BASINGSTOKE IN OO - PART ONE

BASINGSTOKE IN "OO"

Part 1 - Layout and plans

 Introduction 

A discourse on the construction and operation of a large model railway based on a real life location in the period 1958-67, to British “finescale OO” 1:76 scale.

Above: The real life Basingstoke (London end) in 1960. 

Above: The real life Basingstoke (Country end) in 1958.

Having spent many years modelling both German and Japanese outline, to exhibition standards, with some of my layouts featured in the Peco publication “Continental Modeller”, I was very happy to see the dramatic improvements that finally caught up with British ranges when production was moved to China. A fact that finally convinced me the time was finally right to return to British outline modelling !

The Why and Wherefore

Why Basingstoke you may wonder? Well having spent part of my youth living close to the very busy London to Brighton line, quiet country branches never really appealed. Further when my father took me along to numerous model railway shows, I found layouts based on branch lines equally uninspiring as little happens !  

Returning to British outline modelling, I therefore selected firstly BR Southern Region to model as this is what I remember best. Obviously it had to be a mainline. So searching for a suitable location I selected Basingstoke simply because it had the biggest variety of trains running through it, in the chosen period 1958-67. In addition I wanted to also model the well known Worting Junction with its famous "Battledown" flyover, to improve the impression that trains were actually "going places".

You will note from the rail map shown below, how Basingstoke is at the heart of 4 major lines, including the Inter-regional route to Reading. Worting Junction and its flyover being the junction a mile or so, to the south west of the station, where the Southampton and Salisbury routes diverge. 

 RAIL MAP BASINGSTOKE AREA 1958

BASINGSTOKE (Mk1)

Obviously a 4 track mainline layout in "OO" scale is going to need a large space. So I began building "Basingstoke" (Mk1) in the loft of a large house I owned in the Harz mountains in Germany. That layout measured approx 60ft x 20ft. Unfortunately I soon discovered that a number of important model locomotives were incapable of hauling real life loads of 12 coaches, over the real life 1 in 90 gradients of Battledown flyover. As I had only allowed space for this gradient, and couldn´t ease the gradient further, I turned to the problem locos. The locos also proved a non-starter, as it was also impossible to squeeze any more weight into them. I had no choice then, but to redesign the junction without the flyover. The lack of Battledown flyover also caused problems with the Fiddle yard. Here I had also planned flyovers to dispense with the problem of conflicting movements. Without the flyovers, the Fiddle yard had to be redesigned as well. With flat junctions in the Fiddle Yard, this added another control panel, and obviously required another operator.

Despite the Fiddle Yard and Junction design problems, I completed construction of the baseboards, and laid virtually all the track, which amounted to over 400 yards. I also completed the wiring and control panels, and began test running, once I had amassed sufficient stock. The next step was to begin on the signalling, which also had to be interlocked electrically with the points. As the signals were installed and wired up, the scenery could finally be started on. At this point it became apparent that the long and harsh winters in the Harz mountains were causing heating problems in the loft despite significant roof insulation. This was followed by a chance meeting with the Director of a Spanish Railway museum ! This meeting caused a dramatic change of plan, so in late 2014 I began dismantling the "Mk1" layout........     

Most of the current (Model) photos seen on this and following pages, feature the now disbanded Mk1 layout, taken during the period (2010-2014).

Above: The South West end of Basingstoke station. LSWR Class S11 4-4-0 Drummond "Bulldog" No 404; built in December 1903 heads South with a heavy Inter-Regional pigeon special, made up of LNWR stock. Picture from an old sepia postcard. 

BASINGSTOKE Mk2

Having salvaged virtually everything except the baseboards of the "Mk1", layout. It was all carefully packed up, and in February 2015, loaded into a long wheelbase Ford Transit, for the 1000 mile journey to the layouts new home in a Spanish Railway Goods shed....

One of the main reasons for moving the layout to Spain, is that the layout can now be built as an exhibition layout, for the benefit of visitors to the museum, and possible display at international exhibitions. I might also add, that model railways are pretty rare in Spain, so having a large layout at the museum will hopefully prove even more popular than might otherwise be the case !

The layouts re-incarnation in a real railway station Goods shed, also allows an expansion in size to roughly 84ft by 22ft. This expansion will allow in addition to Basingstoke station, its goods yards and locomotive shed, enough space to add Worting Junction and its well known "Battledown" Flyover with gentler gradients of 1 in 100. In addition the extra length now available also allows Hook station, the station before Basingstoke on the mainline from London, to be squeezed in. As Worting Junction can now be modelled correctly with the flyover, this also means Oakley station will now be positioned realistically, beyond Worting junction as the first station on the Salisbury line. The Fiddle yard will of course also have the planned flyovers to abolish conflicting moves, and therefore make operation that much simpler and quicker.

"Basingstoke in OO" (Mk2) will therefore feature three stations in addition to the junction. This will aid even more realistic operation, as expresses will have minor stations to roar through non-stop, and local trains somewhere to pause. Construction of this expanded "Basingstoke" will hopefully commence in late 2015, once the Goods shed (seen below) has been modified and renovated to suit.

Above: The new home for Basingstoke Mk2, the Goods shed (right) at Mora la Nova station. Seen prior to renovation. A diesel hauled freight is seen arriving, while (behind) is the museums 3-car EMU which had just been delivered from Barcelona. Summer 2009. Photo: APPFI.

"APPFI" Museum and Railway Centre, Mora la Nova, Spain.

The "Museum" is operated by an Association under the title "APPFI", and located on the mainline from Tarragona to Zaragoza, at Mora la Nova station, about 20 miles from the Mediterranean coast in Southern Catalunya. In reality it is more than just a railway museum, as its primary aim is the restoration of steam locomotives to haul mainline tourist trains. It also covers quite a large site, with various buildings around the station being used. Included are a signalbox on the station platform, which is used as the starting point for the guided tours, and a massive new workshop for storage and restoration.

Note: The traditional Spanish railway network uses 5ft 6in (1,668mm) Broad Gauge track. Only the new High Speed International lines use standard gauge 4ft 8.5inches (1,435mm). Some secondary lines use Metre gauge.  

Above: Inside the new workshops. Centre: A 1950´s North British (Glasgow) designed 2-8-2 Class 141F. Right: an even larger Spanish designed 1940´s 4-8-2 Class 241F "La Bonita", (both oil fired). Photo: APPFI

Above: A fully restored 1969 built GE 900hp Bo-Bo Diesel class 308 (built under license in Spain). Used for shunting other museum stock. Behind is the museums restored signalbox and reception point for the guided tours. Photo: APPFI. 

The museum is open ONLY on, Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays,  from 11.30hrs to 19.00hrs. Visitors are treated to fully guided tours. Entrance fee: €8.00 adults. €6.00 children/OAP´s 

Location and Period

Back to the layout. Basingstoke, for those unfamiliar with what was in steam days a somewhat sleepy Hampshire town, was far more important as a railway junction. It is located almost at the end of the 4 track mainline section from London Waterloo to Southampton, Bournemouth and Weymouth, and was also the extremity of stopping services from London.

At the London end of the station is the important junction to Reading (WR), which is still today an important Inter-regional connection. This line brought in daily services from as far afield as Birkenhead and Newcastle, and a veritable swarm of  services on Summer Saturdays. About two miles to the South of Basingstoke is the fairly well known “Worting Junction” and "Battledown" flyover. Here the West of England line to Exeter and beyond diverges from the Southampton-Bournemouth-Weymouth route.

Above: Basingstoke C1920, with the rear of a London and South Western Railway (LSWR) local train in the Up Slow platform.  (Picture is from an old Sepia Postcard).

The period finally chosen for the layout was extended to a full ten years, from 1958 to 1967. This was primarily to encompass the greatest variety of stock and was of course also the last ten years of steam on the Southern Region.

The period also allows for the arrival of both the SR’s class 33 diesel locos from 1960, and the appearance of Western Region diesel hydraulics from 1964, when they took over the services to and from Exeter. Of course third rail electrification also appeared at Basingstoke in 1966, just to add a little more interest. 

Above: A Heljan model in OO of the BRCW 1,550hp Class 33 Bo-Bo diesel. The originals began to appear around Basingstoke from 1960  

Above. D838 "Rapid" Warship class at Exeter St. Davids, in 1962. These locos began appearing at Basingstoke from 1964.

Such a variety of trains and traction, particularly in 1966-67, has probably never been seen at any one place in Britain, before or since. Steam, diesel electric, diesel hydraulic, electro-diesel and even the odd electric loco. Along with diesel-mechanical, diesel electric, electric and push-pull multiple unit formations. Many of these last being initially odd "scratch" formations. Again this all makes Basingstoke an extremely interesting place to model, during this period.

Such diversity, and the huge number of trains on a Summer Saturday, presents a serious logistics problem, if it is all to be incorporated on one layout. In addition Summer Saturdays being the busiest and most complex day of the week are the most interesting. So breaking down all this potential chaos into a logical and understandable system, is achieved by operating the layout to ten separate Summer Saturday schedules or timetables. These are then operated in Chronological order. At the end of each, locos and stock actually withdrawn from service during that year, can be removed and replaced by whatever replaced them in reality. This provides added interest for both viewers and operators alike.

The Track Plan

Basingstoke Mk1

Above: A basic plan of the original Mk1 version of the layout .

The Basingstoke "Mk1" track plan seen above, is a rough plan of the layout. Minor detail alterations were made during construction. In reality changes to the station area track layout occurred during the ten year period chosen for the model. In particular in the lead up to electrification. As a result the layout plan reflects more closely the original track layout of 1958.

On the "Mk1" version the inability to fit in "Battledown" flyover, compounded the problem of the Fiddle Yard, as many conflicting moves were necessary within the Fiddle Yard due to all the ground level or "flat" junctions necessary. Just visible in the picture below is the four track mainline entering through the far wall and the two track West of England line (far right) under the roof. Two tracks (centre background) it will be noted had to be diverted across the narrow access space between the separate groups of lines, as a result of the problems created by the lack of the flyover. 

 Above: The original (Mk1) Fiddle Yard. This had 27 tracks, while the new version will be extended to 32 tracks to allow more variety with the many inter-regional trains. 18/9/2011.

Basingstoke Mk2

On the new Mk2 version of the layout, the extra space available has allowed everything to be spaced out slightly more. Primarily this has allowed Basingstoke station and its yards to be kept completely within one side of the layout without extending into the curves at either end, as per the prototype. Previously it had been necessary to encroach onto the corner boards, with the resultant unrealistic curves at the ends of the sidings.

The new version of the layout will be built using 35 baseboards, with a total overall size of 26 metres (84ft 6in) by 7 metres (22ft 9in). Each board will be 2 metres (6ft 6in) long, although widths vary. The common baseboard length will aid transport, if and when the layout goes to model railway exhibitions. Although each Baseboard is rather long at 2m, this size was chosen to reduce as far as possible the number of baseboard joins, for two reasons. Firstly to reduce the problems of trying to hand build pointwork across joins, and secondly to reduce the number of plugs and sockets needed between each pair of boards. As already noted the new track plan is even closer to the real life plan thanks to more space. However, from previous experience with large exhibition layouts. Copying the original track plan exactly can produce one or two minor operational problems on a model railway. This usually relates to the position of crossovers. On the new layout, it has been necessary to slightly alter one or two crossovers to make it easier to get locomotives to and from the locomotive shed.   

Laid out below are all 35 baseboards, of the new Basingstoke plan. The overall shape of the layout is an oblong. So beginning with boards 1 and 2 at the bottom left hand corner, and moving in an anti-clockwise direction around the layout, the boards are shown in consecutive pairs.

With 84ft of length now available, this now allows the Southern Goods Yards both sides of the main line at the country end of the station, (seen above, and below), to be given their full length and correct number of sidings.

Board 4 - Locomotive depot and Turntable

The Southern locomotive shed, and its adjacent spurs, docks and tracks, (above) can also now be laid out with the correct angles. Which on the Mk1 layout had to be skewed slightly to avoid the dreaded roof support beams.

Board 6 - Main station area

The main station platforms in reality have a slight curve, now apparent, which didn´t come out quite right on the Mk1 layout, again because of roof support beams (see above). 

Board 8 - Junction between Mainline and Reading line

On "Mk1" the Great Western "North Yard" had to be somewhat squashed and reduced by one siding. On the new plan (seen above), it can be seen that the whole yard is now laid out as per the prototype. 

At the London end of the station, the Southern Region Carriage sidings, Nos: 1 to 4 seen above, are now reproduced to virtually as they were in 1965, and no longer squashed and reduced in number as on the Mk1 layout.

The extra 24ft of length over "Mk1", now permits the station area to be completed before the mainline reaches the necessary 90 degree corner, giving some much needed "countryside", as seen above. Note also the ex GWR line to Reading curving away at top left of Board 11. It now crosses to the Fiddle Yard on its own separate boards (Nos 15 and 16).  

Boards 13 and 14 - Across end of layout

Boards 13 and 14 seen above, form the London end of the layout. The four track main line is now obviously in the process of making a 180 degree turn, to head for Hook station and the Fiddle yard on the opposite side of the layout from the main Basingstoke station.

< To Board 11 Reading Line

Boards 15 and 16 take the ex GWR line to Reading across the London end of the layout to the Fiddle Yard, on their own boards (inside and independent of the mainline boards), as seen above. In addition and as part of dispensing with conflicting moves in the Fiddle yard, this line now rises gently, at 1 in 110, to enter the Fiddle Yard on the first level (+60mm) above the base height. (Heights are shown in red).

< To Board 14

Board 18 -  Hook Station

Above can be seen the main line completing its 180 degree turn, and half of Hook station. Also the Reading line now 50mm above the base height and still rising gently. To help disguise the Reading line at this point, it also enters a shallow cutting, prior to reaching the Fiddle Yard.

The other half of Hook station and the entrance to the Fiddle Yard, by the four track mainline, disguised as a road bridge, is seen above. The crossovers at Hook station  between fast and slow lines, mean they are not repeated in the Fiddle Yard. The "Up Fast" fans out into its five storage tracks as soon as it passes under the "Western" tracks. This is so it can begin its climb to +60mm as soon as possible, as it has to exit the far end of the Fiddle Yard and pass over Battledown Flyover.

Board 21 - Fiddle Yard dividing board.

Basingstoke Fiddle Yard

The Fiddle yard has been totally redesigned, because the extra space has allowed a correct portrayal of Battledown Flyover. So within the Fiddle yard are also flyovers to remove the problems of conflicting movements. i.e, when one train has to cross the path of another. This also saves on points and point motors within the Fiddle Yard.

Further the number of tracks has been increased from the original layouts 27 to 32 tracks. This means that each of the six tracks passing through the Fiddle yard, now has five optional storage tracks each. In addition two "reversible" tracks (marked in green) have been added. These provide places to reverse awkward trains such as the "Bournemouth Belle", (so I only need one set of Pullman cars not two) and the Reading line shuttles. These last being normally short diesel multiple units, or a loco and couple of coaches. 

    As it´s impossible to stretch across 32 tracks, without a high risk of knocking trains off the track. The main part of the Yard has been divided down the middle. Two lines of parallel baseboards each just 700mm wide with 16 tracks on each, are spaced 800mm apart. In the space between, the Operator can now safely reach across the tracks to either side, with little risk of knocking trains off the track. As conflicting moves have been abolished, this fact also removes the necessity for a control panel in the Fiddle Yard. The operator now only has to change the odd loco, ensure trains stop clear of the points, and oversee those trains that reverse and need a fresh loco. 

Basingstoke Fiddle Yard centre boards Note: Gradient heiights shown in red  OPERATORS WELL 800mm wide	OPERATORS WELL 800mm wide

Above can be seen four of the Fiddle Yard baseboards as if seen from an aircraft. The space between, as marked, is for the Operator(s). The upper boards are at the layout mean level while the lower ones are 60mm higher. This being all part of the design to dispense with virtually all conflicting moves, and save more points and point motors into the bargain. Note the "reversible" tracks between each group of sidings. 

  

Basingstoke Fiddle Yard country end boards  Note: Gradient heights shown in red   OPERATORS WELL 800mm wide

Leaving the Fiddle Yard at the "Country end". Here the complexity of the "Up Fast/Up Southampton" track which has to climb to +60mm to form one of the pair of Southampton-London tracks can be seen. Conveniently in real life the Southampton line after diverging at Worting Junction has to climb through some low chalk hills, and in the process actually passes through three tunnels. The first, "Lichfield tunnel", and the second "Popham tunnel" provide a convenient break in which to hide the connection of the "Up Fast/Up Southampton" track, and at the same time allow a bit more scenery on part of the Fiddle Yard board.

Both pairs of lines seen above, slowly converge, with a now correct portrayal of the little "Oakley Station" on the Salisbury line. Note the two "Southampton" tracks. The track heading towards the tunnel  rising at 1 in 100, and indicated by the red height numbers in millimetres. While the track heading to the Flyover remains level !

Basingstoke : Battledown Flyover < To Fiddle Yard

Battledown Flyover covers three boards on a corner, as seen above. The complexity of the gradients and radii of the curves will be noted. The layout uses minimum radius curves of 1.6m (5ft) which greatly reduces many of the erratic running problems found on many layouts that use anything sharper in "OO" scale ! 

The last two boards completing the layout are seen above. These being "Worting junction" and the curve/corner board taking the main line back towards Basingstoke station. The curved track on the corner will have the Up and Down Fast lines "Canted" or "Banked" this aids running and makes this sharpish bend look more interesting. The inside "Up Slow" has the layout minimum radius of 1.6m (5ft). But each further track increases the radius by around 75mm, making the outside "Down slow" around 1.85m (5ft 9in).

FIDDLE YARD EXPLANATION

The number of Fiddle Yard tracks was determined mainly by the services running on each route. Conveniently the three routes (Salisbury, Southampton, Reading Inter-regional), had three groups of express services each, so three tracks are provided in each direction for each group. A further track is provided in each direction for Local trains on each route (each of which can hold two locals). Finally another track in each direction is provided on each route for Freight trains.

So there are 6 express, 4 local and 2 freight trains for each of the three routes,  (Total 36 trains). In addition there is the "Bournemouth Belle" allocated to one of the Reversible tracks. Further a few more trains are parked around the layout in various sidings. Spare locos and stock is also stored in the Fiddle Yard, and of course there are yet more locos lurking in the Locomotive shed area.

As already mentioned the "Flying junctions" incorporated into the Fiddle Yard, remove virtually all conflicting moves. So each mainline operator (2 for the Up lines, 2 for the Down lines) can control a complete circuit along with his relevant Fiddle Yard tracks. The two Reading Inter-regional lines, and their operators effectively operate an end-to-end route. They control the terminal platforms at Basingstoke station, and the line to their "Western" Fiddle Yard tracks. In addition they can send or receive trains over the main junction crossovers at the station, and also send or receive trains into their Fiddle Yard tracks from the "Country end Southampton route".

The Fiddle Yard Operator, therefore needs no control panel or controller, and is simply there to change locos and stock. He must also oversee trains arriving, to ensure they don´t over run their siding and foul the points. These tasks along with the odd bit of loco wheel cleaning, will keep the operator fully occupied.

BASINGSTOKE IN "OO" LAYOUT STATISTICS

LOCOMOTIVES: 76

MULTIPLE UNITS: 17

COACHES AND PARCELS VANS: 265

WAGONS: 151 and counting!

FLEXIBLE TRACK: 640 yds

POINTS AND CROSSINGS: 200

WIRING: Around 6 miles (10km) of wire.

SIGNALS COLOUR LIGHT: 33

SIGNALS SEMAPHORE:14

That concludes PART ONE "Introduction and plans" for the layout. See also:

PART TWO - Further research.

PART THREE - Control and Operation

PART FOUR -

PART FIVE -

PART SIX -

PART SEVEN -