Rospeath Lane - BR(WR) Engine Shed

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This blog about a fictitious BR(WR) Engine shed in Cornwall based on what might have been if the proposed lines to St. Just and Lands End were built.

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Goodbye to Rospeath Lane version 1

I’ve eventually been able to get my new hobby room organised. I have eventually organised my new hobby room, transforming it from a storage room, filled with furniture and boxes, to a space where I can begin building a layout. First task was to take a proper look at the original Rospeath Lane baseboards. The damage was not as bad as I originally thought… Hmm…it would have been an excellent layout with potential for expansion in the future. Despite building it in two baseboards, it would be very

Yan in Baseboards

April 12

Baseboards

Progress on the Two Main Baseboards

Hopefully the photos below will depict my progress over the last few days Last few sections being glued in place on the second board after checking on the turntable for position, height and alignment View from the front with the last fascia being fixed in place It all looks OK, ready for the different sections for the baseboard tops to be cut and glued in place. Checking all the cut-outs for the inspection pits, also the pos

Yan in Baseboards

March 4, 2021

Baseboards

Getting there with the first baseboard

Slow progress on the construction of the first baseboard. Hopefully the pictures will help to explain my thoughts on how I’m building the boards. At the moment nothing is fixed in place the books are helping to keep everything in place. All profiles have been cut to reflect the different ground levels, with additional sections cut out for the turntable and inspection pits. The baseboard top is at the bottom with the track plan on so I can position the infill sections to miss any poss

Yan in Baseboards

February 7, 2021

Baseboards

Baseboard construction - Part 1

I made a tentative start on building the baseboards yesterday. My first task was to mark the different track levels on each cross piece. All changes of track levels do seem subtle at this stage. I’m hoping that subtle changes should help to project a believable scene. At the above stage I realised that the very end cross piece (furthest away in the above photo) was going under the turntable. How did I miss that on my plan? I’ve been lucky enough to acquire a GWR turntabl

Yan in Baseboards

January 28, 2021

Baseboards

No excuss now - some timber has arrived

Yesterday Plywood for the sleepers arrived all 4000 of them for plain track, plus strips for turnouts. My God, this now looks a daunting task to lay all those sleepers! Then this morning I got a knock on the door and found the arrival of the baseboard timber. As travelling to the nearest decent Timber Merchant would probably be against the current Covid rules I settled on ordering the plywood online. Initially I thought about using a supplier of

Yan in Baseboards

January 22, 2021

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Blog Information

Rospeath Lane is being built as an entry into Scalefour Society's Jubilee Challenge

JubileeChallengeRules (1).pdf

Layout Back Story

This is a fictional project based on "what if" some proposed railways in the Penzance area were constructed. My thoughts are as follows.

In April and May 1898 two applications were made under the Light Railways Act 1896: one for a route of 21 miles between Penzance and St. Just via Newlyn and Sancreed; the second, a proposal made by the Lands End and Great Western Joint for a 20.5 mile route from Marazion to Sennen also via Sancreed .

The route between Penzance and Newlyn was to be operated by an electric railway running along the quayside and promenade. Steam power along this section was deemed to be too disruptive for the hotels and tourist attractions on route. The line would then be operated by steam between Newlyn and St. Just. The route between Marazion and Sennen would Serve Heamoor (Hea), Sancreed and St.Buryan. Both proposals were rejected with a couple of reasons given being: there was no connection between the two routes at Sancreed; and the mileage of the two routes did not justify two separate administrations.

In November 1898 both proposals were resubmitted with amendments. This time at a local inquiry held in Penzance on the 30th/31st January 1899. The inquiry found in favour of the Penzance, Newlyn and West Cornwall which was duly approved. The record states: “The two schemes were competitive schemes to serve the same district, and were heard together at the local inquiry, The attitude of local authorities and landowners was generally against the Lands End, St Just and Great Western Junction scheme, and in favour of the Penzance, Newlyn and West Cornwall scheme which was accordingly approved. An Order was submitted to the Board of Trade on the 17th May 1899.” (1)

At first I thought, what a pity, but then the approved scheme was not built. What if the decision went the other way especially as the Penzance hoteliers seemed to be against the Penzance to Newlyn section being operated by steam. I would have thought that the electric railway section may have struggled with heavy fish traffic from Newlyn, let alone the complication of changing from steam to electric power for such a short distance. So my thoughts are that the Lands End, St. Just and Great Western junction scheme was approved with a junction at Sancreed for Newlyn. This scheme would require a junction east of Marazion for these lines running west of Penzance.

So looking along the mainline east of Marazion for terrain that might fit my initial plan I came across the area south of Crowlas where Rospeath lane crosses the mainline. Perfect … so I’m proposing the junction would have been east of Marazion level crossing about where the current A394 crosses the mainline

A station with sidings similar to Marazion or Gwinear Road would have been constructed between the junction and Rospeath Lane Bridge. An Engine Shed would have been constructed near Crowlas to serve Penzance, St. Just, Sennen and Newlyn. Then the original engine shed would have been rebuilt and extended in the 1930s by the GWR using loans provided by the Government to relieve unemployment.

This, to me anyway, would make sense that a locomotive shed and storage yards would have been created here rather than Long Rock and Marazion. Traffic generated from the St. Just and Sennen would have included China Clay, fish traffic from Newlyn, along with the seasonal broccoli and potatoes crops. With Marazion having generous sidings to cope with the latter two crops, my thoughts are these sidings would have been located at the new junction in this area rather than Marazion.

*(1) Information taken from the Light Railways Act 1896, 31st December 1899 report.

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Rospeath Lane - BR(WR) Engine Shed

About this blog

Entries in this blog

Goodbye to Rospeath Lane version 1

Progress on the Two Main Baseboards

Getting there with the first baseboard

Baseboard construction - Part 1

No excuss now - some timber has arrived

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