Ardmore

I think I am beginning to understand the best lighting conditions to use in the new railway room, so here are the first pictures of the layout in its new home. I have three Bachmann 45XX and 4575 engines for the passenger and goods traffic on the branch. These are all good reliable runners, but their short wheelbase sometimes leads to slight hesitation at low speeds over some of the more complicated points. I solved this problem by installing TCS KA4 capacitors in each engine. Here we can see 5573 waiting to leave, and then departing the branch platform with its passengers for Upcombe. Another improvement, evident in the second photograph is the replacement of the original Ratio LH bracket signal with a RH one. The new one has the RH signal for the branch line corrected positioned lower than the LH signal for the up main line. Also, the up main starter has been replaced with one of the Dapol motorized tubular steel signals. Like many others, this died after a few months, but as the light it emitted was far too bright, I simply disconnected it and left it in position. Thanks for looking in, and for all the comments. David

When we began looking for a new home, my wife was quite insistent that it had to have a room that was large enough to house the layout. I wasn't going to argue with that, and when we found a place that suited our needs, the basement came with a games room and pool table as well! The layout is 16' X 12' and it fits into the available space with about 2" to spare at either end. The fact that I now have access to the rear of the storage sidings is an added bonus.

Well, it's been quite a while since I last posted anything on this topic. Work was progressing, somewhat more slowly than before, and then we decided to move home earlier this year. So, in the space of four days at the beginning of March, we sold our house near Atlanta and bought one near Athens (Georgia not Greece, before anyone asks). The move itself took place over three days in mid-April: right in the middle of the COVID-19 outbreak here. That meant the layout had to be dismantled (no small task), the stock packed up, and everything transported 50 miles to our new home, before being reassembled. That work is now almost complete, and test running is in progress. All being well, I will post some pictures of Teignbridge (and Upcombe) in the near future. David

Hi Bob, The footbridge is a modified ex-Hornby kit (R 481) which is now part of the Gaugemaster Fordhampton range. I described the modifications I made elsewhere: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/95033-gaugemaster-fordhampton-structures-oo4mm-scale/ All the best. David

Now that the scenic details around Teignbridge have been enhanced with the addition of the six pine trees, it's time for some main line steam action. First up is no. 6010 'King Charles I' heading east with one of the four daily named trains between the south west and Paddington. The Cornish Riviera Express, The Cornishman and The Royal Duchy started from Penzance, and while The Mayflower ran between Plymouth and London. No. 6010 is a renamed Hornby model (R3332) which has been detailed with class A lamps, crew, and real coal. It has also received attention from GC Weathering. I chose this engine because it was one of the two King Class locomotives that I saw dumped awaiting their fate during my first visit to Old Oak Common in October 1963. The other was no. 6028 'King George VI' and I also have a model of that engine. Next up is no. 3840 heading west up the gradient with a class H unfitted freight bound for Tavistock Junction yard. All the wagons in this train have passed through the expert hands of GC Weathering and I have also added a coal load to each of them. The layout is DCC, and this engine has been fitted with a TCS DP2X-UK decoder together with a TCS KA1-C keep alive capacitor. The addition of the latter unit transformed it from a somewhat indifferent performer into a beautiful slow runner. Once again, thanks for the 'likes' and for the encouraging comments. David

The last section of the layout which required some scenic attention has now been completed (at least for the moment). That is the rising ground behind the up platform and in front of Station Road at Teignbridge. In an attempt to capture the typical appearance of a country GWR station, I have now 'planted' a row of 8" pine trees (from JTT Scenery Products). As these are some 30" from the front of the layout, they are less detailed than the Scots pines at Upcombe station. The first pair of photographs show the 'before' and 'after' appearance. In the next pair of photographs, the goods shed is not hidden behind the large oak tree. The goods crane came from Mike's Models, longer ago than I care to recall. If the roofs of the buildings look different in the 'after' photographs, that is because I am in the process of weathering them. Here is a final 'after' photograph looking from the other direction. I posted the corresponding 'before' photograph last week. Once again, thanks for looking and for your encouragement. David

Another part of the layout that has received some attention in recent months is the field and buildings at eastern end of the Teignbridge scene, here visible on the right in the distance. In addition, there is now a gate leading into the goods yard, and a weigh bridge near the entrance. The vans in the foreground are all Bachmann models that have been detailed with screw-link or instanter couplings (Smiths). The two BR-design vans have also been fitted with tie bars (Cambrian Models). All have been weathered by GC Weathering, back in the UK (usual disclaimer). The next photograph shows a closer view of the cottages and Royal Oak inn, looking along the road across the railway over bridge to the bus stop opposite the entrance to Station Road. The inn was constructed to my own freelance design using Wills and Ratio materials, while the cottages were made from a Wills Craftsman kit, but substituting lime washed stone sheet for the walls. The Royal Oak has acquired a substantial covering of ivy (MiniNatur, 1:160 scale), and four trees from MBR Models have appeared in the field. Note the stile in the hedge opposite the Royal Oak (Peco) and the worn down grass on the path leading from it. Blocking the entrance to the field is an MG TC whose owner might have been glimpsed in earlier photographs watching the trains from the parapet of the over bridge. Thanks for looking and for your encouragement. David

Alan - Thanks for your comment: Wencombe was one of the inspirations for this layout. The HP advert comes from one of the Sankey Scenics 1950s billboards sheets. David

Another aspect of the scenics that didn’t quite work for me was the low relief buildings behind the branch terminus station (see posts 100 and 118). I decided to remove these and replace them with a hedgerow to create a more rural setting that would merge into the back scene. It then occurred to me that a fish and chip shop wasn’t the most appropriate choice alongside a 1950s grocers and greengrocers, so I converted it into an old-fashioned hardware store, with items for sale on the pavement outside. I’ve added some fruit and veg in the window of the greengrocers, and there are shelves with food items inside the grocers. I’ve completed the scene with some typical GWR pine trees as a visual break at the end of the layout. For those that are interested, I sourced these from JTT Model Trees. Thanks for looking, and for the comments and likes. David

Time for another update. Last time it was photographed, no. 5573 was leaving Teignbridge for its final trip down the Upcombe branch that evening. Here it is again, emerging from under the road bridge and crossing the viaduct as it nears the end of its journey through the South Devon countryside. Thanks for looking, and for the comments and likes. David

It’s late afternoon in the summer of 1959 and the last up branch passenger train from Upcombe has just arrived in the bay platform at Teignbridge, the junction with the South Devon main line. In addition to the regular ‘B’ set, no. 5573 has brought an ex-SR 4-wheel parcels van that will now be detached from the train. No. 5573 has run forward along the bay platform and is waiting while no. 3840 climbs toward the summit with its class D freight to Tavistock Junction. No sooner has the down freight disappeared under the bridge than Hall class no. 5967 ‘Bickmarch Hall’ appears, slowing for its stop at Teignbridge with its local passenger train from Plymouth to Exeter. No. 5573 will now run forward onto the down main, stop, and then reverse onto the up main so that it the parcels van can be attached to the rear of the Exeter train for the next stage of its overnight trip up to London. In the next photograph, the parcels van has been attached to the up local, and no. 5573 has returned across the main lines to run around its ‘B’ set. Meanwhile, no. 5967 is departing in the Newton Abbott direction. No. 5573 has finished running round and is now being coupled up to the ‘B’ set in the bay platform for its final run down the branch this evening. It appears the crew has still to move the lamps to the correct positions. Note to those with obsessional tendencies (a group in which I include myself): with bidirectional running on the branch, there are at least three options: (1) no lamps (incorrect all the time); (2) lamps at both ends of the locomotive and the ‘B’ set (incorrect all the time); (3) lamps at the front of the locomotive and one end of the ‘B’ set (correct for up branch trains all the time). My choice is option 3. Thanks for looking. David

It's been almost 18 months since I last posted something on this topic. In the meantime, I've been continuing to work on the layout, adding more detail and re-working some of the scenics that I didn't think were quite right. One of the aspects that I thought needed attention was the viaduct and its surroundings. The original back scene included some 'modern' farm buildings that I thought were a bit anachronistic, so I've added some more woodland in front of them. One of the other things that I thought would improve the viaduct was the addition of some trees. I searched for a long time for a suitable commercial product until I came across a supplier called MBR Models, based in Poland (usual disclaimer). The hedges have also seen some additional attention: the rubberized horse hair foundation has been covered with Woodland Scenics poly fiber and then with SuperLeaf from Scenic Express. Thanks for looking. I will post more photographs of other developments in the near future. David

I have fitted a Zimo MX622N to my 14XX and adjusted CV9 to 51 and CV56 to 133 as recommended. Compared with the TCS EUN651 decoder that I had tried out earlier (with back EMF turned off), the improvement in performance was incredible. Has anyone got any recommendations for the best settings for CV2/3/4/5/6? At the moment, I have these set at 0, 1, 1, 180 and 60. Although the loco is very smooth running, it doesn't get to much more than slow crawl until speed step 30. David

Time for a few pictures of my favorite ex-GWR class. Here is no. 7020 'Gloucester Castle' speeding through Teignbridge on a down express. This model came from the "A Date with the Duchy" set that I acquired second-hand, and started life as no. 7036 'Taunton Castle'. It has been updated from the early emblem on the tender to the later crest as the layout is set in 1959-1960. The undersized plastic smokebox dart has been replaced with a Markits brass version which (I think) greatly improves the appearance of the model. Thanks for viewing. David