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Modeling the Bluebell Railway


BluebellModeller
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(Thanks to Dan, I did not know I was supposed to post here instead)

 

Hi all,

I was directed here by someone over on the MRR forums because while I am located in the US, I have a strong preference for UK railways and engines. I have just recently began my endeavors to model Kingscote Station on the Bluebell Railway on my 4x8 benchwork. I'm not as familiar with UK terms and modeling just yet, so I figured I would share my progress with you all. I'm currently working on a track plan in SCARM, and will probably be able to post my first draft of that sometime tomorrow (my time). Looking forward to hearing what you all have to say! 

 

Griffin 

 
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Maybe traffic on this topic will increase now that I have a solid plan for my layout. Let me know any thoughts or concerns you might have. Thanks in advance! 

 

1t1lb7.jpg

The layout is diveded into two parts - the station area, which will be fully scenicked, and the staging area, hidden behind a backdrop, which will act as a scenic divider. 

I have chosen Peco code 100 track, as it offers a more suitable variety of smaller switches- this won't be a problem in my eyes since all British trains will be able to negotiate them! Cars usually have truck-mounted couplers, unless they are short 4-wheeled cars.

A word to the setting of the layout. Branchline stations are usually a short distant away from the town or village they serve, so there is no need to model that. However, it was a common practice to have housing available for the staff working at the station. I have considered that in my plan.

Unfortunately, the test version I have downloaded wouldn´t let me add the scenery, as it is limited to 100 objects. I already have that figure pretty much exhausted.

You have to picture a road overpass on the right side of the layout, hiding the "hole" in the backdrop. The road gently eases down to the station area. On the left, a tunnel can serve the same purpose.

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Hi there, your plan most certainly offers a good feeling of Kingscote, but I would remove the Railwayman's cottage from the plan myself - in real life the area is taken up by Gardens, a road and sidings filled with 'to be restored' wagons (cars), whose tracks don't actually appear to be connected to the main railway at all. 

 

If you are modelling the railway as preserved then you have a thematic excuse to run pretty much anything you like on it as most Steam Engines of importance have visited the Blubell at one point or another - Flying Scotsman, C1, Deltics, Class 66s, City of Truro as well as their resident fleet of engines, which have all now been produced in RTR format.

 

On that note, Hattons have just announced a RTR version fo the SE&CR 'P' class locomotive, which contains the railway's titular locomotive 'Bluebell': which may be worth a look:

 

http://www.hattons.co.uk/312301/Hattons_H4_P_012_SECR_P_Class_0_6_0T_323_Bluebell_in_Bluebell_Railway_lined_blue_2010s_/StockDetail.aspx

 

Good luck, and I hope you enjoy your build!

 

(it is unusual to see an american staging yard on a British-themed layout, the more common choice is normally a series of loops that can contain complete trains - a 'fiddle yard' in British parlance)

Edited by Edge
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Thank you for the response @Edge, I've actually compiled a spreadsheet on Google of all the engines I would like to acquire initially for my layout (feedback on this is appreciated - link is posted below)- but of course, like you said since it would be prototypical to run pretty much anything I plan on getting a Flying Scotsman model among others later on.. :)

 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1A2AloRdVzu26VflfwJmPoOrxDzccMgrcvx0YXSfLH4w/edit

Edited by BluebellModeller
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Hornby do the Q1 in RTR format and I can personally vouch for the looks of the model compared to the prototype. NRM have just commissioned a model of C1 in current condition which is also how she ran on the Bluebell:

 

http://www.locomotionmodels.com/national-collection-in-miniature/hornbynrm-exclusive-r3595-sr-q1-class-0-6-0.htm

 

Now I think about it the SE&CR 'H' class (also by Hornby) would also be a good addition 

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Bachmann's SECR C class 0-6-0 is another regular on the Bluebell. I even visited the Bluebell in Winter 1999, and the C was out working on the extension to East Grinstead at the time, although not trains were running for the public.

The down side of this particular locomotive is the SECR liveried ones sold out and now fetch ridiculous prices. You might still come across a forgotten one in a model shop somewhere in the States, though.

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I'll definitely have a look at all these. I have my own order in which I plan to acquire these- all I will tell you is that those Battle of Britain locos are at the end of my list... :stinker: what ugly-looking engines...

 

 

Aaaarrrgh! Noo-o-o-oo! Heresy!! The Bulleid "spam cans" are things of beauty.   :jester: 

 

Bulleid's Q1s were strange beasts, although i like them, but they really can't be described as pretty or beautiful; functional might be a more apt term for them. Perhaps because i grew up in the south of England and saw the spam cans fairly regularly, they aren't so strange to me. There are plenty of them preserved in both original and rebuilt forms, but they don't feature generally as major parts of the Bluebell's stock. On visits to the Bluebell over the years I recall small to medium engines being the rule; things like an Adams radial, Terriers, P class, U class, S15, BR standards, and a Schools (class V), plus the Q1 (although out of service when I was there in '99). Liveries were varied too, from pre-grouping (i.e. before 1923), through Southern Railway variations, to British Railways.

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PECO code 100 is a staple in British model railway shops. Any one of them that offers international delivery should be able to provide what youre looking for. Rails of Sheffield, Hattons, Invicta, kernow, Cheltenham Model Rail centre all do this, as well as many many more besides. 

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Thank you for the response @Edge, I've actually compiled a spreadsheet on Google of all the engines I would like to acquire initially for my layout (feedback on this is appreciated - link is posted below)- but of course, like you said since it would be prototypical to run pretty much anything I plan on getting a Flying Scotsman model among others later on.. :)

 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1A2AloRdVzu26VflfwJmPoOrxDzccMgrcvx0YXSfLH4w/edit

I see from your spread sheet that you are planning to run Sir Archibald Sinclair on your layout. This photo shows how the loco looked in 2011 at Sheffield Park.

 

post-14351-0-85639700-1507816407_thumb.jpg

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Stepney doesn't seem to come up very often in the usual places. I have two of the LBSC liveried Terriers, one from Hornby and one earlier one from Dapol. They are mechanically identical, but the Dapol colours are better, IMO, with the Hornby 'improved engine green' being a distinctly brown shade, rather than the rich yellow ochre it should be.

You may have more luck picking up an alternate name/number, then renaming it if you can find suitable name transfers. Etched number plates would allow easy renumbering and improve the model as well.

My Dapol 82 Boxhill is at the back in this photo, while the Hornby 83 Earlswood is in front; you can see the richer colour on Boxhill.

 

37615095076_d13b4479c1_o.jpg

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A couple of thoughts:

 

You could flip the design to increase the radius of the curves since doing so would mean the sidings would be on the inside of the circle. The station building would then be on the back scene so you can model that in part relief.

 

Why not use flexible track Code 75 track? You'll be able to get longer sidings. Or you could redesign to use the new Peco bullhead rail on the visible portion.

 

If you located the points in the fiddle yard closer to the curve and made the cross over into a double slip you'd then be able to have locomotives run around short trains, which is what they do at both ends of the Bluebell. I'd also arrange the fiddle yard to allow you to use cassettes. It sounds as if you will have far more stock than the layout can cope so using cassettes will avoid handling your stock.

 

You have to buy the new Bluebell P Class.

Edited by Anglian
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Great project! Best of luck with this.

 

The danger on here is that you will be faced with more choices than you probably want, but here goes:

 

1. As someone else has said, you may want to consider using the new Peco Code 75 Bullhead track, which will give you perhaps a far more authentic look than you will get from Code 100 flat bottom, set track. The downside is that it is more expensive, and only the large radius points are currently available. So it depends on how important the look of the track is to you.

 

2. Have you decided what era you are modelling? if current, then a Class 33 diesel is probably a must, as this does many of the stock moves and occasional, out of season passenger trips. If earlier than around 2000, then forget it.

 

3. Strictly speaking, under Southern Railway / Region rules, you should have a catch point at the exit to your sidings at the bottom of your plan, or have a further siding off then instead, so that the point can be set to divert any runaway from the sidings away from the running line. But you may not have space to insert that, in which case, apply Rule 1 (It's your railway, so you can do what you like).

 

4. Coaching stock - you have not mentioned this (unless in your list which I have not opened) but there are a few useful new items about to emerge from Hornby particularly, so ensure you know what you want.

 

5. Have you decided upon live frog points (switches), so your Terriers in particular do not stall on them?

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Great project! Best of luck with this.

 

The danger on here is that you will be faced with more choices than you probably want, but here goes:

 

1. As someone else has said, you may want to consider using the new Peco Code 75 Bullhead track, which will give you perhaps a far more authentic look than you will get from Code 100 flat bottom, set track. The downside is that it is more expensive, and only the large radius points are currently available. So it depends on how important the look of the track is to you.

 

2. Have you decided what era you are modelling? if current, then a Class 33 diesel is probably a must, as this does many of the stock moves and occasional, out of season passenger trips. If earlier than around 2000, then forget it.

 

3. Strictly speaking, under Southern Railway / Region rules, you should have a catch point at the exit to your sidings at the bottom of your plan, or have a further siding off then instead, so that the point can be set to divert any runaway from the sidings away from the running line. But you may not have space to insert that, in which case, apply Rule 1 (It's your railway, so you can do what you like).

 

4. Coaching stock - you have not mentioned this (unless in your list which I have not opened) but there are a few useful new items about to emerge from Hornby particularly, so ensure you know what you want.

 

5. Have you decided upon live frog points (switches), so your Terriers in particular do not stall on them?

 

1. I really don't care too much about the look of the track to be honest, I'm already gonna be spending a ton on shipping I bet.

 

2. Definitely after 2000. I'll add that engine to my list. 

 

3. I'm working with a strict 4x8 space, but I'll talk to Ulrich (who designed my plan) and see if we can make it work.

 

4. I was going to ask about rolling stock next actually! Recommendations are welcome, links to whatever coaches and cars are prototypical would be great.

 

5. I haven't but sounds like that's something I'll need to research and consider.

 

More choices than I want is great!! I just want to model something I'll be proud of.

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