HAMWORTHY

Hamworthy is located on the ex-LSWR line between Bournemouth and Weymouth. It was electrified in 1987-8 as part of the Wessex electrification. We are building the layout with all of the post 1987 electrification features, most of which are unchanged today. This will allow us to operate both Network SouthEast and post privatisation era trains.

New Class 442 'Wessex Electrics' were introduced from May 1988, and would have taken over from push-pull class 33/1's with 4TC sets. Summer Saturday cross-country, and 'boat' trains would have added to the passenger services.

TRAFFIC FLOWS

There were a number of quite busy freight flows through Hamworthy during this period.

  • BP Gas/Oil tankers from Furzebrook (on the Swanage branch).
  • Ball (china) clay in 'Clay Tigers' and 'Polybulks' from Furzebrook.
  • Sand in hoppers from Wool.
  • Bagged fertiliser in Cargowaggon ‘holdall’ vans.
  • MOD supplies to Wool in a variety of BR vans.
  • Nuclear flask traffic to and from Winfrith.
  • Departmental trains.

QUAY BRANCH

To and from the Hamworthy Quay branch

  • Steel traffic - typically re-bar on bogie bolster wagons and steel coil, both on open wagons and in sliding hood wagons.
  • Aggregate traffic - both inbound and outbound
  • Car Imports
  • Shale (bunker) oil

From 1975 to 1987 there was a Blue Circle cement terminal at the junction. The track is still partly in place today so it would not be too much of a stretch to imagine it continuing to operate beyond 1987.

THE MODEL

We have already built the six 5ft scenic boards, these are a mixture of open frame and solid top designs in 6mm and 8mm plywood. The boards have all been individually built to capture the characteristic curvature of the prototype.

Fiddle yards have been built and track laid, but not wired yet.

Trackwork is a mixture of C & L and Exactoscale. Point control is “wire in tube” and the points are hand built. Scenery is in progress along with the construction of buildings.

For further details and progress on this layout you can follow the build and discussions on RMWeb.