RMweb Gold Popular Post Re6/6 Posted June 19, 2020 RMweb Gold Popular Post Share Posted June 19, 2020 (edited) A couple of weeks prior to lockdown, I decided to self isolate (elderly and with issues!) and not knowing what the immediate future might hold and as a diversion from the completion of 'Balcombe', I decided to build a new layout using materials that were 'in stock' in six weeks to keep my sanity. Well, that was the silliest of thoughts! It's now almost three months on and only the baseboards have been built and the trackwork laid and operational. So much for completion in six weeks! I've always had a hankering to build something which had been in the Forest of Dean so I decided on Marsh Sidings at Parkend. This would be designed to be part of a bigger layout of Parkend Station itself (if that ever got built!). It is built to scale length as far as could be gleaned from the various maps which all seem to differ in small ways! The plan below fits the pictures best of all. Plan ctsy of Wild Swan. I was inspired by some marvellous pictures in Neil Parkhouse's 'FOD Lines' vol 2 (Lighmoor Press) and Severn and Wye FOD vol 1 (Wild Swan). It was an interesting place operationally with coal from the 'free miners' being loaded on one side and stone from Whitecliff Quarry on the other. Picture ctsy Parkhouse/Lightmoor Press Picture ctsy Parkhouse/Lightmoor Press This picture was found on the net. Photo ctsy of Tim Venton Operation is planned be in three different era sessions, steam (16xx and 57xx Panniers), early green diesel (Cl 22s and Cl 14s) and later blue diesels (25s and 37s) The boards were built using some pink 'polyfoam' sheets which were available back a few years ago in a subsidised government insulation programme. Unfortunately they're not available any more. After things return to normal an alternative would be blue 'Kingspan' available from insulation suppliers. Plain line is Exactoscale P4 'FastTrak' and all pointwork is hand built on copperclad strips. The threeway was built many moons ago and started out life on the original DRAG TT1 test track and then on 'Matford'. It needed fettling but now performs well. The track bases were made from 6mm ply glued and screwed onto the foam using non-solvent 'Gripfill' (yellow) grab adhesive It is 'old school' and is using hand operated points using RS Components robust slide switches and DC control. It was tested yesterday and it all functioned well (with a few glitches requiring tweaks!) The next task will be track painting and weathering. Just to point out, the Swiss shunting layout 'Rüthi' has not been forgotten, it's just been put on the middle burner! I keep looking at all that lovely Sommerfeldt OLE..........! Edited March 15, 2021 by Re6/6 49 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgman Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 Cracking start old bean ! Good use of the items that you have already got in stock too, I will watch with interest as I also tickles one of my favourite areas to model. G 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Tim V Posted June 19, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted June 19, 2020 The last of your pictures is one of mine! April 1977. This one is from 1983. 25 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Re6/6 Posted June 19, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted June 19, 2020 (edited) Picture duly credited! Tim can you remember if there were rail built buffer stops at the end or maybe a sleeper built one? I've not been able to find any pictures? Edited June 19, 2020 by Re6/6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 46444 Posted June 19, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 19, 2020 (edited) Wonderful stuff. A really atmospheric setting in the Forest. Great operational interest as well with the multi-era stock. Look forwards to further progress. Cheers, Mark Edited June 19, 2020 by 46444 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim V Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 2 hours ago, Re6/6 said: Picture duly credited! Tim can you remember if there were rail built buffer stops at the end or maybe a sleeper built one? I've not been able to find any pictures? From nearly 40 years ago? I'm wondering what I stood on to get that picture, maybe there wasn't a buffer stop, it just ended in the bank? 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted June 19, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 19, 2020 John, just a thought, why not contact Neil Parkhouse and see if he knows? He could then also revise the appropriate caption in his book about there being no Marsh Sidings layouts that he was aware of! 2 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim V Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 A very similar picture to my one above by LE Copeland also doesn't show anything, and I wonder if he , like me, was just stood on the bank. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 (edited) Fantastic stuff; a favourite area of interest for me. Will be watching this with interest! Edit: photo added. Unfortunately from the mid 1990s, which was when I first found Parkend... Edited June 19, 2020 by F-UnitMad Gratuitous photo added. 7 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Re6/6 Posted June 20, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted June 20, 2020 14 hours ago, Tim V said: From nearly 40 years ago? I had to ask Tim! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Re6/6 Posted June 20, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted June 20, 2020 Thanks for that 1990s image. It's given me a better clue as to the stone wall on the right. If anybody has any pictures of the the old sidings area it would be very helpful. Thanks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Tim V Posted June 20, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted June 20, 2020 You mean like this? My old Mini on the right. 20 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Tim V Posted June 20, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted June 20, 2020 Or like this? 25 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NHY 581 Posted June 20, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 20, 2020 Mmmmmm.........railway track in the grass.....yum. This looks like fun, John. Rob. 3 4 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Re6/6 Posted June 21, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted June 21, 2020 13 hours ago, NHY 581 said: Mmmmmm.........railway track in the grass.....yum. This looks like fun, John. Rob. I'm certainly looking forward to doing the track 'grassing'. The aim is to be similar to this. 14 hours ago, Tim V said: You mean like this? My old Mini on the right. Thanks Tim. This is particularly helpful regarding the walls. 8 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NHY 581 Posted June 21, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 21, 2020 Plenty of 2mm grass should do the trick, John. I'm toying with the prospect of a small Inglenook type layout on which to test a few new (to me) ideas. One aspect is to really hide the track amongst the grass pretty much as here. Rob. 4 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 65179 Posted June 21, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 21, 2020 (edited) Have you seen Pixie's 2mm model of Parkend including working coal lorry? Occasional updates in and amongst other stuff on his workbench bench thread. Some lovely modelling. Simon Edited June 21, 2020 by 65179 2 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37114 Posted June 21, 2020 Share Posted June 21, 2020 Great start, always liked FoD layouts having played with Dave Spencer's Lydgate and Woodside layouts a few times. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium DLT Posted June 21, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 21, 2020 On 19/06/2020 at 16:06, Tim V said: The last of your pictures is one of mine! April 1977. This one is from 1983. I visited in the early 1980s, and my memory tells me (vaguely) that there weren't any buffers. The track ended at the end the cutting, itself forming quite an efficient buffer stop. I think Tim was standing on the bank to take this photo. Cheers, Dave. 3 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Johnster Posted June 21, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 21, 2020 (edited) You weren't interested, or you weren't a sheep (on that occasion)? Edited June 21, 2020 by The Johnster 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted June 21, 2020 Share Posted June 21, 2020 3 hours ago, DLT said: I visited in the early 1980s, and my memory tells me (vaguely) that there weren't any buffers. The track ended at the end the cutting, itself forming quite an efficient buffer stop. I think Tim was standing on the bank to take this photo. Cheers, Dave. That three way looks very continental. Les Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim V Posted June 21, 2020 Share Posted June 21, 2020 Last of my pictures. Very poor shot April 1976. Then from 1977 engine was 4150, but I've included this one as it shows the lack of buffer stop at the end of the siding. I have a few other pictures of the engine, but not relevant to the OP's topic. 16 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted June 21, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 21, 2020 So that seems to be a grand total of nul pointes as regards the number of buffer stops required, John! 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim V Posted June 21, 2020 Share Posted June 21, 2020 Captain, didn't you and I go to an open day at Parkend - around 1975? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
5050 Posted June 21, 2020 Share Posted June 21, 2020 Very interesting project I reckon. Might even prompt me to think about starting an FoD layout (again!) to use the Drybrook Road buildings I started a couple (or more!) years ago. And it would allow me to make use of the mainline locos I've built and still have in the 'to do' list. Assorted panniers, Cl14's, Cl22, Cl24 etc. I've got a set of baseboards in the loft too. When does Lockdown finish? 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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