St. Baxter a Cornish branch junction

[Boco_D1]

As is typical with my layoutsI start something and then for some reason it has to stop, this was the case with Githley http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/108002-githley-on-the-buckingham-loop-line-wcml-meets-wr-1989-onwards/ which was put on hold due to a housemove, and now the move is complete the layout might see the light of day in the new year once I fix the garage up, decorate the house, build the extension, fit the new kitchen, replace the bathroom...

 

Not wanting to be without a layout to run something on (and knowing that the larger project may have to wait) I decided to put together a small layout which was entertaining, useful to run trains in and good practise for scenery. I played around with a few ideas and what spare track I had lying around, which includes alot of 4th radius curves from a helix I had once built. This in turn determined the width of the layout, to cut a long story of searching short I eventually came across the original track plan for Bredon in an old edition of Peco track plans and decided an adaption of what the layout would look like once steam had gone could be interesting.

 

The plan tries to remain as faithful to the original as I could get it with the track I had spare, the main difference is that the goods siding and shed had been demolished and replaced with a rail served siding, I am yet to decide if the layout will still be a Bredon or that of a different name but it will be set somewhere in Cornwall or Devon and the siding will be used to serve a cider warehouse or China clay dries.

I've been working on the layout build on and off since May it is build on 2x1 batons, 5mm ply to a size of 1metre by 73cm. Track is Peco code 80 with a few sections of code 55 it's a real advantage that the two can be used together. The secnery is build up using foam board for the main bulk and then newspaper and plaster cloth to finish. The road and station platform is polyfiller with play sand mixed into various shades of grey to give a tired worn out road the council have no interest in repairing. In contrast the road down to the siding is nice and smooth to give the appearance of a fresh new road surface.

I want to get an Autumn feel for the layout so will play around with different shades of flock to get the effect.

The fiddle yard is a simple affair and does require a lot of handling to run a service.

The playsand is slightly too course for n gauge but still gives a decent effect

The embankment is a mixture of flock and basket liner very finally trimmed.

And finally the local service calls at the station.

Edited September 26, 2016 by Boco_D1

[shanks522]

Hi Jimmy,

 

 Nice little layout, what is the overall size?

 

Graham.

[MikeTrice]

 it is build on 2x1 batons, 5mm ply to a size of 1metre by 73cm.

[backofanenvelope]

Bredon was to me a very inspirational layout as mentioned in another post.. well done and keep it up.

[Boco_D1]

Hi Jimmy,

 

 Nice little layout, what is the overall size?

 

Graham.

It's about 1M by 73cm or slightly bigger than 3ft by 2ft. I may look at making it a bit longer in the future as the loops don't hold much stock.

[Boco_D1]

I've been doing a spot more on the layout, the scenics continue I've been applying more grass and have begun something I've wanted to have a go at for some time and that's having a go at making some tress.

I looked into the subject and found some useful videos on you tube.

 

My first attempt was using garden wire and modelling clay, the tree was too thick and more to OO scale so I've saved that one for another day.

 

My second attempt was using speaker wire.

 

I cut three strands of wire at 12cm lengths and stripped the wire down, I then twisted the wire around a cocktail stick leaving a fan the bottom for roots and then started twisting branches as I worked my way up.

 

I then coated the tree in a mixture of polyfiller, pva, play sand and brown acrylic paint and left to dry. The method is messy but did dry quite rapid although it was a rather hot day when I did it.

 

Trees in there various stages. To give a more natural look I broke the cocktail sticks in a couple places and bent the trees into a more organic shape.

 

The trees are to be set in Autumn so I've tried two different methods to add the foliage. The first is early and late autumn blend flock mixed together and added to olive green clump foliage I put the them in a bowl added a genourous amount of senior cement and scattered onto the branches.

 

The second tree I covered in yellow and red linchin cut into small pieces and glued onto the branches, I left the glue to dry and then brushed over some brown paint to tone down the linchin. I then coated the linchin in glue and dipped the tree in a mixture of late and early autumn flock.

 

I was pleased with the first method but the second seems far more effective and more realistic, ill try and get round to putting some more layout pics with the trees in place.

[Boco_D1]

Got round to taking a few photos of the scenics I've placed the trees although they need attaching to the layout and I need to go over the turf scenics, just to fix up some of the bald patches.

 

Next stage will be the central siding by adding a concrete apron.

[south_tyne]

Great stuff! I love the Bredon plan and you're doing a cracking job here. Keep up the good work and I look forward to seeing progress towards completion! 

[d600]

Hi thats a very nice little layout your building there keep the updates and pictures coming.

[Boco_D1]

I've put the concrete apron on the layout, I originally tried to make it with DAS clay, but I had problems getting the shape right, partly because in the house move the little rolling pin has gone missing! I wasn't really sure how else to tackle the apron in the end I opted for thick white card, I cut the card into 80mm strips and cut the edges to fit round the contours of the scenery. I then painted the tops of the rails in bright acrylic paint and pressed the card down using the print to cut out the shape of the apron to fit around and in the track. I stuck down with pva filled in the gaps with DAS clay and coated with a mix of brown, white and black acrylic.

I think some weathering and spray of Matt varnish should give the apron a more natural look with some added scenics around the edge although I still need to decide what the siding is actually for.

[Boco_D1]

I wasn't happy with the colour of the concrete apron it just seemed too dark so I've toned it down with a lighter shade of grey (there's 50 to chose from or so I understand, there's a book if anyone is interested)

The lighter colour seems a lot better and I think I will weather it before adding weeds and grass around the edge. I will more than likely turn the siding into a China clay loading point or if that won't work a covered warehouse/transfer building.

 

As the the paints where out I felt I should get on with some modelling. I started by improving the rock faces, I'm not sure if the style of model is fitting to Cornwall with the cuts into rock faces all over the shop but it looks right to me.

attempted

Looking through my books I found one photo of the cutting at Newquay station and not much else to use as an example but I applied various paint shades mixed with play sand onto the rock faces, trying to get a good match.

I then moved on to the stables which will sit at the top of the hill, this is the nice little kit by Metcalf, I'm not a big fan of card kits but this one seemed quite suitable for the layout. I touched up the exposed white card edges and painted the floor. I then used some weathering powders to tone down the building and sealed with a coat of varnish, the exposed stable was filled with yellow flock to lock like straw. As the layout is in Autum and the building is next to one of the layouts oak trees I wet the roof with glue and sprinkled on a bit of Autumn flock.

My Ballasting usually goes a bit pear shaped but I've been quite pleased with this attempt. I studied photos of ballast used in the Devon and Cornwall area and then mixed fine buff with a pinch of grey and a pinch of brown to lose the uniform colour of the buff. But the colour still seemed a tad clean. So I've applied a mixture of Humbrol black wash and dirty grease by colorlife in the station areas where the DMUs stand and in a few places on the sidings. I then watered down some weathered black and generously washed it over the ballast to tone it down.

[Boco_D1]

The layout has progressed a little and has reached two historical landmarks, the engineering department have been hard at it and have added a GWR signal box with nameplate which leads to the Layouts next landmark the layout is

St. Baxter

 

i did want Baxter as the name but didn't seem very Cornish, so following the rather popular choice of settlement names in the St. Austell area using the prefix Saint seemed to work quite well for me.

 

There's nothing special with the build of the box it's a Ratio Kit which was in parts a tad fiddly to put together.

I started with the lever frame being a signalman it was quite enjoyable to paint the levers and actually know what each one represents on the layout.

With the walls painted I added the Windows, these are very fiddly to do the kit came with jigs to make the Windows but they seemed a bit to large to fold the Windows easily.

This is the original baseplate I felt it was oversized and rather ugly

So I cut it down and will blend the base into the scenery.

With the base sorted I put the box together adding an interior, signalman and a yellow LED light.

The finished box now in place and stuck down I will blend the secnery with the base to cover the base and will look into adding some point rodding. The close ups are rather cruel and show the problems with the Windows. The lower Windows use glue n glaze rather than the supplied clear styrene sheet.

[Boco_D1]

It's been nearly a month since my last update, I've been a bit busy sorting the house out but have managed to do a spot of modelling. I've continued with scenics, adding more bushes and weeds and fencing off the padlocks for the horses (although the I have forgotten to take a photo of that). I've also added road markings but I feel my gave way markings are a little crude.

I need to take a few more photos but as you can see the foliage has started to grow along with the erection of fences. I've also started to populate St.Baxter here two members of the p-way stand aside awaiting the passage of the next train.

I have also installed the layouts first signal.

In attempt to hide the unnatural step from the road to the hard standing I have built up a mess of weeds and vegetation.

I've also started to weather a few more items of stock. The photos are not of the best quality but this shot shows my weathered dogfish wagons, the first is done with colorlife acrylics and humbrol washes whilst the rear two are weathered with humbrol powders, a thinned Matt cote is applied to the body and the powders blended together whilst the cote is still wet.

St.Baxter finally has a station building, which currently looks in far to good nick and in reality for my time period would more than likely would have been knocked down and replaced with a bus shelter, oh well if anyone asks it has a grade II listing status.

[Boco_D1]

The S&T have been busy and St.Baxter has a few more signals although a few more are required. The signals are ratio kits and I will look at making them work later on, as well as the points and I'm going to try and improve the electrical connection rather than relying on the contact of the point blades.

I've also added some train save lights to the platform.

The biggest gap on the layout is on the hard standing so I've started work on a transfer shed.

The model is on no particular design but is based on imagines of the buildings around the various China clay works. I've used mount board for the core structure of the model and will corner with embossed brick and ratio courragated sheet.

The shed in place awaiting it's finish.

[rob D2]

Looking very nice !

[Boco_D1]

Thanks rob, I need to get my decent camera out as the iPhone doesn't take great pictures.

[backofanenvelope]

Just catching up on the thread and really liking the lit signal box shots very atmospheric and the layout is coming along nicely too

[Boco_D1]

Thanks the station building lights up too but there is a lot of bleed through the roof so I will have to gently remove it and give it a coat of black paint to try and improve things. It's on the ever rowing list of things to do list for the layout.

[backofanenvelope]

Or maybe dim the light in the station building?

[Boco_D1]

Even on a lower power the light Is still bleeding through there is also a gap under the roof the light shows up. I want to light it up as I added some detail inside such as a ticket machine that you can't see when the light is off.

[shanks522]

Hi Jimmy,

 

 Layout is looking good, hows the 33? 

 

Graham.

[Boco_D1]

Thanks Graham, truth be told I've not run it yet but it does look good, even by popping onto my layout it does give it more of a southern feel, it certainly has a presence. It's a very nice model if I was to fault it, it would be the coupling overhang, but I think that's down the chassis being shared with the 26. I'm particular fond of this loco as it's the one I got to drive 33102 for my 30th Birthday.

[Boco_D1]

I've had a bit of leave to use up so in-between decorating the house I used a bit of time to do some modelling. I picked up some embossed courgated sheet at Warley which has meant I can get on with the warehouse/exchange shed. I've still not decided what it's exactly for but vans go in one side and Lorrys the other.

The sheet was cut to size and stuck to the card structure with copydex.

Once covered the shed was painted, I had also cut the loading platform down as it was a bit high and I gave it a subtle weathering before gluing into the building. With foresight I should have glued the various boxes and pallets in place first as it was a bit more difficult when I came to do that latter.

I finished the building off by adding the skylights, facia boards and drain pipes, the pipes where made from brass rod and helped hide the blank brick joins on the corners.

Once complete I weathered the building and fitted interior lighting along with dome details and attached the building to the layout.

 

I had a bit of spare time today so I decided to have a good day moddeling, the first job was to repair the damage from storm toddler who got near the layout and decided to remove 2 signals, several sheep and the horses from their stable. I fortunately had some spares from my bracket signal and repaired the signals. One of the signals that broke was the section signal from the loop which was the wrong signal anyway so thus was completely removed, repaired and repositioned as the starter signal for the bay.

 

I also wasn't happy with the bridge and repainted and weathered it again (although I forgot to take a photo of that part) I also thought the blue sky was far to bright for an autumn day and so I repainted the backscene into a lighter blue.

 

Other work carried out (of which I forgot to takes photos) the sheep have been moved to the field at the front of the layout, the stables got a new horse, the top field has been fenced, as has the station and the exposed rock face has been toned down with some extra light grey painting.

 

And the last job was to wire on the lights up onto one circuit which you can see has been very successful. I'm now going to concentrate on improving the wiring for electrical connections on the track rather than rely on the point blades.

 

Edited: for know it all iPad (in)corrections

Edited December 11, 2016 by Boco_D1

[Boco_D1]

I have now wired the layout with toggle switches to improve running and I got round to taking photos of the additional changes.

The weathered bridge, I think this looks a lot better than my previous attempt.

The new fence in the top field, I think I will weather this to tone down the plastic look.

The new station fencing.

The sheep in their new field.

I also forgot to mention the layout now has legs which means I can sit on the sofa bed in the guest room and can play trains in comfort.

So with the layout wired up to perform better I've had the opportunity to run trains although an issue has occurred.

The spur into the bay isn't as smooth as I first thought as the photo shows, this means the 08 and 121 keep derailing which is a problem as they are intended to be the main users of this section of line. I think it will have to be removed and re-laid.

[Boco_D1]

The signalman at St.Baxter tipped me off that the spur to the branch was being relaid and there was a bit of classic traction to see. So I got my camera and popped down to the station.

 

37133 has arrived with its engineers train as Dave Thompson and the p-way gang begin work to remove the old track.

I managed to obtain a higher view point looks like nothing has happened in the time it took me to get there.

By the time I got to the platform the rails had been removed and sleeper lifting had begun.

I managed to get into the sheep field for this shot, the sleepers have been lifted and no time is wasted in removing the ballast.

When no one was looking I climbed up the signal and got a shot of 37133 with it loaded train before it backed into the station.

I managed to get a video of 37133 running round its train and departing St.Baxter, the job must be on a tight deadline because as soon as it had departed 33102 arrived with the new section of track.

I'll up load those photos in a bit...