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'Ashchurch'


georgeT

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Hi, When l operated 'Trebudoc' a few months ago on her last public outing, l was very impressed with the running, and shunted wagons all afternoon and l really enjoyed myself, thats when the seed was sown, so l thought why don't l build a similar layout myself,

 

So now 'Grundy Street'  is no more, here we go again, but this time l am going down different roads, and will take my time, l am planning about 3 years to make everything right, as l retire in 3 years, so only then l can l think of possible exhibitions,  this time lt will be a joint venture with the now famous 'Baron Bodgit'  who's talent and skills for making layouts is far beyond my ability..

 

l will build the base boards, buildings and the track laying, and Bodgit will work out all the electrics, scenery, backscenes etc etc, also i have decide to model  'Ashchurch' in 1948-50  so l will have to re-paint my southern locos in dark green (Maunsell) line out white/black,

 

The plan is not final, and me and bodgit would welcome any ideas or comments please drop in and have a chat....

 

George/Bodgit

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Got all excited there when I thought this was going to emerge!

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/Ashchurch_for_Tewkesbury_train_station_1738932_243ca718.jpg

 

Hee hee now that would be impressive

 

Dream on - but look forwards to progress, will probably get finished rather more rapidly

 

Phil

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Evening Jack, Al, Phil, lan & ess1uk,  Yes this new venture is 7mm (is there any other) and will depict a small branch terminus in the late 40s, lt is set somewhere in the west country where the sun shines most of the day, where you had maybe 2 or 3 passenger trains a day, and a couple of freights, there will also be a one road engine shed as well, and most of the local traffic will be horse drawn, plus there will be a once a week sheep/cattle for the local market.....

 

George 

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Nice concept - sounds idyllic!

 

I suppose I could get to the local Ashchurch eventually - going south from Abbotswood that'll be Pirton Sidings, Eckington and Bredon so sounds like phase 6. Better have a purpose made building..... or T gauge!

 

Hee hee

 

I rather think yours is more practical!

 

Cheers

 

Phil

 

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You've put the coal yard on the run round loop. I'd have thought that coal wagons would stand for quite a long time whilst being unloaded, and get in the way of operation.  Maybe swap the coal yard with the cattle dock, as cattle would tend to be loaded/unloaded fairly quickly, and fitted in with passenger train working?

 

Ed

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Morning Lads,  And thank you all for the input, me and Bodgit need all the advice we can get at this moment, l see what you mean about the coal yard Ed, it would make more sense to change the cattle docks position, 

 

One problem l can see is can l have a baseboard join between the run round points at the end of the station ??

 

George..

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Interesting plan. Just the kind of layout I'm contemplating. I hope you don't mind the input, but there are a couple of small changes I would consider:

 

The engine shed is a little too remote from the rest of the layout for my liking. This is because of the overbridge you're using as an entrance from the fiddle yard. Is there a way you could hide the fiddle yard behind the engine shed without the need for an overbridge? If you could it would make the layout into a single, cohesive scene.

 

Do you need one more siding? I know there's always the temptation to add 'just one more' but the majority of the layout is a runaround loop and you'll not have anywhere to park a couple of wagons. If I recall correctly, Trebudoc has two short sidings at the front, one would do, but I think you'll be a bit restricted operationally not to have any.

 

Just a thought (or two), feel free to ignore - after all it is your railway and rule number one applies.

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Evening George

 

Looking forward to the developments and details on this.

 

I have one concern though, the speed that Bodgit builds at. :jester:

 

Don't let him bully you into rushing your 3 year plan.

 

Duncan

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George, Don't forget you will need a siding to store the Brake Van when you bring in the Goods to shunt, and then attach to the other end for departure.

 

You need to get a sheet and some boxes and work out your movements before you start track planning to much or you wont be able to run round or store the wagons as you will have the Brake Van in the way.

 

Bodgit :sungum:

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Morning All,  Thank you all for the input lads just what we need, well l have put a lot of thought into this project and have decided to model 'Ashchurch' in the late 50s, as l have looked at my 'O2' and 'A1X', thinking of all the hard work to get them painted and lined, l thought what a waste of time and money it would be, so the 50s it is..

 

Duncan l know 'Bodgit' would have finished this layout by now, (hahaha) but he has a lot of work to do of his own, should keep him busy ? l won't be needing him for at least a year to do the scenery, and back-scene, with the electrics well his help is always there at the end of the phone.

 

Stephen  l would like a road coming down to the yard from the bridge, with bushes and trees everywhere, and l feel the engine shed looks better away from the station not so cluttered.

also l want to resist the temptation to lay more track, as 'Bodgit' always says LESS IS MORE

 

Well the sell of 'Grundy Street'  fell through in the end so l have stripped it all off and sold the low relief buildings the the guy who has 'Abbots Bridge' so l now have a blank canvas to work on, will be getting some 6mm ply to make 'Ashchurch wider.

 

G-Tap

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Morning Mate, have a look at some prototype plans and shrink and play with to fit, places like Swanage, Bere Alston, Hayling Island, Midhurst etc, there must be loads of Ex GWR / SR one in the West Country inc the S & D for inspiration. See how they coped with the Brake Van, Cattle, Coal etc it will look less like a Model and more like a model of a prototype.

 

Just my thoughts, I off now to research the Midland Main Line around Matlock, Monseldale and Buxton.

 

Bodgit :sungum:

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Morning All,  Well after a lot of head scratching l have come up with a new plan for 'Ashchurch'  (2)  l have added a double slip and that has saved a lot of track space, also l have put the cattle pen up next to the re-placed goods shed, also the bay platform is free, don't know where to put the coal yard ? any views or comments very welcome..

 

George..

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I'm sorry to hear that the sale of GS(G) fell through, but at least you have a good set of baseboards to start off your new layout!

 

... also l want to resist the temptation to lay more track, as 'Bodgit' always says LESS IS MORE

 

"Less is more" is a phrase first used by the great 20th century modernist architect Mies Van Der Rohe and is certainly a good principle for planning a layout. However, it is worth saying that Robert Venturi (a post-modernist architect from the 1980s) answered Mies by saying that "Less is a bore" - and if we apply that to model railway operation, then this is a bit of a warning. I think the right approach is outlined by Sir Jonathan Ive (Apple's lead designer) when he says (something like), "work out what you want to do and keep refining the solution until you can do what you want in the simplest, most economical, most elegant way so that the solution just feels right". I know I've not got his words exactly right, but that sums up the process of designing a layout for me. I hope you don't mind the deviation into design theory, but I think it's relevant to the development of your plan ...

 

 

Morning All,  Well after a lot of head scratching l have come up with a new plan for 'Ashchurch'  (2)  l have added a double slip and that has saved a lot of track space, also l have put the cattle pen up next to the re-placed goods shed, also the bay platform is free, don't know where to put the coal yard ? any views or comments very welcome..

 

George..

 

... which you've done with 'Ashchurch' (2), this plan is a huge improvement for me. Still simple, but better achieves what you said you wanted: something that is as much of a joy to operate as Trebudoc was.

 

I'm watching with interest ... and a touch of jealousy as I'm not ready for an O Gauge layout yet ...

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Hello Stephen,  l think the new 'Ashchurch' has more features to play with, l like the goods shed in the foreground, but 'Bodgit' hates it, he says that it will hide the station, so we will see, l have not found a place for a small coal yard yet, l fancy a couple of horse drawn carts. we'll see    thanks for the input....

 

George..

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Hi George,

 

I agree with Andy, would it be better with a loading bay and lock-up shed (like the SR concrete provender store)?

 

I'm not sure about the engine shed either. Would there be any requirement to have a loco overnight at a small station?

Would this siding be best used for a coal merchant ? Could also be a private siding, with gate under bridge ?

 

Less is more approach works for me ....

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Hi George, I think that the Coal Yard would look better where the Goods Shed is, as scenery NEEDS to be low at the front and build up as you go back so as not to hide things further back.

 

Bodgit :sungum:

 

Been thinking about this. For overall visibility, yes, the general trend of the scenery should be lower at the front to higher at the back, but it seems to me that the occasional building (such as a goods shed) would help frame various views from the front of the layout. You'd be able to see the trains appearing and disappearing behind it.

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