Annie's Virtual Pre-Grouping, Grouping and BR Layouts & Workbench

[Annie]

Perranwell station during the BR steam era.

 

 

 

And one from better times when there really were railways.

 

 

The buildings are totally Cornwall Railway which is why trying to use generic GWR ones is always going to be doomed to failure.  I've borrowed the station building from Liskeard for the present time until I can manage to make a proper representation.  The platform shelter I used is essentially correct, but I still need to refine the colouring a little. 

[sem34090]

Oh it is one of the few good bits of the DTG version!

[Annie]

3 hours ago, sem34090 said:

Oh it is one of the few good bits of the DTG version!

I found the DTG version to be an utter Slough of Despond experience with everything grey and indistinct and miserable.  The scenery in general was simplified with many details missing altogether.

[Compound2632]

12 minutes ago, Annie said:

Slough of Despond 

 

I was going to give you the BG era map of that to show it can't have been quite so bad but evidently it was, as the earliest 25" map the NLS site can bring itself to include is the 1923 survey.

[Edwardian]

The Slough of Despond in 1868 

 

[Annie]

2 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

 

I was going to give you the BG era map of that to show it can't have been quite so bad but evidently it was, as the earliest 25" map the NLS site can bring itself to include is the 1923 survey.

Perhaps the earlier surveyors didn't make it out alive before being swallowed up in the Pits of Despair.  

 

1 minute ago, Edwardian said:

The Slough of Despond in 1868 

 

Ooooooo that looks much nicer.  Lots more trees.  And the terrible Spectre of the Grouping wasn't overshadowing everything.

 

 

A pause in the proceedings to make a fresh pot of tea.

 

The starting point for restoring the Brunel timber viaduct.  If you think there's a lot of trees in the picture there were about 300% more than this before sudden onset disappearing disease thinned out their numbers.  And of course the tidal river estuary was an absolute riot of growth with thick masses of shrubs and trees that took far too long to get rid of.  The road to the right of the picture was originally almost motorway like so it got changed to be a narrow dirt road instead.  On the left hand side the original layout builder seems to have confused the Redruth & Chacewater Railway for a road so that's going to get changed as well.  The 1888 OS map shows the R&CR very clearly with it's sidings and the various sites that it made connections with, but my effort will be a non-working representation.

 

 

A snap taken with the basic levelling and positioning of the viaduct essentially done, but with all the finishing  and tidying things still to do.  Surprisingly the viaduct at Penwithers which I've just done was one span longer than the Carnon viaduct.  I suppose it's the more dramatic location crossing the river estuary that makes it seem to be a longer viaduct.  Penwithers was 90 feet high and Carnon was 96 feet high so they were not all that different in overall size.

 

 

Tea drunk, a fresh clean Brave Girl tee shirt now put on, - so it's back to it chaps................

[Northroader]

Now that is a fascinating plan of Slough, I just wish the draughtsman would have taken more care with the track layout. Fr’instance, how do you access the engine shed? Both the up and down stations have leads at the middle from the up line, and at the outer ends from the down line.

[Edwardian]

1 hour ago, Northroader said:

Now that is a fascinating plan of Slough, I just wish the draughtsman would have taken more care with the track layout. Fr’instance, how do you access the engine shed? Both the up and down stations have leads at the middle from the up line, and at the outer ends from the down line.

 

I am sure it must have been done more than once, but the only modelled example of Brunel's Up and Down stations I can recall is that on Mike Sharman's layout.

 

 

 

The Slough of 1868 does not seem quite such a candidate for friendly bombs.  There is even a GWR themed pub called North Star.   If the ignorant brewery chains of today had been in charge back in 1868, it would doubtless have had a sign showing a LNW Bloomer or a SE Crampton! 

 

Speaking of Mike Sharman and pre-1875 engines, why not watch this again .....

 

 

 

[Annie]

It was really good seeing that video again James; - thanks for that.  

Gosh I remember seeing some of those models in RM.  That was a while ago!

 

Further progress with Carnon viaduct.  I thought I'd taken more pictures after this one, but for some reason the image capture software didn't work.

I knew I was going to have problems with installing the viaduct since the piers on the model viaduct are shorter than the prototype Moorswater viaduct's piers.  I'm not sure why Steve Flanders modelled it that way since these timber viaducts crossed some very deep valleys more often than not and taller piers would make fitting them into place a lot easier.  As you can see I had to do some fudging to add some depth to three of the piers.  I will eventually retexture the parts I used to match the viaduct's piers, but for the present time my aim is to get everything set in place properly.

I've made the tide come in so there is now water in the river estuary since I took this snap.  The tide came in much further up the estuary in the 19th century than it does now, but there's a lot of work involved in trying to get it all looking somewhere correct as the landscaping tools in Trainz aren't quite fine enough for the sort of things I'm trying to make them do. 

The copper precipitation works buildings shown on the 1888 OS map are something I'd like to find out about too.

 

[Annie]

I should stay away from old maps.  Whenever I study them my list of jobs to do on the layout just gets longer.  I already knew that the original layout builder had used modern Goggle earth images to create his version of Truro which made entirely wrong for his claimed 1930 era.  Now I've discovered that he's used Goggle earth again to create the town at Perranwell.  By my reckoning three quarters of it will need to be demolished and turned back to open fields.

Anyway I'm not going to start on it now since I need to sleep, though I have patchworked together another map from the 1906 OS map to guide me in the soon to happen destruction.

[Annie]

 

Back at Truro.  When I came to use the new ballasting materials and test them out at Truro I ran into problems because the whole station yard area had never been levelled properly by the original builder.  I'd levelled  the station site and the area where I sited the MPD and coal sidings as well as the goods shed, but not the western approach lines into the station.  By the time I'd finished I had to resettle and blend in the tunnel mouth again which was a pain, but I'm certainly glad I did it since everything is so much better now.

 

In places I have been running out signal operating wires (note the 'T' stools beside the track), but I'm not going to push the boat out over it.  Point rodding might be a step too far though.  When I was attempting to build the Liskeard & Looe branchline I had a go at laying out point rodding and drove myself bananas trying to get it all placed properly and that put me off doing it again.  Some Uk Trainz folk have done amazing work with laying out point rodding at major stations, but have usually commented in the aftermath that doing it just about drove them nuts.  The model parts aren't all that user friendly to work with and the chances of knocking things out of place that you've already done are very high.

 

The early junction signal is a lovely thing with a nice 'clack' sound as it operates (never found another signal for Trainz that does that.)  Unfortunately the rest of its model series was lost when Paul of Paulz Trainz had an archive hard drive suddenly devour itself.  Possibly doesn't match in well with the later period McKenzie & Holland signals, but their big advantage is that they don't take up much space so they can be placed between tracks where other signals don't fit.

 

Presently trying to wake up properly after being deeply asleep for more than six hours.  The destruction of Perranwell town awaits, - or at least the modern part of it.  The original village needs not fear the approach of the terrible engines of deletion.

 

 

[Annie]

This is where things are at with Perranwell viaduct at the moment.  The tide is in, but I have several sandbars to devise which isn't so easy since the sculpting tools don't like making them.  Where the channel narrows with all the trees in the distance is a pure confection that I'm trying to make up my mind about.  The edge of the layout board is just a little further on and I guess the original builder did it this way to hide it.  I'd rather have the river estuary closer to being correct even if it does suddenly end at the Terrible Nothing. 

 

 

 

Perranwell, - notice all the houses that aren't there.  I must've removed over two hundred houses along with their associated streets, hedges, fences & etc.  The silly thing is most of the houses were almost totally hidden in the trees.  Looking across from the station after I'd removed all the houses I couldn't really notice much difference at all.  There would have hours and hours of work involved in building the modern town so why was it hidden in the trees?

In the middle background just past the wedge shaped ploughed field you can just see the 19th century town amongst the trees.  The modern town had expanded out from it in an arc and covered a wide area.

Closer in the houses and shops along the road running past the pine trees by the station have all gone and the area has been tidied up.  I thought they were 19th century era buildings, but there was no sign of them on the 1906 map so they had to go despite them looking very picturesque up behind the station.

 

 

After a couple of hours of dreary slog clearing trackside foliage I went and had a look at Penryn.  The station had always looked really odd like it made no sense.  Then I found a photo of the station's trackwork and platforms being vandalised altered so that DMUs could operate the passenger service on the branch.  Suddenly all the oddly chopped off sidings made sense; - the original layout builder had followed a BR Blue error trackplan to build his '1930s' version of Penryn station.

 

So to cut a long story short the station was useless how it was so I tidied it up,  reconnected all the sidings, fixed the really bad track alignment and fudged up a station building from two Cornwall Railway platform shelters, a GCR awning and two brick chimneys.  I used the Broad Gauge goods shed again that I'd used at Perranwell, laid out some basic signalling and I had a workable station.

The station as it is now is only a placeholder until I can sort it all out properly.  I've found some useful photos of the station so when I set to and fix it properly I should be able to make a better job of it.

 

 

 

Running round.

 

 

Ponsanooth viaduct.  It will be a little while before I get to this one as there are a couple of viaducts that got turned into embankments for me to locate first.

 

 

No.9 with sheep. The faux Broad Gauge 'Sharpies' are doing a good job of keeping the trains moving as well as their track inspection work.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 6, 2019 by Annie
fumble brain

[Annie]

Viaduct List:

 

Penwithers.  Done.

 

Ringwell.  Became an embankment so have to find where that is on the layout.  Five piers long, 70 feet high.

 

Carnon.  Done.

 

Perran.  Became an embankment, - so have to find where it is.  Five piers long. 63 feet high.

 

Ponsanooth.  Present viaduct to be replaced.  Nine piers long and the tallest on the line at 139 feet.

 

Pascoe.  Became an embankment, so another find the viaduct site job.  Six piers long, 70 feet high.

 

Penryn.  Became an embankment.  Let's play hunt the viaduct site.  Five piers long 63 feet high.  

 

Collegewood.  Present viaduct to be replaced. Fourteen piers long and longest on the line. 100 feet high.

 

A slightly daunting list, but having done the Carnon viaduct which I was feeling fairly unsure about at the time I think I'll be Ok.  Ponsanooth might be a bit of a challenge though.

 

 

 

[Annie]

The Ringwell viaduct site.  The railway bridge over the road has been assessed for purity by the inquisition and since it was present on the 1888 (surveyed 1878) 6in to the mile OS map it is permitted to remain.

There might have been many problems with the original layout, but the actual shaping of the landscape is reasonably good which is why I was keen to use it as a basis for my own version of the line.

 

 

[Annie]

Pictures found while doing research.

 

Construction of the Carnon viaduct.

 

Carnon river showing the Carnon viaduct and the Redruth & Chacewater Railway line on the banks of the river.

 

R&CR locomotive 'Miner' at work.

[Annie]

A small mistake while fitting a spectacle plate to one of my E.B. Wilson well tanks.

 

 

I've just arranged for Paul of Paulz Trainz to make me a Broad Gauge convertible saddle tank or three.  We worked that if he uses his existing 94xx as a basis instead of starting from scratch it would be a lot cheaper to do.  A little more expensive than it was converting his E.B.Wilson engines to 7ft gauge, but still affordable for me.

[Annie]

The E.B. Wilson well tank has now been properly sorted out and is fit to be seen in public.

Steve Flanders doesn't say anything on his website about the older second class coach at the head of the passenger train so I'm not too sure of its origins.

 

 

Leaving Truro and heading for the Falmouth branch.

 

 

On the branch line.  Just as I found with running W.N.R trains with a SG version of the well tank these engines are quite spirited performers.

 

 

Leaving Perranwell.

 

 

 

Crossing Carnon viaduct.  I've started to lay down the trackwork for the Redruth & Chacewater Railway along the river bank.

 

 

And that's all the snaps for now.  Still lots to do on the Falmouth line with miles more lineside clearance to do.  I try fitted the Ringwell viaduct in place along the embankment and it's going to be fine.  I just need to do all the earthworks and landscape sculpting now to bed it down into place.

 

[Annie]

Grover viaduct Cornwall Railway 1858 .

 

I absolutely love this painting.  It was posted by a BGS member on another forum.  It has been pointed out to me that the viaduct model I'm using has too heavy and out of proportion details especially with such things as the wooden guard rails.  I did realise that, but with this viaduct being the only useful model available it's really just a case of using it and putting up with its deficiencies.

Edited September 7, 2019 by Annie
More information

[Charlie586]

20 hours ago, Annie said:

The E.B. Wilson well tank has now been properly sorted out and is fit to be seen in public.

Steve Flanders doesn't say anything on his website about the older second class coach at the head of the passenger train so I'm not too sure of its origins.

 

 

 

 

Think I found it, it's a      GWR 2nd Class, 6 Wheel, 5 Compartments, 1 luggage, 1854 - S54      from  bgs kit page 

http://www.broadgauge.org.uk/modelling/bgs_parts_prices_4mm.html

put S54 in search box. Looks a bit tall compared to older stock behind it, but then the older ones were very low.

[Annie]

In the very brief notes that came with the model Charlie it says that it's a 2nd class coach with a raised roof.  So I guess it must have been modified from the standard version at some stage.  It's a nice addition to the other coaches used for the passenger service out to Falmouth and makes for some variety with its taller roof line and different panelling style.

[Annie]

Works train.  No.5's amazing mobile spirit level bogies were of great use this modelling session.

 

 

No real snaps worth showing off this time around.  I decided to work on the section of the Falmouth line up to the first tunnel.  I'd already cleared this section of lineside growth so rather than going off and clearing more elsewhere I decided to do all the small track adjustments and scenic fixes that needed doing along this section of the line.  After that was done I laid ballast all the way up to the tunnel and blended in the ground textures.  It all looks a whole lot more finished now and is very encouraging that one day I'll have the whole of the Falmouth line sorted out to the same standard.

 

This is an older Broad Gauge brake van model by Paulz Trainz.  It has some quirky features such as the guard's cup of tea sitting on a stool and one of the oil lamps smokes as if its wick isn't adjusted properly.  I'm not sure where the guard went though, - must've gone inside the van to get his sandwich tin.

 

 

[Edwardian]

Tell him his tea will be getting cold!

[Annie]

Playing with auto chrome effects (Thanks James Harrison).

 

[DonB]

The tea cup is a bit modern perhaps.... we have the remnants of a set of that style  in the loft!   Sorry!!

[Annie]

True enough Don.  By rights it should be some kind of stout and serviceable mug rather than a cup and saucer.  I think Paul of Paulz Trainz was in a slightly whimsical mood when he made this Broad Gauge brake van for the TS2006 version of the simulator since I've not seen any other quirky little details like this on any of his other models.

 

(Heavens! are we now evaluating crockery for pre-grouping correctness.)

 

Amazingly this brake van remains the only Broad Gauge brake van model available for Trainz apart from Steve Flander's iron birdcage brake van.