As previously mentioned, my Man Cave has been reduced in size, so Grogley Junction is now a non starter. For the past year I've been musing over what will replace it and I now have five possible ideas which are:
- GWR Branch Line Terminus - one that I've written about in a couple of 'An Itch that might need scratching' posts.
- Boscarne Junction - I've thought many times about this junction as a project and it was in the frame as the basis for my first P4 project.
- Bodmin General - one station that in my opinion is the ideal GWR Branch Line Terminus and one that I've pondered building for many years.
- Bodmin Road - a station that, many years ago, was used as the basis for the first layout the Mablethorpe and District Model Railway Club built. This then gave me my continued interest in the railways in Cornwall and especially around Bodmin.
- An Engine Shed - It's always been a dream to be able to construct a layout based on an Engine Shed.
Below are the five plans that I've drawn to evaluate each proposal.
1)
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| GWR Branch Line Terminus (Bigbury Bay) |
Though I've posted a number of thoughts on this one, I've never been fully happy with the track plan. I have plenty of rolling stock (and this is certainly a possibility) but not sure if I'd be totally happy with the result or feel I'd achieved enough when completed.
2)
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| Boscarne Junction |
Oh yes this is a definite possibility as it would be the ideal project to follow on from Tredethy Wharf. I have numerous photos of the junction including many of my own of the bridges from the river level. I'd have no excuse not to produce a convincing model. I've applied a certain amount of compression to the track plan, even so, there are a couple of anomalies that I'll have to live with. The first is I've had to curve the Bodmin North line to the right not left (away from the Bodim General Line as in the real junction) but still feel it will convey the correct feel of the junction. The second is that to have a convincing length of sidings I'd have to operate the layout with the Man Cave door open. Though the board between the Level Crossing and fiddle yard could be excluded for operation at home.
3)
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| Bodmin General |
Well this was an early front runner but with every man and his dog building a model of Bodmin General, along with my thoughts that I'd struggle with not meeting the standards that North London Groups achieved with their model, it has slipped down the list.
4)
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| Bodmin Road |
Bodmin Road became a distinct possibility after I acquired a number of P4 locomotives from a modeller who was reducing his collection. After drawing numerous plans I think I have decided that is is not really practical due to not having enough space in the fiddle yards and also access to the Up fiddle yard. Just cannot make it work in the space available... Shame.
5)
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| GWR Engine Shed |
Finally we have my proposed Engine Shed. This would fulfill a long-held ambition, one that I never thought I
would be able to contemplate until a couple of years ago with the acquisition of a number of Western Region P4 Locomotives. My outline thoughts for this project are (i) to be based on a GWR Engine Shed; (ii) it has to be scenically based and not just a flat board with mainly track; (iii) It must have some other interest to justify its location and not just be a diorama to display a collection of locomotives. The above is loosely based on Leamington Engine Shed. I've incorporated four Carriage sidings that would be operated in conjunction with loco movements along with three coal wagon sidings. The idea is the landscape would slope up from the river to the back. The carriage siding would be lower than the Engine shed and yard, then the Coal Wagon sidings being slightly higher still.
My current thoughts are it is a close thing between Boscarne Junction and the Engine Shed.
So which one is it to be?
