Port Isaac

[woodenhead]

So far this plank has been a place to plonk.

 

But not tonight, for the first time in 35 years i have only done some blinking modelling, from scratch too.

 

Quite pleased with myself, it seems the imminent arrival of my Gate Stock has given me impetus to improve the surroundings.

 

Even chose the hardest end first having to cut around for a motor and wires, so the rest should be plain sailing tomorrow, embossed brick on my list for Warley now. Who knows I might even paint the track and put down some ballast in the next week, but I should not get too carried away, thirty five years for a bit of platform, I might be rushing things

 

 

[NHY 581]

Well done Wooders.

 

Speaking from experience with Mutton, adding thepkatform turns it from a shelf ti a station. Then the fun really starts.

 

One thing I am looking forward to is gaving something for Christmas and being able to unpack it and plonk it on the layout.........and play trains at Christmas........pooop..pooop!

 

Spot on.

 

 

Rob.

[woodenhead]

A bit more work on the platforms, they're not bad for a first attempt in 35 years, added the brick effect plasticard today which I think will look even better after painting. Not sure about the water tower thing.

 

Have some flagstones to add to the platform edge then I need to consider how to finish off the surface.

 

How do you get the cinders effect, is it sand? And if it is, how do you stick it down, pva glue?

 

 

 

Two Peco point motors and Kadees makes running round much easier, no need to walk down the room anymore to alter points or uncouple.

Edited December 16, 2017 by woodenhead

[woodenhead]

Having taken onboard Captain Kernow's 'Is your RTR purchase really necessary' I have embarked upon a slimming of my fleet.

 

All the BR Blue stock went onto Ebay last week, all but 5 lots sold, I think by the end of this week all that will be left will be a couple of ex Big 4 wagons and a guards van.  My N gauge fleet has begun a similar cull with a lot sold in the past week and some more items going by this weekend I hope.  Even my Southern 2-Bil is going, lovely model but it was dragging me out of the South West so it had to go on Ebay too.

 

So what I am left with in OO is just steam - Southern or GW flavoured, I might allow a couple of Midland locomotives in for a Somerset feel.  

 

But with all the outs, I am pleased that my last planned locomotive purchase of 2018 has arrived and I have waited a long time for it:

 

 

A Maunsell dining car and a couple of Maunsell cattle wagons is all I plan to buy at the moment for the remainder of the year.

 

The Ebay stuff has been very successful, it opens up the potential purchase of some baseboard kits and an opportunity to purchase the kit required to go DCC.

[woodenhead]

There has been modelling going on....

 

 

This was my first attempt at a kit since childhood, the instructions were very unAirfix like but it doesn't look half bad.

 

Today I attempted a second Parkside kit, some extra fiddly bits with the side steps but as per kit one.

 

 

The roof on both models is plonked, weight needs adding so for the time being they're loose.

 

Overall, quite pleased. Cambrian kits are next in my pile, Southern wagons.

[woodenhead]

Really must begin to add some scenery.

 

So the EBay sales overall went as expected and I have the money to splash out at some point on a two sets of Tim Horn baseboards, the DCC idea has wained, I am happy DC.

 

Despite promising myself no more engines I did spend this week when a DJM/Hattons 14xx turned up on EBay which I got for under £100 including something called a chip which I tossed back into the box. My Ebay jaunt didn't end there as I picked up at good prices a couple of near mint Clerestories and a recent Hornby B-set (with the right bogies as these are the ones released with B1 bogies!).

 

 

I want to remodel the station throat a little as I altered it to allow two four coach emus to stable in the fiddleyard and now they're gone I can reduce the length on the longest two sidings and improve the look of the station throat. Then it is track painting and balasting time, this was always meant to be a test plank before I build something more permanent,so I need to get testing.

 

Also need to add Kadee boxes to my new coaches and built kits

Edited July 29, 2018 by woodenhead

[woodenhead]

And now a Cambrian kit done, a little more fiddly than a Parkside but all in all a nice model, will look better painted. One buffer is missing a ring, it shot off and despite crawling around on the floor with a strong light I couldn't find it. Roof is loose, needs weight.

 

[woodenhead]

Goods wagons need a goods yard, this layout began life as an experiment in 4mm as I'd been playing about with N Gauge for the past few years. The Goods facilities had never got past a couple of sidings with one being a kick back that I didn't really like, I'd also lost early on a coach siding.

 

So I've doubled the width of the station and this will allow three Goods sidings off a single feed plus a coach siding. I also plan to replace all the points leading into the station and the bay platform with large radius points, the coach siding will also use a large radius so the coaches look better when being shunted. I will also be rebuilding the fiddleyard as it was extended to hold a 4CEP and 4VEP with neither of those being in my stud any longer and now max length will be three Maunsell plus a T9.

 

I've extended the base today with some ply and 2x1 and it now looks like this, you can see the existing unsatisfactory goods facilities

 

 

Tomorrow I can begin to alter the track.

[woodenhead]

Looking at the extra space and the existing plan I've realised it doesn't feel Southern enough.

 

I think a complete rebuild is on the cards, left to right should be coach siding, run round, main platform line, then a small bay and a goods yard. Putting the platform in the middle and stopping the tracks a bit short of the edge of the board will also improve the look.

 

Pics to follow

[woodenhead]

Planning night, this looks a lot more North Cornwall railway, the track under the building will be disappearing. Absolute max train length is three coaches, is most definitely steam and will be ex LSWR in the main with GW interlopers though I will allow exotic motive power for the area in the form of a Dean Goods, a Dukedog and a Railcar. Time period flexible mid thirties to early War years

 

The plan from L to R is:

Track 1 long coach siding

Track 2 loop with shorter coach siding

Track 3 main

Track 4 short bay

Track 5 loading bank

Track 6 goods platform

Track 7 coal line

 

Possibly a kickback from the entrance to the bay which will either be to store local passenger trains between services or form an entry to a turntable, not sure on that yet, but second board items.

 

Will make a start on laying at the weekend as the wife is away on a course.

 

[south_tyne]

Hi woodenhead.

 

Just checking in here after the redirection from elswhere! It's great to see you making progress and the extended size of the layout will offer you so much more scope, both operationally and scenically. I like the trackplan - it's relatively simplistic but importantly realistic and will still offer plenty of operational scope and should keep you entertained!

 

I do like the use of the Lack shelves. I've been toying with using a couple for a small O gauge layout but things haven't really got off the ground as of yet. I think the advantage of being highly transportable is important to do many of us who have limited space available and often nowhere to leave a layout permanently set up. I for one don't have any such luxury so any layout has to be very small and easily stored away. The Lack shelves do seem to allow this and also mean it could be worked on temporarily around the house, rather than being banished in isolation to somewhere such as the loft or garage.

 

Although mainly being an ex-NER man in my 'mainline' interests, I do have a real softspot for the Southern so will follow with interest. I think it's those lovely green coaches and the thought of sunshine and summer holidays that appeal to me!

 

Thanks for sharing and keep the updates coming.

 

David

[woodenhead]

New thread name, I've found a location for my fictional route - Port Isaac.

 

For my version, the join of the LSWR and GW routes at Launceston has come earlier and there is some joint running from Launceston to a junction near Port Isaac where the real line to Wadebridge and Padstow continues with the junction to my station being joint.

 

I am also going to imagine that my line specialised in services to suit game hunters traveling to the area for weekend pursuits which will see the use of baggage vans and a restaraunt car on some services bringing in the gentry from London.

[woodenhead]

Clean slate / blank canvas

 

First job was to move the switches off the (to be) scenic side and put the basic wiring underneath.

 

With that done I can begin the look at the track, I know what I want to do so this won't be a long build.

 

[woodenhead]

With track and some stock plonked to test lengths

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note to self: tidy kitchen before Mrs W returns!

[woodenhead]

Day 2 of the bank holiday build.

 

Realised the bay was too much so it has gone, this now gives a little more space for the goods yard to breathe.

 

Today’s first task, the point motors for the run round, all my other points are accessible but these aren’t. Last time round I added the motors after the build and it left them visible, this time they can go under the platform. Doing this first takes away stress and once I’ve got this bit working the rest is just laying track.

 

I am glad the passenger bay has gone as well and feel happier with the revised design, there is a kickback line that I might drop too.

 

 

[woodenhead]

The Peco motors didn't like wire in tube so back to standard fitment, tracklaying had begun though till blood stopped play.

 

Will have to wait an hour or so....

 

Edit: in the end there was no more play all day, every attempt to use the thumb saw another outpouring.

 

Edited August 27, 2018 by woodenhead

[woodenhead]

Progress...

 

Without the passenger bay this feels more North Cornwall now. The kickback remains, it might just protect the main from runaways or I might one day add a turntable though at the moment in my head SR locos requiring turning will make a trip to Wadebridge and GW locos would return to Launceston.

 

 

Lay the sidings then connect to board two, wire to controller and then rebuild the fiddleyard.

 

Not only am I laying track this afternoon but I am also learning the cues for a Body Balance track, Mrs W has joined me in the kitchen fresh back from passing her Les Mills instructor course.

Edited August 27, 2018 by woodenhead

[woodenhead]

Weekend over and I present to you all Port Isaac.

 

Single platform up the middle, SR services from London, Oakhampton and Wadebridge (Gate stock reversing at Delabole), GW services from London and Tavistock Junction.

 

Wadebridge is used to turn the SR locos and Launceston the GW locomotives.

[south_tyne]

Seems like you have been making real progress and making the most of the bank holiday weekend! Developing a nice trackplan in the enlarged format. I think you were right to drop the bay and avoid the scene becoming too cluttered. There is definitely a happy medium to be struck between operational interest and avoiding cramming too much track in..... I think what you have gone for in that latest update seems to get that balance right.

 

Keep the updates coming!

David

[woodenhead]

Mojo is back and I am also thinking issues through, had two dead sections and couldn't fathom out why till I realised I had swapped polarity after doing the wiring so all I needed to do was reverse two wires.

 

Don't know why I also didn't think about this sooner, I've created a paper template which I can cut plasticard from. Coal merchants is moving, I wanted it in the longer siding but I realised it will mean no buildings for goods around the yard so I am gong to put it nearer the points on the opposite side of the track.

 

[woodenhead]

Ordered a pre-owned N class today.

 

I think the GW has been well and truly muscled out by locomotives bearing a very different shade of green.

 

And that Dapol Mogul was starting to look good.

[N15class]

On your main platform line why is your loco release at the wrong end?

Edited October 2, 2018 by N15class

[Stubby47]

On yoyrain platform line why is your loco release at the wrong end?

St Ives' method of allowing two trains to use the platform ? Although the platform looks possibly too short to have a train in the loop ( and this also looks too short for 3 coaches).

[woodenhead]

The loco release position allows for a coach or bogie van to be left in the headshunt and still allow locos to run round other trains.

 

its looks bigger than it is.

 

Actually ran a train today, it's been a few months since there was any activity, all my GW locos and passenger stock have gone back into their boxes, this is a pure SR station now as it should be.  What will become of my GW stuff (including an actual smooth running DJM 14xx) I am not yet sure.

 

I intend to finish the platform walls this week, the paper template worked like a dream when it came to cutting the platform surface, the platform is now on the layout albeit with gaps to fill on the walls.

[woodenhead]

Not the best shot, but evidence of a return of the mojo.

 

Track painted, though the image is picking up some gaps, some ballast down and platform in situ.

 

Great Western locos/coaches are back in their boxes as well as some some Southern locos and coaches.

 

Picked up some fencing from Scalefour North yesterday, time to think about dressing the station.