Hello all! It's time for another Sidmouth Branch update! The big reveal this time around is that the first wave of custom assets have been created and added to the route. Joe has done a fantastic job recreating station buildings at Sidmouth itself.
Sidmouth station and many of the surrounding buildings have luckily survived, and so this view off the B3176 has scarcely changed since the line closed.
Work has started on adding the station furniture, posters, signs, lights, etc. We're keen to maintain the late 1940s look found elsewhere on the route, so period features like target signs will also be included.
The loco shed was closed in the early 30s when M7 tanks began to work the branch. In our period, the building is being used as a site for a local business.
Also completed is Sidmouth's substantial goods shed, including a built-in office for management. The station was some distance from the town centre and photos often show a lorry at one of the loading bays, ready to make local deliveries.
The final railway building is Sidmouth's signalbox, which I think was a modified LSWR type 1 box. It also controlled entry to the gasworks just beyond station limits.
As a neat bonus, Joe has also covered one of the private buildings on site, the Miller and Lilley store. This merchant had railway premises all over east Devon, and delivered a wide range of products. This warehouse is raised off the ground which makes it suitable for grain and other dry goods.
Development is ongoing, with asset work having started for Tipton St Johns, we look forward to sharing more progress with you as it arises.
A special thanks must go to Richard Harper who gave us drawings, and allowed us to visit his excellent P4 finescale model of Sidmouth, this project would not have been possible without his generous help.