Mid-Cornwall Lines - 1950s Western Region in 00

[St Enodoc]

1 hour ago, Chamby said:

I use rather more than a drop of washing up liquid in the diluted PVA mix, it works better that way.  Use a brand that isn’t coloured though!

 

C&L market their original thin sleepered track as requiring less ballast.  As you say though, it makes for a fine tolerance between too much and not enough.  You might find that mixing in a proportion of N gauge (fine) ballast helps fill the gaps and improves hold without detracting visually.  I have used a mix of C&L’s thicker sleepered track and Peco bullhead on my layout, you do end up using more ballast but it is way easier to level.

 

Even so, looking at the completed trackwork I clearly had some better days than others when ballasting.  It is a job where you definitely have to be in the right frame of mind to do it well.

 

 

Thanks Phil. I tend to use alcohol rather than detergent when I use the ballast-first method. Not so many bubbles when you suck it into the eye-dropper and squeeze it out again.

 

I'm using locally-produced ballast which is sold as N gauge fine and is the finest I can get, so not much scope for improvement there.

 

Your final point is a very important one. It's definitely a job for when you're in the mood, like filing point blades and making up loco smokebox number plates...

[Mikkel]

4 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

I tend to use alcohol rather than detergent when I use the ballast-first method

 

Me too. The detergent isn't as tasty and tends to stick in the glass 

 

I look forward to seeing the results of your approach, certainly looks good on CK's layout. I haven't had the problem with the CL sleepers as it's cinders and dirt to sleeper tops on those layouts, but I can certainly imagine it would be difficult with proper ballast.

 

Edited June 8, 2020 by Mikkel
It's too early for posting!

[Barry O]

We can always ship Rossi a ross to help! Mind you on Chapel Fred, Iand and myself did a lot of it, Rossi did the mainlines through the station.

Baz

[St Enodoc]

A much more satisfactory session this afternoon.

 

First I had a go at Chapel Siding no 2 using the ballast-first method.

 

It took ages to get the ballast (only roughly) where I wanted it before misting and gluing and the result is definitely not as good as Chapel Siding no 1. So, I decided to abandon ballast-first, at least for now, and try a section of the scenic area using glue-first.

 

I chose Porthmellyn Road Up sidings (the goods yard). My logic was that if I made a complete Horlicks of it I could cover it all in gunge and nobody would be any the wiser.

 

As it happens, though, I'm quite pleased with how this turned out. I started with No 1 siding (the upper one) and then moved on to the point, which I did in four sections - either side of the crossing, as far as the insulating gap in the closure rails; as far as the last soldered joint on the switch rails; and the rest.

 

Lastly, I ballasted a foot or so of No 2 siding including the shoulder on the foam underlay. All this took just over an hour.

 

I changed a couple of aspects of the method too. First, I went back to using a nylon stocking to catch the surplus ballast rather than Gordon's suggested two handkerchiefs. Obviously my ancient vacuum cleaner is less potent than his. I also settled on a no 3 paintbrush as when pressed flat it just fills the gap nicely between two sleepers. I used a smaller one to get into the narrower parts on the point.

 

I wiggled the point blades by hand a few times as I was going along to make sure they still moved. Once everything's dry, I'll clean up the odd little bits of ballast especially around the switches.

 

I'm happy with this both in appearance and time taken. It's easy if not fast but progress is obvious immediately without hanging around for stuff to dry.

 

Rather than go back to the tunnel and viaduct next, I think I'll work Up from here to get more practice in before I need to fiddle around the viaduct guard rails.

 

 

 

Edited July 17, 2023 by St Enodoc
images restored

[St Enodoc]

In for a penny, in for a pound (or, fools rush in...). A couple of hours work this afternoon saw the two double slips at Porthmellyn Road ballasted.

 

The holes for the Cobalt operating wires are (partly) concealed by DCC Concepts' imitation ballast stickers/labels. Unfortunately, these are rather darker than the ballast I'm using so they show up more than I would like. This is especially true of the double slips, with their two tiebars at each end. I think that once everything else is done I'll try to work some pale grey paint round the area. I've done that on previous layouts and the lack of actual ballast isn't too noticeable "from normal viewing distances".

 

Probably no more until the weekend, when I'll move on to the single slip and the remaining three points at this end.

Edited July 17, 2023 by St Enodoc
images restored

[Stubby47]

Could you stain the light ballast darker ( as well) to indicate heavy oil lubrication of the tiebars?

 

PS - can't quite see my village on the map behind, another inch or so more on the lower edge would have done it.

Edited June 9, 2020 by Stubby47

[St Enodoc]

7 minutes ago, Stubby47 said:

Could you stain the light ballast darker ( as well) to indicate heavy oil lubrication of the tiebars?

 

PS - can't quite see my village on the map behind, another inch or so more on the lower edge would have done it.

I will be painting a weathering wash on all the track eventually, Stu. That will make some difference but with the double slips I might need to do more.

 

Sorry about the map. I downloaded it some time ago from a website called Probert Encyclopedia, which appears to be defunct. There were others, all from the Bartholomew 3 miles to the inch road atlas I think, but they're no longer there. This one's not from the same series but it might help you find your way home:

 

http://www.british-coast-maps.com/map-north-cornwall.jpg

 

[Stubby47]

Ah. so that's where I am, many thanks !!

 

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=12&lat=50.28552&lon=-5.15230&layers=6&right=BingHyb

[Stubby47]

When you run a train over the ballasted section, is there much difference in noise ?

[St Enodoc]

32 minutes ago, Stubby47 said:

When you run a train over the ballasted section, is there much difference in noise ?

Don't know yet! But probably yes, more rumble. That might drown out some of the noisy motors and gears. I hope we'll still hear the clickety-clack at the ends of the lifting section.

 

I'll report back when I've got more of the main lines done.

[Chamby]

6 hours ago, Stubby47 said:

PS - can't quite see my village on the map behind, another inch or so more on the lower edge would have done it.

 

You and me both, Stubby!  Just off the bottom of the map.

 

Out of interest, the picture below is on display in the Mevagissey Museum and illustrates a proposed (but never built) railway extension from Pentewan to Mevagissey, including a significant remodelling of the harbour facilities within the existing outer walls.  It would have also extended at the other end of the Pentewan Railway up to the GWR station at Snozzle.  I understand that the idea was to tap into the pilchard and tourist business as well as provide improved port facilities for the loading of clay (Pentewan was silting up because of clay sediment washing down in the White River).  It didn't happen because the GWR beat them to the clay business, transporting it direct from the dries down to Par and Fowey.  It would make a great model though!

 

You can just make out the tunnel mouth in the cliff (centre back) and a train on the harbour wall.  Apologies for the reflections, it is displayed under glass with poor lighting for photography.

 

[St Enodoc]

6 hours ago, Chamby said:

 

You and me both, Stubby!  Just off the bottom of the map.

 

Out of interest, the picture below is on display in the Mevagissey Museum and illustrates a proposed (but never built) railway extension from Pentewan to Mevagissey, including a significant remodelling of the harbour facilities within the existing outer walls.  It would have also extended at the other end of the Pentewan Railway up to the GWR station at Snozzle.  I understand that the idea was to tap into the pilchard and tourist business as well as provide improved port facilities for the loading of clay (Pentewan was silting up because of clay sediment washing down in the White River).  It didn't happen because the GWR beat them to the clay business, transporting it direct from the dries down to Par and Fowey.  It would make a great model though!

 

You can just make out the tunnel mouth in the cliff (centre back) and a train on the harbour wall.  Apologies for the reflections, it is displayed under glass with poor lighting for photography.

 

That's very interesting Phil, thanks. If I'd known about that earlier, I would have located my fictional Tregissey at Meva itself rather than Pentewan. I have made the imaginary connection to the main line at Trewoon Junction though.

[Stubby47]

I'd have thought the station in Meva would be where the large car park is, with a spur running through the town to the short quay in the inner harbour, just squeezing between the buildings. The short quay can just be seen in the pic above, at the extreme left.

 

At least, that was what the goods part of my planned Harbour layout was going to portray - the passenger part was to be influenced by St.Ives.

[Chamby]

8 hours ago, Stubby47 said:

I'd have thought the station in Meva would be where the large car park is, with a spur running through the town to the short quay in the inner harbour, just squeezing between the buildings. The short quay can just be seen in the pic above, at the extreme left.

 

At least, that was what the goods part of my planned Harbour layout was going to portray - the passenger part was to be influenced by St.Ives.

 

The picturesque narrow streets with sharp corners do not lend themselves to a street running spur in Meva.  Also, the big hill between Meva and Pentewan would require either a long tunnel or rack section, so the plan opted for a Dawlish-esque coastal route that avoided the heart of the village and the hill altogether.  Though the coast option would be very vulnerable and unusable when it blows a hooley in from the East.

 

The streets remain problematic today.  A fork-lift truck now carries pallet-loads of fish from the harbour, through the narrow village streets to a reefer lorry parked up in the bus stop opposite the big car park.  When the fleet brings home a good catch, the noisy fork-lift keeps on running late into the evening, trundling past the many front doors that open directly onto the narrow streets.  Because of the one-way system, it follows a different route out and back, reminding many folk in the village that they live in a working fishing port!

 

 

 

Edited June 10, 2020 by Chamby
To clarify a point

[Stubby47]

Yes, the railway might have flattened a few buildings, but that's been done before and no-one complained, but there's a big gap behind the shops on Fore St, opposite Jetty Street, with only a small housing complex there and the Meva Model Railway.

The tunnel could be dug, there's one to Fowey anyway.

[Oldddudders]

Mention of the car park in Mevagissey compels me to mention that this was the scene of a life-changing phonecall, received by Sherry, in late March 2014. We were staying in Charlestown for a few days, but the cottage had no phone-signal, so, having parked the car at Mevagissey, Sherry turned on her phone to be greeted by a voicemail and then a call from home. She cleverly sidestepped the accusation - thespian skills! -   but over a much-needed Jamesons in a nearby pub convinced herself that a change of life was overdue. 

 

She and Pete divorced later that year, and we married the year after.

[St Enodoc]

Today's post brought a small supply of old Roxey Mouldings styrene droplight frames - thanks @Barry O. These have now been stuck in place inside the E147 body, which is, therefore, now ready for painting. We are promised a dry mild Saturday so that might give me a chance to spray it.

[Barry O]

Right.. I now know what you will see when you enter the layout room.. a full size Stu.... I claim my free beer!

 

Baz

[Barry O]

Had a video call with Fred the other day. Could it be your ballast is too fine to settle in the sleeper gaps? Is it stone or (as used by others) ground up coconut shell?

 

For the tiebar area the idea of sloshing some "oil/grease" coloured paint is sound!

 

Baz

[Stubby47]

7 minutes ago, Barry O said:

Right.. I now know what you will see when you enter the layout room.. a full size Stu.... I claim my free beer!

 

Baz

 

You been talking to my missus?

She says I should get into shape, I say round is a shape.

[St Enodoc]

5 hours ago, Barry O said:

Right.. I now know what you will see when you enter the layout room.. a full size Stu.... I claim my free beer!

 

Baz

Wait and see.

[St Enodoc]

5 hours ago, Barry O said:

Had a video call with Fred the other day. Could it be your ballast is too fine to settle in the sleeper gaps? Is it stone or (as used by others) ground up coconut shell?

 

For the tiebar area the idea of sloshing some "oil/grease" coloured paint is sound!

 

Baz

It's stone Baz - fine limestone I think. Sold as Chuck's Ballast N gauge silver grey, but Chuck has retired so when I run out I'll be using something similar from Matt's Ballast.

 

 

[St Enodoc]

Another change of tack yesterday evening - it's good to have those odd hours where you can not do very much but actually achieve quite a lot.

 

I had five pairs of DG couplings left over from the last fret I made up, so I fitted those to five of a boxed set of six Hornby RTR ex-LNER planked opens. These have the old-style Airfix/Dapol coupler mounts, which are some of the easiest to fit DGs to. First, remove the retaining clip and cut off the spigot. On the coupling itself, trim a little off each side of the tail and crank the head upwards by about 2mm. Then drill the coupling tail and coupler mount, fix the coupling in place with a small self-tapping screw, check the height and cut the dropper to length. I completed all five in less than an hour. Today I touched up round the couplings and screws with matt black paint and also blackened the body-coloured lugs that hold the wagon body to the chassis. Job done.

 

I now need to make up another fret of couplings for the next eight wagons. Possibly tonight's job, or possibly not...

[St Enodoc]

Tonight I managed something I'd never done in about 30 years of making and using DG couplings - when I was soldering the dropper to the loop on one of the couplings I manged to solder the loop to the delay latch as well, so the whole thing was jammed solid. This was unusual, as I normally have the opposite problem of things falling apart after they've been soldered. Anyway, I tried to fix it with some solder wick but without success, so that particular fret has only yielded 15 couplings instead of 16 and I now have a spare loop and dropper on hand. Spare droppers are useful, loops not so much.

[Stubby47]

Have you got one of those cans of compressed air cleaners, for getting dust out of electronic pcbs, etc ?  That might help if you can heat all the solder up on the coupling.

Edited June 12, 2020 by Stubby47