Cornish layout ideas - help the indecisive!

[TomJ]

I hope people don't mind me posting in here rather than layout and track design as I thought people here might have a bit more knowledge of the prototype. I'm looking at building a Cornish clay inspired layout (to replace my poor attempt at one that isn't going anywhere for various reasons!). And as RMWeb is effectively my model club I need somewhere to bounce ideas off and get some feedback

 

The background is that I have been fascinated by Cornwall's railways, especially the clay area for many years and want to capture a bit of that atmosphere in N gauge, in a space of 6 or 7 ft by 2-2.5ft (exact dimensions depend on negotiations and other furniture needed for the spare room). I'm fascinated by the idea of the railways seemingly in the middle of nowhere, yet with heavy freight traffic and a bit of passenger, such as Boscarne Junction or Coombe Junction - prototypes so odd you'd get funny looks if you designed them as layout ideas! My layout has to include a continuous run - so my lad can occasionally watch trains just run, and I don't want half of either end taken up with a fiddle yard. Clearly I haven't got space for a real location but I hope my ideas are 'inspired by' and perhaps plausible, if not actually real. The period is early 60s, with run down steam and some shiny new diesels, but my BR blue collection will no doubt make an appearance! I have built a model of a old style coal fired clay works so this has to fit in somehow. The plans are just rough sketches, not finalised dimensionally but just ideas to consider. However I've tried to use large or medium points on the main lines and they should all take 3 or 4 coach trains or 10ish clay wagons

 

So here's my first plan inspired by coombe junction. A 'station' I've been fascinated by for ages

 

At the right hand end the two passenger lines converge (the curves will be hidden, either in the trees or behind the back scene) at 'Coombe', and at the left hand end a line continues to 'Moorswater' making a continuous run. I could imagine that the line still continues past Moorswater to quarries or further clay works in the hills. Where the mill used to be behind the platform there is a small clay works. So lots of shunting, and every passenger train has to run round, but perhaps a little dull operationally??

 

Plan two is loosely inspired by Boscarne Junction but the forth siding has been replaced by a small clay works. 

 

 

Potential for lots more trains and locos to appear, both WR and SR, and for trains to run through as well as a bit of shunting. No station but I could add the halt on the former GWR lines that appeared late in life as an exchange platform?

 

For the last plan I've been inspired by across the Tamar at Heathfield, where two minor branches meet. In my head its perhaps a might have been built line across north cornwall, with a branch linking to the SR Bodmin and Wenford system? Again a small clay works is located behind the station

 

 

I'm aware that there were no traditional branch junctions in Cornwall - most were freight only off a branch - and the only place I can think of where two branches met was Boscarne, with no station at all. So perhaps it could be built as a traditional branch junction, with a bay for the branch line or with just a halt on the mainline, with the bay being for goods or shunting. Definitely got lots of operating potential, can easily run one train round the mainline whilst another shunts the branch or clay works. But as its not as typically Cornish I am perhaps less sure.

 

Can anyone give advice to someone as confused as me? Any opinions on the plans or suggestions? Or even other ideas of how to model a small slice of the Cornish Clay network, ticking all my boxes!!!

 

Thanks

[MarcD]

What about Wadebridge? GWR trains to Bodmin Gen, LSWR/SR trains to Padstow, Exeter, Bodmin North and Wenford bridge.

 

Marc 

[TomJ]

I like the idea of Wadebridge but no way it'll fit in my space!! Also I think I prefer a scenario where passenger traffic is very much secondary to the freight

[stivesnick]

Hi Tom

 

I went through a similar exercise to you when planning my N gauge layout Molinnis (on RMweb) and ended up with a fictional place that people seem to like. My layout was based on Bugle on the Newquay Branch where there was a freight only branch off the main line. This route had the additional advantage of having holiday trains ( not stopping at the station) to add to the mix.

 

I would go for your third plan as the other two locations have already been modelled several times, but its up to you.

 

Regards

 

Nick

[Branksome71B]

Perhaps something based on the track plan of Fowey prior to closure of the section between Fowey and Par. Station was on a curve with terminating auto-train from Lostwithiel (you could make it a traditional loco hauled service), procession of clay trains over the Par section emerging from Pinnock tunnel. Plenty of sidings for holding wagons. Par section closed July 1968 and passenger from Lostwithiel ceased January 1965.