The Kernow Model Rail Centre ex LSWR/SR Beattie class 0298 well tank was first produced back in 2011. Incredibly for a class that since the 1930’s had only three members, with a restrictive sphere of operation, albeit into the late 1960s, on the Bodmin and Wenford branch, the model has been extremely popular resulting in no less than five production batches, the last being under the EFE Rail brand as recently as November 2020.
THE KMRC Beattie well tank 3314 with crew added
Being by nature a very small locomotive, space within the cab is quite restrictive on the real thing let alone the model, finding loco crew to fit has always been a bit of a challenge.
After receiving many requests, my friends at scanning and 3D printing specialists, MODELU have now added a bespoke Beattie well tank crew to their Loco Specific Crew range.
These MODELU crew have been actually scanned on one of the preserved locos and then modified to specifically fit the footplate of the model.
This ensures the poses are both natural, realistic and can be easily fitted to the model.
The MODELU figures as supplied and a cruel enlargement following painting
The highly detailed and crisply 3D printed MODELU crew are supplied free of all sprues and ready to paint without the need for any fettling or primer. To aid painting I lightly glue the crew to a wooden string stick to make handling easier, I then firstly paint, nowadays using acrylic paints, all clothing matt black to act as a base and eventually give shadows within creases, folds and any inside edges.
Using matt acrylics, my prefered range is Vallejo, I apply the top colours using almost a dry brush allowing the black within clothing folds and inside edges etc. to still be visible to give the effect of darker shadows etc. and to bring out the exquisite detail within the 3D print.
I was able using tweezers and a small dab of UHU glue fit the crew into place without disassembling the model in any way and immediately bring the loco to life.
The numerous LSWR 10 ton covered vans were built between 1885 and 1922 to a few different diagrams as the design was developed. Different body styles were combined with either timber or steal chassis with two axlebox types; Panter or Warner’s, and several different brake systems.
The low roof, sliding door Diagram 1410 covered vans were the most common LSWR covered van with well over 1000 built. Although many were scrapped or entered departmental use before Grouping many passed into SR ownership at grouping with a number, many in departmental use, surviving beyond nationalisation.
Brake gear varied from: single sided double block, ‘Morton Clutch’, the rarer for this diagram ‘Lifting Link’ and most commonly what the SR called ‘Freighter’ that had independent brake gear on each side.
Ten covered vans to the Diagram 1410 were built for the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway (S&DJR) they differed from the LSWR versions as they did not have the end vents and only single sided brakes. They later were absorbed into SR stock and had end vents fitted, become identical to D1410 vans.
The tooling suite for the models allows for bodies with either 8 1.2” or 6 1.2” end planking with and without the end vents on steel chassis, 8 open spoke or 10 closed spoke wheels, and single sided, Morton, freighter or lifting link brake styles. The specification of the model includes highly detailed body and chassis, prototypical brake gear and safety loops fitted, beam compensation, sprung buffers and a sprung coupling hook fitted with metal three link couplings.
The models have been produced and are currently being shipped, the initial price is £66.95 each, that is the special early-bird price and only applies payment is made in full at the time of ordering. For those not wishing to pay in full, it will not be possible to place an order until after the models have arrived. These subsequent orders will be at the prevailing price of £77.95 and not the early-bird offer price.
Welcome to the first of my Westhill Road Ramblings as I think thoughts (or why isn’t that thunk?), yes dangerous I know, to develop the concept in my mind / imagination and start to make actual physical progress on my new little scenic diorama type layout. To read my introduction to Westhill Road click here. As the layout progresses my imagination, vision , concepts and ideas board will be covered via such ramblings posts, whilst more details on some of the physical items will be covered in my Workbench Witterings series.
The three potential options for the cabin at Westhill RoadThe signal box diagram for Westhill Road
Now on to the main subject of this post the signal cabin. The original thought in my mind I had for Westhill Road, with its small level Crossing and minimum signalling and only one point (plus a co-acting trap point) for the siding, was to utilise one of the lovely Kernow Model Rail Centre LSWR ground frame cabins.
However upon developing the concept for the layout further and looking at signal Box diagrams for similar locations on the Southern, and having created a signal box diagram for Westhill Road that required a 10 lever frame, I soon realised that such a ground frame and cabin would actually be too small.
I initially thought about using my scratch built model of Hawkhurst signal box that I built from scratch many years ago now, when still a teenager, but feel that using such signal box at this location would possibly also be out of character for a small wayside halt and crossing location as Westhill Road and maybe affect the balance of buildings I intend to have on the layout, as it will located directly in front of the roadside combined station masters house / booking office.
A cruelly enlarged picture of my scratch built Type 3B ground signal box. The roof is not affixed yet whilst it awaits some final details and a signaller to be added.A birds eye view inside the box
I decided to take a look at the idea of using ground-based signal box. The LSWR have a number of different types of boxes, as the design involved throughout the years, small ground versions of the signal cabins were quite common across the network at smaller locations such as level crossing gates and small stations and these could either be directly mounted on the ground or onto a station platform. I therefore settled on the idea of an LSWR type 3B signal cabin as these were used at similar crossing gate locations.
A view showing the knee frameA quick snap showing the effect of the illumination, (a scratch made lamp shade hides a tiny surface mount LED)
These Type 3B boxes were introduced in 1889 and were generally located in and around Plymouth and also on the Ilfracombe line in North Devon, including wonderfully named locations such as Stoney Mill Gates, Vellator Gates and Duckpool Gates. Unlike the earlier Type 3 and 3A boxes they did not have toplights (replaced with weatherboard or any ornamental valances. As these ground level boxes did not have an interlocking room beneath the floor they utilised a raised ‘knee frame’ with shorter levers.
This slightly more plain style is, in my thinking, ideal for Westhill Road as it gives a slightly more general and not to area / company specific appearance. I have therefore knocked up a quick scratch built version of such a ground box, that is internally detailed, complete with a knee frame and each individual short lever, coloured to match the Westhill Road signal box plan, and illuminated (as will all the buildings I build for Westhill Road). I will detail the build process in a near future Workbench Witterings post before you ask, and although I do not yet have the actual layout built to plonk it on, I already feel of the three options it will look the part.
The much-anticipated ex LSWR / SR Diagram 1541 10T Road Van produced as an exclusive model by the Kernow Model Rail Centre have now arrived (appropriately via Southampton Docks) and are being despatched to customers and all pre-orders being fulfilled (but please expect this to take a few days). This is not a review for obvious reasons, but hopefully the photographs will speak for themselves.
All ten versions of the ex LSWR 10T road vansThe SR pre 1936 livery version shows off the separately applied lamp irons, handrails and window glazing bars.The BR grey Isle of Wight version shows the cranked step board hangers.The underframe is fully detailed with brake gear and all pull roddingS54663 shows its ribbed style buffer shanks. She was the last road in service in 1958 and is now preserved on the Bluebell RailwayA post 1936 SR livery version is shunted at Canute Road QuayThe pre-grouping LSWR version.
First introduced by the London & South Western Railway (LSWR) in 1884 they were later classed as Southern Railway Diagram 1541. Almost 500 of these were built between then and 1905 making them the most numerous LSWR Goods Brake Van. Brake Vans with side doors through which parcels or other goods could be loaded were known as road vans.
The pictures show the high level of detail and multitude of separately fitted parts including: flush glazing, hand rails, brake gear with pull rodding, step boards and lamp irons to accurately portray a number of different versions of the prototype. These options include alternative buffer shanks with a ribbed option as fitted to some vans including those preserved on the Isle of Wight and Bluebell steam railways and either straight or cranked step board supports, the latter as fitted to the majority of those transferred in 1925 to the Isle of Wight.
Care and research has been undertaken with the various liveries to to ensure that the correct livery specifications have been met, especially for the LSWR / SR Good Brown. The application is crisp, as we would expect, and includes legible solebar cast number plates.
I hope that those whom have have had these models on pre-order for some time are pleased with the final model.
All ten versions of the much-anticipated Kernow Model Rail Centre 00 ex LSWR / SR Diagram 1541 10T Road Vans have now been manufactured, are on route to the UK and due for the dispatch of pre-orders at the beginning of July.
All ten production versions are shown here together.
First introduced by the London & South Western Railway (LSWR) in 1884 they were later classed as Southern Railway Diagram 1541. Almost 500 of these were built between then and 1905 making them the most numerous LSWR Goods Brake Van. Brake Vans with side doors through which parcels or other goods could be loaded were known as road vans.
Included within the ten versions are different liveries from the original LSWR, both Southern Railway variations, early British Railways, departmental through to as preserved examples. The tooling has also catered for the Mainland and Isle of Wight versions with either straight or cranked step board supports (as fitted on the IoW versions) and round or ribbed shanked buffers.
The models will arrive in in the UK at Southampton, that was appropriately the main docks for the London and South Western Railway, at the end of June. KMRC have included in the range van number 56046 as preserved on the Isle of Wight Steam Railway. that we originally laser scanned, and number S54663 that was the last road van in service based at Wadebridge, although officially withdrawn in July 1958, it survived in some form of service until 1961. It was then purchased by the Bluebell Railway as their first item of goods rolling stock in May 1962.
The Kernow Model Rail Centre, and therefore by default myself, have advised that the much-anticipated ex LSWR / SR Diagram 1541 10T Road Van has been approved for production. This follows the careful review and approval of the Engineering Prototypes received last year and the decorated samples of all ten of the versions being produced that were received last week.
First introduced by the London & South Western Railway (LSWR) in 1884 they were later classed as Southern Railway Diagram 1541. Almost 500 of these were built between then and 1905 making them the most numerous LSWR Goods Brake Van. Brake Vans with side doors through which parcels or other goods could be loaded were known as road vans.
The decorated livery samples can be seen above, (note that some of the samples were only the body assembly). Approval for production has been given subject to a couple of minor amendments to the printing on the solebar cast plate for two of the SR livery versions, the spacing (Kernow correcting the Kerning – a designers injoke) of the numbers on the LSWR SB003B version and the solebar and buffer colour on three of the BR grey versions.
SB003H LSWR Road Van number 54611 in pre-1936 large SR lettered livery is illustrated and shows the correct SR Goods Wagon brown, lettering style and the solebar cast plate that has wording “SR” “54611” an “Eastleigh Works” all perfectly legible.
KMRC anticipate production to commence at the end of March 2021 (following Chinese New Year) with shipment to the UK during May 2021 (subject to shipping availability) and hope to have them in stock for fulfilment of orders at the end May /early June 2021.
As we are talking Southern Railway catering vehicles it might be worth sitting down and having some light refreshment to go with the read as things are going to get a little confusing and complex!
The Southern Railway even with its relatively short distances involved, when compared with some of the other railway companies, still provided full dining services by pairing a Kitchen dining car with a dining saloon on many of its services such as Waterloo – Exeter, Waterloo – Bournemouth / Portsmouth and Weymouth, Southampton boat train services and the Brighton to Plymouth, and some Victoria – Dover services. They could also be found on the though Cardiff, Newcastle and Birkenhead services off the Southern. These paired vehicles would either be inserted within the middle of longer coaching sets, especially for the through services off the Southern; or within a train made up from multiple shorter coach sets, such as on the West of England line.
The Southern Railway (and subsequent the Southern Region) contracted out its catering services: on the South Eastern and Central Divisions it was The Pullman Car Co, and the South Western Division was originally Spiers & Pond (the LSWR contractor) superseded by Frederick Hotels in 1930.
Hornby Southern catering vehicles since 2018
The R4816 Diagram 2656 Kitchen Dining First
The first newly tooled Southern Railway Maunsell catering versions were first introduced in by Hornby in 2018 and the subsequent ‘A’ versions currently available from Hornby are:
R4816 SR Maunsell Kitchen Dining First to Diagram 2656, No. 7869 and R4816A 7865 in unlined SR Green; and R4817 BR Maunsell Kitchen Dining First to Diagram 2651, with post 1939 / 1939 modifications, No. S7861S and R4817A No. S7858S in BR(s) Green.
The Diagram 2656 cars were built in 1932 and a later batch built in 1934 and other than the cooking equipment fitted were similar in body style to Diagram 2650. Hornby have chosen to produce these models in unlined olive-green which is totally correct for post 1940s condition.
The Diagram 2651 in BR(s) green represents one of the six, originally built in 1927, coaches post rebuilding around 1935 to include the characteristic recessed double doors. There were some slight bodyside differences between these and the subsequent 20 similar cars built in 1929 and 1930.
These catering vehicles would usually have been paired in service with Maunsell Diagram 2005 Open thirds numbered 1369 to 1400 such as R4537 Number 1400 or R4833 Number 1375 in SR Olive Green and R40101 number S1338S in BR(s) Green.
Hornby 2021 releases
The Hornby 2021 range sees the introduction of new tooling for two more Southern / BR(s) catering vehicles.
A Diagram 2652 Dining Saloon Third
[Edit] The as originally announced Maunsell Diagram 2652 Dining Saloon Thirds R40030 and R40030A as numbers 7864 and 7867 respectively representing them original condition in SR lined olive green. Six of these dining salon thirds were built in 1927 and they were in service actually paired with the first Maunsell Kitchen / Dining Firsts to Diagram 2651 that were also built in 1927 and numbered 7858-7863. Modellers licence would have been required as this Diagram in original its 1927 form has not been produced by Hornby and therefore will have to be incorrectly paired with the Diagram 2656 Kitchen Dining First instead.
The main difference between the two diagrams is that the earlier Diagram 2651 did not originally have external door or the vestibule at the dining saloon end and have smaller kitchen window adjacent to the double doors. The first batch of the Diagram 2651 were later modified to include the end doors and vestibule (although the smaller window remained) these and the subsequent later builds, with differing sizes of windows, were built with vestibules were confusingly all to the same diagram number.
The six Diagram 2652 Dining Saloon Thirds only lasted in this from until 1930 when they were reclassed as Open Thirds and renumbered in the range 1363 to 1368.
[Edit] Hornby advised at the end of January that the models R40030 and R40030A to be numbered 1363 and 1366 respectively to the longer and more flexible usage 1930 to wartime period.
During the war all except No. 1367 were converted for Ambulance Train use during WWII. (see comments below).
Just to add to the complexity and confusion with the SR catering vehicles the Diagram 2656 having been built post 1932 took over the numbers 7864 to 7869!
A Diagram Third / Composite Dining Saloon
[Edit] Four of six, now reclassified Open Thirds were converted in July 1947 to Third / Composite Dining Saloons branded as ‘Restaurant Car’ to Diagram 2658 and numbered 7841-4 . These conversions have also been announced by Hornby as R40031 Maunsell Dining Saloon Third / Composite to diagram 2658 Number S7841S and R40031A Number S7843S in BR(s) Green.
These four were actually paired with the Kitchen / Buffet cars to Diagram 2659 that themselves were converted in 1947 from Diagram 2656 Kitchen / Dining firsts and not yet available in ready to run form. So therefore will have to be incorrectly paired with the Diagram 2651 Kitchen Dining First in BR(s) green instead. The other two were now fitted with 48 loose 2 +1 chairs and classified as First Class diners and numbered 7846/7 were were paired with newly converted Diagram 2661 Buffet cars for use on the reinstated ‘Night Ferry” service.
The Hornby 2022 range sees the introduction of new tooling for two more Southern / BR(s) catering vehicles.
Two more Diagram 2658 Composite Dining Saloons, firstly R40221 SR No. 7844 in SR green as approximately between 18th November 1947 and mid 1949. She was outshopped Crimson and Cream livery 4th February 1955, however the SR style lettering was likely to have been amend to BR style before the end of 1949 .
Secondly, R40222 BR, Maunsell Dining Saloon First [sic] (actually a Composite Dining Saloon), S7842S in Crimson and Cream livery as carried in between 7th December 1954 and being outshopped BR(S) Green 12th August 1957.
These Diagram 2658 Composite dining saloons numbered 7841-4 were paired on West of England services with Diagram 2659 Kitchen & Buffet cars numbered 7864/5/7 and 7999, that themselves had been converted from Diagram 2656 Kitchen Dining Firsts. Modellers licence will be required as these converted Diagram 2659 vehicles have not been produced by Hornby and therefore will have to be incorrectly paired with the Diagram 2656 Kitchen Dining First instead.
I did say it was a bit confusing, I hope this post has helped to clarify in some way…
The Petersfield type 3a signal box was built c1885 and is located on the Portsmouth Direct Line between Havent and Guildford (where of course the 2nd Kernow Model Rail Centre store opened in 2019).
Petersfield station was opened by the Portsmouth Railway in 1859, it was leased by the London & South Western Railway, who bought it outright in 1861. The station was extended and enlarged in 1864 to accommodate the traffic from the new Petersfield Railway to Midhurst.
The box is unique as it combines features of both ex LSWR type 2 and type 3 designs. It protects the Station Road level-crossing and it formerly controlled the junction of the Midhurst branch that was closed 1955. Although the closure of the goods yards occurred during the 1970s, the volume of passenger traffic and the need to guard the busy level-crossing has ensured that the signal box has remained in operation. It still contains a ten-lever Stevens (Railway Signalling Co.) frame and locking rack (c1880), together with a circuit diagram, blockshelf and block instruments.
The Kernow Model Rail Centre have received the first Engineering Prototype (EP) from the tooling for the much-anticipated ex LSWR / SR Diagram 1541 10T Road Van. First introduced by the London & South Western Railway (LSWR) in 1884 they were later classed as Southern Railway Diagram 1541. Almost 500 of these were built between then and 1905 making them the most numerous LSWR Goods Brake Van. Brake Vans with side doors through which parcels or other goods could be loaded were known as road vans.
The CADs, based on a laser scan of the preserved example at the Isle of Wight steam railway, were approved for tooling earlier this year.
KMRC advised: “The first Engineering Prototype samples have been carefully evaluated and we are very pleased with how the EP has turned out. We are currently discussing directly with the factory a very small number of slight modifications before the next stage of livery samples can be produced. The production of the livery artwork is in progress.”
The pictures show the high level of detail and multitude of separately fitted parts including: flush glazing, hand rails, brake gear with pull rodding, step boards and lamp irons to accurately portray a number of different versions of the prototype.
These options include alternative buffer shanks with a ribbed option as fitted to preserved No. 56046 on the Isle of Wight steam railway and either straight or cranked step board supports, the latter as fitted to the majority of those transferred in 1925 to the Isle of Wight.
In light of further research, a small number of the available versions have been changed with corrected running numbers and liveries as BR Bauxite would not be appropriate for the available options of this road van.
I am delighted to announce that, after spending 15 years in the Road Safety and Traffic Management sector, spending some time out due to Covid 19 has resulted in a decision to change lifestyle, I am delighted, having already hinted a new role, to be taking up the newly created role of Development Manager with the Kernow Model Rail Centre (KMRC) working alongside Chris Trerise the KMRC Managing Director. I will officially start the role on 1st October.
Canute Road Quay has seen the addition of a semi permanent photographic light box in preparation for the new role
The new role is responsible for the research, development, and project management of our commissions along with some aspects of PR, Social media, website development and, once they are taking place again managing their presence at some exhibitions.
Obviously as regular readers will know I have already assisted KMRC with a number of their model commissions in the past (and a few for the future) so I am already familiar with their projects and the team.
My appointment provides KMRC with additional resource to develop and manage the wide range of their ongoing and planned projects.
Don’t worry the appointment will not affect this blog and or its future content.
Share this:
The model railway world and mainly Southern Railway meanderings of Graham 'Muz' Muspratt
