Mid-Cornwall Lines - 1950s Western Region in 00

[Clive Mortimore]

Yo Sainty

 

I thought you would have finished the branch by now. Stop messing about with your Semi-detached (not worthy of being named) Class loco.

[BenL]

I'm a long time lurker and admirer of this thread - the scale and precision of this project is breathtaking! 

 

Could I ask what the origin is of the rather charming station building you have at St Enodoc station?

Edited January 17, 2021 by BenL

[St Enodoc]

31 minutes ago, BenL said:

I'm a long time lurker and admirer of this thread - the scale and precision of this project is breathtaking! 

 

Could I ask what the origin is of the rather charming station building you have at St Enodoc station?

Thanks Ben. It's a scratchbuilt styrene model of the station building at Bugle, shortened to about 2/3 of its scale length. When I say scratchbuilt, I did use Peco valances and some Peco and Grandt Line windows and doors.

[5BarVT]

Back to your superelevation: I've seen your earlier post (2016ish) on adding styrene packing between the joist and trackbed but wondered whether it was for visual effect or for running.  I will have some visible curves and some hidden so I'm wondering which I need to do.  Unfortunately, most of the visible are on the flat earth boards!

Paul.

[Sharky]

Exciting Times ahead!

Looking forward to seeing the first train to run through the section.

[St Enodoc]

4 hours ago, 5BarVT said:

Back to your superelevation: I've seen your earlier post (2016ish) on adding styrene packing between the joist and trackbed but wondered whether it was for visual effect or for running.  I will have some visible curves and some hidden so I'm wondering which I need to do.  Unfortunately, most of the visible are on the flat earth boards!

Paul.

Strictly cosmetic, Paul, although the associated transitions (on the main lines, no room for them here) are functional in the sense that they allow a gradual increase in track spacing between the straight and the circular curve.

 

More detail here and in subsequent posts:

 

 

[5BarVT]

1 hour ago, St Enodoc said:

functional in the sense that they allow a gradual increase in track spacing between the straight and the circular curve.

That could be useful once I check clearances on my worst case overhangs. 

Paul.

[St Enodoc]

22 hours ago, Barry O said:

Try 14.6 or even 14.7.. it works for the newer Gibson wheels.

 

20 hours ago, Denbridge said:

Ive just measured the btb gauge ive used for many years with finescale wheels such as Gibsons. It is 14.85mm. Cant remember where this dimension came from, but over the years my locos and stock have run on many other layouts, generally successfully.

I tried 14.7mm and it made no difference, so I looked more closely. The approach to the problem area is on a right-hand curve. Where it straightens out to cross the slip the pony truck stays over to the right, so it takes the wrong road at the elbow point rails, which due to the geometry are to all intents and purposes unchecked. Consequently, I didn't bother pushing the wheels out to 14.85mm as that might cause other problems elsewhere.

 

The solution, if I can be bothered, will be to dismantle the pony truck altogether and rebuild it without the cam arrangement (and with the pivot set according to Baldry's Rule). In the meantime, I will live with it.

[St Enodoc]

On 18/01/2021 at 00:00, St Enodoc said:

Thanks Ben. It's a scratchbuilt styrene model of the station building at Bugle, shortened to about 2/3 of its scale length. When I say scratchbuilt, I did use Peco valances and some Peco and Grandt Line windows and doors.

Ben, I should have added that I used a lot of information from an article in Scale Model Trains magazine, May 1990 issue. Here are a couple of photos before it was installed on the layout.

 

 

Edited June 28, 2023 by St Enodoc
Images restored

[St Enodoc]

15 hours ago, Sharky said:

Exciting Times ahead!

Looking forward to seeing the first train to run through the section.

Thanks! Apart from initial testing, the first proper train will be one of the china-clay trains - probably the long one, to make sure that a 42xx can lift it up the gradient...

[Chamby]

15 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

 

I tried 14.7mm and it made no difference, so I looked more closely. The approach to the problem area is on a right-hand curve. Where it straightens out to cross the slip the pony truck stays over to the right, so it takes the wrong road at the elbow point rails, which due to the geometry are to all intents and purposes unchecked. Consequently, I didn't bother pushing the wheels out to 14.85mm as that might cause other problems elsewhere.

 

The solution, if I can be bothered, will be to dismantle the pony truck altogether and rebuild it without the cam arrangement (and with the pivot set according to Baldry's Rule). In the meantime, I will live with it.

 

Sounds like the lack of a check rail is part of the problem, but the geometry means you can’t fit one immediately opposite the problem area.  In which case, is there enough space to fit an additionalcheck rail ahead of the problem area to improve the bogie’s angle of approach?

[St Enodoc]

42 minutes ago, Chamby said:

 

Sounds like the lack of a check rail is part of the problem, but the geometry means you can’t fit one immediately opposite the problem area.  In which case, is there enough space to fit an additionalcheck rail ahead of the problem area to improve the bogie’s angle of approach?

I don't think there is, Phil. Slips (and diamonds) are tricky as there is always a short section that essentially can't be checked. I'm sure that the problem is with the loco not the track anyway, so as I've mentioned it's not going to be a problem in normal operation so I'm going to leave it with the Dapol wheelset, set to 14.5mm, and that's it.

[St Enodoc]

An extraordinary final day of the Test series at The Gabba. As I write this, with six overs left all four results are possible.

Edited January 19, 2021 by St Enodoc

[St Enodoc]

No spoilers but, with exactly three overs to spare, the match has been won and lost. Some deep breathing needed to lower my blood pressure now!

[Barry O]

Having to play india in India looks like it could be some hard games for England. 

Baz

[Tallpaul69]

9 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

No spoilers but, with exactly three overs to spare, the match has been won and lost. Some deep breathing needed to lower my blood pressure now!

You should've watched England (that's if you can get it on TV)??

 

Bet we don't do so well on Friday!

Cheers

Paul

[St Enodoc]

I've started fettling points in readiness for laying the branch. I recovered them all from the previous St Enodoc layout and they need various combinations of cleaning off old ballast and/or glue, replacing broken timbers, replacing broken tiebars, removing old droppers, resoldering broken joints and, most importantly, making sure that the switch rails fit up properly. I've done the two for Porthmellyn Road and I'll continue in the Down direction with the four for St Enodoc Up end, three for St Enodoc Down end and one for Wheal Veronica.

[nerron]

I hope you enjoy re-furbishing hand made points as much as i do. It gives me a good feeling of waste not want not and it is much quicker than starting afresh.

[St Enodoc]

19 minutes ago, nerron said:

I hope you enjoy re-furbishing hand made points as much as i do. It gives me a good feeling of waste not want not and it is much quicker than starting afresh.

Thanks Ron. Yes, I made these back in about 2007 so they are probably due for a bit of TLC!

[St Enodoc]

The fettling went a lot quicker than I had anticipated and is now all done. Tomorrow I'll give all ten points a good scrub with hot water and Jif, then get back to baseboards and trackbed. The first job is to fix the joists for St Enodoc station boards, after which I can set the levels and superelevation for the trackbed between Porthmellyn Road and St Enodoc. The gradient should work out at about 1 in 100; not too taxing but enough to give an impression of the real Par Loop as it descends and curves to St Blazey.

[Barry O]

isn't it great not to have to go to work every day?

 

Keep up the good work!

 

Baz

[St Enodoc]

St Enodoc and Wheal Veronica points fettled and cleaned:

 

One A5 LH, one A6 LH, five B8 RH curved, three B8 LH curved. These were all built straight from C&L templates in the days before David Smith's GWR Trackwork book and I learned about equalised timbering, the length of check rails and so on. Too bad - I'm not going to build ten replacements.

 

Time for a nice cup of coffee now.

Edited June 28, 2023 by St Enodoc
Images restored

[Barry O]

Layout will be finished soon at this rate...

 

Baz

[St Enodoc]

Out in the railway room I started, as planned, with the St Enodoc station boards and their joists.

 

First, I cut away the baseboard where the old lever frame (the 30 GPO switches) had been. By doing this, I've created more space for the St Enodoc signalman to sit. He and the Porthmellyn Road signalman will face in opposite directions, with their shoulders more-or-less in line.  The new Modratec lever frame will go here eventually. Remember the location of the model signal box for later on...

 

Next, I screwed the three joists that support the station boards to the L-girders and attached short risers to the joists to which the board ends are screwed. This makes a nice solid job but I do plan to join the two boards together permanently with a length of 42mm x 19mm timber along the back and by gluing the mating ends together. Once the boards were solidly fixed I attached the trackbed to its shelf at the Up end.

 

The difference in height between Porthmellyn Road and St Enodoc is only 10mm and, as I didn't want to start the gradient in the middle of a point, that meant that there was about 1450mm between the top and bottom. I divided this roughly into quarters allowing for vertical curves at each end and a constant gradient in the middle. The vertical curves take up about a quarter of the length between them so the constant gradient is about 1100mm long at about 1 in 110. To set out gradients I use a spirit level with a piece of packing at the lower end of each section as I locate the risers.

 

Here's a Brian Monaghan-style helicopter view of the complete curve from above Polperran. Between the toes of the points on the Up line is about 1150mm. Once the track's laid and I've had a little play, I'll decide exactly where on this length to put the St Enodoc UP Advanced Starting signal, so that there's enough space at either end for shunting.

 

There's not much room for superelevation but I added a bit anyway, in my usual way, by packing between the risers and trackbed with thin styrene strip. There's about 1mm packing here, giving around 1 in 40 superelevation. That should be just enough, as I hope you can see here, for a nice visual effect.

 

I mentioned the signal box earlier. Because the previous St Enodoc layout was designed for potential exhibition (although in the event that never happened) the signal box faced away from the operating well so that viewers could see the nameboard and interior. On the new layout, I think it will make more sense to turn it round and place it between the Up and Down lines so that the signalman and drivers can see that side rather than a blank wall. It's not fixed down at the moment, so I can still change my mind. What does the team think?

Edited June 28, 2023 by St Enodoc
Can't convert from thou's to mm. Images restored.

[acg5324]

Signal box facing the operators, as per the last photo. Always a shame to hide something away.