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Penbugle


mdjr78

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Welcome to Penbugle, a small terminus station in the heart of East Cornwall. This layout is my first, serious attempt to build a layout on my own. The main goal of the layout is to learn some techniques for building a layout.

 

As said the layout is based around a small terminus station serving the village of Penbugle. The layout is set in the early sixties so it will deal with the early diesel-hydraulics and some steamengines (Pannier and Prairie).

 

Penbugle is the end of a branch-line diverting from the mainline at Catacoombe Junction. The main reason for it's existence is a nearby china clay-pit, which is reached by a small branch. The clay-trains have to turn around in the station. The station itself has a goods yard that deals with coal, small goods and occasionally some cattle. A factory, probably for furniture, is served by a spur from the bay-platform. Below the layoutplan.

 

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The layout has been ballasted and the landscape is formed. So it's time to get the gardening-gloves out of the cupboard and start making the greenery. I will soon place some photo's of the layoutbuilding so far. Below a picture of the landscapeforming which should give you a rough idea of the layout.

 

post-129-12607105820505_thumb.jpg

 

Werner Bastiaanse

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  • RMweb Gold

The signalling needs a bit of work - although it is looking pretty good ;)

 

Firstly assuming passenger trains are going to use the bay platform the signals reading to it would have full size arms (i.e. same size as reading to the main platform).

 

The signal coming off the branch looks a little odd (possibly because of teh samll scale?)- it should ideally be a bracketed structure if the line is to be used by passenger trains but if it is freight only the arrangement you show would be ok - are those 'goods line rings' on the arms?

 

And you don't need a disc signal in the siding where the runround point comes in, such an arrangement would be unusual for the GW.

 

Hope this helps.

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Thanks for the reactions. I know the problem with the background. I think it isn't possible to correct this. I thought about disguising this with some trees.

 

Thanks Mike for the advice on the signalling. The signals will be the standard Ratio ones. So they will have full size arms. The branch is indeed a freight only and the signals do have goods line rings on them. I will take your advice on the disc signals.

 

Werner

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Thanks for the reactions. I know the problem with the background. I think it isn't possible to correct this. I thought about disguising this with some trees.

 

Thanks Mike for the advice on the signalling. The signals will be the standard Ratio ones. So they will have full size arms. The branch is indeed a freight only and the signals do have goods line rings on them. I will take your advice on the disc signals.

 

Werner

 

Werner,

 

The other one which I didn't mention (I was rushing off for dinner) is the starting signal from the main platform which should be at the platform end and not where you have shown it. But great to see somebody planning in the signalling, to a pretty good standard, right from the start - and on a good looking layout.

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Another two pictures then. Although the layout is set in the early sixties, I sometimes like to run some BR Blue trains.

 

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A reggie railways class 150 arrives from Catacoombe Junction.

 

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The class 150 awaits departure while 31165 arrives with the morning freight.

 

Werner

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I've had a bit of a busy week, but I now do have time to answer your posts.

 

This looks like an interesting project (and thats from one who is a committed GWR period fan)

So, 1)is it exhibitable and 2) can you have it ready for 3spires railex at Truro by next August?!wink.gif

 

Steve

Hi Steve,

 

I've made it portable, but actually only for exceptional occasions like a removal.

 

Werner,

 

The other one which I didn't mention (I was rushing off for dinner) is the starting signal from the main platform which should be at the platform end and not where you have shown it. But great to see somebody planning in the signalling, to a pretty good standard, right from the start - and on a good looking layout.

I know, but I have considered this location because my platform is just long enough for one loco and three Mk1's.

 

The landscape contours look good too, I can't quite see what they are made from?

The basis is from polystyrene (isolation plates) cut to size with a sharp knife. (messy job with lots of vacuum cleaning :icon_thumbsdown2:). The polystyrene is topped off with a layer of plaster and painted in a sienna colour.

 

Werner

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As promised some pictures of the different stages of construction.

 

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The baseboard has been made of 8mm MDF. Strips of 4 in. width have been put together to get a solid structure. Another plate of 8 mm MDF has been put on top to give a smooth surface for the track. Although MDF is a nice material to work with,I will use another kind of wood on my future projects to reduce weight.

 

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The trackplan has been drawn on the baseboard. The trackbed was made of 2 cm wide strips of 4mm thick cork. The cork came from a pack of cork placemats from a well-known Swedish store. This picture is from the 5 road fiddle yard.

 

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A nice stage is laying and testing the track. The track was temporarily attached to the baseboard with small screws en rings. This allows you to make small corrections to the laid track. After ballasting the screws can be removed because the track is then fixed due to the ballast.

 

Werner

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  • 2 weeks later...

Got some work done on the factory. Still need some additional painting and toning down. (and windows, etc. ;))

post-129-12623578257412_thumb.jpg

 

The first two signals are also up. This is a scene normally not scene, because of the background. As a result of the background and roadbridge, I can't see the signals from the control-position :icon_confused: .

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37 671 'Tre, Pol and Pen' heads for the clay dries with a rake of clayhoods.

 

Werner

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  • 5 weeks later...

It has been some time since I posted here. Last couple of weeks i've been busy with some small things like:

painting some figures and fitted them in my Wessex 153, laying a base for some tarmac road, putting a Scalescenes top on my platform and building two Ratio bracket signals.

 

This weekend i got around placing the signals. One of my pointmotors was mounted just underneath the place where one of the signals would go. This meant diving under the baseboards and move the pointmotor to the other side of the track. After that the cords operating the signals were installed. The cords on two signals were to long so the spring wouldn't return te signal to red sufficiently. An extra spring were mounted halfway the cord to solve this problem. But the result is nice.

 

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This picture shows the signals in place and working. Behind the Bubblecar stands my new Kernow signalbox. I don't yet know if i'm gonna use this one or the original Ratio one on this layout.

 

Werner

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The track was temporarily attached to the baseboard with small screws en rings.

 

 

What a great idea! icon_thumbsup2.gif

 

Would never have thought of it! Last time on Carrick Road, I did everything then realised I had left the pins in!!! mad.gif icon_frustrated.gif icon_mutter.gif

 

To tricky then to take them all out!

 

Will def be using this method next time!icon_thumbsup2.gif

 

Great site, great ideas, its what its all about!!!!!

 

 

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  • 10 months later...

It has long been quiet on Penbugle. Don't worry, there's are no signs of a Beeching Axe. ;)

 

I'm currently working on the signalbox interior. I'm wondering if i got the levers right.

 

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I'm assuming that the run around points at the platform end will be controlled bij a groundframe. The points to the goodsshed, coalyard and oil depot won't be controlled bij the signalbox either. This leaves the following:

 

1. Starter signal from platform to main line

2. Starter signal from platform to clay dries

3. Starter signal from bay to main line

4. Starter signal from bay to claydries

5. Point to bay and locking point to oil depot

6. Groundsignal from loop to main line

7. Point from platform to main line / clay dries

8. Point from main line to platform / loop

9. Point lock for lever 8

10. Home signal from main line to platform

11. Home signal from main line to bay

12. Groundsignal from main line to loop

13. Home signal from clay dries to platform

14. Home signal from clay dries to bay

 

Could this be right or do I miss something?

 

Kind regards,

Werner

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  • RMweb Gold

 

 

I'm assuming that the run around points at the platform end will be controlled bij a groundframe.

 

Quite ok although possibly unlikely here as they are quite close to the signalbox. Anyway if a ground frame there would be no ground signals and if worked from the signalbox there would only be a ground signal at the platform line end of the crossover. Best idea - carry on with the ground frame as it makes the signalbox levers simpler,wink.gif

 

 

 

The points to the goodsshed, coalyard and oil depot won't be controlled bij the signalbox either. This leaves the following:

 

1. Starter signal from platform to main line

2. Starter signal from platform to clay dries

3. Starter signal from bay to main line

4. Starter signal from bay to claydries

5. Point to bay and locking point to oil depot

6. Groundsignal from loop to main line

7. Point from platform to main line / clay dries

8. Point from main line to platform / loop

9. Point lock for lever 8

10. Home signal from main line to platform

11. Home signal from main line to bay

12. Groundsignal from main line to loop

13. Home signal from clay dries to platform

14. Home signal from clay dries to bay

 

Could this be right or do I miss something?

Kind regards,

Werner

 

I think it's best to start with the signals because basically you have the correct number of levers and signals but the form of some of the signals is not quite right and you might want to alter them? The arms for signals 2 and 4 should be 'small' arms - not the full length arms you have used, you could also reasonably use such an arm to read into the loop line/goods yard instead of a disc (signal No.12). Conversely there should be a full size arm reading from the main line to the bay as signal arm No.11. And signal No.6 could be a short arm semaphore with a 'goods' ring on it; signals Nos13 and 14 should have 'goods' rings on the arms for the era of signal you have modelled. But note this is largely nit-picking to get your signals up from 'pretty good' to 'spot on for Western practice' - I'm most impressed by what you have achievedbiggrin.gif

Now to the points and here you are rather awry. First of all you are short of three trap points - one for the oil depot siding where it joins the bay, one for the clay dries siding where it joins the main line, and the third for the goods yard/loop where it joins the main line. These omissions also throw out the way you have numbered points and facing point locks (FPLs) which should be arranged like this:-

A. Trap point for oil siding - worked by its own lever.

2. Point from main line towards bay and the other from bay towards the main line (or oil siding) - would be worked by one lever as a crossover, a facing point lock would be needed at each end with separate levers for each of them.

3. Trap point for clay dries siding would be worked as a crossover b y the same lever as works the main line point leading towards the clay dries siding. The main line end would have its own facing point lock lever but the FPL might be worked by the same lever as works the FPL for the points from the main line towards the bay.

4. Trap point for the loop/goods yard would be worked as a crossover by the same lever that works the points in the main line leading towards the loop/goods yard. there would also be an FPL lever for the main line points.

That gives a total of 4 black levers for the points/crossovers and 3 or 4 FPL levers.

Hope this helps and the layout is looking really goodcool.gif

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Thanks Mike,

 

This is really helpful. I know i've been lacking of trap points. As it would be hard to fit them in right now, I might make some fake ones. The goodsrings will be fitted someday and I might shorten some signal arms.

 

The comments on the points are very helpful. I will change them accordingly.

 

I will consider controlling the points at the platform end from the signalbox. This means another black lever for both points (crossover) and one red lever for the groundsignal I guess. Or is another FPL needed?

 

Werner

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Thanks Mike,

 

This is really helpful. I know i've been lacking of trap points. As it would be hard to fit them in right now, I might make some fake ones. The goodsrings will be fitted someday and I might shorten some signal arms.

 

The comments on the points are very helpful. I will change them accordingly.

 

I will consider controlling the points at the platform end from the signalbox. This means another black lever for both points (crossover) and one red lever for the groundsignal I guess. Or is another FPL needed?

 

Werner

 

 

 

Glad it helped a bit Werner. We've done quite a bit of exploration of GW branch terminus release crossovers in a couple of threads on here so answering your final question is easy - a typical GW release crossover at such a station would NOT have an FPL so just the black lever. And yes, one red for the ground signal unless you want to be really adventurous and have a rotating lamp pattern point indicator which was worked directly off the point stretcher bar - so no red lever. The indicator was basically just a large lamp casing with a small square red target, and light, when the points were normal and a small round green target, and light after the lamp casing had rotated as the points were reversed; at least one survived into the early 1960s. However a separate ground signal seems to have been the typical arrangement at most West of England branch termini - the choice is yours.

 

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