Jump to content
 

Blackmoor, Lynton & Barnstaple Railway in 009 (c 1930) -East Grinstead done , next show is Taunton


roundhouse
 Share

Recommended Posts

  • RMweb Gold

The time has come to make a start on the next project of mine.

 

The timber has been bought today and is now acclimatising in the living room. I do this with all new timber these days after building Fort Myers 25 years ago where the boards were made of the same material, MDF on 2 x 1 inch softwood. Back then I built the boards in a friends workshop then set them up at home and laid the track. In the central heated room they all bowed due to the MDF shrinking more than the softwood. Luckily I only needed to replace the softwood along the long sides and to this day the boards are still fine.

 

So in a few days time the boards will be assembled and set up on my existing legs. The layout will be 12 feet by 3 feet. 

 

It will be 4mm scale and a UK location. I have virtually all the rolling stock and the main building has been commenced but not a lot to show. it will be DCC with block detection, hopefully with some automation

 

Its first show at present is November 2020. I will reveal more once the invite is reconfirmed.

 

Now do I call the layout ' Blackmoor' or Blackmoor Gate' which I think more people will relate to despite the station actually being called ' Blackmoor' at the time of the model is being set , circa 1930.

 

new layout.jpg

Edited by roundhouse
  • Like 7
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

For numerous years I have been wishing to model the Lynton and Barnstaple railway. I spent numerous weekends in North Devon staying at a friends back in the 1980's and we visited most of the locations worth seeing on the old narrow gauge, despite closing in 1935 there is still plenty to see including the Station Inn at Blackmoor Gate. This is the much modified and extended station building with the public area extending on to the old track bed. back in the 80's access around the building to the old stables (now cottages) was easier, these days its marked as private past the pub / station building.

 

I have modelled virtually all the freight stock from kits around 15 or more years ago with locos built form kits using Minitrix chassis which are inside frames unlike the protoytpes. These cold often be seen running on 'Bourne Valley' narrow gauge modular layout built by me and our late friend Graham Stenning. All modules still exist and are now stored amongst a few of us so one day we may be able to exhibit it all again.

 

So with the release of the Heljan manning and Wardle locos and the Peco coaches this has given me the impetus to build a layout. 

 

Lynton has been modelled numerous times but Backmoor Gate not so much, so has been planned for some time with the track plan drawn up. I am aware of another layout based on the station that is under construction but not sure if it will be exhibitable and the period it is set.

I havent decided whether it will be late 1930 or pre summer when the siding off the platform loop was still in place but will make that decision once the boards are built next week.

 

The station building is now under construction and I will show a few photos in a separate post.

 

I have also managed to get my Backwoods kit of 'Lyn' to run fairly well after building it many years ago. Its now currently being painted albiet slowly.

BlackmoreGate1982_(1).jpg

BlackmoreGate1982_(4).jpg

BlackmoreGate1982_(5).jpg

BlackmoreGate1982_(3).jpg

Edited by roundhouse
  • Like 5
  • Friendly/supportive 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

The main source of info at present is the excellent Book  The Lynton & Barnstaple railway Drawn & Measured. Invaluable drawings of all the main structures at Blackmoor. I also have numerous other books with photos but this location wasn't photographed as much as the two termini and Woody Bay although the main buildings are very similar.

20191205_092145.jpg.510700a73e22f434bc2af777b8154eaa.jpg

'Lyn' has been on the test oval for running in of recent. I have the Southern decals and nameplates ready to go on once the white lining has been added.The coach is a Golden Arrow kit and now just requires lining and decals. Not looking forward to the lining though!

20191205_092337.jpg.e2663049e9cc77c30ec79cc1f57c8aac.jpg

 

Also a photo of the current state on the main building. I am considering using N scale roof tiling sheets as the tiles on 4mm sheets are too big.

20191205_091947.jpg.6268e5fa97d8e995ad1660c4d3e79e1c.jpg

  • Like 12
  • Craftsmanship/clever 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Boards laid out for the first time. Building looks tiny on them but the station area will be pretty much to scale although there will be tight ish curves to get to the fiddleyard on the narrow boards.

Tomorrow they will be put on the legs

20191209_160540.jpg

20191209_160556.jpg

  • Like 11
Link to post
Share on other sites

On 05/12/2019 at 13:03, roundhouse said:

The coach is a Golden Arrow kit and now just requires lining and decals. Not looking forward to the lining though!

 

You know Peco do some RTR that's a very close match to L&B now in 009.  :D

 

The station building looks nice, decent amount of space on the boards for scenery too.

  • Thanks 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
28 minutes ago, woodenhead said:

You know Peco do some RTR that's a very close match to L&B now in 009.  :D

 

The station building looks nice, decent amount of space on the boards for scenery too.

Thanks

Yes I have Peco mainline ng track including the longer turnouts.

might even get some laid this week.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

The boards are now up on their legs with dowels fitted on the scenic boards but require the plates to fit to the narrower fiddleyard boards but at least they are bolted together for now.

 

So now its finalising the track location. Various pencil marks have been made crossed out and remarked.  The track plan in the book has been used to measure and position where all the buildings will go aswell as the bridge and track. Its all working pretty much to scale with a few tweaks to miss the baseboard joints. The curves into the fiddleyard are 14 inch one side and 15 inch the other side but will be hidden. The Heljan locos have worked on my N scale fiddleyard which has 12 inch curves so they should be fine on this.

 

Next will be laying the cork base plus order more track for the fiddleyard.

 

the tracks through the platforms will be straight despite what it looks like in the photo.

20191210_162953.jpg

  • Like 6
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

A productive day today with the last of the fiddleyard boards having the alignment dowels fitted then cork glued down on the scenic area. There's the two sidings still to do but that requires the buildings to be positioned Most of the scenic track is now pinned down with the turnouts modified to isolate the frog from the blades. The platform tracks should have concrete sleepers from around 1929 so I will paint them a suitable colour as that is the closest way of doing so without scratch building the track.

 

The photos below were taken before I commenced the goods shed. More on that later.

20191212_153348.jpg

20191212_153720.jpg

  • Like 4
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Today the goods shed has been progressed and now nearing painting stage. its been a tricky one to do as there are very few photos and those that I have seen are poor in details so use of the limited drawings and a fair amount of my own interpretation has resulted in the building in the photo below.

 

Also a start has been made on the road over bridge with the basic support structure now resting in place to test clearances with one coach and LYN.

20191213_201958.jpg

20191213_202014.jpg

  • Like 9
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

More progress since Friday with all but the last siding to be fixed down once the stable building is constructed. The first wall is now cut out and clad.

 

The bridge is in primer and once dry will be painted.

 

Just the water tower and weighbridge to be started

20191217_160109.jpg

20191217_155729.jpg

  • Like 8
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

A couple of photos taken this evening showing progress made on the stables. Theres a store and a coal shed to go just in front of it but he stables has now allowed me ot position and fix down the last siding. its strange the way the track goes past the first stable door but thats what the track plans show although it would be good to find photos.

20191219_195907.jpg.05c65fff44e0fe447c5d29fb13d795ab.jpg

Alos the station building has had the hanging tiles completed but still a long way to go before its completed. The chimenys will be next then the ridge tiles can be added.

20191219_195929.jpg.5a392c659813854edcd5b65d374dc803.jpg

Edited by roundhouse
  • Like 7
  • Craftsmanship/clever 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Work on the layout has been a little slower recently but the first half of the fiddleyard track is now installed. A lull now as have been carrying out maintenance on another layout.

 

Just five roads for the five trains but they are six foot long so that the fiddleyard can be used on future N scale layouts.

 

Hopefully a little more will be done before new year but we shall see.

20191223_144416.jpg

20191223_144517.jpg

Edited by roundhouse
  • Like 7
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Up early this morning to lay more track in the fiddleyard. There is now a complete circuit in place and all turnouts laid. Just the remaining fiddleyard roads ot lay then wiring will commence.

 

Quite pleased to be at this stage one month after commencing the project but just 11 months left to complete everything.

 

I was hoping ot upload a photo but for soem reason Dropbox hasnt synched the camera that I was using. in the shed.:(

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • RMweb Gold

its 10 days since the last post with a week away in between but the wiring is now nearing completion on all boards with the block detection units wired. Just the solenoids and frogs to the turnouts to be completed.

 

Hopefully it will all be tested tomorrow evening then work can continue on the scenic side.

 

I also have a sound decoder to install in one of the Manning & Wardle locos.

20200112_194217.jpg

Edited by roundhouse
  • Like 5
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

A productive couple of days working on the layout. Wiring is just about complete apart from installing the solenoids and decoders to the fiddleyard turnouts once they arrive in the post. Loconet cabling is in place to the block detection units and the accessory decoder for the scenic turnouts. A slight hiccup with these turnouts last night but all working fine again. The touch screen PC is now linked up and the track plan set up with block sections and the turnouts but still more work to do.

 

So far three locos have been tested on the layout and generally running fine.

 

One thing that I have found out is that the Gaugemaster frog switch units don't like the long frog sections on the curved fiddleyard turnouts combined with the locos, so one has been swapped for a Tam Valley Mono juicer . Now working fine so I need to find another one on  Santa / Banbury fiddleyard to swap with the Gaugemaster ones which have worked fine on the extra fiddleyard road on those layouts.

 

This morning a couple of locos spent an hour or two running fine around the layout so now fairly happy with these Heljan locos. A fourth has now had a decoder installed ready for a run tomorrow. One of these will then have the EDM sound decoder fitted.

20200115_140656.jpg

20200115_140626.jpg

Edited by roundhouse
  • Like 9
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

I found this video of the line. All quite poor quality but considering it was taken 85 years ago its great to see. Despite being in black and white you can tell the coaches are either faded or recently repainted so I will try and recreate this on the model.

 

  • Like 3
  • Thanks 2
  • Informative/Useful 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

The backscene is mow being installed. I hope to complete this tomorrow and get a fiat of white emulsion on it ready for the sky blue.

 

Also more work had been carried out on the JMRI track plan with a few route selection icons added. More to add and I have started to dabble in the automation element of JMRI.

20200120_155216.jpg

20200119_145118.jpg

  • Like 10
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...