Camelbridge Junction - Cornwall in N

[TomJ]

Ps I've no idea why the picture is upside down! I've tried editing it twice and it still comes out wrong!!

[TomJ]

It's been a while since I last posted - but things have been going on! I took the plunge and have extended the layout by 15inch or so. That might not seem like much but it's had a big improvement. Firstly the fiddle yard is longer - a scale 7+2 HST for the summer working fits, and I've squeezed in a couple more dead end rounds, increasing the storage and versatility of the yard. Secondly I've extended at the front. The loop is longer, so that HST doesn't look so daft, and the clay works has been extended. This allows the clayworks to dominate the scene which I wanted - it's the reason the railway was built, not the meagre passenger traffic, and a run round added. This means the clayworks and exchange sidings can basically be operated as a separate layout. Great for father son running sessions, he can control the main loop whilst I shunt the yard. Even with the extension to the works I've still allowed more space to separate the yard from the mainline as it loops back round, so hopefully I can disguise the rounds round nature of the layout.

Whilst the boards were upside down for wiring I've added a couple of extra features, namely Dapol working signals and working platform lighting. On a smallish layout I think a few details like this add a lot of interest. I'm really taken by the lighting and will add a couple more to the yard, and maybe an interior light for the signal box.

 

So track is all laid, wired and working, and the first attempt at ballasting done. What is yet to be done is the scenery, which is now a gaping hole of bare baseboards awaiting transformation!

 

A few photos might explain things

 

 

There's now a spare corner which I'm going to fill with a pub! This is based on one in a village near the Lizard where we used to stay on holiday. I might have a try at adding an interior and lighting - we'll see....

 

An overall view of the fiddleyard. There are four loops. The longest will hold a HST, and another can manage a loco and 7 coaches. A long siding is for trains of clay wagons for the works, and two kick back sidings will hold two trains of loco and two coaches, or dmu

 

A view of the slightly lengthened clayworks. Lots of shunting opportunities

[TomJ]

A couple of further photos - someone has asked for picture of the crossing keepers cottage

 

 

 

This is based on the one that's still standing by the crossing on the Par Harbour branch just south of St Blazey. I got the pictures off Google Earth, and worked out dimensions from doors etc. The basic structure is plasticard, with some old Builder Plus stonepaper (I only have one sheet left!) and Howard Scenics brickpaper. Google Earth is a fantastic tool for modellers allowing those of us who live far away to regularly 'visit' Cornwall, to check out buildings, scenery, colours etc

 

As I work on the scenery it will be set into the ground properly, at moment it's rather precariously perched

[treggyman]

Hi 

 

That's a really good model of the crossing keepers cottage.....

 

Really looks like the prototype.......

 

Excellent modelling...

 

Even more so as you've done it from Google Earth....

 

Cheers Bill

[TomJ]

Thanks for the comments. If someone thinks it looks like the real thing then that's good enough for me! I say pictures of it in a book and thought it would look good so used Google to look it up and street view gave me most angles.

 

Living over 270 miles from St Blazey most of my modelling is done via Google Earth and Streetview. I can't just pop down to Cornwall easily(!) and when we go on holiday the family tend to prefer beaches and cream teas to trudging round derelict industrial sites! I can't think why? We do usually manage a trip to the Bodmin and Wenford and a cycle on the Camel Trail so lots of inspiration.

 

I've tried to avoid using too many rtp resin buildings and most of mine are based on Cornish prototypes, using books, the web and Google. The Cornwall Railway Society website is a goldmine of information and loads of colour photos, as the colour is something I find hardest to match.

The signal box is based on Coombe Junction - I'm going to take the roof off to fit interior lighting, the shutters offfice used to stand at Drinnick Mill junction, and as mentioned the keepers cottage is from Par Crossing. I've tried to model a few Cornish cameos, so the house and barn are based at the ones by the road crossing at Hellandbridgr, there are loads of photos of Beattie Well tanks squeezing based. The derelict engine house is freelance, the dimensions were guessed at and used to hide a point motor and the pub will be the Five Pillchards from Porthallow. The latest project is a barn for the field which is based on the former goods shed at St Cleer which was used as a barn after the line closed, and is still there.

 

Photos to follow when progress justifies,

[TomJ]

I seem to have inadvertently created that elusive clay country look by sprinkling the layout with plaster dust! The ballast is all dry and all seems to work - all points still change a so now I'm starting in wqrevuilding the scenery. Same basic principle as before, the line at the left runs into a tunnel, as my son wanted a tunnel on the railway. However there's now more separation from the tunnel and the clay works so it doesn't look as unrealistic as it did before when the line looked as if it was running into an artificial hill through the clay works! Nothing fancy to the scenery, just expanded polystyrene covered in plaster

 

The point motor has been buried under the hill - let's hope peco motors are reliable! It should re easily replaceable without too much damage to the scenery but I hope that won't be for a while. I'm going to try and make a garden for the crossing keepers cottage which could be a challenge in N

As mentioned I've filled the corner with a staple modellers cliche of a pub! This is my interpretation of the Five Pillchards in Porthallow near The Lizard. Again details were taken from the web and Google. I couldn't get any pictures of the back so that's all imagined but I don't suppose it will matter! I'm going to try to fit and interior to this and some lighting to this and the signal box too for that evening look

 

Edit - I've removed the photos a they kept being uploaded upside down for some reason! I'll try again later

Edited July 11, 2017 by TomJ

[TomJ]

I haven't posted for a bit because every photo I took kept getting posted upside down! So instead of using the iPad I've dug out MrsJ camera and tried taking them and uploading onto the computer. So lets see if this works!

 

The layout looks loads better once the white plaster has been covered over. Again nothing new or special here - a basic paint covering of grass or earth colours, then static grass and scatter material. Even this first covering looks more like a landscape than before. Now its time to turn it from a basic field into a proper landscape with long grass, bushes, weeds, undergrowth etc

 

The old mine engine is a bit of a cornish cliche but such attractive buildings I had to have one. Its based on the Kernow OO model, although I stretched the dimensions a little because it was built to cover a point motor on a previous project. Still I think the size looks about right, large and imposing - without looking daft compared to the other buildings. Typically these buildings had a tapered conical chimney, usually stone at the bottom and brick for the top third - but I couldn't work out at all how to do that in model form. However there was at least one example where the stone base was square. Initially I was just going to model this, and assume the top third had collapsed, but then I found this Bachmann resin example. Its octagonal instead of round, but when built into the chimney base it doesn't look too bad.

 

The barn is used on one still standing near Minions, that actually used to be a goods shed before the railway closed. For my imaginary history I've assumed that the branch line was originally a tramway built to serve these mines. Once the proper railway took over and linked into the main system, and the mines closed, the goods shed was redundant, so it was used by a local farmer. In the background I've started working on tree cover over the tunnel. As mentioned one advantage of the new extension is that the tunnel is further from the clay works, and looks quite separate. A bit of tree and foliage cover reinforces this

 

The half built 'Five Pilchards Inn'. The back is total guesswork but the front is fairly accurate from photos, StreetView etc. I am tempted to fit an interior and some lighting for the evening scenes of the layout  

 

A view of the newly elongated clay works. You can just make out that there is a crossover so trains can run round in the works. Effectively this means that the clay works and exchange siding can be operated as a separate micro layout whilst trains run round the mainline. The big work here (other than replacing the missing legs on the hopper!!) is to really detail this with all the usual clutter and weather it so it has that clay look

 

My first attempt at trying overgrown track in the exchange sidings. Based on a Chris Nevard article in Model Rail. I don't think its bad for a first attempt but a bit more work, and some weathering is needed. I need to try and get that look where the sleepers are almost buried

 

So thats whats been happening so far. I've just popped back Frizinghall Models with an array of scatter and scenic materials. Somehow I need to transform the bags into a representation of a Cornish moorland!! Might be a while before the next progress update…..!!

Edited August 14, 2017 by TomJ

[TomJ]

This is a shameless bump! I can’t believe it’s a couple of years since I updated this. There’s still a lot of work to be done on the layout - playing trains is distracting!

Anyway the reason for the update is that finally I can recreate one of the photos that first inspired me. A LL class 50 pulling a rake of NSE coaches past the Carbis branch into Bugle. 
 

 

Thanks to Dapol I now can! The coaches are second hand Farish Mk2, stripped down and Electra rail vinyls added and under frame altered. Typically Farish then brought out their own rather amazing Mk2 but I’m kind of fond of mine and keeping them!

[TomJ]

Again it’s been months since I last posted on here - but what strange months! I’ve been fortunate unlike many that my job has continued so I’ve got out the house, been busy and continued to meet people. The downside is that job is as a doctor working in anaesthetics and intensive care!! To say it’s been stressful and busy is somewhat of an understatement. 
 

Against all that I’ve found modelling to be a superb stress relief when I home and an hour or two after a hard shift is very relaxing. Interestingly many of my colleagues have turned to creative hobbies such as art of colouring as a form of mindfulness. So I’ve been furtling about on the layout, making sure it runs properly and fixing a few buildings etc. Pretty much all the work in this period has been built from stuff that can be downloaded or found in my ‘bits’ drawer. The big project has been adding a second platform to turn it into a passing station which has improved operating potential massively. 
Here’s a few photos. I think the major work is done and now it’s detailed. A few older buildings need repainting or repairing but nothing too much

 

A 45xx and grubby B-set forms a local service to Newquay. In the background are a variety a wagons mostly related to the clay industry

A closer view of the yard where a shiny new diesel is shunting. The coal wagons are mostly N gauge society kits. I was having terrible problems running then until I added weight disguised by the coal and they run like a dream. My first attempt at really heavy weathering and I don’t think it’s too bad

 

More coal wagons to feed the hungry dries. In front is my attempt at typical Cornish scrubland and an abandoned mine engine 

Pride of the fleet! A Castle takes a rake if choc/cream coaches back to London on a summer Saturday. This is my first DCC sound fitted engine (soldering to the PCB possibly the most nerve wracking modelling I’ve done) and I love it!

 

 

Inspired by the scenes on the Wenford Bridge branch clay wagons squeeze past the cottages at Hellandbridge

 

The dirty old pannier propelling the train behind the new platform. Behind the goods shed is the shunters office from Drinnick Mill - presumably the near triangular shape was to fit between the junction. The new platform has led to its relocation where this doesn’t make sense! But I like it so it remains!

[TomJ]

I’m noticing from these photos how the roof slates have discoloured. Possibly got a bit damp. Next job is to replace and varnish!

[TomJ]

I’ve also got the stock to run it as per 1980s. I think with the changing of a few details it could pass for 80s (well enough for me to be happy with!). It seems that some corners of deepest  Cornwall didn’t change much in 20yrs!

 

 

A 37 (celebrity local William Cookworthy) brings a long rake of clay goods under the bridge and into Camelbridge. I’ve got 24 hoods, a mix of kit built from the N gauge society and the Kernow/Farish ones. 24 makes for an impressive rake and is at least full length for some lines- a 37 could only take 22 up to Liskeard. 
 

A bubble car is more than enough for the few passengers who use the station. It remains really because of its usefulness as a passing loop. However summer sees longer and much busier loco hauled trains heading for the coast