“WASHBOURNE”

[Donw]

Templot would be a little more accurate than tracing Peco turnouts. Personally I would be quite happy to draw it from scratch that way the crossing angles would fit the angle of approaches rather than the other way round.

 

Don

[Northroader]

Here, I like this

Templot!

 

n

[Donw]

A someone with an interest in track have you seen Jim's 'Barry Slip'

 here http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/115637-maltby-the-one-in-lincolnshire-55-x-18-light-railway-micro-layout/

 

Don

[Northroader]

Yes, that Barry slip is an interesting formation. It would be nice to do one, but I've never been able to work out where I'd want to put one in.

Edited November 26, 2016 by Northroader

[Northroader]

There's a thread running on here about layouts and articles that provided inspiration, I had my tenpenn'orth about one I started with when I was young, but it set me off thinking. So tonight instead of reporting the current state of bodgedom, I'm doing a post on what's been inspiring me in working towards Washbourne. The four layouts I've picked have been at the top of the pile for a long time for me, and are all good examples of restricted space termini. I'm giving references where they have appeared in a publication, also rough sizes, with one exception. I've been lucky enough to have a good look at them at shows, and the pictures are mine, which I hope will give you an idea, although the layouts creators would probably be happier with better camerawork. You'll see although I'm an O gauge fan, two 4mm lines have appeared.

First off, then, is Castle Rackrent. Looking at when it appeared, things like the configuration of the kickback siding in front of the fiddle yard must have been very fresh. The flowing curves are very attractive, particularly how the road bends over the skew bridge with the line underneath. The scenic back is well done to give a feeling for the country the line is set in. It must have took courage to do an Irish gauge line back then, these days Slaters have the proper axles and wheelsets available.

Next is Kettlewell, really compact, good to look at, with a good grouping of limestone buildings helping the Yorkshire Dales feel.

Another compact line with a South Wales setting, Llanastr, all very neatly done, and good to watch. Quite small, but operating freight and passenger trains easily.

Finally, there's St George's Hill. You go to Weybridge, ignore the action on the quad tracks out of Waterloo, (hard to do) and look instead at the northwest corner where the branch from Virginia Water comes in. Then set your watch back 150 years to the LSWR in the Beattie days. I haven't got any publication ref. for this, or dimensions. It's O gauge, and I would estimate the passenger train length in the middle at 24", if that's a help. It would be nice to have a picture of the bridge end, thats good. People who've seen it will say, yes that's the grandfather clock line, as it folds into the case for one. You can just see the elaborate fold down legs for the free end.

Well, that's it, four examples of excellence. I'll be lucky if I can get anywhere near, but it's something to aim for. "Standing on the shoulders of giants".

[BlueLightning]

Finally, there's St George's Hill. You go to Weybridge, ignore the action on the quad tracks out of Waterloo, (hard to do) and look instead at the northwest corner where the branch from Virginia Water comes in. Then set your watch back 150 years to the LSWR in the Beattie days. I haven't got any publication ref. for this, or dimensions. It's O gauge, and I would estimate the passenger train length in the middle at 24", if that's a help. It would be nice to have a picture of the bridge end, thats good. People who've seen it will say, yes that's the grandfather clock line, as it folds into the case for one. You can just see the elaborate fold down legs for the free end.

IMG_0805.JPGIMG_0806.JPG

Well, that's it, four examples of excellence. I'll be lucky if I can get anywhere near, but it's something to aim for. "Standing on the shoulders of giants".

 

Ian is a good friend and fellow member at Uckfield MRC. I can have a word with him about details and photos if you want.

 

Gary

[Northroader]

Compliment him on a job well done. My understanding is he's sold it on but it is coming back on the exhibition circuit. I'd love to see more detail if he's agreeable.

[BlueLightning]

Yes he has sold the layout on, he is currently working on a new layout for himself but being he does model railways for a living he doesn't get nearly enough time for his own modelling. He is also a mine of information and has been consulted on every decision I have made on Oak Hill, his skill can also be seen in my model of A1 Terrier number 76 "Hailsham" as it was him that renamed and detailed that model for me.

 

Gary

[Donw]

Ian's design is unusual in that the mainlines are off baseboard on the viewing side so basically he has just modelled the bay platform.

Richards Castle Rackrent is nice but have you seen the extended version with another three stations (as of when I last saw it). If it wasn't so far away I would love to help operate.

 

As for inspiration Portreath and Charford in the Feb 62 Railway Modeller got me started towards Model Railways rather than toy trains and led to the Exhibition at Central Hall that year. There has been a lot of inspiration over the years and I am still finding things inspiring like this 3mm layout seen at Minehead 2015

 

 

I have forgotten the name of the builder I think it was set in Suffolk

 

Don

[daifly]

Copied from elsewhere:

"Heybridge Wharf – 3mm – Mr M Corp

 

The layout was built for the 50 something challenge to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 3mm Society 1965-2015. The scenic section is 50 inches long by 50 cm wide and is built to fine scale standards with a track gauge of 14.2mm.

 

Heybridge Wharf is purely fictitious and is situation somewhere in Suffolk at one of the last inland wharfs still operating. The railway was built under the Light Railways Act as the Hey Light Railway to connect the town of Heybridge to the Great Eastern Main Line via Heybridge Wharf.

 

The trains from the main line enter Heybridge Wharf via the line between the Church and the gas works. This is the end of the line for the stock not allowed to proceed along the tramway to Heybridge Town. Those that are allowed will run round heir train and proceed along the tramway squeezed between the gas works and the Colly Tobbold’s Brewery. The wharf still receives one of the last barges still trading but now converted to a diesel engine.

 

The layout is built of plywood with track by the 3mm society and points from 32MR. Points are operated by Hoffman Point Motors and couplings are adapted B&B. Stock is from Finney & Smith, now no longer trading, Worsley Works and the 3mm Society. Whilst some of the buildings are scratch built, most are super detailed Bilteezi card kits."

[Caley Jim]

Castle Rackrent is still extant, Richard had it at the Perth show in 2015. It now forms part of his extensive Irish BG system.

 

Jim

[Donw]

Castle Rackrent is still extant, Richard had it at the Perth show in 2015. It now forms part of his extensive Irish BG system.

 

Jim

 

So far as I am aware CR has always been a key part of his Irish system. CR at one end and a fiddle yard at the other seem to be the constants with the stations in between being variable according to the space available to erect it.

 

Don

[Dave Searle]

Hi,

 

Ian Hopkins' St. George's Hill was described in MRJ issues 100 & 101.

 

Cheers,

Dave

[Dave Searle]

Ian Hopkins' St. George's Hill was described in MRJ issues 100 & 101.

 

 

Also seen at the Uckfield 2003 Exhibition http://www.uckfieldmrc.co.uk/exhib03/stgeorges.html

 

Cheers,

 

Dave

[Caley Jim]

So far as I am aware CR has always been a key part of his Irish system. CR at one end and a fiddle yard at the other seem to be the constants with the stations in between being variable according to the space available to erect it.

 

Don

As far as I understand it's housed in his basement and the intermediate stations depend on what has taken his fancy to build!

 

Jim

[Northroader]

Picking up on the responses to last nights post, firstly Castle Rackrent. As it lives in Scotland, it doesn't come this far south very often, I was lucky enough to catch it somewhere on one of its rare trips down here. I suppose logistics meant that just the main unit came, which is really what did it for me. The whole shebang got a write up in the Railway Modeller for February 78. There were another eleven units added to the original, ninety nine feet overall length! I won't be inspired to do that, although it's breath taking. Since then Richard went on to Allendenac, just a name til you see it, and then it just blows your mind, a bl**dy huge old French viaduct, with a junction thrown in as a special offer.

It's back really to whatspace you're prepared to take, and what use you make of it. There are modellers who set out to plan a line by making an exact copy of the ordnance survey map, I've seen some at shows and they sprawl terribly to me, even if they are a spot on copy of the prototype. I do everything in O scale which creates more problems for what you can do. Take the 3mm line Heybridge Wharf put forward by Donw and Daifly. If I walked into a show and saw that, it would stop me in my tracks, it's so beautiful. Yes, that is the right word, isn't it? But then I'd reflect how could I handle it translating into a O gauge version, how much would be lost, just upping all the dimensions proportionally I'd end up with something far too large for where I could put it, but it still could remain as an ideal.

Then to St.Georges Hill, O gauge, and with a cosy feel for the space it needs, I feel more at home with this. Thanks for the link and news, Dave. The Uckfield show pictures do far more justice to the quality of the modelling than mine. Oh well, back to the here and now..

[adrianmc]

"Heybridge Wharf – 3mm – Mr M Corp

 

Also seen at Uckfield - this time in 2015 http://www.uckfieldmrc.co.uk/exhib15/heybridge.html

[Donw]

If anyone is wondering about the Castle Racket line there are some photos on here https://highlandmiscellany.com/2014/06/03/last-train-to-castle-rackrent/ and here https://highlandmiscellany.com/2015/07/06/day-return-to-castle-rackrent/  

 

then I found this http://home.btconnect.com/Enhance-Ecosse/ccastle.html an interesting tale of finding room for a large layout.

 

Don

[Northroader]

Thanks for the links, Don, a very entertaining tale, what can be achieved when you put your mind to it, and the modelling is all quality, as well as quantity, as the pictures demonstrate.

Edited December 10, 2016 by Northroader

[Nearholmer]

Relating to all this good stuff, I see from the latest RM that Mr Rice has a new book out, called 'Cameo layouts'. I now know what I want for Christmas!

 

(Lightning - greetings to the Uckfieldians! Please pass on a 'hello' to any of the long-servers: frank, roger b, Keith h, john p, moony (if he is still in the area)

 

Kevin

[Northroader]

I sent a letter to Santa, Kevin's been very good, please renew his subscription to the Pyramid builders gymnastics society, and send him a copy of Accumulator Chargers 2017 Annual.

[scotcent]

As far as I understand it's housed in his basement and the intermediate stations depend on what has taken his fancy to build!

 

Jim

 

Recently  rebuilt  to  add  another  station.  A  number  of  us  are  very  privileged  to  run  it  once  a  month.  Running  trains  along  a  single  track  railway  where  not  every  station  has  passing  facilities,  and  communication  is  by  bell  signals  can  be  enlivening.  Readers  are  recommended  to  read  "The  Irish  RM"  by  Somerville  and  Ross  to  get  the  flavour  of  it.

 

As  an  aside,  my  first  view  of  the  original  Castle  Rackrent  in  the  70's  at  the  Glasgow  show  was  life  changing -- a  real  rural  Irish  scene,  with  the  very  old  train  emerging  from  under  the  bridge  making  proper  noises,  and  in  7mm  scale  real  mass  and  ponderousness.

 

Allan  F

[Edwardian]

Recently  rebuilt  to  add  another  station.  A  number  of  us  are  very  privileged  to  run  it  once  a  month.  Running  trains  along  a  single  track  railway  where  not  every  station  has  passing  facilities,  and  communication  is  by  bell  signals  can  be  enlivening.  Readers  are  recommended  to  read  "The  Irish  RM"  by  Somerville  and  Ross  to  get  the  flavour  of  it.

 

As  an  aside,  my  first  view  of  the  original  Castle  Rackrent  in  the  70's  at  the  Glasgow  show  was  life  changing -- a  real  rural  Irish  scene,  with  the  very  old  train  emerging  from  under  the  bridge  making  proper  noises,  and  in  7mm  scale  real  mass  and  ponderousness.

 

Allan  F

 

It should be compulsory reading.

 

I recall there is a wonderful description of a train journey, wherein all the company servants place sociability and conversation ahead of adherence to the timetable and, at one point, Major Yeates is left behind on the platform, but those at the station make such a noise that the train slows enough for him to catch up, and then the train sprints the last few miles and almost shakes the major to bits!

[Northroader]

I enjoyed the serialised version on one or the other tv channels a few years back. (Edit: channel 4)The Irish station I did on a post on this thread does have a poster for the Lisheen Races.

Edited December 12, 2016 by Northroader

[Donw]

My father used to sing the last bit from Percy French's music hall song about the West Clare written after the train was so late his audience had gone home. Details here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Are_Ye_Right_There_Michael

 

The other favourite was Limerick junction where two lines crossed almost at right angles at one time four trains would meet there involving some in reversing in to platforms must have been fun to watch. 

 

Don