The LNER Encyclopedia

Hi,

A group of our club members are looking towards developing a model for exhibition here in Aussie which is based upon a country station and environs. I have come across photographs of Lavenham village station which seems to perfectly fit that bill. One of the major modelling benefits being it’s bookended between two lovely road bridges. Indeed it has a stylish stationhouse and quite spacious goods shed and yard.

I have only just begun researching this potential project and came across the station from that great website, Disused Stations. Can anyone suggest some books or photograph sources? Has anyone already modelled this station area?

Any information would be gratefully received.

Regards

Steve

I am in Lavenham quite often if you want any up to date photos. Quite a bit of the infrastrucure is still in place.

Taken in the Lavenham Museum earlier this year. If you need large copies PM your email address to me.

Hi Steve,
If you want a great picture in colour of the signal box at Lavenham, I have a copy of a book that features it on the back cover. I guess that there would be no copyright issues if for private research.

regards
Kimball

Hi Steve

great to see someone else in Australia looking at building an East Anglian layout.
What era were you thinking of?
There is a photo of the station in Ian Allans East Anglian Branch line Album showing the station with a J19 shunting and an E4 on a two coach train. The caption says the line was particularly busy during the war staying open all night. I have bought a few of the J D Mann books also for East Anglian photos and will look for any of Lavenham. Membership of the Great Eastern Society is also worthwhile they have many records, plans, maps etc you can buy (not sure whats available for Lavenham though). I'm guessing your are looking at OO? Which ever scale you choose you will have some kit building of locos ahead of you if you model steam era as no E4s, J15s, J17s, J19s,J20s, F4-6s, J67-69, D15-16s available RTR.
Thompson and Gresley non corridors will be useful however and if modeling the 50s the Bachmann Ivatt 2MT (46465-7) based at Cambridge as a starting point probably others too but as I model 7mm I will leave it to the better informed here.

Hi Silverfox,

I’d certainly appreciate any photographs especially of the bridges and other buildings that may still be in place.

I saw a photo on the web which seemed to indicate the goods area was very much all concrete and seemingly indicating that a large factory existed there one after the area was closed.

Regards

Steve

Hi Mick B,

I very much appreciate the posting of these photographs. Is that a small wagon turntable on the signal box diagram?

Thanks again mate.

Regards

Stephen

kimballthurlow wrote:Hi Steve,
If you want a great picture in colour of the signal box at Lavenham, I have a copy of a book that features it on the back cover. I guess that there would be no copyright issues if for private research.

regards
Kimball

Hi Mate,

That would be just fantastic. I will email you.

Regards

Steve

Ocean Swell wrote:Hi Steve

great to see someone else in Australia looking at building an East Anglian layout.
What era were you thinking of?
There is a photo of the station in Ian Allans East Anglian Branch line Album showing the station with a J19 shunting and an E4 on a two coach train. The caption says the line was particularly busy during the war staying open all night. I have bought a few of the J D Mann books also for East Anglian photos and will look for any of Lavenham. Membership of the Great Eastern Society is also worthwhile they have many records, plans, maps etc you can buy (not sure whats available for Lavenham though). I'm guessing your are looking at OO? Which ever scale you choose you will have some kit building of locos ahead of you if you model steam era as no E4s, J15s, J17s, J19s,J20s, F4-6s, J67-69, D15-16s available RTR.
Thompson and Gresley non corridors will be useful however and if modeling the 50s the Bachmann Ivatt 2MT (46465-7) based at Cambridge as a starting point probably others too but as I model 7mm I will leave it to the better informed here.

I thank you for your support and indeed your advice. My colleague who has recently joined this Forum has an excellent book collection so I believe he’s probably already on the hunt.

We are OO scale modellers and already possess have a healthy collection of RTR LNER heritage locos but nearly all in BR liveries. Given this, I'm thinking that the war period until very early BR.

Please excuse my ignorance but what would have been the predominant MPD to serve the area?

I’m a bit overwhelmed by the interest it’s created and definitely looking forward to progressing this.

By the way what layout are you building from EA?

Regards

Steve

Steve05 wrote:Hi Mick B,

I very much appreciate the posting of these photographs. Is that a small wagon turntable on the signal box diagram?

Thanks again mate.

Regards

Stephen

Possibly a small wagon T/T especially with Horse shunting.
However it may have been large enough to take a loco as the layout looks like it would form part of a run round move.

Ocean Swell wrote:Hi Steve

.....Thompson and Gresley non corridors will be useful however and if modeling the 50s the Bachmann Ivatt 2MT (46465-7) based at Cambridge as a starting point probably others too but as I model 7mm I will leave it to the better informed here.

Hi Again,

I guess these coach sets are OK:


Regards

Steve

Hi Steve

I would guess the most relevant MDP would be Bury St Edmunds (31E). I have a list of locos here for 1950
D15 62503, 62508
D16 62566, 62607, 62615
E4 62786, 62795
J15 65362, 65420, 65442
F6 67236, 67237, 67238
J69 68497

I expect there were several locos passing through from Cambridge (31A) and Colchester (30E) as well as further afield.

Those are the coaches I would start with and see what your research turn up on any older GER ones.

My own layout is a ficticious continuation of the Brightlingsea branch to the Village of St. Osyth. But I have an interest in Lavenham as whenever I visit my family in the UK, they will say "lets go for a drive in the country and we'll show you a real english village" and we always end up at Lavenham or Kersey and beautiful places they both are. I guess its like when UK visitors come to Adelaide and they get taken to Harndorf or Glenelg.

edit:spelling

Steve

The Great Eastern Railway Society Journal No 88 October 1996 includes an illustrated article by Alic Robertson on the building and opening of the Sudbury to Bury St Edmunds line, based on period newspaper reports.

The article includes a number of GER and later period photographs and OS plans of stations along the route, including two photographs of Lavenham Station dated 1953 and 1961 and OS plan dated 1904.

Journal 90 has a follow up photograph of the accident on Lavenham bank on Saturday 17 October 1891.

Paul

Wasnt the route from Bury via Lavenham known as going over the Alps to railwaymen or am i dazed and confused.