Lton shed

[Parkie82]

The 2mm meeting at the Farnham & District MRC Exhibition inspired me to get on with building my first 2mm layout rather than tinkering. I also joined my local club and having been working on their 2mm layout but the momentum on my own layout is a little stop start, so in an attempt to keep the momentum I thought I would share it here.
 

What I’ve selected is a cameo of the locomotive shed (Lton) and station at Littlehampton set in 1901 to 1905. There are several factors for this choice:

• I only have 1110mm x 225mm for the scenic board. I only received planning permission for two of the really useful boxes sized for Christmas trees or wrapping paper. The second box is for the fiddle yard, stock and equipment.
• I prefer modelling real locations
• My primary modelling interest is the LBSCR

While the small space is constraining it’s a useful for improving skills and building a collection of rolling stock for a future layout when space allows. Brighton termini are very few to choose from and none fit into such a small space, even with compression, so finding a sub-section of real location with interesting working was required.
 

I choose the locomotive shed and platform at Littlehampton for several reasons:

• a great many photos exist of a wide variety of locomotives set outside of the shed, representing plenty of building opportunities in the future. 
• Platform with a run around that will take full length carriage rakes (4 and 6 wheelers) in the limited space
• Some goods workings for variety. I can’t fit the goods yard into my scenic space but the cattle dock is located on the platform side, Stephenson Clarke coal wagons and a gas tank for refilling the carriages are often photographed next to the shed. This gives some shunting opportunities, and the cattle wagons were attached to the first passenger train on market days.
   

While the majority of the photos are taken from the platform looking north towards the shed, but I have chosen to model the layout from the north looking south. The shed will be the focal point.



I’ve managed to avoid compression in the track plan and the layout will be built mainly with Finetrax B6’s except for the platform run around which are B7’s. Track design was done using templot initially using the 1890’s OS map but then latter adjusted using a photo of an original 1901 map produced for the board of trade, and a 1936 map by Southern railways before electrification work commenced in 1937.

 

I've laid most of the track work on the shed side, tested it and just need to fit the servos for the turnouts before proceeding to the platform and run around track work

[DCB]

Choice of LBSC   RTR Locos  in N is a bit limited.   Seems to me all the interesting LBSC locos were 1905 -- 1914  unless you like 0-4-2s and Singles.    Good to see an uncompressed track plan.

[Parkie82]

It is a shame that more RTR Brigthon locos aren't available but I came into this with that knowledge and at some point will have to learn how to scratch-build what I need.

The 1901-1905 date range only really came about due to the station canopy being updated in 1901 and a small track change giving the runaround access to shed without loco's having to traverse the station throat. I have seen several different dates for this track change with 1905 being the earliest and 1912 being another. To run a wider range of locos I was going to use rule 1 which could make the date range 1863 to 1936, but I will likely stick to pregrouping.

I see this as a long-term project as my shopping list isn't short for this layout;  I already have 3 terriers awaiting conversion, but I will need at least 2x D1s, 1x D3, and 2x E4s for the Shed to cover the different Brighton liveries. For passenger locos awaiting trips back to Brighton or Horsham, I will need C2s, B1s and G class at the very least.

[yaxxbarl]

For Brighton locos, Langley did do some white metal kits for locos like an E2 and some of the 0-6-2Ts, Bill Rankin used them as the basis for a few of the locos on his old layouts 'Baldown Junction' and 'Welton Down'. If I remember from the last time I saw Langley's stand at an exhibition they're still available.

 

As the time they were based on adapted Farish 94xx pannier chassis, I would check the wheelbases on the locos to be modelled as there may be a better alternative in the current association chassis kits.

 

Cheers,

 

John

[Ian Smith]

I look forward to seeing how your project progresses!  Like you, I too wanted to model the pre-grouping era (albeit GWR), and over the last 10-12 years have developed the skills necessary to achieve my goal.  Initially, using an Association etched loco chassis, with all subsequent locos being fully scratch built.  One thing I would say is be prepared to have failures (of ideas) along the way, but patience and perseverance will win through!

Ian

[Parkie82]

2 hours ago, yaxxbarl said:

For Brighton locos, Langley did do some white metal kits for locos like an E2 and some of the 0-6-2Ts, Bill Rankin used them as the basis for a few of the locos on his old layouts 'Baldown Junction' and 'Welton Down'. If I remember from the last time I saw Langley's stand at an exhibition they're still available.

 

As the time they were based on adapted Farish 94xx pannier chassis, I would check the wheelbases on the locos to be modelled as there may be a better alternative in the current association chassis kits.

 

Thanks @yaxxbarl for the tip on Langley models, I will check them out.

I have converted a Farish 64xx to test my track work and was looking to use it as a donor for an E1 but the motor is slightly too large for the 3d print. I'll check the association chassis kits.

 

[Parkie82]

2 hours ago, Ian Smith said:

I look forward to seeing how your project progresses!  Like you, I too wanted to model the pre-grouping era (albeit GWR), and over the last 10-12 years have developed the skills necessary to achieve my goal.  Initially, using an Association etched loco chassis, with all subsequent locos being fully scratch built.  One thing I would say is be prepared to have failures (of ideas) along the way, but patience and perseverance will win through!

 

Thank you for the encouragement @Ian Smith and I'm glad to hear it's possible to learn all the skills