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Coombe Town


CoombeTown
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As a first foray into exhibition layouts and being a regular house mover I was studying small layout track plans. During my musings, I stumbled a small Cambrian terminus, known as Holywell Town, at the end of a small branch from Holywell Junction. Having visited the West Somerset Railway numerous times in my childhood I have always been a fan of Western Region locomotives, there is just a charm about funny-looking Pannier tanks trundling through green valleys.

 

Therefore Holywell Town was up-rooted from North Wales and moved to Somerset, renamed Coombe Town.

The track plan is identical, with a goods yard accessed via the station headshunt.

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Trackwork will be Peco Code 100, as I had some around already and am working will limited funds.  Variety will be provided using a 7-road Fiddle yard, with an Autotrain, small passenger/milk train, a couple of local freights and possibly some others in the future.

 

So far, the baseboards are up and I'm waiting for a delivery of track for the scenic area. In the meantime, the focus is upon producing PCB sleepers for the baseboard joints and the ends of sidings, and getting the traverser roads laid.

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Finally feel like enough progress has been made for an update! Track laying is mostly complete with some of the traverser and one goods yard siding to go. Currently giving this: 20191027_094448.jpg.962176fd8fc3764c648ed5a82540fd1d.jpg

The track has been layed on varying levels of cork to gain the ballast profile. I will probably raise the ground level in the cess as 6mm is a little excessive. Despite this from the side it creates a very nice terracing effect.20191027_094316.jpg.c013ac001e671296e7b80ec65cd9c980.jpg

I've also had an inspirational trip to GETS, Bournemouth West had some amazing detail and oozed atmosphere that I can only dream of achieving. A 2nd hand also got the better of my wallet so I have a new addition to the fleet. 20191027_094655.jpg.e619b97edb48713ed6990435022f5314.jpg

This 56xx will join the 64xx on freight duty with the aim of having two rakes available for variety and some exchanging with the goods yard.

Hopefully I'll have a video of some action in the next week or so, when I work out how to share them on here.

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  • 1 month later...

..Been a while since an update, but not totally devoid of productivity... 20191217_204052.jpg.5dae17ea03f2234dd4d1cc0ffd75783b.jpg

Track laying is now complete ready for a coat of sleeper grime.

20191215_212136.jpg.4252016c43dbd96d8056a9bd116651a3.jpg

I've built up a Wills road bridge for the scenic break, which now awaits painting after Christmas.

 

20191215_211943.jpg.ea35076cb50601d5bdae3cd872c36ed7.jpg there is also quite literally a light at the end of the tunnel, with the buffer stop at the end of the branch line which will provide a nice bit of detail at the end of the cutting.

 

Next on the to-do list is painting the track, building the platform and station buildings with Windows and doors now made in CAD and ordered from Shapeways, and adding the pointing rodding to the layout. 

 

Being one engine in steam this rodding will go to at least a ground frame, however I'm leaning towards having two. One controlling the point and FPL at the bridge end. The other controlling the opposite end of the loop and the two points into the goods yard sidings. Thoughts on this would be much appreciated as I am really getting myself into quite a muddle over it!

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Work has begun on the platform for Coombe Town. With the station based on a combination of Crowcombe and Stogumber stations on the West Somerset. These use a combination of roughly dressed stone on the platform face and stone blocks for the buildings themselves. 

So far...

The first stage, screwing 2 softwood batons to form the base of the platform.20200109_225609.jpg.6408c8677f106dd5dfa978a3a9c0777e.jpg

 

Then attaching the 6mm ply top giving a bit more definition to the shape.

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And finally, starting to add detail. The edging stones and the top stones on the platform face have each joint lightly filed into the surface, the depth will hopefully reduce when painted to give a nice effect.

20200113_225328.jpg.818d4ea9aa878f9ddd5692164a22c85a.jpg

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Hi Muddy Water,

The platform is 700mm in length including the ramps, realistically this will never all be used with the current longest being planned as a Fruit 'D' and composite brake to give some variation to the autocoach.

 

I've had some more progress over the weekend with the platform now primed and fixed in place on the layout.

 

So here is 82020 entering Coombe Town20200119_212604.jpg.c70d23127716cb492f1942f646f2edbc.jpg

 

And then standing at the platform.

20200119_212433.jpg.c48036ba94f0bf6962a1c4d7b83bf2fd.jpg

 

Apologies for the poor quality images, maybe it's time to bring the proper camera back out!

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  • 4 months later...

A long on radio silence again, the layout moved half the length of the country and then most of the way back again!

 

I've now completed the woodwork for the light rig and the backscene is just awaiting some flexible plywood due to the curve of the corners.

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I've also produced card mockups of the station buildings. The signal box is the original at Crowcombe Heathfield station as appearing in a Hard Day's Night. The locking room is set into the platform so it is less dominating than those found elsewhere on the line. 

 

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The station building and goods lockup are both based on those at Stogumber. My plan is to model the Booking Hall door open and show the inside, if I can't find images I'll base it off the one installed at Broadway on the GWSR, just to give something mildly accurate.

 

IMG_6430.JPG.562dbe257442789f974dac3e72bf3b69.JPG

 

This final image shows what I'm hoping to achieve overall, 5621 arriving into Coombe Town with a short freight.

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Some more progress on the electrics with the layout with 3/4 points operational and the electromagnet now allowing hands-free shunting.

 

I've started the goods lockup with the structure now complete in the pictures below.20200528_121939.jpg.54aa00b81b4ed8b0b132c2283ef0fad4.jpg20200528_121959.jpg.d6644671679f2d274beaed50a18f13f5.jpg

 

Next up is some paint trails on some scrap stonework before painting the lockup itself

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Further progress the last couple of nights has led to a roof structure, gutters and drainpipes. 20200529_230128.jpg.8e528249e6646c2cf980f01409594a64.jpg

 

As my first proper attempt at scratchbuilding from a prototype, I'm pretty pleased with how it's turning out. Hopefully my painting will do it justice.

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

More process again. The materials for the backscene have finally arrived and have been fitted to the layout, what a difference it makes. The track was also given a liberal coating of railmatch track dirt at the same time.20200609_180334.jpg.80ac349787e105bc8857428ca15a96e2.jpg

 

Fully assembled with the backscene added:

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One final image showing the view from the end of the line with an autotrain arriving at Coombe Town.

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Goods Lookup now complete and plonked on the layout for a photo op.

 

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The backscene joint is a little obvious but the worst of it will be covered from this angle by the signal box and possibly the terrain, the latter is tbd.

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I've had an attempt at getting a feel for the layout with some proper photography. Due to the yellowness of the room lighting there's been some editing, although I hope this will reduce when I install the layout lighting.

 

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5621 awaiting the arrival of the autotrain from the junction.

 

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Autotrain having arrived, 5621 departs the loop at Coombe Town with a short local goods.

 

IMG_6500_(2).JPG.1836fcf3aeb3804fd822dce96e515da9.JPG82020 arrives at Coombe Town with the lunchtime service.

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  • 3 months later...

Hope all are safe and well.

It's been a busy few months since coming off Furlough. I've been working on a small diorama to practice my scenic skills before trying things on Coombe Town.

 

I'm making good progress on that so starting to plan my next steps on the layout, focusing on getting the smaller scenic board completed, including detailing the yard.

 

I've mocked up a shed based on Washford on the WSR. The issue I have is that it looks a tad large, what do others think?20201012_073310.jpg.2b6b9326e505088189772f66cc572f2f.jpg

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On the other hand, it does frame a train appearing from under the bridge quite nicely.

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  • 4 months later...

Before working on the layout I wanted to get some more experience of structure building and painting/ weathering techniques.

To that extent, I've built a small diorama.

 

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There will be more work on this in future, mainly a country scene on the other side to practice embankment & static grass.

 

But for now, on with the Goods Shed:

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On 20/01/2020 at 22:49, DRoe96 said:

Hi Muddy Water,

The platform is 700mm in length including the ramps, realistically this will never all be used with the current longest being planned as a Fruit 'D' and composite brake to give some variation to the autocoach.

 

I've had some more progress over the weekend with the platform now primed and fixed in place on the layout.

 

So here is 82020 entering Coombe Town20200119_212604.jpg.c70d23127716cb492f1942f646f2edbc.jpg

 

And then standing at the platform.

20200119_212433.jpg.c48036ba94f0bf6962a1c4d7b83bf2fd.jpg

 

Apologies for the poor quality images, maybe it's time to bring the proper camera back out!

Nice stonework 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Some progress on the Goods platform. Now fully clad with Plasticard.

20210307_174830.jpg.9b54c7e38b2d6598ed63277a3c9cee7b.jpg

 

I've modelled one end with the stairs covered over showing the support and a wooden panel. I have a photograph showing this set up at Washford Goods Shed, as this is based on.

20210307_174825.jpg.25e65e3e08e3ff270c9e56970a72bdbd.jpg

 

And in situ after a coat of primer

20210307_200652.jpg.4c9123b3e25e1bc0da32e6ac32f5e657.jpg

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Very interesting layout, especially as you are managing one of the modelling tasks I have always struggled with, keeping it simple! It's also good to see that someone else gets distracted by other projects that turn out to be good practice. 

I'm building a small through station and recording progress on here. 

I keep finding more and more to do even though it is supposed to be a simple layout with few buildings.

 

I'll be following this thread with interest having read it from the beginning and it's coming together nicely.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Some progress, I've now finished the CAD work for all the architectural details for the Goods Shed, these are now off at Shapeways and due at the end of the month. 

In the meantime, the bridge on the scenic break has had a coat of primer and will get its first coat of paint at the weekend.20210408_080850.jpg.6cebc7ecd9869db0ce77f1310719d43e.jpg

 

I've also started giving some thought the opposite end of the layout, namely the large area behind the headshunt.20210405_221816.jpg.db6d5ea2cfd0435770c45541a852a770.jpg

 

This whole area will be raised to the base of the trees on the backscene and will then hold the station approach and Stationmaster's house, as with everything on this layout, based on that at Crowcombe.

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The line of poplar trees is an from the GWSR and was common GWR practice. In this case, the story is that the lady of the local manner did not like the sight of a station from her bedroom. Having seen these trees  on the Honeybourne during a trip to a relative, she persuaded her husband to pay to have these planted...

My view is that they will make a nice break and hide the joint with the backscene. But as with everything, I might change my mind by the time I get there!

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  • 2 weeks later...

After 18 months, the first scenic item is finished! Finally got around to painting and weathering the bridge over the last couple of weeks.

 

For my own record, paints used with Humbrol 70, 113 for bricks, Revell 78 for the Engineers blue brick and Humbrol 28 for the mortar.20210418_162631.jpg.6dd3db32e49aa641a6f1b06f47ad2ac1.jpg

 

This afternoon saw weathering powders applied to finish the look, not too dirty but a good layer of soot over the track as the engines would be going for it leaving the station.20210418_200608.jpg.2dffa46bee060af70cfd27f8701f0db7.jpg

And finally, posed with my new Hornby Peckett and a couple of vans that I picked on a trip to a model shop over the weekend.20210418_200427.jpg.946c1013b9727950e9e1b89c90497a95.jpg

Really looking forward to getting it bedded in proper once I've built the Goods Shed & Cattle Dock.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Despite my social life getting busier, some progress has been made. 

Having the Goods Shed in position has created quite a nice view across the yard as trains enter scene, but we'll have to wait a bit longer before the office and cattle Dock complete the look.20210427_195001.jpg.e2853fc00bb9cdb0f285e16d68401a8d.jpg

 

Which sets up the progress cladding the plywood shell quite nicely.IMG_20210427_225319904.jpg.112a3863a9888940f66319990be14004.jpg

The clear 3D print parts around the rail entrance don't show up yet, but will after some primer has been added. The road doorway is yet to be completed.

 

I also realised I was didn't have enough Stone Plasticard so had to order some more. Refusing to pay postage for 1 sheet, I ended up purchasing another of the wonderful Hornby Collett coaches. Crimson & Cream for a change, now just need them to produce a B-Set to the same standard!IMG_20210427_225606245.jpg.ff4586ccb9dbc42ccf9a068de5d997f6.jpg

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