Phil Sutters' photos with the keyword: Somerset & Dorset

I don't know how I missed this one previously. I thought I had scanned & uploaded all the S&D. I wonder if there will be any more surprises. The box in this view is Highbridge East 'C'

Please see the set description for the background to these photos.

The models were photographed recently, on a very quickly set up diorama, having been in storage for 30+ years. Please see the set description for the background to these photos. In retrospect, red oxide is a more likely colour, although some LSWR goods brake vans had red ends.

Please see the set description for the background to these photos. As with all these models, this loco has been stored and moved several times since the early '70s, when feeding the family was more important than hobbies. In the mean time the boiler hand rails and vacuum brake pipe have come adrift. The wheels are the original Triang L1's and the bogie never seems to have had a coat of black. I am still quite pleased at what was achieved when I was -/+ twenty.

Please see the set description for the background to these photos. Briefly, these models were dragged out of store and stuck on a bit of track about 2" longer than the gap between the walls, all to complement full size SDJR photos in an album for a friend's leaving gift. This was a typical page from the album.

Please see the set description for the background to these photos. This was a GWR branchline with S&D running powers! It was hard enough to signal it with GW signals let alone S&D and it was before Mike's Models were around with their S&D water columns. Anyway our first loco was the diecast Gaiety pannier tank on a Triang chassis - but it did have etched brass numberplates - 5708. The private owners, apart from a couple of Peco Wonderful Wagons, with the sprung axleboxes, were all handpainted. Both the GWR and S&D had 'Bulldog' locos. The GWR's were 4-4-0 passenger engines. The S&D's were 0-6-0 goods engines and the 'Bulldog' tag was more of a nickname given by their loco crews.

Please see the set description for the background to these photos.

The 'John' referred to was my Father, whose railway photos fill a good half of my railway album. The layout got disbanded when he moved from Highbridge to London. I have just noticed that there is a bush discreetly hiding the 8F valve gear on the 7F! Please see the set description for the background to these photos. This was a slightly better put together diorama. The Fox Walker saddle tank was virtually just a repaint job from a white-metal kit of a GWR saddle tank. The 7F was a scratchbuilt body on a Hornby-Dublo 8F. The paint looks terrible so I won't be uploading a closer shot of that and, of course, the valve gear is not the delicate-looking set that graced the real 7F. The converter wagons, behind the 7F, were sold by Triang, when their parent company Rovex had bought Hornby. They had the Dublo coupling, which was similar to the Peco one, at one end and the Triang hook and loop one at the other end. They were sold cheaply so you could run both manufacturers' rolling stock together. There were the open wagons seen here and a horse box, which allowed passenger trains to be hauled by the other maker's locos. I bought 8 or 10 open wagons and ran them in pairs, having painted them in private owner liveries.

I know that the coach grab handles are the wrong shape. This was before the Ratio Midland panelled coaches were available. I just thought that there was a danger of having a much scruffier finish if I tried to replace the moulded-on G-shaped GWR ones with the S-shaped Midland/S&D variety. Please see the set description for the background to these photos. The biggest challenge with recreating these one-off prototypes, was finding a reasonable match for chimneys, domes and safety valves. Our main source of these was W&H Models, from the Baker Street area of London. They published a catalogue, annually I think, which showed most of their lines and usefully included profiles of their range of boiler fittings.

The front cover of a booklet made as a gift for a friend who was retiring and moving away. The Bachman BR version of S&D no.86 was part of his leaving present, hence the title. Please see the set description for the background to these photos