Mawgan Porth - O gauge BR(S) North Cornwall

 

by paulr1949

 

original page on Old RMweb

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??? posted on Thu Aug 13, 2009 9:31 pm

 

Well for what it's worth, here is some information on my current layout. Comments welcome (nice ones preferably!!)

 

Up until recently, my interest had always been in 4mm scale 00. Like many people, I had a layout which never seemed to get very far - all the track was done, the wiring was done, but not much else happened for ages. One day I saw advertised for sale a layout which was once "railway of the month" in the Modeller, set in my own favourite area (north Cornwall) and period (BR SR late 50s/early 60s), went to see it and bought it. It came home shoehorned into a Nissan Primera and went into the loft, which I had already insulated and floored. Apart from rewiring it with something a bit thicker than what looked like multicore telephone cable and fitting it up so it would connect electrically with my own layout, not much more happened for a bit. After a while, the boss and I decided that it wasn't best placed in the loft, so we moved the greenhouse and had a shed 15 x 10 put up in the garden. This was completely insulated with loft insulation, although it still gets pretty hot in summer due to the orientation of the garden. The "bought" 00 layout was moved in, with new legs being built where necessary, and my original layout went on the other side, making a U shape. Still not a lot happened with it and I soon began hankering after something else.

 

 

 

It all started by building a Parkside van kit for the then club O gauge layout. That was followed by another O gauge wagon kit and quite a lot of involvement in the club's 7mm narrow gauge layout, suddenly finding myself taking over responsibility for the wiring. I simplified it a little but it still looks like one of the old telephone exchanges. If DCC had been around 10 years ago things might have been different! To cut a long story short, my original layout went into store, leaving a space 10'6 x 2'6. Could I get a layout in this? I have a small workbench at one end of the shed, a bit of this could be "covered" by the layout. I played around with track plans and decided I could just do it as long as I had a kick-back fiddle yard from a sector track. The sector track meant just 5 points were needed - ideal as I was building them all! Three boards actually 42"x 30" were built - I was rather annoyed during baseboard construction, as, having gone to a well-renowned local timber yard for the plywood and having it cut, I discovered that some of it had got damp, and it didn't take long for it to warp when it dried out a bit. This was a while, so I ended up having to ditch some - I replaced it with some from my local Homebase which was much better! One board's side vertical strip is still warped slightly but it is not on the visible side! It is all 9mm ply, including cross-bracing, and has stood up quite well to the variations of temperature experienced. The boards are laid on a framework of 3 x 1 timber rather than legs, although this may well be changed in the future. When laying out the track to check positions, it became clear that I could only have a 40" long train on the sector track which was not enough. I therefore added a small extension board 9" x 30" which meant there was enough room for a tank engine and 2 coaches or about 5 wagons and a brake van.. The original plan is shown below.

 

 

Once the boards were in position, tracklaying started. I have used C&L RTR track throughout on the front of the layout.

 

 

Points are built using their templates, rail, sleepers and chairs, together with pre-formed common crossings (frogs to you and me!) and blades. Having built points in 00 and as I had 5 to do, I decided that things would get along a lot quicker if I didn't have to file and shape these parts! Point control is by tortoise motors. The original plan was kept to almost exactly, but I had to replace an A4 point with an A5 one as one of my two engines wouldn't go through it! All track is laid on 1/8" cork. Wiring followed, two droppers to each section of rail. I considered very carefully whether to go DCC, but decided that as I only had a small layout, 5 points and probably a maximum of 4 engines the additional expense could not at the time be justified. In fact, the only thing which would have tipped the balance was sound, and there isn't a huge selection of Southern steam loco sounds around. A control panel was built and tested - everything worked (eventually) - there only being two short circuits which were quickly traced. Ballasting was next on the agenda. I find it quite satisfying as long as I don't do too much at a time. A large bag, PVA, water and washing up liquid. Following this, I decided on some civil engineering work, and built the platform. This is made from 3mm ply (of which a friend has a large supply in 4" x 5'?? lengths. The surface is spray painted and covered in ground white pepper, as suggested in Gordon Gravett's 7mm book. This gives it the texture of tarmac/ashphalt. Another coat of spray paint followed. Individual cut plastic card paving stones are glued all the way along the edges. I had bought a station building ex-display from Kirtley model buildings at the GoG show at Telford in 2005.

 

 

As with most layouts, things change. I felt that the two original fiddle-yard sidings were too close to the backscene and the rear of the board. I also thought it would be nice to add an extra board, which would include pointwork to access platforms and yard, with just the fiddleyard and the main line accessed by the sector track. I wanted to be able to revert if necessary so had to ensure that connections at each end were in the same place - not as easy as I thought. I can't really leave all 4 boards up in the shed all the time. This is the new plan.

 

 

A three-way point was bought from Marcway - I really didn't fancy building one. This brought its own problems, as the sleepers are copperclad and not as thick as the C&L ones. I decided to lay plastic card under the point to get the levels correct, but on reflection I think gluing a second copperclad directly under each sleeper may have been better (or even a complete sheet). Having soldered the dropper wires and got the levels to my satisfaction, I laid the connecting tracks and ballasted. Inspection showed that the alignment had slipped a little at one baseboard join between tracks, my pins had not held it enough. The only course of action was to lift that length and relay (and reballast) it, which was duly done after much gnashing of teeth.

 

 

There are other issues with the Marcway point in that it is proving very difficult to attach cosmetic chairs as I had planned to do, due to the "lump" where it has been soldered. There's no actual problem with the point itself. I'm still thinking about this one - some grinding down with a burr in a minidrill has taken place and I need to see what this looks like with a few chairs which have been painted before I go any further. And yes, the track at the baseboard joint leading into the bay platform *has* been relaid to get rid of that kink

The fiddleyard issue was solved by deciding that the layout will have 1 fiddleyard siding when set up in its original 3-board format, but the new board has a Peco point inserted which will lead to an extra siding which will be on a 4"-wide plank which can be bolted to the front of the layout after it is set up. I will concoct something to enable stock to be exchanged, but it will probably have to be crane shunted for now: not ideal. As can be seen on plan B, the layout has also gained a short locomotive siding, which will just have a water column and hand coaling facility

 

Another problem with inserting a new board is that it all has to be wired up - which has been done - and a new control panel built - which is being done at the moment. I have discovered that all 4 of the female 25-way D connectors which I have "in stock" have leads which are too short to reach from control panel to similar male connector on board - so I've taken all 25 off and soldered new longer ones! Oh the joy of everything not quite working for you! And that's where I am at the moment.

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Comment posted by Stuart in OZ on Fri Aug 14, 2009 6:10 am

 

HI..

 

Nice looking start, hope to see more as it get closer to being finshed.

I have just been given 12x2 in side the house, so I'm re-planning a new layout, O gauge is so tempting....

 

Stuart in OZ

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Comment posted by marsa69 on Fri Aug 14, 2009 7:02 am

 

Something similiar to what I'm trying to achieve. Keep up the good work

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Comment posted by onslaught832 on Fri Aug 14, 2009 9:14 am

 

Hi Paul, that looks like a very promising layout , is that a Bullied coach in the platform , it looks rather nice, what make is it

Phill

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Comment posted by class37418stag on Fri Aug 14, 2009 9:38 am

 

Hiya

 

Look good of your plans so same me too I think about small layout of small terminus by large scale of 0 gauge

 

I will plan british railways of small terminus in 1960s

 

I will look forward your layout by when finished

 

Thank you

Andrew

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Comment posted by BlackRat on Fri Aug 14, 2009 10:55 am

 

Very nice so far!

 

What happend to the original layout? recognise it but cant remember when it was in the RN.

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Comment posted by greengiant on Fri Aug 14, 2009 7:29 pm

 

Looks familiar

Have you had a tidy up?

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??? posted on Fri Aug 14, 2009 8:57 pm

 

A few more random facts

 

Couplings will be Dinghams - 6 of 7 electromagnets have been installed, with one more to put in on the new board.

Wiring is common return, 2 wires soldered to every section of rail, including the frog rails and switch blades.

Signalling will be installed and eventually working (possibly not the two shunt signals, although I've made provision for them on the control panel (currently under construction). I would like to electrically interlock them with the points and opposing signals so it is not possible to clear signals for moves in opposite directions. I may give interlocking the power feed to the track a miss though! I have one readybuilt signal from Scale Signal supply (which will be the main platform starter) and one kit to build (a bracket signal for the bay platform starter which will be affixed to a tall retaining wall which will run between bay platform and fiddle yard). Others will follow in the future.

Baseboards are joined with EMGS/C&L dowels and M8 bolts, although on reflection I would use the smaller type of joiners available from various suppliers in the future, as it is very easy not to get a flat base to the hole drilled out for the dowels to sit in.

 

Phil - yes it is a Bulleid coach, a semi-open brake third/second built RTR for me by CRT kits

 

Blackrat - the layout is Trezeath and featured in July 2000. It's still in my shed on the other side, it's the one I was trying to build myself which has been retired.

 

No I still have things lying everywhere except where I expect to find them!

 

And thanks to others for the encouraging comments. Here's the control panel under construction

 

 

And a bit of point construction

 

 

 

 

Nothing done today - I had a trip down to ride on the Swanage railway, lots of inspiration from station clutter and signalboxes

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Comment posted by BlackRat on Fri Aug 14, 2009 10:26 pm

 

Yes I remember it now! A super layout, you are very lucky to have it!

 

Good luck with the O.

 

Got a few bits and pieces here so can see a Cornish Clay Branch in the offing!

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??? posted on Sat Aug 15, 2009 9:39 pm

 

Progress with the control panel today, with the arrival yesterday of the pushbutton switches I ordered for the uncouplers. They were duly fitted and wired in, along with wires for the signals. One slight snag when I realised I need more wires for the polarity switching of the three way point - luckily I have plenty of spare capacity as I wired up a 25-way D plug/socket but only needed about 17

Tomorrow hopefully will get the point switches all done as well, that should be the control panel finished(?!?!)

 

Why Mawgan Porth? It's a hamlet on the coast north of Newquay and South of Padstow. My modeller's license says that the LSWR was pushing to get farther south so promoted a line to Newquay. Branching off from the Wadebridge-Padstow line, it got as far as Mawgan Porth, by which time the GWR had taken the unusual step of collaborating and built it's own line north from Newquay, meeting about a mile inland from Mawgan Porth. Both companies hoped that the sandy beaches would lead to big development and loads of passengers to the forthcoming railway hotel(s), but it didn't happen, and remained a sleepy little village. Well it fulfils my aim of a North Cornwall branch of BR(S) and allows the occasional incursion of a 14xx, perhaps an autocoach or a flying banana one day. Oh I bought a secondhand 14xx to go with my M7 and O2, it needs a bit of work doing to it, including repainting into BR(W) livery, but the price was right! I'm hoping I might find another coach at Telford.

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Comment posted by Dan Randall on Sun Sep 20, 2009 9:36 am

 

Hi Paul

 

Have you made any progress on the layout recently?

 

 

 

Regards

 

Dan

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??? posted on Sun Sep 20, 2009 4:32 pm

 

Hmm - not very much! I had planned to update yesterday but....

I've had a very busy month including 10 days away and acting as emergency shopper in chief for my wife who was in charge of refreshments at the church flower festival! I'm also trying to organise accommodation for a holiday in New Zealand we have planned for next year.

I have made progress on the control panel and started on a parkside Dundas SR cattle wagon which I bought at Telford. I took loads of bits with me on holiday to try and do but there really wasn't time, and I only managed one evening.

 

As you can see (below), I am sticking with plain old DC for now! It's virtually done, witness the umbilical cords to the layout. The wires at bottom right go to DIN sockets for controllers. Section switches and push buttons for magnets are on the track diagram, which I sort of replicated in reverse on the back of the panel (which is 3mm MDF). Point indicator lights are grain of wheat bulbs in 3mm LED holders (they are on the diagram) whilst the point and signal switches are in the line below across the bottom.

 

 

 

My next task is to try and make the 3-way point look better with C&L chairs cut in two. I have tried grinding down the solder on the Marcway point and fitting some, which doesn't look too bad, but is a long job even with a new grinding wheel in a mains-powered drill with extension. I'm going to try flattening out the solder by melting it with a heavy weight/pressure on the rail and see if that's any easier. I am not sure how easy it will be to get cosmetic chairs on the inside of the rails too. If I can't get it looking right, it's going to have to come up and I will have to build a 3-way point with C&L parts after all. I don't think I can use their template, because I do not have enough space (it's 1 in 8/1 in 6 tandem, and the marcway point is 8'/6' radius). I have the Trax software (I really can't justify buying Templot just for one three-way point - sorry Martin!) and I can draw out a template of approximately the same radius - I might even get it to fit better.

 

Anyway, I do hope to get some more done this week, especially as my wife is away on a course for a couple of days

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Comment posted by Dan Randall on Sun Sep 20, 2009 5:26 pm

 

Thanks for the update Paul - I hope you manage to get some work done this week.

 

Regards

 

Dan

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