Tuesday 23 September 2014

Working Timetables

Originally when the layout was designed I had intended to set it in 1923 (just after the grouping), however I later decided to set the layout just after the opening of the re-modelling of Hallatrow and the opening of extension of the Camerton branch around 1909 - 11.

I visited the Public Records Office (PRO) to obtain copies of Working Timetables (WTT's) and other documents. However all the sections of the WTT's are bound together and because of the fragility and condition of the pages it is not possible to get good copies of the pages.

I was then told that there were a number of WTT's published on the web and just after that a post was put on a GWR web list asking for WTT's of the branches of the GW main line in Devon in the BR period. The reply gave details of a site with copies of a number of BR(WR) working timetable plus a number of 1911 GWR WTT's. Fortunately this included sections 3, 4 and 5 (i.e. 3 being Reading, Westbury, Taunton & Weymouth, 4 being Bristol and 5 being Weston, Taunton & Exeter). The Bristol section includes both the North Somerset and East Somerset.

Tuesday 9 September 2014

A Dean's for Hallatrow

One of the photos I have of Hallatrow shows Dean Goods no.2395 with a goods train posed in the station c.1912. Fortunately some time ago I picked up a Mainline Dean Goods off a second hand stall at an exhibition. Some Sharman wheels were acquired at a Leatherhead Scaleforum so all that remained was a compensated chassis kit for the loco and tender, these being acquired from High Level.


The High Level loco chassis minus pick-up's
The High Level tender kit can be built as either beam
compensation or with CSB. I chose the CSB version.
The body's have been temporally re-united to the chassis's
to check for height.

More work on the Signal Box

Things have been moving on slowly lately but now the roof have been completed.

The slates are Slater's with Scale Link ventilators and other
bits of evergreen rod.
However, the time has not been wasted, in August a trip to Somerset and the West Somerset Railway. This allowed me access to the signal boxes on the line so that I could research the interior of the Type 7 on the line, Bishops Lydeard and Blue Anchor.

Interior of Bishops Lydeard box.