OUSE WHARF (SUSSEX) c 1910
THE LAYOUT
Our model is a freelance take on a small wharf on the Sussex River Ouse south of Lewes. The layout features a small goods yard and quayside, and a section of the river, with barges. The stock includes a number of small industrial engines.
To make the layout more interesting we have set up a shunting puzzle which requires the operator to shunt randomly selected wagons to specific areas of the yard.
The layout requires two operators, and expenses for transport to and from exhibitions are likely to be in the region of £50-100 for a show within the south-east. An estimate can be provided for more distant locations.
More details and photographs are available at https://www.lbscrmodels.co.uk/ow1.html and following pages.
Contact: barryluck@home.co.uk
A BRIEF HISTORY
South of Lewes (Sussex) were two quarries, producing white and grey chalk, and lime from the late 18th century onwards. A cement works was subsequently built in the northerly pit, and had a connection with the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LBSCR) at Southerham Junction on the Lewes-Eastbourne line. There was also a small wharf here, allowing materials to be transported by boat. North of Lewes was the Ouse Navigation (part river, part canal). The canal closed in 1868, and the cement works followed over 100 years later in 1981.
THE LAYOUT
Our model is a freelance take on a small wharf on the Sussex River Ouse south of Lewes. The layout features a small goods yard and quayside, and a section of the river, with barges. The stock includes a number of small industrial engines.
To make the layout more interesting we have set up a shunting puzzle which requires the operator to shunt randomly selected wagons to specific areas of the yard.
The layout requires two operators, and expenses for transport to and from exhibitions are likely to be in the region of £50-
More details and photographs are available at https://www.lbscrmodels.co.uk/ow1.html and following pages.
Contact: barryluck@home.co.uk
A BRIEF HISTORY
South of Lewes (Sussex) were two quarries, producing white and grey chalk, and lime from the late 18th century onwards. A cement works was subsequently built in the northerly pit, and had a connection with the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LBSCR) at Southerham Junction on the Lewes-
THE MODEL
In a somewhat improbable parallel world, the canal didn’t close, but was purchased by the LBSCR, and continued until the early 20th century conveying materials to and from parts of the area not reachable by the railway. The wharf was developed, and continued to receive and dispatch local goods.
OPERATION
Rather than aimlessly shunting wagons around the wharf, we have devised a little shunting puzzle to make operation more interesting and perhaps a little more realistic.
The sequence starts with four or five wagons in the departure road, and a handful of others distributed around the wharf. The remaining wagons are on cassettes in the fiddle yard (aka Southerham Junction). A train of four or five wagons and brake van is propelled into the wharf from Southerham Junction. The brake van is berthed in the loco shed road, and the incoming wagons shunted to the arrivals road.
The outbound wagons are collected, coupled to the brake van and hauled back to the main line. The inbound wagons are then allocated to randomly selected locations on the wharf, and four or five wagons currently on the wharf are randomly selected to make up the next outbound train.
The task is to efficiently distribute the incoming wagons to their designated locations, and to assemble the outbound train. It’s not easy, because the run-round loop has to be clear, and the headshunts at either end are short, and may need to be cleared first. Is it:
OPERATION
Rather than aimlessly shunting wagons around the wharf, we have devised a little shunting puzzle to make operation more interesting and perhaps a little more realistic.
The sequence starts with four or five wagons in the departure road, and a handful of others distributed around the wharf. The remaining wagons are on cassettes in the fiddle yard (aka Southerham Junction). A train of four or five wagons and brake van is propelled into the wharf from Southerham Junction. The brake van is berthed in the loco shed road, and the incoming wagons shunted to the arrivals road.
The outbound wagons are collected, coupled to the brake van and hauled back to the main line. The inbound wagons are then allocated to randomly selected locations on the wharf, and four or five wagons currently on the wharf are randomly selected to make up the next outbound train.
The task is to efficiently distribute the incoming wagons to their designated locations, and to assemble the outbound train. It’s not easy, because the run-
- Easier to assemble the outgoing train first?
- More efficient to shunt incoming wagons whilst also assembling the outgoing train?
- There are two shunting engines on the wharf – is it easier to use just one, or both?
