Coombe Viaduct, Saltash and the Royal Albert Bridge

[Kris]

A lot of research has lead me to start creating my new layout.

 

Coombe Viaduct, Saltash is the first viaduct in Cornwall (the Royal Albert Bridge is only half in the county). At just over 600ft long and being some 86ft above the water it's quite an impressive structure. 

 

This will form the centre piece of my new layout, well really it will be most of the visible section of the layout! 

 

The layout will be based on the track layout from the mid to late 1950's. It's more than just a bridge that is being modelled as the first points for Saltash station were on the bridge. These will be modelled. This will allow me to represent the reversal of the Saltash Auto trains and the exit of trains from the goods yard.

 

Construction has started as the following images will show.

 

 

 

A little more progress has been made since these photos were taken a couple of weeks back which is a good thing as this layout is now due to the exhibited in a years time, gulp. 

 

Rather than doing this in 2mm. The new track work from fiNetrax convinced me to go down this route. The other reason for this is that steam locos are more difficult to represent in 2mm.

 

The visible size of the layout is about 5'6" x 2" with a fiddle yard at the rear. This will allow a continuos run and let me sit back and just watch the trains go by at home. Despite the small size there is no compression and I will be including the gradient over the viaduct of 1 in 64, I like a challenge. There will also be the potential to run full length trains without them looking to daft (well that is the hope).

 

This is very much designed with the potential to extend both East and West in the future.   

 

 

Edited January 30, 2021 by Kris
Updated title

[Wherry Lines]

Wow! A very impressive sounding project. 

[Andrew P]

Sounds like more than just a CHALLANGE,   wow.

 

Good luck, although having seen what you have created so far, I don't think you will need any luck, just your obvious skill and determination. :locomotive:

 

Andy

[gwrrob]

A fabulous project Kris but have you abandoned Avonwick then.

[d600]

Hi this is looking very good already will be watching your progress,so keep the pics coming. 

 

cheers

[Clay Country]

Cracking work there Kris, I look forward to seeing more.

[Kris]

Thanks for all the kind comments. After a torrid and turbulent couple of years things are now starting to look very much better so a new layout is the way forward. 

 

A fabulous project Kris but have you abandoned Avonwick then.

 

Avonwick is still in existence Robin but there is no room to put it up at home. It also didn't run as well as I wanted. At the moment I am undecided as to it's final fait but it is likely that the main board will be kept but the rest may well be stripped and skipped. Not the best ending but as storage is very limited it is a solution. 

Edited August 27, 2013 by Kris

[Kris]

So moving on from the post yesterday where I said that more had been done, what is more?

 

In the pictures above the wood is just balanced, very little was fixed.

 

The now situation.

 

The rear board for the main part of the fiddle yard is complete in terms of the main frame work. The trackbed is cut but needs to be fixed down. Part of this board has a gradient (1 in 75) on to allow for the gradients on the main board. The rest of the required gradient will be on the RH end board (as looking at the front of the layout).

 

The main scenic board has the outer frame glued and pinned and the inner central spar has been cut to size, allowing for the river bed, and has also been attached.  The next step on this board will be to cut and attach the cross bracing. Following this the river bed will need fitting.

 

The end boards are still just piles of wood that has mostly been cut to size. The LH board will be easier to build as it has no gradients present. Given this I am more likely to build this first. The RH board will have a gradient of approximately 1 in 75 to match the fiddle yard. This will require some consideration as to how this is best achieved so will be the last board built.

 

Of the developments mentioned above all I have done today is to remove, cut and re-fix the central spar of the main board. I had forgotten to leave room for the river bed. Whoops.    

[Kris]

 

Looking at the orientation of the layout in the pictures, the Tamar is to be on what I assume is the backscene, with the creek to the front?

 

 

The Tamar will be on the back scene. If it were the other way round you'd have to stand in it to see the trains running meaning wet toes 

[Kris]

Further progress update. No photo's today but hopefully tomorrow once the glue has dried and the woody bits are in a location more appropriate for photography. 

 

The main scenic board now has all the bracing in place, well I hope all but should stiffness not be acceptable then more will be added later. 

The easy end board has all the framing and bracing completed. 

I have started poking at some of the awkward end board, you never know more of that might get done tomorrow.

[Kris]

Right, as threatened yesterday, photos. 

 

I plugged on this afternoon and built the awkward board, so all the main framework is now done. 

The viaduct is still only loosely plonked in place so you'll have to ignore the fact that it's wonky. 

The next steps will be to sort out the viaduct. Once this is done I can create the fiddle yard track bed. I have taken the decision to slightly landscape the end boards to enable them to match the main board making it more acceptable to be up in the house for some of the time allowing me more use at home. 

 

The first couple of photos show the framing before I "plonked" the viaduct on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Proper legs will be provided in the future. The workmates were just convenient. I was quite happy with the height that these combined with the raised patio gave, so for exhibition use I will probably aim for a similar level. At home it will be higher, with the base of the boards at about 4ft.

Edited September 3, 2013 by Kris

[bcnPete]

Cracking project Kris...that viaduct will be something else...

 

Interesting decision to use FiNetrax too...just tried to google the website and found a curtain and blind supplier

 

Of course, if you had wanted to do it 2mmFS you could have always done it in the diesel era

 

Staying tuned...

[Kris]

You didn't go to this link then Pete http://www.britishfinescale.com 

The idea of the diesel's was tempting, but I like steam locos.

 

No real updates except that the fiddle yard board now has a track bed, and I have started cutting the track beds for the end boards.  

[Kris]

The 3 fiddle boards all now have their track beds added. There is a small amount of tweaking required as one of the boards is about .2 of a mm higher than I want it to be. I shall need to bring the sander and the plainer to resolve this. 

I've got to say that this project is coming along quicker that I expected it to which is pleasing, and at the moment if this progress keeps up I feel that the layout will be at a reasonable stage of completion in 11 months time. 

[cornish trains jez]

Can't believe I've only just discovered this!! Superb work Kris, I'll be watching with interest! I can just hear a large logo 50 rumbling over the viaduct!! He he!! The steam era is a great choice, with farish releasing their Castle and the Dapol hall, manor and grange, there is some great variety of tender locos now available.

 

Best regards,

 

Jeremy

[Kris]

A class 50, sacrilege!   If it did ever happen you'd have to excuse the track layout. I could get away with Westerns, 22's, hymeks etc. The Farish castle and the 64xx will be key purchases, as will the Dapol grange when it is released.

 

In terms of an update on the progress. I was not happy with the amount of flex that I was getting in the main board when I tried to twist it (rather brutally I may add) so I have added some triangular bracing which has removed 90% of the flex. A couple more braces should bring this down even more. I have laid the base for the creak and have added the road bed for the lane that passes next to the goods yard then under the line. I have started to put the final pieces in place to allow the viaduct to be added. At the moment I am still considering the most appropriate way to ensure the correct gradient transitions on the main board. Once I have ironed these out it will allow for the final fitting of the viaduct. After this I need to consider how the pointwork on the viaduct can be motorised. I don't believe that there is room within the pillar to place a motor so I will need to look at some form of mechanical linkage. 

I have ensured that I have the main bus feeds for the lines in place on all boards. Rather organised for me I feel!

 

Once I get the viaduct in place I'll sort out some more photos, don't expect much more than bits of wood however.  

[bcnPete]

I recall you once had a class 50 Kris

 

Look forward to see you tackle that viaduct - took me ages just doing one arch

Edited September 17, 2013 by bcnPete

[Mikkel]

Coming late to this thread, Kris, what a great concept and already looking very good. There'll be room for some lovely long trains crossing the viaduct. Can't wait!

[Highlandman]

So the grand design with devondynosoar118 and Kingsbridge to Brent then onto the Royal Albert has gone out of the window then     .  Seriously though this project is looking really good and I look forward to seeing pictures of the completed layout.

[RSLR]

Hi,

Looks Super Kris, I can almost imagine a long china clay train going across there!

Cheers, Reece

[Kris]

I recall you once had a class 50 Kris

 

Look forward to see you tackle that viaduct - took me ages just doing one arch

 

There might be a large logo 50 somewhere. Needs a new chip and to have n gauge wheel sets put back in to allow it to run on here however, er well once there is any track laid.

 

Coming late to this thread, Kris, what a great concept and already looking very good. There'll be room for some lovely long trains crossing the viaduct. Can't wait!

Neither can I. Having long scale length trains is a real draw and a reason why I picked this location. 

 

So the grand design with devondynosoar118 and Kingsbridge to Brent then onto the Royal Albert has gone out of the window then     .  Seriously though this project is looking really good and I look forward to seeing pictures of the completed layout.

That does appear to have slipped a little, but we are only talking fractionally beyond the Royal Albert Bridge. 

 

Hi,

 

Looks Super Kris, I can almost imagine a long china clay train going across there!

 

Cheers, Reece

 

Quite a lot of china clay wagons have been ordered but there are a limited amount of clay trains that would have used the route. 

[Kris]

Well after a few evenings with the pva out I now have a viaduct in place. I am not totally happy with the results that I have achieved so far as the gradient is not a smooth as it should be. The final arch on the viaduct is about 1mm lower than it should be so the glue will need removing from this so that it can be raised. This will then allow me to remove the worst, after doing this I will then reassess the rest as there is a section that is fractionally high. This could be hidden when the "stonework" is added. Some thinking to do about that. I can see some of the downsides to leaving it however.

 

The photos I have taken are not brilliant, sorry about that.

 

 

 

[Siberian Snooper]

Hi Kris

 

Are the piers stuck down to the deck?

 

If not, and asssuming that you built the viaduct with trackbed flat along it's full length, you could sand down the tops of the viaduct side walls so that they are flush with the track bed and using some straight timber longer than the overall length of the viaduct clamp it at various spots along the viaduct between piers and then pack under each pier to make it all flat.

 

Hth.

 

SS

[Kris]

The piers and the deck are stuck down, the outer edges of the piers forms part of the deck. There are some very minor sections where the piers come fractionally above the main bed but not enough to make a difference. 

 

Using a bit of timber makes sense but I would have to clamp it on the top as the viaduct is curved and there would be no way of getting in it below. I shall have a think about this and see what I can do later in the week. 

 

I have unglued the two problem piers. 

 

Thanks for the suggestions. 

[Highlandman]

You could make the job slightly quicker if you have access to a router with a laminate trimmer. Set so that the bearing on the trimmer runs along the track bed you could make sure the entire pier section is level with it.