A smaller project

On holiday in the Lakes. Sitting looking up at Hallin Fell from our cottage window....... I'm thinking about Grogley & Boscarne layouts. With all that has happened in the last four months I'm considering a smaller project. Just a couple baseboards using the two points I've nearly completed. Enough to get my teeth into and keep the project rolling towards Grogley. The constraints being, any starter layout will be part of the overall project, be an extension not a distraction. Any stock built/collected to be used on all layouts. But what to build?

During the last couple of weeks I've given some thought to a shunting puzzle but been struggling to justify one within the overall project. Also struggled to find a location in the area that would warrant an extra Wharf siding. Considered Wenford Bridge but to do it justice would take more than two baseboards. I have almost resorted to sticking to my original plan of Boscarne until another 'what if' cropped up.

The original premise for my version of Grogley Junction was the LSWR extending the Ruthern Bridge branch to Mawgan Porth. Also a proposed branch was built to link Ruthern Bridge to St. Blazey via the Newquay branch. Any North Cornwall train would have a reversal at Wadebridge to continue though Grogley. My 'what if' is that this reversal could be removed by the building of a triangle junction outside Wadebridge. Being away from reference books and with no access to the internet, I cannot remember the name of the junction between the North Cornwall main line and the Bodmin Branches (Shame on me). Wadebridge and Padstow would be operated as a branch from Grogley. This would probably give justification for moving the Wadebridge engine shed to Grogley. Shedded there would be branch engines like the Beatties/13xxs to operate the Wenford Bridge branch and O2s/57xxs for Bodmin North to Padstow passenger. Mawgan Porth would have facilities for larger locos. Would Grogley be the focal point for all goods traffic? If so, it would become an important junction for transfer of freight and passenger workings including an engine shed. The ACE would split at Grogley. Rear coaches for Padstow front coaches to continue to Mawgan Porth.

The engine shed would basically mirror Wadebridge facilities minus the turntable, the triangle being used to turn any locos that might need turning. Could this engine shed be built as a separate item on two baseboards? Probably yes. Until I get home and check, I'm thinking of sighting it at Polbrook. I seem to remember there is enough land Wadebridge side of the road overbridge between the river and railway. Can it be built with just two points? No, but a smaller almost selfcontained layout at the present time might be an advantage. Something that would fit on the dining table and allow me to run a few locos backwards and forwards. Time to get sketching a few plans. I'll post these as soon as I can but this 'what if' would also change my original Grogley plan.

Hmmmm..... gives me something to do while I'm away and may well produce a very interesting Grogley Junction.

(Posted while in The Crown at Pooley Bridge have a swift half).
-- Posted from my iPhone

I'm still alive

No progress to report on this project but I think I can see light at the end of the decorating tunnel. I've booked most of next week as holiday so should have most of the rooms finished by the end of the week.

Adding to the above madness I've been honoured by my girlfriend. She has decided that she can put up with me and there is a lot to put up with :-). I am very happy. We are in the process of trying to reoganising and package two houses into one. Not an easy task especially as we have made the crazy decision to move into the smallest house. As mine is not very big I'm loosing the garage to storage boxes. Hope to have a little space left for baseboard construction. The rest of this month is going to be interesting.

On top of all this my Mum ends up in hospital with a broken leg.

The above, highlighting my lack of time (or is that mis-management of spare time) combinded with loosing space, has started me to rethink my P4 project. I can now see that Grogley Junction is a couple years away from being started. Boscarne Wharf might now be a tad too big for my current situation. Too soon for a final desision on that but I am becoming more interested in micro/shunting puzzle layouts. At least as a starter to practice P4 skills. The important thing is I get something started soon and stop thinking about it.

More to follow soon when life settles down to some sort of normality.

Scaleforum 2009

After reading the 'Scaleforum Weekender 2009' that came with 'Scalefour News' this week I could not see how I could miss this exhibition. To see Bodmin again will be worth the journey, let alone the other layouts and traders that are attending. Discussed the trip with my partner and discovered she wants to attend a conference in London on the Saturday so this sealed the trip. Booked train tickets this evening to travel down together.

This will be my first visit to Scaleforum and will my first trip to London by train for many years. Sounds a little naff but I am quite excited. A wants list will have to be drawn up to make sure I spend wisely. Let's just hope I can find a little bit of time to do some modelling before then ......

Class 25 on a china clay train at Par in 1976

Decorating is progressing steadily. Two rooms done another nearly finished, just hoping I don't have to start decorating the outside.

Previous posting was probably showing some of my frustration that I've no spare time for either hobby at the moment. Both comments that were left were correct. I was over complicating things, I have to concentrate on getting this house ready for sale or re-letting. Also a class 25 fitted with sound would be nice. Could not resist a quick search on the net for info on class 25's in Cornwall. Found a few photos, the one below were taken in 1976 so a little later than I am thinking but still nice shots.

I like the weathering on the front of this loco.

Clay wagons were not all white!! Nice

It looks like the top of the axle boxes have been weathered with clay dust but the bottoms are black, unless that is a shadow effect. I will have to learn some subtle weathering techniques to achieve anything like the above finish on my proposed fleet of wagons.

More photos of Class 25's can be found on this excellent reference site here.

Onwards and upwards and back to the decorating tomorrow.

Thoughts while decorating

While decorating, my mind is tending to wander a little......

I keep getting thoughts about the amount of stock I have planned to build for Boscarne. The realisation that I have to plan my next purchase due to the extended lead times of some manufacturers means I have to place my next order soon. Also the need to know what I need so I can purchase other items when I come across them (as they might not be in production for long). These thoughts are causing me to ask myself continuous questions. This flipping decorating malarkey is also putting me well behind schedule! How can I get myself back on track?

My original idea was/is to base both layouts in 1961/62. During this period there were many changes to the locos shedded at Wadebridge and seen on this branch. These changes give opportunities for the following locos to be used: 1 x Beattie Well Tank, 1 x 13xx, 1 x N Class 2-6-0s, 1 x O2, 1 or 2 x 45xxs, 1 or 2 x 57xx, 1 or 2 Class 22 Hydraulics, plus an 1 Ivatt 2-6-2T 2MT. This is 8 - 11 locos to convert or build and detail. This is without listing all the coaching and freight stock required.

Hmmmm .... Irrespective of the fact that all the above will also be seen running though Grogley Junction, I'm thinking this may be a little too much to be my first objective for a reasonable timetable to be represented. Granted I would not require it all straight away but Boscarne Wharf Junction layout is only suppose to be, a test P4 layout, a layout on a plank, something I can put together in a reasonably short period of time!!!! Trouble is it is starting to grow arms and legs and becoming more than I originally planned. This might not be a bad idea as ultimately, if it turns out OK, it could be an extension to Grogley Junction. Question is, just for now, do I need to cut down my thoughts for Boscarne's initial stock list? Doing so may enable me reach a state of completion that will allow me to progress onto the main project, Grogley Junction, sooner rather than later. Think I need to put some blinkers on ......

My thoughts over the last few days are turning to considering the 1970s as a possible era for Boscarne. The line was freight only by then. I think passenger services ceased in 1967 but Wadebridge was kept open for freight via Bodmin General until 1974. I would only require two locos and a few freight wagons plus clay wagons with or without hoods depending on year. One Class 08 and, depending on when in the 1970s, one of the following, a Class 22 or Class 25 or Class 37. The thought of hearing a Class 25 stood idling in amongst the trees on a hot summers day (it's a shame we can't depict a misty/rainy Cornish day with dripping trees) while waiting for the 08 to bring full clay wagons down from Wenford is attractive.

Operationally this will be limited but would enable me to reach a point where I could say 'finished for now'. I could then move on to the main project, Grogley Junction. Two problems are: I would struggle to justify running these locos through Grogley as its track would probably have been rationalised in the 1970s and I think all wharf sidings on the line were closed or lifted by 1969.

I'll keep stripping and painting ........ and thinking.

A little progress (not a lot)

For those of you trying to follow my meanderings with this project I must apologise for the lack of postings recently. It has not been intentional. A situation has arisen that means any spare time has to be spent stripping ................. wall paper, from six rooms plus hall stairs and landing of a three bedroomed house. Then all I've got to do is redecorate, all in evenings and weekends plus any days holiday I can take at short notice. Oh well I didn't have much else to do in my spare time !!! If anybody wants to buy a house by the sea with a 22' x 13' garage (suitable for a model railway room), give me a shout!

With all that said I've been able to find a few moments here and there to work on the quarter scale model.

It's starting to come together but I still have a little bit to do.

I was hoping to be able to hide all entries/exits by well placed trees but the exit to the Bodmin North line is being difficult to mask. Looking through the trees, up river, it is easy to mask both exits at this end of the layout. As you progress further towards the signal box and level crossing it gets more difficult to mask the Bodmin North exit.

Looking up river.

Looking towards Bodmin North exit from opposite the wharf siding.

Also I have been thinking about adding a provender store on the wharf siding not typical on this stretch of line but thought it might add a little more interest. At the moment I think it unbalances this end of the layout so I am undecided about whether to include it. If I do include the store, the siding will have to move slightly closer to the running line to give a little more room around the store.

With provender store

Without provender store

After trying the cottage in a couple of positions I've decided that it looks best in the position shown on the photograph above, which is roughly its actual location. It seems to balance the signal box in this position and stops the signal box looking like an orphan on that side of the track.

There is a lot more undergrowth to be added. In all the photographs I have seen the bank at the back looks heavily covered with trees and bushes. The level crossing also needs to be represented in some form along with the gates at the entrance to the Wharf siding. I am also going to play around with adding more trees and bushes at the front of the layout as again this edge seemed overgrown in the 1960s. At the front the trick will be adding enough to indicate this overgrown vegetation but still allow good viewing angles between and through the trees.

I could really do with another site visit to get a true feeling for the place and take a few shots of the cottage and road area around the level crossing.

Beattie Well Tank 30586

I've been browsing the web for photos and discovered this little gem.

What an excellent photo of the one that did not survive into preservation.

Taken 17th July 1962 and can be viewed as part of ricsrailpics collection on Flicker. He has published many photos from the 1960's up to the present day.