Hayling Island Railway Modelling Project

Hayling Island

A dimensionally correct and highly scenic model railway layout in 4mm (P4) finescale accurately depicting the terminus of a former Branch Line on England's south coast that closed in 1963

Geographical Setting

Tucked away in the south-east corner of Hampshire, Hayling Island was for centuries an isolated manorial parish, surrounded only by the tidal waters of Langstone and Chichester Harbours. To reach the mainland, local inhabitants were obliged to use the sometimes treacherous wadeway across Langstone Channel or take the ferry to Portsmouth from the western end of the Island.

The prototype "South Hayling" Station - circa 1900
< Click on image to view larger picture >

In September 1824 a frail single lane wooden road bridge was opened linking the north shore with the mainland at Langstone in the Parish of Havant. And so it remained for over 40 years.

History of the Hayling Railway

Map

15 March 1847 - The London Brighton & South Coast Railway (LBSCR) open their west coast route to Portsmouth via Havant and Chichester.

3 July 1851 - An Act of Parliament empowers the Duke of Norfolk (the Lord of the Manor) to construct a horse worked railway from a junction with the LBSCR at Havant to Langstone at the point with the Hayling bridge. The railway was never built and the powers granted by the Act were allowed to lapse.

24 January 1859 - The London & South Western Railway (LSWR) open their London "direct" line to Portsmouth via Havant, having overcome strong protest from the LBSCR.

23 July 1860 - An Act of Parliament empowers the Hayling Railway Company to build a line from a junction 26 chains east of Havant Station to South Hayling, terminating on Sinah Common at a point near to the Ferry House.

The line was to follow the route of the earlier planned horse worked railway, then continuing across Langstone Harbour by a new wooden trestle bridge (980 feet in length, with two separate opening spans), continuing on a new embankment constructed alongside the west shore of the island, thereby reclaiming over 1000 acres of mudflats which would have become Crown lands suitable for agriculture and residential use.
14 July 1864 - Parliamentary approval given to "The Hayling Dock and Railway Act" authorising a 1.25 mile extension from South Hayling to Sea View Terrace (a development as yet un-built and the provision of Docks and a pier near to the ferry terminal). The Act also allowed for agreement to be sought from the LBSCR or LSWR for the working of the line, and authorised a 27 chain extension to the LBSCR at Havant (thus forming a junction with their main line station).
19 January 1865 - The Hayling Railway Company opens the first mile of the newly built railway between Havant and Langstone to goods traffic only.
17th July 1867 - The line is opened to passenger traffic and the first train runs from "Havant" to "Langstone" (1 mile 9 chains from Havant), crossing Langstone Harbour by the new wooden bridge (1100 feet in length and carried on 50 trestles) to "North Hayling" (2 miles 36 chains) and on to the new terminus at "South Hayling" (4 miles 45 chains).
1st January 1872 - The Hayling Island Railway is leased to the LBSCR who take over the operation of all train services.
May 1873 - The 'E' in Langstone is dropped from the station title to become "Langston".
1892 - The terminus at "South Hayling" is renamed "Hayling Island".
November 1922 - The Hayling Island Railway Company is absorbed into the LBSCR.
1923 - The LBSCR is absorbed into the Southern Railway.
1st January 1948 - The Southern Railway is absorbed into the Southern Region of the new nationalised British Railways.
12th December 1962 - A meeting of the Transport Users Consultative Committee is convened at Havant Town Hall. Ignoring protests from local people and organisations, and despite the railway's earned revenue equaling its operating costs, the opposing arguments for the cost of repairing the Langstone Harbour bridge and the aging coaching stock (all apparently later re-assigned by BR to work on other parts of the Southern Region !!!) win the day, and the decision is made to recommend closure of the railway to the Minister of Transport.
2nd November 1963 - Last day of public train services.
3rd November 1963 - The last passenger train transverses the line, "The Hayling Railway Farewell Tour" hauled by locomotive 32636 (British Railways oldest working locomotive).

The full and detailed history of the railway, including the short lived Isle of Wight Train Ferry service operated by the SS "Carrier" from Langston Quay Sidings to Brading is recorded in a number of books and magazine articles, including:

The Hayling Railway (P.Payne - The Oakwood Press - 1979)
Branch Line to Hayling (V.Mitchell and K.Smith - Middleton Press - 1984)

Another source of useful information, particularly about the railway's closure is:

The Havant Museum, 56 East Street, Havant, Hampshire.

The Model

(featured in the November 1995 issue of "Model Railway Journal")

The Scene

August Bank holiday in 1959. At the station holiday makers are arriving, the children clasp their buckets and spades while the parents organise luggage. A taxi waits, a farmer reaps his harvest in an adjacent field. Women chat on the station forecourt as a man checks a timetable. Further down the track a porter struggles with a grass fire caused by sparks from the locomotive of a passing train.

A farmer reaps his harvest in an adjacent field
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In the distance can be seen Langstone Harbour and the hills surrounding Portsmouth, hand painted in water colour from photographs taken on site.

Planning and Construction

The layout was built by Angela Halliday, assisted by Tony Caine. Researching the branch line started in 1979, and construction of the model commenced in January 1994.

Overall measurements are 20 feet in length by 7 feet deep with a height of about 8 feet (for the nameboard and lighting canopy), the depth allowing for operator access at the rear. The boards are actually only 2' 6" at the widest point, but as Hayling Island lay on a curve, the depth is increased. The length of the scenic section is 16 feet, and therefore the station and its approach appears very spread and spacious, as indeed it was.

Baseboards are made from 6mm birch ply reinforced by 25mm battens with side and cross pieces of birch ply to eliminate any tendency for the boards to twist. All joints are fixed with Supascrews and wood glue. Alignment between boards is by two dowels set in holes drilled in the opposing board. A short shelf protrudes from under one end of each board onto which the next board is rested. Once assembled, case clips hold sections together tightly.

Station Layout

The track plan is dimensionally accurate and conforms to the official British Railways station plan during the 1950s, modified only by the slight "kink" at the 3-way turnout (recorded in photographs of the prototype) !!

The prototype and model layout station track plan

As Hayling Island is a terminus, a cassette deck is used for turning stock to minimise handling as some models are delicate. To allow for this there are seven main cassettes and a variety of special smaller ones for locomotives, guards vans, etc.

Permanent Way and Signals

Hayling Island has been modelled in 4mm (P4) using 18.83mm gauge finescale track.

The track is all hand made, each sleeper, rail and chair being assembled and placed individually, including the points and three-way turnout. Signal and point rodding supports were supplied by Model Signal Engineering and accurately laid as far as possible from photographs, as were the signal kits that were built and modified to the precise requirements of Hayling Island. The facing point locks were hand-made.

The Hayling Island "starter" signal (facing) and the
main and bay platform "home" signals (rear)
< Click on image to view larger picture >

Buildings

All buildings are hand made as near as possible to the measurements of the originals and are constructed from plastic sheet or proprietary etched/embossed sheet.

The goods shed has full internal detail that can be seen by way of the removable roof, which, as well as the office roof, has been individually tiled. The diminutive signal box and Signalman's lobby also have internal detail.

Scenery

Surfacing on platforms is fine emery and sand paper. The yard road surface is 2mm fine scatter material put down on a thin coat of white glue, and when dry sprayed to gain varying texture effects. Grass is carpet underfelt stripped to a suitable thickness, glued, torn off when dry, teased and spray painted various shades with an air brush.

Station building and platform

The majority of the trees are hand made, but a few from the proprietary Heki and Woodland Scenics ranges are included. Weeds have been formed from bristles of an old nail brush.

Locomotives, Carriage and Goods Stock

The LBSCR "Terrier" locomotives are either kits or a Dapol body. Each loco body is fitted on to a Branchlines chassis with full independent suspension to ensure good adhesion and electrical pick-up. All locomotives have been modified to precisely model the prototype as it existed on the line during the mid-1950s. Due to their small size the locomotives are light and are therefore weighted internally, a difficult process because of space restrictions.

Stroudly class AX1 "Terrier" locomotive 32640 waits
in the Bay Platform to depart with a train for Havant
< Click on image to view larger picture >

All other rolling stock is fully compensated. Coaches are built from kits produced by Ian Kirk and Roxey Mouldings, plus two R-T-R Hornby BR(S) Mk.1's that have been modified for P4 gauge.

Project Plans and Progress

The scenic part of the model is complete, and apart from ongoing maintenance there is little scope for improvement. However there are extensive improvements that can be made by addition of new control and operating features (making it perhaps more akin to an electronics project).

Planned New Features

Replace existing point solenoids with quieter slow motion point motors.

Provision of Digital Command Control (DCC) operation.

Provision of a new Operator Control Panel, incorporating a Lever Frame (10+2 levers), Signal Repeaters, Train Routing and Train-on-Track indications.

A coupling system that allows locomotives to be uncoupled anywhere on the layout by remote control from the Control Panel (requires a functional DCC system).

Pinpoint simulated reproduction of locomotive sounds, achieved through Train-on-Track detection and switched to one of a number of speakers by computer (requires bespoke computer software to be written).

Working miniature "Tyers" Block Instruments (as actually used on the railway) to demonstrate the old method of prototype train protection.

Exhibitions

First exhibited in 1995, Hayling Island has since been exhibited at a number of shows including:

Southall Railway Centre 1995

Chatham 1996

Tolworth Showtrain 1996

South East London Model Railway Show 97

Scalefour Society 'Scaleforum97'

Fleet 1998

The layout is at this time temporarily withdrawn from the exhibition circuit while the control features are being added.

Exhibition Managers are invited to e-mail C.J.Dadson for further information.

Acknowledgment of Assistance

I am extremely grateful to my fellow members of the following societies, without whose advice and assistance this project will never be completed or the layout exhibited:

Epsom & Ewell Model Railway Club

Model Electronic Railway Group

Scalefour Society

Southern E-Group

Finally I thank Tony Cane for allowing use of the layout photographs.

Chris Dadson
April 2000