B&DSME has a long history during which it has operated on a number of sites as outlined on their website here. The Society was founded in 1924, as shown below.
Letter published in the Model Engineer & Electrician magazine on the 13th March 1924 announcing the inauguration of the Bournemouth society(Photo: B&DSME).
The present Littledown Park track was opened in 2004 in a popular Bournemouth park which incorporates a leisure centre. The part is described on Bournemouth Council's website here. The park features an attractive lake area, home to numerous ducks and a rather tame heron.
Lionsmeet 2019: Littledown Park features an attractive lake area with ducks and a rather tame heron.
The weather during the previous few days had been very wet in most of England but improved on the day of 'Lionsmeet', which proved dry and warm. On my arrival at the B&DSME Clubhouse, I was welcomed by host club members and my friends from OLCO. I was rapidly furnished with a cup of tea and, throughout the day, the host club were very solicitous regarding the welfare of their visitors.
Initially, the activity was centred around the multiple, elevated steaming bays outside the clubhouse as various 'Lion' models were steamed.
Lionsmeet 2019 Bournemouth: Andrew Neish and Adrian Banks chat as 'Thunderbolt' "brews up".
Lionsmeet 2019 Bournemouth: View of the Steaming Bays and traverser tracks.
An elevated traverser transfers locomotives between the steaming bays and a spur line leading to the running line. There is also a siding alongside the clubhouse to facilitate moving larger locomotives between road vehicles and the steaming bays. The traverser also serves two single road, covered carriage sheds which are almost invisible, situated close to the park boundary and hidden by bushes.
Lionsmeet 2019 Bournemouth: View of traverser and entrance to second carriage shed.
The traverser also gives access to a turntable. Although running on the main line is normally in a clockwise direction, I was told that periodically anti-clockwise running is adopted, to even out flange wear.
Lionsmeet 2019 Bournemouth: View of the Turntable. The carriages are standing on the spur line from the traverser to the running line.
The 1760 feet long continuous running line is situated in a pleasant wooded area close to the park boundary, and has a conventional 'dog bone' shape with two long, parallel sections joined at each end by 57 feet radius return loops. A station, named Bankside, is provided on the return loop near the clubhouse for loading and unloading passengers.
Lionsmeet 2019: View showing part of return loop at clubhouse end of line, the two parallel straight sections through the trees and the park boundary in the background.
The running line is supported on pre-cast concrete beams each 4 metres long, using just four different types (straight, curved with cant, left-hand transition, right-hand transition). The 4-rail multi-gauge track caters for 3½", 5" and 7¼" gauges. The track was pre-assembled into 3 metre long panels using 1kg/m steel flat-bottom rail profile, mounted on jig-drilled sleepers sawn from recycled plastic plank. The 'About' tab of the B&DSME website here has a lot more information about the track and its construction.
Lionsmeet 2019 Bournemouth: View of rail joints on the multi-gauge track.
A J Reynolds' 'Lion' was the first locomotive ready for running but John Dalton with his 7¼" gauge model and Adrian Banks with 'Thunderbolt' followed. Later, Nigel Way from the host club joined them, driving the 'Lion' owned by John Biss.
Once the traverser has transferred locomotives from the steaming bays to the spur line leading to the running line, a combination of hinging section on the spur and 'Bendy Beam' on the running line allow locomotives onto the main line. The 'Bendy Beam' is described on the B&DSME website here.
When electrical detection proves that the hinging sections and 'Bendy Beam' are correctly set for movements on the running line, the solenoid-operated lower-quadrant semaphore 'stop' signal facing Bankside station platform is automatically placed 'off'. Trains approaching Bankside station in a clockwise direction receive an advance warning from a distant signal. When the railway is not running, the signals are unplugged and stored in the wooden station building at Bankside. I was told that the signals can be installed in alternative locations when anti-clockwise running is adopted.
Lionsmeet 2019, Bournemouth: View looking north from station showing (L-R) spur line from steaming bay traverser, running line, holding siding.
The picture below shows Adrian Banks moving 'Thunderbolt' onto the running line.
Lionsmeet 2019 Bournemouth: Adrian Banks with 'Thunderbolt' moving from the spur line to the main line.
Once 'Thunderbolt' was on the running line, a member of the host club restored the hinged section and 'Bendy Beam' to allow continuous running to resume.
Lionsmeet 2019 Bournemouth: With Adrian Banks and 'Thunderbolt' on the main line, the 'Bendy Beam' is restored for main line running.
There was no competition running, so participants could exercise their steeds or chat with the members of the host club or OLCO during a relaxed day.
Lionsmeet 2019 Bournemouth: A J Reynolds was early onto the track with his 'Lion'.
Lionsmeet 2019 Bournemouth: John Dalton approaches the station with his 7¼" 'Lion'. Note the 'clear' distant signal.
Lionsmeet 2019, Bournemouth: Nigel Way, A J Reynolds and John Dalton lined-up at Bankside station with their models. Mains water with a portable bowser and buckets of coal are available here.
A splendid buffet luncheon was unveiled in the clubroom - a rather magnificent affair equipped with First Class seating obtained during the re-fit of railway coaches. Appropriately, the large colour display screen on the end wall was showing 'The Titfield Thunderbolt' on repeat.
Lionsmeet 2019: The clubroom, with ex-railway First Class seating.
The afternoon was particularly relaxing as the weather remained warm, presenting a good opportunity to study the interesting range of static exhibits on display.
Lionsmeet 2019: Bankside station on a warm afternoon.
Lionsmeet 2019, Bournemouth: (L-R) John Dalton, Andrew Neish and Peter Burton, B&DSME Chairman.
Lionsmeet 2019 Bournemouth: Harrye Frowen's 7¼"'Lion' was displayed by John Hawley.
Lionsmeet 2019 Bournemouth: Two 'Lions' under construction.
Lionsmeet 2019 Bournemouth: John Biss's 'Lion' and train.
Other models by John Biss were also on show, including a rail-mounted hand-operated crane and an intriguing Pump-type Maintenance Trolley which is battery powerd and radio controlled!
Also on display was a completed model of 'Canterbury Lamb' and a rolling chassis I didn't identify for either a 2-2-0 or 0-2-2, together with a partial kit of parts for a 'Lion' offered for sale.
On an elevated storage siding in the clubhouse, I found another battery powered model called 'Sheddon Wheals' with a steam-outline superstructure painted blue and strangely reminiscent of a famous steam locomotive. There was also a nicely-executed six-coupled diesel outline locomotive named 'Littledown Castle' which I understand is petrol-engined. These last two locomotives exit the clubhouse via an opening hatch in the wall. When a bridging piece of track is correctly in place connecting the elevated storage siding to a nearby steaming bay outside, a 'moveable scotch' is automatically lowered to allow the locomotives to safely leave the storage siding.
There's also an out-and-back 16mm narrow-gauge garden railway on elevated baseboards, but it was not in use during 'Lionsmeet' and was protected by locked security covers.
All the above are illustrated in my album of pictures of Lionsmeet 2019 here.
It had been a most enjoyable day and John Brandrick, the OLCO Chairman, made a short address thanking the host club for their hospitality, enthusiastically endorsed by the OLCO members.
Lionsmeet 2019: Bournemouth: John Brandrick, OLCO Chairman, (with Dan) thanks B&DSME for hosting 'Lionsmeet' 2019.
Related posts on this website
All my posts about the Old Locomotive Committee can be found here. Most posts include links to my related pictures.
My pictures
Where necessary, clicking on an image above will display an 'uncropped' view or, alternately, pictures from may be selected, viewed or downloaded, in various sizes, from the albums listed:-
Lionsmeet 2019.
All my 'OLCO' picture albums.
