DETAILS OF THE PLATFORM SIDE OF E&W SMALL STATIONS

[Si Donal]

Hi everyone,

Not been online for a while, been modelling but more importantly for this forum, preparing some drawings of the small SMJ (ex E&W) Station buildings at Byfield, Morton Pinkney and Blakesley. These have been scaled form photos in the Jan, Feb and March editions of Railway Bylines magazine.

There does seem to be a lack of photos of the platform side of these buildings. I am particuarly keen to find out what was under the small platform canopies at these three almost identical stations. I would be interested to see a view of the platform face of these stations and also the non-toilet end of the buildings.

There was no door on the road side of these stations so the entry doors must be on the platform sides but was there also a window? Did passengers have to walk onto the platform to enter the building?

I have a scanner and would be happy to upload my (albeit amateurish) scale drawings if there was interest.

I hope someone can help.

Kind regards to you all

Simon

[Barry Taylor]

Hi
Are you aware of the two articles in Railway Modeller in 1968 ? The March issue faetured an article with full 2mm / ft scale drawings and some photos which might help you - and then in the July issue there was a follow up entitled 'Building Blakesley' describing the making of a model
Model Railways mag of May 1979 also featured a similar article and drawings on Binton station, and I am sure somewhere else there was also something on Ettington station and goods shed
Barry

[Si Donal]

Barry, that is fantastic and thanks you. I will start the search to get hold of a copy of this. I have all the issues back to 1980.

Simon

Barry Taylor said:

Hi
Are you aware of the two articles in Railway Modeller in 1968 ? The March issue faetured an article with full 2mm / ft scale drawings and some photos which might help you - and then in the July issue there was a follow up entitled 'Building Blakesley' describing the making of a model
Model Railways mag of May 1979 also featured a similar article and drawings on Binton station, and I am sure somewhere else there was also something on Ettington station and goods shed
Barry

[Si Donal]

At last - the whole years worth of the 1968 Railway Modeller is on it's way! I can then check my drawings against "real ones" and find that missing door detail! Once I've checked it all out, I'll amend my drawings and post for everyone's benefit. If it is of use to anyone, I'd be happy to get other buildings drawn up using photo's as templaes.

[Robin Cullup]

I have a couple of shots of the platform side of Blakesley and Moreton Pinkney, and also of the small waiting room at Byfield. All attached - hope they are of interest.

Robin Cullup

[Si Donal]

Robin,

Thank you so very much for these amazing images. Has Andy seen them? He may wish to publish them on the site with your permission and for the members' mutual benefit.

At last the elusive platform elevation comes clear. I see now that passengers had to enter the platform before buying a ticket under the awning. I do not recall seeing that shot of Morton published before, and I though I'd seen them all before being a member here! ( 3 new ones to date). It is useful because it shows the farther end of the yard with the two mounted wagon bodies (one of which still survives). They replaced a grounded 4/6 wheel coach body. I believe these were used as a goods store because Morton did not have a covered goods shed. They are on the platform end adjacent to the cattle pen.

I stand to be corrected but the Byfield shelter was different to those at Blakesley (not shown in any 1930's onwards photos so presumed demolished) and Morton Pinkney. It's a fabulous shot though because the goods yard is clearly seen, as well as the buildings of the adjacent sawmill. It is similar to others closer to Stratford so perhaps the busier stations were provided with a grander scale of accommodation. It does not look like a very welcoming building but maybe better than standing in the rain.

Again, many thanks for the pictures, I'll get busy on the drawings now.

Simon

Robin Cullup said:

I have a couple of shots of the platform side of Blakesley and Moreton Pinkney, and also of the small waiting room at Byfield. All attached - hope they are of interest.

Robin Cullup

[John Jennings]

I have attached some details regarding Ettington. As you can see they are from a magazine cutting but the name of the magazine is not included on the head of the page! I aquired this in a bundle at auction so I cannot say what the source is but it looks a bit like Model Railway News. I have good memories of Ettington and this is a very factual contribution. It is almost certainly still in copyright so if someone can id the source it may be useful.

John

[John Jennings]

Ettington continued!

[Si Donal]

John,

Thank you for an excellent contibution. It's typical isn't it, you ask for a piece of information and then three replies come at once! Yours, Robins and now my 1968 Railway Modellers have turned up! Your article is very thorough though and you cannot beat the actual measurements on the day. I really love the details of the chairs found in the yard! I wish I owned one of them now. Ettington station's similarity to Byfield in size is interesting, especially as Goods Sheds are quite rare on the SMJ. The signal box is platform mounted of course, like the one at Byfield but the design is similar to Morton Pinkney. The station building drawings make the jumble of the toilet blocks clear. The water pump for the header tank is unusual as was the fact that the urinal was flushed with water from the canopy's guttering.

I guess my drawings will be not required now! I have already prepared the signal box from photographs in 2mm scale and the station building in 4mm scale too and I am pleased to say that they are pretty accurate! I may still do them so that they can be published without any copyright issues.

I suppose the time has come to "put my money where my mouth is" and make the model.

Once again, thanks for the scans.

Simon

[John Jennings]

Glad to help, You are right that goods sheds were not well represented on the line. The one at Ettington was certainly intact when I visited the site in 1963 and again in 1965. I believe that it was rented out to a local farm products distributor who used it to store sacks of fertiliser and seed. These were handled by road of course! This explains why it was in reasonable condition well into the sixties. I don't know when it finally fell out of use.
The only original SMJ line station building to now survive is the one at Binton which is still in use as an office. Ettington was eventually incorporated into a private house but I am not sure how much of the original survived. I think it was a case of "planning necessities" that allowed the site to be developed by claiming that the station would be extended to become a house rather than knock it down and start again!

John

[Barry Taylor]

Hi all
I had forgoten that I'd mentioned this Ettington article in an earlier reply to Si, and didn't follow it up - if you haven't found out since, it is actually from Model Railway News issue of January 1964
Barry

[Si Donal]

Sorry I've not been on the site for a while, my Christmas Leave has given me motivation to do alot of railway modelling so I've been busy elsewhere.

I just want to say thank you to Barry, John and Robin for their help. I have started the model of Blakesley/Morton Pinkney station. I have built it in 4mm/1 foot scale instead of 2mm scale so I can do it some justice. I have lots of experience in scratchbuilding but these tiny stations are quite complex to construct. Architecturally there are some oddities. The toilet extension has a very odd wall in the middle of it, that is taller than it needs to be, possibly to support the water headerntank over the Gents. This tank is missing from the building at Byfield so I assume it was either rebuilt or the header tank was elsewhere. The wall that supports the canopy on the right hand side is also much taller and longer than necesary. You can tell the instigators of the E&W had high hopes for it's success, The plain brickwork is embellished at the window frames and the chimney.

Now my questions is......

I know that Towcester station was painted in the BR Maroon and Cream style because there are pics on this site but was the rest of the line so treated? Photos show Blakesley and Byfield with light coloured bargeboards in the fifties which suggest that they were still in LMS brown and cream. There were also no totem signs on the line, LMS Hawkeye signs being in evidence in all the photos I have seen. Any thoughts or memories?

I am happy to scan in the Railway Modeller drawings for anyone who wants a copy for their own use and am happy to take pics of my model if it might be of interest.

[Tony Newman]

Si, I don't think I have what you are actually asking for, but I may be able to make a blurry contribution to your accumulation of pics.
Tony
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