Ashburton

[Emmo]

I am planning on producing a micro layout of Ashburton in 3mm. Anyone who has any plans, building elevations or indeed anything that might be useful will be greatly received.

Many thanks in advance.

[D9020 Nimbus]

You need to obtain a copy of GWR Branchline Termini by Paul Karau—either Volume 2 or the later combined volume. Originally published by OPC, the combined edition has been reprinted more than once. This contains detailed scale plans to 4mm scale (2mm scale in the combined volume) of all the principal station structures, plus track plans, lots of photographs and much more, including a description of how the line was operated.

 

I don't think it's currently in print but you should be able to find a copy somewhere (if need be you could borrow it from your local library—via inter-library loan if they don't have their own copy.

[br2975]

As D9020 Nimbus mentioned - that / this, is the book to start you off.

.

 

[Innerhome]

You may also find "The Ashburton Branch" Peter Kay - published by Peter Kay - 2000 - helpful - but this does not have any building plans in it.

[bécasse]

Ashburton has the grave disadvantage for a model railway in that almost the only siding could not be shunted directly using locomotives, either a cable or pinch bars were used.

[The Stationmaster]

1 hour ago, bécasse said:

Ashburton has the grave disadvantage for a model railway in that almost the only siding could not be shunted directly using locomotives, either a cable or pinch bars were used.

However as the section from Buckfastleigh was worked under Train Staff & Ticket Regulations (of a sort as it used South Devon Railway block instruments - with the Train Staff and Tickets kept in the Booking Office at Ashburton) it was permissible for two separate trains, and therefore two engines, to be at Ashburton at any one time.  In one respect this was restricted as while it was permissible for two trains to cross at Ashburton it had to be to either one passenger and one freight train or two freight trains.

 

Thus, for example, the Winter 1949 STT included a freight at Ashburton from 11.45 to 13.15 during which period two Auto trains arrived and departed with one of them having a 15 minute turnround.   The auto trains on the branch ran without a Guard but were permitted to take fully fitted tail traffic although that would in some respects have been limited by the very steep gradients on the line which would have limited the load of an 0-4-2T to 120 tons.    Incidentally GWR auto trains were of course permitted to shunt with the trailer attached except where this was specifically prohibited (it was not prohibited at Ashburton),

 

And just to add to Ashburton's other oddities the release crossover was worked by hand levers and kept clipped & padlocked when not being used for a run round.   So wj hile many folk are interested in the station because if its picturesque appearance it  also had some operational oddities tp add to the interest.

[Rugd1022]

The Bradford Barton album 'Great Western Branch Line Steam : 2' has a twelve page spread on the Ashburton branch.

[Phatbob]

http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/a/ashburton/index.shtml

 

[Emmo]

Thanks everyone for your input, I will look out for the books.

[bécasse]

7 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

And just to add to Ashburton's other oddities the release crossover was worked by hand levers and kept clipped & padlocked when not being used for a run round.   So wj hile many folk are interested in the station because if its picturesque appearance it  also had some operational oddities tp add to the interest.

What with one siding worked with pinchbars and the run-round crossover clipped and padlocked it sounds like the ideal model location to try out 3D-printed working scale people when Modelu eventually crack how to produce them!

[The Stationmaster]

15 hours ago, bécasse said:

What with one siding worked with pinchbars and the run-round crossover clipped and padlocked it sounds like the ideal model location to try out 3D-printed working scale people when Modelu eventually crack how to produce them!

And modelling the tow ropes!   Because, unusually,  shunting with a tow rope was authorised at Ashburton.  

 

All in all the place must have been some sort of half-forgotten throwback to an earlier age - block instrument dating back to before 1878 (and presumably in the Booking Office as that's where the trains staff and tickets were kept); hand points on a passenger line complete with an Instruction to make sure they were correctly set and padlocked before a passenger vehicle/train was going to stand on them; tow tope shunting; and, finally,  a steep (1 in 60) rising gradient approaching the station necessitating extra care when shunting.

[bécasse]

20 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

And modelling the tow ropes!   Because, unusually,  shunting with a tow rope was authorised at Ashburton.  

A report from someone who had seen it in use suggests that, by the BR era at least, it was a cable rather than a rope, presumably with an eye at each end so that it could be hooked over coupling hooks. There was actually a board prohibiting locos from entering the siding although, even without that, the position of the goods shed on the access siding would have made traditional shunting with a loco frustrating (if possible at all). Pinch-bars (which were used far more often than most realise) were probably preferred to the cable if there was only a single wagon to be shunted.

Edited March 18, 2023 by bécasse

[The Stationmaster]

Use of pinchars was very widespread as it was cheap, quick and easy.  In fact it could sometimes be more difficult to stop a wagon rolling on its own that it was to start it!

[kevinlms]

14 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

Use of pinchars was very widespread as it was cheap, quick and easy.  In fact it could sometimes be more difficult to stop a wagon rolling on its own that it was to start it!

Inertia works both ways. Plenty of examples on Youtube of where ships have been mismanaged and coming up fast to a pier or another ship and there is nothing the crew can do, except to warn people and brace for impact!

[Morello Cherry]

23 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

Use of pinchars was very widespread as it was cheap, quick and easy.  In fact it could sometimes be more difficult to stop a wagon rolling on its own that it was to start it!

 

I was surprised the first time I barred a loco out of a shed (albeit a narrow gauge engine) as to how easy it was to get it moving

[roythebus1]

I remember helping shunt W24 at Ryde St.Johns using a couple of pinch bars back in the late 1960s. We only moved it a short way along the siding.

[KeithMacdonald]

Ashburton on Flickr.  A rare colour picture?

 

 

[KeithMacdonald]

One more in Archive Images:

http://www.archive-images.co.uk/gallery/Archive-Colour-Images-of-the-Railways-of-Devon/image/171/Ashburton_Railway_Station_1962

[KeithMacdonald]

On 19/03/2023 at 14:15, kevinlms said:

Plenty of examples on Youtube of where ships have been mismanaged and coming up fast to a pier or another ship and there is nothing the crew can do, except to warn people and brace for impact!

 

And plenty of episodes of The Navy Lark where that happened as well. 😄

Cor lummy

Ev'rybody down!

http://www.navylark.org/evrybodydown.html

 

[D9020 Nimbus]

On 21/03/2023 at 22:29, KeithMacdonald said:

Ashburton on Flickr.  A rare colour picture?

 

 

Very interesting picture. In GWR days so very early colour film—possibly Kodachrome I which was ISO 10. The colour reproduction seems a little "off" but any colour from this era is very rare. Three engines in the station—apart from the Pannier tank I'd say the one on the left is a small Prairie and the one behind the Pannier tank is probably a 48xx; it's number certainly ends in 42. Wonder why so many though — there are no cattle wagons visible.

[John Isherwood]

4 hours ago, D9020 Nimbus said:

Very interesting picture. In GWR days so very early colour film—possibly Kodachrome I which was ISO 10. The colour reproduction seems a little "off" but any colour from this era is very rare. Three engines in the station—apart from the Pannier tank I'd say the one on the left is a small Prairie and the one behind the Pannier tank is probably a 48xx; it's number certainly ends in 42. Wonder why so many though — there are no cattle wagons visible.

 

Are you certain that this is not preservation era - before Ashburton wat cut off by the A38 bypass?

 

CJI.

 

PS. It is - 30/05/71.

Edited March 23, 2023 by cctransuk

[Peterem]

30th May 1971, if the caption on the linked image is correct. I had my suspicions when I noticed the guy walking away from the camera with longish hair, corduroy(?) jacket and jeans. Not really 1930s/40s fashion!

 

Peter, Sidcup

[KeithMacdonald]

If you click through to the image on Flickr, the caption says this:

 

Quote

Early preservation days on the Dart Valley Railway, on a wet 30th May 1971, and when Ashburton station was still in use as the DVR's main servicing facility. 0-6-0 pannier tank 6435 is being coaled up and the driver of 0-4-2 tank No.1420 behind is oiling around. 'Prairie' 4555 is stabled under the overall station roof. The last passenger train to run into Ashburton station was the British Rail (W.R.) 'Farewell to Ashburton' railtour on 2nd October 1971. The last 2 miles of the line to Ashburton were then severed to allow improvements to the A38 trunk road which incorporated part of the line between Buckfastleigh and Ashburton to make way for a new road. The station building survived as a garage.

 

[The Stationmaster]

2 hours ago, cctransuk said:

 

Are you certain that this is not preservation era - before Ashburton wat cut off bt the A38 bypass?

 

CJI.

 

PS. It is - 30/05/71.

All too obviously  preservation era with numerous clues especially very clean tank engines (and three of them together at Ashburton!) and one of a class which wasn't permitted on the branch when it was open; mechanical coaling equipment; the people in the background.

[kevinlms]

18 hours ago, cctransuk said:

 

Are you certain that this is not preservation era - before Ashburton wat cut off by the A38 bypass?

 

CJI.

 

PS. It is - 30/05/71.

It's a little earlier than that.

 

Take a look at Tyrannosaur Rex hovering over.