Peafore Yard - 4mm BR Blue layout shunting layout - Sold

[37114]

Thanks Geoff, I don't know why I couldn't remember, it always clashes with Julie's birthday so will have to buy her a spa weekend for her present...

[37114]

With Minehead less than 6 weeks away and the layout relatively accessible I decided to set it up to clean track and test some trains tonight. In the end my kids did most of the driving, (I wasn't going to complain as it is good to train them up in readiness for helping out at shows in the future) hence the electic mix of locos and trains

 

 I am planning to get a couple of items of new stock ready for Minehead; The Malago Vale muck wagon and D7017, the latter being appropriate as the real D7017 is resident on the WSR. Although not fully weathered I gave both a test run:

 

 

My son declared the class 08's as "sick" (youth speak for awesome) so he drove that all evening:

 

My daughter also seems to like "rods" and used the 03's all evening:

 

When I got to have a go in addition to Hymek 37032 also got used:

 

The baseboard for Peafore Yard was bought secondhand from the Bentley MRG and started life under one of their former layouts (identify unknown). Most Bentley layouts have a wild animal on it as a bit of humour and my daughter decided that Peafore Yard should (briefly) embrace it's heritage:

 

[Geoff Endacott]

They are escaped zoo animals. It seems as though you have also modelled the zoo keeper. Does your daughter know where it is?

 

The Hymek has me worried. I clearly remember seeing it with the number stickers as it pulled in to Chippenham and wondering why they had taken off the cast numbers. Then I realised it must have been more than forty years ago.

 

Geoff Endacott

[37114]

They are escaped zoo animals. It seems as though you have also modelled the zoo keeper. Does your daughter know where it is?

 

The Hymek has me worried. I clearly remember seeing it with the number stickers as it pulled in to Chippenham and wondering why they had taken off the cast numbers. Then I realised it must have been more than forty years ago.

 

Geoff Endacott

Indeed, 1975 I think it went so technically a bit early for the layout.

[37114]

Well Minehead was a good show and great to meet loads of new faces. It was the first show since January and a great to blow the cobwebs away (both metaphorically and literally as we were near the foyer) before Peterborough in October. Alan was a great help and allowed me plenty of time to look at the other exhibits in the show including the rather nice Invernevis.

 

As I am on hols from work the early part of this week the opportunity has been taken to set the layout up in the house to attend to a couple of jobs I have been meaning to do for a while. First off was to improve a couple of things in the fiddle yard, namely the lack of lighting and that cassettes can slide of the edge of the top level in transit. When I sold Pallet Lane the new owner didn't want the light units so have been on the shelf ever since, they are a slightly different type to the units on the main layout so I couldn't link them all together a separate plug being required. I then raided the wood store for an edging strip for the fiddle yard:

 

I also decided to smarten up the black paintwork around the layout which has become scuffed over the last few years. While the black paint was out I painted the areas of the fiddle yard adjacent to the scenic section so they are less obvious when looking across the layout.

 

 

While in maintenance mode, some of the stock has had minor repairs of small details that had been knocked or fallen off in transit over the last couple of show so I took a few photos of some test runs:
 

[37114]

It is only 11 days until The National Festival of Railway Modelling show, say hi if you are passing, Alan will kindly be helping out with driving the layout again.

[37114]

Great show so far at Peterborough, also Peafore yard has a new owner and will be moving to Cornwall in the near future for an early retirement. On to the next project....

[Geoff Endacott]

Great show so far at Peterborough, also Peafore yard has a new owner and will be moving to Cornwall in the near future for an early retirement. On to the next project....

 

Not before the Calne Show on 20 & 21 January I hope.

 

Geoff Endacott

[37114]

Not before the Calne Show on 20 & 21 January I hope.

 

Geoff, the answer to that question is in your email inbox.

Geoff Endacott

[37114]

This weekend should see Peafore Yard venture off to its new home in Cornwall so I thought I would post some pictures of some of the last trains to run on Peafore Yard as the stock is not included in the sale. I am not sure if the new owner (Nigel) is on RMweb but from meeting him I think it is going to a good home. Nigel wants it to run some kit built wagons on and is ideal for his home use although hasn't ruled out exhibitions in the future.

 

Part of the sale agreement was I retained the coaches that were part of the backscene (including my much laboured MK1 BSO) and cement lorries. I also agreed to make the rearmost track on the upper level operational as Nigel wants to use this line so I had to wire this up to the control panel, thankfully an easy job to do.

 

Here are some photos from the tests to check everything still works after poking around in the control panel:

 

08949 on the upper level, sporting it's new open cab door, a how to do it guide appears on my new layout thread (link later)

 

 

The first loco to run on Peafore Yard was one of my class 37's, then numbered 37009 with domino headcodes but since renumbered 37029 with 0000's so it seems fitting for it to bring the curtain down on the layout in my ownership

 

 

Finally 03382 pulls a cement train across the level crossing, a recreation of the photo that inspired the layout.

 

 

Alan said to me as we were driving back from Peterborugh that I will probably miss Peafore Yard more than I think, as it really is a great layout to operate and I know he has enjoyed operating it at shows. I have had a lot of fun with the layout and it seems amazing to think I have only had it over 3 years but I always intended to move it on to a new home albeit it has happened 6 months earlier than I envisaged. I am pretty open about the fact that I enjoy building layouts more than operating them so I am pleased that Nigel has plans to give the layout plenty of use and will hopefully get lots of enjoyment from it. 

 

Finally I would like to thank the following people who have helped make Peafore Yard what it turned out to be:

- Dave Spencer for his help with the scenics and weathering on some of the stock

- Alan Forsyth - Alan has been a godsend at shows, giving me a break from operating and great fun to chat with and bounce ideas off

- Kevin Redwood for the photos, guidance and working timetables etc that helped me design how the layout operate

- Andy Kirkham for the use of some photos for the display board and backscene

- Lastly but by no means least all who have commented on this thread and at shows, it is great to get the positive feedback of a job well done alongside the constructive comments which help improve the overall model.

 

My next project has started and the track has been ordered, thanks for reading and hopefully the next layout will be of interest:

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/127271-parsons-vale-carriage-sidings-37114s-new-00-br-blue-layout/

 

[Mulgabill]

I'm very sorry to see this go, but hope that it brings much pleasure to its new owner.

 

This is one of those layouts, along with your encouraging comments, which has got me back into

(reasonably) serious model layout building.

 

For that I thank you, and the layout. And look forward to following developments with the new layout based

on another familiar location.

 

TONY

[37114]

The 2 class 03's from Peafore Yard are now looking for a new home as they are surplus to requirements from Parsons Vale sidings, and I am unlikely to model Avon Street again!:

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=&_in_kw=1&_ex_kw=&_sacat=0&_udlo=&_udhi=&_ftrt=901&_ftrv=1&_sabdlo=&_sabdhi=&_samilow=&_samihi=&_sadis=15&_stpos=SN13+9AP&_sargn=-1%26saslc%3D1&_salic=3&_fss=1&_fsradio=%26LH_SpecificSeller%3D1&_saslop=1&_sasl=robowst&_sop=12&_dmd=1&_ipg=50

[SteveyDee68]

Have just stumbled upon this layout, and have to say that the like button has been liberally pressed despite this thread being a few years old and the layout now being in new ownership! Thank you for providing so much inspirational modelling!

 

Steve S

[37114]

4 hours ago, SteveyDee68 said:

Have just stumbled upon this layout, and have to say that the like button has been liberally pressed despite this thread being a few years old and the layout now being in new ownership! Thank you for providing so much inspirational modelling!

 

Steve S

Thanks Steve,  glad you enjoyed the thread.  I had some good times with the layout,  I may build a 7mm version in the future (10 years away at least)

[sb67]

Hi Rob, I always look through this thread for a bit of inspiration and got a quick question, I like the track plan and was wondering on how you operated it, what was the maximum length of train you could run round on Peafore? 

Steve.

[37114]

8 hours ago, sb67 said:

Hi Rob, I always look through this thread for a bit of inspiration and got a quick question, I like the track plan and was wondering on how you operated it, what was the maximum length of train you could run round on Peafore? 

Steve.

Hi Steve,

 

I used to run rakes of either 4 Presflos or 4 16t wagons for the scrap yard partly because I had 8 of each type which was a hangover from the loop and siding length from pallet lane. Physically 5 wagons could be accommodated in the siding and run round loop but they were close to the level crossing. The headshunt was also quite lengthy to accommodate mainline loco's so that didn't help.

 

The upper level could accommodate 2 Mk1s.

[sb67]

Ok thanks Rob, would those wagons have had a brake van attached?

Steve.

[37114]

9 minutes ago, sb67 said:

Ok thanks Rob, would those wagons have had a brake van attached?

Steve.

I used to use a brake van on the 16t wagons to add to the shunting interest occasionally but from memory the limit was definitely 4 wagons plus brake van and I think it used to slightly foul the level crossing. The handbuilt points were quite lengthy so if space was at a premium you could use commercial points to lengthen the loop.

[37114]

Peafore Yard is spawning a bigger brother......

 

[sb67]

Hi Rob, had a read through your thread after your comments on my post and apologise if I've missed it,  but how did you operate/connect  the cassettes in the fiddle yard? 

 

Many thanks. 

[37114]

1 hour ago, sb67 said:

Hi Rob, had a read through your thread after your comments on my post and apologise if I've missed it,  but how did you operate/connect  the cassettes in the fiddle yard? 

 

Many thanks. 

No problem,  it was really simple, I used code 100 rail joiners soldered to the ends of the cassette. As the track was code 75 these slid easily onto the track of the layout to provide electrical connectivity and alignment. Never failed me once.

 

I evolved the concept further on Parsons Vale as I made short loco length cassettes with rail joiners on one end then made the stock cassettes a bit longer with again rail joiners on one end. The advantage with this is it means I never physically lift a loco or stock of a cassette (thus saving the risk of damage and having to retail the loco when swapping ends) but also it makes it easier to run round as you only have to move a shorter cassette. Hope that make sense.

[sb67]

52 minutes ago, 37114 said:

No problem,  it was really simple, I used code 100 rail joiners soldered to the ends of the cassette. As the track was code 75 these slid easily onto the track of the layout to provide electrical connectivity and alignment. Never failed me once.

 

I evolved the concept further on Parsons Vale as I made short loco length cassettes with rail joiners on one end then made the stock cassettes a bit longer with again rail joiners on one end. The advantage with this is it means I never physically lift a loco or stock of a cassette (thus saving the risk of damage and having to retail the loco when swapping ends) but also it makes it easier to run round as you only have to move a shorter cassette. Hope that make sense.

 

Thanks Rob. I've tried rail joiners unsuccessfully in the past but would never have thought of using code 100 on code 75 track. I guess it would make it easier to locate them which is what I struggled  with using code 75 ones. 

I will try that. 

[37114]

8 hours ago, sb67 said:

 

Thanks Rob. I've tried rail joiners unsuccessfully in the past but would never have thought of using code 100 on code 75 track. I guess it would make it easier to locate them which is what I struggled  with using code 75 ones. 

I will try that. 

Yep it wasn't obvious to me but I claim no originality for the ideas as I got the tip from one of George Woodcock's (Bedlam George) layouts.