finished the layout and certainly would not have been able to exhibit it. We now call ourselves the South Coast Model Railway Development Group (SCMRDG).

Our model is an accurate portrayal of Bournemouth West in the period 1959- 1962. The only place where there has been compromise is where the tracks disappear off scene to the storage yard behind. Here we have included a model of the Beechey Road bridge which does exist but is just outside Bournemouth Central. The large dwelling houses on the embankment along the back of the layout are educated guesses as we have no pictorial record of what they were like and they were demolished when the station closed to make way for a road.

Baseboard construction uses 9mm plywood on a plywood framework. In order to get the correct track plan we originally divided the boards up to suit but, in hindsight, this was a mistake as we have a number of mismatched sizes which make transport harder and two very large boards covering the station area which are very heavy. The storage yard boards are of equal size and easier to transport. The yard itself consists of 11 holding tracks each capable of holding a 12-coach train and a 12ft long traverser enabling dispatch and acceptance of trains from the layout and into/out of the holding sidings. In all there are 16 baseboards.

We couldn’t use standard geometry track if we wanted it to be accurate so C&L code 75 bullhead track was used for the plain areas. All the points were individually made to Templot templates to meet size and location. These were built using bullhead rail soldered to copper-clad sleepers.

Above: The station pilot, Ivatt ‘2MT’ 2-6-2T 41313, returns from one of its many trips to the carriage sidings and crosses Prince of Wales Road bridge, this time with ex-LNER stock. Note the width restriction markings on the bridge - today this would be signed as ‘Oncoming vehicles in the middle of the road’.

The two scissors crossovers and slip proved challenging, to say the least. Ballast is Woodland Scenics fine grade and was colour mixed based on photographs. In the goods yard the ballast is fine sand from the New Forest. All the track is weathered with an airbrush. The scenery is a mix of methods we’ve tried over the years. Grass is a blend of electrostatic fibres 2mm, 4mm and 6mm. Trees are all handmade using wire armatures and either proprietary foliage or postiche. Station buildings are built from the original drawings which we managed to obtain from a member of the Bournemouth Railway Society. All the buildings are made from a carcass of Foamex, used in making signs, with plasticard brick overlays. Glazed windows are mainly made up with individual glazing bars. Only some of the large houses at the rear of the layout are converted resin buildings and these will be replaced as time permits.

There are, of course, hundreds of small details on a layout of this size, all from the usual sources. One thing we do insist on is that everything receives some degree of weathering to blend everything in. Signals are all scratchbuilt to the original drawings and are fully operational. We use the brilliant GF Controls units to operate the servos on the signals. These give a prototypical slow pull off and ‘bounce’ on return.

Above: An overhead view of the rear of the station. The Tudor style building at the rear left is the only thing still standing in this scene today. It was the Queens Hotel. It is now a Co-op.

It takes an absolute minimum of five operators to run the layout at exhibitions but more are needed to give people a break from time to time. A sequence of trains is run that seeks to represent most of the services that ran into and out of Bournemouth West in the period modelled and this lasts approximately three hours. West was a very busy station on weekdays but particularly on summer Saturdays. Trains from Waterloo either continued down to Bournemouth West from Bournemouth Central or were split at Central with a portion going to Weymouth and the remainder going on to West. In addition there were other services over the old London & South Western Railway lines from Fareham and Brighton. The highlight of these Southern services was the ‘Bournemouth Belle’. We run this with a rake of 11 Hornby Pullmans hauled by a ‘Pacific’, as well as the other services mentioned above.

Coming over the old SDJR line from Bath were trains from Bath, Bristol and many cross-country services from the north such as Birkenhead, York, Derby, Birmingham and Bradford. The highlight over this line was the daily ‘Pines Express’ from Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield. On the layout this runs to 12 coaches, including a 12 wheel restaurant car, hauled by a BR ‘9F’ 2-10-0. Operating the layout to sequence requires two people to work the movements in and out of the off-scene storage yard, a signalman who controls all movements on the layout including setting routes in and out of the station and signalling the trains. The fourth operator drives the trains, taking them over from the storage yard operator or dispatching them to him: however, he must drive to the signals. Failure to observe the signal is met with a stiff fine, usually a round of drinks. The final operator is the station pilot driver. The station pilot, an Ivatt ‘2MT’ 2-6-2T, is by far the busiest locomotive on the layout. Every arrival has to be either moved to another platform or taken to the carriage sidings (storage yard). Similarly all departures are set up in the same way. This small locomotive has to be, and is, 100% reliable. It is sound fitted and equipped with a special automatic uncoupler allowing it to couple and uncouple to any stock anywhere on the layout without the use of magnets or other uncoupling devices.

Above: The daily pick up goods, hauled by a Drummond ‘700’ 0-6-0, arrives on the goods line opposite the signalbox as an ‘M7’ 0-4-4T departs. The box is an exact replica of the one at Bournemouth West and features a full interior.

Above: The ‘Pines Express’, with its usual BR ‘9F’ in charge, gets the right away from Platform 5 as the ‘B4’ shunts the yard. In Platform 1 a Fowler ‘7F’ 2-8-0 has just coupled up to its stock.

Above: The old and the new. BR Standards were rapidly replacing locomotives like the ‘T9’ 4-4-0 in the early 1960s. Here ‘4MT’ 76005 passes ‘T9’ 30310, both working Salisbury services.

All stock on the layout is owned by the operators but we are very particular about what is allowed and how it’s portrayed. The period we chose to model gives a bit of leeway as it was a period of change. The layout is fully Digital Command Control (DCC) fitted using the Digitrax system and we aim to get the best out of this form of control. Most locomotives are sound fitted and one of our group is developing a unique steam system which has to be seen to be believed. It is very realistic and has already caused much comment at the exhibitions we have attended. Look out for it operating at the Great Electric Train Show in October. The coaches are a mix of Bachmann Mk 1s and Hornby Maunsells with some kit built examples thrown in where an item is not available ready-to-run such as the Stanier 12 wheel diner in the ‘Pines Express’ and many of the London and North Eastern Railway coaches. We still await some up to date Bulleid stock and in the meantime have to rely on a mix of detailed Bachmann and kit built vehicles. Rakes are permanently coupled and we developed our own coupling system to allow close coupling whilst still enabling pulling and propelling through the complex of station point work. Ends of the rakes are fitted with Kadees as are all the locomotives. These couplings are fantastically reliable if fitted correctly. The station pilot is either a kit built ‘M7’ 0-4-4T (South Eastern Finecast) or a Bachmann Ivatt ‘2MT’ 2-6-2T. Both are fitted with auto uncouplers, again something only DCC allows us to do. Bulleid ‘Pacifics’, both unrebuilt and rebuilt are all Hornby, ex-LMS types are Bachmann and Hornby as are the BR Standards. Most of the classes of locomotive that ran into Bournemouth West during the period modelled are represented. In the wings, and awaiting trials is the new Hornby ‘Lord Nelson’ 4-6-0. Where locomotives are not available ready-to-run they are kit built such as a ‘Q’ 0-6-0 which operates a Salisbury train. All locomotives have had a number changes to represent known visitors and they all have real coal, crews and the appropriate lamp or disc codes.

Above: The Brockenhurst push/pull service operated via Wimborne is headed by Drummond ‘M7’ 0-4-4T 30053. The van was specially fitted to allow through control from the driving position in the rear coach.

We are very fortunate to have in our group Steve, who is responsible for most of the weathering of locomotives, coaches and wagons. Nothing runs ‘out of the box’ and if someone wants a locomotive to be in the roster for exhibitions then they have to agree to it being weathered and to it undergoing an ‘A exam’ to ensure it runs faultlessly. Finally, goods stock is a mix of ready-torun types and Parkside kits. All are fitted with Kadees. There is not a lot of goods stock as most goods in Bournemouth was handled at yards near Central but a daily goods arrives early on in the sequence and having run around its train leaves the wagons for the little Adams ‘B4’ 0-4-0T (the Dapol model) to fuss around the yard for a couple of hours shunting. Towards the end of the sequence the locomotive returns to pick up what the shunter has assembled for it and so another day ends at Bournemouth West.

Before we started this project I had built more than 20 layouts of my own at home. Dave hadn’t built one. It has been a sharp learning curve for both of us. I’d certainly never attempted anything on this scale before, nor had either of us exhibited a layout before, although we had helped out on the other layouts in the group. So what have we learned? Exhibiting is a whole different ball game, particularly with something this size. However hard you try you will forget something - not good when you are 250 miles from home! No matter how much research you’ve done and what lengths you’ve gone to to get things right, someone will always have information to add to the picture.

Above: The Bristol train departs from Platform 1 hauled by Fowler ‘7F’ 2-8-0 53808. The little ‘B4’ shunting the yard was one of two shedded at Bournemouth during this period. It causes a few ripples at exhibitions being fitted with sound, ‘stay alive’ and an auto uncoupler.

Overall we are very proud to have got this layout finished and onto the exhibition circuit, though we had a few setbacks along the way. We’ve learned a huge amount - neither Dave nor I had handbuilt any points before we started. Neither of us would entertain anything different now. Transporting and exhibiting over a threeday weekend is very tiring but immense fun and can be very satisfying. One of the loveliest things that’s happened was where a lady at one show broke into tears. She explained that as a young child she used to travel by train to Bournemouth West to visit her grandmother. She said seeing the recreation in miniature simply transported her back in time and rekindled wonderful memories. We have had to overcome many technical issues with the layout, and it is these that give me the most satisfaction. These include the station pilot uncoupling system, the route setting and working signals, but more than this is to see five or six grown men concentrating so hard they can’t hear you in order to try and get through an operating sequence faultlessly. And we are all looking forward to doing it all again for the Great Electric Train Show in Milton Keynes on October 12/13. See you there!

Above: Using photographs the builders have tried to capture as much of the authentic detail as possible, even under the station canopies.

Above: Drummond ‘T9’ 4-4-0 30310 leaves Bournemouth West with an afternoon service to Salisbury. These venerable locomotives were stalwarts on these services well into the early 1960s. The carriage wash on the left is fully signed and is regularly used during the exhibition sequence.

This article was originally published in The Hornby magazine.