S&D Changeover
 

I was thinking of doing a model on the Somerset & Dorset as if the line was not closing and changing over from Steam to Diesel. It would still be in the hands of the Midland and Southern Regions (as though the Western Region had never got hold of it) so all passenger work and freight remained and the colliery's remain open along with the milk traffic. This is where you lot come in. I am now thinking of motive power Steam would be 7F ( Would not have been withdrawn by then in my eyes lol) Black Fives ,Standard 4's & 5's ,9F's and West Countrys not to sure if to late for 2P's ,3F's ,4F's . Diesel could be from 08, Class 20's for coal traffic for other freight & passenger Classes 24,25,27(possibly),31,33,37,40,45,47 and prototype diesels. Do you think Classes 14,35,42,43,52 may also feature? And also what type of DMU would likely feature. I know that the tunnels and bridges may have to be modified realistlicy but they had been done for my project. I know it is really up to me but what are your thoughts?

Interseting project 33011.

I think the line would have been run with 8F's, 9F's (hopefully fitted with steam heating so that they could eliminate double heading on passenger traffic), The Standard 5 allways did well on the line. Local traffic in the hands of Ivatt Class 2T's and Standard 3T's. I am sure work would have been found for Class 20's and Classs 14's would have been a possibilities. The Bullied Light Pacifics in original and rebuilt forms and Standad 4-6-0's. 108 for DMU's and perhaps the 37's would have found their way there!

Well that's a start, will have to go and have a think now!

Best wishes,

John H-T.

33011,

You might find this link useful: a list of locos known to have worked the S&D:

http://www.sdjr.net/locolist.html

Best wishes,

John H-T.

Thanks for the ideas John

Marv

Hi Marv,

Had the full route not been closed and the Pines Express had continued to run over the S&D, it is reasonable to expect that the S&D might have been one of steam's last bastions along with the North East.

I think that it would have been extremely difficult to find diesels that could have equalled the 9F's for passenger work over the route and anyway Class 40,44,45,46 would probably have been too heavy. I am assuming that the S&D was probably Route Availability 6, with the rebuilt Bullied Light Pacifics being the heaviest allowed (a wondering Clan could have been substituted!)

It would mean that all other standards would have been able to use the route appart from the Brits and D of G. There would have been an influx of locos after the end of steam on the Southern in July 1967, which would give you all the Class 4's; Class 3 tanks and a glut of Rebuilt Bullied Light Pacifics. The Class 5 were already well establish over the route.

LMS 8F's would have done any freight work. Class 37's brakes would probably been inadequate (remember they had to have the break tenders for unfitted frieghts on much flatter routes). The 37's would probably haven taken over the passenger service in due course, as they did in Scotland.

In the post Steam Era, Westerns and Class 50's might have been used if they were not too heavy.

As trains had to reverse at Bath Green Park changing from Diesel to steam would not have been a problem for train arriving from the North.

Finally the new copy of Model Rail (due out at the end of the week, but my subscription copy has just arrived) is a special S&D edition.

So just a few more thoughts for you.

Best wishes,

John H-T.

This months Model Rail Mag. has a 15 page write up with detail on some of the locos and photos of buildings for the S&DJR. There is even a track plan of Evercreech station and yard.
It also states that the S&DJR remained a steam railway until closure on 07/03/1966, but Diesel power did occasionally make an appearance. There is a photo of a Type 2 D6320 passing through Glastonbury.

Very good idea that, nothing wrong with a bit of 'what might have been' thinking, best of luck with it.

It's a very interesting concept; if you need to fast forward to now, there would probably just be 150/2, 153 and/or 158 units operating passenger services, but I doubt there would be any freight workings, except possibly stone trains to Hamworthy, and maybe, just maybe, the occasional freightliner to Southampton (but I doubt it!). Nice idea though. :)

As it will be based on changeover from Steam to Diesel coal and milk traffic would still be about so there would still be some freight. Perhaps you could also do a modern times with Sprinters also changing the periods every now and then as you feel like it.

Another idea i had was to perhaps run it as a heritage line then you could run pretty much anything you liked and it wouldn't look out of place.