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topic: 577Crewkerne LSWR
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posted: 30 Sep 2008 20:40

from:

Brian Lewis
 
United Kingdom

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When you look at prototype plans you can see that there are regiments of stations just begging to be modelled. If I had not settled on Clifton Down, I would most probably have modelled Redruth. For those with space constraints, Compton on the DN &S or perhaps Rothbury on the NBR.

posted: 30 Sep 2008 20:44

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

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Brian Lewis wrote:
When you look at prototype plans you can see that there are regiments of stations just begging to be modelled. If I had not settled on Clifton Down, I would most probably have modelled Redruth. For those with space constraints, Compton on the DN &S or perhaps Rothbury on the NBR
And for those without space constraints, a club perhaps, look at the shunting potential on here:

crewkerne1250.jpgcrewkerne1250.jpg crewkerne1250_1.jpgcrewkerne1250_1.jpg
I found this as a fold-out plan in a surveying textbook 40 years ago. I have only recently finally identified it as Crewkerne, Somerset on the LSWR main line to the west. (Unless anyone knows different?)

(This plan is used in the using background scans video. I can supply a much larger scan if anyone is seriously interested. :) The scale is 1:1250.)

regards,

Martin.

posted: 30 Sep 2008 20:46

from:

rodney_hills
 
United Kingdom

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Martin,

I was interested to see the plan you found of Crewkerne.

Yes, built by theL&SWR, opened 19 July 1860, closed to goods 18 April 1966, still open to passengers, line singled May 1967, all traffic now worked over former Up road, which is the side with the main building, by Sir William Tite, still extant.

A 160ft/inch plan, dated 1950, extracted from an official BR(S) 40ft/in plan, appears in the book "An Historical Survey of Selected Southern Stations (Volume One)" by G.A. Pryer and G.J. Bowring, pub O.P.C. 1980. Other volumes never appeared and the (Vol 1) suffix was dropped on more recent re-printings.

Your plan does not appear to be that much earlier, because the book mentions: "The goods yard was quite large...diagram does not do it justice as there had been some simplification prior to 1950. In the 1930s it was one of the last strongholds of the shunting horse, the layout containing several wagon turntables. The complicated tangle of pointwork near the goods shed (incorporating a scissors crossing and both double and single slips) was very unusual for a small station on the L&SWR, but made necessary in this instance by the restricted nature of the site. Main line and sidings were on different levels, and all connections had therefore to be packed into the short length where they coincided."

A new signal box was provided in 1960 (off the east end of the Up platform) and remained in use for a mere seven years.

Some more details at: http://www.kentrail.co.uk/Crewkerne.htm and at http://www.semgonline.com/location/crewk_01.html including info regarding Crewkerne Station's small place in locomotive history when in 1953 Class MN 4-6-2 No.35020 ‘’Bibby Line’’ came to grief there (the crank axle broke), the post-repair mismatches to the canopy being evident to this day.

The book in question also includes plans of another "South-Western" station with level changes twixt main line and yard - Tavistock (North*), strictly a Pymouth, Devonport & South Western Junction Rly station (* - suffixed North in BR days), which seemingly necessitated a trailing crossover from Down to Up, whose latter turnout was a double slip, forming a further (facing) crossover, the only access to the main (up) goods yard. Another splendid shunting challenge and a station of considerable scenic potential, being literally blasted out of the hillside, the platforms directly abutting onto a substantial viaduct, Although closed in 1968, most of the built infrastructure is still in place - it's a very steep climb up from the town below.

Regards, Rodney

Rodney Hills

posted: 30 Sep 2008 21:30

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

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Hi Rodney,

Many thanks for the details and links.
"...The complicated tangle of pointwork near the goods shed (incorporating a scissors crossing and both double and single slips) was very unusual for a small station on the L&SWR, but made necessary in this instance by the restricted nature of the site. Main line and sidings were on different levels, and all connections had therefore to be packed into the short length where they coincided."
Not to mention tandem turnouts in the Down main:

crewkerne1250_1.jpgcrewkerne1250_1.jpg

That trackwork would make a fine model. It would look even better all on a gentle curve of course, but you can't have everything. :)

Often on OS track plans the track levels aren't obvious, so the reason for some formations being the way they are isn't always clear. But this being a railway plan has the gradients marked on it, so it was clear that the differential levels had influenced the cramped yard access.

The ruling gradient is 1:80 rising to the west, easing to 1:250 through the station (between the prominent arrow marker at the eastern end of the goods shed and a fog hut just beyond the road bridge).

Not shown on the scan is a trailing crossover beyond the road bridge.

regards,

Martin.

posted: 30 Sep 2008 22:35

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

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Hi Rodney,

I have now found the textbook this plan came from and scanned the accompanying aerial photograph:

crewkerne_aerial.jpgcrewkerne_aerial.jpg

The yard on the down side doesn't look very busy. Don't go comparing this with a modern Google aerial view -- it's too depressing. :(

crewkerne1250.jpgcrewkerne1250.jpg

regards,

Martin.

posted: 30 Sep 2008 23:19

from:

rodney_hills
 
United Kingdom

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Brian Lewis wrote (on the Clifton thread):
I can see why Crewkerne has caught your eye. But as with all prototype layouts, the potential only really becomes reality if you have some idea of the passenger and goods operations. I know very little about Crewkerne station, even though it is only 50 miles from here. Crewkerne is a sleepy little town. I wonder what the traffic was that made that layout worthwhile?

Well, the private siding area at the top of the plan contains (on the 1950 Pryer/Bowring plan) the "Dorset Farmers Ltd" office.

A look at the S.R. "General and Western Appendices to the Working Time Tables" dated March 1934 under 'List of Intermediate and other sidings' reveals:

"Name of siding: Bradford & Son's, Position: Up side Crewkerne, hand points, gate keys kept at Weighbridge house, Worked by: Shunting horses."

An earlier occupier?,  albeit Bradford and Sons is still today trading from a Station Road, Crewkerne, branch address although their HQ is in Yeovil: http://www.bradfords.co.uk/

Surprisingly for an inland town Crewkerne, into the railway age, was a centre of sailcloth manufacture, see e.g. the potted industrial histories at: http://www.crewkernemuseum.co.uk/History.htm and at http://members.aol.com/crewkerne/history.htm

The book "The Sailisbury to Exeter Line" by Derek Phillips and George Pryer, pub: O.P.C. 1997 has useful notes and photos: "Considerable shunting was done here, with a locomotive stopping en route from Yeovil Jct to Chard Jct with a pick-up goods twice a day....various trader's sidings and 10ton crane (plus 40cwt crane in goods shed)...at one time five 13ft 2in wagon turntables in 'up' yard....horse power also used until 1930s...Cattle vans were a common sight here, used to transport calves to Maude in Scotland, travelling north via Templecombe and the S&D. "

Much more detail on shunting Crewkerne in 'Footplate comments' section, incl: "especially in the sugar-beet season" and gives the shunting loco duty movements.

Caption to a photo looking from the toe end of the tandem tunout in the Up yard: "Shunting was very heavy in this yard with the various traders, including Messrs Bradfords...horse box (left) used to transport calves to Maude....sugar beet in season exported by rail from Crewkerne.

Another photo (1965) shows the tandem turnout in the Down Main road mentioned by Martin plus the new 1960 'box.

Regards, Rodney

Rodney Hills

posted: 1 Oct 2008 00:12

from:

rodney_hills
 
United Kingdom

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Martin Wynne wrote:
Hi Rodney,

I have now found the textbook this plan came from and scanned the accompanying aerial photograph.

The yard on the down side doesn't look very busy. Don't go comparing this with a modern Google aerial view -- it's too depressing. :(
Martin,

Thanks for that. At least the line is still open and the Waterloo-Exeter passenger train service will be improved to hourly from Dec 2009, following the commissioning of the new passing loop at Axminster.

Regards, Rodney

posted: 8 Feb 2012 23:09

from:

NickAnderton
 
WREXHAM - United Kingdom

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I'm trying to squeeze a 4mm model of Crewkerne into a 5m long room. I believe I am getting there by using the pedestrian and road bridges, which are part way along the platform, as a scenic break and curving the track around under them, loosing the rest of the platform.
Martin, would it be possible to let me have the high res plan of the station you referred to in an earlier post?
The point work at the dock end of the up sidings (see the John Day photo in "Salisbury to Exeter Line" - Phillips and Pryer p102) looks daunting. Doubtless I'll be asking for guidance later on.

Thanks Nick

posted: 9 Feb 2012 21:05

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

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NickAnderton wrote:
Martin, would it be possible to let me have the high res plan of the station you referred to in an earlier post?
Hi Nick,

Here you go:

 http://85a.co.uk/forum/view_gallery_single.php?display=ALL&page=1073

Click the links to see it full size. It may take a few seconds to download.

Then right-click on the full-size image and select Save Image As...

See also here, for how to fit it in your railway room: :)

 message 9830

regards,

Martin.



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