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Blackford Wharf (was Castlebrook Sidings)


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UPDATE 18/11/2021

 

If you have jumped to this point from reading the initial entry on page 1, you are in the right place to find out what was going on in my head without trawling through 3 pages of piecemeal evolution! You never know ... it might still make sense!

 

So, Friday at 8:00pm I mentioned inspiration...

 

I remembered a photo of Cromford Wharf in an old book I had/have about the C&HPR, showing the canal running close to the tracks and making for a narrow site. Eureka! Now, where else had I seen something similar?

 

Of course, the Cromford Wharf thread by our very own @Alister_G - so a very enjoyable time I have had this weekend reading through that, Ladmanlow Sidings and Cawdor Quarry (where I had previously remarked that his efforts were turning me away from wharfs and riversides towards mineral workings!) Crikey! Looking back now I can see the influence of all three of his layouts together with White Peak Limestone and Tarmacadam upon the development of this micro!

 

When I wrote on Friday I was feeling quite tired and aching, and by 9:15pm that night I was in bed. Sadly, all I have managed to be able to do this weekend is read through (and react to) various threads, as a bout of the lurgy* has laid me low all weekend. (I'm typing this having woken up at stupid o'clock in the morning, feeling cold and aching again ... time for another Lemsip, a hot water bottle and an attempt to get some sleep before the alarm announces a new day at 6:30am...)

 

Of course, being confined to bed can also be expensive, as there is no excuse (other than sleeping) to miss the end of eBay auctions! I have wanted to add a Bachmann 3F tender loco to my collection as additional motive power for this layout (as well as the Jinty 3F tank loco, and the J94) and I got one at a very reasonable price, together with a Standard 4MT 2-6-0 with a BR1B tender (suitable for SR wirking) from the same seller for a similarly agreeable price. I now have a large bundle of goodies (including the aforementioned 2-6-2 tank loco) to collect at some point - that is all of my modelling tokens spent this month, especially as I also went a bit crazy buying vehicles for Burnstow Dock and a whole bunch of inspirational C&HPR and other books!

 

Sadly, I don't think I'll be collecting them any time soon ... the way I feel now, I think I shall be confined to bed for at least another day!

 

Steve S

 

* The good news is that the PCR test says it isn't Covid...

 

Edited by SteveyDee68
Updated 18/11/2021 and links added
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Whilst waiting for the kettle...

 

Missing image here

 

First thoughts/inspiration ... justify the curves and stick in a canal basin/wharf hard up against the tracks (excuse the poor photo editing - wish I had a certain Mr Peter's skills at photo doctoring!)

 

Then, looking at @Alister_G’s Cromford Wharf again, I wondered if an additional point to an engine shed hard up against the canal sude might act as a scenic block for the exit to the fiddle yard? Perhaps an overbridge across the tracks and then the canal could help "frame" the end? With plenty of greenery/trees of course!

 

Missing image here

 

It's a start ...

 

HOURS OF FUN!

Edited by SteveyDee68
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6 minutes ago, Alister_G said:

Thank you very much for your comments, Steve, this looks like an interesting little project, and I'm now following.

 

Sorry to hear of your dreaded lurgy, and hope you feel better soon.

 

Al.

 

Not at all, Al - your layout threads have been a joy to re-read and full of inspiration. I plan to shamelessly steal elements from them all! 

 

Steve S

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4 hours ago, SteveyDee68 said:

Need to justify the buffer stops at the near end, scenically...

 

If the layout is squeezed between the canal on one side and a big lump of high terrain on the other, that would give you the justification for the curve of the track, and an old abandoned quarry face could be at the end where the buffer stops are?

 

Al.

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On 18/10/2021 at 09:31, Alister_G said:

 

If the layout is squeezed between the canal on one side and a big lump of high terrain on the other, that would give you the justification for the curve of the track, and an old abandoned quarry face could be at the end where the buffer stops are?

 

Al.

 

Oh, I like your thinking, @Alister_G ... I'm going to ponder upon that!

 

Despite being off work, I nipped into the loft earlier to quickly check out my new eBay purchases* on my rolling road/rollers. The 2MT 2-6-2 runs like a sewing machine, but is missing a set of rear steps (fingers crossed Bachmann can do spares), the 4MT 2-6-0 literally looks brand new, and is a smooth runner even before properly running in. And the 3F 0-6-0 tender, intended to occasionally appear on this layout? Dead as a dodo!

 

After 5 seconds of panic, I turned her over to check that pickups were in place etc and saw words I didn't expect to see under the tender - "DCC on board"! Checking the outer box, that said the same thing! It appears that I have unwittingly purchased a factory fitted DCC loco for less than the starting price of similar non-DCC items!

 

I double checked the listing (no mention of DCC) and even checked with the seller that I hadn't got the wrong item by accident, but no - he hadn't checked in the first place, and the photo of the box on eBay clearly showed "DCC on board" (which I hadn't noticed - I'm not that particular about boxes to be honest, as long as an item is carefully packaged up for posting - I'm no collector of 'shelf queens'!) ... so, all in all, I seem to have bagged a double bargain!

 

Now, how to test it? Hmmmm....

 

HOURS OF FUN!

 

* I neglected to mention that somebody kindly collected them for me!  

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On 15/10/2021 at 20:00, SteveyDee68 said:

Inspiration ...

 

:paint:

 

 

 

I neglected to mention ...

 

Insert image of book cover here

 

A rather tatty copy in my possession that tends to shed pages whenever opened! I guess it is long out of print, as I had this as a teenager (30+ years ago!) Furthermore, I don't know if printed photos can lose their definition over time, but below is the photo that sprung to mind on Friday and had me digging this book out ...

 

Insert photo of Cromford Wharf

 

Apologies for the cack-handed scan/photo! (Also, should this breach copyright please let me know and I shall take it down immediately!)

 

"Oh, look!" cried I upon spying the picture. "That would neatly "box in" my planned trackage! I shall use Cromford Wharf as an inspiration. Oh, but I think I have seen this modelled before somewhere on RMWeb. I shall seek it out as further inspiration"

 

Which led me to @Alister_G's layout of the same name, and from there to Ladmanlow Sidings, which in turn sent me back inside the book...

 

Insert photo here

 

Holy Photo Filters, Batman! (I tried to pull a little more detail out of the photo by tweaking the photo settings but, seriously, it is not that good in the first place!) After a good chunk of reading of the thread, I saw the new extension added and, just like that, back to my old book I went again...

 

Insert photo here

 

I'm liking the circularity of the memory of the picture in the book prompting me to search out @Alister_G's layout threads, which in turn sent me back to the book and that made me marvel yet more at his modelling prowess.

 

HOURS OF FUN INSPIRATIONAL READING!

 

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Did I mention nipping upstairs?

 

Putting the 3F on the end of a train of 8 swb wagons and a brake van, the horrible truth hit home - the train no longer fit into the siding! What to do, what to do? A puzzlement, indeed.

 

At the same time, I "borrowed" the 'spare' point previously donated to DRS Engineering and placed it (upside down - it was the wrong hand) to gauge where the loco shed siding might run.

 

Then another "Eureka!" moment occured and some swift swapping around of track pieces commenced, which resulted in losing the depth of the short siding at the front ... 

 

Now I had a straight line along the front for the canal edge, with the short siding now running into a workshop next to the engine shed. Ooh! Shades of Cromford Wharf, if just slightly rearranged a bit!

 

Even more interesting was that I could insert a short length of track before the point to the rear siding, separating the two exit lines a little more than before. Sliding all the trackage forward made for slightly more room for scenery (a bridge?) to hide the exits under/behind whilst at the same time there was now more length in the rear siding, meaning the 3F + 8 x swb wagons + brakevan fitted again. This did mean that the point was right on the edge of the board, but then again @NHY 581 has done that on all his sheep inspired layouts and it seems to work for him, so ... game on!!

 

Photos when next I get into the loft!

 

HOURS OF RECUPERATIVE FUN!

 

 

Edited by SteveyDee68
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Well, this looks jolly good ,Steve. 

 

It appears that the C&HP inspiration offered by Al and Jay is influencing yourself as well as this 'ere Sheep. 

 

I shall follow this with some interest. 

 

 

Rob. 

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I’m liking the Cromford inspired curvy track and canal plan you have here.  As Al has already mentioned the reason for the curve on the prototype is down to the retaining wall following the landscape down the length of the site. The engine shed you mention as a view blocker was the original transshipment shed which is why it’s built right onto the canal. 
There’s also the other transshipment shed at Cromford that could be used if you wanted a more goods oriented setting although it’s a far more substantial building. 
Will be following with interest!

Jay

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On 19/10/2021 at 00:49, SteveyDee68 said:

 

I neglected to mention ...

 

IMG_2172.JPG.8c165008a51eec487b0f4cd16e3271d6.JPG

 

A rather tatty copy in my possession that tends to shed pages whenever opened! I guess it is long out of print, as I had this as a teenager (30+ years ago!) Furthermore, I don't know if printed photos can lose their definition over time, but below is the photo that sprung to mind on Friday and had me digging this book out ...

 

IMG_2176.JPG.d59b219f98bc2294853de0d3a7ffb216.JPG

 

Apologies for the cack-handed scan/photo! (Also, should this breach copyright please let me know and I shall take it down immediately!)

 

"Oh, look!" cried I upon spying the picture. "That would neatly "box in" my planned trackage! I shall use Cromford Wharf as an inspiration. Oh, but I think I have seen this modelled before somewhere on RMWeb. I shall seek it out as further inspiration"

 

Which led me to @Alister_G's layout of the same name, and from there to Ladmanlow Sidings, which in turn sent me back inside the book ...

 

IMG_2173.JPG.96582d8b99b3eb0a3ae8155948b4de28.JPG

 

Holy Photo Filters, Batman! (I tried to pull a little more detail out of the photo by tweaking the photo settings but, seriously, it is not that good in the first place!) After a good chunk of reading of the thread, I saw the new extension added and, just like that, back to my old book I went again...

 

IMG_2174.JPG.c0807449726f869557c59a3d8820b37c.JPG

 

I'm liking the circularity of the memory of the picture in the book prompting me to search out @Alister_G's layout threads, which in turn sent me back to the book and that made me marvel yet more at his modelling prowess.

 

HOURS OF FUN INSPIRATIONAL READING!

 

Good to see the image of the SLS Special, as a Society we still exist although no longer in the rail-tour market. See - https://www.stephensonloco.org.uk/

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I have picked up several books on the C&HPR over the last few days as further inspiration…

 

Cromford & High Peak Railway Picture Album by Tony Broome

The Cromford & High Peak Railway (Revised edition featuring Wirksworth and Steeple Grange) by John Marshall

The Cromford & High Peak Railway in Colour by John Evans

 

All three books are a fascinating read, and the more I read the more enamoured of the subject I become.

 

Of course, I only went and found the photo I used for my O level drawing project in the first book, didn’t I?! I think I copied it originally from a Railway Modeller article, but it is of the three quarter rear view of one of the NW “chopper” 2-4-0 tank engines with the round tank water tower in the background… (page 22 of the book)

 

This will not be an accurate depiction of any of the real locations, but I am getting lots of ideas for “flavour”

 

HOURS OF FUN!

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1 hour ago, SteveyDee68 said:

I have picked up several books on the C&HPR over the last few days as further inspiration…

 

Cromford & High Peak Railway Picture Album by Tony Broome

The Cromford & High Peak Railway (Revised edition featuring Wirksworth and Steeple Grange) by John Marshall

The Cromford & High Peak Railway in Colour by John Evans

 

All three books are a fascinating read, and the more I read the more enamoured of the subject I become.

 

Of course, I only went and found the photo I used for my O level drawing project in the first book, didn’t I?! I think I copied it originally from a Railway Modeller article, but it is of the three quarter rear view of one of the NW “chopper” 2-4-0 tank engines with the round tank water tower in the background… (page 22 of the book)

 

This will not be an accurate depiction of any of the real locations, but I am getting lots of ideas for “flavour”

 

HOURS OF FUN!

The John Evans book inspired me to take up railway modelling again. I recommend you take a look at his Flickr account as there are a huge amount of colour photos of the line not featured in the book. 
I’ve managed to amass 1000+ photos of the C&HPR over the last few years so if you need any reference material don’t hesitate to ask. Also if you’re on Facebook there’s a very informative group - just search ‘Cromford and High Peak’ and it should be the top result. 
Jay

 

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On 19/10/2021 at 20:41, JustinDean said:

I’m liking the Cromford inspired curvy track and canal plan you have here.  As Al has already mentioned the reason for the curve on the prototype is down to the retaining wall following the landscape down the length of the site. The engine shed you mention as a view blocker was the original transshipment shed which is why it’s built right onto the canal.

 

Last evening was spent "with the muse" arranging some music, which happens to take place in the same location as the baseboards and current track layout are sitting. As I came down to go to bed, I looked at it again for a few moments, and Jay's words rang through my brain - I'm liking the Cromford inspired curvy track and canal plan. But in solving my lack of width issue, I now had a straight line along the canal, with the loco shed (in my version, inspired by the workshops) hard against the canal edge as per the original. I went to bed slightly disatisfied.

 

I awoke this morning with another "Eureka" moment! Jay also said The engine shed you mention as a view blocker was the original transshipment shed which is why it's built right onto the canal - and it was keeping this prototypical feature that had lost my canal curves! Solution? Reverse the board so the front was now the back...

 

Now, the engine shed/workshop is at the back of the layout, and can be hard up against a retaining wall and overhanging vegetation (imagine a scaled down heightwise version of "Shelfie") and the canal will follow the long siding at the front, widening out into a canal basin. At the buffers end, I can "transpose" the pump house and chimney from near Crompton Wharf to act as an "end stop" to the new canal/basin. An out of use crane twixt the siding and canal basin, perhaps a half sunk barge, lots of weeds...

 

Exit to fiddle yard - water tower (as per Crompton Wharf) view blocker between the tracks. Last part of the puzzle - how to hide the front exit? (I have a feeling a second board may be needed, with a stretch of "scenic route"!)

 

Happy with these ideas, and spotted a laser cut boiler house/chimney on eBay that might be just the job too! So very much inspired by Crompton Wharf rather than an accurate model - after all, no incline (at this point!) and serving (in my head) the White Peak Limestone & Macadam company (layout of the same name!)

 

Love it when a plan finally comes together (at last!)

 

Steve S

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Won't need to purchase a boilerhouse kit after all - just remembered that I have one as part of an unbuilt Metcalfe Factory Entrance kit (that I purchased for Burnstow Dock a while ago) that will do the job, once I decide how to change the finish to something more appropriate for a C&HPR setting.

 

Back to the books to see what materials were used for retaining walls... (at a guess, stone LOL)

 

HOURS OF FUN!

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1 hour ago, SteveyDee68 said:

Won't need to purchase a boilerhouse kit after all - just remembered that I have one as part of an unbuilt Metcalfe Factory Entrance kit (that I purchased for Blackford Wharf a while ago) that will do the job, once I decide how to change the finish to something more appropriate for a C&HPR setting.

 

Back to the books to see what materials were used for retaining walls... (at a guess, stone LOL)

 

HOURS OF FUN!


Pretty much everything on the C&HPR is made out of stone (with a few exceptions) including retaining walls. 
 

Jay

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Met up with Rob Rogers at the LYDCCS clubroom and was able to give my Bachmann 3F a test run on a DCC layout. Halelujah! It is, indeed, chipped, and runs beautifully, so need to double check re: running on analogue again (it should work, but last time I tried was totally unresponsive whereas my understanding is that chipped locos are supposed to be able to run on analogue powered track?)

 

Also took my Austerity 2-8-0 along (also "DCC ONBOARD" according to the box) but it made lots of 1970s style computer beeps and chirps but the controller couldn't discover the chip address! Very odd...

 

Also discovered that my Hornby Class H 0-4-4 is chipped - there's a surprise! Thankfully, she turns out to be a gorgeous runner, with no side to side waddle as I've read about elsewhere. 

 

Last but not least was giving my Bulleid diesel a run (on an analogue layout) - such a lovely runner with a massive presence, I look forward to (eventually) seeing her hauling boat trains on my planned Broadhaven layout.

 

In other news, I got a short wheelbase Land Rover for this layout!!

 

HOURS OF FUN!

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By no means a DCC expert (so this needs checking with a Google search) but my understanding re DCC on analogue is yes provided one of the CV settings is set to allow it. Can be on or off, IIRC normally set to on as default, but perhaps yours has been reset to the off setting.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I've been looking at the line running parallel to the loop, and wondering what might that look like as an additional loop instead of the planned "long siding" trapping the arriving loco. I've played around with some pieces of track, and it would seem seven swb wagons plus brakevan will fit, with a Jinty sized 0-6-0 against the buffer stops (fouling the loop point, but allowing a second loco to remove the brake van etc).

 

I had moved the  pump house to the middle of the board, with a siding capable of holding three or so wagons to serve it, but the high chimney would have made operating the layout awkward. Another rethink puts the pump house back at the end of the board again, now served by a new short siding off the new loop.

 

It's coming together (in my mind) but would benefit from another one foot length, six inches at both ends of the board. Contemplating grafting an extension board onto the baseboard, which would also allow the 3F tender loco to fit in the new (currently shorter) headshunt.

 

However, these are minor considerations because the name has been bugging me ... Castlebrook Sidings. As it is inspired by Cromford Wharf on the C&HPR, I did consider Castlebrook Wharf, but then it struck me - I already have a (blank)ford Wharf name, so renaming this layout as Blackford Wharf!

 

Which means the other layout will also change its name! Currently pondering over -

  • Castlebrook Quay
  • Hollins Quay
  • Unsworth Quay
  • Unsworth Wet Dock
  • Castlebrook Wet Dock

Perhaps I should put it to a vote?!

 

HOURS OF FUN*

 

* unlike using the RMWeb editor, which is now glacial and frequently crashes!

 

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  • SteveyDee68 changed the title to Blackford Wharf (was Castlebrook Sidings)

Purchased two points and rejigged the track … baseboard to be extended by … wait for it … a total of six inches, and the 3F tender loco plus 8 wagons plus brake van fits and allows release by a second loco! Now to plan the electrics to allow that to happen!

 

HOURS OF FUN!!

 

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Today has been a good day…

 

For today, wood has been cut, glue has been applied, and screws have been used and a baseboard has been built (at last!)

 

At the moment only the outer framing has been fixed in place - I thought I would place additional cross bracing once I knew where all the points would be, in order to avoid fouling the control mechanisms.

 

I recently picked up a pack of cork tiles with self adhesive backing from WILKO, originally designed to create your own pin board by sticking directly onto a wall. As these are 5.5mm thick, I had thought to cover the baseboard with them and use their depth to create the canal sides for the wharf. I didn’t quite have enough tiles, but sadly WILKO still seem to be suffering from a lack of stock/delivery drivers, so I haven’t been able to purchase more. However, the 6mm ply I had had cut to form the original side pieces for the baseboard was close enough for me to utilise to create “land” away from the tracks and allow me to have cork under all the track using what I already had.

 

So that is where I am at - the track is laid out and I just need to cut a piece of flexitrack to complete the “long loop”. The new points and a couple of lengths of track need a quick Nervardesque spray of paint to match the existing track, and then I can think about soldering power feeds onto the track before fixing it down.

 

I intend points to be manually operated (simpler overall electrics!) but I have incorporated a couple of sections of isolated track which will therefore need switches to control the supply of power.

 

Scenically, I will need to download the Scalescenes small engine shed in Ashlar, together with the small industrial workshop in the same finish to create the shed/workshops. The Metcalfe boiler building (from the Factory Entrance kit) needs re-skinning to match, with the Scalescenes canal bridge suitably adapted to close off that end of the baseboard. 
 

At the rear of the board, I need either a steep rock face or retaining walls in order to justify the cramped design, hemmed in by a canal (just like Cromford Wharf was, my inspiration for this layout)

 

The photo is to prove I have actually done something! Excuse the mess!

 

Insert missing image here

 

HOURS OF FUN!!

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Incidentally, the redesign of the track was inspired by @NHY 581’s Project X, where I noticed the track at the end of the loop was angled; it took me a while to realise that meant no reverse curve across the loop release.

 

As this layout uses short set track points, I wanted to avoid the reverse curves you get through a crossover across parallel tracks for when moving stock. Looking at the above, I think “job done”!

 

There is only one “reverse curve” across points - and that is the shed road, so will only ever be light loco!!

 

HOURS OF FUN!

Edited by SteveyDee68
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Thinking ...

 

Do I replace the straight track on the left exit (to White Peak) with a curve off to the left, to further differentiate from the "main line" exit to the right? I would need to lose the small extension on the engine shed of course.

 

And just when I thought I had everything sorted, I looked at the rear siding and wondered - suppose that was the exit track to White Peak instead? Maybe on a gradient running off stage, a less severe interpretation of the original Sheep Pasture incline on C&HPR, capable for a loco and a few wagons to tackle (instead of a winched incline)?
 

Before I make that decision, I think perhaps I need to push some wagon takes around and consider the operational options of that change! Or maybe I should simply stop dithering?!

 

HOURS OF FUN!

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So …

 

Extended the rear siding, gave it a bit of an incline, stuck stock on and moved things about…

 

A few minutes of playing ahem research reveals:

 

1) “Reception loop” takes six wagons and a brake van

2) The incline headshunt allows three wagons (only) to access the middle loop with a Peckett 0-6-0 at the head of the consist

3) The middle loop headshunt (at the exit end) will take a J94

4) The Peckett takes three wagons up the incline without any problems

5) The point to the middle loop isn’t working when set for the loop (grrr!)

 

Apart from (5) all these things are encouraging me towards having the incline! Of course, it messes up the “four wagons in a consist at White Peak” operation I was emulating…

 

Images were for evaluation purposes, getting a sense of how things might look. Of course, the incline would be behind the engine shed, so wouldn’t be as obvious… trains would simply start to appear over the roof before going under the road bridge (again stolen from the foot of Sheep Pasture Incline on the C&HPR!)

 

Overview towards the engine shed/incline/road bridges/ exit to fiddle yard:

 

Insert missing image


Peckett ascending the incline:

 

Insert missing image


View across from the canal side:

 

Insert missing image


J94 on the middle loop headshunt:

 

Insert missing image


The blue paper marks the position of the water tank/tower (originally to aid as a view blocker, but now redundant as such)

 

 

Edited by SteveyDee68
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